A restless search for truth: Philosopher John Caputo
“Truth is in constant transit. The difference between a liberal and a conservative, I think, is the stomach you have for the journey.”
For several decades philosopher John Caputo has been mixing postmodern philosophy with Christian theology in books like What Would Jesus Deconstruct?, The Prayers and Tears of Jacques Derrida, and most recently, The Insistence of God. He believes that the postmodern turn in philosophy can help Christians reckon with their particular moment in cultural and philosophic history and with the radical pace of change. He has a new book for nonacademic audiences called Truth.
Why did you start writing about esoteric postmodern theory for nonacademic audiences?
It began through contact with the emerging church movement. I realized that there were people trying to translate postmodern theory into practice. They were interested in contemporary philosophical hermeneutics, but they weren’t professional academics. They didn’t want to have to make a career of trying to understand Jacques Derrida. They needed a translator.
