Welcome to Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art,

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art ›› 2017, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (2): 206-213.

• Highlight: Studies of Terry Eagleton • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Eagleton on Culture and the Death of God:A Discussion of "the Theological Turn" of Western Leftists

Wang Xi   

  1. Fudan University (Shanghai, 200433 China)
  • Online:2017-03-25 Published:2017-11-11
  • About author:Wang Xi is a Ph.D. student at Fudan University (Shanghai, 200433 China), and a visiting scholar at New School University (New York 10003, USA) with research focus on literary theories of Western cultural leftists.

Abstract: As a well-renowned critic of Western cultural leftists, Eagleton turns his research focus from cultural sphere to political issues in the new era. He reminds the intellectuals that the secular age seems to have been replaced by a new era, namely, the post-secular era, where metaphysical conflicts have caused various kinds of vital threats to world peace directly. He argues that Marxist critics have the responsibilities to venture into the overlapping areas of religion and politics. Eagleton's new work Culture and the Death of God attempts to correspond to the above aporia and open up the third way of returning to the doctrine of faith, differing from the opposite poles of liberal secularism and religious fanaticism. In the new wave of theological turn of criticism, Eagleton tries to assist cultural leftists’ political practice by virtue of theological discourse, so as to find solutions to contemporary cultural and political problems. Meanwhile, Eagleton's efforts also act as an explanation to why the Western leftists have such a theological turn.

Key words: Eagleton, theological turn, post-secular, culture and the Death of God