Browsing by Author "King, David"

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    At the Foot of Babel: Derrida, St. Paul, and a Question of Translation
    (2020) King, David; Miller, Jerry
    For as long as language has been of interest to philosophers, so has translation. Over the course of the 20th century, sustained focus on matters of language inevitably brought translation to the fore. As a normative conception of translation emerged, so too did its critics, chief among them Jacques Derrida. This essay proposes to re-examine Derrida's critique of the normative conception of language through an analysis of his essay, "Des Tours de Babel." Two prominent themes emerge in this essay: the proper name and the law. I argue that Derrida ultimately cannot escape a law-based conception of language, and therefore fails to see the extent of the damage done by law, given its dominating tendencies. I will then argue, using resources found in St. Paul's writings, that a full critique of the law as the basis for translation enables us to see a fundamentally new picture of language, one in which the non-violent apprehension of linguistic difference becomes a real possibility, instead of the shadow of a promise.
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    Parochially Political: An Examination of The Political Nature of the Eucharist in the Thought of St. Augustine
    (2020) King, David; Farneth, Molly B.
    This thesis proposes to re-examine St. Augustine's political thought through an exploration of the political ramifications of the sacrament of the Eucharist, particularly as it is described in Augustine's "Sermon 227." In the literature on Augustine, there appears to be little in terms of a political understanding of the Church's practices, particularly as regards the sacraments. Sermon 227 proceeds in a way that forces the reader to consider the political implications of the Eucharist, especially as a practice that creates and sustains an entity, the Body of Christ. For Augustine, this body is understood sacrificially, and it is that theme of sacrifice that, we will see, is the centrepiece of the political nature of that body. Augustine's formulation of the Eucharist in Sermon 227 thus reframes the question of the relationship between politics and the Church. Through a close textual analysis of Sermon 227, this thesis will demonstrate that, for Augustine, the relationship between the Eucharist and politics is one that goes to the very core of the practice itself.