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  • Dr. Jeffrey W. Robbins
Dr. Jeffrey W. Robbins

Jeffrey Robbins

Professor of Religion

Email: robbins@lvc.edu

Phone: 717-867-6720

Office Location: Humanities 307

B.A., Baylor University; M.Div., Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University; M.Phil., Syracuse University; Ph.D., Syracuse University

Expertise:
Philosophy of Religion, Contemporary Theology, Postmodern Thought, History of Religions, History of Philosophy

Research & Practice Areas:
New Materialism, Postmodern Theory, Political Theology, Continental Philosophy of Religion

I am currently working on three major projects. The first is the book publication of the collaborative and cumulative research project of the Westar Institute’s academic seminar on “God and the Human Future.” The second is a collection of philosophical and theological reflections on the crisis of faith and the role of sacrifice in contemporary literature and film. The third is a continuation of my work on the New Materialism as it connects with energy, the environment and the economy.

  • Chair, Board of Directors, The Westar Institute
  • Co-Editor, “Insurrections: Critical Studies on Religion, Politics, and Culture,” Book Series for Columbia University Press
  • Thomas Rhys Vickroy Teaching Award, Lebanon Valley College
  • Contributing Editor, Journal for Cultural and Religious Theory
  • Senior Associate Fellow, The International Institute for Hermeneutics

Books

  • Co-Editor with Clayton Crockett. Doing Theology in the Age of Trump: A Response to the Threat of Christian Nationalism. Cascade (2018).
  • Radical Theology: A Vision for Change. Indiana University Press (2016).
  • Co-Author with Ward Blanton, Clayton Crockett and Noelle Vahanian, An Insurrectionist Manifesto: Four New Gospels for a Radical Politics. Columbia University Press (2016).
  • Co-Editor with Clayton Crockett and B. Keith Putt, The Future of Continental Philosophy of Religion.  Indiana University Press (2014).
  • Co-Author with Clayton Crockett. Religion, Politics and the Earth: The New Materialism. Palgrave Macmillan (2012).
  • Radical Democracy and Political Theology. Columbia University Press (2011).
  • Co-Editor with Neal Magee. The Sleeping Giant Has Awoken: The New Politics of Religion in the United States. Continuum (2008).
  • Editor. After the Death of God, with John D. Caputo and Gianni Vattimo.  Columbia University Press (2007).
  • In Search of a Non-Dogmatic Theology. The Davies Group, 2004.
  • Between Faith and Thought: an Essay on the Ontotheological Condition. “Studies in Religion and Culture.” The University of Virginia Press, 2003.

Select Article Publications

  • “What’s the Matter with Populism? Feasting on the Remains of the Religious Right,” in Soundings: An Interdisciplinary Journal, Volume 102, Numbers 2-3 (2019). 261-273.
  • “The Secular as a Spiritual Worldliness,” in American Book Review, Volume 39, Number 5 (July/August 2018): 9.
  • “The Meaning of Heresy for Today: On Theo-Political Resistance from Spinoza to Prince,” in Forum, Volume 7, Number 1 (Spring 2018): 155-167.
  • “Harvey Cox Revisited: The Continued Case for a Theology of Technology,” in Soundings: An Interdisciplinary Journal, Volume 100, Number 1 (2017): 22-28.
  • “Renewing Materialism: Gianni Vattimo and Santiago Zabala and the Hermeneutical Option for the Poor,” in Philosophy Today, Volume 60, Issue 3 (Summer 2016): 687-702.
  • “A Radical Theology of the Future: Five Theses,” co-authored with Clayton Crockett, in Palgrave Communications 1: Article no: 15028 (2015).
  • “Alain Badiou and the Secular Reactivation of Theology,” in The Heythrop Journal, Vol. XLVIII (2011): 1-8.
  • “Thinking Transcendence with Levinas: From the Ethico-Religious to the Political and Beyond,” in Analecta Hermeneutica, Vol. 2 (2010): 1-22.
  • “Left Behind:  The Messianic without Sovereignty,” in Journal of Cultural Research, Vol. 13, Nos. 3-4 (July/October 2009): 323-333.
  • “Theses on Secular Theology,” in CSSR Bulletin, Vol. 27, No. 2 (April 2008).
  • “The Gift of Unbelief: An Existentialist Challenge in a Post-Metaphysical World,” in Angelaki: Journal of the Theoretical Humanities, Vol. 12, No. 1 (April 2007): 11-17.
  • “Beyond the Politics of Theological Despair,” in The Journal of Religion and Society, Vol. 8 (2006): 1-12.
  • “Becoming Theological: Rethinking Philosophy of/and Religion,” in Aquinas, Vol. 48, No. 3 (2005): 593-606.
  • “The Problem of Ontotheology: Complicating the Divide Between Philosophy and Theology.” in The Heythrop Journal, Volume 43, Number 2 (2002): 139-151.

Select Presentations

  • “After Apocalypse (Now): On the False Cinematic Promise of Penance.” Unwounded World: A Marian Peace for Our Shared Future. International Conference sponsored by Australian Catholic University, Science and Research Center of Koper, and University of Notre Dame. Rome, ACU, Villa Maria Campus (October 2022).
  • “On Deep Time and the Impersonal: The New Materialist Challenge to Continental Philosophy of Religion.” Philosophy’s Religions: Challenging Continental Philosophy of Religion. An International Conference. Faculty of Theology, University of Ljubljana. Slovenia (September 2018).
  • “Interrogations: John Caputo and the Future of Radical Theology.” The Return of the Religious in Postmodern Thought. A conference coorganized by Université de Montpellier III/CRISES, Institut Protestant de Théologie-Montpellier, University of Ljubljana, University of Vienna, and Science and Research Centre Koper. Monpellier, France (February 2017).
  • “Who Needs an Insurrection?” International Summit on Political Theology and Revolution. Alma Mater Europaea-ECM and The Global Center for Advanced Studies Europa. Maribor, Slovenia (July 2016).
  • “The Anonymous Sovereign.” Association of Continental Philosophy of Religion Conference on “Political Theology: The Liberation of the Post-Secular?” Liverpool, U.K. (July 2015).
  • “The Secret of the Cross and the Lynching Tree.” The Society for Race, Ethnicity and Religion. Iliff Theological Seminary. Denver, CO (April 2015).
  • “The Post-Secular and the Pluralization of Political Theology.” 2013 Telos Conference on “Religion and Politics in a Post-Secular Word.” New York, NY (April 2013).
  • “Charles Taylor, Gianni Vattimo, and the Continuing Viability of Secular Theology.” ’A Secular Age’: Tracing the Contours of Religion and Belief. Mater Dei Institute of Education of the Dublin City University. Dublin, Ireland (June 2009).
  • “God is Green, or a Theology of Indulgence.” Interdisciplinary Colloquium on Theology and Energy. University of Central Arkansas. Conway, AR (February 2009).
  • “Alain Badiou and the Secular Reactivation of Theology.” Society of Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy (SPEP) Annual Meeting. Duquesne University. Pittsburgh, PA (October 2008).
  • “Reactionary or Revolutionary? The Philosophical Appropriation of St. Paul.” St. Paul’s Journey into Philosophy. Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences. University of British Columbia. Vancouver (June 2008).
  • “Political Theology and Radical Democracy: Plasticity, Equality, Governmentality.” American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting. San Diego, CA (November 2007).
  • “Left Behind: The Messianic without Sovereignty.” The Messianic Now. Lancaster University, Lancaster, England (July 2007).
  • “Back to the Future: Belief in a Post-Metaphysical World.” Annual Conference of the The Centre of Theology and Philosophy in partnership with the Instituto de Filosofia Edith Stein de Granada. Granada, Spain. (September 2006).
  • “Thinking Transcendence with Levinas: From the Ethico-Religious to Politics and Beyond.” An International Workshop in the Hermeneutics of Religion. Co-hosted by Mount Allison University and the International Institute for Hermeneutics. Sackville, New Brunswick. (August 2006)
  • “Beyond the Politics of Theological Despair.” Secularity and Globalization: What Comes After Modernity? Lilly Fellows Program in Humanities and the Arts. Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI (November 2005).
  • “Secularization and the Multitude: An Alternative Theology of Empire.” American Academy of Religion Annual Conference. Philadelphia, PA (November 2005).

Keynote Addresses and Invited Presentations

  • “The Economics of Energy.” GIAN Course on “New Challenges in Critical Humanities” via Zoom. Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (February 2023).
  • “Political Theology in a Time of Crisis.” Geestdrift Festival. Utrecht, Netherlands (November 2018).
  • “The Good Strong Lie: On Truth and Authority in our Post-Truth Age.” Olaus Petri Lecture and Keynote Address, Biannual Conference of the International Society for Religion, Literature and Culture [ISRLC]. Uppsala University, Sweden (October 2018).
  • “Insurrectionist Manifesto: A Book Workshop on Radical Political Theology and Theory.” Institute for Philosophy, University of Vienna (September 2018).
  • “Contemporary Western Political Philosophy,” a five-part lecture series. Anhui Normal University. Wuhu, China (May 2017)
  • “Making Believe and Making a Mess: An Insurrectionist Theology.” Keynote Address, Wake: A Boutique Festival Curated by Peter Rollins. Belfast, Northern Ireland (April 2017).
  • “Heresy as an Act of Resistance.” Keynote Address, Second Conference of the International Society for Heresy Studies, New York University (June 2016).
  • “A Rhapsody of Independence: On Race, Repetition, and America.” The University of Central Arkansas. Conway, AR (April 2016).
  • “Already, but not Yet: The Anonymous Sovereign as a Figure of Resistance.” The McLester Seminar. University of North Carolina. Chapel Hill, NC (March 2016).
  • “On Hermeneutics and Plasticity”. Heilongjiang University and East China Normal University. China (June 2013).
  • “The Anonymous Sovereign: Theo-Political Reflections on Race and Politics in the United States.” The Michigan Sikh Studies Forum. University of Michigan (April 2013).
  • “Becoming a Brain: The New Materialism and the Challenge of Liberation.” James Chapel, Union Theological Seminary (February 2013).
  • “The Role of Religion in American Political Discourse,” International Conference on Religion, Law, and Power sponsored by The Tunisian Association of Constitutional Law. Tunis, Tunisia (March 2009).
  • For the Love of the World
  • Encountering World Religions
  • Jewish and Christian Scripture
  • Interdisciplinary Seminar in Religion
  • Service, Activism, and Social Change