Companions in the Between: Augustine Desmond and Their Communities of Love

Contemporary philosopher William Desmond has many companions in thought and one of the most important of these is Augustine. In lucid prose that draws on the riches of a vibrant philosophical-theological tradition Renee Kӧhler-Ryan explores Desmonds metaxological philosophy. She elaborates on how Desmonds philosophical work in discovering how humans are constantly between remains in conversation with a tradition of thinkers that includes Plato Augustine Thomas Aquinas and Shakespeare. This book concentrates especially on how Desmond both draws upon and develops some of the central insights in Augustine. At the same time it brings together philosophy theology and literature into a rich engagement of ideas that impact the way humans think and live. Whether considering how our elemental wonder at creation brings us closer to God or how our most intimate revelations about being human happen in the interior space of prayer reading Desmond with Augustine illuminates a porous and interdisciplinary space of inquiry. Companions in the Between is a unique contribution to the growing body of scholarship on William Desmonds thought. It opens with a foreword from Desmond. Its pages will entice any reader who wants to know more about how contemporary philosophy can contest a space where philosophers are formulaically expected to shy away from divine transcendence.