Radical Otherness

<p>The problem of otherness is central to debates in both the social sciences and theology. To define the other – by colour gender politics nationality or religion – is to define the self. Othering has been used through history as a justification for boundary-setting for conflict and for oppression. <em>Radical Otherness</em> presents a broad overview of otherness in both sociology and theology. The book reveals how social theory can illuminate many contemporary issues in theology whilst the examination of theological methods can shed light on problematic issues in sociology. The discussion of issues in <em>Radical Otherness</em> moves from the personal to the political to the hermeneutic to the ultimate otherness of metaphysics. At each stage discussion of theory is grounded in concrete examples. The book offers students of ethics theology and sociology of religion a clear and engaged assessment of otherness and opens up new ways for investigating a concept central to the study of both religion and society.</p>