Companions in the Between

Book excerpt: The 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, Renée Köhler-Ryan explores Desmond’s metaxological philosophy. She brings together philosophy, theology and literature to elaborate on the conversation that Desmond’s philosophical work in discovering how humans are constantly ‘between’ sustains with a tradition of thinkers that also includes Plato, Thomas Aquinas and Shakespeare. 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. With a foreword from Desmond himself, Companions in the Between is a unique contribution to the growing body of scholarship on his thought. Köhler-Ryan’s analysis 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.