He may still be a professor, but John Caputo looks at his new position at Syracuse University as a second career.

After 36 years at Villanova University as a philosophy professor, Caputo joined SU as the Thomas J. Watson Professor of Religion and Humanities, delivering his first lecture Wednesday afternoon to a crowd of about 70 professors and students in the Kilian Room at the Hall of Languages.

‘This is a new phase that will shoot some adrenaline into my system,’ Caputo said after delivering his lecture. ‘This has been a wonderful opportunity.’

Caputo’s scholarly work focuses on the intersection between philosophy and religion, drawing on secular, European philosophers to find new insights into religious thought. His most recent contributions have focused on deconstruction, a philosophical movement that questions traditional ideas and ways about thinking and seeing the world.

The lecture, ‘The Weakness of God: A Theology of the Event,’ explored new ways of interpreting the idea of ‘God,’ and the meaning that has come to be attached to the word itself.

‘It’s a real joy to be able to celebrate the arrival of such a remarkable colleague into the life of the college,’ said Cathryn Newton, the dean of The College of Arts and Sciences. ‘For the entire college, this scholar will begin to bring people together.’

The author or editor of 14 books and more than 100 articles, Caputo will be offering his expertise on modern philosophy and his own controversial and widely debated ideas.

‘He’s inventing a field of continental philosophy and theology,’ said Edward Mooney, professor of religion and philosophy, pointing out the strong themes of justice and logic in Caputo’s work. ‘What negotiation could be more urgent today than that between weakness and power?’

The position as Thomas J. Watson Professor of Religion and Humanities has existed for 30 years and was filled by past colleagues of Caputo. According to Richard Pilgrim, the chair of the religion department, it has always been occupied by professors who explored different approaches to the discipline.

‘All three of (the professors who have held the position) are, for lack of a better term, philosophers of religion,’ Pilgrim said, acknowledging a gap that often exists between the logic of philosophy and devotion of religion. ‘The professors share a kind of thinking on the edge of theology.’

Caputo will be teaching graduate religion and philosophy courses beginning in the spring semester.

Published on September 8, 2004 at 12:00 pm