Phenomenology Booth, Pt. 1 / Donald Wallenfang / The Twining of Phenomenology and Metaphysics

The Theology Mill

The Phenomenology Booth is a virtual exhibit devoted to the philosophical field of phenomenology. The exhibit is hosted on the Wipf and Stock Blog and includes a set of interviews with philosophers and theologians working in phenomenology, as well as a selection of Wipf and Stock’s books in phenomenology. You can find the link to the booth below.

Dr. Donald Wallenfang is a Secular Discalced Carmelite and Professor of Theology and Philosophy at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. He has published many books with us at Cascade, including a Cascade Companion to phenomenology, Dialectical Anatomy of the Eucharist, and Emmanuel: Levinas and Variations on God with Us. Wallenfang was a student of Jean-Luc Marion while doing his PhD. He is also married and the father of six children.

In this interview for our phenomenology booth, Dr. Wallenfang and I discuss Jean-Luc Marion, Emmanuel Levinas, Edith Stein, John Paul II, and the relationship between phenomenology and metaphysics.

PODCAST LINKS:

The Phenomenology Booth: https://wipfandstock.com/blog/2022/11/15/the-phenomenology-booth/

Author page: https://wipfandstock.com/search-results/?keyword=donald+wallenfang

Dr. Wallenfang's academia.edu page: https://shms-mi.academia.edu/DonaldWallenfangOCDS

CONNECT:

Website: https://wipfandstock.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvht9V0Pndgvwh5vkpe0GGw

Twitter: https://twitter.com/wipfandstock

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wipfandstock

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wipfandstock/

SOURCES MENTIONED:

Engelland, Chad. Phenomenology.

Heidegger, Martin. Being and Time.

Husserl, Edmund. The Idea of Phenomenology.

———. Logical Investigations. 2 vols.

John Paul II. Fides et Ratio.

Levinas, Emmanuel. Ethics and Infinity: Interviews with Philippe Nemo.

———. Otherwise than Being, or Beyond Essence.

———. Totality and Infinity: An Essay on Exteriority.

Marion, Jean-Luc. Being Given: Toward a Phenomenology of Givenness.

———. God Without Being: Hors-Texte.

———. “Sketch of a Phenomenological Concept of Sacrifice.”

Robbins, Jill, ed. Is It Righteous to Be?: Interviews with Emmanuel Levinas.

Rosenzweig, Franz. The Star of Redemption.

Sokolowski, Robert. Introduction to Phenomenology.

Stein, Edith. Knowledge and Faith.

———. Potency and Act: Studies Towards a Philosophy of Being.

Wallenfang, Donald. Dialectical Anatomy of the Eucharist: An Étude in Phenomenology.

———. Emmanuel: Levinas and Variations on God with Us.

———. Human and Divine Being: A Study on the Theological Anthropology of Edith Stein.

———. Phenomenology: A Basic Introduction in the Light of Jesus Christ.

Zahavi, Dan. Husserl’s Phenomenology.

———. Phenomenology: The Basics.

OUTLINE:

(01:48) – How phenomenology is like Apple computers

(07:46) – Some good introductory books

(10:07) – Studying with Jean-Luc Marion

(15:08) – Wading through the jargon

(20:13) – Reconciling phenomenology and metaphysics

(27:18) – Emmanuel Levinas and/vs. Jean-Luc Marion

(32:08) – Phenomenology as ecumenical endeavor

(35:46) – Levinas and Stein in light of the Holocaust

(40:46) – Phenomenology’s contributions to theology