Adam Kotsko: Difference between revisions

Adam Kotsko
Adam Kotsko
	Kotsko in 2011
Born	July 19, 1980 (age 44); Flint, Michigan, US
Academic background
Alma mater	Olivet Nazarene University; Chicago Theological Seminary;
Thesis	Atonement and Ontology (2009)
Doctoral advisor	Ted Jennings
Influences	Giorgio Agamben; Dietrich Bonhoeffer; Jean-Luc Nancy; Friedrich Nietzsche; Dorothee Sölle; Slavoj Žižek;
Academic work
Discipline	Religious studies; theology;
Sub-discipline	Political theology
Institutions	Shimer College; North Central College;
Website	adamkotsko.com

Browse history interactively

← Previous edit

Content deleted Content added

VisualWikitext

Inline

Latest revision as of 03:26, 17 November 2024

Adam Kotsko (born 1980) is an American theologian, religious scholar, culture critic, and translator, working in the field of political theology. He served as an Assistant Professor of Humanities at Shimer College in Chicago, which was absorbed into North Central College in 2017. He writes about philosophers Slavoj Žižek and Giorgio Agamben, as well as American pop culture.

Early life and education

Adam Kotsko was born on July 19, 1980,^{[citation needed]} in Flint, Michigan, and grew up in nearby Davison.^[3]^[4]

Kotsko earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois, in 2002.^[3]^[5] From there, he went on to the Chicago Theological Seminary (CTS), where he completed a Master of Arts degree in religious studies in 2005, with a thesis in the form of a translation and commentary on Jacques Derrida's essay "Literature in Secret: An Impossible Filiation".^[6]

Kotsko completed his Doctor of Philosophy degree in theology, ethics, and culture at CTS in 2009.^[5] His doctoral dissertation was titled Atonement and Ontology.^[7]^[8] A modified version of his dissertation was published by Continuum International Publishing Group in 2010 under the title of The Politics of Redemption: The Social Logic of Salvation.^[9]

Career

After completing his doctorate in 2009, Kotsko taught for two years at Kalamazoo College, a liberal arts college in Michigan.^[10]^[11] In 2011, Kotsko was hired by Shimer College, a small great-books college in Chicago.^[12]

Kotsko has written on the philosopher Slavoj Žižek, including a 2008 book titled Žižek and Theology^[13] and a 2012 article in the Los Angeles Review of Books.^[14] His other works include The Politics of Redemption: The Social Logic of Salvation^[15] and a translation of Giorgio Agamben's The Sacrament of Language: An Archaeology of the Oath.^[16]

References

^ ^a ^b Greenaway, Jon (May 23, 2018). "Review: The Prince of this World, by Adam Kotsko; Part One". TheLitCritGuy. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Kotsko, Adam (April 26, 2009). "Narrative CV: Adam Kotsko". An und für sich. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
^ ^a ^b Norman Geras (2004-08-06). "The normblog profile 46: Adam Kotsko". Normblog. Retrieved 2013-05-24.
^ Adam Kotsko (2010-03-19). "Red Toryism: The British Invasion". An und für sich. Retrieved 2013-05-24.
^ ^a ^b "Adam Kotsko". Shimer College. Archived from the original on 2012-07-08. Retrieved 2013-05-24.
^ An Impossible Filiation by Jacques Derrida: Translation and Commentary. OCLC 76942979 – via Worldcat.. Text of translation.
^ Kotsko, Adam (2009). Atonement and Ontology (PhD thesis). Chicago: Chicago Theological Seminary. OCLC 456250141.
^ Adam Kotsko (2009-02-11). "My Dissertation: "Atonement and Ontology"". An und für sich. Retrieved 2013-05-24.
^ Adam Kotsko (2010). The Politics of Redemption: The Social Logic of Salvation. Bloomsbury Academic. p. vii. ISBN 978-0567185662.
^ Adam Kotsko. "CVs: Adam Kotsko". An und für sich. Archived from the original on 2013-05-11. Retrieved 2013-05-24.
^ Adam Kotsko (2011-04-25). "An announcement". An und für sich. Retrieved 2013-05-24.
^ "Shimer Hires Three New Faculty Members" (PDF). Shimer College. 2011-06-01. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-06-05. Retrieved 2013-05-24.
^ Tester, Keith (September 2009). New Blackfriars. 90 (1029): 628–630. doi:10.1111/j.1741-2005.2009.01312_6.x. ISSN 0028-4289. JSTOR 43251338.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
^ Adam Kotsko (2012-09-02). "How to Read Žižek". Los Angeles Review of Books. Archived from the original on 2012-09-05. Retrieved 2013-05-24.
^ Elgendy, Rick (2011). The Journal of Religion. 91 (4): 567–569. doi:10.1086/662400. ISSN 0022-4189.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
^ Tell, Dave (2012). Philosophy & Rhetoric. 45 (4): 452–459. doi:10.5325/philrhet.45.4.0452. ISSN 0031-8213.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)

External links

[TheLitCritGuy_review-1] Greenaway, Jon (May 23, 2018). "Review: The Prince of this World, by Adam Kotsko; Part One". TheLitCritGuy. Retrieved December 19, 2018.

[Narrative_CV-2] Kotsko, Adam (April 26, 2009). "Narrative CV: Adam Kotsko". An und für sich. Retrieved August 17, 2018.

[normblog-3] Norman Geras (2004-08-06). "The normblog profile 46: Adam Kotsko". Normblog. Retrieved 2013-05-24.

[red-4] Adam Kotsko (2010-03-19). "Red Toryism: The British Invasion". An und für sich. Retrieved 2013-05-24.

[profile-5] "Adam Kotsko". Shimer College. Archived from the original on 2012-07-08. Retrieved 2013-05-24.

[6] An Impossible Filiation by Jacques Derrida: Translation and Commentary. OCLC 76942979 – via Worldcat.. Text of translation.

[7] Kotsko, Adam (2009). Atonement and Ontology (PhD thesis). Chicago: Chicago Theological Seminary. OCLC 456250141.

[8] Adam Kotsko (2009-02-11). "My Dissertation: "Atonement and Ontology"". An und für sich. Retrieved 2013-05-24.

[9] Adam Kotsko (2010). The Politics of Redemption: The Social Logic of Salvation. Bloomsbury Academic. p. vii. ISBN 978-0567185662.

[cv-10] Adam Kotsko. "CVs: Adam Kotsko". An und für sich. Archived from the original on 2013-05-11. Retrieved 2013-05-24.

[announce-11] Adam Kotsko (2011-04-25). "An announcement". An und für sich. Retrieved 2013-05-24.

[hires-12] "Shimer Hires Three New Faculty Members" (PDF). Shimer College. 2011-06-01. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-06-05. Retrieved 2013-05-24.

[13] Tester, Keith (September 2009). New Blackfriars. 90 (1029): 628–630. doi:10.1111/j.1741-2005.2009.01312_6.x. ISSN 0028-4289. JSTOR 43251338.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)

[14] Adam Kotsko (2012-09-02). "How to Read Žižek". Los Angeles Review of Books. Archived from the original on 2012-09-05. Retrieved 2013-05-24.

[15] Elgendy, Rick (2011). The Journal of Religion. 91 (4): 567–569. doi:10.1086/662400. ISSN 0022-4189.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)

[16] Tell, Dave (2012). Philosophy & Rhetoric. 45 (4): 452–459. doi:10.5325/philrhet.45.4.0452. ISSN 0031-8213.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

@@ Line 43: / Line 43: @@
 ==Early life and education==
-Adam Kotsko was born on July 19, 1980,{{citation needed|date=August 2020}} in [[Flint, Michigan|Flint]], [[Michigan]], and grew up in nearby [[Davison, Michigan|Davison]].<ref name="normblog"/><ref name="red">{{Cite web|url=http://itself.wordpress.com/2010/03/19/red-toryism-the-british-invasion/|title=Red Toryism: The British Invasion|date=2010-03-19|accessdate=2013-05-24|author=Adam Kotsko|work=An und für sich}}</ref>
+Adam Kotsko was born on July 19, 1980,{{citation needed|date=August 2020}} in [[Flint, Michigan|Flint]], [[Michigan]], and grew up in nearby [[Davison, Michigan|Davison]].<ref name="normblog">{{Cite web|url=http://normblog.typepad.com/normblog/2004/08/the_normblog_pr.html|date=2004-08-06|title=The normblog profile 46: Adam Kotsko|work=Normblog|author=Norman Geras|accessdate=2013-05-24}}</ref><ref name="red">{{Cite web|url=http://itself.wordpress.com/2010/03/19/red-toryism-the-british-invasion/|title=Red Toryism: The British Invasion|date=2010-03-19|accessdate=2013-05-24|author=Adam Kotsko|work=An und für sich}}</ref>
 Kotsko earned his [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree at [[Olivet Nazarene University]] in [[Bourbonnais, Illinois|Bourbonnais]], [[Illinois]], in 2002.<ref name="normblog"/><ref name="profile"/> From there, he went on to the [[Chicago Theological Seminary]] (CTS), where he completed a [[Master of Arts]] degree in [[religious studies]] in 2005, with a thesis in the form of a translation and commentary on [[Jacques Derrida]]'s essay "Literature in Secret: An Impossible Filiation".<ref>{{Cite book|title=An Impossible Filiation by Jacques Derrida: Translation and Commentary|via=Worldcat|oclc = 76942979}}. [http://itself.files.wordpress.com/2007/01/derrida-literature-in-secret.pdf Text of translation].</ref>
@@ Line 50: / Line 50: @@
 ==Career==
-After completing his doctorate in 2009, Kotsko taught for two years at [[Kalamazoo College]], a liberal arts college in Michigan.<ref name="cv">{{Cite web |author=Adam Kotsko |title=CVs: Adam Kotsko |url=http://itself.wordpress.com/cvs/kotsko-cv/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511092434/http://itself.wordpress.com/cvs/kotsko-cv/ |archive-date=2013-05-11 |accessdate=2013-05-24 |work=An und für sich}}</ref><ref name="announce">{{Cite web|url=http://itself.wordpress.com/2011/04/25/an-announcement/|date=2011-04-25|accessdate=2013-05-24|author=Adam Kotsko|title=An announcement|work=An und für sich}}</ref>
+After completing his doctorate in 2009, Kotsko taught for two years at [[Kalamazoo College]], a liberal arts college in Michigan.<ref name="cv">{{Cite web |author=Adam Kotsko |title=CVs: Adam Kotsko |url=http://itself.wordpress.com/cvs/kotsko-cv/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511092434/http://itself.wordpress.com/cvs/kotsko-cv/ |archive-date=2013-05-11 |accessdate=2013-05-24 |work=An und für sich}}</ref><ref name="announce">{{Cite web|url=http://itself.wordpress.com/2011/04/25/an-announcement/|date=2011-04-25|accessdate=2013-05-24|author=Adam Kotsko|title=An announcement|work=An und für sich}}</ref> In 2011, Kotsko was hired by [[Shimer College]], a small [[great books|great-books]] college in Chicago.<ref name="hires">{{Cite web |date=2011-06-01 |title=Shimer Hires Three New Faculty Members |url=http://www.shimer.edu/newsandevents/upload/2011-June-New-Faculty.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120605215200/http://www.shimer.edu/newsandevents/upload/2011-June-New-Faculty.pdf |archive-date=2012-06-05 |accessdate=2013-05-24 |publisher=Shimer College}}</ref>
+[[File:Kotsko graduation 2012 uncropped.jpg|thumb|Kotsko at the [[Shimer College]] commencement ceremony in Chicago in May 2012]]Kotsko has written on the philosopher [[Slavoj Žižek]], including a 2008 book titled ''Žižek and Theology''<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Tester |first=Keith |date=September 2009 |title=none |journal=New Blackfriars |language=en |volume=90 |issue=1029 |pages=628–630 |doi=10.1111/j.1741-2005.2009.01312_6.x |issn=0028-4289 |jstor=43251338}}</ref> and a 2012 article in the ''[[Los Angeles Review of Books]]''.<ref>{{Cite news|work=Los Angeles Review of Books |url=http://lareviewofbooks.org/article.php?id=897 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120905010858/http://lareviewofbooks.org/article.php?id=897 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-09-05 |title=How to Read Žižek |author=Adam Kotsko |date=2012-09-02 |accessdate=2013-05-24 }}</ref> His other works include ''The Politics of Redemption: The Social Logic of Salvation''<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Elgendy |first=Rick |date=2011 |title=none |journal=The Journal of Religion |volume=91 |issue=4 |pages=567–569 |doi=10.1086/662400 |issn=0022-4189}}</ref> and a translation of [[Giorgio Agamben]]'s ''The Sacrament of Language: An Archaeology of the Oath''.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Tell |first=Dave |date=2012 |title=none |journal=Philosophy & Rhetoric |volume=45 |issue=4 |pages=452–459 |doi=10.5325/philrhet.45.4.0452 |issn=0031-8213}}</ref>
-[[File:Kotsko graduation 2012 uncropped.jpg|thumb|Kotsko at the [[Shimer College]] commencement ceremony in Chicago in May 2012]]
-In 2011, Kotsko was hired by [[Shimer College]], a small [[great books|great-books]] college in Chicago.<ref name="hires">{{Cite web|url=http://www.shimer.edu/newsandevents/upload/2011-June-New-Faculty.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120605215200/http://www.shimer.edu/newsandevents/upload/2011-June-New-Faculty.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-06-05 |title=Shimer Hires Three New Faculty Members |publisher=Shimer College |date=2011-06-01 |accessdate=2013-05-24 }}</ref>
-== Writing ==
-Kotsko is known for his writings on the philosopher [[Slavoj Žižek]], whom he has credited for causing him to "break out of one particular intellectual ghetto and into another" by changing his self-identification from "non-[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]" to [[left-wing politics|leftist]].<ref name="normblog">{{Cite web|url=http://normblog.typepad.com/normblog/2004/08/the_normblog_pr.html|date=2004-08-06|title=The normblog profile 46: Adam Kotsko|work=Normblog|author=Norman Geras|accessdate=2013-05-24}}</ref> His first book, which was published in 2008 was on Žižek, titled ''Žižek and Theology'' (the first volume of T&T Clark's "Philosophy and Theology" series).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://tandtclark.typepad.com/ttc/2008/05/new-release-ziz.html|date=2008-05-09|accessdate=2013-05-24|publisher=T&T Clark|title=New Release: Zizek and Theology}}</ref><ref name="giant">{{Cite web|url=http://htmlgiant.com/author-spotlight/another-long-interview-this-time-with-zizek-brain-adam-kotsko/|work=HTML Giant|title=Another long interview (this time with Žižek brain Adam Kotsko)|author=Adam Robinson|date=2009-06-15|accessdate=2013-05-24}}</ref> In 2012, Kotsko published a more popular article, "How to Read Žižek" in the ''[[Los Angeles Review of Books]]''.<ref>{{Cite news|work=Los Angeles Review of Books |url=http://lareviewofbooks.org/article.php?id=897 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120905010858/http://lareviewofbooks.org/article.php?id=897 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-09-05 |title=How to Read Žižek |author=Adam Kotsko |date=2012-09-02 |accessdate=2013-05-24 }}</ref>
-Kotsko has also published three book-length translations of works by Italian philosopher [[Giorgio Agamben]]. He has also published and delivered a number of papers on Agamben.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://itself.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/highest-poverty-paper-may-2013-v2.pdf|date=2013-05-21|accessdate=2013-05-24|author=Adam Kotsko|title=What St. Paul and the Franciscans Can Tell Us About Neoliberalism: On Agamben's The Highest Poverty}}</ref>
-Kotsko has published three short books on popular culture, ''Awkwardness: An Essay'' (2010), ''Why We Love Sociopaths: A Guide to Late Capitalist Television'' (2012), and ''Creepiness'' (2015). Each book draws out a specific theme found in contemporary American television shows; ''Awkwardness'' addressing the curious rise of "awkward humor" in the 21st century, ''Why We Love Sociopaths'' addressing the trend toward a certain type of deeply antisocial protagonist, and ''Creepiness'' uses a [[Freudian]] lens to distinguish a discomfiting strain of popular culture from the topic of the first book.
-In 2015, Kotsko was the subject of controversy when he tweeted that all white people, regardless of their ancestry or whether their ancestors owned slaves, are "complicit" in slavery.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jul/2/adam-kotsko-white-shimer-college-professor-all-whi/|title=Adam Kotsko, white Shimer College professor: All whites 'complicit' in slavery|newspaper=The Washington Times|access-date=2017-11-02|language=en-US}}</ref> While the tweets were later deleted, Kotsko has said he stands by his statements.<ref name=":0" /> Due to this controversy, Kotsko was named in an online "watch list" of college professors who discriminate against conservative students.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.professorwatchlist.org/index.php/watch-list-directory/search-by-name/114-adam-kotsko|title=Adam Kotsko|last=Hern|first=Thomas|website=www.professorwatchlist.org|access-date=2017-11-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107023657/http://www.professorwatchlist.org/index.php/watch-list-directory/search-by-name/114-adam-kotsko|archive-date=2017-11-07|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{Weight|date=January 2024}}
-In 2016, Kotsko published a book about the [[Devil in Christianity]], ''The Prince of This World''.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://www.sup.org/books/title/?id=23793|title=The Prince of This World - Adam Kotsko|first=Stanford University|last=Press|website=www.sup.org|date=2016 |publisher=Stanford University Press |isbn=9780804799683 }}</ref>
-In 2018, Kotsko published a book that examines [[neoliberalism]] through the lens of [[political theology]], ''Neoliberalism's Demons: On the Political Theology of Late Capital''.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.sup.org/books/title/?id=29538|title=Neoliberalism's Demons: On the Political Theology of Late Capital - Adam Kotsko|first=Stanford University|last=Press|website=www.sup.org|date=2018 |publisher=Stanford University Press |isbn=9781503604810 }}</ref>
-Kotsko blogs chiefly on a group blog titled ''An und für sich'', but also posts on a personal blog, titled ''The Weblog''.<ref name="giant"/>
-==Books==
-===Monographs===
-* ''Žižek and Theology'' (2008). {{ISBN|0567032442}}.
-* ''Politics of Redemption: The Social Logic of Salvation'' (2010). {{ISBN|0567185664}}.
-* ''Awkwardness: An Essay'' (2010). {{ISBN|1846943914}}.
-* ''Why We Love Sociopaths: A Guide to Late Capitalist Television'' (2012). {{ISBN|178099091X}}.
-* ''Creepiness'' (2015). {{ISBN|9781782798460}}.
-* ''Agamben's Coming Philosophy'', co-author with Colby Dickinson. (2015). {{ISBN|9781782798460}}.
-* ''The Prince of This World'' (2016). {{ISBN|9780804799683}}.
-* ''Neoliberalism's Demons: On the Political Theology of Late Capital'' (2018). {{ISBN|9781503607125}}.
-* ''Agamben’s Philosophical Trajectory'' (2020). {{ISBN|9781474476003}}.
-* ''What is Theology? Christian Thought and Contemporary Life'' (2021). {{ISBN|9780823297825}}.
-===Edited Volume===
-* ''Agamben’s Philosophical Lineage'', co-edited with Carlo Salzani (2017). {{ISBN|9781474423632}}.
-===Translations===
-* ''The Sacrament of Language: An Archaeology of the Oath'' (translator) (2011). {{ISBN|0804768986}}.
-* ''The Highest Poverty'' (translator) (2013). {{ISBN|9780804784054}}.
-* ''Opus Dei: An Archaeology of Duty'' (translator) (2013). {{ISBN|0804784035}}.
-* ''The Use of Bodies'' (translator) (2016). {{ISBN|9780804792349}}.
-* ''The Kingdom and the Garden'' (translator) (2020). {{ISBN|9780857427861}}.
-* ''Pinocchio: The Adventures of a Puppet, Doubly Commented-Upon and Triply Illustrated'' (translator) (2023). {{ISBN|9781803091389}}.
 ==References==
@@ Line 98: / Line 58: @@
 ==External links==
+{{commons}}
 * {{Official website}}
 * [https://archive.today/20140213183432/http://www.shimer.edu/live/profiles/9-adam-kotsko Official faculty profile]
 * [https://itself.blog ''An und für sich'']
-*[https://mattasher.com/2020/11/05/ep-24-adam-kotsko-on-fear-sacrifice-and-our-permanent-state-of-exception/ Adam gives his interpretation of several Agamben quotes on The Filter Podcast]
 {{Authority control}}

Authority control databases
International	ISNI VIAF WorldCat
National	United States Czech Republic Netherlands Norway Latvia Israel
Other	IdRef