Contesting Spirit: Nietzsche, Affirmation, Religion

CONTESTING SPIRIT This page intentionally left blank CONTESTING SPIRIT N I E T Z S C H E , A F F I R M AT I O N , R E L I G I O N TYLER T. ROBERTS PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY Copyright  1998 by Princeton University Press Published by Princeton University Press, 41 William Street, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 In the United Kingdom: Princeton University Press, Chichester, West Sussex All Rights Reserved Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Roberts, Tyler T., 1960– Contesting spirit : Nietzsche, affirmation, religion / Tyler T. Roberts. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-691-05937-3 (alk. paper). — ISBN 0-691-00127-8 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm, 1844–1900—Religion. 2. Religion—Philosophy—History—19th century. I. Title B3318.R4R63 1998 200'.92—dc21 98-14875 CIP “Heaven” words and music by David Byrne.  1979 Sire Records Co., p. 1979 Index Music, Inc. / Bleu Disque Music Co., Inc. This book has been composed in Sabon Princeton University Press books are printed on acid-free paper and meet the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources http://pup.princeton.edu Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 (Pbk.) D E D I C AT E D T O T H E M E M O RY O F A l e x a n d e r S . T. R o b e r t s 1965–1993 This page intentionally left blank CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ix NOTE ON TEXTS AND CITATIONS xi INTRODUCTION Nietzsche and Religion 3 CHAPTER ONE Too Much of Nothing: Metaphysics and the Value of Existence 24 CHAPTER TWO Figuring Religion, Contesting Spirit 48 CHAPTER THREE Nietzsche’s Asceticism 77 CHAPTER FOUR The Problem of Mysticism in Nietzsche 103 CHAPTER FIVE Ecstatic Philosophy 138 CHAPTER SIX Nietzsche’s Affirmation: A Passion for the Real 164 CONCLUSION Alterity and Affirmation 202 BIBLIOGRAPHY 215 INDEX 225 This page intentionally left blank ACKNOWLEDGMENTS A FIRST BOOK carries with it more debts of gratitude than it is possible to remember, much less acknowledge in a page or two. This book is a revision of my dissertation, so I will begin by thanking my advisers at Harvard: Gordon Kaufman, Francis Fiorenza, and Fred Neuhouser. Each provided detailed, rigorous responses to my work. I would like to thank Gordon Kaufman in particular, not only for the support he gave me throughout my years as a doctoral student, but also for the generosity and guidance he has continued to offer as I have worked to revise the dissertation. Others who deserve thanks for helpful comments on drafts and stimulating conversation include Margaret Miles, Sharon Welch, David Lamberth, Alec Irwin, Charlie Stang, Brad Cullin, Mark Taylor, Charles Hallisey, and Anne Monius. Charles Winquist, Leslie Paul Thiele, and John Lysaker each read the penultimate draft and offered insightful challenges that have made this a better book. I also would like to thank the following for opportunities to present and discuss portions of the book: the Harvard Divinity School Theology Colloquium and the Mysticism, Nineteenth-Century Theology, and Philosophy of Religion groups of the American Academy of Religion. Ann Wald at Princeton University Press has been an informative and encouraging guide through the world of publishing. Lucinda Schutzmann was a great help in putting together the index. In addition to those directly involved in the writing of the book, many others have offered support and inspiration. Early in my graduate studies, Sharon Welch demonstrated for me, and, I know, for many others, the model of an impassioned and affirmative scholar and teacher. Diana Eck and my colleagues at the Co