The Silent God and the Silenced

"By exploring silence as more than just the mere absence of sound, scholars have addressed silence as a means through which one genuinely listens to Dasein (Heidegger), as an antidote to a reactive, volatile, and opinion-slinging culture (Susan Sontag), or as a communication alternative to the violent and turbulent rhetoric of the dominant narrative. Commonly recognized in these studies is the spiritual and mystical dimension of silence that transcends the rational and the comprehensible. This book begins where these theories leave off, arguing that "ultimate silence" arises from Christian mystical tradition and theology. The book particularly engages with Michel de Certeau's exploration of the empty tomb metaphor, Evagrius Ponticus' writings on hesychasm, S²ren Kierkegaard's reflections, Jean-Luc Nancy's notion of divine place, and Sarah Coakley's prayerful vulnerability. The book also puts "ultimate silence" into conversation with writers and artists, namely, Mary Oliver, Simone Weil, Susan Sontag, and the poet and performance artist Theresa Hak Kyung Cha. The book establishes a theory that makes the spiritual tradition of silence available for its practice in our everyday life, grounded in the inexhaustible mystery of the spiritual. With a deeper theological understanding of contemplation that transcends the rational, the practice of silence in everyday life facilitates engagement between listener and speaker that allows both parties to deepen the relationship"--