Steak your Claim:

How the "inductive God" of post-deconstructive theology is the easiest way to cook a steak D. Gardner 2014

In this paper I will attempt to prove that the God of deconstruction a God of weak power-- is a a God that transcends the destabilizing paradox of induction, a paradox that introduces uncertaint and hopelessness when construed as a destabilizing the basic fundaments of being-in-the-world, a hopelessness left unchallenged to be be exploited b too-organized religion as an iconic enem to be fought onl with the violent militarism of strong doctrine and the confining ethics of a militarized congregation! "e must char a crust over this hopelessness in the face of a void, we must marinate our trust to be in the essence of life! #his inductive God that bridges the the void drags the theological endeavor through a future and a past, fl ing over dogma and construct! #his capture is non-violent$ it is the demonstrated abilit to use this unified induction, and to use it to cook a three-%uarter pound steak using some sort of ferromagnetic cooking vessel! &robabl a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet! I mean reall , what else would ou want to deconstruct theolog with and inductivel cook a big goddamn steak with' It is imperative that we begin with a definition of deconstruction in theological practice before transitioning over to the (uic bits, oh the (uic bits! )egin to preheat cast-iron skillet on medium-high now so ou can blow our load on a great fucking steak at the end of this! #he theologian who is perhaps the face of modern deconstructive theolog is *ohn +aputo! ,e manifests in practice what it is to be a deconstructive theologiananarchic, unorthodox, and willing to chase the leaks in what could be contradiction to a place where this contradiction is unnecessar , to where it is affirmed not be ond good and evil, or be ond well-done and raw, but between.allowing the influence of both to be the m stic! ,e translates his view of the deconstructive endeavor as the followingIn its most condensed formulation, deconstruction is affirmation, a / es, es, come/ to the future and also to the past, since the authentic past is also ahead of us! It leads to, it is led b , a es to the transforming surprise, to the promise of what is to come in whatever we have inherited . in politics, art, science, law, reason and so on! #he bottom line is / es, come!/ #his is where we begin! 0errida claimed in his writings that deconstruction in itself was not a religion, not a religion minus religion, but a non-confrontational willingness to experience, to understand through nonreinterpretation, but through re-statement! 1ot a religion, but also not a meal minus the meat! 0econstruction in practice is faith that there is more, and that the more is meaningful! )eat the shit out of the steak with a hammer for a minute! 0econstruction is not all that there is to faith one cannot simpl have belief in pursuit of the divine with no real goal in mind! "e aren/t fucking vegetarians asking for an invite to the table of the 2ord! It is affirmation that we have a reason to believe! )ut that in which we believe is no longer a supreme God, a God that is belief

and the reason for it, not the God of omnipotence, but of weak power! In the words of &eter ,eltzel, #he weakness of God is an expression of God3s vulnerable love and faithful (ustice in contrast to an almight warrior who massacres all enemies! In the deconstructive view of ethics and religion, things like (ustice are not sociall static terms! #here is no 4awlsian (ustice arrived at through consideration of the human condition, no method to create a strong (ustice %ua (ustice! Instead, deconstructive participation is the ultimate belief that there is a (ustice, and that laws, traditions and societal machinations are endeavors to essence parts of that (ustice! #hat being said, there is also no absolute steak! "hen I tell ou that induction is the best wa to cook a steak, ou shouldn/t fucking believe me! Get a blowtorch and give that a tr ! #hrow the motherfucker on our engine block after a long drive! #he point is that the essential steak cannot be codified$ the essential steak is something towards which we discover it is a weak force! It is not escapable, but it is not confining! It is not doctrine! #he God of deconstruction is a weak force God, but he is a God of unshakeable adherence! #hough he is not that God controlling all action, he is that God that makes itself a potent force of trust! 1ot of action, but of love and (ustice! #his is the God who earlier +aputo indicated was the es, es, come of the world! #he God bridging the past to the future through our belief towards the pursuit of a (ustice and a life that he embodies! ,e is that inductive God that does not fall victim to ,umean logic, but not as an everlasting giver of life in himself, but as an adherence and trust in an authentic past to come that which before this time is will be the authentic and the real without the boundaries of distrust in the unknown next step! 5o don/t distrust ourself! #hrow some salt and pepper on that motherfucker! 1ot on God, he/s not exactl ph sical! #hrow the pepper on the steak! 0r the thing off first, and throw some spices on it! ,ell, put some rosemar on it! Induction as it is used in cooking is separate from the militaristic and violent cooking of, sa , a gas or electric stove, though it is electric in its own wa ! #he surface in itself presents no heat, the surface is a blank to the touch! #here is an element of the invisible! "hen encountered b a ferromagnetic ob(ect, the force of the stove is illuminated in the faith of the cook that she too can sear the shit out of a steak until it is a perfect brown, and if ou are like me, medium rare! Induction has this power! It has this power to embolden the theologian and cook with the tool to exist and to do, to presence through either the act of a deconstruction to give meaning to life b being given the hope to discover its nature or through the act of cooking, to understand its power! It has the ineffable trust of a non-being that will allow safet if pursued with care! 4apidl oscillating current is the force of God! #his force wielded with no care towards well-being is violent, it is confining, and in this case, ou/re going to get fucking electrocuted if ou (ust have a (uiced up copper wire hanging around in the kitchen! #hat is not how this power is there to be searched for! It is to be searched for with the purpose of a trust in life and in (ustice, and in a reall perfect fucking steak! #hat skillet should be good and hot now! Grab some tongs and put the steak down! 6lwa s la it down awa from ourself so that ou don/t get burned with oil! 6s in ever endeavor into the unknown, there is a fundamental danger! 7lip it after a minute! 6nd alwa s let it stand afterwards, time to contemplate in repose is time to understand what ou have accomplished!