Adam Kotsko

I have a new piece up at Zócalo Public Square entitled “America Isn’t Awkward Enough”.

This Monday, I am giving a Zoom lecture entitled “The Many Deaths of Neoliberalism” that considers whether the pandemic and the Biden administration might finally represent a break with everyone’s least favorite political-economic order. The talk is part of the World Social Science and Management Webinar Series, co-Sponsored by the Department of History & Political Science of Jawaharlal Nehru College, the Center for Adivasi Research and Development, Central University of Odisha, and Indian Institute of Management Sambalpur — thank you to Bikram Keshori Jena for the generous invitation, my first visit to India (albeit virtual)! Details, including instructions for how to register for the Zoom meeting, can be found in this flyer.

Overcoming my Midwestern instincts yet again, I want to let any interested parties know that I am available for speaking engagements for next academic year. Possible topics include the relationship between the doctrine of original sin and modern concepts of race, the prospects for neoliberalism in the Age of Biden, and anything relating to Agamben’s intellectual development — though I’m open to other topics if you have ideas. I would most prefer to get back in the swing of actual campus visits, though I am also available for Zoom events. My preferred email is akotsko at gmail dot com. Thank you for your consideration.

On a lark, I decided to compile all the papers from my handouts suggesting possible paper topics over the last two years.

I will be doing a couple of virtual conferences in the coming weeks. The first will be at the American Comparative Literature Association, where Frances Restuccia and I have organized a session on “Agamben’s Later Works” (deferred from last year’s cancelled conference). My paper will be entitled “Agamben’s Vegetative Theology” and will focus on his strange declaration, at the end of his recent memoir, that “Grass is God,” in the broader context of his use of theology. It draws on a longer essay called “Agamben the Theologian,” which will appear in my forthcoming book What is Theology?

The second will be at the Association for Core Texts and Classes, where Shimer Great Books School chair Stuart Patterson has organized a panel for Shimer faculty to think through the process of adjusting to our new home at North Central. My presentation will be entitled “Bringing Horses to Water: Great Books as Gen Ed,” drawing on my experience of teaching classes required of all students regardless of major and attempting to use Great Books pedagogy and materials in those contexts.

Both events are, sadly, only available to those registered for the conference.

I was recently interviewed about Neoliberalism’s Demons in Black Agenda Report. And coincidentally, the same morning it was published I also wrote a blog post at An und für sich about the definition of political theology.

I have a blog post on Silvia Federici and political theology up at the Political Theology Network. Thank you to Alex Dubilet and Vincent Lloyd for the invitation to contribute!

Paul Rosenberg interviewed me for Salon, asking me to elaborate on some ideas from my article “An Apocalypse About Nothing”.

My forthcoming essay collection What is Theology? Christian Thought and Contemporary Life is available for preorder, both directly from Fordham University Press and from The Evil Empire.

Next Tuesday, I will be giving a lecture on the topic of “Race and Original Sin” for the Philosophy and Religion forum at the University of Southern Mississippi (details here). It will be the first preview of some material from my forthcoming book, What is Theology? Christian Thought and Contemporary Life.