After God

In his epoch-making book Spheres, which describes globalization from its beginnings to its state at the end of the 20^th century, Peter Sloterdijk characterizes God as the »ultimate source of insurance coverage«. This assumption common to all (monotheistic, at least) religions unleashes paradoxes that had devastating consequences from the Middle Ages to modernity: the fundamentalism that has been triumphing since the turn of the century is the worst repercussion.

But which of these developments are linked to the sentence »God is dead,« which went viral by the end of the 19^th century? Is it a philosophem without real effects? Is it the description of a shift in mentality? Is it a diagnosis of what is taking place? Is it to be understood as a prognosis that brings all interreligiously justified conflicts to an end?

In his new book, Peter Sloterdijk draws all the conclusions from the sentence »God is dead« for the first time. This brings into play both the fields of contemporary theology and philosophy and the present’s murderous politics, as well as the impact of cultural developments and scientific and technical advances.

»An exciting hike through 2,500 years of cultural and intellectual history...« Hans-Jürgen Jakobs, Handelsblatt

»The soon-to-be 70-year-old is a powerhouse. Nothing about him seems old... Bravo.« Ulf Poschardt, Die literarische Welt