Catholic triumphalism isn’t much in fashion these days (except on this blog), but Catholic phenomenologist, Jean-Luc Marion, bucks the trends.

For him there is no option, but to give credit where credit is due.

The “Why remain Catholic?” video interview series, in collaboration with Sam Sorich of Glass Darkly Films, was inaugurated with an interview of Irish philosopher Richard Kearney.

It’s taken nearly two years to run the next installment, but I think you’ll agree it’s been well-worth the wait.

Longtime readers of this blog know that I am a real booster of phenomenology. This early 20th century philosophical movement is the wellnigh the de facto philosophy of Catholicism (along with Thomism), has turned Continental philosophy onto religion, and has transformed Central European history.

The University of Chicago departmental bio below should give you an idea why the subject of our latest interview–Derrida’s former student who founded the French edition of Communio at the behest of Hans Urs von Balthasar (who had his own meditation on why he remained Catholic)–is perhaps the world’s leading philosopher:

In other words, Marion has revolutionized at least three fields of contemporary philosophy (Cartesian studies, theology, and the phenomenology of the gift). Yet, people still want to say that Catholic intellectual influence is somehow waning. Let’s celebrate what we actually have right now.

In the following exclusive video interview Marion argues, I don’t want to give away too much here (no pun intended), that there’s no good reason to even consider leaving Catholicism. It’s actually a surprisingly Rabelaisian Catholic argument:

For more on Marion, this time in a more phenomenological mode, see: Jean-Luc Marion: Does Silencing Love Mean Philosophy is a Misnomer? and What Does Love Know?

If you know nothing about phenomenology, then read Derrida and Theology + Phenomenology as Catholic Philosophy = The French Theological Turn

Sam Sorich of Glass Darkly Films is an award winning Director/DP from Chicago. His films often focus on themes in philosophy and the Catholic Imagination. His most recent projects include a documentary film on the Life and Legacy of René Girard (set to release in 2018), and is producing an Anthology feature film and art project called “8beats”, which is composed of 8 short films, by 8 Catholic filmmaking and graphic artist teams across the United States, and Canada, capturing the themes of the Beatitudes and tipping a hat to Krzysztof Kieslowski’s Dekalog.

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