Abstract

This dissertation is a hermeneutic engagement of the dominant pattern in the work of Paul Ricoeur with a view to its implications for theological reflection on the ethical life. The detour and return pattern shapes not only Ricoeur's engagement of particular problems but the trajectory of his entire career. The many appearances of the pattern are organized into two general types: the critical and narrative arc. ;The critical arc takes place at the level of understanding texts, with the notion of "text" being construed as broadly as possible. The narrative arc traces the dialectic between living action and a poetic narrative. The dialectical tension of the critical arc is between contextual participation and universalizing doubt. The tension of the narrative arc is between concordance and discordance. The two arcs follow their own paths but are often interpenetrating, particularly in Ricoeur's hermeneutics of the Self. ;Ricoeur's entire philosophical project is presented as a hermeneutic detour for theology. The first chapter opens a discussion on theological appropriation in general, framing the issue in terms of fundamental loyalties. The second chapter addresses the peculiarities of the North American engagement of Ricoeur's philosophy. The next three chapters are the "philosophical detour," an attempt to articulate the structure of detour and return in both its critical and narrative forms, while progressing toward the theory of narrative identity and its ethical implications. The final chapter returns from the philosophical detour to the theological main road, suggesting a potentially productive path for the appropriation of Ricoeur into theology. Appropriation is an aggressive act, and this dissertation shows that it is muted by the natural affinity between the projects of Ricoeur and Karl Barth, particularly in the meeting of philosophical and theological ethics. In the conclusion there is a sketch of some potential applications to theological ethics and anthropology. Detour and Return offers a pattern of engagement that enables philosophy and theology to interact productively while both still maintain their integrity