Justification of Law for Religion 327

The discourse of universal grace is employed as revolutionary theo politics by many of the readers of Paul's letters. Alain Badiou is one such reader of Paul, who finds in Paul the possibility of a new radical egalitarianism based on the constitution of a subject committed to the truth of a grace like event. Like Badiou, Luther is a prime example of the way in which theology, philosophy, and politics are intimately connected. But more than that, Luther occupied a position from which he was able to, and did, affect the social and political implementation of his ideas. Thus, he provides a means of analyzing the results of the coordination of power and a Pauline universalism of grace (Soards, 213).

The question such as, is there such a thing as a free gift? If so, can a free gift be the basis for a universalism upon which we can build notions of equality and justice for all? are some of the questions that lie behind a recent and continuing intellectual debate on universalism and particularism that has focused on the writings of Paul of Tarsus. A putative example of Paul's universalistic discourse of grace is found in his Letter to the Romans. He writes, for there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith (Gal 2:8). While, to many readers, this passage may seem to be solely concerned with Christian theology and soteriology, others have realized that the implications of Paul's discourse have wide ranging social and political impact.

Alain Badiou is one such reader of Paul, who finds in Paul truths that speak to the current state of politics. Badiou's project, in Saint Paul: The Foundation of Universalism is to provide an example of how a truth can be universal, based on his notion of the subordination of the subject to the event. He argues that such a truth, as a universal singularity, can provide a more egalitarian counter, via sameness, indifference, and tolerance, to particularizing communitarian identity politics. Yet, there is an opposite question that should be asked: is Badiou's socio philosophical project commensurable with his formulation of universalism via Pauline grace? By examining another reader's interpretation of Paul, that of the German theologian and reformer Martin Luther, I will argue not only that Badiou's attempt at a materialistic appropriation of grace is incommensurable with his political vision but also that it has, to borrow Slavoj's phrase, a hidden perverse core. How can Luther's theology provide insights into Badiou's political philosophy other than through the obvious connection to Paul? Like Badiou, Luther is a prime example of the way in which theology, philosophy, and politics are intimately connected. But more than that, Luther was in a position from which he was able to, ...