Calvin, Althusser and the cunning of myth: What to do after the revolution

Abstract

This article is a response to Matthew Sharpe, Geoff Boucher, and Rory Jeffs, concerning my Criticism of Heaven and Earth (2007–14). It replies to their critiques, especially in terms of Fredric Jameson and Louis Althusser, political myth and the question of theology itself through John Calvin. My underlying concern is the distinction between ‘before October' and ‘after October'; that is, the theoretical perspectives of living and working before the revolution or after it. Increasingly, my interests have turned to socialisms in power, in terms of both the problems faced and creativity induced. The remainder of the article examines the ramifications of this perspective for understanding the complex intersections of Marxism and theology.