Giorgio Agamben als Leser Franz C. Overbecks

Abstract

The thought of the German theologian Franz C. Overbeck (1837-1905) has not been well received, and yet not so much in terms of quality but of quantity. Despite the theoretical value of his œuvre, Overbeck’s name still remains mysterious, if not obscure. Nevertheless, one can come across it in the work of Giorgio Agamben (1942). Such a circumstance cannot surprise those familiar with the Italian philosopher, who often draws on even little-known authors from the most diverse disciplines. After paying the necessary attention to Agamben as a reader in general, and as a reader of theology in particular, the present paper will assess his references to Overbeck, concluding that the Italian philosopher’s appeal to the German theologian, however spare, limited, and “unaware”, does not fail to strike a chord, especially as regards the interpretation of Overbeck’s notion of “Urgeschichte”.