The Theological Metaphors of Marx

In The Theological Metaphors of Marx, Enrique Dussel provides a groundbreaking combination of Marxology, theology, and ethical theory. Dussel shows that Marx unveils the theology of capitalism in his critique of commodity fetishization. Capitalism constitutes an idolatry of the commodity that undergirds the capitalist expropriation of labor. Dussel examines Marxs early writings on religion and fetishism and proceeds through what Dussel refers to as the four major drafts of Capital, ultimately situating Marxs philosophical, economic, ethical, and historical insights in relation to the theological problems of his time. Dussel notes a shift in Marxs underlying theological schema from a political critique of the state to an economic critique of the commodity fetish as the Devil, or anti-God, of modernity. Marxs thought, impact, and influence cannot be fully understood without Dussels historic reinterpretation of the theological origins and implications of Marxs critiques of political economy and politics.