A Model Beyond Foundations: Adorno’s Theological Constellation

The question of Adorno’s appropriation of theology has moved toward the center of recent scholarship. Leading positions argue that Adorno is an ardent secularist, using theological language only rhetorically; that Adorno’s philosophy is an Inverse Theology; or that Adorno’s philosophy evinces a Negative Theology. What is it about Adorno’s philosophy that produces such divergent readings and which, if any, is correct? This article reviews these three influential positions, discusses key elements in Adorno’s philosophy that these readings hinge on, and argues that ultimately the logic of the constellation, Adorno’s premier model for his philosophy, undercuts these positions. What’s more, this article suggests the model of Adorno’s theological constellation offers an underappreciated nonfoundationalist framework that shows important promise for critical social theory today.