Peter Rollins

Peter Rollins
Rollins in 2015
Born	(1973-03-31) 31 March 1973 (age 51) Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Era	Contemporary philosophy
Region	Western philosophy
School	Continental philosophy Postmodern philosophy Postmodern Christianity Post-structuralist psychoanalysis Phenomenology Existentialism Apophatic theology Death of God theology
Main interests	Theology
Notable ideas	Pyrotheology Transformance art Suspended space

Peter Rollins (born 31 March 1973) is a Northern Irish writer, public speaker, philosopher, producer and theologian.^[1]

Drawing largely from various strands of continental philosophy, Rollins' early work operated broadly from within the tradition of apophatic theology, while his more recent books have signalled a move toward the theory and practice of death of God theology. In these books Rollins develops a "religionless" interpretation of Christianity called pyrotheology,^[2] an interpretation that views faith as a particular way of engaging with the world rather than a set of beliefs about the world.^[3]

In contrast to the dominant reading of Christianity, this more existential approach argues that faith has nothing to do with upholding a religious identity, affirming a particular set of beliefs or gaining wholeness through conversion. Instead he has developed an approach that sees Christianity as a critique of these very things. This anti-religious reading stands against the actual existing church and lays the groundwork for an understanding of faith as a type of life in which one is able to celebrate doubt, ambiguity and complexity while deepening care and concern for the world.^[4] He argues that the event which gave rise to the Christian tradition cannot itself be reduced to a tradition, but is rather a way of challenging traditions.

In order to explore and promote these themes Rollins has founded a number of experimental communities such as ikon^[5] and ikonNYC.^[6] These groups describe themselves as iconic, apocalyptic, heretical, emerging and failing^[7] and engage in the performance of what they call 'transformance art'^[8] and the creation of "suspended space."^[9] Because of their rejection of "worldview Christianity" and embrace of suspended space, these groups purposefully attempt to attract people with different political perspectives and opposing views concerning the existence of God and the nature of the world.^[10]

Although Rollins does not directly identify with the emerging church movement,^[11] he has been a significant influence on the movement's development.^[12][13]