Shadow of Spirit addresses the postmodern shake-up of theory, culture and politics, which has led to new encounter between the humnaities and the discourses of religion. While work in the fields of humanities and social sciences was dramatically affested by the impact of postmodernism, the recent waning of the postmodern movement has left an intellectual vacuum that has yet to be filled. Shadow of Spirit represents the collaboration of a group of internationally-recognised scholars for the purpose of investigating the wider implications of this phenomenon, as they challenge the long-established assumption that contemporary Western thought is committed to Nihilism and uncover the strange affinity between the most innovative aspects of this thought and religious mystical discourse.