Sauf le nām, or Awkward Turns between Derrida and Nānak
Method & Theory in the Study of Religion May 19, 2026 DOI: 10.1163/15700682-bja10178 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that juxtaposing Derrida's 'nom' and Sikh 'nām' reveals a grammar of (un)translatability that bridges negative transcendence and positive immanence, offering a playful heuristic for translation in comparative religious studies. |
Abstract
This brief article interleaves a reading of nom in Derrida’s Sauf le nom and a reading of nām , a term pivotal to Guru Nānak’s Japji , in Arvind Mandair’s Sikh Philosophy . I configure and construe the syntagm Sauf le nām to indicate a grammar of (un)translatability between not only French and Punjabi, but also between negative transcendence in Christian mysticism and positive immanence in Sikh scriptural poetics. The resulting awkwardness sketches a playful heuristic for translation in comparative religious studies.