Radical Orthodoxy is a response to the postmodern propensity toward secularism. In such a world Mibank, Ward, and Pickstock(MWP) write, "the theological is either discredited or turned into a harmless leisure-time activityof private commitment" (p. 1). Out of such secularism has evolved the notion of 'nihilism', that sense that nothing exists, can be known or communicated. Nihilism is steeped in individualism and is pervasive in the contemporary culture and runs counter to Christian orthodox beliefs that are fundamentally relational. The nihilist lives in the moment, for the moment, and most importantly, for self.
David Cunningham says, "the notion of a pure, isolated 'individual' is a highly disputable human construction. In God, there are no individuals; the Three dwell in each other so completely that we cannot divide them, one from another. And so we too are called to live lives of mutual participation, in which our relationships are not just something that we 'have,' but are what constitute us as human beings" (These Three Are One, p.169). I think this gets to the very core of radical orthodoxy.
MWP asserts that the basic tenet of radical orthodoxy is "participation" (p. 3). Implicit in such participation is relationship. All things, all beings, are related, one to the other. Radical orthodoxy does not dismiss the reality of the individual, but seeks to broaden the understanding that the individual is not all that is, but that the individual exists within a larger framework--God.
Radical orthodoxy recognizes God in all things, all beings, the "eternal stability" that holds all together (p.3).
MWP, are three of the scholars which lead this movement known as Radical Orthodoxy, as they seek to "reclaim the world by situating its concerns and activities within a theological framework" (p.1). They reject and warn against the nihilism of the secular world, and espouse a theological understanding that rejects independence and individualism (in the most concrete form). There theology locates all that exists within the essence of the Triune God. As such, all things exist in relationships that are intermingled, interdependent, intimately and intricately woven together.
MWP contends that Radical Orthodoxy is orthodox as it locates itself in the context of "credal Christianity" (p.2) and the patristics.
It is radical in its 1) emphasis on the patristics; 2) insistence on critical reflection of contemporary culture; 3) rethinking tradition; 4) refusal of the secular. (pp.2-3).
I understand Radical Orthodoxy in theory, but what are the practical changes that need to be implemented to support this response to the nihilism of postmodern secularism? Is it practical?
If the problem is the wider culture, how do we achieve the transformation of participation that for so long has gone the other way?
What does authority look like in such a model? It seems as though authority as a secular notion presents an over/against model; whereas, authority in radical orthodoxy is more democratic, ethical, consistent with the divine plan. Still, how do we implement this in a culture that is largely unchurched?
Posted by Jeffrey at April 26, 2004 07:31 AM