Radical Orthodoxy: A New Theology by John Milbank

Radical Orthodoxy: A New Theology Reviews

• 
  Jacob Aitken

  I will write this review in topical format, rather than reviewing chapter-by-chapter. The authors in this book propose a new theological vision critiquing the modern project by drawing upon Patristic and Medieval sources.
  
  Ontology
  The authors suggest that Western Christendom experienced an intellectual fall from grace around 1300. This dealt with the nature of “being” (or ontology). Previously, for the “church fathers or early scholastics, both faith and reason are included in the more generic framework of participation in the mind of God” (Milbank, 24). This meant while faith and reason are distinct, there is no duality. Likewise, creation itself participates in God. God is transcendent and suspended from creation. The “suspension” analogy is apt. God is high above creation but he can (and will!) participate in it.
  
  However, after Duns Scotus elevated being to the level of God, or that man and God participate in the same being in due proportion. In other words, God and man occupy the same reality. Because man and God now occupy the same ontology, ontology is flattened. The world is thus emptied of God. For the RO narrative, philosophy degenerates from this moment onward.
  
  Revelation
  Most people, conservative or liberal, Protestant or Catholic, regard the doctrine of Revelation as something like a deposit of divine truth accessible by reason and/or imparted graciously by God. This assumes, argues John Montag, a rationalistic view of knowledge that was foreign to the Patristics and Medievals. Anticipating objections to Thomas Aquinas and an alleged rational scholasticism, Montag argues that Aquinas saw revelation “teleologically” (Montag, 43). It is one’s perspective on things in light of one’s final end. Montag goes on to critique the distinctions between nature and supernature.
  
  Aesthetics
  The proponents of RO want a robust aesthetics—it is key to the Christian worldview. Central to an aesthetics is the sublime—the outpouring of God’s love in plenitude (210). The sublime enters the vacant space created by postmodern chaos and in this space places the love and beauty of God.
  
  Sexuality and Embodiment
  Central to their aesthetic desire and healthy creationism is a focus on the blessings of being embodied. Graham Ward notes that since all creation issued forth from the Word of God, all of creation bears Christ’s watermark (165). With talk of embodiment comes Christ’s command to take and eat his body—talk of embodiment leads to talk of the Eucharist. Jesus’s command is an ontological scandal—space and place are being redefined.
  
  
  
  Conclusion
  More could be said of their politics—the church is a counter-polis to the nation-state, the nation-state being an idol. They discuss the possibilities of epistemology and ontology after Wittgenstein. Finally is a rewarding discussion of friendship using St Anselm.
  
  The authors urge a return to the robustness of the Medieval age. Of course, the hindsight of postmodernism will condition our applications of medievalism, perhaps avoiding some of the medievals’ faults (or perhaps not).
  
• 
  Jacob Aitken

  EDIT: I am far more critical of the Radical Orthodoxy project than I was when I wrote this review. Their genealogical critique of Scotus has been refuted and some of the essays, if not bizarre, are downright troubling (Graham Ward). Further, Jamie Smith has decisively "cut Radical Orthodoxy to the bone." But here goes:
  
  I will write this review in topical format, rather than reviewing chapter-by-chapter. The authors in this book propose a new theological vision critiquing the modern project by drawing upon Patristic and Medieval sources.
  
  Ontology
  The authors suggest that Western Christendom experienced an intellectual fall from grace around 1300. This dealt with the nature of "being" (or ontology). Previously, for the "church fathers or early scholastics, both faith and reason are included in the more generic framework of participation in the mind of God" (Milbank, 24). This meant while faith and reason are distinct, there is no duality. Likewise, creation itself participates in God. God is transcendent and suspended from creation. The "suspension" analogy is apt. God is high above creation but he can (and will!) participate in it.
  
  However, after Duns Scotus elevated being to the level of God, or that man and God participate in the same being in due proportion. In other words, God and man occupy the same reality. Because man and God now occupy the same ontology, ontology is flattened. The world is thus emptied of God. For the RO narrative, philosophy degenerates from this moment onward.
  
  Revelation
  Most people, conservative or liberal, Protestant or Catholic, regard the doctrine of Revelation as something like a deposit of divine truth accessible by reason and/or imparted graciously by God. This assumes, argues John Montag, a rationalistic view of knowledge that was foreign to the Patristics and Medievals. Anticipating objections to Thomas Aquinas and an alleged rational scholasticism, Montag argues that Aquinas saw revelation "teleologically" (Montag, 43). It is one's perspective on things in light of one's final end. Montag goes on to critique the distinctions between nature and supernature.
  
  Aesthetics
  The proponents of RO want a robust aesthetics--it is key to the Christian worldview. Central to an aesthetics is the sublime--the outpouring of God's love in plenitude (210). The sublime enters the vacant space created by postmodern chaos and in this space places the love and beauty of God.
  
  Conclusion
  More could be said of their politics--the church is a counter-polis to the nation-state, the nation-state being an idol. They discuss the possibilities of epistemology and ontology after Wittgenstein. Finally is a rewarding discussion of friendship using St Anselm.
  
  The authors urge a return to the robustness of the Medieval age. Of course, the hindsight of postmodernism will condition our applications of medievalism, perhaps avoiding some of the medievals' faults (or perhaps not).
  
• 
  Ryan

  This was a collection of hits and misses for me. Some of the essays were of extreme value for me personally, while others were paragons of boredom. Hemming's essay on Heidegger is actually one of the best arguments for a developed Mariology I, a born and raised Protestant, have ever read. Hanby's essay on Augustine was devotional as much as intellectual reading. The last three essays on aesthetics, perception and music were all great. But, others were almost painful to get through. Ward's essay on Bodies was almost unnecessary, and I thought much more could have been done in Loughlin's essay on Erotics. But overall, a very good read.
• 
  Elizabeth

  This collection of essays has a couple of keepers (The City, or Displaced Bodies, for example), as well as some not so great contributions. While it was designed such that chapters could be independently read of one another, some should probably be read in succession to get the full impact. I don't know that I would call myself much of a John Milbank fan, but it presented new ways of looking at theology in postmodern times.
• 
  Dionysius the Areopagite

  A mixed bag and another book I would have devoured some years ago. I can seriously see this book being read by some inspired friends and causing epiphany left and right for five weeks over cheap wine, the friends then never to speak of this book again all of a sudden. It is not something I can imagine ever takino down from a shelf to revisit, nor something to reccomend, lest one have to speak of the thing more than once in these couple of days we call 'Life.'