Michael Minczeski

REL404: Seminar in Christian Theology

Spring 2010
Essay 1
In the siteenth cent!ry" the #ract!re$ ch!rches o# post%re#ormation E!rope &ere in high tension"
&ith sec!lar kings an$ lea$ers hoping to sec!re po&er an$ $eclare in$epen$ence #rom papal tyranny'
The religio!s &ars that (roke o!t $!ring this time &ere catastrophic #or Christianity" &ith Christians
recklessly killing Christians o!t o# a t&iste$ apocalyptic $ri)e to esta(lish some sem(lance o# or$er'
Ironically" the ch!rch &as $ismem(ere$ an$ $is#ig!re$ $espite the #!tilely restorati)e attempt o# the
re#ormation' It &as these ghastly e)ents &hich sparke$ e##orts to $e)elop societal an$ political
co!ntermeas!res &hich &o!l$ pre)ent these types o# atrocities #rom reocc!rring' The &as a necessity
#or separation o# religion an$ politics" so #ar as a gro!n$s #or coeistence &as ma$e' *o((s+
,Le)iathan- &as one s!ch &ork" &hich" Lilly states" le$ to the s!(stit!tion o# political theology
centere$ on .o$ &ith a political theology centere$ on man /01' 2rom here" ,li(eral%$emocratic- tho!ght
&as (irthe$" an$ ergo the mo$ern attit!$e o# religion+s role in society' The call to separate religion an$
politics" relegating #aith into the pri)ate $omain" &as a res!lt o# the actions o# Christians" rather than
atheists' 3!t this is 4!st one piece o# the mo$ernist p!zzle'
The 2irst 5orl$ 5ar ha$ a tremen$o!s impact o# the mentality o# E!rope" one &hich is o#ten
!n$erestimate$' It ha$ a $e)astating e##ect on E!ropean conscio!sness an$ (elie#" an$ shook the
#o!n$ations o# the &estern perspecti)e' 6ne tho!san$ 2renchmen $ie$ each &eek #or #i#ty one months"
&ith o)er #i#teen million $ea$ or else $is#ig!re$ an$ maime$ &orl$&i$e' The &inners o# the &ar
en4oye$ a (itter" ca!stic )ictory' The grim reality o# 5orl$ 5ar 1 ca!se$ thinkers to 7!estion the )ery
notions o# (elie# an$ i$eology' 5hen rea$ing the many &orks o# philosophy that came in its &ake" one
&on$ers at the tra!ma that &as en$!re$ $!ring this time" the immeas!ra(le scale o# incomprehensi(le
)iolence an$ paralyzing #ear that le$ to the &riting o# s!ch $oc!ments' In the early 1820s" a gro!p o#
philosophers an$ scientists #orme$ a gro!p kno&n as ,The 9ienna Circle-" their aim (eing the
complete $estr!ction o# metaphysics /9a!ghan1' The 9ienna Circle &as not (ash#!l a(o!t this 7!est:
Carnap e)en &rote a piece calle$ ,The Elimination o# Metaphysics Thro!gh Logical ;nalysis o#
Lang!age-' The p!rs!it o# the $ismantling o# the mystical an$ metaphysical in the name o# logic an$
science has contin!e$ thro!gh the t&entieth cent!ry into the t&enty%#irst" (ringing" some &o!l$ say"
more con#!sion an$ $iscor$ than tr!e progress' This" along &ith the sec!larization that occ!rre$ as a
res!lt o# the E!ropean religio!s &ars as &ell as a host o# co!ntless other #actors ga)e &ay to mo$ernity'
Mo$ernity is not simply $e#ine$ or pinpointe$" as it has (een mani#este$ in the totality o# tho!ght #or
the past #o!r cent!ries' ; mo$ernist attit!$e is s!ch that anything can (e rationalize$ an$ ma$e possi(le
thro!gh h!man reason or e##ort: ho&e)er this is a rather ins!##icient $e#inition o# mo$ernity'
The para$igm shi#t o# attit!$e can (e re#lecte$ in the &ritings o# ;!g!stine an$ <escartes' The
transition o# the pre%mo$ern perio$ into the mo$ern perio$ is characterize$ (y the &ay in &hich man
)ie&s himsel# in relation to .o$' St' ;!g!stine" the (!l&ark o# ortho$oy that he &as" in De Trinitate
XIV.12.15" regar$s mankin$ as (eing ma$e in the image o# .o$ not (eca!se o# intelligence or the
a(ility to reason" (!t (eca!se o# the a(ility to recognize the creator an$ lo)e him in ret!rn' In contrast"
<escartes" the rationalist" in To Colvius" re)erses ;!g!stine+s statement to regar$ h!man &ill an$
#ree$om o# choice to (e the greatest o# )irt!e" an$ it is this that (ears the image an$ likeness o# .o$'
This is perhaps insigni#icant (!t it signi#ies a consi$era(le shi#t in attit!$e that is representati)e o# the
mo$ernist' <escartes &as ali)e $!ring the a#orementione$ religio!s &ars" an$ his &orl$)ie& &as
!n$o!(te$ly shape$ (y them in some &ay" 4!st as they irre)oca(ly change$ politics #ore)er'
The political i$eology o# E!rope that res!lte$ #rom the religio!s &ars o# the 1=
th
an$ 1>
th

cent!ries" as &ell as the c!rrent political theology o# the ?nite$ States" &as (ase$ on a ren$ition o#
tra$itional nat!ral la&' It is o#ten claime$ (y E)angelicals /an$ )ehemently $enie$ (y o!tspoken
atheists1 that the constit!tion an$ #ormation o# ?nite$ States political philosophy is (ase$ in
Christianity' This statement is 7!estiona(le" (!t regar$less" the ethos o# the 5est is in$epen$ent o#
re)elation an$ $ogmatic claims" yet still connecte$ to theism /Taylor1' .eorge 5ashington epresse$
serio!s $o!(ts that h!manity co!l$ maintain a moral state &itho!t the presence o# religion /3ellah1'
This 7!est to #orm an in$epen$ent ethic #ree #rom religio!s in#l!ence (egan a tren$ &hich (le$ into the
e)ent!al pri)atization o# #aith" since *o((es+ philosophy re7!ire$ religion to (e eliminate$ altogether
#rom the p!(lic sphere' The pri)atization o# religion has certainly ha$ an anaesthetic e##ect in the
;merican ch!rch' *a)ing (een relegate$ to the margins o# society" the ch!rch has (ecome little more
than an ela(orate system o# psychiatric sel# help' The ?nite$ States has ma$e a mo$est attempt to strike
a (alance in regar$ to religion in the p!(lic $omain" contra$ictorily !phol$ing separation o# ch!rch an$
state &hile seeking a p!(lic epression o# it'
6n the other han$ o# the spectr!m" @ant calle$ #or a li(eral re#orm o# Christianity so that" &ith
the casting asi$e o# archaisms s!ch as the (elie# in miracles" it &o!l$ th!s (ecome the per#ect religion"
the ,tr!e !ni)ersal- ch!rch' This li(eralize$ ch!rch &o!l$ then play a central role in society"
enco!rage$ (y the go)ernment' 6()io!sly this $i$ not occ!r" as this li(eralism thank#!lly collapse$
&ith 5orl$ 5ar 1 /Lilla A1' *o&e)er" the res!lts o# a li(eralization an$ $emysti#ication o# the ch!rch
are rather clear: &hen Christianity (egins to make theological compromises an$ intellect!al
accommo$ations" the res!lt is a religion $e)oi$ o# any li#e or meaning' It (ecomes an ar(itrary system
o# r!les &ith no p!rpose or rele)ance' 6nce again" there is ;merican Christianity" on &hich the impact
o# mo$ernity can (e clearly seen' Eagleton+s remarks that the a!thentic themes o# the Be& Testament
(ecoming ,i$ealize$- or ,mythologize$ a&ay- !ntil religion has (ecome a lazy i$eology #or a ,$ollar%
&orshiping- society sho!l$ resonate &ith most ;merican Christians &ho ha)e (een s!(4ecte$ to the
cheap sal)ation o# the ;merican gospel" &hich may (e more )ir!lent an$ ina!spicio!s than commonly
tho!ght /21' *o&e)er" this $ecla&ing o# the gospel is necessary in a mo$ern society' In or$er to keep
the stat!s 7!o" the $eman$s o# Christianity m!st (e $iminishe$ an$ ma$e insigni#icant so that the ethic
can (e maintaine$' Religion is" in this case" Christianity" re$!ce$ to spirit!ality an$ tri)ialize$" (!t this
is not eno!gh #or many atheists'
Sec!larist an$ mo$ernist tho!ght originally $e)elope$ to pre)ent the political str!ct!re #rom
en$orsing one religion o)er another" so that no #!rther religio!s con#lict &o!l$ (e necessary" ho&e)er
many atheists are simply hell (ent on making religion $isappear' These ,e)angelical atheists-" like the
9ienna Circle" seek the $estr!ction o# metaphysics" altho!gh in some cases #or more $!(io!s reasons'
They hope to $ismantle religion all the &hile li(erating morality #rom its (lighte$ grasp' *o&e)er" it+s
!nlikely that it+s e)en possi(le to completely separate morality an$ religion at this point" the &hole o#
&estern morality is immerse$ in Christian tra$ition' It+s !nclear &hy s!ch atheists stri)e #or a &orl$ that
has (een cleanse$ o# #aith" yet in s!ch a &orl$ choose to a$here to similar ethical stan$ar$s' ;s *art
notes" the tr!e ethos o# mo$ernity is nihilism' 5hat reason $o atheists ha)e #or (elie)ing that the
replacement o# religion &ith sec!larism &ill res!lt in a more peace#!l an$ progressi)ely s!perior
societyC ;s *art mentions" )iolence" (igotry" an$ hatre$ are not restricte$ to religion /1>1' I# one looks
at instances in the past in &hich sec!larism has so!ght to a(olish cree$al religions" the reality is
#rightening' ;theists cannot 4!sti#ia(ly claim to #orm a str!ct!re o# morality &itho!t ha)ing to hol$ #ast
to some sort o# !ni)ersal tr!th or system o# (elie#' ; common ethic hel$ (y an atheistic society &o!l$
(e ar(itrary since it &o!l$ (e (ase$ on consens!s rather than an a(sol!te stan$ar$' ;ll that &o!l$ (e
re7!ire$ to re#!te s!ch a system is the !tterance o# ,I $isagree-' <espite all the &ays in &hich
mo$ernity co!l$ ha)e !n$ermine$ religion" it has not s!ccee$e$'
;ccor$ing to Dickstock an$ *art" religion is an innately h!man trait &hich cannot easily (e cast
asi$e' Dickstock+s sol!tion to the pro(lem o# mo$ernity an$ religion is ,Ra$ical 6rtho$oy-" or an
a$option o# a lit!rgical eistence' Lit!rgy" she eplains" is not merely a series o# rit!als" (!t is
characterize$ (y a merging o# the ,most realistic- an$ the ,most i$eal-" an$ is !na(le to (e a)oi$e$ (y
mankin$' I# the lit!rgical is essential to the nat!re o# h!manity" then mankin$ m!st recognize that e)en
the most or$inary o# actions are !ltimately implicate$ in the transcen$ent' ;ccor$ing to Dickstock"
mo$ernists ha)e" in re4ecting the $i)ine" !nkno&ingly create$ an$ ,anti%lit!rgical lit!rgy-' This
$isplaces h!manity #rom the cyclical an$ !ni)ersal contet &hich it is intrinsically att!ne$ to" ha)ing
(een replace$ (y ,#iity o# space- />1' The (est sol!tion then #or $eli)ering society #rom mo$ernity is
#o!n$ in the tra$itional Catholic rite' In an i$eally lit!rgical society" Dickstock states" all o# the #acets o#
li#e are immerse$ an$ connecte$ to the $i)ine reality in some &ay' ; (etter eample may perhaps (e
that o# Eastern 6rtho$oy" &hich per)a$es the common li#e o# the lay person e)en more so than that o#
Catholicism' 3!t this is a strange ans&er to a mo$e o# tho!ght &hich !ltimately necessitates a (elie# in
nothing" an$ is likely a $i##ic!lt one e)en #or $e)o!t Christians' Derhaps it is the only &ay in &hich
religion can ret!rn to a pre%mo$ern state" (!t is that really $esira(le" especially &hen all o# the a(!ses
o# religio!s a!thority are consi$ere$C ;ltho!gh mo$ernity has (ecome a $i##ic!lty an$ an ;chilles heel
#or the gro&th o# religion" it &o!l$ (e hasty to say that no lessens ha)e (een learne$ an$ nothing has
(een gaine$' In the en$" it $oes not seem that mo$ernity is necessarily (a$ #or religion" as religion ha$ a
host o# pro(lems e)en (e#ore a mo$ernist attit!$e &as e)er ma$e mani#est' Consi$ering the #act that
mo$ernity an$ sec!larism are technically reactionary mo)ements to Christianity" it seems that sho$$y
Christians are more at #a!lt than (elligerent atheists'
*as mo$ernity really (een (a$ #or religionC It is easy to point a #inger at atheists an$ place
(lame on their !n(elie# #or the tra)ails o# a seemingly $eclining #aith' It is also e7!ally easy to criticize
;merican Christianity" &ith all o# its contra$ictions' *o&e)er" &ere Christians o# the past tr!ly any
more #aith#!lC The e##orts o# e)angelical atheists to $estroy religion ha)e so #ar #aile$' *o&e)er"
complacent Christians ha)e $one an ecellent 4o( o# crippling their (elo)e$ Christen$om" no&
complete &ith pse!$o%theological maims an$ cons!merist o(sessions' <espite all o# the opposition in
the &orl$" someho& 5estern religion contin!es to s!(sist on a meager $iet o# #aith" an$ that is a
miracle that not e)en @ant can $eny'