A movement known as “radical orthodoxy,” is gaining prominence in the theological community, and has also been strongly affected by the growth of postmodernism in the secular culture.
First Things magazine (February) reports that radical orthodoxy is led by a group of Anglican and Roman Catholic thinkers from Cambridge University in response to postmodernist concepts that elevate the role of power and personal interest in shaping language, society, and even human consciousness.
Writer R.R. Reno, a critic of the movement, notes that such leading radical orthodox thinkers as John Milbank, Graham Ward and Catherine Pickstock “hope to articulate an encompassing Christian perspective that will supersede and replace secularisms both modern and postmodern.”
Radical orthodoxy is complex and somewhat abstract, emphasizing the importance of theological speculation. For instance, Millbank and Ward hold a view of Christ’s atonement that places more emphasis on human co-creation and cooperation with God than on traditional sources that see Christ as primarily present in the church and Scriptures.
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