Radical Orthodoxy

Definition and Meaning

Radical Orthodoxy is a theological movement formed around the Anglican theologian John Milbank. Its name became established with the 1999 collection of essays Radical Orthodoxy: A New Theology, coedited by Milbank, Catherine Pickstock, and Graham Ward. In this name, "radical" does not mean extreme; it signifies a return to the roots (Latin radix). "Orthodoxy" does not refer to the Eastern Orthodox Church but to the faith expressed in the creeds of the early church and the patristic tradition.

The movement generally makes the following claims:

• What modernity calls the "secular" is not a neutral sphere unrelated to religion but the product of particular theological and philosophical choices.
• All creatures have true meaning only insofar as they "participate" in the being of God (participatory ontology).
• Modern social theory and philosophy should not serve as the starting point for theology; rather, theology should provide the framework for interpreting politics, economics, and culture.

Biblical and Historical Background

Radical Orthodoxy is a philosophical and theological movement rather than one arising from the interpretation of particular biblical texts. In explanations of the concept of participation, passages such as 2 Peter 1:4, "partakers of the divine nature," are sometimes cited. Its intellectual sources are said to include Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and the twentieth-century French Catholic theologian Henri de Lubac. Milbank's Theology and Social Theory (1990) is regarded as the movement's starting point.

The movement locates the roots of modern secularization in the late medieval doctrine of the "univocity of being" associated with Duns Scotus, that is, the claim that the term "being" applies to God and to creatures in the same sense. Scholars of medieval philosophy have criticized this historical interpretation for oversimplifying the sources. Protestant theologians have also raised objections because the movement views the Reformation as one strand of modern fragmentation. Commentators also frequently note the movement's emphasis on a liturgical and sacramental theology centered on the Eucharist.

Reception in the Korean Church

In Korea, Radical Orthodoxy is a topic introduced mainly in seminaries and academic circles rather than in congregations. There are no known instances of a denomination issuing an official position or adopting a resolution on the movement.

In Reformed circles, the principal reference is Introducing Radical Orthodoxy (2004) by James K. A. Smith of Calvin University in the United States, which introduces and critiques the movement from a Reformed perspective. Because some of Smith's other works have been translated into Korean, the movement is sometimes mentioned in connection with discussions of the Christian worldview.

Evangelical theologians are generally wary of two aspects of the movement:

• Its sacramentally centered theology is close to the Anglican High Church or Roman Catholic tradition.
• It evaluates the Reformation negatively.

At the same time, the concerns underlying the movement's critique of secular culture and modern reason make it a conversation partner in discussions of postmodern theology and Christianity and culture.