존 밀뱅크의 ｢재난들 사이에서(“Between Catastrophes”)｣에 대한 비판적 고찰

Abstract

This paper will analyze and evaluate John Milbank''s radical orthodox interpretations and proposals regarding the corona pandemic that appeared in “Between Catastrophes.” Milbank interpreted the closure of chapels in response to the Corona situation in the context of the secularization of modern society by capital and power. Although this interpretation reveals the sociological and ontological aspects of the issue, it is not radical enough considering the biblical critique of secularization raised by Brueggemann. Moreover, Reformed theologians contend that he tends to overly sanctify faith and church by overlooking the fall and sin. Milbank argues that eco-theology cannot solve the ecological problem because it uses the concept of nature formed within the modern dichotomous structure. It can be solved only through the radical orthodox vision that finite beings participate in the eternal production, gift, and reciprocal exchange of Trinity. However, considering Kathryn Tanner’s unilateral conception of the gift, his analysis focused too much on transcendental ontology, overlooking the seriousness of the ecological problem presented by the corona pandemic as a zoonosis and the gigantic impact of the pandemic as a catalyst for the increasing impact of the digital age on human culture and religion.