Christian Theological Tradition Research Articles

Critique of Supernatural Revelation

This article argues that the claim of traditional Christian theology and religion to be in possession of supernatural revelation cannot be substantiated in a valid and non-circular manner in principle. It then notes the consequences for theology if the notion of supernatural revelation is abandoned. It proposes agnosticism about unknowable matters as a way of exercising faith or trust in the limits God’s providence has established for human knowledge.

Linguistic Interval as Spiritual Interplay: Przywara's “Dynamic Polarity” and Christian Language

AbstractThis article aims to reflect on how Erich Przywara's concept of the analogical “dynamic polarity” can contribute to contemporary discussions regarding the role of language in postmodern theology. By opposing Przywara to the philosophies of the likes of John Caputo and Jacques Derrida—in particular their concept of the khôra, and the former's “weak theology” —it intends to elucidate the possibility of an approach to language which remains in keeping with the Christian theological (and thus metaphysical) tradition whilst also engaging with standard postmodern criticisms typically leveled at it. Beginning with a prefatory examination of the themes of presence, absence, and distance as they appear in Christian theology and postmodernism, it then examines how the dynamic polarity may play a conciliatory role in harmonizing the two. It then continues to employ the dynamic polarity as a basis for various forms of language, arguing that it reveals an inherently relational, dialogic, and ultimately prayerful structure of receptivity, one which constitutes and emboldens difference, enlivening it as the theatre for a fruitful analogical interplay between self and other, cataphatic and apophatic, and more.

Reclaiming Broken Bodies (or, This Is Gonna Hurt Some): Pain, Healing, and the Opioid Crisis

Abstract I argue here that the ways we experience, think about, and treat pain are bound up with sociocultural and technological phenomena that shape our desires and expectations. I propose a way of imagining caring for and offering healing to those who suffer pain informed by the Christian theological tradition. This way does not aspire to replace the care and healing made possible by modern medicine, but rather to place it within the common life of a community of mutual love, hospitality, and reciprocal care.

왜 동물철학이 필요한가?

The author concludes that it is necessary to examine and reflect on the prevailing animal view in Korean society, which includes cows, pigs, goats, and even pets, and that a new alternative is needed. In that regard, the author plans to establish the concept, key issues, and philosophical status of animals in an academic manner by pioneering animal philosophy, as there has been no systematic discussion on animal philosophy in Korea so far. This article first addresses the question of “why animal philosophy is necessary in our society?” and aims to clarify the relationship between Christianity and animal philosophy. We will confirm that there has been a growing interest in the study of animals, animal ethics, and animal philosophy within the Korean Christian community. Here, we will examine the perspective of Andrew Linzey (1952-), a professor of theology at the University of Oxford in the UK, who advocates for the understanding of animals, animal rights, and the ethics of compassion from the perspective of Christian philosophy. In particular, we will focus on discussing the relationship between moral sensitivity towards animals and religion, the challenges that animal issues pose to traditional Christian theology, and the misconceptions about animal rights and Christian understanding. Lastly, we will examine the current significance of animal theology and animal philosophy as advocated by Linzey, as well as the influence of the Korean Christian community on these ideas.

Ministers of a New Medium: Broadcasting Theology in the Radio Ministries of Fulton J. Sheen and Walter A. Maier by Kirk D. Farney

Reviewed by: Ministers of a New Medium: Broadcasting Theology in the Radio Ministries of Fulton J. Sheen and Walter A. Maier by Kirk D. Farney Kathryn M. Galchutt Ministers of a New Medium: Broadcasting Theology in the Radio Ministries of Fulton J. Sheen and Walter A. Maier. By Kirk D. Farney. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2022. 345 pp. In our multi-media saturated times, it is difficult to imagine the singular importance of radio during its golden age, from the 1920s to the 1950s. During that era before television, the essayist E. B. White described radio as having a "godlike presence" in homes across America. In his book Kirk Farney notes that radio had a range of qualities, from intimate to communal, from democratic to authoritative. Yet Farney's study is less concerned with the medium of radio and more concerned with the impact of two men and the messages they spoke to millions during the 1930s and 1940s. The Lutheran pastor Walter A. Maier (1893–1950) and the Roman Catholic priest Fulton J. Sheen (1895–1979) were two of the most popular and prominent broadcasters during radio's golden age. Both men came from religious backgrounds that were considered on the periphery of mainstream American Protestant religion. Maier came from a German-American Lutheran background and was a member of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, a synod which some saw as an ethnic and theological enclave. Sheen came from a primarily Irish-American Catholic background and sought to counter the historic anti-Catholicism in American society. Farney explains how Maier and Sheen preached messages rooted in their own religious traditions, yet succeeded in appealing to wider audiences. Both men "combined a traditional theological conservatism with an equally traditional American idealism" (133). Maier and Sheen took to the airwaves after the Modernist and Fundamentalist debates of the 1920s. Both men were vocal critics of modernist [End Page 191] theology. They preached messages of traditional Christian theology, putting a strong emphasis on the doctrines of the atonement, sin, and grace. Given the well-known antagonism between Protestants and Catholics, it is remarkable that the Protestant Maier and the Catholic Sheen asserted such similar teachings about the foundations for faith and life (160). Maier and Sheen also made connections with the difficult times in which they were living, commenting on the economic challenges of the Great Depression, the conflicts and controversies of World War II, and the threat of communism. Both were careful to avoid partisan politics. But they reflected a spirit of American patriotism while also calling on Americans to repent and to avoid a stance of national self-righteousness. Farney notes that Maier and Sheen were critical of racial and ethnic discrimination in America and urged the church to recognize the equality of all people before God (257). Farney could have done more to explain the significance of their stances in the context of American race relations in the 1930s and 1940s. Both men reached out to many beyond their respective religious communities. Farney describes how Sheen received considerable attention for the prominent converts to Catholicism whom he reached, including Henry Ford II and the American Communist Party leader Louis Budenz. Besides the famous, Sheen also reached "the obscure … of all races and incomes" (297). Farney describes Maier's contacts with political, military, and cultural leaders, but did not mention specific converts. More could be done to examine those who made a commitment to Lutheranism because of Maier's "The Lutheran Hour." Among these are Mary Banta, who contributed to the development of True Light Lutheran Church, a Chinese-American congregation in Manhattan and Chris McNair, who lost his daughter Denise in the Klan bombing of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham in 1963. Exploring the international impact of the "Catholic Hour" and "The Lutheran Hour" is another potential area of future research. Farney has written a very significant study of two of the most important radio preachers in American history, examining the similar ministries of a Lutheran pastor and Catholic priest. The parallels ended when Maier died relatively early of a massive heart attack [End Page 192] in 1950 and Sheen transitioned to even greater fame with a...

The Implications of James Cone’s Critique of Barth and Barthians for the Practice of Academic Christian Theology

ABSTRACT Fifty years have passed since James Cone wrote _Black Theology and Black Power _ critiquing the unbarthian ways Barth was being appropriated in Europe and North America. This article identifies key weaknesses in a Barthian theological method that may explain the conspicuous silence of White Barthian theologians in response to Cone’s critique. It suggests three lessons for ethical theological enquiry arising from attention to Cone’s analysis: first, the need to recognise the ways in which the Christian theological tradition has been shaped in racist, White supremacist, and colonialist ways in order to avoid reproducing theologies Cone identified as racist; second, the responsibility of Christian theologians to give an account of the relationship of their projects to questions of ethics and practice, in order to avoid the vice of curiosity; and third, the responsibility of theologians to take particular care to avoid disadvantaging students and colleagues of colour in their professional practice.

Marc A. Pugliese and John Becker, eds.: Process Thought and Roman Catholicism: Challenges and Promises

This book review by Neil Ormerod discusses the reception of process thought, a metaphysical system developed by Alfred North Whitehead, among Catholic theologians. Process thought, also known as process philosophy or philosophy of organism, challenges traditional notions of God as omnipotent, omniscient, unchanging, and all-loving. The book provides an overview of Whitehead's approach and its complex terminology, as well as various levels of engagement and extensions of his ideas by different authors. The review includes discussions on objections to process thought raised by Catholic theologians, links between Whitehead's ideas and medieval Franciscan thinker Duns Scotus, the contribution of Charles Hartshorne in popularizing Whitehead's ideas, and similarities and tensions between Whitehead's thought and key Catholic positions. The book also delves into topics such as the problem of evil, the concept of "objective immortality," and the implications of Whitehead's ideas for traditional Christian beliefs such as creation ex nihilo. Overall, the review provides a comprehensive analysis of the reception of process thought among Catholic theologians and its implications for traditional Christian theology.

“THE SERMON ΟΝ LAW AND GRACE”: A MODEL OF REFUTATIONAL - PROBATIVE ARGUMENTATION

The author of the paper analyzed the models of refutational and probative argumentation in an outstanding piece of Kyivan Rus’ literature of the 11th century — “The Sermon on Law and Grace” by metropolitan Hilarion of Kyiv. Although certain aspects of the work have already been properly analyzed, the formal rhetorical principles of polemical argumentation in “The Sermon on Law and Grace” remain little studied. The construction of the argument itself and compositional regularities of its structural organization still need due consideration. Throughout the entire reflection, moving from one topic to another, the author of “The Sermon…” maintains the same principle of literary presentation — dialectical oratio. This model is based on a special dialectical reasoning rooted in the principle of antinomies and originated in ancient judicial rhetoric. In “The Sermon on Law and Grace”, the dialectical oratio is built according to the ‘refutation + proof’ scheme. That is, the author initially refutes something and then proves something. Τhis rhetorical tendency is used throughout the work. Hilarion constantly tries to expose and devalue something characterized as outdated, related to Old Testament, Jewish or pagan, and glorify the new, evangelical, and Christian. However, denying one thing and affirming the other do not exhaust the author’s goal. Such dialectical unity of the negative and the affirmative in characterization of one object not only goes back to the traditions of ancient judicial rhetoric but also reflects the Eastern Christian theological tradition. Something similar can be seen in the treatises by Dionysius the Areopagite. In the works “On Mystical Theology”, “On Divine Names”, and “On the Heavenly Hierarchy”, Dionysius the Areopagite derives a complex antinomic system of symbolic designations of the Divine Essence, qualifying a part of them as apophatic (dissimilar) and the other part as kataphatic (similar). Perhaps, the reasoning model of refutatio + probatio in ancient rhetoric, the apophatic-cataphatic principle of determining the names of God in the “Corpus Areopagiticum”, and refutational-probative argumentation in “The Sermon on Law and Grace” are formal links of a general rhetorical oratory chain. However, this issue requires a more thorough study based on a wide range of literary material, including ancient, biblical, medieval, etc.

Die Aufklärung der Aufklärung: Lessing und die Herausforderung des Christentums by Hannes Kerber

Reviewed by: Die Aufklärung der Aufklärung: Lessing und die Herausforderung des Christentums by Hannes Kerber Joseph A. Haydt Hannes Kerber. Die Aufklärung der Aufklärung: Lessing und die Herausforderung des Christentums. Göttingen: Wallstein, 2021. 286 pp. Hannes Kerber's monograph exploits close readings of largely neglected participants in the so-called fragments controversy to deliver a genuinely original reading of Lessing's authorial strategy during the early years of the controversy. On the strictly philological plane, this study merits attention among Lessing scholars for uncovering a host of sources within the Christian theological tradition that influenced Lessing's late religious thought. Kerber carefully documents Lessing's underappreciated sensitivity not only to the doctrinal debates that animated the formative (pre-Nicene) centuries of Christianity but also to the core theological innovations of the early Reformation. Kerber's book is no mere philological investigation, however, and his exegetical discoveries serve a broader interpretive agenda that bears on Lessing's assessment of Enlightenment philosophy and theology. In Kerber's view, Lessing believed that the religious disputes of his contemporaries systematically neglected the principles that the great theologians of both ancient Christianity and the Reformation had deemed to represent the most profound insights of Christianity. Kerber's Lessing aims to reconfigure such debates by restoring these dormant theological resources. Here, I focus on one example from Kerber's reconstruction of this strategy: Lessing's efforts to restore a Lutheran conception of faith in Über den Beweis des Geistes und der Kraft, composed in 1777 in response to Johann Daniel Schumann's defense of Christianity in Über die Evidenz der Beweise für die Wahrheit der christlichen Religion. In his discussion, Kerber documents in extensive detail the [End Page 195] careful attention that Lessing paid to Schumann's text in crafting his famous response, with the aim of challenging the widely held belief that the essay articulates Lessing's own theory of religious and historical truth. By comparing Lessing's text to Schumann's, Kerber demonstrates that each major junction of Lessing's argument proceeds by invoking a specific passage or claim in Schumann's text. Kerber argues that Lessing does not use Schumann's essay merely as an occasion to elaborate an independent theory of revelation; instead, Lessing's text adopts the terms of Schumann's argument and drives them to their logical conclusion, thereby calling attention to the incongruence between his interlocutor's premises and the conclusions they are meant to support. Kerber convincingly argues that this text does not aim to criticize religion or divine revelation as such but rather seeks to expose a particular form of religious thinking that conceived of religious faith as a species of certainty that could be justified by historical or rational truth. Kerber's Lessing believed that this conception of faith had surreptitiously become paradigmatic for the religious thought of his contemporaries, a development that involved abandoning a category distinction that had been fundamental for the theology of the Reformation: that faith is not an issue of rational certainty, but a matter of trust. In the guise of confessional orthodoxy, Schumann—and those who shared his views about the task of Christian theology—had parted ways with this central tenet of Protestant thought and reduced Christianity to a disguised rationalism. And, Kerber argues, it is just this lost tenet that Lessing wants to restore. Far from developing a critique of orthodoxy based on the philosophical principles of the Enlightenment, Kerber's Lessing is engaged in a process of recovering traditional orthodox beliefs to criticize the innovations of his theologian contemporaries, innovations which had come at the price of forfeiting the deepest theological claim that the Reformation had proposed with respect to divine revelation. (In a subsequent chapter, Kerber turns to Nathan der Weise to elaborate what Lessing takes to be at stake in this Protestant concept, arguing that it is a central concern of the play to portray the ethical, religious, and social force of the Lutheran conception of faith when taken in its complete scope.) Kerber's aim throughout this study is to show that Lessing was equally critical of both contemporary orthodoxy and its Enlightenment critics. While it has frequently...

Kant and the Divine: From Contemplation to Moral Law by Christopher J. Insole

Reviewed by: Kant and the Divine: From Contemplation to Moral Law by Christopher J. Insole Chris L. Firestone Christopher J. Insole. Kant and the Divine: From Contemplation to Moral Law. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020. Pp. v + 409. Hardback, $110.00. The extent to which the philosophy of Immanuel Kant converges with or diverges from Christian thought has been a hotly debated topic in recent years. Central to that debate has been the resurgence of interest in Kant's classic Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason (henceforth, Religion). The most insightful interpretations and applications of Religion, it seems, have utilized resources from a broad range of Kant's writings, emphasizing his philosophy considered as an integrated whole. Christopher Insole's recent monograph—Kant and the Divine: From Contemplation to Moral Law—attempts to redirect this debate with an argument spanning Kant's precritical and critical periods in performing a deep dive on the topic of freedom. On the face of it, the argument is not purely theological or even religious. It revolves, instead, around a metaphysical analysis of freedom, both as exemplified in Kant's writings and relative to his historical predecessors. Key to Insole's proposal is that Kant's critical notion of freedom evolves into something very different than that of his predecessors (on which his early writings depend) and, in its development, decisively "ruptures" with the Christian tradition. Human freedom, on Insole's analysis of Kant, must be "end-setting" and not constrained or directed by any type of external compulsion. This suggests that God cannot be understood to influence freedom causally, or at least not without human conscious and free consent. Numerous writers have thought they spied Christian connections in Kant's notion of freedom, such as the need for divine forgiveness, and even grace, to avoid the absurdum practicum. Insole resists all such attempts as being foreign to the novelty of the mature Kant's reflections on freedom. No external force can be brought to bear as a determining causal influence on human freedom, presumably because an end set before us from outside undermines our ability to set an end for ourselves. God is at best the "all-knowing distributor of happiness" (321) that makes end-setting and the kingdom of ends worthwhile moral pursuits. Insole's express intention is to "show the significance of Kant's denial that God can be our final cause" and that "his philosophical religiosity, understood on its own terms, and as expressed across his whole oeuvre" shows that "Kant cannot easily be called a Christian thinker" at all (2–4). Extricating Kant from Christianity proves to be a monumental task. Insole uses eighteen chapters and more than four hundred pages to make his case. The argument distinguishes itself from other such attempts in its rigorous analytic approach to unpacking the metaphysical underpinnings of issues supposedly at the root of Kant's philosophical theology. The book presents a cumulative case argument for Kant's supposed break with "the Christian theological tradition as he would have received it" (13). Much rests on whether or not this argument is cogent. Kant, according to Insole, is something akin to a theological Platonist and moral Stoic, who attempts to establish a unique form of "philosophical religiosity" (3 and 156). This makes Kant similar to the likes of Augustine and Ambrose, but different in terms of his theological aspirations. Insole casts Kant not as a pure philosopher seeking to understand philosophy relative to the Christian tradition, but rather as a philosophical [End Page 164] theologian bent on showing human freedom, free end-setting, and an ethical community of end-setters to be the exclusive means for attaining the highest good. Although this may sound Pelagian, Insole insists it is not, because "the Pelagian could still regard God as our final cause and efficient cause" (299). In other words, in Insole's interpretation, Kant is a strict philosophical humanist or what theologians might term a hyper-Pelagian. The difficult details of Insole's arguments are important to consider but not easily dealt with in the space provided here. Early in the book, Insole takes his reader on a metaphysical tour of "Divine Ideas" and "God...

Book of Mormon Theology—Anticipating the Future of a Discipline

Book of Mormon Theology—Anticipating the Future of a Discipline

Imago Dei and ecology: Rereading Genesis 1:26–28 from the perspective of Toba Batak in the ecological struggle in Tapanuli, Indonesia

This article departed from the ecological problems that are currently happening in Tapanuli, the area around Lake Toba, North Sumatra province, Indonesia. In addition to the lack of environmental awareness of the local community, and the presence of companies that are not environmentally friendly, another factor that causes ecological problems in Tapanuli is the attribution of imago Dei to humans, and this forms a paradigm that humans are the rulers of nature. Therefore, a new meaning of imago Dei is needed that allows nature to have the right to be sustainable. The comparison between Toba Batak traditional religion and Christian theology creates a good interplay to develop a contextual ethical theology that can be adapted for other environmental discussions. This study used a biblical-cultural approach, namely rereading Genesis 1:26–28 from the perspective of Toba Batak anthropology, to get the novelty of the idea of imago Dei. The result of rereading Genesis 1:26–28 generated new ideas. Not only humans but every creature is a representation of Mulajadi Nabolon (the High God of Toba Batak). All creation is the imago Dei.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article contributes to the interdisciplinary conversation between biblical, systematic and cultural theology to give new meaning to the conception of imago Dei. The rereading of Genesis 1:26–28 is carried out using the anthropological perspective of Toba Batak. The results are certainly very useful for forming a contextual ecological paradigm for the Toba Batak people in Tapanuli, Indonesia.

Outside Phenomenology?

AbstractThis essay marks the start of a bold reorientation of a philosophical vision of the author: where the texts of the Christian theological tradition once served as point of reference, it is now the experience of trauma that guides the phenomenological investigation – specifically, the trauma of illness, separation, the death of a child, natural disaster, and the pandemic. These experiences, which befall me without rhyme or reason, open up a new field that has hitherto remained unthought by – and indeed unthinkable to – the phenomenological tradition: extra-phenomenality. As extra-phenomenal, a trauma is neither infra-phenomenal (preparing phenomenality) nor supra-phenomenal (overflowing phenomenality), but rather denotes the destruction of all possible categories of synthesis or horizons of phenomenalization: it is properly speaking outside of lived-experience both in that it cannot be lived through by the traumatized subject in conscious experience as well as making all subsequent lived-experiences impossible. Yet, existence nevertheless persists in this crisis: it is thus not a question of attempting to escape it, or pursuing the restauration of a previous state; but rather of a different way of being there. In this way, trauma reminds us of the very essence of our humanity as a continued transformation.

Apophatic theology as a resource for eco-theology

ABSTRACT This essay explores the potential for eco-theology as a part of the (Christian) theological tradition that, so far, has only been analyzed to a limited extent with regard to what it might contribute to forms of theology that further more sustainable forms of humankind’s (co-)inhabitation of the world: the tradition of apophatic theology. The question is: ‘can dimensions of the apophatic tradition be identified that can contribute to the development of eco-theology in the Christian tradition by informing the shaping of the relationship between humankind and the rest of creation?’ The question will be answered affirmatively, for which this essay takes the following steps. First, the conditions under which apophatic approaches can inform the relationship between humankind and the rest of creation are considered. Second, a recent discussion of apophatic theology by Rowan Williams is used as a point of departure to discuss apophatic theology, epistemology and representation. Third, the theology of icons, expressive as it is by forms of relational and ‘decentered’ observation, that can be understood as being closely connected with apophatic concerns, is considered as a model for humankind’s relating to the rest of creation.

Review Article

Review Article

Gods, Games, and Globalization: New Perspectives on Religion and Sport

Gods, Games, and Globalization: New Perspectives on Religion and Sport

“Human kind Cannot bear very much reality”: the relationship between John Ruskin’s visionary aspiration and his mental health

ABSTRACT John Ruskin was a Victorian polymath who developed severe mental health problems from late middle age. This paper focuses on one of his many areas of interest and expertise, visual aesthetics. It traces the relationship between his theories and practices in this area and the nature of his mental health condition, which was dominated by visual symptoms. It argues that Ruskin’s aesthetic theory is part of a broader spiritual visionary quest, firmly framed within the Christian theological tradition, and that it valorises certain habits of perception and attention that are now recognised to be a feature of cognition in psychosis. It suggests that there is continuity, if not a causal relationship, between Ruskin’s lifelong adoption of these practices and the psychological symptoms he displayed as his (probably neuropsychiatric) illness progressed.

Towards an Anti-Supersessionist Theology: Race, Whiteness, and Covenant

Supersessionism in the Western Christian theological tradition remains an issue to be remediated. The problem of supersessionism is the problem of Gentile Christians’ wrongly viewing themselves as the exclusively favored object of God’s desire. This misplaced prioritization of Gentile belonging within the life of Israel’s God mirrors dynamics found in Euro-American racism or whiteness. Just as theories of anti-racism are useful for confronting the challenges of whiteness, in this paper I argue for an explicitly anti-supersessionist theology. This theology offers possibilities for deepening an understanding of the covenantal relationships among God, Israel, Jesus Christ, and the Gentile Church. As such, it transcends the binary of supersessionism and post-supersessionism.

Work as Enterprise in an Age of Robots

This paper aims to expound and develop the idea of work as enterprise in response to the challenges of the fourth industrial revolution and to demonstrate that Christian theology provides a conceptual framework which helps locate work within an understanding of purpose and human dignity. This paper defines enterprise, considers the purpose of work, and reflects on themes from the common Christian theological tradition which give meaning to the idea of work as enterprise. Further, this article considers the challenge of technology, the place of the market and ethics, the role of innovation and creativity, questions of freedom and regulation, the central place for the development of skills and education, and the transformational nature of work. In addition, this paper has three policy propositions and some practical advice. Work matters because it is at root an expression of our humanity. Technological advance poses both perils and opportunities. The development of the idea of work as enterprise within a framework of Christian theology places entrepreneurship, creativity, and innovation at the heart of our collective response to the fourth industrial revolution.

All Things Wise and Wonderful: A Christian Understanding of How and Why Things Happen, in Light of COVID-19

All Things Wise and Wonderful: A Christian Understanding of How and Why Things Happen, in Light of COVID-19