In our recent article on Red Toryism, part of our ongoing investigation of neotraditional approaches, we mentioned its rootedness in the theological approach called Radical Orthodoxy.

Andrew Willis of Spectrum Magazine gives some details about its radical nature and relation to ‘participation’:

“What is so radical about it?

RO is firstly a critique of modernity

RO is a reaction to continental (mostly French, post-structuralist) philosophy’s post-modern claims. Recognising that the post-modern criticism of modernity are for the most part correct (including the claim that much of contemporary Christianity has been shaped by modernity and enlightenment thinking rather than biblical studies/theology) RO differs from other “continental philosophical post-modern theologies” by responding, not through post-modern philosophy (i.e., the hermeneutical approach- following Ricoeur, or weakness theology- after Vattimo, Caputo, etc.), but by turning to “pre-modernity.” This is why RO looks to the 3rd and 4th century theologians as an antidote to modernity’s scholastics.

RO is “post-secular”

At the heart of RO is the belief that the divide between the sacred and the secular, theology and philosophy, is the false result of the enlightenment and the modern project. Instead RO aims to return theology to her throne as “queen of all studies”. The RO project reacts to the sandy foundations of modernity and its philosophical worldview, but rather than attempt to renovate or extend the doomed building through post-modernity, it chooses to restore and rebuild the house built on rock foundations, believing that it will ride out the coming stormy floods! Secularism is seen as “theology gone bad”- religions of power promoting violence.

RO believes that the key elements of Christianity are participation

Christians are called to participate in the created world helping to overcome the “secular disease of violence”, responding to God’s transcendental nature. We participate by dynamically sharing in the nature of God; by believing that death and violence are secondary to God’s gift of peace in creation renewed by God. Creation is treated as a gift, not as a given.

RO believes that the cure for the “secular disease” is found in the recovery of Christian tradition and community

RO highlights the central role of sacramentality, liturgy and aesthetics in leading humanity towards the divine This is because in them we participate with the divine in creation, and creation in the divine. They are symbols of our participation in God’s redemption of the world.

RO believes in the redemption and transformation of this world (socially, economically, politically)

God participation, revelation and concern for the created world, overcomes the “secular disease” of violence, replacing it with peace. Christian faith saves the world from becoming the plaything of impersonal forces and forces of violence. Christians are called to participate with God in this. “