From the Archives: A Roundtable on Radical Orthodoxy and the Church

In September 2003 we hosted a conference at Calvin College on “Radical Orthodoxy and the Reformed Tradition” which brought together representatives from both streams of thought (and some with feet in both).  A number of the papers were later collected and published as Radical Orthodoxy and the Reformed Tradition: Creation, Covenant, and Participation, eds. James K.A. Smith and James H. Olthuis (Baker Academic, 2005).  However, one piece of the conference that wasn’t reproduced in the book was a roundtable discussion about how (or whether!) RO had anything to say to the lived worship and discipleship of the church.  I recently bumped into a transcript of the conversation in my files and thought it might be of interest to post it here at www.churchandpomo.org.  This was not a collection of “emergent” folks, but rather some participants and local folks who were pastors, former pastors, or trained pastors for ministries in churches mainly connected to the “magisterial” Reformation.  As such, it might feel a bit insider-ish to those not familiar with the Reformed tradition; but then again, that was the ecclesial focus of the conference.  (One disappointment of the conference was that Robert Webber was unable to attend because of illness.  Webber had interesting things to say about both Radical Orthodoxy and the emerging church in his book The Younger Evangelicals.  Michael Horton very kindly and capably pinch-hit in Webber’s place.)
    In the conversation you’ll hear critical reflections on what Radical Orthodoxy could (or should) have to say about the church.  You’ll also hear Graham Ward’s demythologizing of the label “Radical Orthodoxy” and his articulation of a “big tent” sensibility in league with others.  And more.  All in all, an interesting snippet that perhaps makes some contribution to bringing these matters back to earth, as it were.
    My thanks to Jerry Stutzman for transcribing the conversation, and Ryan Weberling for doing a final editorial clean-up. 

Download the transcript as a pdf file.

Comments

[John Médaille]

Just a few words about that conference, which I remember very well because it was my first real introduction to Christian pomo. I had read "Radical Orthodoxy" and even understood some of it. But when I saw an announcement for "Radical Orthodoxy and the Reformed Tradition" I thought "I don't think those fit together at all; there ought to be some fireworks here." I decided to attend, mostly as a lark, even though I am not a full-time academic. I wondered whether I should pack my flak-vest.

Milbank and Ward each gave two papers, as I recall, and between them responded to 13 others. I couldn't help thinking that under American Law, they were entitled to time-and-a-half pay. Although I caught only about every third word, what I did catch was intriguing. I remember asking John Milbank how this applied to ordinary problems of business and politics. He confessed that he didn't have a clue. As a teacher of business students, there is a limit to the levels of abstraction I can use in the classroom. So I took this task as my own.

I read "Theology and Social Theory," and found it to be a "head-slapper." That is, as I read it, I kept coming across things that made me slap my head and say, "Of course! Why didn't I think of that?" The book dealt with problems I had been working on for 10 years without getting any closer to a solution. My book, "The Vocation of Business: Social Justice in the Marketplace" is my attempt at an "applied RO."

I remember the conference as a venue for intriguing ideas and good conversation. I don't know if it changed the world, but it did change my life, and I will always be grateful for it.

John

[len]

James, great timing as we look toward our next theology cafe, thanks!