Amoureax by Eve Arnold

Fruitful Conversations

In the prologue to On Christian Theology, Rowan Williams develops a typology of theological expression. He describes three 'moments' of theology: celebratory, communicative and critical. The first two have provided me with a way to describe my purposes for this space. The former, or celebratory mode, Williams describes as having the intention:

"less to argue than to evoke a fullness of vision."
This struck a chord in me. I do not want the things I write here to be merely interesting, though even that is a difficult task which I am not sure I can rise to.

To exemplify the second, he gives liberation theology's productive use of Marxist categories. In the communicative mode:
"The assumption is that this or that intellectual idiom not only offers a way into fruitful conversation with the current environment but also that the unfamiliar idiom may uncover aspects of the deposit of belief hitherto unexamined."
I would like to attempt to have fruitful conversations to evoke a fullness of vision. Many traditions which are not properly part of Christian discourse provide us with ways in to the 'deposit of belief' in such a way that we find in them deeply Christian resonances, even if we are unable to assimilate them in toto.

It is my intention that this space become somewhere for fruitful conversations to occur with more marginal (often called sectarian) parts of the Christian traditions, permaculture, agrarianism, communalism and anarcho-communism. For me, these have evoked a more full vision and I believe that they provide ways in to some of the biblical resonances which struggle to be heard in our times. I realise that for many these traditions may appear irrelevant or threatening or hostile and this would not be without reason. Nevertheless, I believe that a discerning approach to these conversations can be transformative and conversional for all concerned.

3 comments:

Haz, in light of Justin Timberlake being in town, I think it is you who is “bringing ‘secty’ back”.

November 12, 2007 at 11:14 PM  

it is ironic that the first post from an anarcho-communist flavoured blog is the anglican archbishop of Canterbury whose ecclesiology is far from anarchic?

What the?

Richard Foster

November 13, 2007 at 3:55 PM  

@Richard - Hello. Perhaps it is ironic. I'm not sure though. Williams gives liberation theology as a positive example of the 'communicative' mode, suggesting that it is precisely its use of Marxist categories that places it in that mode. I don't think he is a Marxist either, nor am I an anarcho-communist, but I believe both have and may have important things to open out for us if we are unwilling to accept them wholesale or be threatened by them. Some time I will expand upon the ways in which I think that there is a productive conversation to have with anarcho-communism. Peace to You.

Harry

November 13, 2007 at 8:06 PM  

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