Dear Editor,
I enjoyed reading Ashley Woodiwiss' "What is Radical Orthodoxy" (CT Aug 2005) on the so-called "RO" movement. In my view, RO is a confused mix of true and false ideas. A big clue is that it is "postmodern-informed." As these "pomos" attempt to deconstruct the pillars of secularism (good), they risk losing sight of the true pillars of objective Christian truth (bad), instead settling for tired leftist propaganda. They seem to see "the state (unlimited power)" and "the (free) market (unbounded desire)" as co-conspirators of "modernity" to achieve secular hegemony, but actually the former is the chief enemy of the latter. Their villains, "liberal democracy and capitalism" are just political and economic freedom, and in themselves not only no threat, but actual liberating results of Christian belief. I agree that secularism is a cancerous growth upon otherwise healthy, Christian republicanism and capitalism. The telltale is that modern secularists are mostly leftists who want state control but NOT free markets. In short, I'll buy RO's [libertarian] critique of the unlimited state but not its [leftist] critique of the free market. Also, it seems oblivious to Acton's maxim that "power corrupts." Medieval Catholicism proved beyond doubt that no particular church organization this side of Christ's return can ever be trusted with that kind of political, economic and cultural power. The way of Christ is the way of freedom (religious, political, economic, cultural ...) even though Christ knows full well that not all will choose wisely.
Steve Sawyer