Paleo-orthodoxy

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Paleo-orthodoxy (from Greek paleo "ancient" and orthodoxy "correct belief") is a Christian theological movement of the late 20th and early 21st centuries which sees the consensual understanding of the faith among the church fathers as the basis of Biblical interpretation and the foundation of the church in the 20th century. While it understands this consensus of the church fathers as orthodoxy proper, it calls itself paleo-orthodoxy to distinguish itself from neo-orthodoxy. [1]

Paleo-orthodoxy sees the essentials of Christian theology in the consensus of the old church before the schism between Orthodox Churches and Roman-Catholic Church and before the separation between Roman-Catholic Church and Protestant Churches, described in the canon of Vincent of Lérins as "Quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab omnibus" ("What (was believed) everywhere, always and by everyone"). It does not stress specific teachings or Bible interpretations of specific church fathers, but those teachings and Bible interpretation on which the church fathers in East and West agreed.

Besides the doctrinal teachings of the church fathers, paleo-orthodoxy is also characterized by a renewed interest in (orthodox) liturgy and pastoral care.

Paleo-orthodoxy is not interested in denominational differences. Most paleo-orthodox theologians belong to the moderate conservative wing of mainstream Protestant churches or to evangelical churches. Some associate paleo-orthodoxy with contemporary American evangelicalism.

The giant of the movement is United Methodist Thomas C. Oden of Drew University, who has published a series of books not only calling for a return to "classical Christianity" but also providing the tools to do so. Oden, who coined the term "paleo-orthodoxy", believes strongly that Christians need to rely upon the wisdom of the historical Church, particularly the early Church, rather than on modern scholarship and theology, which is often, in his view, tainted by political agendas. Oden says his desire is "to begin to prepare the postmodern Christian community for its third millennium by returning again to the careful study and respectful following of the central tradition of classical Christianity"[2]. Oden hopes "to make no new contribution to theology"[3].

Other theologians who could be said to work within the bounds of paleo-orthodoxy, deliberately or otherwise, include: Marva Dawn, Richard Foster, Alister McGrath, Andrew Purves, Christopher Hall.

Some critics disagree with Oden, saying that his "paleo-orthodoxy" is actually an updated form of neo-orthodoxy influenced by ecumenical neoconservatism, typified by the journal First Things. Rather, Paleo-orthodoxy rejects a dependence upon Post-Enlightenment Modernity's notions of "truth" and "knowledge" that the Neo-orthodoxy of the 20th Century was still dependent upon. Paleo-orthodoxy then is "post-modern" in the sense being a critique of Modernity.

Another variant of paleo-orthodoxy, led by Presbyterian David W. Hall in the 1990s, stresses Abraham Kuyper's Neo-Calvinism, social conservativism, and Reformed theology. It often involves criticisms of social democracy. Supporters endorse the verbal inerrancy and inspiration of the Christian Bible -- and tend to criticize thinkers like Oden, Hauerwas or McGrath as neo-orthodox and dismiss Foster as an Anabaptist pietist. They also reflect the influence of Packer, especially his studies on English Puritanism.

[edit] Literature

Among Oden's works, either as writer or editor, in support of paleo-orthodoxy are:

  • Thomas Oden: Agenda for Theology, later re-published as After Modernity...What?, ISBN 0-310-75391-0
  • Thomas Oden: Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture series, which pieces together Biblical commentary from the Church's first millennium
  • Thomas Oden: John Wesley's Scriptural Christianity: A Plain Exposition of His Teaching on Christian Doctrine, ISBN 0-310-75321-X
  • Thomas Oden: Pastoral Theology: Essentials of Ministry, ISBN 0-06-066353-7
  • Thomas Oden: The Rebirth of Orthodoxy: Signs of New Life in Christianity, ISBN 0-06-009785-X
  • Thomas Oden: Requiem: A Lament in Three Movements, ISBN 0-687-01160-4
  • Thomas Oden: Systematic Theology (three volumes... The Living God, The Word of Life and Life in the Spirit...a trilogy which summarizes classical Christian thinking)

Works by other authors:

Calvinist paleo-orthodoxy:

[edit] Sources

  1. ^ "The term paleo-orthodoxy is employed to make clear that we are not talking about neo-orthodoxy. Paleo becomes a necessary prefix only because the term orthodoxy has been preempted and to some degree tarnished by the modern tradition of neo-orthodoxy" (Thomas Oden, Requiem, p. 130)
  2. ^ Thomas Oden: After Modernity...What?, p. 34
  3. ^ Thomas Oden: Life in the Spirit, p. vii

[edit] External links