NWU Institutional Repository

A critical assessment of John Milbank’s Christology

Loading...
Thumbnail Image

Date

Authors

Vorster, Nicolaas

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Fakulteit Teologie, Universiteit van die Vrystaat

Abstract

John Milbank is well known for attempting to develop a participatory theology.This article specifically assesses his Christology. The first section provides a synthetic explication of his Christology by focussing on his notions of participation,paradox, poesis, incarnation, the cross, and ecclesiology. The second section provides a critical assessment. The central argument is that Milbank’s Christology is inadequate in a participatory sense, because it lacks particularity and personal relationality. This inadequacy is probably due to the way in which he fuses Neo-Platonism and postmodern lingualism in order to construct his ontology. In orderto maintain his non-violent and poetic ontological position, Milbank needs to revert to a general, “high” and impersonal Christology, and disregard “low” Christology.However, if one’s ontological construction leads to a detached Christology, whichdoes not adequately affirm the central notion of one’s theology, serious doubts arise concerning the legitimacy of one’s method.

Description

Citation

Vorster, N. 2012. A critical assessment of John Milbank’s Christology. Acta Theologica, 32(2):277-298. [http://www.ufs.ac.za/templates/journals.aspx?journal=5]

Endorsement

Review

Supplemented By

Referenced By