by Greg Matsen, Nathaniel Givens, Jeffrey Thayne, & J. Max Wilson
December 15, 2020
Video: The authors of the Radical Orthodoxy Manifesto join Greg Matsen's Cwic Podcast for an in depth discussion about the ideas behind Radical Orthodoxy and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...Read more >>
The Radical Orthodoxy Manifesto became public almost a week ago, and if we are not reacting to every criticism and every blog comment about this project, it is not out of lack of conviction; it’s more about mental and spiritual health. ... When I first heard about the Radical Orthodoxy project — the manifesto and its accompanying essays — I was ecstatic...Read more >>
One common criticism I have seen is the suggestion that it is presumptuous to issue a manifesto that attempts to dictate what is orthodoxy. The suggestion is that this manifesto is an effort to set what are the acceptable boundaries of discourse. While I understand the concern over attempts to set the boundaries of orthodoxy above and beyond those set by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I would argue that this criticism fundamentally misunderstands the purpose of a manifesto generally and this manifesto in particular...Read more >>
First, let me say something about the title. We explored a lot of different options before settling on the words “radical orthodoxy” to describe the ideas we have tried to articulate. The word radical is complex, with a rich, symbolic etymology. It has deep roots– in fact, it is derived from the Latin word rādix which literally means “root”...Read more >>
The radical orthodoxy manifesto is a declaration of loyalty — loyalty to the living Christ, His Restored Church, and the men and women He has commissioned to administer, teach, warn, and guide this community. It is also an argument that this loyalty does not keep us looking only backwards at what has come before. There is plenty of room for exploration and innovation, and for rethinking and reconsidering the customs and traditions we’ve inherited...Read more >>
Speaking in the 1989 General Conference, Elder Oaks referred to alternate voices as: '*those voices that speak of God, of his commandments, and of the doctrines, ordinances, and practices of his church... without calling or authority.*' This might sound like a bad thing, but in his talk, Elder Oaks stated that the Church is not opposed to alternate voices...Read more >>
Our ideas for Radical Orthodoxy were in part inspired by observing the evolving church described in the Book of Mormon. In that ancient record, each generation faced new challenges to their faith for which the solutions of prior generations were inadequate. Each generation of believers had to innovate in order to keep the flame of faith burning brightly and advance the purposes of God...Read more >>
Epistemology is the study of knowledge. In discussions of epistemology, it is common practice to make distinctions between belief, justified belief, and knowledge. Generally unaware of these distinctions, Latter-Day Saints have sometimes employed binary categories of knowing/not knowing in expressions of personal conviction, and doctrine/not doctrine when discussing boundaries of belief...Read more >>