Abstract
The authors, two of them having worked as ministers in the UK and the US, propose a ‘relational Christian realism.’ They introduce the theories of Deleuze, Latour, and Badiou, explaining the individual’s freedom to understand or pursue one’s own faith journey independent of established traditions (p. 23). They emphasize both humans and non-humans as equally important considerations for Christian theology. The world is understood as a chain of ever changing relationships, and truth is understood as ‘circulating references’ (p. 48).
The authors then apply the notion of ‘relational Christian realism’ to theological topics, including God, creation, humanity and redemption. They stress the immediate presence of things and deny transcendent, extramundane realities (p. 72). In this way, a relational Christian realist account of God supports multiple fidelities (p. 100). Concerning creation, they stress that there is no absolutely hegemonic power and non-humans exert influence upon the world in the same way as humans do (p. 107). Concerning humanity, they deny humans’ unique role in the world. The doctrine of human persons as bearers of the ‘image of God’ is problematic because the distinction between humans and other creatures is replaced by a view that sees only constant negotiation between various kinds of actants (pp. 110–111). Sin is not the product of an internal clash but of an external process of negotiation (p. 121). Sin is viewed as being a failed negotiation and such can be committed by animals (pp. 121–2). As their theories recognize an ongoing process of collection in a commonwealth of objects as the ultimate real, there is no expectation for a final beatific end for humans, the earth or the universe (p. 124). The authors then discuss the applications of their theories in the areas of urban community empowerment, education, and the environment before putting forward a new political imagination.
It appears that the authors’ so-called relational Christian realism in many ways fundamentally contradicts Christian orthodoxy. Their discussion is basically focused on the forever interacting relationship between humans and non-humans. But they consider their discussion of the immanent reality as being able to deny the transcendent, which is in a bigger range.