The Ways Of Judgment: The Bampton Lectures, 2003

by Oliver O'Donovan

In this probing book Oliver ODonovan extends the exploration into the correspondence between theology and politics that he began in The Desire of the Nations. While that earlier work took as its starting point the biblical proclamation of Gods authority, The Ways of Judgment approaches political theology from the political side. Responsive to developments such as the uncertain role of the United Nations after the Cold War and the expansion of the European Union, ODonovan also draws on the extensive tradition of Christian political thought and a range of contemporary theologians. Rather than supposing, as does some political theology, that the right political orientations are well understood and that theological beliefs should be renegotiated to fit them, ODonovan considers contemporary social and political realities to be impenetrably obscure and elusive. Finding the gospel proclamation luminous by contrast, ODonovan sheds light from the Christian faith upon the intricate challenge of seeking the good in late-modern Western society. Pursuing his analysis in three movements, ODonovan first considers the paradigmatic political act, the act of judgment, and then takes up the question of forming political institutions through representation. Finally, he tackles the opposition between political institutions and the church, provocatively investigating how Christians can be the community instructed by Jesus to judge not.

Genres: Theology, Politics, Christian, Religion, Law

330 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Oliver O'Donovan FBA FRSE (born 1945) is a scholar known for his work in the field of Christian ethics. He has also made contributions to political theology, both contemporary and historical.

Reviews

[Sam Strickland · Rating 5 out of 5]

If we do in fact suffer from a poverty of concepts, or a poverty of nuance in our concepts, then O’Donovan is one of the benefactors who may relieve that impoverishment. He skillfully articulates how judgment is the primary activity given to earthly rulers after Christ’s resurrection. In turn he shows how evaluating earthly politics through this lens helps us avoid various errors when thinking about or centralizing other political ideas.

I once heard that reading O’Donovan is like watching a man balancing rocks on one another, except O’Donovan does that with concepts. That has certainly been confirmed in my reading of this book.

[John Shelton]

This book turned my brain into soup. Not cool, Olly O’D.

[Jacob Aitken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overview:

Oliver O'Donovan (hereafter OO) argues that the authority of government resides in the act of judgment (3-4). The thrones of the world are subordinated to the task of witnessing to the New Jerusalem. This is commonly, if sometimes misleadingly, called "Christendom." Judgment is an act of moral discrimination that establishes a new public context. Furthermore, judgment must be public in character. Private individuals (e.g., vigilantes) can never speak for the whole. Given the above definition of judgment, we can define punishment as "judgment enacted on the person, property, or liberty of the condemned party" (107).

OO's discussions of judgment and punishment, always in a communal context, necessarily lead to discussions of international judgment. OO ultimately challenges our idols of democracy and the "liberal rights" tradition. We eventually see that all political orders are failing (and fading) and in their dimming light we see the rise of a more lasting--eternal--order of international judgment: the kingdom of God.

Conclusion:
Pros: As always, OO is judicious and balanced, writing from the mountaintops and not troubled with petty disputes. His use of Scripture, while sparse at times, is always timely and refreshing.

Cons: Much of this book will not make sense unless the reader is familiar with OO's other two works, *Desire of the Nations* and *Resurrection and Moral Order,* both of them demanding (but rewarding!) reads. OO can be dense and the reader is tempted to shout, "Just get to the point!" Perhaps. Either way, it does make for slow reading. I had to read this book twice.

[Walker Trimble · Rating 4 out of 5]

A deepening account of O'Donovan's theology of politics. Not as wide-ranging as Desire of the Nations, but still plagued by prevaricating language. I find that I quote the former more than this book. It seems O'Donovan is a thinker you start with and move forward from rather than find answers to abiding questions of modernity, politics, and talk about God.

[Nick Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit like watching the Red Arrows or handling a netsuke. You can't help but be enormously impressed with the precision, the skill, the ability, the talent - and then wonder to what end? So very far from any recognisable lived reality.

[Matthew Loftus · Rating 5 out of 5]

A concise, careful exploration of what a Christian politics can and should look like. My only misgiving is that it was not more systematic!

[Noelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Order, order, order, order...make it stop.