Paleo-orthodoxy (from Ancient Greek παλαιός "ancient" and Koine Greek ὀρθοδοξία "correct belief") is a Protestantism Christian theological movement in the United States which emerged in the late 20th and early 21st centuries and which focuses on the consensual understanding of the faith among the ecumenical councils and Church Fathers.["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)]
Background
Paleo-orthodoxy attempts to see the essentials of Christian theology in the consensus of the
Great Church before the schism between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the
Catholic Church (the
East-West Schism of 1054) and before the separation of
Protestantism from the Roman Catholic Church (the Protestant Reformation of 1517), described in the canon of Vincent of Lérins as "Quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab omnibus" ("What is everywhere, always and by everyone"). Adherents of paleo-orthodoxy often form part of the Convergence Movement,
However, paleo-orthodoxy is not exclusive to the movement. Paleo-orthodox Protestants have different interpretations of the early Church's teachings.
Paleo-orthodox theologians
The dominant figure of the movement,
United Methodist theologian Thomas C. Oden of
Drew University,
published a series of books not only calling for a return to "classical Christianity" but also providing the tools to do so. The 2002 collection of essays in honor of Oden,
Ancient and Postmodern Christianity: Paleo-Orthodoxy in the 21st Century (Kenneth Tanner, Christopher Alan Hall, eds., ) offers a glimpse into the work of some of the theologians active in this area:
Robert Jenson, Christopher Hall, Amy Oden, Bradley Nassif, David Mills, Robert Webber, Geoffrey Wainwright,
Carl Braaten,
Stanley Grenz, John Franke, Alan Padget, Wolfhart Pannenberg, Richard John Neuhaus, et al. Similar approaches emerge in the theology of
Marva Dawn (a
Lutheran);
Alister McGrath (a Church of England
Calvinist evangelical);
Andrew Purves (a
Presbyterian);
Timothy George (Baptist); and Christopher Hall (an Episcopalian). Other notable theologians in the movement have included J. Davila-Ashcraft (Evangelical Episcopal Communion) and Emilio Alvarez (founding archbishop of the Union of Charismatic Orthodox Churches).
See also
Further reading
Among Oden's works, either as writer or editor, in support of paleo-orthodoxy are:
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Thomas Oden: Agenda for Theology, later re-published as After Modernity...What?,
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Thomas Oden, General editor: Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture that Oden describes as a multi-volume patristic commentary on Scripture by the fathers of the church spanning the era from Clement of Rome (fl. c. 95) to John of Damascus (c.645-c.749). – Detailed information about the set can be found at the publisher.
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Thomas Oden: John Wesley's Scriptural Christianity: A Plain Exposition of His Teaching on Christian Doctrine,
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Thomas Oden: Pastoral Theology: Essentials of Ministry,
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Thomas Oden: The Rebirth of Orthodoxy: Signs of New Life in Christianity,
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Thomas Oden: Requiem: A Lament in Three Movements,
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Thomas Oden: Systematic Theology (three volumes... The Living God, The Word of Life and Life in the Spirit, republished in one volume as Classic Christianity)
Works by other authors:
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Christopher Hall and Kenneth Tanner (eds.): Ancient & Postmodern Christianity: Paleo-Orthodoxy in the 21st Century (Essays In Honor of Thomas C. Oden), .
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Christopher A. Hall: Reading Scripture with the Church Fathers
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Colleen Carroll: The New Faithful: Why Young Adults Are Embracing Christian Orthodoxy ()
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Richard Foster Streams of Living Water: Celebrating the Great Traditions of Christian Faith )
External links
