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Beyond Rationalism and Romanticism: A Critique of Narrative Theology
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16591 |
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Section : |
MODERN THOUGHT
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| Issue
Date : |
11 / 1989 |
7,127 Words |
| Author
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Anthony M. Matteo
Anthony M. Matteo teaches philosophy at Elizabethtown College
and has been published in The Thomist, Horizons, and
Franciscan Studies, predominantly on medieval nominalism. |
Permit me to begin with a personal reminiscene about the ambiguous effects of some particularly potent Christian narratives. As a child I recall Jews being referred to venomously as "Christ Killers" (ammazzatori di Cristo). The Italian peasant immigrants among whom I was raised sometimes employed this hideous epithet because it was part of the Christian "story" they had inherited. Although many of these folk were illiterate and could not actually read the New Testament, the passion narratives had been recounted to them year after year--especially during Holy Week, the description of Christ's trial and death in John 19 had strengthened whatever negative feeling they might have had about Jews. The anti-Jewish motif that is present in the Passion narratives helped shape their attitude toward Jews, as it did for countless other Christians in Western history.
From a strictly literary point of view one might argue that the portrayal of Jews as wanton and willful rejecters of God's messiah adds "spice" to the story. A narrative that depicts a simple dramatic conflict between a hero, who indubitably embodies good, and his recalcitrant enemies, who virtually personify evil, is generally far more engaging than a complex and tentative tale, even if the latter more faithfully represents the ambiguity of the actual historical situation.
Although these narratives helped intensify anti-Semitism in the West, they also served (and continue to serve) other ends as well, not the least of which is to encourage a loving and grateful response to the God who first loved us. The question is: Can we, unlike our ancestors, possibly separate the wheat from the chaff when dealing with material so central to the Christian tradition? It would appear that this is possible only if we are willing to appropriate the passion narratives in "critical" fashion. Like other powerful narratives, they create a perspective from which to view and interpret events. They produce meaning for our lives by helping to shape the contours of our experience.
But one of the hallmarks of critical rationality is the willingness to resist the admittedly powerful urge to grant unquestioned approbation to these or any other narratives, despite the meaning they may offer to our lives. If we have garnered one lesson from the past, it should be that the "will to meaning" must not be permitted to shackle the "desire to know." History instructs us well on the persistent human tendency to be seduced by "meaningful" illusions that lead to devastating consequences.
Enlightenment
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