tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4251777016037497783.post6693043021659559299..comments2023-12-14T20:02:51.470-06:00Comments on The Heavy Anglophile Orthodox: Harmonising Confucianism (out of existence?), and possible reference points from the fate of apostolic ChristianityMatthew Franklin Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233216128641267240noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4251777016037497783.post-16153264592981947472013-06-05T20:22:01.349-05:002013-06-05T20:22:01.349-05:00Amen! Many thanks, John.
In fairness to Dr Crane...Amen! Many thanks, John.<br /><br />In fairness to Dr Crane, I doubt he would describe his position as 'defeatist' - he would likely say he is merely being pragmatic. But this pragmatism seems predicated on the idea that the American system of economic, social and political organisation is immutable and ideal and the one to which point the apostolic Christians and Confucians is not. I feel myself somewhat honour-bound to point out that this is mistaken, not as a Confucian but as an apostolic Christian with strong sympathies toward <i>Gongyang</i>-style social Confucianism.<br /><br />As for the last, yes, I think we (David Lindsay very much included here; in fact, he was the one who convinced me of this) need to start articulating a muscular Christian alternative to modernity. The true danger of political Islam lies not in its militancy or its fecundity, as all too many idiotic 'anti-jihadists' tend to claim, but in its appeal to an objective moral reality which places virtue and discipline above and over-against all manifestations of 'do-what-thou-wilt' egoism and cost-benefit utilitarianism. <br /><br />And this itself is not truly a danger if Christianity can recover its theopolitical critiques of the civilisation it birthed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4251777016037497783.post-84294528638478263312013-06-02T22:23:28.309-05:002013-06-02T22:23:28.309-05:00Magnificent post. Christianity and Confucianism a...Magnificent post. Christianity and Confucianism are actually in pretty good positions to critique liberalism because they are not economistic ideologies like Marxism. When the command economies faced growth slowdowns in the 1970s and onward, they started to lose their practical claim for support among the populace−the promise of robust, relatively egalitarian growth and improving living standards. <br /><br />The Italian Social Catholic Amintore Fanfani once pointed out that Christian morality may demand policies that might hurt economic growth (for example, actually obligating workers and employers to observe numerous religious holidays, which could theoretically hurt productivity,) but these policies should be supported anyway, because some things take precedence over purely economic concerns. <br /><br />I am not sure why Dr. Crane would have such a defeatist attitude, although it is understandable to feel that things are hopeless sometimes. Many people are unhappy with the prevailing ideology but the mainstream media does not really give voice to alternative viewpoints. <br /><br />We need Christians, Confucians, and other people of good will to provide a critique of liberalism, or we will simply be ceding the stage to nasty elements. I find it distressing that Islamism and extreme right-wing nationalism (I am not sure if it is time to use the “F” word just yet) are probably the strongest anti-liberal forces in the world right now. <br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com