The Loss of Meaning…

…and its relationship to the loss of liberty.

An interesting conversation between Paul VanderKlay and Christopher Mastropietro.  I have referred to VanderKlay often enough; Mastropietro was a student of John Vervaeke and currently co-authors and otherwise collaborates with Vervaeke on various projects.

Two comments by Mastropietro worth touching on:

Concerns that are political concerns are always downstream from religious concerns.

For any political theory, political action, political policy, or political framework to make any sense these must follow from concerns that flow from a religious fountain.  Politics separate from religion – or the so-called separation of church and state – inherently must build a new religion from which the politics will flow.

Egalitarianism, progressivism, socialism, communism, modern liberalism, even – dare I say – libertarianism: all are replacement religions from which political theory should flow.  Call these politics of immaculate conception, as these are politics without a father.  Instead of separating politics from religion, the politics become the religion.

His second comment:

There is nothing obvious to replace the archetypal image of Christ to the West; there’s no obvious substitution.  Every substitution that we grasp at is a pale image in a different set of vestments.

Mastropietro offers this as one who would not characterize himself as a Christian or believer in God in any sense generally understood.  He is not calling for a new Christian revival, as he does not believe such a thing possible.

Yet we have lived through the substitutes of Christianity – well, some of us have.  We have found no meaning in this; hundreds of millions have found death, many find no meaning in more stuff, some of us understand we have no liberty.

Conclusion

I am not writing of a Christian revival either – it is not the purpose of this blog.  However, there is no chance for a political move toward liberty without the embracing as archetypal the image of Christ.