Rebalancing the Poles in Mark C. Taylor’s (A)Theology

Abstract

Mark C. Taylor’s After God offers resources for constructive theology, or (a)theology, as it develops an ontology of complexity. Taylor posits two poles pertaining to self-organizing wholes: (1) that of the formation of structures and (2) that of destabilizing or disrupting structures. While Taylor prioritizes the destabilizing pole, this article argues that this preference is misguided and offers a corrective intended to yield a more viable theology of complexity. It makes its case in terms of both theology/metaphysics and natural science. It concludes that when it comes to God or the divine, an equal valorization of the structuring and destabilizing poles commends itself, while in the case of finite creation, our experience of reality supports a priority to the structuring pole. Attendant to this second conclusion, Taylor’s position results in too close an entailment of the human with the divine. Finally, this article argues that Taylor’s emphasis on the destructuring pole discourages the most effective means to confront our contemporary situation “far from equilibrium,” a situation so well depicted by Taylor, namely, through reforming Christianity and other world religious traditions.