The Radical Resurgence

Perspectives on Ministries in Renewal.  John Howard Yoder.

(Author of The Original Revolution & The Politics of Jesus)

(What follows are excerpts from the above article which appeared in Concern ~17th February 1969, pp. 33-93.   The whole article is excellent. Since it is no longer available, I have tried here to capture some of Yoder’s key points, in order to highlight some foundational concerns. – Jon Zens)

The following text is presented to provide a focus for conversation.  The attempt is not made to carry on a conversation with the major alternative positions.

1.   The Universality of the Religious Specialist.

There are few more reliable constants running through all human society than the special place every human community makes  for the professional religionist. We may consult comparative religion, anthropology, sociology, or psychology…… the report is always the same.  Every society, every religion, even the pluralistic and “secular” civilisation  makes a place for the religionist.  The basic cultural-anthropological parallel is all the more striking in view of a great variety of superficial differences.