At the close of Chapter One, Smith envisions the “working out” of Radical Orthodoxy in practice; to “sketch the elements of a post-secular worldview that should shape the understanding and practices of the church”.

The summary and sneak peek into the topic of chapter Two:

This requires both a critique of the persistent modernity and secularity of our culture as well as a frormulation of HOW TO NAVIGATE AN ALTERNATIVE being-in-the-world that refuses modern idolatries.

Sounds good to me.

Are these idolatries ideas or values, expressed in lifestyle? I will be interested to see how “being -in-the-world that refuses modern idolatries” will be layed out in terms of the church as the locus and the source of this (and still wondering and bothered by why Smith felt it neccessasry to question Wallis language first before his faith history of “being-in-the-world”; this seems to indicate that he would know better, or else choose not to say this at all. But I also can concede that I often “rant” and “wonder” and “judge” out loud, on my blog as well. Like I just did, in my choice to continue to bring this criticism of Wallis to the front of my reading of JKA Smith. It really has touched a nerve. It surprises me how much so. But I read on, still captivated.