Richard​ ​Miller's​ ​Secular​ ​Eschatology

Matthew​ ​Miller​ ​ ​ ​Saint​ ​Louis​ ​University

mm@matt-miller.org

Miller​ o
​ n​ ​religious​ ​language:
I​ ​have​ ​unexpectedly​ ​found​ ​myself​ ​relying​ ​on​ ​words​ ​and​ ​phrases​ ​that
immediately​ ​produce​ ​religious​ ​connotations:​ ​the​ ​dark​ ​night​ ​of​ ​the​ ​soul,​ ​the
generation​ ​of​ ​hope,​ ​the​ ​power​ ​of​ ​forgiveness.​ ​While​ ​I​ ​did​ ​not​ ​set​ ​out​ ​to
consider​ ​religious​ ​matters,​ ​the​ ​language​ ​I've​ ​fallen​ ​into​ ​using​ ​has​ ​inevitably
led​ ​me​ ​to​ ​a​ ​set​ ​of​ ​concerns​ ​that​ ​tends​ ​to​ ​be​ ​avoided​ ​by​ ​those​ ​who​ ​share​ ​my
secular​ ​sensibilities.​ ​Under​ ​normal​ ​circumstances,​ ​I​ ​might​ ​find​ ​other,​ ​less
volatile​ ​terms.​ ​But​ ​these​ ​aren't​ ​normal​ ​circumstances.​ ​.​ ​.​ ​.​ ​The​ ​world​ ​as​ ​we
have​ ​known​ ​it​ ​is​ ​passing​ ​away​ ​and​ ​the​ ​world​ ​that​ ​is​ ​emerging​ ​is​ ​one​ ​that
appears​ ​to​ ​be​ ​fraught​ ​with​ ​danger.​ ​(25-26).

Miller​ o
​ n​ ​the​ ​telos​ ​of​ ​education:
This​ ​is​ ​what​ ​I​ ​believe​ ​the​ ​function​ ​of​ ​a​ ​secular​ ​public​ ​education​ ​should​ ​be:
to​ ​provide​ ​training​ ​in​ ​the​ ​arts​ ​of​ ​solving​ ​the​ ​problems​ ​of​ ​this​ ​world,​ ​training
that​ ​recognizes​ ​that​ ​people,​ ​who​ ​never​ ​leave​ ​behind​ ​their​ ​embodied
histories​ ​and​ ​their​ ​cherished​ ​beliefs,​ ​can't​ ​be​ ​revised​ ​the​ ​way​ ​papers​ ​can.
(197).

James​ ​K.​ ​A.​ S

​ mith​ ​on​ ​the​ ​intentionality​ ​of​ ​human​ ​beings:
"[W]e​ a ​ re​ ​essentially​ ​and​ ​ultimately​ ​desiring​ ​animals"​ ​(50-51).

Marilynne​ ​Robinson​ ​on​ ​religious​ ​language:

"[L]acking​ ​the​ ​terms​ ​of​ ​religion,​ ​essential​ ​things​ ​cannot​ ​be​ ​said."