Summary
of Capon's Dogmatics
In The Third Peacock Robert Capon wrestles with the paradox of a good God, who is in control of all creation, yet creation is still messed up in so many ways. This paradox of perfect good mingling with evil has been wrestled with in so many different cultures and religions throughout the ages.
Capon addresses in his very first chapter that God is not off the hook for evil. He made the creation and thus he must claim responsibility for its imperfections. If taken further, sin is only possible because God puts up with it. Creation needs and takes beauty in freedom, yet this God given freedom creates all sorts of problems or evils.
Human beings take several routes of action to try and correct this visible and destructive evil. Economies, governments, societies, infrastructures, cites; all of these are human attempts to bring order to a chaotic world. And yet, in all of these attempts, evil is often disguised in righteousness. "Most, if not all, of the mischief in the world is done in the name of righteousness (Capon, 194)." Sin is rarely ugly; sin is tempting and gorgeous in outward appearances and even initial results.
Capon addresses how God deals with this evil in the remaining chapters four through eight. God shows His creation righteousness like a fine woman would attract a man. The woman does not really act; the man simply is drawn to her. This act of God takes the form of Jesus Christ. "Into the Christian scheme of things, the ultimate act by which God runs and rescues creation is the Incarnation (Capon, 220)." Human beings are always searching for some mechanical fix for the mess around us and God's simple answer is not a mechanical fix but a relational fix. He solves the problem of evil by loving creation and restoring a relationship that was broken. The church's task from Christ's death until the end of time is to preach to the world what God has done. Not prove to the world what God does; more show and proclaim what God does.
Capon's
Theology and 911
After the attacks on September 11th America took a stand and went to war. The nation rallied around a common goal and cause. American flags flew off store shelves and prayers rang out of church buildings. The evil America saw on that day opened eyes to what injustice and absolute hate this world can often bring. As a counter measure to the chaos of evil, the American government declared war in Iraq. This action towards war would ideally pinpoint the culprits of terrorism and eliminate them from harming more people.
Chapter 3 in The Third Peacock is titled "The Heart of the Problem." Capon addresses the core problem of evil. Evil is allowed to run rampant because it is desirable and it is attractive. It appears to be very good for those performing the action, and even beneficial for whom the action is being done towards. But this false pride in human systems brings about the heart of the problem when it comes to evil. Capon writes:
Most, if not all, of the mischief in the world is done in the name of righteousness. The human race adheres devoutly to the belief that one more application of power will bring in the kingdom. One more invasion, one more war, one more escalation, one more jealous fit, one more towering rage-in short, one more twist of whatever arm you have got hold of-will make goodness triumph and peace reign (Capon, 194).
The Iraq War was, and arguably still is, America's attempt to rid the world of evil with its own power and might. Capon claims that evil flourishes in thinking such as this and the Iraq War may apply very well. The most powerful country in the world has not been able to stifle a terrorist organization that has much less resources and even less people to soldier their armies. Yet there is hope that America will bring justice to the world with an M-16 and a few smart bombs.
Capon's argument regarding evil claims the only cure for evil is the restored, loving and passionate relationship between God and His people. He goes further to finish the book saying the church's privilege is to be a physical sacrament of Christ to the world. There will always be one more fight to win, one more war to finish and one more invasion to quell. After the dust settles the world is left right where it started and that is the problem with evil. It leaves the situation the same or worse than before. Many Americans are getting frustrated over the war because there is no apparent good that is coming out, even after 5 years. Could it be Capon is highlighting that very frustration in his book? One more war never seems to solve the injustice in the world and people see that. Capon's argument for evil shows that people do what they think is best for the world and in the process cause more problems. When churches pray for the war and for soldier's safety they pray for American soldiers. That is perfectly good, but what about the Iraqi soldiers, or even the Al-Qaeda soldiers. They have families, loved ones, friends, and most importantly just as much claim to God as we do. When the quest for peace and justice becomes one-sided that is when evil works its best. However, Capon does not finish with what evil is and is not. He finishes proclaiming Christ, who sets the world right and the church who has been given the opportunity to partake in that relationship. The people of Christ are a sacrament to all creation and that will bring peace, not one more war. "The church is like the rest of the sacraments, an effective sign-a notable outcropping-of what people are by the Word's work of creation and Incarnation...The only difference is that in church the Mystery wears a hat on its head (Capon, 229)." The church shows the world the invisible man. Military power cannot show Christ, and according to Capon, if you are not showing Christ then you are not showing peace. That is why Capon's arguments for evil and perfection relate well to the war in Iraq.
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