The Importance of Argumentation

Daniel Mitsui has a post worth reading "In Praise of Argument." What he has in mind is not heated, passion-filled, angry verbal jousting: perhaps a better title would be, "In Praise of a Robust Witness of the Apostolic Tradition." In that sense, it applies to Orthodox -- particularly Western Rite Orthodox -- as well.

My conclusion was that the arguments that raged in the past have not been settled, nor made unimportant - in fact they were a necessary part of the creative impulse that produced such cultural treasure...

But we will not build a civilization by refusing to resume the postponed arguments of Catholic tradition. If we refuse to think critically about tradition, traditionalism will be merely an expression of prettiness, sentimentality, and anachronism; a pious soup with too many cooks. We need instead a robust and brainy traditionalism, argumentative and stubborn, able to impel the sort of world-changing creativity to build a Catholic civilization amid Modern perversity.

In other words, we must do our part to enculturate the paradosis of faith, worship, and holy living demanded of the Gospels and the Church. Let the witness begin.

(Hat tip: LeoXIII at York Forum.)