Ideology—the New Blackfriars Debate 1973 — 1984. A case study in Christian left thought

Extract

During the 1970s, there appeared in New Blackfriars a series of articles on the theme of the relationship between Christianity and Marxism. The inspiration for this debate lay partly with those who had been involved with the journal Slant, which was published by Sheed and Ward between 1964 and 1970, and notably Terry Eagleton and Brian Wicker.

Although not covering very many pages put together, the New Blackfriars debate covered an enormous range of issues. However, from Denys Turner’s first article (1973) onwards, the concept of ideology was among the most prominent. This concept also played a major part in the more systematic argument developed by Turner in his subsequent book, Marxism and Christianity (1983b). My aim in this article is critically to defend Turner’s account as one which is still useful and relevant.

I will avoid discussing the question as to whether the use made of this central concept by Turner was really Marxist or not. Turner deliberately eschewed the question of labelling in his contributions to the debate, and Herbert McCabe, the editor of New Blackfriars, decided not to publish an article whose main aim was to show that Turner was not a real Marxist. In so far as the question is of relevance to him, Turner views Marxism as a tradition to be lived out in the form of a revolutionary praxis. Hence, therefore, an intellectual synthesis of Christianity and Marxism, even if it could be achieved, would be inadequate; what matters is that there should be a form of life which enables one to live out both traditions.