Citation

Ludes P. Sociol. Relig. 1977; 38(4): 402-408.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1977, Association for the Sociology of Religion)

DOI

10.2307/3710123

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This commentary on Kurt H. Wolff's essay, "Toward Understanding the Radicalness of Surrender," deals with one aspect, the social aspect, of one dimension -- the radicalness -- of surrender-and-catch. Not doubting its methodological radicalness, questions concerning five conditions of social radicalness are raised: whether it contributes (1) to self-enlightenment and self-change and (2) to enlightenment or education; whether surrenderers (3) are organizable; (4) may have an impact on the scale, distribution, and use of power; and (5) can ascertain and initiate desirable, logically consistent, and realizable alternatives to prevailing social actions, processes, or structures. The conclusion is that conditions (1) and (2) are fulfilled, but that conditions (3) to (5), which point beyond the area of surrender-and-catch and enter the problem area of its consequences, require further exercises in surrender and studies on their basis.