In the philosophical framework of Alain Badiou, an Event is a rupture in the fabric of being, an infinite set that transcends the ordinary situational order and introduces a new truth. Badiou’s concept of the Event, when applied to theology, offers a profound lens for understanding the Jesus Event—the life, death, and resurrection of Christ—as an infinite set.
Within this infinite set, all theologies and Christologies emerge as subsets, finite articulations of an inexhaustible truth. This framework illuminates the Catholic call to synodality, a process of communal discernment rooted in kenotic humility, where diverse theologies engage in dialogue to discern orthodoxy and orthopraxis.
This study explores how synodality, informed by Badiou’s Evental philosophy, fosters a dynamic interplay of theologies, encouraging Catholics to walk together with humility and openness to the infinite truth of the Jesus Event.
The Jesus Event as an Infinite Set
For Badiou, an Event is not merely a historical occurrence but a transformative moment that reconfigures the possibilities of existence. The Jesus Event, as the incarnation of the divine Word, is the ultimate Event, an infinite set that cannot be fully captured by any single theology or Christology.
Theologies—whether Thomistic, liberationist, feminist, or contextual—are subsets, finite human attempts to articulate the mystery of Christ. These subsets are not exhaustive; they are partial, situated, and conditioned by historical, cultural, and social contexts.
Yet, as subsets of the infinite Jesus Event, they bear traces or seeds of divine truth, each contributing to the unfolding of the Event’s universal significance.This perspective challenges any tendency toward theological triumphalism, where one subset claims supremacy over others. Instead, it invites Catholics to recognize the multiplicity of theologies as expressions of the same infinite truth.
The Jesus Event, as an infinite set, resists closure, calling the Church to remain open to new articulations of faith that emerge through dialogue and discernment.
Synodality as a Practice of Kenotic Humility
Synodality, as emphasized by Pope Francis, is the Church’s call to “walk together” in communion, participation, and mission. It is a process of listening, dialogue, and discernment that mirrors the kenotic humility of Christ, who “emptied himself” (Philippians 2:7) to enter human history.
In the context of Badiou’s philosophy, synodality becomes the practice of engaging with the subsets of the Jesus Event—the diverse theologies and Christologies—without seeking to dominate or reduce them to a single narrative.
Kenotic humility is central to this process. It requires Catholics to approach theological diversity with openness, recognizing that no single theology exhausts the truth of the Jesus Event. This humility does not imply relativism; rather, it acknowledges that truth is infinite and dynamic, unfolding through the Spirit’s guidance in the life of the Church.
Synodality, therefore, is not a mere administrative exercise but a spiritual practice of becoming “subjects of truth,” as Badiou would say, faithful to the Event while remaining open to its infinite possibilities.
Dialogue Among Subsets: The Synodal Process
In Badiou’s framework, subsets belong to the same infinite set, enabling dialogue and mutual enrichment. Similarly, in synodality, theologies engage in a dialogical encounter, each contributing insights to the Church’s understanding of orthodoxy (right belief) and orthopraxis (right practice). For example, liberation theology’s emphasis on the preferential option for the poor dialogues with Thomistic theology’s focus on metaphysical order, enriching the Church’s mission to embody Christ’s love in diverse contexts.
This dialogue is not without tension. Subsets, being finite, can become rigid, claiming exclusive fidelity to the Event. Synodality counters this by fostering a communal discernment process, guided by the Holy Spirit, to distinguish authentic expressions of the Jesus Event from distortions.
The synodal process involves listening to the voices of the marginalized, engaging with contextual theologies, and testing theological claims against Scripture, Tradition, and the lived experience of the faithful. Through this discernment, the Church seeks to align its beliefs and practices with the infinite truth of the Jesus Event.
Becoming Subjects of Truth
For Badiou, fidelity to an Event involves becoming a “subject of truth,” one who lives out the implications of the Event in concrete practices. In the Catholic context, synodality calls believers to become subjects of the truth of the Jesus Event, not by clinging to a single theological subset but by walking together in humility and discernment.
This fidelity manifests in orthopraxis—living out the Gospel in ways that reflect the infinite love and justice of Christ.Kenotic humility enables Catholics to embrace this call. By emptying themselves of theological pride, they create space for the Holy Spirit to work through diverse theologies, revealing new dimensions of the Jesus Event.
This humility also fosters solidarity with people of other faiths and worldviews, recognizing that the infinite truth of the Event resonates beyond the boundaries of the Church.
Synodality and the Catholic Mission
As the Church navigates the complexities of the modern world, synodality becomes a vital expression of its mission to proclaim the Gospel. By engaging with the multiplicity of theologies as subsets of the Jesus Event, the Church embodies the universality or rather pluriversality of Christ’s message.
Synodality ensures that the Church remains a living, dynamic community, open to the Spirit’s guidance and responsive to the signs of the times.
This mission requires ongoing discernment to maintain orthodoxy and orthopraxis. Orthodoxy is not a static set of propositions but a faithful articulation of the Jesus Event, tested and refined through synodal dialogue. Orthopraxis, likewise, is the lived expression of this truth, shaped by the diverse contexts in which the Church is present.
Together, they form the Church’s response to the infinite set of the Jesus Event, a response that is always provisional, always open to renewal.
The lens of Alain Badiou’s Evental philosophy offers a compelling framework for understanding synodality as a practice of kenotic humility in the face of the infinite Jesus Event. Theologies and Christologies, as subsets of this infinite set, are not competing claims but complementary articulations of divine truth.
Through synodality, Catholics are called to walk together, engaging in dialogue and discernment to become subjects of the truth of the Jesus Event. This process, rooted in humility and openness, enables the Church to discern orthodoxy and orthopraxis, ensuring that its mission remains faithful to the infinite love of Christ.
In a world marked by division and polarization, synodality stands as a prophetic witness to the unity and universality or pluriversality of the Gospel, inviting all to encounter the transformative power of the Jesus Event.
