To develop a theology of the Body of Christ in the Catholic Church using the concept of the Body without Organs (BwO) as articulated by Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, while integrating Slavoj Žižek’s critique, we must carefully navigate the philosophical, theological, and ecclesial dimensions of BwO. The BwO, borrowed from Antonin Artaud, is a concept that resists fixed organization, hierarchy, and teleological closure, embodying a state of pure potentiality, flux, and becoming. By applying this to the Body of Christ—a central Catholic theological reality referring to the Church as the mystical and communal embodiment of Christ—we can emphasize the dynamic, transformative, and open-ended nature of ecclesial life.
Maybe we can consider an outline how the BwO can illuminate the “dynamic becomings” of the Body of Christ, while incorporating Žižek’s critique, and propose a constructive theology rooted in Catholic tradition.
1. Understanding the Body without Organs
Deleuze and Guattari introduce the BwO in A Thousand Plateaus as a plane of immanence—a field of intensities, flows, and potentialities that resists the stratified, hierarchical organization of the “organism.” The BwO is not a literal body but a conceptual space of experimentation, where fixed identities and structures are destabilized to allow for new connections and transformations. It is a state of becoming, always in process, never fully actualized into a stable form. For Deleuze and Guattari, the BwO opposes the “organized body” (e.g., the organism controlled by social, political, or biological codes) and invites creative experimentation with what a body can do.In your framing, the BwO represents a state of transition that “steadily develops into a body with organs.” This suggests a movement from pure potentiality (BwO) toward structured actualization (a body with organs), but one that retains the openness of becoming. Applied to the Body of Christ, this framework highlights the Church as a dynamic, living reality that is both already constituted (as Christ’s body) and perpetually becoming (through the Spirit’s work in history).
2. Žižek’s Critique of the Body without Organs
Slavoj Žižek, a Lacanian-Hegelian philosopher, critiques Deleuze and Guattari’s BwO in works like Organs without Bodies (2004). Žižek argues that the BwO risks romanticizing a state of pure flux and potentiality, which can devolve into an apolitical, abstract celebration of “becoming” without concrete engagement with material and historical realities. For Žižek, the BwO’s rejection of organization ignores the necessity of structure and mediation (e.g., institutions, ideologies) to effect real change. He contends that Deleuze’s emphasis on immanence and deterritorialization lacks the dialectical tension needed to confront power structures effectively.Žižek also critiques the BwO for its implicit avoidance of the “Real” (in Lacanian terms)—the traumatic, irreducible kernel of reality that resists symbolization. By prioritizing flows and intensities, the BwO sidesteps the negativity and conflict inherent in human existence. In theological terms, Žižek’s critique suggests that a purely “deterritorialized” Body of Christ—one that remains in a state of unstructured becoming—might evade the concrete, historical, and institutional realities of the Church, including its struggles, sins, and need for redemption.However, Žižek’s own theology (influenced by Christianity) offers a corrective: the Body of Christ, as the incarnate and crucified Christ, embraces the Real of suffering, death, and resurrection. The Church, as this Body, is not a disembodied ideal but a material, historical community marked by tension and contradiction. Žižek’s dialectical approach can thus enrich a theology of the Body of Christ by grounding the BwO’s openness in the concrete reality of the Church’s mission and history.3. A Theology of the Body of Christ as a Body without OrgansTo construct a Catholic theology of the Body of Christ using the BwO, we must integrate Deleuze and Guattari’s emphasis on becoming with Catholic ecclesiology, while addressing Žižek’s call for historical and dialectical concreteness. The Body of Christ, as described in 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4, is the Church—a communal, mystical, and sacramental reality united to Christ through the Holy Spirit. It is both a structured organism (with roles, hierarchies, and sacraments) and a dynamic reality that grows and transforms through history.
A theology that frames the Body of Christ as a BwO in becoming, balancing potentiality and structure.
a) The Body of Christ as a Plane of Immanence
The BwO’s rejection of fixed organization resonates with the Catholic understanding of the Church as a living, Spirit-driven reality. The Body of Christ is not a static institution but a dynamic communion animated by the Holy Spirit, who “blows where it wills” (John 3:8). As a BwO, the Body of Christ is a plane of immanence—a field of divine-human encounter where grace, charisms, and vocations flow freely, resisting reduction to rigid hierarchies or legalistic codes.For example, the early Church, as depicted in Acts, operated in a state of radical openness: new communities formed, Gentiles were included, and apostolic practices evolved through the Spirit’s guidance. This mirrors the BwO’s emphasis on experimentation and connection. Even today, the Church’s synodal processes (e.g., the Synod on Synodality initiated by Pope Francis) reflect a BwO-like openness to new voices, cultures, and forms of communion, allowing the Body of Christ to “become” in response to contemporary challenges.
b) Becoming and Incarnation
Framing of the BwO as a state of transition “developing into a body with organs” aligns with the Catholic theology of the Church as both already and not yet. The Body of Christ is already constituted through Christ’s incarnation, death, and resurrection, yet it is perpetually becoming through the eschatological work of the Spirit. This tension mirrors the BwO’s movement between deterritorialization (unstructuring) and reterritorialization (forming new structures).Theologically, the incarnation grounds the BwO in the concrete reality of Christ’s body. Unlike Deleuze’s abstract immanence, Catholic theology insists that the Body of Christ is rooted in the historical, material reality of Jesus’ life and the Church’s sacramental life (e.g., the Eucharist as Christ’s real presence). The BwO, in this context, becomes a way to describe the Church’s capacity to transcend fixed forms while remaining anchored in the incarnate Christ. For instance, the Church’s mission to inculturate the Gospel in diverse cultures reflects a BwO-like process of becoming: it deterritorializes Western ecclesiastical forms to create new expressions of faith (e.g., African or Asian liturgies) while retaining the “organs” of doctrine and sacrament.
c) Addressing Žižek’s Critique: The Real of the Cross
Žižek’s critique reminds us that the Body of Christ cannot remain a purely deterritorialized BwO, floating in abstract potentiality. The Church must confront the Real of human suffering, sin, and historical struggle. Theologically, this is embodied in the Paschal Mystery—Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection, which the Church participates in through the Eucharist and its mission.As a BwO, the Body of Christ embraces the negativity Žižek emphasizes. The Church is not an idealized community but a wounded, sinful body that bears the marks of the cross (cf. John 20:27). Its becoming involves grappling with its failures—e.g., historical complicity in colonialism or modern clerical abuse scandals—while trusting in the Spirit’s transformative power. Žižek’s dialectical approach suggests that the Church’s becoming is not a smooth flow but a conflictual process, marked by ruptures and reconciliations. For example, Vatican II (1962–1965) was a BwO-like event that deterritorialized rigid Tridentine structures, yet it also reterritorialized the Church into new forms of liturgy, ecumenism, and social engagement, all while confronting the Real of modernity.
d) The Eschatological Horizon
The BwO’s open-ended becoming finds its theological telos in the Catholic vision of the eschaton, where the Body of Christ is fully realized in the Kingdom of God. Revelation 21:1–5 depicts a “new heaven and new earth,” where God dwells fully with humanity. The Church, as a BwO, is oriented toward this eschatological becoming, constantly reconfiguring itself to embody God’s reign more fully. Yet, pace Žižek, this eschatological hope does not negate the Church’s historical responsibility but intensifies its engagement with the world’s brokenness.4. Practical Implications for the Catholic ChurchTo live out this theology of the Body of Christ as a BwO, the Catholic Church can adopt practices that foster dynamic becoming while remaining rooted in its incarnational and sacramental identity
Synodality as Experimentation: The Synod on Synodality (2021–2024) exemplifies a BwO-like process, inviting diverse voices to reshape the Church’s structures and mission. By listening to the marginalized (e.g., women, LGBTQ+ Catholics, the poor), the Church can deterritorialize patriarchal or clericalist “organs” and foster new forms of communion.Sacramental Intensity: The Eucharist, as the source and summit of Catholic life (Lumen Gentium 11), is a BwO-like event: it disrupts worldly hierarchies, unites diverse bodies, and opens the Church to Christ’s transformative presence. Liturgical creativity, such as inculturated Masses, can enhance this intensity.Prophetic Engagement: Žižek’s emphasis on the Real calls the Church to confront systemic injustices (e.g., climate change, economic inequality) as part of its becoming. The Body of Christ becomes prophetic by embodying Christ’s solidarity with the suffering, as seen in movements like liberation theology.
Ecumenical and Interfaith Connections:
The BwO’s emphasis on new connections invites the Church to deepen ecumenical and interfaith dialogue, forming a more expansive Body of Christ that transcends denominational boundaries while preserving Catholic identity.
5. Conclusion
By framing the Body of Christ as a Body without Organs, we can articulate a Catholic theology that celebrates the Church’s dynamic becoming while grounding it in the incarnate reality of Christ and the historical struggles of the ecclesial community. Deleuze and Guattari’s concept illuminates the Church’s openness to the Spirit’s creative work, its capacity to transcend rigid structures, and its perpetual movement toward eschatological fulfillment. Žižek’s critique ensures that this becoming remains dialectical, confronting the Real of sin, suffering, and history. The result is a theology of the Body of Christ that is both mystical and material, open-ended yet structured, always becoming yet already anchored in the crucified and risen Christ.This approach invites the Catholic Church to embrace its identity as a living, transformative body—one that experiments with new forms of communion, engages prophetically with the world, and trusts in the Spirit’s power to make “all things new” (Rev 21:5).
