When we exchanged traditional hierarchical metaphysics for a purely constructivist account of authority, we lost the inbuilt limits of God-given ontology. What remains are authority structures that rely solely on pragmatic outcomes for justification, leaving power as the only method left for securing those outcomes. But as Dr. Hans Boersma reminds us, authority that is merely functional—that exists simply to get things done—easily lapses into oppression. I explain more about this in the video below: