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Our contemporary world is fast becoming religiously diverse in a variety of ways. Thanks to globalization and migration, to mention only two current worldwide trends, people of diverse and sometimes mutually hostile faiths are now sharing neighborhoods and encountering one another's religious traditions on a daily basis. For scholars in religious studies and theology the issue to be examined is whether religious diversity is merely the result of historical development and social interaction, or whether it is inherent in the object of belief--part of the very structure of faith and our attempts to understand and express it. The essays in this volume range from explorations of the impact of religious diversity on religious studies to examples of interfaith encounter and dialogue, and current debates on Christian theology of religion. These essays examine not only the theoretical issues posed by religious pluralism to the study of religion and Christian theology but also concrete cases in which religious pluralism has been a bone of contention. Together, they open up new vistas for further conversation on the nature and development of religious pluralism.
“How is the reign of God revealed through the suffering experience of women and the marginalized?” That is the question Kathleen McManus seeks to answer. She employs the Lukan image of the “bent-over-woman-standing-up-straight” as the paradigm for all who are marginalized because of gender, sexual orientation, or race. Her viewpoint arises from encounters with individuals and communities who suffer exclusion, negation, diminishment, and violence in relation to a patriarchal church in a still-patriarchal world. Engaging Edward Schillebeeckx’s method of negative contrast experience, McManus explores what may be known in the space of encounter between the institutional church and these suffering “others” and draws out latent possibilities for mutual conversion and transformation. She reflects on the meaning of Schillebeeckx’s insight into “the superior power of God’s defenseless vulnerability” in creation and on the cross and asks what it might mean for the church to embody the vulnerable rule of God in its own structures, doctrines, symbols, and rituals.
This short, profound reflection centers on the meaning of faith and the place of God in a time of "dislocation." As Paul Crowley writes: "Dislocated humanity is met by a God who chooses a divine dislocation in the Incarnation, entering simply and intimately into our own human condition and showing the way, through suffering, toward life. Believing in this unmoored God would look like entering into solidarity with unmoored humanity, and journeying with those who suffer, just as God did in Jesus." For all who struggle with belief in God in a time lacking familiar props or sure signposts, Crowley offers answers from his own heartfelt reflection and theological struggle.
Presents points of view on the sensus fidelium from a wide range of theologians and pastors and makes an outstanding contribution by widening its application to ethical and not only doctrinal issues.
Daniel J. Finucane's original work assesses the long history of the understanding and use of the concept of sensus fidelium, and develops criteria from its history and the teachings of Vatican II to critique the postconciliar use of the concept. This a comprehensive work in both its scope of history and its treatment of contemporary theologies of the concept, as well as suggesting a significant role for hermeneutical issues. The variety of views on the sensus fidelium challenges the traditional understanding of the concept. In this study criteria are offered here for reassessing the sensus fidelium in the light of Vatican II's teaching and the concept's history. Major theological perspectives on this topic since Vatican II are surveyed and explicated. Among the theologians and philosophers discussed are Newman, Congar, Rahner, John Coulson, Jean Guitton, Guenter Biemer, Samuel D. Femiano, John C. Ford, Beinert, Schmaus, Granfield, and others.
Catholic colleges and universities play a crucial role in handing on a rich faith tradition to young adults today. As these institutions have become more professional and pluralistic, many are asking how effective they are at carrying out the religious mission which is central to their identity: Are Catholic colleges and universities significantly different from less expensive state institutions or from other private colleges and universities? Are they still committed to the search for truth, which is really the search for God? Thomas Rausch, an eminent educator, is a Catholic priest long interested in Catholic theology as a work of the church, not just of the academy. He insists we must als...
This study provides a compelling account of the major works of Henri de Lubac, one of the most influential theologians of the twentieth century, and argues that soteriology provides a lens through which their inner unity can be discerned. The writings of Henri de Lubac have left an indelible mark on Catholic theology, preparing the ground for, giving shape to, and explaining the seminal event of twentieth-century Catholicism: the Second Vatican Council. Like the Council itself, though, de Lubac remains a contested figure, difficult to classify. Salvation in Henri de Lubac presents an overview of de Lubac’s major works in light of his own statements that a mystical vision animated them all....
Offers a substantial discussion of a central theme in Christian theology - that everything comes from and depends upon God.