Christian theologians assume that systematic theology should make use of the language and methodology of natural science wherever possible to set forth contemporary understanding of Christian doctrine. To this end Joseph Bracken employs the notion of open-ended systems of entities in dynamic interrelation as the basis for an evolutionary understanding of the cosmic process within

Conventional wisdom sometimes holds that selfishness pays off and is even necessary for survival in a competitive world. Joseph Bracken here challenges that view, arguing instead that self-giving love for others is the mainspring of human life and even of the cosmic process as a whole. Basing his argument on texts from Scripture, church tradition,

Bernard Lonergan and René Girard provide succinct statements of the meaning of redemption. The article, having raised the question as to how the statements relate to one another, argues that Lonergan provides a heuristic structure for understanding redemption, while Girard supplies much of the data that the heuristic structure would organize. Complementarities between the two

[While respecting the freedom of expression inherent in Sally McFague’s notion of “metaphorical theology,” the author argues that the choice of a single governing image or set of interrelated images (e.g., the notion of God as a community of divine persons) is much more suitable for expansion into a systematic theology adequately representing the God-world