A journal of academic theology

Research Article

The Whole Rahner on the Supernatural Existential

[The author notes that serious discrepancies apparently exist between Rahner’s initial and later formulations of his theology regarding the supernatural existential. Such a conclusion, if correct, would present a problem because Rahner’s first formulation has commonly been deemed to be a corrective to a serious weakness in de Lubac’s theology which underpinned the nouvelle théologie

The Mystery of Divine Providence

[Catastrophic events, both personal and collective, raise the question of divine Providence. How can an infinitely good Creator allow the kind of evil that puts the divine goodness in doubt? The question has been faced since patristic times. Theories of predestination have been proposed. Spirituals have adored God in the mystery of divine Providence. There

Christian Doctrines Ethical Issues and Human Genetics

[The basis of Christian ethics is a balance of the doctrines of creation, sin, redemption, and fulfillment which are at the heart of all human situations. Applying these four doctrines to human genetics leads to: recognizing a creative human role that respects the inner constitution of the human creature; being alert to the human capacity

Rethinking Morality’s Relationship to Salvation: Josef Fuchs S.J. on Moral Goodness

[The author explains Fuchs’s two distinct notions of moral goodness and their relationship to salvation. By linking moral goodness with the performance of right actions, the early Fuchs unwittingly made it more difficult for some people to become morally good, and thus to accept God’s gift of salvation. The later Fuchs overcame many of these

Augustine’s De Trinitate and Lonergan’s Realms of Meaning

[After reviewing various proposals concerning the structure of Augustine’s De Trinitate, the author presents a structural analysis of that work using the notion of “realms of meaning” found in Bernard Lonergan’s Method in Theology. It suggests that Augustine’s treatise comprises four distinct sections which present an account of the Trinity from the perspective of a

Guadalupe at Calvary: Patristic Theology in Miguel S√°nchez’s Imagen de la Virgen Mar√≠a (1648)

[Readers of Miguel Sanchez’s Imagen de la Virgen María, which contained the first published account of Our Lady of Guadalupe’s acclaimed apparitions to the indigenous neophyte Juan Diego, rarely recognize that he was trained in the theology of the Church Fathers, particularly in the writings of St. Augustine. Here the author illuminates the influence of

The Convergence of Forgiveness and Justice: Lessons from El Salvador

[Forgiveness and justice need not be understood as diametrically opposite moral responses to human evil. The murder of the Jesuits in El Salvador indicates ways in which truth-telling contributes to justice, and both of these to forgiveness and reconciliation. If the Church is to play a leadership role in reconciliation, it must encourage truth-telling and

Reception of Vatican II in the United States

[The Second Vatican Council has been received in stages in the United States. Pope John XXIII’s opening address and the council’s awareness of the interplay between doctrine and life, between faith and history, shaped the first generation of Church leaders and enabled them to develop a distinctive pastoral vision. Within a contested field of changing

Multiple Religious Belonging: Opportunities and Challenges for Theology and Church

[The author first examines the growing phenomenon of multiple religious belonging by outlining the theology of religions known as “inclusive pluralism” which serves as its theological underpinning. Next he offers a composite sketch of multiple religious belonging on the basis of concrete experiences of well-known Christian practitioners of multiple religious belonging. He concludes by offering

Hippolytus and the Apostolic Tradition: Recent Research and Commentary

[One of the most important sources for reconstructing early Christian liturgy has been the Apostolic Tradition attributed to Hippolytus, a Roman presbyter, anti-pope, and martyr of the early third century. In this study the author reviews recent scholarly investigation and commentary on this significant document and concludes that it cannot be securely attributed to a

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