Introductory notes for readers of this thesis - Theses - Flinders ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

ationalism and is in fact at the centre of human being. In a section from Happinessthrough prayer, Rahner actually picks up a concept from the human sciences to explainwhat theology can facilitate when humans are willing to engage on the journey into thiscentre. Having waxed eloquent about the potentiality for the unifying and liberatingpossibility of the ‘upward/downward’ glance of the soul in prayer (discussed in the earliercommentary on the ‘supernatural existential’), Rahner addresses an anticipated audienceof ‘enlightened’ critics.To many, all this may seem the poetic weavings of mere wishful thinking, sincewe are not really aware (consciously) that we have such a treasure within us. Thisobjection, however, is based on an outmoded idea; for the surface mind, thinkingonly in terms of materialistic being—that is to say, admitting the existence ofconsciousness alone—is an anachronism surviving from the ‘enlightenment’ ofthe eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Today, we know that the mind of…(aperson) is not consciousness alone, and that below the level of consciousness areinfinite possibilities, unfathomed depths, unmeasured horizons 141 .Rahner observes that modern psychiatry has penetrated the depths of this unconsciousworld of the human psyche but in so doing has conveyed the impression that the deepwells of human existence are full of darkness, bitterness and horrors. What is needed—and Christianity can provide—are the ‘eyes of faith’ that will help individuals to enterinto their own depths and find there are nopools of stagnant bitterness, but the waters of infinity springing up into eternallife. It is easy to stir up the slime; but it needs faith to see, behind and through allthese dark forces, a much more powerful force—the power and presence of theHoly Ghost…we cannot truly know ourselves except through this realisation thatour whole nature is in the image of God’s immensity 142 .Rahner argues that the human science of psychiatric medicine and therapy simply‘discovers’ what has existed long before: an unthematic, unconscious experience ofinfinity that profoundly influences the whole of human existence. To such an existentialview, Christianity testifies and uniquely provides the means to find the unifyingconnection to an inner psyche that results in the sweetness of life—rather than anencounter with terror from which most people would rather run away or hide. Therefore,in the true meaning of the word, happiness is experienced through prayer: the medium141 Rahner, Happiness through prayer, 26-27.142 Ibid, 27-28.121
alone that enables individuals to face and embrace the central mystery of their ownexistence and discover the reality that they are safely grasped and apprehended by theeternal word of love.Rahner’s theology of mystery, expressed in his primary concepts of anthropologicaltranscendence and supernatural existential, not only informs the proclamation of thechurch, but opens a crack in the wall of the empirical worldview’s secular hegemony.Believers, drawn to the hints of light and splendour that shine through this opening, beginto realise that what they had previously thought to represent the horizons of humanendeavour and meaning are merely pointing towards the glory of the infinity beyond.This glimpse of infinity is like awakening to something long suspected but indefinable.Once individuals glimpse the light of infinity, they are drawn by its warmth to realise thatimmersion rather than definition is the real point of the journey. The light helps believersto see that the empirical sciences draw their meaning from that which is around them,before them, after them, and over them. They are not the definers of meaning; they areexpressions of the dynamic human intellect that help humans understand the small andfinite boundaries and rhythms of human existence in this world, and through which theglorious infinity of divine love encounters and draws individuals towards the true life ofthe vast open spaces beyond.ConclusionEssentially, Karl Rahner’s spirituality of silence demonstrates that mystery exists beforeand beyond all words, all reasoning, all empirical analysis. The existence of mysteryconfronts each and every human being with a permanently present silent question. When,as beings elevated through grace and orientated towards intimate union with the being ofthe silent question, individuals finally discover language that enables them to name andrecognise the one who attracts their hearts, language that leads them back into silence andthe blissful experience of reverent awe. Entering into silence is different from theexperience of silence that first prompted this spiritual search. Humans initially experiencesilence as an encounter with a dark and unknown terror of unresolvable infinity; believersenter silence as beings who are known, deeply loved and cherished. In this silenceindividuals can never be lost or left to wander in the trackless wilderness of unlimited122
Page 1 and 2:
‘A Spirituality of silence’An i
Page 3 and 4:
Chapter 4: The human experience of
Page 5 and 6:
Summary of thesis:This thesis offer
Page 7 and 8:
The particular angle from which thi
Page 9 and 10:
somewhat superseded by more recent
Page 11 and 12:
Rahner: I have nothing against that
Page 13 and 14:
One brief but notable spiritual inf
Page 15 and 16:
dialectic between these two, has le
Page 17 and 18:
odies of knowledge, history and alt
Page 19 and 20:
superiors, having decided that he w
Page 21 and 22:
High School Week, Rahner began his
Page 23 and 24:
Earlier in this chapter, Rahner’s
Page 25 and 26:
These anecdotes testify that Rahner
Page 27 and 28:
As you see, at the top of the carto
Page 29 and 30:
Central to Rahner’s thinking is t
Page 31 and 32:
Kilby notes that in regard to this
Page 33 and 34:
Introduced by Cardinal König to a
Page 35 and 36:
influence will continue to spread a
Page 37 and 38:
We see from Rahner’s pastoral con
Page 39 and 40:
European power 4 , and that he was
Page 41 and 42:
Over a period of days and weeks, th
Page 43 and 44:
The outcome of this encounter: the
Page 45 and 46:
Modras has pointed out that Ignatiu
Page 47 and 48:
Rahner the Ignatian spiritual direc
Page 49 and 50:
facilitate this joyful and liberati
Page 51 and 52:
Rahner’s often-quoted comment tha
Page 53 and 54:
The master of the Exercises in no w
Page 55 and 56:
Endean argues that Rahner is interp
Page 57 and 58:
The Ignatian Exercises—especially
Page 59 and 60:
provision of appropriate spiritual
Page 61 and 62:
their existential encounter, they a
Page 63 and 64:
Chapter 3: Spirituality of silence
Page 65 and 66:
which the spiritual pilgrim finds t
Page 67 and 68:
Lord, to pray my whole life long wi
Page 69 and 70:
Encounters with silence: strictures
Page 71 and 72:
a long highway filled by a column o
Page 73 and 74:
gaze; they prefer to stay safe, ris
Page 75 and 76:
This experience is life’s true es
Page 77 and 78:
Christians can experience the full
Page 79 and 80: Rahner does not claim for himself t
Page 81 and 82: example, it would limit God to say,
Page 83 and 84: will and love of God: then the diam
Page 85 and 86: Echoes of Ignatius’ Exercises are
Page 87 and 88: Chapter 4: The human experience of
Page 89 and 90: proximity, the silence that leads e
Page 91 and 92: ‘listening to the freely proffere
Page 93 and 94: approach; he is not arguing against
Page 95 and 96: must occur in history—time, space
Page 97 and 98: The most obvious criticism of Rahne
Page 99 and 100: Schleiermacher: seeking to build a
Page 101 and 102: and his meditations in Encounters w
Page 103 and 104: theological method, and the importa
Page 105 and 106: spirit dancing together in apprecia
Page 107 and 108: choosing to enter into the mystery
Page 109 and 110: may be described as a ‘mysticism
Page 111 and 112: possibilities but without a definit
Page 113 and 114: theologie) in which Rahner’s prim
Page 115 and 116: • around the concept and meaning
Page 117 and 118: knowledge. For we are not saved by
Page 119 and 120: silent experience of God—is able
Page 121 and 122: the immanent life of God’ 120 . T
Page 123 and 124: Investigations much like the biblic
Page 125 and 126: abandonment to the eternal life in
Page 127 and 128: Theology of mystery as dynamic chal
Page 129: ecause the phonetic sound of the wo
Page 133 and 134: Chapter 5: Word and sacrament—exp
Page 135 and 136: The centrality of scripture, and it
Page 137 and 138: What makes the words of scripture d
Page 139 and 140: silence. He felt that the movement
Page 141 and 142: with humanity—his ‘economic’
Page 143 and 144: Having discerned their revelatory c
Page 145 and 146: fulfilment in following the absolut
Page 147 and 148: Rahner’s transcendental perspecti
Page 149 and 150: toward which it points. God’s wor
Page 151 and 152: sacramental: a sign in which God’
Page 153 and 154: In light of the implications of Rah
Page 155 and 156: who, like mystics, experience such
Page 157 and 158: The juxtaposition of two articles
Page 159 and 160: These two interpretations of Rahner
Page 161 and 162: Rahner advocates that all believers
Page 163 and 164: The sacrament of the wordIn reflect
Page 165 and 166: ‘theological aesthetics’. With
Page 167 and 168: Many things in life act as signs th
Page 169 and 170: Rahner’s dual commitment to recei
Page 171 and 172: living human being, and each indivi
Page 173 and 174: The church is sacramental in the se
Page 175 and 176: spiritual rhythms that trace direct
Page 177 and 178: the missionary tasks of the Church;
Page 179 and 180: unhelpful assumptions that diminish
Page 181 and 182:
expressions of mystagogical 142 ini
Page 183 and 184:
Does this lead Rahner into compromi
Page 185 and 186:
) ) an ongoing contemporary influen
Page 187 and 188:
Hosek shifts the soteriological foc
Page 189 and 190:
Is this vision of silent spirituali
Page 191 and 192:
Being in silence as a way of creati
Page 193 and 194:
word of life and hope within them.
Page 195 and 196:
Level 1:PremoralStage 2:Instrumenta
Page 197 and 198:
These new monastics see the local c
Page 199 and 200:
eliefs that have been tried and tes
Page 201 and 202:
of mature theological reflection co
Page 203 and 204:
ecognised in his Christological ass
Page 205 and 206:
inability or unwillingness of the e
Page 207 and 208:
Kanyini—an Australian Aboriginal
Page 209 and 210:
The film Kanyini demonstrates the c
Page 211 and 212:
estless and always in a hurry to ge
Page 213 and 214:
considered the sole and ultimate au
Page 215 and 216:
We define spirituality as a conscio
Page 217 and 218:
supportive conversation with expres
Page 219 and 220:
A glance at table 4 75 (above), Hug
Page 221 and 222:
In the worldview of contemporary Au
Page 223 and 224:
It certainly seems somewhat disinge
Page 225 and 226:
A good starting point for examining
Page 227 and 228:
Christian contemplative-prayer trad
Page 229 and 230:
Of course, a small number of the vi
Page 231 and 232:
For better or for worse, and despit
Page 233 and 234:
energy, intellect, prayer, love and
Page 235 and 236:
Rahner, K. Karl Rahner - Prayers an
Page 237 and 238:
Kelly, G.B. (ed.). Karl Rahner - th
Page 239 and 240:
Van Vorst, B. ‘Kung and Rahner: d
Page 241 and 242:
Harden, J.A. ‘Ignatian Spirituali
Page 243:
Tyson, P. ‘Contemporary Australia
show all

Introductory notes for readers of this thesis - Theses - Flinders ...

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?