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

The centrality of scripture, and its nature and purpose in spiritual formationThough Rahner did not regard himself as a biblical scholar, according to Robert Kress 4 ,former students, colleagues and many of his commentators have recognised in histeaching and writing an understated mastery of the essence of both the overall sense ofScripture and the exegetical process. For example, in his discussion on word and spirit inRahner, Thomson refers to the ‘biblical grammar’ of the Theological Investigations.My impression is that when the Incarnation is the central theme of essays in theInvestigations, the Pneuma, though frequently mentioned, is in thebackground…it is rather when he turns to the ‘third’ mystery, that of grace, that amore sustained attention to the (incarnate) Word–Spirit interplay takes place.This, of course, reflects the basic structure or grammar of the creed, which in turnreflects the basic narrative of biblical revelation…The experience of grace in theSpirit leads to the incarnate Word, in other words. This creedal and biblicalstructure of the ‘Investigations’ would seem to lend some legitimacy to Rahner’sobservation that his style of transcendental Christology is ‘closer’ to Scripturethan that of ‘classical’ Christology… (Emphasis mine) Here let me speak of whatI would call the ‘biblical grammar’ of Rahner’s view of the Spirit. I use the word‘grammar,’ partly because in the Investigations Rahner somewhat sparingly offers5biblical citations…even when the biblical ‘structure’ is present .Kress notes that though Rahner is not an exegete in the technical scholarly sense, he is alover of the biblical texts, and widely recognised for his capacity to draw theologicalmeaning from the words of the Bible. Harvey Egan claims ‘Rahner preached almost dailyfor much of his fifty-two years of priestly life’6 ; perhaps this intense commitment tobiblical preaching most clearly demonstrates his skills in biblical exegesis. Rahner’spreaching legacy and its importance to those who study his thought is evidenced in thepopular publication of a liturgically structured, topical selection of his homilies, Thegreat church year 7 .4 R. Kress, A Rahner Handbook (Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1982), 64.5 W.Thompson, ‘Word & Spirit, hermeneutics and transcendental method: exploring their connections inKarl Rahner,’ Philosophy & Theology 7 (Winter 1992): 193 & 1976 H. Egan, Karl Rahner – Mystic of everyday life (New York, Crossroad, 1998), 105.7 Trans. Egan, H. Raffelt, A. ed. (New York: Crossroad, 1993)126