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

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and completion in the immanence of the Trinitarian God. The word that reveals to humanconsciousness what has always been silently true—and therefore also in some way hasalways been existentially known—is not a verbal statement; it is the flesh and bloodrevelation of the Logos, Jesus Christ, expressing the Trinitarian God in history, time andplace. Human beings consciously encounter the innermost silent truth and reality of theirexistence through the awakening that comes when Word expresses itself as Incarnation.Word in this sense is a radical, historical intervention that evokes the profound spiritualawakening of the silent primordial truth that humans are connected to—and find theirultimate belonging in—the Trinitarian imminent God.The word in history as categorical revelationThe previous chapter demonstrated that God’s movements into history are an importantaspect of Rahner’s unique approach to transcendental thinking. Whilst Rahner’stranscendental approach is aimed at the development of an a-historical, universal conceptof human spirituality, his absolute commitment to Christian doctrine as received truthresults in a mutual interpretative process between the a-historical universal and thespecific time, place and events of the unfolding revelation drama. Rahner understandsword as a function of spiritual discernment, or categorical revelation, within history.However, the ambiguous nature of history means that though God is active in history,humans find it hard to separate God’s acts and interventions from the acts of people andgroups and mere strange or unusual events.According to Ackley 29 , Rahner’s answer to the ambiguous nature of history is that adiscerning word is needed to distinguish between the revelatory and the random. The OldTestament prophets are prime examples of divinely inspired speakers who point veryspecifically toa particular event which stands out from the rest of history, in which theprimordial struggle between life and death is expressed and interpreted so that the30enduring question in history is permanently answered.29 See also D. Donovan, ‘Revelation and faith’ in The Cambridge companion to Karl Rahner, 83-97, for anoutline of Rahner’s view of the clarifying nature of the word in the development of categorical revelation inlight of history’s ambiguity.30 Ibid, 40-41.133
Having discerned their revelatory content, the prophetic interpretive word moves certainacts of history from the realm of the ambiguous to the realm of concrete. The propheticword enables humans to discern the self-disclosure of God in unique and unrepeatablespecific acts in time and space. Through the prophetic word believers have receivedelements of revelation that are categorical in nature and call for specific individualresponses.The words of scripture function as a spiritual guide, showing the occasions in humanhistory when God has approached humanity in self-disclosure. Donovan notes Rahner’sview that the historical development of scripture as categorical revelation climaxes in thegospel accounts of the life and destiny of Jesus Christ 31 . Although the biblical words ofcategorical revelation are an external and concrete source they also reflect and imply asubjective transcendental process. The canon of Scripture is discerned as the true andcorrect record of God’s revelatory acts precisely because the words of the prophets andother biblical authors are received by believers as objective confirmation of theirtranscendental experience of God 32 . In the same way the preaching of the word in everygeneration is confirmed as revelatory when it is experienced as an external and explicitconfirmation of an internal, graced inner narrative—the ever-present silent word of God’sexistential reality. This is a bone of contention for Rahner critics: that humanexperience—albeit mystical experience—‘proves’ the authenticity of the scriptures. Thisis a deviation from the orthodox understanding of Scripture as the absolute, objectivedefiner of the human condition, needing no existential ‘support’ or validation.Donovan’s explanation demonstrates Rahner’s understanding of the categorical nature ofthe word as a special revelation is a spiritual theological view: the word is the wordbecause it is spiritually meaningful. The word is recognised as the word because thecommunity of faith has discerned the actualising influence of its ministry—peopleexperience transcendental fulfilment in terms of Christian salvation—in direct encounter31 Ibid, 88.32 J. Ackley, The Church of the Word, 41-42.134
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‘A Spirituality of silence’An i
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Chapter 4: The human experience of
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Summary of thesis:This thesis offer
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The particular angle from which thi
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somewhat superseded by more recent
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Rahner: I have nothing against that
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One brief but notable spiritual inf
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dialectic between these two, has le
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odies of knowledge, history and alt
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superiors, having decided that he w
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High School Week, Rahner began his
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Earlier in this chapter, Rahner’s
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These anecdotes testify that Rahner
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As you see, at the top of the carto
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Central to Rahner’s thinking is t
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Kilby notes that in regard to this
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Introduced by Cardinal König to a
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influence will continue to spread a
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We see from Rahner’s pastoral con
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European power 4 , and that he was
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Over a period of days and weeks, th
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The outcome of this encounter: the
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Modras has pointed out that Ignatiu
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Rahner the Ignatian spiritual direc
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facilitate this joyful and liberati
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Rahner’s often-quoted comment tha
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The master of the Exercises in no w
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Endean argues that Rahner is interp
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The Ignatian Exercises—especially
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provision of appropriate spiritual
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their existential encounter, they a
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Chapter 3: Spirituality of silence
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which the spiritual pilgrim finds t
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Lord, to pray my whole life long wi
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Encounters with silence: strictures
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a long highway filled by a column o
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gaze; they prefer to stay safe, ris
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This experience is life’s true es
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Christians can experience the full
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Rahner does not claim for himself t
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example, it would limit God to say,
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will and love of God: then the diam
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Echoes of Ignatius’ Exercises are
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Chapter 4: The human experience of
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proximity, the silence that leads e
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word of life and hope within them.
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Level 1:PremoralStage 2:Instrumenta
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These new monastics see the local c
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eliefs that have been tried and tes
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of mature theological reflection co
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ecognised in his Christological ass
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inability or unwillingness of the e
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Kanyini—an Australian Aboriginal
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The film Kanyini demonstrates the c
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estless and always in a hurry to ge
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considered the sole and ultimate au
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We define spirituality as a conscio
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supportive conversation with expres
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A glance at table 4 75 (above), Hug
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In the worldview of contemporary Au
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It certainly seems somewhat disinge
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A good starting point for examining
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Christian contemplative-prayer trad
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Of course, a small number of the vi
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For better or for worse, and despit
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energy, intellect, prayer, love and
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Rahner, K. Karl Rahner - Prayers an
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Kelly, G.B. (ed.). Karl Rahner - th
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Van Vorst, B. ‘Kung and Rahner: d
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Harden, J.A. ‘Ignatian Spirituali
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Tyson, P. ‘Contemporary Australia
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