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

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characteristics of most contemporary societies’ a focus on a universal sotereological ideais not only unrealistic but unhelpful.It is not just about who can be saved and under which conditions. The theologicaldiscussion about non-Christian religions has been overloaded and preoccupiedwith this particular soteriological concern for several decades, unfortunately 152 .Hosek critically assesses the three broadly identifiable, soteriological worldviews:exclusivism—the primary Protestant and pre-Vat II Catholic position; inclusivism—theRahner-influenced, post Vat II Catholic view; pluralism—the contemporary, interfaitheclectic position. Hosek concludes that, despite the varying exegetical strengths andweaknesses within this spectrum of thinking, all three worldviews share one commonproblem.Unfortunately they don’t really take seriously the other religions themselves, intheir particularities and differences. All three paradigms are essentially aprioristic,their proponents have no reason to study what the other religions actually teachand how they understand themselves 153 .In place of an attempt to construct a universal soteriology as a basis for shared spiritualconversation, Hosek proposes a triad of alternatives. He advocates a dialogue of spiritualworship practices in which people of differing faiths offer mutual witness to each otherthrough the practice of their spiritual disciplines in proximity without attempting aneclectic homogenising. He proposes ongoing dialogue at the level of intellectual,theological discourse whilst noting that the influence of differing linguistics in theconstruction of actual theological ideas means that such dialogue will be limited and ‘ourexpectations concerning its success should be rather modest’. Hosek believes that themost authentic and genuine opportunity for interfaith dialogue issocial-ethical dialogue…[because] its goal is not to establish a common platformfor all religions, to undermine differences, to create a common meta-language orto move towards a syncretistic unity of religious believers. Its goal is to joinforces to work for peace and justice on local, national and international levels,broadly in terms of Niebur’s famous notion of ‘Christ transforming culture’ 154 .152 European Journal of Theology, 14, 1 (2005): 29.153 Ibid, 31.154 Ibid, 32-33.177
Hosek shifts the soteriological focus from the implausibility of a universal theologicalsystematic to the opportunity for positive Christian witness within a triad of possibilities,particularly advocating the social–ethical alternative, which he also describes as‘eschatological, rego-centric (Kingdom centred)’ 155 .It is very hard to imagine an article of the scope of Hosek’s making it into the mainstreamof Christian theological dialogue had not the field of dialogue first been conditioned andinfluenced by Rahner’s reflections on his universal spiritual vision. Likewise, it is hard toimagine that anyone with a mono-view exclusivist soteriological worldview couldcomfortably make the leap into what Hosek proposes. Christians who view the worldoutside the church as inevitably condemned to eternal damnation, and the ideologies ofother faiths and worldviews as essentially flawed and based in deception, are hardlyready to pray and work alongside Muslims, nor find common ideological ground withsecular humanists. This highlights Rahner’s primary focus in his construct of theanonymous Christian: it is not a gospel for the world but a way to enable Christians toengage with the world in their witnessing to the gospel.The sacramental vision of the anonymous Christian as a spirituality of silence: anaesthetic viewLooked at aesthetically, Rahner’s sacramental vision reveals God freely entering theworld of humans—not as a duty-bound crisis-manager, but as the eternal lover of creationand the genesis of all that is truly human; all creation is silently, unconsciously lifted intothe dignity of his embrace. Rahner’s vision shows Jesus living the fullness of humanworship in and through all that is common to the everyday life, even the bitterness ofdeath. Although unaware, the world is nevertheless affected and included in the cosmicimpact of these seismic events; in Rahner’s sacramental vision, Jesus has come; thesacrament of God has entered the creation and it cannot be the same henceforth. InRahner’s view, the yeast of divinity is woven into the very fibre and fabric of the humanfamily: the Incarnation of the ‘second Adam’ counteracts the viral infection that hasinfluenced creation through the ‘first Adam’.155 Ibid.178
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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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‘listening to the freely proffere
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approach; he is not arguing against
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must occur in history—time, space
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The most obvious criticism of Rahne
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Schleiermacher: seeking to build a
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and his meditations in Encounters w
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theological method, and the importa
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spirit dancing together in apprecia
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choosing to enter into the mystery
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may be described as a ‘mysticism
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possibilities but without a definit
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theologie) in which Rahner’s prim
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• around the concept and meaning
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knowledge. For we are not saved by
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silent experience of God—is able
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the immanent life of God’ 120 . T
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Investigations much like the biblic
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abandonment to the eternal life in
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Theology of mystery as dynamic chal
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ecause the phonetic sound of the wo
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alone that enables individuals to f
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Chapter 5: Word and sacrament—exp
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Page 235 and 236: 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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