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

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The term ‘spirituality’ emerged from what used to be an almost universal cultural faith—Christianity—into a broader plural expression. Not only did young people in Westerncultures begin seeking the wisdom of Eastern religions; in the last four or five decades ofthe twentieth century, diverse ways of constructing spiritual meaning emerged. Indiscussing briefly some examples of the trend away from the Christian hegemony inregard to the task of constructing morality, faith and spirituality, I will also consider theways in which Rahner’s spirituality of silence may help Christian communities torespond fruitfully to the challenges and opportunities these trends represent.Moral development theoryLawrence Kohlberg’s moral development theory, building on Piaget’s cognitivedevelopment theory, involves five stages of moral reasoning (see table below) 7 . It hasbecome the best known example of the psychological and scientific analysis of humanethical development.Kohlberg’s focus is on the neurological capacity of individuals to develop maturepatterns about the ultimate meanings of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, and on the connectionsbetween reasoning and ethical behaviour. He is interested in the development of thoughtpatterns rather than the learning of particular ethical content 8 . Whilst Kohlberg’s theorydoes not necessarily challenge the role or right of the Christian community to providemoral formation to the culture, it does inevitably offer an alternative (albeitcomplimentary?) authoritative source of teaching about morals and ethics. Kohlberg’stheory could be used to both critique and affirm the role of the Christian community insupporting and/or restricting the growth of mature moral reasoning.Kohlberg’s theory of moral reasoningLevel &Content of answersstage What is right? Why do right? Basic philosophyLevel 1:PremoralStage 1:HeteronomousmoralityAvoid breaking laws or rules.Obey laws blindly becausethey are there. Avoid beingpunishedAuthorities will get even withthose who break their ruleseven if they do so unknowinglyor for humanitarian reasons.No coherent moral theory; can’trelate multiple viewpoints; can’tseparate abstract questions ofright and wrong from concretedisplays of power or punishment.7 From C. Peterson, Looking forward through the lifespan (4 th ed.) (Frenchs Forest, NSW: PearsonEducation, 2004), 370.8 Ibid, 369.185
Level 1:PremoralStage 2:InstrumentalhedonismFollow rules if you stand togain by doing so. Allow andexpect others to do the same.Keep bargains with others sothey will keep theirs with you.To serve your own interestsbest, you have to recognisesystems which help everyonegain the most.Right and wrong are relative toone’s own immediate gain. Noabstract moral values transcend‘enlightened’ self-interest.Level 2:ConventionalStage 3:Conformity(for ‘goodboy/good girl’focus)‘Being good’ means havinggood motives and showingconcern for others. Live up toother people’s rules about howyou should act, even if youdon’t gain materially by doingso.The need to be liked and to be agood person in your own eyesmeans you have to behaveaccording to everyone’sstereotype of what ‘goodness’is.Can consider the Golden Rule (‘Dounto others…’) at a concrete level.Is aware that feelings andexpectations of others takeprimacy over self-interest, but hasno ability to abstract beyond thevalues of other unknown people toconsider an abstract or impersonalethical code.Level 2:ConventionalStage 4:Law and order(conformity tolaw or rule)The most important guide tohow to act is the legal rulebook. If in conflict, abide by therule rather than own or others’individual needs.To keep the ‘system’ (country,religion…) going just as it is,you must obey all laws just asthey are.Is now able to distinguish thesocial system from individualpersonal relationships, but cannotgo beyond existing sets of laws orrules to choose or formulate amore just and encompassing set ofmoral values.Level 3:PrincipledStage 5:PrincipledmoralityFollow universal rules like ‘lifeand liberty for all’ regardless ofmajority opinion.One’s ‘social contract’ as ahuman being is to make andabide by rules which serve thewelfare of all people, andpromote the ‘greatest good forthe greatest number’.Recognises conflicts between legaland humanistic or ethicalviewpoints and strives to gobeyond existing rules to integratethem. Will now view rule-abidingbehaviour as immoral if it interfereswith basic human needs.In an article seeking to define Australian youth spiritualities and appropriate responsesfrom evangelical Christian ministries, Paul Tyson 9 highlights an intriguing irony. Hisanalysis of youth spiritualities at a particular Australian government secondary schoolidentifies a minority of students whom he describes as ‘radical post-secular’ 10 . Tysonnotes the characteristics of these young people: they express a genuinely transcendentform of spirituality, beyond ‘relationalism’ 11 , ‘relativism’ and desiring a theological andmetaphysical reference point. These young people9 ‘Contemporary Australian youth spiritualities and Evangelical youth ministry’, Faith and Community (ebulletinof the Evangelical Alliance) (June 21, 2007): 1-16.10 Ibid, 5.11 The tendency to understand God primarily as ‘my best friend’ and to define the meaning of Christiancommunity primarily in terms of warm fellowship.186
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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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The centrality of scripture, and it
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What makes the words of scripture d
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silence. He felt that the movement
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with humanity—his ‘economic’
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Page 235 and 236: Rahner, K. Karl Rahner - Prayers an
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