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

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established and errors refuted by the diligent application of St. Thomas’sprinciples. Such a use of his work might well have horrified Aquinas himself,since it left no room for new questions 38 .Rahner’s thesis—and in fact his whole life’s work—was directed precisely against thislegalistic use of tradition.The footnote to this initial clash between ‘the old and the new wineskins’ is that MartinHonecker is described as ‘a long forgotten professor at the University of Freiburg’ 39 (inan article profiling Rahner, then in his seventies). By contrast, Rahner’s rejected thesiswas published in 1939 (subsequently translated into several languages including Englishas Spirit in the World). It laid the foundation for Rahner’s international writing, teachingand speaking career that has resulted in an estimated 4000 publications under his nameand a universal reputation as one of the most significant Catholic—and indeedChristian—theologians of the 20 th century. Rahner himself recalled that the outcome ofHonecker’s decision was hardly debilitating on either a personal or public level:My dissertation director, Martin Honecker, flunked me…Because I had beenreassigned from philosophy to teach theology at Innsbruck, this didn’t upset mefor long…My rejected thesis was then published without my receiving a40doctorate…So this failure did not appreciably affect my self-esteem .In the final phase of Rahner’s formal education, his Jesuit superiors directed him to returnto Innsbruck to complete a doctorate in theology as preparation for teaching theology.Building on the foundation of his earlier patristic studies, Rahner produced his thesis, TheOrigin of the Church as Second Eve from the Side of Christ the Second Adam – AnInvestigation of the Typological Significance of John 19.34, within a relatively shortperiod. His second thesis was accepted (though ironically it remains unpublished);together with some prior published articles on the spiritual theology of Origen, Evagrius,Ponticus and Bonaventure, this work qualified him to begin teaching dogmatics atInnsbruck, the university that had finally granted him his doctorate.Following a landmark series of lectures on ‘The Basis of a Philosophy of Religion’ (laterpublished as Hörer Des Wortes, ‘hearers of the word’), delivered to the Seventh Salzburg38 ‘Quiet Mover of the Catholic Church’, 66.39 Ibid.40 I Remember, 42-43.11
High School Week, Rahner began his teaching career at Innsbruck in the winter semesterof 1937 .41Rahner’s journey in formal education was complex and multifaceted, and equipped himto exercise a pervasive influence within an emerging climate of contemporary theologicaldebate, climaxing in the historical transformation of Catholic understanding and practiceresulting from Vatican II. In addition to his profound personal and mystical insights,Rahner had the intellectual tools to begin his lifelong task of articulating the mystery ofGod in language faithful to the tradition—and at the same time to engage in dialogue withthe existential perceptions of modern experience and self-understanding.The final influential factor in Rahner’s approach to theology is his vocational selfunderstanding.In the forward to his book, Weger refers to Rahner’s remarkable statement(or understatement), reflecting on his life’s work:I certainly did not become a theologian with the aim of introducing new ideas orof heralding or inaugurating a new period of theology. I am a Jesuit, a member ofa religious order and a priest. As a theologian, I had to give lectures 42 .Rahner’s academic career, the outcome of which certainly was an inauguration of a newtheological period, vividly demonstrates this statement. Rahner’s biography reveals adutiful and uncomplaining son of the church and an obedient servant of the order. Hiscareer does not emerge from a strong sense of unique and visionary direction; he does notlobby his superiors for permission and resources to follow personalised interests andleadings. Rather, Rahner simply does what he’s told and goes where his superiors direct43him, trusting in ‘the abandonment to divine providence’ . In fact, in ‘God of law’ (1960,35–44), a chapter from the previously mentioned Encounters with Silence, Rahnerreflects on his particular spirituality of obedience:I don’t want to be a legalist, nor a mere servant of men…And still I must fulfil thecommands of my human superiors. I want to observe their ordinances with all myheart…If I look upon my obedience to these human laws as a demonstration of41 Vorgrimler, Understanding Karl Rahner, 62-63, see also Kress, A Rahner Handbook, 3-4.42 Cited in Karl Rahner – An introduction to his theology, viii.43 The title and concept of the posthumous classic based on the writings and records of talks given by the19 th -century French Jesuit, Jean Pierre De Causadde.12
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: superiors, having decided that he w
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
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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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Having discerned their revelatory c
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fulfilment in following the absolut
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Rahner’s transcendental perspecti
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toward which it points. God’s wor
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sacramental: a sign in which God’
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In light of the implications of Rah
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who, like mystics, experience such
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The juxtaposition of two articles
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These two interpretations of Rahner
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Rahner advocates that all believers
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The sacrament of the wordIn reflect
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‘theological aesthetics’. With
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Many things in life act as signs th
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Rahner’s dual commitment to recei
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living human being, and each indivi
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The church is sacramental in the se
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spiritual rhythms that trace direct
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the missionary tasks of the Church;
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unhelpful assumptions that diminish
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expressions of mystagogical 142 ini
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Does this lead Rahner into compromi
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) ) an ongoing contemporary influen
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Hosek shifts the soteriological foc
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Is this vision of silent spirituali
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Being in silence as a way of creati
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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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