12.07.2015 Views

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

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

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

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

One example <strong>of</strong> <strong>this</strong> is found in La Trobe University lecturer and author David Tacey’sinterview transcript, published in the The Melbourne Anglican. Tacey’s publicationsReEnchantment 83 and The Spirituality Revolution 84 have been read with lively interest bya broad cross-section <strong>of</strong> the Australian intellectual public. In both publications, Taceyarticulates a similar theme: underneath the secular veneer <strong>of</strong> Australian (and the broaderWestern) culture is a bubbling spring <strong>of</strong> resurgent spiritual interest and vitality; theinstitutional church doesn’t get it; the so-called ‘New Age’ spiritualities <strong>of</strong>fer little byway <strong>of</strong> appropriate tradition and ethic; what is needed is a new dialogue between thepeople <strong>of</strong> the major faith traditions (in Australia the Christian churches still represent thelargest <strong>of</strong> these) and those outside <strong>of</strong> these traditions on the experimental edge <strong>of</strong> thenew, deinstitutionalised spirituality.David Tacey is anything but classic Evangelical Christian; however, his insights haveincreasingly gained the attention and interest <strong>of</strong> an increasing number <strong>of</strong> thinkingEvangelical leaders, which leads us back to the Roland Ashby interview with TheMelbourne Anglican:RA: You quote the theologian Karl Rahner in the book (Spirituality Revolution)‘The Christian <strong>of</strong> the future will be a mystic or will not exist at all’.DT: Yes, I believe he was right. I get the feeling that God is rather tired <strong>of</strong> routineChristianity. And the God <strong>of</strong> Christian revelation is an incarnational God, that isto say a God who enters into life in order to trans<strong>for</strong>m it so that life can see theeternal basis on which our temporal lives are grounded.Karl Rahner also said, in that same lecture, we’ve got to stop imposing religion onpeople and start drawing religion out <strong>of</strong> people…My belief, and I have been veryinfluenced by Rahner in <strong>this</strong>, is that there is a spiritual dimension in each one <strong>of</strong>us, and if it can be let out or drawn out then we can be encouraged to have arelationship with God 85 .This dialogue—and the pervasive, yet virtually hidden (Tacey does not quote Rahnerextensively in his books) influence <strong>of</strong> Rahner’s theology that it suggests—highlights theongoing ripple effect <strong>of</strong> <strong>this</strong> quiet, philosophical Jesuit priest. It is likely that Rahner’s83 (Sydney: Harper-Collins, 2000).84 (Sydney: Harper-Collins, 2003).85 David Tacey: falling in love with the sacred other, May 2003. Retrieved June 7, 2004, fromhttp://www.media.anglican.com./au/tma/2003/05/tacey.html25

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!