Pablo Munoz Iturrieta | Independent Scholar (original) (raw)
Dissertations by Pablo Munoz Iturrieta
Religious freedom, and the status of religion in the public square, is presently a matter of worl... more Religious freedom, and the status of religion in the public square, is presently a matter of worldwide debate. However, it is necessary to clarify the terms of the debate. This dissertation will offer a challenging invitation to deepen our understanding of the fundamental meaning of religious freedom by analyzing and challenging the notions of "religion," "freedom," and the "public square" as they have been commonly employed in discussions related to religious freedom and the place of religion in the public square in the works of Richard John Neuhaus, John Rawls, Robert Audi, José Casanovas, Jürgen Habermas, and Charles Taylor. It will also challenge the notion of "religious freedom" employed by international and legal documents, and in the work of David Schlinder, John Courtney Murray, and Martha Nussbaum. Following the work of Rainer Forst, it will also show why religious freedom should not be understood as "tolerance."
The goal of the book, then, is to provide a more effective way of dealing with issues of religious freedom and the place of religion in the public square. My investigation will be centered on Thomas Aquinas' notion of religion as a moral virtue, and Hanna Arendt's notion of political freedom. The novelty of this investigation will be in that the virtue of religion will be analyzed in connection to the proper place for the performance of its acts, namely, the private or the public sphere. The book will also show how Aquinas' notion of religion and its deviations (vices) offers a valuable guideline insofar as the public is concerned.
As a consequence, a new meaning will be offered on the notion of religious freedom, based on Aquinas' view of religion as virtue, and Arendt's notion of political freedom as a stage for virtue, which will help clarify the debate on religious freedom and the place of religion in the public square.
Papers by Pablo Munoz Iturrieta
El problema jurídico actual con respecto al aborto en Argentina comenzó por un artículo totalment... more El problema jurídico actual con respecto al aborto en Argentina comenzó por un artículo totalmente racista y eugenésico del Código Penal de 1921 y la falsa aplicación al caso de una menor de 15 años que habría sido violada y embarazada por su padrastro y que de modo improcedente terminó en la Corte Suprema en el año 2012, quien dio sentencia en "F., A..L. s/medida autosatisfactiva".
The Incarnate Word Journal, 2011
The purpose of this article is to present Cornelio Fabro’s claim that for Aquinas being (ens) is ... more The purpose of this article is to present Cornelio Fabro’s claim that for Aquinas being (ens) is grasped by the intellect’s first operation. Otherwise, he maintains, any other possibility, such as judgment regarding the existence of a being, may lead to idealism. He also argues that according to the metaphysics of Thomas Aquinas the act of being is somehow present in the first apprehension of ens, since ens is “id quod habet esse,” that which has being. This presentation will focus on Fabro’s interpretation of the matter; however, other interpretations will be briefly mentioned since his claim produced much controversy among scholars, as might be expected.
Book Reviews by Pablo Munoz Iturrieta
Catholic Book Reviews, 2018
This present volume originated from a conference organized by the Institute for Advanced Catholic... more This present volume originated from a conference organized by the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies in 2014, and it contains a tightly connected and focused group of essays that aim to offer the notion of common good a more interdisciplinary meaning, since the Catholic idea of the common good is part theological insight, part moral theory, part empirical theory, and part political philosophy.
La imagen que todo el mundo tiene del Che Guevara es aquella del “Che” con su boina negra, con la... more La imagen que todo el mundo tiene del Che Guevara es aquella del “Che” con su boina negra, con la estrella roja y la amplia cabellera al viento, que fotografiara “Korda” (Alberto Díaz). Aquel Che Guevara que se convirtió en “poster divino” para las generaciones postreras. Pero eso no nos dice nada más que una vida mitificada al máximo, fruto de indocumentadas lucubraciones.
Catholic Book Reviews, 2018
This book, translated and edited with a very helpful introduction on the life and work of Abbot S... more This book, translated and edited with a very helpful introduction on the life and work of Abbot Suger of Saint-Denis and extensive notes throughout the book, tries to make up for the lack of respect and attention that such a figure deserves. In fact, Abbot Suger was one of the most important French figures of the first half of the twelfth century. He was a historian, advisor of kings, their representative in many occasions, and an innovative architect whose legacy changed the European landscape: The Gothic style. It was his renovations of the Parisian Church of Saint-Denis, one of the most beautiful churches in Europe, that had a tremendous influence in the following centuries. He left aside the bulky and dark Romanesque style, and instead designed a church with a light-filled and spacious interior, soaring into the sky " with elevated walls and rows of multistoried stained glass windows " (ix). The present volume contains a wealth of information about the events of his era, as well as Suger's descriptions of the church's rebuilding and consecration (The Book on the Consecration of the Church of Saint-Denis), his unfinished biography of Louis VII (The Illustrious King Louis [VII], Son of Louis [VI]) which includes the continuations that completed the biography, and the life of Suger himself, began at the request of his fellow monks to prevent the memory of his accomplishment from being lost to posterity, and completed after his death (The Book of Abbot Suger of Saint-Denis: His Accomplishments during His Administration). Finally, the volume includes The Life of Suger, and The Circular Letter of the Monastery of Saint-Denis Concerning the Death of Abbot Suger, both written by William, a monk of Saint-Denis. The works are presented in chronological order of composition. The translators have also provided two helpful glossaries, containing the meanings of medieval terminology and definitions of Latin words that Suger commonly used in his writings. The translation of these works make Abbot Suger's work accessible to students not yet familiar with his convoluted Latin syntax, and it will also certainly provide students of political, architecture, art and medieval history an excellent access to the writings of this crucial figure.
Catholic Book Reviews, 2018
Kira Schlesinger is priest-in-charge at The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany in Lebanon, Tennesse... more Kira Schlesinger is priest-in-charge at The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany in Lebanon, Tennessee. In this book, Schlesinger’s intention is to find common ground and bring together all the sides of the abortion debate, as she believes there is more that unites, rather than divides Christians.
Science et Esprit, 2018
In this excellent book, Unn Falkeid offers a great contribution to the study of six thinkers from... more In this excellent book, Unn Falkeid offers a great contribution to the study of six thinkers from the fourteenth century, who developed their theories in light of the most important political events of their times: the Avignon papacy. Thus, Falkeid masterfully brings together the work of Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), Marsilius of Padua (ca. 1275-ca. 1342), William of Ockham (ca. 1287-ca. 1347), Francis Petrarch (1304-1374), Birgitta of Sweden (1303-1373), and Catherine of Siena (1347-1380).
Dialogue, 2018
Giorgio Agamben's book appeared originally in Italian in 2014. In it, Agamben brings together 10 ... more Giorgio Agamben's book appeared originally in Italian in 2014. In it, Agamben brings together 10 essays that illustrate what drives his current research: the mystery of literature, of reading and writing, and of language. The book is also enriched by analysis in the areas of religion and mysticism.
Science et Esprit, 2017
This book is the result of a symposium held from the 5th to the 7th of September, 2013 at the Uni... more This book is the result of a symposium held from the 5th to the 7th of September, 2013 at the University of Strasbourg, France. It was organized by the French Society of Philosophy of Religion and Philosophy (Société francophone de philosophie de la religion) and the Group of Philosophy of Religion of the University of Strasbourg. It is a very interesting, and dense, book on the relationship between the noitons of religion and freedom, within the discipline of philosophy of religion. Even though the subject of the book focuses particularly on the Christian religion, it is also interested in other religious traditions such as Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism.
The Incarnate Word Journal, 2011
In this book, Gondreau deals with Thomas’ theology of the human passions of Christ. It surely mar... more In this book, Gondreau deals with Thomas’ theology of the human passions of Christ. It surely marks a major contribution in the field of dogmatic theology, as well as in psychology, since Jesus attains the essence of what it means to be a true human being in a way unlike any other human individual. One has to also note that this is the first time that Thomas’ treatise on the passions of Christ is examined, a truly new work.
The Incarnate Word Journal, 2011
The Oxford Handbook of Philosophical Theology is a collection of twenty-six essays or articles ed... more The Oxford Handbook of Philosophical Theology is a collection of twenty-six essays or articles edited by Thomas Flint, professor of philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, and Michael Rea, also a professor of philosophy at the same university.
In the Introduction to this work, the editors give a definition of what they consider philosophical theology to be: “philosophical theology (as we understand it) is aimed primarily at theoretical understanding of the nature and attributes of God, and God’s relationship to the world and things in the world” (p. 1).
With the publication of Alasdair Maclntyre and Anthony Flew’s New Essays in Philosophical Theology in 1955, there was a great revival of interest in the philosophy of religion in general and, in its wake, in philosophical theology in particular, especially in the latter half of the twentieth century. The topics presented in the book were like the agenda for subsequent work in philosophy of religion for the next two or three decades, such as the meaningfulness of religious discourse and questions about the rationality of religious belief.
This present work, however, covers a new focus of attention apart from those concerning the nature, rationality, and meaningfulness of theistic belief. In the last twenty years, as the editors remark, “a great deal of attention has been devoted recently to philosophical problems arising out of the Christian doctrines of the Trinity, the Incarnation, and the Atonement; there has been an explosion of work on questions about the nature of divine providence and its implications for human freedom; and a fair bit of recent work has also been done on questions about the metaphysical possibility of the resurrection of the dead” (p. 4). At the same time, the authors note that there is a very small literature on the topic of divine revelation and the inspiration of Scripture, only a handful of works on the topics of prayer, original sin, and the nature of heaven and hell, and virtually nothing on the Christian doctrine of the Eucharist from a philosophical standpoint.
The book is divided into five parts covering five general topics:
I. Theological Prolegomena
II. Divine Attributes
III. God and Creation
IV. Topics in Christian Philosophical Theology
V. Non-Christian Philosophical Theology
The Incarnate Word Journal, 2011
The volume is an interdisciplinary collection of essays in philosophy, psychology, political theo... more The volume is an interdisciplinary collection of essays in philosophy, psychology, political theory, and religion, which were delivered at the 2005-2006 John Henry Cardinal Newman Lecture Series at the Institute for the Psychological Sciences (IPS) (Arlington, VA). It has been edited by Craig Steven Titus, a research professor at IPS and the University of Fribourg, Switzerland.
The Incarnate Word Journal, 2010
In this volume, Charles E. Curran surveys the historical development of Catholic moral theology i... more In this volume, Charles E. Curran surveys the historical development of Catholic moral theology in the United States from its 19th century roots to the end of Pope John Paul II’s papacy. It is probably the first comprehensive history of Catholic moral theology in the United States. As one can guess from the title, the book only considers those theologians who write from the Catholic moral tradition.
Diálogo, 2009
El texto fue concluido en 1984, pero recién publicado en el 2009. En resumen, podemos decir que L... more El texto fue concluido en 1984, pero recién publicado en el 2009. En resumen, podemos decir que La luz que viene del Norte se refiere de manera especial a la influencia que ejerció el pensamiento protestante sobre la teología católica. Además de estas cuestiones teológicas, que vendrían a ser como el eje que une todo el trabajo, ofrece un análisis interesante acerca de las ideas y vicisitudes políticas desde comienzos del siglo XX hasta la década de los setenta, además de las consecuencias nefastas que se siguieron. Sin embargo todo él tiende a girar sobre el plano teológico, en algo que es como un intento de hacer teología de la historia, sino fuera por fallar en algo que es esencial a la teología: la mirada de la fe con respecto al Magisterio de la Iglesia.
Diálogo, 2009
The Catholic Church and the Jews, Argentina, 1933-1945 considera la imagen de los judíos de acuer... more The Catholic Church and the Jews, Argentina, 1933-1945 considera la imagen de los judíos de acuerdo a las enseñanzas católicas de esa época, las actitudes de ciertos sacerdotes y fieles contra la comunidad semita, y la respuesta de la jerarquía de la Iglesia en el debate nacional sobre la aceptación de los refugiados judíos venidos desde Europa. El libro constituye un ataque no sólo contra la Iglesia Católica de la Argentina, sino también contra algunos de sus máximos exponentes intelectuales del siglo XX (Julio Meinvielle, Leonardo Castellani, Hugo Wast, Manuel Gálvez, Bruno Genta) y contra grandes movimientos de la época, tales como la Acción Católica y los Cursos de Cultura Católica.
The Incarnate Word Journal , 2007
In his latest book, Schäfer examines the perception of Jesus of Nazareth in the Talmud regarding ... more In his latest book, Schäfer examines the perception of Jesus of Nazareth in the Talmud regarding how the rabbis of the Talmud read, understood, and used the New Testament narrative to assert, ultimately, Judaism’s superiority over Christianity.
Conference Presentations by Pablo Munoz Iturrieta
Religious freedom, and the status of religion in society, is presently a matter of worldwide deba... more Religious freedom, and the status of religion in society, is presently a matter of worldwide debate. It touches on people’s deepest convictions, the structure of modern secular society, and the possibility of peaceful coexistence of nations and communities. However, it is also important to clarify the terms of the debate. This paper will offer a challenging invitation to deepen our understanding of the fundamental meaning of religious freedom, for this will contribute to the definition, or redefinition, of laws that establish a balance between this freedom and the demands of a public order. This approach will also try to avoid contemporary deadlocks.
With the Incarnation of the Son of God, a new period in the divine economy of salvation begins. T... more With the Incarnation of the Son of God, a new period in the divine economy of salvation begins. The second Person of the Holy Trinity assumes our human nature, and the Word becomes flesh. That unity of natures takes place in the Person of the divine Word, so that the creature is united to God in unity of person. Jesus is both, then, true God and true man, and that unity of natures (divine and human), takes place in His divine Person.
There are two perfect natures in Christ, one divine and one human, and therefore two operations, one divine and one human. By implication we are saying that there are in Christ two modes of knowledge, one divine (common to the three persons of the Trinity), and the other human, in Christ’s human intellect. There is also in Jesus a divine will and a human will, but these will not be the object of my present study.
Christ’s human knowledge is the basis of his capacity for his free human decisions and consequently of his capacity to merit salvation for us. That is the reason why the Church has always attached maximum importance to the problem of the human and divine knowledge of Jesus.
Regarding Christ’s human knowledge, we can identify in Christ, during his life on earth, three modes of knowledge for which the mind has at least an obediential potency : acquired or experimental knowledge, infused knowledge, and science of vision. We shall therefore look at these three modes in this presentation, and what they involve, to conclude with the qualities of Christ’s knowledge, such as infallibility, and Jesus’ consciousness of himself, of his divine filiation, and of his mission.
In this paper, I will present Thomas Aquinas’ notion of participation as applied to the redemptio... more In this paper, I will present Thomas Aquinas’ notion of participation as applied to the redemption brought by Christ. St Thomas makes use of the notion of participation in order to explain our participation in the sin of Adam. As we know from the Scriptures, it is by reason of that first sin that it was fitting that Christ became man in order to redeem all men by suffering in his nature all of the consequences of sin. Out of love for us, Jesus died on the Cross and rose from the dead in order to destroy forever both, sin and death, which are the cause (sin) and the first effect (death) of all moral evils in the world. St. Thomas also teaches that it is by our participation in the death and resurrection of Jesus that we attain redemption, through sanctifying grace while in this life, completed at the end of time through the participation in the resurrection of Christ, when those who were obedient to Him while on earth will rise to eternal life. As we were all one in Adam, it is through obedience that we are one in Christ, the new Adam.
Religious freedom, and the status of religion in the public square, is presently a matter of worl... more Religious freedom, and the status of religion in the public square, is presently a matter of worldwide debate. However, it is necessary to clarify the terms of the debate. This dissertation will offer a challenging invitation to deepen our understanding of the fundamental meaning of religious freedom by analyzing and challenging the notions of "religion," "freedom," and the "public square" as they have been commonly employed in discussions related to religious freedom and the place of religion in the public square in the works of Richard John Neuhaus, John Rawls, Robert Audi, José Casanovas, Jürgen Habermas, and Charles Taylor. It will also challenge the notion of "religious freedom" employed by international and legal documents, and in the work of David Schlinder, John Courtney Murray, and Martha Nussbaum. Following the work of Rainer Forst, it will also show why religious freedom should not be understood as "tolerance."
The goal of the book, then, is to provide a more effective way of dealing with issues of religious freedom and the place of religion in the public square. My investigation will be centered on Thomas Aquinas' notion of religion as a moral virtue, and Hanna Arendt's notion of political freedom. The novelty of this investigation will be in that the virtue of religion will be analyzed in connection to the proper place for the performance of its acts, namely, the private or the public sphere. The book will also show how Aquinas' notion of religion and its deviations (vices) offers a valuable guideline insofar as the public is concerned.
As a consequence, a new meaning will be offered on the notion of religious freedom, based on Aquinas' view of religion as virtue, and Arendt's notion of political freedom as a stage for virtue, which will help clarify the debate on religious freedom and the place of religion in the public square.
El problema jurídico actual con respecto al aborto en Argentina comenzó por un artículo totalment... more El problema jurídico actual con respecto al aborto en Argentina comenzó por un artículo totalmente racista y eugenésico del Código Penal de 1921 y la falsa aplicación al caso de una menor de 15 años que habría sido violada y embarazada por su padrastro y que de modo improcedente terminó en la Corte Suprema en el año 2012, quien dio sentencia en "F., A..L. s/medida autosatisfactiva".
The Incarnate Word Journal, 2011
The purpose of this article is to present Cornelio Fabro’s claim that for Aquinas being (ens) is ... more The purpose of this article is to present Cornelio Fabro’s claim that for Aquinas being (ens) is grasped by the intellect’s first operation. Otherwise, he maintains, any other possibility, such as judgment regarding the existence of a being, may lead to idealism. He also argues that according to the metaphysics of Thomas Aquinas the act of being is somehow present in the first apprehension of ens, since ens is “id quod habet esse,” that which has being. This presentation will focus on Fabro’s interpretation of the matter; however, other interpretations will be briefly mentioned since his claim produced much controversy among scholars, as might be expected.
Catholic Book Reviews, 2018
This present volume originated from a conference organized by the Institute for Advanced Catholic... more This present volume originated from a conference organized by the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies in 2014, and it contains a tightly connected and focused group of essays that aim to offer the notion of common good a more interdisciplinary meaning, since the Catholic idea of the common good is part theological insight, part moral theory, part empirical theory, and part political philosophy.
La imagen que todo el mundo tiene del Che Guevara es aquella del “Che” con su boina negra, con la... more La imagen que todo el mundo tiene del Che Guevara es aquella del “Che” con su boina negra, con la estrella roja y la amplia cabellera al viento, que fotografiara “Korda” (Alberto Díaz). Aquel Che Guevara que se convirtió en “poster divino” para las generaciones postreras. Pero eso no nos dice nada más que una vida mitificada al máximo, fruto de indocumentadas lucubraciones.
Catholic Book Reviews, 2018
This book, translated and edited with a very helpful introduction on the life and work of Abbot S... more This book, translated and edited with a very helpful introduction on the life and work of Abbot Suger of Saint-Denis and extensive notes throughout the book, tries to make up for the lack of respect and attention that such a figure deserves. In fact, Abbot Suger was one of the most important French figures of the first half of the twelfth century. He was a historian, advisor of kings, their representative in many occasions, and an innovative architect whose legacy changed the European landscape: The Gothic style. It was his renovations of the Parisian Church of Saint-Denis, one of the most beautiful churches in Europe, that had a tremendous influence in the following centuries. He left aside the bulky and dark Romanesque style, and instead designed a church with a light-filled and spacious interior, soaring into the sky " with elevated walls and rows of multistoried stained glass windows " (ix). The present volume contains a wealth of information about the events of his era, as well as Suger's descriptions of the church's rebuilding and consecration (The Book on the Consecration of the Church of Saint-Denis), his unfinished biography of Louis VII (The Illustrious King Louis [VII], Son of Louis [VI]) which includes the continuations that completed the biography, and the life of Suger himself, began at the request of his fellow monks to prevent the memory of his accomplishment from being lost to posterity, and completed after his death (The Book of Abbot Suger of Saint-Denis: His Accomplishments during His Administration). Finally, the volume includes The Life of Suger, and The Circular Letter of the Monastery of Saint-Denis Concerning the Death of Abbot Suger, both written by William, a monk of Saint-Denis. The works are presented in chronological order of composition. The translators have also provided two helpful glossaries, containing the meanings of medieval terminology and definitions of Latin words that Suger commonly used in his writings. The translation of these works make Abbot Suger's work accessible to students not yet familiar with his convoluted Latin syntax, and it will also certainly provide students of political, architecture, art and medieval history an excellent access to the writings of this crucial figure.
Catholic Book Reviews, 2018
Kira Schlesinger is priest-in-charge at The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany in Lebanon, Tennesse... more Kira Schlesinger is priest-in-charge at The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany in Lebanon, Tennessee. In this book, Schlesinger’s intention is to find common ground and bring together all the sides of the abortion debate, as she believes there is more that unites, rather than divides Christians.
Science et Esprit, 2018
In this excellent book, Unn Falkeid offers a great contribution to the study of six thinkers from... more In this excellent book, Unn Falkeid offers a great contribution to the study of six thinkers from the fourteenth century, who developed their theories in light of the most important political events of their times: the Avignon papacy. Thus, Falkeid masterfully brings together the work of Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), Marsilius of Padua (ca. 1275-ca. 1342), William of Ockham (ca. 1287-ca. 1347), Francis Petrarch (1304-1374), Birgitta of Sweden (1303-1373), and Catherine of Siena (1347-1380).
Dialogue, 2018
Giorgio Agamben's book appeared originally in Italian in 2014. In it, Agamben brings together 10 ... more Giorgio Agamben's book appeared originally in Italian in 2014. In it, Agamben brings together 10 essays that illustrate what drives his current research: the mystery of literature, of reading and writing, and of language. The book is also enriched by analysis in the areas of religion and mysticism.
Science et Esprit, 2017
This book is the result of a symposium held from the 5th to the 7th of September, 2013 at the Uni... more This book is the result of a symposium held from the 5th to the 7th of September, 2013 at the University of Strasbourg, France. It was organized by the French Society of Philosophy of Religion and Philosophy (Société francophone de philosophie de la religion) and the Group of Philosophy of Religion of the University of Strasbourg. It is a very interesting, and dense, book on the relationship between the noitons of religion and freedom, within the discipline of philosophy of religion. Even though the subject of the book focuses particularly on the Christian religion, it is also interested in other religious traditions such as Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism.
The Incarnate Word Journal, 2011
In this book, Gondreau deals with Thomas’ theology of the human passions of Christ. It surely mar... more In this book, Gondreau deals with Thomas’ theology of the human passions of Christ. It surely marks a major contribution in the field of dogmatic theology, as well as in psychology, since Jesus attains the essence of what it means to be a true human being in a way unlike any other human individual. One has to also note that this is the first time that Thomas’ treatise on the passions of Christ is examined, a truly new work.
The Incarnate Word Journal, 2011
The Oxford Handbook of Philosophical Theology is a collection of twenty-six essays or articles ed... more The Oxford Handbook of Philosophical Theology is a collection of twenty-six essays or articles edited by Thomas Flint, professor of philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, and Michael Rea, also a professor of philosophy at the same university.
In the Introduction to this work, the editors give a definition of what they consider philosophical theology to be: “philosophical theology (as we understand it) is aimed primarily at theoretical understanding of the nature and attributes of God, and God’s relationship to the world and things in the world” (p. 1).
With the publication of Alasdair Maclntyre and Anthony Flew’s New Essays in Philosophical Theology in 1955, there was a great revival of interest in the philosophy of religion in general and, in its wake, in philosophical theology in particular, especially in the latter half of the twentieth century. The topics presented in the book were like the agenda for subsequent work in philosophy of religion for the next two or three decades, such as the meaningfulness of religious discourse and questions about the rationality of religious belief.
This present work, however, covers a new focus of attention apart from those concerning the nature, rationality, and meaningfulness of theistic belief. In the last twenty years, as the editors remark, “a great deal of attention has been devoted recently to philosophical problems arising out of the Christian doctrines of the Trinity, the Incarnation, and the Atonement; there has been an explosion of work on questions about the nature of divine providence and its implications for human freedom; and a fair bit of recent work has also been done on questions about the metaphysical possibility of the resurrection of the dead” (p. 4). At the same time, the authors note that there is a very small literature on the topic of divine revelation and the inspiration of Scripture, only a handful of works on the topics of prayer, original sin, and the nature of heaven and hell, and virtually nothing on the Christian doctrine of the Eucharist from a philosophical standpoint.
The book is divided into five parts covering five general topics:
I. Theological Prolegomena
II. Divine Attributes
III. God and Creation
IV. Topics in Christian Philosophical Theology
V. Non-Christian Philosophical Theology
The Incarnate Word Journal, 2011
The volume is an interdisciplinary collection of essays in philosophy, psychology, political theo... more The volume is an interdisciplinary collection of essays in philosophy, psychology, political theory, and religion, which were delivered at the 2005-2006 John Henry Cardinal Newman Lecture Series at the Institute for the Psychological Sciences (IPS) (Arlington, VA). It has been edited by Craig Steven Titus, a research professor at IPS and the University of Fribourg, Switzerland.
The Incarnate Word Journal, 2010
In this volume, Charles E. Curran surveys the historical development of Catholic moral theology i... more In this volume, Charles E. Curran surveys the historical development of Catholic moral theology in the United States from its 19th century roots to the end of Pope John Paul II’s papacy. It is probably the first comprehensive history of Catholic moral theology in the United States. As one can guess from the title, the book only considers those theologians who write from the Catholic moral tradition.
Diálogo, 2009
El texto fue concluido en 1984, pero recién publicado en el 2009. En resumen, podemos decir que L... more El texto fue concluido en 1984, pero recién publicado en el 2009. En resumen, podemos decir que La luz que viene del Norte se refiere de manera especial a la influencia que ejerció el pensamiento protestante sobre la teología católica. Además de estas cuestiones teológicas, que vendrían a ser como el eje que une todo el trabajo, ofrece un análisis interesante acerca de las ideas y vicisitudes políticas desde comienzos del siglo XX hasta la década de los setenta, además de las consecuencias nefastas que se siguieron. Sin embargo todo él tiende a girar sobre el plano teológico, en algo que es como un intento de hacer teología de la historia, sino fuera por fallar en algo que es esencial a la teología: la mirada de la fe con respecto al Magisterio de la Iglesia.
Diálogo, 2009
The Catholic Church and the Jews, Argentina, 1933-1945 considera la imagen de los judíos de acuer... more The Catholic Church and the Jews, Argentina, 1933-1945 considera la imagen de los judíos de acuerdo a las enseñanzas católicas de esa época, las actitudes de ciertos sacerdotes y fieles contra la comunidad semita, y la respuesta de la jerarquía de la Iglesia en el debate nacional sobre la aceptación de los refugiados judíos venidos desde Europa. El libro constituye un ataque no sólo contra la Iglesia Católica de la Argentina, sino también contra algunos de sus máximos exponentes intelectuales del siglo XX (Julio Meinvielle, Leonardo Castellani, Hugo Wast, Manuel Gálvez, Bruno Genta) y contra grandes movimientos de la época, tales como la Acción Católica y los Cursos de Cultura Católica.
The Incarnate Word Journal , 2007
In his latest book, Schäfer examines the perception of Jesus of Nazareth in the Talmud regarding ... more In his latest book, Schäfer examines the perception of Jesus of Nazareth in the Talmud regarding how the rabbis of the Talmud read, understood, and used the New Testament narrative to assert, ultimately, Judaism’s superiority over Christianity.
Religious freedom, and the status of religion in society, is presently a matter of worldwide deba... more Religious freedom, and the status of religion in society, is presently a matter of worldwide debate. It touches on people’s deepest convictions, the structure of modern secular society, and the possibility of peaceful coexistence of nations and communities. However, it is also important to clarify the terms of the debate. This paper will offer a challenging invitation to deepen our understanding of the fundamental meaning of religious freedom, for this will contribute to the definition, or redefinition, of laws that establish a balance between this freedom and the demands of a public order. This approach will also try to avoid contemporary deadlocks.
With the Incarnation of the Son of God, a new period in the divine economy of salvation begins. T... more With the Incarnation of the Son of God, a new period in the divine economy of salvation begins. The second Person of the Holy Trinity assumes our human nature, and the Word becomes flesh. That unity of natures takes place in the Person of the divine Word, so that the creature is united to God in unity of person. Jesus is both, then, true God and true man, and that unity of natures (divine and human), takes place in His divine Person.
There are two perfect natures in Christ, one divine and one human, and therefore two operations, one divine and one human. By implication we are saying that there are in Christ two modes of knowledge, one divine (common to the three persons of the Trinity), and the other human, in Christ’s human intellect. There is also in Jesus a divine will and a human will, but these will not be the object of my present study.
Christ’s human knowledge is the basis of his capacity for his free human decisions and consequently of his capacity to merit salvation for us. That is the reason why the Church has always attached maximum importance to the problem of the human and divine knowledge of Jesus.
Regarding Christ’s human knowledge, we can identify in Christ, during his life on earth, three modes of knowledge for which the mind has at least an obediential potency : acquired or experimental knowledge, infused knowledge, and science of vision. We shall therefore look at these three modes in this presentation, and what they involve, to conclude with the qualities of Christ’s knowledge, such as infallibility, and Jesus’ consciousness of himself, of his divine filiation, and of his mission.
In this paper, I will present Thomas Aquinas’ notion of participation as applied to the redemptio... more In this paper, I will present Thomas Aquinas’ notion of participation as applied to the redemption brought by Christ. St Thomas makes use of the notion of participation in order to explain our participation in the sin of Adam. As we know from the Scriptures, it is by reason of that first sin that it was fitting that Christ became man in order to redeem all men by suffering in his nature all of the consequences of sin. Out of love for us, Jesus died on the Cross and rose from the dead in order to destroy forever both, sin and death, which are the cause (sin) and the first effect (death) of all moral evils in the world. St. Thomas also teaches that it is by our participation in the death and resurrection of Jesus that we attain redemption, through sanctifying grace while in this life, completed at the end of time through the participation in the resurrection of Christ, when those who were obedient to Him while on earth will rise to eternal life. As we were all one in Adam, it is through obedience that we are one in Christ, the new Adam.
Aquinas holds that ens in quantum ens or ens commune is the subject of metaphysics. Now, how doe... more Aquinas holds that ens in quantum ens or ens commune is the subject of metaphysics. Now, how does he account for our discovery of this subject? It seems a necessary that we first give an account of the way we arrive at knowledge of being as real or existing, because knowledge of ens concerns the conditions of possibility for metaphysics.
In this paper, I will present Cornelio Fabro’s treatment of the problem, which he centers around the “original synthetic apprehension of ens,” as he termed it. He claims that according to Thomas Aquinas, ens is the absolutely first object of the intellect, since it is grasped by the intellect’s first operation: “That which the intellect first conceives as the most evident, and to which it reduces all its concepts, is being (ens).”
In order to offer a concise presentation of the topic, I will first present some texts in which Thomas mentions the two operations of the intellect, and Fabro’s interpretation of the text, in which he reconciles the priority of ens and the two operations of the mind. Second, I will turn to Fabro’s explanation regarding the apprehension of ens and esse, with a presentation of some of Thomas’s texts that according to Fabro shed light on the topic.
The purpose of this work is to study the dialectical process, that is, the relationship between t... more The purpose of this work is to study the dialectical process, that is, the relationship between the intellect and will in free choice, according to Thomas Aquinas.
Even though intellect and will are different powers of the soul, they perform together that act through which the person determines himself, that is, through freedom. We self-determine either by a free choice to do what is right according to the intellect, or, as happens so many times, we don’t choose what our intellect tells us is right, or what is even worse, we force our intellect to conceive as good something that is intrinsically bad. Why does this happen?
Even though much has been written on religious freedom, there seems to be no agreement on what is... more Even though much has been written on religious freedom, there seems to be no agreement on what is meant by religion, which is especially observed when it comes to clarifying the role of religion in the public square. Thus, before we can claim before the state that we have the right to freedom of religion, it is of the utmost importance that we understand what it is we are talking about, what we mean by religious freedom. There seems to be confusion in the way the expression “religious freedom” has been used, either by the fact that the term “religion” is unclear in its content, or because there is no agreement on what is meant by “freedom” in the public square, or in what the public square consists. Thus, the central theme of this book is to elucidate the meaning of religion and freedom in discussions related to religious freedom and the place of religion in the public square. I will explore in which ways these notions are being employed and whether the use of both religion and freedom are coherent uses.
A la mujer se la ha visto históricamente como teniendo un rol esencial en la historia de la human... more A la mujer se la ha visto históricamente como teniendo un rol esencial en la historia de la humanidad. La razón es porque la mujer ha tenido siempre a su alcance el poder de controlar al hombre y dominarlo, en el buen o mal sentido, para bien o para mal, incluso hasta el punto de destruir su psiquis si así (perversamente) lo quisiera. Esto se debe a que el desarrollo psíquico del ser humano cumple su etapa más importante entre los 2 y 4 años de edad, y es precisamente en este momento en el que todo niño generalmente se encuentra bajo el cuidado de la madre. La madre generalmente siempre está presente en esa etapa, y su influencia en el futuro psicológico de ese niño es crucial para eventos que deberá eventualmente enfrentar en su vida. La influencia de la madre puede ser tratada desde el punto de vista biológico, el cual va más allá de nacer simplemente con un determinado par de cromosomas y determinados órganos sexuales. Desde el vientre materno se entabla un vínculo que es vital para la vida del niño, y éste tiene un fundamento hormonal. Todo recién nacido es alimentado por leche materna, y es crucial que sea directamente de la madre, es decir, debe mamar, ya que este acto activa una serie de hormonas en la madre, la oxitocina y la prolactina, la primera de las cuales establece un vínculo entre madre e hijo (y por eso se la llama comúnmente como la " hormona del apeguo "). Piaget argumentó que en la primera etapa de vida el recién nacido no distingue entre su cuerpo y el de la madre. Además, la mujer ha tenido a lo largo de la civilización occidental, y en otras culturas, los medios y el poder para transmitir la cultura, las creencias fundamentales, y la autoridad para dominar la " bestia " interna en el hombre que tantas feministas declaman. Esto no niega la responsabilidad que todo hombre adulto tiene sobre sus actos, pero quiero resaltar aquí el papel inigualable que cumple cada mujer como madre, teniendo en cuenta el reclamo feminista de opresión y subyugación. Entonces mi pregunta ¿por qué es que la mujer (feminista) quiere abandonar ese rol tan " poderoso " ? Parece una ironía en cierta manera.
En el siguiente artículo quiero referirme a aquello por lo cual Stephen Hawking es mundialmente c... more En el siguiente artículo quiero referirme a aquello por lo cual Stephen Hawking es mundialmente conocido: el Big Bang, la teoría que explica el origen del universo, y que, por lo tanto, dejaría a Dios de lado. Al menos según Hawking ya no sería necesario el establecer que hace falta un Dios causante.