John Anthony Berry | University of Malta (original) (raw)
JOHN ANTHONY BERRY is Professor of Fundamental and Dogmatic Theology and the former Dean of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Malta. He holds six academic degrees in Philosophy and Theology specialising in the Philosophy of Augustine and the Theologies of Hans Urs von Balthasar, Joseph Ratzinger and Yves Congar O.P.
He studied at the University of Malta, the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and at K.U. Leuven. He was a visiting scholar at the University of Leuven in Belgium and at Institut Catholique de Paris in France. Berry earned the doctorate degree in Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome with the highest distinction, Summa cum laude.
His specialisation led to his appointment to leadership roles in two prominent European Theology societies: President of Societas Oecumenica, a European Society for Ecumenical Research (2018-2022) and a committee member on the international Presidium of the European Society for Catholic Theology (2017-2021).
He was a guest lecturer at various prestigious institutions in Braga, Dortmund, Dublin, Hamburg, Leuven, Lviv, Toruń, Rijeka, South Bohemia and Wroclaw.
Berry is the secretary of the Diocesan Commission for Interreligious Dialogue and member of the Interfaith Integration Forum established by the Ministry for Justice, Equality and Governance. He served as a consultor to the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity as a member in the response team for “The Church: Towards a Common Vision. Faith and Order Paper No. 214” and has recently been engaged within the Ecumenical section of the Theology Faculty of Florence.
He convened five International Theological Conferences: “Between Two Synods: Journeying Together” (2015); “The Spirit of the Reformation: 500 Years On” (2017); on “Resilience in a Troubled World” (2018); “Reconsidering Transcendence. Between Presence and Absence” (2019) and “Living Tradition: Continuity and Change as Challenges to Churches and Theologies” (2022).
Two of his recent publications are: "Moral Aspects of Imaginative Art in Thomas Aquinas" (2021) and Fidelis et Verax (2022).
Berry co-founded and co-edits 'Theology and Philosophy of Education', a new international journal and reviews Forum Philosophicum, Religions, Rocznik Teologii amongst others.
Phone: +356 2340 3498
Address: Faculty of Theology, Room 321,
University of Malta,
Msida MSD 2080
Malta
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Papers by John Anthony Berry
Book review for "The Meaning and Practice of Faith" by Diarmuid O’Murchu. This book is ... more Book review for "The Meaning and Practice of Faith" by Diarmuid O’Murchu. This book is a resource that will enable people to discern more deeply what they are experiencing and to develop a vocabulary to articulate their inner processes.peer-reviewe
University of Malta. Faculty of Theology, 2010
Hans Urs von Balthasar’s reflections on the death of Christ are at the centre of this study-paper... more Hans Urs von Balthasar’s reflections on the death of Christ are at the centre of this study-paper. It seeks first to present the “drama in three acts” of the paschal mystery and secondly to explore the Swiss theologian’s Soteriology. Good Friday representing Christ’s self-surrender, Holy Saturday as the day of silence and Easter Sunday as the day of triumph provide the indispensable hermeneutic for an understanding of the Trinity. Jesus’ death on the Cross is presented in terms of “surrender”, “obedience” and “mission”. “Solidarity” and “reality” are other keywords with which Christ’ descent in the Sheol is explained. Lastly, in the event of the resurrection not only do the cross and descent of Jesus reveal their inner meaning, but also the Father’s power over sin and death by raising the Son to eternal life is likewise manifested. For Balthasar, the death of Christ was different from every other human death in that Christ bore the full weight of sin in humanity’s place. It turns around the whole course of human history. Ultimately, the cross as an event has a unique efficacy that can never be replaced by anything or anyone.
The Faculty of Theology is organising a two-day international conference on 'Reconsiderin... more The Faculty of Theology is organising a two-day international conference on 'Reconsidering Transcendence. Between Presence and Absence' on 10-11 May 2019. The conference shall take place at the Auditorium of the Faculty of ICT, University of Malta. Professor Yvonne Dohna Schlobitten (Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome) will deliver the opening lecture at 10.30 am, while Professor GianLuigi Pasquale (Pontifical Lateran University, Rome) will give the keynote lecture on the second day of the conference at 8.45 am. The conference will unfold in five plenary sessions each having four speakers. The first session contextualises the theme of transcendence in view of biblical anthropology. In the second session, transcendance wil be examined in light of the history of thought with reference to major philosopher-theologians including Gregory of Nyssa, Thomas Aquinas, Bonaventure, Kierkegaard and other contemporary figures. Transcendence is consequently studied from the perspective of spirituality and the wider religious phenomenon. In the fourth plenary session, speakers seek to provide an ecclesial and a societal definition of transcendence. Lastly, the theme is examined in view of humanity’s desire for more. The conference attempts to provide reasons why we need to reconsider transcendence and also where do we stand now between ‘presence’ and ‘absence’. Out of twenty-three participant speakers nine are local academics. The rest are professors hailing from the universities in Dortmund, Heidelberg, Kaunas, Lviv, Paris, Prague, Rome, Torun, Verona and Wroclaw.
The journey towards Christian unity implies a change in attitude, a conversion in the way one loo... more The journey towards Christian unity implies a change in attitude, a conversion in the way one looks towards the other, an adaptation of the style one lives out one’s faith. It is not simply willingness to recognise and respect others, but most of all to link all human efforts to faith and love. Ecumenism consists in being “under one roof” with the Lord through baptism. In the path of unity, we are called to grasp the true meaning of hospitality and to recognise the gift in the other because “whoever is not against us is for us”. It is through the power of the cross that divisions are overcome. It is Christ Jesus who heals all ruptures. The Spirit empowers us to bear witness to and be co-responsible for the communion that we cherish and celebrate.
This paper attempts to present Hans Urs von Balthasar’s understanding of leading a Christian life... more This paper attempts to present Hans Urs von Balthasar’s understanding of leading a Christian life in terms of the loving Triune God manifested in Jesus Christ. First, it starts by highlighting God’s act of love for humanity. Here Balthasar’s theology appears at once as one of wonder and gift. Secondly, in front of all this ineffable mystery, the Christian never ceases to wonder and to contemplate Christ. Thirdly, there is a decisive moment wherein the Christian “should be one who offers up his life in the service of his fellow man because he owes his life to Christ crucified”. Fourthly, it is seen that the testing by fire of the Christian’s genuine faith is no easy task. It calls for obedience and surrender. Lastly, Balthasar’s emphasis on the moment of Christian witness as a “gift” par excellence is brought to light. It will be seen that the Christian, purified by fire, “lend[s] his own love” so that the logic of God’s universal engagement with the world in the love of Jesus Christ continues to be manifest today as it did in the past.
My immediate acceptance of the invitation to contribute to this group of essays in honour of Prof... more My immediate acceptance of the invitation to contribute to this group of essays in honour of Professor George Grima had various motivations. “Dun George”, as we past students affectionately call him, has not only induced us in theology as a Dean of the Faculty and Lecturer of Moral Theology, but also instilled in us an unrelenting sense to seek convergence among the contrasting lines of thought under study. His mark on the Faculty is certainly his determination to adopt and to exercise an interdisciplinary approach in theology in order to ensure a safe path to seek the truth. Furthermore, what strikes me in Professor Grima is his sense of readiness and ability to make his interlocutors feel welcome and attended to at any time regardless of all other pressing commitments. What I shall be presenting here, is a modest reflection on the Church in the thought of Joseph Ratzinger (1927–).1 It is my hope that this paper somehow evokes Professor Grima’s wit in providing food for thought to ...
Journal of Jesuit Studies, 2016
Theology, 2015
Thomas Merton: Selected Essays. Edited by Patrick F. O'Connell. Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 2013.... more Thomas Merton: Selected Essays. Edited by Patrick F. O'Connell. Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 2013. Pp. xviii, 528. $50.00.The first question readers new to the work of Thomas Merton often ask is: Where do I begin? Given the volume and breadth of Merton's writings, this has never been a simple question. It used to be wisest to take a general approach: start with The Seven Storey Mountain, say, or the compendium Merton worked on himself, A Thomas Merton Reader. In recent years, however, excellent collections of selected writings in particular areas have made a narrower targeting possible. Interested in Merton's private thoughts? Try The Intimate Merton: His Life from His Journals (1999), edited by Patrick Hart and Jonathan Montaldo. Drawn more to poetry? Start with In the Dark Before the Dawn: New Selected Poems (2005), edited by Lynn R. Szabo. Curious about his correspondence with friends, writers and religious leaders? Choose A Life in Letters: The Essential Collection (2008), edited by William H. Shannon and Christine M. Bochen.The latest addition to this useful trend is Thomas Merton: Selected Essays, featuring 33 of the approximately 250 essays Merton wrote and published during his lifetime. As is true with the collections named above, the selections in this volume have been chosen and edited by a scholar well known for his knowledge of Merton's writings-in this case, Patrick F. O'Connell, editor of The Merton Seasonal and co-editor of The Thomas Merton Encyclopedia. In addition to choosing a rich mix of better-and lesser-known essays that highlight Merton's various rhetorical approaches and wide range of interests, O'Connell has provided pleasingly succinct and yet thorough headnotes discussing the composition, publication, significance, context and content of each essay. His helpful introduction traces the development of "Merton the Essayist" in the years following the phenomenal success of The Seven Storey Mountain and especially over Merton's last decade when a deeper engagement with the world led to a greater variety of writing concerns.Among the topics addressed in these essays are: the relationship between poetry and contemplation, the dialogue between Christianity and Eastern religions, the absurdity of modem life and the rise of Christian existentialism, the Christian response to America's racial problems, the works of William Faulkner and Albert Camus, the interplay between nonviolence and civil disobedience, the history of white relations with Native Americans, and the importance of developing an ecological consciousness. Most of these subjects- and many of the essays-are already familiar to veteran Merton readers, but arranged as they are here, in chronological order, O'Connell's selections reveal the development and evolution of Merton's ideas, the crosscutting nature of his central beliefs, and the variety of subjects Merton was thinking about at any particular moment.Although O'Connell writes in his introduction that Merton's "'career' as an essayist can be conveniently divided into two approximately equal periods, 1947-58 and 1958-68," O'Connell clearly considers the second period more important. Only three essays in the collection were written during the earlier timespan, and "Poetry and Contemplation: A Reappraisal" is a later revision. As a result, the voice we hear in these essays is confident, mature and fully engaged. It is the voice of a man who knows what he believes and where he's speaking from, one who isn't afraid to challenge or poke fun at anyone, even those above him within his own order. …
Biblica et Patristica Thoruniensia, 2017
Societas Oecumenica, a European Society for Ecumenical Research, shall be discussing "Living... more Societas Oecumenica, a European Society for Ecumenical Research, shall be discussing "Living Tradition: Continuity and Change as Challenges to Churches and Theologies" in its 21st Consultation in Malta on 20-25 August 2020. It seeks to ponder on respective Christian identities and mission as each denomination pursues the ecumenical road ahead. There will be four major areas for exploration: 1) The Theologies of Tradition: Handling continuity in different churches and denominations; (2) Changing traditions: Preserving identity through discontinuities; (3) Captivities of traditions: Dealing with traditionalism and fundamentalism; and (4) Dynamics of Tradition: Living faith in changing times.<br>
Roczniki Teologiczne, 2017
This celebratory volume, which commemorates the tenth anniversary of the episcopal ordination of ... more This celebratory volume, which commemorates the tenth anniversary of the episcopal ordination of His Grace Mgr Charles J. Scicluna, Archbishop of Malta, is called Fidelis et Verax, meaning ‘Faithful and True,’ because it is the motto chosen by him when he assumed this ministry. These adjectives are the appellations given to our Lord Jesus Christ in the Book of Revelation, and Archbishop Scicluna has seen it fitting to adopt them as ideal qualities that should characterize his episcopate for the good of the Church and of society at large.
The initiative to produce this publication germinated in the Faculty of Theology at the University of Malta. The volume consists of a number of articles that were penned by various distinguished individuals who, in some way or other, have crossed paths with Archbishop Scicluna. The reason behind this publication is to encourage the Archbishop as he endeavours to emulate the Lord’s qualities of faithfulness and truth. It was the intention of the contributors to provide him with a number of scholarly articles that would be instrumental in his ministry as the principal pastor of Malta, in the hope that they would enlighten him and spur him on to continue to hold high the noble virtues of faithfulness and truth which he chose to mark his exercise of authority with love and gentleness.
Book review for "The Meaning and Practice of Faith" by Diarmuid O’Murchu. This book is ... more Book review for "The Meaning and Practice of Faith" by Diarmuid O’Murchu. This book is a resource that will enable people to discern more deeply what they are experiencing and to develop a vocabulary to articulate their inner processes.peer-reviewe
University of Malta. Faculty of Theology, 2010
Hans Urs von Balthasar’s reflections on the death of Christ are at the centre of this study-paper... more Hans Urs von Balthasar’s reflections on the death of Christ are at the centre of this study-paper. It seeks first to present the “drama in three acts” of the paschal mystery and secondly to explore the Swiss theologian’s Soteriology. Good Friday representing Christ’s self-surrender, Holy Saturday as the day of silence and Easter Sunday as the day of triumph provide the indispensable hermeneutic for an understanding of the Trinity. Jesus’ death on the Cross is presented in terms of “surrender”, “obedience” and “mission”. “Solidarity” and “reality” are other keywords with which Christ’ descent in the Sheol is explained. Lastly, in the event of the resurrection not only do the cross and descent of Jesus reveal their inner meaning, but also the Father’s power over sin and death by raising the Son to eternal life is likewise manifested. For Balthasar, the death of Christ was different from every other human death in that Christ bore the full weight of sin in humanity’s place. It turns around the whole course of human history. Ultimately, the cross as an event has a unique efficacy that can never be replaced by anything or anyone.
The Faculty of Theology is organising a two-day international conference on 'Reconsiderin... more The Faculty of Theology is organising a two-day international conference on 'Reconsidering Transcendence. Between Presence and Absence' on 10-11 May 2019. The conference shall take place at the Auditorium of the Faculty of ICT, University of Malta. Professor Yvonne Dohna Schlobitten (Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome) will deliver the opening lecture at 10.30 am, while Professor GianLuigi Pasquale (Pontifical Lateran University, Rome) will give the keynote lecture on the second day of the conference at 8.45 am. The conference will unfold in five plenary sessions each having four speakers. The first session contextualises the theme of transcendence in view of biblical anthropology. In the second session, transcendance wil be examined in light of the history of thought with reference to major philosopher-theologians including Gregory of Nyssa, Thomas Aquinas, Bonaventure, Kierkegaard and other contemporary figures. Transcendence is consequently studied from the perspective of spirituality and the wider religious phenomenon. In the fourth plenary session, speakers seek to provide an ecclesial and a societal definition of transcendence. Lastly, the theme is examined in view of humanity’s desire for more. The conference attempts to provide reasons why we need to reconsider transcendence and also where do we stand now between ‘presence’ and ‘absence’. Out of twenty-three participant speakers nine are local academics. The rest are professors hailing from the universities in Dortmund, Heidelberg, Kaunas, Lviv, Paris, Prague, Rome, Torun, Verona and Wroclaw.
The journey towards Christian unity implies a change in attitude, a conversion in the way one loo... more The journey towards Christian unity implies a change in attitude, a conversion in the way one looks towards the other, an adaptation of the style one lives out one’s faith. It is not simply willingness to recognise and respect others, but most of all to link all human efforts to faith and love. Ecumenism consists in being “under one roof” with the Lord through baptism. In the path of unity, we are called to grasp the true meaning of hospitality and to recognise the gift in the other because “whoever is not against us is for us”. It is through the power of the cross that divisions are overcome. It is Christ Jesus who heals all ruptures. The Spirit empowers us to bear witness to and be co-responsible for the communion that we cherish and celebrate.
This paper attempts to present Hans Urs von Balthasar’s understanding of leading a Christian life... more This paper attempts to present Hans Urs von Balthasar’s understanding of leading a Christian life in terms of the loving Triune God manifested in Jesus Christ. First, it starts by highlighting God’s act of love for humanity. Here Balthasar’s theology appears at once as one of wonder and gift. Secondly, in front of all this ineffable mystery, the Christian never ceases to wonder and to contemplate Christ. Thirdly, there is a decisive moment wherein the Christian “should be one who offers up his life in the service of his fellow man because he owes his life to Christ crucified”. Fourthly, it is seen that the testing by fire of the Christian’s genuine faith is no easy task. It calls for obedience and surrender. Lastly, Balthasar’s emphasis on the moment of Christian witness as a “gift” par excellence is brought to light. It will be seen that the Christian, purified by fire, “lend[s] his own love” so that the logic of God’s universal engagement with the world in the love of Jesus Christ continues to be manifest today as it did in the past.
My immediate acceptance of the invitation to contribute to this group of essays in honour of Prof... more My immediate acceptance of the invitation to contribute to this group of essays in honour of Professor George Grima had various motivations. “Dun George”, as we past students affectionately call him, has not only induced us in theology as a Dean of the Faculty and Lecturer of Moral Theology, but also instilled in us an unrelenting sense to seek convergence among the contrasting lines of thought under study. His mark on the Faculty is certainly his determination to adopt and to exercise an interdisciplinary approach in theology in order to ensure a safe path to seek the truth. Furthermore, what strikes me in Professor Grima is his sense of readiness and ability to make his interlocutors feel welcome and attended to at any time regardless of all other pressing commitments. What I shall be presenting here, is a modest reflection on the Church in the thought of Joseph Ratzinger (1927–).1 It is my hope that this paper somehow evokes Professor Grima’s wit in providing food for thought to ...
Journal of Jesuit Studies, 2016
Theology, 2015
Thomas Merton: Selected Essays. Edited by Patrick F. O'Connell. Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 2013.... more Thomas Merton: Selected Essays. Edited by Patrick F. O'Connell. Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 2013. Pp. xviii, 528. $50.00.The first question readers new to the work of Thomas Merton often ask is: Where do I begin? Given the volume and breadth of Merton's writings, this has never been a simple question. It used to be wisest to take a general approach: start with The Seven Storey Mountain, say, or the compendium Merton worked on himself, A Thomas Merton Reader. In recent years, however, excellent collections of selected writings in particular areas have made a narrower targeting possible. Interested in Merton's private thoughts? Try The Intimate Merton: His Life from His Journals (1999), edited by Patrick Hart and Jonathan Montaldo. Drawn more to poetry? Start with In the Dark Before the Dawn: New Selected Poems (2005), edited by Lynn R. Szabo. Curious about his correspondence with friends, writers and religious leaders? Choose A Life in Letters: The Essential Collection (2008), edited by William H. Shannon and Christine M. Bochen.The latest addition to this useful trend is Thomas Merton: Selected Essays, featuring 33 of the approximately 250 essays Merton wrote and published during his lifetime. As is true with the collections named above, the selections in this volume have been chosen and edited by a scholar well known for his knowledge of Merton's writings-in this case, Patrick F. O'Connell, editor of The Merton Seasonal and co-editor of The Thomas Merton Encyclopedia. In addition to choosing a rich mix of better-and lesser-known essays that highlight Merton's various rhetorical approaches and wide range of interests, O'Connell has provided pleasingly succinct and yet thorough headnotes discussing the composition, publication, significance, context and content of each essay. His helpful introduction traces the development of "Merton the Essayist" in the years following the phenomenal success of The Seven Storey Mountain and especially over Merton's last decade when a deeper engagement with the world led to a greater variety of writing concerns.Among the topics addressed in these essays are: the relationship between poetry and contemplation, the dialogue between Christianity and Eastern religions, the absurdity of modem life and the rise of Christian existentialism, the Christian response to America's racial problems, the works of William Faulkner and Albert Camus, the interplay between nonviolence and civil disobedience, the history of white relations with Native Americans, and the importance of developing an ecological consciousness. Most of these subjects- and many of the essays-are already familiar to veteran Merton readers, but arranged as they are here, in chronological order, O'Connell's selections reveal the development and evolution of Merton's ideas, the crosscutting nature of his central beliefs, and the variety of subjects Merton was thinking about at any particular moment.Although O'Connell writes in his introduction that Merton's "'career' as an essayist can be conveniently divided into two approximately equal periods, 1947-58 and 1958-68," O'Connell clearly considers the second period more important. Only three essays in the collection were written during the earlier timespan, and "Poetry and Contemplation: A Reappraisal" is a later revision. As a result, the voice we hear in these essays is confident, mature and fully engaged. It is the voice of a man who knows what he believes and where he's speaking from, one who isn't afraid to challenge or poke fun at anyone, even those above him within his own order. …
Biblica et Patristica Thoruniensia, 2017
Societas Oecumenica, a European Society for Ecumenical Research, shall be discussing "Living... more Societas Oecumenica, a European Society for Ecumenical Research, shall be discussing "Living Tradition: Continuity and Change as Challenges to Churches and Theologies" in its 21st Consultation in Malta on 20-25 August 2020. It seeks to ponder on respective Christian identities and mission as each denomination pursues the ecumenical road ahead. There will be four major areas for exploration: 1) The Theologies of Tradition: Handling continuity in different churches and denominations; (2) Changing traditions: Preserving identity through discontinuities; (3) Captivities of traditions: Dealing with traditionalism and fundamentalism; and (4) Dynamics of Tradition: Living faith in changing times.<br>
Roczniki Teologiczne, 2017
This celebratory volume, which commemorates the tenth anniversary of the episcopal ordination of ... more This celebratory volume, which commemorates the tenth anniversary of the episcopal ordination of His Grace Mgr Charles J. Scicluna, Archbishop of Malta, is called Fidelis et Verax, meaning ‘Faithful and True,’ because it is the motto chosen by him when he assumed this ministry. These adjectives are the appellations given to our Lord Jesus Christ in the Book of Revelation, and Archbishop Scicluna has seen it fitting to adopt them as ideal qualities that should characterize his episcopate for the good of the Church and of society at large.
The initiative to produce this publication germinated in the Faculty of Theology at the University of Malta. The volume consists of a number of articles that were penned by various distinguished individuals who, in some way or other, have crossed paths with Archbishop Scicluna. The reason behind this publication is to encourage the Archbishop as he endeavours to emulate the Lord’s qualities of faithfulness and truth. It was the intention of the contributors to provide him with a number of scholarly articles that would be instrumental in his ministry as the principal pastor of Malta, in the hope that they would enlighten him and spur him on to continue to hold high the noble virtues of faithfulness and truth which he chose to mark his exercise of authority with love and gentleness.
The first of a series of lectures marking the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Our Lady of... more The first of a series of lectures marking the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Church in Fgura (Malta) consisted in addressing one basic question for the Church-goer and the theologian alike: how can the credibility of the Church nowadays be proposed? What language should be used in order to explain the mystery of the Church in words that are meaningful and point toward the truth? Referring to the ecclesiological vision presented at Vatican II, this lecture sought to explain in practical terms the meaning of being a practising Christian as well as to rediscover the joys and freedom that the readiness to keep 'believing' and 'belonging' in a healthy relationship gives.
What is needed for ecumenism is a return to the Gospel, that is, to re-centre oneself around the ... more What is needed for ecumenism is a return to the Gospel, that is, to re-centre oneself around the essentials of the Christian religion. The truly Christian is therefore one who interiorly lives in faith and charity, knows himself to be by grace the son of the Father, and radiates the likeness of God in sufficient measure as to be recognized as a member of one body with those who are also of the family of God and bear the stamp of Christ’s likeness. He is one in whom the sense of unity is strong enough to enable him to honour in others, under their diverse forms of experience and expression, the same life of Christ in whom we are universally brethren. It is the faith principle or prayer itself that can best lead ecumenism reach its aim.
L-Ewwel Tqarbina hi okkazzjoni speċjali tant li timmarka ħajjet it-tfal. Hi l-laqgħa tant mistenn... more L-Ewwel Tqarbina hi okkazzjoni speċjali tant li timmarka ħajjet it-tfal. Hi l-laqgħa tant mistennija bejnhom u bejn Ġesù Ewkaristija. L-istess okkażjoni timmarka ukoll ħajjet il-ġenituri tagħhom. Il-Preparazzjoni għal dan il-pass importanti fil-ħajja tat-tfal għandha twassal liż-żgħar u l-kbar mhux biss għall-preparazzjoni immedjata jew remota, iżda ukoll għal djalogu kontinwu fejn l-imħabba ta’ Alla għal bniedem tieħu forma ta’ relazzjoni intima ma’ Ġesù fl-Ewkaristija. L-istess mistoqsijiet li jagħmlu t-tfal u l-kbar fil-konverżazzjoni ma’ Alla huma l-istess mistoqsijiet li għamel Alla lill-bnedmin. It-tweġibiet b'mod personali, imbagħad, jingħataw kollha minn Ġesù Ewkaristija.
Il-Komunità Nisranija mistiedna minn żmien għall-żmien tagħmel riflessjoni dwar l-identità u s-se... more Il-Komunità Nisranija mistiedna minn żmien għall-żmien tagħmel riflessjoni dwar l-identità u s-sejħa tagħha nisranija. Il-motto “Aħna Ġebel Ħaj” jieħu sura meta l-miġemgħa mdawwla mill-fidi tagħha tagħraf lilha nnifisha mibnija fuq Kristu l-Ġebla tax-xewka. Il-Komunità ssib lilha nnifisha biss fi Kristu. Tiġġedded il-Komunità kull darba li tisma’ l-Kelma ta’ Alla, tiċċelebra l-Ewkaristija u tistqarr bil-kelma u l-eżempju dak li temmen. Tiġdid fil-komunità nisranija, frott il-qawwa tal-Ispirtu ta' Alla, jfisser bidla fl-attitudni, l-mentalità u l-għażla fl-istil ta’ ħajja.
In-Nisrani, għall-fidi li jħaddan, qiegħed iwieġeb ta’ kuljum fil-kelma u l-azzjoni. Ġesù Kristu ... more In-Nisrani, għall-fidi li jħaddan, qiegħed iwieġeb ta’ kuljum fil-kelma u l-azzjoni. Ġesù Kristu hu għalih Persuna (divina) li lilu jista’ jagħraf, iħobb u jistqarr. Il-ġrajja tal-Inkarnazzjoni tippermetti lin-Nisrani sabiex mhux biss ‘jifhem’ lil Kristu l-Verb li sar bniedem, iżda ukoll li ‘jidħol’ f’intimità u relazzjoni miegħu. Hi din l-interjorità li ssuq l-att ta’ fidi fuq bażi personali. Madanakollu tibqa’ dejjem fidi ekkleżjali u miftuħa għall-oħrajn. Dan jurih fuq kollox Kristu nnifsu fil-ħidma fuq l-art sabiex filwaqt li kull bniedem jagħraf l-identità tiegħu, josserva b’fedeltà l-kmandamenti tal-imħabba. Fl-aħħar u mhux l-inqas, fl-istqarrija tal-fidi dwar il-misteru tal-mewt u tal-qawmien ta’ Kristu, n-nisrani jagħraf is-sejħa u l-missjoni tiegħu fil-ħajja ta’ kuljum. Kristu fil-Kredu jitlob fuq kollox fidi adulta u ċertament ftuh il-moħħ u l-qalb ta’ kull min għandu rieda tajba.
L-Għeluq is-seba’ sena mill-ħatra tal-Papa Benedittu Sittax hu mument opportun sabiex issir evalw... more L-Għeluq is-seba’ sena mill-ħatra tal-Papa Benedittu Sittax hu mument opportun sabiex issir evalwazzjoni meqjusa tal-ħidma u d-direzzjoni ta’ dan il-Pontifikat. Fuq kollox, wieħed irid jikkunsidra l-ħsieb teoloġiku ta’ Benedittu XVI li ċertament jimmarka mhux biss il-Knisja, iżda hu fuq kollox ta’ korrezzjoni tal-ħsieb u gwida għall-bniedem kontemporanju.
RECONSIDERING TRANSCENDENCE, 2019
The Faculty of Theology is organising a two-day international conference on 'Reconsidering Transc... more The Faculty of Theology is organising a two-day international conference on 'Reconsidering Transcendence. Between Presence and Absence' on 10-11 May 2019.
The conference shall take place at the Auditorium of the Faculty of ICT, University of Malta.
Professor Yvonne Dohna Schlobitten (Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome) will deliver the opening lecture at 10.30 am, while Professor GianLuigi Pasquale (Pontifical Lateran University, Rome) will give the keynote lecture on the second day of the conference at 8.45 am.
The conference will unfold in five plenary sessions each having four speakers.
The first session contextualises the theme of transcendence in view of biblical anthropology. In the second session, transcendance wil be examined in light of the history of thought with reference to major philosopher-theologians including Gregory of Nyssa, Thomas Aquinas, Bonaventure, Kierkegaard and other contemporary figures. Transcendence is consequently studied from the perspective of spirituality and the wider religious phenomenon.
In the fourth plenary session, speakers seek to provide an ecclesial and a societal definition of transcendence. Lastly, the theme is examined in view of humanity’s desire for more. The conference attempts to provide reasons why we need to reconsider transcendence and also where do we stand now between ‘presence’ and ‘absence’.
Out of twenty-three participant speakers nine are local academics. The rest are professors hailing from the universities in Dortmund, Heidelberg, Kaunas, Lviv, Paris, Prague, Rome, Torun, Verona and Wroclaw.
www.um.edu.mt/theology/resilience The Faculty of Theology at the University of Malta is holding ... more www.um.edu.mt/theology/resilience
The Faculty of Theology at the University of Malta is holding its International Conference on 7-9 November 2018.
The theme of this year's three-day conference is 'Resilience in a Troubled World'.
Professor Tomáš Halík (Charles University in Prague and Templeton Prize Winner) will give a Keynote Lecture on "Resilience in an age of uncertainty" at the Oratory, St John’s co-Cathedral in Valletta on 7 November 2018 at 1830 hrs.
On Thursday 8 November and Friday 9 November 2018, there will be five panels of distinguished and junior speakers from Malta; Italy; the United States of America; Ireland; Johannesburg, Africa; Netherlands; Spain; Czechia and Poland.
The Concluding Lecture will be delivered by Professor Eamonn Conway and Dr Kerry Greer on ''The Commodification of Resilience: Rediscovering the Virtue of Christian Hope for a Troubled World'' on Friday 9 November 2018 at 1830 hrs.
Are 'radiant tomorrows' possible to imagine? Which future can one embrace in a divided world? Are... more Are 'radiant tomorrows' possible to imagine? Which future can one embrace in a divided world? Are faith and action enough to respond to the immediate challenges?
People come to realise that a troubled world is a common enemy that requires a collective response. Beyond personal beliefs, religions and ordinary values, humans need to pick up the pieces and go bravely together into the unimaginable. Although predicting the future is a risky and a daunting task, in front of a troubled world, human arms must never grow slack.
Resilience becomes a virtue that changes humans from 'guilty bystanders' to 'catalysts for change'. Resilience equips humans with ordinary virtues to lead extraordinary lives, making them contemplatives in action.
The Department of Fundamental & Dogmatic Theology within the Faculty of Theology at the University of Malta is organising an international conference that seeks to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the death of three great theologians and spiritual writers: Romano Guardini, Karl Barth and Thomas Merton.
Contact: resiliencemalta@gmail.com
Convenor: John Berry
Love Alone. Hans Urs von Balthasar on the Trinity and the Paschal Mystery, 2020
Von Balthasar approaches the mystery of the Trinity from the perspective of its interconnection w... more Von Balthasar approaches the mystery of the Trinity from the perspective of its interconnection with the paschal mystery of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Thus, the mystery of the Trinity cannot be separated from the paschal mystery. The latter is fully understood in the light of the eternal love of the unique and Triune God. Von Balthasar insists that God’s glory can embrace transcendentally even the uttermost contradictions. God’s glory was to be revealed in Jesus Christ’s absolute obedience right to the point of the cross and hell. The powerfulness in God’s glory shines forth in complete powerlessness. It is this abyss of God’s love, revealed most dramatically in Jesus’ descent into hell, which lies at the heart of von Balthasar’s theology. “For it is precisely in the kenosis of Christ (and nowhere else) that the inner majesty of God’s love appears, of God who ‘is love’ (1 John 4, 8) and therefore a trinity.” He continues that in the Lord’s actions there is not only a sublime metaphor of eternal love, but eternal love itself.
Dan il-ktieb jindika direzzjoni pastorali. It-tliet kelmiet “akkumpanjament”, “dixxerniment” u “i... more Dan il-ktieb jindika direzzjoni pastorali. It-tliet kelmiet “akkumpanjament”, “dixxerniment” u “integrazzjoni” huma l-kriterji biex neżerċitaw attenzjoni pastorali mimlija ħniena u kuraġġ lejn il-miżżewġin kollha, inklużi dawk li jinsabu f ’qagħda kumplessa ta’ relazzjoni.
L-isforz pastorali tagħna hu li nħaddmu l-loġika tal-ħniena pastorali ma’ dawk li qegħdin jgħixu f ’sitwazzjonijiet “irregolari.” Dan l-atteġġjament pastorali “jagħtina f ’idejna kwadru u klima li jżommuna milli niżviluppaw morali kiesħa tal-iskrivanija meta niġu biex nittrattaw it-temi l-iżjed delikati, imma pjuttost iqegħduna fil-kuntest ta’ dixxerniment pastorali mimli mħabba ħanina, li dejjem issibha lesta tifhem, taħfer, issieħeb, tittama, u fuq kollox tintegra. Din hi l-loġika li għandha tirbaħ fil-Knisja” (AL 312).
Permezz ta’ normi pastorali nistgħu bi mħabba u serenità nidħlu fil-qalba tad-dramma tal-persuni u nidħlu fiż-żarbun tagħhom sabiex ngħinuhom jgħixu aħjar u jagħrfu x’inhi r-rieda t’Alla għalihom f’dawk iċ-ċirkustanzi partikolari u x’inhu posthom fil-Knisja.