Balthasar and Rahner on the ‘Anonymous Christian’ (original) (raw)
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Somewhat belatedly and perhaps datedly, as it was examined ten years ago, this thesis explores the effects of twentieth century controversies around the theology of nature and grace on Hans Urs von Balthasar and Karl Rahner’s theology of religions, and attempts to mediate between the two theologians’ seemingly contrary positions. It suggests that Balthasar’s theology lends itself better to the possibility of an “anonymous Christendom” than to Rahner’s idea of individual “anonymous Christians”, despite his rejection of the former and grudging acceptance of the latter. Chapter 1 explores integralist responses to the Neo-scholastic extrinsicist model of nature and grace, arguing that Rahner’s notion of pure nature perpetuates the problems it proposes to solve. Chapter 2 considers Balthasar’s reconciliation of Karl Barth’s theology with de Lubac’s integralist model of nature and grace. Chapter 3 critically considers the implications of Balthasar’s aesthetic epistemology on his theology of religions. In chapter 4, we argue that imbalances in Balthasar’s theology can be righted by certain Rahnerian insights, leading in chapter 5 to the argument that the working of God’s grace outside the Church is necessary for the eschatological fulfilment of the Kingdom. The thesis finally suggests the possibility of an ‘anonymous Christendom’ outside the visible Church. Chapter 6 tests the thesis of ‘anonymous Christendom’ against the examples first of a Hindu sati, and then of Buddhist maitri as presented in de Lubac’s Aspects du Bouddhisme, suggesting that each can, in de Lubac’s terms, form ‘building blocks’ in the Kingdom.
THE KENOSIS OF CHRIST REVISITED: THE RELATIONAL PERSPECTIVE OF KARL RAHNER
The early hymn of Philippians (Philippians 2:6–7) describes beautifully the descent of Christ. The theological term kenosis originates with this hymn, referring to the Greek verb κενοω, translated as ‘emptied himself’. In this article I analyse aspects of Rahner's anthropology and Christology in order to grasp his idea of the self-emptying of God and the self-surrender of the human being. I put Rahner in dialogue with Wolfhart Pannenberg, who similarly makes kenosis central in his book Jesus, God and Man. I further argue that Rahner's relational view of kenosis derives from Ignatian Spirituality.
The Triune Gift of Self: A Reformed Critique of Karl Rahner's Theology of Divine Self-Communication
2014
Karl Rahner, SJ (1904–1984) was one of the most influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century. Theologians often encounter him first through his trinitarian “rule,” which states that the “economic” Trinity is the “immanent” Trinity and the “immanent” Trinity is the “economic” Trinity. While many can recite the rule, few understand its significance. We endeavor to offer a comprehensive study of Rahner’s doctrine of trinitarian personality by tracing this thread through the doctrine of God, theological anthropology, Christology, and soteriology. By understanding the hypostases of Son and Spirit as ad intra self-communications, Rahner formulates a means for the triune God to communicate himself to human beings, the divinely equipped recipient of his gift of self. When the eternal Son of God expresses himself concretely, he is expressed as a hypostatic union of divine and human natures. Through this hypostatic union Christ actualizes and consummates the relationship between God and man by becoming the climax of divine gift and its human acceptance in freedom. For Rahner, this divine self-communication elevates humanity to consummate life through the beatific vision. In this study, we argue that Rahner’s formulation of trinitarian personality cannot sustain a fully trinitarian gift of self, because it is trinitarian in mode of delivery only—in manner, but not in matter. Therefore, it is not properly a divine gift of self. By appealing to the twentieth-century Reformed theologian Cornelius Van Til (1895–1987), we propose a doctrine of perichoresis to ground a biblical-theological and systematic model of æonic image conformity as an alternative. The beatific vision (and glorification) ought to be construed in a covenantal context as an eschatological transformation, which recovers the threefold image of God bestowed upon man at creation and elevates him to an estate higher than that in which he was created. In contrast to Rahner’s theology of divine self-communication, the glorified man does not become incorporated ontologically or hypostatically into God. Rather, as believers are conformed to the image of Christ, they participate in his resurrection glory, manifesting more fully its ultimate source, the triune God himself.
With the passage of time, the interaction of intellectuals of different faiths led to the study of one another's religion. This resulted in bringing them closer and developing respect for one another. The modern times saw the emergence and strengthening of inter-faith dialogue which helped maintain peace and harmony in multi-religious societies. Theologians from all religions contributed a lot to these activities. The twentieth century produced one theologian whose philosophy and understanding of different Religions led him to become a focal point for contemporary scholars. This was Karl Rahner whose study and explanation of theological and philosophical beliefs raised him so high that the whole Church was influenced by his theology and philosophy. The objectives of the study are to explore different approaches of Karl Rahner in theology and philosophy in post-modern era. The study is descriptive in nature. And the critical and analytical methods have been done to meet the objectives of the study. The study is significant for the philosophers, religious scholars, researchers and theologians. Key Words: Karl Rahner, Christian, Theology. Philosophy and Vatican II Introduction: He was a German Catholic theologian born in 1904 and lived for eighty years. From a vantage point in theology, he viewed Islam, Judaism and Christianity as closely related religions on the basis of their monotheistic belief in God. In Christianity, however, this belief is shaped through the dogma of the Trinity of God. Rahner has been the influential Jesuit Priest who was involved in a kind of revolution of the Catholic Church. There could have been no idea of liberalization of dogma at the Second Vatican Council without Rahner's contribution. This led to attacks on him by reactionary Catholics. He continued with fruitful efforts and was ultimately acknowledged as a bridge builder in the Roman Catholic Church. Now he is recognized as the theologian of the modern era. What separates Rahner from all other intellectuals of the Church is his radically innovative approach to theology with its philosophical roots. In addition to this, he had a concern with questions of mysticism. For Rahner, to be human is to be in relationship with God. The center is God who enters into relationship with humans through God's own self-communication. Rahner's mystical project explains that to be human is to be inseparable from God. However his endeavor was to make it understandable for the people who are seen to possess, at some level, a true knowledge of God. He stated: " It must be made intelligible to people, that they have an implicit but true knowledge of God perhaps not reflected upon and not verbalized; or better expressed, they have a genuine experience of God ultimately rooted in their spiritual existence, whatever you want to call it ". It is evident that Rahner's emphasis is on the human mystical experience. The human being tends to have a relation with God since a human person is capable for encountering the Holy Mystery. This mystical encounter is possible in all situations of everyday life. Regarding this Rahner comments, " We weave fabric of our eternal lives out of the humdrum days. " At this stage, the mystical experience is there even in the banal activities of personal habits. Eating, sleeping and even thinking arein a way mystic activity.On the basis of this philosophy, Rahner affirmed that salvation was possible even outside the Church. To him, all humans are salvifically touched by the grace of Christ. Therefore, he coined the phrase " Anonymous Christians " to elaborate his conviction.There has been a lot of influence on the thinking of Karl Rahner yet he himself pointed out how important was Martin Heidegger for him. Rahner remarked, " Although I had many good professors in the classroom, there is only one whom I can revere as my teacher, and he is Martin Heidegger ". The one
With the passage of time, the interaction of intellectuals of different faiths led to the study of one another's religion. This resulted in bringing them closer and developing respect for one another. The modern times saw the emergence and strengthening of inter-faith dialogue which helped maintain peace and harmony in multi-religious societies. Theologians from all religions contributed a lot to these activities. The twentieth century produced one theologian whose philosophy and understanding of different Religions led him to become a focal point for contemporary scholars. This was Karl Rahner whose study and explanation of theological and philosophical beliefs raised him so high that the whole Church was influenced by his theology and philosophy. The objectives of the study are to explore different approaches of Karl Rahner in theology and philosophy in post-modern era. The study is descriptive in nature. And the critical and analytical methods have been done to meet the objectives of the study. The study is significant for the philosophers, religious scholars, researchers and theologians. Key Words: Karl Rahner, Christian, Theology. Philosophy and Vatican II Introduction: He was a German Catholic theologian born in 1904 and lived for eighty years. From a vantage point in theology, he viewed Islam, Judaism and Christianity as closely related religions on the basis of their monotheistic belief in God. In Christianity, however, this belief is shaped through the dogma of the Trinity of God. Rahner has been the influential Jesuit Priest who was involved in a kind of revolution of the Catholic Church. There could have been no idea of liberalization of dogma at the Second Vatican Council without Rahner's contribution. This led to attacks on him by reactionary Catholics. He continued with fruitful efforts and was ultimately acknowledged as a bridge builder in the Roman Catholic Church. Now he is recognized as the theologian of the modern era. What separates Rahner from all other intellectuals of the Church is his radically innovative approach to theology with its philosophical roots. In addition to this, he had a concern with questions of mysticism. For Rahner, to be human is to be in relationship with God. The center is God who enters into relationship with humans through God's own self-communication. Rahner's mystical project explains that to be human is to be inseparable from God. However his endeavor was to make it understandable for the people who are seen to possess, at some level, a true knowledge of God. He stated: " It must be made intelligible to people, that they have an implicit but true knowledge of God perhaps not reflected upon and not verbalized; or better expressed, they have a genuine experience of God ultimately rooted in their spiritual existence, whatever you want to call it ". It is evident that Rahner's emphasis is on the human mystical experience. The human being tends to have a relation with God since a human person is capable for encountering the Holy Mystery. This mystical encounter is possible in all situations of everyday life. Regarding this Rahner comments, " We weave fabric of our eternal lives out of the humdrum days. " At this stage, the mystical experience is there even in the banal activities of personal habits. Eating, sleeping and even thinking arein a way mystic activity.On the basis of this philosophy, Rahner affirmed that salvation was possible even outside the Church. To him, all humans are salvifically touched by the grace of Christ. Therefore, he coined the phrase " Anonymous Christians " to elaborate his conviction.There has been a lot of influence on the thinking of Karl Rahner yet he himself pointed out how important was Martin Heidegger for him. Rahner remarked, " Although I had many good professors in the classroom, there is only one whom I can revere as my teacher, and he is Martin Heidegger ". The one
Karl Rahner and Hans Urs von Balthasar on Salvific Truth
sums up this problem in a nutshell. He states that "only God himself can speak of God". 4 Theological assertions are expected to be, not human words, but, words of God. Yet they always remain words of human beings. This dividedness between the legitimate expectations that theology be what its name purports it to be and the just recognition that it seemingly cannot constitutes the peculiar jeopardy of theology in the matter of truth. 5 The only solution that appears possible to Barth is for the theologian to speak as witness to God's words, for the "proclaimed word of God [means the] human speech of God in which and through which God himself speaks of himself". 6
Church as Sacrament: The Ecclesiology of Karl Rahner
The Church is the abiding motif in Karl Rahner’s theology. Indeed, over half of his extensive repertoire deals in some way or another with the subject of ecclesiology. In order to gain a fuller picture of Rahner’s thought on the Church, one must first come to grasp the philosophical underpinnings that ground his understanding of the human person, grace, and Christology. For as Peter Schineller has noted, there is a danger in isolating Rahner’s ecclesiology, because his task as a systematic theologian was to relate the Church to his treatment of other areas of doctrine. Thus, the following paper unpacks and engages Rahner’s foundational idea of the Church as “the sacrament of salvation for humanity.” I will thereafter briefly consider how three aspects of his ecclesiology are rooted in an anthropocentrism that elicits an deficient understanding of grace and the person of Christ. As Ratzinger, von Balthasar, and David Schindler have argued, such an approach lends itself to a problematic conception of the Church’s relationship vis-à-vis the world.
Karl Rahner’sThought and His Contribution to the Christian Theology and Philosophy in 20th Century
With the passage of time, the interaction of intellectuals of different faiths led to the study of one another's religion. This resulted in bringing them closer and developing respect for one another. The modern times saw the emergence and strengthening of inter-faith dialogue which helped maintain peace and harmony in multi-religious societies. Theologians from all religions contributed a lot to these activities. The twentieth century produced one theologian whose philosophy and understanding of different Religions led him to become a focal point for contemporary scholars. This was Karl Rahner whose study and explanation of theological and philosophical beliefs raised him so high that the whole Church was influenced by his theology and philosophy. The objectives of the study are to explore different approaches of Karl Rahner in theology and philosophy in post-modern era. The study is descriptive in nature. And the critical and analytical methods have been done to meet the objectives of the study. The study is significant for the philosophers, religious scholars, researchers and theologians. Key Words: Karl Rahner, Christian, Theology. Philosophy and Vatican II Introduction: He was a German Catholic theologian born in 1904 and lived for eighty years. From a vantage point in theology, he viewed Islam, Judaism and Christianity as closely related religions on the basis of their monotheistic belief in God. In Christianity, however, this belief is shaped through the dogma of the Trinity of God. Rahner has been the influential Jesuit Priest who was involved in a kind of revolution of the Catholic Church. There could have been no idea of liberalization of dogma at the Second Vatican Council without Rahner's contribution. This led to attacks on him by reactionary Catholics. He continued with fruitful efforts and was ultimately acknowledged as a bridge builder in the Roman Catholic Church. Now he is recognized as the theologian of the modern era. What separates Rahner from all other intellectuals of the Church is his radically innovative approach to theology with its philosophical roots. In addition to this, he had a concern with questions of mysticism. For Rahner, to be human is to be in relationship with God. The center is God who enters into relationship with humans through God's own self-communication. Rahner's mystical project explains that to be human is to be inseparable from God. However his endeavor was to make it understandable for the people who are seen to possess, at some level, a true knowledge of God. He stated: " It must be made intelligible to people, that they have an implicit but true knowledge of God perhaps not reflected upon and not verbalized; or better expressed, they have a genuine experience of God ultimately rooted in their spiritual existence, whatever you want to call it ". It is evident that Rahner's emphasis is on the human mystical experience. The human being tends to have a relation with God since a human person is capable for encountering the Holy Mystery. This mystical encounter is possible in all situations of everyday life. Regarding this Rahner comments, " We weave fabric of our eternal lives out of the humdrum days. " At this stage, the mystical experience is there even in the banal activities of personal habits. Eating, sleeping and even thinking arein a way mystic activity.On the basis of this philosophy, Rahner affirmed that salvation was possible even outside the Church. To him, all humans are salvifically touched by the grace of Christ. Therefore, he coined the phrase " Anonymous Christians " to elaborate his conviction.There has been a lot of influence on the thinking of Karl Rahner yet he himself pointed out how important was Martin Heidegger for him. Rahner remarked, " Although I had many good professors in the classroom, there is only one whom I can revere as my teacher, and he is Martin Heidegger ". The one
With the passage of time, the interaction of intellectuals of different faiths led to the study of one another's religion. This resulted in bringing them closer and developing respect for one another. The modern times saw the emergence and strengthening of inter-faith dialogue which helped maintain peace and harmony in multi-religious societies. Theologians from all religions contributed a lot to these activities. The twentieth century produced one theologian whose philosophy and understanding of different Religions led him to become a focal point for contemporary scholars. This was Karl Rahner whose study and explanation of theological and philosophical beliefs raised him so high that the whole Church was influenced by his theology and philosophy. The objectives of the study are to explore different approaches of Karl Rahner in theology and philosophy in post-modern era. The study is descriptive in nature. And the critical and analytical methods have been done to meet the objectives of the study. The study is significant for the philosophers, religious scholars, researchers and theologians. Key Words: Karl Rahner, Christian, Theology. Philosophy and Vatican II Introduction: He was a German Catholic theologian born in 1904 and lived for eighty years. From a vantage point in theology, he viewed Islam, Judaism and Christianity as closely related religions on the basis of their monotheistic belief in God. In Christianity, however, this belief is shaped through the dogma of the Trinity of God. Rahner has been the influential Jesuit Priest who was involved in a kind of revolution of the Catholic Church. There could have been no idea of liberalization of dogma at the Second Vatican Council without Rahner's contribution. This led to attacks on him by reactionary Catholics. He continued with fruitful efforts and was ultimately acknowledged as a bridge builder in the Roman Catholic Church. Now he is recognized as the theologian of the modern era. What separates Rahner from all other intellectuals of the Church is his radically innovative approach to theology with its philosophical roots. In addition to this, he had a concern with questions of mysticism. For Rahner, to be human is to be in relationship with God. The center is God who enters into relationship with humans through God's own self-communication. Rahner's mystical project explains that to be human is to be inseparable from God. However his endeavor was to make it understandable for the people who are seen to possess, at some level, a true knowledge of God. He stated: " It must be made intelligible to people, that they have an implicit but true knowledge of God perhaps not reflected upon and not verbalized; or better expressed, they have a genuine experience of God ultimately rooted in their spiritual existence, whatever you want to call it ". It is evident that Rahner's emphasis is on the human mystical experience. The human being tends to have a relation with God since a human person is capable for encountering the Holy Mystery. This mystical encounter is possible in all situations of everyday life. Regarding this Rahner comments, " We weave fabric of our eternal lives out of the humdrum days. " At this stage, the mystical experience is there even in the banal activities of personal habits. Eating, sleeping and even thinking arein a way mystic activity.On the basis of this philosophy, Rahner affirmed that salvation was possible even outside the Church. To him, all humans are salvifically touched by the grace of Christ. Therefore, he coined the phrase " Anonymous Christians " to elaborate his conviction.There has been a lot of influence on the thinking of Karl Rahner yet he himself pointed out how important was Martin Heidegger for him. Rahner remarked, " Although I had many good professors in the classroom, there is only one whom I can revere as my teacher, and he is Martin Heidegger ". The one