Tracey Rowland

Peter John McGregor

Since Vatican II, the key question that has developed in Catholic theology, often unstated or unrecognized, is, what is theology? The thesis presented here is that contemporary theologizing is "fractured" in many places and to varying degrees. These fractures can vary in seriousness between theologians, and a particular theologian may suffer from some fractures but not others. The fractures addressed here are between -theology and spirituality -theology and philosophy -theology and liturgy -the literal and spiritual senses of sacred scripture -theology, preaching, and apologetics -theology and ethics -theology and social theory -dogmatic and pastoral theology -theology and the "koinonial" Christian life -theologians and non-theologians - the generation gap between Gen X and Millennial/Post-Millennial Catholics, and -theology and the Magisterium. For each of these, an attempt is made to examine the symptoms, give a diagnosis, and write a prescription.

Healing Fractures in Contemporary Theology

Kevin Wagner

M. Isabell Naumann

Born from the side of Jesus, pierced on the cross, the church is the living body of Christ. Like Jesus himself, it is both eternal and temporal, spiritual and material, spotless and wounded. Constituted as an integrated, living body, the church is the sacrament of Christ; that is, it reveals Christ to the world and makes him present in the world. It exists in order to evangelize and does this most effectively when its diverse members are united in love. This collection of chapters from scholars from diverse fields offers a fresh approach to Catholic ecclesiology. It is hoped that the reader of this book will discover anew the beauty of the church, a living body always old and ever new.

Ecclesiology at the Beginning of the Third Millennium

In Behold the Pierced One, Joseph Ratzinger recounts how the composition of a 1981 paper on the Sacred Heart of Jesus had led him to "consider Christology more from the aspect of its spiritual appropriation" than he had done previously. Upon realizing that this same year was the 1300th anniversary of the Third Council of Constantinople, he decided to study the pronouncements of this Council, and came to believe "that the achievement of a spiritual Christology had also been the Council's ultimate goal." Ratzinger's conclusion in attempting to define a spiritual Christology was that "the whole of Christology--our speaking of Christ--is nothing other than the interpretation of his prayer: the entire person of Jesus is contained in his prayer." The spiritual Christology subsequently developed by Ratzinger is one of communio. Indeed, it is one of theosis. Through a personal and ecclesial participation in the prayer of Jesus, exercised in purity of heart, and consummated in the eucharistic celebration, one comes into communion with Jesus Christ and all the members of his Body, so that eventually one can say truly, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" (Gal 2:20).

The Spiritual Christology of Joseph Ratzinger

Heart to Heart

Paul Morrissey

Since the Second Vatican Council the place of Mary in theology and generally in the life of the Church has been at times muted. This is perhaps understandable given the debates concerning Mary's "place" in the documents of Vatican II. In an ecumenical age, it was argued, the church needed a less triumphalist Mariology and piety with a greater focus on Mary as model disciple. In certain respects this has led to a dichotomy between the continued Marian piety of many faithful (and, truth be told, the piety of the post-conciliar popes) and a theological timidity concerning Mary. This collection of chapters seeks to address the current situation of Mariology. Taken as a whole these chapters represent a welcome call for renewal and reawakening in Mariology. The collection is also delightfully eclectic, both in terms of topics covered and in terms of the denominational and academic backgrounds of the authors.

Mariology at the Beginning of the Third Millennium

Since Vatican II, the key question that has developed in Catholic theology, often unstated or unrecognized, is, what is theology? The thesis presented here is that contemporary theologizing is “fractured” in many places and to varying degrees. These fractures can vary in seriousness between theologians, and a particular theologian may suffer from some fractures but not others. The fractures addressed here are between •theology and spirituality •theology and philosophy •theology and liturgy •the literal and spiritual senses of sacred scripture •theology, preaching, and apologetics •theology and ethics •theology and social theory •dogmatic and pastoral theology •theology and the “koinonial” Christian life •theologians and non-theologians • the generation gap between Gen X and Millennial/Post-Millennial Catholics, and •theology and the Magisterium. For each of these, an attempt is made to examine the symptoms, give a diagnosis, and write a prescription.

Peter John McGregor

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