In this second part, some of the main contributions to the reinterpretation of the doctrine of gr... more In this second part, some of the main contributions to the reinterpretation of the doctrine of grace in twentieth-century Catholic theology are discussed. After outlining the new approach to grace opened up by personalist thinking before Vatican II, the article examines the ...
At the end of his review of John O'Donohue's best-selling book Anam cara (see ITQ, Winter 1999, 4... more At the end of his review of John O'Donohue's best-selling book Anam cara (see ITQ, Winter 1999, 425f.), Brendan Devlin muses on the question of why O'Donohue's work has clearly made many more waves-and not just in Ireland-than the 'presumably more orthodox' account of the Christian faith offered by 'the professional theologians of the country'. Even though one may not necessarily have to accept the reviewer's implicit assumption that theology's task is to provide an 'exposition of the Christian response to society's obvious disquiet and doubt and fear', even if one thinks that 'the Christian response' is itself a question, and in no sense an answer, nevertheless Devlin's question does touch a raw theo
Israel emerge apparently sets his approach within the context of Bright’s reconstruction of Israe... more Israel emerge apparently sets his approach within the context of Bright’s reconstruction of Israel’s history, which seems indeed to be confirmed by the very fact that Herrmann’s presentation follows the pattern of the Bible itself: patriarchs, Semites in Egypt, exodus, Sinai, conquest, etc. However, the case is not quite so simple. While Bright allows the historicity of the biblical presentation of the succession of events, Herrmann sees their historical connection in a more complex, and yet much more credible, way. This connection is the general context of Aramean movements towards the end of the second millenium which brought some Semites to settle directly on the sparsely populated parts of Palestine, some into the area of Kadesh in the Sinai peninsula, and some into Egyptf Of these groups, the first can be identified as the bearer of the patriarchal traditions, the others as bearers of .
This article addresses the idea that, over the centuries, Christianity has survived only by betra... more This article addresses the idea that, over the centuries, Christianity has survived only by betraying its own uncompromising ideals. It investigates how damaging this interpretation could be for Christianity, and suggests that Christianity's survival might paradoxically be a function of the very phenomenon that seems at first sight to undermine it.
This article raises the question whether Christianity might itself, at least in part, be responsi... more This article raises the question whether Christianity might itself, at least in part, be responsible for the modern waning of belief in God because of its New Testament teaching, unlike that of the Old Testament, that God is 'love.' After examining whether the Bible does in fact present two incompatible views of God, the article looks at some signs of how the traditional Western view of God might be changing, in response to modern sensibilities. It concludes by considering how it might still be possible to speak about the God of Christianity despite the new cultural conditions of today.
Christianity and Europe At the present time, there are many voices, not least eminent clerical vo... more Christianity and Europe At the present time, there are many voices, not least eminent clerical voices, being raised to remind us, as Europeans, of the danger of forgetting our Christian roots. When one looks closely at the history of 'Europe', however, the 'roots of Europe' may not perhaps appear as specifically Christian at all, at any rate not specifically Christian in any simplistic sense. It is surely in no sense controversial to point out that one undeniable root of European culture owes nothing whatever, at least in its own origins, to Christianity. This is the root Europe inherited, like its very name, from ancient Greece. For Greece's principal contribution to the identity of what was to become Europe was well and truly formed before Christianity appeared on the scene. Indeed the Greek contribution to the future of Europe was formed in what would appear to have been total ignorance of the Jewish tradition from which Christianity eventually sprang. The same is true of the culture of ancient Rome, another essential ingredient of what later became 'Europe'.
Catholicism and Protestantism At its inception in the early sixteenth century, Protestantism saw ... more Catholicism and Protestantism At its inception in the early sixteenth century, Protestantism saw itself as a purified, 'reformed' expression of the Christian faith. In the eyes of the Protestant Reformers, Christianity had become corrupt in the hands of the Catholic Church and needed to be restored to the alleged purity of its pristine beginnings.
Christianity and Hellenism Horace's celebrated remark, 'Grecia capta ferum victorem cepit' ('Gree... more Christianity and Hellenism Horace's celebrated remark, 'Grecia capta ferum victorem cepit' ('Greece, once captured, took her barbarous captor captive'), was made in relation to the influence of Greek culture (especially poetry) on the civilization of Rome. Rome had come to
Christianity and Anti-Semitism Matricide is an awe-inspiring crime. To kill another human being i... more Christianity and Anti-Semitism Matricide is an awe-inspiring crime. To kill another human being is vile enough, to kill one's own mother, to deprive of life the person who gave one life, is to move into a different dimension of horror. It represents an almost metaphysical assault on the very order of reality. Yet, if scholars are correct who tell us that Christianity sprang from Judaism, then Christian anti-Semitism, which has frequently in the course of history not stopped short of murder, could be interpreted as a form of matricide, of religious or, at least, religiously inspired matricide. That religion should inspire murder is, of course, nothing new. Indeed the first
Science can no doubt be a useful dialogue partner for some areas of theology, but when it comes t... more Science can no doubt be a useful dialogue partner for some areas of theology, but when it comes to the crunch of theodicy, Barth's intuitions about the meaning of 'creation' may perhaps still be more realistic than any amount of speculation about the 'big bang'.
In this second part, some of the main contributions to the reinterpretation of the doctrine of gr... more In this second part, some of the main contributions to the reinterpretation of the doctrine of grace in twentieth-century Catholic theology are discussed. After outlining the new approach to grace opened up by personalist thinking before Vatican II, the article examines the ...
At the end of his review of John O'Donohue's best-selling book Anam cara (see ITQ, Winter 1999, 4... more At the end of his review of John O'Donohue's best-selling book Anam cara (see ITQ, Winter 1999, 425f.), Brendan Devlin muses on the question of why O'Donohue's work has clearly made many more waves-and not just in Ireland-than the 'presumably more orthodox' account of the Christian faith offered by 'the professional theologians of the country'. Even though one may not necessarily have to accept the reviewer's implicit assumption that theology's task is to provide an 'exposition of the Christian response to society's obvious disquiet and doubt and fear', even if one thinks that 'the Christian response' is itself a question, and in no sense an answer, nevertheless Devlin's question does touch a raw theo
Israel emerge apparently sets his approach within the context of Bright’s reconstruction of Israe... more Israel emerge apparently sets his approach within the context of Bright’s reconstruction of Israel’s history, which seems indeed to be confirmed by the very fact that Herrmann’s presentation follows the pattern of the Bible itself: patriarchs, Semites in Egypt, exodus, Sinai, conquest, etc. However, the case is not quite so simple. While Bright allows the historicity of the biblical presentation of the succession of events, Herrmann sees their historical connection in a more complex, and yet much more credible, way. This connection is the general context of Aramean movements towards the end of the second millenium which brought some Semites to settle directly on the sparsely populated parts of Palestine, some into the area of Kadesh in the Sinai peninsula, and some into Egyptf Of these groups, the first can be identified as the bearer of the patriarchal traditions, the others as bearers of .
This article addresses the idea that, over the centuries, Christianity has survived only by betra... more This article addresses the idea that, over the centuries, Christianity has survived only by betraying its own uncompromising ideals. It investigates how damaging this interpretation could be for Christianity, and suggests that Christianity's survival might paradoxically be a function of the very phenomenon that seems at first sight to undermine it.
This article raises the question whether Christianity might itself, at least in part, be responsi... more This article raises the question whether Christianity might itself, at least in part, be responsible for the modern waning of belief in God because of its New Testament teaching, unlike that of the Old Testament, that God is 'love.' After examining whether the Bible does in fact present two incompatible views of God, the article looks at some signs of how the traditional Western view of God might be changing, in response to modern sensibilities. It concludes by considering how it might still be possible to speak about the God of Christianity despite the new cultural conditions of today.
Christianity and Europe At the present time, there are many voices, not least eminent clerical vo... more Christianity and Europe At the present time, there are many voices, not least eminent clerical voices, being raised to remind us, as Europeans, of the danger of forgetting our Christian roots. When one looks closely at the history of 'Europe', however, the 'roots of Europe' may not perhaps appear as specifically Christian at all, at any rate not specifically Christian in any simplistic sense. It is surely in no sense controversial to point out that one undeniable root of European culture owes nothing whatever, at least in its own origins, to Christianity. This is the root Europe inherited, like its very name, from ancient Greece. For Greece's principal contribution to the identity of what was to become Europe was well and truly formed before Christianity appeared on the scene. Indeed the Greek contribution to the future of Europe was formed in what would appear to have been total ignorance of the Jewish tradition from which Christianity eventually sprang. The same is true of the culture of ancient Rome, another essential ingredient of what later became 'Europe'.
Catholicism and Protestantism At its inception in the early sixteenth century, Protestantism saw ... more Catholicism and Protestantism At its inception in the early sixteenth century, Protestantism saw itself as a purified, 'reformed' expression of the Christian faith. In the eyes of the Protestant Reformers, Christianity had become corrupt in the hands of the Catholic Church and needed to be restored to the alleged purity of its pristine beginnings.
Christianity and Hellenism Horace's celebrated remark, 'Grecia capta ferum victorem cepit' ('Gree... more Christianity and Hellenism Horace's celebrated remark, 'Grecia capta ferum victorem cepit' ('Greece, once captured, took her barbarous captor captive'), was made in relation to the influence of Greek culture (especially poetry) on the civilization of Rome. Rome had come to
Christianity and Anti-Semitism Matricide is an awe-inspiring crime. To kill another human being i... more Christianity and Anti-Semitism Matricide is an awe-inspiring crime. To kill another human being is vile enough, to kill one's own mother, to deprive of life the person who gave one life, is to move into a different dimension of horror. It represents an almost metaphysical assault on the very order of reality. Yet, if scholars are correct who tell us that Christianity sprang from Judaism, then Christian anti-Semitism, which has frequently in the course of history not stopped short of murder, could be interpreted as a form of matricide, of religious or, at least, religiously inspired matricide. That religion should inspire murder is, of course, nothing new. Indeed the first
Science can no doubt be a useful dialogue partner for some areas of theology, but when it comes t... more Science can no doubt be a useful dialogue partner for some areas of theology, but when it comes to the crunch of theodicy, Barth's intuitions about the meaning of 'creation' may perhaps still be more realistic than any amount of speculation about the 'big bang'.
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