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In everyday life, one encounters many experiences of affliction that, for whatever reason, nature (ours or others') cannot resolve. Yet, when nature's finite resources are exhausted and hope seems in vain, humans often experience extra-ordinary moments of renewal and resolution—breakthroughs, remissions, insights, and conversions. We experience these moments in our natural existence; yet, we feel they cannot originate, cannot be attributed to nature alone. Rather, these experiences, called "graces" in Christianity, are attributed to a divine power acting in us. How do we come to describe these experiences in this way? Is it possible to formulate a general theory of these experiences as "graces"? Is there an "experience" of grace in general, a "state of grace", which serves as ground and unifying experience for the "graces" we receive? Working from the Catholic theological point of view, this paper examines such experiences of affliction and renewal, as well as the basic Catholic framework schematizing them as found in the Bible and Catholic religious writings. In doing so, this paper highlights the theme of impossibility (absolutely or in context) underlying each experience, and broadly categorizes them as happening within three regions of human life: the external, ethical sphere, the interior self-relationship, and the vertical relationship to the Divine. In dialogue with theologians and phenomenological thinkers, general formulations of the experiences are placed within their respective spheres, and certain problems in the identification or interpretation of these experiences are identified. The paper then explores how the experience of a "New Creation" can serve not only as a label for the totality of these experiences, but also as a totalizing and overarching ground-experience of "grace" and an interpretive hermeneutic for graces in general. As a result, a graced moment of total personal "rebirth" or "recreation", prevenient with respect to any personal co-operation or experiences of grace as grace, is identified as a potential ground for all other graces considered. Finally, this paper considers some potential implications of this account of grace for both Catholic thought and Phenomenology more generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regarding the relation between theology and science, it seems to me that Catholic theology provides a remarkable case given its distinctive notion of Catholic magisterial infallibility (under certain conditions) and its doctrine of transubstantiation. Here I argue that, in a very real sense, the current legal and doctrinal state-of-affairs linked to transubstantiation has quite substantial implications. These very implications articulately illustrate how challenging the situation is for Catholic scientists, especially for those who are working and, thereby, are contributing to research at Catholic Universities as defined and established by the magisterium and the competent authorities of the Catholic Church. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues that theological dissent is not only censored by church institutions but also silenced by mechanisms of self-censoring. Calling for recognition of the intertwining of censorship and shame as analytical categories, the article explores the simultaneity of the silencing of feminist theologians about sexual morality and gender theories, and the silence around the clergy sexual abuse committed by priests as well as the abuse committed by Catholic nuns. It examines the systemic control of critique by the institution of the Catholic Church, which is itself immune to any institutional or theological critique, and calls for a renewal process that involves remembrance, recognition, and responsibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studia Theologica Varsaviensia is the property of Uniwersytet Kardynala Stefana Wyszynskiego w Warszawie and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article reconstructs the evolution of Teilhard de Chardin's thought about the structure of religious experience. From the first diary notes written in the trenches in 1915 to his last writings in 1955, the Jesuit thinker emphasizes the need for "another theology" to satisfy the religious needs and aspirations of a human race that is undergoing a phase of profound changes. As well as indicating ways of thinking that reframe the Christian experience within the space of the evolutionary vision of a universe articulated by the natural sciences, such a theological discourse must respond to the needs of human beings faced by the growing expansion of technoscience. Teilhard's opus stands out as a message from a Christian thinker who defines himself "isolated" and "irregular" in relation to an insular Catholic culture that fails to adequately comprehend the transformations induced by the scientific revolution, as well as political and technological change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In her wonderful book, Approaches to the Theory of Freedom in Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Virginia Aspe produces a groundbreaking presentation of Sor Juana's theory of freedom with productive scholarship on the Coimbran Jesuit tradition and Renaissance Humanism in Latin America. In this paper, I center on Aspe's interpretation of two of Sor Juana's major works, First Dream, in which a disembodied dreaming soul rises into the nighttime sky in an attempt to take in and understand the universe, and Critique of a Sermon, in which Sor Juana lays out counter-arguments to the Jesuit preacher Antonio Vieira's designation of the greatest demonstration of Christ's love and its implications for human freedom and God's grace. My goal is to supplement and sometimes critique the interpretations endorsed by Aspe so as to ultimately enrich Aspe's key insights into Sor Juana's philosophical views. Ultimately, I first argue that Aspe's Aristotelian interpretation of First Dream is necessary but not sufficient for understanding Sor Juana's poem, which requires the inclusion 15th and 16th century Neoplatonism. Secondly, I argue that in her interpretation of Critique of a Sermon Aspe misattributes a view to Sor Juana that belongs to Antonio Vieira, which requires a small tweak to her theory of Sor Juana's views on freedom and human moral psychology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of the Catholic side of the German pamphlet war (c. 1520–1525) tend to focus on the most prolific opponents of Luther, such as Johann Eck and Johannes Cochlaeus. It can however be argued that this approach skews our picture of the Catholic effort, because most conservative pamphlet warriors wrote only one item apiece. This investigation of a singleton from 1524, by the otherwise unknown author Sebastian Felbaum, attempts to evaluate its literary and theological characteristics and to contextualise it within the Catholic controversial output of the years 1522–24. What emerges is an insight into the aims and methods of one of the controversy's 'also-rans', and arguably a more representative picture of the overall campaign. In the process, new light is shed on the identity of a hitherto obscure pamphleteer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Excerpta et Dissertationibus in Sacra Theologia is the property of Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Navarra, S.A. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this study, I aim to elaborate a constructive pneumatology—seen as through a glass darkly, in contemporary progressive Catholic and queer theologies—that has the power to challenge, and transform, ways of thinking theologically that are profoundly informed by gender essentialism. This effort to disrupt gender essentialism may be framed as part of the ongoing liberationist task—to identify and disrupt human idols that, theologically, reign in the place of the transformative grace of God and that, ethically, hinder the flourishing of God's creation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How do Catholic schools create inclusive, equitable environments that embrace the identities of their students, including their race, ethnicity, and culture What does Catholic theological spirituality say about diversity, equity, and inclusion to address racism What is the connection between Catholic theological spirituality and equitable school practices to bring about equity in Catholic schools In response to increased diversity of students, educators, communities, and societal challenges, there is a need for a framework for Catholic schools with a culturally diverse student body, or with a student body and staff with different cultures. We synthesize Catholic theological spirituality and research about equity in public and Catholic schools to create a framework for Catholic school educators in their support of students whose cultural identity is different from the faculty and staff. The framework uses Catholic theological spirituality and equitable school practices to promote equity in Catholic schools using equitable school practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational Charismic traditions, like Marist Education in the Champagnat tradition, among many other charisms, are different ways of 'enfleshing' and 'flavouring' the Gospel of Christ. They are about the incarnation of the Christian message, a particular expression of what it means to be Christian within the context of one's own time, place and culture. What are the characteristics, and particular emphases, of such 'enfleshments'? The Charism Scale is a new empirical survey instrument designed to assist schools to explore the degree to which their foundational charisms exist and the way they take shape. The multi-variate attitude scale is based on five empirically confirmed dimensions to which various educational charismic traditions respond in different ways. It is 'in the mix' that the particularities of each charismic tradition emerge. This empirical data enables school communities to identify and strengthen the particular charismic flavour they bring to the Catholicity of the school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The starting point of this study is even the still appearing accusations of satanism directed at Free Masons. In the two first parts of the study, the authors focus on the appearance of the words "Satan" and "satanism" in the internal periodicals of Czechoslovak Free Masons during the period of the First Republic. These appearances are nearly always merely a defense against such accusations, often coming from the secular press. In the third part, the authors discuss various organisations which at first might look like Free Masons, but in fact have no connection with regular Free Masons. In these cases, certain forms of satanism and occultism can sometimes exist. The conclusion of the article is based on previous research and there are a number of other arguments: regular Free Masons and satanism are two concepts that we should never connect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contrasts natural theology's vicissitudes in recent centuries with its more promising prospects in contemporary philosophy and theology. It interrogates certain genres of theology regarding their relation to natural theology, focusing on feminist theology, eco-theology, apologetics and the theology of natural law. It concludes with a reflection on the aspects of natural theology that are particularly prominent at present, and asks if the degree of revival currently enjoyed by natural theology may even be the precursor of a greater role in the academy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Annals of Cultural Studies / Roczniki Kulturoznawcze is the property of John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Institute of Cultural Studies and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the wake of the 2002 Boston Globe coverage of the child sexual abuse (CSA) scandal at the hands of Catholic clergy, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops responded by requiring adults working in Catholic institutions to take CSA prevention training, and recommended such training for youth. Such measures profess institutional commitment to change. However, the current approach to young people's sexuality, which is narrowly focused on protection and restriction, undermines the magisterium's professed commitments to holistic education and human flourishing. In order to fulfill these commitments, Katia Moles suggests that U.S. Catholic institutions cultivate a culture of sexual flourishing in which CSA prevention is part of lifelong comprehensive sexuality education and children are recognized as moral agents. Drawing on Catholic feminist sexual ethics, Moles proposes normative criteria for a developmental sexual ethic conducive to such a culture. Empirical evidence indicates U.S. Catholics are ready for a renewed sexual ethics. Finally, she discusses how children could inform Catholic sexual theology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The late great James Hal Cone (1938–2018) challenged white Christians to confront the sin of white supremacy. This article contends that white Catholic theologians collectively have yet to accept Cone's righteous challenge. A scrutiny of the programming of the annual meetings of the Catholic Theological Society of America and publications in Theological Studies provides the evidence. Having made the case that white US Catholic theologians have not adequately processed Cone's challenge, the article argues that an important reason for this failure is fear and proposes specific, concrete action steps for professional societies and scholars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This theme is processed by Catholic theologian because the question of Free Masons is connected in the Catholic world frequently with a false presumption, a superstition, that Regular Free Masons are Satanists. Combating superstition is indeed the task of a theologian. In the first and preparative part of this study, the author presents the most important facts from the history of Regular Free Masons in the world and in Czech history. In the second and scientific contributive part, the author analyses the Masaryk's texts which are dedicated to the issue of Free Masons in their chronological succession. In the conclusion, the author states, that T. G. Masaryk was never a Free Mason, and clarifies his relationship to this organization as diplomatic respect connected with combat for the liberty of conscience and democracy. The relationship between Catholics and Regular Free Masons should take the form of interreligious or ecumenical dialogues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of self-harming behaviors among young women seems to be on the rise. Medical professionals suggest that 1.5% of all Americans have or currently are self-harming and as many as 25% of young women have harmed themselves in the past year. At the same time, the Christian tradition has named as saints many women and men who have used self-harm as a spiritual discipline. This raises the theological and pastoral question of how we minister to young women who do self-injure, many of whom are members of our Catholic college campus communities [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Hipogrifo: revista de literatura y cultura del siglo de oro is the property of Hipogrifo: revista de literatura y cultura del siglo de oro and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The eighty years of Theological Studies bear witness to the birth of American Catholic theology. This article traces that development through five stages. During its first two decades scholasticism reigned and authority was watchful. Vatican II then introduced a period of change, followed by a thirty-five-year creative phase in which a modern consciousness discussed new issues. By the final period corresponding to Francis's papacy, an American Catholic theology was in place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is an analysis of the document "Theology today: perspectives, principles and criteria" published by the International Commission of the Roman Catholic Church. The foundations and principles of Catholic theology as unity and identity, require a permanent turn to the unique message of Christ, a message that we need to announce with courage and conviction. Therefore, it is legitimate to speak about the need for a certain unity of theology. Thus, we must bear in mind that the concept of unity needs to be carefully understood so as not to be confused with uniformity or with an individual style. The unity of theology and the whole Church, as professed in the Creed, must be closely linked to the idea of catholicity, as well as to holiness and apostolicity. Uniqueness and identity come from Christ, Savior of the world. The theology of unity and identity that wants to be "Catholic" must participate in the catholicity and in the unity of the Church, which ultimately is based on the trinitarian unity of God himself. Theology is catholic in the richness of the plurality of its expressions, protagonists, ideas and contexts and, therefore it is born from the attentive listening of the Word of God, it is incardinated in the communion of the Church and it is oriented to the service of the truth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past one hundred years, Catholic sexual ethics has become more hospitable to sexual bonding as a good that is distinct from procreation. However, our increasing knowledge of women's sexual pain disorders highlights ongoing problems with official Catholic sexual ethics. This essay argues that the Catholic Church still reproduces gendered social scripts that unwittingly encourage heterosexual women to ignore their sexual pain and continue to engage desperately in intercourse, out of a exacerbated concern to satisfy male partners. These are tactics that only prolong and deepen women's sexual suffering. Further, insights about the various options for women's healing from sexual pain concretely suggest more liberative sexual scripts: the importance of women's non‐obligatory, embodied desire and the need to reject intercourse as the compulsory norm for all sexual activity. Ultimately, women's experiences of having sexual pain and healing from it lead to revisions in Catholic sexual ethics at a fundamental level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of IBEROAMERICANA. América Latina - España - Portugal is the property of Vervuert Verlag and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper argues that Ignatian principles for the discernment of spirits appear throughout Amos Yong's theology of world religions. In an effort to locate a greater Pentecostal relationship to tradition and contribute to ecumenical dialogue, the author points to three examples. First, for both Ignatius and Yong, good and evil spirits exist and interact with human persons. Second, both see divine activity in all people. This argument stems from theological considerations and stands distinct from the metaphysical considerations made in the first point. Finally, both rely on the affective as a genuine source of knowledge in discerning spirits. The argument regarding this latter point will center on a methodological consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the possibility of communicating racialized suffering in meaningful and transformative ways among the triracial hierarchy now present in the U.S. The author argues that a theological tool, ananalogia vulneris(analogy of the wound), may assist us to resist the gravity of the abyss of Whiteness into which we are drawn. The author suggests that the Catholic principle of analogical speech about God may be reoriented to enable individuals and groups to communicate and to create community through their wounds. The author engages with sociology and the history of racial formation in the U.S. to describe how Whiteness functions as an idolatrous space to be resisted. The author concludes that ananalogia vulnerismay enable “Whites” and “Honorary Whites”, in particular, to foster a historical-critical religious racialized consciousness and to create paschal communities of resistance to Whiteness that are glimpses of Christ’s wounded, resurrected Body. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article presents the fundamental ecclesiology of the contemporary Catholic theologian Salvador Pié-Ninot (*1941). The text shows the way in which he solves the question of the credibility of the Church and the attitudes of private Christianity with its negative attitude towards the Church (believing without belonging). Pié-Ninot underlines that the credibility of the Church is dependent on revelation and that the character of faith is ecclesial. He interconnects the last two councils: the concept of the Church, whose divine character is approachable by man (via empirica, the way of experience) as it is taught by the First Vatican Council, with the ecclesial stances of the Second Vatican Council, which reduces the emphasis on the attributes of the Church in favour of revelation, the person of Jesus Christ and a personal relationship to him. Pié-Ninot then offers the way of testimony, which includes the outer (for example, apostolic tradition) and inner form of churchly reality (personal life according to the demands of the Gospel) and perceives the Church as a privileged space of God's revelation and salvation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Apulia Theologica is the property of Facolta Teologica Pugliese and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Excerpta et Dissertationibus in Sacra Theologia is the property of Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Navarra, S.A. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Cadernos PAGU is the property of Universidade Estadual de Campinas - Portal de Periodicos Eletronicos Cientificos and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Soter: Journal of Religious Science / Religijos Mokslo Žurnalas is the property of Vytautas Magnus University, Faculty of Theology-Philosophy and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article analyzes Jewish–Catholic relations with respect to New Testament interpretation, the apostle Paul, and theology. In the New Testament era, Paul promoted God’s openness to Gentiles. In recent decades, increasing numbers of Jewish scholars have engaged the New Testament and specifically Paul’s letters. This has called forth, for the most part, Christian hospitality toward Jewish interpretations. But the opportunities of this renewed relationship also bring new challenges for cultivating respect; the latter part of this article addresses four of these contemporary biblical, liturgical, legal, and theological topics. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this study devoted to other aspects of Hus's attitude to the mystery of Eucharist, the author extends his results presented in the previous article, which was mainly focused on the orthodoxy of the Bethlehem preacher's teaching. The respect to the truth demands to discuss also Hus's non-conformist preaching on the level of "the Service of the Word". There can be found some disputable points, the most controversial of which is the claim that grave sinners should be regarded as heretics. After that, the author discusses the consubstantialism of Jacob of Mies, and, on the basis of the observations, he concludes that he cannot univocally condemn Jacob's attitudes as heretical. In the third point, he focuses on the Hus's role in the so called Wilsnack Affair. In the concluding part of the study, the dramatic attitude of the Bethlehem preacher to the offering Communion under both kinds to the laity is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Revelation has traditionally been understood either as a propositional phenomenon or as a matter of the creation of a relationship with God. This article argues that, while there is truth in both views, revelation's central purpose is the manifestation of divine love, and the calling forth of love (for God and other humans) in response. To make its case, the article considers ‘special’ revelation in the Old and New Testaments and, finally, briefly examines the implications of this view for fundamental theology in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comparative theology is a relatively novel theological approach that revolves around a practice of comparative reading of authoritative religious documents. The International Theological Commission’s Theology Today: Perspectives, Principles and Criteria (2012) develops a systematic-theological elaboration of the specificity of Catholic theology. Our author investigates the question whether and to what extent Theology Today may endorse comparative theology as a genuine expression of Catholic theology. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The consistent systematic-theological approach of the paper can be enriching for the scholars of various fields interested in the topic. The work is not aimed to retell the past; it's goal is to present the past in the most just way as possible on the level of catholic dogmatics. Firstly, the author describes contemporary concept of transsubstantial model of describing Eucharistic Mystery and refers to the connections between this doctrine and christology on the one hand and ecclesiology on the other. On this basis, he arrives at a new appraisal of Hus's teachings and also of consubstantiation, which catholic theology need not necessarily perceive as heterodox. Apart from that, it shows that Hus's essentially orthodox teaching could shed light upon his controversial ecclesiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper identifies consistent interpretations of the phenomenon of faith, based on learning of the most influential paradigms in modern Catholic theology. It is indicated in particular that Catholic theology of the 19thearly 21st centuries developed a metaphysical concept of faith as acceptance of dogmatic theology theses by mind. All scientific and philosophical rationality has then reduced to judiciousmetaphysics, whereas the possibility of intuitive or personalistic interpretations of faith was denied. Since the mid-20th century those metaphysical provisions on rationality and faith have been existentially interpreted, which was particularly brilliantly done by Pope John Paul Pavel II in the encyclopedia 'Fidesetrati'. Pope John Paul Pavel II held to a pre-modern concept of faith but introduced existentialmotives to his concept for the sake of a new proof of metaphysical concepts of faith, rationality and a path to know God. At the same time, Pope tended to pass on to a new paradigm, a pre-postmetaphysic and postmodern dialogical concept of faith, which was however completely shaped in creativity of another Catholic theologian - H.U. von Balthasar and within transcendental Thomism of K. Rahner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article investigates the relations between Neo-Stoicism and the model of the Christian soldier developed in the military catechisms which were invented after the Council of Trent. After bringing out how the concept of the just war had been Christianized over the centuries, it shows that in the sixteenth century the discussion concerning the legitimacy of conflicts, particularly in the Iberian Peninsula, became a matter of conscience in which theologians had a major voice and a political role. Increasingly, however, thinking about how to behave during a war became more and more important, at the expense of the traditional questions concerning the ius ad bellum. This was also possible thanks to the development of fixed military chaplaincies, like those that set up by the Society of Jesus in Flanders. Finally, a number of texts appeared in the seventeenth century in which theological-moral casuistry, catechism, and military penal law converged to discipline the conscience of soldiers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the Catholic view of religions by examining its beginnings as a theology of salvation for non-believers summarised by the aphorism extra ecclesiam nulla salus. It notes that Catholic attempts to examine the capacity of religions per se in attaining salvation for their followers took place in the period before and during Vatican II when the church began assessing the non-Christian person not just as an isolated individual but also by taking into account her wider affiliations to a religious community. This analysis has revealed there were hermeneutical tensions within the church about whether the Council signified greater continuity or discontinuity with tradition, and consequently, similarly contrasting views about the extent to which it was willing to see other religions as holding salvific function to any extent. The survey has concluded that ultimately the Council chose to leave this question of the salvific function of other faiths open for further investigation, even though it displayed an unprecedented positive appreciation of them, contra some observers who have argued the church recognised the possibility of salvation for non-Christians through their own faiths. Nevertheless, the Second Vatican Council did affirm the significance of other religions as a preparation for the Gospel, as well as showed a movement beyond the pre-Conciliar notion of extra ecclesiam by granting the possibility of salvation for non-Christians, particularly those who are invincibly ignorant and who had striven to live an upright life by observing natural law. This implies that the next theological question on the agenda could be on the role and functions of these religions; i.e. are those people who are reckoned to be saved, saved through or despite their religions, and how is this salvation related to the church or to the work of Christ or both? Thus, the analysis provided in this theological-historical survey will serve to provide the backdrop for further discussions on post Conciliar developments within the Catholic theology of religions. Finally, an understanding of Catholic views towards other religions will also be illuminative for Protestantism as it seeks to advance its own theological understanding of world religions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Growth in Christianity has spurred the appearance of the subfield of world Christianity, whose assumptions increasingly shape scholarship on Christianity. What I term the world-Christian turn, which is often linked to mission studies, yields more comprehensive approaches to the Christian past, connecting local histories of Christian communities to larger-scale historical movements and producing innovative comparative perspectives on Christianity past and present. In Catholic theology, this turn has encouraged new comparative and contextual theologies. Yet support for Christian mission and the world-Christian turn need not go together. Two cases in point: comparative theology tends to eschew mission while the work of Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI, is suspicious of some impulses behind the world-Christian turn and their potential for undermining Christian mission. Such cases notwithstanding, I argue that missiology is a promising resource for the field of world Christianity. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of AUC Theologica / Acta Universitatis Carolinae Theologica is the property of Charles University Prague, Karolinum Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article maintains that knowledge of the literature on multicultural education and social justice pedagogy is indispensable for white college professors who desire to teach effectively about racial justice concerns. In exploring this literature, I have noticed that many publications either articulate theory or reflect on concrete classroom strategies, while relatively few deploy theory to evaluate specific attempts at teaching for justice. This seems to me a gap worth filling. Speaking as a white, conventionally trained, Catholic theologian, I begin by explaining why I deem it appropriate to employ antiracist pedagogy. I then demonstrate that the literature on multicultural education and social justice pedagogy is essential to this effort by utilizing both types of literature, theoretical and practical, to analyze my own strategies and goals to date. Throughout, I discuss white antiracist theological pedagogy not as an accomplished fact, but as an emerging endeavor. See a companion essay in this issue of the journal (Anna Floerke Scheid and Elisabeth T. Vasko, 'Teaching Race: Pedagogical Challenges in Predominantly White Undergraduate Theology Classrooms'), and responses by the authors of both essays, also published in this issue of the journal ('Responses: Toward an Antiracist Pedagogy'). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bible is the common source of all Christian theological traditions, it is the book used in the liturgy of every Church, and at the same time the origin of numerous doctrinal controversies. For this reason promoting an ecumenical ethos should be seen as an essential requirement for teaching biblical disciplines. This paper presents in the first part the Catholic guidelinesfor a theologicalformation in an ecumenical spirit, as well as for a proper ecumenicalformation, as established by the 1993 Ecumenical Directory. The second part addresses the principles that should guide the teaching of biblical disciplines in an ecumenical spirit, based on ecclesiastical documents (mainly The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church, 1993), and on the personal didactic experience in the field of biblical and ecumenicalformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

James H. Cone argues that the liberation of African Americans from the scourge of white racism must be at the foundation of any true Christian theology in the U.S. This essay investigates what this might mean when the racial structure within the U.S. is changing. As sociologist Eduardo Bonilla-Silva points Out, the paradigm is now comprised of three racial strata—"whites," "honorary whites," and "collective Blacks"—and exhibits a "color blind racism" that continues white dominance in a more subtle way. My study is a theological investigation that employs a mutually critical correlation to bring the theological work of Cone into dialogue with the sociological work of Bonilla-Silva. I discuss Cone's and Bonilla-Silva's projects and using their work suggest possible new theological avenues for U.S. Black Liberation Theologies to consider while continuing the praxis of Black Liberation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking an interdisciplinary approach, this article questions the mainstream idea about the relationship between religion and politics that associates the church and state separation with a strict private-public division. Agreeing with the former distinction, we criticize the latter from the perspectives of both Catholic theology and peace and conflict studies. Both fields offer adequate reasons to challenge this narrow dualism, envisioning the spheres of religion and politics as complementary and mutually enriching. In response to increased violence involving religions across the globe, "religious peace- building" is currently developing approaches to explain such conflicts and inform peacebuilding methods and strategies. Additionally, the theological [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rembrandt's identification as a 'protestant' painter has led art historians to eschew a 'Catholic' reading of his work while acknowledging at the same time that some of his subjects are 'Catholic' or 'made for a Catholic audience'. One such etching is Rembrandt's Death of the Virgin (1639). Despite the fact that this is a profoundly Catholic subject, any analysis that has been made seeks to interpret this work from a protestant or even a secular perspective. A reading of this work using insights from Catholic theology and Christian legend suggests that Rembrandt transcends the religious categories of his own time and those that our time has attempted to impose on him. An emphasis on a protestant interpretation robs this work of dimension. Rembrandt's Death of the Virgin is at the same time, an acknowledgement of pictorial tradition, a theological document, an examination of his beliefs and a commentary on the religious beliefs of his age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article gives a brief overview of the reception of Athanasius in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Roman Catholic theology. Besides papal documents, mainly German theologians are discussed. First, Johann Adam Möhler's Athanasius der Grosse (1827) is analyzed. Möhler was convinced that Athanasius was of great importance for modern society. However, Möhler's attempt to give Athanasius a prominent position in contemporary theology seemed to fail. Although Athanasius is not absent in nineteenth-century dogmatic compendia, nor in papal documents of the last two centuries and many dogmatics of the twentieth century, his quantitative reception is rather poor, especially in comparison to Augustine. The dogmatic compendia and Neo-Thomistic theology did not have an interest in a historical interpretation of Athanasius and Thomas, himself, hardly referred to Athanasius. Moreover, the Trinitarian and Christological dogmas were not really contested. This changed in twentieth-century theology, because of a new understanding of historical development and the rise of phenomenology and existentialism. The doctrines of the Trinity and Christology were reinterpreted from the perspective of salvation history (Heilsgeschichte). Many theologians wanted to correct the anti-Arian tendency, stressing that Christ was truly God and truly man. Athanasius overlooked Christ's humanity and the Alexandrian Logos-Sarx-Christology needed the complementation of the Antiochene Logos-Antropos-Christology. Nevertheless, Athanasius's has received great formal authority within Roman Catholicism. He is a Saint and honored as doctor ecclesiae, because of his impact on Christian doctrine and the development of monasticism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this short article I argue that neurotheology should be conceived and practiced within a theological framework. Taking the case of Catholic theology as an example, five proposals are provided that offer a glimpse and, in my estimation, a realistic account of a (future) Catholic neurotheology. I identify two possible modes of how to practice Catholic neurotheology and conclude that any Catholic neurotheology that attempts to be practiced in accordance with these five proposals will be extremely challenging for Catholic theology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is interdisciplinary and combines the research perspective of medical studies with that of media and social communication studies and theological studies. The main goal of this article is to determine [from arguments on all sides of the issue] whether, and to what extent, statements issued by a religious authority can be used as an argument in the COVID-19 vaccination campaign. The authors also want to find answers to the questions of how the pope's comments affect public opinion when they concern the sphere of secular and everyday life, including issues related to health care. The main method used in this study is desktop research and the analysis of the Roman Catholic Church's teaching on vaccination and on the types and significance of the pope's statements on various topics. The auxiliary methods are sentiment analysis and network analysis made in the open source software Gephi. The authors are strongly interested in the communication and media aspect of the analyzed situation. Pope Francis' voice on the COVID-19 vaccination has certainly been noticed and registered worldwide, but the effectiveness of his message and direct impact on Catholics' decisions to accept or refuse the COVID-19 vaccination is quite questionable and would require further precise research. Comparing this to the regularities known from political marketing, one would think that the pope's statement would not convince the firm opponents of vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]