DOCSLIB.ORG

Vatican Ii on Revelation—From Behind the Scenes

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

Theological Studies 71 (2010) VATICAN II ON REVELATION—FROM BEHIND THE SCENES JARED WICKS, S.J. The article presents interventions by certain expert-consultants (periti) just before and during Vatican II’s opening weeks in 1962. Discovering mediocrity in passages of the prepared schemas on God’s revelation, Joseph Ratzinger, Pieter Smulders, Karl Rahner, and Jean Danie´lou formulated criticisms and framed alternatives that this article reviews. In time, several key conceptions of their alternative texts, such as the soteriological centering of revelation, found a place in Dei Verbum nos. 1-6. NRICHED UNDERSTANDING OF VATICAN II can come from studying the Ewritings of the periti who assisted at the council; work with texts prepared by these expert-consultants can lead to a fresh appreciation of particular teachings of Vatican II.1 Today we can follow some of the main JARED WICKS, S.J., received his Th.D. from the University of Mu¨ nster. After many years on the faculty at the Gregorian University, he is now writer-in-residence at John Carroll University, Cleveland. His special interests include Luther, sacra- mental life, theological anthropology, Vatican II, and ecumenism. His recent publi- cations include: “The Eucharist in Ecumenical Dialogues: Advances and New Tensions,” in L’Eucharistie: Don de Dieu pour la vie du monde (2009); Doing Theology (2009); and “Cardinal Willebrands as Exponent of Catholic Ecumenical Theology,” Pro Ecclesia (forthcoming). He is drafting texts for the U.S. Lutheran- Catholic dialogue on eschatology, and mining the papers of Johannes Witte, S.J., on the foundations of ecumenical engagement in Vatican II’s Preparatory Theological Commission. The article published here originated in the address given upon the author’s reception of the Johannes Quasten Award at The Catholic University of America, School of Theology and Religious Studies, December 3, 2009. 1 I draw on work by doctoral students I directed at the Gregorian University and on my own publications on the periti. My studies include five articles under the general title, “Pieter Smulders and Dei Verbum,” in Gregorianum 82 (2001) 241-97 and 559–93; 83 (2002) 225–67; 85 (2004) 242–77; and 86 (2005) 92–134. Also, “Dei Verbum Developing: Vatican II’s Revelation Doctrine 1963–1964,” in The Convergence of Theology: A Festschrift Honoring Gerald O’Collins, S.J., ed. Daniel Kendall, S.J., and Stephen T. Davis (New York: Paulist, 2001) 109–25; “Six Texts by Prof. Joseph Ratzinger as peritus before and during Vatican Council II,” Gregorianum 89 (2008) 233–311; “De revelatione under Revision, March–April 1964: Contributions of Charles Moeller and Other Belgian Theologians,” in The Belgian Contribution to the Second Vatican Council, ed. Doris Donnelly et al. (Leuven: Peeters, 2008) 460–94; and “Theologians at Vatican Council II,” in Doing Theology (New York: Paulist, 2009) 187–223 (Appendix 5). 637 638 THEOLOGICAL STUDIES periti in their day-to-day experiences of the council, since the diaries of Yves Congar, Henri de Lubac, Umberto Betti, and of the little-known but highly influential Louvain theologian Ge´rard Philips have recently been published.2 To argue this point I will below take the case of Dei Verbum, prologue and chapter 1, on revelation itself. The periti contributed all along the timeline of Vatican II, beginning in 1959 with scattered cases of future council members consulting theolo- gians and taking over their ideas to respond to Pope John XXIII’s request for suggestions about council topics. During the preparation of the council, 1960–1962, senior theological scholars such as Hubert Jedin and Ge´rard Philips were members of preparatory commissions, while some 200 consultants of the commissions worked out draft texts, redrafted them in accord with the members’ preferences, and then polished them to the point where they could be distributed to all the members as the council’s initial schemas on doctrine and on the renewal of the Church’s worship, ministries, and relations ad extra. During the four working periods of Vatican II, 1962–1965, the bishops, both as individuals and as groups in their national or regional conferences, learned much from the periti whom they heard lecturing, who circulated texts, and who composed many of the bishops’ oral and written evalua- tive comments on the schemas. During and between the four working periods, many periti rendered a hidden but essential service to the com- missions made up of council members, as these theologian assistants culled the interventions, discovered convergences, weighed their cogency, and formulated revised texts of the draft schemas, with the aim of bringing back to the council members emended texts in which many members would be satisfied to find results of their previous comments and proposals. 2 Yves Congar, Mon journal du concile, 2 vols., ed. E´ ric Mahieu (Paris: Cerf, 2002), which I presented in “Yves Congar’s Doctrinal Service of the People of God,” Gregorianum 84 (2003) 499–550; Henri de Lubac, Carnets du concile, 2 vols., ed. Loı¨c Figoureux (Paris: Cerf, 2007), which I treated in “Further Light on Vatican Council II,” Catholic Historical Review 95 (2009) 546–69, at 546–62; Ge´rard Philips, Carnets conciliaires de Mgr. Ge´rard Philips, Secre´taire adjoint de la Commission doctrinale, ed. Karim Schelkens (Leuven: Peeters, 2006), which I presented in “More Light on Vatican Council II,” Catholic Historical Review 94 (2008) 75–101, at 76–80. Umberto Betti was personal peritus for the influen- tial Archbishop Ermenegildo Florit of Florence, and for the Doctrinal Commis- sion. Betti worked with Congar and Rahner in Spring 1964 on the major revision of chapter 2 of De revelatione. From Betti, we have Diario del concilio, 11 ottobre 1962–Natale 1978 (Bologna: EDB, 2003), as well as an account, with appended documents, of the genesis of Dei Verbum chapter 2 in La dottrina del Concilio Vaticano II sulla trasmissione della rivelazione (Rome: Antonianum, 1985). VATICAN II ON REVELATION 639 Regarding this many-sided service by theologians at Vatican II, Congar’s diary challenges our understanding of the council. In three places Congar jotted down, on different days in 1965, huge claims about the theologians’ labors as essential to the council’s production of its documents and to the depth and freshness these texts would be giving to Catholic teaching and attitudes.3 These claims might seem Congar’s apologia pro vita sua.Ordo they represent an accurate perception by one deeply immersed in the council who is pointing out an aspect that should be emphasized in accu- rately understanding “what happened at Vatican II”? Another witness to the impact of the theologians is Dom He´lder Caˆmara, bishop of Recife, Brazil, in his 293 letters from the council during its four working periods.4 The letters record how much Caˆmara gained from the late afternoon lectures on conciliar topics given by the periti for the bishops during the four working periods. The letters also pass on his insights from reading on liturgy, the laity, ecumenism, biblical theology, and spirituality, in books (mostly French) by theologians, both those at the council and those exerting influence from afar. Caˆmara also observed that the episco- pates with most assurance in their council work are those who brought their own conference-periti with them to Vatican II. Now to a case-study of different periti at work behind the scenes at the council. VATICAN II’S TRANSFORMATION OF CATHOLIC DOCTRINE ON REVELATION In April 1870 the First Vatican Council issued the Dogmatic Constitution on the Catholic Faith, Dei Filius, which then deeply influenced the notion of God’s revelation that was held by generations of Catholic theology teachers and students.5 I would characterize this teaching as terse and correct, but in its presentation as really concerned less with what God says to humankind and more with aspects that qualify and surround God’s revelation. The text said that it pleased God’s wisdom and goodness “to reveal to the human race Himself and the eternal decrees of His will.”6 God did this (1) in a supernatural manner, conveying some truths beyond the reach of our reason, but this fits with our supernatural calling. The giving of this revelation has been (2) accompanied by the outward signs of miracles 3 Congar, Mon journal du concile 2:81, 421, 465. 4 Dom He´lder Caˆmara, Lettres conciliaires (1962–1965), ed. Jose´ de Broucker, 2 vols. (Paris: Cerf, 2006), which I presented in “More Light on Vatican II” 81–86. 5 In its original Latin Dei Filius is available in Heinrich Denzinger and Adolf Scho¨ nmetzer, eds., Enchiridion symbolorum, definitionum, et declarationum de rebus fidei et morum, 33rd ed. (Barcelona: Herder, 1965) nos. 3000–45. I treat this document in my Doing Theology 17–20, and provide an English translation of the paragraphs on revelation, faith, and faith/reason at 172–79. 6 Dei Filius, chap. 2; Enchiridion symbolorum 3004. 640 THEOLOGICAL STUDIES and prophecies showing revelation’s credibility as God’s word. The con- tent, although supernatural, is still, once given and received in faith, (3) open to believers’ rational inquiry and investigation for gaining bene- ficial insights into its meaning. Thus God’s revelation of himself and of what he has decreed is qualified by its supernatural character, credibility, and penetrability by intellectual investigation of its meaning. On actual revealed content, Vatican I stated the bare minimum, while emphasizing three qualities that mark God’s revelation—whatever it might say about himself, and whatever might be the eternal decrees of the divine will about which revelation informs us. But Dei Verbum, issued by Vatican II on November 18, 1965, is much different. It gives in its prologue and chapter 1 an account of God’s revela- tion, which in its ample content is soteriologically focused on God-with-us, in Christ, to liberate human beings and lead them into communion with himself.
Recommended publications
  • I Repetition and Mythos: Ratzinger's Bonaventure and the Meaning Of

    I Repetition and Mythos: Ratzinger's Bonaventure and the Meaning Of

    Repetition and Mythos: Ratzinger’s Bonaventure and the Meaning of History Matthew R. Boulter Submitted in partial fulfillment of the Ph. D. in Philosophy, Revised under the direction of John Milbank and William Desmond Maynooth University (The National University of Ireland, Maynooth) Philosophy Department July, 2020 Philipp W. Rosemann, Head of Department Philipp W. Rosemann, Research Supervisor i Table of Contents Introduction 1 I. There and back again: a word about method 1 II. Preliminary outline 8 III. Introduction of key themes 9 IV. Descriptive chapter outline 21 Ch. 1 The struggle for wise phronêsis: the Sitze im Leben of Bonaventure and Ratzinger 28 Introduction 28 I. General historical overview 30 II. Geworfenheit and the respective implementations of writing 49 III. Respective responses to the emergence of a new kind of science 56 IV. Crises of eschatology: two attempts to re-narrate history 62 Conclusion 69 Ch. 2 Coordinating mythos and history: Ratzinger’s Bonaventure versus Aristotle 70 Introduction (opposition to Aristotle: Ratzinger’s claim) 70 I. Aristotle on the relation of myth to history: no overlap 72 II. Mythos in the Hexaëmeron 78 III. Mythos and history: the alternative configuration of Catherine Pickstock 84 IV. A modest definition of mythos 97 V. History as mythos (and vice versa) for Ratzinger 104 VI. History as meaningful: implications for temporality (with attention to Physics IV) 109 Conclusion 114 Ch. 3 Bookending mind: the structural role of intellectus 116 Introduction 116 I. The character of the days: intellectual light 116 II. The A—B—A’ pattern of the six days 120 III.
  • Amid Crowd in St. Peter's Square, New Cardinal Hears His Name

    Amid Crowd in St. Peter's Square, New Cardinal Hears His Name

    50¢ October 28, 2007 Volume 81, No. 39 www.diocesefwsb.org/TODAY Serving the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend TTODAYODAY’’SS CCATHOLICATHOLIC Amid crowd in St. Peter’s Square, Taking the honors John Goodman named to new cardinal hears his name prestigious Army All American BY CAROL GLATZ bowl team Page 18 VATICAN CITY (CNS) — U.S. Cardinal-designate John P. Foley, a Philadelphia native, was standing in the middle of St. Peter’s Square among a sea of 30,000 pilgrims when Pope Benedict XVI named him a car- dinal. Crocheting for the Though he knew the previous day he was going to be one of 23 people to receive a red hat, the Oct. 17 needy announcement was going to fall on the same morning he had a follow-up visit with his eye doctor. Sister Johnilda called “I didn’t get back in time to be there at the begin- ‘Guardian Angel’ sister ning of the audience and I didn’t have my glad rags on,” meaning his formal clerical dress, so he said he Page 9 just snuck inconspicuously into the middle of the crowd. He told Catholic News Service he never expected to be the second new cardinal listed after the senior Vatican prefect, Cardinal-designate Leonardo Sandri. Bereavement When the pope “started the list there I was No. 2 on the list and that was a surprise,” Cardinal-designate Helping those who mourn Foley said. Pages 10-12 He said a pilgrim standing next to him asked him if he knew any of the men the pope had just named to be cardinal.
  • Sacred Music and Liturgy Reform

    Sacred Music and Liturgy Reform

    Rt. Reverend Johannes Overath President of CIMS INTRODUCTION In Cologne, in 1961, at the Fourth International Church Music Congress, it was suggested that the next international meeting be held in London. Meanwhile, on November 22, 1963, with the chirograph, Nobile subsidium liturgiae, His Holiness, Pope Paul VI, established the Consociatio Interna- tionalis Musicae Sacrae. One of the tasks entrusted to the newly organized society was that of arranging for international meetings of church musicians, continuing the series of congresses begun in Rome in the Holy Year, 1950, with subsequent assemblies in Vienna in 1954, Paris in 1957, and Cologne in 1961. The Holy Father named the first officers of CIMS on March 7, 1964, and they immediately made contact with a committee of the English hierarchy ac- cording to the proposal made at Cologne to hold the next congress in Lon don. After many conferences the conclusion was reached that "the time foi an international church music congress in London is not yet ripe," as His Excellency, Bishop Charles Grant, chairman of the committee appointed b} the hierarchy of England and Wales, wrote on November 5,1964. Since the first four congresses had taken place in Europe, and since the proposal had been expressed that an English-speaking country be the location of the next meeting, this course of action now suggested itself to the officers of CIMSr viz., to discuss the possibility of holding an international meeting in the United States. Therefore, in the spring of 1965, many discussions and conferences took place between the officers of CIMS and leading church mu- sicians in the United States, especially with the Rt.
  • Solidarity and Mediation in the French Stream Of

    Solidarity and Mediation in the French Stream Of

    SOLIDARITY AND MEDIATION IN THE FRENCH STREAM OF MYSTICAL BODY OF CHRIST THEOLOGY Dissertation Submitted to The College of Arts and Sciences of the UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for The Degree Doctor of Philosophy in Theology By Timothy R. Gabrielli Dayton, Ohio December 2014 SOLIDARITY AND MEDIATION IN THE FRENCH STREAM OF MYSTICAL BODY OF CHRIST THEOLOGY Name: Gabrielli, Timothy R. APPROVED BY: _________________________________________ William L. Portier, Ph.D. Faculty Advisor _________________________________________ Dennis M. Doyle, Ph.D. Faculty Reader _________________________________________ Anthony J. Godzieba, Ph.D. Outside Faculty Reader _________________________________________ Vincent J. Miller, Ph.D. Faculty Reader _________________________________________ Sandra A. Yocum, Ph.D. Faculty Reader _________________________________________ Daniel S. Thompson, Ph.D. Chairperson ii © Copyright by Timothy R. Gabrielli All rights reserved 2014 iii ABSTRACT SOLIDARITY MEDIATION IN THE FRENCH STREAM OF MYSTICAL BODY OF CHRIST THEOLOGY Name: Gabrielli, Timothy R. University of Dayton Advisor: William L. Portier, Ph.D. In its analysis of mystical body of Christ theology in the twentieth century, this dissertation identifies three major streams of mystical body theology operative in the early part of the century: the Roman, the German-Romantic, and the French-Social- Liturgical. Delineating these three streams of mystical body theology sheds light on the diversity of scholarly positions concerning the heritage of mystical body theology, on its mid twentieth-century recession, as well as on Pope Pius XII’s 1943 encyclical, Mystici Corporis Christi, which enshrined “mystical body of Christ” in Catholic magisterial teaching. Further, it links the work of Virgil Michel and Louis-Marie Chauvet, two scholars remote from each other on several fronts, in the long, winding French stream.
  • The Disputed Teachings of Vatican II

    The Disputed Teachings of Vatican II

    The Disputed Teachings of Vatican II Continuity and Reversal in Catholic Doctrine Thomas G. Guarino WILLIAM B. EERDMANS PUBLISHING COMPANY GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan www.eerdmans.com © 2018 Thomas G. Guarino All rights reserved Published 2018 ISBN 978-0-8028-7438-2 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Guarino, Thomas G., author. Title: The disputed teachings of Vatican II : continuity and reversal in Catholic doctrine / Thomas G. Guarino. Description: Grand Rapids : Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2018. | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2018035456 | ISBN 9780802874382 (pbk. : alk. paper) Subjects: LCSH: Vatican Council (2nd : 1962-1965 : Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano) | Catholic Church— Doctrines.—History—20th century. Classification: LCC BX830 1962 .G77 2018 | DDC 262/.52—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018035456 Contents Acknowledgments Abbreviations Introduction 1. The Central Problem of Vatican II 2. Theological Principles for Understanding Vatican II 3. Key Words for Change 4. Disputed Topics and Analogical Reasoning 5. Disputed Topics and Material Continuity Conclusion Select Bibliography Index Acknowledgments I would like to express my gratitude, even if briefly and incompletely, to the many people who have aided the research for this book. These include the Rev. Dr. Joseph Reilly, dean of the school of theology of Seton Hall University, for his kind support of this work; Dr. John Buschman, dean of Seton Hall University libraries, for generously providing a suitable space for research and writing; the Rev. Dr. Lawrence Porter, director of Turro library, for his assistance in obtaining the necessary research materials; the faculty and staff of Seton Hall libraries, especially Anthony Lee, Stella Wilkins, Andrew Brenycz, Tiffany Burns, Mabel Wong, Stephania Bennett, Priscilla Tejada, and Damien Kelly, for their competent and friendly assistance; the Dominican friars of St.
  • What Happened at Vatican II

    What Happened at Vatican II

    What Happened at Vatican II Introduction This 3-session presentation (for the Lifetime Learning Institute of Northern Virginia Community College) sketches the push and shove of Vatican II, the 21st ecumenical council recognized by the Roman Catholic Church. The talks (10 May, 26 September, 3 October 2019) are drawn from many sources (to include the weblinks found herein), with the primary ones shown below (the first provides the title for these talks). ◼ O'Malley, John W. 2008. What Happened at Vatican II. Harvard University Press. Father John O’Malley, S.J., is University Professor in the Department of Theology at Georgetown University. ◼ O'Malley, John W. Vatican II (audiobook that abridges his 2008 book above). ◼ Noble, Thomas F.X. 2006. Popes and the Papacy: A History. The Great Courses: Centreville VA. Dr. Noble has taught at the University of Virginia and at Notre Dame (where he was Director of the Medieval Institute). ◼ Wilde, Melissa J. 2007. Vatican II: A Sociological Analysis of Religious Change. Princeton University Press. This book is also available in digital form. Dr. Wilde is a sociology professor at the University of Pennsylvania. ◼ Wilde, Melissa J. 2004. How Culture Mattered at Vatican II: Collegiality Trumps Authority in the Council's Social Movement Organizations. American Sociological Review, 69/4: 576-602. This informal document was prepared by Bruce Colletti (see the footer on each page) as an overview for these talks. He has made other presentations on papal history for LLI-NVCC, and is a retired US Air Force officer and career Operations Researcher. Since 1978 (The Year of the Three Popes) he has had an abiding personal interest in papal history, and is grateful that the members of LLI-NVCC have shown a years-long interest in papal history.
  • 20 Changing American Evangelical Attitudes Towards

    20 Changing American Evangelical Attitudes Towards

    Changing American Evangelical Attitudes towards Roman Catholics: 1960-2000 Don Sweeting Don Sweeting is Senior Pastor of Introduction summing up forty years of evangelicalism Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church, in In 1960, Presidential campaign historian since 1945, Bayly said, “We inherited a Englewood, Colorado. He has also Theodore H. White observed that “the Berlin Wall between evangelical Chris- served as the founding pastor of the largest and most important division in tians and Roman Catholics; we bequeath Chain of Lakes Community Bible Church American society was that between Prot- a spirit of love and rapprochement on in Antioch, Illinois. Dr. Sweeting was estants and Catholics.”1 As a vital part of the basis of the Bible rather than fear and educated at Moody Bible Institute, American Protestant life, evangelicalism hatred.”7 Lawrence University, Oxford University reflected the strains of this conflict.2 Anti- By the mid 1990s, it was clear that atti- (M.A.), and Trinity Evangelical Divinity Catholicism, according to church historian tudes were changing. On a local level, School (Ph.D.) where he wrote his dis- George Marsden, “was simply an unques- evangelicals and Catholics were meeting sertation on the relationship between tioned part of the fundamentalist- to discuss issues from poverty and wel- evangelicals and Roman Catholics. evangelicalism of the day.”3 fare reform to abortion. On the national This posture of outright public hostil- level changes were also apparent. Evan- ity was evidenced in many ways. It could gelical publishing houses were printing be seen in the opposition of many evan- books by Catholic authors. Some evangeli- gelical leaders to the presidential candi- cal parachurch ministries began placing dacy of John F.
  • Clemency in a Nazi War Crimes Trial By: Allison Ernest

    Clemency in a Nazi War Crimes Trial By: Allison Ernest

    Evading the Hangman’s Noose: Clemency in a Nazi War Crimes Trial By: Allison Ernest Ernest 2 Contents Introduction: The Foundations for a War Crimes Trial Program 3 Background and Historiography 10 Chapter 1: Investigations into Other Trials Erode the United States’ Resolve 17 Chapter 2: The Onset of Trial Fatigue Due to Public Outcry 25 Chapter 3: High Commissioner McCloy Authorizes Sentence Reviews 38 Chapter 4: McCloy and the United States Set the War Criminals Free 45 Conclusion: A Lesson to be Learned 52 Chart: A Complicated Timeline Simplified 57 Bibliography 58 Ernest 3 Introduction: The Foundations for a War Crimes Trial Program “There is a supervening affirmative duty to prosecute the doers of serious offenses that falls on those who are empowered to do so on behalf of a civilized community. This duty corresponds to our fundamental rights as citizens and as persons to receive and give respect to each other in view of our possession of such rights.” Such duty, outlined by contemporary philosopher Alan S. Rosenbaum, was no better exemplified than in the case of Nazi war criminals in the aftermath of World War II. Even before the floundering Axis powers of Germany and Japan declared their respective official surrenders in 1945, the leaders of the Allies prepared possible courses of action for the surviving criminals in the inevitable collapse of the Nazi regime. Since the beginning of the war in 1939, the Nazi regime in Germany implemented a policy of waging a war so barbaric in its execution that the total numbers of casualties rivaled whole populations of countries.
  • Presidential Address 1904-1984, Karl Rahner, Theologian

    Presidential Address 1904-1984, Karl Rahner, Theologian

    PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS 1904-1984, KARL RAHNER, THEOLOGIAN During this past winter as I began remote preparations for my talk I read all the presidential addresses since the first. Although our society was conceived in Washington in 1945 and came to birth in New York in 1946, the first formal presidential address did not occur until 1953 at the eighth meeting when Monsignor John Fearns of Dunwoodie spoke of the theological productivity of Pope Pius XII. A presidential address does not then pertain to the esse of our Society, some might say not even to its bene esse. The addresses differed notably in length from seven pages to thirty-five, the longest that of Lawrence J. Riley prepared for 1960, a text that would have taken him two hours to deliver. Their literary genres varied considerably: a position paper on a subject dear to the president's heart; a report on the progress and future of the Society; or a comment on the state of theology. At least three of the presidents went on to become bishops, though I doubt that their addresses contributed much to that honor. At first my plan was to compare Catholic theology in the years 1904 and 1984, since 1904 was the year of birth for John Courtney Murray, Yves Congar, Bernard Lonergan, and Karl Rahner. I began reading what various theological journals were publishing that year. As the weeks advanced and my research progressed, I paused on March 5 to commemorate the eightieth birthday of Karl Rahner. When I heard the news from Innsbruck that Rahner had passed into eternal life on March 30, I decided then to devote this address to his life and work.
  • Dei Verbum and a Scientific Practical Theology of Tradition

    Dei Verbum and a Scientific Practical Theology of Tradition

    The development of tradition: Dei Verbum and a scientific practical theology of tradition Author: Tan Tran Persistent link: http://hdl.handle.net/2345/bc-ir:104957 This work is posted on eScholarship@BC, Boston College University Libraries. Boston College Electronic Thesis or Dissertation, 2012 Copyright is held by the author, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise noted. 1 THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRADITION: DEI VERBUM AND A SCIENTIFIC PRACTICAL THEORY OF TRADITION A Proposal for a Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the STL Degree of Boston College School of Theology and Ministry Sunday 20 May 2012 2 By: Tan Tran Co-Mentors: Randy Sachs Richard Lennan 3 Table of Content General Introduction Chapter I: Dei Verbum and the Development of Tradition Introduction Part I: A History of Dei Verbum and the Modern Catholic Theories of Tradition 1. The Dominant Catholic Theories of Tradition between Trent and Vatican II a. The Catholic School of Tübingen b. Maurice Blondel’s Theory of Tradition c. The Roman School Theory of Tradition d. John Henry Newman’s Theory of Tradition 2. A History of Dei Verbum 3. An Interpretation of Dei Verbum on the Development of Tradition Part II: A Reception of Dei Verbum in Catholic Theology 1. Terrence Tilley’s Practical Theory of Tradition 2. Tilley’s Theory of Tradition and the Development of Tradition a. The Practical Aspect of Tilley’s Theory b. Tilley’s Theory and the First Two Ways of the Development of Tradition according to Dei Verbum c. The Problem of Authority in Tilley’s Proposal for the Catholic Intellectual Tradition Conclusion 4 Chapter II: A Scientific Practical Theory of Tradition Introduction Part I: Nancey Murphy’s Proposal for a Scientific Theology 1.
  • Diocesan Statutes of the Third Diocesan Synod Diocesan Statutes of the Third Diocesan Synod

    Diocesan Statutes of the Third Diocesan Synod Diocesan Statutes of the Third Diocesan Synod

    DIOCESE OF SACRAMENTO Diocesan Statutes of the Third Diocesan Synod Diocesan Statutes Diocesan Statutes of the Third Diocesan Synod Promulgated on Th e Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF SACRAMENTO The Last Supper, Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament DIOCESE OF SACRAMENTO Diocesan Statutes of the Third Diocesan Synod Promulgated on The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King NOVEMBER 26, 2006 ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF SACRAMENTO 2110 Broadway, Sacramento, CA 95818-2518 Front cover photo taken by Gino Creglia Photography; photos on inside taken by Cathy Joyce, The Catholic Herald. Rite of Christian Initiation photo, page 43, taken by Julz Hansen. TABLE OF CONTENTS Statute Page Abbreviations iii Pre-Note 2 I. General Norms ......................................................................................... 1-7 6 II. The People of God ................................................................................ 8-72 10 A. The Christian Faithful ............................................................................ 8-16 10 B. The Hierarchical Constitution of the Church 15 Diocesan Bishop and Auxiliary Bishop ............................................... 17-21 15 Priests and Deacons ..........................................................................22-29 17 The Liturgy: Central to the Life of Priests and Deacons .......................30-35 20 Clergy Retreats and Ongoing Education .............................................36-39 22 Conduct of Priests and Deacons ........................................................40-43
  • 1 Upon This Slipper Rock

    1 Upon This Slipper Rock

    Upon This Slipper Rock - Countering Roman Catholic Claims to Authority Author: Eric Svendsen Publication Information: Amityville, NY: Calvary Press, 2002 Pages: 79 Began: December, 2008 | Finished: December, 2008 Introduction Introduction to "epistemology." A simple example from a childhood song: Jesus loves me, this I know Epistemology asks the question, "how do you know this?" The answer is, For the Bible tells me so. The Roman Catholic apologist (RCA) comes along and says, "Aha - how do you really know the Bible says that? Some Protestants believe that Jesus loves everyone and some believe that he only loves the elect. How do you know who is right? We Catholics have an infallible interpreter to tell us the true meaning of the Bible." And so now we have, Jesus loves me, this I know For the Roman Catholic Magisterium tells me so. The typical RC approach to argue against evangelicals is to use the "how do you know" line of reasoning. This is to show the person that he needs an infallible interpreter to have any certainty about truth. Yet, the RC is himself guilty of epistemological fallacies of the most fundamental nature. This will be demonstrated in the rest of the book . I. Roman Blitzkrieg (19) The story of Mark who accidently finds himself in a RC chat room and confronted by a RCA who tells him that sola scriptura (SS) has resulted in 25,000 different denominations that are at odds with each other. 1 II. Fair Comparisons? (22) A. 25,000 Denominations Are there 25k denominations? When a RC tells a Protestant that he either accept Rome or take a shot at 1-25k options he does not know that he is on the horns of a dilemma.