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PDF hosted at the Radboud Repository of the Radboud University Nijmegen The following full text is a publisher's version. For additional information about this publication click this link. http://hdl.handle.net/2066/32040 Please be advised that this information was generated on 2021-10-02 and may be subject to change. FILIPINO BASIC ECCLESIAL COMMUNITY between LIMITATION and SELF- TRANSCENDENCE A Lonergan-based Elucidation of Fundamental Spirituality MARINA OBAL ALTAREJOS Quezon City, Philippines 2007 328 FILIPINO BASIC ECCLESIAL COMMUNITY BETWEEN LIM ITATION AND SELF-TRANSCENDENCE Copyright © 2007 by Marina Obal Altarejos ISSN 0119-2582 (Himig Ugnayan) Printed in the Philippines by: Obraku Imprenta 196 West Riverside, Bgy. San Antonio Quezon City Tel #: +632 414 35 38 Grateful acknowledgments to the following for the assistance provided towards the printing of this book Stichting Sormani Fonds Netherlands and Institute of Formation and Religious Studies Quezon City, Philippines Cover design by Cynthia Calubaquib All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without the permission from the author. FILIPINO BASIC ECCLESIAL COMMUNITY BETWEEN LIMITATION AND SELF-TRANSCENDENCE A LONERGAN-BASED ELUCIDATION OF FUNDAMENTAL SPIRITUALITY An academic essay in Theology DOCTORAL THESIS to obtain the degree of doctor from Radboud University Nijmegen on the authority of the Rector Magnificus, prof. dr. S.C.J.J. Kortmann, according to the decision of the Council of Deans to be defended in public on Friday, 11 January 2008 at 10.30 hours precisely by Marina Obal Altarejos born on 13 August 1964 in Naga City, Camarines Sur, Philippines Supervisors: Prof. dr. A.J.M. van den Hoogen Prof. dr. C.J. Waaijman Co-supervisor: Dr. B. Lovett (Institute of Formation and Religious Studies, Quezon City) Manuscript Committee: Prof. dr. W.F.C. Derkse Prof. dr. F.A. Maas Prof. dr. dr. M. Plattig (Theologisch-Philosophische Hochschule, Műnster) FILIPINO BASIC ECCLESIAL COMMUNITY BETWEEN LIMITATION AND SELF-TRANSCENDENCE A Lonergan-based Elucidation of Fundamental Spirituality een wetenschappelijke proeve op het gebied van de Theologie PROEFSCHRIFT ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Radboud Uinversiteit Nijmegen op gezag van de Rector Magnificus prof. mr. S.C.J.J. Kortmann, volgens besluit van het College van Decanen in het openbaar te verdedigen op vrijdag 11 january 2008 om 10.30 uur precies door Marina Obal Altarejos geboren op 13 Augustus 1964 te Naga City, Camarines Sur, de Filippijnen Promotores: Prof. dr. A.J.M. van den Hoogen Prof. dr. C.J. Waaijman Copromotor: Dr. B. Lovett (Institute of Formation and Religious Studies, Quezon City) Manuscriptcommissie: Prof. dr. W.F.C. Derkse Prof. dr. F.A. Maas Prof. dr. dr. M. Plattig (Theologisch-Philosophische Hochschule, Műnster) TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Acknowledgments i Introduction 1 Significance of the Study 3 The Research Aim 8 The Research Questions 9 The Methodical Approach 10 The Research Design 11 Part I: Thematising Spirituality in view of the Basic Ecclesial Communities 15 Chapter 1 – Authenticity 19 1.1 The Open Structure of the Human Spirit 21 1.1.1 The Dynamism of the Spirit and the Notion of the Spiritual 21 1.1.2 The Structure 23 1.1.3 Open and Dynamic 25 1.1.4 Human Authenticity 26 1.1.4.1 Authentic Subjectivity 30 1.2 Human Becoming 32 1.2.1 Cognitional 32 1.2.2 Existential 34 1.3 The Transcendental Imperatives 36 1.3.1 Notion of the Transcultural 37 1.4 Openness to the Divine and the Call to Holiness 39 Conclusion 42 Chapter 2 – Quest for Meaning and Direction in the Movement of Life 44 2.1 Structure of Emergence 45 2.1.1 Schemes of Recurrence 46 2.1.2 Emergent Probability 48 2.1.3 The Notion of Development 49 2.1.4 Creative Tension of the Subject 52 2.2 The Human Good 53 2.2.1 The World of Immediacy and the World Mediated by Meaning 54 2.2.2 Development of Skills and Feelings 55 2.2.3 The Notion of Value 57 2.2.3.1 Scale of Values 59 Physical 60 Chemical 61 Botanical 62 Zoological 64 Vital 65 Social 66 Cultural 67 Personal 71 Religious 72 2.2.4 Structure of the Human Good 72 2.3 Meaning 75 2.3.1 Sources of Meaning 76 2.3.2 Functions of Meaning 76 2.3.3 Carriers of Meaning 77 2.3.3.1 Intersubjective Meaning 77 2.3.3.2 Symbols 77 2.3.3.3 Incarnate Meaning 78 2.4 Faith 78 2.5 Way of Transcendence 80 2.5.1 Analogy of Conversion 81 2.5.1.1 Intellectual Conversion 82 2.5.1.2 Moral Conversion 82 2.5.1.3 Religious Conversion 83 2.5.1.4 Psychic Conversion 84 2.5.2 Being-in-Love 86 2.5.3 Healing and Creating 89 2.5.3.1 The Creative Vector 89 2.5.3.2 The Healing Vector 91 Conclusion 93 Chapter 3 – The Concept of a Human Community 94 3.1 Human Community 96 3.1.1 Common Meaning 99 3.1.2 Dialectic of Community 99 3.2 Basic Community 104 Conclusion 106 Chapter 4 – Radical Fulfillment of Self-transcendence (Healing Vector in the Christian Tradition) 108 4.1 Of General and Special Categories 110 4.2 Basic Christian Community 111 4.2.1 Aspects of Human Communication 111 4.2.1.1 Communication as Movement from Within Outwards 112 4.2.1.2 Communication as Divine and Human Reality in Christianity 113 4.2.2 Basic Community as Basic Communication 115 4.2.2.1 Elements of Basic Communication 116 4.3 Law of the Cross 120 4.3.1 Evil to be Overcome 120 4.3.2 Victory of the Will 123 4.3.3 Transforming Evil into New Good 125 4.3.4 Evil Succumbs to Love 127 4.4 Authenticity and Radical Fulfillment of Self-transcendence 131 4.4.1 Spirituality 134 Conclusion 136 Part II: Historical and Contextual Landmarks of the Basic Ecclesial Communities of the Philippines 139 Chapter 5 – Emergence of the Filipino 142 5.1 The Barangay 142 5.1.1 The Encomienda System 143 5.2 History of Poverty 146 5.2.1 Land 146 5.2.2 Colonialism 152 5.2.2.1 Spanish Conquest 152 The tribute and forced labor 153 Neglect and plurality of economics 154 5.2.2.2 The American Regime 157 5.2.2.3 Then and Now 163 Conclusion 166 Chapter 6 – The Church and Filipino Christian Spirituality 168 6.1 Spiritual Development of Filipinos 168 6.1.1 Pre-colonial 170 6.1.2 Spanish Legacy 175 6.1.2.1 The Muslim South 176 6.1.2.2 A New Religion 177 6.1.3 The Revolution 181 6.1.4 American Education 186 6.1.5 The Shaping of Filipino Christian Spirituality 187 6.2 The People and the Christian Church 196 6.2.1 Christ Crucified and the Filipino 198 Conclusion 201 Chapter 7 – The Basic Christian Communities of the Philippines 203 7.1 The Filipino Spirit of Body, Community, and Celebration 204 7.2 Basic Communities of the Philippines 209 7.3 From Basic Christian Communities (BCCs) to Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs) 213 7.3.1 Basic Ecclesial Communities of the Philippines 218 7.3.1.1 Interpreting Different Communities: Stages of Growth 223 7.4 Towards a New Way of Being Church 225 7.4.1 The Call of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP II) 225 7.4.2 Church of the Poor 227 Meeting Objections 228 Church of the Poor? 233 7.4.3 Integral Human Development 237 7.4.3.1 Culture of Silence and Dependence 238 7.4.3.2 Education and Formation 242 Conclusion 245 Part III: ‘Spirituality’ in Meeting the Challenges to Growth and Empowerment in the Basic Ecclesial Communities of the Philippines 249 Chapter 8 – Wellspring of Growth and Empowerment in the Basic Ecclesial Communities 252 8.1 Lonergan, Fundamental Spirituality, and the Filipino Basic Ecclesial Communities 254 8.1.1 Stages of Growth Revisited 255 8.1.1.1 Overcoming Conceptualism 256 8.1.1.2 Liturgically-Oriented Communities 257 8.1.1.3 Development-and Service-Oriented Communities 258 8.1.1.4 Liberative/Transformative Communities 258 8.1.2 Excursus: Conversion in Philippine Linguistic Context(s) 260 8.1.2.1 Subject in Love and Loób (the soul) in the level of Psychic and Intellectual Conversion 261 8.1.2.2 The Struggle of the Poor and Budhi (conscience) in the level of Moral Conversion 266 8.1.2.3 The Basic Ecclesial Communities and Diwa (the spirit) in the Level of Religious Conversion 269 8.2 Authentic Following of Christ 272 8.2.1 The Liberating Spirituality of Jesus and Creative Struggle 275 8.3 Basic Ecclesial Communities of the Philippines and Spiritual Development 279 8.3.1 BECs of the Philippines: A Call and a Response 279 8.3.2 Historical Consciousness and Learning 282 Conclusion 284 Chapter 9 – Conclusions 287 9.1 Lonergan’s Contribution 287 9.1.1 Meaning of ‘Fundamental’ as qualifying the Present Work 292 9.2 Theology and Spirituality 292 9.3 Tracks to New Research 294 Summary in English 299 Summary in Dutch 305 Bibliography 312 Index 325 About the Author 336 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS A worthwhile life, a life that is a work of art, is a life that is shared. This means that meanings and values in life are understood and put into action in genuine collaboration with others for the good of all. As part of that shared life, I owe deep and sincere gratitude to the many people with whom I was blessed to have shared life in the course of writing this book; people, who shared their time, their thoughts, feelings, ideas, and their generous and loving support in various forms toward its completion.