A Proposal for Bringing Theology in Public Into the Spanish Context
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Public Theology in a Foreign Land: A Proposal for Bringing Theology in Public into the Spanish Context Author: Gonzalo Villagran Persistent link: http://hdl.handle.net/2345/bc-ir:104416 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. Boston College School of Theology and Ministry Public Theology in a Foreign Land: A Proposal for Bringing Theology in Public into the Spanish Context A Doctoral Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Doctorate in Sacred Theology By Gonzalo Villagrán, S.J. Directed by Thomas J. Massaro, S.J. Readers David Hollenbach, S.J. James Keenan, S.J. Examiner Paul C. Manuel Brighton, Massachusetts, June, 2012 Boston College School of Theology and Ministry © Copyright by GONZALO VILLAGRÁN MEDINA 2012 ABSTRACT In the U.S. theological context since the 1970’s, the current called “public theology” has offered a very interesting proposal for the church to be present in society. In its Catholic variant, this current is very much inspired by the American theologian David Tracy. Applied to the context of Spain, this variant could clarify the relationship between Spanish citizenship and Catholic identity. However, in order to be applied to the context of Spain, this current needs to be put in dialogue with the two other major actors in Spanish society: (1) unbelief, and (2) the Islamic tradition. The issue of unbelief has been the focus of the French moral theologian Paul Valadier. His anthropological framework based on conscience could help public theology to respond to the main secularistic critics. The work of five major modern Islamic social thinkers: Abdulaziz Sachedina, Nurcolish Majid, Adullahi An-Naim, Tariq Ramadan, and Alli Allawi —each of whom have attempted to integrate modern social values with Islamic tradition—provide resources for public theologians to address the Muslim tradition from within the Christian theological stance. By incorporating the insights of these two conversations, public theology presents a new and very interesting proposal for the Church in Spain to be present in the social debates. Integrating Valadier’s concern for conscience into Tracy’s critical correlational approach offers a suitable theological method. To incorporate Islam into the conversation we should put some previous conditions (the category of public religion) and we should agree on a goal for interreligious dialogue (the pluralistic common good). This method could be the way for the Church in Spain to develop a discourse rooted in Christian identity but understandable by modern Spanish pluralistic society. There is no finer and no worse people in the world. No kinder people and no crueler. And who understands them? Not me, because if I did I would forgive it all. To understand is to forgive. That’s not true. Forgiveness has been exaggerated. Forgiveness is a Christian idea and Spain has never been a Christian country. Ernest Hemingway. For Whom the Bells Tolls i TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................. II ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .......................................................................................................... VI INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 1 I. ORIGINS OF THE WORK .................................................................................... 2 II. METHOD ............................................................................................................ 5 III. WAY OF PROCEEDING ....................................................................................... 7 IV. OVERVIEW OF THE FIELD ................................................................................. 9 CHAPTER 1. PUBLIC THEOLOGY AT HOME: THE AMERICAN CONTEXT ........................... 14 I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 14 II. THE MOVEMENT OF PUBLIC THEOLOGY ....................................................... 16 1. THE REASONS TO BRING THEOLOGY INTO PUBLIC LIFE ................................ 16 A) THE INCREASING PLURALISM .............................................................................. 16 B) THE PRIVATIZATION OF RELIGION ...................................................................... 18 2. THE IMMEDIATE ORIGINS: THE DEBATE BETWEEN ROBERT BELLAH AND MARTIN MARTY. .......................................................................................................... 21 A) BELLAH’S CIVIL RELIGION .................................................................................. 21 B) MARTY’S PUBLIC RELIGION ................................................................................ 22 3. THE RANGE OF AUTHORS ................................................................................. 25 A) LINELL CADY ...................................................................................................... 26 B) RONALD THIEMANN ............................................................................................ 28 C) ROBERT BENNE ................................................................................................... 30 III. THE CATHOLIC VARIANT ............................................................................... 34 1. ORIGINS ............................................................................................................. 35 A) THEOLOGICAL STUDIES 1976 .............................................................................. 36 B) SYMPOSIUM IN THEOLOGICAL STUDIES 1979. ..................................................... 37 2. PARTICULAR SOURCES ...................................................................................... 39 A) JOHN COURTNEY MURRAY’S PUBLIC PHILOSOPHY AND THE PROBLEM OF PLURALISM ................................................................................................................. 39 B) INFLUENCE OF VATICAN II. ................................................................................. 42 C) CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING ............................................................................. 45 3. DAVID TRACY’S PARADIGM .............................................................................. 49 A) THE CRITICAL-CORRELATIONAL MODEL IN THE ANALOGICAL IMAGINATION ... 51 i. Pluralism, the Major Trait of Modern Society ............................................... 52 ii. A Theology Adequate for a Pluralistic Society ............................................... 55 iii. A Hermeneutical Framework for Pluralism: The Classic .......................... 58 iv. A Major Locus for Theology: The Human Situation .................................. 61 ii v. A Method for Theology: The Analogical Imagination ................................... 62 vi. Summary ..................................................................................................... 63 B) LATER DEVELOPMENTS OF TRACY’S METHOD.................................................... 64 C) IMPORTANCE OF TRACY FOR PUBLIC THEOLOGY ................................................ 67 4. PUBLIC THEOLOGY AND CATHOLIC SOCIAL THEORISTS ................................ 70 A) DAVID HOLLENBACH .......................................................................................... 72 i. Pluralism ........................................................................................................ 73 ii. The Method ..................................................................................................... 74 iii. The Mission of the Church .......................................................................... 76 B) JOHN COLEMAN .................................................................................................. 78 C) MICHAEL AND KENNETH HIMES ......................................................................... 83 5. A PUBLIC THEOLOGY ARGUMENT .................................................................... 89 IV. WHAT CAN WE SAY ABOUT PUBLIC THEOLOGY? ......................................... 94 1. DEFINITION ........................................................................................................ 94 2. OVERLAPS OF PUBLIC THEOLOGY .................................................................... 96 A) PUBLIC THEOLOGY AND PUBLIC PHILOSOPHY .................................................... 96 B) PUBLIC THEOLOGY AND POLITICAL AND LIBERATION THEOLOGY ...................... 99 C) PUBLIC THEOLOGY AND CHRISTIAN SOCIAL ETHICS ......................................... 102 3. LIMITS .............................................................................................................. 102 V. GUIDELINES FOR A PUBLIC THEOLOGY IN SPAIN ....................................... 105 CHAPTER 2. CAN WE DO PUBLIC THEOLOGY IN A DISENCHANTED WORLD? PAUL VALADIER, S.J. ................................................................................................................... 109 I. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 109 II. PAUL VALADIER SJ ....................................................................................... 113 1. HIS WORK .......................................................................................................