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Religious Pluralism and the Catholic Church: Lonergan's Method and the Jacques Dupuis Controversy Loyola University Chicago Loyola eCommons Dissertations Theses and Dissertations 2013 Religious Pluralism and the Catholic Church: Lonergan's Method and the Jacques Dupuis Controversy Andrea J. Stapleton Berger Loyola University Chicago Follow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss Part of the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Stapleton Berger, Andrea J., "Religious Pluralism and the Catholic Church: Lonergan's Method and the Jacques Dupuis Controversy" (2013). Dissertations. 734. https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/734 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Loyola eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Loyola eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. Copyright © 2013 Andrea J. Stapleton Berger LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO RELIGIOUS PLURALISM AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: LONERGAN’S METHOD AND THE JACQUES DUPUIS CONTROVERSY A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY PROGRAM IN THEOLOGY BY ANDREA JAY STAPLETON BERGER CHICAGO, ILLINOIS DECEMBER 2013 Copyright by Andrea Stapleton Berger, 2013 All rights reserved. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I will forever carry in my heart enormous gratitude for the many people who have inspired, supported, and guided me to the completion of this project. I first owe a great debt to the instructors who have encouraged me and helped me find my passion and hone my strengths as a scholar. I will be forever grateful for the encouragement of David Stagaman, S.J. who guided me in the area of ecclesiology, and theological method. Throughout my doctoral study, Fr. Stagaman offered wisdom and opportunities that that fueled my passion for ecclesiology and enabled me to broaden my skills as a teacher and scholar. His constant support gave me the confidence to pursue a field in which female voices are underrepresented. I owe much thanks to my director, Dr. Jon Nilson. First of all, Dr. Nilson introduced me to Bernard Lonergan’s method, which became a quick interest of mine. Dr. Nilson’s passion for liberation theologies and the importance of Lonergan’s theology has been a source of inspiration for my work. I have appreciated his coaching and guidance throughout my dissertation writing. I attribute much of my growth as a scholar to the aid of Dr. Nilson. I have many friends who have been at my side throughout my doctoral process. I must thank them for their endless moral support, useful advice, and critique of my work. I owe special thanks to Dr. William Myatt, who was a confidant through every stage of this process, and who was at once a strong supporter and helpful critic of my work. I also owe a great amount of gratitude to Dr. Timothy Yoder who also read and critiqued my iii work, offering perspective regarding my method and the pastoral nature of the project. I also thank Dr. Christopher Porter and Dr. Ryan Cumming for their apparent limitless tolerance of my questions and concerns throughout my doctoral studies. The collegiality developed among these friends has strengthened me in many ways. These friends are invaluable. Most of all, I must thank my husband, Jeremy, and children, Noah and Gabe. Jeremy has helped me in every way I have asked, without hesitation, and with complete compassion and enthusiasm. Jeremy has cheered me on through the many stages of this journey, and has shared the responsibilities for maintaining our household and raising our children most admirably. Jeremy has listened patiently to my ideas as I developed this project, and has read several drafts of every chapter. And finally, I must thank my children, who have learned to measure time not in minutes, but in pages written, who have tolerated frozen pizzas for too many dinners, who have been most patient with my need to focus on something other than them. We have all grown together, and I hope they have learned about self-discipline, the value of education, and the joy of pursuing something important. Most of all, they have learned that work born out of passion is the most worthwhile work of all. Noah and Gabe are my wonder, my joy, and my love, and they have kept my heart light every day. iv In memory of my parents, Theodore and Lou Ann Stapleton, for showing me love, joy, faith, and service and for teaching me to question fearlessly. PREFACE This project emerged out of a desire to explore religious pluralism as an ecclesiological issue and to use Lonergan’s method of theology in service to ecclesiology. The Dupuis controversy over the theology of religious pluralism presented an opportunity to illustrate the relevance of Lonergan’s method and an opportunity to discuss an important theological and pastoral challenge in the contemporary Catholic Church. The purpose of the project is to demonstrate the ecclesiological significance of religious pluralism, the urgent need to move forward toward a more defined Christian theology of pluralism, and the necessary incorporation of language that reflects how we Christians may identify ourselves in an age of pluralism and gain a clear sense of mission in our current globalized context. When I began this project, I anticipated that it would elucidate the ecclesiological implications of the plurality of religions in our current globalized religious situation. While this remained central to the project, a second issue emerged: the tension that has arisen between theologians and the Catholic Magisterium. Whereas the theology of religious pluralism and its direction in the future of the Catholic Church remained the primary concern, it became apparent that progress in this area depends not only upon theological resolutions, but also upon improved relationships among those who vi communicate Christian theology. Hence, Lonergan’s method proved to be a most useful tool in identifying the roots of this conflict and their possible solutions. The project is structured around the controversy itself, discussing both the positions of Jacques Dupuis and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The conflict between the two is then analyzed with the use of the theological method of Bernard Lonergan. Finally, I conclude with some reflection on the controversy, the need to progress our theology of pluralism for the benefit of the global Church and its mission, and the urgent need to define the proper relationship and responsibilities of the Catholic Church’s authority and theologians. This project is but one step toward the resolution of these issues. Other theologians are taking up the issue of religious pluralism, and there has been resounding support of Dupuis’ work in this area. There has also been a good deal of treatment on the matter of the problem of authority in the Church and the work of the theologian. Both areas continue to be explored. I am glad to have put Lonergan’s method to use in such a practical way. I continue to find that Lonergan’s method has such importance for the intersection of theology and the pastoral practice of the Catholic Church, and I have enjoyed seeing this project unfold and yield such a practical dimension. It was my hope to honor Jacques Dupuis’ life-long contributions, particularly his efforts in developing a Christian theology of pluralism, and to do justice to Bernard Lonergan’s great contribution to theological method and its relevance to the life of the Church. This project has proved to be just a beginning for me, as I envision many possibilities for the practical application of Lonergan’s method for other ecclesiological and pastoral challenges that our Church must face in this era. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii PREFACE vi LIST OF TABLES ix CHAPTER ONE: RELIGIOUS PLURALISM AND ECCLESIOLOGICAL DIRECTIONS 1 CHAPTER TWO: JACQUES DUPUIS’ CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY OF RELIGIOUS PLURALISM 26 CHAPTER THREE: THE CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH AND THE NOTIFICATION ON THE BOOK TOWARD A CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY OF RELIGIOUS PLURALISM 99 CHAPTER FOUR: LONERGAN’S TRANSCENDENTAL METHOD OF THEOLOGY AS A LENS FOR ANALYSIS 145 CHAPTER FIVE: THE IDENTITY AND MISSION OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN A MULTIRELIGIOUS MILLENNIUM: LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE DUPUIS CASE 205 BIBLIOGRAPHY 266 VITA 275 viii LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Functional Specializations and the Transcendental Precepts 162 ix CHAPTER ONE RELIGIOUS PLURALISM AND ECCLESIOLOGICAL DIRECTIONS The Christian Church in the third millennium faces a perduring challenge that begs for new answers: how the Church is, as universal sacrament of salvation, to relate to non-Christian religions. The Church has faced this challenge since its first days. What is new is the manner in which the Church must respond. Vatican II, which promised a new age for inter-religious relationships, called for the Church as people of God to rethink our relationship with our non-Christian brothers and sisters. Since the Council, theologians have been tangling with the shape of this new relationship. The discussion has broadened beyond simply creating a spirit of amicability after years of tension to more theological principles that include such things as the path to salvation, the uniqueness of Jesus Christ, and the universality of the Church. Interest in religious pluralism has heightened in the globalized context of the third millennium. It is not only a matter of interest for theologians and Church leaders, but is even at the heart of global politics. With the aid of mass media, even those who were unconcerned about the change in religious demographics, and even less about the relationships among the religions, have become aware of the impact on and significance that the religions have within culture.
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