1 Dialogue of Spiritual Life Between Catholics And
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DIALOGUE OF SPIRITUAL LIFE BETWEEN CATHOLICS AND MUSLIMS Entering into the Experience of “the Other” with the Thought of Karol Wojtyla/John Paul II and Christian de Chergé Shannon G. Wylie Faculty of Religious Studies McGill University, Montreal June 2015 A thesis submitted to McGill University in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Arts degree in Religious Studies © Shannon Wylie 2015 1 Table of Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... 4 Résumé ............................................................................................................................................ 5 Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... 6 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 7 Chief Concern ............................................................................................................................. 9 Secondary Concern ................................................................................................................... 12 Limitations ................................................................................................................................ 12 CHAPTER ONE: VATICAN II BEGINNINGS .......................................................................... 14 Defining Dialogue ..................................................................................................................... 14 Prior Steps ............................................................................................................................. 15 Careful Balancing ................................................................................................................. 16 Concentric Circles ................................................................................................................. 16 Points of Contact with Islam: Nostra Aetate (1965) ................................................................. 17 Connections to the Person and Community .............................................................................. 18 Gaudium et Spes (1965) ............................................................................................................ 18 “The Dignity of the Human Person” ..................................................................................... 19 “The Community of Mankind” ............................................................................................. 19 Betterment of Society ........................................................................................................... 20 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 21 CHAPTER TWO WOJTYLA: PARTICIPATION OF THE PERSON IN THE COMMUNITY ............................ 22 An Introduction to Wojtyla’s Concept of Person ..................................................................... 24 Participation: The Person with Others ...................................................................................... 28 Acting Together .................................................................................................................... 29 Participating in Another’s Humanity .................................................................................... 33 “Profiles of Participation” ......................................................................................................... 34 I-you or Interpersonal Relationships ..................................................................................... 34 We or Social Dimension ....................................................................................................... 35 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 36 2 3 CHAPTER THREE: JOHN PAUL II: GOD’S TRINITARIAN LOVE FOR MAN ................... 38 Redemptor Hominis: Setting the Stage ..................................................................................... 41 “In the Name of the Father…”: The Revelation of God’s Mercy ............................................. 43 “..and the Son”: Salvific Suffering of Christ ............................................................................ 46 “…and the Holy Spirit”: Continuing in Union ......................................................................... 51 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 53 CHAPTER FOUR: JOHN PAUL II ON DIALOGUE WITH MUSLIMS .................................. 55 Mutual Understanding in Theological Anthropology ............................................................... 58 Man’s Origin and Destiny ..................................................................................................... 58 Morality................................................................................................................................. 61 Common Goals ......................................................................................................................... 63 Right to Freedom of Conscience........................................................................................... 64 Peace ..................................................................................................................................... 65 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 66 CHAPTER FIVE CHRISTIAN DE CHERGÉ: DIALOGUE OF SPIRITUAL LIFE .............................................. 68 Beginning a Dialogue of Spiritual Life ..................................................................................... 69 Prerequisite of Humility ........................................................................................................ 72 Mystical Steps in Theology ...................................................................................................... 76 The All-Merciful ................................................................................................................... 77 God is One ............................................................................................................................ 80 Mystical Steps in Life ............................................................................................................... 84 Obedience ............................................................................................................................. 85 Prayer .................................................................................................................................... 87 Scripture ................................................................................................................................ 88 “A Love of the Furthest Ends” in a Dialogue of Spiritual Life ................................................ 89 CONCLUSION: LOVE AS A SINGLE REALITY ..................................................................... 93 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................. 97 Appendix: Chronological List of John Paul II’s Significant Statements on Islam ..................... 104 Abstract This thesis delves into post-Vatican II Catholic theology of dialogue with Muslims. I focus on the philosophical and theological anthropology of Karol Wojtyla/John Paul II and the dialogue of spiritual life of Christian de Chergé. Karol Wojtyla’s philosophical concept of the person’s participation in communities provides the essential aspects for achieving the level of unity that the Church seeks to establish when it involves itself in dialogue. John Paul II’s Trinitarian thought opens up the analysis of community and dialogue to the inspiration from God’s revelation of redemption and reliance upon God’s merciful, sacrificial, and unifying love. This Trinitarian discussion introduces the significance of theological anthropology for the Catholic understanding of community. Considering the contours of community introduced in Wojtyla’s concept of participation and John Paul II’s Trinitarian theological anthropology, the themes for developing mutual understanding and community with Muslims are then explored in John Paul II’s writings and speeches on the topic and Christian de Chergé’s method of a dialogue of spiritual life. Therein, I will seek to demonstrate the priority of a lived spiritual encounter in dialogue, one which does not bracket out debates between the two religious traditions concerning man’s relationship with God, in developing the unity necessary between Catholics and Muslims. 4 Résumé Ce mémoire concerne la théologie catholique du dialogue avec les musulmans post- Vatican II. Plus particulièrement, il y est question de l’anthropologie philosophique et théologique de Karol Wojtyla/Jean Paul II et de la méthode de dialogue de Christian de Chergé qui prend forme à travers la rencontre spirituelle. Le concept philosophique de Karol Wojtyla de la « participation » de la personne au sein des communautés fournit les aspects essentiels de l’unité que l’Église