Promoting a New Synthesis of Fa Ith and Reason
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
May • June 2008 • Volume 40 • Number 3 The Heythrop Study and Evangelising Modernity AND SYNTHESIS NEW PROMOTING A Editorial Heythrop’s Prescription: Post-Modern Catechesis? Paul Watson Modern Theology and Modern Catechesis REASON David Barrett Abolishing Fatherhood – Modernity’s Final Folly? Jamie Bogle OF Also William Oddie on defending fatherhood and human dignity FAITH FAITH Road from Regensburg on calling Islam and Modernity to reason Cutting Edge on evidence for evolution and God Reviews Peter Hodgson considers interpretations of low-level physics David Potter evokes the unifying character of Our Lady Edward Hadas challenges free-market economics And a poem by David Walshe Price: £4.50 www.faith.org.uk FAITH annual faith Summer summer session Break 2008 Monday 11th-Thursday 14th August 2008 Woldingham School, Surrey Four days of Fun and Faith for youngsters 11-14 yrs old Cost: £120 Bookings by: 4.8.08 Monday 4th to Friday 8th August 2008 Forms from: at Woldingham School [email protected] Four days of lectures, discussion and seminars around a particular theme, Including talks and in a relaxed holiday environment, discussion about our with daily Mass and prayer. Catholic faith, trip to Chessington World of Adventures, sports, contact: Ann McCallion Tel: 0141 945 0393 swimming, games email: [email protected] & other activities. fuller details on www.faith.org.uk Editor Hugh MacKenzie St. Mary Magdalen’s, Clergy House, Peter Avenue, Willesden Green, London NW10 2DD May • June 2008 • Volume 40 • Number 3 Tel 020 8451 6720 CONTENTS [email protected] Evangelising As Well As Evaluating Modern Man 2 Editorial Board Editorial David Barrett, Timothy Finigan, Andrea Fraile, Roger Nesbitt, Revelation And Modern Culture: Comments Upon On The Way To Life 8 Christina Read, Dominic Rolls, Fr Paul Watson Luiz Ruscillo, Mark Vickers. The Sacramental Theology Behind Contemporary Catechesis: Towards A Constructive Critique 18 Book Reviews Fr David Barrett William Massie, The Abolition Of Fatherhood: The Final Folly Of Modern Ideology? 22 187 Pickering Road, Jamie Bogle Hull, HU4 6TD [email protected] The Truth Will Set You Free 26 Fr Paul Watson outlines the teaching of the Church concerning catechetical methodology Advertising Manager Letters 29 Scott Deeley To the Editor St Paul’s, 16 Birdston Rd, Milton of Campsie Comment on the Comments 32 Stirlingshire G66 8BU William Oddie contrasts Catholic and Anglican witness against the march of secularism [email protected] The Road from Regensburg 34 Increased pressure for Islam and Secularism to be more rational Subscriptions and Faith-Keyway Trust Sunday by Sunday 38 Publications Office Our sermon suggestions Paul Butcher Book Reviews 41 16a off Coniston Way, Peter Hodgson on a powerful and coherent discussion of the possibilities of God’s Reigate RH2 0LN interventions in the world; David Potter is pleased by a growing ecumenical consensus Tel 01737 770016 around the place of Mary in the plan of salvation; Edward Hadas highlights significant Fax 01737 770016 shortcomings in an attempt to defend free-market economics through Catholic social [email protected] teaching; Francis Lynch praises a short and readable history of the Catholic Church; Fr Ross Crichton applauds a fascinating re-creation of the lost world of the Scottish Highlands of the 18th century, where men and women kept the faith heroically amidst political and religious UK £25/year, turmoil and James Tolhurst recommends a treasure-trove of gems for homilies and lectures. Europe (inc.Eire) £29/year Notes from across the Atlantic 45 Surface Mail overseas £28/year Fr Richard John Neuhaus on the contradictions within modernity Air Mail overseas £33/year Single copies £5 inc. p&p, Cutting Edge 47 Bulk orders £3.50 plus p&p Avoiding the evidence for evolution: a paradoxical influence of atheist reductionism Student rate £17/year Faith Online 48 Our regular guide to the web Poem 17 Tower of Siloam David Walshe Meditations for May The Woman Pope John Paul II 31 Mysteries of the Rosary A Benedictine Sister 36 Published by the Faith-Keyway Trust registered charity No. 278314 Reflections upon Natural Observation contra post-Modernity Printed by Tudor Printing Science and curing the secularisation within Pope Benedict 7 01772 633098 ISSN 1356-126X Natural and Supernatural Revelation The Catechism 16 Grace and our Natural Environment Fr Edward Holloway 17 faith Evangelising as well as Evaluating Modern Man In a characteristically engaging commentary on the Heythrop study “On the Way to "I thank you Lord for revealing Life” by Frs James Hanvey and Anthony Carroll (OTWTL), Fr Timothy Radcliffe gives these things to mere children this story and related question: and hiding them from the learned and the clever." “I have had almost no contact with schools since I was a pupil myself. When I (Matthew 11:25) mentioned this to a friend of mine, who is a teacher in a non-denominational school, he suggested that I come over and have lunch with some of his pupils. It was enjoyable; we talked about films and novels, holidays and sport. I felt at ease in their company. After they had gone, my friend suggested that the next time I could talk to them about my faith. I had a feeling of panic. What words could I find that would engage with the experience of these bright young people?” This is an important question which needs to be carefully pondered. But the situation is not as hopeless as is implied. It is quite possible to go into a non-denominational school and speak about science and religion, about the nature of the human person from a Catholic perspective, about the historicity of the gospels, or indeed about why we venerate the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints. Many of us have engaged in just such an exercise with a gratifyingly positive reception, offering something that is both fresh and a challenge to the culture in which our young interlocutors are immersed. St Paul did something similar in Athens when he Christianised the Greek verse “In Him we live and move and have our being” with a result that is likely to be repeated: some mock, some are uninterested, and some wish to “hear more about these things.” (Acts 17:28 & 32) We would see the need for some qualifications and corrections to the response to Radcliffe’s challenge offered by the Heythrop study. The study sets out to offer a framework for religious education and catechesis. As a serious sociological and philosophical analysis of modernity commissioned by the Bishop’s Conference of EVANGELISING AS WELL AS EVALUATING MODERN MAN AS WELL EVALUATING EVANGELISING “The evangelisation of modernity England and Wales it is a significant project. Over recent decades this magazine has calls for a realist reclamation often attempted discernment and critique of the theology behind modern catechesis. of the concept of human The study brings out and develops such theology and so gives us a good opportunity nature, fulfilled in Christ. to discuss ideas which have made and are likely to continue to make a big impact ...The de-naturing of reality, upon the Church. In this issue Fr David Barrett offers a “constructive critique” of such which has sadly been a theology. We also carry a paper critical of OTWTL by Fr Watson and others of the Maryvale Institute which Faith Magazine is happy to endorse. concomitant of the modern ‘turn to the subject’, has A Careful Approach undermined the very fabric ulture is a difficult term to pin down and OTWTL offers an engaging and thought- of human community as Cprovoking attempt to analyse how best the Catholic community can respond well as Christian soteriology.” to what it frequently calls “modernity”, now conceived in post-modernist terms as a society that has both privatised spirituality and championed the “needs” of the individual for such things as freedom, autonomy and self expression. Rightly, the [2] MAY/JUNE 2008 faith study points out that religious education and catechesis take It is true that the Church has not been successful in place within ecclesial, secular and personal contexts that influencing public policy. This is at least partly due to her intersect: religious education will not be successful if it uncertain voice concerning key beliefs which go to the heart ignores the language that pupils speak and the assumptions of the cultural malaise. Humanae Vitae, widely rejected both that they make, based on the world around them. within and outside the Church, is undoubtedly the key to reaffirming the place of the family at the heart of the culture OTWTL takes great care not to fall into any of the pitfalls that and yet few Catholic catechists or teachers are equipped to await the unwary in this field. It looks at various ways in give a positive account of its teaching. OTWTL mentions the which the community of the Church can engage with widespread dissent from the teaching only as an example of modernity and dismisses none of them outright. There is a the modern crisis in authority. As the Maryvale critique clear recognition of the possibility of a critique of modernity observes, not only is Humanae Vitae left “hanging in the air” together with an intelligent assessment of how the culture but the relevant magisterial teaching of Pope John Paul II is of modernity interacts with the community of the Church simply not mentioned. which can itself be analysed in terms of its own changes of culture. The Turn to the Subject he major philosophical trend within the culture of Nevertheless, some themes emerge which form part of the Tmodernity discerned and described by OTWTL is the overall thrust of the study and its suggested responses to “turn to the subject”.