Theology Spring/Summer 2008
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AQUINAS INSTITUTE OF THEOLOGY SPRING/SUMMER 2008 HOW GREAT THOU ART Connecting Science and Theology ALSO INSIDE AI Installs New President A Year of Anniversaries The Story of a Successful Pastoral Partnership AQUINAS INSTITUTE OF THEOLOGY SPRING/SUMMER 2008 AQUINAS INSTITUTE OF THEOLOGY SPRING/SUMMER 2008 SIGNATURES FROM THE EDITOR CONTENTS PUBLISHER Aquinas Institute of Theology Fr. Richard Peddicord, O.P. President NEW AI PRESIDENT ESSAYS EDITOR AFFIRMS THEOLOGY Thomas Barbarak Communications FOR LIFE GOD’S WHISPER CONTRIBUTORS 16 On January 1, Father Richard A. Peddicord, O.P., became the 7th Rev. Seán Charles Martin Aquinas student Chris Associate Professor of Biblical Studies President of Aquinas Institute of Theology. In his inaugural address Kienstra recounts her (see pp 10-13), Father Peddicord reflected on what has become ongoing struggle to Sr. Carla Mae Streeter, O.P. the Institute’s motto – Theology for Life. What a seemingly simple answer God’s call. Professor of Systematic Theology concept. Yet too often, theology has been viewed as a remote and Sr. Patricia Walter, O.P. sometimes elusive discipline TH Assistant Professor of – the domain of thinkers and PAULINE LOURDES 150 HOW GREAT Tom Barbarak Systematic Theology YEAR ANNIVERSARY THOU ART Director of theorists somehow removed Communications from everyday concerns. In Chris Kienstra 2 4 6 Candidate, Master of Arts, his remarks, Father Peddicord During the 2008-09 As we celebrate the Might contemporary Pastoral Studies reminds us that theological Pauline Jubilee, anniversary of Mary’s cosmology have study is intended to move the Church celebrates appearance to Bernadette something to offer DESIGNER beyond the speculative realm to St. Paul of Tarsus Soubirous of Lourdes, to our reflections Susan Webb add richness and meaning to everyday life through a closer relationship as one of theology’s we contemplate the on creation? with God and in service to the human family. most important sources. meaning of Mary’s Theology Signatures is published by the In keeping with its motto – for Life – AI is happy to multiple apparitions that Office of Communications. announce that the popular Aquinas Roundtable has expanded to a are part of our tradition. Send address changes, second location at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows. requests for subscriptions or Partnering with the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Aquinas Institute is suggestions for stories to: honored and eager to bring the discussion of popular religious topics [email protected] to a new community. Please check the back cover for a listing of all or Roundtable and community events. Signatures This issue of Signatures carries several timely and reflective essays. Aquinas Institute of Theology The Pauline Year considers the significant theological contributions and 23 S. Spring Ave. DEPARTMENTS missionary activity of the “Apostle to the Gentiles,” while The Lady of St. Louis MO 63108 Lourdes reminds us that Mary is a model of the holiness to which every ALUMNI / © Aquinas Institute of Theology person is called. How Great Thou Art explores the links between science All rights reserved and theology. With God’s Whisper, an essay recounting the spiritual STUDENT journey one person followed in answering God’s call, we are happy to NOTES 18 ON THE COVER begin a tradition of presenting an AI student essay in every issue of FACULTY Thousands of young stars Signatures. CREATING A PASTORAL NEWS 19 are nestled within the Be sure to read Creating a Pastoral Partnership. This engaging interview PARTNERSHIP giant nebula NGC 3603 brings you into contact with a successful pastoral team serving a SIGNATURE about 20,000 light-years thriving urban parish community in the Archdiocese of Saint Louis. 14 MOMENTS 20 away in this 2007 image And by the way – both members of this team have links to AI. Signatures asks a successful from NASA’s Hubble Each issue of Signatures brings readers updates about faculty, alumni FROM THE PRESIDENT pastoral team, Monsignor James UPCOMING Space Telescope. and life at AI. If you have information that you would like to share 10 Telthorst, and Shawnessey On January 1, 2008 Father Richard A. Peddicord, O.P., Custer, M.Div., about their EVENTS SOURCE: NASA, ESA, AND THE HUBBLE with the Aquinas community, please contact us by mail or e-mail. HERITAGE (STSCI/AURA)-ESA/HUBBLE became the 7th President of Aquinas Institute experience at Our Lady INSIDE & COLLABORATION See you in the next issue of Signatures! of Theology. His inaugural address begins on page 10. of Sorrows parish in St. Louis. BACK COVER 1 AQUINAS INSTITUTE OF THEOLOGY SPRING 2008 AQUINAS INSTITUTE OF THEOLOGY SPRING/SUMMER 2008 XXX THE PAULINE YEAR God, Christ, the Spirit, grace, ••••• Internet that have been devoted to charism, ministry, community and the Pauline Jubilee. Since the site mission because Paul has taught us We can think about God, opened on January 25th, traffic how to do so. to Aquinas Institute’s website has • The Pope’s second purpose in Christ, the Spirit, grace, increased noticeably. proclaiming this 2000th anniversary On October 3, 2008, Aquinas of the birth of Paul is to relight charism, ministry, community Institute will host a Symposium the fires of ecumenism, which on Paul of Tarsus at 2000. burned so brightly in the years and mission because Paul has The symposium will feature immediately before and after presentations from nationally Vatican II, but which lately have taught us how to do so. prominent theologians, both Roman seemed to dampen. For Pope Catholic as well as those from other Benedict, Saint Paul’s effort to ••••• denominations, with responses by preserve the unity of the nascent symposium participants. Interest Christian community, even as he dialogue, and served to inaugurate in this upcoming symposium is sought to widen its boundaries, the Saint Louis region’s observance high and theologians from the remains a perennial task of believers of the Pauline Jubilee. region’s seminaries and faculties of today. Consequently, the Pope’s The Institute has dedicated a theology are already preparing their hope is that our observance of portion of its website to the 2000th presentations. Those presentations this Pauline year be characterized anniversary of the birth of Paul. will eventually be collected, edited by ecumenical dialogue, and by a The website, Paul @ 2000, can be and published as Perspectives on Paul common acknowledgement of the accessed at www.ai.edu/paul, and of Tarsus at 2000. debt that all Christians – Roman includes reflections from the faculty Catholics, members of the ancient of Aquinas Institute on Paul and his Churches of the East, the Anglican impact on Catholic theology. The THE PAULINE YEAR Communion, the Reformed site includes faculty blogs, podcasts Churches, the Free Churches – owe and links to other sites across the About one quarter of the New Testament is attributed to Saint Paul. to Paul. During the 2008-09 Pauline Jubilee, the Church will celebrate Saint Paul Aquinas Institute of Theology is observing the Pauline as one of theology’s most important sources. Jubilee in several different ways. On January 25, 2008, (June 29 was chosen because it Christians are given an opportunity the Institute hosted area Rev. Séán Chapter 1 Charles Martin is the Feast of Saints Peter and to return to one of the most theologians from Kenrick- Romans Paul), much less his birth year, the important sources of theology. Glennon Seminary, from the Associate 15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the Professor reasonable assumption on the part Of all the important figures of the Department of Theology at of Biblical of Pope Benedict is that Paul was Church in the first century, Paul has Saint Louis University, from Studies gospel to you that are at Rome also. younger than Jesus, but not an left behind the largest collection of Concordia Lutheran Seminary entire generation younger. writings. Roughly speaking, about and from Covenant Seminary 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is ope Benedict XVI has The Pope’s purpose in a quarter of the New Testament at the celebration of Solemn announced that the Church proclaiming this Pauline jubilee is was either written by Paul or Vespers commemorating the the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; P will observe the 2000th two-fold: subsequently attributed to him. conversion of Paul of Tarsus. anniversary of the birth of Saint • The observance of any Consequently, Paul is indispensable This ecumenical gathering of to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Paul of Tarsus, beginning on June anniversary serves to rekindle for theologians. His impact on professors of theology, followed by 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from 29, 2008 and continuing through interest in the original event – or, in figures like Saint Augustine of a wine and cheese reception at the June 29, 2009. While no one can this case, the highly original person Hippo, Saint Thomas Aquinas, Institute’s Ascension Commons, faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. be certain of the actual birthday of – we are commemorating. During Martin Luther or Karl Barth is was undertaken in the spirit of 18 the great Apostle to the Gentiles, the 2008-2009 Pauline Jubilee, immeasurable. We can think about Pope Benedict’s hope of ecumenical For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 2 “ST. PAUL” BY EL GRECO, EARLY 17TH CENTURY; SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. AQUINAS INSTITUTE OF THEOLOGY SPRING/SUMMER 2008 LOURDES 150TH ANNIVERSARY the whole body of the Church, of our original face? Is she the one who never forgot…and are we the ones afflicted The LADY with the dementia brought about by sin, both original and actual on our part? Isaac of Stella, an early abbott, of tells us that whatever we say of this LOURDES Lady must also be said in declared the Immaculate Conception some sense of ourselves To find out Sr.