January • February 2008 • Volume 39 • Number 7 The Primacy of Christ and the Islamic Invitation AND SYNTHESIS NEW PROMOTING A Editorial The Primacy of Christ and Modern Dilemmas Stephen Dingley Incarnation, Priesthood and Communion with God REASON John Gavin The Primacy of Christ in Duns Scotus Phillippe Yates ALSO: OF Ida Zilio-Grandi on Islam's approach to love John Navone on the Uniqueness of Jesus William Oddie on an unsettling example of faith Marianne Cuthbertson on the practicality of integral catechesis FAITH William Charlton corresponds on matter REVIEWS: Tim Finigan on the loss of priestly asceticism Matthew Ward on knowing the Transcendent Sarah Holmes on chastity advice for teenagers ...and much more Price: £4 www.faith.org.uk annual faith Catholicism summer session a new synthesis by Edward Holloway Pope John Paul II gave the blueprint for catechetical renewal with the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Catholicism: A New Synthesis seeks to show why such teaching makes perfect sense in a world which has come of age in scientific understanding. It offers a way out of the current intellectual Monday 4th to Friday 8th August 2008 at Woldington School crisis, a way which is both modern and orthodox. Four days of lectures, discussion and seminars around a particular theme, in a relaxed holiday environment, with daily Mass and prayer. 503 pages FREEPOST Faith Magazine REIGATE RH2 0BR contact: Ann McCallion Tel: 0141 945 0393 £5 email: [email protected] no need for a stamp if posted in the UK fuller details on www.faith.org.uk Editor Hugh MacKenzie St. Mary Magdalen’s, Clergy House, Peter Avenue, Willesden Green, London NW10 2DD January • February 2008 • Volume 39 • Number 7 Tel 020 8451 6720 [email protected] CONTENTS Editorial Board The Primacy of Christ and Honouring the Islamic Invitation 2 David Barrett, Timothy Finigan, Editorial Andrea Fraile, Roger Nesbitt, Christina Read, Dominic Rolls, The Primacy of Christ: In the Light of Modern Dilemmas 8 Luiz Ruscillo, Mark Vickers. Fr Stephen Dingley Book Reviews The Incarnation, the Priesthood and Communion with God 14 William Massie, Fr John Gavin S.J. 187 Pickering Road, Baxtergate, The Primacy of Christ in John Duns Scotus: An Assessment 22 Hull, HU4 6TD Br Philippe Yates OFM [email protected] Pastoral Forum: The Truth Will Set You Free 29 Advertising Manager Mrs. Marianne Cuthbertson on Quenching the Catechetical Thirst Scott Deeley Letters 32 St Paul’s, 16 Birdston Rd, Milton of Campsie To the Editor Stirlingshire G66 8BU Comment on the Comments 34 [email protected] Dr William Oddie discernes a fear of fostering the faith Subscriptions and The Road from Regensburg 36 Faith-Keyway Trust Responses to the Open Letter; A possible New Synthesis; etc Publications Office Paul Butcher Sunday by Sunday 38 16a off Coniston Way, Our sermon suggestions Reigate RH2 0LN Tel 01737 770016 Poem 41 Fax 01737 770016 For the Epiphany [email protected] Book Reviews 42 Timothy Finigan finds a report upon priestly asceticism very helpful for understanding UK £22/year, the modern western Church, Matthew Ward applauds a bold attempt to survey western Europe (inc.Eire) £25/year writing which reveals the truth, beauty and goodness of the Triune God, Francis Lynch Surface Mail overseas £24/year on a seven step plan to re-evangelise Britain; Sarah Holmes on a convincing call to chastity Air Mail overseas £29/year for women; Ella Preece enjoys celebrating the feasts of the Church’s year to the full. Single copies £4.50 inc. p&p, Bulk orders £3 plus p&p Notes from across the Atlantic 46 Student rate £15/year Fr Richard John Neuhaus Cutting Edge 47 Tentative moves towards rebuilding a comprehensive vision Faith Online 48 Our regular guide to the web Published by the Faith-Keyway Trust registered charity No. 278314 Other Angles Printed by Tudor Printing Fr John Navone S.J. meditates upon the identity of the Son of God 7 01772 633098 ISSN 1356-126X Ida Zilio-Grandi on Love for Allah and honest dialogue 19 faith The Primacy of Christ and Honouring the Islamic Invitation Honouring the Letter and the Transcendence of God “Let each man take care ast October, on the first anniversary of their robust reply to the Pope’s Regensburg how he builds … For no other Llecture, Islamic leaders issued another “Open letter”. As an attempt to reach out foundation can anyone lay to the Pope and other Christian leaders in order to find common ground, made on behalf than that which is laid, of all the main Islamic schools, this latest open letter is unique in the history of Islam. which is Jesus Christ.” In the letter, A Common Word Between Us and You, 138 Muslim scholars invite (1 Cor. 3:10-11) Christian leaders; “to come together with us on the basis of what is common to us, which is also most essential to our faith and practice: the Two Commandments of love ...Let this common ground be the basis of all future interfaith dialogue between us”. A direct Christian theological response to this proposal concerning our love for God and neighbour would involve the idea of the Son of God becoming Man, which is a stumbling block for Islam. As we will suggest below, this is such a big block mainly because of Islam’s approach to the transcendence of God, as well as its rejection of the Holy Trinity. For this and related reasons a certain Catholic preference has emerged for responding in a manner intellectually more straightforward and culturally more urgent, that is, for dialogue concerning the dignity of the human person and its ethical implications. Without losing this latter emphasis we would urge that our dialogue is actually likely to bear more fruit if it is based on the (theological) agenda generously offered by Muslim leaders rather than the (anthropological) one suggested by us. But so that such theological discussion does not fall at the first hurdle we need to have the confidence that we can THE PRIMACY OF CHRIST AND HONOURING ISLAMIC INVITATION present the redemption in a way which clearly supports the transcendent nature of God. This, we will argue, means seeing the human nature of Christ, body and soul, as the cornerstone, source and summit of Creation. Such an approach is present in all three of the main articles in this issue. A Papal Reply he Pope himself has replied to A Common Word through a succinct and graceful letter Tsigned by his Secretary of State, Cardinal Bertone. It acknowledges some of the Open Letter’s key themes in stating that: “We need to be in a position to “...we can and therefore should look to what unites us, namely, belief in the one God, propose the plan of the truly the provident Creator and universal Judge who at the end of time will deal with each transcendent God as fulfilling person according to his or her actions. We are all called to commit ourselves totally our capacity for and need to him and to obey his sacred will.” of true love.” [2] JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008 faith The Cardinal suggests that actual dialogue should be based upon foundational to living out the Christian faith it is not quite so the “common ground” of: foundational to the gift of faith itself. Rather God’s love for us is. His Self-giving is the foundation of His commands. “...effective respect for the dignity of every human person, on objective knowledge of the religion of the other, on the sharing As the First Letter of John has it: of religious experience and, finally, on common commitment to promoting mutual respect and acceptance among the “Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who younger generation.” loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God; for God is love. In this the love of God was made He says that the Pope believes that such dialogue could lead to manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so us cooperating “in a productive way in the areas of culture and that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved society, and for the promotion of justice and peace in society God but that he loved us...” (1 John 4:9-10) and throughout the world.” Caution about caution Such anthropological discussion and hoped for actions are he Cardinal’s honest letter presents a much needed and fairly somewhat more specific than, though overlapping with, the Tgentle challenge to the Muslim understanding of the nature more theological dialogue proposed by the Islamic scholars and rights of Man. However, we would suggest that the Church who suggest the call to “total devotion” to the one God as should also be clearly open to dialogue on the theological level our starting point. requested by A Common Word. If, as Magister suggests, we can discern a lack of willingness on the part of Muslim leaders For the Vatican to attempt to steer the debate in such a specific to play to the Vatican’s agenda, why force their hand at this direction offers a clear route towards active cooperation against seminal stage by refusing to enter into dialogue on the terms secularism. At the same time, it takes on board the important they suggest? They might quite sincerely say no – or take part task of directly challenging some of the thinking which lies with greater reservations – and an unprecedented opportunity behind the violence and coercion associated with Islamist groups for dialogue might be compromised, if not lost.