Bishops' response to rebuked theologian could take months

  • Thread starter Thread starter Pax_et_Bonum
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
grannymh said:
Speaking of thoughts…StAnastasia, what do you consider as the theological highlights of Quest for the Living God

?

The best approach is for you to read the book, and the bishop’s critique, and Dr. Johnson’s response. Then we can discuss particular passages and how our interpretations of them differ.
Click to expand...
 
Corki said:
Yes, I have read her response - several times. I have read the letters from the two theological associations. I have read the Bishops letter and Archbishop Wuerl. I have read several of Sisters essays that are available online too. And yes, Sister’s response was a bit snarky. She was accussatory and came very close to claiming the Bishops of being unqualified to judge her work. Also the way she made her repsonse to the Bishops public was, at best, lacking in discretion.
Click to expand...
I agree. Her response had an attitude, but under the circumstances it’s not totally unexpected. Not many people react favorably to criticism. Although I appreciate the public nature of this “discussion” because there is so much that can be learned.
 
StAnastasia said:
The best approach is for you to read the book, and the bishop’s critique, and Dr. Johnson’s response. Then we can discuss particular passages and how our interpretations of them differ.
Click to expand...
It did seem logical to me that you as an advocate of Quest for the Living God would be the person most interested in presenting the book’s theological highlights.

I have not read the book. As a start, I am taking the word of Bishops who are smarter than me. I was hoping for independent comments from a professional like yourself and especially as you promote this book. You have the advantage of more university degrees.
You did say in post 13 “That’s why we theologians assign it in our classes!”
 
grannymh said:
I have not read the book. As a start, I am taking the word of Bishops who are smarter than me. I was hoping for independent comments from a professional like yourself and especially as you promote this book. You have the advantage of more university degrees. You did say in post 13 “That’s why we theologians assign it in our classes!”
Click to expand...
Granny, I’m happy to comment, but in response to particular theological issues addressed by the bishops and by Sister Johnson. I don’t have the time to craft a summary of a 220 page book. I can say generally that it’s an excellent book, that students enjoy reading and discussing it, and that it raises many important issues we address in theology classes. I did not mean to imply that Quest for the Living God is the last word on the theology of God.
 
StAnastasia said:
Granny, I’m happy to comment, but in response to particular theological issues addressed by the bishops and by Sister Johnson. I don’t have the time to craft a summary of a 220 page book. I can say generally that it’s an excellent book, that students enjoy reading and discussing it, and that it raises many important issues we address in theology classes. I did not mean to imply that Quest for the Living God is the last word on the theology of God.
Click to expand...
In other words – pardon me – you are avoiding mentioning any of the book’s theological issues.
 
StAnastasia said:
No, I am not avoiding. Which ones would you like to discuss?
Click to expand...
The ones you consider important.
However, since it looks like this does not interest you --if it did, you would have responded the first few times I asked-- you may have the last word in this particular, individual discussion.🙂
 
grannymh said:
The ones you consider important.
However, since it looks like this does not interest you --if it did, you would have responded the first few times I asked-- you may have the last word in this particular, individual discussion.🙂
Click to expand...
*All *the issues are important, and all interest me.
 
StAnastasia said:
No, I am not avoiding. Which ones would you like to discuss?
Click to expand...
Even though it is OT to discuss the actual content of the book, I would love to see your interpretation of this quote of Sister’s:

“Thinking people questioned what it all meant, this old, rather creaky tradition of luxuriant doctrines and rituals and hierarchy and pious customs, and whether any of it was true.”

I am especially interested in how you reconcile this for your theology students with the teaching of the Church.
 
Corki said:
Even though it is OT to discuss the actual content of the book, I would love to see your interpretation of this quote of Sister’s:

“Thinking people questioned what it all meant, this old, rather creaky tradition of luxuriant doctrines and rituals and hierarchy and pious customs, and whether any of it was true.”
Click to expand...

Putting that quote into context is probably a good idea. It comes from chapter two of Quest for the Living God. Here is an excerpt from
pp. 27-28​

In modern society, however, Christianity became a little church in a much bigger world. Believing Christians found themselves a cognitive minority scattered in a wider culture that bore the stamp of other influences, both secular and religious. Consequently, a variety of viewpoints pressed themselves on the average person, along with a wide array of values according to which one could live one’s life. Science’s ability to find inner-worldly, empirical explanations for all phenomena made the world seem ultimately more godless, while the human ability to plan and rationally master nature made the everyday world seem more profane. Participation in the secular political process along with high levels of education removed the average person from the direct influence of church authority. The coruscating wind of atheism, which outrightly refutes the reality of God, along with its sibling, agnosticism, which maintains a studied neutrality on the issue, blew down complacency in religious belief. At the very least, the modern atmosphere of skepticism made all truth claims sound relative.

As a result, Christian faith was thrown into crisis. Thinking people questioned what it all meant, this old, rather creaky tradition of luxuriant doctrines and rituals and hierarchy and pious customs, and whether any of it was true. Large numbers of people simply drifted away from die church under the pressure of modern social patterns, giving rise to the phenomenon of bourgeois indifference to religion. The realities of civil life and the reality of Christian faith diverged, seemingly unable to be integrated.​

I dunno… to me it seems Sr. Elizabeth is describing the attitude of a wide swath of the population which, under the onslaught of modernity, have increasing wondered about the relevance of Christianity. Some have consciously chosen to depart the faith, others simply don’t take it seriously, even if they maintain a nominal identity as Christian.

She sees this as a challenge which theologians need to address.
 
Dale_M said:
I dunno… to me it seems Sr. Elizabeth is describing the attitude of a wide swath of the population which, under the onslaught of modernity, have increasing wondered about the relevance of Christianity. Some have consciously chosen to depart the faith, others simply don’t take it seriously, even if they maintain a nominal identity as Christian. She sees this as a challenge which theologians need to address.
Click to expand...
Dale_M, I’m rereading Sister Johnson’s chapter on the mystery of the Trinity, for sheer pleasure. I love the beauty of her writing, as well as the elegance of theological insight in her discussion of St. Augustine.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top