Karl Rahner on the incarnation

[Christop]

I was asking stuff at the Relevant magazine message boards about Karl Rahner, and didn’t get much response (don’t think many people there had heard of him). Runnerryran suggested that I ask here.

Been reading a book called *The Tapestry of Christian Theology *, which is basically an overview of 20th century theology. Just read the chapter on Karl Rahner’s ideas about the incarnation and am reasonably confused. I’m pretty sure I understand what he was on about in ‘On the Theology of the Incarnation’. But I don’t understand very well what ‘Christology Within an Evolutionary View of the World’ or ‘The Two Basic Types of Christology’ very well.

In ‘Christology Within an Evolutionary View of the World’ I understand his five working assumptions pretty well. I don’t understand what he means by saying that ‘the cosmos gradually becomes conscious of itself.’

In ‘The Two Basic Types of Christology’ I don’t understand what a ‘saving history’ theology or a ‘metaphysical’ theology is.

Anyone familiar with Rahner, and able to help me understand this?

 

[threej_lc]

I’ve read a few Rahner works. My honest opinion? Not worth the effort. He uses ridiculously complicated langauge to just reiterate what Aquinas or others already said in one sentence.

I’m no great theologian to say that’s very sound advice, but still, he has severely unimpressed me compared to others.

That having been said, if you can give us excerpts of paragraphs, we might be able to help you on those paragraphs, although taken out of context.

Josh

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

Christop:

I was asking stuff at the Relevant magazine message boards about Karl Rahner, and didn’t get much response (don’t think many people there had heard of him). Runnerryran suggested that I ask here.

Been reading a book called The Tapestry of Christian Theology , which is basically an overview of 20th century theology. Just read the chapter on Karl Rahner’s ideas about the incarnation and am reasonably confused. I’m pretty sure I understand what he was on about in ‘On the Theology of the Incarnation’. But I don’t understand very well what ‘Christology Within an Evolutionary View of the World’ or ‘The Two Basic Types of Christology’ very well.

In ‘Christology Within an Evolutionary View of the World’ I understand his five working assumptions pretty well. I don’t understand what he means by saying that ‘the cosmos gradually becomes conscious of itself.’

In ‘The Two Basic Types of Christology’ I don’t understand what a ‘saving history’ theology or a ‘metaphysical’ theology is.

Anyone familiar with Rahner, and able to help me understand this?

The theology of *all *theologians is metaphysical to some degree - if only because all of us, theologians included, make metaphysical assumptions of some kind. St.Thomas Aquinas - for instance - is full of metaphysics.​

A “saving history” theology is a theology which, rather than concentrating on metaphysical questions such as the existence, nature, ontological status, or simplicity of God (say), concentrates instead on His works in history - such as his saving deeds on behalf of Israel in the OT, and the results of these. Redemption is one of these saving deeds; the election of Abram to be the father of a multitude of faithful is at the beginning of them. The Covenant at Sinai, and with David, belong to this kind of theology; as does the theology of the Church in Acts. It’s much more interested in history than the metaphysical approach is.

One looks at God’s nature in order to understand what He does - the other, looks at what God says and does, to learn what He is

Does that help ? ##

 

[ncjohn]

:clapping: Well spoken as usual Michael!

I could have taken my usual 3 pages and not said it nearly as well. :whacky:

Peace,