Being the fourth of seven children it can sometimes be hard to make yourself stand out, but that was not a problem for Karl Rahner. Rahner left his mark on the world and now is considered to be one of the most influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century (McGrath 128). His thoughts were inspired by several well-known theologians such as; Saint Thomas Aquinas, Immanuel Kant, Saint Augustine, and Ignatius of Loyola just to name a few. Karl Rahner wrote more than three thousand works so it is hard to say what his best work was, but Foundations of Christian Faith, written later in his life is said to be “the most developed and systematic of his work.” Rahner’s theology is not cut in dry, there are many aspects that you have to study and it requires strenuous thinking. To understand the theology of Karl Rahner it is necessary to study his background. As a modernist and a Catholic theologian Karl Rahner combines his study of philosophy and theology into one. Through his theology Rahner is also greatly known for his influence on the Second Vatican Council, which helped develop the understanding we have today for Catholicism.
Before we can talk about his theology it is necessary to understand the life of Karl Rahner. Rahner was born March 5, 1904 and grew up in Freiburg, Germany. His parent’s names were Karl and Luise. Karl Rahner explains his childhood as a normal. He grew up in a middle-class Christian family with six other brothers and sisters. He knew his family would never become extremely wealthy, but things like that were not concerns for Karl. Like I mentioned before Karl was the fourth of seven children. All seven of the children attended universities and graduated with a diploma. All of his siblings went on to hav...
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...dea of new culture and tradition. With the changes being made in the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church was being reborn. Vatican II is very important when it comes to learning about the history of the Catholic Church and will forever be remembered.
Karl Rahner’s life was dedicated to his writings and teachings. From a young age he knew his calling for religion and until his death in nineteen eighty-four he did not stop doing what he loved. Because of his devotion to work and the many years he spent studying, he was able to be inspired by several different philosophers and theologians. Putting together the knowledge from both of these realms we have the modernist philosopher and the Catholic theologian Karl Rahner. His philosophical influence changed the Catholic church of the twentieth century and continues to have an influence on modern Christian thought.
There are several aspects to consider when exploring the Christian worldview. There are many facets or denominations and they each have their own distinct beliefs and practices, but they all share the same fundamental beliefs. In this Paper we will explore the character of God, His creation, humanity and its nature, Jesus’ significance to the world, and the restoration of humanity, as well as my beliefs and the way that I interact with Christianity and my personal worldview.
The changes made by Vatican II were essential, as society was becoming more liberal, and religion was becoming increasingly irrelevant with its old and conservative ways of practicing Catholicism. Without Vatican II, almost certainly the Church would have lost its appeal to the increasingly liberal societies of the late 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and now. Vatican II stopped the Catholic Church from becoming an irrelevant part of our society, and now is stronger than ever. But, many Catholics, and Christians believe it is time for further reform as the undirected youth of today strays from the church.
With the hindsight of the 1960s, it is easy for us to view how influencers of the era have reformed and revitalised the Christian tradition to a great extent. Because of this hindsight of the 1960s, an era in which the zeitgeist was full of intellectuals, poets, musicians and authors, we can see the traditions of Christianity were considered to be backward to a world that was changing in terms of beliefs and ethics as society embraced these social reforms. The statement then clearly reflects Pope John XXIII and his impacts on Catholicism. Pope John XXIII recognized these changes and through his leadership, the impacts he had on Christianity had a substantially large influence over the Catholic Church as he ultimately altered the Christian tradition by creating the Vatican II. By doing so, he adjusted traditional Church Scriptures (ressourcement), involved himself with promoting ecumenicalism and also interfaith-dialogue as well as becoming engaged in the modern world (aggiornamento), therefore meeting the needs of the evolving society by revitalising the old traditions.
This caused a lot of deaths during the Reformation period because the Catholic church decided to prosecute people for following and listening to what Luther had taught them about the real Catholic Teachings. The Council of Trent was a way to stop the teachings of Catholic traditions and state clearly the renewal of the Catholic life. The work of the council was concerned with the organisation of the Church. A seminary was going to be set up for the education of priests in each diocese. During the reformation a Catechism which is a clear summary of Catholic beliefs was set out to help reform the order of Mass throughout the Catholic world which priests then helped educate and teach this understanding to Catholics. Indulgence selling was abolished which means that it was no longer a way for the Church to scavenge money and the infamous Inquisition was
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was born on February 4th 1906, as a son of a professor of psychiatry and neurology at the University of Berlin. Throughout his early life he was an outstanding student, and when he finally reached the age of 25 he became a lecturer in systematic theology at the University Berlin. Something that is very striking is that when Hitler came to power in 1933, Bonhoeffer became a leading spokesman for the Confessing Church, the center of Protestant resistance to the Nazis. He organized and for a shot amount of time he led the underground seminary of the Confessing Church. His book Life Together describes the life of the Christian community in that seminary, and his book The Cost Of Discipleship attacks what he calls "cheap grace," meaning that grace used as an excuse for moral laxity.
Within mainstream society it seems as if there is not a great deal of emphasis on the contributions made by theologians in society, as well as contributions by theologians to religious thought. Particularly in Christendom, ecclesiastical assemblies are so consumed with vain ideas of worship, and content on hearing biblical messages that capitulate to their personal desires, that theological studies are often neglected. Yet the contributions theologians have made in society, and the impact these contributions have had on religious assemblies have been pivotal in guiding religious discourse on subjects such as ethics, morality, and social transformation. It is for this reason, that in this essay an attempt will be made to analyze three essays from three world-renowned theologians of the 20th century. The theologians are Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Walter Wink, all of which have produced the essays used for this analysis, and have written works that have completely challenged status quo religion, and changed the landscape of Christendom forever.
Machen’s work in the 1920s was divided between his time at Princeton Seminary and his political work with Presbyterians. In addition to Christianity and Liberalism, Machen works are such as The Origin of Paul’s Religion, What is Faith, New testament Greek for Beginners, The Virgin Birth of Christ, The Christian Faith in the Modern World, and The Christian View of Man.
"Karl Marx on Religion: The Opiate of the Masses?" About.com Agnosticism / Atheism. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 May 2014.
In conclusion, the Roman Catholic Church was a major influence on the people of Europe and changed the people lives in many ways.
Christian faith and Ethos is the class I am taking this term. The professor 's name is Reverend Leroy Leach Jr. The class is about God, the creation, and how to read the Holy Bible.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer lived during the time of the Holocaust. He was interested in and influenced by religion from an early age. He always tried to live for God. He was a big part of the anti-Nazi movement. He continues to inspire Christians all over the world. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a very influential theologian who dedicated his whole life to his religion.
Driscoll’s article helped me understand that there are some views that can be acceptable in Christianity, but not all the ones the author is willing to accept. I personal...
Walter Mischel was born in Vienna, Austria on the 22nd of February in 1930. Walter and, his older brother, Theodore’s parents were upper-middle class and coincidentally lived relatively close to Freud. However, due to the invasion of the Nazis in 1938, Mischel and his family fled Austria and moved to the United States. They settled in Brooklyn, New York, where Mischel eventually attended college. At first, painting, sculpting, psychology and life in Greenwich Village took up most of his time. Then the humanistic perspective began to intrigue him and so he read about existential thinkers and great poets. This interest is what then led him to graduate from the City College of New York with an MA in Clinical Psychology. Soon after his MA, he completed his doctorate degree from Ohio State University at the age of 26. It was during this time that he was influenced by both Julian Rotter and George Kelly. Lat...
Wylleman, A. (ed.). Hegel on the Ethical Life Religion and Philosphy. Louvain. Louvain University Press, (1989).
“John Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism” (CCEL). A prominent theologian during the Protestant Reformation, his Institutes of the Christian Religion is still widely regarded today, and Calvinism continues to retain an enthusiastic following.