Spiritual Writings

by Karl Rahner and Philip Endean

Karl Rahner (1904-84), a Jesuit priest, was one of the most influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century. A major force at Vatican II, his writings effected a paradigm shift in modern theology. Yet it was the experience of prayer and a deeply mystical faith that animated and inspired his scholarly activity. This anthology shows that if Rahner was an important theologian, it was because he was more fundamentally a modern spiritual master.

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• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1570755531
• ISBN13: 9781570755538
• Release Date: October 2004
• Publisher: Orbis Books
• Length: 206 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.3" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Amazing grace

I think it was Ionesco who once said that over-explanation kills astonishment. This is a warning that theologians, especially systematic ones, should take to heart. One of the reasons I so love Karl Rahner is that he had an intuitive wariness of claiming too much for theology. Philip Endean's wonderful collection of Rahner's spiritual writings speaks to Rahner's deep conviction that the heart of the Christian life is getting in touch with the ever-present experience of God--grace--not the cerebral attempt to dissect and define God. In a fundamental way, Rahner is more existentialist than anything else. The experience of God is both included in each and every experience, and indeed is the necessary condition for experience in general. To understand this is to see that an exploration of what it means to be an experiencing human--what, in other words, human existence is all about--is also an exploration of God. What this means is that the quest to understand human as well as divine existence is inexhaustible. Our grasp of grace is forever open-ended. We always have more to discover, and if we ever reach the point where we think we've nailed down what it means to be human or God, we need to begin again. Appropriately, Endean sees the message of God's ubiquitous self-giving, or grace, as the heart of Rahner's spiritual writings, and he culls selections from Rahner's huge corpus that speak to grace as necessary condition of experience, grace and the Christ-event, grace and the problem of evil, and grace in the on-going life of the church. Good stuff, even though some of it is difficult (no surprise for anyone familiar with Rahner). For folks who'd like an easily accessible introduction to Rahner's thought, I can't think of a better one than Harvey Egan's Karl Rahner: Mystic of Everyday Life (1998)--which isn't to say that there aren't lots of good introductions. Although it's a bit pricey, Content of Faith: The Best of Karl Rahner's Theological Writings (1993) is a convenient starting place for readers interested in his theology. Finally, a very accessible and intriguing collection of conversations and interviews with Karl Rahner, conducted during his final years, can be found in Faith in a Wintry Season (1991). This is one of my favorites. And now, so is Endean's collection.

The contribution of a truly holy and selfless man

Karl Rahner: Spiritual Writings collects the spiritual writings of Karl Rahner (1904-1984), a Jesuit priest and one of the most well-known Catholic theologians of the twentieth century. Some of his works are presented in English for the first time, skillfully edited by English Jesuit and journal editor Philip Endean. Each topic of Rahner's writings is brief, lasting only a few pages, but the whole blend into a seamless dialogue of the human experience with God, Jesus Christ, and the role of the church. From Rahner's literate and impassioned reply to a letter from one who loved God but was disillusioned with the Church, to his thoughts on the role of Mary in theology, to contemplations upon the inexplicable mysteries of terrible suffering in the modern world and what truly lies beyond death, Karl Rahner: Spiritual Writings is a profound contribution of a truly holy and selfless man to religion and spirituality shelves. Highly recommended.