Theological Reflections of a Christian Philosopher

ISBN-13: 9789401187268 / Angielski / Miękka / 1970 / 278 str.

Joseph John Sikora

Opis

The essays which follow, as theological reflections of a Christian the ontological reality of philosopher, are essays of inquiry concerning and underlying truths revealed by God. Divine revelation of course cannot be encompassed within a few dogmatic formulae in any ade quate manner; it is the mysterious plenitude of the historical human encounter with the self-revealing God Who has revealed His salvific designs for men. This revelation can be approached from many view points of scientific study, such as those of religious psychology, histori cal theology, Scriptural study, the history of dogmas, but also that of the philosophical thinker seeking to understand what he has already believed - so far as this be possible in regard to the mysteries of God's inner life and of the new creation that He works in us by His grace. In our rather non-metaphysical age such an inquiry into the underlying ontological reality opened to us by the revelation of God is somewhat unfashionable; but the issues remain, and in fact one can only choose between a rather unconsciously and uncritically accepted attitude about the ontological significance of such dogmatic truths as the existence of the Trinity and the hypostatic union and created grace, and a consciously and critically developed analysis in the light of, and with the help of such understanding of being as the philosophers can offer. Metaphysical theology of this kind is here to stay, regardless of some "prophets" who would cut away the ground on which they stand."

Spis treści

1. Am I a Philosopher or a Theologian ?.- 2. Some Remarks on Theological Method.- 3. Faith and Intersubjectivity.- I. Introduction.- II. The So-Called “Traditional” Doctrine and Its Difficulties.- III. Some Post-Vatican I Tendencies.- IV. Affective Connaturality and Intersubjectivity.- V. Intersubjectivity and Human Belief.- VI. Intersubjectivity and Divine Revelation.- The Analysis of the Act of Faith.- Supernatural Consciousness in the Act of Faith.- Personal Belief in God and Belief in Propositions.- VII. The Faith of Pure Intersubjectivity.- appendix. The New Testament and Interpersonal Faith.- 4. The Trinity.- I. Three Persons — One Nature.- II. Are the Persons Relations or Absolutes ?.- III. The Self-Consciousness of the Three Persons.- 5. The Hypostatic Union and the Consciousness of Christ.- 6. The Finite Supernatural and Its Modes.- 7. The Ways of Grace Outside the Church.- 8. The Basic Moral Option and the Ambience of Grace.- 9. Liturgy and the Spirit of Man.- 10. Sacraments and Encounter.- Analysis of the Sacrament as Cause of Grace.- Encounter.- Encounter, Communion, and Dialogue with God.- Sacramental Encounter.- 11. Some Ontological Principles of Mystical Experience.- I. Phenomenological Inventory: The Dimensions of Being.- II. Self-Consciousness.- III. Union with the Finite Other.- IV. Natural Mystical Experience of God.- V. Contemplative Supernatural Mystical Experience.- 1. Faith and Mysticism.- 2. Charity and Mysticism.- 3. The Mystical Light.- 4. Ordinary Charity and the Presence of God.- 5. The Nature of the Mystical Light.- 6. The Gifts of the Holy Spirit and Mystical Experience.- VI. Some Remarks about Mystical Experience in Active Life.