The God of Forgiveness and Healing in the Theology of Karl Rahner 0819122386, 0819122378

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THE GOD OF FORGIVENESS AND HEALING IN THE THEOLOGY OF KARL RAHNER J. Norman King University of Windsor

UNIVERSITY PRESS OF AMERICA

Copyright © 1982 by University Press of America, Inc. P.O. Box 19101. Washington, D.C. 20036

All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America ISBN (Perfect): 0-8191-2238-6 ISBN (Cloth): 0-8191-2237-8

T�eo \Qr�'\'

i b,ic rry

QLOC,Y S0-KX)L 0� T\-1� NT AT CLA,Rf;MO Co\ifc-rnio

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 81-40932

To my father and mother, George and Emma King

CONTENTS

INTRODUC TION PAR T A: l.

2. 3.

PAR T B:

l.

2. 3.

PAR T C: 1. 2.

l

TH E EXPERI ENC E OF GOD TH E EXPERI ENC E OF INFINI TE MYS T ERY MYS T ERY AS S ELF-B ES TOWIN G: GRAC E GOD AS B E TRAY ED AND FORGIVING: INI TIAL OV ERVI EW

18

TH E GOD B E TRAY ED BY SIN GUIL T AS FUNDAMENTAL OP TION A GAINS T GOD TH E EMBODIM ENT OF GUILT SUFFERING AS IN TRINSIC CONS EQUENC E OF GUIL T

25 36

TH E FORGIVING AND H EALING GOD FOR GIV EN ESS AND CONVERSION OF H EAR T TH E PROCESS OF H EALING

5

23

51

63 74 85

CONCLUSION

V

INTRODUC TION 4-or Kar 1 Rahner God is the inscrutable and holy mystery which we encounter in our deepest human experience. We touch upon God at the most pro found level o f our every human act. Yet we do so only implicitly, as we come into contact with the persons and things around us. This implicit experience o f God is the transcendental dimension o f our everyday experience. While usually remaining in the background, it breaks into the fore front o f our awareness most force fully in the crucial situations, events, and stages o f human li fe/ Among these Rahner mentions solitude, joy , anxiety, responsibility , love, death, gui 1t, truth, and beauty • /such occasions involve our entire sel f and con frori't us with the meaning o f li fe as a whole. ) It is in our re�ponse to them that we stake our whole sel f and shape the funda­ mental direction o f our li fe. These critical moments provide the basis for understanding what is meant by "God. " From a Christian viewpoint the divine reality mirrored through them shines forth most fully in Jesus o f Nazareth. In the light o f his person, li fe, death, and resurrection, we may portray this mystery as the nearness o f forgiving love. ! In the present study we shall explore one avenue o f this experience o f God: that o f fered by sin and guilt along with the hope o f overcoming them by for­ giveness and healing. 2 From this perspective God is viewed as that presence which a person ultimately be­ trays in violating his own or others' sacredness. God is also that presence towards which the guilty person ultimately reaches for a forgiveness and healing which 1

can only be received as gift. Where Rahner deals specifically with the experi­ ence of God he alludes only briefly to sin and for­ giveness and their particular contribution to our con­

ceptualization of God.

Nor does Rahner fully develop

his treatment of God while discussing various aspects of guilt and its remission.

In this book we shall at­

tempt to bring together these two themes of Rahner' s theology and thus to speak and healing.

of the God of forgiveness

Following Rahner' s

guidance

we

may

in

this way arrive at a richer understanding of the mys­

tery to which the word "God" points,

an understanding

that is both grounded in experience and clarified by Christianity.

Perhaps too we may contribute a little

to the "mystagogy" or initiation into the experience

of God which Rahner regards as vital for the age in which we live.3 We

shall

begin

with

a

brief

presentation

Rahner's view of the experience of God.

of

Within this

context we shall then elaborate the avenue of this ex­ perience found in sin and in the forgiveness of sin.

2

NOTES 1Karl Rahner, "The Experience of God Today, " Theological Investigations 11 (London: Darton, Longman and Todd/New York : Seabury Press, 1974), 149165 ; Foundations of Christian Faith (New York : Sea­ bury Press, 1976), 2 4-43, 51-71, 448-45 9. Fifteen volumes of Rahn er's Theological Investigations (here­ a!'ter abbreviated as ..!..!) , have been published in Eng­ lish translation from 1961 to 1979. A brief statement of Rahn er' s basic vision is given in his summary expressions or "short formulas" of the essence of Christian belief. See "The Need for a ' Short Formula' of the Christian Faith, " TI 9, 117126; "Refleet ions on the Problems Involved in Devi sing a Short Formula of the Faith, " I.!. 11, 230-244. An excellent introduction to Rahner' s Foundations and to his overall thought is provided in Leo J. □ ' Donovan, ed., A World of Grace (New York : Seabury Press, 1980). Unless otherwise indicated, the work s of Karl Rahner.

all references are to

2 For a discussion of other avenues of the expe­ rience of God, see J. Norman King, "The Experience of God in the Theology of Karl Rahner, " Thought 53 (1978), 174-2 02 . A much more extensive and concrete presentation is given in J. Norman King, Experiencing Winston ys and Every � ( Minneapolis: God All Pr e s s , 19 8 2 •

w

5

3on the topic of "mystagogy, " see "Atheism and Implicit Christianity, " U 9, 15 8-160; "Theological Considerations on Secularization and Atheism, " TI 11, 182-184; "Possible Courses for the Theology of the Fu­ ture, " TI 13, 40-42 ; "Kirchliche und Ausserk irchliche Religiositat, " Schriften zur Theologie 12 (Zurich: Benziger, 1975 ), 5 93-5 96; Foundations, 5 7-61.

3

PART A:

THE EXPERIENCE OF GOD

THE EXPERIENCE OF INFINITE MYSTERY

1.

In his more recent writings, creasingly

stressed

the

flection.

Theology

must

ence,

Karl Rahner has in­

importance

both personal and cultural,

speak

draw

of

human

experi­

for theological re­

upon,

interpret,

and

to modern man' s understanding of himself.

theologian is between

challenged to discover the connections

Christian

understanding,

person

ference.

to

theology

of

whether

doctrines

and

clearly.I

Here,

The

today

and

this

formulate

faces

k eenly

a

�heir

severe

feels

the

modern

self­

correlation

challenge.

absence

The

of

God,

the absence evok es sorrow or apparent indif­

nological

Nothing in a secular, world

seems

to

pluralistic,

speak

of

God.

and tech­

The

world

fashioned by modern hands projects only our own very human

image,

painfully

and

finite

that and

image

is

mortal.

often Yet

for

palpably

and

Rahner,

the

experience of God is precisely the heart and center of doctrinal Christianity and finds therein its clearest 3 and most complete articulation. (Indeed, all reli­ gions

"consist in the conceptual reflection upon and

God, "

which

social

institutionalization they

Christian theology,

pointing way,

to

this

achieve

of

with

therefore,

basic

this

experience

varying

of 4 adequacy.)

has the urgent task of

experience

in a recognizable

within the context of contemporary life.

Theol­

ogy must forge a genuine conceptualization and inter­ pretation

where

such understanding is lacking,

equate, or erroneous. 5

inad­

In Rahner' s vision,

experience

of

man' s

the experience of God is the

radical

orientation

to

mystery.

This human transcendence,

as he terms it,

belongs to

"existentials."

it constitutes the very de­

the very structure of man; it is one of his permanent finition

of

In fact,

the

human

This orientation is

human act.

It is,

being:

implicit

as it were,

in

openness and

to

mystery.

underlies every

the frame o-n which is

built and moulded the material of all other human ex­ perience of persons and things in the world.

Rahner

refers to the element which mak es possible and struc­

tures all human experience as its � priori, dental dimension.

transcen­

He designates the actual concrete

content of that experience as its � posteriori, his­ 5 torical dimension. The transcendental orientation

is most clearly discernable,

once again,

in the crit­

ical aspects of human existence,

where the person is

cidating

look

most alive to his own spiritual depths. this

position,

let

sense of the absence of God.

us

To begin elu­

at

the

modern

The failure to discover God may well result from

a loss of self through thoughtless immersion cares,

task s,

and affairs of everyday life.

in the

This ab­

sorption may spring in its turn from an evasion of ul­ timate

questions,

meaning

to

or

human

from 6 life.

a

despair over any final

However,

the

failure

to

find God may be a step towards a more refined image of God.

A naive theism tends to portray God as one indi­

vidual existent being alongside others within the to­ tality of the world,

a God whom one might come across

during his lifetime somewhat as one meets another per­ son or thing.

Many today may tacitly recognize that

neither in whole nor in part is the world to be iden­ tified with God,

that "no image of God can be carved

6

from the wood o f the world. 11 7 I f God is a reality, God must be more in the background, so to speak, im­ measurably more transcendent, awesome, and ine f fable. Moreover, the perception o f onesel f and every­ thing within one' s physical and social environment as finite precludes any facile discovery o f God. An a­ wareness o f the utter contingency o f all that one di­ rectly encounters and a re finement o f the concept o f God are complementary insights. Certainly, i f the wor 1 d is finite , it is not God . At the same time, Rahner maintains, modern man is acutely sensitive to this finiteness and su f fers because o f it. He is pained because he sees this finiteness in the light o f an in finity, and this in finity is the real goal o f all his strivings. 8 We see and measure every thing that is finite in the light o f an in finity, and we make every finite choice in view o f this in finity. This in finity is the nameless and holy mystery called God. We must brie fly expand this notion. While we are sometimes weighed down by the limits o f our existence, we may at other times be sustained by an unexpected peace or joy which seems to li ft us above these limits. Yet never does our li fe' s journey come to a final standstill. No amount o f knowledge or depth o f understanding puts an end to the questions o f our mind. No ob ject chosen or person loved provides a final stopping place for the longing o f our will. The outreach o f our thought and desire is limitless, ex­ What, i f any­ tending beyond any finite reality. 9 thing, is the infinity toward which we reach? Whence does our orientation arise? How may we interpret this thrust and the infinity it touches? The fragility, loneliness, contingency and death 7

life that

human

pervade

which

thi s

infinity may

be

age ,

love ,

meaning.

s p e cter

goodne s s ,

of

sugge sting But

dark nothingne s s.

a

there is al so enough truth ,

the

absurdity ,

and

futility

po s sible

IS

rai s e

do

life

inte grity cour­

and joy to summon a bas ic tru st in life's The s e exp erience s sugge st that thi s infinity

may be the ultimate re ality. meaningfulne s s that piece s

to

life

as

together ,

We do y earn for a final

a whole ,

harmonize s ,

a meaningfulne s s

and trans cends

the individual fragments of meaning and absurdity. this longing is not in vain ,

all If

then th e my st erious in­

finity is inde ed real , and is the ultimate reality b e­ yond all finit e objects of thought and d eci sion.

Th e

mystery out of which our hop e for meaning ari s e s and toward which

it r e ache s

The word "God"

de signate s

ground and terminus , 10 tru sting re spons e. it ,

is

what the

is

meant by

sourc e

and

person' s

actual ,

re spons e to thi s mystery consists

trusting

acceptance

scendent

orientation.

plicit ,

a

lived

of

and Thi s

re spons e

concepts or word s.

goal ,

which enabl e s and evok e s A

to

re spons e

may

is

if

the

s uch a implic­

preci s ely in a

fidelity

that

"God."

thi s

tran­

remain

im­

not formulate d in

In Rahn er' s word s , it entail s "an

accepting , hoping openne s s to the total meaning of hu­ man

existence" ;

11

a

"radical

absolute uncontrollable love. 11 12 Thi s

orientation

transcendence ,

in the

to

the

s elf-commitm ent act of infinite ,

to

the

knowledge

and

or

limitl e s s

is the de epe st structural element ,

most ba sic existential of the human being.

the

It b e longs

to the very "heart" of man , a term which denote s , for Rahner ,

the one inmost dynamic cor e or c ent er of th e

13

person.

It is

a fundamental principle of Rahner' s

thought that the unity of a be ing precede s and grounds 8

its multiplicity or plurality.

Hence the heart is the

one source and original unity

of

the

whole person,

prior to any differentiation into various capacities and activities.

Yet the heart flows into these di­

verse aspects and holds them together in a plural or many-dimensional unity. lect and will,

The heart unfolds into intel­

into their corporeality af1d their ac­

tivity in the world.

It does so in quest of the in­

finite to which it is oriented.

This transcendence is

not self-initiated but already given with the dynamic core of the human person and situated at that core. One experiences this outreach, drawn

toward

the infinite,

therefore,

not only as

but also as arising from

and sustained by that very infinite.

In other words,

God may be grasped as that which is at once prior to our heart and beyond our transcendence. We do not experience and know this transcendence from the heart or its infinite term as an object di­ rectly before us.14 We immediately know and decide about the tangible world of things and persons acces­ sible to the senses.

The categories of our thought

and language refer primarily to the realities of this world.

At the same time,

as finite and limited, beyond their limits.

if we know these realities

we must somehow have glimpsed

We directly know the finite, but

we do so in the light of an infiniteness which we dis­ cern as a kind of background.

The infinite is like a

background horizon or screen against which everything is perceived.

Or it is like a light which illuminates

everything else and enables it to be seen,

but which

is not itself directly seen. The

distinction

between

what

is

directly

known

and the horizon or context within which it is known applies

to

all

our

knowledge.

9

There are also many

different horizons or contexts within which we receive our k nowledge. ample,

Each intellectual discipline,

for ex­

approaches its subject matter with its own dis­

tinct set of questions and its own distinct method. Our

own underlying

fears and

desires

also influence

the way in

which we look at events affecting our per­

frames of

reference

sonal lives.

Our horizons are the angles of vision or according

and evaluate the facts,

to

which

situations,

we

interpret

occurrences,

sonal and societal bonds which mak e up our lives. Rahner,

the

final,

absolute

horizon

is

broader

and reveals the finiteness of all things. zon is therefore an infinite horizon.

per­

For

than

This hori­

It is only when

we perceive the finite objects of the world that we simultaneously discern the infinite horizon.

Yet

we

perceive these objects as finite only because we dis­ cern the infinite horizon.

Rahner describes our k now­

ledge of the finite world,

expressible in concepts and

words,

as objective,

ical.

In contrast,

explicit,

thematic,

he terms our awareness of the in­

finite horizon as non-objective,

and transcendental. Moreover,

it

is

whole being tends. ness

evok es

a

and categor­

towards

implicit,

this

unthematic,

infinite

that

For if our experience of finite­

sense

of

dissatisfaction

and

pleteness, then the fundamental thrust of our

incom­

will and

desire must be towards what is more than finite. person

or

thing

we

our

directly

encounter

absorbs

No

the

breadth of our desire or fills the depth of our long­

ing.

No finite

quest

and

reality fully answers to our

therefore

none

can

compel

our

inmost

response.

While our orientation to the infinite is not itself free, that

it is thus the basis of our freedom toward all 15 This orientation also impels us is finite.

10

to seek

the

finite choice

infinite in and through the world.

Any

will be made in view of the infinite and

will contain a stance toward the infinite.

A person

will express his response to the infinite mystery that envelops his mind and will through his concrete com­

mitments,

decisions,

and actions,

and through the re­

sultant direction of his life as a whole. Furthermore,

as noted earlier,

this transcendence

constitutes the very definition of man.

As a result,

the moral acts which either ratify or deny this tran­ scendence

will be

invariably either an acceptance or

rejection of who a human being really is, self.

of the true

There are thus only two real alternatives un­

derlying and present to every free choice:

acceptance

or rejection of self and of the infinite goal of its

outreach.

Freedom is,

essentially the capacity to opt

totally and definitively for one of these two direc­

tions,

and so to commit oneself completely and irrev­

ocably.

This

idea

of

freedom

contrasts

with

the

endlessly revisable,

and

superficial notion that to be free is to be able to mak e a series of successive, arbitrary choices.16 person

A

may

express

a

negative,

rejecting op­

tion by trying to mak e something categorical and fi­

nite into an infinite: power,

or pleasure.

tradiction, nite is despair.

judge that

success,

But this attempt involves a con­

and to pretend that what we grasp as fi­

really A

by deifying wealth,

infinite can only finally issue into

person

life

may

indeed

is absurd,

step

into

that man' s

despair

and

pretension to

infinity touches upon no reality, but borders an abyss of nothingness. ing

use of

The positive alternative lies in mak ­

things

and responding to persons without

mak ing idols of them and thus closing oneself to the 11

seen and

infinite context in which they are

chosen.

In this case there remains an openness to the infinite a

and

trusting

that

hope

the

which

infinity

silent

surrounds us is the ultimate reality and the source

and goal of unconditional meaning.

Where such a pos­

itive response emerges to the level of explicit, consciousness and expression,

full

it becomes total commit­

ment in adoring love, in which one falls silent before the immense mystery.17 Hence, the experience of God is the experience of that nameless and holy mystery in the light of which we

k now

thing

or

person

any finite

which we mak e any particular choice.

and

in

view

of

It is the ob­

lique experience of that towards which our whole being God is the ultimate point

tends from its very centre.

of reference of this limitless outreach,

yet God is

distinct from this outreach and sustains it from the The point of contact with the in­

core of our being.

finite will be this core and outreach.

God is that

which we touch upon in our innermost depths and our

furthest aspirations. form

God which we

Every concept of

falls short

and fails to capture this original experience of mys­ tery,

for our concepts are fashioned from and immedi­

ately apply only to what is accessible to the senses.

The holy mystery is glimpsed only as the back ground

illumination for,

have

and

and

decisions

we

persons,

things,

and

concrete

content

of

goal beyond, mak e

about

situations.

our

the k nowledge

particular

we

finite

Nevertheless,

the

experience

will

categorical

affect how we conceptualize this non-objective, tran­ 18 Mystery will be articu­ scendental experience. lated as the horizon that,

and

goal

particular experience.

12

of

this,

rather

than

To put it in more per-

sonalist,

if

anthropomorphic

terms,

summons of the infinite to the human will be borne by the thought forms, cent of the finite persons,

the

language,

cultures,

and

mind and will,

and ac­

and environments

through which the infinite is mediated.

sponse,

speech

The human re­

both in action and in word, will also be condi­

tioned by these same factors. As we shall elaborate, that

the

encounter

with

Rahner comes to emphasize

the

infinite

is

especially

mediated through the permanent universal structures of man and the world,

and through the irreducible unique­

ness of each person.

God is thereby seen as the un­

derlying ground of the intrinsic worth of the human being.

the

God is similarly viewed as the final term of

summons

to

recognize and

respond to that worth,

both on the more intimate personal level and in wider social contexts.

truly,

fully,

In Christian terms,

the one who most

and definitively expresses and embodies

both call and response is the man Jesus Christ. From what has been said,

it follows that the cat­

egorical experiences from which the concept of God may be most adequately derived will be experiences which concern

persons

rather

than

things,

and

those which

affect the deeper rather than the more surface levels

of one' s being.

They will be the experiences in which

persons are most radically and totally in touch with their own

innermost

depths

and furthest aspirations.

It is on the basis of such k ey experiences that the reality concrete,

designated

by the word "God" will tak e on a

existential meaning.

what was said at the outset:

We may repeat,

God is the mystery we

encounter in our deepest human experience,

most

depths

and

in

our

furthest

in our in­

aspirations.

statement holds true in two senses:

13

then,

This

both insofar as

the

transcendental

infinite is

whatever;

the

experience

deepest

of

dimension

orientation of

all

to

the

experience

and insofar as the transcendent element e­

merges most clearly and can be most fully expressed in terms of the deepest categorical experiences.

14

NOTES 1 "Theology and Anthropology," TI 9 2 8-45 · "The Second Vatican Counci1 ' s Challenge to T�;ology "' TI 9 3 -2 7; "Die Theologische Dimension der Fr age Nachde� Menschen," Schriften 12 , 3 87-406; See also Anne Carr "Theology and Experience in the Thought of Kari Rahner," Journal Qf Religion, 5 3 (1973) , 3 5 9-3 76. 2 on man' s experience of himself today, see "Christianity and the 'New Man' ," .I.l 5 , 13 5 -15 3 ; "The Man of Today and Religion," T I 6, 3-20; "The Experi­ ment with Man," .I.l 9, 2 05 -2 24; "Theological Consider­ ations on Secularization and Atheism," TI 11, 166-184; "Experience of Self and Experience of- God," T I 13, 12 2 -13 2 . 3 "The Experience of God Today," T I 11, 164f; "Thoughts on the Possibility of Be1ie f Today ," .I.l 5 , 3 -11,2 0-2 2 . 4"The Experience of God Today," .!..!. 11, 160. 5 "The Experience of God Today," T I 11, 15 2-160; "Theology and Anthropology," T I 9, 2 8� 3 3 f; Foundations, 14-2 3 , 2 4-43, 51-71. On Rahner' s theology of mystery, see, in addi­ tion, "The Concept of Mystery in Catholic Theology," .!..!. 4, 3 6-73 ; "Reflections on Methodology in Theology," T I 11, 101-114; "Mystery," Theological Dictionary Thereafter TD) (New York : Herder & Herder, 1965) , 3 00f; "Mystery," Encyclopedia Qf Theology, The Concise Seabury, Sacrament um Mundi, (hereafter ET) (New York : 1975) , 1000-1004; "Thomas Aquinas on the Incomprehen­ sibility of God," Journal Qf Religion, 5 8/Supplement (1978) , 5107-125. These considerations follow from and are rooted Spirit in the in Rahner ' s early foundational work s: Herder & Herder, World, trans. Wm. Dych (New York : Hearers of the Word, trans M. Richards (New 1968) Both works have been Herder & Herder, 1969) . York : For subject to s1 i ght revision by Johannes B . Metz. the changes made in the former book , see Andrew Rahner' s Karl Matter, Becoming: "Spirit, Tallon, (1�7�) ,_ 48 Schoolman Modern The World," the in Spirit _, 151-165 . A translation of much of the first ed1t1on of Hearers of the Word is found in Gerald McCool, ed., Seabury, 1975) , 1-65. A Rahner Reade:r(New York : 15

6 Foundations, 3 2f; "Thoughts on the Possibility of Belief Today, " .I_! 5 , 3 -9, On Prayer ( New York : Paulist Press, 1968), 7-19. 700 You Believe in God (New York : Paulist Press, 196� 70. On the inadequacy of such a naive form of theism, see "Science as a ' Confession' ?, " .I_! 3, 3 85 -400; "Observations on the Doctrine of God in Catholic Dogmatics, " .I_! 9, 131-13 3 , 13 7-144; Founda­ tions, 61-65. here:

Two explicit statements of Rahner merit quotation That God really does not exist who operates and functions as an individual existent a­ longside of other existents. (Foundations, 63 ). If we are not to miss God right from the outset, the question of God must on no ac­ count be put as a question about an individ­ ual existent within the perspective of our transcendence and historical experience, but only as a question concerning the very ground sustaining the ' question' which we ourselves 'are ', concerning the origin and future of this question. ( "Observations on the Doctrine of God in Catholic Dogmatics, " .I.! 9, 139).

143 .

8 11 Christianity

and

the

'New

Man', "

TI

5,

140-

v.

9christian at the Crossroads, trans. Green Seabury, 1975 ), 11-20; On Prayer, 31-44.

(New York :

l O "Thoughts o n the Possibility .of Be lief Today, " .!..!. 5 , 3-11, 2 0-2 2 ; "On the Theology of Hope, " I.!. 10, 245 -2 51; "Die Menschliche Sinnfrage var dem Ab­ soluten Geheimnis Gottes, " Schriften 13, 111-12 8. ll 11 Marxist Utopia and the Christian Future of Man, " ..!l 6, 65 . In Christian at the Crossroads, Rahner speak s in similar terms of hope in an "ultimate meaning" that is "both definitive and blessed, " and of an "ultimate and basic confidence in the total and all-embracing meaning of existence." (2 2). 12 11 0n the Theology of Hope, " 16

D

10, 2 51.

13 on the concept of heart in Rahner' s theology, as well as the notion of a plural unity, see "' Behold This Heart!' ; Preliminaries to a Theology of Devotion to the Sacred Heart, " .!.l 3 , 3 2 1-3 3 0; "The Theology of the Symbol, " .!.l 4, 2 2 1-2 5 2; "The Theological Meaning of Devotion to the Sacred Heart, " .!.l 8, 2 17-2 2 8; "Un­ ity - Love - Mystery, " .!.l 8, 2 2 9-2 47. The philosophical basis of this view is discussed in greater detail in Spirit !_Q the World, 2 37-2 90. The dynamic orientation of man from the core of his being is also explored in Rahner' s writings on the topic of evolution: Hominisation, trans. W. T. O ' Hara (Freiburg: Herder/Montreal: Palm, 1965 ); "Christ­ o 1ogy within a n Evo 1ut iona ry W or 1d Vie w, •� T I 5 , 15 7192 ; "The Unity of Spirit and Matter in theChristian Understanding of the Faith, " TI 6, 15 3-177; "The Se­ cret of Life, " .!.l 6, 141-15 2 ; "Evolution, " ET, 478-488. 14on what follows, see the references to Rahner' s theology of mystery and also to his founda­ tional work s in note 5 above, as well as "Science as a ' Confession' ?, " T I 3 , 3 85 -400. A short precis of Rahner ' s perspective may be found in Joseph Donceel, "Rahner' s Argument for God, " America, 12 3, 340-3 42 ; and Gerald McCool, "Rahner' s Anthropology, " America

123, 342-344.

15 In addition to the above references, see spe­ cifically on freedom "Theology of Freedom, " .!..!.. 6, 178196; Grace in Freedom (London: Burns & Oates/New York : Herder& Herder, 1969), 203-264. l6 11 Theology of Freedom, " dations, 3 5 -3 9, 93 -102.

.!.l

6,

183 -187;

Faun-

17 Hearers of the Word, "The Concept of 3 3f; Mystery in CathoTic Theology, " .!..!.. 4, 5 2 -5 4, 61; "The Experience of God Today, " .!.l 1 1, 162 f. 18 Foundations, 5 8-60; Today, " l!. 1 1, 15 7-15 9, 16lf.

17

"The

Experience

of

God

2.

MYST ERY AS S E L F BESTO WIN G :

Before

healing,

we

theology

of

tial. 11

turning shall

the

briefly

grace

Man's

1

to

and

God

of

forgiveness

consider

the

GRA CE Rahner's

"supernatural

transcendence

from

the

and

unique

existen­

heart,

he

holds, contains within itself the hope of nearness to and union

with

the

force which the itself . .

infinite

mystery.

"This dynamic

spiritual subject experiences

with in

. includes within itself the powerful hope

of achieving a state of ultimate proximity and immedi­ acy to

goal. 11

that

2

There

is

an inner tendency

hope that ones deepest longing

to

(however implicit) is

not futile, but that a more immediate encounter with its infinite goal, in k nowing and loving, is possi ble.

Since this hope reaches beyond the finite, it is necessarily a reaching for what is beyond one's capac­

ity.

It is a reaching to receive, an openness for a

gift ;

it

is

a

one's grasp.

receptivity

for

a

completion

beyond

In addition, this dynamism is always al­

ready present, and experienced as initiated and sus­ tained

by

it s

goal.

The

tendency

to

trusting

out­

reach, therefore, contains the assurance that the gift indeed

has

been

offered.

The

very

presence

of

hope itself attests to the actuality of the gift.

the

The

experience of the infinite is thus the experience that what one reaches for is already given, in one's heart and in one's

hope.

A freely given gift, present at

one's inmost core, connotes a bestowing love which is near.

Hence, one does not merely experience the in­

finite as a distant horizon mak ing possible our k now­ ledge of the world, nor as a remote term far off be­

yond

the

finite

freedom deals.

persons Rather,

and this 18

things nameless

with and

which holy

our mys-

t ery , w h i c h g r o u n d s a l l t r uth a nd v a l ue , i s an i n ­ e ffab l e nearness and can be described i n terms of love . 3 Ac c o r d i n g t o · R a h n e r , t h i s e x p e r i e n c e c o r r e s p o n d s e x a c t l y ( i n a m u t u a l l y i l l u m i n a t i n g w a y ) t o t h e v e ry e s s e n c e o f Ch r i s t i a n i t y . I n fa c t , e x p l i c i t Ch r i s ­ tianity enabl e s u s to d i fferent iat e the element s o f thi s experience more c learly . T h e centra l tenet o f Ch r i s t i a n i t y i s t h e s e l f -b e s t o w a l o f G o d a s t h e n e a r ­ ness of forg i v i ng l o ve . Th i s c o n v i c t i on l i es behind the doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation . The a b s o l u t e m y s t e r y ( F a t h e r ) b e s t o w s i t s e l f i mm e d i a t e l y i n a fr e e a c t o f l o v e c o n f e r r i n g f o r g i v e n e s s , h e a l i n g , a n d f u l n e s s o f l i f e . T h i s s e l f- b e s t o w a l e x t en d s i n t o t h e mo s t i n t e r i o r doma i n o f the human perso n , the core ( S p i r i t ) , a n d i n t o t h e d o m a i n o f h u m an h i s t o ry ( I n c a r ­ n a t i o n ) . That which i s absolutely transcenden t t o man ( F a t h e r ) h a s fr e e l y b e c o m e t h a t w h i c h i s m o s t i m m a n e n t ( Spirit ) . Th i s presenc e w i t h i n of t o t a l o thernes s i s ma n i f e s t h i s t o r i c a l l y i n t h e m a n Je s u s , t h e i n c a r n a t e Log o s . W i t h i n t h e h e a rt of man is the l o v i ng nearnes s o f t h e t o t a l l y o t h e r , t r a n s c e n d e n t m y s t e ry , w h i c h l s a l s o e m b o d i e d i n Ch r i s t . 4 T h i s s e l f- b e s t o w a l o f G o d i s t h e o r i g i n a l a n d b a ­ s i c meani ng of grac e . I t s p r i n g s fr o m w h a t Ra h n e r c a l l s t h e u n i v e r s a l s a l v i f i c w i l l o f G o d , 5 t h e fr e e ­ l y g i v e n v o c a t i o n t o i n t i m a c y with G o d . Th i s u n ­ m e r i t e d g r a c e a f f ec t s t h e v e r y t r a n s c e n d e n c e o f t h e h u m a n b e i n g , t h e o r i e n t a t i o n t o m y s t e ry , a n d t h e r e b y l e a v e s i t s i m pr i n t u p o n w h a t i s d e e p e s t i n t h e p e r ­ son . The mo s t pro found truth abou t t h e a c t u a l human be i ng in t he c oncret e , d e facto graced o r d er , is t h e o r i e n t a t i o n t o t h e n e a r n e s s o f t h e s e l f -b e s t o w i ng m y s ­ t ery . " Th e c apac i t y for . • • the l ong ing for . . . 19

the

orientation

personal of

man

to

.

.

the God of self-bestowing

l ove is the central

as

he

real l y

is .

11

and abiding " In

6

existential

this sel f-bestowal,

God, while remaining the absolute transcendent, thel ess becomes the innermost principle,

never­

the innermost

basis, and in the truest sense the goal of 'spiritual' creation.

11 7

The

deepest

human

graced transcendence,

intimacy

with

the

experience,

therefore,

is

the orientation and vocation to

triune God .

In

experiencing

this

transcendence (in and through categorical experience), a person lik ewise experiences its origin and goal , gracious

God

a$

absol utely

near .

Onl y

with the aid of expl icit Christianity,

to differentiate within

the

transcendental gions,

expl icit stage the

"natural " and "graced" elements 8 This transcendental experience .

experience

incl uding

is

the

awareness

and

Christianity .

of

subsequentl y

does one come

the

global

the

Judaeo-Christian tradition,

heart of

It

is

all

brought

reli­

to an

sel f-realization

in

which is regarded

as

the history of sal vation in its narrower rather than more

universal

sense .

In

doctrinal

and

liturgical

Christianity this transcendental experience is grasped as interior grace made definitivel y manifest and vic­

torious in history with Christ . 9

Yet Rahner insists that Christianity is precisely an

articulation

mystery .

of

the

transcendental

experience

of

Christianity is the articul ation of the ex­

perience of a profound longing, sustained by a gratui­ tousl y bestowed hope .

It is the experience of a gift

which enables and a call which summons to a hope for a meaning and

compl etion

which

exceed

our

grasp .

unfathomabl e and hol y mystery which we touch our

hope,

the

mystery

conferring 20

and

The

upon in

evok ing

that

h o p e , i s w h a t i s m e an t b y t h e t e r m " Go d . "

21

NOT ES lon Rahner' s theology of grace, s ee es pecially "Concerning Relations hip between Nature and the Grace," TI 1, 2 97-3 17; "The Scholas tic Concept of Un­ created Grace," TI 1, 3 19-3 46 ; "Reflections on the E x­ perience of Grace, " T I 3 , 8 6-9 0 ; "Nature and Gr ace, " TI 4, 16 5 - 188; "His tory of the World and Salvation His tory," l! 5 , 97-1 14; "Obs ervations on the Concept of Revelation," in K. Rahner and J . Ratzinger, Revela­ tion and Tradition, ( New York : Herder & Herder, 196 6 ),9- 2 5 ; "The Exis tential," E T, 492 f; "Grace," E T, 5 87-6 01; Foundations , 1 16 -13 7. See als o William C. Shepherd, Man' s Condition: God and the World Proces s , ( New York : Herder & Herder, 196 9). - 2 " The E xperience of God Today," l! 1 1, 15 3 . 3 11 Thoughts on the Theology of Chris tmas ," T I 3 , 24-3 4; "The Concept of Mys tery in Catholic Theology," TI 4, 5 4-5 6 ; "Immanent and Trans cendent Cons ummation of the World," .!l 10, 2 79-2 82 ; Foundations , 13lf. 4 In addition to the "Short Formula of Faith" articles cited in the Introduction, note 1, s ee als o "The Concept of Mys tery in Catholic Theology," T I 4, 6 4-73 ; "Reflections on Methodology in Theology,.. - TI 11, 103 -11 1; "The E s s ence of Chris tianity," E T, 196 199; Chris tian at the Cros s roads , 3 1-3 6 . 5 11 Univers al Salvifie Will," E T, 1499-15 04. 6 "Concerning the and Grace," .!l 1, 3 12f. 7 11 Immanent and World," .!l 10, 2 83.

Relations hip

Trans cendent

between

Cons ummation

Nature of

the

8 11 The E xperience of God Today," T I 1 1, 15 4; "Obs ervations on the Doctrine of God in Cat holic Dog­ matics ," .!l 9, 13 1f; Foundations , 129-13 3 . 9 11 Reflections o n Methodology i n Theology," 11, 91-101; s ee als o Foundations , 13 8-175.

22

TI

3.

GOD AS BETRAYED A ND FORGIVING :

INITIAL OVERVIEW

Within this perspective of the experience of God, we shall explore the fundamental experience of sin and guilt

overcome

light

of

by

the

forgiveness

preceding

and

healing.

discussion,

we

may

In

the

already

sketch a brief outline concept � God jects.

is God

scendent trayed

that is

yet

by

a

which--or

experienced

utterly

whom--sin ultimately as

immanent

re­

the infinitely tran­ mystery

which

is

be­

negative free act of the human person.

This rejection occurs through a inmost essence, takes

place

moral

d e man d,

one ' s true self.

through

the

The negation itself

deliberate

violation

of

a

d eman d imposed

primarily by the in­

trinsic worth of human persons,

both individually and

in

social

a

denial of one ' s own

contexts.

In

brief,

Go d

is

that

tran­

scendent presence at the core of our being which in sinning we ultimately reject through denying our own inmost self an d violating other persons in the con­ crete deeds an d tenor of our life. Conversely, following upon the experience of this betrayal an d out

for

a

its consequences, forgiveness,

we may come to reach

healing

and

reconciliation.

That toward which our aspiration ultimately reaches is what is m eant by " God. "

God

is the one who enables

and sum mons to a hope for forgiveness in our heart, for a healing which repairs and makes whole our inner brokenness, our

an d

damaged and

for

a

reconciliation which

restores

distorted social bonds an d relation­

ships. God is thus the mystery of love which is at once offend ed by,

yet forgiving of our sin, 23

at once prior

to a nd beyond our wrongnes s .

God

is

thus

to be un­

ders tood within the very experience of guilt:

ly,

as

tha t whom s in betra ys ,

a nd s o a s

whom we a re ultima tely res pons ible ; tha t

towa rd

whom

we

our being.

as

hea ling in a ll dimens ions

of

for

a

forgivenes s

We proceed now to explore a nd

ceptua liza tion

of

God

After a few words

tha t before

a nd s econdly,

rea ch

core of our being a nd a

firs t­

a fforded

by

develop this

a t the

the con­

experience.

to cla rify the terms s in a nd guilt

a nd s ituate them in a context, we s ha ll focus upon the theologica l notion of guilt a s

the core of one' s a ctions

fering

contra ry

as

its

being,

to

funda menta l option a t

cons ider its

huma n dignity,

intrins ic

a nd

cons equence.

s ha ll then turn to the proces s

embodiment in exa mine s uf­

(Pa rt

B) .

of forgivenes s ,

We

firs t

cons idering the pos s ibility a nd na ture of contrition a nd convers ion from the hea rt, a nd next look ing a t its

embodiment in a ctions which hea l the pers on a nd extend the proces s of reconcilia tion to his interpers ona l a nd s ocia l environment.

(Pa rt C) .

On this ba s is ,

we hope

to deepen our unders ta nding of the God dis clos ed

in

the crucia l huma n experience of guilt a nd forgivenes s .

24

PAR T B :

1.

G U I L T AS FUNDAMENT A L O PTION AGAINST GOD

Rahner guilt, 1 way.

T H E GOD BE TRAYED B Y S I N

and

often does

Guilt

interchanges not

always

( Schuld )

which goes counter

to

use

the

terms

them

in

sin a

and

unifo rm

refers

chiefly to a free act a mor al value. It is viewed

p r imarily as an act : an act which flows from conscious freedom and for

which a person is therefo re

respon­

sible, and an act wh ich is ex p ressive of a moral dis­ value.

act.

In short,

it is a free,

responsible, culpable

Sin ( Sunde ) denotes this same act insofar as it

is a free decision which ultimately goes against the ground

and

term

of

man ' s

tr anscendence,

and is ex­

p ressed in the violation of a moral demand.

In tradi­

tional language,

( the will

of ) and

God.

sin is an offence against

The notion of guilt emphasizes the freedom

responsibility

b rings out

of

the

act ;

the

notion

of

sin

its affront to the infinite mystery.

In

its deepest theological sense, guilt is defined as : a free no to God which basically amounts to destroying the relationshi p of man to him­ self, to his fellow man, and to the things of the wo rld . ( which ) strives in isolation to its own finality and ir revocability. 2 Hence, the theological meaning of guilt coincides with that of sin .

Both terms may likewise designate not

only the initial free culpable act,

but also the re­

sultant state of enduring o p position or contr adiction to God, self, othe r s.

Since Rahner himself ex hibits a

slight p r eference for the term guilt, we shall follow his usage. The specifically theological concept of guilt at 25

once presupposes, dif fers from, and re fines the every­ day, legal, and psychological notions. 3 This is in keeping with Rahn er' s view that theology, following revelation, does not make statements about a realm totally outside human experience. Rather, theology clari fies and judges the concrete world in which man lives out his existence. It provides a fuller context and more pro found meaning for the concepts by which he interprets that existence. In the socio-political sphere, guilt re fers, widely, to any breach o f accepted customs, mores, laws or conventions. More narrowly, it denotes an external action contrary to the penal laws o f a society. In the case o f a verdict o f culpability, the civil judge­ ment or sentence assumes or attempts to establish that the culprit was free and responsible for his actions. Hence, both action contrary to civil order and free responsibility are essential constituents in the legal instance o f guilt. A theological interpretation would further insist that the civic transgression is a mor­ ally wrong action only i f it does actually run counter to the dignity o f the human person, and does not mere­ ly disobey an un just law. 5 The re quirement o f freedom as a condition for liability points, beyond objective wrongness, to a more internal sphere o f guilt. This sphere is sus­ ceptible in some degree to psychological analysis. Bes ides the limits imposed by the very structures o f human nature, there is the pervasive conditioning ex­ ercised by further physiological, psychological and sociological factors. These include genetic and hereditary factors, natural endowments, characteristics of upbringing, social milieu, public opinion, coercive social pressures, and the like. 26

The s e

influenc e s

p sychic

mak e -up .

fr e e dom

and

p enetrate

The y

provide

limit

the

far

and

into s hape

context

for

a

p e r son' s

hi s

its

or

he r

exe rci s e .

Whe r e they ar e ne gativ e , they can inflict such ps ychic pain and illne s s as to impel a pe r son towa rd wrong ac­ tions

with

physically

ha rmful effects . ne s s , and

and

s ocially

Inn e r conflict ,

suffe ring ,

which may lead to be havior othe r s ,

guilt .

compr i s e

H enc e ,

or in part ,

the

di sturbing

and

and ill-

de s tructiv e to s elf

ps ychological

s ens e

of

morally wrong actions may b e , in whole

the unfr e e r e sult of such influenc e s , and

the r efo r e not culpabl e . 6 Rahne r

maintains ,

plo r ed by the

s ocial

howeve r , s ci ence s

that doe s

the

r ealm

ex­

not penetrate to

the inne rmost co r e of the pe r s on , the one root centr e of awar ene s s and f r e edom . 7 Th e s e di scipline s deal with levels exte rio r to that cor e . outwar d

l ev e ls

as

acce s sible

Rahne r s e e s the s e

both

to

influence s

brought to b e a r from without and also to the imprint of fr e e

d e ci sion from th e inn e r

conflict and exte rnal one's

suff e ring may

influence s ,

mili eu .

from

cor e

inde ed oth e r

They may als o b e

its elf .

Inne r

spring from undue pe r s ons ,

the

and

from

cons e quence and

expr e s sion of a fr e e and r e s ponsibl e p e r s onal act ,

a

r e sult of guilt in the theological s ens e . C e rtainly , the impact upon fr e edom of facto r s un­ cove r ed by the

s ocial

s cience s

is

pe r haps

far - r eaching than pr e viously imagined . too ,

much mo r e

If w e ob s e r ve ,

the s e emingly s ens ele s s prodigality , fe rocity and

te r rible catastrophe s of the natural world , a s well a s t h e ignoranc e ,

cruelty ,

viole nc e ,

ro r o f so much of human hi sto ry ,

slaughte r , w e may be

and ho r ­ utte rly

ove rwhelm ed by

the

existenc e .

may well be inclined to hold that the

We

mi s e ry and appa rent absurdity of

27

guilt of human beings, of inner

conflict ,

whether of wrongful action or

is something unfree.

This guilt

appears to be t he expression of man as victim ra ther t han as aut hor of his own life. a Yet, i f t he human psyche and behavior are totally determined,

t he human person is reduced to the level

of a mere animal and any special dignity is negat ed. This dignity is inseparable from human freedom, t he orien tat ion of t hat freedom to

t he infinit e,

from its capacity for commit ment,

choice,

To protest against

t he

history as an affron t

from and

and love.

"monst rousness" of nature and to human worth is in fact

to

protest against factors which limit and negate human freedom and in t hat way deny human dignity.

Unless we

are to discount man as a distinctly human and personal being, we must allow for t he possibility of a negative as well as a positive free act at t he very core of t he person.

Such guilt would, of course, find expression

in an inner state of suffering and/or wrong outward 9 act ions. Since t he core is orien ted t oward t hat which is called God, guilt in its deepest sense is a violation of t his orient ation and of t he God t owards which

it

tends.

This

is

the

t heological

sense

of

guilt. Wit hin

this contex t ,

we shall now consider

the

theological sense of guilt , first in its core act , and then in its embodiment and consequences. is guilt in the transcendent al sense, categorical

expression.

Since

t he

The former

t he lat ter its

t ranscendent al

reflexively grasped through t he cat egorical,

is

we shall

confine ourselves here to a basic perspective on guilt as a free act at t he core of one ' s being.

More con­

cret eness and detail will emerge in examining t he cat e­ gorical expression of guilt . 28

As previously stated, fre edom, for Rahner, con­ c erns most basically man' s fundamental disposition o f hims e l f as ori ented to absolute mystery , not only as d istant horizon but also as nearness o f forgiving love . Y et this s el f-disposition occurs in and through moral choices regarding the persons and things o f on e's physical and cultural environment . Such fr e edom implies accountability for s el f, s e eks an obj ect o f commitment, and has a gi ft character . Th es e aspects h elp to clari fy the m eaning o f guilt and th e God i t be­ trays . I f human beings ar e fr e e, th ey ar e accountable for what they do . In situations where on e ' s fre edom is most d e eply involved, one becomes more fully awar e, if only implicitly, that this fre edom and responsibil­ ity do not just concern this or that d ecision or ac­ tion tak en in isolation, but on e's whole s elf . Such an occasion may occur, for example, when an individual und erstands a particular action as being uncondition­ ally d emand ed o f him, or s e es a d ecision as having crucial importance and a lasting validity, or as d e­ termining th e shape and dir ection o f his entir e li fe . In experi encing such accountability for his very s elf, the person experi ences implicitly its ultimate reason or ground and that b e fore which h e is finally respon­ s ibl e . H e exp eri ences what is m eant by "God . 11 1 0 Inso far as fre edom concerns on e ' s very s el f, it can b e r egard ed as the capacity for th e total and ir­ r evocable gi ft o f ones el f from the heart, that is, the capacity for love . In th e final analysis, responsible fre edom concerns the qu estion o f that to which or to whom on e can and should so commit on es el f . That ul­ timate valu e which is worth th e staking o f on e ' s en­ tire li fe, and which summons th e total gi ft o f s elf 29

also indicat es what is m ean t by " God . " ll Freedom is also e x perienced as gift , and e mpowered by in t he

its absolute

horizon, "

mysterious ground and goal

countability freedom

as

and

of

self-commit ment .

gif t,

one

also

In

" borne

as roo t ed

t his

fre e

ac­

e x periencing

e xpe riences

ground or source of t his gift,

as

12

the

ultimate

and indeed of oneself

as a free being endowed with an intrinsic wort h .

This,

too, denotes " God . " Thus t hat

fro m which we flow as fre e be ings of

innate dignity, accountable

that

for

our

before

which we

whole

se lves,

are

and

ul timately

that

toward

which we are drawn to reach and confide ourselves en­ tirely, is what is designated by the t erm " God . " This, once

again,

is

the

infinit e ,

se lf-bestowing

mystery

which "speaks " t hrough t he concre te moral de mand of a particular categorical situat ion .

Our answer t o t his

de mand like wise e x pre sses our response t o the myst ery . As a ne gative act of freedom, guil t , at its de e p­ es t,

t ranscendental le v el,

that

in­

finit e, self-bestowing mystery from which we flow

as

precious gift,

is a re fusal of

before which we s tand accoun table , and

toward which our whole being t ends and is sum m oned to fre ely respond . t he

shirking

call,

Such guilt is t he spurning of a gift ,

of accountabilit y,

the

the se t t ing aside of a goal .

dismissal

of

a

I t is a reject ion

of self in its graced transcendence and a reject ion of the infinite myst ery which is the source and goal of self .

Guilt is " t he total and definitive decision of

man against God . in

the

will

de pth of

take

shape

.

. which man can inde ed e x perience 1 his conscience . " 3 This ac t , t oo, in

the

contravention

moral de mand . 30

of

a

concre t e

As a refusal of the self-bestowing infinite on to which one ' s transcendence opens, guilt entails a stop­ ping short of that infinite.

It is a placing of one­

self or of something else that is finite as the stop­ 14 This is a setting up ping point of one ' s freedom • of " idols . • on the altar of one ' s heart " , 1 5 an attempt to finite.

make a finite reality into something in­

At

served,

the

same time,

as

we

have already

ob­

this finite object remains something seen and

chosen

in

terms

of

the

infinite

horizon.

will

It

still be somehow grasped as finite and experienced as failing to fulfill one ' s yearning. The

guilty

person

thereby

chooses

a

falsehood

which leads to disappointment and despair, im prisons himself within the confining loneliness of the finite, and

refuses

that

openness

to

the

true

infinite

which his whole being tends from its centre. doing,

whatever

ences

a

sense

of

self.

the

concrete

violation of himself betraying

betrayal of an

he

and

concomitant

has

much

a

vaster

however obscure,

infinite presence,

Rahner

more

an

experi­

than

him­

of personal

infinite near­

ness.

When

( which

he

tions ) ,

he speaks of man ' s culpable desire to be God

finds

uses

In so

expression,

something

He has a sense,

to

congenial

personal

with

certain

terminology qualifica­

and to emancipate himself from the will of God who al­ ways wants man to be open to the infinite.

The sinner

thereby engages in a rejection of the free, love of God. 1 6

personal

Rahner insists that if the core act of guilt is to be free, be

no

it must somehow be conscious.

unconscious,

involuntary

guilt.

There can Only

where

someone sins knowingly against God can there be guilt in

the

theological

sense.

31

This,

of

course,

in

Rahner' s theological anthropology,

non-objective,

can be an implicit,

t ranscendental awareness and

decisio n.

It need not tak e the form of an objective reflexive a­

wareness of saying no to God conceived explicitly in categorical terms.

We k now but can never fully ob­

jectify what is in our heart.

Our

freedom as

total

self-disposition before God is transcendentally expe­

rienced.

It is not an individually experienced datum

alongside other objects,

but is interior to and under­ lies all such experience.17 The transcendental act of freedom at the core of

one' s being does,

however,

terior

actions

and

outer

express itself in the in­

of

the

person

physical surroundings and social milieu.

is

also

person.

susceptible Hence,

to

influences

from

and

in

his

outside

the

This sphere

every expression of the ori ginal act

of freedom remains not only an incomplete objectifica­

tion but also an ambiguous one.

As a result,

a person

can never k now with absolute reflexive certainty his 18 Moreover, besides be­ or her core act of freedom. ing given little or no conceptualization,

such

guilt

before God can also be forgotten, dissimulated, excus­

ed,

or suppressed.

moral

blindness

as

Rahner regards self-deception and consequences

of

free

guilt.

goes so far as to say that guilt can really

be

He

ac­

k nowledged only where there is an awareness of its be­

ing disarmed by forgiveness. trayal

of

self,

others,

Otherwise,

the utter be­

and ultimately

the inf inite mystery would be too devastating to contemplate.19 When a person does find in himself the capacity to be honest with himself,

to let fall his illusions,

to admit his possible personal guilt,

to fully assume

responsibility for himself, and to do so without fall­ ing

into

despair,

he

experiences 32

this

response

as

something he has been enabled to make, as gift.

That

from which this gift comes to him is what is meant by " God " .

Fro m this standpoint,

God may be conceived as

that which sounds, unveils, and judges what is in the heart of man.

As we shall explain below, this disclo ­

sure is precisely in view o f fo rgiveness. In more guarded language,

one may say that the

reco gnition o f theological guilt as a personal possi­ b ility or actuality implies the experience of a tran­ scendent source which makes possible this recognition and simultaneously gro unds the hope f or forgiveness. God is that infinite presence within which man ' s guilt is encompassed,

transcended and f o rgiven.

The human

experience that what is at the core of one ' s being is at o nce known,

weighed,

the experience of God. ceptualized,

God

will

and,

if guilty,

forgiven,

H owever God comes to

be con­

be experienced as an infinite

nearness which precedes and grounds one ' s freedo m, vo kes

its

total

is

c ommitment,

and

e­

yet transcends and

f orgives its most destructive use. In order t o clarify and expand these notions, we must now lo o k more closely at · the catego rical emb odi­ ment of guilt, the fundamental o ption against God .

33

N OT E S l For Rahn er ' s use of the terms " sin " and "guilt, " see especially " Guilt and Its Remission : The Borderland between Theology and Psychology, " .ll 2, 2 6 5- 2 6 7 ; " Does Traditional Theology Represent Guilt as Innocuous as a Factor in Human Life?, " T I 1 3, 1 3 6f ; Spiritual Exercises, trans. Kenneth Baker ( New York : Herder & Herder, 1 9 6 5 ) , 34-4 2 ; Meditations .Q.!J. the Sa­ craments ( New York : Seabury, 1 9 7 7) , 4 2-4 8, " Guilt, " TD, 1 9 8 ; " Sin, " TD, 4 3 6f. 2 Meditations on the Sacraments, 4 2. Note also the definition presented in " Guilt - Responsibility Punishment, " .ll 6, 2 1 0, which may be cited here : Guilt regarded theologically is primarily in its most essential ground the total and de­ finitive decision of man against God, the self-understanding of the subject in the ' no ' against his supporting ground, and this vis-a-vis the horizon within which it is ac­ complished in ' yes ' or ' no ' ; guilt in this sense is theological and metaphysical sui­ cide, but one which does not thereby allow the subject to escape from itself into no­ thingness. 1 9 7f.

3 11 Guilt

-

Responsibility

-

Punishment, "

TI

6,

4 11 Revelation" is here understood both in the transcendental sense, as the graced horizon in the light and view of which man conceives of and decides about the persons and things of the world ; and in the categorical sense, as the authentic articulation of this self-bestowing source and term in explicit doc­ trinal, liturgical, and institutional Christianity. On this twofold sense of revelation, see Revelation and Tradition, 9-2 5. 5 11 Guilt - Responsibility Punishment, " T I 6, 21 1 - 2 14 ; " The Dignity and Freedom of Man, " I..!. 2 ,--2 3 526 3, esp. 2 5 5- 2 5 8. 6 11 Gui lt and Its Remission, " T I 2, 2 6 5- 2 6 7, 2 7 22 7 8 ; " Does Traditional Theology Represent Guilt as In­ nocuous as a Factor in Human Life? , " T I 1 3, 1 3 7 - 1 3 9 ; Meditations on the Sacraments, 44 -4 7; Foundations, 26- 31 . 34

7 11 Guilt and Its Remission, " Prayer, 2 5 -28; Foundations, 2 8-31.

TI

2,

277;

On

8Foundations, 91f; Meditations on the Sacraments, 45 . A particularly vivid portrayal or-the neg­ ative elements which strew the course of nature and human history is found in "Unity - Love - Mystery, " .!.!_ 8, 236-2 40. 9Meditations on the Sacraments, 42f; "The Dig­ nity and Freedom ofM a� .!.!.. 2 , 2 5 4f; Foundations, 9lf. 10 "The Man of Today and Religion, " T I 6, 14f; ,- 2 01-2 04; "Guilt - Responsibility - Punishment, " l!. 6Tl 9, 15 5 -15 7. "Atheism and Implicit Christianity", See also "Theology of Freedom, " l!. 6, 178-190; Foundations, 35 -39; 93-102. ll r bid. 12 11 Theology of Freedom, " .!.!. 6, 193. 210.

13 11 Guilt - Responsibility - Punishment, " .!.!. 6, See also Meditations on the Sacraments, 42 -44.

14 Hearers of the Word, 33f; mission, " l!. 2 , 269-271 �4f. 15 11 The Scandal of Death, "

ll

"Gul lt and

Its Re-

7, 142 .

l6 11 Guilt and Its Remission, " T I 2 ,

270,

279.

17 11 Guilt and Its Remission, " .!.!. 2 , 2 67, 275 Punishment, " T I 6, 2 78; "Guilt Responsibility 211-214; Foundations, 96f, 184f. 18 Ibid. 19Foundations, 93; "Guilt Responsibility Punishment, " .!..!. 6, 210f; "Guilt and Its Remission, " TI 2, 2 66f; On Prayer, 93-97.

35

T H E EMBODIMENT OF GU I L T

2. The

core

of

spiritual -personal

the

person,

nucl eus,

in

its

origina l

unfolds itself in a p l u­

rality of powers and acts in the wor l d in order to realize itse lf.

Man is a being in the wor ld who be­

comes conscious of himse lf and decides about himsel f onl y by becoming conscious of and deciding about an object other than himse lf.

He comes to explicit sel f­

possession in knowledge and

love

onl y

by ex pressing " On l y himself in what is other than his core self. 1 by passing out of the depths of his being into the world

can man enter

where

he

stands

into

before

the depths of the person 2 Consequentl y, man ' s God. 11

definitive sel f-disposition against body itsel f in a

material

and

God seeks to em­

environment distinct,

yet unseparated from, the rea l spiritual centre of the person. The person himself,

in the l evels of his makeup

exterior to the originating semina l centre, is the in­ itial

environment upon which this fundamental

is impressed. mated

bodily

option

These levels incl ude one ' s who le ani­ reality,

with

its thoughts,

attitudes,

its who le psychic contents, as we l l as its physio logi­ cal constitution. act

spread

These objectifications of the core

outwardl y

into

actions

in

the

external

wor ld of persons and things, with its corporeal ity and

history.

( Everything

in this rea l m is,

for

Rahner,

connected with and united to the wor l d as a who le, a world which he sees as a differentiated unity. )

This

se lf-ex pression in the " otherness" of one ' s o u ter di­ mensions and of one ' s wor ld is the "symbo l " or " con­ stitutive sign " of the person ' s core and of its act. Hence,

it is in this

"intermediary real ity" 36

in which

the seminal person achieves himsel f that guilt is ex­ pressed and embodied . 3 The a bsolute d e finitive ' no ' o f the whole existence toward God takes place for re flex consciousness in per fectly determined con­ crete acts o f li fe. Sin takes place in sins. Sin does not take place in a merely transcen­ dental interiority o f the noumenal sub ject, but in the works o f the flesh which are obvi­ ous and tangible. 4 The question now arises as to which concrete acts o f li fe are constitutive signs or symbols em bodying a self-destructive revolt against the in finite presence, and as to how these acts might be determined . In treating this issue, we must keep in mind certain quali fications to which we shall later return. No em­ bodiment can fully contain or absorb the core act o f freedom and each em bodiment is also susceptible to un­ free in fluences from without. At the same time, once posited, the constitutive sign does become somewhat independent o f the originating act and may exert its in fluence even when that act is withdrawn. Even i f one regrets injuring another, for example, the damage Not­ in flicted may continue to handicap the victim. withstanding these reservations, the connatural sign o f guilt is an action which violates the ob jective moral d emand o f a particular categorical situation. This violation may occur in two way s, inso far as each o f us is at once a human being sharing a common nature with all others and an irreducea bly unique person dis­ tinct from all others. A concrete moral demand may a­ rise from a universal moral norm or from an individual moral imperative. For Rah ner, the nature o f a being comprises the permanent essential structures which precede and make possible the activity o f that being . For every na37

ture,

such structures have t heir own laws,

development, and limits.

modes ·of

The structures of the human

being are especially those features which enable con­ scious, free activit y .

These do not exhaustively de­

fine a human being, who is more t han a mere example of t he species.

The human struct ures belong in each case

to

free

a

unique

through and upon limits.

Hence,

center,

them,

who

freely

acts

while remaining

in

within

and

t heir

Rahner distinguishes between t he com ­

mon elements and the unique center t o which they be­ long.

The

" person. 11

5

former

he calls

" na ture "

and

as

lat ter

" Man is na ture insofar as he has cert ain He is person

essential structures of his being. insofar

the

he

freely

disposes

of

himself

by

his

decision. 11 6 One might say t hat nature denotes the raw m a t eri­ al of man and person refers to t he sculpt or who freely While na-

works to shape and fashion t hat mat erial. ture is for the sake of the person,

t he free decision

of the person must respect the laws of his own nature, just as the sculptor must respect his materials.

The

decision of man at the core of his being should be in accordance with t he permanen t structures, or negate them.

not violat e

One form o f morally wrong act , there­

fore, is an action which does violat e t hese structures. In Rahner ' s view, man

beings

are

the features com mon t o all hu­

transcendental

elements

which

only

gradually and incompletely emerge in to reflexive con­ sciousness.

They do so as they find expression in a

given historical culture and com muni t y .

In an age in

which genet ic and social engineering are ga1 n 1 ng pro m­ inence,

t he differen tiat ion of t he permanent from t he

hist orically

contingen t

Perhaps less belongs

in

man

is far

frp m

obvious.

t o the underlying human essence 38

Elements o f this perma­ than previously thought . 7 nent human nature would include spirituality, intel­ lectuality, freedom, unique individ uality, communita­ rian and so cial being, masculinit y and femininity, corporeality, histori city, orientation to the mystery called God, and in the � facto order o f grace, ori­ entation to dire ct personal intimac y and communion with this m yster y, in Christ and the Spirit . a The articulation o f these structures constitutes a formulation o f basic moral norms . Rahner sees such norms as comprising the natural moral law as modi fied by the supernatural existential, the gra ced orienta­ tion to the sel f-bestowing God . 9 Morality thus en­ tails the discovery and ac ceptance o f and response to the multidimensional nature o f the human being, in self and in others, individually and in social group­ ings . The plurality o f moral values is based upon the many -sided nature o f man, whose facets only gradually emerge into explicit consciousness . These values can be spelled out in terms o f con crete actions whi ch respect or violate the structures o f man . I O The imperative to act a c cording to these objecti­ fied moral norms is, however, founded upon the intrin­ sic dignity o f the human person . This dignity, while bound up with the nature o f man as a spiritual and free being oriented to mystery, belongs to ea ch unique person as su ch, who must not be regarded as a mere instance o f the human spe cies . The intr insic worth o f the human person is the root moral value and basis o f all others . The fundamental moral experience, for Rahner, is pre cisely the experien ce o f this human dignity as something absolute and unconditional, hence as capable o f grounding an unconditional demand . It is because o f this intrinsi c worth that one must 39

respec t the structures of human nature.

t:. a c n

mora1

norm is an expressi on of the response due the under­ ly ing person.

The d i fferent mora l

val ues to be put

i nto actions

are real l y expressi ons of what ponds to that worth. l l

corres­

Whi le there are a great many norms respecting the dignity of the human person in his or her many d i men­ si ons,

i n the final ana lysis, these form a response to

one being.

The mul t i pl i c ity of the human bei ng, as we

have seen,

i s ne ither a sc attered, unc onnec ted diver­

sity,

nor a mere juxtaposi t i on of parts.

It forms a

plura l unity i n whi ch al l f l ows from and i s hel d to­ gether in the heart or core. facet of the

person

A response to any one

should respect that uni ty.

It

shou l d be di rected to the person as a who l e,

not i so­ 2 l ated from or contrad i c tory to that total i ty.1 Yet

it must not be watered down to a vague i neffec tual at­ ti tude whi ch neg lects the concrete demands of particu­ l ar

persons, whether, for examp l e, for food or frater ­

nal correction.

A moral l y good act vis-a-v i s another

person is, therefore, a spec i f i e action benefi cia l to one facet of the person ' s struc ture,

i n response to

the uni que sacredness of that person as a tota l human bei ng .

A

mora l l y wrong action,

converse ly,

v i o lates

human d i gn i ty by its refusal to respond to a spec if i c moral demand or by i ts response to one aspec t of the person in defiance of the whol e. In

add i t ion,

the

spec i f i c

action

does

from and embody the one core act of the agent.

proceed As one

being, the agent attempts to i mpress h i s or her funda­ menta l option i nto every ac tion and to integrate every acti on i nto that one central dec ision. of

i ndi vidua l

pleteness

on l y

mora l to

values

the

and

norms

The pl ural ity ac hieves

com­

extent that these va l ues and 40

norms are incorporated into one ' s fundamental option from the heart and express that option .

Again,

this

is a question of integrating many values, not negating or replacing them . presents task .

a

very

As we shall later discuss, gradual

and

never

fully

it re­

achieved

In this sense, a person ' s whole life becomes an

ever more complete realization of a fundamental yes or no to the infinite mystery . 1 3 Hence,

from the standpoint of its agent and re­

cipient, its human origin and term, each concrete mor­ ally good action is,

finally and fully,

the gift of

one ' s whole self from the heart to another human being in

his or

her uniqueness and totality .

Now this is

what is meant by love, regarded by Rahner as the basic good moral act, which underlies and sums up every par­ ticular

m oral demand .

Similarly,

involves a failure of love, of indifference,

neglect,

the

guilty

action

taking the concrete shape

refusal,

and in its strong­

est form, h atred of another person or persons in their total humanity and radical uniqueness . 14 To relate the above more specifically to the ex­ perience of God, unconditional

we may first note that,

worth

can

only

have

the

for Rahner, character

gift when it is found in something finite . beings,

of

As finite

we cannot procure for ourselves or others an

unconditional

worth .

We can only discover,

acknowl­

edge, and live according to a worth that precedes and is deeper than our recognition and response . experiencing a concrete moral demand as such, perience not only the intrinsic worth whic h

founds

this

demand,

ground of that worth, absolute

worth .

meant by

" God" •

15

This

but

also

Thus, in we ex­

of the person the

source

and

the reason w hy th ere is such an is

an

Conversely,

41

experience

of

what

is

the experience of re-

jection of self or another in a concrete action in­

cludes the implicit experience of violating human sa­ credness,

as well as the ground upon which it rests.

This too is an experience of God.

This dignity goes with being a human person ;

is rooted in and belongs to the very

sonhood of each

human being.

it

nature and per­

The gift character

of

this sacredness thus implies and is inseparable from the gift character of human existence itself.

It has

already been noted in discussing freedom that the hu­

man person as such is a precious gift.

One' s reply to

this gift contains within itself the experience of the giver and one' s positive or negative response to that

source. value,

The ultimate ground and goal of the

structures,

multiplicity in unity,

and dynamic

orientation of the human person is what is "God."

Hence,

being,

meant by

the one concrete human action contains,

first, the posing of a specific deed but secondly, taking of a stance toward human structures,

nity,

human dig­

and the self-bestowing infinite mystery.

two aspects are inseparable. We must not,

however,

the

These

interpret this perspective

in too individualistic a fashion.

The response to an­

other as a whole person must embrace all dimensions of human existence, cal.

well.

and

histori­

situations,

but

in

which

the of

personal

individual dimensions growth

in

his

and

made

individual persons as such, of

possible

contexts

as

her is

and

uniqueness, respected, 16 fostered.

comes not only through

but also through the de­

one' s social situation. 42

or

wholeness

The "voice" of God, as it were, mands

social

It includes the struggle to fashion a society

plurality

and

social,

This response must tak e place not only within

interpersonal in

physiological,

The

abdication

of

social responsibility is a fundamental expression of guilt. The permanent structures of human nature , tion of which entails theological guilt , each case to the

viola­

do belong in

irreducibly unique person.

Each u­

nique self may as such be the recipient of a personal moral

falls

demand. to

one

One may experience a moral task which

precisely

as

solely as a human being.

a

unique

person ,

and not

Such a demand also summons

the gift from the heart of one' s whole self.

Yet it

is addressed to one personally , and involves more than

the mere application of universal norms.

We shall ex­

plore this dimension briefly and suggest some of its implications for the conceptualization of God. Rahner

holds that such personal demands may not

run counter to any genuine universal norms rooted in the structures of man and his world (structures not so easily determined as was once thought) . these norms , concrete

however,

He does see

as inadequate to determine every

action of the individual.

There are situa­

tions in which ma ny possible actions would be conso­

nant with general moral principles ,

as well as other

situations in which these norms appear to be in insur­ mountable conflict.

Besides such instances,

there is

more to the concrete moral decision than the applica­ tion of such norms.

Insofar as each person is unique ,

so too are his actions unique and not merely examples

or cases of general norms. ties

ples ,

may

remain

W hile certain possibili­

open when judged by

general princi­

the choice of one rather than another possible

course of action may be of critical significance for a particular individual.

At the same time ,

crete choice may be seen ,

such a con­

not as a mere arbitrary se­

lection from legitimate options,

43

but as the coming to

light o f one' s own ine f fable moral ind iv i duali ty. 1 7 The structures o f the intrinsi cally valuable per­ son are certa inly to be respected. At the same t ime, they should be integrated into and express the free de c ision at the core o f the person in his or her con­ crete response to other persons. They are to be c o­ ord inated into the growth and development o f the spe­ c i f i c person as "this" rather than "a" human bei ng. In th is l i ght, there ar ises the possibil i ty o f a u­ ni quely personal moral demand over and above universal Th i s demand may be seen as a summons to norms. 1 8 develop as this spec i f i c person through the order o f love whi ch one constructs out o f concrete dec isions. The study o f the process by whi ch one d iscerns the u­ ni que demand o f cons istent personal development, Rahner calls "formal existential eth i cs", and he underl ines its importance. The exper ience o f moral respons ibility as a call to act in this way and no other, even though many pos­ sibilities would seem leg it imate, is the exper i ence o f a demand addressed to me in my solitary uni queness. It is the exper ience o f the ground and term o f my own inescapable responsibility. I experience mysel f as addressed and summoned personally at the core o f my own irreduc ible un i queness. This i s, so to speak, the exper ience o f be ing called by name. As noted earl ier, the moral call is also a call to an action wh i ch i s f inally to be incorporated into and express i ve o f love. Hence, such a moral exper ience is one o f bei ng summoned by name to love in a un i que manner. As such, it includes, however impl i c itly and obscurely, the ex­ per ience o f be ing known in the core o f one' s un i que being. For one can only be called by name i f one is known by name. Thi s is also an experi ence o f be i �g 44

v alued and loved, since this sum mons is one which en­ ables and calls to respect and lov e. In

this

context,

God

may be portr ayed as that

from which I ( and all others) flow as known and loved in my very uniqueness as a precious gift,

fr eely re­

sponsible for the final shaping of that gift .

God is

similarly that to which and before which I am sum moned to

reply th rough categor ical,

embody the

response of

concrete actions which

my own unique life .

The in­

finite ground and ho rizon of my knowing and lo ving is thus at least implicitly grasped as the ground and ho­ rizon by which I am known and loved in my radical u­ niqueness,

and the reby enabled and sum moned to inti­

m acy with this infinite presence. At least in his actions, man is really also ( not only ) individuum ineffabilis, whom God has called by his name, a name which is and can only be unique, so that it really is worthwhile for this unigue being as such to exist for all eternity. 1 9 In this light as well, will

entail

much

nor ms and of their

more

than

the experience of guilt violation

of

universal

ultimate ground and goal .

Guilt

will be more intimately exper i enced as the betrayal of an utterly personal responsibility, a contradiction of one ' s

own

t ruest

self.

It

will

be

in

some

sense

gr asped as the betrayal of the sou rce of one ' s own u­ nique being,

m eaning,

worth,

and vocation ;

a refusal

of friendship and lov e ; a personal rejection of a more personally glimpsed infinity.

It will be a denial of

the voice which creatively utters and speaks to that unique word of meaning and lo ve which each human being is. In more traditional language,

45

Rahne r states that

sin is not solely an offence against a universal d i­ vine norm.

"Sin • . . is also and just as much an of­

fence against an utterly ind ivid ual imperative of the ind ivid ual will of God which is the basis of unique­

ness."

It is a "failure of personal-ind ivid ual love

of God " ;

a turning asid e from the "immed iate personal

encounter 20 self". sion,

with

In

the

terms

personal

of

our

God

as

previous

he

mod e

is

of

in

him­

expres­

guilt is a betrayal of an utterly personal re­

sponsibility and of its source, finite mystery.

the self-bestowing in­

We may here summarize our inquiry to this point. Guilt is the free, "no" to and yet

culpable,

personal betrayal of the infinitely near

transcend ent

ground

loved

and

human

and of itself d efinitive

term,

meaning and

self-bestowing of oneself and

beings

and

d ignity.

unique

source

and

goal,

others as k nown and

persons

Guilt is embodied

end owed

with

in the

vio­

lation of a moral imperative expressing the d emand s of

the fund amental grace-transformed tery,

the

structures

of

one' s personal vocation .

one' s

orientation to m ys­

common

humanity,

and

It tak es the concrete shape

of refusing the response d ue to another person or per­ sons at the interpersonal or social level.

the

contrad iction

d isposal and

between

a

person' s

Guilt is

embod ied

the true reality of others,

self,

self­ God .

It is the "contrad ic tion between that in him which is free" and that which "he is intend ed to be and inalienably is. 11 21

. •

The experience of this contrad iction is painful. Rahner sees suffering in this context as the intrinsic consequence and

constitutive sign of guilt.

He sees

therein as well the essential meaning of the notion of

46

punishment for sin .

We shall now examine the conse­

quences of sin and guilt and their implications for the concept of God .

47

NOTES ln Guil t and Its Remission, " T I 2 , Theol ogy of the Symbol , " .!.!. 4, 2 2 1-25 2 ; - Mystery, " I! 8, 2 30-2 3 5 .

2 69 -2 75 ; "The "Unity - Love

2 "Guil t and Its Remission, " .!..! 2 , 2 73. 3 s ee references und er note 1 above. 2 11.

4 n Guil t

Responsibil ity

Pu nishment, " .!..!.-

6,

5 "The Theol ogical 1, 360-369.

Concept of

Concupiscence, "

TI

6 11 The 1, 3 6 2 .

Concept of

Concupiscence, "

TI

Theol ogical

7 11 The Experiment with Man, " TI 9 , 2 05 -2 2 4 ; Probl em of Genetic Manipul ation, " TT 9, 2 2 5 -25 2 . 2 46.

8 11 The

Dignity

and

Freed om

of

Man, " I!

2,

"The 2 35-

9 11 Guil t and Its Remission, " TI 2 , 2 74f ; "Na­ tural Moral Law, " TD, 3 05f. On the- question of uni­ versal moral norms, see al so "The 'Command ment' of Love in Rel ation to the Other Command ments, " TI 5 , 43 9-45 9 ; "The Dignity and Freed om of Man, " T I 2 , -2 3 5263 ; and the references under note 17 bel ow. See as wel l the two articl es by James Bresnahan, "Rahner's Christian Ethics, " America, 12 3 ( 1970) , 3 5 13 5 4 and "Rahner's Ethics: Critical Natural Law in Re­ l ation to Contemporary Ethical Methodol ogy, " Journal .Q.f Rel igion, 5 6 (19 76) , 3 6-60, as wel l as his essay in � Worl d of Grace, 169 -184. l O "The 'Command ment' of Love in Rel ation to the Other Command ments, " I.!. 5, 43 9-444. 11 11 The 'Command ment' of Love in Rel ation to the Other Command ments, " .!.l 5 , 440 et passim ; "The Dignity and Freed om of Man, " TI 6, 2 45f ; "Ethics, " TD 15 l f ; "Christian Humanism, " TI 9 , 18 8-19 1, 2 00f. 12 11 The 'Command ment' of Love in Rel ation to the Other Command ments, " .!.l 5, 440-457. 48

13 11 The ' Commandment' of Love in Relation to the Other Commandments, " l!. 5 , 4 40-4 57. 14 11 Reflections on the Unity Neighbor and the Love Of God, " 239-2 4 6 .

I.!

of 6,

the Love of 231-2 4 9 , esp.

15 11 Christian Humanism, " l!. 9 , 188, 201; "Athe­ ism and Implicit Christianity, " T I 9 , 153f; "The Work s of Mercy and Their Reward, " I.!. 1 ;----2 68-2 74 . 16 on this theme, see "Christian Humanism, " TI 9 , 187-204; "Practical Theology and Social Work in the Chu rch, " T I 1 O , 3 4 9 -3 7O ; "The Pe ace of God and the Peace o f the Wor 1d , " T I 1O , 3 71-38 8; "The Chu rch' s Commission to Bring Salva tion and the Humanization of the World, " l!. 14 , 2 95 -313; "On the Theology of Revo­ lution, " I.!. 14 , 314 -330 . 1711 0n the Q uestion of a Formal Existential Eth­ ics, " T I 2 , 2 17-234 . On the topic of the uniquely personaT moral demand and choice, see also "Situ ation Ethics in an Ecumenical Perspective, " The Christian of the Future ( Ne w York : Herder & Herde�l9 67) , 39-48; "The Individual in the Church, " and "The Appea 1 to Conscience, " in Nature and Grace ( London: Sheed and Ward, 1976) , 9 -38, 3 9 -63; "Existential Ethics, Per­ sonal Ethics, " TD, l60f; The Dynamic Element in the Herder & Herder, 19 64) . See, too, Church ( Ne w York : the references under note 9 above. ics,

II

l811 on the Question of a Formal Existential EthI.!. 2 ' 2 2 5 , 230 .

19 11 0n t he Question of a Formal Existential EthI.!. 2 ' 2 2 6f . ics, II

2011 0n Question the Ethics, " I.!. 2 , 232 . 10,

2 1 11 A 153 .

of

a

Formal

Brief Theological Study on

49

Existential

Indulgence, " ..!..!.

3.

SUFFERING AS INTRINSIC CONSEQUENC E OF GUI LT

We have seen that man' s fundamental option is ex­ ercised in the rest of his personal mak e-up deavors to imprint itself upon his material,

and social environment as ally wrong action,

of

world.

self

As

such,

and

way which con­

orientation and personal vo­

others

the

personal

a person' s core

decision seek s to objectify itself in a cation

en­

In the case of a mo r­

wel l .

discussed earlier,

tradicts the structures,

and

within

attempted

their

embodiment

external

distorts,

wounds, and damages the outer levels of the person and his environment.

It violates the � priori and,

there­

fore,

ineradicable elements and these resist and pro­

test,

as it were,

against this distortion.

This con­

tradiction is experienced by the culpable agent and is necessarily

painful.

"It

is

the

painful

protest of

the reality which God has fashioned against the false decision

of

man.11

Insofar

1

as

this

embodim ent

the expression of the core act of freedom,

is

it is the

constitutive sign of that act.

Hence,

tive· sign of guilt is suffering,

understood theologi­

cally

as 2 guilt.11 The

the

painful

painful

"clash

between

contradiction

intrinsic consequence

of

the constitu­

is

guilt.

thus Only

reality a

in

and

connatural this

sense

can we speak of suffering as punishme nt for sin.

It

is not to be regarded as an additional arbitrary pen­

alty imposed from without .

In this vein,

statements

about "heaven" and "hell" are images which express the absolute seriousness of present human decision in its two alternatives.

Whether

enduring reality for anyone,

or

not

"hell"

becomes

an

it brings out the possi­

bility of suffering as the intrinsic consequence of an 50

irrevocably chosen contradiction. The radical contradicti on between the per­ manent supernatural existential , the per­ manent offer of God ' s self-communication in love , and the definitive , obdurate refusal opposed to it by the free act will be ex­ perienced as the ' poena damni • . 3 In addition , once the originating act is impress­ ed upon one ' s own make-up and surround ing world ,

its

embodiment

may

becomes

relatively

independent.

It

continue in existence and make itself felt , even when the original

act ceases or

through conversion.

is

radi cally

transformed

Ingrai ned attitudes and d isposi­

tions within oneself as well as the effects of a phys­ ical ,

emotional or other injury to another person may

persist , These

even if the initial guilty act is withdrawn.

enduring

inflict

expressions of

suffering

upon

the

guilt may continue to

culprit

and

others.

In

this connatural sense , they may also be termed punish­ ment for

sin.

They

l i k ew i s e

provide the context or

situation out of which subsequent new acts of freedom must operate. 4 These

reflections

help

to

shed

li ght

upon

the

concept of God as judge of sin and as forgivi ng heal­ er.

At the same time ,

they serve as a corrective to

all -too-common naive , excessively anthropomorphic , and even destructive images of God.

Within the experience

of personal betrayal discussed earlier ,

for which he

is personally accountable in his heart , a person also implicitly experiences himself as judged and summoned to conversion.

The ground and term of this judgment

and conversion is what

is meant

by the term

" God. "

The judgment and call to conversion are not extrinsic but contained within the very experience of the guilty contradiction and its attendant suffering.

51

The i mage o f j ud gment a n d p u n i s hment w h i c h i s d e ­ r i v e d from pena l t i e s i mpos e d f o r o f fences a g ai n s t the civil order does not apply here . Such an i mage w o u l d t e n d t o d e p i c t God a s a n e x t e r n a l j u d g e w h o i n t e r v e n e s v i n d i c t i v e l y f r o m w i tho u t t o p u n i s h p eo p l e w ho d i s ob e y h i s a r b i t r a r y c o m m a n d s . 5 Th i s v i e w r e a d i l y s e e s Go d as mer e l y one p a rt i c u l a r bei n g a n d c a u s e a l o n g s i de others w i thi n t he wor l d . Go d m u s t r a t h e r b e u n d e r s t o o d a s t h e t r a n s c e n d e n t o r i g i n , g r o u n d , a n d g o a l o f t h e wo r l d i n i t s t o t a l i t y , yet at the same t ime as a s i lent l y and ine ffab l y n e a r presence . If o n e i s t o r e g a r d Go d s o c o n c e i v e d a s judge and pun i s her o f s i n , it i s not as a r b i tr ary i n­ tervene r , but as ul timate ground o f the s tructures and or i e n t a t i o n o f m a n a n d t h e w o r l d . 6 In s e t t i n g h i m ­ s e l f against t he s e rea l i t i e s a n d t h e re fore a g a i n s t h i s own true s e l f , a p e r s o n e x p e r i enc es t h e p a i n f u l c o n ­ trad i ct i o n . H e exper i en c e s the p a i n o f be tray i ng h i s o w n i nmost s e l f w h i c h i s o r der e d t o the s e l f-b e s to w i n g i n fi n i t e my s t ery . S i n i mp l i e s j udgment prec i s e l y i n ­ s o f a r a s i t i s i n tr i n s i c a l l y s e l f- d e s t r u c t i v e . That before whom t h e person s t and s unve i l ed , account a bl e , and a ssessed i n thi s c ontra d i c t i on i s what i s m eant by " Go d . " Moreove r , the v e ry s u f feri ng i t s e l f t e s t i f i e s t o t h e cont i nu i n g pres e nc e o f o n e ' s o ri en t at i o n t o t h e my s t e r y , a n o r i e n t a t i o n w h i c h i s g r a c e d y e t i n e r a d i c a ­ b l e . T h e s u f fe r i n g p e r s i s t s a s a c a l l o r u rg i n g t o heed and respond t o this graced ori entat ion and i t s i n fi n i t e t e rm . T h e v e r y s u f f e r i n g o r p u n i s hm e n t i s thus a summons t o r e p e n t an c e a n d c o n ve rs i on , a n d h a s a He n c e , Go d m a y b e c on c e i v e d med i c i na l c h a r a c t er . 7 a s that be f o re whom m e n or women s t a n d accu s e d b y t he v e ry p a i n fu l n e s s o f t h e i r b e t r a y a l , y e t a l s o t h a t 52

by whom they are summoned to pai nful mi ght

contradicti on

r eceive

convers i on so that the

m i ght

f o rg i veness

be

and

dissolved

the

and

heali ng

of

they thei r

r avaged nature . At thi s p o i nt, be made so

some

further

clar i f icati ons must

as to avo id the possi ble

all personal su f fer i ng spr i ngs The cla r i f i cati ons may also

i mpressi on that

f r om one ' s own guilt .

serve to

furthe r

en r i ch

that

transcendental

the conceptuali zat i on o f God. We

previ ously

observed

the

act o f f reedom at o ne ' s c o r e seeks to express o r o b­ ject i fy

i tsel f

i n the

one ' s envi r onment .

rest

of

one ' s make-up and

in

Yet the o r i gi nating act never ful­

ly embodi es i tsel f, and the o bjecti f i cati ons do become relatively i ndependent o f that act.

At the same ti m e ,

the o utward layers o f the person and the env i r onment ar e equally accessi ble to other i n fluences fr o m w i th­ out.

As a result, the same objecti f i cati on may spr i ng

f r o m a var i ety o f causes. ter n o f behavi o r,

A character trait o r a pat­

f o r example,

the i mpact o f other persons '

may stem un f reely f r om

gui lt,

fr o m the pressure

o f o ne ' s soc i al mi li eu, o r f r om the wei ght o f past hu­ man h i sto ry.

The

outward express i on may

also

ar i se

f r om an earl i er f ree act o f the perso n, now renounced, whose e f fects continue t o may

i ndeed

be

a

i mpose themselves.

consti tut ive

s i gn

Or

i ndicati ng

it

one ' s

present o r continu i ng guilt. The

same

act i on,

then,

may

f r om with i n o r un f ree conditi o n i ng

be

somethi ng undergone,

one o f Rahner ' s examples,

act i on

or

expressi on

f r om wi thout,

st itut ive si gn o r external i mposi ti on, or

free

con­

something done

passi o n.

To

cite

the same pattern o f associ a­

t i ons and psychi c mechani sms c ould be set up both by 53

vol u n t a ry

tra ining

a nd

by

brain

r e f l e x ! v e k now l e d g e t a k es p l a c e by j e c t i v a t ions ,

t h e re

ou r

t h e mat i c

k now l e d g e

ac t

of

fr e e dom .

i s a l w a ys a We

of

m e a ns o f su c h o b ­

c e r t a i n a mb i gu i t y

ou r

c a n not

Si nce our

w ash i n g .

i nmost

be

in

t r a n sc e n d e n t a l

re flex i v e ly

c er t a i n

w he t h e r i t i s a n a c t o f g u i l t or o f g r a c e . a Ne v e r t h e l ess , fa c t

to

viol a t e on e ' s

voc a t ion , tr i ns i c

a c t io n

does

in and

t h a t ac t ion w i l l i m p l y su f fe r i n g as a n

in­

Indeed

as

any

or i e n t at i on ,

shor t l y see , ac t ,

e x te n t

t r u e s t r u c t ur es ,

conse qu e n c e

sou r c e .

the

r e g a r d l ess o f i ts fr e e. o r u n fr e e

t his

very

su f f e r i n g ,

as

we

s ha l l

poses a c h a l l e n g e t o on e ' s p r ese n t

does

the

amb i g u i t y

of

al l

ou r

fre e

t h em a t i c

know l e d g e i n t h i s r e g a r d . As

a

conse q u e n c e

of

t h is s i t u a t i on

man

e xperi­

enc es h imse l f as a t onc e responsi b l e for ,

y e t not e x ­

p l i c i t l y c e r t a i n o f w h a t i s i n h i s h e a rt .

On the one

h an d ,

he

d isc e r ns

possi b l e but

guilt

a lso h is

w e i gh e d ,

that

h is

mor a l

e m b r a c e not on l y v ery

not b y

j e c t i f i c a t ions ,

core

r e sponsi b i l i t y

h i s e x t er n a l He

se l f .

senses

a p p e a r a n c es or e v en by but

by

the

v er y

and

a c t ions

h i mse l f

as

a m b i g uo u s ob ­

d e c i sion

of

h is

he a r t .

On t h e ot h e r h a n d , h e a lso e x p e r i en c es t h e a m ­

b iguity

i nso f a r a s h e

c a n not

be

t h em a t i c a l l y

c e rt a i n

o f t h e cor e a c t o f h i s fr e e dom . In t h is cont e x t God m a y b e g r asp e d as t h a t b e fo r e w hom o n e st an ds not on l y as fi n a l l y a c cou n t ab l e , a s u n v e i l e d a n d w e i g h e d i n on e ' s v e ry h e a rt .

but

I n mor e

color fu l l a n g u a g e , o n e m i g h t sp e a k o f t h e God w ho s e e s a n d j u d g es t h e ob j e c t i v e occ asion

heart of man .

unc erta inty t r ust

or

a bou t

anx iety ,

for m e r i nst anc e , one

(at

At

t h e sa11 e t i m e ,

one ' s hop e

or

actual

d esp a i r .

l e ast i m p l i c i t l y ) 54

st a t e In

the m ay the

t r ust f u l l y

co nfi d e s

o n e s elf to that b efore whi ch o n e stands ac­

c o u ntable , as to an ult i mate ly tru stwo rthy and forg i v ­ 9 The term "God" here po i nts to that i ng r e al i ty . pre s e nce wh i ch at o nce gro u n ds and demands total s elf­ re s po n s ibi l i ty , fi e s

total

y e t als o

e nabl e s ,

s e lf-s u rre nder

e v ok e s ,

de spite

the

and j u sti­

amb i gu ity

and

u ncerta i nty . F urthe r co n s i derati o n o f the s i tuati o n whi ch pr e­ cede s for

the

its

ti v e . the

pers o n's

exerc i s e Thi s

fr e e

fre edom and

s er v e s

s itu ati o n ,

hi story

plays a r o l e .

of

to

acc e ntuate

s ays

Rahn e r ,

other s ,

Inde e d ,

pro v i de s is

i ncludi n g

the

co ntext

th i s

per spec­

one

i n whi ch

the i r

i t i s o n e whi ch i s

gu i lt ,

i n variably

affl icted by gu i lt a n d its atte ndant s uffer i n g . Man gl i mps e s w i thi n h ims e lf the s upernatural ex­ i s te n t i al and other s tructur e s of hi s own be i ng and of the world .

The s e u rge him to po s it i v e m oral beha v i o r ,

pr i or t o h i s actual per s o nal d ec i s i o n . tio n

i ncurs

s uffer i n g as

Y et man al s o

its

Th e i r v i ola­

co n natural co n s e q u e nce .

exper i e nc e s a c o u nter thru st ,

a re v er s e

u rg i n g , b o th w i thi n the eleme nts o f hi s mak e -up exter­ nal

to

Thi s

the

core

dri v e ,

and

to o ,

i n th e

precede s

s urro u n di n g e n v ir o nme nt . and

i nflu e nce s

hi s

fre e

deci s i o n . A pers o n f i nds sion,

that e v e n where

so far a s he can ascertai n ,

hi s ba s ic deci­

accords po s i ti v ely

wi th hi s n ature a n d per s o n , he i s s t ill u nabl e to i n­ t e grate f ully a nd clearly i nto dime n s i o n s ters

of

force s

hi s

w i thi n

exi ste nce . as

th i s deci s i o n all the He

well a s

co nti n ually

o uts i d e

e nco u n ­

hims e lf wh i ch

r e s i st hi s deci s i o n , affect him co ntrary to i t , and s o cau s e Rahn er

him

to

s uff e r .

u n d er s tands

as

Thi s

co nfl i ct , whi ch 10 i s felt by c o nc up i s ce nce ,

55

pa i nful

man to be something wrong, something which should not be, and is even more pain ful for that reason. Yet man also experiences himsel f as powerless to overcome ful­ ly this con flict. The true in terpre tation o f this condition is found, says Rahner, in Christianity. The human situa­ tion is always at least par tially determined by the objecti fica tions o f guilt. As some thing universal, this guilt must go back to the beginning o f the human race. 11 In explanation, Rahner states that man is insepa­ rably and in a mutually conditioning way bo th a per­ sonal and communal being. The human race is also a u­ nity in its origin, essence, interdependence and goal. Fur thermore, the overall si tuation, which pre­ cedes the free human act as i ts condi tion and material and which provides the con text in which i t is exer­ cised, is a sphere which is common to all persons. The decision o f any one person impinges upon that o f all the others. Man thus springs from and continues in historical dependence upon that form which humanity had at the origin of its own his tory. This biological and historical unity means that man ' s situation here and now is determined by the beginnings o f man, not merely as a chronological moment, but also as a unique basis upon which all subsequent history rests. 12 The present situation o f man, as attested to by experience and revela tion, is not solely determined by an orien tation to mys tery as nearness. It is also a f­ fected by a thrust to ward personal guilt, a thrust which is universal and sensed as something that should not be. This negative modi fication o f the human situ­ ation must, there fore, go back to the beginning o f the 56

human

r ace.

If

man ' s

situation is always at least

partially determined by the objectifications of sin, then, argues Rahner , act

of

personal

there must have been an original

gul l t which

infected the which subsequent freedom is exercised. 1 3

sphe re

in

This is what is meant by o riginal sin, or the sin of Adam, whethe r " Adam" is understood as an individual o r as a term for the originating humanity, monogenist or polygenist. 1 4 " Original sin " , therefore, and the "consupiscence "

consequent

existential

every

exists

in

of

dialectical

existential,

the

upon

human

it,

being.

tension

orientation

with to

fo rm

a

This

existential

the

gr ace

concrete

supernatural in

Ch rist.

Whether one opts for guilt or grace, the opposite ex­ istential

remains and is the occasion of suffering.

The positive decision meets with the resistance cal led concupiscence.

The

negative decision encounters

the

resistance of the human structu res which it violates but cannot annul . Antecedent to the decision . • . man ' s sit­ uation . in relation to salvation is dialec­ ticall y determined : he is in original sin through Adam and redeemed as o riented to­ wards Ch r ist. In personal free decision, the dialectical situation of freedom is an­ nulled in one or other direction. . • • By either decision the existential against which the decision has been made is not sim­ ply suppressed, for man in this life a lw a y s remains in the situation of concupiscence and death and in that of having been re­ deemed. 1 5 The human situation is thus one in which a person not only lacks a fully ce rtain objective awa reness of his

or

her

own

inner

state,

and so must choose to

trust or to despair, but is also drawn in two opposing directions.

He o r she is al ways in a state of con-

57

fl i ct and sufferi ng, whi ch can never be f ully resolved duri ng life on ear t h. As g u i lt,

t he object i ficat ion sufferi ng

of others '

is never merely

or

one ' s own

neu tral.

S ufferi ng

can not be regarded i n purely phys iolog i cal or psycho­ log ical

terms

as

a

personally

si mply to be deplored. ed i n to i t.

the

pli es a react ion. responded t o i n

happen i ng

I t must be seen as i ncorpora t­

tot a1 li v i n g of

S u fferi ng provokes,

i nd! fferen t

the person

challen ges,

exper i e n_c i n g

demands,

and i m­

S u fferi ng is a lw a y s u nderstood a n d

t hi s way or t hat, a nd i t thereby be­

comes ei t her t he express ion of one ' s own gu i l t or t he material for just ify i ng fai th. case of suffer i ng tha t red.

To the ex ten t

Th i s i s so even i n the

i s i mposed rather

tha n

i ncu r­

t ha t o ne ' s react i on t o sufferi ng

is free and from t he heart ,

this reac t i o n i s a f u nda­

men tal way i n whi ch one expresses one ' s core response to or reject ion of the self ' s orien t at ion

to t he ab­

solu tely

and

near

mystery.

However

i mplici t

a nony­

mous, this response wi ll be ei ther rat i f i cat ion of t he si n of Adam or a shari ng i n t he passi on of Chr i s t . 1 6 Once aga i n , exten t

afflicted

i nducemen t opt ion :

i n a human si t uat i on that i s t o some by

to g u l l t ,

amb i g u i ty,

pa i nf ulness,

a nd

t he

we are faced wi th a f u n dame n t al

ult i mat ely ei ther

hope or despai r.

We may

despai r over t he fi nal absurdi t y of human exi stence i n the face of such evi l and sufferi ng.

Or we may affirm

t hat t here is a bas is for mean i ng and hope desp i t e t he pai n of l i fe,

and tha t t he accept an ce of u navo i dable

sufferi ng somehow has an endu r i ng worth and val i d i ty. In

this case,

the fi nal grou nd whi ch e n ables and s u m­

mon s to pri mordi al trust i n t he mean i ngfulness of l i fe is what

is mean t by " God. "

To bel i eve i n

God is t o

assert that somehow, despi te the trag i c tale of nat u re 58

and history,

the ultimate source and term of all

re­ ality may be ultimately described in terms of love.17 Suffering,

then,

is

an intrinsic consequence of

embodied guilt. It is theologically understood as the

painful contradiction between the culpable free deci­

sion and the true reality of self,

their

ground,

the

self-bestowing

is also universal, al l

others,

mystery.

world,

Suffering

permeating in some degree the over­

situation in which human freedom operates.

this perspective, that

core

stands unveiled and assessed,

sence which continua lly summons to conversion,

a

basic

trust

From

God may be conceived as that tran­

scendent presence at the core of one's being, whom

and

in

life's

meaning

despite

before

a

pre­

and to

evi l

and

suffering. We have explored Rahner's understanding of guilt as a fundamental option at the core of one's being,

an

option which seeks embodiment in acts contrary to hu­

man

dignity

also

and

examined

thereby

the

implies

suffering.

reverse

side

have

implications of this understanding

for the conceptualization of God. the

We

of

this

We may now explore

dynamism:

conversion at the core of self,

forgiveness and

the extension of that

conversion into the rest of one's person and world in the process of healing,

and the hope for a total in-

tegration overcoming all contradiction. we

shall

again

focus

upon

perience and concept of God.

59

im plications

In so doing, for

the

ex-

NOTES l 11 A 10, 15 3.

Brief

Theological

Study

on

Indulgence, "

TI

2 11 Guilt Responsibility Punishment, " .!.! 6, 216. On the notion of suffering as punishment for sin, see "Guilt and Its Remission, " TI 2, 2 7 2 -2 7 8; "Guilt - Responsibility - Punishment, " TI 6, 214-217 ; "A Brief Theological Study on Indulgence, " 15 0-15 8; "Punishment of Sins, " ET. 15 86-15 88. 3 11 Punishment Sins, " ET 15 8 7 . of "Hell, 11 ET, 602 -604; Foundations, -102 -104.

See

also

411 Guilt and Its Remission, 11 .!.! 2 , 2 7 3 -2 7 5 ; "A Brief Theological Study on Indulgence, " .!.! 10, 15115 3 ; "Punishment of Sin, " ET, 15 86f. 5 11 Guilt Responsibility Punishment, " TI 214-217 ; "Remark s on the Theo1o gy of Indu1 gence s,'' 2, 194.

6, TI

6Ibid.; "Punishment of Sins, " ET, 15 8 7f. 7 11 Punishment of Sins, " ET, 15 8 8. 8 11 Punishment of Sins, " Its Remission, " TI 2, 2 7 5 -2 7 8; - Punishment, " TI 6, 204-2 06; the Same Time, " TI 6, 2 2 3 -2 3 0;

ET, l5 86f. "Guilt and "Guilt - Responsibility "Justified and Sinner at Foundations, 96f, 104f.

9 11 Guilt and Its Remission, " TI 2 , 2 7 6; "Justi­ fied and Sinner at the Same Time, " IT 6, 2 2 4, 2 2 9f. lO on Rahner' s understanding of concupiscence, see "The Theological Concept of Concupiscence, " TI 1, 347-3 8 2; "J ustified and Sinner at the Same Time7' TI 6, 2 2 5 -2 3 0; "The Theology of Power, " .Il 4, 3 93 -3 95; "Theological Reflections on the Problem of Secularisa­ tion, " .!l 10, 3 42-3 48. llon Rahner' s interpretation of see Foundations, 104-115 ; "The Sin of 247-2 6 2 ; "Original Sin, " ET, 1148-115 5 ; Original Sin, " in J . B . Metz, ed., The and Theology, Concilium, No. 2 6 (New Press, 1967) , 61-7 3 .

60

original sin, Adam, " TI 11, "Evolution and Evolving World York : Paulist

-

12 11 Th e Sin of Adam ' " TI 11 ' 2 5 3 f,• "Evolution and O riginal Sin, " Concilium No . 2 6, 66-73 ; See also "One Mediator and Many Mediations, " Il 10, 169-184.

'

'

13 11 Th e Sin of Adam " TI 11 15 5 -2 62 ,· "Original Sin, " ET 115 2 -115 5 ; "Evolution and O riginal Sin, " ConciliumNo. 26, 6 8-71 ; Foundations, 109-115 .

-

14on th e question of monogenism, see "Th eological Reflections on Monogenism, " l!. 1, 2 2 9-2 96 ; "Mono­ genism, " ET, 974-977 ; "Evolution and Original Sin, " C oncilium No . 2 6, 61-73 . 15 11 original Sin, " ET 115 4. l6 11 Guilt and Its Remission, " T I 2 , "Th e Euch arist and Suffering, " Il 3, 161-170 ; ing, " TD, 449f .

277-2 81 ; "Suffer­

17 11 Unity Love Mystery, " l! 8, 2 3 5-2 41 ; "Th ough ts on th e Possibi1 ity of Be1 ief Today , " !l 5 , 3-11 .

61

PAR T C :

THE FO RG I V I NG AND HEAL I NG G O D

FOR GIVENESS AND CONVERS ION O F HEART

1. fr om one's

a su mmons

embodied gu ilt is of itself

and th er e­

or ientation of man to th e infinite myster y,

man' s r e­

to th e continu ing self-bestowal wh ich does

jection

to

Th e su ffer in g testifies to th e continu ing

conver sion.

for e

ar ising

exper ience of su ffer ing

th e

Rah ner ,

For

th u s be

Th is myster y may

not abolish .

descr ibed not only in ter ms of love, bu t of love deep­ er

th an

and

encompassing

man's

of

for giving

gu ilt:

Despite th e th r eat and even actu ality of gu ilt,

love.

it is possible to entr u st oneself to th e absolu te mys­ O ne may r ecognize th e ter r ibleness of gu il t and

ter y. sonal

In mor e per ­

for giveness and h ealing.

sti l l h ope for

th e

lang u age,

love of God is gr eater

th an th e

h atr ed of man, and so finds expr ession in for giveness. ness,

To 1

r eally as

Rah ner

su per ficial

ive,

wr itten off.

th e

appr eciate of

for give­

gu ilt

as

someth ing

easily

We mu st r ecognize its h or r endou s depth s,

r adical inescapabili ty,

and h opeless ness.

derlines th e ir r emovability of gu ilt.

as spr inging

of

we mu st go beyond a na­

ter ms it, view

"mir acle"

Rah n er

He r egards it

fr om th e ver y natu r e of h u man

fr om th e dialogical ch ar acter

of gu ilt,

u n­

fr eedom,

and fr om th e

endu r ing consequ ences of one' s past fr ee commit­ 2 We sh all br iefly consider each of th ese in ments. tu r n. ter ly.

Th e fr ee act of man pr oceeds fr om h is inmost cen­

and str ives to inclu de h is wh ole self ir r evocab­ Th e

gu ilty

act is an attempt "to integr ate th e

wh ole of life into a no to God . •

63

. th e most ter r ible

The remova l o f gui lt wou ld thing a man can do. 11 3 demand a free repudiation and reversa l of one' s basic option. Yet, i f the origina l act has sought to incor­ porate the who le se l f de finitively, it is not easy to explain how su ch a total trans formation is possib le. Such a reversa l can on ly oc cur to the extent that the attempted integration does not fu l ly suc ceed. The pain fu l resistance o f the structures o f one' s being and wor ld, inc luding the supernatura l existenti� l, prevent a tota l negative integration. Whi le one may persist against these structures, they remain as a re­ fusal o f man' s decision, a summons to become aware o f and turn away from that decision, a cal l to repentance and change of heart. 4 Neverthe less, it remains true that the freely cu lpab le core decision has striven for fina lity. Hence (al lowing for the re f lexive uncertainty in such matters ) , the impetus to change o f heart, and the ac­ tual change where it o c curs, wi l l be experienced as something which happens. They wi l l be fe lt as gi ft, as surprise, as something miraculous. That from which this inconceivab le gi ft flows is what is meant by "God." God is that which we touch upon in the experi­ ence of being enab led and summoned to recognize and turn from our gui lt, and to open ourse lves to the gi ft of forgiveness and a new heart. The responsive act o f distancing onese l f from the earlier sin fu l attitude and action is the e lement in the conversion pro cess whi ch Rahner ca l ls contri­ tion. 5 This is not to be understood as an emotiona l reaction based on psy cho logical or socia l factors, such as depression from loss o f prestige. Rather, contrition is a free rejection o f the mora l worth­ lessness o f the past action and attitude. It is not a 64

fleei n g or repressin g o f the past, but a facing, ac­ knowled gin g, and assumi n g o f responsibility for that past. 6 This repudiation may assume a variety o f concrete forms. It may be immediately motivated or occasioned by the prior violation o f any one o f the multiple mor­ al values which express the ma ny facets o f ma n and which are rooted i n his i ntri nsic worth. This multiplicity constitutes a unity grounded in the one source o f all values, the absolute holiness called God. In repudiatin g any co ncrete immoral act, a perso n im­ plicitly re nounces the prior betrayal o f God. 7 As a distanci n g from an earlier decisio n, co ntri­ tion implies or is itsel f co ntained withi n a new fu n­ damental optio n. This new option is the positive as­ pect o f conversion. It is the tra nscendentally con ­ scious and free, reli giously and morally good, fu nda­ mental decision toward the i n finite mystery. This de­ cision, too, may remain anonymous and implicit. 8 Rahner gives a striki n g summary o f such conversio n as an expression o f a perso n ' s experience o f and response to God. Where a man is detached from sel f, loves his neighbor u nsel fishly, trustingly accepts his existence in its i ncomprehe nsibility and ultimate u nchangeableness as u ncomprehensib­ ly meani n g ful, without claimin g to determine this ultimate meani n g himsel f or to have i t under his control ; where he succeeds in re­ nounci n g the idols o f hi s mortal fear and hu n ger for li fe, there the Ki n gdom o f God, God himsel f ( as the ultimate ground o f such acts ) is accepted and k now n, even i f this occurs quite unre flectingly. 9 We spoke earlier o f medicinal punishment which e­ vokes a respo nse o f contrition and conversion to the mystery whose voice echoes, so to speak, throu gh the 65

violated structures of reality. more

basic

heart does not bring about a cancellation of

guilt.

It

must

guilty

intimated,

itself,

a

change

of

forgiveness from that whom the 1O Of course, as already betrayed.

has

where a true change of fundamental option

are

ground.

Of

with

does tak e place, version

irremovability

character.

meet

act

the

suggests a guilt:

dialogical

for

view

of

its

reason

This

the gift of forgiveness and of con­

already

It

latently

present

as

enabl ing

is a question here of attempting to un­

ravel the various strands of one global expe rience. Every human act of freedom is essentially a re­

sponse to a call, rientation name.

to

a call implanted in one' s graced o­

mystery,

This summoning,

one' s

categorical

a

call

addressed

to

one

by

mediated by a moral demand of

situation,

and

especially

one' s

"neighbor",

ult imately comes from the sel f-communicat­

that call,

the resulting situation cannot be altered

ing

mystery.

Where

there

is

a

guilty

rejection

of

unless either a new call is uttered or the original call persists and remains in effect, inviting to a new dialogue.11 Where a person does recognize his betrayal,

tances himself from it, sion,

and alters his nuclear deci-

he experiences the gift character of this con-

version.

But

he also senses

must meet with a forgiveness, upon,

dis-

compel,

that

his

turning

back

which he cannot presume

or give to himself.

He experiences the

need and longing for a forgiveness which can only come from beyond himself, as a gift from the mystery whose summons

he

has

spurned.

He

reaches

out

to

receive

what can only be called a love which is deeper than

and encompasses the wrongness which he himself cannot

override.

That

"nearness

66

of

forgiving

love"

12

to-

ward which he r eaches with the hope of for g iveness is w hat is m eant by the ter m

" God. "

The experience of God is the exper ience that one is somehow accepted ,

valued, loved and fo r g iven at the co re of one ' s being , all the

w hi l e

continuing

to be

responsible and sum­

moned to total commitment. It r emains to consider the third element of the ir removability of g uilt : the continuance of the freely chosen past act into the present and future. the

factor

w hich can

person to despair.

per haps

most

easily

This is

provoke a

A m an or woman can esteem that the

dawning awa reness of guilt comes too late , for g iveness does not alter

that even

w hat w ent before.

He or

she may fea r being crushed by the over whelming burden of the past.

The long ing for for g iveness entails what

at fir st sight seems an impossibility :

a longing for

the tr ansfor mation of the ne gative past ,

rather than

its total loss or its continuing poisoning of the pre­ sent.13 When

a

person

posits

a

fundamental

option,

he

seeks to embody that di rection definitively in all le­ vels of his being and in his physical and social environment. pendent.

These embodiments become relatively inde Hence ,

even i n conversion ,

the past behind as something

he cannot leave

no longer

cancelled out by a will to the contrary.

real ,

sim ply

Without be­

ing w holly dete r mined , the present act does em erge out of the past , both one ' s own personal past and the past roots of the physical and histo rical situation.

One ' s

present act is at once a gathering up of one ' s past and a reaching

into the futu re in vie w of the final

14

act contains one ' s whole past " preserved in concentrated fo r m as 15 The knowthe gathered experience of his life. 11 completion

of

one ' s

person.

67

This

ledge gained through e f fort or su f fering, the exis­ tential depth, the intensity, the freely acquired per­ sonal characteristics, the revolutions o f one' s li fe, the joys and sorro ws--all o f these enter as intrinsic elements into the present action and give that acti on its direction, depth and resonance. Even when someone freely undertakes conversion, or change o f heart, he d oes so out o f what he permanently is as a result o f what he has been in the past. This is precisely the pro blem where g uilt has put its stamp on the existential realization o f man. Even the present repudiati on o f past guilt still faces the continuance o f that past into the present, as well as the repercussions and results o f that act which cann ot now be und one . A vividly real a wareness o f this pre­ dicament can provoke a pro found sense o f h opeless­ ness. Even forgiveness seems a mere writing o f f o f what can n o longer be und one. This awareness is heightened even m ore i f we recall that the c ontext f or personal decisi on is always and unavoida bly c o-deter­ mined by guilt, by the senseless brutality o f human hist ory as well as by the mindless cruelty o f nature. In the face o f this experience, there is a very real possibility o f despair. There always remains, says Rahner, "the terri ble temptati on" to believe that "something primitively - evil, s omething dark and a bys­ mal, belongs to the very heart o f the essence • . . in us, or even in G od. " One is apt to regard and af firm light and darkness, guilt and grace, "as p olar and mu­ tually conditioning opposites, and to consider as na­ ive any one who d oes not think s o. 11 1 6 Despite this condition, and even implicit in its very pain fulness for us, there is a pro f ou nd y earning 68

of the human heart for a seeming l y im p ossib le forgive­ ness whic h n o t on l y disregards but truly redeems the A person asks ex istential l y whether it is p os­

past.

sibl e to go beyond a sad rec o gnition that the greatest of

part

the

person wonders if there is a fo rgiveness of

A

l ost.

life is

fruits o f his o r her

p otential

s i n wh i c h or

been

" effe c ts w hat we rea 1 1 y are o r· c o u 1 d have 17 If o ne trusts this bec o me without sin. 11 one

l onging for a fo rgiveness which redeems the past , ex periences and be lieves in gives a name to

God ,

whether

or not one

this source and sum m o ns to

ho pe for

an ul timate forgiveness. G od wo ul d , therefore , have to be p ostul ated as he w h o can in so me sense rem ove an ir­ rem ovab le and inescapab l e gui l t of this kind In rec o g­ desp ite its irremovabil ity. nizing the pheno men on o f gui lt and in ho ping that it can in sp ite of al l be rem oved , we must n o t sim p l y take God for granted , but ' him ' rather as the factor reach out to which m akes it p ossibl e to have such a ho pe at a 1 1 . l 8 God , then , is that which we touch up on in the ex­ perience

of h o pe for a forgiveness that so mehow re­

deems and heals the past. the am biguity grac e ,

There remains , nonethel ess ,

of the refl ex ive awareness of guil t or

the c ontinuing threat o f gui lt p osed by c oncu­

piscence and a sin-affl icted wor l d , as wel l as the ge­ neral c ontinuance o f the past into the present. resul t ,

our awareness

As a

o f and trust in the source

redeeming f orgiveness is al ways a rising

out

of

of sin

In this sense , even the justified man 19 His is "simu l .justus et pec cator " .

and into grace. remains

ever

always a c ondition of reaching out of a certain inner p overty and vu l nerabi l ity f o r a grace and merc y that transcends his understanding and

c ontro l.

" Over and

over again this l ife ( o f gra c e ) rises out of the dark

69

dep t h s of one ' s own powerles snes s and in to t h e ult i2 Con t r 1. t 1. 0n and mate ligh t of merc i. ful grace. "

°

convers ion are never once-and-for -all mat ter s, ongoing

proce s s .

bu t an

That upon which t h ey are bas ed and

toward which t hey reach is what is mean t by " God " . Rahner does s p ell out his own t h eological in t er­ pretat ion of how t he pas t can be redeemed, and we may 21 briefly no te it h ere. One ' s pas t, which does re­ main, can be taken out of it s ob s tructing negat ion and transformed and incorporated into a comprehensive framework.

bet ter

and more

This is not a way of jus t i­

fying sin as a neces sary s t age in human maturat ion, or as an es sential part of evolution, or as pert aining to t he hidden meaning of creat ion.

v i e w s sin as

" somet h ing

les s ,

somet hing 22 Sin killing. 11

radically evil

merely can

Rahner unmis takably

t errifying,

exis t

only

and meaning­

pet rifying

because i t

is

and con­

tained in somet hing more and bet t er t h an s in, for o t h­ erwise sin would be s heer not hingnes s. The gull ty act

doe s

at temp t

to actualize one ' s

pos sibilit ies and int egrate one ' s wh ole s elf and life into a negat ive and false decision. one

does

actualize

t hese

In

p os sibilities

t he

proces s

and

realize

ones elf in some degree, even if in a negative direc­ tion.

The more t he guilt y act involves t h e dep t h and

breadt h of t he self, realizat ion.

A

t he more complete is

gat hering,

int egrat ion,

t hat

and

self­

gift

of

self is achieved which could and s hould have become a reality wi t hout gul l t .

Yet

t he achievement does re­

main and can be incorporated into a righ t

decis ion.

In t his way, one ' s pas t is not oblit erat ed, but trans­

formed and elevat ed into t he new fundamental op t ion.

The pas t can be redeemed by including t h e in te-

70

g r ation achieved in guilt within a new positive option which ratifies one ' s orientation to the self-bestowing infinite mystery.

Once again,

that which enables and

grounds this hope for redemptive forgiveness and which summons to repentance,

conver sion,

gration of self--that forgiving,

and creative inte­

transfo rming,

eleva­

ting and healing pr esence is what is meant by " God . " Contrition and con versio n, cision

of the heart in

the n,

constitute a new de­

response to a forgiving love

which is able to redeem and inco rporate the past . We tur n n ow to the process of healing, which is the extension

of that core decision to the

one ' s being and world .

rest of

This matter par allels the pro­

cess of integration of on e ' s fundamental option dis­ cussed with

regard to the embodiment of guilt .

Our

treatment shall thus be a summa ry one, and highlight a few matters not previously stressed .

71

NOT ES lMeditations .Q.!l the Sacraments , 5 2 . 2 on this "irremovability" of guilt, s ee "Guilt and Its Remis s ion, " TI 2 , 278f ; "Does Traditional The­ ology Repres ent Guilt as Innocuous as a Factor in Hu­ man Life?, " TI 13, 145-151 ; Meditatio ns on the Sacra­ ments , 48-5 2 .3 11 The Comfort of Time, "

ll

3 , 15 4.

4 11 Guilt and Its Remis s ion, " T I 2 , 278f ; "Orig i­ nal Sin, " ET 115 4 ; "A B rief Theological Study on In­ dulgence, " TI 10, 151-15 5 ; "Theology of Freedom, " .!.! 6, 183 -186. S on contrition and convers ion, s ee es pecially "Contrition, " ET, 2 88-2 91 ; "Convers ion, " ET, 2 88-2 91 ; "V irtue of Penance, " ET, 1187-1189 ; and als o "Reflec­ tions on the Problem oT the Gradual As cent to Chris ti­ an Perfection, " l.!. 3, 3-2 3 ; "A Brief Theological Study on Indulgence, " .!.! 10, 151-15 8 ; On Prayer, 83 -97. 6 11 contrition, " ET 289. 7 11 Contrition, " ET 2 89f. 8 11 convers ion, " ET 29lf. 9 11 convers ion, " ET 2 92. 10 11 G uilt and Its Remis s ion, " T I tions on the Sacraments , 49f.

2,

2 79 ;

Medita­

ll i bid ; "Theology of Freedom, " T I 6, 186-190. 12 11 Thoughts Today, " l.!. 5 , 2 0.

on

the

Pos s ibility

of

B elief

13 11 Contrition, " ET 2 88f ; "The _ Immaculate ception in our Spiritual Life, " .!.! 3 , 13 4-140.

Con-

14 11 The Comfort of Time, " T I perience of Self and Experience of 13 2 ; On Prayer, 71-79.

"Ex -

lS on Prayer, 71.

72

145 -148 ; 3, God, " I.!. 1 3 ,

12 9-

l 6 11 The I m maculate Li fe ' " TI 3 ' 13 8 f.

-

Conception

in

our

Spiritual

17 11 The I m maculate Conception in our Spiritual Li fe ," 11 3 , 13 5 f. l 8 11 ooes Traditional Theology Represent Guilt as Innocuous as as Factor in Human Li fe? ," l! 13 , 14 6.

19 n Justified and Sinner at the Sa me Time ," TI , 186 2 2 30. 2 0 11 The Meaning o f Fre quent Con fession o f De­ votion , " ll 3 , 17 8.

21This view is expressed chie fly in "The Im­ maculate Conception in our Spiritual Li fe ," l! 3 , 134140 , and "The Co m fort o f Ti me ," I.! 3 , 14 7-1 5 7.

2 211 The I m maculate Li fe ," ll 3 , 134.

Conception

73

in

our

Spiritual

2.

T HE PROCESS OF HEA LING

Both the forgiving grace of the mystery and the

responding conversion

of man

occur

spiritual nucleus of the person,

of his being.

at the

centre

or

at the deepest roots

The challenge and task of an authentic

conversion is to progressively extend that core deci­

sion

to

every

sphere and

layer

of

one's

existence.

One must integrate more and more all that one has · and

all that one is into a total yes to that freely for­ giving presence which we call God.

Indeed ,

the radi­

cal decision of conversion involves by its very nature the will Rahner,

to

achieve

this

integration.

According

to

the gift of conversion is intended to draw in­

to its sphere of influence the whole nature of man in­ cluding its physical side, healed and sanctified.

in order that all might be

Conversion

should also

leave

its impact upon the whole physical and social environ­ ment.l The fundamental unifying force in this process by which man is matured is love.

As we have seen,

is a failure and refusal to love.

guilt

It is a rejection

in some fashion of the intrinsic worth of one' s neigh­

bor which implicitly contains a betrayal of the self­ giving mystery.

The reversal of this process can only

be achieved through love.

This love, however,

to be understood as a 'mere sentiment' , mind,

but

as

a

power which

"is not

an attitude of

gradually permeates

the

whole reality of man in his concupiscent and hitherto 2 sinful nature, and orients him to God. 11 The very process of integration constitutes the mode in which love grows and develops in the direction of fulness. The process

of

integration

74

is

usually

slow

and

painful and never complete during one' s lifetime.

In

seek ing to embody itself in the m ore outer levels of one' s

person

and in one' s environment,

the original,

central act of freedom meets with painful resistance. It meets with concupiscence and original sin, as

with

gative

the

lingering

courses

heart,

of

behavior:

pharisaism,

positions .

after-effects

cowardice,

this

remain

previous

egotism,

ne­

h ardness

of

and other ingrained dis­

conversion level of integration attained within guilt.3 the

These

of

as well

despite

or

the

From this point of view,

God may be conceived as

infinite

enables

presence

integrating

struggle

toward

task ,

a

which

love

to

the

which

and

summons

purifyingly

accepts,

gives itself fully and definitively,

to

painful

gathers,

and

and which does so

without falling into despair at the incompleteness and painfulness of the task. This precisely is a fundamental facet of asceti­ cism,

"the long period of ascetical striving" to over­

come

"all the

secret roots and impulses of his sin"

which remain even though repented.

These include not

only "those which simply belong to his lot, cumstances

in

which

birth

onwards,

their

existence

but to

man also his

finds those own

himself which

fault. 11

4

placed

from

effectively owe We

point out here a few aspects of the task tion,

the cir­

may

simply

of integra­

not previously mentioned,

which Rahner notes in his ascetical and spiritual writings. 5 As one' s

than

a

gradual

lifetime,

associating

whatever

readily

struggle,

this a

never

integration

vague

entails

thought or pious

a person may be doing.

divorced

complete

from a person' s

75

during

much

more

wish with

Such velleities are real life and have

little

or

no

e ffect

upon the actual motivation and

per formance of the concrete action .

Nor should a pe r­

son unduly dwell upon self, attempting to analyse and dissect

his

or

Rahner,

" it

is

he r

own

better

motivations .

to

try

to

Rather,

pu rify

and

says re fine

one ' s motives by looking away from onesel f to things, and by letting onesel f be occupied by life, and their needs .

11

6

other s,

He gr eatly str esses the ascetic­

al and pu ri fing role of human li fe itself, both in i ts crucial moments, and in the humdr um o f daily existence . People should give themselves to the multiplicity o f the demands, li fe

in

the

tasks,

wor ld,

and challenges o f their daily

in

acco rdance

with

valid

mor al

norms and their unique personal situation, even though they cannot

seem to ha rmonize

but must bear it in hope . pond to and live this

fully this diversity,

They must attempt to res­

"secula r li fe"

with integrity,

constancy and fidelity, and be guided and educated by the inner motivation contained within the tasks them­ selves . terest,

They may be borne up on occasion by zest, in­ enthusiasm,

they are doing .

and a sense o f the value o f what

At other times, they will be tr ied in

the crucible o f aridity,

boredom,

weariness,

and fu­

tility, be

through which their complexity o f motives may 7 Rahner sums up this task tested and refined .

and relates it to the question of God in the following way . He who responds to the wo rld with genuine love ( whose ) li fe in the world is lived j oyfully, eagerly, earnestly, and bravely . • . with un reserved honesty . • . even without any explicit r e ference to re­ l i g i on • . . encoun te r s i n it the Cr oss of Ch r ist and the inconceivability o f God . • If he practices the virtues of the world and suf fers himself to be educated by it in j oyfulness, courage, devotion to duty and

76

love . . . such worldly virtues will one day open to him the innermost mY, stery which they contain, namely God himself.a the

At

of

depths

any

therefore, one finds God.

of

virtues

the

of

life,

God is present behind the

moral responsibility inherent in the task s of everyday p erson will grasp this matter more clearly,

A

life.

affirms Rahner, if he or she engages in solitude, si­ 9 lence, serious reflection and p rayer. The blending

of

activity

withdrawal,

and

of

speech

silence,

and

which we only mention here, does reflect the discovery

of God both in one' s own inwardness and in the histor­

ical

the

dimen sion;

discovery

of

God,

terms, as Spirit and as incarnate Word. Besides attention

Christian

the realm of the everyday, Rahn er draws the fundamental

to

critical moments,

which

situations of conversion.

a

in

profession,

the

he

phases of life and its

sees as so many forms or

Puberty, marriage, entering

beginning

of

old

age,

a

profound

friendship, proximity to death, and the lik e, all p ro­ vide sp ecial occasions for deep ening one' s conversion or positive fundamental option and integrating it more 10 These are the k ey moments, fully into one' s life.

spoken of earlier, in which

the underlying transcen­

dental experience of God presses more irresistibly in­ to one' s awareness. special

to

grow

Both in the ordinary and in the

moments of life, we are enabled and summoned in

the

integration

and

healing

process,

by

acting from the core of o ur being with a greater in­ tensity

and

existential

depth,

and

by

(or

better

through) responding fully and appropriately to the de­ mands of each situation.

This response to the moral demands of life is not merely a patient and passive acceptance or endurance

77

of the circumstan ces, isten ce.

even ts, and trials o f o ne ' s ex­

The ascet icism of t oday,

in

the service of

in tegrat ive l ove, in c ludes ac tive so cial respo nsibi l i­ ty,

"an

in creasing l y effec tive respo nsibil ity within a so ciety as such. 11

individua l

11

of

t he

One c harac ­

teristic of c o n t empo rary man is the c apacity t o exer­ cise a greater

mast ery

and even over himse lf,

over

his

natural

e nviro n men t

through the remarkable devel o p­

men ts in t he natura l and so cial scien ces.

He has t he

oppo rtunity,

t he task and t he respo nsibi l i t y o f more 12 Ac c ording shaping his o wn earth l y fut ure.

ful ly to

his

or

her situat io n

should participate in

and

c o nditio n,

the at tempt

each perso n bui ld . a bet ter

to

and freer wo rld that is more worthy of man kind,

more

expressive of and respo nsive t o perso nal dign ity, more c o nduc ive

to

st ric tive

peace,

of

jus tice,

arbitrary

This is a fundamental

and

po wer

way in

l ove,

and more re­ expl oitatio n .1 3

and

whi ch people

t oday are

cal led t o embody their respo nse t o myst ery and extend its healing power i n t o their environmen t . This exercise o f so cial

respo nsibil ity is,

again, a n expressio n of l ove of neighbo r. must

be

open

physic al,

to

al l

perso na l,

dimensions

so cia l ,

of

nity of mankind and its hist ory.

Such l ove

human

hist orical,

o nce

exist en c e,

within

t he u­

I t must thus assume,

t o the degree of individual possibi l ity and o ppo rt unity,

the 14 earth.

task

of

F or

bui lding

Rahner,

every

the

human

guil ty ac t

future in

some way

vio lat es o n e ' s neighbo r,

if n o t direc t l y, at

the

the

sense

of

infec ting

which al l perso ns ac t . versi o n

to

God

is

o n ly

c o mmo n

C o n versel y, possib l e

in

human

l east i n

sphere

"every true t he

on

in

c o n-

measure

in

which a man overc omes t he guil t t hat he has c ommi t t ed against his neighbor. 11 1 s The c o nversi o n a nd heal ing

78

pro cess must strive to reach from one' s core to one ' s whole being and li fe and to one' s community, extending in some fashion as far as the entire human community. Indeed, from his studies on the history o f the sacrament o f penance, Rahner maintains that, in the explicit practice and understanding o f the early Christian Church, it is specifically through their re­ conciliation with the Church that persons are freed fro m sin and reconciled with God. 1 6 The forgiving and healing presence whi ch we call God is encountered and responded to in and through the graced community. In a similar vein, Rahner interprets the so­ called temporal punishment due to sin as the pain ful resistance to the attempted integration o f conversion and its continuing incompleteness . The blotting out o f this "punishment" by the Church must not be under­ stood as the cancelling o f a fine arbitrarily imposed from without nor the dispensing o f a person from the pro cess o f a maturing integrative love. The Church' s granting o f indulgences must be interpreted, in this light, as the prayer o f the Church that the individual may achieve this trans formation more surely, e f fe c ­ tively, and quickly. 1 7 Through the as ceticis m o f li fe, there fore, with its everyday duties, crucial moments, and specifically social tasks, the contrite and converted sinner exer­ cises moral responsibility, realizes love o f neighbor, and expresses a hope in the future. He or she thereby dis covers and responds more fully, i f implicitly, to the ultimate ground and term o f su ch responsibility, love and hope. More pointedly, he or she experiences the basis upon whi ch God is conceived as that which enables and sum mons to the healing and fulness of per79

sonal and communal li fe. Yet, as we ha ve already obser ved, con vers ion i s a continuo us str uggle, the integration o f sel f i s always incomplete, the threat o f gu ilt from forces w i th i n and outs ide the person pers ists, and any society one bu ilds is always shadowed by finiteness and s in. De s­ pite so many ad vances, "l i fe today still continues myster iously to be the pass ion", 18 a f fli cted . by pain, su ffer ing, anxiety, fear and death. We are thus led to the explic itly Chr istian notion o f asceti c ism as the "shari ng in the death o f Christ on the A few cons i derat i ons o n th i s m atter m ay Cro ss • " 19 ser ve to round o f f o ur re flect ion upon the con vers ion and healing process, and lead to the q uest ion o f hope for a total healing, wholeness, and o vercomi ng o f pa in­ ful contrad ict ion. Both in death and in illness as the threat o f death, man i s con fronted by "pass ion". Pass ion i s here understood to be the necessity and inev i tab i l i ty o f death as something imposed from w i thout, so to speak, and con fronting one' s free decision from w i th­ . 20 In the face o f death, the awareness o f wh ich 1n. in some fashion permeates the whole o f li fe, one is forced to dec ide who one is and the mean ing or lack o f mean ing o f one' s li fe. Here agai n, the stark alterna­ ti ves are hope and despa ir: despa ir at the ult imate futility o f a li fe that ends in death ; hope for an en­ during meani ng and valid ity o f l i fe despite death. The ground and goal o f s uch hope for end uring valid ity is what is meant by "God. 11 21 Rahner points to certa in trends in a consumer so­ ciety which do tend to express and push one in the d i­ rection o f futility and despa ir. Where one is e xces80

sively we i ghe d down by anx iety over death, o ne is prone to excesses such as immoderate gree d an d acquis­ it iveness, i nsatiable he don ism, a n d lust for power. These, too, prevent the capac ity for renu nciation a n d concern for others i n a pract ical down-to-earth way wh ich is esse ntial to the exercise o f social respons i­ bility. 22 On the other ha n d, a hope fo� en duri ng mea n i n g desp ite death does fi n d expressio n in a genu­ i ne soc ial co ncer n. Such hope both reco g n i zes the non -ult imacy o f any soc ial structures an d so is free to let them pass. It is also necessar ily embod ied i n a love o f ne i ghbor i n all d imensions o f existence i n­ clu d i n g the socia1. 23 Yet the reality a n d pai n fulness o f death vivi dly br i n g home the fact that li fe is i ncomplete a n d that one is unable to abolish all sorrow. The mortality o f sel f, others, every culture, an d the phys ical un iverse itsel f makes clear the ir f i n iteness, as does the pa i n­ ful contrad iction arisi n g from guilt which one can not fully overcome even when forg iven an d converted . Th is fi n iteness, colored by guilt a n d death, is nonetheless a fi n iteness wh ich is grasped i n the li ght o f the i n­ fi n i te towar ds wh ich the human person ten d s. We are thus brought back to the first section o f th is study. The essence o f man i s orientation to the i n fi n i te. It is ope n ness to the sel f-bestowal o f the i n f i n ite mystery. The deepest element in man is his graced or ientation a n d vocati on to i nt imacy with God . I n the l i ght o f our subsequent cons i derations, we have been able t o sketch further aspects o f th is human transcen dence o f ma n. Man is li able to betray his vocation through gu ilt at the core o f his bei n g, is unable to i nte grate 81

a positive decision o r conve rsion ful l y into his whole being and wor l d, is aff l icted by the sins of humanity , and is subject to suffering and death. from the heart is thus a

reaching,

His outr each

in pa rt,

out of

wrongness, woundedness, and incompl eteness, for a for ­ giveness,

heal ing,

wholeness,

and

which can on l y come as a gift.

ful ness

of

l ife

( This, of cou rse,

is

an outreach that must come from a se lf which strives to gather and give itse lf individual l y and social l y ; an outreach

in and

th roug h

and

beyond

th e

finite. )

That which sustains this hope and that toward which it reaches is what is meant by " God. "

God is the ground

and goa l of a meaning and hope and love that is deeper and greater than guilt,

death,

and suffering,

finite presence from which f l ows forgiveness,

an in­ h ealing,

and fulness of life. This, anity .

too,

is the essential teaching of C h risti­

The infinite myste r y ,

the Father, is abso l ute­

l y near in the heart of man th rough the gift of his Spirit,

and visibl y

manifest in

the

man

Jesus,

who

died for our sins and rose that we might have the ful ­ ness of l ife.

To maintain and l ive this h ope i s to

be lieve in the Father,

receive the Spirit, and parti-

cipate in the death and resur rection of the Son. genuine

Ch ristian attitude prescr ibes that .

" The •

we

reach out of hope toward that future which is consti­ tuted by the compassion of God. 11

82

24

NOT ES lon the process of integration, see especially "A Brief Theological Study on Indulgence," T I 10, 15 0165 ; and, in addition, "Remark s on the Theology of In­ dulgence," .!.!. 196-199 ; "The Commandment of Love in Re­ lation to the Other Commandments," .!.!. 5, 43 9-459 ; "On the Official Teaching of the Church Today on the Sub­ ject of Indulgences," .!.!. 10, 184-198. 2 11 0n the Official Teaching of the Church Today on the Subject of Indulgences," .!.!. 10, 190.

3 n A Brief 10, 151-15 8.

Theological

Study

on

Indulgence,"

TI

4 11 A 10, 15 6.

Theological

Study

on

Indulgence,"

TI

Brief

5 Major collections of Rahner' s spiritual writ­ ings include .Il 3, 7, and 8 ; Opportunities for Faith, Elements Qf � Modern s irituality, trans. E. Quinn (New York : Seabury, 1974 ; and Spiritual Exercises.

1

6 11 s ome Thoughts on ' a Good Intention' ," 12 8. See the entire article, 105 -12 8.

TI

3,

7 11 s ome 125 -12 8.

Intention' ,"

TI

3,

and

TI

7,

9 11 Christian Living Formerly and Today," T I 3 -2 4 ; "Thoughts on the Theology of Christmas," 24-2 9, Christian at the Crossroads, 48-61.

7, 3,

17.

Thoughts

8 11 Christian

on

Living

'a

Good

Formerly

Today,"

Tr

l0 11 Reflections on the Problem of the Gradual Ascent to Christian Perfection," .!.l. 3, 3 -2 3 , esp. 15 2 3 ; "Conversion," I.!_ 2 92 -2 94. llchristian at the Crossroads, 80. On the relation of penance, -contrition, conversion, and asceti­ cism, to social responsibility, see especially 75 -83 ; "Christian Living Formerly and Today .Il 7, 16-2 4. l2 on this mastery of nature, see "C hristianity and the ' New Man' ," .Il 5, 13 5 -15 3 ; "The Man of Today and Religion," .!l 6, 3-20 ; "The Experiment with Man," 83

TI 9, 205 -2 2 4 ; TT 2 2 5 -25 2 .

"The Problem of Genetic Manipulation, "

l3 on the question o f social responsibility self, see the references under Part B, 2, note 16.

it­

14 "Christian 188-190 ; Humanism, " TI 9, "The Church's Commission to Bring Salvation and the Humani­ zation of the World, " TI 14, 308-313 ; "On the Theology of Revolution, " ll 14, 31 6f. 15 Meditations on the Sacraments, 5 5 . See also 5 3-5 9 ; Christian at the--rrossroads, 7 5-7 7 ; "On the Of­ ficial Teaching of the Church Today on the Subject of Indulgences, " ll 10, 186- 190. l6 11 Penance as an Additional Act of Reconcilia­ tion with Church, " TI 10, 12 5 - 14 9 ; "Forgotten Truths Concern ing the Sacrament of Penance, " .!l 2 , 13 5 -17 4 ; "Penance, " E T, 1189-12 04' and the entire Schriften 11. 17 11A Brief Theological Study on Indulgence, " 11 158-165 ; "Remark s on the Theology of Indulgence, " TI 194-198 ; "On the Offical Teaching of the Church Today on the subject of I ndulgences, " ..!1. 10, 186-198.

21 .

l8 11 Christian Living

Formerly

and

Today, "

TI

7,

19 11 Christian Living Formerly and Today, " T I 7 , 21. On this dimension of asceticism, see "Reflections on the Theology of Renunciation, " T I 3 , 47 -5 7 ; "The Passion and Asceticism, " TI 3, 5 8-85 ; "Self-Realiza­ tion and Tak ing Up One's Cross, " 11 9, 2 5 3-25 7 ; "Nachfolge des Gek reuzigten, " Schriften 13 , 188-2 03 . 2 0"The Passion and Asceticism, " 11 3 , 69-7 3 . 2l "The Passion and Asceticism, " T I 3 , 7 4-8 2 . On Rahner's treatment of death, see especially On the Death, trans. C. Henk ey (Freiberg : Theology Qf Herder/Montreal : Palm, 1961) ; "Dogmatic Questions on Easter, " .!l 4, 12 7 -13 3 ; "The Li fe of the Dead, " T·I 4, 3 47 -3 5 4 ; "The Scandal of Death, " ll 17 , 140-144; "0n Christian Dying, " ll 7 , 2 85 -2 93 ; "Theological Consid­ erations Concerning the Moment of Death, " T I 1 1, 3 093 21 ; "I deas for a Theology of Death, " 11 13, 169-186 ; "Das Christliche Sterben, " Schriften 13 , 2 69-3 04 ; "Death, " g, 3 2 9-3 3 3.

84

On Rahner' s treatment o f illness as anticipatio n o f death, and as afflictio n fro m witho ut which pro ­ vo k es a free attitude fro m within; and o n the healing pro cess, which is to extend to all dimensio ns o f o ne' s being and wo rld, see: " The Saving Fo rce and Healing Po wer o f Faith, " .I.l 5 , 4 6 0 - 4 6 7 ; " Pro ving Oneself in Time o f Sick ness, " T I 7 , 2 7 5 - 2 8 4 ; " Die Freiheit des Krank en in Theo lo gischer Sicht, " Schriften 1 2 , 4 3 9 4 5 4 ; Meditatio ns o n the Sacraments, 7 9 - 9 3 . 2 2 11 Christian Living Fo rmerly and To day, " TI 7, 20- 22 . See also " The Theo lo gy o f Po verty, " TI 8 ,-1 6 8 21 4 ; " The Unreadiness o f the Church' s Members to Ac­ cept Po verty, " .I.l 1 4 , 2 7 0 - 2 7 9 .

,

-

'

2 3 11 Christianity and the ' New Man' " TI 5 1351 5 3 ; " On the Theo lo gy o f Ho pe, " .I.l 1 0 , 2 4 2 - 2 5 9 ; Christian at the Cro ssro ads, 8 7 -9 3 . See also the refer­ ences un der Part B, 2, no te 1 6 . 2 4 11 oo es Traditio nal Theo lo gy Represent Guilt as Inno cuo us as a Facto r in Human Life?, " T I 1 3 , 1 3 9 . On the essential co re o f Christianity, seer eferences un­ der Part A, 2 , no te 4.

85

CONC LUS ION T h r o u g h t he many w ri ting s o f Kar l Rah ne r , o c casio ne d

by

have p u r s u e d gy :

his

p e r ce p t io n

o ne o f t he

of

c e nt r al

c r u c ia l

l ar g e l y

i s s ue s ,

we

te ne t s o f his t h e o l o ­

G o d i s t he i n finite m y s t e r y be s t o w e d as

t he near ­

ne s s o f f o r givi ng l o ve ; and man is o pe nne s s and o rie n­ tat io n t o t his m y s t e r y . tical in

p o larit y

o ne

g uil t

of

of

t he

and

d ivine

By

b e s t o wa l

c ritical

s u f fe ring

heal ing .

We have e x amine d t his dial e c ­

way

areas

b e f o re

of

and

of

e x pe rie nce :

d ivine

c o nc l u s io n ,

h u man re s p o n se h u man

f o r g ive ne s s

we

s hal l

ad d

and

a

fe w

w o r d s o f ap p rai s a l and c o m me nt . Rah ne r is at t e m p t i ng t o b ri ng pe rie n ce

and

c o nne c ti o ns f o u nd

in

C h ris t ian b e t wee n

his

d o c t r i ne

t he m .

t he o l o g y

t o ge t he r and

The

to

h u man e x ­

dis ce r n

f u ndame nta l

o f m y s tery .

The

t he

link

is

d ee p e s t

h u man

e x p e rie nce is ma n ' s o rie ntat i o n t o t he i n finite .

T his

e x pe rie nce o f m y s t e r y re ceive s i t s f u l l e s t int e r p re ta­ ti o n and

c l eare s t a r t i c u latio n in e x p li c i t

it y .

t he

At

see n as te r y .

re fe r ring God

h u man

s ame

is

t he

e x p e rie nc e .

Fat he r He nc e ,

of

Je s u s

t ime ,

Ch ri s tian­

e x p l i c it C h ris t ianit y m u s t b e

p re c i s e l y m y s te r y T he

to

e nc o u nt e re d i n o u r

Go d

C h ris t

t ha t e x p e rie nce d

so

and

d o c t rine and e x pe rie nce

e nc o u nte re d

my s ­

dee pe s t is

t he

Give r

of

the

S pirit .

s hould

be

m u t ual l y i l ­

l u mina t ing and c o r re c t ing . Ra h ne r ap p r o ac he s

t hi s

t h e o l o g ical

tas k

with

t he

tools

o f w h at he t e r m s hi s t r an s c e nde ntal t he o l o gical 1 ant h r o p o l o g y . He s e e k s t o e x p l o re t h e c o nditio ns of

p o s s i b il i t y

mit s

t ha t

an age

of

o f e x pe rie nce

t hi s i s

o ne

p l u ra l i s m i n

s p h e re s o f l i fe .

and

o f many

reve l atio n .

He

ad ­

p o s s ib l e ap p r oac h e s i n

t he o l o g y

as

we l l a s

i n o t he r

Ye t h e s t re s s e s t hat o ne m u s t f o l l o w 87

s ome method, apply

tions .

that

and mus t attempt to jus tify, method

Rahner

s ees

cons is tently

particularly fruitful.

who would differ is

the

in

clarify,

one' s

trans cendental

and

inves tiga­

approach

as

The challenge to a theologian

to offer another approach

which

would at once s hed more light on the s ubject cons id­ ered and prove more true to reality. Behind Rahner's attempts to link Chris tianity and

experience lies

a

in the

vis ion

cons is tency.

light

of

a

of

great depth,

This

overarching

trans cendental method, comprehens ivenes s vis ion

is

and

pres uppos ed

and brought to bear on any topic he is

cons idering,

and the particular topic in its turn s erves to further illuminate that bas ic pers pective. Yet this plicity.

vis ion is

Rahner

s tates

of an almos t incredible s im­ in effect that the heart of

man is a hunger for the infinite, and that this hunger

is not in vain.

We might put it in terms more s pecif­

ic to the topic we have been cons idering. s ible to live in hope des pite evil:

gift:

It is pos ­

s uch h ope is

a

its s ource is what is meant by "God." Rahner look s to the human experience reflected in

s o much of religion, art, and literature. experience

of ques t,

of longing,

This is the

of reaching out,

a

res tles s nes s that tak es us beyond all we encounter and choos e towards

s omething infinite.

a meaning that is from the

heart,

the

hope or des pair. what

is

meant

ultimate.

by

only

To

This this

alternatives

ques t is

for

human outreach are,

finally,

The s ource and goal of this hope is "God."

God

is

the

ground

out

of

which this hope aris es and the horiz on toward which it reaches .

The ques tion of God is

not a cas ual intel­

lectual inquiry about a pos s ible exis tent. 88

It

is

a

life and death quest that arises out of the depths of one' s being.

Rahner' s in

tremes

reality.

perience.

interpretation also avoids the two ex­ usually

is

God

which

consigned

to

non-

One view divorces God totally from human exIt is found in certain naive forms of the­

where God is portrayed as one object

ism and atheism,

or item among many others whom a person may or may not his or her journey through life.

in

come across

the other extreme view, man

experience, y iew,

Rahner ' s

preserved.

he

immanence

both

is

and

a

tally other.

The

contact,

projection.

transcendence

As the mystics have said,

In

are

God is at the

But what is at the core is to­

core of one' s being. points of

God is totally reduced to hu­

which

of

In

deepest human experiences as

were,

it

with God.

are our

But what

these experiences touch upon is utterly transcendent,

and evok es adoring silence.

Rahner' s vision of a near yet transcendent source

of meaning and hope is lik ewise far removed from a su­ perficial or sentimental view which neglects the hor­ of existence.

rifying elements

This fact

clear from the whole preceding presentation.

earliest writings, areness

of

the

should be

From his

Rahner exhibits a very strong aw­

elements

of

dark ness,

suffering

and

evil in human life.

He faces these squarely without

falling into despair,

while recognizing this as a dis­

tinct possibility.

Rahner concentrates upon the experience and image

of man as a being who reaches beyond himself from the core,

and correspondingly presents God as ground and

term of that transcendence.

This focus allows for a

nuanced interpretation of a variety of human experi-

89

ence s and o f t he c o nce p t o f G o d t h e y s u g ge s t . man ' s reac hing be y o nd him se l f s p ring s tio n t hat i s al read y man e x pe rie nc e s

Be c au s e

f r o m a n o r ie nta­

t he re in t h e c o re o f h i s b eing ,

him s e l f as at

o nc e gi f t e d and c a l l e d ,

as e nab l e d and s u m m o ne d , as e n d o we d w i t h a dig ni t y a n d wit h a vo catio n .

H e is

t he re b y ab l e

to

c o nc e p t u a l i z e

G o d b o t h as s o u rce o f g i f t a n d a s g oa l o f s u m m o ns ,

as

t hat f r o m w h ic h a n d t o w h ic h he reac he s . M o re

s pe c i fical l y ,

man e x p e rie nc e s

g i f t o f int rinsic val ue ,

ye t

him s e l f

give n int o

his

as

a

o w n hand s

as raw mate rial f o r w hi c h he is ac c o u n t ab l e , and c a l l ­ e d b y name t o fas hio n t hat se l f int o an e nd u ri ng o f ar t b y

re s p o nding

ly .

Ye t at

t his

tas k ,

o t he r s . s o me

t he to

In

e x t e nt

t o o t he r s p e r s o nal l y and s o cial ­

same

t ime

dis t o r t

o t he r as

t he

w o rd s ,

gi f te d ,

f o r give n and hea le d .

work

man i s

inc l i ne d

mate rial and man

to

re f u se

re j e c t

e x pe rie nce s

re s p o nsib le ,

to

him s e l f

j u d ge d ,

the to

g ui l t y ,

T his e x p e rie nce im p lie s a s o u r c e

and t e r m o f t he g i f t and c al l .

T hi s i s w hat i s meant

by " G o d . " T he s peak s

ab ove

term s

o f G o d in pe r s o nal

lang uage o f t he Go d

as

cou rse ,

of

T hat

fr o m

meant

by

of

pe r s o na l

Ch ris tian t r ad i t io n .

Ye t

being

" God . "

t he

in

fac t

g i f te d

c o n tac t

w h ic h

is

term s ,

and

d oe s

t he e x p e rie nce

p o int

al l

as

se l f - b e s t owing ,

e x pe rie nc e t he

are

of a

and

Pe r hap s

and o ne

much

of

and ,

s um m o ns .

t he

h u man

cal l

c o me no r

t he

t o s peak o f

a d d re s s e d

canno t

Rah ne r

a r t ic u lat e

s o u r c e and

re mai ns gi f t

to

so

t he of Ye t

e x pe rie nce . is

w ha t

is

ne e d

no t

say

m o re . Rah ne r

fac e s

t h is

par t i c u l ar

t hat G o d is e x pe rie nc e d o n l y as re c t o b j e c t ,

p o int ,

and

as s e r t s

g r o u nd and no t a s d i ­

o n l y as h o ri z o n a n d n o t as t h at w h ic h i s 90

se en within th e horizon . H e adds, too, that man ex­ perienc es God as ground o f himsel f precisely as con­ scious and fr e e p ersonal b eing . While one must not attribute to God the limitations found in finite sub­ j ectivity , n evertheless, that which grounds th e p erson cannot be less than personal . God cannot be portray ed in mod els taken from the impersonal world of things as a kind o f unconscious and impersonal cosmic law . Rahn er makes the final observation that the mor e con­ cr ete m eaning o f the concept o f God as person must be d etermined through personal experi ence in the d epths o f on e' s conscienc e, through the historical experience o f the human race, and in particular through the his­ tory o f the Christian revelation . 2 This may well b e the case. Yet with th e quali fi­ cations drawn to avoid a naive th eism ( or ath eism ) , with the recognition that on e's experienc e does touch a r eality distinct from that experi enc e, and in t erms o f it, one may also d e monstrate a great d eal of r e­ serv e in speaking o f God as � person, in too anthropo­ morphic a fashion . On e may also state, as at least intimated in Rahn er' s view o f th e relationship between doctrine and experi enc e, that mor e is involved than filling out the content o f the in finitely near mystery by the explicit Christian tradition . In a correspond­ ing manner, the stat e m ents o f the Christian tradition may the ms elv es even be clari fied and their interpr eta­ tion re fin ed precisely by th e pro found experience o f and disciplined re flection upon the dim ension o f th e in finite mystery . In any event, Rahner rais es th e fundam ental human question: is hope possible in spit e o f evil? And h e provid es a positive answer that is at onc e simple and 91

pro found , comprehens i v e and uni fled , austere and a t ­ t r a c t i v e , r e a l i s t i c a n d c om p a s s i o n a t e . On e c a n n o t a s k more o f any theolog i an .

92

NOTES lon Rahner' s theological method, see especially "Theology and Anthropology, " TI 9, 2 8-45 ; "Reflections on Methodology in Theology, " TI 11, 68-114; "Pluralism in Theology and the Unity of the Creed in the Church, " .!.!. 11, 3-23; "Possible Courses for the Theology of the Future, " TI 13 , 32-60; "The Current Relationship be­ tween PhiIosophy and Theology, " TI 13, 61-7 9; "Formal and Fundamenta1 Theology, 11 ET, 5 2 4f; "Philosophy and Theology, " Q, 12 2 8-12 33; "Th eology, " ET, 1686-1701; "Transcendental Theology, " ET, 1748-17 51; Foundations, 3-2 5 . See also Anne Carr, The Theological Method of Karl Rahner (Missoula, MT: Scholar' s Press, 19771; Louis Roberts, The Achievement of Karl Rahner ( New York : Herder and Herder, 1966), esp, 7-51; and William Dych, "Theology in a New Key ' II A World .Q.f. Grace, 1-16. 2 Foundations, 71-75 .