11. Karl Rahner' s Theological Life
11. Karl Rahner' s Theological Life
This chapter offers a very personal reflection and assessment of Karl Rahner and his theological life. It reminds us that though there were many thinkers who influenced the formation of Rahner's theology, he always contended that it was the Christian mystics and saints and his own Jesuit spirituality that had the greatest significance on his work. The chapter argues that Rahner deserves the title of the “Doctor Mysticus” of the Catholic Church, for God's self-communication to human persons is always at the heart of his theological vision, however difficult or hidden that experience of God might be. The chapter recalls memories of Rahner as a disciple of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, serving others generously as spiritual director and pastor. It is not by accident that Rahner's long list of publications begin and end with a book on prayer, bookends, as it were, for a man whose theological task came out of his desire to know and to love the end of all theological endeavors, the God of Jesus Christ.
Keywords: Karl Rahner, theology, Christian mystics, spirituality, Catholic Church, God, saints
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