Rahner Consultation to Focus on Kairos and Prophecy

Three papers on the theology of Karl Rahner were read as part of the Rahner Consultation during the annual convention of the Catholic Theological Society of America, June 10-13, 2010 at the Cleveland Renaissance Hotel.  The first paper, by Kathleen O'Neill (Boston College), described Rahner's "mysticism of everyday life" and sketched its relevance to Hispanic Catholicism in the Los Angeles area.  The second paper, by Shannon Craigo-Snell (Yale University), focused on the element of time in Rahner's thought.  The third paper, by Richard Penaskovic (Auburn University), described the prophetic element in his writings.

Kathleen O'Neill described Rahner's pneumatology and its relevance to Catholics.

Kathleen O'Neill's paper was entitled "Rahner’s Pneumatology: Source of Prophetic Hope for the World, Appealing to Reason."  It defined Rahner’s Pneumatology as a kind of ordinary mysticism.  She argued that it can serve the needs of the Latino Catholic community in Los Angeles.  If Rahner's ordinary mysticism is well popularized and supported with a practical commitment to serving the needs and desires of the Catholic Latino community in Los Angeles, she argued, it might prevent Catholics from leaving the church for non-theological reasons. 

Rahner's "Kairos in Chronos"

Karl Rahner's use of the word "kairos," describing both the time of Jesus and the time inaugurated by Jesus, was the theme of the paper by Shannon Craigo-Snell. 

Entitled "Kairos in Chronos: Prophetic Calls in Contemporary Culture," the paper  analyzed the relevance of Rahner's sense of time.  Although Rahner was criticized by his colleague Johannes Baptist Metz for "neglecting  the importance of historical situations of urgency and demand," wrote Craigo-Snell, nevertheless Rahner's theology "locates kairos squarely in the chronos of daily life."

Surveying many of Rahner's writings, the paper affirmed that "Human nature is created as the grammar of God's possible self-expression."  Craigo-Snell drew the conclusion that "chronos is only established and constituted by the achievement of kairos in Jesus; and the giving of the Holy Spirit and the Jesus event cause each other."

Rahner as "Prophetic"

In an analysis of Rahner's The Shape of the Church to Come, Richard Penaskovic argued that Rahner was prophetic in terms of the future of the church.  Titled "A Prophetic Voice: Karl Rahner on the Future of the Church," the paper traced the development of Rahner’s theology over the years and shows that he held fast to certain themes, such as (1) the Church as a little flock living in a diaspora situation, and (2) the Church of the future as more pluralistic than it has been since the time of the Reformation.

Rahner’s theology  cannot be easily categorized as either conservative or liberal, acknowledged Penaskovic.  Why not? He attributed this to Rahner's remarkable balance.  Penaskovic showed that Rahner criticized the Church as institution or structure yet was passionately loyal to the pope, the magisterium, and what Cardinal Newman called "the episcopal tradition" in contradistinction to the "prophetical tradition."

Finally, Penaskovic suggested that Rahner’s ecclesiology may be enriched by the work of Heribert Mühlen in his book, Una Mystica Persona.  Mühlen believed that the Church may best be understood by the formula, "One Person (the Holy Spirit) present in Christ and in billions of persons simultaneously."  This formula for the Church, Penaskovic concluded, reflects the mystery of grace.

The papers by Professors O'Neill, Craigo-Snell and Penaskovic will be published in the journal Philosophy and Theology.  For a list of past Rahner papers published in the journal, click here.

In addition to the Rahner consultation, the CTSA hosted a "Rahner Breakfast" on Saturday, June 12, from 7:15 to 8:45 AM.  This year's breakfast featured a presentation by Mark F. Fischer (St. John's Seminary, Camarillo) on Rahner's Sämtliche Werke.  The title of his presentation was “The Editorial Report by Nikolaus Schwerdtfeger and Albert Raffelt to Volume 26 of Karl Rahner’s Sämtliche Werke: Rahner’s ‘New Christology.’”

Since 1991 the Society has sponsored many of the "Rahner Papers" in a special issue of Philosophy and Theology: Marquette University Journal.  For a list of previously published papers, click here.  For information about how to submit an essay for publication, see the style sheet.