Mystagogy in the Thought of Karl Rahner

• Main Authors: Maria Teresa, 胡淑琴
• Other Authors: 武金正
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2008
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/14786512179537429140

博士 === 輔仁大學 === 宗教學系 === 96 === “Mystagogy” means the pedagogy of leading a person into the encounter with the sacred Mystery. This essay is dedicated to investigate, from the viewpoint of Christian faith, the mystagogy in the thought of German Catholic theologian, Karl Rahner (1904-1984), who had profound influence on the Second Vantican Council (1962-1965). He has reflected deeply in his context the crisis of Christian faith caused by secularization and the modernization and mystagogy was suggested in his late years to respond the urgent pastoral needs. Though he has not thematized the material, his philosophical and theological works provide us with the most helpful resources for constructing a viable mystagogy. This essay intends to understand and interpret Rahner’s thought, arguing that his thought has the mystagogical character, for example: his anthropology of self-transcendence, the co-related totality of Christian revelation of God-Christ-Man, the distinction between the transcendental and categorical dimension of experience, dialectical movement of human consciousness, the powerful insight into human nature and the human situation, the comprehensive description of human reality etc. He has offered a universal anthropological way, opening to different cultures and religions, the possibility of encounter with the sacred Mystery in daily life for everyone, both for anonymous and explicit Christian, and has offered a solid philosophical and theological basis of Mystagogy for Christian mystagogues. This essay consists of three parts. The first part has 4 chapters, including a general introduction of Rahner’s life, the etymology, the history and the recovery of mystagogy, a background study of spiritual and philosophical origin of Rahner’s thought of mystagogy. The second part is dedicated to an interpretative exposition of Rahner’s philosophical, theological and christological anthropology, showing the co-related thought-form as the theoretical foundation of mystagogy. The third part is concerned with the practice of mystagogy, investigating Rahner’s concept of experience and look for a theological method to put mystagogy into practice, which can be implemented in the areas such as: personal and group accompaniment, education and Christian formation, cultural dialogue and ecumenical movement. As a general conclusion to the essay, five points are made about Rahner’s contribution to the mystagogy and some possibilities for further study.