Why Rahner?
Why now?
linking love and knowledge along with empathy. What empathy is. I might need to do this part before I can really delve into Rahner.
Linking love - knowledge - being. Maybe these are the categories by which I can organize my Rahner writing.
Within the knowing part is the topic of meditation. This is where the Need and Blessing of Prayer comes in. He describes the modern situation - these are various homilies, etc. written for a specific occasion. He writes it in an existential key - a sort of post-war type of reaction. The "rubbled over" nature of humanity is an important theme. Knowing really requires listening and attention. This is the way you can know God, you can't force it or find God. God is hidden. But God is speaking to us. Always there. We have to listen (which takes practice and effort) in order to be able to know God. I think this has to be similar to the way one can be trained to be more empathic, and I believe this sounds much like contemplative meditation practice.
Rahner has many definitions for God using a variety of experiences, but these always seem tied to specific scriptural passages. Even when not stated expliciltly they seem obvious. I think I'll see these throughout his writings. [ ] I wonder what, besides love, he ties these scriptures to?
The same goes for love. The hard thing to deal with is that "God is love" and yet he talks about them as if they are separate (as we all do). So how does one reconcile this? I think it must be the gap between human love and divine love, and that "God" is not exhausted by the human version of love.
Why now?
linking love and knowledge along with empathy. What empathy is. I might need to do this part before I can really delve into Rahner.
Linking love - knowledge - being. Maybe these are the categories by which I can organize my Rahner writing.
Within the knowing part is the topic of meditation. This is where the Need and Blessing of Prayer comes in. He describes the modern situation - these are various homilies, etc. written for a specific occasion. He writes it in an existential key - a sort of post-war type of reaction. The "rubbled over" nature of humanity is an important theme. Knowing really requires listening and attention. This is the way you can know God, you can't force it or find God. God is hidden. But God is speaking to us. Always there. We have to listen (which takes practice and effort) in order to be able to know God. I think this has to be similar to the way one can be trained to be more empathic, and I believe this sounds much like contemplative meditation practice.
Rahner has many definitions for God using a variety of experiences, but these always seem tied to specific scriptural passages. Even when not stated expliciltly they seem obvious. I think I'll see these throughout his writings. [ ] I wonder what, besides love, he ties these scriptures to?
The same goes for love. The hard thing to deal with is that "God is love" and yet he talks about them as if they are separate (as we all do). So how does one reconcile this? I think it must be the gap between human love and divine love, and that "God" is not exhausted by the human version of love.
