BenedictXVI Ratzinger Seeking to Understand… …Benedict XVI’s Eschatology
BenedictXVI Ratzinger Seeking to Understand… …Benedict XVI’s Eschatology
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Ratzinger Benedict XVI Theological commitment Methodology: scripturally informed, historically attentive, and systematically coherent Eschatological themes Our lens
Sample 1: “state of eschatology” Interest in Eschatology revived Criticism: official Catholic eschatology deviated from early Christian eschatology Ratzinger’s response: Church’s “litany of the saints” Beware of individualism and other-worldliness; maintain the developed personal eschatolgoy
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Resurrection Resurrection State of the question 1922: Althaus rejects “separation of body and soul” in death; “immortality of the soul” Eliminate“immortality” – eliminate conflict between faith and contemporary thought (human person = human body) Ratzinger: How would you reconcile this with the doctrine “resurrection of the body”? Sample 2: “immortality of the soul”
Resurrection Resurrection Biblical Data On the “resurrection from the dead” “New fact” of Jesus’ reurrection brought about the passage from the Old to the New Testament! Mark 12:18-27 – debate with Sadduccees on the “resurrection from the dead” In the light of the “new fact,” the Church rethinks earlier Pharisaic tradition Romans 6:1-14; 1 Corinthians 15 John 11 and John 6
Resurrection Resurrection Biblical Data Thus, Ratzinger concludes… Faith in the resurrection – central expression of the Christological confession of God. It follows from the concept of God. thus, emphasis is on theology, not on any particular anthropology. From its vision of God, its draws forth a number of affirmations about the human person.
Resurrection Resurrection Biblical Data On the “intermediate state” Intertestamental Judaism: Book of Enoch; 4th Book of Ezra Gospel: Luke 16:19-31 Story of Lazarus Luke 23:43 the Crucified and the thief Pauline writings: 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Philippians 1:23 1 Thessalonians 5:10 2 Corinthians 5:1-10
Resurrection Resurrection Biblical Data Thus, Ratzinger concludes… Faith in the risen Lord – decisive new element which permitted Christianity to emerge from Judaism. Through this faith, “intermediate state” & “resurrection from the dead” are linked, yet distinct. Judaic images used for “intermediate state” do not describe places; they transcribe Christ himself. They are assertions about God in Christ. Fundamental certitude: “Those who have died in Christ are alive”
Resurrection Resurrection Church’s Magisterial Documents No early Church formulation about the “immortality of the soul” Late antique period (4th) Question: What kind of materiality does the risen body possess? How is it related to the earthly body? Medieval period: Benedictus Deus 1336 13th C. “beatific vision” immediately after death (Univ. Paris; Lyons II) 14th C: John XXII – “Christological intermediate phase” for the dead Benedict XII – Benedictus Deus: “beatific vision” after death, prior resurrection
Resurrection Resurrection Theological unfolding Heritage of antiquity Dualism and immortality of the soul – not a universal Greek conviction Plato’s aim: unity, integrate – wisdom, courage, and temperance into justice (so that the polis will endure) Self-abandonment for the sake of truth is self-abandonment to reality – condition for justice.
Resurrection Resurrection New concept of “soul” “immortality of the soul” – determined by Christological center; linked to the idea “Sheol” Christian faith: life with Christ will not be destroyed by death; this life before the resurrection is incomplete. Jewish tradition: being of the human person survives death (soul, spirit) Aristotle: “soul is the form of the body” Aquinas: used Aristotle’s formula to express in philosophical terms a (Christian) view of the human being that Aristotle would have considered impossible.
Resurrection Resurrection Dialogical character of immortality Immortality in not something we achieve. Though it is a gift inherent in creation, it is not something which just happens to occur in nature. Immortality rests upon a relationship in which we are given a share, but by which, in sharing it, we are claimed in turn. It points to a praxis of receiving, to that model for living which is the self-emptying of Jesus.
Resurrection Resurrection Ratzinger sums up: Starting point of the Christian understanding of immortality is the concept of God, and from this it draws its dialogical character
Resurrection Resurrection From the Christian belief in creation follows the integral character of Christian hope.
Resurrection Resurrection Part of the Christian idea of immortality is fellowship with other human beings.
Sample 3: Spe Salvi – on Christian hope Part one: Scriptural, historical, systematic reflection Faith – hope – redemption What is “Eternal life”? What do we know about it? Is Christian hope really individualistic? How did the idea that Christian faith-hope is individualistic develop?
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Resurrection Resurrection What is the true shape of hope? We experience many greater or lesser hopes. Fulfilled, these “hopes” are not really the whole. We realize we need that kind of hope that goes further. Only something infinite will suffice, something that will always be “more” than we can ever attain.
Resurrection Resurrection Contemporary world has developed the hope of creating a perfect world based on scientific knowledge and on scientifically based politics: a kind of hope for “the kingdom of man.” This may be a kind of “hope for the future” but it is not for me. It’s hope that is opposed to freedom..
Resurrection Resurrection We need unconditional love. We need the certainty which makes us say: “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rm 8:38-39) If this absolute love exists, with its absolute certainty, then – only then – is man “redeemed.” SS 26.
Resurrection Resurrection Great hope can only be God, God who has a human face and who has loved us to the end, each of us and humanity in its entirety. His love is our guarantee of that existence that is truly “life.”
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