archives

By JOHN L. ALLEN JR.
Miami

On the surface, Christianity and Islam seem to offer a stark contrast in their respective diagnoses of the human condition, a Catholic expert on Islam said this morning. For Muslims, all that’s needed to make things right is a prophet who clearly announces God’s plan. Christians, however, see a deeper problem, the solution to which involves more than revelation – it requires God’s very gift of self, which leads to the Cross.

By JOHN L. ALLEN JR.
Miami

“Generations” is the Catholic Theological Society of America's theme for its annual convention this year, motivated by a hunch that today’s younger generation of theologians brings a different sensibility to the guild.

Here’s one possible sign of the times: At the halfway point of the conference, so far only one speaker during a plenary session has referred in any extended way to John Paul II, Benedict XVI, or official church teaching. Not coincidentally, it was a younger scholar who observed that Catholics who grew up without a strong ecclesiastical subculture to rebel against are often “more inclined to question a troubled culture than an imperfect church.”

By JOHN L. ALLEN JR.
Miami

An up-and-coming Catholic theologian said today that the previous generation in the church, both bishops and theologians, has left behind a “negative legacy” of ideological division, and called upon theologians to recognize that “overall, the hierarchy is not our enemy.”

Perhaps most pointedly, Jozef Zalot called upon theologians to remember that bishops are the successors of the apostles, and it’s their teachings which are binding on the church, not those of the theological guild. At the same time, he also invited bishops to seek contributions from a “greater range” of theologians in formulating statements, and to be open to private critique from sources outside the hierarchy.