Term Paper Idea

[Brother Adam]

I am in a Scott Hahn course and recently sent for approval for my term paper. Wanted to share the email and get any thoughts.




Given the parameters for this research paper on a modern Catholic theologian I am hard pressed to stray from Von Balthasar, but equally as much revel in the opportunity to expand my horizons beyond authors that I usually have time to read. A compromise then. For this research paper I propose to explore Blessed John Henry Newman’s masterpiece An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine in conversation with the work of Rahner and Von Balthasar.

I was Inspired by a recent article in First Things, “The Ruins of Discontinuity” by Reinhard Hütter. I usually find myself explaining to Catholics and non-Catholics the unique revelation of God manifest fully through his Son Jesus Christ, and how that faith has been handed on to us for 2,000 years. Non-Catholics being convinced the private interpretation of scripture alone as a sole authority governs the Christian faith, where many Catholics have also created their own method of doctrinal judgment by creating a discontinuity since the Second Vatican Council. I see this manifested daily in priests, lay workers in the diocese, Catholics in my parish, quasi-Catholic newspapers like the National Catholic Reporter. Developing Newman’s thought will allow me to further gain the language needed to do my small part in healing the rift caused by the “us vs them” mentality created since the council in so many Catholic parishes.

I want to read Newman with Von Balthasar and Rahner because of their unique views on the doctrine of Revelation and how they tend to be manifested in the Church on a popular level. Since this is only a 15 page paper I recognize I will have to go light on the other two authors.

Principally I would use:

The Ruins of Discontinuity: Looking for answers to the fragmentation of Catholic theology in America. Reinhard Hütter, First Things, January 2010
An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine by Bl. John Henry Cardinal Newman, University of Notre Dame Press
Apologia pro vita sua by John Henry Newman
Pastoral and Plain Sermons by John Henry Newman
My Work in Retrospect by Hans Urs Von Balthasar
Foundations of Christian Faith: An Introduction to the Idea of Christianity by Karl Rahner
Dei Verbum

Thank you for any recommendations or approval for this topic.

[CatherineM]

It made me feel dumb.

[Brother Adam]

It was rejected

He told me I am doing a term paper not a doctroal thesis and told me to go with Benedict.

[CatherineM]

That makes me feel a bit better.