Books and Persons
I have often wondered about the long-range value of writing, whether books or articles. It is certainly true that some novels and non-fiction works have shaped my own life, as I was recently reminded when a community of graduate students and professors traded the titles of books that were transforma
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
A well-known Jewish parable tells the story of a young man who was hiking on a journey. It was common at that time to follow signposts, which displayed the names of various destinations and pointed in different directions. At one particular crossroads on his way, the young man found the signpost had
The Spirit of the Declaration
The Catholic Church is unique in having a magisterium, a hierarchical structure through which declarations on teachings can come formally from “the center.” This, however, raises the question of who exactly is being addressed in those declarations that are reaching out to other faiths. I
What Next?
The Latin words nostra aetate mean “in our time,” a fitting opening phrase for the declaration promulgated by the Second Vatican Council in 1965 that has truly transformed our time. In Nostra Aetate the Catholic Church accepted that those of different faith communities, the “others
Progress in India
For the Catholic Church in India, Nostra Aetate came more as an encouragement than as a new beginning. In the 19th century, Hindus like Keshub Chandra Sen looked on Jesus as a guru who inspired them to reform their own religious tradition. One of them who became Christian, Brahmabandab Upadhyaya, th
Relations With Muslims
The final volume of the History of Vatican II series (Orbis 1995-2005) presents Nostra Aetate as “the outcome of one of John XXIII’s original insights.” Ever since the idea for that declaration originated as a request in 1960 to reformulate Christian teaching, preaching and cateche
Of Many Things
Of Many Things
A subway ride marks the beginning of my work days at America, and given the diversity of the nearly four million passengers who use New York City’s subway system each day, it offers an ever-varying picture of humanity. For commuters like me, the actual ride does not begin on the subway car its
Letters
Letters
Platform for Grace
As staff theologian for Cardinal Joseph Bernardin from 1985 until his death, I commend the editorial A Culture of Life (9/25) for reminding us once again of Cardinal Bernardin’s efforts with regard to a consistent ethic of life. In particular I applaud the observation that no one image or idea can bear the…
Editorials
In Our Time
On October 28, 1965, during the fourth and last session of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), Pope Paul VI formally promulgated the council’s Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions. Like other documents promulgated by the council, it would be identified b
Faith and Reason
The genesis of ‘Nostra Aetate’
On this day in 1965, the Vatican II’s “Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions,” also known as “Nostra Aetate,” was promulgated by the council—despite surprises, shocks and setbacks along the way.
Books
Home to Contamination
Two decades ago outside on the bow of a Norwegian ice-breaker other scientists and I drank cognac poured over 10 000-year-old ice from a nearby glacier Bundled up only miles from the North Pole we enjoyed an August sunset a break in our scientific meetings to develop policy for protecting the
Resisting Mugabe
Increasingly the literary genre of the memoir has come to be associated with the second-rate politician and fourth-rate celebrity In a self-obsessed confessional world the memoir mdash and its Internet derivative the blog mdash has tweaked Descartes rsquo famous maxim I write therefore I am
Flaws, Flaws
For more than 20 years James J O rsquo Donnell has been a leading figure in Augustinian studies Best known for his three-volume commentary on the Confessions Oxford 1992 O rsquo Donnell has also pioneered the use of the Internet for humanistic study A decade ago while professor of classics at
The Word
Who’s Responsible Here?
It was only a few months ago that we reflected on religious leadership Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time Today rsquo s readings place this theme before us again The frequency with which the Bible considers religious leadership points out both its importance and its challenge Because of human
R.S.V.P.
There are some events that we would give anything to attend Who would not want to go to a presidential inaugural ball the Super Bowl or a World Series or the installation of a pope Though very different these are all momentous occasions and invitations to them are hard to come by One usually h
Faith
The genesis of ‘Nostra Aetate’
On this day in 1965, the Vatican II’s “Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions,” also known as “Nostra Aetate,” was promulgated by the council—despite surprises, shocks and setbacks along the way.
News
Signs of the Times
Newly Beatified German Cardinal Feared God More Than Man, Pope SaysCardinal Clemens August von Galen of Münster, Germany, an outspoken critic of Adolf Hitler’s regime, feared God more than man, Pope Benedict XVI said moments after the cardinal was beatified. All of us, but especially we Germa
Politics
Faith
Culture
Vatican
Scripture
Podcasts