Pacifica

The infancy narratives of Matthew and Luke pose in an acute form the question of the historical value of the Gospels. Raymond Brown suggests that redaction criticism can bypass this question by spelling out the theological message intended by the evangelists. But his own exegesis suggests this is to misunderstand the genre of this literature. Brown’s indifference to historicity would be justified only if the evangelists were writing something resembling allegory, a form of narrative in which the literal sense of the story is the (dispensable) clothing of a spiritual message. But Brown’s exegesis suggests that the evangelists do not regard the literal sense of these stories as dispensable; they regard their theological message as resting on a foundation of historical fact. It follows that if interpreters focus on the intention of the evangelists, they cannot avoid addressing the question of historicity.

John Shelby Spong has recently advocated belief in a ‘God beyond theism’. While rejecting traditional theism, he also distinguishes his position from atheism. He suggests that there is a divine reality, which may be described as ‘being itself’ and which reveals itself in our commitment to unconditional ideals. The paper argues that this notion of God is vacuous, the product of a confused belief that ‘being’ is a characteristic of individual beings which may be universalized. Belief in such a God is also unmotivated, since there exist naturalistic explanations of the phenomena to which the Bishop appeals.

The phenomenon of religious exclusivism increasingly confronts peoples of faith and goodwill who wish only for peaceful co-existence in equality and freedom with their religious neighbour. But there is more than one variety of religious exclusivism. This study will show that there are at least three variants of religious exclusivism, namely open, closed and extreme. Further, inasmuch as exclusivism indicates a positing of religious identity over against any “other”, then it will be argued that the variant exclusivisms themselves reflect a continuum of ideological and theological stance that is taken toward the concept of variety as represented by the religious “other” per se. This ranges through antithetical acknowledgement, enactive ignorance, and the intentional invalidation of variety. It is the issue of the invalidation of otherness which, I contend, constitutes the severe theological problem of religious exclusivism in extremis. It is here, in the modality of religious fundamen...

Abstract: Accounts of Eucharistic origins have usually been driven by concern to establish the genealogy of later liturgical practices, and reflect broader narratives of early Christian history as either smooth transition or radical fall from primitive ideals. A more comprehensive account of early Eucharistic practice must give attention to Greco-Roman meal conventions, acknowledge the diversity of form and meaning in early Christian meals, and be more cautious about grand narratives. It would allow for consideration not only of the explicit ...

This essay proposes a development in Roman Catholic ecclesiology following the paradigmatic shift in its self-understanding that occurred at the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965). The Council represented a major shift in the Roman Catholic Church's attitudes towards other religions, Christian traditions, and cultures (including secular culture) from a previous defensive stance to a more positive one. In an unprecedented manner, the Council officials acknowledged that its Church's own self-understanding is enriched by its interactions with these various faith traditions and cultures. Forty years after the Council, however, there remains a need to account for this shift theologically in terms of what was going forward in the Roman Catholic Church's self-understanding.

The martyr Perpetua’s declaration, “I am a Christian”, is a point of departure for the invention of religion in the familiar sense of beliefs and practices chosen, rather than as the ritual and piety characteristic of, and universal in, ancient Mediterranean societies. By implication this means the appearance of the secular also. This study explores early Christian evidence from Perpetua and Tertullian and, after the Constan- tinian revolution, Augustine. This history of reflection on the relationship between belief and identity has interpretive significance for the changing character of religion, and of the secular, in Australian society today.

rection body are most likely the products of apologetic concern. On the other hand, the absence in the gospels of attempts to create a narrative about Jesus' appearance to Peter is to be noted in arguing the plausibility of the earlier appearance traditions, as in Paul's clear distinction between his Damascus encounter and his later ecstatic visionary experiences. In assessing the evidence of the empty tomb, Watson points out its subordinate role in the gospel narratives in evincing faith. Paul's distinction in 1 Corinthians 15 between physical and resurrection bodies may, he suggests, imply the empty tomb was unnecessary for Paul. I think it more likely Paul assumes the common transfigurative model. The hopeful "considered judgement" of C. H. Dodd that the empty tomb story is based on "a solid piece of tradition" (p. 49) remains a "considered" affirmation of faith. The same must be said of the reasoned defenses against cognitive dissonance. Watson, nevertheless, succeeds in putting a strong case for the reasonableness of resurrection faith. Ultimately, the case rests with belief in a God who loves (pp. 66f.) and its implications first for Jesus of Nazareth and then for us all. It is a case well put.

This article examines and discusses Stephen D. Moore’s suggestion that that the use of imperial themes and motifs in Revelation create a self-perpetuating cycle that lead to one imperial power being replaced by another. This article presents an alternative reading of the book of Revelation: first, acknowledging as significant the text’s status as apocalyptic literature, written as a device of inspiration and subversion against reigning powers. Such literature is shown to deliberately employ imperial themes and motifs in order to subvert imperial rule; it serves as fantasy, exposing the ‘hidden structures of false power’ and suggesting an alternative. This leads to a reading of the text using Scott’s theories of hidden transcripts. As a hidden transcript, the text serves as an anti-authoritarian device that reflects popular feelings toward an oppressor through symbolism and codes. It represents a community’s secret longing for a day of victory over their oppressors; ultimately, the i...

This article provides a critical account of the historical reception of Vatican II, identifying key questions that relate to the question of the history of the Council and its ongoing meaning and significance. A description of the five-volume History of Vatican II is followed by consideration of the critical responses to that work and subsequent phases of Vatican II historical scholarship. The article argues that this ongoing historical work is an essential dimension of the wider task of discerning the Council’s meaning and significance today.

This article argues that private property is a main cause of the current ecological crisis. The article offers a means of re-conceiving the ‘orthodox’ view of private property so that it is seen to embrace a moral element as part of its normative content. David Lametti, a Canadian property theorist, calls this moral element the deon-telos of private property. This article suggests that the content of the deon-telos ought to include a Christian ecological theology and morality. It draws upon the collection of essays found in Elizabeth Breuilly and Martin Palmer's Christianity and Ecology in order to identify the main elements of Christian ecological theology and morality necessary to fill the content of the deon-telos. By re-conceiving private property as embracing the deon-telos with Christian ecological theology and morality as a part of its content, private property may offer but one solution to the ecological crisis.

Episcopal letters offer valuable evidence concerning the widespread problem of population displacement in the fourth and fifth centuries, and more specifically on a subset of displaced persons, refugees and asylum-seekers. In a search for historical antecedents this article compares contemporary Australian approaches to refugees and asylum-seekers with the approaches of bishops in Late Antiquity. It offers two case studies of episcopal responses to displacement and individual displaced persons in that period, and concludes with some caveats and reflections upon future directions.