Church and Society
The Laurence J. McGinley Lectures, 1988-2007
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One of the leading theologians of our time, Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J., has written and lectured on a wide range of topics across his distinguished career, and for a wide range of audiences. Integrating faith and scholarship, he has created a rich body of work that, in the words of one observer, is “both faithful to Catholic tradition and fresh in its engagement with the contemporary world.”
Here, brought together for the first time in one volume, are the talks Cardinal Dulles has given twice each year since the Laurence J. McGinley Lectures were initiated in 1988, conceived broadly as a forum on Church and society. The result is a diverse collection that reflects the breadth of his thinking and engages with many of the most important—and difficult—religious issues of our day.
Organized chronologically, the lectures are often responses to timely issues, such as the relationship between religion and politics, a topic he treated in the last weeks of the presidential campaign of 1992. Other lectures take up questions surrounding human rights, faith and evolution, forgiveness, the death penalty, the doctrine of religious freedom, the population of hell, and a whole array of theological subjects, many of which intersect with culture and politics.
The life of the Church is a major and welcome focus of the lectures, whether they be a reflection on Cardinal Newman or an exploration of the difficulties of interfaith dialogue. Dulles responds frequently to initiatives of the Holy See, discussing gender and priesthood in the context of church teaching, and Pope Benedict’s interpretation of Vatican II.
Writing with clarity and conviction, Cardinal Dulles seeks to “render the wisdom of past ages applicable to the world in which we live.” For those seeking to share in this wisdom, this book will be a consistently rewarding guide to what it means to be Catholic—indeed, to be a person of any faith—in a world of rapid, relentless change.
A splendid achievement. . .---—First Things
Clearly written, carefully balanced, rich in categories, models, and distinctions, and ever attentive to the tradition.---—Commonweal
Dulles is a master at clarifying theological issues in terms of distinct, if overlapping, categories, tendencies, schools and, yes, models.---—The Catholic World
. . . Dulles evinces clarity of thought and expression, attentiveness to subtle but important distinctions, command of tradition, dispassion and a willingness to engage the strongest objections to his arguments.---—America
. . . testifies to the wide-ranging erudition and boundless curiosity that characterizes the work of America's greatest Catholic intellectual.---—The Thomist
The lectures are arranged chronologically and treat such subjects as religion and politics, human rights, fith and evolution, forgiveness, the death penalty, religious freedom and the population of hell.---—Theology Digest
In this collection, the late, great theologian takes up important social and political questions (including the death penalty and the nature of human rights), explicates the thought of Popes John Paull II and Benedict XVI, and treats sacramental, ecumenical, and iinterreligious issues with deep insight.---—Long Island Catholic
Cardinal Dulles’s finely tuned mind and broad historical erudition prove again how theology in the hands of a master illuminates current debates in Church, State, and Society. Because they touch theology’s perennial themes, these essays, ranging over a wide horizon, remain fresh and worth rereading. Written in a clear, straightforward style accessible to all, they draw on the wisdom of the Church’s millennial tradition to offer an attractive vision of the Christian mystery in its multifaceted aspects. Like Newman, on whom the purple previously descended, Dulles speaks to our age and to all who will seek wisdom in ages to come.
. . . This volume, which is a collection of the biannual public lectures he gave during this time, provides a unique and comprehensive overview of his life work and interests.---—The Australasian Catholic Record
Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J., is the Laurence J. McGinley Professor of Religion and Society at Fordham University, a position he has held since 1988. Ordained a priest in the Society of Jesus in 1956, he was created a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2001, the first American-born theologian not a bishop to receive this honor. The author of more than 800 articles, Cardinal Dulles is also the author of 23 books, including Models of the Church, Testimonial to Grace, and a revised edition of his classic History of Apologetics.
Rev. Robert P. Imbelli (Foreword By)
REV. ROBERT P. IMBELLI is Associate Professor of Theology at Boston College and editor of Handing on the Faith: the Church’s Mission and Challenge.