Foundations of Christian Faith An Introduction to the Idea of Christianity

'Foundations of Christian Faith' is a deceptive title for a book which is in fact an overview of the whole field of Rahner's catholic progressive theology and it is no easy read; I gave an Italian version to a doctor friend who gave up reading it after the first 50 pages because 'it was too difficult'! It is however compulsory reading for anyone interested in the perennial conflict within catholicism between a theology inspired by St.Thomas(based on Aristotle) and St.Augustine(based on Plato). The representative of this latter theology is the Swiss theologian Von Balthasar who wrote his magisterial 'The Glory of the Lord' in response to what he saw as Rahner's 'dilution of the concept of Revelation' amongst other things. The current Pope Benedict XVI, a major theologian himself, is a firm supporter of Von Balthasar's theology which makes Rahner somewhat unpopular in Vatican theological circles today. Rahner, in contrast to the entire catholic approach to theology of the past 2000 years does not start his understanding of Christianity by elaborating upon the tenets of revealed faith, but starts from 'below' ie. from mankind as a species which is open to the supernatural in its very essence and then goes on to show how 'faith' fills this need or 'spiritual vacuum'; the point of conflict here is whether faith is inherent in human nature or is an act of grace (a created spiritual reality which is granted to Man but is not part of his natural constitution). Rahner, amongst other things, even opens out to Eastern religious ideas by stating that 'purgatory' might even be worked out over a series of successive reincarnations - something which clearly has the 'traditionalists' tearing their hair out!! A further difficulty, for the traditionalists, is that he tries to make evolution an integral part of an aspect of his understanding of faith - here I think he's on shakier ground. Placing a/any scientific theory as an integral part of theology exposes it to the risk of collapse should the theory prove (over time) to be false or is replaced by another theory (look at what happened with Galileo!!) - anyone interested can read Kuhn's 'The Structure of Scientific Revolutions'. Rahner's major works are currently out of print - so the 'Foundation' is indispensable reading if anyone wants to come to grips with one of the two 'giants' of modern theology (the other being Von Balthasar).I found this English translation to be excellent and its words have a very strong emotional as well as intellectual impact, which is why I invested in a copy despite having an Italian version. One last thing, Rahner's Jesuit biblical training can clearly be felt. Behind every concept he develops there is always a NT scriptural root, this is not stated explicitly, so be sure you keep the NT firmly in mind when you read him.

Though densley packed and, at least at the outset, entirely too "transcendental" to be understood in a proper light, Rahner's "Foundations" provides an excellent introduction to his themes and ideas. Written in the latter part of his life, it is amazing that he was able to condense his more than 50 published works into one 400 page book.This is a fantastic book for the late undergraduate or early graduate student who studies theology. It is particularly useful having read Husserl, Heidegger, and Sartre, from whom Rahner borrows heavily (amazing, to have a Catholic theologian borrow from two atheists and an agnostic). Though it is devoid of the normal scriptural references found in a theology book, and it does not treat the foundations of Christianity in Judaism in a fair way, it is nevertheless an important and vital work of philosophical catholic theology.Rahner will argue that God is the constitutive element of man... and after reading the book it is hard to truly disagree.

Karl Rahner's brilliance in presenting systematic theology is well-illustrated in this work, the material of which will give those with such an interest much food for thought, reflection, and (in the outcome) prayer. Of particular interest is Rahner's theology of the Church, critical in an era when too much of what passed for spirituality was seen as totally personal.Place this book on the shelf of anyone with an interest in systematic theology. However, it is not an "introductory" text in the sense of a catechism at all, nor is it a reflective work for spiritual reading. It assumes a knowledge of Scripture, doctrine, and the like, and could be very confusing for those who do not have a previous background.

As Rahner states in his introduction, this work was taken from his introductory lectures to seminary students. These were college graduates who already had an undergraduate exposure to Catholic theology. In addition, he states with his typical clarity, that frequently the topics he is covering in this book require much more detailed discussion, but not in this introductory work. Having read this work, if your interest is challenged, you need to read a few of the collections of the journal articles he published under the titles " Theological Investigations". In these works you will see why Rahner has had such a monumental influence on the direction the Catholic Church has taken this century. It is in these collections of journal articles that you see his true talent and brilliance: he starts with the background of the issue at hand as found in scriptures, then in the writings of early fathers of the church, then the various Councils and theololgians throughout the centuries. Finally he gets to the present day and, having set the context for the issue, raises and discusses what he feels are the important factors and questions surrounding the issue. For those looking for a catechism of faith they will not find it in this volume or any other work by Rahner (that I have read, and I have read much of what has been translated into english). But if you are looking for a thinker who can stimulate you to examine your faith with your whole heart and soul, then Rahner is for you.