What is theology according to Karl Rahner?

The basis for Rahner’s theology is that all human beings have a latent (“unthematic”) experience of God in any perception of meaning or “transcendental experience”. It is only because of this proto-revelation that recognising a distinctively special revelation (such as the Christian Gospel) is possible.

How does Karl Rahner describe human beings?

From Aquinas’ epistemology and philosophical psychology Rahner was introduced to the Aristotelian-Thomistic notion of abstraction. This theory holds that human beings, as embodied souls or spirits, directly know only that which is sensed; direct sensory knowledge is physical knowledge.

What is Karl Rahner known for?

He is best known for his work in Christology and for his integration of an existential philosophy of personalism with Thomistic realism, by which human self-consciousness and self-transcendence are placed within a sphere in which the ultimate determinant is God. Rahner was ordained in 1932.

Where did Karl Rahner study theology?

Since Jesuit training included a period of practical work, Rahner was assigned to teach Latin to the novices at Feldkirch (1927-29). After this, he began his theological studies at the Jesuit theologate in Valkenburg, Holland in 1929, which allowed him to develop a thorough grasp of patristic theology.

Why was Karl Rahner a theologian and philosopher?

Yet, while we may describe him as a theologian, it was, for him, never merely a choice between philosophy or theology. He lived by the conviction that both belong together. For Rahner, theology implies a philosophical anthropology, and human existence implies the experience of God. It is this insight that best alerts us to his primary concern.

Why is Karl Rahner called the transcendental anthropologist?

It is called the ‘transcendental experience,’ another key term in Rahner’s system. This experience is called ‘transcendental’ because it creates the possibility of experience (in the Kantian sense), and because it transcends something (i.e. human categorical experiences).

What was Karl Rahner’s primary concern in life?

For Rahner, theology implies a philosophical anthropology, and human existence implies the experience of God. It is this insight that best alerts us to his primary concern. However, before continuing with his theological program, let us turn now to a sketch of his life. 1. Background Early Years

How does Karl Rahner relate freedom to Grace?

This chapter draws on Rahner’s best known writings in Theological Investigations and Foundations of Christian Faith to elucidate his account of the relation between the self, human freedom, and God’s grace. Rahner believes that God creates humans as beings who essentially become themselves by responding in freedom to God’s self‐communication.