James Gerard McEvoy

Proclamation as dialogue : transition in the church-world relationship

Vatican Ils Gaudium et spes sees the church-world relationship in dialogical terms. This article argues that conceiving the church-world relationship as a dialogue is an important element in the councils recognition of what Charles Taylor calls the “modern social imaginary.” The article defends the councils view of dialogue against the argument that contemporary Western views of dialogue are inherently relativist. It concludes by investigating the rich implications of this dialogical view for the churchs primary task of proclamation.

The Effect of Aquaporin 1-Inhibition on Vasculogenic Mimicry in Malignant Mesothelioma

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is an aggressive malignancy of the serosal membranes, with poor overall survival and quality of life. Limited targeted treatment strategies exist due to restricted knowledge of pathogenic pathways. Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) is a newly described phenomenon associated with increased aggressiveness in other malignancies, and has been characterized in MM. Normal mesothelium expresses aquaporin 1 (AQP1) and retained expression has been associated with improved survival in MM. AQP1 is expressed by normal vascular endothelium and is involved in mediating MM cell motility and proliferation. We investigated the role of AQP1 in VM, and its interaction with the pro-angiogenic factor vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA), which is variably expressed in MM. Matrigel VM assays were performed using NCI-H226 and NCI-H28 MM cell lines and primary cells in hypoxia and normoxia. The synthetic blocker AqB050 and siRNA were used to inhibit AQP1, and bevacizumab was used to inhibit VEGF. Inhibition of AQP1 resulted in increased VEGFA secretion by MM cells and reduced VM in MM cell lines in hypoxia but not normoxia. No change in VM was seen in MM primary cells. Combined inhibition of AQP1 and VEGF had no effect on VM in normoxia. In a heterotopic xenograft mouse model, AqB050 treatment did not alter vessel formation. AQP1 may interact with VEGFA and play a role in VM, especially under hypoxic conditions, but the heterogeneity of MM cells may result in different dominant pathways between patients.

Church and World at the Second Vatican Council: The Significance of Gaudium et Spes

In its Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World the Second Vatican Council put behind it the rejection of modernity that characterised the Roman Catholic Churchs relationship with the world in the previous 150 years. Forty years after the publication of Gaudium et Spes, this article seeks to articulate the theological understanding of the church-world relationship contained in the final text of the document by examining the sequence of schemas which led to it.

Narrative or History? – A False Dilemma. The Theological Significance of the Historical Jesus

The twentieth century saw a paradigm shift in christology from a christology determined by the terminology of the Chalcedonian doctrine to one with a focus on Jesus in the context of his time. A common understanding of the theological significance of the historical Jesus, however, is yet to be achieved. In the last decade three scholars — William Loewe, Brendan Byrne and Luke Timothy Johnson — have argued that the historical Jesus has limited theological significance. This article examines the way in which these authors understand the relationship between narrative and history and argues for an interpretive view of that relationship. The views of Loewe, Byrne and Johnson are critiqued from this perspective.