John H. Wright

Patristic testimony on women's ordination in Inter insigniores

The A. studies the testimony of the Chuch Fathers cited in Inter insigniores, the 1976 document of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. He inquires to what extent the Fathers of the Church support the 1995 response of the CDF that the teaching on the inability of the Church to ordain women is infallible by reason of the ordinary and universal magisterium. He concludes that the eight patristic citations provide meager support for the response

The Meaning and Structure of Catholic Faith

To BE A BELIEVER today may seem very strange and bizarre, or even fundamentally dishonest. As a result of the Enlightenment of the eighteenth century, of the development of history and science in the nineteenth century, and of psychology and the social sciences in the twentieth century, the stance of faith appears to be a refuge from both the certainties and the uncertainties of our contemporary world. The cultural heritage of these last centuries in the West has made the educated human mind aware of its capacities and its limitations. It is able to know and affirm the real given in experience, or rigorously deduced from sensible evidence, or carefully garnered through historical research, or meticulously uncovered through introspective analysis, or accurately plotted from statistical surveys. There is no room for a leap into the transcendent that is beyond experience, deduction, research, introspection, and surveys. Sigmund Freud spoke for many moderns when he wrote:

Book Review: The Human Factor: Evolution, Culture, and ReligionThe Human Factor: Evolution, Culture, and Religion. By HefnerPhilip. Foreword by PeacockeArthur. Theology and the Sciences. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1993. pp. xviii + 317.

promised blessings. In his exposition of the belief model, S. speaks too much as though the object of belief had to be a proposition—a view that I find too restrictive. Also, S. repeatedly describes confidence as though it necessarily meant self-confidence rather than confidence in God or in a divine messenger. When explaining the hope model, S. writes as though hope had to be grounded in desire alone. The classical theologians, recognizing the intimate connection between faith and hope, grounded hope not only in desire but in the signs that God has given of his redemptive purpose. S. in my opinion treats hope too much in isolation from belief and trust. Seeking to keep sharp distinctions between the models, he minimizes the interlocking. Catholic readers may regret certain omissions. The attitude model would have furnished an occasion to discuss transcendental theology, and the devotion model (which I would prefer to call a commitment model) could have been appropriately illustrated by liberation theology. In S.s defense it may be said that he writes not as a theologian but as a philosopher. He is sparing in his examples from Christian theology since he wishes to give sufficient attention to non-Christian conceptions. These other conceptions should be of interest not only to philosophers but also to theologians. Even if they do not measure up to the Christian theological definition of faith, they suggest themes that could enrich Christian theology. While this work does not lend itself to classroom use as a theological textbook, it situates the theology of faith in a broad philosophical context. It clearly presents the principal issues and options that must be addressed in any serious theology of faith. S. writes with great care and deliberation. He is logical and consistent, and commendably objective in his assessments of the various models and conceptions.