Volume 5, Issue 2, June 1992

The article sketches the context and character of deconstruction and, at a time when deconstructionist perspectives are showing themselves surprisingly persistent in the humanities, urges that biblical criticism engage the claims of deconstruction before dismissing them – and this with a view to entering into a more vigorous and enriching conversation with the humanities.  The article concludes by viewing aspects of the Lukan Infancy Narrative through the lens of deconstruction, showing that even here “signification overruns nomination without return”.  To that extent, God appears in Luke 1-2 as one who stands up in defence of the other.

The classical polarities of hermeneutics – the authoritative text and the present context – are seen in Mark’s Gospel to be resolved in a quite distinct paradigm of what constitutes “sacred text”. The use of literary-critical analysis suggests that not only does Mark reveal a hermeneutical awareness, but that he intends the ongoing community of faith to be the necessary component that constitutes the text as sacred. This principle finds a pertinent example in Mark’s handling of the issue of purity. In turn, to be true to the hermeneutical principle espoused by Mark, suggestions are made as to the (necessary) interaction of Mark with the current issue for the church in questions raised by AIDS.

This article supplements Wolfhart Pannenberg’s Metaphysics and the Idea of God by offering a systematic introduction to the tasks and criteria of metaphysics through an exposition of various statements of Charles Hartshorne on the subject, chiefly his Creative Synthesis and Philosophic Method.  The article is focussed around Hartshorne’s understanding of the precise roles of empirical verification and falsification in relation to metaphysical statements, and his challenge to the empiricist dogmas that “necessary truths = a priori = analytic,” and that a statement is rendered contingent by the mere fact that it asserts existence.  Some elaboration follows of the implications of Hartshorne’s neoclassical metaphysics for theism, and for modal logic.

All creatures have value in themselves because of their relationship to God.  This article surveys four different attitudes of human beings to other creatures, explores the development of recent Catholic social teaching on the integrity of creation, and then offers reflections on the theological foundations for a commitment to the integrity of creation.  It is argued that human beings are companions to other creatures in an earth community, that creation is the presence and self-expression of God, and that salvation in Jesus Christ embraces and transforms the whole universe.

There are three contributions at work in today’s ecumenical movement: an ecumene of spirituality, an ecumene of justice, and an ecumene of theological dialogue.  At present the theological dialogue, an ecumene of consensus, dominates possibilities.  In particular, as reception of the BEM documents indicates, ecclesiological issues remain unresolved and a barrier to further progress.