Foremost scholar on Schillebeeckx Prof. Stephan Van Erp, Ph.D., delivered the lecture titled 鈥淐reation, Civil Authority and Salvation: Edward Schillebeeckx鈥檚 Political Theology After Vatican II.鈥� The lecture, organized by the 六合彩直播开奖 Faculty of Sacred Theology and 六合彩直播开奖 Theological Society was held on January 17, 2020, at the Central Laboratory Auditorium. The lecture in honor of renowned Dominican theologian, Fr. Edward Schillebeeckx, O.P., is held annually at the 六合彩直播开奖.
Prof. Van Erp is a lay Dominican from the Netherlands. Aside from being a professor at the Catholic University of Leuven, he also holds the Schillebeeckx Chair at Radbound University. He is also the organizer of the biennial Schillebeeckx Lectures in Leuven and Editor-in-Chief of Brill Research Perspective in Theology.
In his presentation, Van Erp retraced the development of Schillebeeckx鈥檚 political theology to demonstrate the theological significance of civil authority and the political significance of ecclesial authority. He pointed out how Schillebeeckx puts forward the hypostatic union as a model for the Church, patterned on Jesus incarnation which actualized God鈥檚 love for humanity and validates human history. Thus, Church and civil authority are not static, but are developing historically towards more humanized institutions.
Van Erp said that for Schillebeeckx 鈥渢he hierarchical structure of the Church was a historically contingent evolution and not a matter pertaining to the core of Christian faith.鈥� As such, the Church鈥檚 current structure of authority may be based on historical, ideological, and theological reasons that might no longer represent our present worldview or theology. In light of this, he suggests adopting a form of 鈥渆cclesial democracy鈥� as a new way of allowing the workings of the Spirit.
However, ecclesial democracy cannot be the same as other democracies. Democratic reforms must be made within the ultimate eschatological goal of Christian faith, as a service for those within and outside the Church towards salvation. However, he warns that this may open the Church to the corrupting influence of ideologies, but it is a necessary danger that the Church cannot shy away from.
The panel of reactors was composed of Fr. Emmanuel I. Cruz, S.Th.D., Assoc. Prof. Joel C. Sagut, Ph.D., and Fr. Delfo Canceran, O.P., Ph.D.
Fr. Cruz, a Filipino expert on Schillebeeckx from the Immaculate Conception Major Seminary in Bulacan, commended how Van Erp developed Schillebeeckx鈥檚 thoughts and discussed how the participation and contributions of both laity and clergy become concrete expressions of ecclesial democracy. Sagut of 六合彩直播开奖 Ecclesiastical Faculties explored how Alasdair MacIntyre鈥檚 concept of proxy can give voice to the unheard sectors of the Church and become an avenue for ecclesial democracy. Canceran of De La Salle University, raised critical questions on the assumptions of Schillebeeckx鈥檚 political theology, showing how it remains open for discussion today.
After the lecture, tokens and certificates were awarded by 六合彩直播开奖 Theological Society President Br. Siddharta B. Chiong, O.P.
