Encyclopedia of Theology: A Concise Sacramentum Mundi

by Karl Rahner

An essential and reliable reference work and manual of the Christian faith this book provides both students and interested readers with a basic text presenting the findings of modern scholarly thought and research. Ecumenical in spirit and approach, no responsible and inquiring Christian can afford to be without it.

Genres: Religion, Theology

1856 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

Karl Rahner, SJ (March 5, 1904 — March 30, 1984) was a German Jesuit and theologian who, alongside Bernard Lonergan and Hans Urs von Balthasar, is considered one of the most influential Roman Catholic theologians of the 20th century.

He was born in Freiburg, Germany, and died in Innsbruck, Austria.

Before the Second Vatican Council, Rahner had worked alongside Yves Congar, Henri de Lubac and Marie-Dominique Chenu, theologians associated with an emerging school of thought called the Nouvelle Théologie, elements of which had been criticized in the encyclical Humani Generis of Pope Pius XII.

Reviews

[Gille Liath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Theology is traditionally described as 'faith seeking understanding', but I'm starting to wonder whether it would be better described as 'faith seeking a cure'. When I read modern theology I often have an uneasy sense that when theology comes in the door, faith flies out of the window, and that there is an elaborate conspiracy of evasion and circumlocution to conceal that fact that they don't *really* believe in the teachings of Christianity - not, at any rate, in any form that a traditional believer would regard as legitimate. I didn't expect to feel that unease again in reading this semi-official byproduct of Vatican II, intended as a concise digest of C20th Catholic theology, but I did.

I do love a bargain though, and it's difficult to fault this simply as a product. It is the definition of multum in parvo, much in a small compass. Based on the monumental 6-volume Sacramentum Mundi, it compresses, by my rough calculations, well over a million words into a well made and easily-manageable book weighing only a couple of pounds (of course your do pay the price in print size; it is small, but not microscopic). The Tablet's description of it as 'a modestly priced theological library' under one cover is scarcely an exaggeration. Edited and part-written my Karl Rahner, the most eminent Catholic theologian of the C20th, the quality of thought is certainly high and it is liberal and ecumenical in its outlook (though still in line with orthodox Catholic teaching). And where theology books are often so expensive, it was less than £4 - which is probably no more than the cash price of the book when it first came out 50 years ago.

On the other hand, in some cases it's surprising what entries they *don't* have - 'Univeralism' for example. Judging from the names most of the contributors were German which, of course, is not a bad thing, but a greater mix of nationalities might have produced a beneficial diversity of approach, perhaps something less frigidly technical. And despite a claimed commitment to clear ordinary language there is a tendency at key points to rely on theological jargon terms like apocatastasis or gnoseology which, again, do not have entries to explain them. And is it really necessary to use 'kerygma' instead of 'message'?...

[Chels S · Rating 1 out of 5]

Heretic.