The Love of Jesus and the Love of Neighbor

by Karl Rahner

English, German (translation)

Genres: Theology

Paperback

First published July 1, 1983

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

[Alina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christianity that embraces the neighbor in freedom. Rahner is right to emphasize community that transcends national boundaries. Christians need to be less elitist, parochial, and reactionary. We need a healthy dose of optimism.

[Adam Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

The late great Roman Catholic theologian Kar Rahner here tackles the greatest commandments in two extended essays. The first essay on the love of Jesus was more technical than I was looking for, mostly discussions about various ways in which different theological schools have talked about the subject. The second essay on neighbor-love was quite good, and he emphasizes that the love of neighbor is an on-going learning experience. As new hardships and situations arise we must move beyond the ways in which the Bible talks about loving our neighbors and learn new ways of doing so, and he happily emphasizes emotional, psychological, and environmental well-being here too. Good insights here.