Catholicity and Emerging Personhood: A Contemporary Theological Anthropology

Catholicity in an Evolving Universe

by Daniel P. Horan, Ilia Delio (Foreword)

An exploration of the meaning and identity of the human person in light of a renewed theology of creation, the ongoing discoveries of evolution and natural sciences, and newly appropriated resources in the theological tradition.

Genres: Theology, Religion

224 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 26, 2019

About the author

Daniel P. Horan, OFM, is a Franciscan friar of Holy Name Province (The New York province), a columnist for America magazine, and the author of several books including, most recently, The Last Words of Jesus: A Meditation on Love and Suffering (2013); Francis of Assisi and the Future of Faith: Exploring Franciscan Spirituality and Theology in the Modern World (2012); and Dating God: Live and Love in the Way of St. Francis (2012). His next two books, both scheduled for release this Fall, are titled: The Franciscan Heart of Thomas Merton: A New Look at the Spiritual Influence on his Life, Thought, and Writing (Ave Maria Press) and Postmodernity and Univocity: A Critical Account of Radical Orthodoxy and John Duns Scotus (Fortress Press). He is the author of dozens of scholarly and popular articles in journals including Theological Studies, New Blackfriars, The Heythrop Journal, Worship, Cistercian Studies Quarterly, among others, and a frequent lecturer and retreat director around the United States and Europe. He has previously taught in the Department of Religious Studies at Siena College and in the Department of Theology at St. Bonaventure University. Fr. Dan is currently completing a PhD in Systematic Theology in the Theology Department at Boston College, is the Catholic Chaplain at Babson College in Wellesley, Mass., and serves on the Board of Directors of the International Thomas Merton Society.

Reviews

[Sadie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So thought provoking! I appreciated the goal of the book- understanding the human person in the light of catholicity or wholemaking. Horan makes clear that we need to update our theologies in the Catholic Church and go beyond an Aristotle/Aquinas view of humanity is we want to actually come together as a human family. AND we need to continue and continue to do this reevaluation and growing. Horan picked a few threads to begin this work- and, as he says, it’s just a start to the conversation. I think some things that my brain will still be munching on are 1. A Scotus view of humans in their radical particularity vs. there is THE abstract way to be a specific type human that we must match 2. Taking the focus away from the sin and instead to those sinned against- we do so much work in society to avoid harms by thinking about those doing the harmed that we loose sight of helping the harmed 3. Rahner’s concept of grace- I love it! Everyone has that call to the divine in them vs. we are lowly creatures that can ONLY receive grace through the sacraments. As explained by Horan, Rahner comes to this argument because if God is able to reveal himself to us don’t we have an innate capacity for God? I think someone that follows the Aquinas train of thought would argue that only those that receive sacraments can have God’s revelation. Therefore, I want to read more about Rahner’s argument for universal capacity for God. Regardless, shifting into a universal grace view of humanity certainly bears good fruit! So if we are heeding Jesus’ advice- that’s a good teaching.

[Chloe the MovieCritic]

One of my favorite books I've ever read for a theology class, or a class of any kind for that matter. I never skimmed, skipped, or was bored but read every word. The idea of whole-making is now how I want to live my life. This book is so careful to reconstruct ideas and has a softness that is so gentle to those who have been hurt by "universal" teachings, not "whole-making" teachings. The way that it puts a pause on any theological arguments in chapter 5 and just urged listening made my heart so full. The bibliography is FANTASTIC and I now want to read so many more articles and write papers and thrive in my area of study and I hope I can do the same in life in general.

[Malcolm F. Cross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rarely do reviews lately, but, worth saying - I read this as part of personal research from a non-religious investigation into theological perspectives on personhood, and this covered a whole bunch of great material with enough historical grounding to give me a grasp of older and current thinking on the subject, some of the problems inherent to it, and some options for how that thinking can change (usually for the better and more inclusive). Very much outside my usual reading and interests, and very glad I happened to stumble on it.

[Ephrem Arcement · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book advances the conversation on several vitally important topics, often contentious, that pertain to the human person exactly in the right direction. Its arguments are clearly articulated and convincing. Especially appreciated are the critiques of gender complementarity and Thomistic essentialism.

[jeff durham · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of Horan’s Finest

A great book for 21st century theological anthropology. Horan is an excellent writer and a deep thinker an interpreter of the Franciscan Intellectual Tradition.

[hauntedandholierthanthou · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not going to be able to be normal about this book for months I loved it so much. Thank you,
A Trans Catholic

[graceofgod · Rating 2 out of 5]

Most of it is standard (bad) prog Catholic theology. The only good section was the one that attempted to connect the Scotus conception of haecceity to trans stuff--and I think it does a good job at that. But the rest of the book is just a collection of vaguely related essays.