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The Violation of God in the Body of the World: A Rahnerian Response to Trauma
Author(s) -
Kidd Erin
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
modern theology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.144
H-Index - 19
eISSN - 1468-0025
pISSN - 0266-7177
DOI - 10.1111/moth.12484
Subject(s) - tragedy (event) , reading (process) , subject (documents) , philosophy , human body , epistemology , theology , psychoanalysis , sociology , psychology , medicine , linguistics , social science , library science , computer science , anatomy
The reality of trauma raises serious questions about the adequacy of Christian accounts of the subject, grace, and God. In this essay I argue that Karl Rahner’s theological anthropology provides helpful language for responding to trauma within Christian communities. Attention to the often‐ignored category of the “body” in Rahner’s work reveals a number of resources for thinking about and responding to human tragedy. Reading Rahner’s theology of freedom in light of his work on the body highlights Rahner’s own attention to the way freedom is threatened. It therefore provides an understanding of the human person and Christian community that can assist churches in preventing abuse and supporting survivors.