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In Rethinking the Medieval Legacy for Contemporary Theology, six distinguished theologians bridge medieval and contemporary theologies by developing the theological significance of medieval insights in response to contemporary issues. Their nuanced readings of medieval texts, extended to major theological issues of our time, provide examples of the retrieval of the medieval tradition, an essential part of any contemporary theological reconstruction.
Barbara Newman extends the theology of perichoresis or mutual indwelling to illuminate the relationship between donor and recipient in the case of organ transplants; Marilyn McCord Adams applies insights about divine friendship to the perennial issue of horrendous evil; and Kevin Madigan brings principles of medieval exegesis to bear on the contemporary historical critical approach to biblical interpretation. Ingolf U. Dalferth applies insights from the doctrine of divine omnipotence and creation ex nihilo to deconstruct Heidegger’s limitation of the possibilities of authentic existence to historical facticity. Pim Valkenberg explores the possibilities of a theological encounter between Christianity and Islam in the works of Aquinas and Nicholas of Cusa; and Anselm K. Min applies the analogical insights of Aquinas on the nature and limits of human knowledge of God to a critique of contemporary theologies that claim to know either too little or too much about God.
“Each author is committed to retrieval of the medieval tradition in theology for our times. . . . Part of [the volume’s] achievement is that it leaves the reader longing for more, fully convinced that contemporary theological reflection can benefit greatly from reading the medievals.” —Irish Theological Quarterly
“Taken as a whole, the essays present a view of the richness of the medieval tradition, proving in their application to such diverse modern issues as organ transplantation and the Heideggerian description of Dasein that medieval authors still offer valuable insights for reflection today. . . The fruitful ways in which the essays illumine contemporary questions by their retrieval of the medieval legacy should provide reason for a reappraisal of that tradition’s relevance today. In that, the collection serves an admirable purpose, while the essays themselves present scholarship of high quality.” —Gregorianum
“Assembled from papers delivered at a Claremont Graduate University conference (2010), this eclectic collection examines areas in which medieval theologies can profitably influence and correct contemporary approaches.” —Choice
“The six essays are excellent examples of how medieval theological insight can impact issues in a postmodern world.” —Catholic Library World
"Fascinating and various. . . . A learned and thought-provoking rehabilitation of medieval methods in the context of modern dilemmas, certain to appeal to patrons in academic libraries, seminaries, and many individual readers." —Library Journal (starred review)
"Renowned scholars of the medieval period reflect on how medieval theology can contribute to contemporary issues. The essays organized by Anselm Min are bold and creative. They show that both a broader perspective and a more profound view can illuminate contemporary issues. They range from organ transplants and the understanding of the person, divine friendliness and horrendous evil, pre-critical biblical interpretation, the possible in relation to the actual, the relation to Islam, and our hope and despair in our knowledge of God. An indispensable and informative volume." —Francis Schüssler Fiorenza, Stillman Professor of Roman Catholic Theological Studies, Harvard Divinity School
“This is a splendid collection of essays. Anselm K. Min has assembled a distinguished group of theologians who persuasively argue for the relevance of the Christian theology of the Middle Ages to the problems we face in the twenty-first century.” —Kevin Hart, Edwin B. Kyle Professor of Christian Studies, University of Virginia
Anselm K. Min is the John D. and Lilian Maguire Distinguished Professor of Religion at Claremont Graduate University. He is the author of a number of books, including Paths to the Triune God: An Encounter between Aquinas and Recent Theologies (University of Notre Dame Press, 2005).
Introduction: Rethinking the Medieval Legacy for Contemporary Theology by Anselm K. Min
1. Exchanging Hearts: A Medievalist Looks at Transplant Surgery by Barbara Newman
2. Friendliness, Divine and Human by Marilyn McCord Adams
3. Can Precritical Biblical Interpretation Cure the Ills of the Critical? by Kevin Madigan
4. Possibile Absolutum: The Theological Discovery of the Ontological Priority of the Possible by Ingolf U. Dalferth
5. Can We Talk Theologically? Thomas Aquinas and Nicholas of Cusa on the Possibility of a Theological Understanding of Islam by Pim Valkenberg
6. The Humanity of Theology: Aquinian Reflections on the Presumption and Despair in the Human Claim to Know God by Anselm K. Min
Bibliography
List of Contributors
Index