Friday, June 20, 2003

Reflections of Grace

In "Catholicism and Other Religions ", Chapter 14 of Epiphany, a Theological Introduction to Catholicism (Liturgical Press Sept. 1996), Fr. Aidan Nichol presents one of the best explications of Nostra Aetate and the Church's relationship with the world's religions I've ever read. Thoroughly orthodox and faithful to the genuine spirit of Vatican II.

In the radiance of the Epiphany - light to enlighten the Gentiles and the glory of God's people, Israel - the Church can see more, not less, even though the historic revelation is completed and we can expect no fresh truths but only the unveiling of truth's own face in the age to come. The Church, en route between Pentecost and the parousia, can continue to find analogues of her own truth in the cultures of the unbaptized; not merely, indeed, echoes of the truth she knows consciously, but instruments for the fuller appropriation of its inexhaustible richness.

Regretfully, the book appears to be out of print -- but Mark Alder has generously provided the entire text on his website here.

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Against The Grain is the personal blog of Christopher Blosser - web designer and all around maintenance guy for the original Cardinal Ratzinger Fan Club (Now Pope Benedict XVI).