Sunday, April 27, 2008

Durham Chair


James Mawdsley has fascinating piece on the appointment to the Bede Chair of Catholic Theology at the University of Durham, I think it is the only chair of Catholic Theology in the UK.

I think that it is interesting, of the four candidates, only one seems radically unorthodox, the other three are more or less on track, as far modern theologians go. I think, in a way the short list demonstrates what is happening in modern theology; the rediscovery of the mainstream, albeit with occasional blip.
We haven't got to "thinking with the Church" yet but at least... well, at least we are in a better position than 10/15 years ago, when it would have been impossible to even of a chair of CATHOLIC THEOLOGY.
All dsepends on a Heirarchy that encourages a growth of serious theologians within the Church.

15 comments:

Volpius Leonius said...

That's not how I read it Father, 3 of the candidates were definitely unorthodox and one was neither here nor there.

Prof. Tina Beattie is in favour of women been ordained to the priesthood.

Fr. McPartlan spoke against ad orientem worship derisively refering to it as the priest having their back to the people and seems very much supporter of the "spirit of Vatican II"

Prof. Rev. Jospeh O'Leary believes that the Sacred Scriptures contain errors, I quote "Unfortunately Vatican I said Scripture can no more contain error than God can err". He also said that Catholics need to learn from heretics particularly the Anglicans on how we deal with the liturgy and scripture.

I am neutral on Prof. Lewis Ayres he didn't seem to say anything controversial.

Fr Ray Blake said...

Volpius, I've added a little more to clarify my meaning.

O'Leary is a heretic.

I didn't read Beattie is in favour of women been ordained to the priesthood, just that she saw Aquinas as answer.

Volpius Leonius said...

"O'Leary is a heretic."

I'm pleased someone else can see that.

"I didn't read Beattie is in favour of women been ordained to the priesthood,"

She didn't say that in her speech Father, she has however in the past been linked to the CWO(Catholic Women's Ordination).

You will find evidence of this at their website, if you scroll down to were it talks about the Lisieux Trust you will she that she has been speaker at their annual meeting in the past.

http://www.catholic-womens-ordination.org.uk/

Anonymous said...

Are there not Catholic 'theological chairs' in Glasgow University and in Oxford ?

A.M. Canon

Fr Ray Blake said...

A.M. Canon,
Are these explicitly Catholic?

Anonymous said...

Fr Ray Blake, I have been writing Catholic theology since the age of 13 (a long essay on the forthcoming Council in 1962). I presume that your remarkable judgement that "O'Leary is a heretic" is based on close study of at least some of my writings. Karl Rahner warned that the next major heresy in the Church would come under the name of orthodoxy from Catholic fundamentalists. JSOL

Anonymous said...

As to Vatican I the "unfortunately" has to be quoted in context -- it was a reply to a speaker who wanted to argue that the Church did not teach that inspiration required total inerrancy. The teaching of Vatican II has been nuanced by Vatican II's wider angle on Scripture and its human authors and by documents like the 1994 PBC statement on the Interpretation of Scripture in the Church which tackle more boldly the problem of inerrancy (which had not been sufficiently aired by theologians to be dealt with in a new way at Vatican II). JSOL

Anonymous said...

By the way, warmest congratulations to Lewis Ayres.

Anonymous said...

Fr Ray Blake, since your judgment seems to be based only on the talk you heard, please consult the full text of said talk at josephsoleary.typepad.com and give your reasoned justification for your allegation that I am "a heretic". JSOL

Fr Ray Blake said...

JSOL
Please read what is above the comment box. I nearly deleted yor cooments unread!

Fr Ray Blake said...

My statement, "O'Leary is a heretic." was rash and foolish, thank you for taking me to task over it.

I based it on James Mawdsley's,

"He appears to want every generation to be able to interpret Holy Scripture in the light of the values of their day, such that Scripture is only acceptable inasmuch as it accords with current thinking."

Perhaps he, and I, misunderstand what you are saying.

Volpius Leonius said...

Having read josephsoleary.typepad.com I am now even more convinced that you are a raving heretic, I will post my reason why this is so before the end of the night on my own blog as it will be to long for a comment box.

Volpius Leonius said...

Here is a link to my reasons:

http://volpiusleonius.blogspot.com/2008/04/answer-to-prof-rev-jospeh-oleary.html

Sadie Vacantist said...

O'Leary dedicates an article to Rembert Weakland (disgraced Benedictene prelate) on the TLM. Unware, that Weakland, post-scandal, has now repudiated his own bigoted views on the liturgy and returned to the Faith as he approaches death.

Anonymous said...

There is the John Paul II Memorial Chair in Catholic Theology at Oxford, held at the moment by Rev Aidan Nichols OP. Although, I am not sure whether it is endowed to be permanent.

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