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Leaping Theologians

by Michael Morwood on 06/12/14

I find myself amazed by many Catholic theologians who consider themselves immersed in the "new universe story" or in "evolutionary consciousness". I'm amazed at their readiness to make huge leaps from the scientific data they are considering, and wonder of wonders, are able to land with clear statements of belief about the Trinitarian nature of "God" and/or with statements about "Christ" as the focal point of evolutionary development, or about "Christ" as the Reality drawing the whole universe into some sort of completion.

It's time to say in non-theological terms, "Give me a break!"

Rather than reading Catholic/Christian doctrine/beliefs into this incredible data we have at our disposal, we should be serious, thorough, honest, and open about allowing this new knowledge to take us where it will.

But this is not happening.

Instead, most Catholic theologians I read impose onto the data preconceived and highly respected notions of Revelation, of a personal Deity, of a trinitarian God, and of a Christ figure who saved the world.

Is it not possible - maybe even likely from the data - that all those preconceived, prepackaged and never-to-be-questioned notions being brought to the data have no relevance anymore?

Is it not possible - maybe even most likely from the data - that we need to articulate a totally new story, a new understanding, about the Ultimate Mystery that gives birth to the universe, about what it means to be human, and about Jesus and ourselves as human expressions of that Ultimate Mystery?

I sense that we have barely begun this necessary and wonderful task of theological exploration. We are far too concerned with putting new data into old wineskins.

Comments (10)

1. Dawn Hutchings said on 6/12/14 - 08:03PM

Bravo Michael!!! Welcome to the bogisphere!!!

2. Erma Durkin said on 6/12/14 - 09:02PM

Appreciate your posting, and am in agreement with it. At the same time, I have sympathy with theologians who feel they must hold on to the "old wine skins", cautiously stitching on new patches of reality, for fear of condemnation from those in authority, losing their audience and/or their income. It takes a big bundle of courageous commitment to "articulate a totally new story." I thank you for being willing , despite the cost, to do so. I have found your writings very beneficial.

3. Jean Buchanan said on 6/12/14 - 09:51PM

I hope you post often!

4. Margaret Swedish said on 6/13/14 - 12:38AM

So glad you are doing this. As for this post, I found myself cheering out loud. I, too, have been struck with how fervently many try to fit the amazing vision of the universe now before us into stories that have no relevance beyond this planet. It's not to say those stories have not mattered - they were a way of searching, of asking questions, of trying to find meaning. But it seems to me that one needs to ask the meaning of a human-based God in a universe, or multi-verse, that surpasses every single story we have come up with to this point. Every orthodoxy and old cosmology is being smashed to pieces, and few things are more unsettling. We lose a sense of our "place" in the universe. What happens when, like the Earth in another time, or the Sun in a time after that, we come to realize that humans are not the center or purpose of the universe, not the beginning or the end? How do we fit any old theology into THAT?!?!?!

5. Michael said on 6/13/14 - 03:00AM

Thanks Emma and Margaret. You both hit the mark: this is going to take a "big bundle of courageous commitment".

6. Delores Kropf said on 6/13/14 - 04:17AM

Thank you

7. Philip Fitzgerald said on 6/14/14 - 10:09AM

I appreciated your comments Michael and the comments so far evoked from others. I look forward to following with interest future blogs. I agree totally with views expressed here. The thought that came to me is that we (Christian/religious people) readily use the word "mystery" and at the same time we resist its allure, and we seem far less comfortable sitting in the mystery, in awe and wonder, waiting for it to fully encompass us. That is, we try to control it and impose ourselves, our definitions, dogmas and creeds on it, in preference to entering the mystery allowing it draw us in, to surprise us, unsettle us etc. it's scary, isn't it, to enter mystery allowing it to take us where we know not, and perhaps even where we would rather not go. These are some of the thoughts that arise from what you offered and the story that is emerging from science, the new cosmology etc. Thanks

8. Michael said on 6/14/14 - 06:40PM

Thanks Phil Yes! I think we are scared of the huge implications for theology and all the questioning of what we have been taught is absolute truth. And it will shake the foundations of an ecclesial system of authority constructed on a totally different understanding of "God", Jesus and humanity's place in the universe.

9. Jean Conley said on 6/14/14 - 09:01PM

I, too, have been amazed at how many very intelligent, knowledgeable and well-known individuals can't seem to see the forest for the trees. I don't think that logic or reason are necessarily relevant for some. There is a tendency to 'cling' to a belief system out of a need to have a sense of security, whether it is real or not. I willl admit that is somewhat scary but I choose to seek Truth over security and take my chances!

10. Richard C Kelly OMI said on 8/20/14 - 05:19AM

Michael Have you blogged lately and what about the sisters in USA

Leave a comment

Main | A New Start to Theol... »

1.	Dawn Hutchings said on 6/12/14 - 08:03PM
	Bravo Michael!!! Welcome to the bogisphere!!!
2.	Erma Durkin said on 6/12/14 - 09:02PM
	Appreciate your posting, and am in agreement with it. At the same time, I have sympathy with theologians who feel they must hold on to the "old wine skins", cautiously stitching on new patches of reality, for fear of condemnation from those in authority, losing their audience and/or their income. It takes a big bundle of courageous commitment to "articulate a totally new story." I thank you for being willing , despite the cost, to do so. I have found your writings very beneficial.
3.	Jean Buchanan said on 6/12/14 - 09:51PM
	I hope you post often!
4.	Margaret Swedish said on 6/13/14 - 12:38AM
	So glad you are doing this. As for this post, I found myself cheering out loud. I, too, have been struck with how fervently many try to fit the amazing vision of the universe now before us into stories that have no relevance beyond this planet. It's not to say those stories have not mattered - they were a way of searching, of asking questions, of trying to find meaning. But it seems to me that one needs to ask the meaning of a human-based God in a universe, or multi-verse, that surpasses every single story we have come up with to this point. Every orthodoxy and old cosmology is being smashed to pieces, and few things are more unsettling. We lose a sense of our "place" in the universe. What happens when, like the Earth in another time, or the Sun in a time after that, we come to realize that humans are not the center or purpose of the universe, not the beginning or the end? How do we fit any old theology into THAT?!?!?!
5.	Michael said on 6/13/14 - 03:00AM
	Thanks Emma and Margaret. You both hit the mark: this is going to take a "big bundle of courageous commitment".
6.	Delores Kropf said on 6/13/14 - 04:17AM
	Thank you
7.	Philip Fitzgerald said on 6/14/14 - 10:09AM
	I appreciated your comments Michael and the comments so far evoked from others. I look forward to following with interest future blogs. I agree totally with views expressed here. The thought that came to me is that we (Christian/religious people) readily use the word "mystery" and at the same time we resist its allure, and we seem far less comfortable sitting in the mystery, in awe and wonder, waiting for it to fully encompass us. That is, we try to control it and impose ourselves, our definitions, dogmas and creeds on it, in preference to entering the mystery allowing it draw us in, to surprise us, unsettle us etc. it's scary, isn't it, to enter mystery allowing it to take us where we know not, and perhaps even where we would rather not go. These are some of the thoughts that arise from what you offered and the story that is emerging from science, the new cosmology etc. Thanks
8.	Michael said on 6/14/14 - 06:40PM
	Thanks Phil Yes! I think we are scared of the huge implications for theology and all the questioning of what we have been taught is absolute truth. And it will shake the foundations of an ecclesial system of authority constructed on a totally different understanding of "God", Jesus and humanity's place in the universe.
9.	Jean Conley said on 6/14/14 - 09:01PM
	I, too, have been amazed at how many very intelligent, knowledgeable and well-known individuals can't seem to see the forest for the trees. I don't think that logic or reason are necessarily relevant for some. There is a tendency to 'cling' to a belief system out of a need to have a sense of security, whether it is real or not. I willl admit that is somewhat scary but I choose to seek Truth over security and take my chances!
10.	Richard C Kelly OMI said on 8/20/14 - 05:19AM
	Michael Have you blogged lately and what about the sisters in USA