Anonymous Christianity
Karl Rahner?s theory of the Anonymous Christian springs from his Jesuit propensity to see God in all things. He asserts ?Spirit emerges from matter when matter becomes aware of itself? (Modras, 213). To be a self-aware material being is to necessarily be a spiritual being. Rahner calls human spirituality ?sensate? spirituality, because the spiritual aspect and the material aspect of humanity cannot be separated in a person. Unlike his counterparts in the angelic realm, the sensate spiritual being is situated in a particular place and time. Human persons are historical beings; ?As sensate spiritual beings, we find God in the world, not outside it, and in history, not above it? (Modras, 215). Besides materiality, spirituality, and historicity, Karl Rahner also includes freedom and guilt as ?existentials?, the ?features characteristic of human existence that make us different from other kinds of beings? (Modras, 219). He further claims ?Though distinguishable from each other intellectually, these existentials are not separable in reality; each involves and implies the others? (Modras 219). As humans we all ?experience a difference between what we are and what we ought to be?, yet ?we know ourselves to be free and accountable? (Modras, 220). Simultaneously, our materiality makes us ever aware of our ?existence as constantly impacted ? by the distant horizon of death? (Modras, 211), while our spirituality leaves us longing for perfection and the infinite. The five existentials bundled together, as they inevitably must be, leave every human being ?threatened radically by guilt? (Modras, 220). Radical guilt seeks relief in radical forgiveness; the natural human seeking for forgiveness from one who both understands and transcends the human condition is the foundation of Rahner?s theory of the anonymous Christian. The pagan, who has never heard the Gospel but is aware of his inadequacies, his freedom, his impending death, and his desire for immortality and perfection, even if this awareness is only on a subconscious level, may be ready to receive the gift of salvation from the only one who can save, the God-man Jesus Christ. An example of an anonymous Christian is the Greek who erected an altar to an unknown God. The pagan worshiping before the altar of the unknown god temporarily breaks free from the darkness of idolatry and worships the one true God. Likewise, the one who hopes for salvation without knowing Christ nonetheless hopes in Him who is the only Way to that salvation. I find comfort in Rahner?s theory of the anonymous Christian because it allows God the freedom to spread salvific grace beyond the reach of the institutional Church. Though most of the world has been evangelized, many in our own country reject Christianity because they find it irrelevant in the modern world. For them, Christianity is the crusades, the inquisition, and the persecution of science. So they reject Christianity, but they nonetheless are ?radically threatened by guilt? and hope for salvation. These are Anonymous Christians just as the cannibals of Africa were before they were evangelized. It brings me joy to hope that my atheist and pagan friends might be saved, even if they die in a state of rejecting Christ, whom they do not understand.
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This is quite interesitng but it blurs the notion of Christ as the only way.
Rather, Christ would be THE WAY.... which makes "Christ" irrelevant and THE WAY, much more relevant.
I use the way in a Taoist kind of sense.... such as for every person there is "the way" and it may be different for many.... for the native american the way might involve much use of peyote and nature worship...... for the scientist it may involve secular humanism... for the taoist it just simply IS.... for the Christian it is Christ.... and for the Buddhists it, pretty much the same as taoists, simply IS the way.
If Christ and God are in all, and by aspiring to reach salvation, you do... then why is a DEITY called CHRIST the ONLY way? Is it not saying that all ways are ways of Christ... that Christ encompasses all things? If so then I think we are better suited to not use the term Jesus.... (I suppose Christ is okay) but might be better suited to simply calling this universal salvation TAO..... because this sounds very TAO to me.
TAO is not God...... because God cannot be described. TAO is a description of God........ The way is fundamentally naked and encompasses the totality of the universe, and can be found by all, and all may call it something different... the way is simply the way......
So, yes, I guess... in a nutshell.... it's a wonderful idea but to hold that idea.... and to simultaneously hold conviction in a literal deity known as Christ, and to say that he is the only way. It seems a bit paradoxical. I agree with these sentiments, ideas on salvation... however I'm not sure how they fit with the mythological figure referred to as Jesus.
I mean...... it would be like someone who has found Allah..... is the same as someone who has found Jesus... is the same as someone who rejects religion, as long as they live their lives aspiring to be "saved" ..... but this makes EVERYTHING redeeming Jesus...... does it not? Perhaps Jesus is just simple redemption and re-connection to God?
-------------------- I am the MacDaddy of Heimlich County, I play it Straight Up Yo! ....I embrace my desire to feel the rhythm, to feel connected enough to step aside and weep like a widow, to feel inspired, to fathom the power, to witness the beauty, to bathe in the fountain, to swing on the spiral of our divinity and still be a human...... Om Namah Shivaya, I tell you What!
Edited by leery11 (04/12/06 02:51 PM)
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The problem with Karl Rahner?s theory is that it is not based on God's Word, but vain speculation. The Word is VERY clear that all those believing will be saved, and all those not believing will be damned. Although the unconverted man may have some natural understanding of right from wrong, and knows when he commits wrong, this is NOT saving faith. Saving faith always comes by hearing the Word and the Holy Spirit must apply that word to the heart and soul. Natural man is born in a state of total spiritual depravity, and is unable to understand any spiritual truth at all. This is why a man must be born again BEFORE he can know who God is. Conversion is accompanied with conviction of sin, righteousness and judgment which is powerfully applied by the Holy Spirit to the converted. The convert immediately understands that the only righteousness acceptable to God is Jesus Christ's ALONE. And this is the ONLY way for any sinner to be accepted by God. This is the righteousness of God revealed in the gospel. Jesus Christ established a righteousness for His people, all those given to Him be the Father will in time be converted and believe the gospel. The gospel is the good news that the perfect atoning work of Christ ALONE secures the salvation of His people.
The Roman Catholic false church teaches that Catholics and those who have never heard the gospel can be saved. But those who hold to the true Christian faith and oppose the lies of the Council of Trent are to be accursed. May all those who love the gospel never cease to expose the lies of Romanism.
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