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Why the Church? |
eBook Available
An examination of how the Church has defined itself through the centuries.
From its beginnings, the Church has presented itself as a human phenomenon that carries the divine within it. As a social fact, its reality given form by men and women, the Church has always affirmed that its existence surpasses the human reality of its components and that it stands as the continuation of the event of Christ's entry into human history. Why the Church?, the final volume in McGill-Queen's University Press's trilogy of Luigi Giussani's writings, explores the Church's definition of itself as both human and divine and evaluates the truth of this claim.
Giussani begins by focusing on the Church as a community composed of people who are aware of themselves as defined by the gift of the Spirit, from which they derive a new conception of existence, the fruit of conversion. He then describes the Church's developing self-awareness of its dual elements of the human and divine. Concerned with verifying the Church's claim to embody Christ, Giussani situates the locus of verification in human experience, arguing that a different type of life is born in those who try to live the life of the Church.
Why the Church? is a seminal study that will engage both the scholar and the general reader.
Giussani begins by focusing on the Church as a community composed of people who are aware of themselves as defined by the gift of the Spirit, from which they derive a new conception of existence, the fruit of conversion. He then describes the Church's developing self-awareness of its dual elements of the human and divine. Concerned with verifying the Church's claim to embody Christ, Giussani situates the locus of verification in human experience, arguing that a different type of life is born in those who try to live the life of the Church.
Why the Church? is a seminal study that will engage both the scholar and the general reader.
Details
288 Pages, 6 x 9
ISBN 9780773517073
March 2001
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Monsignor Luigi Giussani (1922-2005) was professor emeritus of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan, Italy, and the founder of the Catholic lay movement Communion and Liberation, which is flourishing in Italy and has spread to over sixty countries throughout the world, including Canada, the United States, and Britain.
Preface I ix
BOOK ONE: THE CLAIM CONTINUES
PART ONE
I HOW TO ENTER INTO AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHURCH 15
I A Fundamental Presupposition 1 5
2 Being in Tune With the Phenomenon 1 5
3 Training the Focus on the Originality of Christianity 1 7
4 The Heart of the Church Problem 1 8
2 THE FIRST PREMISE: HOW TO ATTAIN CERTAINTY ABOUT THE FACT OF CHRIST TODAY 1 10
I The Rationalistic Attitude III
2 An Inner Enlightenment I 17
3 The Orthodox-Catholic View I 20
4 A Gaze That Values the Other Positions 123
3 THE SECOND PREMISE: THE CONTEMPORARY DIFFICULTY IN UNDERSTANDING THE MEANING OF CHRISTIAN WORDS 1 27
I Becoming Aware of a Difficulty 127
2 The Middle Ages from the Point of View of Disseminating a Mentality 1 28
3 Humanism From the Point ofView of the Disarticulation of a Mentality 1 32
4 The Renaissance: A View of Nature as the Ultimate Source of Human Energy 139
5 Rationalism: The Difficulty of Man Conceived in the Abstract 147
6 The Common Denominator of the Three Factors 1 51
7 Conclusion 1 59
PART TWO: THE CONSTITUENT FACTORS OF THE CHRISTIAN PHENOMENON IN HISTORY
4 THE CONTINUITY OF JESUS CHRIST: ROOT OF THE CHURCH'S SELF-AWARENESS 1 65
I The Path We Will Follow 165
2 The Link with Jesus Christ 1 66
5 THE THREE CONSTITUENT FACTORS 172
I The Reality of a Sociologically Identifiable Community 1 72
2 The Community Invested by a "Strength from on High" 1 87
3 A New Type of Life 195
Conclusion 1112
BOOK TWO: THE EFFECTIVE SIGN OF THE DIVINE IN HISTORY
Introduction 1117
PART ONE: THE CHURCH'S SELF-DEFINITION
6 THE HUMAN FACTOR 1 123
I Through Human Reality 1 124
2 Implications 1 128
7 A MISSION OF THE CHURCH: TOWARDS EARTHLY MAN 1147
I The Definitive Word on Man and History 1 !48
2 A Continuous Reminder 1 149
3 The Best position for Facing Human Problems 1 153
4 The Problems of Man 1154
5 The Church's Task is Not to Resolve Human Problems / 155
6 Facilitating Aspects of a Truly lived Freedom / 157
7 The Work of Every Man /157
8 Religiosity Will Never Be Wholly lived in History / 159
9 The Christian's Moral Tension / 160
8 THE DIVINE IN THE CHURCH / 163
I The Self-Communication of Truth: Community, Tradition, Magisterium / 164
2 The Self-Communication of a Divine Reality / 179
PART TWO: VERIFYING THE PRESENCE OF THE DIVINE IN THE lIFE OF THE CHURCH
9 THE LOCUS OFVERIFICATION: HUMAN EXPERIENCE /203
I What the Church Demands as the Criterion of Judgment/204
2 On the Use of a Criterion of Judgment in Its Utmost Expression / 206
3 Openness of Heart / 207
10 "THE TREE CAN BE TOLD BY ITS FRUIT" / 210
I Unity / 2II
2 Holiness / 219
3 Catholicity / 226
4 Apostolicity / 230
Conclusion / 233
Notes / 235
Index / 247
BOOK ONE: THE CLAIM CONTINUES
PART ONE
I HOW TO ENTER INTO AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHURCH 15
I A Fundamental Presupposition 1 5
2 Being in Tune With the Phenomenon 1 5
3 Training the Focus on the Originality of Christianity 1 7
4 The Heart of the Church Problem 1 8
2 THE FIRST PREMISE: HOW TO ATTAIN CERTAINTY ABOUT THE FACT OF CHRIST TODAY 1 10
I The Rationalistic Attitude III
2 An Inner Enlightenment I 17
3 The Orthodox-Catholic View I 20
4 A Gaze That Values the Other Positions 123
3 THE SECOND PREMISE: THE CONTEMPORARY DIFFICULTY IN UNDERSTANDING THE MEANING OF CHRISTIAN WORDS 1 27
I Becoming Aware of a Difficulty 127
2 The Middle Ages from the Point of View of Disseminating a Mentality 1 28
3 Humanism From the Point ofView of the Disarticulation of a Mentality 1 32
4 The Renaissance: A View of Nature as the Ultimate Source of Human Energy 139
5 Rationalism: The Difficulty of Man Conceived in the Abstract 147
6 The Common Denominator of the Three Factors 1 51
7 Conclusion 1 59
PART TWO: THE CONSTITUENT FACTORS OF THE CHRISTIAN PHENOMENON IN HISTORY
4 THE CONTINUITY OF JESUS CHRIST: ROOT OF THE CHURCH'S SELF-AWARENESS 1 65
I The Path We Will Follow 165
2 The Link with Jesus Christ 1 66
5 THE THREE CONSTITUENT FACTORS 172
I The Reality of a Sociologically Identifiable Community 1 72
2 The Community Invested by a "Strength from on High" 1 87
3 A New Type of Life 195
Conclusion 1112
BOOK TWO: THE EFFECTIVE SIGN OF THE DIVINE IN HISTORY
Introduction 1117
PART ONE: THE CHURCH'S SELF-DEFINITION
6 THE HUMAN FACTOR 1 123
I Through Human Reality 1 124
2 Implications 1 128
7 A MISSION OF THE CHURCH: TOWARDS EARTHLY MAN 1147
I The Definitive Word on Man and History 1 !48
2 A Continuous Reminder 1 149
3 The Best position for Facing Human Problems 1 153
4 The Problems of Man 1154
5 The Church's Task is Not to Resolve Human Problems / 155
6 Facilitating Aspects of a Truly lived Freedom / 157
7 The Work of Every Man /157
8 Religiosity Will Never Be Wholly lived in History / 159
9 The Christian's Moral Tension / 160
8 THE DIVINE IN THE CHURCH / 163
I The Self-Communication of Truth: Community, Tradition, Magisterium / 164
2 The Self-Communication of a Divine Reality / 179
PART TWO: VERIFYING THE PRESENCE OF THE DIVINE IN THE lIFE OF THE CHURCH
9 THE LOCUS OFVERIFICATION: HUMAN EXPERIENCE /203
I What the Church Demands as the Criterion of Judgment/204
2 On the Use of a Criterion of Judgment in Its Utmost Expression / 206
3 Openness of Heart / 207
10 "THE TREE CAN BE TOLD BY ITS FRUIT" / 210
I Unity / 2II
2 Holiness / 219
3 Catholicity / 226
4 Apostolicity / 230
Conclusion / 233
Notes / 235
Index / 247
