From the Editor's Desk

The paradoxes that surround us

Theologian Fr. Peter Phan sees the world and the church from a perspective that differs from traditional views (see story). Consequently, church authorities have begun investigating a segment of the priest’s writings for unorthodox teachings. Few would deny the church’s right to ask questions. But if past actions of this type are any indication of the outcome, the result is, more often than not, one that looks unfavorably upon the theologian’s writings. Is it not possible to accommodate those individuals whose work engages in exploratory theology?

As we go to press this week, the NCR editorial staff is emerging from three days of planning out of which came an insight that might address this situation -- living with contradiction. Our discussions repeatedly returned to this concept as descriptive of much of Catholicism these days. The idea isn’t new, but it reflects much of life for most of us. Whether we apply this notion to church, society or family, contradictions exist that often force us to live as if caught between two worlds. Sin and virtue, love and hate, unity and division, sickness and health, marriage and divorce, community and loneliness, rich and poor. Yet we manage to straddle the paradoxes that surround us -- we do it all the time. The human capacity to live between the absolute and the chaos is not only astounding, but speaks to the innate ability to live with multiple truths simultaneously. So why is it that the institutional church has such difficulty when differences appear on the theological horizon?

As human beings, inconsistencies about what we think and our personal experience of the same issue are a matter of routine. Most of us chalk it up to life’s never-ending mysteries. We neither accept nor reject the discrepancy, but accept graciously that there’s much we do not understand.

The church, though instituted by Christ, is a human institution with all that comes with being human: the good and the bad, inconsistencies, contradictions and paradoxes throughout. And it’s this wonderful human capacity for balancing a wide variety of ideas and deliberations that should be celebrated rather than held in suspicion. We are members of a human family of which there are many ancient wisdom traditions and diverse cultures. Take a walk outside the safety of the local neighborhood and the challenges to one’s thinking emerge almost immediately. My experience of life has shown me there is quite often more I’ve got wrong than right. And with regard to theological matters, Thomas Aquinas said it well: We know less of what God is, than what God is not.

Peter Phan isn’t your ordinary theologian, as you will read in our pages. He is an agent of exploration at the service of the church in a world challenged by globalization, postmodern thought and grave injustice. He is also part of the theological community that is a gift to the church and, if allowed to carry out its work, is self-correcting. Without imagination there is no future upon which to build. Without creative thinkers, there are no artisans for shaping the brick. Without theological inquisitiveness, it’s as if we are trying to keep God in a box and to hold captive the creative energies of the universe and the promises of God’s covenantal love.

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On another note, be sure to take our survey at ncronline.org/survey.

You can contact me at rlarivee@ncronline.org.

-- Sr. Rita Larivee, SSA

National Catholic Reporter, September 28, 2007