Louis Roy – författare

Since the Enlightenment, the churches have progressively suffered a severe loss of status because of their belief that revelation is realized only in Christianity. The suggestion that Christian revelation might be truer than other so-called revelations seems to be preposterous. This book argues that this insistence has often remained unnuanced and simplistic, with the consequence that not only unbelievers as well as believers of other religions, but even numerous Christians no longer agree with the primacy of a truth revealed in Jesus Christ. The book addresses the difficulties affecting the interpretation of belief, given modernity''s concerns. The volume sets out a provisional synthesis on revelation and it makes available much expository and historical information. It correlates distinctions between pair members such as the natural and the supernatural, conceptualism and intellectualism, heart and reason, subjectivity and objectivity, limited perspective and universal viewpoint, permanence of doctrine and historicity, Christian and non-Christian claims regarding truth, revelation and divine speech, moderate and radical pluralism, Jesus absolutized and Jesus relativized. The thrust of the argument is towards an appropriation of what is best in ancient, medieval, and modern traditions on revelation. This book delineates, in an original way, a position on revelation that is at once traditional and relevant for today. It accepts many values brought to the fore by modernity and draws from exegetes, historians, philosophers, and theologians. Its inspiration comes principally from the Bible, Thomas Aquinas, John Henry Newman, and Bernard Lonergan.

Since the Enlightenment, the churches have progressively suffered a severe loss of status because of their belief that revelation is realized only in Christianity. The suggestion that Christian revelation might be truer than other so-called revelations seems to be preposterous. This book argues that this insistence has often remained unnuanced and simplistic, with the consequence that not only unbelievers as well as believers of other religions, but even numerous Christians no longer agree with the primacy of a truth revealed in Jesus Christ. The book addresses the difficulties affecting the interpretation of belief, given modernity''s concerns. The volume sets out a provisional synthesis on revelation and it makes available much expository and historical information. It correlates distinctions between pair members such as the natural and the supernatural, conceptualism and intellectualism, heart and reason, subjectivity and objectivity, limited perspective and universal viewpoint, permanence of doctrine and historicity, Christian and non-Christian claims regarding truth, revelation and divine speech, moderate and radical pluralism, Jesus absolutized and Jesus relativized. The thrust of the argument is towards an appropriation of what is best in ancient, medieval, and modern traditions on revelation. This book delineates, in an original way, a position on revelation that is at once traditional and relevant for today. It accepts many values brought to the fore by modernity and draws from exegetes, historians, philosophers, and theologians. Its inspiration comes principally from the Bible, Thomas Aquinas, John Henry Newman, and Bernard Lonergan.

Since the Enlightenment, the churches have progressively suffered a severe loss of status because of their belief that revelation is realized only in Christianity. The suggestion that Christian revelation might be truer than other so-called revelations seems to be preposterous. This book argues that this insistence has often remained unnuanced and simplistic, with the consequence that not only unbelievers as well as believers of other religions, but even numerous Christians no longer agree with the primacy of a truth revealed in Jesus Christ. The book addresses the difficulties affecting the interpretation of belief, given modernity's concerns. The volume sets out a provisional synthesis on revelation and it makes available much expository and historical information. It correlates distinctions between pair members such as the natural and the supernatural, conceptualism and intellectualism, heart and reason, subjectivity and objectivity, limited perspective and universal viewpoint, permanence of doctrine and historicity, Christian and non-Christian claims regarding truth, revelation and divine speech, moderate and radical pluralism, Jesus absolutized and Jesus relativized. The thrust of the argument is towards an appropriation of what is best in ancient, medieval, and modern traditions on revelation. This book delineates, in an original way, a position on revelation that is at once traditional and relevant for today. It accepts many values brought to the fore by modernity and draws from exegetes, historians, philosophers, and theologians. Its inspiration comes principally from the Bible, Thomas Aquinas, John Henry Newman, and Bernard Lonergan.

Bernard Lonergan (1904–1984) was a Canadian Jesuit philosopher, theologian, and humanist who taught in Montreal, Toronto, Rome, and Boston. His groundbreaking works Insight: A Study of Human Understanding (1957) and Method in Theology (1972) attempt to discern how knowledge is advanced in the natural sciences, the human studies, the arts, ethics, and theology. In Engaging the Thought of Bernard Lonergan, Louis Roy stresses the empirical aspect of Lonergan’s cognitional theory in relation to the role of meaning, objectivity, subjectivity, and historical consciousness. Rather than introducing every facet of his philosophy and theology, Roy delivers a balanced account of Lonergan’s achievements in fifteen discrete studies, delving into the implications of his cognitional theory for religious experience, theology, education, truth, classicism, relativism, and ethics. Discussing aspects of Lonergan’s thought that are seldom examined, these fifteen studies represent, criticize, and develop the ideas of one of the most important thinkers of the twentieth century. Demonstrating the richness of one scholar’s contributions to contemporary culture, Engaging the Thought of Bernard Lonergan presents a thoughtful analysis and a significant advance in Lonergan studies.

Bernard Lonergan (1904–1984) was a Canadian Jesuit philosopher, theologian, and humanist who taught in Montreal, Toronto, Rome, and Boston. His groundbreaking works Insight: A Study of Human Understanding (1957) and Method in Theology (1972) attempt to discern how knowledge is advanced in the natural sciences, the human studies, the arts, ethics, and theology. In Engaging the Thought of Bernard Lonergan, Louis Roy stresses the empirical aspect of Lonergan’s cognitional theory in relation to the role of meaning, objectivity, subjectivity, and historical consciousness. Rather than introducing every facet of his philosophy and theology, Roy delivers a balanced account of Lonergan’s achievements in fifteen discrete studies, delving into the implications of his cognitional theory for religious experience, theology, education, truth, classicism, relativism, and ethics. Discussing aspects of Lonergan’s thought that are seldom examined, these fifteen studies represent, criticize, and develop the ideas of one of the most important thinkers of the twentieth century. Demonstrating the richness of one scholar’s contributions to contemporary culture, Engaging the Thought of Bernard Lonergan presents a thoughtful analysis and a significant advance in Lonergan studies.

Throughout this book, Louis Roy illustrates his conviction that Christianity consists in the most profound experience to which human beings are invited by God. This experience involves meaning and truth, hope and love, suffering and joy, solidarity and critique. It is a space of freedom, where diverse persons seek the light and make their decisions, interacting with the intellectual and affective resources of their culture. Faith is understood as a personal and communal adventure--a sequence of real life experiences. The book proposes an articulate and coherent vision of the Christian faith. It surveys the complementary dimensions of Christian experience. It points to various paths, traveled by different people. It offers an actualization for our time, that is, a road map that is at the same time flexible and in keeping with truth. It engages in a dialogue with psychology and with non-Christian views, for example on meditation and on reincarnation. The book is addressed to a large audience of educated readers, who are likely to be very interested in its biblical, philosophical, psychological, sociological, interreligious, and pastoral components. Its originality consists in bringing together the interactions between several disciplines, in a practical way.

In this book, Louis Roy criticizes two different attitudes concerning our desires: either we are wary of our desires because of their potentially negative effects, or we try to satisfy as many of them as we can. Both attitudes focus on desires without examining the issue of desire. The solution is neither to suspect nor to multiply our various desires, but rather to intensify desire. Once desire has intensified, we can accept our desires and identify some of them as priorities for us to fulfill. We will then proceed not only with motivation but also with detachment, and therein lies the key to happiness.Any human being wishes to be granted personal value as a unique individual worthy of respect. And we long to be desired by the person or persons we desire. Moreover, because of our infinitude, we are able to wonder if an infinite being, whom we respect without reserve, can find us desirable. The author explores this basic concern and describes the relationship of mutual desire between Jesus and his first disciples.Thus, this book will appeal to educated readers interested in spirituality, psychology, literature, catechesis, and pastoral ministry.

Can today''s Christians reconcile a belief in self-actualization with the extreme ethical demands of the New Testament? The author argues that they can, although not easily, and that the felt uneasiness between two concerns--self-fulfillment and self-gift--may generate a healthy tension.There is then an apparent mismatch between two views of ethics. On the one hand, psychological humanism is based on self-affirmation, acceptance of one''s limitations, moderation, and the search for a quality of life in the midst of globalization. On the other hand, the radicalism of the gospel emphasizes passion (in the two senses of this word), self-transcendence towards the infinite, and generosity for God and others. Nonetheless, these two tendencies are neither incompatible nor easily reconcilable.The book uncovers both the pitfalls of self-actualization and the misleading interpretations that have disfigured the radical gospel. It highlights the developmental factors, views of human life, successes, and failures which play a considerable role in a person''s journey. It brings psychological, biblical, philosophical, theological, and pastoral clarifications to bear on the issues. This book will help its readers to grasp what a psychologically informed Christian ethic can be, both intellectually and practically.

In this book, Louis Roy takes account of the fact that, in the last fifty years, numerous people in the secularized West have responded yes to surveys that asked, "Are you aware of having had an experience during which you felt in the presence of a dimension or a reality very different from ordinary human life?"Are such experiences mere illusions? Some thinkers, like Feuerbach and Freud, believed so. Are such experiences encounters with God? Karl Barth, a great Protestant theologian, did not think much of their worth. On this issue, psychologists and theologians are divided.Roy argues that those experiences are valid, that they possess a real potential, and that they can open their recipients to a genuine wisdom. He reports on eight narratives, spells out their constitutive elements, classifies them into four categories--aesthetic, ontological, ethical, and interpersonal--and suggests criteria to assess their concrete authenticity.Thus, this book will appeal to educated readers interested in spirituality, philosophy of religion, psychology, literature, theology, and pastoral ministry.