Philosophy and Theology

Volume 27, Issue 2, 2015

Richard Lennan
Pages 477-492

Truth, Context, and Unity
Karl Rahner’s Ecumenical Theology

Ecumenical theology was integral to the ecclesiology of Karl Rahner. The highpoint of that theology in Rahner’s corpus was Unity of the Churches: An Actual Possibility, which he co-authored with Heinrich Fries and which was published shortly before Rahner’s death. Although the reception of Unity of the Churches was generally positive, one prominent critic of the book claimed that it promoted unity over “truth.” In identifying ten principles that underpinned Rahner’s ecumenical theology, this article explores Rahner’s interpretation of “truth.” The particular focus of the article is on Rahner’s conviction that “truth” in relation to Christian unity could not be separated from the “context” of the divided churches. The final section of the paper discusses Rahner’s proposals for the future of ecumenism.