Reviews for The Human Person and a Culture of Freedom

The average rating for The Human Person and a Culture of Freedom based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2017-09-22 00:00:00 Gordon Fong Not for the faint of heart or the untrained philosopher/theologian. Several of the essays rely on significant previous familiarity with philosophy and philosophers, and in a very limited band consisting primarily of Aristotle, Aquinas, and of course Jacques Maritain (it is published by the American Maritain Association). Similarly, the thinking and sources are unabashedly Roman Catholic. That is fine if one is a Roman Catholic, but the lack of engagement with the larger world of thinking around issues of human freedom, even with other Christian viewpoints, ends up being a deficiency in the book. The focus, almost obsession, with abortion in the final few essays leaves one wondering about the myriad of other practical issues that could have also been addressed but were not (free speech vs hate speech, privacy and censorship in an online environment, protests and counter-protests, etc.). In the end, it felt like nothing more than the musings of a group of narrowly focused ecclesiastical specialists that have, to one extent or another, lost touch with how their thinking connects with the actual real world.

Review # 2 was written on 2015-07-24 00:00:00 Anton Demin Rahner's work is always challenging and this book is no exception. I was helped by having read and digested his early works (Hearers of the Word and Spirit in the World), both of which are much influenced by Heidegger's ontology. I don't think this work is all that "introductory", but it is a fascinating overview of theology.