Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church : Reclaiming the Spirit of Jesus

by Robinson, Geoffrey

• ISBN13: 9780814618653
• ISBN10: 0814618650
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-04-30
• Publisher: Liturgical Pr

Summary

Drawing on his own experience in responding to abuse, Bishop Geoffrey Robinson in this explosive work methodically offers a critique of the church's use and misuse of power, from the pope proclaiming infallibly down to the preacher claiming a divine authority for every word spoken from the pulpit. Going back to the Bible and, above all, to the teaching of Jesus, he presents an approach to sexual morality that is profound, compassionate, and people-centered. He stresses the priority of the hierarchy of holiness over the hierarchy of power. He offers nothing less than a vision for a church of the third millennium--a church that wants to see in its members the responsibility appropriate to adults rather than the obedience appropriate to children and wants to help all people to grow to become all they are capable of being. You will love or hate this book but not be able to remain neutral.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. 1
Introduction	p. 7
The More Immediate Causes of Abuse	p. 9
The Wider Focus of this Book	p. 19
A Personal History	p. 20
Healthy People in a Healthy Relationship with a Healthy God	p. 25
A Healthy God	p. 26
Healthy People	p. 30
A Healthy Relationship	p. 40
Meditation	p. 45
The Two Books of God	p. 49
The Bible	p. 50
The World Around and Within Us	p. 57
Meditation	p. 61
Spiritual Discernment	p. 65
Tradition	p. 65
The Tool of Discernment	p. 73
Meditation	p. 75
An Eternal Plan, a Sharing of Life and the Reign of God	p. 77
God's Eternal Plan	p. 77
A Sharing of Life	p. 78
The Reign of God	p. 79
The Church	p. 80
Meditation	p. 84
'Like His Brothers and Sisters in Every Respect'	p. 87
The Knowledge of Jesus	p. 88
'Notification on the Works of Fr. Jon Sobrino S.J.'	p. 93
Meditation	p. 96
In Service of God's People	p. 99
The Bible	p. 99
What Has Been Handed On to Us	p. 105
The Present Situation	p. 116
Learning From the World Around Us	p. 129
Meditation	p. 132
The Authority of 'the Church'	p. 137
A Peter-Figure	p. 139
The Middle Level	p. 144
The Faith of the Whole Church	p. 145
Meditation	p. 149
Free and Responsible	p. 153
The Bible	p. 153
Religious Liberty	p. 158
Conscience	p. 158
Assisting Conscience	p. 164
Meditation	p. 172
A Turbulence and a Whirlpool	p. 175
The Bible	p. 177
What Has Been Handed on to Us	p. 193
Meditation	p. 195
The Return to an Original Sexual Ethic	p. 201
Origins of Current Catholic Teaching	p. 201
An Ethic Based on Persons	p. 204
The Major Questions	p. 210
Meditation	p. 214
A Dark Grace, a Severe Mercy	p. 217
Spiritual Harm and Spiritual Healing	p. 217
Forgiveness	p. 220
A New Assignment to Ministry?	p. 225
Meditation	p. 231
The Prison of the Past	p. 235
The Freedom to be Wrong	p. 235
Truths Essential to Identity	p. 237
One Authority Changing Another	p. 241
Particular Issues	p. 250
The Certainty of Faith	p. 258
Meditation	p. 260
A Government in which All Participate	p. 265
Three Levels of Government	p. 265
The First Level: The Peter-Figure	p. 268
The Second Level: The Bishops	p. 271
The Third Level: The Mind of the Whole Church	p. 282
Meditation	p. 287
A Change of Heart and Mind	p. 289
Accountability and Professionalism	p. 290
The Laity: Citizens or Civilians?	p. 293
Renewing the Theological Conversation	p. 296
Putting Our Own House in Order	p. 297
A Church in the World	p. 300
Conclusion	p. 302
Meditation	p. 304
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