Karl Rahner And Foundations Of Christian Faith

Being the fourth of seven children it can sometimes be hard to make yourself stand out, but that was not a problem for Karl Rahner. Rahner left his mark on the world and now is considered to be one of the most influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century (McGrath 128). His thoughts were inspired by several well-known theologians such as; Saint Thomas Aquinas, Immanuel Kant, Saint Augustine, and Ignatius of Loyola just to name a few. Karl Rahner wrote more than three thousand works so it is hard to say what his best work was, but Foundations of Christian Faith, written later in his life is said to be “the most developed and systematic of his work.” Rahner’s theology is not cut in dry, there are many aspects that you have to study and it requires strenuous thinking. To understand the theology of Karl Rahner it is necessary to study his background. As a modernist and a Catholic theologian Karl Rahner combines his study of philosophy and theology into one. Through his theology Rahner is also greatly known for his influence on the Second Vatican Council, which helped develop the understanding we have today for Catholicism.

Before we can talk about his theology it is necessary to understand the life of Karl Rahner. Rahner was born March 5, 1904 and grew up in Freiburg, Germany. His parent’s names were Karl and Luise. Karl Rahner explains his childhood as a normal. He grew up in a middle-class Christian family with six other brothers and sisters. He knew his family would never become extremely wealthy, but things like that were not concerns for Karl. Like I mentioned before Karl was the fourth of seven children. All seven of the children attended universities and graduated with a diploma. All of his siblings went on to hav...

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...dea of new culture and tradition. With the changes being made in the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church was being reborn. Vatican II is very important when it comes to learning about the history of the Catholic Church and will forever be remembered.

Karl Rahner’s life was dedicated to his writings and teachings. From a young age he knew his calling for religion and until his death in nineteen eighty-four he did not stop doing what he loved. Because of his devotion to work and the many years he spent studying, he was able to be inspired by several different philosophers and theologians. Putting together the knowledge from both of these realms we have the modernist philosopher and the Catholic theologian Karl Rahner. His philosophical influence changed the Catholic church of the twentieth century and continues to have an influence on modern Christian thought.