Karl Rahner’s Transcendental Christology

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Abstract

Each part of Karl Rahner’s theology is in deep relation to his understanding of human situation. He believes that God has communicated Himself with man. This self-offering of God to human needs a response from man. Such an existential part has certain effects on the concrete human life and seeks its true and ultimate realization. This attitude to human leads to transcendental Christology. Christ is the definite response to the self-offering of God. So He is the pinnacle of the possibility that all people enjoy; saying yes to God. Through emphasizing on an evolution in the world, Rahner indicates the Christ’s cosmological importance. In addition to his importance for man, he maintains Christ is so important for the entire world. Such an attitude to Christ is in conformity with the traditional one, saying Christ is the incarnation of the word of God, a real unification between God and man has occurred in him. In the present essay this is indicated, not only in surveying the transcendental Christology and Rahner’s belief in evolution, but in his paying attention to Chalcedon Creed.

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