Freedom and Possibility

God, omnipotent in love, has created freedom and possibility, whereas hierarchical dominance within the church limits the role of baptized women and men.

The book considers the ongoing adventure of God acting through the randomness and chance of the evolutionary process, whereby matter became life and life became self-conscious spirit with freedom. God's creation of freedom has been pivotal in the theology of the younger Joseph Ratzinger, and of Karl Rahner, Edward Schillebeeckx, and others. Making room for human freedom involves thinking about God's patience, defenselessness, and vulnerability, particularly as made clear in the humanity of Jesus. By creating humans with their finite and free will, God has voluntarily renounced power and control. And, as Walter Kasper has emphasized, if the Church is to be a credible advocate for human rights and freedom in the world, it must assess its own record, and plan to integrate freedom into its internal structures.

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