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April 2024 Vol 63 No 2
Acrobatic Spirit

The Cross and the Graces of the Exercises

The Christian attitude towards evil is to recognise that it is enfolded by the grace we receive in Christ Jesus. The presentation of the cross in the Spiritual Exercises dissuades us from the glorification of human suffering as an end in itself.

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Humanity in Conversation with God

Biblical conversations offer an insight into the importance of real listening which removes barriers to communication. It creates the conditions for a safe, trusting relationships with God that offer a glimpse of salvation.

Parallel Tensions: On the Relation between Theologies of Grace and the Ignatian Exercises

The experience of the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius Loyola was foundational for several theologies of grace in the twentieth century. Henry Shea argues that there must be an internal tension within the text adequately to express the dynamics and the mystery of grace.

Imagining the Real: Fairy Stories and Spiritual Practice

The writings of J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis are among the inspirations for this inquiry into the human imagination. A deeper and more expansive view of reality that is inclusive of imagination can incorporate our deepest yearning for meaning and value.

Fidelity and Creativity: A Theological Appreciation of Philip Endean

This exploration of Philip Endean’s approach to the relationship between Karl Rahner and St Ignatius Loyola demonstrates a dynamic of ongoing refinement, appropriation, implementation and popularisation in the reception of Ignatian spirituality.

Karl Rahner and the Heart of Christ

The traditional devotion to the Sacred Heart will become worn out unless it acknowledges the gradual process by which our own messy hearts become like that of Christ. The Church must bring about the conditions under which this growth can take place.

Tradition in Time: The Contribution of Philip Endean, Jesuit Historian

Philip Endean’s contribution to the study of Jesuit history and culture has not been recognised widely enough. His insights invite us to return to the provisionality of the nascent Society of Jesus in order to retell its story for the next generation.

Psalmic Odes from Apostolic Times

The Odes of Solomon were written in Syriac in the early second century. A recent translation has reawakened interest in these heartfelt prayers through which the presence of God can be tangibly felt.

The Saint, the Theologian, the Poet and Philip Endean

The dialogue between St Ignatius Loyola and the theologian Karl Rahner was at the core of Philip Endean’s academic work. The poet Gerard Manley Hopkins acts as a surprising intermediary in understanding the relation between them.

Long Live the Weeds and the Wilderness Yet

The editor ponders the role of the wilderness in the poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins. Its religious, aesthetic and natural connotations reveal a locus for encounter with God where despondency falls away and promised freedom can be received.

Philip Endean SJ (1954–2023)

Michael Barnes, a close friend, narrates the life of Philip Endean, touched as it was by grace. And Elizabeth Lock, who worked alongside Philip at The Way, recalls his generosity as an example of how to live in the world.

From the Foreword

This issue of The Way is offered as a tribute to the memory of Philip Endean SJ (1954–2023). He was a true gentlemen, an eminent scholar, and his spirit had all the agility, in the words of the song, of an acrobat. Among his academic interests were Karl Rahner, St Ignatius Loyola, the early Society of Jesus and Gerard Manley Hopkins, a variety which this selection of articles reflects. The humility with which he would have viewed his own legacy is perhaps best encapsulated by the concluding words of his book-length study of Rahner: ‘Seen in themselves, our efforts are only fragments: mere attempts to clear space so that God’s grace can be disclosed’. His agility of spirit came not from his exceptional talents alone, but from the inner work of grace that was disclosed through his life and work.

Philip Harrison SJ

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