Concentrated Creation: Creation and Salvation in the Christology of Edward Schillebeeckx

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This book widens the understanding of salvation from a narrow focus on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ to one which is inseparable from creation theology. In this analysis of the Thomist and Irenaean sources of Edward Schillebeeckxs creation faith, Gods absolute saving presence to humanity is found to be intrinsic to his creative action. This becomes most explicit in Gods humanity in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Lewis argues that Jesus is both Gods invitation to humanity and is himself the perfect human response to God. Because of this, Jesus' followers are called to be engaged in Gods saving action, by working to remove suffering from people and to build a better world in which all may flourish. Schillebeeckxs theology is sometimes thought to divide into two disconnected halves, a pre- and post-Vatican II version. The way in which Schillebeeckxs Christological soteriology has developed over his theological career, before and after Vatican II, is here examined using the Annales model of continuity and change. This book finds that Schillebeeckx both breaks with the language of Chalcedon while remaining adamantly faithful to the truth which it expresses. The final chapters discover how Schillebeeckxs ideas and methods are crucially relevant in an analysis of contemporary social suffering in Ciudad-Jurez by Nancy Pineda-Madrid, and in the project of the Catholic Dialogue School in Flanders by Lieven Boeve.

Reviews

Lewis richly contextualizes the centrality of Christology in Schillebeeckxs presentation of creation faith through her exploration of key sources, lines of continuity and change, and new contexts in which to see the vitality of his thinking. Befitting its subject, this book imbues careful theological study with a distinct spiritual heartbeat. -- Elizabeth M. Pyne, Mercyhurst University, USA
This is a very helpful book, showing how Schillebeeckxs non-Anselmian soteriology expresses the intimate connections that he makes between creation, being human and Christology. The primacy of praxis is articulated clearly throughout the book, coming to fulfilment in its last part in challenging and compelling ways. -- Martin Poulsom, University of Roehampton, UK

Author Bio

Rhona Lewis is an independent scholar, UK