Am having trouble w/ chaning fonts, etc. Apologies for the poor formatting.
++++++++++
In April of 2011, the USCCB issued a news release, issued a press release regarding Quest for the Living God: Mapping the Frontiers of the Theology of God, by Sister Elizabeth A. Johnson, a Sister of St. Joseph of Brentwood, New York and professor at Fordham University. In this press release the Doctrine Committee, chaired by Cardinal Wuerl, states:
The Doctrine Committee asserted in late March that Quest for the Living God as a work of Catholic theology “does not take the faith of the Church as its starting point” and said “the author employs standards from outside the faith to criticize and to revise in a radical fashion the conception of God revealed in Scripture and taught by the Magisterium.”
I remember this being written about in the Catholic Standard and one of the reasons why this was important, as this was being used to teach large numbers of undergraduates. Therefore, they had to step in and discuss that this book really was inadequate for the study of Catholic theology. (I think I have gotten that one correct.)
You can read about the full news release here:
http://www.usccb.org/news/2011/11-078.cfm
For those who are interested, you can read the full text of the response by the Doctrine Committee here: http://www.usccb.org/about/doctrine/publications/upload/statement-quest-for-the-living-god-response-2011-10-11.pdf
So, why do I bring this up?
It seems that Quest for the Living God is part of the weekly book study at Resurrection Parish in Burtonsville (it is advertised on their website and the book is being sold in the Rectory). So, unless Fr. Keffer is using this book study to explain, in layman’s terminology, of why the bishops have criticized it and where Sr. Johnson went wrong, then why is it being used? (If it is being used to help teach why the views expressed are wrong, I can understand and support.)
So, here we have the Cardinal, as Chair of the Doctrine Committee, criticizing the book, and yet, one of our parishes is “teaching” from it and “selling” it.
We issue statements saying that a priest cannot refuse Holy Communion, but we have a radical retired bishop offering a retreat at St. Al’s in DC and a criticized book being used at one of our parishes.
Go figure.