Magnifying the Many - A Charity-First Vision for the Catholic Church and the Glorification of All Traditions
Year: 2025
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: This paper proposes a theological reorientation of Catholic self-understanding from exclusivist possession of truth to magnification of God’s work across all peoples, cultures, and traditions. Building upon the developments of Vatican II (Nostra Aetate, Lumen Gentium), it argues that the Magisterium should be reframed not as a gatekeeper of revelation but as an organ of glorification—amplifying the rays of truth already present in Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Indigenous wisdom, and scientific discovery. Drawing on biblical precedents (John 1:9, Acts 17, Luke 1:46), patristic thought (Augustine, Aquinas), modern theology (Rahner), and interfaith dialogue, the paper outlines doctrinal, liturgical, and missional reforms toward a “charity-first hermeneutic.” The vision presented is not syncretism but magnification: the Church as the conductor of humanity’s hymn of praise, harmonizing diverse traditions without erasing their distinctiveness.
Author: MacLean, Ryan
Language: English
Subfield: History
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7079545809
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