Time, German, and Karl Rahner

It was my intention to write often on this blog. To allow myself to leave the pages of my books and the confines of theological academia and contemplate the praxis of theology within our churches. However, that goal has been thwarted. I realize time is one of the most important commodities we have. And time management is one of the greatest tasks anyone, and especially ministers, must (and I mean really must) accomplish. With that comes a set of priorities, otherwise one is tossed to and fro by the wind. for me my priorities in my family grew by 25% with the newest addition of Tyler Augustine Grace on March 26th. Needless to say that I have had my focus elsewhere.

However, I have not neglected my studies either. I am into the last stretch of languages required from me for my academic career. I am taking advanced theological German this summer and will be done with it in August. It has been another consuming factor in my time management. 

But that is no excuse to not write. So allow me to present an axiom from Karl Rahner and commentate on it briefly.

In Karl Rahner's short work on the Trinity entitled The Trinity, one finds his ground principle, his thesis, as this: The Economic Trinity is the Immanent Trinity and the Immanent Trinity is the Economic Trinity. These two terms, Economic and immanent, are descriptors in theology of two different aspects of the Trinity. Some have labeled them differently (ontological or functional for example) but they basically are two ways at looking at the Trinity. The Immanent Trinity is the view of the Trinity as God in his being, his ontic reality. The Economic Trinity is the view of God as he is functioning with creation. The latter would deal with the interpersonal relations of the divine three-in-oneness and its perichoresis whereas the former looks at the interaction of God in creation, where one pays attention to the specific functions of the missions of Son and Spirit from Father. 

What Rahner is arguing is that for one to understand the Immanent Trinity he need look no further than what God does and vice versa. What I find most problematic with this approach, and perhaps Rahner will allay my fears as I read more, is that if the Immanent is caught up in the Economic and vice versa there is no room for more mystery of the ontic Godhead. That is to say that the God who answered Job by telling him he is not God is stripped of most mystery. I am much more comfortable seeing God's immanence being more transcendent than what he presents.

Why do I right this? What does this have to do with the practical Christian life? Besides everything, it has to do with the view of God, which in turn shades the mode of worship, colors the extent of prayer, and embodies the out reaching purpose of our lives. One's view of the Trinity is paramount to their faith. It is how we see how God works as Father, as sacrificial Lamb and as everlasting comforter. 

I do not have all the answers, but I look to the one who does.

May your faith be spurred on to contemplate the richness of the mystery of the Trinity.