The Case for Grace-Filled Naturalism: A Dialogue with Edward Schillebeeckx

Abstract

precis:This essay makes the case for grace-filled naturalism by entering into dialogue with the theology of Edward Schillebeeckx. It first shows that God's creative action places God within all finite reality in an immediate way. It then shows how God as Spirit can be identified with God's primary or creating causality. Jesus' divinity can also be understood within the framework of a paradigmatic concentrated instance of God's creating presence. This construction yields a framework for a naturalist spirituality of union with God, constituted by God as Spirit, and mediated by Christ that is completely at home in today's secular, scientific world.