Description
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewIf the title of a book should indicate precisely what it is about, then Toward a Catholic Theology of Nationality is a perfect example. The theme is nationality, the discipline is theology, and the perspective is Roman Catholic. With a masterful weaving of these three skeins, Llywelyn offers fresh and pathbreaking insights into a much-neglected field, and his book will remain an indispensable reference for future research....Gracefully written, meticulously researched, and richly insightful. * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *
He has explored points of contact in the tradition that could ground more coherent Catholic discussion of the issue. His contribution is impressive in its ambitions and in its execution. * Theological Studies *
Llywelyn has essayed a daunting task: to build, where there has been none before, a coherent Catholic theology of the nation and nationality. His book is learned, nuanced, and quite original. He dialogues, closely, with the social sciences and history on the reality of a nation. He draws on post-Vatican II documents and a new focus on the church and culture and links them, very originally, to the doctrines of the Incarnation, the theology of the relation of nature to grace, and the Trinity. In the end, Llywelyn both validates an authentic sense of nation and avoids any idolatrous substitution of nation for religion. An important book not only for theologians but for those concerned with the ethics of nationhood. -- John A. Coleman S.J., Casassa Professor of Social Values, Emeritus, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles
Every now and then a book comes out and fills a huge gap of knowledge, and Toward a Catholic Theology of Nationality is certainly one of these. 'Nationality' is a concept as slippery as a jellyfish, as Llywelyn points out, and to pin it down and relate it to the whole gamut of Christian doctrines—from Christology to ecclesiology to Mariology—is a veritable intellectual tour de force. With rare theological depth, Llywelyn convincingly shows that the question of nationality is not simply a matter of ethics and politics but must be deeply rooted in Catholic beliefs about God and redemption. Insightful, challenging, and wide-ranging, this book is a must-read in any course on Catholic social teaching and on politics. -- Peter C. Phan, Georgetown University
Table of Contents1 Table of Contents 2 Acknowledgments Chapter 3 Introduction Chapter 4 1. Pinning the Jellyfish: The Nation (Un)Defined Chapter 5 2. Longtime Companions Chapter 6 3. Biblical Nations and Dogmatic Reticence Chapter 7 4. The Value of Thisness Chapter 8 5. Our Lady of All Nations Chapter 9 6. From Redeemer Nations to Redeemed Humanity Chapter 10 Bibliography Chapter 11 Index
