Elizabeth Johnson-Revisonist Method of Theology Essay Example for Free

Elizabeth Johnson-Revisonist Method of Theology EssayElizabeth Johnson is perhaps one of the most preeminent Catholic theologians of the new millennium. The fact that she is a woman spiritual who writes from a feminist perspective adds to her ridiculous and distinguished career. This paper will examine the revisionist method espoused by Elizabeth Johnson, in an effort to understand her advent to Christian feminism. An overview of revisionist methodology will be presented so as to understand the framework in which Johnson works.References to somewhat of Johnson s writings will past be presented in an effort to illustrate her revisionist method. Fin completelyy a survey of various critics will then be presented in an effort to determine what has made her method, move up and style groundbreaking in the area of feminist theology. In its simplest form, revisionist methodology involves looking back at one s tradition in an effort to gain new insights into the situation at prog ress to or to uncover what has been lost.In a more elaborate definition, David Tracey states that, In its briefest expression, the revisionist imitate holds that a modern-day fundamental Christian theology can best be described as philosophical reproval upon meanings present in common human experience and language, and upon the meanings present in the Christian fact. 1 Tracy then outlines five theses that are intended to explicate this particular model The first thesis defends the proposition that on that point are deuce sources for theology, common human experience and language, and Christian texts.The second thesis argues for the necessity of correlating the results of the investigations of these deuce sources. The third and fourth theses attempt to specify the most helpful methods of investigation employed for studying these two sources 1 David Tracy, Blessed Rage for Order The new(a) Pluralism in Theology (New York The Seabury Press, 1975) 43. 1 (methods include phenomenolo gy of religious dimension for human experience and language and historical and hermeneutical investigations for Christian texts).The fifth and final thesis hike specifies the final mode of critical correlation of these investigations as an explicitly metaphysically and transcendental one. 2 If we go through the aforementioned description to our area of interest, then revisionist Christian feminism can be seen as seeking,to mutually and critically correlate the central and liberating themes of biblical and Christian tradition with the experience of women in the contemporary situation. 3 In one of her most noted works, She Who Is, Johnson captures the essence of her revisionist Christian feminism in the metaphor of a braided footbridge,between the ledges of classical and feminist Christian tradition. Throwing a hermeneutical span from side to side whitethorn enable some to cross over to the paradigm of women s coequal humanity without leaving arsehole all the riches of the traditi on that had been their intellectual and spiritual home. 4 It clear already from this brief introduction, that Johnson employs the revisionist model of theology.Tradition is key to anyone employing the revisionist model and Johnson is no exception to this. Tradition is important for Johnson, but not of necessity in the sense that one should mindlessly adhere to every aspect of what we inherit. On the other hand, we cannot consecrate our heads the sand and deny the existence of tradition or avoid learning about it. We are all part of a tradition and it becomes part of our shared history and allows us ,to see far thank to the stature of those who have handed on the 2 3 Tracy, Blessed Rage for Order The New Pluralism in Theology , 43.Shannon Schrein, Quilting and Braiding The Feminist Christologies of Sallie McFague and Elizabeth Johnson in Conversation (Collegeville Liturgical Press, 1998) 2. 4 Elizabeth Johnson, She Who Is The closed book of God in Feminist Theological Discourse (N ew York Crossroad Publishing, 1992) 12. 2 tradition to us. 5 Johnson is courteous of tradition, with the understanding that it often needs to be analyzed to determine if is contributing to pain and suffering. In her book, run into Jesus, the emphasis is not just on tradition, but on a living tradition.