Abstract

Karl Rahner, S.J., is known to be one of the great theological forces behind Vatican II and has influenced subsequent Catholic theologians in their exploration of other religions. Drawing upon the heuristic of finite-Infinite that runs through Rahner’s thought, this chapter examines the theological method of Francis X. Clooney, S.J., pioneer of an approach to comparative theology growing in popularity. The paper treats three related themes from the perspective of one who has appropriated Clooney’s methods for her own scholarship: Rahner’s theological anthropology as a resource for comparative theology, Rahner’s affinity with F.D.E. Schleiermacher on this question, and the strengths and limitations of Clooney’s approach.