Papers by Renato Bonasera
Renato Bonasera, 2025
This paper aims to expose the reality of the power that lies behind spiritual and moral manifesta... more This paper aims to expose the reality of the power that lies behind spiritual and moral manifestations of evil, consider the parameters with which to discriminate between appropriate and fancilful spiritual warfare, encourage hope in the face of despair when scandalised by the existence of an eternal Hell, tackle the confusion that results from inconsistencies between various hermeneutics applied to evil, and offer a virtues focused Christological perspective to the which utilises a language of love more than of mere doctrine. The above is considered through the lens of the theology of Joseph Ratzinger.
Renato Bonasera, 2025
It is clear when one peruses the different periods in Church history that the Church has had to d... more It is clear when one peruses the different periods in Church history that the Church has had to deal with momentous political, social and internal upheavals. Today, the situation is no different. Still adjusting to the aggiornamento initiated by the Second Vatican Council, and addressing the many problems in the world, such as relativism, subjectivism and the widespread 'atheism of the masses,' the Church faces a challenge, which more often than not, highlights the problem of semantics, and the inability of human language to capture the mystery which is the Church. Therefore, from the axiom of St. Cyprian of Carthage, "There is no salvation outside the Church" to the declaration "Dominus Iesus", the Church has found it a significant challenge to make intelligible to all peoples, not only the way of Salvation for all people, but the unique role played by the visible Catholic Church - hierarchy and lay - in this Salvation.
Renato Bonasera, 2025
As a philosopher and theologian who stood at the “intellectual intersection of Christianity, phil... more As a philosopher and theologian who stood at the “intellectual intersection of Christianity, philosophy and politics” Augustine was presented with multiplicity of thought, and conflicting ideas from antiquity to the threshold of the Middle Ages, and ‘straddled the ancient and contemporary in a way unlike any other thinker.' Through an exploration of the components of what can be named a Hermeneutic of Encounter, it will be demonstrated that a pursuit for truth is at the heart of Augustine’s endeavour. At a time when the division between those who believe that interpretation of texts has no limits, compared to those who believe meaning is singular, Augustine’s theological hermeneutics can provide reason for hope in reducing the inherent tension, to find a solution to the alethiological question: What is the nature of truth?
Renato Bonasera, 2025
Augustine's inward journey could well be described as an Odyssey of the human heart, in its deepe... more Augustine's inward journey could well be described as an Odyssey of the human heart, in its deepest sense. It is not just an exploration of or abandonment to the emotions, or irrational desires. It is clear, as one embarks on Augustine's journey, that the heart is the seat of moral
responsibility, and therefore also deals with the will. Clearly, for Augustine, this odyssey is primarily a moral one. To understand God and his working in a soul, via grace and through the bodily senses is to understand God’s Covenant call and the moral and relational response which this entails. It is a response at the heart of which is an integration of all one's natural
faculties, especially the passions, senses and affections, measured against the teleological call to love God and neighbour.
Renato Bonasera, 2025
The question of hermeneutics, the art and methods of interpreting texts, in this case the Scriptu... more The question of hermeneutics, the art and methods of interpreting texts, in this case the Scriptures, is of paramount importance in accurately understanding God's revelation to humanity. At the heart of Christian
theology is the need to understand what God has revealed and continues to reveal to the heart of the believer, a practice employed by the Apostles themselves. This paper considers the superiority of Hermeneutics of Faith in Biblical and Theological interpretations, with a special reference to practical applications, spirituality and the theology of Ratzinger and the Figural Reading of Radner.
Renato Bonasera, 2025
The main claim Radner makes in the Introduction/Chapter 8 of his work, The Word’s Work: Figural P... more The main claim Radner makes in the Introduction/Chapter 8 of his work, The Word’s Work: Figural Preaching and Scriptural Conformance (2016) is that a Figural Reading of Scripture is an ideal hermeneutical approach for Christians in three main ways: its fidelity to the Scriptures, its ability to
draw on its ‘brute power’ (p. 161); and in its antidote to erroneous methods of interpretation. All three of these have implications for hermeneutics which are briefly discussed in this paper.
Renato Bonasera, 2025
Aquinas shows us how the emotions can cooperate with the virtues so that our actions and response... more Aquinas shows us how the emotions can cooperate with the virtues so that our actions and response to God's Covenant call can be purer on one hand, and filled with desire on the other. Ryan talks about the characteristics Aquinas assigns to emotions. He also mentions the importance of choice, through which a human moves “towards fully realising our humanity.” It is through this conscious decision to allow
our emotions to be guided by the virtues, that we in fact allow the emotions to intensify our good action. In effect it is human freedom
which is essential in complete integration - without it the emotions are victims of unbridled impulse. This is especially seen in Aquinas' distinction and relationship between the concupiscible and the
irascible passions.
Renato Bonasera, 2025
What Fagan has said about the different models of Church could be said about the different ways o... more What Fagan has said about the different models of Church could be said about the different ways of viewing morality within the Catholic tradition at the end of Second Millennium. “Different approaches appeal to different people and indeed to the same people at different times …A variety of models can give us a more rounded approach and enrich our understanding of [the] reality,” of sin and of the complexity of the human being as an individual and as a social being. Each model of morality has both great potential to develop our moral sense as well as challenge
it. Whichever model one comes to accept as their own, however, it is clear that by the end of the Second Millennium, Catholic moral theology was already developing, for better or for worse, depending on one’s position on the Catholic spectrum of thought outside magisterial statements.
For the purposes of this paper, I limit my discussion to thought around the late Twentieth Century, when already, the idea that morality is expressed in our lives ‘rather than in our creedal affirmations” was gaining more credence. And I do so within the context of certain models of
morality.
Renato Bonasera, 2025
An exploration of the kenosis of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit on the cross reveals that to see... more An exploration of the kenosis of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit on the cross reveals that to see only Christ on the cross is to misunderstand the ‘eternal agape’ of the Triune God and God’s eternal creative power, which generated the Church. What appears as a moment of isolation and
separation is in fact a time of intense oneness grounded in a “will, which is mediated, encompassed and empowered by the Holy Spirit.” Jesus’ so-called ‘cry of abandonment’ is neither a cry of despair, nor a mere didactic tool identifying him with the lowly of the world, the anawim! It is an ode to the Father’s gift of salvation about to be accomplished and testimony to the Spirit who gave Christ “the necessary force to make his death a perfect offering to the Father.”
Renato Bonasera, 2025
Dante's Divine Comedy (written between 1307-1321) as a text produced in the Middle Ages, has much... more Dante's Divine Comedy (written between 1307-1321) as a text produced in the Middle Ages, has much to offer as a springboard for a discussion of salvation and the implications of this for the theology of the Church and its mission, whether it is an accurate reflection of the 'theological' consensus of the Church at the time, or in part, merely a 'theological enquiry' seen through the eyes of a poet and which appears no longer viable. This paper invites a consideration of Dante's limited understanding of eschatological realities in light of the teachings of Late Twentieth Century Catholicism.
Renato Bonasera, 2025
A review of the following chapter in Ricœur, P. (1970). The conflict of interpretations. In Freud... more A review of the following chapter in Ricœur, P. (1970). The conflict of interpretations. In Freud and philosophy: an essay on interpretation (pp. 20–36). Yale University Press.
This paper discusses Ricouer’s central claim which centres around the complexity of the interpretation and communication of meaning due to the presence of different hermeneutical schools of thought that disagree on
what classifies as the ‘truth’ of interpretations sought, the notion of truth itself, the ‘accuracy’ of related methodologies used to uncover it, as well as the mode of expression to which one can attribute meaning.
Renato Bonasera, 2025
The theory that the definition of and search for truth, the delineation of ethical principles and... more The theory that the definition of and search for truth, the delineation of ethical principles and moral behaviour, as well as the view of man this produces, are all relative to culture (and are justified within the confines of the said culture), is erroneous. This is to adopt a very limited view of humankind and its capacity to adhere to a Natural Law which transcends time, space and culture, and which is not diminished by the fact that
not all cultures adhere to it in the same way. Even where there are moral or ethical differences between cultures, these differences are not as extreme as are the similarities.
Renato Bonasera, 2025
In the light of both Aquinas and contemporary writing, one comes to discover the extent to which... more In the light of both Aquinas and contemporary writing, one comes to discover the extent to which Jesus is in fact the perfect model of affective and personal integration in the human person as God's image. Not only does Jesus demonstrate, in contrast to Plato, the value of
the passions in the moral life, he highlights their necessity in achieving internal harmony between them and Reason (intellect and will), so that the life of grace can work unhindered in the soul, and the 'Abba' experience with which Jesus is 'flooded', can become the norm for all humanity. Jesus shows us, furthermore, that personal integration goes beyond striving for the good that can be known intellectually and done legalistically. It is about striving for the good that can be intensified
in all its beauty ‘within the full range of human experience'.
Renato Bonasera, 2025
A response to the following two documents.
1. Pope Leo I: The Petrine Doctrine, Sermon III, On H... more A response to the following two documents.
1. Pope Leo I: The Petrine Doctrine, Sermon III, On His Birthday.
3. Nicetas Choniates: The Sack of Constantinople – 1204 and Pope Innocent III: reprimand of the Papal Legate.
A consideration of the historical context with direct reference to the primary source documents.
Renato Bonasera, 2025
A consideration of sacramentology and the sacred, with special reference to Joseph Martos' classi... more A consideration of sacramentology and the sacred, with special reference to Joseph Martos' classic, "Doors to the Sacred" and to Liberation Theology.
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Papers by Renato Bonasera
responsibility, and therefore also deals with the will. Clearly, for Augustine, this odyssey is primarily a moral one. To understand God and his working in a soul, via grace and through the bodily senses is to understand God’s Covenant call and the moral and relational response which this entails. It is a response at the heart of which is an integration of all one's natural
faculties, especially the passions, senses and affections, measured against the teleological call to love God and neighbour.
theology is the need to understand what God has revealed and continues to reveal to the heart of the believer, a practice employed by the Apostles themselves. This paper considers the superiority of Hermeneutics of Faith in Biblical and Theological interpretations, with a special reference to practical applications, spirituality and the theology of Ratzinger and the Figural Reading of Radner.
draw on its ‘brute power’ (p. 161); and in its antidote to erroneous methods of interpretation. All three of these have implications for hermeneutics which are briefly discussed in this paper.
our emotions to be guided by the virtues, that we in fact allow the emotions to intensify our good action. In effect it is human freedom
which is essential in complete integration - without it the emotions are victims of unbridled impulse. This is especially seen in Aquinas' distinction and relationship between the concupiscible and the
irascible passions.
it. Whichever model one comes to accept as their own, however, it is clear that by the end of the Second Millennium, Catholic moral theology was already developing, for better or for worse, depending on one’s position on the Catholic spectrum of thought outside magisterial statements.
For the purposes of this paper, I limit my discussion to thought around the late Twentieth Century, when already, the idea that morality is expressed in our lives ‘rather than in our creedal affirmations” was gaining more credence. And I do so within the context of certain models of
morality.
separation is in fact a time of intense oneness grounded in a “will, which is mediated, encompassed and empowered by the Holy Spirit.” Jesus’ so-called ‘cry of abandonment’ is neither a cry of despair, nor a mere didactic tool identifying him with the lowly of the world, the anawim! It is an ode to the Father’s gift of salvation about to be accomplished and testimony to the Spirit who gave Christ “the necessary force to make his death a perfect offering to the Father.”
This paper discusses Ricouer’s central claim which centres around the complexity of the interpretation and communication of meaning due to the presence of different hermeneutical schools of thought that disagree on
what classifies as the ‘truth’ of interpretations sought, the notion of truth itself, the ‘accuracy’ of related methodologies used to uncover it, as well as the mode of expression to which one can attribute meaning.
not all cultures adhere to it in the same way. Even where there are moral or ethical differences between cultures, these differences are not as extreme as are the similarities.
the passions in the moral life, he highlights their necessity in achieving internal harmony between them and Reason (intellect and will), so that the life of grace can work unhindered in the soul, and the 'Abba' experience with which Jesus is 'flooded', can become the norm for all humanity. Jesus shows us, furthermore, that personal integration goes beyond striving for the good that can be known intellectually and done legalistically. It is about striving for the good that can be intensified
in all its beauty ‘within the full range of human experience'.
1. Pope Leo I: The Petrine Doctrine, Sermon III, On His Birthday.
3. Nicetas Choniates: The Sack of Constantinople – 1204 and Pope Innocent III: reprimand of the Papal Legate.
A consideration of the historical context with direct reference to the primary source documents.
responsibility, and therefore also deals with the will. Clearly, for Augustine, this odyssey is primarily a moral one. To understand God and his working in a soul, via grace and through the bodily senses is to understand God’s Covenant call and the moral and relational response which this entails. It is a response at the heart of which is an integration of all one's natural
faculties, especially the passions, senses and affections, measured against the teleological call to love God and neighbour.
theology is the need to understand what God has revealed and continues to reveal to the heart of the believer, a practice employed by the Apostles themselves. This paper considers the superiority of Hermeneutics of Faith in Biblical and Theological interpretations, with a special reference to practical applications, spirituality and the theology of Ratzinger and the Figural Reading of Radner.
draw on its ‘brute power’ (p. 161); and in its antidote to erroneous methods of interpretation. All three of these have implications for hermeneutics which are briefly discussed in this paper.
our emotions to be guided by the virtues, that we in fact allow the emotions to intensify our good action. In effect it is human freedom
which is essential in complete integration - without it the emotions are victims of unbridled impulse. This is especially seen in Aquinas' distinction and relationship between the concupiscible and the
irascible passions.
it. Whichever model one comes to accept as their own, however, it is clear that by the end of the Second Millennium, Catholic moral theology was already developing, for better or for worse, depending on one’s position on the Catholic spectrum of thought outside magisterial statements.
For the purposes of this paper, I limit my discussion to thought around the late Twentieth Century, when already, the idea that morality is expressed in our lives ‘rather than in our creedal affirmations” was gaining more credence. And I do so within the context of certain models of
morality.
separation is in fact a time of intense oneness grounded in a “will, which is mediated, encompassed and empowered by the Holy Spirit.” Jesus’ so-called ‘cry of abandonment’ is neither a cry of despair, nor a mere didactic tool identifying him with the lowly of the world, the anawim! It is an ode to the Father’s gift of salvation about to be accomplished and testimony to the Spirit who gave Christ “the necessary force to make his death a perfect offering to the Father.”
This paper discusses Ricouer’s central claim which centres around the complexity of the interpretation and communication of meaning due to the presence of different hermeneutical schools of thought that disagree on
what classifies as the ‘truth’ of interpretations sought, the notion of truth itself, the ‘accuracy’ of related methodologies used to uncover it, as well as the mode of expression to which one can attribute meaning.
not all cultures adhere to it in the same way. Even where there are moral or ethical differences between cultures, these differences are not as extreme as are the similarities.
the passions in the moral life, he highlights their necessity in achieving internal harmony between them and Reason (intellect and will), so that the life of grace can work unhindered in the soul, and the 'Abba' experience with which Jesus is 'flooded', can become the norm for all humanity. Jesus shows us, furthermore, that personal integration goes beyond striving for the good that can be known intellectually and done legalistically. It is about striving for the good that can be intensified
in all its beauty ‘within the full range of human experience'.
1. Pope Leo I: The Petrine Doctrine, Sermon III, On His Birthday.
3. Nicetas Choniates: The Sack of Constantinople – 1204 and Pope Innocent III: reprimand of the Papal Legate.
A consideration of the historical context with direct reference to the primary source documents.