Defense Date
10-30-2017
Graduation Date
Fall 1-1-2017
Availability
Immediate Access
Submission Type
dissertation
Degree Name
PhD
Department
Theology
School
McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts
Committee Chair
Radu Bordeianu
Committee Member
William M. Wright IV
Committee Member
Daniel P. Scheid
Keywords
Benedict XVI, Ratzinger, eschatology, cosmos, cosmic eschatology, environment, ecological crisis
Abstract
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has elements of a cosmic eschatology embedded in his theological oeuvre that have not heretofore been extensively systematized. This dissertation fills this gap by contextualizing Benedict’s cosmic eschatology in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, examining his Logos theology and his view on the fate of the cosmos, exploring his cosmic liturgy, and evaluating his concept of human ecology and pneumatology. Benedict insufficiently links his cosmic eschatology to his papal teachings on the environment; however, his cosmic eschatology can be developed in fruitful ways. After providing a thorough articulation of Benedict’s cosmic eschatology, I offer my own ideas on how it might develop. I suggest modifying the exitus-reditus schema to accommodate the uniqueness of individuals and, building on the foundation of Benedict’s cosmic eschatology, I lay the groundwork for a pneumatological cosmic eschatology using the insights of various eastern theologians.
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Vallery, J. (2017). The Salvation of the Cosmos: Benedict XVI's Eschatology and its Relevance for the Current Ecological Crisis (Doctoral dissertation, Duquesne University). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/205
Included in
Catholic Studies Commons, Christianity Commons, Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons