Koo Mark Chung-Mo

This article explains and analyzes the theological meaning and background of the Encyclical Letter Ecclesia De Eucharistia. This Encyclical was prormulgated on April, 17, 2003, Holy Thursday of that year, as the present Pope's 14th Encyclical. From the Pope's special intention, expressed in the document as we11 as by his personal affection for the Eucharist, we see that this is not just "another" Encyclical. This article is mainly divided into two parts. The first part describes and explains the contents of the Encyclical. The second part attempts a theological analysis. From the contents, we easily detect some defensive and conservative tones in the Pope's attitude. These tendencies are shown especially in his supporting of the hierarchical structure, in his concern about some recent ecumenical trends, and in his literal emphasis on the Thomistic terminology such as "transubstantiation" or "sacrifice." And it is true that many theologians have expressed their concern that the Pope is drawing back from the spirit of the Second Vatican Council. A careful reading of the Encyclical, however, shows that there are some authentic and positive aspects which support the true spirit of the Council. The Pope suggests that the Eucharistic mystery provides the ultimate vision for achieving the goal of Ecumenism and religious dialogue. What the Pope is concerned about is carelessness and impetuousness in our understanding of the mystery of the Eucharist. For theological interpretation, I took "reduction" or "reductionism" as a key word to understand the Pope's intention. For this analysis, I borrowed some concepts from Edward Vacek, S.J, a leading contemporary theologian. Reductionism is a way of reducing a whole reality to a certain phenomehon. The Pope sees the danger of reductionism in certain new theological ideas and pastoral Eucharistic practices. Some see the Eucharist as just an occasion for casual and fraternal companionship. Others tend to disregard the tradition of the Church and tend to see the Eucharist as an old relic. What is true is that the traditional system, structure, and theological expression still preserve the reality of what the Eucharistic mystery contains. Here I have tried to re-interpret the traditional terminologies of sacrifice, transubstantiation, and koinonia, as supporting symbols which can help to foster Ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue. Finally, I point out some theological limits as to what the Encyclical reveals. I have commented on two dimensions, namely the ecclesiological and the sacramenta1.

In this paper, I introduce a new possibility of a theological methodology using Donald Gelpi's "Construct of Experience" and "Conversion Theory". This theological methodology provides a way to mediate between religion and culture where religion is trying to take root. A theological topic will integrate the interpreted cultural symbol into the Christian experience of faith through this newly formed methodology. Gelpl's "Construct of Experience" and "Conversion Theory" provide a new and sound possibility of a mediation between religion and culture. Through Gelpi's "Construct of Experience", we confirm the fact that reality is grasped by intuition and affection, as well as by inference. Gelpi argues that human religious experience initially flows from the heart rather than from the head ; intuitive perceptions of the meaning of salvation history hold a privileged place in the Christian community. Gelpi's "Conversion Theory" provides a frame of reference to categorize any human experience comprehensively and systematically. Building on the work of Bernard Lonergan, Gelpi distinguishes between a graced religious conversion and a natural form of conversion. A graced religious conversion transmutes and transvalues natural forms of conversion. A normative insight into that process of transmutation holds the key for understanding how faith seeks to transform any given human experience and human culture. These guidelines suggest a balanced and integrated proposal for inculturation in Christian theology.