How can Catholic philosophers confront the challenging intellectual questions of the twenty-first-century world? Among these questions are the relationship of philosophy to the spiritual renewal of the Church, the interplay of faith and reason, the role of metaphysics in philosophy, contemporary challenges to the family, the status of women, and the ways modern medicine can actually challenge as well as serve the dignity of the human person. In this volume, fourteen distinguished authors take as focal points the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et spes) and Pope John Paul II's encyclical letter on the relationship of faith and reason (Fides et Ratio) to explore the vocation of the Catholic philosopher. The lead essay considers the significance of Vatican II in establishing a new context for Catholic philosophy. As a precursor of the council, twentieth-century French philosopher Jacques Maritain is taken as a paradigm for his bold confrontation of modern philosophy. The contributors then consider Pope John Paul II's call to develop the resources of St. Thomas Aquinas along with the positive aspects of modern philosophy. ABOUT THE EDITOR: John P. Hittinger is professor of philosophy in the Center for Thomistic Studies at the University of St. Thomas and the director of the Pope John Paul II Forum for the Church in the Modern World. CONTRIBUTORS Prudence Allen, R.S.M., is professor of philosophy at St. John Theological Seminary and distinguished professor emeritus of Concordia University. Lawrence Dewan, O.P., is professor of philosophy at the Dominican University College. Heather M. Erb is assistant professor of philosophy at Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania. Daniel B. Gallagher, a priest of the Diocese of Gaylord, has taught philosophy and theology at Sacred Heart Major Seminary. He is currently assigned to the Vatican Secretariat of State. James G. Hanink is a professor of philosophy at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. John F. Morris is professor of philosophy at Rockhurst University. +Ralph C. Nelson, professor of philosophy and political science, University of Windsor. Edmund D. Pellegrino is the John Carroll Professor Emeritus of Medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center. Richard Schenk, O.P., is professor of systematic theology and philosophy at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley and its Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology. He is former director of the Intercultural Forum for Studies in Faith and Culture at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center. Michael D. Torre is associate professor of philosophy at the University of San Francisco. John G. Trapani Jr. is professor of philosophy at Walsh University and president of the American Maritain Association. Cornelia Tsakiridou is associate professor of philosophy at La Salle University. John F. Wippel is the Theodore Basselin Professor of Philosophy at the Catholic University of America. PRAISE FOR THE BOOK "This collection reminds readers of the beauty, goodness, and truth of the Christian faith." --Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies
