“The Challenge of Contextual Theology Now”

Hundreds of theologians from the Ignatian Institute of Religious Education Foundation (IIREF) gathered at the 5th level of Holy Cross of Davao College on the annual lecture of Archbishop Emeritus Fernando Capalla, DD, entitled “The Challenge of Contextual Theology Now”, on March 11.

Facilitated by IIREF Executive Director Father Persus D. Gonzales, Ph.D., Archbishop-Emeritus Capalla’s contextual theology was taken from the keynote address of Fr. Michael Amaladoss, SJ, at the International Theological Forum on “Asian Theology for the Future” in Seoul, Korea, in October 2011.

“How does this contextual theology be applied in today’s society with lots of burning issues including the attack of the President to Catholic Bishops,” reacted one of the theologians.

The less-than-an-hour of lecture triggered more than an hour of questions and commentaries from theologians, each of which Archbishop-Emeritus Capalla addressed very prudently and cautiously.

Archbishop-Emeritus Capalla said metaphorically that the discussion on contextual theology cannot be “completely finished” in just one forum; it implies more setting, more fora, and “it may be more frequent than annual,” he said.

Established in June 1992 and inspired by Ignatian Spirituality, Rev. Fr. William J. Malley, S.J. initiated the theological program which became known as Ignatian Institute of Religious Education. IIREF is dedicated principally to the theological formation of the laypersons and is also open to the theological formation of other qualified students from outside the archdiocese insofar as its resources permit. (Vonz M. Hijada | OLLP SoCCom)