Theology and History of Vatican II

Essential Vatican II identifies the controversies that emerged from Vatican II and the impact of the Council's themes on contemporary Church life. The team of contributors comes from a variety of backgrounds, methodologies, personal experiences, and vocations of ministry steeped in the Council. Each chapter outlines the essentials of its topic, explains what happened at Vatican II and why, and most especially, describes what's happened since Vatican II.

With over a half century of experience in diverse cultures, each contributor asks: What do we now see as the document's strengths and weaknesses? Where has the document made a difference—or not? Where have its visions been implemented—or not? What have the reactions for and against been—and why? What might the future hold?

L'enquête que nous présentons ici, qui a duré deux ans, a d'abord été un travail ingrat : de nombreuses nuits blanches, la perte de collaborateurs, beaucoup de travail purement bénévole, différentes sortes de risquespotentiels... Et pour quel résultat? Peut-être pour finir relégué dans le club déjà bondé des "complotistes" ?
Pourtant, dans la vie, il y a des choses que l'on doit faire même si l'on n'en a pas envie, simplement pour ne pas avoir de remords de conscience.
De fait, après tout il n'y a "que" 1,285 milliard de catholiques dans le monde qui ont droit à la vérité.

El presente ensayo trata de comprender los mecanismos de análisis del tema religioso en la prosa y la poesía de Jorge Luis Borges a partir de un ejemplo de cada género. El uso de la Biblia y del lenguaje teológico es uno de los recursos con los que cuenta el literato argentino para modelar mundos fantásticos, una fuente, entre muchas otras, que pone a dialogar en sus escritos. A partir de las alusiones bíblicas que el autor argentino destaca, se subraya el uso de la “biografía” y la “enumeración” hacia una lectura laica de la Biblia. Este diálogo interdisciplinario sirve como modelo para la propuesta del autor: la teología es un lenguaje metafórico que se alimenta de otros lenguajes, la Biblia es un lenguaje metafórico que se alimenta de muchos contextos al ser releída hoy. Ambas no son propiedad  de ninguna iglesia, de ninguna religión, le pertenecen al universo de lo humano.

The life and spiritual development of Christians are intrinsically linked with the Church. This thesis clearly opposes contemporary individualistic and syncretic tendencies. The process requires constant learning about and identifying with the nature of the Mystical Body of Christ while
simultaneously recognizing the People of God. This truth was elucidated for contemporary Christianity by the Second Vatican Council. It is crucial to emphasize that the Church, despite its temporal structure and human weaknesses, is fundamentally the work of Christ through the action of the
Holy Spirit. Communio, which defines the nature of union with Christ, the Head of the Church, is manifested in the unity of all believers. This unity does not erase the individual character of each Christian’s life but is the source of the sanctifying richness of unity, amidst diverse gifts, charisms
and vocations. It also serves as the foundation of ecumenism in its broadest sense. The awareness of ecclesial identity must remain the foundation point of reference for both the life and development of
each believer, and the entire Church. This awareness underpins apostolic and evangelizing activity. Contemporary challenges call for a profound ecclesial formation that reveals the sanctifying and sanctified nature of the Church.

Neste trabalho analisamos algumas das proposições relacionadas à morte no livro Missão Abreviada: para despertar os descuidados, converter os pecadores e sustentar os frutos das Missões (Portugal, 1859) de autoria do padre Manuel José Gonçalves do Couto (1819-1897). Tentamos compreender como os ritos relacionados à morte e os espaços do além são representados nesta obra, uma vez que ela teve forte popularidade no Brasil oitocentista, pois chamava a atenção do fiel para a necessidade da penitência e arrependimento dos pecados.

To enter into an understanding of natural law as this is understood in the context of official Catholic Church teaching, the best point of departure is an understanding of what the Church has to say about the human intellect, the human intellect.  Centuries before natural law was discussed in official documents (in the Church's magisterial teaching), official church teaching speaks about the human intellectual (the human intellectual soul).  Its existence is first affirmed through a condemnation (a negative judgment) and  later, its limitations and powers are noted (at first negatively and then positively).  A history exists in all this and so, through this history, an officially prescribed teaching which can be viewed as a distinct philosophy of human intellect.  Failure to understand the nature of our human minds creates conditions that can lead us toward misunderstanding in other areas and departments of life (and not only within the kind of thinking which exists as Catholic theology).

W czasie swojego ingresu do katedry wawelskiej 8 marca 1964 roku arcybiskup Karol Wojtyła wyraził pragnienie, aby archidiecezja krakowska „żyła duchem Soboru i duchem Kościoła”. Analiza Notificationes, czyli przeglądu krakowskiej Kurii Diecezjalnej w latach 1960–1967 wskazuje, że Karol Wojtyła, jako wikariusz biskupi-kapitulny i arcybiskup, dbał o to, by archidiecezja krakowska żyła Soborem od momentu jego zwołania. Służyła temu usilna modlitwa za Ojców Soborowych podczas m.in. czuwań soborowych, informowanie wiernych o przebiegu Soboru, a następnie szybkie udostępnianie duchowieństwu tekstów soborowych, spotkania z wiernymi przed i po wyjeździe Wojtyły na sesje soborowe oraz publikowanie kazań i wystąpień radiowych Wojtyły na ten temat. W latach 1967–1968 diecezja przygotowała także cykl kazań na temat nauki Soboru Watykańskiego II i odnowionej liturgii Mszy św. W ten sposób soborowe aggiornamento przewidziane przez Jana XXIII dla całego Kościoła było realizowane pod rządami biskupa, a później arcybiskupa Wojtyły także we wspólnocie Kościoła krakowskiego.

El presente ensayo propone, a partir del reconocimiento de la diversidad cultural y religiosa, que el uso de las ciencias sociales, en particular la antropología social, es una herramienta indispensable para la lectura intercultural del texto bíblico. Siendo la Biblia el producto de memorias, voces y culturas encontradas, tomar consciencia de las distancias es una forma de crear puentes entre realidades diversas pero que, de hecho, siempre han interactuado y pueden descubrir nuevos caminos de humanidad en la Biblia y más allá de la Biblia.

Monsignor Loris Francesco Capovilla (1915‑2016), private secretary of Pope
John XXIII, wrote a brief journal of the first days of the Second Vatican Council. It is a source of great interest and importance both to see how this Venetian priest, placed in a very particular position, reacted to the beginning of the conciliar debates, as well as to see from inside some aspects of the functioning of the conciliar machine. This diary is in addition to the others that have been published in recent decades and that allow us finally to reconstruct in all its complexity the course of the Second Vatican Council, dropping the entirely ideological and misleading distinction between official and private sources

In "A Catholic Call to Action for Peace and Justice in Gaza," the author urges Christians, particularly Catholics, to confront the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and advocate for the rights of Palestinians. Highlighting the ongoing violence, displacement, and suffering faced by the Palestinian people, the piece emphasizes the moral imperative for the Church to speak out against injustice. The author critiques the silence of the Catholic Church regarding this issue, contrasting it with the actions of other Christian denominations. Drawing on the teachings of Pope Francis, the article calls for active engagement and solidarity with those in need, urging believers to embody Christ's message of love, mercy, and justice. Ultimately, it seeks to inspire a collective response to promote peace and protect the dignity of every individual affected by the conflict.

Religion came from the Latin word religio which can mean “devotedness” or “felt obligation,” and referred to the observance of duties. It encompassed a wide range of social groups and worship practices during earlier times. In the Middle Ages, it came to refer to monastic orders and sincere devotion. Although its meaning changed over time, it remained broadly and adaptably associated with devotion and worship to a common god or a multitude of gods. Modern practices of religion are often ingrained in a people’s culture as well, including their beliefs, values, and behavior.  

The aim of this article is to delve into Foucault's intuition in the book The Order of Things, regarding the máthêsis universalis as a general science of order and measurement, when it comes to characterizing the Classical Age. This characterization by Michel Foucault allows him to distance himself from the perception of this age through the lens of rationalism, mechanism, and mathematization of nature. In reflecting on the empirical order of beings, words, and things through the relationship between máthêsis, taxinomia and sign theory, Foucault also relativizes a certain perception of phenomenology (husserlian) that rationalism would be the foundation of modernity.

28 Conceito que remete às transformações operadas nas "formas como os individuos se relacionavam com o sagrado e com as instituições que o administravam"; as "funções e a organização dessas instituições", bem como "os vínculos que estabeleciam até então com um poder civil, cujos fundamentos já não remetiam à religião herdada", embora dela não pudessem prescindir. DI STEFANO, Roberto. Modernidad religiosa y secularización en la Argentina del siglo XIX.

The French Dominican Yves Congar, one of the most important catholic ecclesiologists of the 20 th century, paid special attention during the Second Vatican Council, among other things, to the Declaration on Religious Freedom. The author describes in the first part of his article the complicated history of the origin and proclamation of the Declaration, which was very challenging for some Council Fathers. In the second part he tries to deepen Congar's personal-theologically and salvation-historically vision of the Dignitatis humanae personae. Based on his first Proemium to the future Council Declaration, which was rejected by the other Council Periti in May 1965, Congar was commissioned in October 1965 to revise his old Proemium and adapt it to the newly created situation. Thus, Congar's new Proemium is a foretaste of the entire Declaration on Religious Freedom.

In preparation for the Jubilee Year 2025, Pope Francis has invited the Church to revisit the four constitutions of the Second Vatican Council-Sacrosanctum Concilium, Lumen Gentium, Dei Verbum, and Gaudium et Spes-to align with the Jubilee's theme, Pilgrims of Hope, and foster spiritual renewal and evangelization. This initiative underscores their continued relevance in shaping the Church's life and mission. The Pope's call for a revisit of these four constitutions of Vatican II is in view of liturgical revitalization for deeper communal worship, a renewed understanding of the Church's missionary identity, enhanced engagement with Scripture as the foundation of faith, and a commitment to addressing contemporary challenges with Gospel values. Rooted in the rich theological and pastoral insights of Vatican II, the initiative seeks to prepare the faithful for a transformative Jubilee celebration, inspiring unity, purpose, and a renewed sense of mission as they journey forward as Pilgrims of Hope.

Abstract:

Joseph Ratzinger gave a conference at
the University of Navarra, on January 31, 1998, in
which he addressed, from a new and disturbing
perspective, the question about the condition of
theological science. His thesis was that both speculative
reason and historical course constitute interior
and necessary moments of theological work. In
this way he challenged the views of Adolf von Harnack.
He warned, however, of the risk that both
could devastate the Word and, with it, theology. He
appealed, as a guarantee of security, to the special
assistance of the Holy Spirit to his Church, because
the ecclesiastical authority could also err in his work
and could manifest itself arbitrarily.

Keywords: Ratzinger, Harnack, Heidegger, History,
Revelation, Theology.

Aquinas on the Promulgation of the New Law" Response (to Coolman and Marshall) Joel S. Kaminsky, "How We Are United and Divided by 216 Shared Texts and Concepts" Gavin D'Costa, "Reassessing Jewish 'Ceremonial Law' 228 from Cantate Domino to Vatican II: Continuity and Change in Catholic Doctrine" Response Alan Brill, "Jews Are the People Who Keep Mitzvot" 253 Matthew Levering, "The Christian Bible and the 275 Promised Land" Response Isaac W. Oliver, "The Renewal of the Earth and the 301 Restoration of the Land of Israel in Christian Scripture and Jewish Tradition" Bibliography 309 Index 331 This theme is present throughout Marshall's paper: "For Catholics, our relationship with the Jewish people also needs to involve a genuine dialogue of faith"; "The Church, therefore, must seek theological dialogue with Jews"; and "we must seek a deeper understanding of our own faith and our friendship with God in theological dialogue with real Jews." 2 Vatican Council II, Nostra Aetate, October 28, 1965, no. 4, available at vatican.va. 3 "As regards the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but as regards election they are beloved for the sake of their ancestors, for 'Gifts' of God are irrevocable" (Rom 11:28-29, NRSVUE).

Liberation theology emerged as a significant movement within the Roman Catholic Church in Latin America during the mid-20th century. It sought to address social injustices exacerbated by poverty, political oppression, and economic inequality. This paper explores the historical roots, theological foundations, key figures, and socio-political context that contributed to the formation and evolution of liberation theology, highlighting its impact on both the church and society as well as its ongoing relevance in contemporary discussions on social justice.

This document was promulgated in the year 1979 by Pope Johnpaul II, although the collation of the document began during the reign of Pope Paul VI at the fourth general assembly of the synod of Bishops in the year 1977. This document focuses on the Catechesis for both children, young people, and adult.

This article presents an analysis of the reality and the way of transmitting education based on the teaching of the Catholic faith in a culture or this secular as a sign of justice in a world of discard, taking into account the cultural value of education in our country, as well as his contributions to society, covering historical and modern characteristics of this political polemic in relation. The article consists of a bibliographic and exploratory research, with a view to raising concerns in situations presented with certain practical solutions in the application of learning in the seminar on a topic of paramount importance. In this way, the research provides a comparison between the characteristics of teaching or education starting from the educational process today in a certain place close to the parish where I am working; addresses themes inherent to the educational process regarding the origin of knowledge, the relationship between faith and science, teaching methods, worldviews, the role of religion in society and its implications for public and private education and culture, going over the Christianity's action in the History of Education and addresses this as social justice. Demonstrating that Christianity itself, not only maintains a relationship with education, but also constitutes an educational process, with objectives similar to the objectives of secular education.

This lecture focuses on the liturgical rubrics,  the rules for celebrating mass in the Roman Missal, and how they can contribute to the art of liturgical celebration. I will touch on seven themes, three general liturgical principles and four concrete liturgical elements that make up the celebration. The three principles are: liturgy is prayer; liturgy is sign; liturgy is community. And the four elements are: the silences, the gestures and postures, the locations, the holy communion. So first, some remarks on the prayer nature of the liturgy.

The Second Vatican Council did not give too much space to a discussion on the present and future fact of the Concordats. On one hand they were considered an indispensable instrument for the discipline of relations between Church and State; on the other hand, an in-depth discussion would have revealed the contradictions between some Concordats and the religious freedom approved by the Council. The effects of the Second Vatican Council would however be seen in the following decades, by concluding agreements which respected the Council’s decisions and set aside the myth of societas perfecta.

From the ending of the pontificate of John XXIII until the death of Benedict XVI a different modality has been defined with respect to the past in the treatment of the papal documents. While previously these documents were fully deposited in the Vatican archives, more recently a distinction has been introduced between office and private documents, whose final destination has been taken over by the executors. This new practice has anticipated access for historians to material that would normally be available later, but has also led to complications that will have to be taken into account.

'Essential Vatican II' identifies the controversies that emerged from Vatican II and the impact of the Council's themes on contemporary Church life. The team of contributors comes from a variety of backgrounds, methodologies, personal experiences, and vocations of ministry steeped in the Council. Each chapter outlines the essentials of its topic, explains what happened at Vatican II and why, and most especially, describes what's happened since Vatican II. With over a half century of experience in diverse cultures, each contributor asks: What do we now see as the document's strengths and weaknesses? Where has the document made a difference—or not? Where have its visions been implemented—or not? What have the reactions for and against been—and why? What might the future hold?

(Wong's Ch. 5 surveys the reception of the declaration Nostra Aetate (1965), and the decrees Unitatis Redintegratio (1964) and Orientalium Ecclessiarum (1964))

Lischer is a gifted stylist, who writes beautifully, and there are gems of wisdom and insight to be found on every page. This is an extraordinarily rich book, in which we are offered a window on the workings of God amidst the messiness and brokenness of a cast of flawed
individuals, and in which its grittiness is evenly matched by its holiness. It is both deeply human and deeply authentic. For this reason, and for so many others, tolle lege.

The paper titled "Being God's Caress: The Layperson as a Witness of Charity" addresses the role and identity of the layperson in the contemporary Church, focusing particularly on an analysis of the Second Vatican Council. Through a comparison of key texts such as Lumen Gentium, Gaudium et Spes, and the decree Apostolicam Actuositatem, the author explores the evolving ecclesial understanding of the layperson, highlighting their central importance in the Christian apostolate.

The analysis emphasizes the meaning of charity as a foundational act of the Christian community and the commitment of the layperson, who is called to bear a living witness to faith by translating divine love into service toward others. The paper underscores how the apostolate of laypeople contributes to the "sanctification of the world" and how Christian love should manifest through acts of charity and justice. The reflection concludes with a reference to the words of Popes John XXIII and Francis, inspiring an apostolate that is simple yet profound, intended to reach the "human peripheries."

El presente artículo propone que, para comprender la propuesta hermenéutica bíblica de Joseph Ratzinger - Benedicto XVI, es necesario tener presente la discusión más amplia en la cual el autor quiere entrar: de la pregunta por el estatuto de la teología bíblica tal como esta ha sido entendida y desarrollada desde la modernidad. Ratzinger es parte de una generación de teólogos y biblistas que buscó crear una síntesis entre las sensibilidades histórico-críticas y teológicas, la cual se expresa en las intuiciones de Dei Verbum, La interpretación de la Biblia en la Iglesia y Verbum Domini, así como puesta en práctica por el autor en su obra Jesús de Nazaret. El artículo propone las observaciones hermenéuticas de Razinger se han dado en un contexto en el que, por distintas razones, la reflexión metodológica de las ciencias bíblicas se ha hecho sin prestar necesaria atención a la teología fundamental. Como consecuencia, la síntesis entre los métodos histórico-crítico y teológico, aún está pendiente.

Es ist sehr schwierig, als geweihte Person in der heutigen Welt zu leben", so beginnen die Leitlinien "Il dono della fedeltà. La gioia della perseveranza." der (damaligen) Kongregation für die Institute des geweihten Lebens und die Gesellschaften des apostolischen Lebens vom 2. Februar, dem Tag des geweihten Lebens, des Jahres 2020. 1 Die Kongregation, die heute Dikasterium für die Institute des geweihten Lebens und die Gesellschaften des apostolischen Lebens heißt, nahm die Vielzahl der Anträge auf Trennung vom Institut, die sie zu bearbeiten hat, zum Anlass, sich mit dieser Problematik zu befassen und ein eigenes Dokument dazu

This volume collects the papers given at the Fourteenth Fota International Liturgical Conference, held in 2023, on the centrality of the concept of sacrifice in understanding the Eucharistic liturgy. The subject is treated from various biblical, theological, liturgical and historical perspectives, ranging from how the Mass fulfils the sacrifices of the Old Testament, to aspects of Joseph Ratzinger’s theology of the Eucharist, to the reform of the offertory in the Mass, and to the effects of modern liturgical reform on ritual itself. These proceedings are an important contribution to the ongoing post-conciliar recovery of the Church’s perennial teaching on the sacrifice of the Mass, a teaching deeply rooted in both scripture and tradition.

Cet article aborde la formation des séminaristes en France, particulièrement à Strasbourg, en questionnant la pression exercée sur ces futurs prêtres pour qu’ils incarnent des modèles héroïques de vertus. Trois étapes marquent la dynamique de réflexion : d’abord en explorant les exigences des "Ratio" successives et en les confrontant aux heures réellement effectuées dans un séminaire ; puis en retraçant brièvement l’histoire des séminaires ; enfin en proposant une critique des injonctions qui poussent les séminaristes à un certain héroïsme au détriment de leur équilibre personnel d’une part, et d’une ecclésiologie plus participative d’autre part. Au fond, dans cet essai théologico-pastoral il s’agit avant tout d’offrir un regard constructif concernant certains non-dits de la formation actuelle des prêtres dans l’Église catholique latine.

This article looks at the training of seminarians in France, particularly in Strasbourg, questioning the pressure exerted on these future priests to embody heroic models of virtue. Three stages mark the dynamic of reflection: firstly, by exploring the requirements of the successive ‘Ratio’ and comparing them with the hours actually worked in a seminary; secondly, by briefly retracing the history of seminaries; thirdly, by proposing a critique of the injunctions which push seminarians towards a certain heroism to the detriment of their personal equilibrium on the one hand, and of a more participative ecclesiology on the other. Basically, the aim of this theological-pastoral essay is above all to offer a constructive view of certain things that are not said about the current training of priests in the Latin Catholic Church.

The objective of this article is to expose the relationship that Marx establishes between human beings, work and nature, where it can be evidenced that work activity is a creative liberation for the affirmation of life with nature, however, the conditions of submission to those that the modern economy has resorted to, characterized meanwhile by the prolonged maintenance of the motley process of proletarianization, have led to the absolute deprivation of the material individuality of the worker, denying in turn the transitive relationship that he has with work and nature. , making work activity, demanded by the force of facts, an accidental necessity that will determine on large scales the way in which workers will determine the world.

Pope Francis, by focusing his teaching office on the notion of synodality, has re-claimed the centrality of the doctrine of the People of God, positioning it once again as the main ecclesiological criterion for understanding all the documents of Vatican II. This shift has significant consequences for canon law, which is still based on the ecclesiology of hierarchical communion. After explaining how the separation between ecclesiology and canon law came to be, this study identifies the three key words of the 2021-2024 Synod on Synodality (mission, communion, participation) as the values that need to imbue and shape the canonical principles of norma missionis, norma communionis, and norma fidei. These three principles, being the normative elements of the material constitution of the canonical system, constitute the hermeneutical framework in which all ecclesial laws must be interpreted. This new hermeneutics will transform canon law, making it a privileged instrument for the reception of Vatican II.

Full reference: Peter De Mey, "Richesse et limites de Lumen Gentium pour le développement de la théologie de la synodalité aujourd’hui," in Synodalité et Église Famille de Dieu en Afrique : Contribution à la XVIeme Assemblée du Synode des Evêques. Actes de la trente-deuxième semaine théologique de Kinshasa du 23 au 26 mai 2023 (Kinshasa : Presses de l’Université Catholique du Congo, 2023), 143-163.

Ecumenical dialogue that seeks to bring all followers of Christ closer to unity faces many difficulties. One is the incorrect understanding of ecumenism (doctrinal, spiritual and practical). Also, an obstacle is the lack of distinction between the unity of Christians and the unity of the Churches. This article presents another such difficulty in the path of Christian unity, which is the Mariological (doctrinal) and Marian (worship/devotion) issues. Ecumenical meetings, therefore, do not avoid such complex topics concerning the Mother of God, such as her virginity, immaculate conception, assumption or her role as Mother of the Church. Many Christian traditions have different interpretations of these truths. Catholic and Orthodox communities even consider them an inalienable part of their spiritual heritage, while most Protestant communities have a more nuanced approach and do not accept these truths as binding but reject them.A compilation of the documents to date relating to the Mother of God proves to be a big, positive surprise. Of course, these are writings of varying degrees of validity, as they come as much from international mixed official commissions as from national bilateral bodies or local debates. Nevertheless, both their prominence and impact, as well as their quantity, make it clear that the person and action of the mother of Jesus animate and promote the difficult rapprochement of the followers of her Divine Son.

This paper examines the methodologies of Bernard Lonergan and Oliver Freiberger to the (comparative) study of religion and theology. Lonergan's "Transcendental Method" grounds itself in an individual's conscious intentionality seeking objective reality and opening itself up to the ensuant sense of commitment, while Freiberger's method emphasizes the acts of redescription and category-formation performed by the comparativist without delving into the question of objective reality or one's existential commitment. Lonergan's approach explains the fuller range of operations naturally performed by any (comparative) scholar, accounting for the fundamental orientation of all human beings to philosophical, ethical, and/or religious values. Freiberger's approach, in contrast, offers its valuable insights to the descriptive and explanatory elements of comparison, attempting to retain the ideal of scholarly neutrality despite recognizing the universality of cultural and personal biases. Integrating both, I offer a framework for bridging the epistemic and axiological gap between comparative religious studies and (comparative) theology.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 had a profound impact on the Republic of Moldova. The aftermath witnessed an unprecedented influx of Ukrainian refugees, a significant rise in inflation, a decline in political stability, and a deepening energy crisis. The root causes of political instability in Moldova are diverse, with issues of identity and memory playing a central role in the nation-building process since the Soviet Union's collapse. Moldova, situated between its Romanian roots and Russian- Soviet heritage, confronts numerous challenges in reconciling its past and navigating its future. The Russian occupation of its neighboring country has accentuated these challenges, serving as a crucial test for Moldova's European-oriented government. The response to this new geopolitical reality, however, has led to some measures that intensified ideological divisions within the population, particularly regarding matters of memory and identity. The contested memorial heritage in Moldova was notably evident during the May 9 celebrations, coinciding with Europe Day and Victory Day. While many European Union countries consider Europe Day a peripheral holiday promoting European values, Moldovan politicians and the public are increasingly giving it attention, with a growing belief that it should replace the Soviet-style Victory Day. Using the "struggle" over the significance of May 9 as a case study, this article explores contemporary Moldovan memory politics influenced by the realities of war.

The association of the Church with the vocabulary of 'mystery' is rooted very particularly in the Letters to the Ephesians and Colossians. In one of the best-known passages of the former, the relation of husband and wife, as set out in the Genesis prescription that a man must leave his parents and become one with his spouse, is characterised as a great musterion, applying to Christ and his Church (Eph. 5.32). Strictly, it is not the Church itself that is called a mystery, but the relation in which the Church stands to Christ; but the phrase echoes language found elsewhere in the epistle about 'mystery'. In five other passages we find reference to the mystery of the good news or of God's purposes, a mystery committed to the apostle's guardianship (1.9; 3.3; 3.4; 3.9; 6.19). God has uncovered purposes about which he was previously silent (we should remember the root of musterion in the verb muo), and Paul now has the privilege of announcing that the silence is broken-anticipating the powerful language of Ignatius of Antioch in his Letter to the Ephesians (19) about the 'mysteries that are cried aloud', musteria krauges, yet are performed in the 'repose' or 'silence', hesuchia, of God. Behind this lies the world of classical and Hellenistic usage, in which musterion means both the secret and the ritual or form of words that hides the secret. Thus in the Orphic and Eleusinian traditions and in texts like the Sybilline oracles and the Greek magical papyri, a 'mystery' is the rite itself which makes the secret known. In this light, the language of Ephesians is pointing to the fact that the marital relationship is the visible sign of something secret; and that secret is the eternally predestined union between the Son of God and the people of God. This is exactly what the Letter to the Colossians says (1.27): the hidden or silent purpose of God throughout the history of creation is that Christ should come to be in us; and this relation of indwelling is 'the hope of glory', the first beginning of the enjoyment of God's radiant presence as it shines within the believer. God's mystery is what he has now spoken out, the pleroma of his word (Col. 1.26); and what his word has brought into being is the indwelling of Christ. But looking back to the core Pauline texts, notably 1 Corinthians 4, we find that the apostle as 'steward of the mysteries' is portrayed as the person who discerns what is still secret within the life of the Christian community: at the level of appearances, there may still be a lack of clarity, since motivations and desires do not display themselves unambiguously. The secret is not simply laid bare for good and all by the proclamation of God's purpose (hence also the related language in 2 Corinthians 3 and 4 about what is seen and what is unseen). The silence of God may have been broken but the visible sign of that broken silence still needs to be 'read', decoded, since it belongs in a world where the truth of God cannot simply be read off in an obvious way from any phenomenon in history.