Beyond the Analogical Imagination: The Theological and Cultural Vision of David Tracy

David Tracy is arguably the most influential Roman Catholic theologian writing in English of the past fifty years, both internationally and beyond confessional borders. His generous and ever-expanding conversations (says contributor Willemien Otten) 'make the future of theology now'. Tracy himself says that they lead him, like Dante, to 'the love that moves the sun and the other stars'. Tracy's most famous book, The Analogical Imagination, is now over four decades old. Yet, in two volumes of his essays published in 2020, Tracy emphasises the ground-breaking new work that he did in the 2010s. His mature theological and cultural vision is in need of fresh assessment, which this book provides. An international cohort of experts introduces the core themes of Tracy's thought, critically exploring their relevance for theology today. Tracy offers a short response of his own, as well as the edited text of a previously unpublished and recent lecture.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Barnabas Palfrey; Part I. Theology and Culture: David Tracy's Theology-in-Culture Gaspar Martinez; Analogical Imagination and Ana-theological Believing Barnabas Palfrey; Closed Totality, Collage, and the Fragmentary Between C. A. Chase; Part II. Public and Beyond: Public Theology? David Tracy and Contemporary African Religiosity Dion A. Forster; From Public to Street Theology: The Mystical-Prophetic Fragments of Hip-Hop Alejandro Nava; Conversational Reason: Ambiguities and Interruptions in a Digital Age Stephen Okey; Part III. Church and World: Justice, Excessive Love, and the Future of Catholic Christianity Maria Clara Bingemer; Theological Dialogue Amid Anger and Pain Zoran Turza; The Church in David Tracy's Theology Werner G. Jeanrond; Part IV. From David Tracy: Reflections on the Essays David Tracy; On Naming God David Tracy; Part V. Post-script: David Tracy's Constructive Theology: Impressions, Contours, Conversations Willemien Otten.

About the Author :
Barnabas Palfrey is a Research Associate of the Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology in the University of Cambridge and a former committee member of the Society for the Study of Theology. From 2012 to 2019, he helped to run – in his capacity as Lecturer-Tutor – Britain's largest and most ambitious MA programme in Christian Spirituality at Sarum College in Salisbury, Wiltshire. He currently works for the UK's National Health Service. Andreas Telser studied Catholic theology in Boston and Chicago and gained his doctorate from the latter university with a thesis on David Tracy's public theology. He was formerly a lecturer in systematic theology at the Catholic Private University (KU) Linz. He works and publishes (mainly in German) at the intersection of religion, sociology and the arts. In 2010 he won the University of Innsbruck's prestigious Karl Rahner Prize for 'Theology as Public Discourse: The Relevance of David Tracy's Systematic Theology' (published in German in 2016 by Verlagsanstalt Tyrolia Gesellschaft).

Review :
This fine book makes a significant contribution to contemporary theology and especially to the impact of the thought of David Tracy, who is legitimately considered one of the most important of contemporary theologians. It is a volume marked by critical engagement with Tracy's thought, and is thus exactly what Tracy has always encouraged – an exercise in productive conversation. Although several other accounts of Tracy's thought have appeared in recent years, I think that this is by far the best because of the variety of voices it contains, the scope of its concerns, and especially the originality and insights of the various chapters. Bernard McGinn, University of Chicago David Tracy's is perhaps the most respected voice in what North Americans now call 'constructive theology' (and what Catholics and Anglicans used to call 'fundamental theology'). This timely book is an excellent project that gathers many interesting people together in one volume in order to explore his chief concerns. Mark S. Massa, SJ, Boston College David Tracy is one of the most influential American theologians of the last few decades. The aim here is not simply to give an exposition of various aspects of his thought, but to critically engage with dimensions of that thought and then move outwards towards some new issue or topic. This gives the book a fresher and more intriguing orientation than if it were simply expository. For several decades the kinds of theology which oppose themselves to 'liberalism' have been in the ascendant, and there has been too little intellectual attention to liberal theology. This interesting, thoughtfully constructed interaction with Tracy's work will go some way towards the necessary rebalancing. Karen Kilby, Durham University An excellent project that gathers many interesting people together in one volume in order to explore David Tracy's chief concerns. Mark S. Massa, SJ., Boston College Makes a significant contribution to contemporary theology and especially to the impact of the thought of David Tracy, one of the most important of contemporary theologians. Bernard McGinn, University of Chicago '… a treasure trove of theological insight … this book should be included in any serious theological library.' Dianne Bergant, Catholic Library World