Part 01- Hellenistic Pluralism and its Problems - I

Dr. John Rao begins by showing that Pluralism is not really a new phenomenon, and that it always suffers from similar problems in whatever age it appears. The ancient "Hellenistic" world, the world that followed Alexander the Great's conquests and whose culture expanded into the Roman Empire was also pluralist - and familiarly trouble - in character.

Part 02 -Hellenistic Pluralism and its Problems - II

But what were the problems of this world? Dr. John Rao shows that they involved an effort to build multicultural unity on the basis of submission to a divinized state. They involved worshipping a "success" which was supported by rhetorical "word merchants" and which tried to suppress serious philosophical discussions. They involved trying to tempt individual cultures and different religions into the same kind of emasculating "integration" that troubles the modern western world.  

Part 03 - Modernity and the Catholic Dilemma

The problem for Catholics from the very beginning of Church History is that they have to work with nature and accept the fact that all aspects of nature have something good about them. How do Catholics sort out the good from the bad? How can they be open to everything valuable coming from the ancient world without glorifying everything negative as well? Dr. John Rao argues that Catholic difficulties in the modern world come to a large degree from not realizing that they were deceived by "word merchants" into welcoming the bad with the good.

Part 04 - The Marxist-Pluralist Maze

The modern resurrection of the ancient world, with its bad as well as its good aspects, ultimately ended, after World War II, with the option to accept either Marxism or Americanist Pluralism. Dr. John Rao develops his discussion at the 2000 Symposium on the dilemma that this creates for Catholics who must reject both. They are condemned as Fascists or madmen for doing so.

Part 05- The New Theology and the Post-Conciliar Confusion

 Dr. John Rao discusses the so-called New Theology developed the modernist, vitalist, and personalist ideas that came from earlier in the century. Its concern to "dive into" and help fulfill energetic modern movements, and tailor the liturgy to each of them, was used for both Marxist and Pluralist purposes. Its influence came to be felt especially strongly by the time of the Council and its aftermath.

Part 06-Liberation and Third World Theology - Part I

Dr. John Rao shows how all the influences that combined together to shape the Council and the postconciliar Church were used to promote Liberation and Third World Theology. Both these theologies claimed to emerge from the vital, energetic desires and cultures of persecuted and non-Christian peoples.  

Part 07 -Liberation and Third World Theology - Part II

What do Liberation and Third World Theology entail? Dr. John Rao explains that they demand the submission of the Catholic missionary and social activist to what he finds expressed in non-Christian and revolutionary circles. But there is a catch. The Liberation and Third World theologians want to find certain ideas that actually were born in the modernist West. If they do not find them, they must "raise the consciousness" of peoples to become Marxists or hardline anti-Christians. 

Part 08-Vatican Ostpolitik

The whole postwar atmosphere, New Theology, the Council, and the postconciliar environment all pushed the Vatican to try to be more friendly with the Soviet Union. It is this that created the strategy which, taking its name from the work of Chancellor Brandt in Germany, is called Ostpolitik. Dr. John Rao discusses its rationale and the results of its application. 

 Part 09- Pluralist Madness and Christian Escape

Marxism-Leninism seems to have collapsed of its own contradictions inside the Christian world. Pluralism, however, has not. This has pressed the Church not only to come to terms with everything from abortion to homosexuality, but even to praise them. Dr. John Rao describes how Catholics can escape from the seductive call to a pragmatic tolerance. 



Taken from: My End is My Beginning: The Analogy of Contemporary Christianity With its Ancient Setting - 2001 VonHildebrand Institute