アメリカの神学会の話

　ちょっとまじめな話題で。
　アメリカの神学週刊誌「America」内のブログで、前の週末にあったアメリカカトリック神学会（CTSA）の総会についての感想が一つ出ていました。（「"Young Catholic Theologians: Report from the CTSA" POSTED AT : JUNE 8, 2008 11:42 AM, RELATED CATEGORIES: TOM BEAUDOIN」）　写真は「America」最新号→

And speaking of courage, Maureen O'Connell of Fordham University gave a courageous response to James Davidson of Purdue University, in the opening plenary session on Thursday night. Davidson presented what many sociologists consider to be theological similarities and differences between the pre-Vatican II, Vatican II, and post-Vatican II generations in United States Catholicism.

In response, O'Connell, from the "post-Vatican II/Generation X" cohort of Catholic theologians, offered a carefully stated appreciation for this sociological approach, and then came a presentation of what to this point has only been discussed person-to-person or in small groups of young theologians: the generational shift in the expectations of and demands being made on young Catholic theologians; or stated another way, the changes in the formation, discipline, and management of young theologians--in particular, through the tenure process, which has mostly been saved from any type of theological analysis as it has shifted in the last decade and more. The shift is basically toward more and more intense and unrealistic (not to mention often poorly supported) pressure to publish, toward increasing service obligations without any real "credit" for pastoral work as a theologian, and toward less respect and "credit" for teaching that serves the mission of Catholic higher education; in all, and this is crucial, a widespread failure to appreciate *theologically* the complexities and challenges of a new generation of mostly lay theologians to make for themselves a career in Catholic theology today. While it is true that these shifts are often taking place most dramatically in the bigger and more "prominent" schools, those schools set the pace for almost everyone else, just as the pace for those prominent Catholic college and universities is often set by the secular schools with whom they compete for prestige.

　最初の発表で、James Davidson of Purdue University が第二バチカン公会議前、中、後、それぞれの神学者たちの類似性と違いを、社会学的に分析した発表をし、それに、Maureen O'Connell of Fordham University が神学的に応答した、という内容だそうです。
　応答の方では、大学があまり競争的になりすぎて、若い神学教授らが論文の本数で競ったり、専任を勝ち取るために必死にならざるをえず、司牧にもかかわりながら神学を深めたりもできず、給料も安くローンも抱え・・・といった実情を述べていた、ということです。

　詳しくは、CTSAの学会誌で読むことができると思いますが、１）こういう、神学者世代間分析、みたいなことができるほど、層が厚く教授陣がそろっていることが何ともうらやましい、というかまったく状況が違うこと、２）それはそれとして、大学が置かれている状況は日米よく似ているような感じで、これもグローバル化？？ってこと、が気になりました。

　個人的には、最初の社会学的な分析を、まずは読んでみたいところです。