The Bishop's Discernment of the Sensus Fidelium: Insights from the Jesuit Tradition
- Format:
- Dissertation
- Year:
- 2010
- University:
- Boston College
- Thesis type:
- Doctoral Dissertation
- Place published:
- Chestnut Hill, Mass.
- Language:
- Abstract:
This dissertation inquires into the necessity, process, and structure of the bishop's discernment of the local church's sensus fidelium. As an authentic source of saving knowledge of God such that its reception brings union with God and others, the sensus fidelium ought to be a source for episcopal teaching. In his reception of the sensus fidelium, the bishop continues to learn and to be transformed by the apostolic faith, and is in turn better able to teach the faith with authority. If the bishop's reception of the sensus fidelium is integral to his ability to teach the apostolic faith in an authoritative manner, then the orthopraxis of that reception is of great importance. One aspect of that orthopraxis is the bishop's discernment of the sensus fidelium. As a ministerial habitus, discernment has implications both for the bishop's personal transformation and for his ability to place his spirituality at the service of the apostolate. The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola and the structures of the Society of Jesus are employed as a comparative model of discernment. The Spiritual Exercises offers a way of viewing discernment as a virtue that develops one's capacity for both reception from and union with God and others. Discernment in the Society of Jesus is undertaken to foster unity of understanding and purpose at the service of the Society's apostolate. Structures promoting discernment and relating spirituality to authority provide insights into how discernment may be developed within the larger church.
- Who (Jesuits):
- What (Subjects):
- Worldcat URL: