The Theological Challenge of Charismatic Spirituality
AbstractIn 1992 the Catholic Charismatic Renewal is celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary. In the course of those twenty-five years the Renewal has influenced thousands of lives in this country and has become an international movement in Christian spirituality. After a quarter of a century of charismatic spirituality, we would do well to take stock of its theological significance: both its contributions and the problems it has raised. My remarks on those contributions and problems fall into four sections. The first section attempts to reflect on the theological context within which the charismatic renewal originally occurred. The second section considers the initial theological impact that the renewal had on popular faith and the initial response it provoked in the academic community. The third section deals with some of the theological insights that have emerged from reflection on the renewal. The fourth section deals with the charismatic renewal's unfilled theological promise.