For two of my classes (Theological Foundation and Historical Foundations), I am doing literature reviews. (Have I mentioned this already?) One is on women's public roles in the early Church and the other is about the "rays of truth" in non-Christian religions. In my research for the second, I came across this gem from Paul VI, that still holds true half a century later:
"It seems that the mind of modern man does not find rest if not in the absolute negation, in the abandonment of any certainty, of any faith, just as those who have damaged eyes do not find rest except in the darkness."
What does he mean by "find rest"? Who is trying to rest?
ReplyDeleteIn my reading by "find rest," he means become comfortable with its own self and its own conclusions. Looking at the analogy, it's a respite from hurt -- in the case of the mind, a break from relentless seeking for something. I think people naturally seek to know. Pope Paul VI thus is saying that the modern mind finds its solution in the negation of certainty, rather than the confirmation of truth -- but this solution is due to something gone awry in the mind, not the nature of the world.
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