What I Believe Kindle Edition

I am about the same age as professor Küng, and have followed him through all his courageous and enlightening articles and books, among which, INFALLIBLE? (1970) was a major stepping stone in his Herculean efforts to try to convince the Church of the urgent need to modernize.WHAT I BELIEVE is a vivid synthesis of his Memoirs (published and to be published), and also of the state of Catholic Theology up to 2009, in which the question of evil keeps being unresolved, and Hans Küng —being a Catholic priest— has, so far, no satisfactory and reasonable solution for it either.In effect, how a perfect, eternal and loving God could have created the transient time and space, and everything that they contain, run by the laws of evolution? How could God have created and/or allowed natural and man-made disasters, chaos, death and, above all, evil?As long as the monotheistic Religions stick to their belief that their particular God DID create the world, there will be no acceptable solution, simply because, on the one hand, if God exists and IS perfect, He could not have created it; and on the other, if He is an imperfect creator of imperfect creations, who would want to believe in such a capricious and castigating God...? Therefore, a solution —if there is one— for those who want to believe in God, should be to maintain that their God, being perfect, eternal and loving, could not have created the reality that our senses experience.This is the solution that, since 1973, have been proposed in the book A COURSE IN MIRACLES (Original Edition): God did not create the world, but HE DID create our Souls in His Likeness: perfect, eternal and loving. They are One in Christ, His only Son, Who is one with His Father in His eternal Oneness. Therefore, this belief states that, being eternal, our Souls have always been in the eternal Present of Heaven or God's Oneness, our true and THE only real REALITY. Following this, one may ask: If not God, then, who made the world? In some way (too long to explain here), the part of us which exists transitorily in time and space, must have done it…!Returning to Hans Küng's WHAT I BELIEVE, what —in my humble opinion— makes this book potentially useful, not only to Catholics, but also to agnostics, atheists and unbelievers, is the over all importance the Author gives to TRUST LIFE:"Faith as a spiritual foundation for life is no longer the norm today, far less Christian faith. But more than ever, when we are being overwhelmed by a flood of information, in our often confusing times, we need not only information but also orientation: clear co-ordinates and goals. For this, of course, everyone needs his or her own inner compass to provide the direction for concrete decisions in the harsh reality of everyday life… What is the most important spiritual basis for human life? It is a fundamental trust, a trust in life." (Loc. 98, Kindle Edition)Then he explains what it is to have TRUST IN LIFE:"The deliberately rational grounding of human existence is concerned with the questions that both Christians and non-Christians put `before' any reading of the Bible itself: how can I gain a secure standpoint? How can I accept my own self with all its shadow sides? How do I accept my own freedom that is also open to evil? How can I affirm meaning in my life despite all the meaninglessness? How can I say Yes to the reality of the world and humankind as it is in its enigmatic and contradictory nature?"And later, recounting a crucial spiritual experience:"What suddenly happened to me? In this existential question an elementary wager was required of me, a wager of trust! What a challenge: venture a Yes! Instead of a bottomless mistrust in the garb of nihilism or cynicism, risk a fundamental trust in this life, in this reality. Instead of mistrusting life, venture to trust life: a fundamental trust in yourself, in others, in the world, in the whole of questionable reality." (Loc. 229)Years later he found a similar experience in Dag Hammarskjöld's Markins:"I don't know Who - or what - put the question, I don't know when it was put. I don't even remember answering. But at some moment I did answer Yes to Someone - or Something - and from that hour I was certain that existence is meaningful and that, therefore, my life, in self-surrender, had a goal."After having acquired TRUST IN LIFE, this brought Hans Küng TRUE JOY, the making of a particular WAY OF LIFE, which helped him to find a satisfactory and fulfilling MEANING IN LIFE, which he integrated into a new FOUNDATION FOR LIFE. (chapters 2 to 6).The chapter 8 on SUFFERING IN LIFE is the weak part of this enlightening and, I believe, very important book, because, as I mentioned above, withing the Catholic Theology, Hans Küng could not find a seemingly satisfying answer to the evil in this world.In the last two chapters (9 and 10): THE ART OF LIVING and a VISION OF LIFE, he presents many thoughtful advices, suggestions and recommendations for a meaningful and well lived life that, sometimes, seems more a dream than a real possibility.The book ends with MY LAST VISION, a somewhat sad but at the same time hopeful reflection:"`Dreams are likes bubbles.' The old German proverb means that what I have dreamed need not necessarily become true. There are dreams that are better not fulfilled. There are dreams that unfortunately are not fulfilled. There are dreams that are only fulfilled later."But, some dreams may become reality:"`If one person dreams alone it remains a dream. But if we all dream together, it becomes reality." (Words of Archbishop Helder Camara)And he ends WHAT I BELIEVE with:"My dream too is dreamed by many, my vision of a reconciled Christianity, of a peace between religions and of an authentic community of nations, is shared by many. I will not see the fulfillment of my dream… But I shall not take it with me to the grave.It will be handed on by the longing of whole generations for a more peaceful, more just, more humane world. I believe in that, I hope for that."

He is a person of strong beliefs, and as such, is not afraid to talk about his doubts. He is Christian, as I am not (technically), and devout, but reading his thoughts about his beliefs has convinced me that he is someone I could talk to. He seems to recognize that the world is full of smart people who do not agree about theology, but do agree about values. I go to his book whenever I have a need to get input from someone who does not see things in quite the way I do, and expresses his values using different vocabulary. Then my own brain produces ideas in response that I would not have come up with in talking with people from the same faith background as me. Every day we hear about people, identified as Christians but behaving in ways that seem alien to the gentle Hero of the Gospels. To read Hans Kung's "What I Believe" is to understand how Christianity has lasted for 2000 years. Yes, there are still Christians in the world, that the rest of us can celebrate, and look to for an example.

I have read several of Kung's books over the last three months. Here are three constants to which I object in all three. He discusses other theologians' and psychologists' analyses and preachments far too much and too extensively, rather than getting to his own points; he doesn't deliberately ignores some enormously important things in orthodox Catholicism, e.g. the Eucharist, the divinity of Jesus, Mary's role in salvation history, to the point that I suspect he doesn't believe in them and is avoiding further censure from the far right heirarchy; and he equates several of the other world religions with Christianity, thereby seeming to relativize all of them.On the other hand, if one is interested in the similarities and/or differences among dozens of psychiatrists, theologians, and psychologists over several centuries, all of them are a good read.

I do not agree with many of the positions taken in this book but I can appreciate the thought process that brought him to these conclusions. I have enjoyed reading this book.

Kung's reflections are very interesting to get a feeling hos a progressive theologian thinks about normal life events and insights. Not always easy read. In my view a bit too often referring to some of his previous publications. This could be useful for folks that want more on these issues..

Hans Küng expresses my beliefs also. He says it like it is and brings hope to those of us who are searching for a wayof life, a model, the role of suffering, loneliness, spirituality, and other aspects of human life that all of us experience. It is NOTa religious book as such, but rather a realistic vision based on the Christian model with Jesus Christ embracing each one of us.Carl J Rossow, D.H.L., Ed.D.

The book any Christian or agnostic should read. The road to plenitude in man is to find a fundamental truth in life,to look for real answers that may help us to find our real identity as human beings. In addition,this book reexamines what it means to be a Christian today, the role of ethics in the world of today. It is a great book by one of the most prominent theologians in the world.

I found this to be an excellent testimony to the authors personal religious beliefs. I would recommend this to anybody who has followed the career of Dr. Kung and had read his other more academic books

Kung has already written about his belief in God and Christianity, world religions, two volumes of biography and material on ethics and even music. This book, Kung writes, is for readers who want a concise or summation of his beliefs of the kind he felt was not obvious from reading his biographical material alone.Kung's essential points are similar to Albert Schweitzer (who Kung credits and mentions) and Erich Fromm (who Kung does not mention and I dont know whether or not he is familiar with) affirming a reverence and trust in life and hope. Involved within the scope of the book's content are reflections and reminiscence of how Kung's beliefs developed, what they are, who he feels affinity with, who he once did feel affinity with but no longer makes common cause with and who he does not.While reference is made to Kung's struggles with orthodoxy and attempts at reform within the Roman Catholic Church from the time of the second vatican council he does not dwell upon this and there is no trace of bitterness, infact he describes how being stopped, challenged and limited by these experiences caused him to grow personally, think and rethink his conclusions. It is very apparent that Kung has given a great deal of thought to his beliefs, there are reflections upon other world religions and a critical appraisal of what he describes as "phony" Christianity, while he mentions critically some strains of protestant fundamentalism, biblical or scriptural literalism for instance, he reserves most of his criticism for the Roman Catholic Church. Without doubt Kung wishes to behave as a kind of "loyal opposition", there is no real sense in which he wishes to make a definitive break with Roman Catholicism but he does see the Church as stuck in a moment, that moment being medieval and earlier structures underpinned by papalism, marianism and celibacy.Kung affirms belief in an infinite God, suggesting he has never felt that be doubted God but has doubted some of the proofs of his existence, describing some of the proofs which remain relevent and valid for him he includes music (the affects it can evoke), mathematics (the idea of the infinity) and cosmological order (spontaneous order, although not exactly an argument for intelligent design). Kung is critical of anthropomorphism and goes so far as to suggest that he can not believe in God existing before and apart from the cosmos. There is some content about the trinity, Jesus and the problem of evil, this is interesting but not entirely clear to me, at least not in a single reading, and I think would be more understandable if I shared more of the learning in philosophy which Kung himself mentions and credits. I am unsure the extent to which the translation of the book has contributed to some of the content being less easily understood at first, it does permit some brilliant turns of phrase and elaborate prose, so it is not all confusing. In the final instance Kung describes that he believes in the existence of God, he hopes for an afterlife with God, and states that should this proof to be mistaken that in any case he believes a life lived in this hope to be better than any other.In particular I liked, probably because I share it also, Kung's admiration for Kant, including Kant's consolations (that when life is wearisome there is recourse to hope, sleep and laughter), and I would likewise share Kung's bewilderment that modern philosophers dont seem exercised by metaphysics or religion at all, perfering to dismiss it all. The chapters considering love are those in which Kung truly comes to life, describing the different varieties of love, eros, agape (wrongly reductively described as "Platonic love"), love as described by Jesus and the bible. Unfortunately these are less expansive than other chapters but it is clear that Jesus' teaching to "Love Others As You Love Yourself" is at the core of Kung's ethics and a kind of motif force for him.The passages and chapters dealing with politics and economics I think are weaker, I would not argue with Kung's idea that economics should be subjected by politics and politics subjected by ethics, although it is a statement of belief rather than a well or lengthy reasoned proposal. In economics Kung describes himself as critical of both the welfare state (which he considers exemplified by Sweden) and neo-capitalism (exemplified by America), while he mentions reading in economics, authors and the social market economy, Kung is a lot less persuasive on this topic. Welfare states are criticised as being in contradiction with the reality of economics, which I dont believe is in evidence, while the criticism of "neo-capitalism" is essentially an ethical assault on greed and exclusive definitions of success. Reading the book I was convinced that Kung may not draw much distinction between socialism, liberalism and other more totalitarian ideologies, considering them as utopian and/or substitutes for religious beliefs.I really enjoyed this book, being interested in philosophy and spirituality, the main stays of the books content, having read Kung before, in particular his history of the Roman Catholic Church, and appreciating the resembalence between Kung and other authors I have already mentioned. I think it will appeal primarily to anyone who is interested in these topics or authors too.

an interview with himself. That best describes what this book is all about since it is not a book to answer questions from an appointed interviewer but questions kung asks himself and which he wants answered and addressed in a book. At the age of 80 after having published two volumes of memoirs and the writing of a third volume of memoirs is promised if the author can finish it in his final decade as he says he has published a review of all his theological writings in a book. It is not defensive nor does he throw stones at those who disagree with him or have taken other views but he has thematically gone over his writings from on being a Christian to does god exist to the books on Christianity Judaism and islam to his working out of a global ethic not only for the religious world and those that believe in god but in terms of econics and has expostulasted thematically what his career has been all about.KUng always tries to be humble. He never is vindictive towards those who tried to push him out of the church and to isolate him their are no stones thrown at pope john paul 2nd nor at pope benedict they rarely deserve mention and maybe this is kung's point of view. He has written of his angst and problems in the catholic church in his memoirs and now silence is the order of the day but you get the idea that he thought the church should be thankful to this Christian apologist for taking the time to defend Christianity and make jesus a meaningful figure for Christians in the modern age.He finds little thanks in the church and he does mention the church from time to time but always as a distant institution which he has little time for and which has little time for him and he looks forward to some distant age when the catholic church is really a church of service to the other Christian churches and to humanity and where the religious churches are open to service for each other and to humanity.A great book which answers many questions and elucidates what jesus can mean today for modern believers kung always writes for his readers and for those who attend his lectures of which there are many and here we can read this self interview and be surprised at the author's range of studies and his key interests and accomplishments not least of which is his global ethic and service to the world religions a truly ecumenical writer

Another great, refreshing work by Hans Kung! Every issue, he deals with such depth and breadth, pulling from every discipline of thought, adding his own insight!

This is the book that I looked for, all my life, even if I did not know it existed.I could find here all the answers I was looking for.

If you like a candid conversation from one of the most relevant thinkers of the world, then you should have to read it!