Ian Ramsey (1915–1972) had a significant impact on analytical philosophy of religion in the second half of the twentieth century. This article claims that one of his early articles, “The Systematic Elusiveness of ‘I’,” and the passing comments on Thomas Aquinas in his most famous work, Religious Language (1957), are keys to understanding his contributions. Though his work is out of vogue with many philosophers of religion today, he anticipated a number of significant developments in philosophy and his work remains used by and useful for systematic theologians.

In recent decades, Latin American liberation theologians have sought to find meaning in the deaths of women and men throughout their continent who have been killed for their pursuit of God's kingdom by naming these individuals “martyrs” and correlating their lives and deaths to the life and death of Jesus. The concept of martyrdom presents special difficulties when viewed from a feminist perspective, especially since the subjugation of women has been perpetuated by Christianity's tendency to idealize women who embody “martyr-like” qualities. However, the use of this concept as a way to find meaning in the deaths of those who lose their lives in the struggle for liberation is not beyond retrieval. Feminist theologies should take into account the reality of martyrdom, which, especially in the so-called “Third World,” is a part of women's experiences in which God is present in liberating, female form.

This essay addresses two related challenges facing educators who teach about medieval saints, mystics, and their texts. The first is how to relate to the theologies and spiritualities of people who inhabited cultures radically distinct from the modern and postmodern periods. The second regards the contemporary tendency to evaluate medieval believers in terms of modernist intellectual frameworks, most notably clinical psychological categories. A case study approaching the medieval mystic Angela of Foligno from three disciplinary points of view—clinical psychology, historical theology, and cultural history—illustrates how educators might respond to students' penchant to privilege clinical psychology when considering medieval mystics and saints, and shows not only the complementarity of interdisciplinarity, but also its limitations.

Modern scholars often have pointed out that the emergence of monotheism has occasioned repressive behavior in history, including the suppression of women. The author seeks to distinguish between what monotheistic faith should inherently do, create egalitarianism, as opposed to how monotheistic faith has been used by political powers to create oppression. To this end, the author refers to metaphors previously introduced into the discussion by other scholars, which speak of “monotheism from above” as opposed to “monotheism from below.” The author also believes that monotheism, especially the Judeo-Christian tradition, is on an evolutionary trajectory, ever unfolding the egalitarian implications of its own message, and ultimately it may evolve and transform society so as to preclude its use as a tool of oppression. Thus, the author seeks to respond to some of the issues raised by critical scholars concerning the inherent repression of monotheistic faiths.

Editor's note: In memory of Monika Hellwig (1929–2005), beloved colleague and friend of the College Theology Society, Horizons is pleased to be able to publish the following talk which she presented as part of the consultation on “Faith Narratives” at the CTS convention in June 2005, only a few months before her death. Part reminiscence, part theological reflection on Vatican II, part diagnosis of the present state of the church, her reflections give witness not only to the love she had for the church but also to her lively and incisive theological intellect. We wish to thank Pierre Hegy (Adelphi University) for bringing the essay to our attention, and Dr. E. Jane Stirniman, Hellwig's literary executor, for giving us permission to publish it.