R.I.P., David Tracy
David Tracy died on April 29. He was 86.
Bishop Robert Barron wrote,
Formed in Rome as a young priest by the great Bernard Lonergan, Tracy became a touchstone for many aspiring theologians of my generation. May his noble soul rest in peace.
And the Chicago Tribune,
An influential theologian who taught for 37 years at the University of Chicago Divinity School, David Tracy wrote about the significance of mystery within religions and examined how literature influences theology.
And from the University of Chicago website,
His major works—Blessed Rage for Order, The Analogical Imagination, and Plurality and Ambiguity—offered a powerful vision of theology as a public discourse, accountable both to the academy and to the broader world. Deeply engaged with both the Christian tradition and contemporary thought, Tracy’s writings bridged systematic theology, hermeneutics, and postmodern philosophy, while always returning to the urgent questions of human meaning and the divine.
His passing brought back a memory. David Tracy was brilliant but his Blessed Rage for Order nearly gave me a blessed ulcer.
You see, in 2011, at age 58, I returned to graduate school for theology and in my final course three years later was assigned Blessed Rage for Order and The Analogical Imagination. Deep and deeper. Tough on the old cranium.
I was flummoxed. I read both, took copious notes, and yet didn’t have a cogent answer when the prof asked, “What is theology in Tracy?”
And then was told to present an answer to the cohort the following week.
I read my notes, all my margin scribblings, etc., and suddenly realized Tracy is begging—absolutely begging—to be illustrated: some sort of flow chart, left brain, right brain, whatever. I began sketching and soon came up with these:
And they worked. Tracy finally clicked—for me. A decade later I still have the charts, just in case anyone ever asks me “What is theology in Tracy?” which no one has. But I’m prepared.
Rest in peace, David Tracy, you inspired me.
What is the theology in Tracy? There I asked!
I remember Blessed Rage for Order. I don't know if it was you, but one of our classmates suggested that I read a review of the book before hand so that I could get a clearer insight of what he was saying. That helped tremendously. Though I doubt I could tell you today what Tracy's theology was. Your diagrams are excellent!