Editorial

From the beginning, Theologica Xaveriana intended to be the means to make visible and disseminate the theological research of the School of Theology of Universidad Javeriana. The purpose was to make public, along its pages, the thoughtful and argumentative work developed by professors from their research on the different theological specializations and also from the confrontation of such research with the teaching and pastoral service. Thus, the journal was one of the mainly means to expose the theological identity of our School and it was also recognized like that by its readers.

However, the necessary entrance to indexing systems, and also the need to respond to the standards stablished by an emerging trend, which aims to set up a commercial logic into the academic world, lead Theologica Xaveriana —like the other scientific journals— into a struggle to position itself in the context of the worldwide known academic publications. And it achieved it, though with great efforts and sacrifices throughout the process. Between those sacrifices are: the bibliographic index demand to privilege the publication of articles written by external authors to the own University (exogamy). This demand implied a loss for our School of Theology, in the sense that the journal was not anymore the place to spread our theological production.

As with any change, this situation of loss implied for us the assumption of a double challenge that entails certain goodness too. On one hand, we became more aware of the need that our teachers publish their research products in other journals of Theology or religious sciences, as much in the national as in the international scope — this situation led us to make visible our own reflection in sceneries that could be not feasible for a journal of limited scope.

Likewise, the increasing publication of articles of diverse origins in Theologica Xaveriana (as much geographic as cultural, linguistic and confessional ones) let us to know first-hand the Theology developed in other regional and epistemological latitudes. Therefore, we can count with the dialogical improvement of our own research work and also with the setting up of networks of knowledge that include authors and groups all around the world.

Thus, the loss produced by the change of configuration of Theologica Xaveriana can also be assumed as an opportunity as well as a challenge. It allows us to answer as much to the socio-cultural situation as to the demands of the contemporary academic world. As a consequence, the current number of this journal is a reflex of such reality and also of the diversity ofvoices that improve the horizon of our own reflection and action.

In the article "Dietrich Bonhoeffer e a teología pública no Brasil", Carlos Ribeiro Caldas Fiho, from Facultade Jesuita de Filosofia e Teologia, Faje (Brasil), begins with the ascertainment that public Theology is one of the most recent frontiers of academic research in the theological field in the last few years. Therefore, one of the biggest challenges for the epistemological consolidation of such Theology departs from the theoretical reference. Due to this, the article shows elements extracted from the Theology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), especially his concept of the Church that "is there for others" as a theoretical framework for a public Theology in Brazil.

The next article "Meeting Between Two Sons, the 'Son of Timaeus' and the 'Son of David': Exegetical Approach to the Account of the Healing of Bartimaeus (MC 10:46-52)" is written by Juan Alberto Casas Ramírez, from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (Colombia). The article poses that the the pericope of the healing/vocation of the blind "Son of Timaeus" by the one he calls "Son of David" would be a mainly discipular account that develops as much the literary form of miracle as the one of vocation. Like an account of miracle, the text would propose a contrast regarding the blindness and discipular misunderstanding that has been growing along of the "section of the way" (Mc 8,27-10,45), without been healed. Like an account of vocation, the text reveals the paradigm of the unconditional following of the Lord throughout the way toward the cross. Thus, the following of the Lord contrasts with the resistance of the disciples to accept the implications of such a way.

On the other hand, Juan Manuel Fernández Ramírez, from Facultad de Teología de Granada (España), writes the article "Protestant and Reformed Eastern Churches: A Historical and Ecumenical Glance". This article shows how the Protestant Reformation and Protestantism, in its various denominations, broke through in the Middle East, and even to the Far East, by means of the missionary activity carried out by European and American Protestant missionaries. It shows this was possible due to the Western colonies established in these areas, especially the English ones, and also to the good position and financial situation of the campaigns undertaken, which arose interest among native Eastern Christians.

The article entitled "The Theological Language in the Mystics: Ecstasy and Kenosis" was written by Edith González Bernal from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (Colombia). This article aims to stress the theological language used by mystics to communicate their experience of God. According to the author, mystics speak of a personal and unitive meeting with God. However, when they communicate it in the structures of the theological speech they reach the limits of language. They agree that one needs to use analogies in order to speak about God —even if words are not able to express what one really has lived and suffered. Most of the mystics describe visions about God, who reveals himself to offer them knowledge and clarity about the way how they should conduct their lives and move others toward conversion. In this way, these visions are a pretext to communicate a message and also a Theology that takes corporality, imagination and intellect into account.

The following article, "Pertinence of the Pragmalinguistic Analysis in Latin American Biblical Theology" is written by Juan Carlos Jiménez Romero, a doctoral student from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (Colombia). This article asserts that pragmalinguistic analysis is one of the most recent biblical interpretation methods. This method includes the valuable contributions of the precedent methods and also broadens its scope of comprehension toward the pragmatic consequences that biblical texts have by nature: as communication of something, to someone, in a determined context, and with a specific intention. When this analysis is confronted with the to see, to judge and to act method, which is particularly used in Latin American Pastoral and Theology, it is possible to understand that this kind of analysis is pertinent to the researches in Biblical Theology carried out in the continent, due to its proximity, affinity and complementarity with the method.

The following article "The Discernment of Jesus as Poor of Yahweh and Son of the Land" is written by Rafael Luciani from Boston College (United States). The text refers to the process of discernment of Jesus in the middle of the diverse traditions of his time and from his spirituality as Poor ofYahweh and Son of the Land. The article is going to show how Jesus' image of God arose from a creational Theology that let us to approach to the issues that made an impact on his followers, like his basic options, his estrangement from the established religious and political expectations, his particular way of using the Scriptures and praying from it, the image of God that he followed, and all the scandal produced by his option in favor of the victims and the poor.

The article "The Missionary Dimension of the Eucharist" is written by Boris Agustín Nef Ulloa and María Regina Ribeiro Graciani from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Sao Paulo (Brasil). The text begins with the conciliar postulate about the mystery of the Eucharist as the root and source of Christian life, and therefore of the Church. Thus, the authors claim that the Eucharist is the way found by Christ to fulfill his promise to be with the disciples "always to the end of time" (Mt 28:20). By the Eucharistic Supper one comes into communion with Christ and also participates in the divine plan of universal salvation. In this way, the purpose of this article is to highlight the missionary dimension of the Eucharist as ontological and crucial to the Christian life (in coherence with AG 2).

Finally, in the bibliographical section we see two reviews. The first one, written by Manuel Prada Londoño from Universidad de Barcelona (España), is about the book Two Theological Languages: An Essay About the Public Character of our Religious Beliefs, written by Raúl Zegarra. The second one, written by Camilo Castellanos from Centro de Memoria, Paz y Reconciliación, is about the book The Constitution of the Human Being as Subject: Critical Thought and Liberation Theology, written by Carlos Enrique Angarita.

Juan Alberto Casas Ramírez
Editor