This current issue of Theologica Xaveriana, which corresponds to the first semester 2010, offers nine main articles: four of them written by professors who belong to our Faculty; the other five were written by colleagues external to the Universidad Javeriana, from Mexico, Spain, the United States, and Colombia. In addition, the Lectio inauguralis 2010 of the Faculty of Theology, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, the translation of an article about Joanical exegesis, and two recensions are published.

Faithful to its purpose of offering research articles evidencing the theological activity inside the Faculty and beyond our institutional borders, in the national and international context, and which is characterized by the increasingly complex affairs posted by culture and society, in this very plural issue there are divulged works regarding Hermeneutical Theology, Action Theology, Ecological Theology, Gender Theology, Narrative Theology, and processual theology.

Mauricio Beuchot, O.P., PhD., professor of the Faculty of Philosophy, Universidad Autónoma de México, UNAM, in his article "Hermenéutica analógica y religión" ("Analogical Hermeneutics and Religion"), proposes to overcome the univocal hermeneutics of analytical philosophy, which demands reference and demonstration, but also postmodern Philosophy, oriented to hermeneutics and meaning. The Mexican author posts the possibility for an analogical hermeneutics which integrates meaning and reference, thus enhancing the significance that religion might have for the contemporary human being.

Markus Bueker, PhD., a German secular theologian who has worked with the Misión de Belén Immensee (Switzerland) in Bogotá since 2005 and who accompanies the formative process of the Casitas bíblicas in the south of the Colombian capital, in his article "La vida sigue. Emergencias, rupturas y otros rumbos en la misión después de Puebla" (Life goes on. Emergency, Breakdown, and other directions for the mission after Puebla), relates to each other the topics of the continental mission of Aparecida, the liberating evangelization of Puebla, the option for the poor of Medellín, and the Paul VI's Evangelii nuntiandi. This allows him to answer the question about the relevance of the liberating evangelization of Puebla for the Christian task in the current continental mission.

David Eduardo Lara, professor of our Faculty, in his article "Fides et praxis. Una teología de la acción humana" ("Fides et praxis. A Theology of Human Action") reflects on how Theology is produced in the nowadays world. As the answer must cover the questions, necessities, and urgent matters of people in front of God's revelation, likewise, theological reflection must take into account the validity and applicability of the theological production method, as understanding of God presence in history and by means of it, and human action, in a way that history itself can be constructed in the perspective of the Kingdom.

Germán Roberto Mahecha, member of our Faculty's staff of teachers, in his article "Aproximación a los rasgos de una espiritualidad ecológica" ("Approach to the Features for an Ecological theology") presents the significance of the current ecological crisis as the result of a relation that exceeds the limits of nature and penetrates the social sphere. In the face of this crisis, Theology also has something to say and it is a message of hope; this is why the author proposes eight features which characterize an ecological spirituality and gathers them together in four dimensions.

Iván Federico Mejía, PhD., one of our Faculty's professors, in his article "Theology of Canons in Catholic Universities", as a research report, proposes the validity criteria, the method and the application of a hermeneutical model for the theology of canonical laws in Catholic universities, especially rooted in Christology and its effects in Anthropology and Moral Theology.

Amparo Novoa, PhD., and Olga Consuelo Vélez, PhD., both professors of our Faculty, in their article "La categoría kénosis. Una lectura desde la perspectiva de género" ("The Kenosis Category. An Interpretation from the Gender Perspective"), when considering this category as part of the Christian message, basically understood as a self-emptying, pretend to show its relevance in the empowering and self-esteem recovery for women. In the Scriptures and in the contemporary Systematic Theology the liberating elements of this category can be quite well recognized, as well as what it represents today for theology and ecclesial life.

Victorino Pérez, PhD., professor in the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela and the Universidad de la Coruña, Spain, in his article "Espiritualidad ecológica: Una nueva manera de acercarse a Dios desde el mundo" ("Ecological Spirituality: A New Way to Get Closer to God from the World") presents the possibility for an ecological spirituality connected to Biblical wisdom and the ancient religions, which surpasses anthropocentrism and goes beyond, towards a way to appreciate the world following an theo-anthropocosmic perspective.

Jorge Pixley, PhD., professor of Holy Scripture in Puerto Rico, Buenos Aires, and Managua, in his article "Teología bíblica y filosofía procesual" ("Biblical Theology and Processual Philosophy") proposes how this philosophical approach, created by Alfred North Whitehead, has as its central topic his doctrine regarding creation. Pixley applies this approach to Gn 1, 1-3 and to the Book of Job, as a hermeneutical alternative to the unsolvable problem of the interpretation of this Book.

Finally, José María Siciliani, PhD., professor of the Faculty of Education, Universidad de La Salle, Bogotá, in his article "Gradualidad, narratividad y experiencia espiritual en la urbe" ("Graduality, Narrativity, and Spiritual Experience in the City)", wants to explain the progressive character of all religious experiences; to do so he considers some representative figures in Christian tradition, such as Saint Irenaeus, Saint Bonaventure, and Saint Therese of ávila. Progressivity demands account and this one, in the urban context, evidences narrativity as interpretation criteria for the diverse religious urban narratives.

In the Section Documents, first it is presented María Clara Bingemer, PhD's text, "No tendrás otros dioses además de mí. ¿Es el monoteísmo fuente de violencia?" ("Thou not Shalt have any Gods Before Me. Is Monotheism a Source for Violence?"). It is the written version of the Faculty of Theology Pontificia Universidad Javeriana's Lectio inauguralis, which took place on the 11^th February 2010.

Second, it can be found Juan Manuel Granados R., S.J., PhD., and Luz Marina Barreto, PhD. translation of a Johannes Beutler, S.J., PhD's article, with the title "La conclusión del Evangelio de Juan (Jn 21,20-25)" ("The Conclusion From St. John's Gospel [Jn 21, 20-25]"), which, due to its characteristics and content, is a good expression of the developments achieved in contemporary Joanical exegesis.

In the bibliographical section, José Orlando Reyes and Orlando Solano, professors of our Faculty, offer recensions about La mitad de la vida como tarea espiritual. La crisis de los 40-50 años (published in English as The Spiritual Challenge of Midlife: Crisis and Opportunity), written by Anselm Grün, and Redescubrir a Jesús de Nazaret. Lo que la investigación sobre el Jesús histórico ha olvidado (originally published in English as "A New Perspective On Jesus: What The Quest For The Historical Jesus Missed") by James D.G. Dunn.

Therefore, with these research and theological reflection articles, we want to contribute with the discernment process and indepth knowledge of our readers, regarding topics with high relevance for theology and its influence on teaching, research, formation, and pastoral praxis.

José Alfredo Noratto Gutiérrez, PhD.
Editor