Biographical Notes
John XXIII (1881–1963): Born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, Italian priest,
archbishop of Venice (1953–1958), then pope (1958–1963), who summoned
the Second Vatican Council with the aim of aggiornamiento, bringing the
church up to date.John of the Cross (1542–1591): Spanish monk, mystical theologian, Roman
Catholic saint, and friend of Theresa of Avila; known for his concept of the
dark night of the soul.John Paul II (1920–2005): Born Karol Wojtyla, Polish priest, philosophy
professor, archbishop of Krakow (1963–1978) then pope (1978–2005) in the
second longest ponti¿ cate in history, important theologically for his theology
of the body, his defense of long standing Catholic doctrines and practices
(such as not ordaining women to the priesthood) and his advocacy of a
philosophically-informed Christian humanism.Justin Martyr (c.100–c. 165): Born in Palestine early in the 2nd century,
Justin was educated as a philosopher and converted to Christianity, retaining
many of his Platonist convictions. He wrote an important Apology (meaning
a defense of Christianity against the pagans) and the Dialogue with Trypho,
trying to convince a Jew of the truth of Christianity.Kant, Immanuel (1724–1804): German philosopher and founder of
the idealist tradition of German philosophy, in which the structure of
consciousness gives structure to the world.Kierkegaard, SǛren (1813–1855): Danish philosopher and theologian, who
adapts Hegel’s dialectic to describe the role of anxiety, guilt, and despair in
an individual human existence facing the task of becoming Christian. His
focus on human existence as a task makes him a founder of Existentialism.Lindbeck, George (1923– ): American Lutheran theologian whose
inÀ uential work, The Nature of Doctrine (1984), positioned him at the
forefront of postliberal theology. He was the Pitkin Professor of Historical
Theology at Yale University until his retirement in 1993, and is widely
respected for his commitment to ecumenical dialogue.