Acknowledging the MSC ministry of Compass Theology Review

COMPASS THEOLOGY REVIEW, AUSTRALIANS DOING THEOLOGY FOR FIFTY YEARS. available from the ATF website to order.

Some commendations by Tony Kelly CSsR, from his Foreword.

Tony Kelly CSsR

In this sizable volume we find surveyed all the articles and the authors that have gone into the making of Compass Theology Review over these past 50 years—a remarkable achievement in itself. The author wisely suggests that this is a book we dip into rather than expect to read it from beginning to end.  Mind you, the task of dipping into a text such as this is made much easier with the index of authors and topics that complete this work of meticulous record.    

The pages of this book offer a valuable insight into the thinking and the faith of the writers and readers of a past era—as the subtitle has it, ’50 years of Australians doing theology’.

The first cover, 1967

The articles referred to in this survey cover an extraordinary period of theological development.  It began with the Second Vatican Council with all its creativity and ferment; and moved through times of rapid change, affecting religious orders, the Church as a whole, theology itself and theological education.  These times experienced the trauma of Humanae Vitae, the influence of the different popes in this period, the challenges of ecumenism, interfaith dialogue, and so much else ranging from evolution, ecology and modern science .

This was an extraordinary time for Australia, for theology and Catholic thinking; and through it all Compass was a blessed point of reference. That it was so, and for so long, was enabled by the generosity of a particular religious order, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, and the four editors that emerged to take up the task.  Half a century ago, Dennis Murphy MSC implemented his original vision and made it practical and communicable by getting this review started.  He was followed by Peter Hoy, MSC , then the author of this book, Peter Malone MSC who edited Compass from 1972 to 1998, and finally Barry Brundell, MSC, from 1999 to 2016.  Under their guidance over five decades Compass was born, lived, grew and finally breathed its last, ending as it began as a brave and sustained instance of pastoral and theological communication.

Dennis Murphy MSC

The articles appearing in Compass, as the reader will see, were meant to be read. This review was not intended to be, nor did it ever become, an attic of irrelevant academic speculation.  In a usually brief number of words, the authors contributed on an amazing variety of topics. Theological considerations were related to the worlds of spirituality, missiology, ecumenism, psychology, religious education, science and art—and much else.

To my mind, a genial Catholicity pervaded and animated Compass Theological Review throughout its life.  There was nothing rigid or exclusive in its content and style.  Always a long way from a defensive ‘Catholicism’ (itself not a Catholic word), it exhibited the wisdom, expansiveness and general good sense of a truly Catholic spirit, deep and broad, often in difficult times. 

Final cover, 2016

No doubt all this derived from the mission of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart: openness of heart and mind, dedication and professionalism, conspiring to give the Compass we now miss after these fifty years; and for which the Australian Church must give sincere thanks.