The Principle of Mercy: Jon Sobrino and the Catholic Theological Tradition

Abstract

The theme of mercy stands at the heart of Jon Sobrino’s theological project, fundamentally shaping his Christology, anthropology, martyrology, ecclesiology, and much else. This essay analyzes Sobrino’s conceptualization of mercy as a development within the Catholic theological tradition. Drawing upon Thomas Aquinas’s influential account of mercy this article argues that Sobrino’s thought is consonant though not identical with earlier thought on mercy. Sobrino offers accounts of divine and human mercy that are faithful to the Catholic tradition and which productively push the tradition forward in response to both the biblical witness and contemporary challenges.