Relationship and Reciprocity

Simone de Beauvoir’s understanding of the objectified self brings to the fore questions of relationship with others, especially with a divine other. In this chapter, the possibility of mutuality in relationship with the divine is thoroughly considered, with particular attention to Kathryn Tanner’s understanding of the nature of divine transcendence and immanence. Tanner’s work illuminates the possibilities for viewing the self in mutual relationship to the divine without undermining either divine agency or human self-realisation. The example of Mary, mother of Christ, serves to underscore the role of self-realisation in faithful relationship with the divine. This chapter serves to develop the central theological argument of this book.