Rahner and Marion are prominent contemporary theologians who reread the Thomistic tradition in the light of Heidegger's phenomenology. In this article, we will describe some of the main aspects of Rahner's and Marion's Thomistic theology and finally compare their perspectives on the relationship between philosophy and religion. Concerning Heidegger's phenomenology, Rahner proposes the term pre-conceptual understanding and concludes that the dynamic activity of reason in the Thomistic tradition, which is based on sensory data and abstractive knowledge, is made possible by a prior (pre-reflective) understanding of God, that man implicitly acknowledges the infinite by issuing every proposition. Marion, from another angle, attempts to establish a dialogue between the Thomistic tradition and Heidegger's philosophy, and by proposing the concept of the saturated phenomenon and adopting a phenomenological approach to love, he claims that in the divine revelation, any epistemological horizon and priority of human will collapse. He analyzes the concept of Analogy in Thomism from the perspective of apophatic theology and finds a way to avoid metaphysics as one of the characteristics of postmodern theology. These two thinkers have liberated the possibilities of Thomistic theology in the light of Heidegger's phenomenology, which can be an instructive example of rereading tradition in the light of contemporary trends.
By examining Marion's theological views as a postmodern thinker, one can still understand the continuity of Rahner's philosophy and the need of contemporary man for it. Of course, Marion has adopted two distinct positions in relation to Rahner in different stages of his thought, each of which is explained by the influences he has accepted from other thinkers. Although Marion, under the influence of Hans Urs von Balthasar, distances himself from philosophy in the first period of his thinking and takes the side of theology, ultimately a theological turn occurs in his phenomenology and, along with Rahner, he seeks to create a constructive interaction between philosophy and Catholic theology. He considers man as open to infinity and, like Rahner, believes in the harmony of reason and faith. The main issue of the present article is to examine the basic conceptual network of Rahner's and Marion's thought and to make a comparison between these two thinkers. It will be clear in the following that Rahner and Marion each liberate the possibilities hidden in Thomistic theology from a specific angle, and this will be explained by referring to phrases from the Summa Theologica. Although the conceptual network and terminology of Rahner and Marion in theological discussions are different, they both believe that, considering the secular trends in the contemporary world, the church should present its teachings according to the common sense of the time, to establish a fit between the Gospel and new situations. Another commonality between Marion and Rahner, which is the author's motivation for comparing these two thinkers, is that both are influenced by the Thomistic tradition and Heidegger's phenomenology. Although for Rahner, the dynamic nature of reason in the Thomistic tradition is considered, and for Marion, the Neoplatonic implications of this theological tradition are considered, each of which opens a new horizon for the contemporary reader. Since in the history of philosophy we always witness a return to the thought of the past, the present article can represent a rereading of the tradition in the light of contemporary trends.
Rahner and Marion are Catholic theologians who analyze the Thomistic tradition through the influence of Heidegger's phenomenology, emphasizing the necessity of philosophical scrutiny. For the Iranian Muslim thinker, this approach can confirm the possibility of rereading the tradition with a new language that aligns with the requirements of the contemporary era and serves as a model in this field. The present article innovatively deals with the theological analysis of Rahner and Marion from the perspective of Intentionality, comparing the conceptual network of these two thinkers. One point that underscores the originality of this article is the reference to the possibility of two readings of Thomistic theology that Rahner and Marion offer using Heidegger's phenomenology. Comparing the views of Rahner and Marion leads us to two rational and tasteful origins in Thomism that can potentially be seen in some of Aquinas's statements. Through a comparative analysis of the conceptual network of these two thinkers, the author aims to reveal the possibilities hidden in Thomistic theology, which has become a basis for rereading the tradition in light of a new perspective.