Skip to content
The Thomistic Response to the Nouvelle Théologie

The Thomistic Response to the Nouvelle Théologie

by
$34.95
$34.95 - $34.95
$34.95
$31.00
$31.00 - $31.00
$31.00
Publisher: Catholic University of America Press
Publication Date:
Format: Paperback
Pages: 420
Availability: In Stock
Patrons get FREE shipping.

The Thomistic Response to the Nouvelle Théologie: Concerning the Truth of Dogma and the Nature of Theology retrieves the most important and largely forgotten exchanges in the mid-20th-century debate surrounding ressourcement thinkers. It makes available new translations of works by the leading Thomists in the exchange: Dominican Fathers Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, Michel Labourdette, Marie-Joseph Nicolas, and Raymond Bruckberger. In addition to a lengthy historical and theological introduction, the volume contains sixteen articles, thirteen of which have never appeared in English. All the major critical responses of the Dominican Thomists to the nouvelle théologie are here presented chronologically according to the primary debates carried on, respectively, in the journals Revue Thomiste and Angelicum. A lengthy introduction describes the unfolding of the entire debate, article by article, and explains and references the ressourcement interventions.

Unfortunately, the history of this important debate is largely surrounded by polemics, half-truths, caricatures, and journalistic soundbites. In the articles gathered in this volume, along with the accompanying introduction, the Toulouse and Roman Dominicans speak in their own voice. The central theses that define the two sides of the debate are sympathetically set forth. However, the texts gathered here show the immense lengths to which the Thomists went to initiate an authentic and fraternal theological dialogue with the nouveaux théologiens. Frs. Labourdette and Nicolas repeatedly argued for the importance of ressourcement work: they applauded its historical efforts, and they were generally sympathetic and complementary (although always pointed and persistent in gently expressing their concerns). Even Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange-whose infamous intervention is remembered as being a theological "atomic bomb"-is revealed as being no more guilty of escalation than the Dominicans' interlocutors in their own responses to him and Fr. Labourdette.

This volume will greatly aid in the task of theological and historical reconstruction and will, undoubtedly, assist in a certain rapprochement between the two sides, as the essential texts, concerns, and theological arguments are made available in their entirety to professional and lay anglophone readers.

Editorial Reviews

"The most significant theological debate in the Catholic world in the years leading up to Vatican II engaged Thomism and the nouvelle théologie. It was the backstory to almost all the major conversations at the Council. Later accounts portray the major figures in caricature and present the debate as full of rancor. But that’s not what we find in the primary sources contained in this book. What we find is respectful criticism, a pervasive fraternal tone. We might learn, from these pages, how to conduct our important conversations today. This collection of essays is indispensable for a new generation of theology students and scholars."
~Scott Hahn, Director of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, Steubenville, OH

"The future of Catholic theology and the renewal of Catholic thought more generally depends at once on a recovery of the ecclesial and historical spirit of ressourcement found in the nouvelle théologie and also a renewed appreciation for the centrality of Thomas Aquinas and the neo-Thomism represented by, among others, the formidable Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange. This volume facilitates that union by bringing to light the central Thomist engagements with the nouvelle théologie, a part of our intellectual history generally passed over in willful ignorance and with a preference for easy narratives over serious thought. It will be an enduring sourcebook and a cornerstone for future reflection within the queen of the sciences."
~James Matthew Wilson, author of The Vision of the Soul: Truth, Goodness, and Beauty in the Western Tradition

"What guarantees the unity and pluralism, the stability as well as the adaptability, of Catholic theology? What is the role of St Thomas Aquinas and his legacy for the theological enterprise today and in the future? Through this timely volume, Jon Kirwan and Matthew K. Minerd point us to the importance of past history in considering these contemporary questions. Not only do they uncover one root for today’s challenges in the largely forgotten contours of a lively debate about theological method in France nearly a century ago, but they also make available in English translation some of its more neglected contributions from some prominent Dominican thinkers. While their thorough and useful introduction and chronology of the debate is sensitive to the different nuances of the friars of Toulouse and Rome, the editors helpfully discern some common approaches among the contributors and evaluate some of the reasons why dialogue was so unfortunately truncated to the detriment of Catholic theology. The publication of this volume can only serve to aid a renewed theological dialogue that can serve the Church’s engagement with the modern world."
~Simon Francis Gaine, O.P., Director, Angelicum Thomistic Institute, Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas, Rome

"Jon Kirwan and Matthew Minerd have rendered the Catholic theological community a great service. The Dominican response to La nouvelle théologie has long been buried under the copious amounts of ressourcement discoveries and the subsequent rethinking of how to do Catholic theology that they generated."
~Romanus Cessario, OP, Adam Cardinal Maida Professor of Theology, Ave Maria University

Customer Reviews

Be the first to write a review
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)