Class 32: Later 20th C Catholic
Theology and Vatican II
Ann T. Orlando
12 April 2006
Introduction
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Currents in Modern Catholic Theology
Historical Theology
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New Theology
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Process Theology
Hermeneutics
Transcendental Thomism
Vatican II
Theological Developments in 20th C
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It’s all about the Enlightenment
History and Hermeneutics;
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New Theology and Transcendental Thomism
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Historical Critical Method
Relation between History and Religion
Process Theology
Thomism that returns to critical evaluation of Thomas Aquinas and his
sources, especially Augustine;
Expands Thomism, does not merely study and codify Thomas; emphasis on
philosophical methods
Key figures: Henri de Lubac, Karl Rahner, Bernard Lonergan, Edward
Schillebeeckx
Liberation Theology
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Driven by WWII (Moltmann, Metz) and Third World economic and social
poverty (Gutierez, Boff, Sorvino)
Encourages political and social activism as part of Christian witness and
Church’s mission
Opposed to natural law; rather only literal application of Gospel message
Key Problems of Relation between
Scientific History and Religion
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What is true, unchanging essence of
Christianity? How can we know that?
What is relation of Scripture to essence of
Christianity? Who was Jesus Christ?
What does Christian doctrinal development
mean?
But even more fundamental, what is
relationship of God to His creation; does God
evolve with His creation?
Key Figures in History and Religion
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Ernst Troeltsch: History and Religion
Raymond Brown: Historical Critical Method
Pierre de Chardin: Process Theology
Hans-Georg Gadamer: History and
Hermeneutics
Ernst Troeltsch (1865-1923)
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Attempt to determine the essence of Christianity,
and how Christian dogma developed in history
Three aspects of his method
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No historical event is free from historical critical analysis
There is an analogy between past and present events
Faith is correlated to the broader cultural environment in
which it lives
Implications
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Bible as an historical document, an artifact of Christianity
Doctrine is primarily influenced by the culture in which it is
formed
Christianity one of many truths
Pierre de Chardin (1881-1955)
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An embrace of evolution as applied to
theology
The cosmos is moving to ever more complex
systems, and greater sense of consciousness
The end point is union with God, the Omega
point
For some process theologians, God may be
evolving with the cosmos
Hans-Georg Gadamer (1900-2002)
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Opposed to emphasis on authorial intent; rather define a classic
as that which has endured for generations
Opposed to Enlightenment distinction between reason and
authority
Expanded Heidegger’s hermeneutical circle to a fusion of
horizons; past interpretations are valuable parts fo the classic
 Most important ‘classic’ is the Bible
Habermas opposed to Gadamer: winners write history
Derrida opposed to Gadamer: only meaning is what reader
brings to text
Raymond Brown (1928-1998)
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Pioneered historical critical studies in United
States
Methods for determining historical material in
Gospels
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Multiple attestation
Coherence
Embarrassment
Discontinuity
Key Problems in New Theology
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What is relation of Christian faith to other
religions?
What is relation between nature and grace
(natural and supernatural knowledge)?
How to interpret human experience of divine?
Key Figures in New Theology
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Karl Rahner: How we experience
Henri de Lubac: Senses of Scripture
Yves Congar: How are we Church
Move away from Neo-Scholasticism
Karl Rahner (1904-1984)
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Investigates and expands Aquinas’ use of analogy in theology
 Defends analogy as a valid way to know
 Method of correlation
Revelation as a transcendental experience; not propositional
knowledge
The more one experiences the transcendent the greater freedom
one has
Supernatural existential is the source of human experience and
revelation (nature and grace not separated)
Humans live in history; human experience cannot be separated
from history
Transcendental experience of God by individual is objectified by
religious revelation and interpretation
Anonymous Christian (anonymous Hindu)
Henri de Lubac (1896-1991)
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Return to the Fathers
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Neo-Scholasticism separated natural from
supernatural; nature and grace
Interdependence of Four senses of Scripture;
Historical Critical Method does not exhaust
meaning of Scripture
Tried to reintegrate nature and grace
Peritus at VII
Yves Congar (1904-1994)
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Application of New Theology to Ecclesiology
Integration of people and hierarchy of Church
Importance of laity in world; as missionaries
to world
Church as community; communio
ecclesiology
Pope John XXIII (1958-1963)
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Two Encyclicals
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Mater et Magistra (1961)
Pacem in Terris (1963)
Convened Council Dec. 25,1961
Emphasis on pastoral renewal, rather than
dogma
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Substance of deposit of faith one thing
Way it is presented and taught another
This is emphasis of Council
Vatican II (1962-1965)
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Both affirm ancient tradition and move Church in a new direction
Constitution on Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium)
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Lumen Gentium
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Renewed emphasis on importance of actions of Catholic laity in world
Church as Communio; but also Church as hierarchical
The Church of Christ subsists in the Roman Catholic Church (what does this mean??)
Dei Verbum
Gaudium et Spes: Final document of Council
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Liturgical changes; use of vernacular;
RCIA
Addresses how the Church should be in the World as part of ‘the whole
human family’
Part I on the dignity of man and his role in the universe
Part II on modern problems (Marriage, Culture, Economics, Arms Race,
Peace)
Note: there were documents written after official close of Council that are considered
VII documents: Nostra Aetate
Summary of Catholicism’s Response
to Enlightenment
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Syllabus of Errors, 1864
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Vatican I (1866-1870)
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Reaffirmed that we can have sure knowledge in faith and morals (infallibility of Pope,
Thomism as official theology); Neo-Scholasticism
Reaffirmed that religion is important to society’s well being
Reaffirm the importance of natural law
Affirmed Thomism as theological method
Increased spiritual devotion: Lourdes 1858, Fatima 1917
Rerum Novarum (1891)
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Series of anathemas of Enlightenment views
Support of private property;
Support for living wage and dignity of working man and his family
Vatican II (1962-1965)
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Toleration defined as toleration of religion against secular societies trying to prevent
religious practice
Concern about new economic systems and materialism, whether Marxist or capitalist,
that in fact undermine dignity of individual and families
Renewal of liturgical practices; often based upon early Christian practice