Twentieth-Century Catholic Theologians

by Fergus Kerr

This book reports on the lives and works of the most influential Catholic theologians of the twentieth century.

Genres: Theology, Philosophy, History, Catholic

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 2, 2006

About the author

Fergus Kerr OP is a Dominican friar, theologian, and philosopher known primarily for his work on Thomas Aquinas and Ludwig Wittgenstein.

Reviews

[Pinkyivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

With 3 exceptions, this book makes for a superb introduction to error, heresy and vindication of just about everything Garrigou-Lagrange wrote. Highly recommended for anyone who seeks to familiarise himself with how seemingly small mistakes lead into the living catastrophy of the Catholic Church today.

[Justin Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

In almost all ways a model for this kind of book. Kerr writes clearly, concisely, and with a nice ironic turn. It's well structured: it start with "before Vatican II," then a bunch of individual theologians, and ends with "after Vatican II." The story of the individuals* is largely one of a progressive move from neo-scholasticism, via a recovery of various church fathers, to a wider range of theological positions. The 'nuptial mysticism' comes out of one of those strands, and finds its most famous, and perhaps silliest, representative in John Paul II.

Kerr himself acknowledges the limitations of this structure, to wit, he doesn't deal with many of the big changes in theology. There are no women, there's no liberation theology (though Rahner leads towards it), and so on. He does suggest pieces that can tell us about those movements, but I read one of them and... well, I would rather read Kerr's clear, concise, ironic prose any day.


*: Chenu, Congar, Schillebeeckx, Lubac, Rahner, Lonergan, Balthasar, Kung, JPII, Benedict.

[Alex Strohschein · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Protestant, I am unfamiliar with many of the theological developments of the Catholic Church that took place across the span of the 20th century. Fergus Kerr's book provides an indispensable introduction to the Catholic Church's top-tier of theologians including Marie-Dominique Chenu, Bernard Lonergan, Henri de Lubac, Karl Rahner, and Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI). Other notable theologians such as Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, Romano Guardini, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, and Gustavo Gutierrez may be mentioned but do not receive separate chapters of their own (all the references to 19th century Catholic theologians made me realize how utterly unaware I am of 19th century Catholic theology save for John Henry Newman and the First Vatican Council). Of those included in the book, Hans Küng and Ratzinger are still alive. Kerr also pays particular attention to how Vatican II altered the Catholic Church. As the subtitle of the book indicates, the Catholic Church shifted from a trenchant neoscholasticism at the beginning of the 1900s to an emphasis on "nuptial mystery" by century's end, particularly through Pope John Paul II's "Theology of the Body."

[Pinky 2.0 · Rating 3 out of 5]

With 3 exceptions, this book makes for a superb introduction to error, heresy and vindication of just about everything Garrigou-Lagrange wrote. Highly recommended for anyone who seeks to familiarise himself with how seemingly small mistakes lead into the living catastrophy of the Catholic Church today.

[Rory Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summarising some significant thinkers, but occasionally with some over simplifications.

Generally, the selection of theologians in the book represented a good survey of significant thinkers. Its always possible to suggest alternative or additional figures (such as Teilhard de Chardin?), but there can be no doubt that the individuals included in this book have indeed all had a signficant impact upon Catholic theology in the twentieth century.

There are a few (arguable) over simplifications in the narrations. For example, in Chapter 2 we hear about the propositions which Chenu was asked to sign to confirm his orthodoxy. They are described in the book as a ‘fabulous absurdity’ (p19) and as ‘poppycock’ (p20). They may have included some odd ideas, but they also included some serious issues which pejorative descriptions obscure.

For example, Proposition 8 asked Chenu to confirm that Aquinas’ philosophy did not depend on his theology. That was a fair question to ask, given that his 1937 book (Une école de théologie) raised that spectre by exploring Aquinas’ theology as a precursor to his philosophy. The issue is also very serious. A Philosophy that depends on a theology runs the risk of being no philosophy at all. So, is it really fair to dismiss an inquiry into that issue as an absurdity or as poppycock?

There were a few points in the book where there is an arguable case to the opposite of what the author states. For example, he says that Pope John Paul II’s 1986 visit to a synagogue was ‘declaring an end to the supersessionism which has dominated Christian attitudes to Judaism from New Testament times’ (p170).

Really? There are several different models of supersessionism, so even if the Church has rejected some versions of supersesionism it does not mean that it has rejected all versions. And as the author states, supersessionism has been a feature of Christian theology ever since the New Testament. Wouldn’t it be a bit odd if the Church could just suddenly reject a teaching of its inspired Scriptures? This issue of supersesionism needed much more discussion, or alternatively perhaps it shouldn’t have been raised at all if there was not scope to deal with it more fully.

Another scope issue occurred in the final chapter on developments since Vatican II. Amidst several pages on the liturgical changes introduced by Vatican II, there were just 3 lines devoted to Lefebvre and his rejection of Vatican II (p.205). Arguably his ideas and actions are a serious issue as it has led to what is increasingly being viewed as a de facto schism. When the history of Vatican II is retold in future years it may well become a story of Vatican II and its rejection by Lefebvre (in the same way that Vatican I is sometimes explained in terms of its rejection by the Old Catholics), so it would have been helpful to provide more information about that particular set of issues.

Overall, however, this remains a very informative and highly readable overview of some significant theologians from the twentieth century. It will be of particular interest to anyone interested in the history of theology, especially in the modern era.

[Mick Maurer · Rating 5 out of 5]

My accidental second reading of ‘Twentieth-Century Catholic Theologians’ (2007) by Fergus Kerr, OP who is a member of the Dominican community in Edinburgh, where he teaches theology. He is the editor of New Blackfriars, the theological & philosophical review of the English Dominicans. Founding Director of the Aquinas Institute & Honorary Fellow of the School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh.
I have read his ‘After Aquinas: Versions of Thomism’ & ‘Thomas Aquinas: A Very Short Introduction’. I have these in my book pile: ‘Work on Oneself: Wittgenstein's Philosophical Psychology’, ‘Theology After Wittgenstein’, & ‘Immortal Longings: versions of transcending humanity’. I need to get his ‘John Henry Newman: reason, rhetoric, and romanticism’ & ‘Contemplating Aquinas’.
This book reports on the lives & works of the most influential
Catholic theologians of the twentieth century. Highlights the involvement of each theologian with the Second Vatican Council, & the dissatisfaction of most with what was achieved. Kerr shows how power struggles within the church, & events in the wider world: WW I, the rise of Fascism & Soviet Communism, WW II, & the Cold War cannot be separated from the fate of the 10 theologians he explores:
1. Dominicans: Marie-Dominique Chenu, Yves Congar, & Edward Schillebeeckx.
2. Jesuits: Henri de Lubac, Karl Rahner, & Bernard Lonergan.
3. Hans Urs von Balthasar (onetime Jesuit)
4. Hans King
5. Karol Wojtyla (Pope St John Paul II)
6. Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI)
Not separate profiles as the above 10, but who played an influential role in their writings: Karl Barth, & Pierre de Chardin, SJ. Two other chapters are 1. Before Vatican II & 12. After Vatican II,
I highly recommend this & all of Fergus Kerr, OP works.

[Anthony Coloma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fergus Kerr OP synthesizes the key Catholic thinkers in the twentieth century and discusses how Congar, de Lubac, Rahner, Lonergan, von Balthasar, Küng, Ratzinger (I just listed my personal favorites) shaped recent developments in the Catholic imagination and Church teaching, pertinent, but not limited, to the reforms introduced by the Second Vatican Council.

Kerr also narrates how most of their earlier life stories were rough and unstable for most of their ideas did not fit with the current and generally acceptable theological principles and frameworks. Congar was dismissed from teaching at Le Saulchoir and forbidden to set foot in any study house of the Dominican Order. De Lubac was asked to stop teaching Jesuit students and his books were removed from Jesuit libraries. Rahner was censored by the Holy Office for an article he wrote on the perpetual virginity of Mary.

They did persevere in their vocation, not waiting and not wanting for any forms of vindication, but fired by their love for God and for the Church. Their theological ideas may have been penned in the past but their questions opened possibilities which we have barely begun to confront.

[Andrew McNeely · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful introduction to not only Catholic theologians of the 20th century, but also a history of the modernist crisis that morphed into a ressourcement of Scripture and the Fathers of the Church.

[graceofgod · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderfully written. Very readable.

[Conor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good but idiosyncratic.

[Fr. John Clark]

A generally informative book, Kerr’s selections and evaluations try to be fair—though at times he will call into question certain points of thought. A work that solidly highlights the not-so-Thomists of the 20th century.