The Thomist: A Speculative Quarterly Review

THOMISM AND THE NEW THEOLOGY* T HAT World War IT would bring with it, not merely great changes in the material fortunes of many nations, but also radical changes in the world of thought, was something which could have been forseen by a glance at the history of human thought throughout the ages. Even before the outbreak of hostilities it was evident that the great civil universities of Europe were in the grip of philosophies which were anti-christian in character, derived as they were from Kant, Hegel, Marx, and Engels. Once the frontiers of Europe were opened for inspection after the liberation it soon became clear that a new factor had arrived on the scene. This was a new philosophy, difficult to define, even by those who taught it, but nevertheless of great influence, especially in France. This new philosophy was given the name of Existentialism. Now, it is also a fact of history that few philosophies come into being without having an influence, sooner or later, on the science of Theology, and so it was natural that the theologian should wait, with a certain degree of apprehension, the result of the impact of these philosophies, especially Existentialism, on Catholic thought. This was even more important in the present case, since a flourishing school of Catholic existentialists already existed in France and in some other countries. By the year 1946 controversies in several ecclesiastical reviews made it quite clear that the apprehensions were more than justified.1 In that same year, in the course of two Allocutions, one to the General Chapter of the Friars Preachers and the other to the Jesuits, the Pope himself made some references to * This article was written and accepted for publication prior to the appearence of the recent papal encyclical, Humani Generia. Hence, the author makes no reference to that important document but his article gains significance in the light of the Holy Father's words.-En. 1 Cf. M. Labourdette, 0. P. "La Theologie et ses sources," Revue Tkomiste, 56 (1946), 858-871, and J. Danielou, "Les orientations presentes de Ia pensee religieuse ," Etudea, !l49 (April, 1946). 567 568 DAVID L. GREENSTOCK what he called a" new theology." 2 He pointed out that, while questions hitherto in dispute among Catholic theologians were still important and by no means to be neglected, nevertheless, the modern problem which confronts all theologians, no matter to what " school " they belong, is the defense of the very foundations of the perennial philosophy and theology, foundations which every intellect calling itself Catholic both recognizes and venerates. The very centre of the problem touches upon the intimate relations between the human intellect and that faith which has been revealed to man by God. How far is the intellect capable of penetrating into those truths in order to deduce from them, by a process of reasoning, other truths which are connected with them? Above all, what is the value of such conclusion? In his Allocution to the Jesuits the Pope mentioned the new theology by name: " There is a good deal of talk (but without the necessary clarity of concept), about a 'new theology,' which must be in constant transformation, following the example of all other things in the world, which a:re in a constant state of flux .and movement, without ever :reaching their term. If we were to accept such an opinion what would become of the unchangeable dogmas of the Catholic Faith; and what would become of the unity and stability of that Faith? " In spite of these words of warning so solemnly delivered by the Vicar of Christ, discussion and controversy still continued, and on the twenty-third of November, 1949, the spanish philosopher Ortega y Gasset, speaking to a packed audience in the Barcelo cinema, Madrid, declared that European Idealism as a philosophical system had been overcome and superseded by another and a more modern system, so too had Aristotelianism. He then continued: " I am able to announce to you that the Roman, Catholic, Apostolic Church is about to :relinquish both Aristotelianism and Thomism; and that a new theology is being forged which is in close relationship with that of the Greek Fathers." 3 2...