An Avant-garde Theological Generation: The Nouvelle Theologie and the French Crisis of Modernity (Oxford Theology and Religion Monographs)

An Avant-garde Theological Generation examines the Fourvière Jesuits and Le Saulchoir Dominicans, theologians and philosophers who comprised the influential reform movement the nouvelle théologie . Led by Henri de Lubac, Jean Daniélou, Yves Congar, and Marie-Dominique Chenu, the movement flourished from the 1930s until its suppression in 1950. It aims to remedy certain historical deficiencies by constructing a history both sensitive to the wider intellectual, political, economic, and cultural milieu of the French interwar crisis, and that establishes continuity with the Modernist crisis and the First World War. Chapter One examines the modern French avant-garde generations that have shaped intellectual and political thought in France, providing context for a historical narrative of the nouvelle théologie . Chapters Two and Three examine the influential older generations that flourished from 1893 to 1914, such as the Dreyfus generation, the generation of Catholic Modernists, and two generations of older Jesuits and Dominicans, which were instrumental in the Fourvière Jesuits' development. Chapter Four explores the influence of the First World War and the years of the 1920s, during which the Jesuits and Dominicans were in religious and intellectual formation, relying heavily on unpublished letters and documents from the Jesuits archives in Paris (Vanves). Chapter Five analyses the crises of the interwar period and the emergence of the wider generation of 1930-to which the nouveaux théologiens belonged-and its intellectual thirst for revolution. Chapter Six examines the emergence of the ressourcement thinkers during the tumultuous years of the 1930s. The decade of the 1940s, explored in Chapter Seven, saw the rise to prominence of the members of the generation of 1930, who, thanks to their participation in the resistance, emerged from the Second World War, with significant influence on the postwar French intellectual milieu. Finally, the monograph concludes in Chapter Eight with an examination of the triumph of French Left Catholicism and the nouvelle théologie during the 1960s at the Second Vatican Council. . Cover 1 An Avant-garde Theological Generation: The Nouvelle Théologie and the French Crisis of Modernity 4 Copyright 5 Dedicaiton 6 Acknowledgements 8 Foreword 10 Table of Contents 12 Abbreviations 14 Introduction 16 THE NOUVELLE THÉOLOGIE: A SHORT HISTORY 19 The Fourvière Jesuits 21 The Le Saulchoir Dominicans 26 THE NEED FOR A CULTURAL AND GLOBAL HISTORY 30 A New Periodization 33 1: Modern French Intellectual Generations 37 CULTURAL HISTORY AND GENERATIONAL THEORY 37 THE BIRTH OF GENERATIONAL CONSCIOUSNESS 43 TWENTIETH-CENTURY FRENCH INTELLECTUAL GENERATIONS 45 La Génération de l’affaire Dreyfus 46 La Génération d’Agathon 49 La Génération du Feu 51 La Génération de la Crise 52 The Nouvelle Théologie: A Theological Cohort of the Generation of 1930 55 2: 1893–1914: Sedimented Generations in a Divided France 57 THE DREYFUS GENERATION: A DIVIDED FRANCE 57 THE MODERNIST GENERATION: A DIVIDED CHURCH 59 The Classical Narrative 60 Loisy and Tyrrell 63 PHILOSOPHICAL MODERNISM: BLONDEL, LABERTHONNIÈRE, AND LE ROY 66 Maurice Blondel 66 The Manual: The Dramatic, Unified, and Concrete Character of Human Existence 68 The Manifesto: Against a Defensive and Absolute Thomism 72 The Method: The Sociohistorical Character of Existence 75 The Method: The Sociopolitical Character of Existence 77 Lucien Laberthonnière 78 Édouard Le Roy 81 An Anthropological and Ecclesiological Blueprint 82 3: The First Ressourcement: The Generations of 1890 and 1912 84 THE JESUIT GENERATION OF 1890: DE GRANDMAISON, LEBRETON, D’ALÈS, AND RECHERCHES DE SCIENCE RELIGIEUSE 84 Léonce de Grandmaison 84 Jules Lebreton 87 THE DOMINICAN GENERATION OF 1890: GARDEIL, SERTILLANGES, AND MANDONNET 88 THE JESUIT GENERATION OF 1912: VALENSIN, ROUSSELOT, HUBY, TEILHARD, MARÉCHAL, FONTOYNONT, AND CHARLES 91 Auguste Valensin: A Blondelian Disciple 92 A Modern Thomistic Synthesis 97 Conceptualism vs Intellectualism 99 The Desire for God 101 Pierre Rousselot: A Proto-Ressourcement Jesuit 96 Joseph Huby: A Disciple of Rousselot 104 Teilhard de Chardin: Science, Philosophy, and God 105 Joseph Maréchal: Kant and Aquinas 107 Blondel, German Idealism, and the Drive toward the Absolute 108 4: 1920s: The Formation of the Generation of 1930 111 A PREAMBLE: EARLY FORMATION AND THE WAR YEARS 112 The First World War 114 The War Generation 115 Dominicans during the War 121 A Post-War Debate 121 A BLONDELIAN PHILOSOPHICAL FORMATION 123 1919–20: A First Taste of Rousselot 123 1920–1: Philosophy Year I—Learning to Read Aquinas 124 1921–2: Philosophy Year II—Blondel and the Desire for God 126 1922–3: The Third Year—Individual Projects 131 A THEOLOGICAL FORMATION UNDER HUBY 136 1924–6: Theology at Ore Place and the Discovery of Hegel 136 1926–8: Theology at Fourvière 140 A GENERATIONAL DESIDERATA 143 De Lubac: A New Apologetics 145 A Dominican Awakening 148 5: 1930s: The Crisis of Humanism and the Generation of 1930 150 CRISIS AND THE EMERGENCE OF THE GENERATION OF 1930 152 A Complete Crisis of Civilization: The Elites Undertake an Analysis 154 A Generational Mission: A New Humanism 157 HISTORICAL CONSCIOUSNESS 159 PHILOSOPHY: TOWARDS THE CONCRETE 163 ENGAGEMENT 168 6: The Catholic Generation of 1930 171 CRISIS: A DECADENT, RATIONALISTIC, AND INDIVIDUALISTIC CHURCH 174 A METHODOLOGICAL BLUEPRINT: THE TÜBINGEN SCHOOL 176 CATHOLIC HISTORICAL CONSCIOUSNESS 181 The Ressourcement Foundation 181 Recovering the Golden Thread: The Real Spirit of the Fathers and Aquinas 183 History and Dogma 191 The History of Desire 194 CATHOLIC PHILOSOPHY AND THEOLOGY: TOWARDS THE CONCRETE 196 Kierkegaard: An Existential Model for a Revolutionary Programme 197 Beyond Hierarchy to Mystique and Solidarity: The Mystical Body of Christ 199 Fessard, Hegel, and Maine de Biran 201 De Montcheuil and Malebranche 203 ENGAGEMENT 205 Political Engagement: Maritain and True Humanism 206 An Ecumenical Engagement 209 Une artiste engagé 210 A Dialogue with the World 213 CONCLUSION: A NEW CHRISTIAN DIMENSION 217 7: 1940s: The Triumph of the Generation of 1930 219 THE WAR YEARS 219 La Resistance Spirituelle 220 A Critique of the Church: ‘A Crisis of Progress’ 223 Engagement and the Task of Construction 225 THE TASK: A NEW HUMANISM 227 The Roots of Atheist Humanism 228 An Anthropological Ontology: A Blondelian Reading of Aquinas 230 Anthropological Epistemology: Recognizing the Desire 234 Exegesis and Dogma 235 THE TASK: A NEW ECCLESIOLOGY 240 Corpus Mysticum: Deconstructing a Decadent and Individual Ecclesiology 241 De Montcheuil’s Ecclesiology 242 The Necessary Move toward Universal Salvation 245 THE LIBERATION AND THE RISE OF THE GENERATION OF 1930 248 A Generational Manifesto 258 Dialogue Théologique: The Toulouse Objection 263 8: 1960s: The Global Triumph of the Generation of 1930 267 THE POST-WAR DIFFUSION 267 Two Popes and the Nouvelle Théologie 268 The Vatican II Reformers and the Nouvelle Théologie 274 The Intellectuals 275 The Letter to the World 277 A CONCILIAR METHODOLOGY: PHENOMENOLOGY, HISTORY, AND ENGAGEMENT 280 LA CRISE APRÈS-CONCILE 283 The Final Debate 285 A Generational Cohort Breaks Away 289 THE PRESSURE OF HISTORY 293 Bibliography 296 Names Index 318 General Index 322 An Avant-garde Theological Generation examines the Fourvière Jesuits and Le Saulchoir Dominicans, theologians and philosophers who comprised the influential reform movement the nouvelle théologie. Led by Henri de Lubac, Jean Daniélou, Yves Congar, and Marie-Dominique Chenu, the movement flourished from the 1930s until its suppression in 1950. It aims to remedy certain historical deficiencies by constructing a history both sensitive to the wider intellectual, political, economic, and cultural milieu of the French interwar crisis, and that establishes continuity with the Modernist crisis and the First World War. Chapter One examines the modern French avant-garde generations that have shaped intellectual and political thought in France, providing context for a historical narrative of the nouvelle théologie. Chapters Two and Three examine the influential older generations that flourished from 1893 to 1914, such as the Dreyfus generation, the generation of Catholic Modernists, and two generations of older Jesuits and Dominicans, which were instrumental in the Fourvière Jesuits' development. Chapter Four explores the influence of the First World War and the years of the 1920s, during which the Jesuits and Dominicans were in religious and intellectual formation, relying heavily on unpublished letters and documents from the Jesuits archives in Paris (Vanves). Chapter Five analyses the crises of the interwar period and the emergence of the wider generation of 1930-to which the nouveaux théologiens belonged-and its intellectual thirst for revolution. Chapter Six examines the emergence of the ressourcement thinkers during the tumultuous years of the 1930s. The decade of the 1940s, explored in Chapter Seven, saw the rise to prominence of the members of the generation of 1930, who, thanks to their participation in the resistance, emerged from the Second World War, with significant influence on the postwar French intellectual milieu. Finally, the monograph concludes in Chapter Eight with an examination of the triumph of French Left Catholicism and the nouvelle théologie during the 1960s at the Second Vatican Council. -- ‡c From publisher's description An Avant-garde Theological Generation Offers A Clearer Understanding Of The Jesuit Theologians And Philosophers Who Comprised The Group Known The Fourviere Jesuits. Led By Henri De Lubac And Jean Danielou, They Formed Part Of The Nouvelle Theologie, An Influential French Reform Movement Thatflourished From The 1930s Until Its Suppression In 1950. After Identifying A Certain Lacuna In The Secondary Literature, Jon Kirwan Remedies Certain Historical Deficiencies By Constructing A History Both Sensitive To The Wider Intellectual, Political, Economic, And Cultural Milieu Of The Frenchinterwar Crisis, And That Establishes Continuity With The Modernist Crisis And The First World War.kirwan Examines The Modern French Avant-garde Generations That Have Shaped Intellectual And Political Thought In France, Providing Context For A Historical Narrative Of The Fourviere Jesuits More Sensitive To The Wider Influences Of French Culture. This Historical Narrative Of The Fourviere Jesuitsfollows Four Stages. The Study Examines The Influential Older Generations That Flourished From 1893 To 1914, Such As The Dreyfus Generation, The Generation Of Catholic Modernists, And Two Generations Of Older Jesuits, Which Were Instrumental In The Fourviere Jesuits' Development. It Explores Theinfluence Of The First World War And The Years Of The 1920s, During Which The Jesuits Were In Religious And Intellectual Formation, Relying Heavily On Unpublished Letters And Documents From The Jesuits Archives In Paris (vanves). Kirwan Then Analyses The Crises Of The 1930s, The Emergence Of Thefourviere Jesuits' Wider Generation, And Their Participation In The Intellectual Thirst For Revolution. He Explores The Decade Of The 1940s, Which Saw The Rise To Prominence Of The Members Of The Generation Of 1930, Who, Thanks To Their Participation In The Resistance, Emerged From The Second Worldwar, With Significant Influence On The Postwar French Intellectual Milieu. This book offers a clearer understanding of the __nouvelle théologie__, an influential French reform movement that flourished during the 1930s and 1940s, championed ressourcement, or, a ‘return to the sources’, and hoped to build a certain rapprochement with modernity by appropriating the historical method, aspects of phenomenology, and social engagement. Comprised of theologians and philosophers from the Jesuit theologate Fourvière in Lyon and the Dominican house at Le Saulchoir in Belgium, they were led by such figures as Henri de Lubac, Jean Daniélou, Marie Dominique Chenu, and Yves Congar. After identifying a lacuna in the secondary literature, the book remedies certain historical deficiencies by constructing a history more sensitive to the wider intellectual, political, economic, and cultural milieu of the French interwar crisis, that establishes continuity with the Modernist crisis and the First World War. It examines the modern French avant-garde generations that shaped intellectual and political thought in France. The historical narrative examines various stages of older generational influence on the development of the __nouveaux théologiens__, including the influence of the Modernists as well as older generations of Jesuit and Dominican mentors. Moreover, the effects of the First World War are examined, as is their religious formation in the 1920s, the emergence of their wider generation during the crisis years of the 1930s, and their own participation in the wider intellectual thirst for revolution. It explores the 1940s, when the generation of 1930 rose to prominence and the global triumph of their thought during the 1960s. This study examines the Fourviere Jesuits and Le Saulchoir Dominicans, theologians and philosophers who comprised the influential reform movement the nouvelle theologie. Led by Henri de Lubac, Jean Danielou, Yves Congar, and Marie-Dominique Chenu, the movement flourished from the 1930s until its suppression in 1950.