Theological Renewal and the Resurgence of Integrism: The Rene Draguet Case (1942) in Its Context

by W De Pril

Overview

On July 1, 1942 the Holy Office issued a decree that the Louvain professor of fundamental theology Rene Draguet (1896-1980) had to be deprived of his teaching. The decree did not clarify the reasons for this sanction. Earlier on in the same year two books were placed on the Index: M.-D. Chenu's Une Ecole de theologie: Le Saulchoir (1937) and L. Charlier's Essai sur le probleme theologique (1938), while a dissertation of a Louvain doctor in theology and student of Draguet, V. Buffon, was 'condemned' without being put on the Index. These theologians shared a pursuit of theological renewal, either directly (e.g. by elaborating a new theory of theology) or indirectly (e.g. by introducing methodological innovations in the domain of doctrinal history). As both Charlier and Buffon were to a large extent dependent on Draguet's theological theory and method, the Louvain professor appears as the key figure of a 'Louvain school' of theological renewal that - together with the school of Le Saulchoir - was combated very harshly by the Holy Office in 1942. The quick succession of condemnations gave rise to the fear that a revival of 'integrism' was taking place against a kind of neo-modernism, labeled as nouvelle theologie. The book consists of two parts. In the first part, the projects of theological renewal of Draguet, Charlier and Chenu are studied. Most attention is given to the not well-known theological project of Draguet, that is discussed in detail on the basis of his teaching and publications. Next the theological positions of Charlier and Chenu are analysed from a comparative perspective. In this way it is shown how the catch word nouvelle theologie made an amalgam of very divergent projects of theological renewal. The second part is devoted to the history of the condemnations of 1942. The opening up of the Draguet archives in 2005 allowed for the historiography of the condemnation and rehabilitation of Draguet in its relation to the condemnations of Chenu, Charlier and Buffon.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789042930360
Publisher:	Peeters Publishing
Publication date:	10/17/2016
Series:	Bibliotheca Ephemeridum Theologicarum Lovaniensium , #266
Pages:	378
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 9.50(h) x 1.20(d)

Table of Contents

Preface Leo Kenis ix

Abbreviations xiii

Bibliography xv

Introduction 1

Part I A Project of Theological Renewal

Chapter I The Theological Position of René Draguet 11

I Non-Apologetic Historical Research as a Starting Point for Theological Renewal 11

II A New Theory of Theology 14

1 Reorientation towards Fundamental Theology 14

2 The Nature, Object and Method of Theology 16

3 Dogmatic Development 63

Conclusion 83

Chapter II René Draguet and Louis Charlier: A 'School' of Theological Renewal 85

I Louis Charlier and the Essai sur le problème théologique 86

Introduction 86

1 The First Part of the Essai sur le problème théologique: Theology and Revelation 87

2 The Second Part of the Essai sur le problème théologique: Theology and (Speculative) Reason 98

3 Reception 102

II Disciple of Louvain and/or Le Saulchoir? 114

Introduction 114

1 René Draguet and the Essai sur le problème théologique 115

2 Marie-Dominique Chenu and the Essai sur le problème théologique 119

3 A Comparison with the Theological Theory of Charlier 134

III Conclusion: Two Schools of Theological Renewal: Louvain - Le Saulchoir 136

Part II The Condemnation of Theological Renewal

Introduction 141

Chapter I The Condemnations of 1942: Chenu, Charlier, Draguet 145

I The Condemnation of M.-D. Chenu and Le Saulchoir 145

II The Action of the Holy Office against René Draguet and the "Louvain School" 171

1 Previous History (1927 - June 30, 1942) 171

2 The Sanction against Draguet: Facts, Motives and Protagonists 208

3 The Immediate Aftermath of the Sanction against Draguet 221

Chapter II Magna EST Veritas ET Praevalet: Draguet's Struggle For Rehabilitation (1946-1948, 1964-1966) 251

I The Partial Rehabilitation (1946-1948) 251

1 In Search of Formal Rehabilitation 251

2 The Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus: Rehabilitation de facto of the Positive du Magistère? 290

II The Integral Rehabditation of Draguet by the Church of the Second Vatican Council (1964-1965) 302

General Conclusion 319

Index of Names 329