By What Authority?: Foundations for Understanding Authority in the Church (Revised and Expanded Edition) by Richard Gaillardetz

Abstract

Reviewed by: By What Authority?: Foundations for Understanding Authority in the Church (Revised and Expanded Edition) by Richard Gaillardetz Eric Lafferty By What Authority?: Foundations for Understanding Authority in the Church (Revised and Expanded Edition) BY RICHARD GAILLARDETZ Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2018. Pages: xviii + 246. Paperback: $24.95. ISBN: 9780814687888. This newly revised edition of Richard Gaillardetz's 2003 publication adds content from the pontificates of Benedict XVI and Francis with the aim of offering an up-to-date treatment of authority in the Roman Catholic Church. Beyond new content appended to the original chapters, this edition includes two new chapters: "What Is the Role of Power and Authority in the Church?" [End Page 167] and "How Did the Magisterium Develop Historically?" It is a relatively slim volume, given its scope, with content touching on a vast array of topics pertaining to authority, including, revelation, the biblical canon and inspiration, tradition, the magisterium, dogma, doctrine, the sense of the faithful, assent and dissent, and the relationship between it all. Each is a lofty theological topic, the finer details of which are sometimes glossed over. This is understandable and excusable inasmuch as the author intends the text to serve as a basic introduction. Happily, the inclusion of suggested further reading for each topic provide some starting points for readers seeking more detail. One cannot deny the erudition required and effort put forth by the author to assemble such a concise introduction to complex and often ill-understood topics. The scrupulous reader, however, will quickly pick up on the author's theological slant. To be clear, this text is not a mere handbook on what the Roman Catholic Church teaches on authority, but a theological argument with its own proclivities. Notable elements of Gaillardetz's approach include his self-proclaimed allegiance to "the spirit of Vatican II," enthusiasm for Francis's pontificate, and a general downplaying of dogma. This final point deserves closer examination. The author argues for the primacy of the Christian life over dogma. For Gaillardetz, certain dogmas are no longer central to Christian living. He elaborates on this using the example of Constantinople III's dogmatic teaching that Christ possessed two wills, writing, "It is not that Constantinople III was wrong; it is just that its Christological formulation is no longer central to the faith consciousness of Catholics today" (168). Where one might expect a call for catechesis, the author asserts that whether a group of Catholics believes Christ had one will or two wills, "This would mean nothing regarding the orthodoxy of one group or another" (168). He defends this relegation of certain dogma to a lesser status through an appeal to Vatican II's teaching on the hierarchy of truths. Shifting the focus to more Newman-centric matters, scholars and enthusiasts will find some disappointment that references to Newman are often little more than the author employing some of the prolific saint's most memorable and popularized sayings to introduce other content and ideas. The one area of focus with some pertinence to Newman studies is the author's treatment of the sense of the faithful. Gaillardetz rightly notes Newman's contribution to this topic, and Newman scholars interested in how recent scholarship appropriates that contribution may find the author's overview helpful. As an introductory text focusing more on breadth than depth, the intended audience is wide. The author expresses hope that it finds use in academic, ecclesial, and other professional contexts. On the one hand, the author has achieved what eludes many scholars: a text that showcases knowledge of major and diverse sources combined with an approachable writing style that communicates [End Page 168] key points in clear language and demands little prior knowledge. In this regard, Gaillardetz's updated text would seem to lend itself to wide application. On the other hand, how one judges its suitability for various contexts will largely depend on one's own theological disposition. Undoubtedly the text contains a wealth of helpful foundational content in fundamental theology and ecclesiology, but intertwined throughout are points of contention and disputable guiding narratives that serve more as kindle for theological debate. The author clearly recognizes the value of such debate as...