Abstract
The dual concern of this article is to present the vision of the church articulated by the renowned generation of Catholic ressourcement thinkers in the mid-twentieth century, and to demonstrate its continued fecundity in the pluralist, multi-cultural context of contemporary western society. It seeks to contribute primarily to ecclesiology, while also providing historical and social commentary with respectful suggestions for its relevance to present-day ecclesiology. The article provides an interpretative framework for understanding ressourcement with reference to its philosophical foundations and the vision of its founders. Its aims are, first, to articulate the role of ressourcement in the modern context and, secondly, to document the genesis and emergence of that movement’s perception of the church’s mandate in the world, based on an essential return to the sources of Christianity. The paper presents the public vision of ressourcement ecclesiology in two parts, drawing principally, though not exclusively, on the work of the two leading intellectual orders of the Catholic Church at the time of its formulation, namely, the Dominicans and the Jesuits of France.
Highlights
The dual concern of this article is to present the vision of the church articulated by the renowned generation of Catholic ressourcement thinkers in the mid-twentieth century, and to demonstrate its continued fecundity in the pluralist, multi-cultural context of contemporary western society
The article provides an interpretative framework for understanding ressourcement with reference to its philosophical foundations,2 and the vision of its founders whose ecumenical theology and outreach
In a survey of key ressourcement thinkers, he demonstrates how Kierkegaard contributed to the rehabilitation of Catholic theology by Daniélou, aided Congar in his understanding of the complexity of modern culture, and contributed to de Lubac’s engagement with modern thought
Summary
The primary focus of this paper is the Catholic Church’s engagement with the world in the twentieth century, with particular attention to France It is concerned with the application of the ressourcement vision in the pluralist, multi-cultural context of contemporary western society. Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905–1988) who, under the influence of Adrienne von Speyr, left the Society of Jesus in 1950 in order to found a ‘secular institute’ for lay people This brilliant and innovative group, united by a lively spirit of fraternity, helped to create what Chenu called ‘the golden age of Christianity and creative civilization.’ Among the new initiatives were the movement for the reform of the liturgy, Centre de Pastorale Liturgique (1943), followed by the launch of the journal La. Maison Dieu (1945); the return to biblical and patristic sources, exemplified especially in the Sources chrétiennes series, and a second patristic series of Latin texts ‘Corpus Christianorum’,17 founded by Eligius Dekkers in 1947 at Turnhout (Belgium) to which was added a Greek series in 1977 with Marcel. Protestant thought than had previously been assumed. In a survey of key ressourcement thinkers, he demonstrates how Kierkegaard contributed to the rehabilitation of Catholic theology by Daniélou, aided Congar in his understanding of the complexity of modern culture, and contributed to de Lubac’s engagement with modern thought. The public vision of ressourcement ecclesiology is presented here in two parts, drawing principally on the work of the leading intellectual orders of the Catholic Church at the time of its formulation
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
