Recherche – Detailansicht
Ausgabe: | April/2024 |
Spalte: | 323-325 |
Kategorie: | Dogmen- und Theologiegeschichte |
Autor/Hrsg.: | Erp, Stephan van, and Daniel Minch [Eds.] |
Titel/Untertitel: | T&T Clark Reader in Edward Schillebeeckx. |
Verlag: | London u. a.: Bloomsbury T&T Clark 2023. 368 S. Geb. GB£ 67,50. ISBN 9780567683403. |
Rezensent: | Niels den Hertog |
There were several reasons for compiling this Reader in Edward Schillebeeckx (1914–2009), amongst them the publication of the T&T Clark Handbook of Edward Schillebeeckx in 2020. Stephan van Erp and Daniel Minch, the editors of this reader, aim for two goals by presenting their selection of Schillebeeckx-texts: provide access to the core points of his theology, while at the same time preserve as much nuance and detail as possible (3). Given the fact that the Collected Works of Schillebeeckx (published by Bloomsbury) span eleven volumes and the fact that Schillebeeckx’ first publication dates from the 1930s and his last from the 2000s this is quite a challenge. Although not a Schillebeeckx-specialist in any way myself, I think they succeeded. I found this Reader thought-provoking and it made me want to read more. Although he passed away fourteen years ago, his work still is inspiring for today’s theology, so much became clear to me.
After an introductory chapter in which the long life of Schillebeeckx is described followed by a timeline the book is divided into four sections, which are divided into sub-sections. Each of the main sections opens with an Introduction by an expert in which the theme is presented and development in Schillebeeckx’ thought is described. Together those four short essays helped me understand the selection of Schillebeeckx-texts that followed.
The first section is called Sources. In it the reader finds four sub-sections, making clear where Schillebeeckx came from: Aquinas and Thomism, Metaphysics and Phenomenology, Nouvelle Théologie and Dominican Spirituality.
The second section deals with The Second Vatican Council and Its Aftermath. Schillebeeckx was not a delegee himself, but he became the unofficial advisor for the Bishops from the Netherlands. The council became a turning point in his career. Here some very interesting pieces on Hermeneutics are presented.
The third section is dedicated to Theological Themes. Here the reader receives an impression of the very broad view of Schille- beeckx. Almost all loci of Christian dogmatics are covered, save for the doctrine of Trinity and the Holy Spirit – I don’t know what to make of that, if anything. It may just be a result of the aim to present a selection of his texts. Several times one can start to un-derstand why his work wasn’t always met with enthusiasm in Rome. »Although there is authority and leadership in the church, there is really no hierarchy«, he writes about the Church (276). I can imagine that not all his readers agreed to that.
The last section presents several pieces connected to Theology of Culture. As Schillebeeckx’ work was characterised by an openness to culture from early on, he was convinced that theologians stood for the task of making the Christian faith relevant to the modern age. Here the reader finds some very interesting reflections on religion and violence, talking about God in a modern age, the influence of Third World theology on Western theology and religious pluralism.
In a piece called »The hermeneutical problem for the Catho- lic faith« Schillebeeckx says »Authentic orthodoxy is seldom to be found in those who simply repeat literally what has already been said […] A modern theologian […] may feel secure as a believer and yet hesitant as a theologian […] One is sometimes bound to wonder whether the certainty of some theologians does not conceal a hesitant faith.« (109) This remark stuck with me, as I think it underlines the development in Schillebeeckx’ own thinking and it makes clear how he himself experienced a certain difference between his work as a theologian and his living as a believer. It also makes clear that he thought of his work as being true to the orthodox faith, because »Understanding must change in changing situations, otherwise the same thing cannot continue to be understood.« (111)
The early Schillebeeckx sometimes seems »to repeat what already has been said.« When I read what he has to say in 1964 about Mary in the direction of Protestant Christians he seems to underline the classic Roman-Catholic view in pointing to her »essential maternal quality« and her »meritorious co-operation in salvation« (251). In his eyes, there is a difference between the »tenderness of Catholic devotion as opposed to the comparative severity of Protes-tant Christianity« (248). But in his later work it is very clear that he chose different paths – he himself said his work had undergone a radical shift –, looking for new ways in (for example) Christology and Ecclesiology. It caused discomfort in Rome leading the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith to send their questions to Schillebeeckx. It never resulted in a condemnation – although Ratzinger did issue a notification claiming that Schillebeeckx held to a conception of priestly ministry that was out of step with the doctrine of the Church (10) – but it makes clear that his work as a theologian led him to new, unknown territories and that not everybody was willing to follow him.
Two minor points of criticism. First: although footnotes make clear from which book or article the different texts stem, they often (not always) refer to the edition of the Collected Works of Edward Schillebeeckx, published after he passed away. In my view it would have added to the value of this reader if the editors had also given information about the original date of appearance of the selected pieces, thus making it possible for the reader to find out how the different texts relate to each other in time. Second: I think the Reader would have benefited from an index on subjects, because with that readers would have been enabled to trace developments on different subjects. Now the Reader only comes with an index on names. – But apart from this: I learned a lot from this reader and I gladly recommend it to those who want to have a well-informed introduction to the oeuvre of Schillebeeckx.