XXI PLENARY SESSION OF THE PONTIFICAL ACADEMY OF SAINT THOMAS
“THOMISM AND PROTESTANTISM”
(DPCU, 9-10 JUNE2023)
Greetings of His Eminence Cardinal Kurt Koch
(9 June 2023)
Your Excellency, Reverend Fathers, dear Professors,
Illustrious members of the Pontifical Academy of Saint Thomas Aquinas,
It is an honour for our Dicastery to host this XXI session of your Academy, which is dedicated this year to the theme of “Thomism and Protestantism”. It is a striking title, since these two concepts could seem antinomic. Martin Luther is often quoted as describing Thomas Aquinas as “the source and foundation of all heresy, error, and obliteration of the Gospel”[1]. Admittedly, there are some exceptions among certain representatives of Protestant scholasticism: in 1656, for example, the Strasbourg Lutheran theologian Johann Georg Dorsch presented Thomas Aquinas in the title of his work as “Confessor of the evangelical truth according to the Augsburg Confession”[2]. In general, however, the more Thomism appeared as a symbol of Catholic theology, the more it was rejected by the heirs of the Reformation. Thus, at the end of the 19th century, in response to the promotion of Thomistic studies by the Catholic Magisterium, especially after the publication of the encyclical Aeterni Patris in 1879, certain Protestant circles promoted Immanuel Kant as the best representative of Protestant philosophy.
However, the close links between Thomism and Protestantism have been highlighted in numerous publications in recent decades, as illustrated by this session of your Academy. Several factors come into play.
The first factor is undoubtedly the rediscovery of Thomas Aquinas by certain Protestant scholars. This rediscovery of Aquinas in his medieval historical context has made it possible, for example, to highlight the relevance of his biblical commentaries – a matter clearly dear to Protestantism – or his links with Augustine, links which are important insofar as the Reformation has often been described as a fruit of Augustinianism. One could draw a parallel between this rediscovery of Thomas Aquinas by Protestants and the rediscovery of the Reformers by Catholics. Recent studies have helped Catholic scholars to transform their view of Calvin and Luther, who are no longer read as heresiarchs, but as authors imbued with humanism, men in search of an authentic spiritual experience. Just as a better distinction has been made between Thomas and Thomism, so between the Reformers and Protestantism. The image of Thomas Aquinas has therefore changed among Protestant scholars, just as the image of Luther and Calvin has changed among Catholic scholars.
A second factor that has played a role in the recent links between Thomism and Protestantism are the challenges posed to Christians by postmodernism and secularism. Certain Protestant scholars have come to realize that the Thomistic tradition could be of great help, particularly with regard to Christian philosophy, anthropology, the theology of Creation, and the understanding of sanctification as the development of virtues. Many Protestant movements of the 1990s and 2000s could be mentioned in this regard, especially in the English-speaking world, such as the Yale School, the representatives of the so-called “post-liberal” school, and “Radical Orthodoxy”. These are all currents that have recognized Saint Thomas not only as the Doctor Communis of the Catholic Church, but as a Master common to the whole of Christian thought, whose work has been particularly fruitful in responding to the challenges of our time.
Finally, a third factor must be taken into account: interest in Thomas Aquinas' methodology, which in many ways could be considered pre-ecumenical. This methodology was carefully studied by another Dominican, Father Yves Congar, who in a number of articles demonstrated the value and ecumenical significance of the hermeneutical principles of Aquinas[3]. Thomas was always very keen to discover what an author wanted to say, his 'intentio', the 'intentio loquentis', since a statement only reveals its true meaning if one knows the context, the problem, and the range of the vocabulary used. Indeed, the difference between two statements can be explained by the appearance of an error that then leads to clarification, or by contrasting approaches that translate into differences in conceptualization, and therefore in expression. Thus, for Thomas, even an erroneous formula can conceal a right intention, and there is always something to be received from someone who doesn't think as we do. This search for the “intention of truth” that characterizes Thomas Aquinas is precisely Congar's definition of ecumenical dialogue[4]. This led Congar to declare: “Thomas can be, for Protestant theology, a valuable partner in dialogue and even a source of inspiration, or at least a witness”[5].
This rediscovery by Protestantism of the person of Thomas, of the importance of his thought in the face of today’s challenges, and of the relevance of his methodology, is largely the fruit of the Ecumenical Movement, which has dramatically reshaped relations between Christians. For this reason, I am delighted that this XXI session of the Pontifical Academy of Saint Thomas Aquinas is taking place under the patronage and on the premises of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity.
In the hope that this session will contribute to demonstrating the ecumenical fecundity of the Angelic Doctor, I wish you fruitful exchanges and, through his intercession, invoke upon you the blessing of the Lord.
[1] Weimarer Ausgabe 15:184 (1524); cited in Denis R. Janz, Luther on Thomas Aquinas: The Angelic Doctor in the Thought of the Reformer (Stuttgart: Franz Steiner, 1989), p. 11.
[2] Aquinas Among the Protestants, Manfred Svensson, David VanDrunen (Ed.), Wiley Blackwell, 2018, p. 1.
[3] Yves Congar, “Valeur et portée œcuméniques de quelques principes herméneutiques de Saint Thomas d’Aquin.” Revue des Sciences Philosophiques et Théologiques, vol. 57, no. 4, 1973, pp. 611-626.
[4] « Le dialogue, loi du travail œcuménique et structure de l’intelligence humaine », Chrétiens en dialogue. Contributions catholiques à l’œcuménisme, Paris, Éditions du Cerf, 1964, p. 1-17, here p. 8.
[5] Yves Congar, “Saint Thomas Aquinas and the Spirit of Ecumenism” New Blackfriars, vol. 55, no. 648, 1974, pp. 196–209, here p. 201.