YVES CONGAR’S THEOLOGY OF LAITY AND MINISTRIES AND ITS THEOLOGICAL RECEPTION IN THE UNITED STATES Dissertation Submitted to The College of Arts and Sciences of the UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for The Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Theology By Alan D. Mostrom UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON Dayton, Ohio December 2018 YVES CONGAR’S THEOLOGY OF LAITY AND MINISTRIES AND ITS THEOLOGICAL RECEPTION IN THE UNITED STATES Name: Mostrom, Alan D. APPROVED BY: ___________________________________________ William L. Faculty Advisor ___________________________________________ Sandra A.
Faculty Reader ___________________________________________ Timothy R. Outside Faculty Reader, Seton Hill University ___________________________________________ Dennis M. Faculty Reader ___________________________________________ William H. Faculty Reader ___________________________________________ Daniel S.
Chairperson ii © Copyright by Alan D. Mostrom All rights reserved 2018 iii ABSTRACT YVES CONGAR’S THEOLOGY OF LAITY AND MINISTRIES AND ITS THEOLOGICAL RECEPTION IN THE UNITED STATES Name: Mostrom, Alan D. University of Dayton Advisor: William L. Yves Congar’s theology of the laity and ministries is unified on the basis of his adaptation of Christ’s triplex munera to the laity and his specification of ministry as one aspect of the laity’s participation in Christ’s triplex munera.
The seminal insight of Congar’s adaptation of the triplex munera is illumined by situating his work within his historical and ecclesiological context. reception of Congar’s work on the laity and ministries, however, evinces that Congar’s principle insight has received a mixed reception by Catholic theologians in the United States due to their own historical context as well as their specific constructive theological concerns over the laity’s secularity, or the priority given to lay ministry over the notion of a laity. Recovering the significance of the triplex munera for Congar’s theology of the laity and lay ministry provides U. Catholics opportunity for greater fusion of horizons and understanding of the intrinsic relationship between the laity’s secularity and their ecclesial ministries.
iv DEDICATION for Sarah, “We blew up our TV, threw away our paper, Went to the country, built us a home, Had a lot of children, fed 'em on peaches, They all found Jesus on their own” - John Prine, “Spanish Pipedream” v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Finishing a dissertation is certainly a happy moment, especially since it provides the opportunity to recognize one’s debts to friends, mentors, and loved ones. The expressions of gratitude expressed below are only the beginning and do not exhaust my appreciation. First, I must show appreciation to Dr. William Portier for carefully guiding me through the process with his characteristic grace, insight, and friendship.
A sincere gratitude is also due to my committee—Dr. Sandra Yocum, Dr. Dennis Doyle, Dr. William Johnston—for their patience and support throughout the process.
A special thanks to my outside reader, Dr. Tim Gabrielli, for taking on the project on such short notice and providing useful feedback. My time at the University of Dayton has been acutely enriched by each of these scholars and mentors, and I am humbled and pleased by their interest in my project. I would like to thank my many colleagues and friends at the University of Dayton, with specific mention of Jason Heron, Christine Falk Dalessio, Anthony Rosselli, Ben Heidgerken, and Josh Brown.
Your friendships make the work of theology inspiring and joyful. A singular thanks is owed to Dr. Matthew Levering for his constant support, willingness to mentor me as a young theologian, and profound example of a Thomist theologian. vi I would also like to acknowledge the generous support of the faculty, staff, and students of the Athenaeum of Ohio—especially Dr.
Endres and Dr. Brausch—over the last year and a half. Teaching theology to seminarians for the sake of the New Evangelization has been the fulfillment of my theological and vocational dreams. I owe substantial thanks to the support and encouragement of my family of origin, specifically my parents Howard and Brenda and my brother Howard III, my sister-in-law Desiree, and my sister Tamiko.
Special thanks to my in-laws Ed and Mary Powers, my sister-in-law Alexandra and brother-in-law Stephen, who have constantly supported my family throughout these years in graduate school and are excellent examples of Christian charity. The deepest gratitude is owed to Sarah, my intensely loving, gifted, and hard- working wife, and our perfectly delightful children: Lucy, Iris, David, Theresa, and Jacob. Your faith and love for our Lord and your ever-increasing charity toward me, despite my constant working, humble and inspire me to seek the face of Christ daily in prayer and study. “I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you” (Phil.
Finally, all honor, praise, love, and glory are due to our great Lord and God, Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of the Father, who loved us first and gave himself for us. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT. 1 Gadamer, Reception Theory, and the ‘Fusion’ of Horizons. 4 Structure of Presentation.
5 Chapter One: Congar’s Context. 5 Chapter Two: Congar’s Theology of the Laity: Jalons Pour Une Théologie Du Laïcat. 5 Chapter Three: Congar’s Theology of the Laity after Jalons: Theology of Ministries and the Triplex Munera. 6 Chapter Four: Changing Contexts: An Interlude on the Conditions for Congar’s Reception in the United States.
6 Chapter Five: Philibert and Lakeland: Revitalization and Secularity of the Laity. 7 Chapter Six: O’Meara and Hahnenberg: Diverse and Relational Ministries over against ‘Laity’ and ‘Apostolate’. 9 Congar’s Adaptation of the Triplex Munera to the Laity in Light of the Social Anthropology of Pius XI. 11 Modification of Catholic Action Theology of the Laity.
15 Pius XI’s Development of Social Munera as Significant Background to Congar’s Adaptation of the Triplex Munera. 18 “Munus/munera” in the Social Thought of Pius XI. 20 viii The Doctrinal Basis of the Lay Apostolate: The Power of the Sacramental Character as Source for Laity Obligation to participate in the Apostolate (especially Catholic Action). 40 Summary of the Definition of the Laity Prior to the founding of Catholic Action and Theologies of the Lay Apostolate.
41 The Layperson in the Pre-Conciliar Theologies of the Lay Apostolate. 45 Luigi Civardi’s A Manual of Catholic Action (1943). 45 Roland Fournier’s La Theologie de l’Action Catholique (1940)., The Theology of Catholic Action (1946). 58 CHAPTER TWO CONGAR’S THEOLOGY OF THE LAITY: JALONS POUR UNE THÉOLOGIE DU LAÏCAT.
60 General Introduction to Jalons pour une théologie du laïcat: Historical and Theological Context. 63 Theme 1: Theological Definition of “Laity”. 65 Semantic Background and Congar’s Mistaken Interpretation. 66 The Monastic Definition of “Laity”.
67 “Laity” as an ecclesial state or condition. 67 Congar’s Critique of the Monastic View of the Laity. 69 Congar Assimilation and Critique of the Canonical Definition of the Laity. 71 Synthesis of Monastic and Canonical Notions of the Laity for a Definition, or Description, of Laity.
72 Theme 2: Positioning the Theology of the Laity: The History of Ecclesiology; The Church-World Relationship and the Church-Kingdom Dynamic. 75 Positioning the Theology of the Laity as a Subdivision of Ecclesiology: Conceptualization of the Balance between Fellowship and Hierarchy. 75 The Balance of Patristic Ecclesiology: Corporatist Unity vs Roman Absolutism. 77 The Social Significance of Fidelis for Ecclesiology and the Notion of Laity.
78 The Lost Balance of Patristic and Medieval Corporatist Ecclesiology: The Communal Movement and the Anti-Hierarchical Movement. 79 ix Ecclesiology Without Balance: Protestant Ecclesiology and Counter-Reform Polemical Ecclesiology Focused on the (Rejection of) Power of Jurisdiction. 81 Restoring the Balance: The Historical and Theological Conditions for the Development of Congar’s Theology of the Laity within Contemporary Catholic Ecclesiologies. 83 Positioning the Theology of the Laity in the ‘Church-World Relationship’ and the ‘Kingdom-Church Dynamic’.
84 Christ’s triplex munera in Creation and Salvation History. 84 Christ’s Triplex Munera and the Already/Not-Yet Kingdom of God/Temple. 87 Christ’s Triplex Munera in the Two Stages of the Divine Plan. 89 Christ’s Triplex Munera and the Church-World Relationship.
90 Theme 3: Theological Application of the Triplex Munera to the Laity. 92 The Laity’s Participation in Christ and the Church’s Priestly Munus. 93 The Laity’s Participation in Christ and the Church’s Royal Munus. 97 “Kingship as Form of Life”.
98 “Kingship as Power (Pouvoir)”. 100 The Laity’s Participation in Christ and the Church’s Prophetic Munus. 102 Theme 4: The Apostolicity and Spirituality of the Laity. 103 Theme 5: The Laity and the Church’s Apostolic Function.
125 CHAPTER THREE CONGAR’S THEOLOGY OF THE LAITY AFTER JALONS: THEOLOGY OF MINISTRIES AND THE TRIPLEX MUNERA. 127 Essays on the Laity and Ministries. 129 “Ministries and Structure of the Church” (1970). 129 “My Path-Findings in the Theology of Laity and Ministry” (1971).
135 “Some Issues Affecting Ministries” (1971). 139 “On the Trilogy: Prophet-Priest-King” (1983). 149 CHAPTER FOUR CHANGING CONTEXTS: AN INTERLUDE ON THE CONDITIONS FOR CONGAR’S RECEPTION IN THE UNITED STATES. 152 The Situation of the Laity in pre-conciliar U.
Catholicism to the Present. 153 x The 1960s to the Eve of the Expansion of Lay Ministry. 155 The Expansion of Ministry to the Present. 156 CHAPTER FIVE PHILIBERT AND LAKELAND: REVITALIZATION AND SECULARITY OF THE LAITY.
158 The Pre-Conciliar Reception of Congar’s Jalons. 161 Congar at the CTSA: 1956, 1959. 162 Francis Keating, “Theology of the Laity” (1956). 162 James Quill, “The Theology of the Lay Apostolate” (1959).
168 Introduction to Philibert and Lakeland: Commonalities of Approach. 171 Paul Philibert, OP’s The Priesthood of the Faithful (2005). 171 Introduction to Author—Interest in Congar. 171 The Priesthood of the Faithful: Acknowledgments to Chapter Three.
172 Congar in Chapter Four. 177 Congar in Chapter Five. 181 Congar in Chapter Six. 183 Congar in Chapter Seven.
184 Congar in Chapter Eight. 186 Conclusion for Philibert’s reception of Congar. 187 Paul Lakeland’s The Liberation of the Laity: In Search of an Accountable Church (2004). 189 Congar in the Introduction.
191 Congar in Part 1, “How We Got to Where We Are”. 193 Congar in Chapter 2, “The Achievement of Yves Congar”. 194 “Stress Points” in Jalons. 201 Congar in Part 2, “Where We Go From Here”.
205 Conclusion for Lakeland’s Reception of Congar. 211 O’MEARA AND HAHNENBERG: DIVERSE AND RELATIONAL MINISTRIES OVER AGAINST ‘LAITY’ AND ‘APOSTOLATE’. 211 xi Connection to Shift in Context. 213 Thomas O’Meara’s Theology of Ministry (1983) and Theology of Ministry: Completely Revised Edition (1999).
215 Overview of O’Meara’s Theology of Ministry (Completely Revised Edition). 216 Congar in Chapter 1: “Ministry: Between Culture and Grace”. 219 Congar in Chapter 3: “The Metamorphoses of Ministry”. 224 Congar in Chapter 4: “A Ministering Church”.
227 Congar in Chapter 5: “Ministers in the Church”. 231 Conclusion for O’Meara’s reception of Congar. 234 Edward Hahnenberg’s Ministries: A Relational Approach (2003). 235 Congar in Chapter 1: “The Starting Point for a Theology of Ministry”.
236 Congar in Chapter 2: “The Triune God”. 241 Congar in Chapter 3: “The Church Community”. 243 Congar in Chapter 4: “Liturgy and Sacrament”. 245 Conclusion to Hahnenberg’s Reception of Congar.
256 xii INTRODUCTION Yves Congar’s monumental theology of the laity, Jalons pour une théologie du laïcat, is arguably the most significant, comprehensive, and influential theological work on the laity in the history of Christian theology. His work on the laity has been noted as influential on the documents of Vatican II, specifically the constitutions Gaudium et spes, Lumen Gentium, and the decree Apostolicam Actuositatem, and continues to be cited in theological works today.