Comments for Fides et Ratio: The Aeterni Patris of This Generation? at http://www.thecatholicthing.org , comment 1 to 6 out of 6 comments http://www.thecatholicthing.org Tue, 21 May 2013 21:02:40 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2010/fides-et-ratio-the-aeterni-patris-of-this-generation.html#comment-4731 I had the great good fortuen to have one of the greatest Catholic philosophers of the last century, Elizabeth Anscombe, as my tutor, An Analytical philosopher, a student,friend and translator of Wittgenstein, she was his successor as Professor of Philosophy at Cambridge. She was a model of intellectual rigour and Catholic orthodoxy, who would have snorted with derision, if anyone had suggested that there could be a cconflict between faith and reason, but who never confused theology with philosophy. John Haldane and Alasdair MacIntyre are in the same tradition. - Michael Mon, 23 Aug 2010 06:31:11 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2010/fides-et-ratio-the-aeterni-patris-of-this-generation.html#comment-4715 What a wonderful column, prof. Smith. And I love your list of Thomists--seeing those names for me can only mean one thing: Joy. I know that you speak of colleges and universities but let me offer a very small insight into Catholic high schools as well. I taught both English and Religion at two Catholic high schools for boys. When it comes to teaching Religion, it was quite difficult. I started and I was handed textbooks, which in my view dealt more with psychology than with Catholic theology. Textbooks were filled with emotionalism and self-esteem. They were also filled with the importance of social justice issues: this is fine, but if a 16 year old boy (or a girl) does not know WHY he should participate in social justice, then he will find no reason. In any case, I actually had to see some texts which were used in high schools pre-Vatican II in order to make sure that children received theology which was free of emotionalism or worse, doctrinal error. And of course, in very small steps, I introduced boys to Augustine, Aquinas, and I have used Fides et ratio as well. They were amazed that those two beautiful realities can be in harmony. My point in all of this is that this sort of teaching does have to start early, and unfortunately, high schools are suffering as well. Thanks for a great essay. - Emina Melonic Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:17:54 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2010/fides-et-ratio-the-aeterni-patris-of-this-generation.html#comment-4714 Nice article but I respectfully differ from your analysis on a few points. Mainly I don't think Fides et Ratio was intended to cause a Thomistic revival in anything like the way Aeterni Patris was. JPII specifically stated that it was not the purpose of the Church to adopt an official philosophical system much less to impose it on anyone. Philosophy after all isn't philosophy anymore if the Church were to do this. The encyclical however was about emphasizing the importance of philosophy in the life of the Church. And I do see something a renewed emphasis on this in many Catholic universities--though more than Thomas and Thomism there is a renewed Augustinianism and sometimes more modern phenomenological approaches a la Edith Stein and the von Hilldrebrands. So the Thomistic hegemony is gone (and probably for good) but that doesn't mean that Catholic philosophy is dead. By no means!! - Pete brown Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:07:06 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2010/fides-et-ratio-the-aeterni-patris-of-this-generation.html#comment-4713 I would add that there is a fair amount of lazy narcissism involved. Far too many instructors try to pass themselves off as scholars by indulging, and being indulged, in pet projects. No one wants to change what he or she is doing, in part because we all have the tendency to do only what pleases us, but in part also because we have grown lazy. To change the way we think, teach, write, discuss, research, and publish requires work. It is difficult. Oh, and there is also the sad fact that too many who pass for scholars really do not know how to think critically and robustly, let alone faithfully. To follow the lead of Fides et Ratio would be to expose one's inabilities, and no one wants to do that. - Magister Christianus Fri, 20 Aug 2010 08:12:46 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2010/fides-et-ratio-the-aeterni-patris-of-this-generation.html#comment-4711 In American Catholic university systems, a number of things stand in the way of implementing the directives of Leo XIII and John Paul II. The extraordinary synthesis of Thomas Aquinas is handicapped in some areas of discussion by an Aristotelian cosmology and apparently pre-modern notions of biology and human nature. New professors of philosophy and theology often have been trained in centers emphasizing anti-metaphysical or relativistic theories, and the American Association of University Professors keeps an ever-watchful eye on hirings and firings, especially of tenured faculty. So there are some very formidable challenges facing even administrators who wish to apply the papal directives. - Howard Kainz Fri, 20 Aug 2010 07:21:13 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2010/fides-et-ratio-the-aeterni-patris-of-this-generation.html#comment-4710 Can you spell Ex Corde Ecclesiae? Most "Catholic" colleges and universities cannot. With practice ignoring Vatican documents becomes very easy because there is no repercussion, in this life anyway. Starting with academe's public rejection of Humanae Vitae the Popes can be safely ignored and only used when their teaching coincides with liberal agendas such as immigration. - Sandra Jones Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:26:42 +0100