Abstract
This publication from three Creighton University scholars is a thorough and creative reflection on one of the most important and challenging documents of Vatican II. It consists of six chapters each of which concludes with a well-focused series of questions for further reflection and discussion. The first three chapters focus on the history and central concerns of Gaudium et Spes while the latter three reflect on some complex moral issues facing humanity in light of that document.
The opening chapter gives a clear and concise history of the gestation of the document over several years and drafts. The tension between the neo-Augustinians and the neo-Thomists was very evident throughout the whole Council but particularly during the debates surrounding Gaudium et Spes and Dignitatis Humanae. The chapter identifies change and development as a key source of disagreement between the theological groups and their key spokespersons, including Cardinals Ottavani and Suenens. The authors highlight the formative influence of Pacem in Terris and the significance of the Ariccia text in the journey towards the final text. They also highlight the sustained criticism of Karl Rahner, and the response of the Council Fathers to the final text, that the proposed document was too optimistic and not adequately attentive to the reality of sin in the world.
Chapter two highlights some of the key ecclesiological themes in the document, including, amongst others, mission, the role of the Holy Spirit and service to the world, and explores the reasons these themes challenged the Church 50 years ago. Furthermore it creatively explores the relevance of these same themes for the continuing journey of renewal.
The authors provide, in Chapter three, a rich reflection on the methodological implications of the openness to, and the commitment to dialogue with, the modern world found in Gaudium et Spes. Of particular interest to this reviewer is their reflection on the treatment of the nature and authority of a well-formed conscience in that document and its implications for the relationship between the individual and non-infallible church teaching. Though the individual must approach such teaching with religious respect and with a presumption in favour of its adequacy, they must ultimately honour their own judgement on the norms that facilitate human dignity. The identification of human experience as a font of moral knowledge in the Council document was a very significant development in Catholic moral theology as it strives to read the ‘signs of the times’ in a complex world. Reflecting on human experience in light of the Gospel, and the inductive methodology it implies, can lead to a plural definition of human dignity and the norms that facilitate its attainment.
Chapter four plots the history of the approach of the Catholic tradition to human sexuality and marriage up to Gaudium et Spes. The inherited tradition, reflected for example in the manuals of moral theology and the 1917 Code of Canon Law, used the language of primary and secondary ends to describe the nature and purpose of marriage. The efforts by Heribert Doms and Dietrich Von Hildebrand to place conjugal love, rather than procreation, at the centre of marriage met with Papal condemnation in the decade before the Council. The traditional understanding was ultimately rejected by the Council Fathers, not without heated debate, in favour of the language of a communion of love [GS 47]. This development is correctly seen by the authors as the major development in the Catholic theological approach to marriage.
The insistence in Gaudium et Spes on the unity of the Christian life—faith integrated into our daily lives of relationships and work—is the subject of Chapter five. The author identifies the biblical roots of that claim and highlights the significant developments in Catholic teaching on care for the poor in the decades since the Council. Concern for those on the margins and commitment to the alleviation of global poverty is, in the mind of Pope Francis, for a Christian ‘neither optional nor secondary.’
The final chapter notes the shift in Gaudium et Spes from a presumption in favour of war to a presumption against war. This shift is reflected in the emphasis in contemporary Catholic teaching and theological reflection on peacebuilding rather than on war and the conduct of war. The authors identify four basic principles to facilitate building peace through integral human development and the common good; solidarity, social justice, subsidiarity and preferential option for the poor. As noted by Pope Francis in Evangelii Gaudium, a peace not build on these principles is doomed to be short-lived. Recent theological interest in jus post bellum is the fruit of this changed emphasis on peacebuilding. The future of peace is made more secure if, after a conflict, there is repentance among all members of the conflict. Furthermore, an honourable surrender, which ensures the protection of basic human rights and proscribes punitive measures against the vanquished, must be guaranteed. Finally, the principle of restoration must be respected. This principle prescribes that victors remove the remnants of war (e.g., landmines) and help rebuild the infrastructure of the vanquished society. Again the chapter ends with some focused questions for reflection and discussion.
This is a very valuable resource for anyone interested in the ongoing engagement between the Gospel and the complex world that Gospel people inhabit. The chapters are written in an accessible, energetic and positive style that succeeds in engaging the reader and holding her/his attention.