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Scripture Living in the Church: the Ecumenical Relevance of Yves Congar's Ecclesiological Approach to Sola Scriptura

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Scripture Living in the Church: the Ecumenical Relevance of Yves Congar's Ecclesiological Approach to Sola Scriptura Duquesne University Duquesne Scholarship Collection Electronic Theses and Dissertations Spring 5-7-2021 Scripture Living in the Church: The Ecumenical Relevance of Yves Congar's Ecclesiological Approach to Sola Scriptura Paul Mueller Follow this and additional works at: https://dsc.duq.edu/etd Part of the Catholic Studies Commons Recommended Citation Mueller, P. (2021). Scripture Living in the Church: The Ecumenical Relevance of Yves Congar's Ecclesiological Approach to Sola Scriptura (Doctoral dissertation, Duquesne University). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/1989 This Immediate Access is brought to you for free and open access by Duquesne Scholarship Collection. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Duquesne Scholarship Collection. SCRIPTURE LIVING IN THE CHURCH: THE ECUMENICAL RELEVANCE OF YVES CONGAR’S ECCLESIOLOGICAL APPROACH TO SOLA SCRIPTURA A Dissertation Submitted to the McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts Duquesne University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Paul Robert Mueller May 2021 Copyright by Paul Robert Mueller 2021 SCRIPTURE LIVING IN THE CHURCH: THE ECUMENICAL RELEVANCE OF YVES CONGAR’S ECCLESIOLOGICAL APPROACH TO SOLA SCRIPTURA By Paul Robert Mueller Approved March 29, 2021 ________________________________ ________________________________ Fr. Radu Bordeianu, Ph.D. William M. Wright IV, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Theology Professor of Theology (Committee Chair) (Committee Member) ________________________________ Maureen O’Brien, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Theology (Committee Member) ________________________________ ________________________________ Kristine Blair, Ph.D. Marinus Iwuchukwu, Ph.D. Dean, McAnulty College Chair, Department of Theology of Liberal Arts Associate Professor of Theology iii ABSTRACT SCRIPTURE LIVING IN THE CHURCH: THE ECUMENICAL RELEVANCE OF YVES CONGAR’S ECCLESIOLOGICAL APPROACH TO SOLA SCRIPTURA By Paul Robert Mueller May 2021 Dissertation supervised by Father Radu Bordeianu Yves Congar was quite possibly the greatest Catholic ecclesiologist of the twentieth century. His lifelong passion for ecumenism and ecclesiology were contained in his prodigious work on the sources of revelation, Scripture and Tradition. Congar explained the frequently misinterpreted Catholic concept of Tradition clearly, which could be helpful in easing any tensions on this topic between Catholics and Protestants. This dissertation intends to show how Congar understood Tradition and to show how that can be a potential aid in ecumenical dialogue. Congar’s efforts in the composition of numerous documents from Vatican II gave him the knowledge of the Catholic position on this topic, which eminently qualified him for this work. iv DEDICATION I dedicate this work to the two most supportive people in my studies. The first one is naturally my wife, Gloria. She patiently endured my days of concentration on my studies, and she pushed me, sometimes gently, sometimes not so gently, to continue in my work to finish my degree here at Duquesne. The other person was my professor at Lourdes University in Sylvania, Ohio, Sister Shannon Schrein, who put the idea of graduate school into my head when I took my first theology class from her. Her unwavering faith in me has continually acted as an impetus to finish my degree in order to show her my gratitude. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to acknowledge the role that Dr. Ben Brown has played in my studies. Ben pushed me, despite my persistent objections, to continue working on a book review of a particularly extreme Protestant author. Although I truly disliked the book, Ben forced me to look at it in a scholarly manner, considering any positive points I could extract. That experience of wrestling with a radically fundamentalist position forced me to wonder how there could ever be common ground between most Catholic theologians, and that extreme stance. That made me question how and if ecumenical discussions could ever succeed between people of such widely different versions of Christianity. My good friend Dr. Peter Sibilio kept me upbeat during the long days of study which seemed to go on forever. By telling me his stories, Peter let me know that many people encounter periods when things seem to mount to become an insurmountable barrier. I would also like to acknowledge all of my instructors at both Duquesne University and Lourdes University. They pushed me to learn in ways I had not encountered before taking classes from them. It has been their encouragement and faith in me that has propelled me to continue to finish my terminal degree. Last, I must also acknowledge my dissertation director, Father Radu Bordeianu, who showed tremendous patience with me during the process of the writing of this dissertation. His gentle guidance led me to make my writing more direct and precise, and he encouraged me in the direction of voicing my opinions regarding the role of the laity in the church. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract .......................................................................................................................... iv Dedication ....................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgement .......................................................................................................... vi List of Abbreviations……………………………………………………………………...x Introduction…………………………………………………………………………….…1 Statement of the Theological Question……..…………………………..…….…..1 Thesis Statement…………………………………………………………………11 Methodology……………………………………………………………………..17 Contribution…………………………………………………………………...…20 Chapter One: Yves Congar and Tradition…………………………………………….....24 Le Saulchoir………………………………………………………………...……24 Nouvelle Théologie………………………………………………………………25 Biography of Yves Congar………………………………………………………34 Early Life Before Entering the Seminary………………………………..34 Early Religious Life……………………………………………………...36 Congar and Luther……………………………………………………….41 Return to Le Saulchoir………………………………………………...…45 Captivity………………………………………………………………….46 Post-War Life…………………………………………………………….48 Exile…………………………………………………………………………...…52 The Years of the Council……………………………………………………...…59 vii After the Council…………………………………………………………………64 Tradition………………………………………………………………………….64 Definitions of Tradition………………………………………………….66 History of Tradition……………………………………………………...71 Tradition as Viewed by Protestants…………………………………...…80 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………….86 Chapter Two: The Magisterium, the Curia, and Tradition………………………………88 Background………………………………………………………………………89 The Magisterium and the Curia………………………………………………….93 Definitions………………………………………………………………………..93 The Magisterium…………………………………………………93 The Roman Curia……………………………………………….102 Medieval Growth in Dominance of the Magisterium………………………..…103 Centralization of Power from the Middle Ages to the Twentieth Century…..…111 Conciliarism………………………………………………………………...…..114 The Medieval Concept of Tradition and its Relationship to Biblical Hermeneutics…………………………………………………………………...117 Tradition and Traditions………………………………………………………..131 Tradition and the Magisterium…………………………………………………142 The “Living Tradition”…………………………………………………………147 Effects of Newman……………………………………………………………..148 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………...…151 Chapter Three: The Laity and the Holy Spirit………………………………………….153 viii The Holy Spirit in the Church………………………………………………….153 Priesthood of all the Faithful…………………………………………………...159 Place of the Laity in the Roman Catholic Church……………………………...177 Lay Participation in the Priestly Function of the Church………………………194 Lay Participation in the Prophetic Function of the Church…………………….200 Lay Participation in the Kingly Function of the Church………………………..211 Lay Participation in the Church’s Communal Life……………………………..213 Relationship of the Laity to the Hierarchical Functions of the Church………...215 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………...218 Chapter Four: Is There a Way to Unity?.........................................................................222 Sola Scriptura, Tradition, and Ecumenical Dialogue…………………………..222 Unity and the Church…………………………………………………………...225 Definition of Sola Scriptura…………………………………………………….234 Mathison’s View on Sola Scriptura…………………………………….247 Strict Inerrancy………………………………………………………….251 Current State of the Protestant Concept of Sola Scriptura……………………..255 In the Classical Reformation Protestant Churches …………………….256 Among Evangelicals……………………………………………………258 Bringing Congar to Bear on Ecumenical Dialogue…………………………….271 Congar’s Concept of Tradition and Scripture in Conversation with Classical Protestants’ Views on that Topic……………………………………………….273 Potential Impact of Congar’s Work in Promotion of Dialogue with Evangelicals…………………………………………………………………….285 ix Conclusion……………………………………………………………………...287 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………...289 Summary………………………………………………………………………..289 How Can Congar’s Concepts Help in Ecumenical Dialogue?.............................295 Potential for Improving Protestant-Catholic Dialogue………………………....302 Reflection……………………………………………………………………….304 Appendix A: Fuller Theological Seminary Institutional Commitments.....…………….311 Appendix B: The Southern Baptist Convention Baptist Faith and Message 2000……..314 Appendix C: The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy………………………...…315 Bibliography…………...……………………………………………………………….324 x LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 50Y Fifty Years of Catholic Theology (1988)
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