Nature and Grace: A New Approach to Thomistic Ressourcement

Conventional wisdom has it that thinking on nature and grace among Catholic intellectuals was severely clouded by the work of Cajetan and his fellow Thomistic commentators from about the sixteenth century to the eve of Vatican II. Henri de Lubac has rightly been given credit for pointing this out; and to all appearances de Lubacs influence won the day as can be seen by the imprint of his thought upon not just the Second Vatican Council but also the pontificates of John Paul II and Benedict XVI. However in recent years a new crop of Thomistic scholars has arisen who question whether de Lubacs word on nature and grace should be the last; hence the debate over the nature-grace relation so heated at mid-twentieth century has been stirred once again. Dr. Swafford here offers a third way by way of the nineteenth-century German theologian Matthias J. Scheeben--who for some reason has never really been considered especially relevant to this debate. Swafford shows that Scheeben can capture the very best of both sides while at the same time avoiding the characteristic pitfalls so often alleged against each. Dr. Swaffords book is highly welcome as the Catholic Church celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of the Second Vatican Council. Henri de Lubac had been a noted peritus during that council. His understanding of the nature-grace relationship informed the final form of significant conciliar documents. Swafford ably develops the parameters within which the nature-grace discussion has evolved giving particular attention to the contemporary contributions of Lawrence Feingold and Steven Long. Using primary sources he convincingly demonstrates how the much-celebrated but now almost forgotten theologian Matthias Scheeben offers a solution to this problem. --Emery de Gaal University of Saint Mary of the Lake Mundelein IL This is more than a book: its a milestone in Catholic intellectual history. --Scott W. Hahn Franciscan University of Steubenville Steubenville OH Professor Swafford argues that the christological nuptial and incarnational emphases of de Lubac and his school need not be opposed to the traditional Thomistic approach to nature and grace. In fact in the work of Matthias Scheeben he finds precisely both emphases in profound integration. If as I hope the eventual fruit of this book is the translation and publication of Scheebens Dogmatics then this book will indeed mark a new beginning in English-speaking Catholic theology. --Matthew Levering Mundelein Seminary Mundelein IL Andrew Dean Swafford holds a doctorate in Sacred Theology from the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary and a masters degree in Old Testament and Semitic Languages from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is a contributing author to 30-Second Bible (2012) and is currently an Assistant Professor of Theology at Benedictine College in Atchison Kansas where he resides with his wife and three children.