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The Mystery of the Supernatural (Milestones in Catholic Theology)

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In this work Fr. DeLubac proposes to study what he posits to be one of the central paradoxes of Christianity; namely that man is disposed towards and deeply desires the Beatific Vision but, if left to his own means, is incapable of attaining this end. What Fr. DeLubac proceeds to do is work his way systematically through the history of this classical Christian idea, giving copious refrences, and subsequently showing that certain modern trends in theology, while trying to preserve the gratuitiousness of this great gift from God, acutally serve to undermind the integrity of the classical idea. This is not lightweight reading to be sure but this new edition is more suited to the english speaking reader in that all the quotes and footnotes have been translated from the original Latin and Greek into English. Furthermore the introduction gives a fine overview of the historical circumstances surrounding this monumental work.

This book, which is one of the most important theological books of the 20th Century, is a difficult read. It is also worth the difficulty. Cardinal De Lubac speaks of the question that continues to cause controversy to this day: the question of the relation between the natural and supernatural, nature and grace. The book was more derivative (I don't use that pejoratively) than I was expecting. De Lubac covers much theological terrain, quoting from scads of theologians and philosophers in the tradition. He makes a persuasive case that Cardinal Cajetan and Suarez misread Aquinas and the tradition in their attempts to describe pure nature.

The most compelling part of De Lubac's argument is its rootedness in reality, in the anthropology of man as he is. I think this might be De Lubac's greatest contribution. Both explicitly and implicitly throughout the book he makes the case that in examining the question of man's natural desire and the object of that desire, one must look to man as he really is, not as he could have been, but as he exists. I saw some correspondence here between De Lubac and Msgr. Luigi Giussani's The Religious Sense, which speaks of man's desire for the infinite.

At the same time as he talks of man's natural desire or openness to the infinite, for supernatural beatitude, De Lubac maintains the gratuity of grace. That we have been made this way does not mean that God is required to fulfill our desire. I probably am making a hash of the book -- I know just enough to make myself sound stupid -- but I think it is worth the hard read.

Lubac was without a doubt one of the giants of Catholic theology in the past century. This book is his seminal work: a defense of man's need for the supernatural grace of God. Such a need places man in the position of "an arid valley" in need of "rain(grace)" - this anthropological phenomenon forces God to send the Holy Spirit as the vessel of Grace, to the hearts of men. Written decades before Vatican II this book was perceived as heterodox by the Holy See, placing Lubac (together with Chenu, Congar and his fellow Jesuit Chardin) on the black list. Ironically, the current pontiff, no friend of radicalism, made Lubac a Cardinal in recognition of his theological contributions to the faith. The book remains a keystone of radical orthodoxy.

De Lubac laments the fact that Scholasticism has separated nature and the supernatural too much. This dualism or extrinsicism of grace, in which grace is an accidental appendage to an alleged "pure nature", is unacceptable and runs counter the teachings of St. Thomas. De Lubac also stigmatizes a monism that tends to dissolve the two orders into one (immanentism). He claims that grace must be acknowledged, but nature must also not be ignored. Grace perfects nature, which is NOT a system closed into itself. He claims that we can better differentiate in union rather than in separation: unite in order to distinguish rather than distinguish in order to unite. He does not see a super-addition, but rather an interwoven process. The turning point and the beginning of the belief in a "pure nature" was the work of Cajetan (1468-1534) and Suarez who denied that the created intellect has a natural desire to see God.
After reading De Lubac, I want to scream: Give us back the great Jansenius!!!!!!

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