The essays in this collection all concern the interpretation of Scripture in relation to the Catholic Ressourcement. A theological renewal movement that began in the early twentieth century, the Ressourcement movement centered on a “return to the sources” such as Scripture, the Church Fathers, and liturgy. The point of such a return was to discover in these sources the wisdom, truth, and spiritual insight which could speak meaningfully to contemporary challenges. William M. Wright first focuses on three major Ressourcement figures—Henri de Lubac, Yves Congar, and Joseph Ratzinger—and considers aspects of their theological thinking about Scripture or how Scripture is employed as a theological resource. Next, Wright examines Benedict XVI’s Jesus of Nazareth books, showing how they put into practice (for a general readership) many of the theological insights characteristic of the Ressourcement movement. Last, Wright considers how the theological insights of the Ressourcement movement can be used to as a resource for the interpretation of Scripture. He uses characteristic Ressourcement concerns, such as the relationship between the testaments, the theology of history, and liturgy, to help illumine the biblical text. Wright not only provides substantive examination of the place of the Bible in this important theological movement, but also shows how the insights of the Ressourcement can be helpful for the interpretation of Scripture today.

A historical and a theological analysis of the most important movement in twentieth-century Roman Catholic theology.

Conventional wisdom has it that thinking on nature and grace among Roman Catholic intellectuals between the sixteenth century and the eve of Vatican II was severely clouded by the work of Cajetan and his fellow Thomistic commentators. Henri de Lubachas rightly been given credit for pointing this out; and to all appearances, de Lubac's influence won the day, as can be seen by the imprint of his thought upon not just the Second Vatican Council, but also the pontifi cates of John Paul II and Benedict XVI. In recent years, however, a new crop of Thomistic scholars has arisen who question whether de Lubac's word on nature and grace should be the last; hence, the debate over the nature-grace relation, so heated in the mid-twentieth century, has been stirred once again. Andrew Dean Swafford here offers a 'third way' by way of the nineteenth-century German theologian, Matthias J. Scheeben, who has been neglected in academic appraisals of the subject until now. Swafford shows that Scheeben captures the very best of both sides, while at the same time avoiding the characteristic pitfalls so often alleged against each.

Cardinal Ratzinger, today's best-known Catholic theologian, discusses God as creator, the meaning of the biblical creation accounts, the creation of human beings, sin and salvation, and the consequences of faith in creation.

Ressourcement Theology: A Sourcebook offers a collection of texts previously unavailable in English from leading Dominicans and Jesuits, who initiated a movement for renewal that contributed to the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. In the last decade, theologians have undertaken a serious reappraisal of the contribution of Ressourcement theology to 20th century theology in the Catholic tradition and beyond. This 'return to Ressourcement' has resulted in many of the principal texts being translated into English and (re-)issued, ensuring their accessibility to scholars across the globe. Despite this, many of the earliest documents relating to the history of Ressourcement theology are unavailable to most English-speaking scholars, as they are largely journal articles and book chapters published in French. Patricia Kelly has selected the most significant texts that so far have been unavailable in English, including the controversial piece by Jean-Marie LeBlond ('The Analogy of Truth') that was condemned in the 1950s by the Vatican, as well as the response to Labourdette's attack on LeBlond, penned anonymously by a group of Jesuits. All of these documents will help students and scholars to engage deeply with the history of the Ressourcement movement and its relevance for the developments of the Catholic tradition.

Part of the Ressourcement: Retrieval and Renewal in Catholic Thought Series, The Discovery of God contains the guiding thread of all of Henri de Lubac's work: the idea of God and the life of the spirit.