Faith in the Synoptic Gospels: A problem in the correlation of Scripture and Theology by Edward D. O’Connor, C. S. C. (review)

BOOK REVIEWS Faith in tke Synoptic Gospels: A problem in tke correlation of Scripture and Theology. By EnwARD D. O'CoNNOR, C. S.C. Notre Dame, Ind.: University of Notre Dame Press, 1961. Pp. xx, 164, with index. It is well-known that there is a real divergence between the Protestant notion of faith and the traditional Catholic notion. Protestant and Catholic biblical scholars (especially biblical theologians) have found areas of agreement in their interpretations of the Word of God and have become more sympathetic to each other's position. But it is not likely that, using only the scientific instruments they have in common, they will ever succeed in eliminating the divergence. For the Protestant scholar, besides his scientific tools, has his own personal faith in the Word of God, or the faith that he shares by agreement with the believing community to which he belongs. An intrinsic principle in the scientific approach of the Catholic scholar is the age-long infallible teaching of the community to which he belongs. Much (should we say, all) of this teaching, while in direct line with the biblical revelation, is expressed in formulas that have been freed from the very peculiarities of thought and expression which are the concern of the biblical theologian, formulas that have been prepared by the work of speculative theologians, although they are now clothed with the infallibility of the Church's judgment. In doing their work, the speculative theologians have employed what are commonly referred to " as the greek modes of thought." Since the approach to reality of the " semitic " mind and the " greek " mind is considerably different, it is not surprising that there is a growing tension between the biblical and the speculative theologians, especially since the Fathers of the Church and the scholastic theologians elevated the " greek modes of thought " into powerful instruments for the development of biblical thought. It should be pointed out here that there is a tension within the biblical theologian himself. For it is undoubtedly true that the universalizing of the biblical revelation began with the revelation itself under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, taking advantage of the contact with the Hellenic mind even before the coming of Christ. This is a constant embarrassment to Scripture scholars. It is the tension between biblical and speculative theologians that has dictated the form of the study by Fr. O'Connor. In defense of the speculative theologian, he states: "... it is his goal to abstract from all that is contingent in the scriptural presentation, and to seek to grasp the divine 308 BOOK REVIEWS 309 realities as tkey are in themselves (insofar as this is possible) .•. it involves a transmutation of ideas and doctrine to a new intellectual level...." {p. xiii) • True enough; but is this the term of the speculative theologian's task? And is the tension between the speculative theologian on the one hand and the biblical theologian, the patristic theologian, the missionary, the artist, the poet, and others on the other hand, not due in great part to a failure of the speculative theologians? Paul Tillich has finely indicated the two basic tasks of Christian theology: " a theological system is supposed to satisfy two basic needs: the statement of the Christian message and the interpretation of this truth for every new generation " (Systematic Theology 'I, p. 3, The University of Chicago Press, 1951). If the second task were taken seriously by speculative theologians , at the present moment a substantial number of them, -with a host of scholars from many disciplines, would be devoting full time to a profound and sympathetic study of the currents of secular thought in the western world, of Protestantism, Communism, Orthodoxy, lslamism, Buddhism and Hinduism. It may seem absurd to turn from this global vision to the simple book under review. Yet its author has taken a step in the right direction. Catholic speculative theology can never accomplish its task unless it is vitally rooted in Sacred Scripture and the Fathers of the Church. The speculative theologian should be grateful to his colleagues for their thrilling restoration of biblical revelation to its own setting and of the rich witness of the Fathers to the consciousness of...