The prominence of Radical Orthodoxy today has brought new attention to la nouvelle théologie of the last century, from which the former in part traces its roots. In light of this interest, Boersma's book performs a valuable service in providing a comprehensive overview of this movement, covering its major figures (such as Henri de Lubac, Marie-Dominique Chenu, Hans Urs von Balthasar, Yves Congar) and contributions (in biblical exegesis, ecclesiology and the nature–grace relationship, among other areas). Although Boersma treats what are often the familiar aspects of this Catholic ressourcement – its return to patristic sources, its resistance to neo-scholasticism, its engagement with modern thought and culture – he examines them through an innovative lens. The proponents of the New Theology, he argues, sought collectively to restore what he calls Christianity's ‘sacramental ontology’ – that is, the view that ‘historical realities of the created order’ mediate ‘eternal divine mysteries’ (p. 7). This ‘shared theological sensibility’, as Boersma calls it, serves as the book's primary organisational principle (see p. 289).
Boersma's study is very broad in scope. After an introduction (chapter 1), he begins by explicating the apologetical strategies of Johann Adam Möhler, Maurice Blondel, Joseph Maréchal and Pierre Rousselot – all of which laid the groundwork for the New Theology's sacramental ontology (chapter 2). Next, he treats in considerable detail the relationship between nature and grace in the various works of de Lubac, Henri Bouillard, Balthasar and Chenu (chapters 3 and 4). Boersma then turns to the efforts of de Lubac and Jean Daniélou to recover patristic and medieval methods of biblical exegesis in conversation with historical-critical scholarship (chapter 5). Afterwards, he discusses the ‘sacramental’ view of history in the thought of Daniélou, Chenu, de Lubac, Louis Charlier and Congar (chapter 6). Finally, Boersma analyses the respective ecclesiologies of de Lubac and Congar (chapter 7).
The foregoing arrangement allows Boersma to cover a wide variety of topics. These include de Lubac's defence of the natural desire for God (as well as his critique of the neo-scholastic notion of ‘pure nature’), Balthasar's debate with Karl Barth over the notion of analogia entis, and Congar's views on the unity of church, scripture, and tradition, to name just a few. Furthermore, as Boersma works his way through his presentation, the reader cannot help but notice recurring themes in la nouvelle théologie, such as the embrace of modern historical consciousness, an emphasis on faith and experience, a tendency towards Neoplatonism, and a particular focus on christology.
As a study in historical theology, Boersma's book is excellent. It is wide-ranging, meticulous and steeped in both primary and secondary literature. By focusing on the common drive towards a sacramental ontology, he weaves together the many names and developments of the New Theology into a single, coherent narrative. At the same time, he acknowledges the differences – and even disagreements – among the individual thinkers (Daniélou's objections to de Lubac's ‘allegorical’ method of exegesis, for instance, or de Lubac and Congar's conflicting responses to the Second Vatican Council). The result is a balanced and informative investigation into the defining intellectual movement of twentieth-century Catholicism.
Yet this book is more than just a historiographical exercise; it makes a theological contribution as well. Boermsa believes that an appreciation of la nouvelle théologie can open up new avenues for Catholic–Protestant dialogue, especially with regard to biblical interpretation (see p. 149). The loss of a sacramental mindset, he holds, is a problem shared by Catholics and Protestants alike. In this regard, his study resonates with Radical Orthodoxy, which sees the erosion of the sacred as the defining problem for theology today.
