In Theological Dissent in Post-Vatican II Catholicism, Anthony Devlin examines dissent in the Roman Catholic Church since the end of the Second Vatican Council. He argues for an understanding of dissent as a ‘constructive phenomenon’, which drives the Church ‘towards the fullness of truth’ (p.1). To this end, in Parts 1 and 2, Devlin engages with a wide selection of theories concerning dissent and then contextualises dissent in Rahner’s theological anthropology. Then, in Parts 3 and 4, Devlin illustrates several points of post-Conciliar dissent and suppression by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), particularly with attention to the reaction to the Papal Encyclical Humanae Vitae (HV) and the role of women in the Church in light of the Feminist movement. He concludes by exploring the way the recent Synod on Synodality (2021–2024) offers opportunities for reimagining dissent as a tool that can overcome much of the polarity between what many call liberal and conservative factions in the Church.
Devlin introduces the reader to his topic by assessing various accounts of dissent in the Catholic Church. In an important endnote, he emphasises that ‘theological dissent’ does not encompass a ‘heretical rejection of the fundamental truths of revelation’ (p.16) and that dissent, as considered in this book, derives itself in ‘Scripture and Tradition’ (p.8). This is an important qualification and central to Devlin’s argument. To make the claim that dissent is a tool for the development of the Church’s teaching, the justification must be sourced from the way the Church has developed, as John Henry Newman argues in Part II of his Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine. Devlin correctly uses Newman’s theory of assent (pp.6–7) to illustrate how a particular theologian assents to claims made by the Church, but it would be even more helpful to see in Devlin’s setting up of the dissenting case an account of how this relates to the development of doctrine. The historical exposition and immediate application of these theories in relation to ressourcement and la Nouvelle Théologie (pp.23–24) point towards the way dissenting theology entered a ‘new phase’ (p.49) in Vatican II and the process of aggiornamento. These helpful connections serve to underpin the later analysis of post-Conciliar dissent.
Devlin then ushers us into the thought of Karl Rahner and his theological anthropology of ‘spiritual dynamism’, which is ‘directed towards the infinite, authenticated by freedom’ and responsible for an ‘eschatological self-transcendence’ (pp.64–65). Devlin’s use of Rahner’s theological anthropology is helpful in providing a philosophical basis for his argument for dissent. Rahner’s assertion of the ‘ultimate and inviolable freedom of the human subject’ (p.97) serves Devlin well. Through framing this freedom within the dynamism of the teaching and magisterium of the Church, Devlin forms an account of dissent that does not deny the truth of revelation whilst not claiming an absolute vérité immuable, as Garrigou-Lagrange once put it (p.97). Holding this position is essential for his dissent to remain a Catholic doctrine. Of course, one cannot expect all of Rahner’s theology to be exposited here, but a note towards his influences in the phenomenologies and existentialism of Maurice Blondel and Martin Heidegger would further ground his anthropological basis for dissent in philosophical thought.
The expansive treatment of various aspects of dissent in Part 3 of his book is extremely useful for any reader interested in the theology of dissent and in the history of contemporary debates of morality in the Catholic Church. Many of these arguments remain relevant today: the debates around HV’s restriction on artificial contraception and Charles Curran’s attempt at maintaining his ‘fidelity to the Church’ despite disagreeing with the teaching of HV (p.116) are still live – despite the attempts of the CDF to ensure otherwise. Devlin’s treatment of this matter is historically sourced and sensitive, assessing the issue with clarity whilst maintaining his own voice throughout. Likewise, the discussion of the place of women and sexuality in the Church is detailed and contains a perceptive summary of the thought of Margaret Farley (pp.124–125), Elizabeth Johnson (pp.136–140), and the wide debate on women’s ordination (pp.148–155). These controversies, as Devlin succinctly summarises, are permeated by tensions between ‘static and dynamic models of revelation’ and ‘deductive [and] inductive processes in formulating doctrine’, tensions that underlie much of the debate between dissenters and the magisterium (p.163).
Devlin’s treatment of dissent then complements an assessment of the way in which the Vatican, through the CDF, has adopted a disciplinary posture towards dissent throughout the post-Conciliar period. He analyses the matter Pope by Pope, beginning with Pope Paul VI and concluding with the late Pope Francis. His assessment of Paul VI is telling of the significance of Papal attitude to discipline, moving from ‘gently’ calling back dissenters to the truth to a ‘more authoritarian approach’ (p.170). He develops the notion of ‘infallibilism’ to explain the CDF’s posture under Pope John Paul II and Joseph Ratzinger, signified by the concept of ‘definitive’ teaching that silences all debates on theological topics such as women’s ordination or contraception, leading to a distance between the faithful and the ‘ecclesial centre’ (p.187). Such distance culminated in Pope Benedict XVI’s papacy, which both continued censure (pp.199–200) but, towards the point of Benedict XVI’s resignation in the context of the abuse crisis, also left open the avenue for a less distant Vatican (p.202). Such an avenue was taken by Pope Francis by shifting the Congregation turned Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) to involve ‘lay women and men’ to ‘discern the sign of the times’ among many other reforms to accommodate dissent (p.212). The ‘practical consequences’ of ‘reduced central control,’ Devlin concludes, are still yet to be negotiated (p.216).
The crux of Devlin’s argument is issued in Part 5, where he reimagines dissent in light of the recent Synod on Synodality (2021–2024) and explores various possibilities of what dissent can look like in Catholic theology. These possibilities are centred upon the ‘radical inclusion of the faithful’ – meaning both lay and clerical members of the Church – an inclusion that drives towards ‘co-responsibility’ (p.226). So follows a detailed exposition of the proceedings of the Synodal Process, delineating topics, agendas, interests, and voting results. Themes of a prioritisation of horizontal power structures, patiences over quick decisions by ‘the One’ (p.242) as in the case of HV. This opens the room for dissenters to be able to have their say and contribute to the expression of the Sensus Fidelium (p.261). Although no dogma was proclaimed in the Synod, it set important trajectories through its rejection of ‘clericalism’ and a focus on ‘pastoral conversion’, which does not abrogate Catholic teaching for social reduction whilst opening the space to a decentralised theological atmosphere (p.264). Devlin’s assessment of the matter in terms of trajectory is an important and useful specification. Readers are invited to develop and consider further how this trajectory will look, especially in the present papacy of Pope Leo XIV.
In conclusion, Devlin’s Theological Dissent in Post-Vatican II Catholicism is of great interest to those interested in modern Catholic theology, ecclesiology, moral theology, and systematic theology. He covers a vast and complex series of theories, controversies and debates that have arisen in the aftermath of the Second Vatican Council. Though finding in much of the aftermath a sense that the council’s prerogatives have been overshadowed, he leaves open a space for grace, inclusion, and new possibilities as the Church progresses through the 21st century. This monograph is a welcome addition to the field of Catholic theology and promises to be fruitful food for much thought on the direction of the Catholic Church over the next few decades.
