Marie-Dominique Chenu

We return again to study the work of Marie-Dominique Chenu OP (1895-2000). In 2021 we published a volume on his ‘theological project’, and in this volume we continue in that line by examining the basic intuitions of his theology. Some of the authors are the same, Ulrich Engel OP and Janette Gray RSM but in addition there are two articles by Fergus Kerr OP (who studied under Chenu) and a translation of the article by Pietro Parente from 1942 where he refers to Chenu and the ‘new theology’. This descriptive became widely used in describing writers such as Chenu, Congar and other French Dominican writers. Ulrich Engel’s article in the present volume argues that according to ‘Pierre Jossua in an overview of Chenu’s life pointed out that he had never really been rehabilitated by those ecclesiastical authorities’. For Engel ‘The five guiding intuitions of Chenu [and his theology] are the economy of salvation, the incarnational structure of his theological thinking, an understanding of pastoral theology and work as places of ecclesial discourse, attention to the signs of the time, and a high estimation of contemplation.’ His article unpacks these guiding intuitions. The other articles provide a context, historical and theological, for the intuitions and develop other themes to assist in understanding Chenu’s contribution to theology. Alessandro Cortessi OP is a Dominican friar, living in Florence s. Maria Novella, professor of Systematic Theology at Istituto Superiore Scienze Religiose della Toscana s.Caterina da Siena, director of Centro Espaces ‘Giorgio La Pira’ – Pistoia, director of Biblioteca dei domenicani Pistoia and Biblioteca domenicana di Santa Maria Novella Florence. Ulrich Engel OP is Dominican friar, is Director of the Institut Dominique Chenu Berlin, founding representative and professor for philosophical-theological border issues at the Campus for Theology and Spirituality in Berlin. Fergus Kerr OP is Dominican friar who has served as Regent of Studies and Prior of the Dominican communities in Oxford and Edinburgh and was Editor of New Blackfriars for a number of years. While Regent of Studies at Blackfriars Oxford he founded the Aquinas Institute. Janette Gray RSM (dec 2017) was an Australian Sister of Mercy was awarded a PhD in theology from the University of Cambridge University, UK, in 2010. She taught theology in various places in the UK, and Australia. From 2012 to 2014 she was Principal of Jesuit Theological College, Parkville, Melbourne. Pietro Parente (born 16 February 1891 in Casalnuovo Monterotaro, Italy – died 29 December 1986 in Vatican City) was a long-serving theologian in the Holy Office of the Roman Catholic Church, and was made a cardinal on 26 June 1967. At his peak he was regarded as one of the foremost Italian theologians.

We return again to study the work of Marie-Dominique Chenu OP (1895-2000). In 2021 we published a volume on his ‘theological project’, and in this volume we continue in that line by examining the basic intuitions of his theology. Some of the authors are the same, Ulrich Engel OP and Janette Gray RSM but in addition there are two articles by Fergus Kerr OP (who studied under Chenu) and a translation of the article by Pietro Parente from 1942 where he refers to Chenu and the ‘new theology’. This descriptive became widely used in describing writers such as Chenu, Congar and other French Dominican writers. Ulrich Engel’s article in the present volume argues that according to ‘Pierre Jossua in an overview of Chenu’s life pointed out that he had never really been rehabilitated by those ecclesiastical authorities’. For Engel ‘The five guiding intuitions of Chenu [and his theology] are the economy of salvation, the incarnational structure of his theological thinking, an understanding of pastoral theology and work as places of ecclesial discourse, attention to the signs of the time, and a high estimation of contemplation.’ His article unpacks these guiding intuitions. The other articles provide a context, historical and theological, for the intuitions and develop other themes to assist in understanding Chenu’s contribution to theology. Alessandro Cortessi OP is a Dominican friar, living in Florence s. Maria Novella, professor of Systematic Theology at Istituto Superiore Scienze Religiose della Toscana s.Caterina da Siena, director of Centro Espaces ‘Giorgio La Pira’ – Pistoia, director of Biblioteca dei domenicani Pistoia and Biblioteca domenicana di Santa Maria Novella Florence. Ulrich Engel OP is Dominican friar, is Director of the Institut Dominique Chenu Berlin, founding representative and professor for philosophical-theological border issues at the Campus for Theology and Spirituality in Berlin. Fergus Kerr OP is Dominican friar who has served as Regent of Studies and Prior of the Dominican communities in Oxford and Edinburgh and was Editor of New Blackfriars for a number of years. While Regent of Studies at Blackfriars Oxford he founded the Aquinas Institute. Janette Gray RSM (dec 2017) was an Australian Sister of Mercy was awarded a PhD in theology from the University of Cambridge University, UK, in 2010. She taught theology in various places in the UK, and Australia. From 2012 to 2014 she was Principal of Jesuit Theological College, Parkville, Melbourne. Pietro Parente (born 16 February 1891 in Casalnuovo Monterotaro, Italy – died 29 December 1986 in Vatican City) was a long-serving theologian in the Holy Office of the Roman Catholic Church, and was made a cardinal on 26 June 1967. At his peak he was regarded as one of the foremost Italian theologians.

• Edited by Hilary Regan