L'Essaide Louis Charlier (1938)

This article considers the content, reception, and relevance of Louis Charlier's Essai sur le probleme theologique (1938). The core theme of this essay is both the nature and methodology of theology. In this respect, Charlier is participating in the theological selfreflection of the 1930's and 1940's. He opposed the strict Roman Neoscholasticism and pleaded for the full integration of history within theology. Together with M.-D. Chenu he is to be considered as the instigator of a thomistic "ressourcement", characterized by a plea for an open thomism. This first phase of the nouvelle theologie (new theology) was followed by a second phase, a theological "ressourcement", which pleads for a full return of theology to its sources (Bible, Fathers, liturgy) on the foundations of the first phase. During this second phase too (ca. 1942-1950), there were some positive but, more often, negative critiques on Charlier's Essai. Both the Essai of Charlier and Une ecole de theologie: le Saulchoir of Chenu (1937) aroused Roman irritation and in 1942 were placed on the Index.