A reader of this Copious Flowers newsletter asked me for some thoughts on an excerpt recently shared by the Church Life Journal from Matthew Levering’s book Newman on Doctrinal Corruption (published by the Word on Fire ministry of Bishop Robert Barron).
Oh, and yes, theology has never been my central interest. If your friend is offended by that, tough. But that’s why three quarters of my publications aren’t on theology.
As for my interventions in Catholic questions, there are two reasons for that. First, I often write on topics I am invited to write on, and the Catholic academic world is simply much larger and more vital than the Orthodox. Second, Catholic institutions pay much larger honoraria.
But yes, I have no skin in the game. Again, tough.
Isn’t it rather absurd to class even Loisy and Rahner together? On matters of doctrinal authority, they had nearly nothing in common. All of these large simpleminded divisions are useless.
Tell your confused friend that my argument is my argument, and it resembles nothing found in any of the figures Levering associates me with. As for the quality of Matt’s argument in the abstract…ah, no. It is, like all of his work, an oversimplification of a topic he dare not confront directly.
Oh, and yes, theology has never been my central interest. If your friend is offended by that, tough. But that’s why three quarters of my publications aren’t on theology.
As for my interventions in Catholic questions, there are two reasons for that. First, I often write on topics I am invited to write on, and the Catholic academic world is simply much larger and more vital than the Orthodox. Second, Catholic institutions pay much larger honoraria.
But yes, I have no skin in the game. Again, tough.
Telling it like it is…
Isn’t it rather absurd to class even Loisy and Rahner together? On matters of doctrinal authority, they had nearly nothing in common. All of these large simpleminded divisions are useless.
Tell your confused friend that my argument is my argument, and it resembles nothing found in any of the figures Levering associates me with. As for the quality of Matt’s argument in the abstract…ah, no. It is, like all of his work, an oversimplification of a topic he dare not confront directly.
Yes, I’ll pass your note along to my friend.
Don't miss this response to Levering by Hart:
https://publicorthodoxy.org/2023/10/18/newman-levering-and-me/