Catholic Life and Thought in the Age of Enlightenment

Module Description:

The purpose of this module is to survey the political, cultural and religious context in which Catholic theology developed in the Age of Enlightenment. An important aim will be to introduce the student to some representative figures in the theology of the period. The module includes a seminar-study of representative works from the period.

In this module particular attention is given to the French Enlightenment as, arguably, it is the French Enlightenment that impacted most on theological thought in the Irish context. The module will study the Jansenist movement and its consequences for Catholic thought and life. The battle with Jansenism led to restatements and new expressions of some fundamental Catholic beliefs, e.g. the universal love of God (expressed as devotion to the Heart of Jesus) and the primacy of conscience in moral theology (e.g. Alphonsus Liguori).

The Enlightenment made its contribution to theology through the development of more rigorous historical critical methodsWhile much nineteenth century theology was a restatement of the past (e.g. Neo-Scholasticism), some theologians like Antonio Rosmini and John Henry Newman articulated a fresher vision of a renewed church. The importance of documents of the first Vatican Council is studied, principally those on Papal primacy, and Faith and Reason.

Catholic Church in post-emancipation Ireland will be considered in the light of the larger theological picture, including the role of Paul Cullen and the so-called ‘devotional revolution’. 

Indicative Bibliography:

Brown, S.J. and Tackett, T., Cambridge History of Christianity: Volume 7, Enlightenment, Reawakening and Revolution 1660-1815 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007).
McCool, G.A., Catholic Theology in the Nineteenth Century, Seabury Press: New York, 1977).
O'Connor, T., Irish Jansenists, 1600-70: Religion and Politics in Flanders, France, Ireland and Rome (Dublin: Four Courts Press: 2008).
Rafferty, O., The Catholic Church and the Protestant State: Nineteenth Century Irish Realities (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2006).
Whyte, J.H., Church and State in Modern Ireland, 1923-1970. (Dublin: Gill and MacMillan, 1971).

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

• Analyse some of the classical theological texts of this period in their theological and cultural context.
• Assess the importance of the Enlightenment for the development of a critical study of the Bible.
• Explain the importance of the documents of the first Vatican Council on  the relationship between faith and reason in the context of the rationalist critiques of religion in this period
• Evaluate the devotional renewal which reached Ireland under Archbishop Paul Cullen.

Methods of Assessment and Student Workload:

Annual examination and essay.