Modernism (Roman Catholicism)

Modernism was a term used by Pope Pius X to describe the doctrines of a group of theologians (chiefly Alfred Loisy and George Tyrell), notably the assumption that the Christian Church and its dogma are human institutions that have evolved in time like other institutions, and which are expressed like others in human documents that bear the character of their historical context, which can be profitably analyzed in just the way all institutions and texts are scrutinized. It should be noted that none of the Catholic "modernists" used this label for their own writings, nor did they see themselves as a unified group: the term "modernist" was applied to them.

Related Topics:
Pope Pius X - Alfred Loisy - George Tyrell

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In his encyclical Lamentabili Sane of July 3, 1907, Pius X, "the fact that many Catholic writers also go beyond the limits determined by the Fathers and the Church herself is extremely regrettable," presented a syllabus condemning the errors of the Modernists in 65 condemned and proscribed propositions.

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In his encyclical Pascendi Dominici gregishttp://www.papalencyclicals.net/Pius10/p10pasce.htm of 1907, Pius X described Modernism as not so much a heresy, but as the synthesis of all heresies (Pascendi Dominici gregis, 39). This description was used not because Modernism combined ideas from many earlier heresies, but because it undermined Catholic doctrine in a more fundamental way than most earlier heresies: instead of critiquing particular points of doctrine, or setting up a competing source of authority, it denied the idea of objective unchanging truth or any authoritative teaching. Modernism involved the evolution of dogma — a notion distinct from Cardinal Newman's teaching on the "development of doctrine", which he characterized in acceptably orthodox fashion as an unfolding in time of what was already implicit in Christ's initial teaching. In stating the Modernist view on evolution of dogma in order to condemn it, Pius X expressed this as: "Truth is no more unchangeable than man himself, for it evolves with him, in him and through him" (Lamentabili sane).

Related Topics:
1907 - Heresy - Dogma - Cardinal Newman - Development of doctrine - Christ

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In some respects, the Catholic Modernists seemed to be influenced by or in agreement with certain Protestant theologians and clergy, starting with the Tübingen school in the mid-19th century. Some, however, such as George Tyrell, disagreed strongly with this analogy; Tyrell saw himself as loyal to the unity of the Church, and disliked liberal Protestantism (Hales 1958).

Related Topics:
Protestant - Tübingen school

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In some respects the Church appeared to be reacting to cultural themes that had arisen with Renaissance humanism and had informed the Enlightenment of the 18th century.

Related Topics:
Renaissance humanism - Enlightenment

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The Modernist crisis took place chiefly in French and British intellectual Catholic circles, to a lesser extent in Italy, and virtually nowhere else. http://www.ad2000.com.au/articles/1996/jul1996p15_800.html

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