Ressourcement Theology - by Patricia Kelly

Book Synopsis

Ressourcement Theology: A Sourcebook offers a collection of texts previously unavailable in English from leading Dominicans and Jesuits, who initiated a movement for renewal that contributed to the reforms of the Second Vatican Council.

In the last decade, theologians have undertaken a serious reappraisal of the contribution of Ressourcement theology to 20th century theology in the Catholic tradition and beyond. This 'return to Ressourcement' has resulted in many of the principal texts being translated into English and (re-)issued, ensuring their accessibility to scholars across the globe. Despite this, many of the earliest documents relating to the history of Ressourcement theology are unavailable to most English-speaking scholars, as they are largely journal articles and book chapters published in French.
Patricia Kelly has selected the most significant texts that so far have been unavailable in English, including the controversial piece by Jean-Marie LeBlond ('The Analogy of Truth') that was condemned in the 1950s by the Vatican, as well as the response to Labourdette's attack on LeBlond, penned anonymously by a group of Jesuits.

All of these documents will help students and scholars to engage deeply with the history of the Ressourcement movement and its relevance for the developments of the Catholic tradition.

Review Quotes

'Grace perfects nature, doesn't destroy it', as Thomas Aquinas famously stated early in the SUMMA THEOLOGIAE, but the ramifications of what he meant will always put Christian theologians to the test, as indeed happened quite dramatically in the most serious controversy in recent Catholic theology. Introduced objectively by Dr Kelly, this set of texts by the principal authors on either side is well timed: the controversy is not over.

By offering us, in English and in one place, the key papers that inaugurated 'the new theology' Patricia Kelly has rendered a great service to English-speaking Christians. Here we find a guide to unlock much of the thinking of Vatican II, and here also we find keys to understand why so many have tried to subvert its trajectory. This sourcebook resources not only ressourcement, but all contemporary Catholic theology.


Patricia Kelly's Ressourcement Theology: A Handbook is a notable addition to the literature and deserves a wide readership. This work is a great feat of theology and translation. It constitutes a singular service to twentieth-century Catholic Theology and breathes new life into some neglected texts as well as other highly controversial ones.

About the Author

Patricia Kelly is Honorary Senior Research Fellow in the School of Divinity, University of St Andrews, UK.