French Jesuit Henri de Lubac (1896?1991) was arguably the most revolutionary yet under-acknowledged theologian of the twentieth century. He proposed that Western theology since the early modern period
French Jesuit Henri de Lubac (1896?1991) was arguably the most revolutionary yet under-acknowledged theologian of the twentieth century. He proposed that Western theology since the early modern period had lost sight of the key to integrating faith and reason -- namely, the truth that all human beings are naturally oriented toward the supernatural.
Originally published in 2005, The Suspended Middle by John Milbank defends and amplifies de Lubac?s provocative thesis and rebuts its many critics. In this second edition Milbank has expanded and clarified his argument throughout to take greater account of new critiques of de Lubac. The future of the Christian faith is at stake, says Milbank, as he urges his readers to recover and reinvigorate de Lubac?s biblical-theological-philosophical vision.
Reviews in Religion & Theology
"The real value of this book is its introduction of Anglican theology to de Lubac's thought and by extension the ressourcement movement in Catholicism. . . . The ecumenical appeal of his work goes both ways: quite appropriately, his receptivity towards Catholicism expresses itself in an active response to the tradition."
Jean-Yves Lacoste
"Milbank's provocative book manages to make [de Lubac's theology relevant for modernity as well as for postmodernity. This is probably the most exciting book ever written on de Lubac."
Olivier-Thomas Venard, O.P.
"Readers will be kept in suspense from one end of the book to the other by the theological spirit intensely present in each sentence."
Religious Studies Review
"A superbly thorough and critical appraisal of a single idea as it issued from the mind of an enigmatic man to multiple generations of theologians who are currently still attempting to meet its terms."
Horizons
"Like most of Milbank's works, The Suspended Middle is not for the casual reader. It is essential reading, though, for those concerned with twentieth-century Catholic theology or with the continuing debates about nature and grace."
Catholic Books Review
"There is much to recommend this book. It contains a succinct overview of some of the main issues in the twentieth-century debates on the nature-grace relationship. The student of the philosophical and theological literature on the supernatural will find it an indispensable guide to the main areas of contention such as the question of natura pura, and the 'natural' desire for God. There are many valuable leads therein to follow up. The English-speaking student of de Lubac will find Milbank's concision and incisive Anglo-Saxon prose a welcome relief from the voluminous francophone literature. Most importantly, the question of the supernatural, and the 'split' in Catholic theology that it engenders, has never gone away. It has simply been ignored, and this book does much to rectify the amnesiac tendencies of contemporary theology."
Anglican Theological Review
"A short yet explosive book on Henri de Lubac, which engages and challenges from start to finish."
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