Along with Gerard Philips, Charles Moeller and many others from other disciplines (Delhaye, R. Aubert, Coppens, Onclin...), Gustave Thils (1909-2000) is basically the fruit of Cardinal Mercier's concern for the intellectual and spiritual preparation of the diocesan clergy of Brussels (Mechelen) and for the intellectual and Christian revival of the University of Louvain.
Thils was educated in the diocese of Brussels, in its minor and major seminaries, and in Louvain, where he completed his degrees and his doctoral (1935) and habilitation (1937) theses on The Church's Notes on Apologetics since the ReformationThe first of these, showing the changes they had undergone as they moved from patristics and the Creed (one, holy, catholic and apostolic) to the confessional controversy with Lutheranism, was one of the classic subjects of the apologetics course. It was one of the classic subjects of the subject of apologetics. And this subject was the first one he taught when he was asked to be a seminary professor (1937-1949). He was also one of the most appreciated spiritual directors of that seminary, then with more than two hundred candidates. He then became professor of Fundamental Theology in Louvain (1947-1976).
Thils was characterized by being thoroughly informed on the subjects he had to teach or wanted to introduce. He was not satisfied with the usual manuals. In each case, he composed a history and a thematic overview. And since, especially in the seminary, he was involved in several subjects, he soon produced a set of very informative works. This earned him an early reputation and was quoted throughout the French-speaking theological area. Until almost the end of his long life, he maintained his ability to write clearly and synthesize well. And he was widely translated.
Overviews and synthesis
The seminary spirituality talks became a synthesis of priestly spirituality, Diocesan priesthood (1942-1946), later expanded in Christian holiness. Compendium of ascetic theology and, later, in Existence and holiness in Jesus Christ (1982). They continue to be inspirational and with a lay spirituality.
Some courses on virtue morality in the seminary gave rise to the interesting essay Current trends in moral theology (1940). The thematic expansions of the Apologetics and Fundamental Theology (and of his thesis) led him to synthesize a celebrated History of the ecumenical movement (1955). And, putting it all together, to a Current orientations of theology (1958). It also prompted him to study historically the role of the primacy in the Church, in Pontifical infallibility (1969) y The papal primacy (1972). And, always in the line of Fundamental Theology, to enter the world of religions, Purposes and problems of the theology of the non-Christian religions. (1966). And, seeing them coming, syncretism or Catholicity? (1967). And this is just a small selection of his books, to which we must add many articles and many reviews and reviews. He wasted no time.
Temporal realities and the Council
But his most recognized contribution was his early Theology of terrestrial realities (Theology of terrestrial realities (Desclée 1946, edition for which we will quote). This was later accompanied by other complementary essays, such as Transcendence and incarnation (1950), y Theology and social reality (1963).
He was original because he approached the subject systematically, and with sensitivity to the way of thinking of professionals and workers, whom he knew because he led groups and gave courses.
At the time of the Council (1962-1965) and especially in the work of the Gaudium et speshe was counted on. Apart from the fact that he was a colleague of other Lovanians such as Gerard Philip and Charles Moeller, who had a great influence on the final form and the writing of Lumen Gentium and other documents (they were all good Latinists). He made good comments on the progress of the Council and several of its documents. And he worked in the Secretariat for the Union of Christians.
The purpose of the book
The medieval world has disappeared. Christianity (the Church) is no longer accorded an official place in the constitution of states. But how can Christians be disinterested in the temporal city? Do they not have their mission and vocation there, especially the laity? What is to be done, without falling into clericalism?
"Give to God what is God's and to Caesar what is Caesar's". Agreed, but shouldn't there be a theology, a thoughtful faith, that serves to train future priests to enlighten Christians? Could it be left to Marxism alone to interpret "temporal realities" and their progress?
As he explains in the prologue, this reflection justifies this remarkable essay in two volumes. The first volume, PreludesThe second one is dedicated to the Theology of history (1939) and we will comment on it later. As always, Thils makes a great map of the subject, which is, in itself, a contribution.
Preludes
It is divided into four parts. The first three are the preparation and framing of the questions; the fourth is an outline of a Christian judgment of the main "terrestrial realities". It takes into account Maritain's essay (Integral humanism1936), on the Christian role in a society that is no longer officially Christian; and an article by the Jesuit Montcheuil, Christian life and temporal action (1943), in addition to other writings that express the concern to be present in the configuration of the new world.
He begins by pointing out that Christian philosophers, theologians and sociologists "form a very homogeneous chorus to require from theological science indications about the value of the world, of the universe of human societies, of civilization." (14). Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox (Boulgakov, Berdiaev). He even quotes Donoso Cortes: "A civilization is always the reflection of a theology.".
Nuances and framing
The second part provides theological elements of judgment, entering into the oppositions and paradoxes: God and the world, the sacred and spiritual and the profane, spirit and matter, flesh and spirit. It takes meditation and a lot of nuance to bring things into focus.
The third part shows the great movement that goes from the creation of God, with the mystery of sin and redemption, to the consummation in Christ, through the work of the Holy Spirit. This is where these realities must be framed.
There is a creative design of God for human action in the world (which prolongs his creation), there is sin that deforms and redemptive action that heals, and there is eschatological and transcendent tension towards the end: it is not possible to make a world that remains closed in on itself.
In this context, Gustave Thils is convinced that the action of the Holy Spirit in the world is not limited to the interior sanctification of individuals or to the liturgical action of the Church, but embraces the whole of creation wounded by sin. Christians must participate in this movement from their place in the world.
Application to temporal realities
The fourth part, called "simple sketches"The longest section of the book applies everything we have seen to some great earthly realities: the constitution of societies, culture and civilization, technology, the arts and human work. In each case it is a matter of understanding their place in the extension of God's creative action, of thinking about how they are affected by sin, healed by redemption and directed by the Spirit towards the glory of God.
For example, on work. Relying on St. Thomas, he says that all work participates in the divine action, in his causality, and is an extension of his creation. The creative aspect underlines that the human being is the image of God. Certainly, he is touched by sin, but work is not a consequence of sin, it is only a consequence of its painful aspect. And precisely for this reason, it can also have a redemptive aspect. "To restore a society, culture or art is to transfigure it according to the Holy Spirit: this is not only a promise, it is actually realized. [...] That is why the human activity that transmits redemption to the earthly world is, by the same token, a redemptive activity." (191).
"By uniting all the forms of earthly redemptive activities and joining them to the theological and theocentric activities of the inner life, a fairly complete view of what the 'Christian life' as a whole is, with all the universality it possesses in God and in the Spirit, will be achieved." (194). It is necessary to flee both from a "The humanization of Christianity that turns it into a force of moralization [...] as of a total disembodiment of Christianity by the unilateral insistence on a grace that would not mix at all with the world to penetrate it and transform it. [...] It is necessary to think in the light of Christ the treatise on Christian anthropology, whose reform will be, perhaps, the greatest work of the twentieth century." (198). These are the last words.
Summary in Orientations
Twelve years later, in its Current orientations of Theology (1958), summarizes the subject. We are no longer in the times when the idea of perfection was linked to that of "monasticism" or "convent" [...]. The laity are immersed in the temporal and tied to earthly tasks. Their duty of state - which is the first means of sanctification - leads them to give visible attention and vital interest to the development of the profane world [...]. This world, in a precarious and transitory way, is the place in which they must sanctify themselves." (quoted from the translation by Troquel, Buenos Aires 1959, 133). Orientations are needed for "to consider this world with the eyes of revelation, helping them to adapt their gaze to God's gaze.". "A theology of temporal realities can help to understand the end of temporal work and to fulfill it." knowing how the image of God is realized in the world. "In the last analysis it is a 'Christian anthropology'."but "integral", not reduced to the description of the soul and the inner role of grace. "If our theological anthropology had been 'integral,' there would never have been the problem of the theology of temporal realities." (135).
It is extended by collecting bibliography that had grown. First the "everyday theology".where he quotes Jesús Urteaga (The divine value of the human), Mouroux, Scheler, C. S. Lewis. Then on the body (Mouroux, Poucel), work (Haessle, Chenu), family and society (Dubarle, Journet); also art and technique.
Eschatologists and incarnationists
As mentioned above, the second volume of the Theology of terrestrial realitiesis dedicated to the Theology of history (1949) and to the eschatological aspect, i.e., whether human action in the world and its progress have any relation to the establishment of the Kingdom of God now and at the end of time (the new heavens and the new earth).
Histories of theology usually divide authors into "eschatologists" and "incarnationists". "Eschatologists" (Daniélou, Bouyer) would be those who center the meaning of history in the spirituality and life of the Church, the rest being accessory or even, to a different degree, subsumed to the "world" as a reality opposed to salvation. "Incarnationists" (Thils, Chenu and later Metz and liberation theology) would be those who give transcendent and eschatological value to human realities, where they understand that the Kingdom is initiated. They differ and, in fact, Daniélou criticized Thils as "too optimistic". But the issue, so rich and complex, is not well reflected in such a simple bipartite division.
The conclusion of Gaudium et spes
Gaudium et speswhich devotes a chapter to human action in the world (nn. 33-39), prudently echoes all this in n. 33: "We must carefully distinguish temporal progress and the growth of Christ's kingdom."but the first one can help "is of great interest to the kingdom of God".. In addition, "the goods of human dignity, fraternal union and freedom; in a word, all the excellent fruits of nature and of our efforts, after having been spread over the earth by the Spirit of the Lord and in accordance with his command, we shall find them again."transfigured in the consummation of
Christ.
