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In Patristics and Catholic Social Thought: Hermeneutical Models for a Dialogue, Brian Matz argues that scholars and proponents of the modern Catholic social tradition can gain from the use of ancient texts for contemporary socioethical formation. Although it is impossible to expect a one-to-one correspondence between the social ideas of early church theologians, such as Augustine, and those of modern Catholic social thought, this book offers four hermeneutical models that will facilitate a fruitful dialogue between the two worlds. The result is a challenge to modern Christian ethicists to think more deeply about their work in light of the perspective of those who trod a similar path centuries ago.
Matz first examines an "authorial intent" hermeneutical model, as articulated in the philosophies of Friedrich Schleiermacher and Wilhelm Dilthey. The second is a "distanciation" model, relying on the thought of Hans-Georg Gadamer and Paul Ricoeur. The third is a "normativity of the future" model, so named by its proponents, Reimund Bieringer and Mary Elsbernd. The fourth is a "new intellectual history" model, which relies on contemporary literary-critical theories. In a series of case studies, Matz applies each model to two early Christian sermons on the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man and, in so doing, illustrates that each one draws out different social ideas. Although each model ultimately bears fruit for Catholic social thought today, Matz concludes that the "normativity of the future" model is the one best suited to a productive use of early Christian texts in contemporary Catholic social thought.
“[Our] task as scholars is to gather complexity together and try to make sense of it, and Matz is to be commended for his considerable dedication to exploring topics of theological, social, and ethical importance. That he is able to make such a considerably complex task so manageable for the reader is a sign not only of his erudition among each of the fields but also points to his ability to enhance the future work of the academy.” —Journal of Religion
Brian Matz is associate professor of the history of Christianity and the Archbishop Raymond G. Hunthausen Professor of Peace and Justice at Carroll College. He is author and co-editor of a number of books, including Reading Patristic Texts on Social Ethics: Issues and Challenges for Twenty-First-Century Christian Social Thought (co-edited with Johan Leemans and Johan Verstraeten).
Acknowledgments
List of Abbreviations
List of Tables
Introduction
1. Patristic Sources and Catholic Social Teaching
2. Themes in Patristic Social Thought
3. An “Authorial Intent” Model
4. A “Distanciation” Model
5. A “Normativity of the Future” Model
6. A “New Intellectual History” Model
Conclusion
Appendix 1. Asterius of Amasea’s Homily 1
Appendix 2. Jerome’s Homily
Notes
Bibliography
Index of Scriptural Passages
Index of Early Christian Sources