Bishops Urge Catholic Schools to Ban Sister Elizabeth A. Johnson's Book About God

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington

US bishops reaffirm critique of controversial theologian's work 
 

Washington D.C., October 29 (CNA) .- The U.S. bishops have confirmed their criticism of a controversial theology book, after the author insisted they had "misunderstood" and "misrepresented" it.

In an October 11, 2011 statement made public yesterday, doctrinal authorities at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops said their committee "finds itself confirmed in its judgments" about Sister Elizabeth Johnson's "Quest for the Living God," which it previously criticized in March 2011.

After reviewing the Fordham University professor's defense of her work, the Committee on Doctrine said it "remains convinced that the book … does not sufficiently ground itself in the Catholic theological tradition as its starting point," and "does not adequately express the faith of the Church."

In her response to the bishops' first critique, Sr. Johnson sought to remind them that theology "does not simply reiterate received doctrinal formulas but probes and interprets them in order to deepen understanding."

The committee agreed with Sr. Johnson's insight about theology, but insisted she had not accomplished this task appropriately.

"It is true that the task of theological reflection is never accomplished by the mere repetition of formulas," they noted, saying they did not object to Sr. Johnson's attempt "to express the faith of the Church in terms that have not previously been used and approved."

Rather, they objected to "Quest for the Living God" because "the 'different' language used in the book does not in fact convey the faith of the Church."

"The real issue is whether or not new attempts at theological understanding are faithful to the deposit of faith as contained in the Scriptures and the Church's doctrinal tradition," they said. "All theology is ultimately subject to the norm of truth provided by the faith of the Church."

Sr. Johnson's treatment of the Trinity raised particular concerns for the committee.

They noted that her way of speaking about the three divine persons "leaves the door open to modalism," an ancient heresy which rejected any real distinction between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

"The book's misunderstanding of the incomprehensibility of God has effectively ruled out even divinely revealed analogies for the relationship among the persons of the Trinity," they noted. "The result is that the book can only speak in vague terms about the Trinity."

While refraining from any judgment of Sr. Johnson's motives, the committee said her book had become a "particular pastoral concern" as a work intended for a popular, non-scholarly audience.

"Furthermore," they stated, "whether or not the book was originally designed specifically to be a textbook, the book is in fact being used as a textbook for the study of the doctrine of God."

Bishops, they said, have a responsibility "to judge works of theology … in terms of how adequately they express the faith of the Church."

OTHER REPORTS:

nytimes.com:

A committee of American Roman Catholic bishops announced Wednesday that a popular book about God by Sister Elizabeth A. Johnson, a theologian at Fordham University in New York, should not be used in Catholic schools and universities because it does not uphold church doctrine.

The book, “Quest for the Living God: Mapping Frontiers in the Theology of God,” examines different understandings of God through experiences of the poor and oppressed, Holocaust victims, Hispanics, women and people of religions other than Catholicism. Among the chapter titles are “God Acting Womanish” and “Accompanying God of Fiesta.” 

The bishops’ committee on doctrine said in a statement: “The book does not take the faith of the Church as its starting point. Instead, the author employs standards from outside the faith to criticize and to revise in a radical fashion the conception of God revealed in Scripture and taught by the Magisterium,” the church’s teaching authority according to the popes and bishops. 

Sister Johnson declined an interview, but said in a statement that the bishops never invited her to discuss the book and that she was unaware that the bishops were assessing it until they had already decided to issue a condemnatory statement. 

“One result of this absence of dialogue is that in several key instances this statement radically misinterprets what I think, and what I in fact wrote,” she said. “The conclusions thus drawn paint an incorrect picture of the fundamental line of thought the book develops. A conversation, which I still hope to have, would have very likely avoided these misrepresentations.” 

The president of Fordham, the Rev. Joseph M. McShane, said in a statement that Sister Johnson is a “revered member of the Fordham community,” who regards the bishops’ action as “an invitation to dialogue.” 

Sister Johnson is a prominent feminist theologian and a former president of both the Catholic Theological Society of America and the American Theological Society. She belongs to a religious order in New York, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Brentwood. 

The Rev. Thomas Weinandy, executive director of the bishops’ Secretariat for Doctrine, said, “The primary concern was not over feminism or nonfeminism. The bishops are saying that the book does not adequately treat a Catholic understanding of God.” 

He said the doctrine committee had no authority to mandate that the book be removed from Catholic educational institutions or to discipline Sister Johnson. 

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican’s enforcer of doctrine, has disciplined several theologians during the papacy of Benedict XVI, who was in charge of that office before he became pope in 2005. 

Father Weinandy said the impetus for reviewing Sister Johnson’s book did not come from the Vatican. He said several American bishops who did not serve on the doctrine committee had raised concerns about the book. 

Theology professors at Catholic universities said they did not see a theological cause for the bishops to condemn Sister Johnson’s work. 

Stephen J. Pope, a theologian at Boston College, said: “The reason is political. Certain bishops decide that they want to punish some theologians, and this is one way they do that. There’s nothing particularly unusual in her book as far as theology goes. It’s making an example of someone who’s prominent.” 

Sister Mary Catherine Hilkert, a theologian at the University of Notre Dame, said, “She is deeply rooted in the Catholic tradition and committed to her vocation as a theologian.” 

Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington, the committee chairman, said in a statement that Sister Johnson might have avoided problems if she had sought a bishop’s approval, known as an “imprimatur,” and made revisions before publishing her book. The hardcover was published in 2007 by Continuum, a company based in New York. The paperback is due in July. 

Father Weinandy said that while imprimaturs are recommended under canon law, they are not required, and that while they were once common, few theologians now request them.