Augustinianism and Modern Theology

Henri de Lubac's study of modern Augustinianism emerged from his broader project of ressourcement theology and his particular concern with the distortions of Augustine's thought that had shaped Catholic theology since the sixteenth century. Writing in the aftermath of Vatican II, de Lubac sought to trace how certain interpretations of Augustine had created theological problems that persisted into the modern era, particularly regarding the relationship between nature and grace.

De Lubac argues that what passed for "Augustinianism" in much of post-Tridentine Catholic theology was actually a misreading of Augustine that emphasized human corruption and divine sovereignty in ways that Augustine himself never intended. He demonstrates how figures like Baius, Jansenius, and even some Thomistic interpreters had created a false opposition between nature and grace by reading Augustine through later theological categories. The book meticulously shows how this "Augustinisme" departed from Augustine's own synthetic vision, in which grace perfects rather than destroys nature. De Lubac particularly focuses on how this distorted Augustinianism contributed to the problems he had earlier identified in Surnaturel regarding the separation of natural and supernatural orders.

This work has remained influential among Catholic theologians interested in patristic retrieval and the proper interpretation of Augustine within Catholic tradition. It represents a crucial piece of de Lubac's larger theological project and helps explain many of the theological controversies that shaped modern Catholicism. Who should read this: scholars of Catholic theology, particularly those interested in Augustine's reception history, the nouvelle théologie movement, or the nature-grace question. This is not an introductory work and requires substantial background in Catholic theological development and French theological debates.