Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange

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Réginald Marie Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P.
Garrigou1.jpeg
Pére Garrigou-Lagrange as a young priest
Born (1877-02-21)February 21, 1877
France Auch, France
Died February 15, 1964(1964-02-15)
Holy See Vatican City
Other names Gontran-Marie Garrigou-Lagrange
Education University of Bordeaux (medicine), Sorbonne (philosophy)
Ordained Dominican
Writings see below

Réginald Marie Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P. (February 21, 1877, Auch, France – February 15, 1964, Rome) was a Catholic theologian and is considered by some to be the greatest Catholic Thomist of the 20th century[citation needed]. Outside neo-scholastic Thomist circles, his reputation is somewhat more mixed. He taught at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, commonly known as the Angelicum, in Rome from 1909 to 1960.

By 1917 a special professorship in ascetical and mystical theology was created for him at the Angelicum, the first of its kind anywhere in the world. His great achievement was to synthesise the highly abstract writings of St Thomas Aquinas with the experiential writings of St John of the Cross, showing how they are in perfect harmony with each other.[1]

Father Garrigou-Lagrange, the leading proponent of "strict observance Thomism," initially attracted attention when he wrote against the Modernist Nouvelle Théologie theological movement.[2] He is also said to be the drafter or "ghostwriter" of Pope Pius XII's 1950 encyclical Humani Generis, subtitled "Concerning Some False Opinions Threatening to Undermine the Foundations of Catholic Doctrine."[3]

He is best known for his spiritual theology. His magnum opus in the field is The Three Ages of the Interior Life, in which he propounded the thesis that infused contemplation and the resulting mystical life are in the normal way of holiness of Christian perfection. This influenced the section entitled "Chapter V: The Universal Call to Holiness in the Church" in the Second Vatican Council's Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium.[4]

He taught many eminent Catholic theologians during his academic career, the most illustrious being the future Pope John Paul II, whose encyclical Fides et Ratio is the mature fruit of his training under the learned Dominican. Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange is also known to have introduced Thomism to fellow theologian and priest Yves Congar.

The Osservatore Romano, Dec. 9-10, 1950 lists Garrigou-Lagrange among the names of the prepatory commission for the definition of the Assumption of Mary.[5]

Contents

His Works [edit]

He produced 28 books and hundreds of articles. Among the most famous works are:

Commentaries on the Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas
Theological Works
  • Christian Perfection and Contemplation according to St Thomas Aquinas and St John of the Cross (1923)
  • God, His Existence and Nature: A Thomistic Solution of Certain Agnostic Antinomies (1914)
Marian Works
  • The Mother of the Saviour and our Interior Life (1948)
Philosophical Works
Works in Latin (originals)
  • De Revelatione per Ecclesiam Catholicam proposita – Theologia Fundamentalis secundum S. Thomae Doctrinam (Volume I & Volume II)
Works in Spanish (translated)

Works by or about Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange in libraries (WorldCat catalog)

complete bibliography

Nearly all his works in Latin, English, French, Italian, and Spanish are downloadable here.[6]

See also [edit]

External links [edit]

Biography
  • Peddicord, Richard (2004). The sacred monster of Thomism : an introduction to the life and legacy of Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange. South Bend Ind.: St. Augustine's Press. ISBN 978-1-58731-752-1. 
  • "A Saint in Heaven" by Fr. Thomas Crean, O.P.
Secondary
  • Theologians
  • Teachings
  • Heresies
General history
St Thomas Aquinas in stained glass, Saint-Rombouts Cathedral, Mechelen, Belgium
Church beginnings
Early Middle Ages
High Middle Ages
Mysticism and reforms
19th century
20th–21st century

References [edit]

  1. ^ "A saint in Heaven", by Fr. Thomas Crean, http://www.christendom-awake.org/pages/thomas-crean/saint-in-heaven.htm Accessed 4-10-2012
  2. ^ See his two famous articles which refute the Nouvelle Théologie: "The structure of the encyclical Humani Generis" and “Where is the New Theology Leading Us?.”
  3. ^ "Quaeritur: Who are the Post-Conciliar Traditional Catholic Thomists?". 2010-10-23. Retrieved 2011-06-19. 
  4. ^ Mullady, Brian, O.P.. "Rehabilitation of Garrigou-Lagrange". Retrieved 2012-07-26. 
  5. ^ http://www.ts.mu.edu/readers/content/pdf/12/12.4/12.4.4.pdf Accessed 2-6-2013
  6. ^ The server is not always on, so if the link times out, try again later.
Authority control
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