The Light of Faith and Reason
The Light of Faith and Reason, Gerhard Lohfink, translated by Linda M. Maloney. Liturgical Press (ISBN: 9798400801143) 2026.
Summary: The Enlightenment did not begin in the seventeenth century but in the Old Testament and deepened by Jesus.
Gerhard Lohfink, the Catholic New Testament scholar at Tubingen, passed away in 2024. This work, based on lectures Lohfink gave was first published in German in 2016. Now, thanks to the work of his longtime translator, Linda M. Maloney, we have this valedictory collection in English. The theme tying this lecture material together is that the Enlightenment did not begin in the seventeenth century. Rather, it originated in Greece and in the story of Israel. Then Jesus and the church deepen this story of enlightenment. The first ten chapters elaborate this contention while the last eight address a number of subjects, showing faith and reason working together.
He begins by asking, “Is the Church Required to Undergo Enlightenment.” He traces the idea of freedom back to the exodus story of liberation. A new social order characterized by equality originates at Sinai. As for human dignity, its roots go back to the imago dei of Genesis 1. He then shows how what we consider modern formulations of human rights may be found in late Spanish scholasticism, that these indeed laid the basis for what we call the Enlightenment.
He goes on to show how replacing the pantheon of deities with a single Creator opened up a true love for and engagement with creation. As creatures we live both as those “who are dust” and as those for whom the world was created. Then he considers the election of Israel, and how this was for the nations. But what do they see? Nor a perfect nation, but a defeated one who becomes The Servant of Isaiah 52:13-53:12. He goes on to show how the knowledge of God revealed in Exodus 1-15 create a liberating social structure. He then offers a fascinating chapter that builds on this with working out how the Trinity challenge imperil monotheism.
Lohfink explores how Jesus deepened the enlightenment and how the early church grasped that. He cites their commitment to nonviolence and community. Also, expecting Christ’s imminent return, they lived out the imminent kingdom as something for “today.” Finally, chapters 9 and 10, the concluding chapters of his argument show how the resurrection both fulfills and transforms everything.
The last eight chapters do not seem to hang together as a continuation of the argument. But they sparkle with insights nevertheless. Chapter 11 on “How Paul Talks to His Communities” notes the richness of his imagery, his memorability, clarity, arguments, and his stress on creating community. He offers a reading of Romans 9-11 that argues that Paul is not anti-Jewish. He synthesizes New Testament teaching on how the church gathers, how it resolves conflict, and does mission. And he notes how important a house-based ministry was.
Lohfink offers a long chapter on the New Testament basis of the priestly office, instructive for this non-Catholic to understand how Catholics root the priesthood in the New Testament. He also addresses Marian devotion, arguing the case for the church’s doctrine yet understanding that Mary is one of us, not our mediator but our dear mother with whom we stand before God. Then he concludes the collection with a discussion of the judgment of Matthew 25 regarding the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the prisoner.
What Lohfink does first of all is argue how the reasonable faith we’ve embraced has all that the enlightenment proclaimed on a firmer basis, rooted in the Triune God. Second, he shows in the genius of the early church’s life the practical manifestation of that light in the ways the ordered their life and mission. Rather than accept a narrative that we hear in most western civilization courses that the Enlightenment supplied what the church lacked, he shows that it couldn’t happen apart from the church. I also appreciated the tone throughout. We do not have the polemics of a culture warrior but the patient instruction of a teacher and pastor, bringing out the treasures of insight we find in scripture. This publication is truly a parting gift.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.