Challenge Series: Why do Catholics Argue So Much About Their Faith?

This is the second in a four-part series that explores some of the challenges faced by young adults and others in living their faith in the contemporary world.  Look to the left to see the previous challenge article.

“I’m a pro-life Catholic.” “I’m a social justice Catholic.” ‘I read America and Commonweal.”  “I prefer First Things.” “I log on to bustedhalo.com.” “I think that Godspy.com is better.” “I’m in favor of extending full rights to gay couples.” “I think that endorsing gay marriage would be destructive to the institutions of marriage and family life.”

Catholics argue a lot, don’t they? Sometimes their arguments are pretty loud – even  fierce. We argue because our faith means a lot to us. It reflects convictions we hold dear and which relate to our fundamental security. It is not always easy to understand how we are being called to live the Gospel in an increasingly complex world. Interpreting the demands of Christian life in a rapidly changing, increasingly globalized world is subtle business. And so, even very committed, well-intentioned Catholics find themselves disagreeing with each other.

To anyone who is familiar with the history of the Church, this is really nothing new. For example, if you study the development of the Church’s teaching about the Trinity and about Christ that took place during the first four centuries of Christianity you soon realize that what we profess about God and Christ emerged out of heated controversy. One time Saint Basil the Great, a brilliant fourth century theologian who was important in the development of Trinitarian doctrine, compared the state of the Church to a naval battle where the ships are so damaged and the fighting so fierce that it is hard to distinguish friend from foe. The truths that we profess in the Creed each Sunday were developed for the most part in the midst of fierce debate, and they often represent an integration of what was acknowledged as true in the positions of opposing sides.

Some recent authors, however, assert that sharp differences among U.S. Catholics have led to polarization, even to fragmentation in the Church. And they may be right. Timothy Radcliffe, OP, the former head of the Dominican Order throughout the world, discusses this in his recent book entitled What is the Point of Being Christian? (London: Burns & Oates, 2005). He notes that in times of polarization people tend to stop talking to those who disagree with them. They are inclined simply to dialogue and share life with the like-minded, taking refuge in the comfort of those who agree with them in a world that is very complex. In complex times, conversing with those of different viewpoints can seem too risky. Radcliffe and other commentators point out that we Catholics need to learn to dialogue with one another in ways that avoid stereotyping or even demonizing our opponents.

I believe that we have something to learn from Saint Thomas Aquinas in this challenge of dialogue amidst difference. Thomas lived and taught at a time of great intellectual ferment, but also in an era of fierce theological rivalries. Some of his contemporaries, as well as some Church leaders, thought that Thomas was making a big mistake by engaging the philosophy of Aristotle in formulating his own interpretation of the Christian faith. They thought that Thomas was being too radical in his theological efforts. Thomas, to his credit, was always sensitive to the opinions of those who saw things differently from him. He wanted, above all, to offer an interpretation of Christianity that would be faithful to the tradition and intelligible to people of his day. If you read his Summa Theologiae, you quickly recognize Thomas’ willingness to dialogue with those who disagreed with him. Each article of the Summa begins with a listing of “objections.” These objections represent ideas or points of view with which Thomas will not agree, or at least not completely agree. These points of view are often articulated with great cogency. They demonstrate that Thomas knew the arguments of those who did not agree with him. In fact, sometimes he knew these arguments so well that he could formulate them in a more convincing way than his opponents could. When Thomas offers his replies to each objection at the end of each article, he does so with great sensitivity and insight. He often recognizes the grain of truth in the positions with which he will not be in complete agreement.

Thomas Aquinas, known as the “Angelic Doctor,” teaches us that in coming to understand and to articulate what we believe as Christians it is essential to listen well. We must learn to listen before we speak. Authentic dialogue is necessary for growth in our appreciation of our faith, especially when it comes to knowing what faith requires of us in complex situations. Thomas never demonized or dismissed his opponents. He listened to them first, and he tried to see the truth in what they were saying, even when he could not agree completely with their position.

We call our Church “Catholic.” Catholicity means universality – the fullness of faith extended throughout the whole world. Because our Church is Catholic, it will always be a “big tent.” It will always include a wide diversity of cultural expressions, theological perspectives, and levels of engagement. This does not mean that Catholicism is so fluid that we have no identity or unity. It does mean, however, that the unity we seek is not a rigid uniformity but a unity that embraces diversity and that is able to forge a reconciled diversity.

As Catholics, then, we need to learn to listen to one another. This stance of listening must be rooted in our acknowledgment of the dignity of one another, the profound dignity that we have in Christ. In his book, Timothy Radcliffe writes, “Our human vocation is to go on searching for new and deeper ways of belonging together, new ways of speaking, which realize our capacity for communion more profoundly” (p. 159). Every time we gather at the Eucharist, we experience communion with Christ and communion with one another. The Eucharist calls us to work to strengthen our bonds of communion with one another. Such an endeavor begins with learning to listen carefully to one another.

Robin Ryan, CP