After observing the model of spiritual formation exemplified by the School of Mary, crucial questions arise for the life of the Church. The objective of spiritual formation is to offer pastoral assistance to all who hear Jesus’ call to follow him and attain union with Him and the fullness of love. As we have seen, this assistance necessitates two elements: 1) the complete body of doctrine, and 2) the training of formators to provide this help.
The “complete body of doctrine” capable of guiding an individual implies possessing the knowledge that encompasses all stages of growth and the discernment intrinsically linked to it. This knowledge is simultaneously theoretical, academic (involving teaching and research), and practical. We cannot disregard either of these two aspects; they must thoroughly communicate and mutually support each other. This discipline is currently known as “Spiritual Theology.” Presently, this discipline is a minor subject within the Theology curriculum (S.T.B.). In fact, Spiritual Theology constitutes merely one of the modules in the first cycle of studies at the Faculty of Theology (S.T.B.), typically over the initial three or four years. Major modules include: Bible, Dogma, Sacraments, and Moral Theology.
For historical accuracy, Spiritual Theology was introduced by Pope Pius XI on 12th June 1931, in the Apostolic Constitution, “Deus Scientiarum Dominus.” At that time, the module and its topics were categorised as Ascetical and Mystical Theology, and it was considered auxiliary (“auxiliares”) rather than major (“principales”). We can infer his intention from a preceding document, wherein he speaks of St. Thomas Aquinas:
“His eminence in the learning of ascetical and mystical theology is no less remarkable; for he brought the whole science of morals back to the theory of the virtues and gifts, and marvellously defined both the science and the theory in relation to the various conditions of men, both those who strive to attain Christian perfection and fullness of spirit, in the active no less than in the contemplative life. If anyone, therefore, desires to understand fully all the implications of the commandment to love God, the growth of charity and the conjoined gifts of the Holy Spirit, the differences between the various states of life, such as the state of perfection, the religious life and the apostolate, and the nature and value of each, all these and other articles of ascetical and mystical theology, he must have recourse in the first place to the Angelic Doctor.” (“Studiorum Ducem”, On St. Thomas Aquinas, Pope Pius XI – 1923, n°21)
If we wish to advance spiritual formation, we must train formators, and consequently, we need to teach them Spiritual Theology. Currently, Spiritual Theology is only taught in a more developed manner as a Master’s Degree (Canonical Licentiate), usually over two years.
If spiritual formation is to be implemented in parishes, much like catechesis or adult formation, priests must be capable of comprehending the content of spiritual formation. For a priest’s ordinary training today, the sole instance he will study spiritual theology is during the minor module of his theological studies! For anyone who covers this module, it is widely recognised that in most Catholic faculties, the content (if indeed there is any, and if it is not merely a historical overview of schools of spirituality or modern movements) is very slight compared to what a robust spiritual formation requires. We cannot expect every priest to undertake a Master’s degree in Spiritual Theology.
If we aim for training in spiritual theology that more or less corresponds to the spiritual formation necessary to offer, we find ourselves at a crossroads. We have two potential solutions. The first is to reform and develop the “Spiritual Theology” module itself, elevating it to a major module distributed over the three or four years of theology. Could this be a viable solution? Could making spiritual theology a major module provide the necessary theological input in Spiritual Theology? It is a possibility.
The other solution demands a bold move and unconventional thinking: creating something entirely new, a fresh form of theology. Let us recall a catechesis Pope Benedict delivered on the forms and schools of theology in the Middle Ages, specifically during the twelfth century.
“Theology also flourished anew, acquiring a greater awareness of its own nature: it refined its method […] This intense theological activity took place in two milieus: the monasteries and the urban Schools, the scholae, some of which were the forerunners of universities, one of the characteristic “inventions” of the Christian Middle Ages. It is on the basis of these two milieus, monasteries and scholae, that it is possible to speak of the two different theological models: “monastic theology” and “scholastic theology”. The representatives of monastic theology were monks, usually abbots, endowed with wisdom and evangelical zeal, dedicated essentially to inspiring and nourishing God’s loving design. The representatives of Scholastic theology were cultured men, passionate about research; they were magistri anxious to show the reasonableness and soundness of the Mysteries of God and of man, believed with faith, of course, but also understood by reason. Their different finalities explain the differences in their method and in their way of doing theology.”
Pope John Paul II, on the other hand, describing St. Thérèse’s doctorate, employed another phrase: “sapiential theology.”
“4. Today I am particularly pleased to conclude this meeting with you by recalling St Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, whom I had the joy of solemnly proclaiming a doctor of the Church last Sunday. The witness and example of this young saint, patroness of the missions and doctor of the Church, help us to understand the intimate unity between the task of understanding and comprehending the faith and the properly missionary one of proclaiming the Gospel of salvation. By its very nature faith seeks to make itself understandable and accessible to all. Therefore, the Christian mission always strives to make the truth known, and true love of neighbour is shown in its most profound and complete form when it seeks to give its neighbour what man most radically needs: knowledge of the truth and communion with it. And the supreme truth is the mystery of the Triune God definitively and unsurpassably revealed in Christ. When missionary ardour risks growing cold, the primary reason is the loss of passion and love for the truth which the Christian faith presents. On the other hand, knowledge of Christian truth inwardly requires and interiorly demands love for him to whom it has given its assent. The sapiential theology of St Thérèse of the Child Jesus shows the high road for all theological reflection and doctrinal research: the love on which “depend all the law and the prophets” is a love which strives for the truth and is thus cherished as authentic agape for God and man. It is important for theology today to recover the spiritual dimension that integrates the intellectual and scholarly aspect with holiness of life and the contemplative experience of the Christian mystery. Thus St. Thérèse of Lisieux, doctor of the Church, with her wise reflection nourished by the sources of Sacred Scripture and divine Tradition, in complete Christian faith.” (“Address of his Holiness, Pope John Paul II, to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith”, Friday, 24 October 1997)
When Pope Benedict discussed “monastic theology,” he was well aware that only the other form of theology evolved and became the “university theology” we recognise today. When Pope John Paul II spoke of “sapiential theology,” it was a way of describing St. Thérèse’s theology. Other theologians, such as Jean Leclerc (mentioned by Pope Benedict) and Inos Biffi, have also discussed “monastic theology.” One could argue that the main characteristic of this theology is that it is produced by monks, who not only preserved culture but also maintained a close connection between theology and spiritual life. The aim here is not to revive a defunct form of theology, but to reflect on two facts: 1) the way we practise theology is not singular. Let us recall how theology was practised until Vatican II – in a Neo-Thomistic or scholastic manner. 2) We need to rethink our approach to theology and bridge the gap between spiritual life and theology, as Optatam Totius 16 requested. Yves Congar himself and many other theologians have lamented the separation between spiritual life and theology. This has been a central problem since the 1940s. Why not, therefore, rethink it?
To assist in this endeavour, I would like to propose something: one of the widely accepted definitions of theology is “fides quaerens intellectum”—searching for an understanding of our faith. Let us, for a moment, consider an alternative: what if theology, and its mission, were instead to guide us to Union with Jesus and to the fullness of Love? Firstly, would this not be more aligned with the true purpose of our lives? When, at the beginning of the third millennium, Pope John Paul II states: “First of all, I have no hesitation in saying that all pastoral initiatives must be set in relation to holiness” (NMI 30), should we not then assert that all theological efforts must be set in relation to holiness? Should our form of theology not become our guide to holiness? Our guide to God? From the Middle Ages until today, theology’s mission has been to understand faith. Yet, understanding faith does not inherently guide us to God, even if it can, of course, be included. Nevertheless, the challenge and the task are entirely different: to guide implies a complete rethinking of theology.
I anticipate the objection from some who might say: but are not moral theology and liturgy sufficient as guides to God? Well, this is what we tend to believe. However, in recent decades, in seeking to deepen liturgy and moral theology, we have been led to the necessity of establishing bridges between them and spiritual theology. This is a sign of our times! Moral theology in itself, today, appears to require this assistance from spiritual theology. One could also argue that learning the commandments—which is part of moral theology—and understanding what constitutes the Grace of God and what is sin, could suffice for initial catechesis or adult formation. But once we receive Jesus’ Call, the need to deepen our experience of the Holy Spirit becomes imperative. We cannot merely presume to be in a state of grace! We need to delve further, and here, the “microscope” of spiritual theology is essential and infinitely more potent than the “naked eyes” of moral theology. The same applies to liturgy. One merely needs to read the impassioned letter Pope Francis wrote on liturgy to find powerful expressions where he desires priests to be inflamed, captivated by Jesus’ love, and so forth. Who will teach the priest the path to reach that level of depth? A depth that will transform his manner of celebrating the Mass (Ars Celebrandi)? Spiritual Theology, and only Spiritual Theology. The same also applies to the “spiritual participation” in the Mass, mentioned several times by Pope Benedict.
Ultimately, today we seem truly to be on a threshold, poised to enter new depths: Duc in Altum. For this, we require a new theology, a spiritual theology that is not merely a minor module, nor even a major one. It must restructure the entire curriculum. Its wisdom is unique; its methods, its goal, its perspective are entirely unique. They do not currently exist within actual university theology. The time has come when we need an entirely different theology, from its very foundations. “All pastoral initiatives must be set in relation to holiness”; therefore, our primary duty is to ensure all our theological endeavour is centred around holiness.
If we consider the three-plus years of spiritual life formation offered by the School of Mary, this suggests that the content of this sapiential theology is very much present but simply buried beneath the sand! It tells us that we possess the treasure, accumulated throughout twenty centuries of teachings from the masters and doctors of spiritual life. It tells us that we can easily fill three-plus years of teaching (the first cycle, an STB). That we need to implement alternative methods, alternative content. “No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.” (Luke 8:16) Our duty is to light the lamp of a sapiential theology, capable of guiding and teaching us how to achieve union with Jesus and the fullness of love, and once it is lit, we must place the lamp on the lampstand so that the entire Church can see the light. In a way, the model of the School of Mary, with its structure, method, and content, demonstrates that the lamp is lit, or at least a form of the lamp of Sapiential theology is.
One final point must be made: significant investment is required to foster theologians dedicated to sapiential theology, who also conduct research, but always remembering the very close bond between spiritual formation and sapiential theology (the new Faculty of Spiritual Theology).