The Suspended Middle: Henri De Lubac and the Debate Concerning the Supernatural

by John Millbank

rench Jesuit Henri de Lubac (1896-1991) was arguably the most revolutionary theologian of the twentieth century. He proposed that Western theology since the early modern period had lost sight of the key to integrating faith and reason - the truth that all human beings are naturally oriented toward the supernatural. In this vital book John Milbank defends de Lubac's claim and pushes it to a more radical extreme. The Suspended Middle shows how such a claim entails a 'non-ontology' suspended between rational philosophy and revealed theology, interweaving the two while denying them any pure autonomy from each other. As de Lubac's writings on the supernatural implicitly dismantled the reigning Catholic (and perhaps Protestant) assumptions about Christian intellectual reflection, he met with opposition and even papal censure. Milbank's sophisticated account of de Lubac delineates the French theologian's relations with other proponents of the nouvelle theologie, such as Hans Urs von Balthasar, and clarifies the subtle but crucial divisions within recent Roman Catholic theology. The most substantial treatment in English of de Lubac's as yet untranslated Surnaturel and the subsequent debate, Milbank's Suspended Middle lays down an energetic challenge that every serious student of theology and Christian philosophy will want to engage. John Milbank is Research Professor of Religion, Politics, and Ethics at the University of Nottingham, England, and Director of the Centre of Theology and Philosophy iwww.nottingham.ac.uk/cotp). His previous books include Theology arid Social Theory, The Word Made Strange, Radical Orthodoxy (coeditor), and Being Reconciled.

Genres: Theology, Philosophy

128 pages, Print on Demand

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Justin Evans]

For Milbank, this is beautifully written, which is not at all an absolute statement of quality prose. On the upside, it's short and ably sets out Milbank's reading of Lubac: against the scholastic, and 'modernist', distinction between the supernatural and the natural. Probably could have been a short article rather than a short book.

[Earl]

Milbank's analysis of de Lubac's reading of St. Thomas (plus some comparison with von Balthasar) proves to be helpful at this point. I don't think I will be using him for my upcoming paper... maybe a little. But I think it's a must if I'm going deeper and deeper into de Lubac's own theology.

[Roland Clark]

A perfect introduction to De Lubac or to Radical Orthodoxy. See my full review here: http://andthewordsbecamebooks.wordpre...

[Steve]

relatively understandable for Milbank, but towards the end it bevomes thick and dense. It also assumes knowledge of de Lubac.

[Liam Marsh]

A great introduction to the supernatural debate within Catholic 20th century theology. My one complaint is that readers do not get a clear definition of aesthetic theology until the final chapter. But Milbank's book is a helpful introduction to where the grace and nature discussion is.

[K.]

First and last Milbank I'll ever read. The total disconnect of academic theology from the Christian life is on full display here, in spite of the fact that the question of nature and grace is quite relevant to practical living.

[Jeremy]

This mostly went over my head. I need someone to explain this stuff to me, lol.

[Michael Enright]

Other reviewers have called this book highly readable. Perhaps I do not have the right background, but I am not sure I understood much of it other than some of the most basic assertions. If one wants to read Milbank I would go elsewhere.

[Akhogba Andrew]

quite a good explanation of an important aspect the theology of Henry de Lubac. John Milbank here throws light on Lubac's belief that all humans are naturally oriented towards the supernatural.