Vatican II Inclusivism

How can Catholic theologians seemingly contradict the official teaching of the Catholic Church? Many commentators believe that, in a recent homily, Pope Francis did just that. While the Vatican has since “clarified” his remarks, the question remains for many other Catholic theologians, who seem to promote doctrinal views in sharp contrast to previous declarations of the Catholic Church. Many Catholics now affirm a view of salvation that is “inclusive,” that is, broad enough to include not only explicit Catholics, but also Muslims, Jews, agnostics, and atheists. Many critics cry foul, since this appears to be a blatant contradiction of traditional Catholic teaching.

In this episode, Camden Bucey leads a discussion that touches upon the changes in prolegomena that allow many Catholic theologians to affirm the church’s historic pronouncements while leaving room for new doctrinal formulations such as this contemporary inclusivism. The grand project of Vatican II was to update the Catholic church for a modern age, to open the windows and let in fresh air. To accomplish this overhaul, many theologians resorted to a Kantian-esque view of revelation and history. Listen as the panel discusses the workings of this type of “both-and” theologizing.

Participants: Camden Bucey, David Filson, Nick Batzig