Indulge, dear Reader, Fleckinstein's compulsion to rework top-ten lists. Our criteria here will be: fidelity to our Catholic legacy; range of influence; depth, breath and creativity of erudition; and holiness in personal life. With an exception, we identify groups, nor individuals.
10. One of a Kind: Avery Cardinal Dulles. A personal favorite of mine as he taught me, he is the only solitary on this list. He stood largely alone...like Athanasius against the Arians, like Marlon Brando/Terry Malloy against Johnny Friendly and his thugs (On the Waterfront), like Gary Cooper in High Noon, like Henry Fonda (in 12 Angry Men), like Gregory Peck, whom he resembled, (To Kill a Mockingbird)...against the theological progressivism that prevailed through the 1980-90s. Named a Cardinal for his work, he earned the respect and affections of legions of intellectual antagonists, including in his own Jesuit order, by his brilliance, vast erudition, ecumenical sensitivity, quiet charm, humility and unspoken holiness. His theological method and style is continued, with more flair and a slightly better vocabulary, by his younger colleague, Fr. Tom Guarino of Seton Hall. Dulles was not entirely alone: he worked closely in the Catholic-Evangelical dialogue with key figures Neuhaus, Colson, Reno and others.
9. Popular Spiritual Writers: Baron von Hugel (largely unknown early 20th century expert on mysticism), Henri Nouwen, (early) Thomas Merton (of The Seven Story Mountain, later 1960s Merton of the Catholic Left and dialogue with the East not so much,) Carlo Caretto, St. Charles de Focault, Romano Guardini, and Walter Ciszek S.J. Important non-Catholic voices would be C.S. Lewis, Etty Hellison, Simone Weil, Abraham Heschel, Martin Buber. Not included here are widely popular thinkers who are dissonant with fundamental Catholic principles: Richard Rohr, James Martin S.J., and Joan Chittister.
8.Biblical Scholars: Especially in the build up to Vatican II: Raymond Brown, Joseph Fitzmyer, John McKenzie, Cardinal Bea, Joseph Ratzinger and more recently Scott Hahn and Brant Pitre. These have all brought academic study of the Bible more clearly into Catholic thought.
7. American Communio School of Theology: David L Schindler, David C Schindler, Antonio Lopez, Nick Healy, Michael Hanby, Adrian Walker and others. These bring the Communio theology of John Paul, Benedict and Balthasar into conversation with our American culture.
6. Evangelists: Fulton Sheen, Fr. Patrick Peyton and Bishop Robert Barron. Sheen and Barron are first rate theologians, but these three are remarkable for their vast influence. In a different, lay key we note Frank Sheed.
5. Holy Women: Mother Theresa, Dorothy Day, Catherine Doherty, Madeleine Delbrel, Caryll Houselander, Elizabeth Leseur, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity. Non-academics, these women lived lives of heroism and holiness, often very close to the poor and suffering, as they exercised immense influence through their communities, thought and writings. Adrienne von Speyr is a special, controversial mystic and close collaborator with Balthasar. Ralph Martin considers her to be gravely pathological; Balthasarian true belivers, myself included, see her as immensely important.
4. Lay Philosophers: Jacques and Raissa Maritain, Maurice Blondel, Etienne Gilson, Dietrich von Hildebrandt, Edith Stein (St. Theresa Benedicta of the Cross), G.K. Chesterton, Rene Girard, Gil Baile, Remi Brague, John Finnis, Germain Grizez, Robert George, George Weigel, Louis Depre, William May, Robert George, Charles Taylor, Alasdair McIntyre, Gabriel Marcel, Paul Ricoeur, Peter Kreft, Augusto del Noce, Ivan Illich, Schumacher, Karl Stern. Adjacent to, coextensive with and co-inherent with theology, these critically engaged contemporary thought, drawing largely from Thomism and Personalism. It is notable that among these 25 there is not a single priest (excepting the laicized Illich.) The clergy dominate however in theology. A special case: Fr. Stanley Jaki, priest-scientist-theologian.
3. Periti at Vatican II: De Lubac, Danielou, Congar, Boyer, Chenu, Phillips, Ratzinger, Courtney Murray and John Osterreicher. These greatly influenced the Council and went on to interpret it in continuity with tradition. Fr. Phillips is not known globally as a theologian but was the diplomat who navigated the documents to find common ground and virtual episcopal consensus. Garrigou-Lagrange deserves mention as a conservative voice that was decisively countervailed. Other influential thinkers, after the Council, pursued a progressive direction which had harmful effects in their followers: Haring, Kung, Baum, Schillebeeckx, and others.
2. Founders of Lay Renewal Movements: Luigi Giussani, Kiko Arguello, Chiara Lubich, Ralph Martin and Collaborators (Cardinal Suenens, Steve Clark and others). These articulated distinctive, creative but Catholic-loyal spiritualities that inform the Church of the new century. Influential in a different lay movement, liberation theology, we can include Gustavo Gutierrez who worked to keep it within the boundaries of Catholicism.
1. St. Pope John Paul, Pope Benedict, Hans Urs von Balthasar. Taken together, their work rivals that of Thomas, Augustine or entire schools of the fathers and doctors. It defines our Catholicism of the years to come.
That is actually 80, not 10. (Ratzinger shows up in three groupings.) Each an utterly distinctive synthesis of intellectual brilliance, loyalty to Christ and his Church, holiness of life, and wide influence. Few remain with us. Imagine their conversation in heaven! A conversation in which we share as we consider their lives and read their writings!
Pray for us, you wise and holy ones,
that we may receive, cherish, defend, enhance, and above all hand on
the legacy you have left us!
This list is hardly exhaustive: it excludes literary, scientific and political figures. Who has been ignored or overrated here, dear Reader? Your comments are welcome!
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