From the bulletin of July 19, 2020
As we saw last week, Cardinal Newman was an English saint who was known for his teaching, theology, and good example. One of his better known contributions to the Church’s tradition is his essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine, in which he gives 7 “notes” which help us to see the difference between a development of doctrine and a divergence from doctrine (also known as heresy). I will try to summarize and explain each of these notes. They can be a little hard to understand, but they are nonetheless a good resource to point us in the right direction and help us to ask the right questions about development. Remember, a development of doctrine does not change the Church’s teaching but reveals a deeper understanding and perspective on the same unchanging truth.
Preservation of Type: This is the continual presence of a main idea despite its changing external expression. Newman himself gives the example of a bird which comes from an egg. While very different in appearance, we can see the same basic type of “bird” and we know that a bird egg does not hatch a fish. For example, the Jewish understanding of the Sabbath means rest on Saturday, but in the Christian development it became associated with Sunday because of the resurrection. The commandment to keep holy the Sabbath was not removed but developed.
Continuity of Principles: This means that, while specific codes and laws might shift, the underlying principle cannot. For example, the principle of the Common Good never goes away though specific teachings on what goes against that dignity might vary according to social and economic circumstances. At one point the Church held that all interest on loan was considering sinful usury because in that economic context it was nearly impossible to repay a loan with interest and it caused harm to individuals and the common good to expect it. At other points, the amount of acceptable interest varied according to circumstances, but the Church has always held that too much or unjustified interest on loans is usury and is a sin.
Power of Assimilation: Basically, this means Church teaching is able to assimilate or make use of other non-Christian ideas without losing itself. The ancient Church first used biblical and Jewish ideas to express itself, but it eventually assimilated Greek philosophy. Transubstantiation – a term based on Aristotelian philosophical terminology – is the word we used to describe how bread and wine become the body and blood of Jesus. When we first used this word in the middle ages, it was a development that assimilated philosophical language, but it did not change the believe we’ve always had in the Real Presence of the Eucharist.
Logical Sequence: this means the development has a logical connection to the doctrine it comes from. Newman himself gives the example of Purgatory. That word does not appear in Scripture, but its existence is hinted at in a few different passages. It is also the logical consequence of the belief that everyone in heaven is perfect, but that few people are perfect when they die. Logically, this means something transforms people from good to perfect between the time of death and their entrance into heaven. This “something” is called purgatory and we continually use grace-inspired logic to better understand what it is and how it works.
In Christ,
-Fr. Albert