242 - Foundational Theology: Jesus and the Church

Foundational Theology: Jesus and the Church
By Francis Schussler Fiorenza
New York, Crossroad, 1984. 326 pp. $22.50.

Examining methodologies and justifying claims of providing understanding have been major preoccupations of all disciplines of knowledge for several decades. Theology is no exception. The last fifty years have seen a constant flow of books trying to ground the claims of Christian faith or justify the procedures and conclusions of Christian theology. Fiorenza's volume is the latest and one of the best.

Foundational Theology is written primarily for those already somewhat familiar with the procedures and content of fundamental theologies. For such readers, the book will present both a clarification of and a challenge to their present understanding. On the other hand, this volume will prove difficult reading for those with little or no background in this area. This is not to say that Fiorenza writes obscurely; he does not. Indeed, given the complexity of the topic and the technical language in which present discussion of foundational theology is generally formulated, this book is unusually clear and straightforward in its argument. It demands close reading but is worth the effort.

Much of the book is given over to a careful description and criticism of the manner in which classical fundamental theology, transcendental fundamental theology, and modern historical-critical study have dealt with the resurrection of Jesus, with the foundation of the church, and with the mission of Christianity. To each of these three topics, Fiorenza then applies the method of reconstructive hermeneutic to disengage and interrelate the diversities of understanding that make up Christian tradition.

One can learn much from Fiorenza's historical review of fundamental theologies and from his appraisal of their strengths and weaknesses. The most rewarding part of the book, if one has the patience to follow its rather technical argument, is the final section which details the author's own position. This position, for which he borrows the term "reflective equilibrium," involves three elements: "the hermeneutical reconstruction of the Christian tradition; the retroductive warrants for the tradition; and the relevant background theories."

Expressed a bit less technically (but for that very reason in oversimplified fashion), Fiorenza sees foundational theology to be constituted by: (1) a critical exposition of the diverse and interacting elements of meaning and truth claims and paradigmatic behavior that make up the historically evolving tradition of Christianity; (2) an explanation of the manner in which the religious beliefs and practices make sense, theoretically and practically; and (3) an identification of those other human ways of understanding (psychological, literary, etc.) that shape people's knowledge as they try to interpret their faith tradition.

244 - Foundational Theology: Jesus and the Church

Fiorenza's book makes at least three contributions to present-day attempts to describe the role of fundamental theology. First, it resists the temptation to identify one single approach as the grounding of Christian faith and theology. Instead, it points to an interplay of various approaches, "reflective equilibrium," which can provide an adequate intellectual grounding without pretending to "proofs." Secondly, this study draws creatively from current discussion on hermeneutics, but does not slavishly tie itself to any one school. Thirdly, though it appraises critically the methods and conclusions of classical and transcendental fundamental theologies, it remains open to and can therefore still appropriate the lasting insights of those earlier views.

Bernard Cooke
Holy Cross College
Worcester, Massachusetts