Laity and ministry in Yves M.-J. Congar, O.P.
Subtitle: evolution, evaluation and ecumenical perspectives
By: SEE WEBSITE: http://www.richardjbeauchesne.com/phdthesisonycongar.htm
Published: 1976
Language: eng
Number of pages: 290
Subjects: Congar, Yves, -- 1904-; Laity -- Ecclesiology -- Ecumenism; Pastoral theology -- Catholic Church.
Genres: http://www.richardjbeauchesne.com/phdthesisonycongar.htm
First sentence: PREFACES  (English & French) 
Preface written by Yves Congar translated into English

COUVENT SAINT-JACQUES
13.12.74,

Very dear Father Beauchesne, 


You ask me to write a word of introduction to your thesis. It is not the first that is written and that I read on your topic ["Laity and Ministry in Yves M-J. Congar: Evolution, Evaluation and Ecumenical Perspectives"]. However, in reading your exposé, which is so precise and so well documented, two sentiments came upon me. 

The first was one of confusion. I was reminded of these verses of Paul Claudel: 
"All this paper that I have accumulated behind me,
   There is something to cry about and something to laugh about.
      And what a face I would make were I condemned to re-read it..."

Yet, I was admiring the fact that you have found -- in all that, which covers over thirty years of work -- such a coherence. This coherence is that of life. I am very little a "reflexive person." I have little, perhaps too little, asked myself questions of method. My publications respond to calls that I have felt and that were linked to occurrences. I have attempted to serve theologically the people of God, "this Church that I love," in its historical life. For sure, life itself is coherent. This is why, although I have utilize often successive categories of analysis and of exposition, in relation to the theme that I was studying -- without taking the time, and perhaps without having the strength to construct a synthesis by itself -- there exists in my work, which is successive and multiple, a coherence, a progressive development. 

But, it is you, who have been able to retrieve them, thanks to a study, which is extremely diligent, and to an interesting method of analysis of models. In doing so, you have revealed to me a meaning of my work of which I, myself, had not been made aware, since I had lived it in a non-reflexive way, by responding to successive calls from [within] the life of the Church.

I thank you, therefore, most fraternally. I know neither to lie nor to hide my feelings. It is, therefore, most sincerely that I tell you: among the good half dozen theses dedicated to the same topic as yours, and which I have read, your work is the most penetrating and the best. It has taught me something. 

It has also given me the courage to carry on -- as long as God will give me the strength -- to work at the theological service of the people of God, in the direction that I have been called.  I wish you to do the same, and better. 

It is with these sentiments that I am very fraternally and devotedly your friend. 
	Fr. Yves M.-J. Congar
______________________________________________
 Preface in French written by Yves Congar

COUVENT SAINT-JACQUES
13.12.74

Bien cher Père Beauchesne, 

Vous me demandez un mot d'introduction pour votre thèse.  Ce n'est pas la première qui est faite et que je lis à votre sujet.  Mais en lisant votre exposé si précis et si documenté, deux sentiments s'imposaient à moi. 

Le premier était de confusion.  Je me rappelais ces vers de Paul Claudel: 
Tout ce papier que j'ai accumulé derrière moi,
          il y a de quoi pleurer et il y a de quoi rire.
          Et la tête que je ferais si l'on me condamnait
          à le relire.

Et pourtant, j'admirais que vous ayiez trouvé, en tout cela, qui couvre plus de trent ans de travail, une telle cohérence.  Cette cohérence est celle de la vie.  Je suis très peu "réflexe".  Je me suis peu, trop peu, posé des questions de méthode.  Mes publications répondent à des appels que j'ai ressentis et qui étaient liés à la conjoncture.  J'ai essayé de servir théologiquement le peuple de Dieu, "cette Église que j'aime", en sa vie historique.  Certes, la vie elle-même est cohérente.  C'est pourquoi, bien que souvent j'aie utilisé des catégories successives d'analyse et d'exposé, en rapport avec le thème que j'étudiais -- sans prendre le temps, et peut-être sans avoir la force de construire une synthèse par elle-même --, il existe dans mon oeuvre successive et multiple, une cohérence, un development progressif.  

Mais c'est vous qui avez su les dégager, grâce à une études extrêmement appliquée et à une intéressante méthode d'analyse des modèle.  En sorte que vous m'avez revélé un sens de mon travail dont je ne m'étais pas rendu compte moi-même, l'ayant vécu de façon non-réflexe, en répondant aux appels successifs de la vie de l'Église. 

Je vous remercie donc très fraternellement.  Je ne sais ni mentir, ni cacher mes sentiments.  C'est donc très sincèrement que je vous dis: parmi la bonne demi-douzaine de thèses consacrées au même sujet que le vôtre, et que j'ai lues, votre travail est le plus pénétrant et le meilleur.  Il m'a appris quelque chose à moi-même. 

Il ma aussi rendu courage pour continuer, tant que Dieu m'en donnera la force, à travailler au service théologique du peuple de Dieu, dans la ligne où j'ai été appelé.  Je vous souhaite de faire de même, et mieux.  

C'est dans ces sentiments que je vous suis bien fraternellement ami et devoué, 
        Fr. Yves M.-J. Congar
Description: TABLE OF CONTENTS

BOSTON UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL
OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
“LAITY AND MINISTRY IN YVES M.-J. CONGAR, O.P:
EVOLUTION, EVALUATION AND ECUMENICAL PERSPECTIVES” © Ph.D. Dissertation
Richard J. Beauchesne
■
TABLE OF CONTENTS

APPROVAL	
DEDICATION	
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS	
ABSTRACT	
   DEFINITION OF THE PROBLEM	IV
   METHODOLOGY OF THE DISSERTATION	
   EVALUATION AND CONCLUSIONS	

PREFACES	
   PREFACE WRITTEN BY YVES CONGAR TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH	
   PREFACE IN FRENCH WRITTEN BY YVES CONGAR	
   PREFACE HANDWRITTEN BY YVES CONGAR	
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS	
LIST OF TRANSLATED WORKS REFERRED TO	

INTRODUCTION	
   DEFINITION OF THE PROBLEM	
   SOURCES OF STUDY	
   STATUS OF RESEARCH	
   METHODOLOGY OF THE DISSERTATION	
   CONGAR AND THE 1930'S ECCLESIASTICAL SITUATION 	

CHAPTER I	
   CONGAR PRIOR TO 1941	
     An Ecclesiological Foundation for a Theology of the Laity and Ministry	
     Ecclesiology	
     Theology of the Laity and Ministry	
     Evaluation and Orientation	
        Ecclesiology	
       Theology of the Laity and Ministry
	
CHAPTER II	
   CONGAR FROM 1941 TO 1960	
       A More Specific Ecclesiology	
       A More Specific Theology of the Laity and Ministry	
          Ecclesiology	
          Theology of the Laity and Ministry	
       Evaluation and Orientation	
          Ecclesiology.	
         Theology of the Laity and. Ministry	

CHAPTER III	
   CHRISTIAN CULT	
      Heart of Congar's Theology of the Laity and Ministry	
      The Nature of the Christian Cult	
      The Relationship Between Christian Cult and Correlative Terms such as  Priesthood, Sacrifice      
and Mission.	
      Evaluation and Orientation	

CHAPTER IV	
   CONGAR IN THE 1960'S AND EARLY 1970'S	
      Ecclesiology and Ministries	
      Evaluation and Ecumenical Perspectives	

CHAPTER V	
   SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION	
      What the Dissertation Has Accomplished	
      Evaluative Conclusions	

APPENDIX — ENGLISH TRANSLATION	
LEGEND	
ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS	
  
 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY	
   WORKS BY YVES CONGAR	
      Books	
      Periodicals	
WORKS BY OTHER AUTHORS	
     Books	
     Periodicals	

COPYRIGHT
Notes: Thesis--Boston University.

Bibliography: leaves 280-289.

Photocopy. Ann Arbor, Mich. : University Microfilms, 1976. 21 cm.