AmericanPapist Comments
For them to be outraged that the Holy See should exercise some oversight over the accuracy and fidelity of a theologian's writings is absurd. As they admit, the "Catholic" Theological Society of America itself exercises oversight and critique of theologians, and any writings by a professor are necessarily subject to peer review, not to mention the editors at the publishing company. In each of these latter cases, a negative review can result in the writings being rejected or suppressed, so it is hardly a case of tyrannical censorship when the Holy See also finds a writing to be deficient.
At bottom, what all of this complaining from dissenting theologians boils down to is not a defense of academic freedom and not an objection to oversight, but is instead merely a rejection of the Magisterium as an authority on anything, which is to say, it is a rejection of the idea that the Magisterium in guided by the Holy Spirit and, by extension, that the Church herself is guided and protected by the Holy Spirit. Having picked the fruit of the Tree and bitten deeply, these dissenting theologians now hold themselves out to be the arbiters and determiners of truth.
"an unwritten University policy banning candidates from campus during an election year."
Ummmmmmmmm 2007 is not an election year.
It is responses like these that make blogs so interesting to me...one would think that a dose of humility would be in order when those who are "unknown theologians" (I haven't read any tomes by Tom Peters, "Bender" (of the truth?), and Michelle; I have read many books by members of the Catholic Theological Society of America, and I give credit to the many accomplished (read: published and widely known) theologians who choose their leaders in good faith. One of the distinguishing characteristics of theological conservatives, self-described, on so many blogs seems to be a blithe dismissal of persons who have "earned" their reputations, as opposed to those whose notoriety comes only anonymously (not you, Tom) and far from peer review.
Good thing the CDF doesn't investigate Catholics regarding their compassion and patience with our fellow Catholics; a lot of folks would be under the microscope (including me at times, yes).
Nevertheless, 2007 is definitely not an election year.
2 Visitors Online
Commenting by HaloScan
