Regensburg Comes To Texas

On Monday evening of next week, a good friend will join me in Texas and we will take a few days to relax, catch up on discussions, and study together James V. Schall's, The Regensburg Lecture. My friend and I read the lecture and the book when it was released, but we are reading it again in preparation for our visit in Texas.

On September 12, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI gave his Regensburg lecture that sparked Muslim fury by quoting the Byzantine emperor, Manuel II Palaeologus, as saying (in the lecture's English translation): "Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."

Although Benedict XVI noted in his lecture, regarding Manuel's statement, that it contained "a brusqueness that we find unacceptable", it was too late. The media pounced on the statement and reported that the pope denounced the Qur'an as "evil and inhuman". Violent demonstrations against the Catholic Church by Muslims in several countries followed soon thereafter.

I have previously posted (here and here) my appreciation for Schall's analysis of Benedict XVI's bold and insightful lecture. It is my belief that the pope's Regensburg lecture is a work of such philosophical depth and importance to Western civilization, that its significance is likely to be completely missed by most moderns. Because that is what we moderns do--overlook the truly important things in life.

The significance of the subject matter addressed in the lecture (i.e., the relationship between faith and reason, philosophical nominalism/theological voluntarism) was driven home to me when I was a law professor where most of my students were Christians. Almost without exception, the very fine students approached the study of law sharing three characteristics: (1) an inability to articulate any meaningful relationship between faith and reason; (2) an unfamiliarity with, and occasionally an opposition to, the natural law tradition; and (3) a commitment to philosophical nominalism and theological voluntarism (even though unfamiliar with the terms). Thus, while deeply interested in making a positive impact on modern culture, the students were lacking in the fundamental grounding necessary even to effectively communicate with modern culture. Moreover, and distressingly, the students came to study from backgrounds philosophically and theologically opposed to the very training necessary for their success. Although desirous of engaging and positively impacting the culture, the students were actually formed in such a way as to assure their marginalization and irrelevancy to the culture they so wanted to reform.

It was at that point that I began to think of the subject of faith and reason, with the related subject of nominalism/voluntarism, as the pivotal issues in any meaningful reform of modern culture. And, then, in 2006, came Benedict XVI at Regensburg, opening my eyes to the historic struggle behind these issues, as well as their centrality to the survival of the West, and, perhaps, the world. 

The Regensburg Lecture is a challenging read if one doesn't have a basic familiarity with the history and terms and concepts discussed. It is particularly challenging if one comes from a background in which one has been formed in philosophical nominalism and theological voluntarism. Even recognizing it in oneself will be almost imposssible under such circumstances. But, for those who persevere, perhaps again and again, clarity may come. And then the real work begins.