Skip to main content

Is Scott Hahn a Fundamentalist Catholic - What are they afraid of?

Image
By
 +
JMJ

The curious title caught my eye a few days ago because it had "Scott Hahn" and "Fundamentalist" in the title. Full points to Crisis Magazine for a clickable title and a great article by Eric Sammons (link).

I've never met Scott Hahn, but I have several of his CDs and the thought of him being portrayed as a Bible thumping Catholic Fundamentalist was interesting.

In the article Eric offers a critique of American Pope: Scott Hahn and the Rise of Catholic Fundamentalism by Sean Swain Martin. Eric asserts that:

The basic thesis of American Pope is this: Scott Hahn claims the message of the Bible is simple and clear, and that the Bible itself is inerrant; American Fundamentalists make similar claims; therefore, Scott Hahn is an American Fundamentalist disguised as a Catholic. To make the Bible accessible to the masses, as Hahn does, is akin to fundamentalism, according to Martin.

First, I think that the accusation of fundamentalism falls flat and would probably be more appropriately ascribed to the likes of the SSPX et al.  After all, they're the ones who've been faithful to Church Teaching since Vatican II.  Looking at the Wikipedia article (link) on Christian Fundamentalism, I found that it arose in response to the rise of modernism.  Well, that's interesting.  I also found the following quote particularly interesting:

A few scholars label Catholics who reject modern Christian theology in favor of more traditional doctrines fundamentalists.[10]

Ok, so colour me fundamentalist in that I happen to believe what the Catholic Church teaches. This includes what the Church Teaches concerning the contents of the Deposit of Faith ... that includes the Bible.  ... While I am confident that Dr. Hahn is a faithful Catholic, I never thought of him as a fundamentalist.Then Eric highlights this:

To Martin, average Catholics reading and interpreting the Bible is a bad thing, or at least a fool’s errand. He writes, “It would be difficult to expect each individual Catholic to be prepared to offer such a careful investigation of the different literary forms employed, cultural influences manifest, etc., in the Scriptures so as to easily move from familiarity to ‘eminent knowability.”

 Well, I guess Martin has forgotten all the work done by pre-Conciliar Catholic Theologians to clarify the difficult passages.  But the Hubris of it is that the modern theologians don't teach with clarity, they teach with academics that don't want to make a definitive conclusion, they want academic freedom to interpret as they see fit ad nauseum.

I think Eric nails it when he writes:

In other words, Martin believes in the “Magisterium of the Theologians”—you simple-minded Catholics can’t be expected to understand the Scriptures without a bunch of PhD’s telling you what to think (unless the PhD happens to be Scott Hahn, of course). The fact that Hahn believes the Bible is for everyone apparently marks him as one of those anti-intellectual fundamentalists. 
Aha, perhaps modern theologians (aka Modernists) are afraid that if Catholics read the Bible they would:

  1. Stay Catholic 
  2. realize that most of the work on biblical exegesis was done 
  3. conclude we can pack off the religious theologians to monasteries 
  4. be able to fire the lay theologians to find work in the civil service of their home countries.

Of course that won't happen, but one can dream can't they?

 So, yes Catholics need to read the bible and have next to them a reputable exegesis.  That will really send the Megamind Modernists shaking in their baby seal skin leather boots. 


MegaMind Modernist Theologian


P^3

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Comparision of the Tridentine, Cranmer and Novus Ordo Masses

By
+ JMJ I downloaded the comparison that was linked in the previous article on the mass (here) . ... a very good reference! P^3 From: Whispers of Restoration (available at this link) . CHARTING LITURGICAL CHANGE Comparing the 1962 Ordinary of the Roman Mass to changes made during the Anglican Schism; Compared in turn to changes adopted in the creation of Pope Paul VI’s Mass in 1969 The chart on the reverse is a concise comparison of certain ritual differences between three historical rites for the celebration of the Catholic Mass Vetus Ordo: “Old Order,” the Roman Rite of Mass as contained in the 1962 Missal, often referred to as the “Traditional Latin Mass.”The Ordinary of this Mass is that of Pope St. Pius V (1570) following the Council of Trent (1545-63), hence the occasional moniker “Tridentine Mass.” However, Trent only consolidated and codified the Roman Rite already in use at that time; its essential form dates to Pope St. Gregory the Great (+604), in whose time the R
Post a Comment
Read more

Is it sinful to attend the Novus Ordo (New Mass) - Is it Sinful to Not Attend the Novus Ordo on Sunday?

By
+ JMJ A non-SSPX Catholic is upset over the SSPX statements on not attending the Novus Ordo Missae. Ladies and gentlemen, what the SSPX, or at least its website editor, is advocating is a mortal sin against the Third Commandment.  Unless the priest deviates from the language of the Sacramentary, the consecration, and thus the rest of Mass is to be considered valid.  No one may elect not to attend Mass simply because abuses are occurring therein.  Might I suggest that such absenteeism is its own abuse?  The Third Commandment binds under mortal sin.  Father So-And-So from the SSPX has no authority whatsoever to excuse attendance at Mass, be that Mass ever so unpalatable. Source:Restore DC Catholicism Well, this is interesting. First why does the SSPX issue this statement? Because it is sinful to put your faith in danger by attending a protestant service.  It is likewise dangerous to put your faith in danger by attending a protestantized mass (ie the Novus Ordo Missae
Post a Comment
Read more

War: SSPX

By
 + JMJ We seem to be in transition from the persecution of the SSPX and other faithful Catholics to a civil war within the Catholic Church i.e. a true schism. Several Bishops, Priests and Dioceses have rejected outright Fiducia Supplicans (link) . This, in my opinion (IMO), is a new inflection point on the way to what will amount to an civil war within the Catholic Church. Pope Francis had spent the past ten years putting the final touches on the fault-lines within the Church and this may be the final blow that actually awakens Our Lord sleeping in the bow of the Barque of St. Peter.  That is something that we need to remember, Our Lord is with his Church, even on its way to Calvary. So, what is about to happen is that, IMO, faithful Catholics will find themselves in the same situation as the SSPX.  Persecuted and fighting for the heart of the Catholic Church. The history of the SSPX provides a microcosm of what we might expect to happen in the Catholic Church during a 'civil war&#
Post a Comment
Read more

Morning and Evening and other sundry Prayers

By
+ JMJ Along the theme of P^3 (Prayer, Penance, Patience), and for my own reference ... here is a collection of Morning and Evening prayers from the Ideal Daily Missal along with some additional prayers. In this crisis of the Church, I do not think it is possible to do too much prayer, penance and have patience. P^3
Post a Comment
Read more