Marie-Dominique Chenu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Reverend Marie-Dominique Chenu OP
Chenu in 1970
Born	Marcel-Léon Chenu (1895-01-07)7 January 1895 Soisy-sur-Seine, France
Died	11 February 1990(1990-02-11) (aged 95) Paris, France
Marie-Dominique Chenu Church Latin Church Ordained 1919
Alma mater	Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas
Scientific career
Thesis	De contemplatione (1920)
Doctoral advisor	Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange

Marie-Dominique Chenu (born January 7, 1895, in Soisy-sur-Seine, France – died February 11, 1990, in Paris) was an important Catholic theologian. A theologian is someone who studies religious faith and God. Chenu was known for his modern ideas and helped start a journal called Concilium. He was a member of the Dominican Order, a group of Catholic priests and brothers.

Early Life and Studies

Growing Up and Joining the Dominicans

Marie-Dominique Chenu was born Marcel-Léon Chenu on January 7, 1895. His parents were bakers in a town near Corbeil, France.

In 1913, when he was 18, Chenu joined the Dominican Order. He chose the name Marie-Dominique. He began his studies at a place called Le Saulchoir. At that time, because of French laws, Le Saulchoir was located in Kain, Belgium.

Studying in Rome

When World War I started in 1914, teaching at Le Saulchoir stopped. Chenu then moved to Rome, Italy. There, he studied at the Pontificium Collegium Internationale Angelicum, which is now known as the Angelicum.

In 1919, Chenu became a priest. The next year, in 1920, he earned his doctorate degree in theology. His main study was about the meaning of "contemplation" in the writings of Thomas Aquinas, an important historical theologian.

Career and New Ideas

Teaching and New Ways of Thinking

In 1920, Chenu became a professor at Le Saulchoir. He taught the history of religious ideas. He started to develop his own way of thinking about theology. He believed it was important to understand the historical context of religious ideas, especially those of Thomas Aquinas. This was different from how he had been taught.

At Le Saulchoir, Chenu taught other important Dominicans like Yves Congar and Edward Schillebeeckx.

Founding an Institute

In 1930, Chenu helped create the Institut d'Etudes Médiévales de Montréal in Canada. This institute focused on studying the Middle Ages.

Leading Le Saulchoir

Chenu was the head, or rector, of Le Saulchoir from 1932 to 1942. During this time, he was very involved in moving the school from Belgium back to France, near Paris, in 1937.

Facing Challenges

In 1937, Chenu wrote a book called Une école de théologie: Le Saulchoir. In this book, he shared his ideas about how historical studies should be part of theology.

However, in 1938, he was criticized by Church leaders in Rome for his book. Then, in 1942, his book was placed on the Vatican's Index of Forbidden Books. This meant the Church did not approve of its ideas. Because of this, Chenu was removed from his position as rector of Le Saulchoir and could no longer teach there.

Despite this, friends helped him find new teaching jobs. He taught at other famous schools in Paris, like the Sorbonne.

Supporting Worker-Priests

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Chenu became involved in the worker-priest movement. This movement involved priests working in factories and living among working-class people. They wanted to share their faith with people in industrial areas of Paris.

In 1953, Chenu and other French Dominicans faced difficulties because of their involvement. He was sent away from Paris to Rouen. He was only allowed to return to Paris in June 1962.

Influence at Vatican II

Marie-Dominique Chenu played an important role at the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965). This was a major meeting of Catholic bishops from around the world. Chenu's ideas helped shape a key document from the Council called Gaudium et spes. This document discussed the Church's role in the modern world.

Lasting Impact

Returning to Old Sources

Chenu was a leader in a movement called ressourcement. This means "returning to the sources." He encouraged theologians to go back and study important historical religious texts. This movement helped lead to the reforms of the Second Vatican Council.

He especially promoted studying Thomas Aquinas again. However, he disagreed with how Aquinas's ideas were taught in the 19th century.

His Ideas Accepted Later

Even though his book was once forbidden, Chenu's ideas were later accepted and used by the leaders at the Second Vatican Council. This showed that his forward-thinking approach was eventually valued by the Church.

Inspiring New Movements

Chenu is seen as a key figure behind the liberation theology movement. One of its founders, Gustavo Gutiérrez from Peru, studied with Chenu in Paris. Gutiérrez often mentioned Chenu in his important book on liberation theology.

Chenu also taught Matthew Fox, an American Dominican. Fox later started the creation spirituality movement. Chenu introduced Fox to these ideas and supported him for many years. Because of this, Chenu is also considered a major influence on the creation spirituality movement.

See also

In Spanish: Marie Dominique Chenu para niños