This discipline is not my home

     "At first sight, this complex balancing of habits of attention might not seem to be Balthasar’s fabled 'theology on its knees'. . . .  And yet, while not all theological writers will be quite so directly concerned with the negotiation of scholarly literature, for those who work in or are trained within modern university cultures I suggest that what I sketch here is an essential part of how one should perform that toward which Balthasar is pointing.  The Christian philologist or scholar is inevitably linked to the academy, but it should not be her home, it should not be that in which she can rest and from which she draws all sense of worth and purpose as a theologian (let alone as a person!).  Just as early Christian scholars viewed some ancient philosophical traditions as traditions of great worth, and yet also as traditions calling for great watchfulness and, at times, correction and denunciation, so too must we regard the academy.  Theologians can certainly be thankful for the hospitality often shown to us by the university, and theologians have much to contribute to the life of the university and the flourishing of the humanities (especially in an era where even scholars in the humanities can seem so unable to defend their own purpose); but we make that contribution best when we understand why the university is not our home.  The home of the theologian is the city of God. . . ."

     Lewis Ayres, "Seven theses on dogmatics and patristics in Catholic theology," Modern theology 38, no. 1 (January 2022):  55-56 (36-62).