1893–1914

This chapter examines the Catholic Modernists who belonged to the generation of 1890 (Dreyfus). The primary figures include Alfred Loisy, George Tyrrell, Eduard Le Roy, Maurice Blondel, and Lucien Laberthonnière. Each figure is examined briefly, with particular attention being paid to the influence of the historical method, Kantian philosophical criticism, and social and political engagement on their work. Given the enormous influence that the thought of Maurice Blondel played on the ressourcement thinkers, particular attention is given to his philosophical system, which attempts to synthesize the three categories of history, phenomenology, and social engagement within the context of Catholic orthodoxy. Controversially, he calls his approach a method of immanence. The approach and worldview of the Modernists is contrasted with that of Neoscholasticism.