Ep. #147 – Ordinary & Extraordinary Magisterium w/ Dr. John P. Joy

Summary

Who was Joseph Kleutgen? Why is his writing helpful for a correct understanding of Vatican I? What are the different levels of magisterial teaching as well as the different levels of assent they are owed? How should we understand the term “ordinary magisterium”? Did St. John Paul II teach infallibly when he said the priesthood was reserved to men? Dr. John Joy joins us to discuss these questions and more.

Guest Bio

Dr. John Joy is the President of the St. Albert the Great Center for Scholastic Studies. His primary academic interests are in the theology and philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas, dogmatic theology, and especially questions of infallibility and the magisterium of the Church. He is the author of On the Ordinary and Extraordinary Magisterium from Joseph Kleutgen to the Second Vatican Council.

Topics

1. How did you get interested in studying Catholic philosophy and theology at such a deep level?

2. We’re looking at your book On The Ordinary and Extraordinary Magisterium from Joseph Kleutgen to the Second Vatican Council. Give us a birds-eye view: What’s this book about and what was your purpose in writing it? 

3. Tell us more about Joseph Kleutgen. Who was he and why are his contributions especially important? 

4. How is Catholic doctrine typically classified? Can you give us a layout of how the ordinary and extraordinary magisterium is typically schematized? And can you explain the terms “primary object” and “secondary object” of magisterial teaching?

5. Obviously, in general, Catholics believe what the Church teaches, since the Church is guided by the Holy Spirit. But you bring out nuance in the particular sorts of assent owed to various levels of Catholic teaching. Can you describe for us some of the distinctions and types of assent given to dogma, infallible teaching, and authentic magisterium? 

6. In the conclusion, you write, “From the outset of this work, the primary aim has to shed some light on the nature of the distinction between the ordinary and extraordinary magisterium.” With that in mind, Can you explain your conclusions about those terms especially about the ambiguity in “ordinary magisterium”?

7. Ok, so given that you’ve shown the term “ordinary magisterium” is ambiguous, does this actually matter? What practical applications does your work have for theology today?

Resources

On the Ordinary and Extraordinary Magisterium from Joseph Kleutgen to the Second Vatican Council (2017) by Dr. John P. Joy

Dr. John P. Joy’s academia.edu page

“Hopeful Universalism” by Dr. Bryan Cross

The Gift of Infallibility by Bishop Gasser

Teaching with Authority by Jimmy Akin

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