Jean Mouroux

Jean Mouroux
Born	16 March 1901 Dijon, France
Died	October 14, 1973(1973-10-14) (aged 72) Dijon, France
Nationality	French
Occupation	Diocesan Rector
Theological work
Tradition or movement	Nouvelle Théologie
Main interests	Personalism

Jean Mouroux (1901-1973) was a French Catholic theologian. His unique Personalistic perspective has exercised a notable influence in the theology of the second half of the 20th century, especially in the realm of Christian faith and experience.

Life

Jean Mouroux was born in Dijon, France, on 16 March 1901, and died in the same city on 14 October 1973. He spent the majority of his life in the diocesan seminary of Dijon, of which he was the Rector from 1947 to 1956. A serious heart condition impaired his ability to live a normal life after 1956, forcing him to step down from the position.[1]

Mouroux was a member of a group of European theologians (most of whom were from France, Belgium, and Germany) that played an important part in the renewal of Catholic theology following the Second Vatican Council. They sought to create a dialogue between different groups in topics such as faith and culture, the church and modern society, and Christianity and Humanism, with the objective of finding a way to present the Christian message in an open and lively format that would better resonate with the needs of contemporary society.[2][3]

Although he didn't subscribe to any particular theological movement or school of thought, and his personal circumstances—such as his position within the church and his health —made it difficult for him to participate in many activities, Mouroux eagerly participated in the activities and interests of the theological circles of his time: he corresponded with the most important schools of theology of the time —Lyon, Fourvière, and Le Saulchoir—and became friends with many of the 20th-century theologians belonging to the school of thought known as the Nouvelle Théologie, including Henri de Lubac, Jean Daniélou, Marie-Dominique Chenu, and others.[4]

Pope Paul VI appointed him as a member of the final session of the Second Vatican Council.[1]

Following his death in Dijon in 1973, a fund was created to gather any biographic or bibliographic materials related to Mouroux and his theological work. The Fonds Jean Mouroux is situated in the Chanoine Bardy Diocesan Library in Dijon.[1]

Theology

The theology of Mouroux reflects on the experience of a person's encounter with God in faith, from a Personalistic perspective. In Mouroux's perspective, God's call to humanity through Jesus Christ is what defines the purpose of human existence, and every individual person has an obligation to respond to that call in their life.[4]

Mouroux made contributions to four of the major themes of Christian theology: the human individual, faith, Christian experience, and the mystery of time.[1][5]

Works

Mouroux wrote eight books in his lifetime, and upwards of seventy articles and collaborative works.[6]

Books

• Sens chrétien de l’hômme, 1945.
• Je crois en Toi, 1949.
• L’expérience chrétienne, 1952.
• Du baptême à l’acte de foi, 1953.
• Le Mystère du Temps. Approche théologique, 1962.
• La liberté chrétienne, 1966.
• À travers le monde de la foi, 1968.
• Faites ceci en mémoire de moi, 1970.

References

1. Alonso, Juan (1999). "Jean Mouroux, Teólogo de la experencia cristiana Con ocasión del XXV aniversario de su muerte" [Jean Mouroux, Theologian of The Christian Experience - On the 25th anniversary of his death] (PDF). University of Navarra Academic Digital Repository (in Spanish).
2. Thomas D. Williams; Jan Olof Bengtsson (11 May 2018). "Personalism - European Personalism". Retrieved 17 June 2021.
3. Curran, Charles E. (6 January 2005). The Moral Theology of Pope John Paul II. Georgetown University Press. p. 207. ISBN 1-58901-451-0.
4. Alonso, Juan (2006). "Sentido cristiano del hombre. La antropología teológica de Jean Mouroux" [The Christian Feelings of Man. The Theological Anthropology of Jean Mouroux] (PDF). University of Navarra Academic Digital Repository (in Spanish). pp. 180, 198.
5. "ACTA APOSTOLICAE SEDIS COMMENTARIUM OFFICIALE - ACTA PAULI PP. VI SACRA CONSISTORIA" [Acts of Pope Paul VI - Sacred Consistory - Official Commentary] (PDF). The Vatican. 31 January 1970. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
6. "Mouroux, Jean 1901-1973 - Publication Timeline". WorldCat Identities. Retrieved 17 June 2021.

Further reading

• Alonso, Juan (2002). Fe y experiencia cristiana. La teología de Jean Mouroux [Faith and the Christian Experience: The Theology of Jean Mouroux] (in Spanish). Pamplona, Spain: Eunsa.
• Alcántara, R. (1992). El hombre a la luz de Cristo, su tipo eterno, en la teología de Jean Mouroux [Man in The Eternal Light of Christ, in the Theology of Jean Mouroux] (in Spanish). Rome: PUG.
• Mouroux, Jean (1980). Dictionnaire de Spiritualité, Ascétique et Mystique (in French). Paris. pp. 1815–1818.
• Comandini, G. (1990). The notion of "body" in the theology of Jean Mouroux. Rome: Tipografia Pioda.
• Ferrari, P. L. (1984). Personalismo e cristologia. La meditazione cristologica di Jean Mouroux [Personalism and Christology: The Christological Mediations of Jean Mouroux] (in Italian). Milano: IPL.
• Nuvoli, F. (1989). Il mistero della persona e l'esperienza cristiana. Saggio sulla teologia di Jean Mouroux (in Italian). Milano: Jaca Book.
• Benítez-Mestre, P. A. (2009). La teología del tiempo según Jean Mouroux [The Theology of Time According to Jean Mouroux] (in Spanish). Rome: EDUSC.