La Tradición según Maurice Blondel

Abstract

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This article examines the notion of Tradition' in the works of Blondel that correspond to the apologetic period of his literary production (1893-1907), in particular in his Historie et Dogme (1904). According to Blondel, tradition is that level and profound reality in which the data of biblical history and dogmatic formulations obtain their synthesis. Tradition is anterior to both history and dogma, and is made up of these two elements alongside faithful actions or Christian practice. He gives expression to a synthetic and basically active notion of tradition, which goes beyond traditional presentations which define it simply by opposition to Holy Scripture, understanding it therefore in an objective sense. The authot makes manifest the richness of Blondel's explanation of tradition, but also looks at some problems that arise. For Blondel, tradition begins directly in Christ, and the meditation of Church is not sufficiently justified. The result is that apostolic testimony is undervalued, as is the idea of dogma in need of further clarification. Besides, the explanation of tradition in an active sense offers problems in respect of development of tradition.