Abstract
In the philosopher Hannah Arendt’s view, ‘Evil is often sufficiently ubiquitous, that it becomes so banal that most hardly notice it anymore’ (cited in Mark J. Cherry, ‘Foundations of Christian Bioethics: Metaphysical, Conceptual, and Biblical’, Christian Bioethics: Non-Ecumenical Studies in Medical Morality 29.1 (2023), p. 2). This banality of evil is exactly, from a theological perspective, what David Deane deals within his work, The Tyranny of the Banal: On the Renewal of Catholic Moral Theology. David Deane is an Associate Professor of Catholic Theology at the Atlantic School of Theology, Canada.
Deane’s book explores the timely and interesting question of why traditional steadfast Catholic teachings often fail to convince and are rejected by a large number of secular thinkers, including Catholics. The author, unwilling to accept what he calls the ‘obvious’ reason (p. ix)—that the teachings themselves are untenable—identifies two other factors instead. First, these traditional teachings are not in line with the cultural and social moral norms of the twenty-first century and are often considered monolithic, outdated, and obsolete. Second, the positions expressed by modern Catholic thinkers are themselves inadequate, since they are alienated from traditional Catholic teachings, such as those of St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, failing, therefore, to adequately comprehend and untangle them. Thus, the aim of the book is twofold: on the one hand, to call into question the modern cultural norms that render the Catholic traditional teachings unconvincing and, on the other, to suggest a reconnection of Catholic ethics with its established doctrinal foundations.
The author dedicates the first two chapters of his book to each one of the two aforementioned factors. In his first chapter, ‘Carthage: The Tyranny of the Banal’, he challenges the moral orders of modern Western society, which, in his view, are problematic because they a) ‘fail to achieve the goal their originators set out for them’, b) ‘impede Western social orders from navigating differences thereby ensuring the ongoing oppression of otherness’, and c) ‘helped fuel some of the horrors we have seen in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries’ (p. 1). In doing so, he takes as an example Kant’s theory on reason and morality, which resulted in the division between faith and reason and the downfall of both reason and morality. This, Deane argues, ultimately caused modern society to struggle with embracing diversity and contributed to a broader moral decline in the generations that followed Kant.
After calling into question the contemporary moral norms, in Chapter 2, ‘The Foundations for Catholic Moral Reasoning’, Deane delves into the traditional Catholic perspective on the real, drawing heavily from the theological insights of Augustine and Aquinas. Here, ‘real’ encapsulates the concept of the triune God and explores how human individuals engage with and come to understand Him. The aim of the chapter is to consequently apply Catholic moral teaching to the ethical dilemmas of contemporary society. This application takes place in Chapters 3, 4, and 5. Each of these chapters addresses a particular morally controversial case, where the Catholic viewpoint is considered ‘banal’. These are the probably most controversial cases of modern bioethics, that is, abortion, euthanasia, and sexuality. The author reestablishes the Catholic moral positions on these contemporary issues and restores them to their original theological roots.
Regarding abortion, he does so by focusing mainly on the relationship between body and soul, pivoting away from the rigid legalistic frameworks that have long characterised Catholic moral thought. He also critiques the modern trend of glorifying individual autonomy to the exclusion of deeper metaphysical considerations. In addressing euthanasia, Deane directs attention towards the intrinsic value of human life, drawing from eschatological themes and the Christian understanding of the afterlife. Through reflections on the beatific vision and the profound significance of Christ’s death and resurrection, he offers a theological framework for considering end-of-life decisions. In the chapter ‘Sexuality and the Tyranny of Disordered Desire’, he engages with the established teachings of the Catholic Church regarding same-sex sexual acts and contraception, rooted primarily in Augustinian and Thomistic thought. In response to criticisms branding these teachings as extreme or even ‘fascist’, he endeavours to provide clarity while also offering reassurance to supporters who may grapple with the rationale behind such doctrines.
Finally, in his sixth and last chapter, Deane shifts his focus from bioethical study cases to the topic of eucharistic liturgy. Through a careful examination of the Mass and its theological significance, and emphasising the Catholic teaching of transubstantiation, he interestingly attempts to bring together the Mass and Christian ethics, arguing that a renewal of a ‘Eucharistic grammar’ can in fact lead to the revival of moral theology.
Before concluding the review of this book, two clarifications about it are necessary. First, as Deane explains, his objective does not entail wholesale rejection of modernity in contrast to Christianity. Rather, he aims to critique and challenge certain aspects of modernity that stand in opposition to Christianity, undermine its principles, and damage it. Second, although the author’s focus is on Roman Catholic ethics, when employing the term ‘catholic’, he extends its scope to encompass other orthodox Christian perspectives in order for the study to ‘be in the service of a broader renewal, that of catholic Christianity’ (p. xvi). Hence, the term may be rendered with a capital ‘C’ to denote the Roman Catholic denomination or with a lowercase ‘c’ to acknowledge legitimate interdenominational Christian viewpoints.
All in all, The Tyranny of the Banal emerges as an exceedingly timely read, delving into the compelling intersection of Christian theological perspectives and secular moral norms. Although a Catholic theologian himself, David Deane attempts and succeeds in offering an objective and unbiased glance on the topic. Challenging both sides, he aims to bring them closer and to reinstate the rightful status and credibility of traditional (C)atholic positions within the context of modern society and secular thought.