Blondel, the Idea of the Suspended Middle, and the Church

Maurice Blondel's study of action and the place that the supernatural finds in it not only anticipates Henri de Lubac's contribution to contemporary theology but deserves to be considered on its own, both as an early expression of the so-called ‘suspended middle’ and as a still suggestive speculative undertaking. In order to appreciate this, it is important to recognize that Blondel's philosophical concept of action owed much to his vision of the Church, the place that the Eucharist has in her life, and the constant attention that he gave to the shaping power of the Incarnation. Thus, while making a plausible philosophical argument in regard to action, Blondel offered in addition a description of the dynamics underlying the reality of the Church.