First published in 1989, Appropriating the Lonergan Idea is an exploration and expansion of Bernard Lonergan's distinctive achievements as a theologian and philosopher by the world's foremost expert on his writings, Frederick E. Crowe.


Comprising twenty-two essays, this volume is divided into two distinct parts. The nine essays that constitute the first part of the book are concerned with Crowe's investigation of the meaning and history of Lonergan's own writings. The remaining thirteen papers concern Crowe's expansion of Lonergan's claims by inventively developing and applying them to his own scholarly endeavours. A wide variety of topics is explored in this collection, from Lonergan's early academic career and the evolution of his notion of God, to the dynamic of ecclesial learning and the missions of the Trinity. Called by one critic 'a splendid monument to its author's wisdom, humanity, scholarship and good sense,' this classic work provides sharp insights into the work of a profound philosopher and theologian.