| The Three Ages of the Interior Life | |
| Author: | Réginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P. |
| Title Orig: | Les trois âges de la vie intérieure |
| Orig Lang Code: | fr |
| Translator: | Sr. M. Timothea Doyle, O.P. (1947-48) |
| Country: | France |
| Language: | French |
| Series: | Vol. I and Vol. II |
| Subject: | Catholic theology |
| Genre: | Theology |
| Published: | 1938 and 1939 by Éditions du Cerf |
| Oclc: | 459887292 |
| Followed By: | The Three Ways of the Spiritual Life (1938) |
The Three Ages of the Interior Life: Prelude of Eternal Life (Les trois âges de la vie intérieure, prélude de celle du Ciel) is the magnum opus of Fr. Réginald Garrigou-Lagrange, a French theologian of the Order of Preachers (Dominican Order). The two-volume publication represents both the summary of teaching ascetical and mystical theology for twenty years at the Angelicum and the synthesis of two other works: Christian Perfection and Contemplation and L’amour de Dieu et la croix de Jesus.[1] The work is framed according to three stages that mark the common path of Christian perfection, which are described in conformity to the preexisting theology and wisdom of Catholic saints and Church Fathers. His synthesis has become one of the most dominant present-day interpretations of this patrimony.[2]
The namesake and structure of the work are based on the three stages of Christian perfection in charity. Numerous Catholic saints and Church Fathers have attempted to articulate the typical stages, ways, ages, or conversions of spiritual maturation, some of whom proposed a threefold division.[3] Although he explicitly integrates a significant portion of these references, Garrigou-Lagrange prioritizes the terminology of Pseudo-Dionysius, Thomas Aquinas,[4] and John of the Cross[5] as the most representative of their accumulated insight.[6]
| Age | Degree of union | |
|---|---|---|
| Unitive Way Perfect Adulthood |
| |
| Passive purification of the spirit |
| |
| Illuminative Way Proficient Adolescence |
| |
| Passive purification of the senses |
| |
| Purgative Way Beginner Childhood |
|
Garrigou-Lagrange is not the first to recapitulate the common insights of Catholic saints and Church Fathers. However, his model is preeminent in representing the importance and normalcy of infused contemplation, which culminates in a “quasi-experimental” knowledge[10] of God through the gift of wisdom.[11] In other words, the person knows God by recognizing the effects produced from the Trinity dwelling in the soul, particularly that of filial affection, and inferring him to be their cause.[12] The importance of this infused contemplation is not diminished by the call to an active and apostolic lifestyle. On the contrary, infused contemplation is all the more necessary to preserve the integrity and fruitfulness of the mission.[13]
Some have challenged Garrigou-Lagrange’s Neo-Thomistic approach to concepts that are significant to The Three Ages of the Interior Life. Robert Barron, acknowledging the significant influence of Garrigou-Lagrange’s years at the Angelicum, generally associates him with a “strict rationalistic, somewhat ahistorical, very deductive, and somewhat defensive reading of Thomas Aquinas.”[14] The nature of and normalcy of infused contemplation has been debated since Garrigou-Lagrange’s time,[15] and the question was raised if he understands the nuances behind Thomas Aquinas’ use of term “quasi-experimental knowledge.”[16]
The basic concepts of his interpretation continue to be referenced in the Catholic Church. This influenced the section entitled "Chapter V: The Universal Call to Holiness in the Church" in the Second Vatican Council's Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen gentium.[17] Pope John Paul II, who was taught by Garrigou-Lagrange,[18] alludes the three ages as the horizon for the spiritual life.[19] Servais-Théodore Pinckaers, another student of Garrigou-Lagrange,[20] also references the three stages in his Sources of Christian Ethics.[21] At large, the model is also commonly used as a reference for providing spiritual direction.[22]