What root are we pursuing? What source are we tracing? A Discussion of the "Tracing Roots and Sources" Movement and Protestant Theological Thought—John Webster's Perspective

Is there a Protestant Ressourcement?The Perspective of John Webster on Ressourcement Movement and Protestant Theology

CHOW Chun Sing Frankie

The ressourcement movement, which emerged in the mid-twentieth century and profoundly shaped the Second Vatican Council, sought a “return to the sources” that influenced both Catholic and Protestant theological methodologies. This paper examines the distinct approaches to theological method and the concept of tradition in Catholicism and Protestantism through the lens of John B. Webster. By analyzing Webster's framework, this study argues that the theological sources and views of the Bible in that movement diverge significantly. Webster posits that a shared ad fontes of Christianity should be grounded in a proper understanding of the doctrine of God. Additionally, the paper delineates the nuanced distinctions between ressourcement, retrieval, and renaissance, providing a conceptual topography for further theological discourse.