Vol. XXXVIII / 1 - Studia Moralia

MODELS AND MULTIVALENCE 61
the relationship between the two disciplines.
4. As far as the individual models themselves are concerned,
the hierarchical model serves as a touchstone for all reflection
on the interaction between the two disciplines. Its classical
nomenclature provides an important point of departure for
theological reflection concerning the nature of the two
disciplines and is a stable point of reference for emerging
insights. This hermeneutical function should raise awareness
not only of how the disciplines themselves have evolved over
time (e.g., the continuity of the present discipline of spirituality
with spiritual theology), but also of the underlying structure
used to frame their relationships (e.g., hierarchy, collaboration,
logical web, etc.). As such, it reminds those involved in studying
the relationship between the two disciplines of the orientation
each has toward self-transcendence. The close connection,
moreover, between the hierarchical model and the heuristic
metaphor of journey brings to the fore the importance of
framing the interface between the two disciplines in terms that
tie in immediately with human experience.
5. The integrative model, by way of contrast, evokes the past
as a nostalgic point of reference for the ongoing interaction
between spirituality and moral theology. It points to a time
before the establishment of the theological disciplines when the
Church’s spiritual and moral teachings were fully integrated
with each other. If this historical moment can never be retrieved
due to the critical threshold caused by theology’s later
specialization, it reminds theologians of the roots of their
disciplines and inspires them to seek new ways of integrating
them. As such, it represents a voice from the past which propels
the interaction between spirituality and moral theology forward
and functions, at least in a qualified sense, as one of their
ongoing projected goals. When viewed in this light, the
integrative model inspires theologians to explore alternative
ways of bringing about a reintegration of their disciplines. It
does so by finding a relational metaphor from the past that can
be heuristically projected onto the future as the point of
convergence toward which the two disciplines tend.
6. The collaborative model highlights the importance of
genuine dialogue as a means of bringing the two disciplines
together. Such dialogue presupposes an honest assessment of