Russell Hittinger has brought out further complexities
of Thomistic
developments in the wake
of Aeterni Paths: «Thomists developed rather freewheeling accounts
of the political, economic, legal and social order -LSB-... putting] Thomism in an offensive mode as far as social
doctrine went -LSB-... whereas] in matters related to sacred
doctrine [
philosophical] Thomism would be put into a defensive role» such that scholasticism could not be publicly challenged within the Church.
There should have a more meaningful discussion on the genuine need to challenge the ideological and
philosophical doctrine of environmentalism and the real need to tackle social and economic
development issues to ensure that tried and tested old values and customs are adaptable to the modern times around the globe.