The transcendental and hermeneutical are two significant approaches to theology within contemporary Catholic thought. Peter Drilling suggests a complementary relationship between these theological perspectives in his proposed dialogue between Bernard Lonergan and Francis Schüssler Fiorenza. Fiorenza's reconstructive hermeneutic, with its emphasis on the outer dimensions of foundational theology, ought to be balanced with Lonergan's emphasis on the inner, the transcendental. In contrast, this essay argues that the transcendental and hermeneutical are alternative rather than complementary theological approaches. They are rooted in contradictory anthropological starting points and cannot be united in an inclusive hybrid. The essay concludes with some comments on the consequent pluralism of contemporary theology.