[THEO] M1: My Faith that I Seek to Understand

Theology

The study of theology is more than just the study of doctrines and practices of the Catholic faith which have no connection to the everyday life experiences of people today (Cacho & de Mesa, 2012).

Neo-Scholastic Methodology

The focus on knowing the contents of faith detached from the local circumstances of people have long been known as ________ in theologizing.

1. Presentation of the church’s official teaching or doctrine.

2. Proofs supporting the doctrine from the Bible and leading church authorities.

3. Speculative elaboration of the doctrine.

4. [Possible practical application].

Theological Methodology of Neo-Scholasticism – Can be summarized in the following: (4)

Western Thought

Has become the norm and the basis, especially in evaluating the emergence of new cultures related to the practice of faith. Other cultures (particularly non-Western) have been subjected to suspicion and, unfortunately, rendered inferior.

Lumen Gentium, Gaudium et Spes, Sacrosanctum Concilium and Dei Verbum,

Four of the sixteen documents of Vatican II are regarded pivotal (essential; fundamental). These four essential documents, namely: (4) ______, are typically recognized by their Latin “titles,” which are actually the first words of the original Latin documents.

Lumen Gentium (Light of Nations)

The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church deals with life of Catholics within the Church itself.

Gaudium et Spes (Joy and Hope)

The Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World. It treats the relationship of the church with contemporary situations.

Sacrosanctum Concilium (Sacred Council)

The Constitution on Sacred Liturgy, lays out the importance, relevance and re-orientation of worship within Catholicism at the present time.

Dei Verbum (Word of God)

The Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, speaks about the centrality of the God-human relationship in Christian thought as well as the important role of scripture within Catholicism.

Dei Verbum (Word of God)

Regarded as the most important of the four documents. It deals with the relationship between God and people as well as created realities. According to Cacho and de Mesa (2012) “within the discipline of theology, this relationship is normally articulated with two technical terms, revelation and faith”

Revelation

The initiative of God in the relationship.

Faith

The human response to God’s initiative.

Revelation and Faith

Since they are mutual and reciprocal, we cannot understand one without the other. To speak of revelation is to presume faith that would recognize it (Cacho & de Mesa, 2012). On the other hand, to regard faith is to assume a revelation that go before it. There is no faith therefore without revelation and vice-versa.

Judeo-Christian Tradition; and Contemporary Human Experience.

Two Poles of Theological Reflection

Judeo-Christian Tradition

Prompts us of what is passed on to us through generations. Tradition (from the Latin verb “tradere” which means “to transmit or to hand over”).

Religious Legacy

Progressed from faith in Jesus as the Christ, who himself was a Jew. This shows that part of our ______ was significantly influenced by Jewish religious tradition.

Old Testament

(Under Religious Legacy) For this reason, our Holy Bible includes Jewish scriptures which we usually refer to as the ______. It earned a distinct character though, as noted by de Mesa and Wostyn (in Cacho & de Mesa, 2012) as it was understood in the light of faith in Jesus Christ by different communities of Christians coming from diverse cultural circumstances.

Mutual Interaction (Experience & Gospel)

According to Cacho and de Mesa (2012) “the mutual interaction between human experience and the gospel makes it possible to start theologizing from either human experience or from the Gospel.”

Mabathalang Aral

It is possible for us Filipinos to call our understanding of our Catholic faith by another name. One option, if we take our cue from the Filipino culture may perhaps be ______.

Aral

Since this is what we endeavor to learn from our experiences in life. Lessons learned from such experiences (mga aral na napulot sa karanasan) are closely connected to Filipino thought. A customary catchphrase we attach to accounts of experiences in the Filipino culture is “sana kapulutan ng aral.”

Aralin Mabathalang Pag-aaral

Refers to a lesson from and for life drawn from our experience of God. The “aral” would be equivalent of what we call in English as “theology.” Consequently, we can use the adjective “mabathala” (divine) from the local root word for Deity, Bathala. Filipino theology can be referred to as “mabathalang aral” and the activity as well as the process of doing theology can be called _____.

Bathala (Usage)

There is no explicitly Christian term for God, just in case some would object to such usage of _____—referring to the supreme god of pagan Filipinos.

Ecclesiology

Refers to as how we understand the church.

Eschatology

Refers to what perspective we have regarding the deep meaning of life shared by God with us.

Neo-Scholasticism

Interpreted revelation/faith in a way that is somewhat irrelevant and faith are meant.

Christology

The way we perceive Jesus as the Christ.

Doing Theology

Refers to “the process of carrying out theological reflection, articulation and action” (McKim, 1996 in Cacho & de Mesa, 2012). Today it is commonly understood and used to highlight the necessity of thinking theologically in context (Cacho & de Mesa, p.16).

Anselm of Canterbury

Defines theology as, “fides quaerens intellectum” which literally means “faith-seeking-understanding.” Theology is supposed to be understood as “seeking God” to mean as an active love of God seeking for a deeper knowledge of God (in Williams, 2016).