Theology Today Perspectives Principles Criteria

7/28/2019 Theology Today Perspectives Principles Criteria

1/24

CNSdocu

mentaryservice

contentscussions held in Rome over the period 2004-

2011. The report acknowledges an inevitable

tension, while emphasizing a need or har-

mony, between the practice o theology and

the exercise by the pope and bishops o the

magisterium, the churchs teaching author-

ity in matters o aith and morals. Bishops

and theologians have distinct callings and

must respect one anothers particular com-

petence, lest the magisterium reduce theol-

ogy to a mere repetitive science or theo-

logians presume to substitute the teaching

oce o the churchs pastors, the theologians

write. Theology investigates and articulates

the aith o the church, and the ecclesiasti-

cal magisterium proclaims that aith and

authentically interprets it, the report says. In

their pronouncements, bishops should draw

on the work o theologians in order to dem-

onstrate a capacity or critical evaluation,

among other virtues, the report advises. On

the other hand, the magisterium is an indis-

pensable help to theology by its authentic

transmission o the deposit o aith (deposi-

tum dei), particularly at decisive times o

discernment, the authors add. The report

was approved or publication by Cardinal

William J. Levada, preect o the doctrinal

congregation. Its appearance here in Origins

marks its rst publication in English.

Preliminary Note

the study o the theme o the sta-

tus o theology was already begun

by the International Theological

Commission in the quinquennial

641 Theology Today:

Perspectives, Principles

and Criteria

by the International

Theological Commissio

661 Update to Bishops on

Contraceptive Mandat

by Cardinal Timothy M

Dolan

664 Datebook

664 On File

When it comes to the authentic

interpretation of the faith, the

magisterium plays a role that

theology simply cannot take to

itself.

Theology Today:

Perspectives,

Principles and

Criteria

International Theological

Commission

Theologians and bishops have complemen-

tary roles in urthering understanding o

the Catholic aith, but the ormer must ulti-

mately deer to the latter on questions o

denitive interpretation, according to a new

report rom a Vatican panel o theological

advisers. The report rom the International

Theological Commission, a group o theo-

logians appointed by Pope Benedict XVI to

study themes o current interest and oer

expert advice to the Vaticans Congregation

or the Doctrine o the Faith, is based on dis-

March 15, 2012

Volume 41

Number 40

continued on page 642


2/24642 origins

Pope Benedict XVI delivered

the ollowing address Dec.

2, 2011, to the International

Theological Commission

during its plenary meeting at

the Vatican:

It is a great joy or me to

be able to receive you at the

close o the annual plenary

meeting o the International

Theological Commission. Iwould rst like to express a

heartelt thank you or the

words that Cardinal William

Levada, in his capacity as

president o the commis-

sion, has addressed to me on

behal o you all.

The work o this session

coincided this year with

the rst week o Advent,

an occasion that reminds

us that every theologian is

called to be a man o Advent,

a witness keeping watch,

who enlightens the ways

o understanding the Word

made fesh. We could say that

knowledge o the true God

constantly tends toward and

is ed by that hour, which is

unknown, at which the Lord

will return. Thus, keeping

vigilant and enlivening the

hope o expectation are not

secondary tasks or a correct

theological thought, which

nds its reason in the person

o the One who comes to

meet us and illumines our

understanding o salvation.

Today I would like to refect

briefy with you on the three

themes that the International

Theological Commission has

been studying in recent years.

The rst, as has been said,

concerns the undamental

question or all theological

refection: the question o

God and in particular the

understanding o mono-

theism. From this broad

doctrinal horizon you have

also delved into an ecclesialtheme: the meaning o the

social doctrine o the church,

paying special attention to

a theme that is o great rele-

vance to contemporary theo-

logical thought about God:

the question o the actual

status o theology today, in its

perspectives, in its principles

and criteria.

Behind the proession o the

Christian aith in the one

session o 2004-2008. The work was done by a

subcommission presided by Father Santiago

del Cura Elena and composed o the ol-

lowing members: Archbishop Bruno Forte,

Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-Fai, SDB, Fathers

Antonio Castellano, SDB, Tomislav Ivancic,

Thomas Norris, Paul Rouhana, Leonard

Santedi Kinkupu, Jerzy Szymik and Dr.

Thomas Sding.

Since, however, this subcommission had

no way o completing its work with the pub-

lication o a document, the study was taken

up in the ollowing quinquennial session on

the basis o the work previously undertaken.

For this purpose, a new subcommission was

ormed presided by Msgr. Paul McPartlan and

composed o the ollowing members: Bishop

Jan Liesen, Fathers Serge Thomas Bonino, OP,

Antonio Castellano, SDB, Adelbert Denaux,

Tomislav Ivancic, Leonard Santedi Kinkupu,

Jerzy Szymik, Sister Sara Butler, MSBT, and Dr.

Thomas Sding.The general discussions o this theme were

held in numerous meetings o the subcom-

mission and during the plenary sessions o the

same International Theological Commission

held in Rome rom 2004 to 2011. The present

text was approved in orma specica on Nov.

29, 2011, and was then submitted to its presi-

dent, Cardinal William Levada, preect o the

Congregation or the Doctrine o the Faith,

who authorized its publication.

Introduction

1. The years ollowing the Second VaticanCouncil have been extremely productive or

Catholic theology. There have been new theo-

logical voices, especially those o laymen and

women; theologies rom new cultural con-

texts, particularly Latin America, Arica and

Asia; new themes or reection such as peace,

justice, liberation, ecology and bioethics;

deeper treatments o ormer themes, thanks

to renewal in biblical, liturgical, patristic and

medieval studies; and new venues or reec-

tion such as ecumenical, interreligious and

intercultural dialogue.

These are undamentally positive develop-

ments. Catholic theology has sought to ollow

the path opened by the council, which wished

to express its solidarity and respectul aec-

tion or the whole human amily by entering

into dialogue with it and oering the saving

resources which the church has received rom

its ounder under the promptings o the Holy

Spirit.1

However, this period has also seen a cer-

tain ragmentation o theology, and in the

dialogue just mentioned theology always

aces the challenge o maintaining its own

true identity. The question arises, thereore, as

to what characterizes Catholic theology and

gives it, in and through its many orms, a clear

sense o identity in its engagement with the

world o today.

2. To some extent, the church clearly needs

a common discourse i it is to communicate

the one message o Christ to the world both

theologically and pastorally. It is thereore

legitimate to speak o the need or a certain

unity o theology. However, unity here needsto be careully understood so as not to be con-

used with uniormity or a single style.

The church clearly needs a com-

mon discourse i it is to communi-

cate the one message o Christ to

the world both theologically and

pastorally.

The unity o theology, like that o the

church as proessed in the creed, must be

closely correlated with the idea o catholicity

and also with those o holiness and aposto-

licity.2 The churchs catholicity derives rom

Christ himsel who is the savior o the whole

world and o all humanity (c. Eph 1:3-10; 1

Tm 2:3-6). The church is thereore at home in

every nation and culture, and seeks to gather

in everything or its salvation and sanctifca-

tion.3

The act that there is one Savior shows that

there is a necessary bond between catholic-

continued from page 641

ISSN 0093-609X, Origins, CNS Documentary Service, is published weekly (except biweekly during July, August and

December's last week) by Catholic News Service, 3211 4th Street N.E., Washington, D.C. 20017-1100. Copyright 2012

by Catholic News Service/U.S. Conerence o Catholic Bishops. Periodical-class postage paid at Washington, D.C.

Editor, Edmond Brosnan; Associate Editor, Mary Esslinger; Layout, Emily Thompson; Director o CNS, Tony Spence.

Editorial: (202) 541-3284. Circulation: (202) 541-3290 - www.originsonline.com.

Subscriptions: One year, $114; two years, $199; three years, $284; oreign postage additional. Single copy: $8. Back

issues: Inquire or availability and rates. Attach mailing label to change o address requests and subscription corre-

spondence. Postmaster: Send address changes to Origins, CNS Documentary Service, 3211 4th Street, N.E.,

Washington, D.C. 20017-1100.

Documentation in Origins is selected on the basis o interest and useulness in reerence to current issues. Publication

does not signiy endorsement by Origins or its sponsoring body, the U.S. Conerence o Catholic Bishops.


3/24origins 6

God one nds the daily pro

ession o aith o the peopl

o Israel: Hear, O Israel: Th

Lord our God is one Lord (D

6:4). The unheard o ulll-

ment o Gods unreserved lo

or all people is realized in

the incarnation o the Son

Jesus Christ. In this revela-

tion o Gods intimacy and

the depth o his bond o lovwith man, the monotheism

o the one God is illuminat

by a completely new light:

a Trinitarian light. And in

the mystery o the Trinity th

brotherhood o men too is

illuminated.

Christian theology, along

with the lives o believers,

must restore the happy and

crystalline evidence o the

impact o the Trinitarian re

elation on our community.

Although ethnic and religio

conficts in the world makemore dicult to perceive th

singularity o the Christian

thought about God and the

humanism it inspired peop

can recognize in the name

Jesus Christ the truth o Go

the Father to which the Ho

Spirit stirs creatures every c

(c. Rom 8).

Theology, in ruitul dia-

logue with philosophy, can

help believers to become

aware o and to testiy that

Trinitarian monotheism

shows us the true ace o Go

and that this monotheism

does not generate violence

but is a orce o personal an

universal peace.

The starting point o all

Christian theology is the

acceptance o this divine

revelation: personal accep-

tance o the Word made

fesh, listening to the word

God in Scripture. From this

starting point theology help

the understanding o aith

and its transmission. Theentire history o the church

demonstrates, however, tha

acknowledging the starting

point is not enough to reac

the unity o aith.

Every reading o the Bible

is set in a given literary con

text, and the only context in

which the believer can be in

ull communion with Chris

is the church and her living

tradition. We must l ive ever

ity and unity. As it explores the inexhaust-

ible mystery o God and the countless ways

in which Gods grace works or salvation in

diverse settings, theology rightly and neces-

sarily takes a multitude o orms, and yet as

investigations o the unique truth o the tri-

une God and o the one plan o salvation cen-

tered on the one Lord Jesus Christ, this plural-

ity must maniest distinctive amily traits.

3. The International Theological

Commission has studied various aspects o

the theological task in previous texts, notably,

Theological Pluralism (1972), Theses on

the Relationship Between the Ecclesiastical

Magisterium and Theology (1975), and The

Interpretation o Dogma (1990).4 The pres-

ent text seeks to identiy distinctive amily

traits o Catholic theology.5 It considers basic

perspectives and principles which character-

ize Catholic theology, and oers criteria by

which diverse and maniold theologies may

nevertheless be recognized as authentically

Catholic and as participating in the CatholicChurchs mission, which is to proclaim the

good news to people o every nation, tribe,

people and language (c. Mt 28:18-20; Rv 7:9),

and, by enabling them to hear the voice o

the one Lord, to gather them all into one ock

with one shepherd (c. Jn 10:16).

That mission requires there to be in

Catholic theology both diversity in unity and

unity in diversity. Catholic theologies should

be identifable as such, mutually supportive

and mutually accountable, as are Christians

themselves in the communion o the church

or the glory o God. The present text accord-ingly consists o three chapters, setting out

the ollowing themes: In the rich plurality o

its expressions, protagonists, ideas and con-

texts, theology is Catholic and thereore un-

damentally one i it arises rom an attentive

listening to the word o God (c. Chapter 1);

i it situates itsel consciously and aithully

in the communion o the church (c. Chapter

2); and i it is orientated to the service o God

in the world, oering divine truth to the men

and women o today in an intelligible orm

(c. Chapter 3).

Chapter 1: Listening to the Word of God

4. It pleased God, in his goodness and wis-

dom, to reveal himsel and to make known the

mystery o his will (c. Eph 1:9), namely that

all people might have access to the Father

through Christ, the Word made esh, in the

Holy Spirit, and thus become sharers in the

divine nature (c. Eph 2:18; 2 Pt 1:4).6 The

novelty o biblical revelation consists in the

act that God becomes known through the

dialogue which he desires to have with us.7

Theology, in all its diverse traditions, disci-

plines and methods, is ounded on the unda-

mental act o listening in aith to the revealed

Word o God, Christ himsel. Listening

to Gods Word is the defnitive principle o

Catholic theology; it leads to understanding

and speech and to the ormation o Christian

community: The church is built upon the

word o God; she is born rom and lives by

that word.8

It is thereore legitimate to speak

o the need or a certain unity

o theology. However, unity here

needs to be careully understood

so as not to be conused with uni-

ormity or a single style.

We declare to you what we have seen andheard so that you also may have ellowship

with us; and truly our ellowship is with the

Father and with his Son Jesus Christ (1 Jn

1:3).9 The whole world is to hear the summons

to salvation, so that through hearing it may

believe, through belie it may hope, through

hope it may come to love.10

5. Theology is scientifc reection on the

divine revelation which the church accepts

by aith as universal saving truth. The sheer

ullness and richness o that revelation is too

great to be grasped by any one theology and

in act gives rise to multiple theologies as it isreceived in diverse ways by human beings. In

its diversity, nevertheless, theology is united

in its service o the one truth o God.

The unity o theology thereore does not

require uniormity but rather a single ocus on

Gods Word and an explication o its innumer-

able riches by theologies able to dialogue and

communicate with one another. Likewise, the

plurality o theologies should not imply rag-

mentation or discord but rather the explora-

tion in myriad ways o Gods one saving truth.

1. The Primacy o the Word o God6. In the beginning was the Word, and the

Word was with God, and the Word was God

(Jn 1:1). The Gospel o John starts with a

prologue. This hymn highlights the cosmic

scope o revelation and the culmination o

revelation in the incarnation o the Word o

God. What has come into being in him was

lie, and the lie was the light o all people

(Jn 1:3-4).

Creation and history constitute the space

and time in which God reveals himsel.


4/24644 origins

The world, created by God by means o his

Word (c. Gn 1), is also, however, the setting

or the rejection o God by human beings.

Nevertheless, Gods love toward them is

always infnitely greater; the light shines in

the darkness, and the darkness does not over-

come it (Jn 1:5).

Theology is scientic refection

on the divine revelation which

the church accepts by aith as

universal saving truth. The sheer

ullness and richness o that rev-

elation is too great to be grasped

by any one theology and in act

gives rise to multiple theologies

as it is received in diverse ways by

human beings.

The incarnation o the Son is the culmi-

nation o that steadast love: And the Word

became esh and lived among us, and we

have seen his glory, the glory as o a athers

only son, ull o grace and truth (Jn 1:14).

The revelation o God as Father who loves the

world (c. Jn 3:16, 35) is realized in the revela-

tion o Jesus Christ, crucifed and risen, the

Son o God and Savior o the world (Jn 4:42).

In many and various ways God spoke

through the prophets in ormer times, but inthe ullness o time he spoke to us by a Son

whom he appointed heir o all things, through

whom he also created the worlds (Heb 1:1-2).

No one has ever seen God. It is God, the only

Son, who is close to the Fathers heart, who

has made him known (Jn 1:18).

7. The church greatly venerates the

Scriptures, but it is important to recognize

that the Christian aith is not a religion o

the book; Christianity is the religion o the

Word o God, not o a written and mute word

but o the incarnate and living Word.11 The

Gospel o God is undamentally testifed bythe sacred Scripture o both Old and New

Testaments.12 The Scriptures are inspired

by God and committed to writing once and

or all time; hence, they present Gods own

word in an unalterable orm, and they make

the voice o the Holy Spirit sound again and

again in the words o the prophets and apos-

tles.13 Tradition is the aithul transmission

o the word o God, witnessed in the canon

o Scripture by the prophets and the apostles

and in the leiturgia (liturgy), martyria (testi-

mony) and diakonia (service) o the church.

8. St. Augustine wrote that the word o God

was heard by inspired authors and transmit-

ted by their words: God speaks through a

human being in human ashion; and speaking

thus he seeks us.14 The Holy Spirit not only

inspired the biblical authors to fnd the right

words o witness but also assists the readers

o the Bible in every age to understand the

Word o God in the human words o the holy

Scriptures.

The relationship between Scripture and

tradition is rooted in the truth which God

reveals in his word or our salvation: The

books o Scripture, frmly, aithully and with-

out error teach that truth which God, or the

sake o our salvation, wished to see confded

to the sacred Scriptures,15 and through the

ages the Holy Spirit leads believers to the ull

truth and makes the word o Christ dwell in

them in all its richness (c. Col 3:16).16 [T]he

word o God is given to us in sacred Scripture

as an inspired testimony to revelation; togeth-er with the churchs living tradition, it consti-

tutes the supreme rule o aith.17

9. A criterion o Catholic theology is recog-

nition o the primacy o the word o God. God

speaks in many and various ways in cre-

ation, through prophets and sages, through

the holy Scriptures and defnitively through

the lie, death and resurrection o Jesus Christ,

the Word made esh (c. Heb 1:1-2).

2. Faith, the Response to Gods Word

10. St. Paul writes in his letter to the Romans,

Faith comes rom what is heard, and whatis heard comes through the word o Christ

(Rom 10:17). He makes two important points

here. On the one hand, he explains that aith

ollows rom listening to the word o God,

always by the power o the Spirit o God

(Rom 15:19). On the other hand, he clarifes

the means by which the word o God reach-

es human ears: undamentally by means o

those who have been sent to proclaim the

word and to awaken aith (c. Rom 10:14-15).

It ollows that the word o God or all time can

be proclaimed authentically only on the oun-

dation o the apostles (c. Eph 2:20-22) and inapostolic succession (c. 1 Tm 4:6).

11. Since Jesus Christ, the Word made

esh, is himsel both the mediator and the

sum total o revelation,18 the response that

the Word seeks, namely aith, is likewise per-

sonal. By aith human beings entrust their

entire selves to God in an act which involves

the ull submission o the intellect and will

to the God who reveals.19

The obedience o aith (Rom 1:5) is thus

something personal. By aith, human beings

aresh the experience o the

rst disciples, who devoted

themselves to the apostles

teaching and ellowship, to

the breaking o bread and the

prayers (Acts 2:42).

In this perspective, the

commission has studied

the principles and criteria

according to which a theol-

ogy can be catholic, and ithas also refected on the cur-

rent contribution o theology.

It is important to remember

that Catholic theology, ever

attentive to the link between

aith and reason, played a

historical role in the birth

o the university. A truly

Catholic theology with the

two movements, intellectus

quaerens dem et des qua-

rens intellectum, is especially

necessary today in order to

oster harmony among the

symphony o the sciences inorder to avoid the violent

byproducts o a religiosity

that opposes itsel to reason

and o a reason that sets itsel

against religion.

The theological commission

thus studies the relationship

between the social doctrine o

the church and the whole o

Christian doctrine. The social

commitment o the church is

not just something human,

nor is it reduced to a social

theory. The transormation

o society brought about by

Christians over centuries is in

answer to the coming o the

Son o God into the world:

The splendor o such truth

and love illumines every cul-

ture and society.

St. John says: By this we

know love, that he laid down

his lie or us; and we ought

to lay down our lives or the

brethren (1 Jn 3:16). Disciples

o Christ the Redeemer know

that without consideration

or others, orgiveness andlove even o our enemies, no

human community can live

in peace; and this begins in

the rst and oundational

society that is the amily.

In the necessary cooperation

or the common good, also

with those who do not share

our aith, we must make

the true and deep religious

motives present in our social

commitment just as we


5/24origins 6

expect others to express the

own motivations so that

collaboration occurs with

transparency. Those who

have perceived the basis o

Christian social action will

also be able to nd in it a

reason to take into conside

ation the same aith in Chr

Jesus.

Dear riends, our meetingconrms in a meaningul

way how much the church

needs the competent and

aithul refection o theolo

gians on the myster y o the

God o Jesus Christ and o

his church. Without healthy

and vigorous theological

refection the church runs t

risk o not ully expressing

the harmony between aith

and reason. At the same tim

without the aithul experi-

ence o communion with th

church and adherence to hmagisterium, which is the

vital space o her existence,

theology would not succeed

in explaining the git o ai

adequately.

Extending through you my

good wishes and encourage

ment to all our brother and

sister theologians working

in various ecclesial context

I invoke upon you the inter

cession o Mary, the woman

o Advent and the mother

o the Word Incarnate, who

in keeping the Word in her

heart, is or us a paradigm

right theology, the sublime

model o true knowledge o

the Son o God. May she, St

o Hope, guide and protect

the precious work that you

carry out or the church an

in the name o the church.

With these eelings o grati-

tude, I once again impart t

you my apostolic blessing.

Thank you.

open their ears to listen to Gods word and

their mouths also to oer him prayer and

praise; they open their hearts to receive

the love o God, which is poured into them

through the git o the Holy Spirit (c. Rom

5:5); and they abound in hope by the power

o the Holy Spirit (Rom 15:13), a hope which

does not disappoint (Rom 5:5).

The plurality o theologies

should not imply ragmentation

or discord but rather the explora-

tion in myriad ways o Gods one

saving truth.

Thus, a living aith can be understood as

embracing both hope and love. Paul empha-

sizes, moreover, that the aith evoked by the

word o God resides in the heart and gives riseto a verbal conession: I you coness with

your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your

heart that God raised him rom the dead, you

will be saved. For one believes with the heart

and so is justifed, and one conesses with the

mouth and so is saved (Rom 10:9-10).

12. Faith, then, is experience o God which

involves knowledge o him, since revelation

gives access to the truth o God which saves us

(c. 2 Thes 2:13) and makes us ree (c. Jn 8:32).

Paul writes to the Galatians that, as believers,

they have come to know God, or rather to be

known by God (Gal 4:9; c. 1 Jn 4:16).Without aith, it would be impossible

to gain insight into this truth, because it is

revealed by God. The truth revealed by God

and accepted in aith, moreover, is not some-

thing irrational. Rather, it gives rise to the

spiritual worship [logik latrea] that Paul

says involves a renewal o the mind (Rom

12:1-2).

That God exists and is one, the creator and

Lord o history, can be known with the aid o

reason rom the works o creation, accord-

ing to a long tradition ound in both the Old

(c. Wis 13:1-9) and New Testaments (c. Rom1:18-23).20 However, that God has revealed

himsel through the incarnation, lie, death

and resurrection o his Son or the salvation

o the world (c. Jn 3:16), and that God in his

inner lie is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, can be

known only through aith.

13. Faith is both an act o belie or trust and

also that which is believed or conessed, des

qua anddes quae, respectively. Both aspects

work together inseparably, since trust is adhe-

sion to a message with intelligible content,

and conession cannot be reduced to mere lip

service, it must come rom the heart.

Faith is at the same time a reality pro-

oundly personal and ecclesial. In proessing

their aith, Christians say both I believe and

we believe. Faith is proessed within the koi-

nonia o the Holy Spirit (c. 2 Cor 13:13), which

unites all believers with God and among

themselves (c. 1 Jn 1:1-3), and achieves its

ultimate expression in the Eucharist (c. 1 Cor

10:16-17).

Proessions o aith have developed within

the community o the aithul since earliest

times. All Christians are called to give per-

sonal witness to their aith, but the creeds

enable the church as such to proess her aith.

This proession corresponds to the teaching

o the apostles, the good news, in which the

church stands and through which it is saved

(c. 1 Cor 15:1-11).

14. False prophets arose among the peo-

ple, just as there will be alse teachers among

you, who will secretly bring in destructiveopinions (2 Pt 2:1).21 The New Testament

shows abundantly that, rom the very begin-

nings o the church, certain people have pro-

posed a heretical interpretation o the aith

held in common, an interpretation opposed

to the apostolic tradition.

In the First Letter o John, separation rom

the communion o love is an indicator o alse

teaching (1 Jn 2:18-19). Heresy thus not only

distorts the Gospel, it also damages ecclesial

communion. Heresy is the obstinate post-

baptismal denial o some truth which must

be believed with divine and catholic aith orit is likewise an obstinate doubt concerning

the same.22

Those guilty o such obstinacy against the

teaching o the church substitute their own

judgment or obedience to the word o God

(the ormal motive o aith), the des qua.

Heresy serves as a reminder that the commu-

nion o the church can only be secured on the

basis o the Catholic aith in its integrity and

prompts the church to an ever deeper search

or truth in communion.

15. A criterion o Catholic theology is that

it takes the aith o the church as its source,context and norm. Theology holds the des

qua and the des quaetogether. It expounds

the teaching o the apostles, the good news

about Jesus Christ in accordance with the

Scriptures (1 Cor 15:3, 4), as the rule and

stimulus o the churchs aith.

3. Theology, the Understanding o Faith

16. The act o aith, in response to the word

o God, opens the intelligence o the believer

to new horizons. St. Paul writes, It is the God


6/24646 origins

who said, Let light shine out o dark-

ness, who has shone in our hearts to

give the light o the knowledge o the

glory o God in the ace o Jesus Christ

(2 Cor 4:6). In this light, aith contem-

plates the whole world in a new way; it

sees it more truly because, empowered

by the Holy Spirit, it shares in Gods own

perspective.

That is why St. Augustine invites

everyone who seeks truth to believe in

order to understand [crede ut intelli-

gas].23 We have received the Spirit that

is rom God, St. Paul says, so that we

may understand the gits bestowed on

us by God (1 Cor 2:12). Moreover, by

this git we are drawn into an under-

standing even o God himsel, because

the Spirit searches everything, even the

depths o God. By teaching that we

have the mind o Christ (1 Cor 2:16), St.

Paul implies that by Gods grace we have

a certain participation even in Christsown knowledge o his Father and there-

by in Gods own sel-knowledge.

17. Placed in possession o the

boundless riches o Christ (Eph 3:8)

by aith, believers seek to understand

ever more ully that which they believe,

pondering it in their hearts (c. Lk 2:19).

Led by the Spirit and utilizing all the

resources o their intelligence, they

strive to assimilate the intelligible con-

tent o the word o God, so that it may

become light and nourishment or their

aith. They ask o God that they may beflled with the knowledge o Gods will

in all spiritual wisdom and understand-

ing (Col 1:9).

This is the way o the understand-

ing o aith (intellectus dei). As St.

Augustine explains, it unolds rom

the very dynamism o aith: One who

now understands by a true reason what

he previously just believed is surely to

be preerred to one who still desires

to understand what he believes; but i

one does not desire and i one thinks

that only those things are to be believedwhich can be understood, then one

ignores the very purpose o aith.24

This work o understanding aith

contributes in turn to the nourishment

o aith and enables the latter to grow.25

Thus it is that aith and reason are like

two wings on which the human spirit

rises to the contemplation o truth.26

The way o the intellectus dei is the

path rom believing, which is its source

and permanent principle, to seeing in

glory (the beatifc vision; c. 1 Jn 3:2), o

which the intellectus deiis an anticipa-

tion.

18. The intellectus deitakes various

orms in the lie o the church and in the

community o believers in accordance

with the dierent gits o the aithul

(lectio divina, meditation, preaching,

theology as a science, etc.). It becomes

theology in the strict sense when the

believer undertakes to present the

content o the Christian mystery in a

rational and scientifc way. Theology is

thereore scientia Deiinasmuch as it is a

rational participation in the knowledge

that God has o himsel and o all things.

19. A criterion o Catholic theology

is that, precisely as the science o aith,

aith seeking understanding [des

quaerens intellectum],27 it has a rational

dimension. Theology strives to under-

stand what the church believes, why it

believes and what can be known subspecie Dei. As scientia Dei, theology aims

to understand in a rational and system-

atic manner the saving truth o God.

Chapter 2: Abiding in the

Communion of the Church

20. The proper place or theology is

within the church, which is gathered

together by the Word o God. The eccle-

siality o theology is a constitutive aspect

o the theological task, because theology

is based on aith, and aith itsel is both

personal and ecclesial.The revelation o God is directed

toward the convocation and renewal

o the people o God, and it is through

the church that theologians receive

the object o their inquiry. In Catholic

theology there has been considerable

reection on the loci o theology, that

is, the undamental reerence points or

the theological task.28 It is important

to know not just the loci but also their

relative weight and the relationship

between them.

1. The Study o Scripture as the

Soul o Theology

21. The study o the sacred page should

be the very soul o sacred theology.29

This is the Second Vatican Councils

core afrmation with regard to theolo-

gy. Pope Benedict XVI reiterates, Where

theology is not essentially the interpre-

tation o the churchs Scripture, such a

theology no longer has a oundation.30

Theology in its entirety should

conorm to the Scriptures, and the

Scriptures should sustain and accom-

pany all theological work, because the-

ology is concerned with the truth o the

Gospel (Gal 2:5), and it can know that

truth only i it investigates the norma-

tive witness to it in the canon o sacred

Scripture,31 and i, in doing so, it relates

the human words o the Bible to the liv-

ing Word o God.

Catholic exegetes must never orget

that what they are interpreting is the

word o God. ... They arrive at the true

goal o their work only when they have

explained the meaning o the biblical

text as Gods word or today.32

22. Dei Verbum sees the task o exe-

gesis as that o ascertaining what God

has wished to communicate to us.33 To

understand and explain the meaning o

the biblical texts,34 it must make use o

all the appropriate philological, histori-

cal and literary methods, with the aimo clariying and understanding sacred

Scripture in its own context and peri-

od. Thus the historicity o revelation is

methodologically taken into account.

Dei Verbum No. 12 makes particular

reerence to the need or attentiveness to

literary orms: For the act is that truth

is dierently presented and expressed

in the various types o historical writing,

in prophetical and poetic texts and in

other orms o literary expression.

Since the council, urther methods

which can unold new aspects o themeaning o Scripture have been devel-

oped.35 Dei Verbum No. 12 indicates,

however, that in order to acknowledge

the divine dimension o the Bible

and to achieve a truly theological

interpretation o Scripture, three un-

damental criteria must also be taken

into account:36 the unity o Scripture,

the witness o tradition and the analogy

o aith.37

The council reers to the unity o

Scripture because the Bible testifes to

the entire truth o salvation only in itspluriorm totality.38 Exegesis has devel-

oped methodological ways o taking

account o the canon o Scripture as

a whole as a hermeneutical reerence

point or interpreting Scripture. The sig-

nifcance o the location and content o

the dierent books and pericopes can

thereby be determined.

Overall, as the council teaches, exe-

gesis should strive to read and inter-

pret the biblical texts in the broad set-


7/24origins 6

ting o the aith and lie o the people

o God, sustained through the ages by

the working o the Holy Spirit. It is in

this context that exegesis searches or

the literal sense and opens itsel to the

spiritual or uller sense (sensus plenior)

o Scripture.39 Only where both meth-

odological levels, the historico-critical

and the theological, are respected, can

one speak o a theological exegesis, an

exegesis worthy o this book.40

23. In saying that the study o sacred

Scripture is the soul o theology, Dei

Verbum has in mind all o the theologi-

cal disciplines. This oundation in the

revealed word o God, as testifed by

Scripture and tradition, is essential or

theology. Its primary task is to interpret

Gods truth as saving truth.

Urged on by Vatican II, Catholic the-

ology seeks to attend to the word o God

and thereby to the witness o Scripture

in all its work.41

Thus it is that in theolog-ical expositions biblical themes should

have frst place, beore anything else.42

This approach corresponds anew to

that o the Fathers o the Church, who

were primarily and essentially com-

mentators on sacred Scripture,43 and

it opens up the possibility o ecumeni-

cal collaboration: Shared listening to

the Scriptures ... spurs us on toward the

dialogue o charity and enables growth

in the dialogue o truth.44


is that it should draw constantly uponthe canonical witness o Scripture and

should promote the anchoring o all o

the churchs doctrine and practice in that

witness, since all the preaching o the

church, as indeed the entire Christian

religion, should be nourished and ruled

by sacred Scripture.45 Theology should

endeavor to open wide the Scriptures

to the Christian aithul,46 so that the

aithul may come into contact with the

living Word o God (c. Heb 4:12).

2. Fidelity to Apostolic Tradition25. The Acts o the Apostles describes

the lie o the early Christian commu-

nity in a way that is undamental or

the church o all times: They devoted

themselves to the apostles teaching and

ellowship, to the breaking o bread and

the prayers (Acts 2:42; c. Rv 1:3). This

succinct description, at the end o the

account o the east o Pentecost, when

the Holy Spirit opened the mouths o

the apostles to preach and brought

many o those who heard them to aith,

highlights various essential aspects o

the Spirits ongoing work in the church.

There is already an anticipatory outline

o the churchs teaching and sacramen-

tal lie, o its spirituality and commit-

ment to charity.

Theology strives to under-

stand what the church

believes, why it believes and

what can be known sub spe-

cie Dei. As scientia Dei, the-

ology aims to understand in

a rational and systematic

manner the saving truth o

God.

All o these began in the apostolic

community, and the handing on o this

integral way o lie in the Spirit is apos-

tolic tradition. Lex orandi (the rule o

prayer), lex credendi(the rule o belie)

and lex vivendi (the rule o lie) are all

essential aspects o this tradition. Paul

reers to the tradition into which as an

apostle he has been incorporated when

he speaks o handing on what he him-

sel received (1 Cor 15:1-11, c. also 1

Cor 11:23-26).26. Tradition is thereore something

living and vital, an ongoing process in

which the unity o aith fnds expres-

sion in the variety o languages and the

diversity o cultures. It ceases to be tra-

dition i it ossilizes. The tradition that

comes rom the apostles makes progress

in the church with the help o the Holy

Spirit. There is a growth in insight into

the realities and words that are being

passed on. ... Thus, as the centuries

go by, the church is always advancing

toward the plenitude o divine truth,until eventually the words o God are

ulflled in her.47

Tradition occurs in the power o the

Holy Spirit, who, as Jesus promised his

disciples, guides the church into all the

truth (c. Jn 16:13) by frmly establish-

ing the memory o Jesus himsel (c. Jn

14:26), keeping the church aithul to her

apostolic origins, enabling the secure

transmission o the aith and prompting

the ever new presentation o the Gospel

under the direction o pastors who a

successors o the apostles.48

Vital components o tradition a

thereore: a constantly renewed stu

o sacred Scripture, liturgical worshi

attention to what the witnesses o ai

have taught through the ages, cateches

ostering growth in aith, practical lo

o God and neighbor, structured eccl

sial ministry and the service given by th

magisterium to the word o God. What

handed on comprises everything th

serves to make the people o God liv

their lives in holiness and increase the

aith. The church in her doctrine, li

and worship, perpetuates and transm

to every generation all that she herse

is, all that she believes.49

27. The sayings o the holy athe

are a witness to the lie-giving pre

ence o ... tradition, showing how

riches are poured out in the practi

and lie o the church, in her belie anher prayer.50 Because the Fathers

the Church, both East and West, have

unique place in the aithul transmi

sion and elucidation o revealed truth

their writings are a specifc reeren

point (locus) or Catholic theology. Th

tradition known and lived by the athe

was multiaceted and pulsing with li

as can be seen rom the plurality

liturgical amilies and o spiritual an

exegetical-theological traditions (e.g.

the schools o Alexandria and Antioch

a plurality frmly anchored and unitein the one aith.

During the major theological co

troversies o the ourth and fth ce

turies, the conormity o a doctrin

with the consensus o the athers,

lack o it, was proo o orthodoxy

heresy.52 For Augustine, the united w

ness o the athers was the voice o th

church.53 The councils o Chalcedon an

Trent began their solemn declaratio

with the ormula: Following the ho

athers,54 and the Council o Trent an

the First Vatican Council clearly indcated that the unanimous consensu

o the athers was a sure guide or th

interpretation o Scripture.55

28. Many o the athers were bisho

who gathered with their ellow bishop

in the councils, frst regional and lat

worldwide, or ecumenical, that ma

the lie o the church rom the earlie

centuries, ater the example o the apo

tles (c. Acts 15:6-21). Conronted wi

the Christological and Trinitarian he


8/24648 origins

esies that threatened the aith and unity

o the church during the patristic peri-

od, bishops met in the great ecumenical

councils Nicaea I, Constantinople I,

Ephesus, Chalcedon, Constantinople II,

Constantinople III and Nicaea II to

condemn error and proclaim the ortho-

dox aith in creeds and defnitions o

aith.

These councils set orth their teach-

ing, in particular their solemn defni-

tions, as normative and universally

binding; and these defnitions express

and belong to the apostolic tradition and

continue to serve the aith and unity o

the church. Subsequent councils which

have been recognized as ecumenical in

the West continued this practice.

The Second Vatican Council reers to

the teaching ofce or magisterium o the

pope and the bishops o the church, and

states that the bishops teach inallibly

when, either gathered with the bishopo Rome in an ecumenical council or in

communion with him though dispersed

throughout the world, they agree that

a particular teaching concerning aith

or morals is to be held defnitively and

absolutely. The pope himsel, head o

the college o bishops, teaches inallibly

when as supreme pastor and teacher

o all the aithul ... he proclaims in an

absolute decision a doctrine pertaining

to aith or morals.56

29. Catholic theology recognizes

the teaching authority o ecumenicalcouncils, the ordinary and universal

magisterium o the bishops and the

papal magisterium. It acknowledges the

special status o dogmas, that is, state-

ments in which the church proposes a

revealed truth defnitively and in a way

that is binding or the universal church,

so much so that denial is rejected as

heresy and alls under an anathema.57

Dogmas belong to the living

and ongoing apostolic tradition.

Theologians are aware o the difcul-

ties that attend their interpretation. Forexample, it is necessary to understand

the precise question under consider-

ation in light o its historical context and

to discern how a dogmas meaning and

content are related to its ormulation.58

Nevertheless, dogmas are sure points o

reerence or the churchs aith and are

used as such in theological reection

and argumentation.

30. In Catholic belie, Scripture, tradi-

tion and the magisterium o the church

are inseparably linked. Sacred tradi-

tion and sacred Scripture make up a

single sacred deposit o the word o God,

which is entrusted to the church, and

the task o giving an authentic interpre-

tation o the word o God, whether in its

written orm or in the orm o tradition,

has been entrusted to the living teach-

ing ofce o the church alone.59

Tradition is thereore some-

thing living and vital, an

ongoing process in which the

unity o aith nds expres-

sion in the variety o lan-

guages and the diversity o

cultures. It ceases to be tradi-

tion i it ossilizes.

Sacred Scripture is not simply a text

but locutio Dei60 and verbum Dei,61

testifed initially by the prophets o

the Old Testament and ultimately by

the apostles in the New Testament (c.

Rom 1:1-2). Having arisen in the midst

o the people o God and having been

unifed, read and interpreted by the

people o God, sacred Scripture belongs

to the living tradition o the church as

the canonical witness to the aith or

all time. Indeed, Scripture is the frstmember in the written tradition.62

Scripture is to be proclaimed,

heard, read, received and experienced

as the word o God, in the stream o

the apostolic tradition rom which it is

inseparable.63 This process is sustained

by the Holy Spirit, through whom the

living voice o the Gospel rings out in

the church and through her in the

world.64

Sacred Scripture is the speech o

God as it is put down in writing under

the breath o the Holy Spirit. And tradi-tion transmits in its entirety the word

o God which has been entrusted to the

apostles by Christ the Lord and the Holy

Spirit. It transmits it to the successors

o the apostles so that, enlightened by

the Spirit o truth, they may aithully

preserve, expound and spread it abroad

by their preaching. Thus it comes about

that the church does not draw her cer-

tainty about all revealed truths rom the

holy Scriptures alone.65

She draws it also rom the apostolic

tradition, because the latter is the living

process o the churchs listening to the

word o God.

31. Vatican II distinguished between

tradition and those traditions that

belong to particular periods o the

churchs history or to particular regions

and communities such as religious

orders or specifc local churches.66

Distinguishing between tradition and

traditions has been one o the major

tasks o Catholic theology since Vatican

II and o theology generally in recent

decades.67 It is a task prooundly relat-

ed to the churchs catholicity and with

many ecumenical implications.

Numerous questions arise, or

instance: Is it possible to determine

more precisely what the content o the

one tradition is and by what means?

Do all traditions which claim to be

Christian contain the tradition? Howcan we distinguish between traditions

embodying the true tradition and mere-

ly human traditions? Where do we fnd

the genuine tradition and where impov-

erished tradition or even distortion o

tradition?68

On one hand, theology must show

that apostolic tradition is not something

abstract, but that it exists concretely in

the dierent traditions that have ormed

within the church. On the other hand,

theology has to consider why certain

traditions are characteristic not o thechurch as a whole but only o particular

religious orders, local churches or his-

torical periods.

While criticism is not appropriate

with reerence to apostolic tradition

itsel, traditions must always be open

to critique, so that the continual reor-

mation o which the church has need69

can take place and so that the church

can renew hersel permanently on her

one oundation, namely Jesus Christ.

Such a critique seeks to veriy whether

a specifc tradition does indeed expressthe aith o the church in a particular

place and time, and it seeks correspond-

ingly to strengthen or correct it through

contact with the living aith o all places

and all times.

32. Fidelity to the apostolic tradition

is a criterion o Catholic theology. This

fdelity requires an active and discern-

ing reception o the various witnesses

and expressions o the ongoing apos-

tolic tradition. It implies study o sacred


9/24origins 6

Scripture, the liturgy and the writings o

the athers and doctors o the church,

and attention to the teaching o the

magisterium.

3. Attention to the Sensus Fidelium

33. In his First Letter to the

Thessalonians, St. Paul writes, We con-

stantly give thanks to God or this, that

when you received the word o God that

you heard rom us, you accepted it not

as a human word but as what it really is,

Gods word, which is also at work in you

believers (1 Thes 2:13).

These words illustrate what Vatican II

reerred to as the supernatural appre-

ciation o the aith [sensus dei] o the

whole people,70 and the intimate sense

o spiritual realities71 that the aithul

have, that is, the sensus delium. The

subject o aith is the people o God as a

whole, which in the power o the Spirit

afrms the word o God. That is why thecouncil declares that the entire people

o God participate in the prophetic min-

istry o Jesus,72 and that, anointed by the

Holy Spirit (c. 1 Jn 2:20, 27), it cannot

err in matters o belie.73

The pastors who guide the people

o God, serving its aith, are themselves

frst o all members o the communion

o believers. Thereore Lumen Gentium

speaks frst about the people o God

and the sensus dei that they have,74

and then o the bishops75 who, through

their apostolic succession in the epis-copate and the reception o their own

specifc charisma veritatis certum (sure

charism o truth),76 constitute, as a col-

lege in hierarchical communion with

their head, the bishop o Rome and suc-

cessor o St. Peter in the apostolic see,77

the churchs magisterium.

Likewise, Dei Verbum teaches that

the word o God has been entrusted

to the church and reers to the entire

holy people adhering to it, beore then

speciying that the pope and the bish-

ops have the task o authentically inter-preting the word o God.78 This ordering

is undamental or Catholic theology. As

St. Augustine said, Vobis sum episcopus,

vobiscum sum christianus.79

34. The nature and location o the

sensus dei or sensus delium must be

properly understood. The sensus de-

lium does not simply mean the majority

opinion in a given time or culture, nor is

it only a secondary afrmation o what

is frst taught by the magisterium. The

sensus delium is the sensus deio the

people o God as a whole who are obe-

dient to the word o God and are led in

the ways o aith by their pastors. So the

sensus delium is the sense o the aith

that is deeply rooted in the people o

God who receive, understand and live

the word o God in the church.

Catholic theology recog-

nizes the teaching author-

ity o ecumenical councils,

the ordinary and universal

magisterium o the bishops

and the papal magisterium.

It acknowledges the special

status o dogmas.

35. For theologians, the sensus deli-

um is o great importance. It is not only

an object o attention and respect, it is

also a base and a locus or their work.

On the one hand, theologians depend

on the sensus delium because the aith

that they explore and explain lives in

the people o God. It is clear, thereore,

that theologians themselves must par-

ticipate in the lie o the church to be

truly aware o it.

On the other hand, part o the par-

ticular service o theologians within thebody o Christ is precisely to explicate

the churchs aith as it is ound in the

Scriptures, the liturgy, creeds, dogmas,

catechisms and in the sensus delium

itsel. Theologians help to clariy and

articulate the content o the sensus de-

lium, recognizing and demonstrating

that issues relating to the truth o aith

can be complex and that investigation

o them must be precise.80

It alls to them also on occasion criti-

cally to examine expressions o popu-

lar piety, new currents o thought andmovements within the church in the

name o fdelity to the apostolic tradi-

tion. Theologians critical assessments

must always be constructive; they must

be given with humility, respect and

charity: Knowledge (gnosis) pus up,

but love (agape) builds up (1 Cor 8:1).

36. Attention to the sensus delium

is a criterion or Catholic theology.

Theology should strive to discover and

articulate accurately what the Catholic

aithul actually believe. It must spe

the truth in love, so that the aithul m

mature in aith and not be tossed

and ro and blown about by every win

o doctrine (Eph 4:14-15).

4. Responsible Adherence to the

Ecclesiastical Magisterium

37. In Catholic theology the magist

rium is an integral actor in the the

logical enterprise itsel, since theolo

receives its object rom God throug

the church, whose aith is authentical

interpreted by the living teaching of

o the church alone,81 that is, by th

magisterium o the pope and the bish

ops. Fidelity to the magisterium is ne

essary or theology to be the knowledg

o aith (scientia dei) and an ecclesi

task.

A correct theological methodolo

thereore requires a proper understan

ing o the nature and authority o thmagisterium at its various levels and

the relations that properly exist betwee

the ecclesiastical magisterium and th

ology.82 Bishops and theologians hav

distinct callings and must respect on

anothers particular competence, le

the magisterium reduce theology to

mere repetitive science or theologian

presume to substitute the teachin

ofce o the churchs pastors.

38. An understanding o the churc

as communion is a good ramewo

within which to consider how the reltionship between theologians and bis

ops, between theology and the magi

terium, can be one o ruitul collab

ration. The frst thing to acknowledg

is that theologians in their work an

bishops in their magisterium both stan

under the primacy o the word o Go

and never above it.83

Between bishops and theologian

there should be a mutually respect

collaboration; in their obedient liste

ing to this word and aithul proclam

tion o it; in their attention to the sesus delium and service o the grow

and maturing o aith; in their conce

to transmit the word to uture gener

tions, with respect or new question

and challenges; and in their hope-flle

witness to the gits already received;

all o this bishops and theologians ha

their respective roles in one commo

mission,84 rom which the magisteriu

and theology each derive their ow

legitimacy and purpose.85


10/24650 origins

Theology investigates and articulates

the aith o the church, and the ecclesi-

astical magisterium proclaims that aith

and authentically interprets it.86

39. On the one hand, the magiste-

rium needs theology in order to dem-

onstrate in its interventions not only

doctrinal authority but also theological

competence and a capacity or critical

evaluation, so theologians should be

called upon to assist with the prepara-

tion and ormulation o magisterial pro-

nouncements. On the other hand, the

magisterium is an indispensable help

to theology by its authentic transmis-

sion o the deposit o aith (depositum

dei), particularly at decisive times o

discernment.

Theologians should acknowledge the

contribution o magisterial statements

to theological progress and should

assist with the reception o those state-

ments. Magisterial interventions them-selves can stimulate theological reec-

tion, and theologians should show how

their own contributions conorm with

and carry orward previous doctrinal

statements o the magisterium.

There is indeed in the church a cer-

tain magisterium o theologians,87 but

there is no place or parallel, opposing

or alternative magisteria88 or or views

that would separate theology rom the

churchs magisterium.

40. When it comes to the authentic

interpretation o the aith, the magiste-rium plays a role that theology simply

cannot take to itsel. Theology cannot

substitute a judgment coming rom the

scientifc theological community or

that o the bishops. Acceptance o this

unction o the magisterium in relation

to the authenticity o aith requires rec-

ognition o the dierent levels o magis-

terial afrmations.89

These dierent levels give rise to a

correspondingly dierentiated response

on the part o the aithul and o theolo-

gians. Not all magisterial teaching hasthe same weight. This itsel is relevant

to the work o theology, and indeed the

dierent levels are described by what

are called theological qualifcations or

notes.90

41. Precisely because o this grada-

tion, the obedience that theologians

as members o the people o God owe

to the magisterium always involves

constructively critical evaluation and

comment.91 While dissent toward the

magisterium has no place in Catholic

theology, investigation and questioning

is justifed and even necessary i theol-

ogy is to ulfll its task.92

Whatever the situation, a mere or-

mal and exterior obedience or adher-

ence on the part o theologians is not

sufcient. Theologians should strive

to deepen their reection on the truth

proclaimed by the churchs magisteri-

um and should seek its implications or

the Christian lie and or the service o

the truth. In this way theologians ul-

fll their proper task, and the teaching

o the magisterium is not reduced to

mere decorative citations in theological

discourse.

The word o God or all time

can be proclaimed authenti-

cally only on the oundationo the apostles (c. Eph 2:20-

22) and in apostolic succes-

sion (c. 1 Tm 4:6).

42. The relationship between bish-

ops and theologians is oten good and

trusting on both sides, with due respect

or one anothers callings and respon-

sibilities. For example, bishops attend

and participate in national and regional

gatherings o theological associations,call on theological experts as they or-

mulate their own teaching and policies,

and visit and support theological acul-

ties and schools in their dioceses.

Inevitably, there will be tensions at

times in the relationship between theo-

logians and bishops. In his proound

analysis o the dynamic interaction

within the living organism o the church

o the three ofces o Christ as prophet,

priest and king, Blessed John Henry

Newman acknowledged the possibil-

ity o such chronic collisions or con-trasts, and it is well to remember that

he saw them as lying in the nature o

the case.93 Theology is the undamen-

tal and regulating principle o the whole

church system, he wrote, and yet the-

ology cannot always have its own way.94

With regard to tensions between

theologians and the magisterium, the

International Theological Commission

said in 1975: Wherever there is genuine

lie, tension always exists. Such ten-

sion need not be interpreted as hostility

or real opposition, but can be seen as a

vital orce and an incentive to a com-

mon carrying out o [their] respective

tasks by way o dialogue.95

43. The reedom o theology and o

theologians is a theme o special inter-

est.96 This reedom derives rom the

true scientifc responsibility o theolo-

gians.97 The idea o adherence to the

magisterium sometimes prompts a crit-

ical contrast between a so-called scien-

tifc theology (without presuppositions

o aith or ecclesial allegiance) and a so-

called conessional theology (elabo-

rated within a religious conession), but

such a contrast is inadequate.98

Other debates arise rom consider-

ation o the believers reedom o con-

science or o the importance o scien-

tifc progress in theological investiga-

tion, and the magisterium is sometimes

cast as a repressive orce or a brake onprogress. Investigating such issues is

itsel part o the theological task, so as

properly to integrate the scientifc and

conessional aspects o theology and to

see the reedom o theology within the

horizon o the design and will o God.

44. Giving responsible adherence to

the magisterium in its various grada-

tions is a criterion o Catholic theology.

Catholic theologians should recognize

the competence o bishops, and espe-

cially o the college o bishops headed

by the pope, to give an authentic inter-pretation o the word o God handed on

in Scripture and tradition.99

5. In the Company o Theologians

45. As is the case with all Christian voca-

tions, the ministry o theologians, as

well as being personal, is also both com-

munal and collegial; that is, it is exer-

cised in and or the church as a whole,

and it is lived out in solidarity with those

who have the same calling.

Theologians are rightly conscious

and proud o the proound links o soli-darity that unite them with one another

in service to the body o Christ and to

the world. In very many ways, as col-

leagues in theological aculties and

schools, as ellow members o theologi-

cal societies and associations, as col-

laborators in research and as writers

and teachers, they support, encourage

and inspire one another, and also serve

as mentors and role models or those,

especially graduate students, who are


11/24origins 6

aspiring to be theologians. Moreover,

links o solidarity rightly extend in space

and time, uniting theologians across the

world in dierent countries and cul-

tures, and through time in dierent eras

and contexts.

This solidarity is truly benei-

cial when it promotes awareness and

observance o the criteria o Catholic

theology as identifed in this report. No

one is better placed to assist Catholic

theologians in striving to give the best

possible service, in accordance with the

true characteristics o their discipline,

than other Catholic theologians.

46. Nowadays collaboration in

research and publication projects,

both within and across various theo-

logical felds, is increasingly common.

Opportunities or presentations, semi-

nars and conerences that will strength-

en the mutual awareness and apprecia-

tion o colleagues in theological institu-tions and aculties should be cultivated.

Moreover, occasions or interdisciplin-

ary encounter and exchange between

theologians and philosophers, natural

and social scientists, historians and so

on should also be ostered, since, as is

indicated in this report, theology is a

science that thrives in interaction with

other sciences, as they do also in ruitul

exchange with theology.

47. In the nature o their task, theo-

logians oten work at the rontiers o

the churchs experience and reection.Especially with the expanded num-

ber nowadays o lay theologians who

have experience o particular areas o

interaction between the church and

the world, between the Gospel and lie,

with which ordained theologians and

theologians in religious lie may not be

so amiliar, it is increasingly the case

that theologians give an initial articu-

lation o aith seeking understanding

in new circumstances or in the ace o

new issues.

Theologians need and deserve theprayerul support o the ecclesial com-

munity as a whole and particularly o

one another in their sincere endeavors

on behal o the church, but careul

adherence to the undamental criteria

o Catholic theology is especially impor-

tant in such circumstances. Theologians

should always recognize the intrinsic

provisionality o their endeavors and

oer their work to the church as a whole

or scrutiny and evaluation.100

48. One o the most valuable services

that theologians render to one another

is that o mutual questioning and cor-

rection, e.g. by the medieval practice o

the disputatio and todays practice o

reviewing one anothers writings, so that

ideas and methods can be progressively

refned and perected, and this process

generally and healthily occurs within

the theological community itsel.101

While criticism is not

appropriate with reerence to

apostolic tradition itsel, tra-

ditions must always be open

to critique, so that the con-

tinual reormation o which

the church has need can take

place and so that the church

can renew hersel perma-

nently on her one ounda-

tion, namely Jesus Christ.

O its nature, however, it can be a

slow and private process and especially

in these days o instant communication

and dissemination o ideas ar beyond

the strictly theological community, it

would be unreasonable to imagine thatthis sel-correcting mechanism sufc-

es in all cases. The bishops who watch

over the aithul, teaching and caring or

them, certainly have the right and the

duty to speak, to intervene and i neces-

sary to censure theological work that

they deem to be erroneous or harmul.102

49. Ecumenical dialogue and

research provide a uniquely privileged

and potentially productive feld or col-

laboration between Catholic theolo-

gians and those o other Christian tra-

ditions. In such work, issues o aith,meaning and language are deeply pon-

dered. As they work to promote mutual

understanding on issues that have been

contentious between their traditions,

perhaps or many centuries, theologians

act as ambassadors or their communi-

ties in the holy task o seeking the rec-

onciliation and unity o Christians, so

that the world may believe (c. Jn 17:21).

That ambassadorial task requires

particular adherence to the criteria out-

lined here on the part o Catholic pa

ticipants so that the maniold gits th

the Catholic tradition contains can tru

be oered in the exchange o gits th

ecumenical dialogue and collaboratio

more widely always in some sense is. 1

50. A criterion o Catholic theolog

is that it should be practiced in pr

essional, prayerul and charitable co

laboration with the whole company

Catholic theologians in the communio

o the church in a spirit o mutual appr

ciation and support, attentive both

the needs and comments o the ait

ul and to the guidance o the church

pastors.

6. In Dialogue With the World

51. The people o God believe that th

are led by the Spirit o the Lord, wh

flls the whole world.104 The Secon

Vatican Council said that the churc

should thereore be ready to discern the events, the needs and the longing

o todays world what may truly be sign

o the Spirits activity.105

At all times the church carries th

responsibility o reading the signs o th

times [signa temporum perscrutand

and o interpreting them in the light

the Gospel, i it is to carry out its tas

In language intelligible to every gener

tion, she should be able to answer th

ever recurring questions which [peopl

ask about the meaning o this prese

lie and o the lie to come, and how onis related to the other. We must be awa

o and understand the aspirations, th

yearnings and the oten dramatic e

tures o the world in which we live.106

52. As they live their daily lives in th

world with aith, all Christians ace th

challenge o interpreting the events an

crises that arise in human aairs, an

all engage in conversation and deba

in which, inevitably, aith is questione

and a response is needed. The who

church lives, as it were, at the intera

between the Gospel and everyday liwhich is also the boundary between th

past and the uture as history mov

orward.

The church is always in dialogue an

in movement, and within the comm

nion o the baptized who are all dynam

ically engaged in this way bishops an

theologians have particular respons

bilities, as the council made clear. Wi

the help o the Holy Spirit, it is the ta

o the whole people o God, particular


12/24652 origins

o its pastors and theologians, to listen

to and distinguish the many voices o

our times and to interpret them in the

light o the divine word, in order that

the revealed truth may be more deeply

penetrated, better understood and more

suitably presented.107

53. Theology has a particular compe-

tence and responsibility in this regard.

Through its constant dialogue with the

social, religious and cultural currents

o the time, and through its openness

to other sciences which, with their own

methods examine those developments,

theology can help the aithul and the

magisterium to see the importance o

developments, events and trends in

human history, and to discern and inter-

pret ways in which through them the

Spirit may be speaking to the church

and to the world.

54. The signs o the times may be

described as those events or phenom-ena in human history which, in a sense,

because o their impact or extent, defne

the ace o a period and bring to expres-

sion particular needs and aspirations

o humanity at that time. The councils

use o the expression signs o the times

shows that it ully recognized the his-

toricity not only o the world but also

o the church, which is in the world (c.

Jn 17:11, 15, 18) though not o the world

(c. Jn 17:14, 16).

What is happening in the world at

large, good or bad, can never be a mattero indierence to the church. The world

is the place in which the church, ollow-

ing in the ootsteps o Christ, announces

the Gospel, bears witness to the justice

and mercy o God, and participates in

the drama o human lie.

55. Recent centuries have seen major

social and cultural developments. One

might think, or instance, o the discov-

ery o historicity and o movements such

as the Enlightenment and the French

Revolution (with its ideals o reedom,

equality and raternity), movements oremancipation and or the promotion o

womens rights, movements or peace

and justice, liberation and democratiza-

tion, and the ecological movement.

The ambivalence o human his-

tory has led the church at times in the

past to be overly cautious about such

movements, to see only the threats they

may contain to Christian doctrine and

aith, and to neglect their signifcance.

However, such attitudes have gradu-

ally changed thanks to the sensus dei

o the people o God, the clear sight o

prophetic individual believers and the

patient dialogue o theologians with

their surrounding cultures.

A better discernment in the light

o the Gospel has been made, with a

greater readiness to see how the Spirit

o God may be speaking through such

events. In all cases discernment must

careully distinguish between elements

compatible with the Gospel and those

contrary to it, between positive con-

tributions and ideological aspects, but

the more acute understanding o the

world that results cannot ail to prompt

a more penetrating appreciation o

Christ the Lord and o the Gospel108

since Christ is the savior o the world.

The sensus delium does

not simply mean the major-

ity opinion in a given time or

culture, nor is it only a sec-

ondary armation o what

is rst taught by the magiste-

rium. The sensus delium is

the sensus dei o the people

o God as a whole who are

obedient to the word o God

and are led in the ways o

aith by their pastors.

56. While the world o human cul-

ture profts rom the activity o the

church, the church also profts rom

the history and development o man-

kind. It profts rom the experience

o past ages, rom the progress o the

sciences and rom the riches hidden in

various cultures, through which greater

light is thrown on the mystery o manand new avenues to truth are opened

up.109

The painstaking work to establish

proftable links with other disciplines,

sciences and cultures so as to enhance

that light and broaden those avenues

is the particular task o theologians,

and the discernment o the signs o the

times presents great opportunities or

theological endeavor, notwithstanding

the complex hermeneutical issues that

arise. Thanks to the work o many theo-

logians, Vatican II was able to acknowl-

edge various signs o the times in con-

nection with its own teaching.110

57. Heeding Gods fnal word in Jesus

Christ, Christians are open to hear

echoes o his voice in other persons,

places and cultures (c. Acts 14:15-17;

17:24-28; Rom 1:19-20). The council

urged that the aithul should be amil-

iar with their national and religious tra-

ditions and uncover with gladness and

respect those seeds o the word which

lie hidden among them.111

It speciically taught that the

Catholic Church rejects nothing o

what is true and holy in non-Chris-

tian religions, whose precepts and doc-

trines oten reect a ray o that truth

which enlightens all people.112 Again,

the uncovering o such seeds and dis-

cernment o such rays are especially

the task o theologians, who have animportant contribution to make to

interreligious dialogue.


is that it should be in constant dia-

logue with the world. It should help the

church to read the signs o the times,

illuminated by the light that comes

rom divine revelation and to proft

rom doing so in its lie and mission.

Chapter 3: Giving an Account of the

Truth of God

59. The word o God, accepted in aith,gives light to the believers intelligence

and understanding. Revelation is not

received purely passively by the human

mind. On the contrary, the believing

intelligence actively embraces revealed

truth.113 Prompted by love, it strives to

assimilate it because this word responds

to its own deepest questions. Without

ever claiming to exhaust the riches o

revelation, it strives to appreciate and

explore the intelligibility o the word

o God des quaerens intellectum

and to oer a reasoned account o thetruth o God. In other words, it seeks to

express Gods truth in the rational and

scientifc mode that is proper to human

understanding.

60. In a threeold investigation,

addressing a number o current issues,

the present chapter considers essential

aspects o theology as a rational, human

endeavor which has its own authentic

and irreplaceable position in the midst

o all intellectual inquiry. First, theol-


13/24origins 6

ogy is a work o reason illuminated by

aith (ratio de illustrata) which seeks

to translate into scientifc discourse the

word o God expressed in revelation.

Second, the variety o rational methods

it deploys and the plurality o special-

ized theological disciplines that result

remain compatible with the undamen-

tal unity o theology as discourse about

God in the light o revelation. Third, the-

ology is closely bound to spiritual expe-

rience, which it enlightens and by which

in turn it is nourished, and o its nature

it opens into an authentic wisdom with

a lively sense o the transcendence o

the God o Jesus Christ.

1. The Truth o God and the

Rationality o Theology

61. This section considers some aspects

o the history o theology rom the chal-

lenges o early times to those o today in

relation to the scientifc nature o theol-ogy. We are to know God, to know the

truth o God. This is eternal lie, that

they may know you, the only true God,

and Jesus Christ whom you have sent

(Jn 17:3).

Jesus came to bear witness to the

truth (c. Jn 18:37) and presented him-

sel as the way, and the truth, and the

lie (Jn 14:6). This truth is a git which

comes down rom the Father o lights

(Jas 1:17). God the Father initiated this

enlightenment (c. Gal 4:4-7), and he

himsel will consummate it (c. Rv 21:5-7).

The Holy Spirit is both the Paraclete,

consoling the aithul, and the Spirit o

truth (Jn 14:16-17), who inspires and

illuminates the truth and guides the

aithul into all the truth (Jn 16:13).

The fnal revelation o the plenitude o

Gods truth will be the ultimate ulfll-

ment o humanity and o creation (c.

1 Cor 15:28). Correspondingly, the mys-

tery o the Trinity must be at the center

o theological contemplation.

62. The truth o God, acceptedin aith, encounters human reason.

Created in the image and likeness o God

(Gn 1:26-27), the human person is capa-

ble by the light o reason o penetrating

beyond appearances to the deep-down

truth o things and opens up thereby to

universal reality. The common reerence

to truth, which is objective and univer-

sal, makes authentic dialogue possible

between human persons.

The human spirit is both intui-

tive and rational. It is intuitive in that

it spontaneously grasps the frst prin-

ciples o reality and o thought. It is

rational in that, beginning rom those

frst principles, it progressively discov-

ers truths previously unknown using

rigorous procedures o analysis and

investigation, and it organizes them in

a coherent ashion.

There is indeed in the church

a certain magisterium of

theologians, but there is no

place or parallel, oppos-

ing or alternative magiste-

ria or or views that would

separate theology rom the

churchs magisterium.

Science is the highest orm that

rational consciousness takes. It desig-

nates a orm o knowledge capable o

explaining how and why things are as

they are. Human reason, itsel part o

created reality, does not simply project

on to reality in its richness and com-

plexity a ramework o intelligibility; it

adapts itsel to the intrinsic intelligibility

o reality. In accordance with its object,

that is, with the particular aspect o real-

ity that it is studying, reason applies di-erent methods adapted to the object

itsel. Rationality, thereore, is one but

takes a plurality o orms, all o which

are rigorous means o grasping the intel-

ligibility o reality.

Science likewise is pluriorm, each

science having its own specifc object

and method. There is a modern tenden-

cy to reserve the term scienceto hard

sciences (mathematics, experimental

sciences, etc.) and to dismiss as irratio-

nal and mere opinion knowledge which

does not correspond to the criteria othose sciences. This univocal view o

science and o rationality is reductive

and inadequate.

63. So, the revealed truth o God both

requires and stimulates the believers

reason. On the one hand, the truth o

the word o God must be considered and

probed by the believer thus begins

the intellectus dei, the orm taken here

below by the believers desire to see

God.114 Its aim is not at all to replace

aith115; rather it unolds naturally ro

the believers act o aith, and it ca

indeed assist those whose aith may b

wavering in the ace o hostility.116

The ruit o the believers ration

reection is an understanding o th

truths o aith. By the use o reason, th

believer grasps the proound conne

tions between the dierent stages in th

history o salvation and also betwee

the various mysteries o aith whic

illuminate one another. On the oth

hand, aith stimulates reason itsel an

stretches its limits. Reason is stirred

explore paths which o itsel it would n

even have suspected it could take. Th

encounter with the word o God leav

reason enriched, because it discove

new and unsuspected horizons.117

64. The dialogue between aith an

reason, between theology and philos

phy, is thereore required not only b

aith but also by reason, as Pope JohPaul explains in Fides et Ratio.118 It

necessary because a aith which rejec

or is contemptuous o reason risks a

ing into superstition or anaticism

while reason which deliberately clos

Documents

Theology Today Perspectives Principles Criteria