ON SACRED THEOLOGY

ON SACRED THEOLOGY:

Its Nature, its Difference from Natural Theology,

Faith and Formal Revelation.

Properties, Functions and Sources of Theology.

I.          Definition of Theology

      Etymologically, theology is derived from two Greek words, ‘theos’ which means God, and ‘logos’ which means knowledge. Theology, then, vulgarly is any kind of knowledge about God. But theology according to its essential definitions is a science about God acquired from revealed principles (scientia de Deo es revelatione acquisita)

    

    A. science /scientia – (remote genus). As science, theology is distinguished from supernatural faith.

    

    B. about God /de Deo – (proximate genus). By this, theology is distinguished from any other science whose object is not God.

    C. from revelation/ ex revelatione – (specific difference). By this sacred theology is distinguished from           the other theology called natural theology (theodicy), that is why it is surnamed sacred.

    D. acquired /acquisita - theology is not an infused habit but it is acquired by study. That is, it is distinguished from the Holy Spirit's gift of science.

II.        Necessity of Sacred Theology

      As in the natural order, human intellect, reasoning about God from the first principles of reason is able to build up a science which called natural theology. So also in the supernatural order, reasoning about God from the revealed truths which are the articles of faith, it is also able to build up another quite different science about God which we call as Sacred Theology (c£ Summa Theologiae I Q. I, a.I ad secundum).

III.       Difference of Sacred Theology from Faith and Natural Theology

    A. Faith belongs to the cognoscitive habit which is called intellectus principiorum.

            Material object - principal: God;

                                                secondary: other things as related to God

Formal object   - quod: Deity (ratio Deitatis) in as far as it is shown to us

through formal or explicit revelation

 - quo: the authority of the revealing God (auctorita Dei revelantis). God is the object as HE is in Himself and as He wishes to reveal Himself to us as known through formal revelation.

  B. Sacred Theology

            Material Object - principal: God

                                      - secondary: other things aside from God but as they are related to Him

             Formal object - quod: ratio Deitatis or deity as known to us through the    theological conclusions withdrawn from formal revelations.

- quo: virtual revelation or the capability to be revealed by God  (revelatiovirtualis seu implicita)

   C. Natural theology (Theodicy)

                        Material object - God (Deus) as Supreme Being and Creator of all

            things known through his effects which are sensible things.

                        Formal object - quod: God as the first principle (ratio entis)

                                                - quo: third degree of abstraction, i.e., God is known   through the light of the principles of reason

IV.       Properties of Sacred Theology

    A.  Theology is a science because it has only one formal object: virtual revelation. The formal object quod and quo are one in theology by reason of divinity, i.e., theological conclusions and virtual revelations are one in God (Summa I, q 1, a3).

    B.  Theology is both speculative and practical. Theology is speculative science since it treats of God and every truth in relation to and ordained to Him. Theology is practical science since it shows norms to which human acts should conform in man's journey to God, his supernatural end.

    C.  Theology is nobler (Dignior) than other human sciences aside from Natural theology because Sacred Theology as also natural considers God who is the first efficient cause of things which constitute the proper objects of all other sciences.

    D.  Theology is Wisdom absolutely speaking, since it looks at everything according to highest cause and principle: God.

    E.  Sacred Theology is argumentative. (S. T. I q 1, a8)

V.        Functions of Sacred Theology

    A. As Wisdom

     1. To prove and defend the existence of revelation. This function is called Apologetic.

     2. To determine the right sense of truths formally revealed by God as they are found in the sources of revelation. These sources are Sacred Scriptures and Divine Tradition, etc.

         Note: these two functions are also called theologica positiva

     3. To settle its own nature and to judge about the demonstrative validity of its own principles as they are found in theological sources. This function is called logica theologica implying the subject 'Introduction to Sacred Theology'

    

    B. As Science

     1. As speculative science, Sacred Theology deduces conclusions from formal revealed truths in order that the intellect rests in their knowledge. This function is called theologica dogmatica

     2. As practical science, sacred theology deduces conclusions from truths formally revealed in order that human actions be directed toward God as the last end.

  3. Sacred theology is a science because it is a knowledge proceeding from the proper        principles which are the articles of faith to conclusions about divine things.

     4. A theological conclusion means a proposition derived from the premises of faith or one of faith and one of reason, whose predicate signifies a metaphysical property of the subject. This certitude rests on the real identity between the predicate and the subject that are not distinguished in itself unless according to the reasonable reason with fundament in imperfect things or according to the minor virtual distinction.

VI.       Sources of Theology

      The sources of theology are the places from which a theologian withdraws his arguments of authority to prove his theological conclusions.

      Sources are classified as: constitutive, interpretative, and auxiliary

       A. Constitutive sources - Sacred Scriptures and Tradition of the Church

       B. Interpretative sources ­

              1. Infallible:

a. The Church

            Ecc/esia credens - believing Church

            Ecc/esia docens - teaching Church

b. The popes or the Ordinary magisterium

c. The Church Councils or Extraordinary magisterium

  2. Fallible:

                         a. The Fathers of the Church as theologians

                         b. Theologians

              3. Auxiliary Sources:

                          a. Human Reason

                          b. Philosophers

                          c. History and human traditions

      It is to be kept in mind that the Divine tradition is older and fuller than the Sacred Scriptures.

      Furthermore, divine traditions in itself is self-sufficient.

     1. Divine Traditions is older than the Sacred Scriptures because before there was any Sacred Scripture, traditions has already existed since the time of our first parents.

     2. Divine tradition is fuller than the sacred Scriptures because not everything in the traditions was found in the scriptures. Sacred scripture expresses only part of the divine tradition.

     3. Divine tradition is self-sufficient because we know by traditions the canon of the inspired books.

      The validity of the Infallible Magisterium of the Church is expressed by the promise of our Lord to his apostles to "Go, then baptize them in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And "remember I will be with you always to the end of the age." (Mt 28,19-20)