Fr.Domingos Terra, S.J. brought us the general idea of faith and theology. These are the details of the whole course.
Fundamental Theology: Faith and Theology
Prof.Domingos Terra S.J. January 4-21, 2010, USJ, Macau
1.The connection btw faith and theology.
-there is no theology without faith
-there is no faith without theology
a)Faith is the point of departure
b)Faith is the atmosphere develop
c)Arrival of theology
Therefore Faith is before, simultaneous and after theology.
Chapter 2. Dialogical structure of Xn’s faith
1.the 2 realities, Accord,
Xn’s faith = 1.God’s gift, God’s grace
2.And human free answer (Engagement of Xn faith)
-God traces in us
-As a finite being human open to someone who is infinite, unlimited.
-Xn faith is not a human conquest, not a human action but a gift from God.
-According to human structure human being is given a gift.
How do we perceive this thing?
2.Mediator (human mediator, Channel, open, tell,
Romans 10:14-15 4 But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? 15 And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
=to speak about Jesus Christ, when people speak they may hear. = mediator
=Announcement = the beginning of Xn faith, Proclamation – Acceptance
-the sequence of the generation through generation has brought the people into the faith.
=a sequence of transmission= tradition (Christian tradition)
-the moment of Baptism, you are given already a mission to give, pass on the faith.
=I become a Christian believer because there is someone taught me about this belief.
God’s word functioned in human word (Parent’s word about God) that we can perceive God’s intention. = God speaks to us through others mouth.
The Scripture is both God’s word and human words.
The proof that it is from God = Sometimes, something is very demanding and it’s really hard to accept and we never even think about it. It is a proof that this word doesn’t come from this world but it’s actually comes from God.
=In the beginning there was the Word. Through which God reveals = Divine Word.
John’s Gospel is the best conception of Christian faith.
“to believe” = 98 times in “credere”, “pisteo”
It’s a dynamic, a process of action
To believe, receive, come, listen, follow, remain = process of believing
1.Impulse of all our being,
The whole being of person – profundity of the being of Jesus
-impulse us into the direction of God
-fundamental attitude of human being towards Jesus who is before him
-Faith engage my whole being
=we got this through the vocabularies used in the Gospel so it is the message and activity for us to have a process of faith.
-When John use the word “to believe” without an object it force upon the Subject e.g. Do I believe or not believe? To distract us … believe or not?
2.Believer and reality (Faith try to understand the veil)
To believe, to see, to know
We can reach it through Jesus signs, witnesses, words, = (indirectly)
“Who see me see the Father” = you will not see the Father directly
-Faith is called to “see” the fingerprint of the Father, through Jesus with his authority of the Father himself.
Why many people don’t believe in Jesus? Because they were not able to get through it..= someone, something behind him.
Faith has to go beyond the works of miracle.
The Word made flesh = God in Jesus
3.the mystery of salvation is fully present in Jesus
-concentrated in the very person of Jesus, everything in regarding salvation is in Jesus.
-with the full strength, complete, Chritocentric
-My faith has to reveal in the “I” of Jesus e.g. I am the way.., I am the life…, I am the light..
-The person of Jesus is the penetrating of the Truth. Jn 1:14
4.Faith to go deep in the mystery of Jesus
-to discover the mystery of Jesus,
-my own interiority …….to the interiority of Jesus himself
-Faith engages me deeply to engage also deeply in Jesus.
-to believe – to know, to process to go deeply into Jesus’ mystery. = form a Unity
-We are called to believe, to jump into something, not to be naïve,
-Faith touching us and impels us to jump into the mystery of Jesus
-It moves us to go further inside the mystery of Jesus. (There is some knowledge inside) the condition to know more is to get into him deeply.
-The Gospel of John calls us to jump into the truth that is revealed in Jesus.
-Development of faith, path of faith, expansion of life,
-The intimate unit btw the Son and the Father, He is the Son of God, He is God. He has all God’s power, One day I will see God face to face = eternal, but right now it’s a partial. The relation btw Jesus and Father = life, so Jesus is the truth that saves us.
-When we go into the mystery of Jesus we get the life and love
1 John 1:1-3 We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life-- 2 this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us-- 3 we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us;
-Inside the mystery we have jumped into it and discovered who the person is.
5.Divine work and human work
-A movement of response because God takes initiative, when we respond to God I discovered that He started coming toward me already. He responds to me in a deeper way. = the development of Faith
-I move further because I was touched by him, = Faith is the effect of a supernatural attraction
John 6:44 44 No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day.
-Faith = we have been attracted by God. (Faith implies knowledge)
-faith involves the aspect of the Will also (love)
-Faith – incredulity (doubt about faith), unfaith, lack of faith
-the Fight btw faith & unfaith takes place always in our own heart and in the society and culture, (They did not believe), We have to overcome the social pressure, the fight btw the son of light and the son of darkness, Faith & incredulity,
6. The attitude to build up again and again
-It’s an effort, to believe is not a stable attitude that we acquire once and for all.
-Because the circumstances in life may change, We will fall down and raise up the question. Do we still believe in Jesus?
-To renew my faith, the new discover about Jesus, e.g. The Transfiguration of Jesus. Do you still believe in me, in spite of this Good news?
-The movement of immature to more mature.
-Pedagogy of faith, we need to be faithful through all kind of things in our life.
-Different step of faith,
-Nathanael…, the multitude,
6.1Lack of faith Unfaith
6.2Beginning of faith partial faith
6.3Matured faith True faith
Chapter 3 Vatican II
We don’t have a single document about faith but revelation Dei Verbum #5
5. "The obedience of faith" (Rom. 13:26; see 1:5; 2 Cor 10:5-6) "is to be given to God who reveals, an obedience by which man commits his whole self freely to God, offering the full submission of intellect and will to God who reveals," (4) and freely assenting to the truth revealed by Him. To make this act of faith, the grace of God and the interior help of the Holy Spirit must precede and assist, moving the heart and turning it to God, opening the eyes of the mind and giving "joy and ease to everyone in assenting to the truth and believing it." (5) To bring about an ever deeper understanding of revelation the same Holy Spirit constantly brings faith to completion by His gifts.
5. Deo revelanti praestanda est oboeditio fidei (cf. Rom 16,26; coll. Rom 1,5; 2 Cor 10,5-6), qua homo se totum libere Deo committit "plenum revelanti Deo intellectus et voluntatis obsequium" praestando (4) et voluntarie revelationi ab Eo datae assentiendo. Quae fides ut praebeatur, opus est praeveniente et adiuvante gratia Dei et internis Spiritus Sancti auxiliis, qui cor moveat et in Deum convertat, mentis oculos aperiat, et det "omnibus suavitatem in consentiendo et credendo veritati"(5), Quo vero profundior usque evadat revelationis intelligentia, idem Spiritus Sanctus fidem iugiter per dona sua perficit.
http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en.html
Vat I
Chapter 3 On faith
1. Since human beings are totally dependent on God as their creator and lord, and created reason is completely subject to uncreated truth, we are obliged to yield to God the revealer full submission of intellect and will by faith.
2. This faith, which is the beginning of human salvation, the Catholic Church professes to be a supernatural virtue, by means of which, with the grace of God inspiring and assisting us, we believe to be true what He has revealed, not because we perceive its intrinsic truth by the natural light of reason, but because of the authority of God himself, who makes the revelation and can neither deceive nor be deceived.
3. Faith, declares the Apostle, is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen [17].
4. Nevertheless, in order that the submission of our faith should be in accordance with reason, it was God's will that there should be linked to the internal assistance of the Holy Spirit external indications of his revelation, that is to say divine acts, and first and foremost miracles and prophecies, which clearly demonstrating as they do the omnipotence and infinite knowledge of God, are the most certain signs of revelation and are suited to the understanding of all.
5. Hence Moses and the prophets, and especially Christ our lord himself, worked many absolutely clear miracles and delivered prophecies; while of the apostles we read: And they went forth and preached every, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it [18]. Again it is written: We have the prophetic word made more sure; you will do well to pay attention to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place [19].
6. Now, although the assent of faith is by no means a blind movement of the mind, yet no one can accept the gospel preaching in the way that is necessary for achieving salvation without the inspiration and illumination of the Holy Spirit, who gives to all facility in accepting and believing the truth [20].
7. And so faith in itself, even though it may not work through charity, is a gift of God, and its operation is a work belonging to the order of salvation, in that a person yields true obedience to God himself when he accepts and collaborates with his grace which he could have rejected.
8. Wherefore, by divine and Catholic faith all those things are to be believed which are contained in the word of God as found in Scripture and tradition, and which are proposed by the Church as matters to be believed as divinely revealed, whether by her solemn judgment or in her ordinary and universal magisterium.
9. Since, then, without faith it is impossible to please God [21] and reach the fellowship of his sons and daughters, it follows that no one can ever achieve justification without it, neither can anyone attain eternal life unless he or she perseveres in it to the end.
10. So that we could fulfill our duty of embracing the true faith and of persevering unwaveringly in it, God, through his only begotten Son, founded the Church, and he endowed his institution with clear notes to the end that she might be recognized by all as the guardian and teacher of the revealed word.
11. To the Catholic Church alone belong all those things, so many and so marvelous, which have been divinely ordained to make for the manifest credibility of the Christian faith.
12. What is more, the Church herself by reason of her astonishing propagation, her outstanding holiness and her inexhaustible fertility in every kind of goodness, by her Catholic unity and her unconquerable stability, is a kind of great and perpetual motive of credibility and an incontrovertible evidence of her own divine mission.
13. So it comes about that, like a standard lifted up for the nations [22], she both invites to herself those who have not yet believed, and likewise assures her sons and daughters that the faith they profess rests on the firmest of foundations.
14. To this witness is added the effective help of power from on high. For, the kind Lord stirs up those who go astray and helps them by his grace so that they may come to the knowledge of the truth [23] ; and also confirms by his grace those whom he has translated into his admirable light [24], so that they may persevere in this light, not abandoning them unless he is first abandoned.
15. Consequently, the situation of those, who by the heavenly gift of faith have embraced the Catholic truth, is by no means the same as that of those who, led by human opinions, follow a false religion; for those who have accepted the faith under the guidance of the Church can never have any just cause for changing this faith or for calling it into question.
This being so, giving thanks to God the Father who has made us worthy to share with the saints in light [25] let us not neglect so great a salvation [26], but looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith [27], let us hold the unshakable confession of our hope [28].
http://www.ewtn.com/library/COUNCILS/V1.htm#4
Obedience of faith: the context of Va1 and Va2 is different.
Vat 1 Vat 2
1.God revealed thing -Person (Jesus) God revealed Godself through
-revelation is atmosphere, truth Xt in the dialogue of human being
2.Obedience of faith = truths -Obe of faith is to be encountered inside the
Affirmed by God Person of Jesus
Many times we have separated faith and life from each other.
Revelation and faith is the two sides of the same coin. The process, moment of encounter, that God shows himself to us, He is the Way, Truth and Life.
Jan 11, 09
Fides qua (faith through which) Act (St.Augustin created this vocabulary)
Fides quae (faith which) content
“There is a faith which is the same for all of us” = content
“There is a faith specifically in each one of us” = act
Vat 1 “Obedience of Faith”
We must response to God as He was the one who spoke
-very intellectual just accept
Vat 2 = interpersonal encounter btw God and human by saying ‘Yes’ engage his own person.
-it’s more kind but much more demanding, response to God with the whole person.
-We must deliver ourselves fully to God.
Because it has put together the “fides qua and fides quae”
Existential act and intellectual content together.
For 4 centuries, during after Luther to the first part of 20th century
Catholic emphasize on the intellectual consent of faith
While the protestant emphasize the act of faith, so the Vat 2 tried to combine these 2 together.
In Vat 2 God reveals new things every day
Chapter 3#2
Faith combines knowing and moving
The Realm of Faith
Two different aspects in Christian faith
1.Intelligibility, A form of knowledge, “What do I see there”, the meaning I give to the things, way of understanding, meaning, aspect of faith, order of reason
2.Emotion, An affective and spiritual motion. Event, the order of experience. “What is there”,
What is there How I look at what is there
(experience) (Significance)
=but significance is bigger than experience. (Human existence)
This two sides must be together because (knowing and moving must go together)
1.through faith I get to know something, but not only that it’s put into action which has to do with emotion, moving. (knowing and moving)
2.It is a personal way to perceive what is God revelation is all about? And a consequence of responding to the way I understand God’s way.
3.God is God and when he entered into my life it’s too much. It excessively challenges me to follow Him. I have to move towards God
Summary;
1.Xn faith is not only understanding but responding
2.the knowing inside the moving, living it’s very personal way of understanding God
3.God is too excessive to us, to know God is not enough but I have to move to this too much.
Chapter 4 Christian faith as experience of salvation and process of liberation.
Salvation = liberation from sin, these 2 words are very close.
Faith –dynamics of salvation/ liberation on the individual level.
- dynamics of salvation/ liberation on the social level, cultural (tendency of Grace and sinful), cultural way of thinking (to help us approaching God or move away from God)
4.1 In a personal perspective
4.2 In a social perspective
To become a matured faithful person,
Revelation from God
e.g.The conversation btw Jesus and Nicodemus “to reborn” = to allow God to come and grow in your life,
e.g. Jesus with the prostitute, Jesus gave her a new chance
-to let the Word from the outside enter into our life. Follow God’s work you will become of what you really are.
-Therefore I should not be afraid for God’s work to call out the depth of my life
-the force image and my reality, He calls me a new birth, it’s made a new.
-I should accept God’s work in my life, no more delay.
Wed Jan 13,
Chapter 4 Xn faith as experience of salvation and process of liberation (Cont.)
1.Process of Xn faith
-the proclamation during the baptism “I will not construct myself to others”
-Xn faith is constructing, We are invited as what we really are…
-God wants me to be different, being born again, a renew identity.
-I can’t find myself unless I loose myself in God
-It is a personalize life = Xn life
-Relationship btw “I = Y”, Who do you say I am?
-God calls each one of us by name…
-a personal invitation and we need to reply a personal answer
-A parable of Good shepherd (Jn 10:10-14)
-the Word of God is a very specific word
-it’s not a word of imposition
-The Holy Spirit helps us to understand the Word of God
-We understand ourselves through a communication, and dialogue.
-the non believers can not understand the word of God because the holy spirit is not with them.
Xn faith is explicitly a process of Salvation
1.What we leave behind.
2.What we embrace.
-Salvation = what we want to get free of… =SIN
-I just want to move away from sin,
-Xn faith saying “yes” to God, accepting God’s will, God’s plan.
-What is the path of Xn process of Salvation?
But it’s beyond what we can see= it’s a mystery
-When the life of God comes in me = Salvation, it moves away sin
-We are justified by faith (cf. Gal 3:24)
-in Rom 3:28, We are justified by faith not the Law.
- now we have to think that what is the faith inside us?
-is it the saying “yes” to God through my whole being not only my mouth
-if we take away of faith what about faith?
-Christian faith is a dynamism of whole being, the word and deeds are also the process of Salvation.
-Faith supposed to make us have a feeling like God, think, say, concern…?
-How do I get this sense of God?
In the order of being In the order of knowledge
God Sense of God
Christ Sense of Christ
Church Sense of Church
We are getting the sense of God through the sense of Jesus Christ in the sense of the Church.
-The sense of Christ who died for us, crucified on the cross for our sins, and who is risen from the dead.
The sense of the Church is to impart, to love the Church and without the Church I am NOTHING
-According to God’s eyes and God’s feeling, Xn faith has a duty to acquire the sense of God.
How Xn faith is a dynamic process on the social level (4.2)
Social perspective
-a German Theo. John Baptist Metz “Political theology”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Baptist_Metz
He argued for the concept of a 'suffering God' who shared the pain of his creation, writing, "Yet, faced with conditions in God's creation that cry out to heaven, how can the theology of the creator God avoid the suspicion of apathy unless it takes up the language of a suffering God?"
-What is our faith?
-The God that we find in the Bible is a man who challenge the people to build their own identity in the Solidarity in ourselves, Domination.
-Xn faith is the process of constructing human faith not in the cloud but on this very earthly existence, society.
-Especially when Hm being is in Danger, Struggle, Injustice, Suffering, Sadness, Oppression because of the unjust in the society.
-So we have to set the Network in the midst of the society.
-If we don’t look at the negative side, darkness, evil sin in the society, What about our faith has to do with?
-I may be a part of it also. Otherwise we might be a part of the tendency to care only those who are in the victory, but God came to save the sinners, looser. Keep the looser in your mind.
-So that all human being can become Subject, person.
-Why are they poor? Why they can not possess?
-Dignity is for all human beings?
-Keeping in mind the Paschal mystery of Jesus, PDR
-Give Power to the ruthless, give them hope, new opportunity.
-Resurrection is the victory of Justice upon the passion
-Separating worship of God from the love of brothers.. is unacceptable..
Fri 15 Jan, 09
Chapter 5 Growth and maturation of the Christian faith
-the very important moment of transformation, event
-Circumscribed, (localize)
-Human relationship make me grows
-I’m growing up trough fast and slow movement
-I discover new possibility of existence
-How I have been growing up through both experience
-Events, and slow movement are related to each one.
-they lead a deeper road in my hearts
-Human relations make them grow (make me grow)
-Open my hearts for something new, I have never had before
-Discover a new way in my life
-Open my life to a universe, to new things
-it remains in my heart because it allows me to perceive the existence of others in my life.
5.1. Personal Itinerary and discover of God
-I may struggle for a period of time
-Experience and Language, confront the language with the experience = personal approach
-Experience itself develop and language also in the same way
5.2Moving away from faith and coming back to it
Chapter 6 the community dimension of the Xn faith
6.1Xn faith as a given prior to the individual person
-I can leave the faith as I want? No it’s the faith of the Church
-I’m not a creator of my own faith
-Are we living a true faith?
-We are living the faith and the Christian community
-Individualistic and Social (community), Church’s faith
-Jesus is Both God and Human = Formulation of faith = put in to language or formulation
-The Church communicate to me the faith
-When I say “yes” it is to both the Church and to the formulation
-The parents are communicating the faith to the X@ and the Formulation for me
-because they “see” = eyes and “hear” = ears so Xn faith exist before I was born
-I don’t produce faith by myself, but it’s sth I ask for and I receive as a gift
-When I receive I have to keep to reserve
-It’s a gift from God through the Church because others wouldn’t be able to have this opportunity
-Texts, make Xn faith visible, e.g. The holy scriptures, commandment
-Institutions, Parish, Diocese, Holy See, Social works
-Figures, e.g. Mary & St.Joseph, Teresa of Calcutta, Martyrs, Blessed
-Rites, e.g. Sacraments, Liturgy, Devotions, Blessing of houses, cars,
-Behavior
-Events, e.g. Pilgrimage to Fatima, to Lourdes, WYD
-from experience to reality of socio historical
-my experience helps me go deeper in the Faith of the Church
-See, Judge, Act
-in the midst of the Faith of the Church, I make my faith visible
-The Church is the community of people,
-X@ faith pre-exist before my faith, my existence
-Xn faith require me to decide to live this faith
-Though it exist before me it demands my individual
-X@ = a living community
-Require me to propagate the faith to the next generation
-Individual dimension = I say I believe
-Community dimension = I receive the faith of the Church
1.we are underlining the faith of the community
2.it needs my personal respond
6.2. the Ecclesial discernment of the different believing behaviors
-Personal way and the Faith of the Church
-Xn faith exist only in a personalize way without individual Xn faith doesn’t exist
-The singular (individual) is the place where the Church’s faith is affirmed.
-Ecclesial verification
-People today want democracy (freedom) not to imposed things
-Individual is very importance (the lesson for the Church)
-Individual conscience = The Church respect much more about Hm’s freedom
-I need to belong a particular community = Root
-I need to be free (space, freedom) to live
-Belong to a group, = human right and pronounce
-Transfer this law to Particular Realm of faith
1.must belong to the Church = root in Xn community
2.X@ need to make it declared = I believe
3.Roots in the Xn community
-Pastoral Question; -Open space for people to encounter Jesus in a particular way
-not to impose too much for the new comers, believers
Mon 18, Chapter 6 cont.
-The verification of the Church is a process that she makes sure on what the person (Christians) believe.
-They can not just impose but they need the Church to recognize them as well.
-The Church recognizes that Christian faith has passed through the individual conscious. Because the Church is a community of people, She needs to affirm the things.
-Each one of the member says a particular way what has already impressed in the Church.
6.2-Discernment
Obligations;
-You have to prove to the Xn community that you will live the Xn faith, proclaim, and pass it on. It is a free gift that he receives and through the Xn faith he will live his life. He sent me to build the truth of the Church.
-Christian faith is an objective and more personal, in the same time it’s not simply subjective (not each one own, will). We cannot do what we want, because it’s objective. But it’s not impersonal. Without saying that I believe, how can the Church continue the mission. Therefore Christian faith is more formal, (Subjectivization). But it can never be a privatization (to do as what you want). It is a mutual confrontation, we all have the right to say (talk) things. = We grow the faith together.
2.They need a room to proclaim the faith in a singular person “I” believe. There must be a Christian belonging that I must have root in the community.
2.1.There must be a part of tradition, Institution, inheritance, tasks and challenges. = a world of Christian faith.
Conclusion;
I have the right to pronounce the faith that I believe, = “I” believe then it comes the point of arrival as the construction as “We” by crossing the different “I”. By crossing the I together, unlike in the past that we imposing.
B: Theology as reflection on Christian Faith
Chapter 7 Theology as science and as wisdom
-7.1 Theology: science and wisdom
-How does Theology function, specification, knowledge of activities?
-Phil. Uses human freedom, Theo. Illuminated by Xn Freedom
-Theo as Science; a competent exercise of reflection upon faith using responsibly human reason. Theo as wisdom; a reflection that breaths the light that comes through faith. (Majar aspect of Theology’s function) You have to live the Xn faith in order to understand it.
-Wisdom as a light of faith, theology: conceptual knowledge about faith.
-Hans Urs Von Balthasar (Switz) German speaking, “good theologians are made by kneeling” = a radical statement.
-Conceptual elaboration, wisdom coming from God
-There need a scientific competent to tell the truth.
2 aspects –inside the Church = Wisdom, made in the atmosphere of Xa
-outside the Church = Competent, rational to proclaim to the World.
-Xn Philosophers shouldn’t function as a theologian because it’s not the same thing.
-Philosophy as an exercise of human reason and freedom that has nothing to do with faith, while Theology needs the atmosphere of the Church inside the Church nurtured by liturgy, prayer and worship.
-As the church worship so theology developed
Wed 20 Jan, 09
-We see Theology outside and in the same time inside the world.
-Construct the Monastery of the Abbot
-set the Abbot
-Begin the formation during the middle Age
-Theology has been started in the University.
-But the contemporary brought us back to the source of Xn life, Scriptures and Fathers of the Church, Connection of Prayer, Liturgy, Mystics and concrete Xn life.
-The life of the Church exists only in the particular context.
Chapter 8 the hermeneutic task of theology and inculturation of Xn faith
1.Hermeneutic theo. Operates
-a way of interpret the scriptures, the text and theology need to be interpreted because the work of the Holy Spirit is still running throughout the Church
-the change of the attitude in the interpreting the Scripture = fundamental
-Rule = must be made inside the Xn community (Church)
-We have no right to make Holy Spirit say as whatever you want.
-Historical continuity of the Church correspond the continuity of the meaning
-In the past, we use the scripture to justify as what you want. It serves as to defend, to sustain, to grant for one’s own.
-The tradition with its own statements use the grounds from the scripture to serve itself.
-Today, we need to search for the history of the context of the text.
-and also the tradition of the interpretation… look with today’s eyes
-=reinterpretation today’s the interpretation = Scripture, Traditional, Historical context.
8.1.2.In the past, theology regarded as Knowledge (speech) but now it turns in to the interpreting with new eyes according to each particular historical (it’s always open) It can always be said in new way.
-the way we express the theology depends on the way we understand and look ourselves.
-there is a connection btw present and the past. We understand our Xn lives through the past and we make a new interpretation of our daily lives through the past.
8.2 the inculturation of Christian faith.
-the biblical image of Incarnation of Xt = Gad made himself human in order to speak in human being.
-Inculturation is necessary to let the content of Xn faith get into the culture in order to talk in that culture.
-It’s a gradual process which takes time to make it grow.
8.2.1.-There is a continuity (need to adopt the concept of culture) and discontinuity in the Culture. (mutual dimension)
-The human rights (oppression, and injustice)
8.2.2-The origianality of Christian as religion
-the originality is only Jesus Christ. While we are having different ways of celebrating the live of Jesus.
-It’s not a particular historical form, there is room for historical expression for new things in our life.
-Xn is originated in a Jewish context then it jumped into a new context (Greek), European context, Asian context
-There in no single way of being Christian. We need to respect the new arise that God makes through humankind in the history.
-Discernment is very necessary in this process
-A critical discernment has to be a work of local Church. ?a production in Thailand? What kind of theology I can make in the context of Thailand.
-we have to be aware of this mystery of Incarnation and let the Holy Spirit helps us to get through it.
Chapter 9 the force of the singular in doing theology
1.the particular faith of the Catholic Church
2.the dialogue between the Christian Churches
3.The interreligious dialogue to others religions
The meaning of the Catholic is “unity in diversity”
-“yes” to God
-“yes” about God (different understanding of their faith when they explain about their Faith)
-1.1.Yes to God = I accept
-“Yes” about God = a particular way of understanding God
-In reality we cannot separate these two “yes”
-In the 20th cent. We have faith that came from different contexts in shape the Xn faith now we receive
-In Apostles time those who join the community practiced the different way of worshipping.
-the way of understanding Jesus in different particular circumstances.
-saying the same “yes” to God in different “yes” about God.
-The ground of Catholicity is diversity in unity.
-In summary, 1.it is obvious that Xn communities have a diverse way of explaining their faith and the Church include all common data from the local churches
2.Though we have different of understanding God, it comes from one another. It submits itself to the question of other community. We need to be humble.
Look outside the Catholic Church
9.2.1The dialogue between the Xn Churches (ecumenism) Unitatis Redintegratio)
-Cat, Orthodox, Protestant
-In 16th cent. There was a religion war btw Cat & Protestants.
-the theologians function is like shouting one another. = theology of controversy
-the others were regarded as adversaries, I have to call him back to the reason.
-But now we don’t have that kind of ideas because we have ‘dialogue’
-Change strategy to the theology of dialogue
-called them ‘our brothers’ = respect others
-there is no a single Church who holds the Christian faith but partial
-How can we get closer to Christian truth? By doing dialogue.
-the truth in Xn faith is the mystical Body of Christ, transcendence. (Mystery)
-complementary to one another
-each one has their own official teaching
-trough dialogue makes each one develop common ground
-to create a “living together”
-ecumenical dialogue cannot ignore the truth in each other
-Objective hierarchy of Christian truths
-Different context and subjective hierarchies of Christian truths
-Ecumenical is difficult but it’s the way need to be done
9.2.2The interreligious dialogue, Nostra Aetate
-The Christian part accept the truth in other religions
-The work of JPII, “History being made”, asked for forgiveness, holocausts,
-One part should not humiliate the others
-the other religion also legitimate towards God
-We need to respect the “Singularity” of others
-We need to seek to truth together
-We should not be naïve
-Muslim, Asian, :the incarnation may make problem to others religion:
-The second person to become human is something difficult for them to accept.
-Buddhism, Confucianism,
Mon 25
Chapter 10 The regulation of the faith by the Church
1.The need of such a regulation
-Xn faith is not only to live but it also needs to be expressed, in a particular Church need to put faith into local language and the Church needs to verify it.
-the process of verify the expression of the content of faith which sometimes can be mistaken.
-the language of Xn faith can be separated into two types of Language
1.Language of discourse (rational discourse), Formula of faith
2.Lanuguage which is not rational discourse, gestures, symbols ..cross rosary, the language of Christian faith. Movement of liturgy, values, behavior, life style the way the Church organize itself.
-The Church has to approve that the way the local church express Xn faith don not betray Xn faith.
-The Church needs to regulate, supervise the Xn faith, the believer listen to the one who speak. Therefore we have a process of witness, transmit, listening, believing.
- Romans 6:17 But thanks be to God that you, having once been slaves of sin, have become obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to which you were entrusted, (the norm of doctrine 0r the form of teaching) They remain in Xn faith. Problem… 1.when the apostles passed away
2.the Xn community was expanding because of evangelization
3.the growth of heresy, Gnosticism
-Therefore the Church appointed the ministers to supervise (regulation) the bishops, who have the mandate from the Apostles. =2nd Generation. What it is written is not enough. While in the 1st Generation only what is written (Doctrine) is enough.
-in the letter to Titus, 1Thim, 2Thim we have several criteria for those who will be chosen as a Bishop.
-Regulators who are in charge of Regulating, Therefore we have references (what is written and authorities official ministers of the Church =episcopus.
-The consequences of regulation of Church are Unity and Identity. While the separated brethren don’t have such a regulation as the Roman Catholic they then are easily divided because the underlining on the personal, individual relationship.
-1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise the words of prophets, 21 but test everything; hold fast to what is good;
-the Holy Spirit is surprising the Church and the Regulation of the Church does not eliminate the H.S.
-we have, therefore, the need of such a regulation.
10.2the references and the agents of that regulation.
The support of the Regulation of the language of faith by the Church.
1.Objective data, of faith, of the witness, of the Church. Therefore we have the works of the Fathers of the Church, the lives of the Saints, Rites of Sacrament, lives of Theologian, the official document of the Church, encyclical, Apostolic Exhortation.
-These written materials beside the scripture help the Church to regulate the language of faith by the Church.
Question; the regulation is made in the light of the 1.Holy Scripture (norma non normata) it’s a normal number one which is not submitted to any other norms. and 2.all those written stuff (norma normata) = norm submitted to the norm number one (the Holy Scripture) therefore the secondary sources have to be in accordance with the primary source of the Church.
-The official documents of the Church do not have the same rank with the Holy Scripture. They don’t have the same weight in the regulation of the Church.
2.Activity of regulation, The action in regulating
2.1Continuous, spontaneously take care of one another. (the faithful themselves) the latin expressin “sensus fidei fidelium” (the sense of faith of the faithful)
The faithful are supposed the have the sense of faith moved by the Holy Spirit and live in a Christian way of living. Personal and individual way of imitating Christ. So it is a spontaneous in every-day life.
2.2Ministerial regulation, presided by the Pope and bishops. (the authority) = Those who produce the teaching of the Church,
Question; the people of the Church and the ministers of the Church. Those who regulate.
This is a mechanism in regulating the Christian faith and Unity and Identity of the Church.
10.3The relationship between the theologians and the official teaching of the Church.
-Systematize
-Theology is the Ecclesial science of faith these 3 realities help to define the faith
-As a science theology must be competence, which was built in the Church in the atmosphere of the Christian community.
-Therefore we have faith = Theo. as a result of faith
Church = Theo should be done in the Christian community
Science = Theology should be done in a competence way
-two model of theologians and Magisterium
1.the model of delegation
The Magisterium make delegate to the theologians some stuff, e.g. Climate Change, Ecology, Reflection of Humanae Vitae and problem of sexual Ethics.
-Magisterium make theologians as servants. They have to do what the Magisterium wants them to do. This causes tension for the theologians.
2.the model of cooperation
The Magisterium give the theologians freedom to research and do their theology. The Magis respect the theo. and this is more mature, because they should cooperate. In the past we rarely see the cooperation and relationship btw the Magis and Theo.
Both have responsibility in transmission the Christian faith. The Pope is the head of the Church and exercise the Magisterium. Concern the faith of the faithful the unity of the Church.
While the theologians are researching the way to interpret the faith in the context of today’s life, the Church try to maintain the Unity and Fidelity of the faithful.
Therefore we have a concrete human contexts and the Church (Magisterium) are promoting the Unity of the Church and fidelity of the Christian faith.
The theologians relate the Holy Scripture and the tradition of the Church in a contemporary context. The sources and references of Christian faith are the Scripture and Tradition.
The same object = transmit the Xn faith throughout the history, by doing different tasks.
Fundamental Theology: Faith and Theology
Prof.Domingos Terra S.J. January 4-21, 2010, USJ, Macau
1.The connection btw faith and theology.
-there is no theology without faith
-there is no faith without theology
a)Faith is the point of departure
b)Faith is the atmosphere develop
c)Arrival of theology
Therefore Faith is before, simultaneous and after theology.
Chapter 2. Dialogical structure of Xn’s faith
1.the 2 realities, Accord,
Xn’s faith = 1.God’s gift, God’s grace
2.And human free answer (Engagement of Xn faith)
-God traces in us
-As a finite being human open to someone who is infinite, unlimited.
-Xn faith is not a human conquest, not a human action but a gift from God.
-According to human structure human being is given a gift.
How do we perceive this thing?
2.Mediator (human mediator, Channel, open, tell,
Romans 10:14-15 4 But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? 15 And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
=to speak about Jesus Christ, when people speak they may hear. = mediator
=Announcement = the beginning of Xn faith, Proclamation – Acceptance
-the sequence of the generation through generation has brought the people into the faith.
=a sequence of transmission= tradition (Christian tradition)
-the moment of Baptism, you are given already a mission to give, pass on the faith.
=I become a Christian believer because there is someone taught me about this belief.
God’s word functioned in human word (Parent’s word about God) that we can perceive God’s intention. = God speaks to us through others mouth.
The Scripture is both God’s word and human words.
The proof that it is from God = Sometimes, something is very demanding and it’s really hard to accept and we never even think about it. It is a proof that this word doesn’t come from this world but it’s actually comes from God.
=In the beginning there was the Word. Through which God reveals = Divine Word.
John’s Gospel is the best conception of Christian faith.
“to believe” = 98 times in “credere”, “pisteo”
It’s a dynamic, a process of action
To believe, receive, come, listen, follow, remain = process of believing
1.Impulse of all our being,
The whole being of person – profundity of the being of Jesus
-impulse us into the direction of God
-fundamental attitude of human being towards Jesus who is before him
-Faith engage my whole being
=we got this through the vocabularies used in the Gospel so it is the message and activity for us to have a process of faith.
-When John use the word “to believe” without an object it force upon the Subject e.g. Do I believe or not believe? To distract us … believe or not?
2.Believer and reality (Faith try to understand the veil)
To believe, to see, to know
We can reach it through Jesus signs, witnesses, words, = (indirectly)
“Who see me see the Father” = you will not see the Father directly
-Faith is called to “see” the fingerprint of the Father, through Jesus with his authority of the Father himself.
Why many people don’t believe in Jesus? Because they were not able to get through it..= someone, something behind him.
Faith has to go beyond the works of miracle.
The Word made flesh = God in Jesus
3.the mystery of salvation is fully present in Jesus
-concentrated in the very person of Jesus, everything in regarding salvation is in Jesus.
-with the full strength, complete, Chritocentric
-My faith has to reveal in the “I” of Jesus e.g. I am the way.., I am the life…, I am the light..
-The person of Jesus is the penetrating of the Truth. Jn 1:14
4.Faith to go deep in the mystery of Jesus
-to discover the mystery of Jesus,
-my own interiority …….to the interiority of Jesus himself
-Faith engages me deeply to engage also deeply in Jesus.
-to believe – to know, to process to go deeply into Jesus’ mystery. = form a Unity
-We are called to believe, to jump into something, not to be naïve,
-Faith touching us and impels us to jump into the mystery of Jesus
-It moves us to go further inside the mystery of Jesus. (There is some knowledge inside) the condition to know more is to get into him deeply.
-The Gospel of John calls us to jump into the truth that is revealed in Jesus.
-Development of faith, path of faith, expansion of life,
-The intimate unit btw the Son and the Father, He is the Son of God, He is God. He has all God’s power, One day I will see God face to face = eternal, but right now it’s a partial. The relation btw Jesus and Father = life, so Jesus is the truth that saves us.
-When we go into the mystery of Jesus we get the life and love
1 John 1:1-3 We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life-- 2 this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us-- 3 we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us;
-Inside the mystery we have jumped into it and discovered who the person is.
5.Divine work and human work
-A movement of response because God takes initiative, when we respond to God I discovered that He started coming toward me already. He responds to me in a deeper way. = the development of Faith
-I move further because I was touched by him, = Faith is the effect of a supernatural attraction
John 6:44 44 No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day.
-Faith = we have been attracted by God. (Faith implies knowledge)
-faith involves the aspect of the Will also (love)
-Faith – incredulity (doubt about faith), unfaith, lack of faith
-the Fight btw faith & unfaith takes place always in our own heart and in the society and culture, (They did not believe), We have to overcome the social pressure, the fight btw the son of light and the son of darkness, Faith & incredulity,
6. The attitude to build up again and again
-It’s an effort, to believe is not a stable attitude that we acquire once and for all.
-Because the circumstances in life may change, We will fall down and raise up the question. Do we still believe in Jesus?
-To renew my faith, the new discover about Jesus, e.g. The Transfiguration of Jesus. Do you still believe in me, in spite of this Good news?
-The movement of immature to more mature.
-Pedagogy of faith, we need to be faithful through all kind of things in our life.
-Different step of faith,
-Nathanael…, the multitude,
6.1Lack of faith Unfaith
6.2Beginning of faith partial faith
6.3Matured faith True faith
Chapter 3 Vatican II
We don’t have a single document about faith but revelation Dei Verbum #5
5. "The obedience of faith" (Rom. 13:26; see 1:5; 2 Cor 10:5-6) "is to be given to God who reveals, an obedience by which man commits his whole self freely to God, offering the full submission of intellect and will to God who reveals," (4) and freely assenting to the truth revealed by Him. To make this act of faith, the grace of God and the interior help of the Holy Spirit must precede and assist, moving the heart and turning it to God, opening the eyes of the mind and giving "joy and ease to everyone in assenting to the truth and believing it." (5) To bring about an ever deeper understanding of revelation the same Holy Spirit constantly brings faith to completion by His gifts.
5. Deo revelanti praestanda est oboeditio fidei (cf. Rom 16,26; coll. Rom 1,5; 2 Cor 10,5-6), qua homo se totum libere Deo committit "plenum revelanti Deo intellectus et voluntatis obsequium" praestando (4) et voluntarie revelationi ab Eo datae assentiendo. Quae fides ut praebeatur, opus est praeveniente et adiuvante gratia Dei et internis Spiritus Sancti auxiliis, qui cor moveat et in Deum convertat, mentis oculos aperiat, et det "omnibus suavitatem in consentiendo et credendo veritati"(5), Quo vero profundior usque evadat revelationis intelligentia, idem Spiritus Sanctus fidem iugiter per dona sua perficit.
http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en.html
Vat I
Chapter 3 On faith
1. Since human beings are totally dependent on God as their creator and lord, and created reason is completely subject to uncreated truth, we are obliged to yield to God the revealer full submission of intellect and will by faith.
2. This faith, which is the beginning of human salvation, the Catholic Church professes to be a supernatural virtue, by means of which, with the grace of God inspiring and assisting us, we believe to be true what He has revealed, not because we perceive its intrinsic truth by the natural light of reason, but because of the authority of God himself, who makes the revelation and can neither deceive nor be deceived.
3. Faith, declares the Apostle, is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen [17].
4. Nevertheless, in order that the submission of our faith should be in accordance with reason, it was God's will that there should be linked to the internal assistance of the Holy Spirit external indications of his revelation, that is to say divine acts, and first and foremost miracles and prophecies, which clearly demonstrating as they do the omnipotence and infinite knowledge of God, are the most certain signs of revelation and are suited to the understanding of all.
5. Hence Moses and the prophets, and especially Christ our lord himself, worked many absolutely clear miracles and delivered prophecies; while of the apostles we read: And they went forth and preached every, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it [18]. Again it is written: We have the prophetic word made more sure; you will do well to pay attention to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place [19].
6. Now, although the assent of faith is by no means a blind movement of the mind, yet no one can accept the gospel preaching in the way that is necessary for achieving salvation without the inspiration and illumination of the Holy Spirit, who gives to all facility in accepting and believing the truth [20].
7. And so faith in itself, even though it may not work through charity, is a gift of God, and its operation is a work belonging to the order of salvation, in that a person yields true obedience to God himself when he accepts and collaborates with his grace which he could have rejected.
8. Wherefore, by divine and Catholic faith all those things are to be believed which are contained in the word of God as found in Scripture and tradition, and which are proposed by the Church as matters to be believed as divinely revealed, whether by her solemn judgment or in her ordinary and universal magisterium.
9. Since, then, without faith it is impossible to please God [21] and reach the fellowship of his sons and daughters, it follows that no one can ever achieve justification without it, neither can anyone attain eternal life unless he or she perseveres in it to the end.
10. So that we could fulfill our duty of embracing the true faith and of persevering unwaveringly in it, God, through his only begotten Son, founded the Church, and he endowed his institution with clear notes to the end that she might be recognized by all as the guardian and teacher of the revealed word.
11. To the Catholic Church alone belong all those things, so many and so marvelous, which have been divinely ordained to make for the manifest credibility of the Christian faith.
12. What is more, the Church herself by reason of her astonishing propagation, her outstanding holiness and her inexhaustible fertility in every kind of goodness, by her Catholic unity and her unconquerable stability, is a kind of great and perpetual motive of credibility and an incontrovertible evidence of her own divine mission.
13. So it comes about that, like a standard lifted up for the nations [22], she both invites to herself those who have not yet believed, and likewise assures her sons and daughters that the faith they profess rests on the firmest of foundations.
14. To this witness is added the effective help of power from on high. For, the kind Lord stirs up those who go astray and helps them by his grace so that they may come to the knowledge of the truth [23] ; and also confirms by his grace those whom he has translated into his admirable light [24], so that they may persevere in this light, not abandoning them unless he is first abandoned.
15. Consequently, the situation of those, who by the heavenly gift of faith have embraced the Catholic truth, is by no means the same as that of those who, led by human opinions, follow a false religion; for those who have accepted the faith under the guidance of the Church can never have any just cause for changing this faith or for calling it into question.
This being so, giving thanks to God the Father who has made us worthy to share with the saints in light [25] let us not neglect so great a salvation [26], but looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith [27], let us hold the unshakable confession of our hope [28].
http://www.ewtn.com/library/COUNCILS/V1.htm#4
Obedience of faith: the context of Va1 and Va2 is different.
Vat 1 Vat 2
1.God revealed thing -Person (Jesus) God revealed Godself through
-revelation is atmosphere, truth Xt in the dialogue of human being
2.Obedience of faith = truths -Obe of faith is to be encountered inside the
Affirmed by God Person of Jesus
Many times we have separated faith and life from each other.
Revelation and faith is the two sides of the same coin. The process, moment of encounter, that God shows himself to us, He is the Way, Truth and Life.
Jan 11, 09
Fides qua (faith through which) Act (St.Augustin created this vocabulary)
Fides quae (faith which) content
“There is a faith which is the same for all of us” = content
“There is a faith specifically in each one of us” = act
Vat 1 “Obedience of Faith”
We must response to God as He was the one who spoke
-very intellectual just accept
Vat 2 = interpersonal encounter btw God and human by saying ‘Yes’ engage his own person.
-it’s more kind but much more demanding, response to God with the whole person.
-We must deliver ourselves fully to God.
Because it has put together the “fides qua and fides quae”
Existential act and intellectual content together.
For 4 centuries, during after Luther to the first part of 20th century
Catholic emphasize on the intellectual consent of faith
While the protestant emphasize the act of faith, so the Vat 2 tried to combine these 2 together.
In Vat 2 God reveals new things every day
Chapter 3#2
Faith combines knowing and moving
The Realm of Faith
Two different aspects in Christian faith
1.Intelligibility, A form of knowledge, “What do I see there”, the meaning I give to the things, way of understanding, meaning, aspect of faith, order of reason
2.Emotion, An affective and spiritual motion. Event, the order of experience. “What is there”,
What is there How I look at what is there
(experience) (Significance)
=but significance is bigger than experience. (Human existence)
This two sides must be together because (knowing and moving must go together)
1.through faith I get to know something, but not only that it’s put into action which has to do with emotion, moving. (knowing and moving)
2.It is a personal way to perceive what is God revelation is all about? And a consequence of responding to the way I understand God’s way.
3.God is God and when he entered into my life it’s too much. It excessively challenges me to follow Him. I have to move towards God
Summary;
1.Xn faith is not only understanding but responding
2.the knowing inside the moving, living it’s very personal way of understanding God
3.God is too excessive to us, to know God is not enough but I have to move to this too much.
Chapter 4 Christian faith as experience of salvation and process of liberation.
Salvation = liberation from sin, these 2 words are very close.
Faith –dynamics of salvation/ liberation on the individual level.
- dynamics of salvation/ liberation on the social level, cultural (tendency of Grace and sinful), cultural way of thinking (to help us approaching God or move away from God)
4.1 In a personal perspective
4.2 In a social perspective
To become a matured faithful person,
Revelation from God
e.g.The conversation btw Jesus and Nicodemus “to reborn” = to allow God to come and grow in your life,
e.g. Jesus with the prostitute, Jesus gave her a new chance
-to let the Word from the outside enter into our life. Follow God’s work you will become of what you really are.
-Therefore I should not be afraid for God’s work to call out the depth of my life
-the force image and my reality, He calls me a new birth, it’s made a new.
-I should accept God’s work in my life, no more delay.
Wed Jan 13,
Chapter 4 Xn faith as experience of salvation and process of liberation (Cont.)
1.Process of Xn faith
-the proclamation during the baptism “I will not construct myself to others”
-Xn faith is constructing, We are invited as what we really are…
-God wants me to be different, being born again, a renew identity.
-I can’t find myself unless I loose myself in God
-It is a personalize life = Xn life
-Relationship btw “I = Y”, Who do you say I am?
-God calls each one of us by name…
-a personal invitation and we need to reply a personal answer
-A parable of Good shepherd (Jn 10:10-14)
-the Word of God is a very specific word
-it’s not a word of imposition
-The Holy Spirit helps us to understand the Word of God
-We understand ourselves through a communication, and dialogue.
-the non believers can not understand the word of God because the holy spirit is not with them.
Xn faith is explicitly a process of Salvation
1.What we leave behind.
2.What we embrace.
-Salvation = what we want to get free of… =SIN
-I just want to move away from sin,
-Xn faith saying “yes” to God, accepting God’s will, God’s plan.
-What is the path of Xn process of Salvation?
But it’s beyond what we can see= it’s a mystery
-When the life of God comes in me = Salvation, it moves away sin
-We are justified by faith (cf. Gal 3:24)
-in Rom 3:28, We are justified by faith not the Law.
- now we have to think that what is the faith inside us?
-is it the saying “yes” to God through my whole being not only my mouth
-if we take away of faith what about faith?
-Christian faith is a dynamism of whole being, the word and deeds are also the process of Salvation.
-Faith supposed to make us have a feeling like God, think, say, concern…?
-How do I get this sense of God?
In the order of being In the order of knowledge
God Sense of God
Christ Sense of Christ
Church Sense of Church
We are getting the sense of God through the sense of Jesus Christ in the sense of the Church.
-The sense of Christ who died for us, crucified on the cross for our sins, and who is risen from the dead.
The sense of the Church is to impart, to love the Church and without the Church I am NOTHING
-According to God’s eyes and God’s feeling, Xn faith has a duty to acquire the sense of God.
How Xn faith is a dynamic process on the social level (4.2)
Social perspective
-a German Theo. John Baptist Metz “Political theology”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Baptist_Metz
He argued for the concept of a 'suffering God' who shared the pain of his creation, writing, "Yet, faced with conditions in God's creation that cry out to heaven, how can the theology of the creator God avoid the suspicion of apathy unless it takes up the language of a suffering God?"
-What is our faith?
-The God that we find in the Bible is a man who challenge the people to build their own identity in the Solidarity in ourselves, Domination.
-Xn faith is the process of constructing human faith not in the cloud but on this very earthly existence, society.
-Especially when Hm being is in Danger, Struggle, Injustice, Suffering, Sadness, Oppression because of the unjust in the society.
-So we have to set the Network in the midst of the society.
-If we don’t look at the negative side, darkness, evil sin in the society, What about our faith has to do with?
-I may be a part of it also. Otherwise we might be a part of the tendency to care only those who are in the victory, but God came to save the sinners, looser. Keep the looser in your mind.
-So that all human being can become Subject, person.
-Why are they poor? Why they can not possess?
-Dignity is for all human beings?
-Keeping in mind the Paschal mystery of Jesus, PDR
-Give Power to the ruthless, give them hope, new opportunity.
-Resurrection is the victory of Justice upon the passion
-Separating worship of God from the love of brothers.. is unacceptable..
Fri 15 Jan, 09
Chapter 5 Growth and maturation of the Christian faith
-the very important moment of transformation, event
-Circumscribed, (localize)
-Human relationship make me grows
-I’m growing up trough fast and slow movement
-I discover new possibility of existence
-How I have been growing up through both experience
-Events, and slow movement are related to each one.
-they lead a deeper road in my hearts
-Human relations make them grow (make me grow)
-Open my hearts for something new, I have never had before
-Discover a new way in my life
-Open my life to a universe, to new things
-it remains in my heart because it allows me to perceive the existence of others in my life.
5.1. Personal Itinerary and discover of God
-I may struggle for a period of time
-Experience and Language, confront the language with the experience = personal approach
-Experience itself develop and language also in the same way
5.2Moving away from faith and coming back to it
Chapter 6 the community dimension of the Xn faith
6.1Xn faith as a given prior to the individual person
-I can leave the faith as I want? No it’s the faith of the Church
-I’m not a creator of my own faith
-Are we living a true faith?
-We are living the faith and the Christian community
-Individualistic and Social (community), Church’s faith
-Jesus is Both God and Human = Formulation of faith = put in to language or formulation
-The Church communicate to me the faith
-When I say “yes” it is to both the Church and to the formulation
-The parents are communicating the faith to the X@ and the Formulation for me
-because they “see” = eyes and “hear” = ears so Xn faith exist before I was born
-I don’t produce faith by myself, but it’s sth I ask for and I receive as a gift
-When I receive I have to keep to reserve
-It’s a gift from God through the Church because others wouldn’t be able to have this opportunity
-Texts, make Xn faith visible, e.g. The holy scriptures, commandment
-Institutions, Parish, Diocese, Holy See, Social works
-Figures, e.g. Mary & St.Joseph, Teresa of Calcutta, Martyrs, Blessed
-Rites, e.g. Sacraments, Liturgy, Devotions, Blessing of houses, cars,
-Behavior
-Events, e.g. Pilgrimage to Fatima, to Lourdes, WYD
-from experience to reality of socio historical
-my experience helps me go deeper in the Faith of the Church
-See, Judge, Act
-in the midst of the Faith of the Church, I make my faith visible
-The Church is the community of people,
-X@ faith pre-exist before my faith, my existence
-Xn faith require me to decide to live this faith
-Though it exist before me it demands my individual
-X@ = a living community
-Require me to propagate the faith to the next generation
-Individual dimension = I say I believe
-Community dimension = I receive the faith of the Church
1.we are underlining the faith of the community
2.it needs my personal respond
6.2. the Ecclesial discernment of the different believing behaviors
-Personal way and the Faith of the Church
-Xn faith exist only in a personalize way without individual Xn faith doesn’t exist
-The singular (individual) is the place where the Church’s faith is affirmed.
-Ecclesial verification
-People today want democracy (freedom) not to imposed things
-Individual is very importance (the lesson for the Church)
-Individual conscience = The Church respect much more about Hm’s freedom
-I need to belong a particular community = Root
-I need to be free (space, freedom) to live
-Belong to a group, = human right and pronounce
-Transfer this law to Particular Realm of faith
1.must belong to the Church = root in Xn community
2.X@ need to make it declared = I believe
3.Roots in the Xn community
-Pastoral Question; -Open space for people to encounter Jesus in a particular way
-not to impose too much for the new comers, believers
Mon 18, Chapter 6 cont.
-The verification of the Church is a process that she makes sure on what the person (Christians) believe.
-They can not just impose but they need the Church to recognize them as well.
-The Church recognizes that Christian faith has passed through the individual conscious. Because the Church is a community of people, She needs to affirm the things.
-Each one of the member says a particular way what has already impressed in the Church.
6.2-Discernment
Obligations;
-You have to prove to the Xn community that you will live the Xn faith, proclaim, and pass it on. It is a free gift that he receives and through the Xn faith he will live his life. He sent me to build the truth of the Church.
-Christian faith is an objective and more personal, in the same time it’s not simply subjective (not each one own, will). We cannot do what we want, because it’s objective. But it’s not impersonal. Without saying that I believe, how can the Church continue the mission. Therefore Christian faith is more formal, (Subjectivization). But it can never be a privatization (to do as what you want). It is a mutual confrontation, we all have the right to say (talk) things. = We grow the faith together.
2.They need a room to proclaim the faith in a singular person “I” believe. There must be a Christian belonging that I must have root in the community.
2.1.There must be a part of tradition, Institution, inheritance, tasks and challenges. = a world of Christian faith.
Conclusion;
I have the right to pronounce the faith that I believe, = “I” believe then it comes the point of arrival as the construction as “We” by crossing the different “I”. By crossing the I together, unlike in the past that we imposing.
B: Theology as reflection on Christian Faith
Chapter 7 Theology as science and as wisdom
-7.1 Theology: science and wisdom
-How does Theology function, specification, knowledge of activities?
-Phil. Uses human freedom, Theo. Illuminated by Xn Freedom
-Theo as Science; a competent exercise of reflection upon faith using responsibly human reason. Theo as wisdom; a reflection that breaths the light that comes through faith. (Majar aspect of Theology’s function) You have to live the Xn faith in order to understand it.
-Wisdom as a light of faith, theology: conceptual knowledge about faith.
-Hans Urs Von Balthasar (Switz) German speaking, “good theologians are made by kneeling” = a radical statement.
-Conceptual elaboration, wisdom coming from God
-There need a scientific competent to tell the truth.
2 aspects –inside the Church = Wisdom, made in the atmosphere of Xa
-outside the Church = Competent, rational to proclaim to the World.
-Xn Philosophers shouldn’t function as a theologian because it’s not the same thing.
-Philosophy as an exercise of human reason and freedom that has nothing to do with faith, while Theology needs the atmosphere of the Church inside the Church nurtured by liturgy, prayer and worship.
-As the church worship so theology developed
Wed 20 Jan, 09
-We see Theology outside and in the same time inside the world.
-Construct the Monastery of the Abbot
-set the Abbot
-Begin the formation during the middle Age
-Theology has been started in the University.
-But the contemporary brought us back to the source of Xn life, Scriptures and Fathers of the Church, Connection of Prayer, Liturgy, Mystics and concrete Xn life.
-The life of the Church exists only in the particular context.
Chapter 8 the hermeneutic task of theology and inculturation of Xn faith
1.Hermeneutic theo. Operates
-a way of interpret the scriptures, the text and theology need to be interpreted because the work of the Holy Spirit is still running throughout the Church
-the change of the attitude in the interpreting the Scripture = fundamental
-Rule = must be made inside the Xn community (Church)
-We have no right to make Holy Spirit say as whatever you want.
-Historical continuity of the Church correspond the continuity of the meaning
-In the past, we use the scripture to justify as what you want. It serves as to defend, to sustain, to grant for one’s own.
-The tradition with its own statements use the grounds from the scripture to serve itself.
-Today, we need to search for the history of the context of the text.
-and also the tradition of the interpretation… look with today’s eyes
-=reinterpretation today’s the interpretation = Scripture, Traditional, Historical context.
8.1.2.In the past, theology regarded as Knowledge (speech) but now it turns in to the interpreting with new eyes according to each particular historical (it’s always open) It can always be said in new way.
-the way we express the theology depends on the way we understand and look ourselves.
-there is a connection btw present and the past. We understand our Xn lives through the past and we make a new interpretation of our daily lives through the past.
8.2 the inculturation of Christian faith.
-the biblical image of Incarnation of Xt = Gad made himself human in order to speak in human being.
-Inculturation is necessary to let the content of Xn faith get into the culture in order to talk in that culture.
-It’s a gradual process which takes time to make it grow.
8.2.1.-There is a continuity (need to adopt the concept of culture) and discontinuity in the Culture. (mutual dimension)
-The human rights (oppression, and injustice)
8.2.2-The origianality of Christian as religion
-the originality is only Jesus Christ. While we are having different ways of celebrating the live of Jesus.
-It’s not a particular historical form, there is room for historical expression for new things in our life.
-Xn is originated in a Jewish context then it jumped into a new context (Greek), European context, Asian context
-There in no single way of being Christian. We need to respect the new arise that God makes through humankind in the history.
-Discernment is very necessary in this process
-A critical discernment has to be a work of local Church. ?a production in Thailand? What kind of theology I can make in the context of Thailand.
-we have to be aware of this mystery of Incarnation and let the Holy Spirit helps us to get through it.
Chapter 9 the force of the singular in doing theology
1.the particular faith of the Catholic Church
2.the dialogue between the Christian Churches
3.The interreligious dialogue to others religions
The meaning of the Catholic is “unity in diversity”
-“yes” to God
-“yes” about God (different understanding of their faith when they explain about their Faith)
-1.1.Yes to God = I accept
-“Yes” about God = a particular way of understanding God
-In reality we cannot separate these two “yes”
-In the 20th cent. We have faith that came from different contexts in shape the Xn faith now we receive
-In Apostles time those who join the community practiced the different way of worshipping.
-the way of understanding Jesus in different particular circumstances.
-saying the same “yes” to God in different “yes” about God.
-The ground of Catholicity is diversity in unity.
-In summary, 1.it is obvious that Xn communities have a diverse way of explaining their faith and the Church include all common data from the local churches
2.Though we have different of understanding God, it comes from one another. It submits itself to the question of other community. We need to be humble.
Look outside the Catholic Church
9.2.1The dialogue between the Xn Churches (ecumenism) Unitatis Redintegratio)
-Cat, Orthodox, Protestant
-In 16th cent. There was a religion war btw Cat & Protestants.
-the theologians function is like shouting one another. = theology of controversy
-the others were regarded as adversaries, I have to call him back to the reason.
-But now we don’t have that kind of ideas because we have ‘dialogue’
-Change strategy to the theology of dialogue
-called them ‘our brothers’ = respect others
-there is no a single Church who holds the Christian faith but partial
-How can we get closer to Christian truth? By doing dialogue.
-the truth in Xn faith is the mystical Body of Christ, transcendence. (Mystery)
-complementary to one another
-each one has their own official teaching
-trough dialogue makes each one develop common ground
-to create a “living together”
-ecumenical dialogue cannot ignore the truth in each other
-Objective hierarchy of Christian truths
-Different context and subjective hierarchies of Christian truths
-Ecumenical is difficult but it’s the way need to be done
9.2.2The interreligious dialogue, Nostra Aetate
-The Christian part accept the truth in other religions
-The work of JPII, “History being made”, asked for forgiveness, holocausts,
-One part should not humiliate the others
-the other religion also legitimate towards God
-We need to respect the “Singularity” of others
-We need to seek to truth together
-We should not be naïve
-Muslim, Asian, :the incarnation may make problem to others religion:
-The second person to become human is something difficult for them to accept.
-Buddhism, Confucianism,
Mon 25
Chapter 10 The regulation of the faith by the Church
1.The need of such a regulation
-Xn faith is not only to live but it also needs to be expressed, in a particular Church need to put faith into local language and the Church needs to verify it.
-the process of verify the expression of the content of faith which sometimes can be mistaken.
-the language of Xn faith can be separated into two types of Language
1.Language of discourse (rational discourse), Formula of faith
2.Lanuguage which is not rational discourse, gestures, symbols ..cross rosary, the language of Christian faith. Movement of liturgy, values, behavior, life style the way the Church organize itself.
-The Church has to approve that the way the local church express Xn faith don not betray Xn faith.
-The Church needs to regulate, supervise the Xn faith, the believer listen to the one who speak. Therefore we have a process of witness, transmit, listening, believing.
- Romans 6:17 But thanks be to God that you, having once been slaves of sin, have become obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to which you were entrusted, (the norm of doctrine 0r the form of teaching) They remain in Xn faith. Problem… 1.when the apostles passed away
2.the Xn community was expanding because of evangelization
3.the growth of heresy, Gnosticism
-Therefore the Church appointed the ministers to supervise (regulation) the bishops, who have the mandate from the Apostles. =2nd Generation. What it is written is not enough. While in the 1st Generation only what is written (Doctrine) is enough.
-in the letter to Titus, 1Thim, 2Thim we have several criteria for those who will be chosen as a Bishop.
-Regulators who are in charge of Regulating, Therefore we have references (what is written and authorities official ministers of the Church =episcopus.
-The consequences of regulation of Church are Unity and Identity. While the separated brethren don’t have such a regulation as the Roman Catholic they then are easily divided because the underlining on the personal, individual relationship.
-1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise the words of prophets, 21 but test everything; hold fast to what is good;
-the Holy Spirit is surprising the Church and the Regulation of the Church does not eliminate the H.S.
-we have, therefore, the need of such a regulation.
10.2the references and the agents of that regulation.
The support of the Regulation of the language of faith by the Church.
1.Objective data, of faith, of the witness, of the Church. Therefore we have the works of the Fathers of the Church, the lives of the Saints, Rites of Sacrament, lives of Theologian, the official document of the Church, encyclical, Apostolic Exhortation.
-These written materials beside the scripture help the Church to regulate the language of faith by the Church.
Question; the regulation is made in the light of the 1.Holy Scripture (norma non normata) it’s a normal number one which is not submitted to any other norms. and 2.all those written stuff (norma normata) = norm submitted to the norm number one (the Holy Scripture) therefore the secondary sources have to be in accordance with the primary source of the Church.
-The official documents of the Church do not have the same rank with the Holy Scripture. They don’t have the same weight in the regulation of the Church.
2.Activity of regulation, The action in regulating
2.1Continuous, spontaneously take care of one another. (the faithful themselves) the latin expressin “sensus fidei fidelium” (the sense of faith of the faithful)
The faithful are supposed the have the sense of faith moved by the Holy Spirit and live in a Christian way of living. Personal and individual way of imitating Christ. So it is a spontaneous in every-day life.
2.2Ministerial regulation, presided by the Pope and bishops. (the authority) = Those who produce the teaching of the Church,
Question; the people of the Church and the ministers of the Church. Those who regulate.
This is a mechanism in regulating the Christian faith and Unity and Identity of the Church.
10.3The relationship between the theologians and the official teaching of the Church.
-Systematize
-Theology is the Ecclesial science of faith these 3 realities help to define the faith
-As a science theology must be competence, which was built in the Church in the atmosphere of the Christian community.
-Therefore we have faith = Theo. as a result of faith
Church = Theo should be done in the Christian community
Science = Theology should be done in a competence way
-two model of theologians and Magisterium
1.the model of delegation
The Magisterium make delegate to the theologians some stuff, e.g. Climate Change, Ecology, Reflection of Humanae Vitae and problem of sexual Ethics.
-Magisterium make theologians as servants. They have to do what the Magisterium wants them to do. This causes tension for the theologians.
2.the model of cooperation
The Magisterium give the theologians freedom to research and do their theology. The Magis respect the theo. and this is more mature, because they should cooperate. In the past we rarely see the cooperation and relationship btw the Magis and Theo.
Both have responsibility in transmission the Christian faith. The Pope is the head of the Church and exercise the Magisterium. Concern the faith of the faithful the unity of the Church.
While the theologians are researching the way to interpret the faith in the context of today’s life, the Church try to maintain the Unity and Fidelity of the faithful.
Therefore we have a concrete human contexts and the Church (Magisterium) are promoting the Unity of the Church and fidelity of the Christian faith.
The theologians relate the Holy Scripture and the tradition of the Church in a contemporary context. The sources and references of Christian faith are the Scripture and Tradition.
The same object = transmit the Xn faith throughout the history, by doing different tasks.
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