THEOLOGY

Theology – Faith (Pananampalataya)

Etymological meaning of theology
a. Derived from the Greek words:
i. theos (θεός) = god; goth
ii. Logos (λόγος)= word; study; to speak about
iii. Thus: theology means “the study of god”; “to talk about
God”
Essentially, the term theology, particularly Christian Theology means a
discourse concerning Christian Faith. Faith in God is the subject matter of
Theology. So without Faith, there is no sense in studying Theology.
Without God, there is no faith. Without our faith-response there is no
sense in studying God in the context of faith. So, both Faith and the object
of our faith who is God are essential in Theology.
1. Definition of Theology
a. Theology is the process of understanding God and one’s own
faith. For Catholics, doing theology means the effort to
understand their faith in the God revealed in Jesus Christ who
is present with us through his Church.
b. Theology, according to St. Anselm is, “faith seeking
understanding.”
i. To seek to understand one’s faith
c. The subject matter of theology is faith, specifically Christian
faith which refers to the following:
i. the object of our faith: God and his saving truths, as revealed
in Judaeo-Christian history and traditions, and
ii. the personal act of believing

2. In a college context, doing theology is, like physics, history and

psychology.
a. Theology is a science, i.e., a methodical and systematic inquiry
into a significant question or phenomenon of human experience
using the faculty of critical reason. Thus, in doing theology, one
has to be both faithful and critical.
i. Being faithful. There can be no theology without faith, for
as defined earlier, theology is “faith seeking understanding.”
Theology presupposes faith in the one doing theology.

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 Theology is not the interpretation of someone else’s faith,
but of our own, or, more properly, of our community’s
faith. Theology is not just talk about God. To do theology is
to understand our own faith in God.
ii. Being critical. Many of us have the mistaken notion that
reason and faith are not in good terms with each other: reason
is said to make realities clear and lucid; faith is supposedly for
obscure realities that are impenetrable to reason. On the
contrary Catholic theology has always taken faith and
reason as friends.

There can be no real disagreement between faith and reason,

since the same God who reveals the mysteries and infuses
faith has also endowed the human mind with the light of
reason. (Vatican 1, Dei Filius, DS 3017)

b. According to Gerald O’Collins, reason has the task of

checking, scrutinizing, and systematically reflecting on the
content of faith and the practice of faith. This is what it
means for theology to be “critical” (not in the sense of “finding
fault”).

c. Thus faith and reason are both indispensable partners in the task
of doing theology, interacting in creative tension towards the
truth that is God:

“Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human
spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed
in the human heart a desire to know the truth – in a word to
know himself or herself – so that, by knowing and loving God,
men and women may also come to a fullness of truth about
themselves.” - Pope John Paul II, Fides et Ratio 1
THEOLOGY AS RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE
Experience is defined as the encounter between man and reality.
Experience with Reflection = Meaningful
Types of Experience:
a. Ordinary
b. Religious
Religious Experience – Faith + Transcendence
Transcendence – to go beyond

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 Gabriel Marcel - a French theistic existentialist believes that “experience
is more than the simple meeting of self (inside) and sense of world
(outside).” Marcel suggests that an experience implies reflection. Thus,
reflection is intimately related with experience. Experience and reflection
do not just touch, they meet.
- Experience thus implies not just juxtaposition of perceiver and
perceived but a meaningful and creative relationship between the
two, a dialectic.
Roque Ferriols - a Jesuit theologian explains the meaning of “kahulugan”
or meaning using the image of a “funnel” or “embudo.”
Paul Johanne Tillich - a theologian, the ultimate value is equal to “god”.
Rudolph Visker - a Jesuit philosopher-theologian, the ultimate longing
for satisfaction is the ultimate longing for the Absolute. He equates this
absolute with God, the one who satisfies ultimately man’s longing for
meaning.
Dermot Lane - religious experiences are those moments in life when we
perceive the world of meaning as grounded in that immanent and
transcendent reality we call God.
- For any believer, faith forms an intrinsic part of the perceptual
apparatus. This means, faith is an important component when we
perceive things (seen or unseen).
Faith - the ability to see beyond the merely human or the merely actual or
obvious.
- An experience then can be religious w/o necessarily alluding to
religious or liturgical activities done in and by the Church.
- Thus, any experience is both objective and subjective.
Joachim Wach - religious experience as "the total response of the total
being to Ultimate Reality."
Religious experience - is ecstatic which leads you out of yourself. It is
fulfilled time not filling in time. Filling in time is an experience of
boredom. A person starts becoming conscious of time.
David Tracy - limit situations are disclosive of religious experience in our
way of self-transcendence. There are two limit situations:
- Positive limit situations: experiences of joy, jubilations, life, or
happiness. These are experiences of “bitin.”
- Negative limit situations: experiences of fear, loneliness.
Karl Rahner - The act of forgiveness is a religious experience.
Pananampalataya: Bilang Paniniwala, Pagtitiwala, at Pagkakatiwala
a. Tiwala ang salitang ugat ng paniniwala, pagtitiwala, at pagkakatiwala.

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 - Ang tiwala ay maaring mag-ugat sa:nagsasabi (nagsasalita); o sa sinasabi (salita)
- Kapag ang nagsasabi (person) ay may credibilidad (marunong; mabuti; matapat; maganda ang kalooban;
busilak ang puso) siya ay mapagkatitiwalaan. Tayo ay nagtitiwala sa kanya.
- Kapag ang salita ay “may dating”; “walang daya”, ito ay may “talab.” Samaktuwid, tanggap ko ang salita.
Ako ay may tiwala sa kanyang salita. May epekto sa akin ang kanyang salita.
- Kapag meron akong pananampalataya, ako ay naniniwala.
- Kapag ako ay naniniwala, ako ay nagtitiwala.
- Faith is pagtataya.
- Faith is pananalig. Galing ito sa salitang “salig” na kasing-kahulugan ng sandig o sandal (to lean on; to
depend).
o Pagsalig is relying or depending on someone as a foundation or support.
- Pag-asa (hope) ang bunga ng pananalig (faith). Palagay ang loob ng taong may tiwala. Pagasa ang dama
ng taong nagtitiwala.
- Ang Diyos ay ang Dakilang Ganap.

AHA/Eureka Experience
AHA Experience – the life changing experience.
William James
4 Characteristics of Religious/Mytical Experiences:
1. Passivity – A strong sense of being taken over.
2. Ineffibility – The experience cannot be adequately put into words.
3. Noetic – Experience reveal insights that are began human reason and
understanding
4. Transient – Experience don’t last long and are imperfectly
remembered.
Tradition – A way of thinking, behaving or doing something that has been
used by people un a particular group, family, society and etc. for a long
time.
2 Poles of Theology
1. Judeo Christian Tradition
2. Human Experience
Passover – the name given to the chief of the three great historical annual
festivals of the Jews. It was kept in remembrance of the Lord's passing
over the houses of the Israelites ( Exodus 12:13 ) when the first born of all
the Egyptians were destroyed. It is called also the "feast of unleavened
bread" ( Exodus 23:15 ; Mark 14:1 ; Acts 12:3 ), because during its
celebration no leavened bread was to be eaten or even kept in the
household ( Exodus 12:15 ). The word afterwards came to denote the lamb
that was slain at the feast ( Mark 14:12-14 ; 1 Corinthians 5:7 ).
The last supper - also known as the Passover meal is the final meal that,

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 in the Gospel accounts, Jesus shared with his Apostles in Jerusalem
before his crucifixion. The Last Supper is commemorated by Christians
especially on Maundy Thursday. The Last Supper provides the scriptural
basis for the Eucharist, also known as "Holy Communion" or "The Lord's
Supper".
➢ In 1958 Cardinal Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli was elected and took the
name JOHN XXIII.
➢ Pope Saint John XXIII- called Vatican Council II, an Ecunemical
Council, to address the role of the Church in the world in light of
modern issues.
➢ Vatical Council II included 2,450 voting delegates from around the
world.
➢ Cardinal Giovani Montini was elected Pope Paul VI.
Vatican Council II produced 3 types of official documents.
1. Constitutions – concerned doctrine and dogma; restated teachings in
modern language.
Four Constitutions of Vatican II
1. Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosantum Concillium) -
Reaffirms the liturgy as the source and summit of Christian life and
calls for changes to encourage the full and active participation of
the faithful.
2. DOGMATIC CONSTITUTION ON THE CHURCH (LUMEN
GENTIUM) - "Light of the Nations”
3. Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelations (Dei Verbum) –
Recalls that God has revealed himself to grant us a share in divine
life.
4. Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World
(Gaudium at Spes) – Expresses pastoral concern for the joys,
hopes, grief and anguish of the modern world.
2. Decrees – concerned renewal of some aspect of Church Life;
required further action.
3. Declarations – provided general instruction on vital topics in the
Church and the world with implementation left up to local bishops.
I. ​HAU CORE VALUES
• ​Christ-centeredness - we strive to be witnesses of the person
and example of Christ.
• ​Integrity - We are fair, honest, and transparent in our personal
and professional dealings
• ​Excellence - We produce outcomes with the greatest possible

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 human competence.
• ​Community - We animate the spirit of communion and
solidarity.
• ​Societal Responsibility - We work for economic efficiency,
social justice, and environmental stewardship.

Summary of Dei Verbum – Dogmatic Constitution on Divine

Revelation
By: Deacon Ed Sheffer
The difficult issue for the Vatican Two fathers, with laying out this
document, rested in resolving the relationship of Scripture and Sacred
Tradition, and reconciling that there was no error of God’s self-
revelation to the world. The fathers made it clear in this document
that God reveals truth through Scripture and the Church. The primary
question raised by Vatican Two fathers concerning Divine Revelation
was: How does God speak to us and how do we know it is God?

The ultimate purpose of this document is to help people in search of

truth to strengthen their
faith. It is in hearing the message of Christ that people believe, and in
believing, we hope, and
through hope, we learn to love more perfectly. We Catholics believe
that Divine Revelation is
the Word of God expressed in the words of man. We have access to
God through Scripture and
that helps us to share in God’s nature. The Gospel would have no
relevance and we would have no business centering ourselves around
the Bible if it were not God’s Word.

Chapter One: Divine Revelation Itself

God wants us to know His love for us. Revelation is not just words
about God; it is a living
experience of God. God does not just reveal in Word how best we
should live, but God reveals
himself as well. As revelation unfolds; we become more aware of
how God is ultimately over all things and God is complete in
Himself. In coming to know more what God is like, we come to
understand the purpose for our human existence. Besides dying to
save us, Jesus makes known our human connection to God. Jesus is

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 both message and messenger. Jesus reveals that God has called us to
Himself and promises that salvation will ultimately lead to divine
closeness. The Father sent the Son so he could tell us about the inner
life of God. Jesus is not only the Word
made flesh; he leads us to eternal life. Jesus is revelation in its
completeness. There is no greater or necessary revelation than this.
All things are made full in Jesus. The Holy Spirit was
sent to bring us to completion. The Holy Spirit provides us with
God’s grace so God’s revelation
takes root.
Chapter Two: The Transmission
In the very early Church they preached and taught orally. They set an
example by the way they lived. In time it became necessary to be
inspired by the Holy Spirit to write down God’s
message. The Apostles handed on the authority to teach to the
bishops who took their places.
Through the unending line of succession the bishops are to secure
and protect the Word of God and to see that it is kept intact to the end
of time. The Word is the gift of faith, freely given by
God, and faith develops through the Holy Spirit. Development of
faith happens when we study,
contemplate and put belief into action. This is why sacred Scripture
and Church Tradition are
closely connected and validly important to the growth of one’s faith.
Scripture is the Word of
God – The Old Testament and the New Testament. Sacred Tradition
is the Word of God passed on to us in various forms: Liturgy, prayers,
and the teachings of the Apostles and their successors. The bishops
are the Church’s official teachers. The word Magisterium means
official teacher. The bishops are charged with the duty to hand on the
Word of God handed on to them. The Magisterium is not superior to
the Word of God, but is its servant. The text of the
Bible is sovereign in the Catholic Church. Jesus came to reveal the
truths and commission all of
us to preach these truths. Some are ordained to preach what they have
read, come to believe,
and put into practice, but most preach what they come to know about
Scripture by how they
reveal Christ in the way they live in their family and in the world. We

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 all make up the Church
and we all have a role to play in communicating God’s Word.

Chapter Three: Divine Inspiration and Interpretation

Those chosen wrote down words inspired by the Holy Spirit. The
Spirit revealed what God
desired to be written. None of the Scripture writers were robbed of
human intelligence or
knowledge, but in a special way their human characteristics,
including their limitations, were
used to deliver God’s message faithfully without error. Scripture is
without error in the sense
that it is for our salvation, not in the sense of scientific or historical
accuracy. Interpretation of
Scripture comes from the Holy Spirit, too. Interpretation requires
insight into historical analysis, literary analysis, understanding
tradition, human sciences, and comprehending the purpose the
text served to its initial audience. Interpretation must be about
faithfulness to true revelation if
it is to bear the proper fruit. The Bible is a text inspired by God which
is entrusted to the Church
for the nurturing of faith and guiding one’s life.

Chapter Four: The Old Testament

Israel was chosen by God to establish a covenant of love with
humankind. They were chosen to
experience divine love and through this experience become an
example for all nations. The Old Testament remains significant
because it communicates how God remained active in the
history of mankind and because it reveals the plan of God to provide
Jesus. The Old Testament
feeds us a wealth of prayers and insight into the teachings of God.
The mystery of salvation is in
the midst of the Old Testament, and so has enduring value.

Chapter Five: The New Testament

The Gospel writers told the story of Jesus in a way that the present
Church in their time and
place would understand the truth of salvation. In the New Testament

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 salvation is completely
released. Christ brings order to the world by establishing the reign of
God on earth. Jesus
reveals the Father and completes God’s plan. The four Gospels are
the foremost teachings in
Scripture. They contain the foundation of our faith. The Gospels
provide the framework for the
Church. They teach us how our lives are meant to be lived. The
Gospels contain the story of
salvation and the truths about Jesus Christ.

Chapter Six: Sacred Scripture in the Life of the Church

Eucharist and Scripture are both celebrated in our Liturgy. Christ is
delivered and consumed at
the one table of God’s Word and Body. The Word of God supports the
Church and strengthens
it. The true story of Theology rests in Scripture. We must come to
know Scripture more and
more, for through Scripture we meet Christ. To be uninformed of
Scripture is to lack serious
knowledge of Jesus and who we are to become. The Word of God is
truth that lasts forever.
Everyone is to have access to the Word of God. Although it is
possible for people to come to
know God by contemplating the created world, with Scripture we can
respond much more
appropriately to God’s call. Yes, revelation is complete in Jesus, but
this does not mean we are not meant to experience
God in our life. God is met in many dimensions of life, in the good
and the bad, in the joy and in
the suffering. True faith requires there be a response to Divine
Revelation.
I am extremely humbled to serve God’s Word. As an Ordained
Deacon, I am officially The Herald
of the Gospel. It is with gratefulness and awe that I seek to protect the
truthfulness of the Word of God. One of my responsibilities as a
deacon is to lead us in signing ourselves with the cross before the
Gospel is proclaimed. I would like to offer you what I contemplate as
I sign myself. As I sign my forehead, I recall my desire to

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 comprehend the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. As I sign my lips, I
remind myself it is not enough for me alone to understand God’s
Word. God’s love
must be shared. As I sign my heart, I remember that the message of
the Gospel bears no fruit
unless I live the Gospel.

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