1. Faith and Theology
Before examining the nature of theology, it is worthwhile to consider its place in the context of Christian life: Theology stems from faith and plays an important role in salvation.[1]
1. Faith and the Divine Plan of Salvation
From the beginning of creation, God freely chose to elevate man by calling him to a supernatural end.
Through this calling, the Blessed Trinity invites us to be members of the divine family, to really partake of divine nature, to live in intimate communion with God, to become Godlike to the fullest extent possible.[2] Salvation consists precisely in these.
God desired humanity to be free and responsible in the achievement of its supernatural end. Each person should take an active part in his own salvation, even though this target surpasses his intellect and energy.
Without divine guidance, attaining sanctity and salvation would be impossible. To save mankind, God decided to reveal himself, that is, to step into history and address his word to us. He does so first through the prophets and ultimately through his Son. In this way, he would explain to us his plans for salvation, invite us to follow him, give us the means to reach him, and show us the obstacles to be avoided.
The revelation of God, our Lord and Creator, must be received with faith. Believing in God (faith) means receiving his revelation with full obedience, accepting the plan of God, and allowing ourselves to be guided by his wisdom.[3]
Faith also implies a commitment to cooperate with God in the salvation of humanity. Following the Gospel, the Church teaches that “faith is the beginning of man’s salvation, the foundation and source of all justification.”[4]
Faith is the light God gives us to reach eternal life because it enables us to know God intimately, recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd, and follow his commandments (cf. Jn 10:4). These qualities of faith reveal that Christian faith has an intellectual dimension.
Faith is a deep disposition that can trigger the most intimate movements of the heart. We should realize, however, that it cannot be reduced to vague religious sentiment: “To believe is immediately an act of the intellect, because the object of that act is the truth, which pertains properly to the intellect.”[5]
Holy Scripture repeatedly teaches that salvation begins in the intellect. By our faith in revelation, God enlightens us so that we may be saved: “Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart” (Ps 97:11). “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined” (Is 9:2).
Jesus Christ, the fullness of God’s revelation, was announced thus: “…the day shall dawn upon us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death…” (Lk 1:78–79). The brightness of the “sun of faith” opens our eyes to a new and joyful dimension of reality.[6]
2. Faith: The Core of Theology
Faith combines a great light with an unavoidable darkness. The light is the possession of a great truth, which can fill our mind and guide our life. Darkness is present necessarily because that great truth cannot clearly be seen in this life, where we cannot see God face to face.
Sacred Scripture says that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb 11:1). Thus, when we believe God, we believe in his word; “we believe that what he has revealed is true.”[7] We are as sure of these truths as if we knew them through scientific demonstration, in spite of the fact that they remain obscure and not evident to us. This surety is the specific trait of faith.
As Christians, we know that in faith we hold the truth that can save us; faith is the seed, the foretaste, and the substance of the salvation we expect. In heaven, when God gives himself fully to us, we will see with complete clarity what we now believe. “For now we see in a mirror dimly,” St. Paul tells the believers, “but then face to face” (1 Cor 13:12).
Believers meditate on what they believe, but not because they entertain any doubt. On the contrary, they are so sure of the word of God, they strongly desire to know God more closely, until they finally come to see him face to face. As St. Augustine puts it, “We eagerly desire to better understand and comprehend what we have believed.”[8] Faith includes the desire to see God, and it moves the faithful to develop the wealth of knowledge contained in revelation.
Faith’s tendency toward its own development (the contemplation of God) can be pursued in two ways: the spiritual or mystical way, and the intellectual or theological way.
The spiritual or mystical way is followed by those who want to know God more intimately. This can be achieved with the help of the Holy Spirit, by meditating on the word of God. “The same Holy Spirit constantly perfects faith by his gifts, so that Revelation may be more and more profoundly understood” (cf. 2 Cor 3:18).[9]
The intellectual or theological way can be followed at the same time as the mystical way. It consists in using all of one’s intellectual faculties and cultural resources to understand divine revelation. Not all can follow this way to the same extent.[10]
The desire to know more fully what one believes is a sign of a living faith. “When a man’s will is ready to believe, he loves the truth he believes; he thinks out and takes to heart whatever reasons he can find in support thereof; thus, human reason does not exclude the merit of faith but is a sign of greater merit.”[11]
Christians should aim at progressing in their faith using both ways at the same time, according to each person’s own capabilities. In this way, Christian theology is born.
Faith moves the believer to exercise an intellectual effort to know God better through his word. Many passages of Sacred Scripture teach us to exercise our intellect: “Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight” (Prv 4:7). And St. Paul argues: “Now if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised” (1 Cor 15:12–13).
3. Faith Seeking Understanding
Theology stems from faith; thus, we can affirm that theology is fides quaerens intellectum—faith seeking understanding.[12]
Theologians are not motivated by doubts of faith but by the certainty that God has entrusted us, in Christ, and with “infinite treasures of love” and wisdom. To acknowledge and appreciate these treasures is a way of worshipping God “in spirit and in truth.” Offering him a rational sacrifice is a “spiritual worship” (Rom 12:1). “Faith,” John Paul II says, “is the lasting and vital root of a theology that springs from a questioning and seeking what is intrinsic to faith itself.”[13]
The Church teaches:
Insofar as possible, each of us should study the faith seriously, rigorously—all of which means theology. Ours should be the piety of children and the sure doctrine of theologians.
Our desire to advance in theological knowledge, in sound, firm Christian doctrine is sparked, above all, by the will to know and love God. It likewise stems from the concern of a faithful soul to attain the deepest meaning of the world, seen as coming from the hands of God.[14]
Experience shows that spiritual life withers when a deep knowledge of the faith is lacking: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hos 4:6). The lack of effort to acquire theological formation is a clear sign of a weak, wavering, or tepid faith.
Not everyone needs to achieve the same level of scientific knowledge of doctrine, but these words of St. Peter are addressed to all: “Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you” (1 Pt 3:15).
Theological formation is especially vital in our days; we often meet difficult situations demanding a Christian answer, an answer based on faith. Without solid theological formation, it is extremely easy to be confused and influenced by fashionable views and prevailing lifestyles.
Nor should Christians attempt to isolate themselves from the world, refusing to understand and help their contemporaries, for in doing so, they would fail to be the salt and light of the earth (cf. Mt 5:13–16). The Second Vatican Council has reminded Catholics of the need to have a solid doctrinal formation.[15]
The need for a doctrinal religious formation should lead us to heed this advice:
Study. Study in earnest. If you are to be salt and light, you need knowledge, capability.
Or do you imagine that an idle and lazy life will entitle you to receive infused knowledge?[16]
Footnotes:
[1] Cf. CCC, 94–95.
[2] Cf. DV, 2; St. Josemaría Escrivá, Christ is Passing By, 8.
[3] Cf. DV, 5.
[4] DS 1532.
[5] ST, II-II, q. 4, a. 2.
[6] Cf. St. Josemaría Escrivá, The Way, 279, 575.
[7] Dei Filius, 3: DS 3008.
[8] St. Augustine, De Trin., 4,1.
[9] DV, 5; cf. CCC, 2014.
[10] Cf. St. Josemaría Escrivá, The Way, 282.
[11] ST, II-II, q. 2, a. 10.
[12] St. Anselm, Proslogion, 1; cf. CCC, 158.
[13] John Paul II, “Address to Theology Professors.” L’Osservatore Romano, Dec. 20, 1982.
[14] St. Josemaría Escrivá, Christ is Passing By, 10.
[15] Cf. Gravissimum Educationis Momentum, 10; AA, 29.
[16] St. Josemaría Escrivá, The Way, 33.
1. Faith and the Divine Plan of Salvation
From the beginning of creation, God freely chose to elevate man by calling him to a supernatural end.
Through this calling, the Blessed Trinity invites us to be members of the divine family, to really partake of divine nature, to live in intimate communion with God, to become Godlike to the fullest extent possible.[2] Salvation consists precisely in these.
God desired humanity to be free and responsible in the achievement of its supernatural end. Each person should take an active part in his own salvation, even though this target surpasses his intellect and energy.
Without divine guidance, attaining sanctity and salvation would be impossible. To save mankind, God decided to reveal himself, that is, to step into history and address his word to us. He does so first through the prophets and ultimately through his Son. In this way, he would explain to us his plans for salvation, invite us to follow him, give us the means to reach him, and show us the obstacles to be avoided.
The revelation of God, our Lord and Creator, must be received with faith. Believing in God (faith) means receiving his revelation with full obedience, accepting the plan of God, and allowing ourselves to be guided by his wisdom.[3]
Faith also implies a commitment to cooperate with God in the salvation of humanity. Following the Gospel, the Church teaches that “faith is the beginning of man’s salvation, the foundation and source of all justification.”[4]
Faith is the light God gives us to reach eternal life because it enables us to know God intimately, recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd, and follow his commandments (cf. Jn 10:4). These qualities of faith reveal that Christian faith has an intellectual dimension.
Faith is a deep disposition that can trigger the most intimate movements of the heart. We should realize, however, that it cannot be reduced to vague religious sentiment: “To believe is immediately an act of the intellect, because the object of that act is the truth, which pertains properly to the intellect.”[5]
Holy Scripture repeatedly teaches that salvation begins in the intellect. By our faith in revelation, God enlightens us so that we may be saved: “Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart” (Ps 97:11). “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined” (Is 9:2).
Jesus Christ, the fullness of God’s revelation, was announced thus: “…the day shall dawn upon us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death…” (Lk 1:78–79). The brightness of the “sun of faith” opens our eyes to a new and joyful dimension of reality.[6]
2. Faith: The Core of Theology
Faith combines a great light with an unavoidable darkness. The light is the possession of a great truth, which can fill our mind and guide our life. Darkness is present necessarily because that great truth cannot clearly be seen in this life, where we cannot see God face to face.
Sacred Scripture says that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb 11:1). Thus, when we believe God, we believe in his word; “we believe that what he has revealed is true.”[7] We are as sure of these truths as if we knew them through scientific demonstration, in spite of the fact that they remain obscure and not evident to us. This surety is the specific trait of faith.
As Christians, we know that in faith we hold the truth that can save us; faith is the seed, the foretaste, and the substance of the salvation we expect. In heaven, when God gives himself fully to us, we will see with complete clarity what we now believe. “For now we see in a mirror dimly,” St. Paul tells the believers, “but then face to face” (1 Cor 13:12).
Believers meditate on what they believe, but not because they entertain any doubt. On the contrary, they are so sure of the word of God, they strongly desire to know God more closely, until they finally come to see him face to face. As St. Augustine puts it, “We eagerly desire to better understand and comprehend what we have believed.”[8] Faith includes the desire to see God, and it moves the faithful to develop the wealth of knowledge contained in revelation.
Faith’s tendency toward its own development (the contemplation of God) can be pursued in two ways: the spiritual or mystical way, and the intellectual or theological way.
The spiritual or mystical way is followed by those who want to know God more intimately. This can be achieved with the help of the Holy Spirit, by meditating on the word of God. “The same Holy Spirit constantly perfects faith by his gifts, so that Revelation may be more and more profoundly understood” (cf. 2 Cor 3:18).[9]
The intellectual or theological way can be followed at the same time as the mystical way. It consists in using all of one’s intellectual faculties and cultural resources to understand divine revelation. Not all can follow this way to the same extent.[10]
The desire to know more fully what one believes is a sign of a living faith. “When a man’s will is ready to believe, he loves the truth he believes; he thinks out and takes to heart whatever reasons he can find in support thereof; thus, human reason does not exclude the merit of faith but is a sign of greater merit.”[11]
Christians should aim at progressing in their faith using both ways at the same time, according to each person’s own capabilities. In this way, Christian theology is born.
Faith moves the believer to exercise an intellectual effort to know God better through his word. Many passages of Sacred Scripture teach us to exercise our intellect: “Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight” (Prv 4:7). And St. Paul argues: “Now if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised” (1 Cor 15:12–13).
3. Faith Seeking Understanding
Theology stems from faith; thus, we can affirm that theology is fides quaerens intellectum—faith seeking understanding.[12]
Theologians are not motivated by doubts of faith but by the certainty that God has entrusted us, in Christ, and with “infinite treasures of love” and wisdom. To acknowledge and appreciate these treasures is a way of worshipping God “in spirit and in truth.” Offering him a rational sacrifice is a “spiritual worship” (Rom 12:1). “Faith,” John Paul II says, “is the lasting and vital root of a theology that springs from a questioning and seeking what is intrinsic to faith itself.”[13]
The Church teaches:
Insofar as possible, each of us should study the faith seriously, rigorously—all of which means theology. Ours should be the piety of children and the sure doctrine of theologians.
Our desire to advance in theological knowledge, in sound, firm Christian doctrine is sparked, above all, by the will to know and love God. It likewise stems from the concern of a faithful soul to attain the deepest meaning of the world, seen as coming from the hands of God.[14]
Experience shows that spiritual life withers when a deep knowledge of the faith is lacking: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hos 4:6). The lack of effort to acquire theological formation is a clear sign of a weak, wavering, or tepid faith.
Not everyone needs to achieve the same level of scientific knowledge of doctrine, but these words of St. Peter are addressed to all: “Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you” (1 Pt 3:15).
Theological formation is especially vital in our days; we often meet difficult situations demanding a Christian answer, an answer based on faith. Without solid theological formation, it is extremely easy to be confused and influenced by fashionable views and prevailing lifestyles.
Nor should Christians attempt to isolate themselves from the world, refusing to understand and help their contemporaries, for in doing so, they would fail to be the salt and light of the earth (cf. Mt 5:13–16). The Second Vatican Council has reminded Catholics of the need to have a solid doctrinal formation.[15]
The need for a doctrinal religious formation should lead us to heed this advice:
Study. Study in earnest. If you are to be salt and light, you need knowledge, capability.
Or do you imagine that an idle and lazy life will entitle you to receive infused knowledge?[16]
Footnotes:
[1] Cf. CCC, 94–95.
[2] Cf. DV, 2; St. Josemaría Escrivá, Christ is Passing By, 8.
[3] Cf. DV, 5.
[4] DS 1532.
[5] ST, II-II, q. 4, a. 2.
[6] Cf. St. Josemaría Escrivá, The Way, 279, 575.
[7] Dei Filius, 3: DS 3008.
[8] St. Augustine, De Trin., 4,1.
[9] DV, 5; cf. CCC, 2014.
[10] Cf. St. Josemaría Escrivá, The Way, 282.
[11] ST, II-II, q. 2, a. 10.
[12] St. Anselm, Proslogion, 1; cf. CCC, 158.
[13] John Paul II, “Address to Theology Professors.” L’Osservatore Romano, Dec. 20, 1982.
[14] St. Josemaría Escrivá, Christ is Passing By, 10.
[15] Cf. Gravissimum Educationis Momentum, 10; AA, 29.
[16] St. Josemaría Escrivá, The Way, 33.