Category: Theology

And a personal reflection

Content
1. Four definitions of theology
i, Anselm
ii, Karl Rahner
iii, Gustavo Gutierrez
iv, Bernard Lonergan
v, A comparison
2. A personal reflection on Theology

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1. The four definitions of theology

The following is my interpretation, clarified by a comparison, of the four prominent ways of understanding the nature of theology, given by Saint Anselm, Father Karl Rahner, Father Gustavo Gutierrez, and Father Bernard Lonergan.

i, Saint Anselm

Faith seeking Understanding – Fides quaerens Intellectum

• Theology starts with faith and is done in faith.
• Theology is dynamic movements (quaerens – the present active participle of quaerō) of a faith constantly and endlessly reaching for God who is transcendent and incomprehensible in human terms. 
• Theology seeks for mystical understanding (intellectum). Faith wants to understand the Who it believes in. Here, it is crucial to note that this “understanding”, for it is of God, is different from scientific understanding. This emphasizes the intellectual aspect of faith, and the active interaction between faith and reason. 

ii, Father Karl Rahner

Theology is the practice of conscious and systematic explanation of 

God’s revelation recognised and accepted in faith.  

• First and foremost, God’s revelation is recognised and accepted in faith. Therefore, the materials for theology consist in revelation and faith. Revelation, though indeed comes from God, can only be recognised when men take it personally through the gift of faith.
• Theology is an explanation of THE TRUTH. It excludes the task of proving and focuses on making sense of what, by faith, we have accepted. This explanation is to be carried out as a decisively conscious and systematic process in which the theologian starts by consciously looking at who he is to eventually encounter God as the transcendental horizon of consciousness. 

iii, Father Gustavo Gutierrez

Theology is “the critical reflection on praxis in the light of the Word of God”

• Fr. Gutierrez stresses that theology is not academically and exclusively for the elites. In fact, it is close to the Christian life.
• All theology practices must be done in the light of the Word of God. 
• The Word of God is reflected on critically. As one reads with proper analysis, discernment, and assessment, this act of critical reflection serves to internalize the Word into one’s life, allowing repentance and vital renewal. 
• Fr. Genuine knowledge asks for and is capable of transformation. This emphasized the praxis i.e. knowledge turned action. Therefore, true theology is the theology that helps transform lives. This is the very foundation upon which Liberation Theology is founded.

iv, Father Bernard Lonergan

Theology mediates “between a cultural matrix 

and the significance and role of a religion within that matrix”

• To Fr. Lonergan, culture is a system of values and conventions held within a community of conscious individuals, and religion is the manifestation of faith i.e. the experience of total conversion. Throughout the history of human civilization, religions always exist in certain cultural contexts.
• Fr. Lonergan emphasizes that theology needs to be the mediator between culture and religion. Theology, therefore, needs to make known the significance and roles of Christian faith in the culture of its bearers.  

All these four definitions, though vary in perspectives, have their roots in one shared treasure of revelation. On the other hand, in pairwise comparison, some similarities could be found:

• St. Anselm’s intellectum and Fr. Rahner’s conscious and systematic approach.
• Fr. Rahner’s theology as explanation is further elaborated in Fr. Lonergan’s specific definition that theology must tackle the task of explaining the significance and roles of religion – faith manifested – in cultural contexts. 

v, A comparison

All these four definitions, though vary in perspectives, have their roots in one shared treasure of revelation. On the other hand, in pairwise comparison, some similarities could be found:

• St. Anselm’s intellectum and Fr. Rahner’s conscious and systematic approach.
• Fr. Rahner’s theology as explanation is further elaborated in Fr. Lonergan’s specific definition that theology must tackle the task of explaining the significance and roles of religion – faith manifested – in cultural contexts. 

2. A personal reflection on Theology

I grew up safe, and life seems very merciful on me. But life does take so much, way too much, away from some. And this triggers many what ifs. I must confess that it was, and still is sometimes, very hard to believe in a god perfectly good. I couldn’t always assure myself that God is capable of loving me unconditionally. From time to time I have been as if I am in the hand of a tyrant god: earning my room in heaven, trying not to be punished. 

With that little bit of context, below are my thoughts on theology and the practice of it. In order to spare myself from mind wandering, I have taken out some concepts introduced during the course that I find most thought-provoking as the foundation for contemplation.  

1. In the broad sense any manifestation of faith is theology. That is quite assuring, for it means theology is not some exclusive, esoteric subject. Personally, I find faith seeking understanding the most relatable – this simple phrase is powerful. Knowledge has always been soothing. Besides, I hold the belief that in the pursuit of knowledge entails so many things on its way: compassion, hope, and action. Just as you can’t (if you are a sane person) treat a person any other than who they are, I think I wouldn’t mistreat God as a tyrant once I know who He is: I could put my hope on Him, and live and act on my love for Him.   
2. Faith is a gift. By experiences in daily life, I could see that it is the connection between the giver and the receiver that characterises the gift. The gift of faith is of no exception. In order for someone to accept faith, a relationship between him and God needs to be acknowledged i.e. him acknowledging the constant presence of God in his life.  Again, it goes back to seeking, because to acknowledge requires conscious finding. Therefore, theology is initiated by faith and works for faith. 
3. I was delighted when the communal dimension of theology was introduced in one of the lessons. If anything should be added, this is my humble contribution: such a faithful and time-honored community nurtures the art of asking as it responds to those troubled souls. In my rather young life, I have learned that many heartbreaks spring from questions left unsaid and thus unanswered. Asking is very important to understanding, especially when my stubborn head is set with a judgement that the world seems like a much better place without certain events. 

In my seeking to understand God, at the moment, I am learning the challenging lesson of recognizing God’s many ways of saying “I love you.” to this world, and to me.