Fundamental Theology

Description

Fundamental Theology examines the light by which the mysteries of Christ and the Church, the Trinity and the Sacraments, are revealed to us. That light we call "revelation," and fundamental theology examines in the first place what this light shows about itself, and how it is sustained in the world. Or again, fundamental theology considers what the word of God has to say both about itself and what it has to say about where in the world it is to be heard. So, first it is a theology of Revelation (chapter 1), and second, a theology of the transmission of Revelation in Tradition, Scripture, and the Church (chapters 2, 3, and 4). Why must Revelation have the shape it does, and why must it be constituted by both word and event? Why is Tradition prior to Scripture, why must the word of God be written down, and why must Scripture come to us in two testaments? And why must the message conveyed in Tradition and Scripture have a living interpreter in the Church? Since no word is spoken unless it is heard, fundamental theology also investigates the conditions of hearing the word of God, the very hearing itself in the assent of faith, and a necessary consequence of this hearing. The remote conditions of hearing are also what theology calls our ability to come to the knowledge of the preambula fidei- the things about God than can be known by the natural light (chapter 5). The immediate condition of hearing is the credibility of the word (chapter 6). Hearing is faith (chapter 7). And true hearing gives the hearer to recapitulate what is heard in his own wondering and thankful voice in theology (chapter 8). The introduction to theology in the last chapter is by way of considering the history of Catholic theology in the 20th century. Review "This well written and concise book offers a wonderful presentation of two key aspects of Catholic Fundamental Theology: God speaking and human beings hearing God's communication. Fr. Mansini has made a significant contribution to fundamental theology. I know of no other treatment that is as clear and concise as this book. –"―Fr. Matthew Lamb, Ave Maria University "If the edifice of a unified systematic and dogmatic theology depends upon the foundation that is fundamental theology, then what Fr. Mansini offers is an outstanding contribution to the unity of theology so critical for the renewal of Catholic theology. At the same time, he has written his book with the student in mind. He presents a fundamental theology that is intelligible, superbly comprehensive, tightly integrated and yet concise, making it ideal for use in the classroom."―Lawrence J. Welch, Kendrick-Glennon Seminary, Archdiocese of St. Louis About the Author Guy Mansini, OSB is professor of Systematic Theology, St. Meinrad Seminary, IN Introduction 1 Part I. God Speaks 7 1. Revelation 9 Words and Deeds Intrinsically Connected 10 An Economy of Revelation across the Dual Testaments 21 Christ the Design of Revelation 27 Christ the Agent of Revelation 38 End of Revelation 39 2. Tradition 43 Dei Verbum and Tradition 44 The Contents of Tradition, the Tradita 46 Agents of Tradition 52 3. Scripture 55 Hermeneutics: How the Church Reads the Scriptures 57 The Canon of Scripture 68 The Inspiration of Scripture 78 The Inerrancy of Scripture 101 Conclusion: A Ratzingerian Recapitulation 108 4. Church and Dogma 111 Church 112 Magisterium 115 Dogma 122 contents vi contents  Part II. Man Hears 141 5. Praeambula Fidei 143 That Revelation Requires the Possibility of Natural Theology 145 Positivism 156 Natural Theology Deployed: The Existence of God 166 Analogical Predication of God 175 Trans-Cultural and Trans-Temporal Language 178 6. Credibility 184 The Credibility of the Pattern or Economy of Salvation 188 The Word of the Lord 190 The Resurrection of Jesus 195 The Credibility of the Gospels as Containing Apostolic Witness 198 The Credibility of Christ’s Foundation of the Church 206 The Credibility of Dogma Enunciated by the Church 209 7. Faith 213 The Nature and Properties of Faith according to the New Testament 214 Faith and Christ 219 The Formal and Material Objects of Faith 222 The Supernatural Character of Faith 224 Human Faith and Divine Faith 229 Attaining to the Formal Object of Faith by Faith 233 The Role of the Signs of Credibility in Coming to Faith 235 The Resurrection of Jesus as Sign, Content, and Event of Revelation 241 Reprise: From the Signs of Credibility to the Assent of Faith 242 8. Theology 244 The Necessity of Theology 245 The Nature of Catholic Theology in the Twentieth Century 246 Assessing Modernism 256 Theology as Science 261 The “New Theology” 266 The Unity of Theology 270 Bibliography 273 Index 287