Doing Theology

308 Pages·15.169 MB·English

by  Jared Wicks

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WICKS, SJ
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DOING THEOLOGY

DOING THEOLOGY
Jared Wicks, SJ
G.M. ELLIOTT LIBRARY
Cincinnati Christian University
PAULIST PRESS
New York « Mahwah, NJ
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This book’s cover depicts theologians of different eras who exemplify important ways
of doing theology. They are, clockwise from the right, John Henry Cardinal New-
man (1801-90), Martin Luther (1483-1546), St. Athanasius (295-373), St. Thomas
Aquinas (1225-74), and Yves Congar (1904-90). The reader can find accounts of
their theological work on the pages specified for each in the Index.
Photograph of Rev. Yves Congar, OP, courtesy of the Dominican Friars of the
Province of France.
The scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Ver-
sion: Catholic Edition Copyright © 1989 and 1993, by the Division of Christian
Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of
America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Cover design by Sharyn Banks.
Copyright © 2009 by Detroit Province, Society of Jesus.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording,
or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing
from the Publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Wicks, Jared, 1929-
Doing theology / Jared Wicks.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8091-4564-5 (alk. paper)
1. Theo-lM etohogdolyogy . 2. Catholic Church—Doctrines. I. Title.
BR118.W567 2009
230'.2-dce22
2009019327
Published by Paulist Press
997 Macarthur Boulevard
Mahwah, New Jersey 07430
www.paulistpress.com
Printed and bound in Canada.
Dedicated to my colleagues of 1979-2004
on the Gregorian University Theology Faculty in Rome,
who were exemplary in doing theology well
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Contents
RD OTONMATIONS See = fo.5 0c a Si polenteee a)ee xi
Introd uctiGa Aan. kil Hoe OOM Ta ay ole aes oN 1
God’s Revelation, 2 ¢ Theology and Doctrines, 4 # The Structure of
This Book, 5 ¢ A Note on Theological Genre, 5
Chapter One
Theology in History and the Church ...................008- i,
Theology and Meaning #
1.1. Theology in Past Eras of Christianity 8
Two Early Fathers: Irenaeus and Origen, 8 ¢ Theology at the
Beginning of the Modern Age: Luther and Cano, 12 ¢ Theology in
1870 and 1950: Vatican I and Pope Pius XII, 17
1.2. Theology in the Light of the Second Vatican Council 22,
Doctrine Reformulated to Benefit Human Beings (John XXIII),
22 # New Light on Tradition, Scripture, and the Teaching Office
(Magisterium), 24 # Doctrine in History, 27 ¢ The Hierarchy of
Truths, 29
1.3. The Two Phases of Theological Method 30
Listening and Explaining in Faith and Theology, 31
1.4. The Elements of a Complete Theological Method 153
Vill Contents
Chapter Two
Doing Theology by Listening to the Biblical Word............ 36
Theology and the Bible 37
2.1. The Canonical Scriptures and Theology 38
Canon and Canonicity, 39 ¢ The Christian Old Testament Canon,
41 The New Testament Canon, 44 # Canon and Church, 46
2.2. The Inspired Word 47
Inspiration as a Charism of Communication, 48 ¢ Inspiration
and Patristic Interpretation, 49 ¢ Church Affirmations of Biblical
Inspiration, 50
2.3. Interpreting the Bible 54
The Retrieval of Original Textual Meanings, 55 # Understanding
the Bible’s Further Meaning, 59 ¢ Reading Biblical Passages in the
Whole Canon, 60 # Reading Biblical Books in the Church, 62 ¢
From Meaning to Meaning, 64
Chapter Three
Doing Theology in the Stream of Catholic Tradition .......... 67
3.1. From the Apostolic “Deposit” to Creeds and Dogma 69
The Apostolic “Deposit,” 70 # The Rule of Faith, 71 # The Early
Creeds, 72 ¢ A Dogmatic Creed: Nicea, AD 325, 73 # St. Thomas
on “Articles of Faith,” 74
3.2. Tradition in the Fathers, the Liturgy, and the Saints 76
Our “Fathers in the Faith,” 76 ¢ Liturgy as a Theological Source,
79 Holy Lives as a Theological Source, 80
3.3. Traditions in Theol— oThgeolyog y in Tradition 82
Trent’s Reception of Unwritten Traditions, 83 ¢ Newman on
Tradition’s Coherence and Fecundity, 85 Vatican II on the Living
Tradition, 87 ¢ Theology in the Tradition, 90