The Mysteries of Christianity PDF
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THE MYSTERIES OF CHRISTIANITY MATTHIAS JOSEPH SCHEEBEN TRANSLATED BY CYRIL VOLLERT, S.J. B. HERDER BOOK CO. 15 & 17 SOUTH BROADWAY, ST. LOUIS 2, MO. AND 83 QUEEN SQUARE, LONDON, W.C. 1951 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Printed in U.S.A. IMPRIMI POTEST Joseph P. Zuercher, S.J. Praep. Prov. Missour. NIHIL OBSTAT Fr. Innocentius Swoboda, O.F.M. Censor Librorum IMPRIMATUR * Georgius J. Donnelly Administrator Sede vacante Sti. Ludovici, die 25 Martii, 1946 Copyright 1946 B. HERDER BOOK Co. Fourth Impression Vail-Ballou Press, Inc.. Binghamton and New York Translator’s Preface BARBARA AAAAAAEARAESABSERAERSESEERARAABRAREERERERELEREREEEEE This book is a translation of Die Mysterien des Christentums, by Matthias Joseph Scheeben. The translation was made from the 1941 edition, published by Herder & Co., G.m.b.H., of Freiburg im Breisgau, and edited by Joseph Hofer. Certain histor- ical circumstances, which impart an extraordinary value to this edition and make previous editions obsolete, deserve to be re- counted. Toward the end of 1887 Scheeben’s friend and publisher, Ben- jamin Herder, requested him to prepare a second edition of the book, which had appeared originally in 1865. The great theologian immediately set to work, and in June of the following year wrote that he could send Herder the greatest part of the new edition, so that printing could begin at once; he would prefer, however, to wait until the whole was finished. This was Scheeben’s last letter to the publisher. A month later an untimely death put an end to his fruit- ful apostolate of the pen. Scheeben had prepared for the projected new edition by exten- sively annotating two personal copies of the original edition. L. Kiipper, the editor of the second edition, which appeared in 1898, knew of one of these, but made slight and uncritical use of it, pre- ferring to inject his own views into Scheeben’s book, without indicating in the text the changes he had introduced. Subsequently Scheeben’s annotated copy was forgotten. When A. Rademacher worked on the third edition, published in 1912, apparently he was unaware of its existence. He further modified Scheeben’s text by adding changes of his own to Kiipper’s edition. Of the two copies of the first edition annotated by Scheeben, one had been carefully and copiously worked through. The other con- tains only rough drafts of new sentences and paragraphs, marginal notes, and underlinings. Hofer made full and scholarly use of both iv TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE of them, and thus has succeeded in editing a text that is substantially the same as that which Scheeben would have issued had he lived a few months longer. Since Scheeben’s labor on the new edition is the last. scientific work of his that we possess, The Mysteries of Christianity as pub- lished in the 1941 edition gives us a comprehensive view of the whole of his theology in its most mature form. Scheeben had not been able to carry through his work of re- vision quite to the end. However, the first seven parts (as they appear in the present translation) had been so thoroughly gone over in detail that they certainly constitute the “greatest part” which the author had regarded as finished. Part X, which deals with “The Science of the Mysteries of Christianity, or Theology,” very likely represents Scheeben’s definitive doctrine on the subject. If he had wished to indicate any modifications of his views, he would have had ample: opportunity to do so in the first chapter, which treats of the mystery of Christian- ity in general. Thus we may confidently assert that, with the exception of Parts VIII and IX, the whole book underwent Scheeben’s final revision. If we compare the 1941 edition with the first edition, we shall find scarcely a page free from stylistic alterations. More important, there are numerous, and often extensive, doctrinal changes and additions to the text. A few omissions also occur. These concern mostly polemical matters or references to the author’s Natur und Gnade and Die Herrlichkeiten der géttlichen Gnade, from which youthful works The Mysteries of Christianity in the present edition is much more widely separated than in its original form. Scheeben’s additions and changes have all been incorporated by H6fer in the text without further indication, as conforming to the author’s plan for his own second edition. The Mysteries of Christianity is a work unique in the literature of theology. Its scope differs greatly from that of the ordinary the- ological manual. It aims to present a unified view of the whole vast panorama of revealed truth in terms of the nine key mysteries of Christianity, and to relate them to modern life. That the author has succeeded in his task is borne out by the general agreement of theo- logians with the verdict pronounced by A. M. Weiss, O.P., who called The Mysteries of Christianity “the most original, the most TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE v profound, and the most brilliant work which recent theology has produced.” The book is not intended for the exclusive use of professional theologians. Scheeben himself envisaged a larger circle of readers. In his preface to the first edition he wrote: “I cherish the deep con- viction that speculative theology is of supreme importance for the truest and highest formation of mind and heart, and that under the guidance of the great doctors of the Church secure roads must be built, reaching to the very summits of divine truth, roads that can be traveled without excessive hardship not only by a few privi- leged spirits, but by anyone who combines courage and energy with a sufficiently sound education. . . . I have endeavored to keep the presentation as simple and clear as possible, and hope that even those readers who have not had the advantage of philosophical training can follow me without too great effort.” Among the heartening signs of the times are intimations that the- ology is moving from the classrooms of universities and seminaries to a wider public of the faithful. Lectures on the theology and phi- losophy of St. Thomas, a growing determination to read the Summa theologica itself, courses in Sacred Scripture for lay adults, articles in theological journals on dogma for the laity, requests of college students for instruction in dogmatic theology, projected courses of theology for our teaching sisterhoods, demands for a clarification of the theological foundations of the liturgy, are but a few of the indications of the trend. For all such groups, as well as for students in theological faculties and seminaries, who may desire to comple- ment the analytical method pursued in formal classes by a reading of the greatest synthesis of theology written in modern times, the arduous task of translating Scheeben’s masterpiece was undertaken. Perhaps no book in the entire history of theological writing so effectively brings dogma to life, or so impressively shows the con- nection between theology and Christian living. The Mysteries of Christianity is not a book for those who are in quest of an elementary catechism. Scheeben rises to the very sum- mit of metaphysical speculation. In every one of the nine mysteries he brings out phases and consequences of revealed truths that will strike the attention of even the specialist in theology. In some points of doctrine he seems almost to have reached the uttermost bounda- ries beyond which the human intellect cannot advance. But the vi TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE reader who is willing to scale the heights with Scheeben will find, after some tribulation, that he is able to breathe quite comfortably in the rarefied atmosphere to which the brilliant theologian has led him. Perhaps the greatest difficulty encountered in reading Scheeben, as in translating his works, is his vocabulary. This difficulty arises from the loftiness of the objects he treats, and the profundity with which he discusses them. The light of his intellect penetrated so deeply into the mysteries that it could no longer hold the sharpness of its focus. Since the mysteries of faith are of their very nature ob- scure, the language in which they are expressed must also, at times, be obscure. The present translation retains all of Scheeben’s own footnotes. In the manner of great writers, his method of referring to sources is frequently vague; wherever I thought the reader might wish a more exact citation or a fuller context, I have ascertained patristic passages in Migne’s Patrologia latina (PL) and Patrologia graeca (PG), as also in the Corpus scriptorum ecclesiasticorum latinorum (CSEL). These citations I have inserted without any further indi- cation that they are my own additions. On the other hand, many of the footnotes with which Dr. Hofer has enriched the German edition are omitted. These refer mainly to contemporary theological literature in German or French; scholars who could profit by them would read Scheeben’s book in the orig- inal. However, some of Hofer’s notes have been utilized, mostly in a modified and adapted form, in a few cases I have supplied foot- notes of my own. To avoid cumbersome apparatus, all footnotes which are not Scheeben’s are indicated by the device [Tr.]. Need- less to say, in employing this designation I have no intention of diverting Dr. Héfer’s scholarship to my own credit. Quotations from Sacred Scripture are from the Douay Version, with the exception of Ephesians 5:32, which I have rendered from the Greek. All other translations, whether from the Fathers or from later theologians, are my own. Cyril Vollert, S. J. St. Mary’s College St. Marys, Kansas Contents BAMAMAMABBABABABASEBABRBVPRRVeBEBUEBUBEBEREUUEBUEBEBEBBEne “TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE . INTRODUCTION CHAPTER L Tue Mystery oF CHRISTIANITY IN GENERAL . PART ONE THE MYSTERY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY THe Osscuriry oF THE Mystery . 25 Tue INTELLIGIBLE ASPECT OF THE MysTERY . 49 Tue PropucrTion OF THE SECOND AND THIRD PERSONS . 87 Fusion or Ligur anp DARKNESS IN THE Mystery . 118 Tue SIGNIFICANCE OF THE Mystery OF THE TRINITY . 124 Tue Missions oF THE Divine Persons - 149 AppenpIx | . 181 Appenpix II. . 2... . 190 PART TWO THE MYSTERY OF GOD IN THE ORIGINAL CREATION VIII. CREATION AND ORIGINAL JUSTICE . 201 OriGINAL JUSTICE IN THE HuMAN RACE AND THE WORLD 229 PART THREE THE MYSTERY OF SIN Stn in GENERAL. . - 6 s+ 6 8 ee XI. ORIGINAL SIN : vii Viii CONTENTS PART FOUR THE MYSTERY OF THE GOD-MAN AND HIS ECONOMY CHAPTER PAGE XI. THe Gop-MAN - 313 XIII. Our KNOWLEDGE OF THE GOD-MAN . - 335 XIV. Tue Gop-man 1n His RELATIONS WITH THE TRINITY, THE HuMAN Race, AND THE WorLp - 357 XV. Mysticau Posttion AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE. GOD-MAN AS Meptator BETWEEN THE TRINITARIAN GOD AND THE WorLp . 405 XVI ACTIVITY OF THE GOD-MAN IN THE EXEcuTION oF His Divine PLAN . 431 PART FIVE THE MYSTERY OF THE EUCHARIST XVII. Tue REAL PRESENCE AND TRANSUBSTANTIATION , . 469 XVIII. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE EUCHARIST . 512 PART SIX THE MYSTERY OF THE CHURCH AND THE SACRAMENTS XIX. Tue Mystery or THE CHURCH » 539 XX. Tue SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH . 558 XXI. Curistian MATRIMONY . - 5393 PART SEVEN THE MYSTERY OF CHRISTIAN JUSTIFICATION XXII. NAatTurE OF CHRISTIAN JUSTIFICATION . . 613 XXIIL Tue Process oF JUSTIFICATION . 631 PART EIGHT THE MYSTERY OF GLORIFICATION AND THE LAST THINGS XXIV. GLORIFICATION AND THE BEATIFIC VISION . . 651 XXV. TRANSFIGURATION OF THE Bopy . 666 CONTENTS PART NINE THE MYSTERY OF PREDESTINATION CHAPTER XXVL Nature OF PREDESTINATION XXVII. Tue TRuE Mystery oF PREDESTINATION . . 7i2 PART TEN THE SCIENCE OF THE MYSTERIES OF CHRISTIANITY, OR THEOLOGY XXVIIL THEOLOGY aS SCIENCE . » 733 XXIX, FAITH AND REASON . 762 INDEX - 797
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