Category Archives: Theology
Theology
The proper object that theology studies is God. Theos is the Greek word for God. However, in this section are articles not only about God, but about the Faith and moral issues which constitute Church doctrine. Certain articles that appear in this section also appear in other sections, such as that on the “Sacraments,” “Catechisis,” “Faith and Reason,” and “Heresies and Errors.”
Theology is a broad subject. Candidates for the priesthood must complete four years of theology. Theology is divided into natural, supernatural, and pastoral theology. These, in turn, are divided into other related subjects. Natural theology is the study of God as we can know Him by reason alone. Supernatural theology is the study of the God as He revealed Himself to man, in scripture and tradition. Pastoral theology is the study of God in His relation to the members of the Church, His body. Sacramental theology would fall under this category. So would canon law, as part of ecclesiology, the study of the Church.
Other branches of theology are dogmatics, moral theology, biblical theology, and ascetical or mystical theology.
Don’t Smoke the Tea Leaves!
Father Michael P. Orsi has written an article for Catholic Exchange titled, “Reading the Tea Leaves: Will Pope Francis End Priestly Celibacy?” After correctly saying that there cannot be female priests, and after a bit of speculation on the possibility of married priests for the western Church, Father concludes — not, apparently, happily — that there will be recognition of female deacons: So, how will … More →
Pope Francis: ‘You Cannot Find Jesus Outside the Church’
CNA: “Christian identity is belonging to the Church, because all of these (the apostles) belonged to the Church, the Mother Church, because finding Jesus outside the Church is impossible,” he said. Read more here.
Posted in Current Issues in the Church, News, Theology Leave a comment
A Simile for Grace
While I was explaining the doctrine of grace in a tertiary conference last week, a simile came to mind. It is nothing I have ever read or heard before, so I hope that I am not inventing my very own heresy. (If it turns out that I have done so, I willingly submit to the authority of Holy Mother Church.) People seem to think — … More →
The Infallibility of the Pope and the Stupidity of the New York Times
Infallibility is a charism of the Bishop of Rome. Stupidity is a charism of some journalists and academics when they write about the Bishop of Rome. The following paragraphs come by Rachel Donadio of the The New York Times, “What do you call a retired pope? And is he still infallible?”: “What is the status of an ex-pope?” asked Ken Pennington, a professor of ecclesiastical … More →
Posted in Columns, Current Issues in the Church, Theology 5 Comments
The Baptism of Jesus: What Happened and Why?
I have been reading a few good articles about Our Lord’s baptism on Catholic websites, one by Carl Olson for the Catholic World Report, another by Monsignor Charles Pope for the Archdiocese of Washington website, and lastly the Sunday sermon of Pope Benedict XVI. Carl Olson cites a number of the fathers of the Church commenting on the mystery of the baptism of the sinless … More →
Liberty, the God That Failed
Review of Liberty, the God That Failed: Policing the Sacred and Constructing the Myths of the Secular State, from Locke to Obama (Angelico Press, 2012) In his first encyclical, Inscrutabili (On the Evils Affecting Modern Society), April 21, 1878, Pope Leo XIII wrote: “Now the source of these evils lies chiefly, We are convinced, in this, that the holy and venerable authority of the Church, … More →
Cardinal Burke Says Theology Professors Must Have an Episcopal Mandate
This requires them to sign a promise to “teach authentic Catholic doctrine” and not to deviate from Church teaching. Catholic OnLine: Catholic families have a right to know which theology professors have the mandatum, and Catholic colleges and universities should require it as a condition for employment, affirmed the Vatican’s chief judge Cardinal Raymond Burke in a new report prompted by recent concerns from Pope … More →
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More Catholic Than the Popes
Dr. Jeff Mirus of Catholic Culture website has misled his readers by putting his own gnostic interpretation on a thrice-defined dogma, Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus (no salvation outside the Church). In response to an article by John Vennari of Catholic Family News defending the unambiguous, ex cathedra teaching of the Church on salvation, as defined by Pope Eugene IV at the Council of Florence, Mirus … More →
A Slow Reading of Romans XI
In these days of widespread heterodoxy and profound confusion on religious matters, many people take it as a sign of “hate” that a Catholic would seek to draw into the Church any and all non-Catholics. On the contrary, true zeal for the conversion of one’s neighbor is a sign of love for God and for man. Given the thorny nature of the questions raised in … More →
Posted in Articles, Holy Scripture, Outside the Church there is no Salvation, Theology 4 Comments
