Category: 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.

Mary’s Universal Mediation

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“For there is one God, and One Mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Tim. 2:5) In the minds of Protestant apologists, these words of St. Paul are the ultimate “talisman,” a charm which is supposed to “protect” Bible-believing Christians from … Continue reading →

Beyond Dogma

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“We’re beyond all that!” How common it is for a frustrated member of Christ’s faithful to hear that response from a progressivist cleric, catechist, or teacher in a nominally Catholic school. Just what we’re “beyond” is either some infallible formulation … Continue reading →

The Faith Triumphs at Chalcedon

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IN PREVIOUS ISSUES we have told the stories of the first and third ecu­menical councils. In what fol­lows, Brother Michael tells the story of the fourth Ecumenical Council, that of Chalcedon (pronounced Kal- sē’- dun). This of necessity brings in, … Continue reading →

Grace Perfects Nature

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Rationalists, for whom the supernatural order is a mere fantasy, contend that the Catholic concept of grace alienates man from his nature. The opposite error was advanced by certain modern Catholic theologians who broke with tradition and made grace virtually … Continue reading →

The Latin Mass and the Orthodox

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Under the headline “Russian Orthodox prelate welcomes return of Latin Mass,” Catholic World News ran a report on Patriarch Alexei II’s positive reception on Pope Benedict’s motu proprio giving more freedom to the ceremonies of the Classical Roman Rite. Summorum … Continue reading →