FINALITÀ
To become acquainted with the basic vocabulary and tools of the “Sacra Scientia”.
ARGOMENTI
1. Introduction to Theology as a science: From biblical Revelation to systematic reflection through Christian experience (believing, celebrating, living). Sources of the discipline. Objects and methods. Relations between faith and reason. 2. Foundations of Catholic Theology: 2.1. Theology as an ecclesial vocation: theologians and ecclesiastical Magisterium. 2.2. Historical-positive development: The biblical evidence: history, contents and institutions of the divine Revelation and of the man’s response in the Old and New Testament. The Patristic period: eastern and western Fathers of the Church on Revelation and faith. The Scholastic period: Bonaventure, Thomas, Duns Scotus. The official and authoritative teaching of the Church in context: Humanism, Protestant Reformation, and Council of Trent; Rationalism, Fideism, and Vatican I; Modernism and Council Vatican II. 2.3. Systematic aspects: From apologetics to foundational Theology: “to give reason of the Christian hope”. Predestination of all human creatures in Christ: being, knowing, acting. Objectivity of the Christian Way: a critical examination of the New Testament sources. Credibility and coherence of the Christian message: Jesus as Mystery, Word, Sign.
Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of the course, students are expected to: Pass from Theodicy to Theology, from an experiential and catechetical level to a scientific reflection; be acquainted with both the basic tools of the “Sacra Scientia” and the specific procedures of theological method; be equipped with a foundational Christology and Ecclesiology; become competent to critically present the reasons of the Catholic faith-life, both from the objective/historical point of view and vis-a-vis today’s subjective/rational challenges of credibility/practicability.
TESTI
Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith. 1990. Instruction on the Ecclesial Vocation of the Theologian. Vatican City: Vatican Publishing House; Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. 2000. Dominus Iesus: Declaration on the Unicity and Salvific Universality of Jesus Christ and the Church, Vatican City: Vatican Publishing House; Dawes, Gregory. 2001. The Historical Jesus Question: The Challenge of History to Religious Authority. Louisville: Westminster J. Knox Press; Denzinger, Heinrich. 2012. Enchiridion Symbolorum: A Compendium of Creeds, Definitions and Declarations of the Catholic Church [Latin & English text]. Edited by Peter Hünermann. San Francisco: Ignatius Press; Dulles, Avery. 1996. The Assurance of Things Hoped For: A Theology of Christian Faith. Oxford: Oxford University Press; Dulles, Avery. 2005. A History of Apologetics. San Francisco: Ignatius Press; Dulles, Avery. 2012. The Craft of Theology: From Symbol to System. New York: Crossroads; Fisher, Kathleen, and Thomas Hart. 2014. Christian Foundation: An Introduction to Faith in Our Time. Mahwah: Paulist Press; John Paul II. 1998. Fides et Ratio: Encyclical Letter on The Relationship Between Faith and Reason. Vatican City: Vatican Publishing House; Kittel, Gerhard, and Gerhard Friedrich, eds. 2006. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: Abridged in one volume. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans; Latourelle, René. 1969. Theology, Science of Salvation. Staten Island: St Paul; Lennan, Richard. 1998. An Introduction to Catholic Theology. New York: Paulist Press; Lonergan, Bernard. 1990. Method in Theology. Toronto: University of Toronto Press; Louth, Andrew. 2003. Discerning the Mystery: An Essay on the Nature of Theology. Oxford: Clarendon Press; Macquarrie, John. 2003. Principles of Christian Theology. London: SCM Press; McGrath, Alister. 2001. Christian Theology: An Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press; McGrath, Alister. 2007. The Science of God: An Introduction to Scientific Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans; Migliore, Daniel. 2004. Faith Seeking Understanding: An Introduction to Christian Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans; Nichols, Aidan. 2010. The Shape of Catholic Theology: An Introduction to Its Sources, Principles, and History. London: Burns & Oates; Nodet, Etienne, and Justin Taylor. 1999. The origins of Christianity. An Exploration. Collegeville: Liturgical Press; O’Collins, Gerald, and Daniel Kendall. 1997. The Bible for Theology: Ten Principles for The Theological Use of Scripture. New York: Paulist Press; O’Collins, Gerald. 2011. Rethinking Fundamental Theology. Towards a New Fundamental Theology. Oxford: Oxford University Press; Rahner, Karl. 1978. Foundations of Christian Faith: An Introduction to the idea of Christianity. New York: Seabury Press; Ratzinger, Joseph. 1989. Principles of Catholic Theology: Building Stones for a Fundamental Theology. San Francisco: Ignatius Press; Ratzinger, Joseph. 1995. The Nature and Mission of Theology. San Francisco: Ignatius Press; Sokolowski, Robert. 1995. The God of Faith and Reason: Foundations of Christian Theology. Washington: Catholic University of America Press; Sullivan, Francis. 1996. Creative Fidelity: Weighing and Interpreting Documents of the Magisterium. Dublin: Gill and MacMillan; Sullivan, Francis. 2002. Magisterium: Teaching Authority in the Catholic Church. Eugene: Wipf and Stock; Theissen, Gerd, and Annette Merz. 1998. The Historical Jesus: A Comprehensive Guide. London: SMS Press; Theissen, Gerd, and Dagmar Winter. 2002. The Quest for the Plausible Jesus: The Question of Criteria. Louisville: Westminster John Knox; Vatican Council II. 2014. The Basic Sixteen Documents: Constitutions, Decrees, Declarations: A Completely Revised Translation in Inclusive Language. Edited by Austin Flannery. Collegeville: Liturgical Press; Wright, Nicholas. 1996. Christian Origins and the question of God: Vol. 1: The New Testament and the people of God. London: SPCK.