Theological Sources Research Articles

Gregory of Elvira and the Homousios Formula

Though the details about Gregory of Elvira’s personal life and much of his ecclesial work are sparse, we do possess information concerning his pastoral concerns and his position in the Christological disputes of his era. These insights come from his own writings as well as the comments offered to him and about him from his contemporaries. His writings demonstrate a rather wide-ranging familiarity with western theologians such as Tertullian, Novatian, Lactantius, and Hilary, but Gregory was not simply a copyist. He was willing to utilize and then expand upon his sources as he saw fit, and this is especially visible in his Christological materials. This article will examine these influences on Gregory, especially regarding his promotion of the Nicene creed, both from his setting in Roman Spain and from the literary and theological sources he drew upon. These demonstrate that Gregory supported the theology of the Nicene creed even as he learned to refine his own language and expand his defense of the creed and its key term homousios.

Luther’s Reformatory Discovery: Justification by Faith

Luther saw from his monastic ascetic experience and the corruption and external ostentation reflected in the sacraments of the Catholic Church at that time that Catholicism had not solved the most critical problem – “How can man continue to stand before God”,that is, the question of why humans can be justified.The doctrine of justification by faith is regarded as the cornerstone and yardstick of Luther's entire theology, the “sun that illuminates God's Holy Church,” and is concerned with the rise and fall of the entire church. This paper combs the historical background of Luther's Reformation and the five theological sources of the doctrine of justification by faith, expounds the essential attributes of "faith" and "justification" as well as the relationship between "faith" and "justification", and intends to make a more comprehensive and in-depth interpretation and analysis of Luther's core doctrine of justification by faith by using the current relatively new literature.

‘In Contemplation only’: Revisiting the Debate between the Chalcedonians and Anti‐Chalcedonians on the Reality of the Natures of Christ

AbstractAlthough a theological exchange of ideas between Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Christians flourished at the end of the twentieth century, the ecumenical achievements of these discussions have been met with notable objections and critiques by theologians. This article focuses on one key notion that was highlighted for having been left unresolved in the ecumenical discussions, namely the concept of the difference of the natures of Christ ‘in contemplation only’ (ἐν ϑεωρίᾳ μόνῃ). The essay revises the traditional Chalcedonian perspective with regard to the interpretation of difference in contemplation, which considers it to be based on the assumption of a real distinction between the natures after Incarnation. The argument shows that this view was intended to form a response to the anti‐Chalcedonian notionalist interpretation, according to which the natures are only conceptually differentiated. By reconstructing the philosophical background of some notable sixth‐century Chalcedonian theologians, along with Cyril of Alexandria as the main theological source for the anti‐Chalcedonians, the essay will suggest that they bear the influence of opposing philosophical perspectives on conceptualization. The argument will show how some of the theological differences between the Chalcedonians and Cyril follow closely opposing attitudes in ancient philosophy towards fictional entities and conceptual constructivism. The conclusion will advocate that future ecumenical dialogues should take into account the relevance of these epistemological differences.

Theological Genealogies of Modernity: An Introduction

Theological Genealogies of Modernity: An Introduction

Kepemimpinan Wanita Kristen: Pengaruh Dan Tantangan Dalam Konteks Gereja Modern

In the context of the modern church, the leadership role of Christian women has become an increasingly important and complex issue. Despite increasing awareness of the importance of gender equality, there are still challenges and obstacles that hinder the advancement of Christian women in ecclesiastical leadership roles. This article aims to explore the influences and challenges faced by Christian women in ecclesiastical leadership and find solutions to promote their role in the modern church. Therefore, in this study the authors used a qualitative approach by applying a literature review and reflective analysis. A literature review was conducted to gather relevant literature on Christian women's leadership in the modern church, including scholarly articles, books, ecclesiastical journals, and theological sources. Reflective analysis was then carried out to deeply understand the influence that Christian women have on ecclesiastical leadership as well as to identify the challenges they face in the context of the modern church. Based on the literature review and reflective analysis conducted, this article reveals that Christian women have a significant influence in ecclesiastical leadership, including in ecclesiastical decision-making, public service, teaching, and spiritual guidance. However, they also face challenges such as restricted traditional roles, different interpretations of the Bible, gender stereotypes, lack of necessary support and training, and cultural conservatism. Therefore, this article concludes the need to recognize and promote the role of Christian women in ecclesiastical leadership by creating an inclusive environment, providing adequate training, overcoming cultural barriers, and promoting gender equality in the modern church.

Habits and Holiness: Ethics, Theology, and Biopsychology by Ezra Sullivan, O.P

Reviewed by: Habits and Holiness: Ethics, Theology, and Biopsychology by Ezra Sullivan, O.P Craig Steven Titus Habits and Holiness: Ethics, Theology, and Biopsychology. By Ezra Sullivan, O.P. Foreword by Wojciech Giertych, O.P. Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 2021. Pp. xxxii + 575. $34.95 (paper). ISBN 978-0-8132-3329-1. Habits and Holiness is about the human basis for divinely inspired change and flourishing in a person and among friends. In this impressive work of integration, Ezra Sullivan, O.P., addresses the meaning of the ongoing change involved in the acquisition of habitual readiness to flourish. He argues that the moral habits are the most important capacities that underlie good moral action and growth in holiness and that resist evil acts and vices. Placing the neurological, biological, empirical, and psychological sciences in service of philosophical and theological sources, he employs a method and a philosophical anthropology that focus on a multidimensional and teleological understanding of habits and holiness. The book is divided into three parts, each of which focuses on one aspect of the importance of habits in the quest of holiness in the Christian life. The first part is devoted to the biological bases of the habits and dispositions that serve the human acquisition of both virtues and vices. Sullivan calls upon the different disciplines involved in biopsychology to address the behavioral momentum of human habits, using the analysis of what he calls the habit loop (an antecedent trigger or cue, the behavior itself, and a consequent reward) to help understand the foundation of voluntary action according to reason. Sullivan calls these aspects of dispositions “subterranean habits” because they underlie the involuntary (i.e., prerational and preaffective) aspects of universal human nature and particular individual nature (second nature). He presents an extensive study of human nature, dispositions, and instincts, including the cogitative power, which has a special role in prerational cognition and higher-order perceptions. He builds upon Thomas Aquinas’s thought and the distinction between general human nature, which is common to all, and a person’s individual nature, which is a particular expression of human nature. This distinction gives a further basis to account for individuality, diversity, and the providential order. The second part of the book considers habits in the context of a Thomistic approach to freedom and habituation. Habits are distinguished as positive (virtues) or negative (vices). According to the nature of their objects, habits are also distinguished as acquired virtues (both intellectual and moral), or as supernatural, infused, and theological virtues. Of special interest for the spiritual life are the promptings involved in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These gifts are often ignored or neglected in contemporary theology. They are, however, an important part of Aquinas’s doctrine of dispositions, which interact with the theological and infused virtues. The third part of the book focuses on how habits can be changed, formed, and even “hacked.” Sullivan proposes a model that builds upon self-knowledge [End Page 350] and the input of scientific, philosophical, psychological, ethical, and theological sources. He evaluates techniques for acquiring, developing, and correcting habits. He also discusses how habits become deformed. Of notable interest is his treatment of the habits that serve the virtues of faith, hope, and charity. This approach to habit, virtue, and grace also demonstrates how merit is salient to formed and deformed habits. A full consideration of personal cooperation with habitual grace and with sanctifying grace and the merits of Christ leads to an understanding of how human merit influences human participation in the life of grace. Grace and merit involve work on oneself that is social, that demands friendship for developing habits, and that prepares one to flourish. The most original contribution of Sullivan’s work is its integrative approach. The book provides an engagement of contemporary psychology and personality theory with Aquinas’s classic understanding of the person (i.e., the soul). Sullivan uses the multiple conceptual lenses of philosophical ethics, moral practice, and moral theology, as well as the empirical, biological, and psychological sciences. This method serves better to support and even to refine some of Aquinas’s philosophical anthropology and moral...

Causality and the Procession of the Holy Spirit in Manuel Kalekas’s De fide deque principiis catholicae fidei

AbstractThis article examines the way in which Manuel Kalekas describes the procession of the trinitarian persons in one of his earliest systematic treatises. As a member of so-called “Kydones circle,” Kalekas was part of a fourteenth-century group of Latinophrone Byzantine theologians who were interested in ecclesial union with the Latin West and in Latin theological sources. In addition to certain texts from Augustine, during the fourteenth century several works by Thomas Aquinas became available in Greek translation. Kalekas’s De fide is of interest because it integrates conceptual and structural insights from Aquinas even as it draws on Greek traditions from Cappadocia and Byzantium. Although the importance of Aquinas’s Summa contra gentiles for the work of the Kydones circle is often cited, this article argues that Aquinas’s Summa theologiae was also a significant influence for Kalekas.

The Law of the Gospel: Shifting Interpretations of a Temple Covenant throughout Latter-day Saint History

The Law of the Gospel: Shifting Interpretations of a Temple Covenant throughout Latter-day Saint History

Stanley Hauerwas and ‘Chan Tai-man’: an analysis of Hong Kong laypeople's lived theology and Hong Kong theologians’ engagement with Stanley Hauerwas's political theology from a practical theology perspective

ABSTRACT Hong Kong Christian communities often draw upon theological resources from the West. But can Western theological sources be meaningfully applied to Hong Kong? Western theological sources stem from Western epistemologies, which may not necessarily resonate with the values or cultural assumptions of Hong Kong Christians. The lived experiences of ‘Chan Tai-man,’ a placeholder name for average Hong Kong Christians, can be a source for exploring Hong Kong Christian epistemologies. ‘Chan's’ lived theology has significance for the field of practical theology in considering how majority world epistemologies can impact the Western world, especially regarding Christianity in individualistic societies. This paper analyses Hong Kong theologians’ engagement with Stanley Hauerwas's theological convictions and makes a critical comparison to ‘Chan's’ lived theology. First, the article will address (1) why Hauerwasian theology resonates with Hong Kong theologians and (2) why Hong Kong Hauerwasians think Hauerwas's ideas would be useful in the Hong Kong context. Second, after explaining the author's ethnographic research methods, the article will illustrate ‘Chan's’ lived theology, followed by a comparison between the two approaches. In conclusion, while Hong Kong theologians’ engagement with Hauerwas makes an adequate start, Hong Kong Christian communities’ understanding of political theology will eventually have to be broadened through a critical self-reflection of Hong Kong lived theology.

The Routledge Handbook of African Theology

The Routledge Handbook of African Theology

John Trevisa’s Information Age: Knowledge and the Pursuit of Literature, c. 1400

John Trevisa’s Information Age: Knowledge and the Pursuit of Literature, c. 1400

The Theological Sources of the Torah and Labor (Torah U’melakha) Yeshivas

In this article, I seek to reveal the theological sources of the Israeli high school yeshivas designated “Torah U’melakha” (Torah and labor). High school yeshivas are schools for 9th–12th grade boys that offer religious studies in the first half of the day and secular studies, i.e., science and languages, in the second half. These schools serve mainly religious Zionist and modern orthodox society. Torah U’melakha yeshivas are high school yeshivas that are unique for combining vocational studies in the curriculum, such that graduates acquire a trade and can serve in the army and join the labor force in their field of expertise. Over the years, some of the Torah U’melakha yeshivas were subsequently closed and others changed their nature from vocational to technological. However, the educational trend toward “Torah and labor” has not disappeared. Vocational education, which became technological as well, has been assimilated in nearly all high school yeshivas, which, to a great degree, made the Torah U’melakha yeshivas redundant. The ideological and theological value of engaging in “Torah and work” became embedded in the pedagogic consciousness of religious Zionism and is continuing to infuse the many high school yeshivas in Israel and elsewhere.

The Disappearance of Rituals: A Topology of the Present by Byung-Chul Han, translated Daniel Steuer, Polity, Cambridge, 2020, pp. 104, £12.99, pbk

The Disappearance of Rituals: A Topology of the Present by Byung-Chul Han, translated Daniel Steuer, <i>Polity</i>, Cambridge, 2020, pp. 104, £12.99, pbk

The three theological approaches to St. Joseph: John Paul II, Benedict XVI, Francis

The study presents three images of St. Joseph included in selected writings of the last three popes: John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis. It notes that despite the same data from Scripture, the analysed images are different. Their diversity results from different sources used in theological reflection as well as from different methods of interpretation. John Paul II interprets the figure of the Guardian of the Redeemer in the light of God revealing Himself, carrying out His eternal plan. The emphasis was placed on God’s eternal plan that was actualized in earthly history and in human events. This made it possible to show both the realization of the divine plan in concrete terms, as well as the cooperation, faith and obedience of the carpenters of Nazareth in this work.&#x0D; In turn, Cardinal Ratzinger shows the figure of Joseph based on the message contained in a Baroque relief of a Portuguese altar. The symbolic language of the anonymous sculptor and the message contained in the Baroque relief allowed the theologian to draw attention to certain aspects that are difficult to see in the Gospels of Childhood.&#x0D; On the other hand, the image of Joseph presented by Pope Francis emphasizes the paternity of the Patriarch, expressing a certain analogy to the paternity of God towards Israel and the paternity of God to His Son. From this perspective, Joseph’s paternity appears to be a shadow of God’s paternity. This term refers to the title of a novel by Jan Dobraczyński, the message of which influenced the content of the theological icon in the document of Pope Francis.&#x0D; This study found that, despite the limited data on Joseph in Scripture, thanks to the theological sources used and the new interpretative methods used, it was possible to show new, original images of the Guardian of the Redeemer, which allow future generations of Christians to better understand the role and place of St. Joseph in the history of salvation and in the life of the Church.

The Haywain Triptych: A Painted Sermon on the Fruits of Avarice

The Haywain Triptych is a set of three painted oil on oak panels that contain a complete frontispiece on the exterior and a three-part composition on the interior. It dates to approximately 1510–1516. It was painted by Hieronymus Bosch as a visual ser- mon that discusses the various evils that arise from avarice, most notably violence and aggression. The imagery that is used is drawn from several theological sources. Bosch uses motifs mostly inspired by the Modern Devotion movement and popular theological literature of his time, including the Vulgate translation of the Bible, Augustine, Aquinas, à Kempis, Chrysostom, and Bernard of Clairvaux. The most significant image used is the allegory of hay as a representation of temporal wealth, which is a motif sourced from the Dutch translation of the Vulgate and the popular literary imagery of Bosch’s time. The triptych is a judgment scene that follows original sin, the situation of fallen humanity with regard to avarice, and the ultimate result of sin through death. It also contains a message of entreaty to put aside the sins that come from worldly riches and to follow the righteous path through poverty toward Christ.

Aspects of Experience and Their Role in Systematic Theology

ABSTRACT Experience plays an important role in contemporary theology, but the meaning of the term is often unclear. This article presents six different meanings of the term “experience” and how they are related, inspired by the grounded cognition model of the mind. This is then used to show how the four so-called theological sources (Scripture, tradition, experience and reason) are related in systematic theology. The main argument in the last part is that the four sources produce mental contents which all function simultaneously as conditions when we interpret what the content of Scripture, tradition, experience and reason are.

St. Thomas Aquinas's Appeal to St. John the Baptist as a Benchmark of Spiritual Greatness

St. Thomas Aquinas's Appeal to St. John the Baptist as a Benchmark of Spiritual Greatness John Baptist Ku, O.P. When we think of sources of St. Thomas Aquinas's speculative theology, we rightly recall teachings given in Scripture—such as that sin came into the world through one man (Rom 5:12) or that all that the Father has belongs also to the Son (John 16:15)—as well as teachings, based on Scripture, imparted by Church councils or Fathers, such as that Christ is one person with two natures1 or that the human nature of Christ is an instrument of his divinity.2 In the project of faith seeking understanding, these teachings lead expeditiously to distinctions and clarifications concerning person and nature, habit and action, primary and instrumental causality, intellect and will, faith and reason, and the like. However, the saints themselves too serve as a source for Aquinas's speculative theological reflection. Though they admittedly constitute a less abundant source than scriptural, conciliar, or patristic teaching, the saints' contribution to Aquinas's theology merits our attention. For instance, in "Jean-Baptiste: figure du prêcheur chez Thomas d'Aquin," Jean-Pierre Torrell observes that Aquinas's research into the Fathers of the Church for the Catena aurea bore considerable influence on his subsequent works, and Torrell documents how Aquinas's treatment of John the Baptist is a precise case that shows this influence.3 More recent [End Page 1119] scholarship has, fortunately, taken note of the saints' contribution to Aquinas's theology—in the figures of St. Benedict and the virgin martyrs.4 This article will therefore examine St. John the Baptist as just such a source of Aquinas's speculative theology. Aquinas appeals to St. John as a benchmark of spiritual greatness against which to situate other figures: Christ, angels, Mary, apostles, prophets, evangelists, priests, and the people of God. By examining these cases, we will not only observe the Angelic Doctor's appreciation of the saints as our teachers, as examples to be imitated, and as proofs of God's love in transformative grace; we will also witness aspects of the Dominican master's theological method, that is, in his manner of interpreting Scripture and his application of reason to scriptural data to make arguments and draw conclusions.5 For instance, in his treatment of the least in the kingdom of heaven, Scripture will definitively confirm what theological reasoning can determine concerning the knowledge of those with the beatific vision. Furthermore, his exposition on the Blessed Virgin will reveal that he reads the Bible as a whole with one divine author, in support of traditional interpretations.6 However, he is not naive about diverse human authorship and the literal versus the spiritual senses [End Page 1120] of Scripture,7 and his methodology unveils his explicit conviction that Scripture must be the basis of theological claims.8 My presentation will unfold in five sections. After (1) a glance at some of Aquinas's comments on the authority of various sources of theology so as to situate our conversation about the saints as a source of theology, I will review Aquinas's enlistment of John the Baptist as a standard by which to establish: (2) three simple points about Christians and Christ—that all of the articles of faith must be accepted, that prepubescent children can enter religious life, and that Christ's baptism manifests divine power—(3) the superiority of angels to wayfarers, among whom John the Baptist is the greatest, followed by apostles, prophets, and evangelists; (4) the eminence of John the Baptist and a ranking, in order, of God, angels, John the Baptist, prophets, priests, and then God's people; and (5) the holiness of Mary the Mother of God. The Authority of Various Sources of Theology In just a few lines in the Summa theologiae, Aquinas identifies the roles of reason and authority in theology. On one hand, "it is most proper" to theology to offer "proofs from authority," since theology's "principles are known through revelation"—making theological arguments dependent on "the authority of those making the revelation." But on the other hand, theology "also uses human reason, not to...

Family responsibilities as the moral basis of marriage

In this article, on the basis of historical, comparative legal structural-functional and dialectical methods of research, the author examines the institution of marriage and family in the spiritual and moral dimension. The sources of Byzantine law have influenced the modern understanding of the family and its consolidation in the legislation of the Russian Federation. Particular attention in this article is given to the duties of spouses. After analyzing the family legislation of a number of Slavic states (Bulgaria, Serbia, etc.), the author found that little attention was paid to the duties of spouses in these documents. The duties of spouses are considered in the context of property relations, which emphasizes the modern influence of Western European liberal concepts of law. The author comes to the conclusion that the institution of the family cannot be measured by any material values in their utilitarian perception. That is why, when society perceives the moral essence of a family union based on obligation, having passed the path of «knowledge testing», such institutions for regulating property relations as a marriage contract will become unclaimed, which even today carries destructive properties for people who are not only married, but also on the way to it, a priori laying the motives of doubt and distrust between spouses (future spouses). Modern family legislation of the Russian Federation requires consistent and progressive ethization and implementation of a wider «catalog of duties» of spouses, based on the sources of Russian law (church law) and theological sources, which will gradually free the Family Code of the Russian Federation from neo-liberal tendencies that significantly impede the development of native Russian family tradition, family policy, which must be protected from vulgar positivism and ideological labels.

The Background of Christian Religious and Social Festivals and Rituals in the Light of Theological Sources: An Exploratory Review

The Background of Christian Religious and Social Festivals and Rituals in the Light of Theological Sources: An Exploratory Review

The position of Sunni theologians on the eternity of Hell

This article is devoted to the theological problem that has become relevant again today, namely the issue of infi nity or frailty of Hell. There have always been some theologians, stating that Hell is fi nite, that the hellish torment will end, and the inhabitants of Hell will either be pardoned and saved, or (according to another point of view) will be destroyed along with the hellish abode. Such points of view contradict the consensus (Ijma‘) of Muslim theologians of the past. The article provides an overview of some theological sources and studies, including Tatar theological heritage, entirely on this topic. The paper also discloses some theological explanations of the position of Sunni Islam on the infi nity of Hell and its punishment.