Theology
Theology (in ancient Greek , literally "discourse about divinity or the divine , the ") is the study of realities considered" divine "and of religion, and the interpretation of texts called" sacred. "
Summary
|
Plato
The first to use the term is apparently it Plato who, in The Republic , puts into the mouth of Socrates the word about the mythology Theology in Aristotle The term "theology" is taken up by Aristotle ( Metaphysics , Book A, ch.3, 983b29 and book B, ch.4, 1000a9) to distinguish philosophers theologians (or "theologians" from the translation of Jules Barthlemy- Saint-Hilaire , as opposed to theology exhibited in book E) that tell the form poetry , the mythology. Philosophers, on the contrary, the proponents of rational research principles of things. Aristotle seems nevertheless introduce the assumption that the early theologians and philosophers had a first common thought, the first appellant "gods" that the second call "principles". This hypothesis, like what the poets such as Homer and Hesiod were thinkers like philosophers Anaximander , Parmenides , Heraclitus , before the radical separation between philosophy and poetry introduced by Plato and Aristotle himself has was developed in the twentieth century by Martin Heidegger and Cornelius Castoriadis . However, in another passage of his work ( Metaphysics , Book I, ch.1, 1026A), Aristotle distinguishes three parts in the philosophy of "theoretical" : the mathematical (abstract knowledge of the substances of matter), the physical (Knowledge of substances immersed in the material) and theology (knowledge of separate substances of matter). The existence of separate substances of matter, which would lay the foundations of theology in Aristotelian metaphysics, is not clearly proven by Aristotle , which leaves the question open. Thomas Aquinas affirms he saw "ten pounds Aristotle's "on the issue of separate substances, which therefore delivers the famous theology of Aristotle , in his not yet translated into The poetry and the origins of thought
Divisions of the metaphysical
The problem of Ontotheology
Philosophical theology, rational inquiry on divine substances, and is opposed by Aristotle to the Theogony poetic , irrational and composed of fables. Theology is one of three theoretical parts of the metaphysical , the latter being also called "first philosophy" ( Metaphysics , A, 2) or "science of being qua being" ( Metaphysics , , 1).
Theology therefore communicates with the ontology , as it examines theoretically the highest realities, the divine realities, in deed and not mixed with the material. This project, left in draft form, will be the starting point of much philosophical debates after the death of Aristotle , the peripatetic , the Neoplatonists and the Muslim philosophers , Jews and Christians , are trying to establish and to justify the existence of a theology, which will become - contrary to its status in Aristotle , natural and non-monotheistic pluralism but - inspired by scripture and philosophically sanctioned by the idea of a first principle of all things. We go from the Hellenistic to the monotheistic Jewish , Christian and Islamic.
Martin Heidegger's focus back to the problem, after four centuries of neglect of Aristotelianism or almost (the sixteenth to the nineteenth century included), and make the assumption of Ontotheology . According to him, with Aristotle begins the history of metaphysics (which ends with Nietzsche in nihilism ), which is invariably coincide Being and God (the first principle), despite the diversity of authors and thoughts.
Theology or Christian theology revealed
If the Latin philosophers say little of theology, a passage of Varro - probably containing a tripartite theorized earlier by the Stoic school - is famous: he distinguishes the mythical theology, natural theology and political theology. This passage has been taken up by Christian writers to justify their own approach .
The use of the term in the classical philosophy in the early centuries, aroused suspicion on the part of authors Christians. The terms "theology" and "theologians" are associated with pagan mythology. However, Clement of Alexandria makes a distinction between "theology of the eternal Word" and "mythology of Dionysus." Gradually, the term not more than working for the new religion. However, its precise meaning is not always the same: the word "theology" can designate the Scriptures or the Christian confession of faith. For other theologians, theology was the discourse on the divinity in general, or even solely on the divinity of Christ. Authors western employ little time before the term scholasticism , preferring expressions with the word sacer, sacra doctrina as, or sacra sacra pagina eruditio. However, the Latin theologians have ended up using it frequently in their writings, and the word "theology" then got the sense that he has kept systematic study of Christian doctrine.
From the sixteenth century , the word theology becomes more general. It is indeed used in the expression of natural theology, which means knowledge of God in a manner considered "natural." Therefore, it is also used for other religions as Christianity , in particular the prospect of comparative religion. Theology means when the image of God and the divine in the various religions and their doctrines.
The Christianity is probably the religion which has increasingly asserted its concept of theology. Some of its currents have developed a set of dogmas and doctrines, which led to long controversies.
The importance of theology in Christianity is explained in part by the expansive nature of this religion had already at birth. Having had to oppose the philosophers of the Empire, she had very early to find ways to be heard in the Greco-Roman world, using his words, by recovering its categories. Thus appeared relatively quickly in the empire a neo-Platonism, Christian, and forms of Aristotelianism changed. To this factor might be that of inculturation voluntary return in addition the influence of Greco-Roman substrate on the nascent Christian doctrine. This was particularly open to this kind of opportunity because, inter alia, the drafting of the Gospels in Greek and especially the speculative nature of the Gospel of John. Thus, the identification in the Greek philosophy of being and logos answers in the Gospel of John, the identification of God and logos ("In the beginning was the Word Theology and Faith
We can consider that the man made theology when he became interested in God or gods, as M. Jourdain spoke prose. But use the term "theology" in a sense also implies that it is so broad difficult to exclude religious studies or sociology of religion from the theological field. However, very few scholars in religious studies or sociology, if not any, to admit being a theologian! Do we assume then that theology requires a report to the believer, an existential relationship with its object? As well as Luther justifying faith is different from the fides historica, there is a theological habitus does not prove the justification and sanctification of the theologian, nor his vocation. No one can objectively establish the existence of this report believer, unless confused confession of faith and the reality of it.
Negative theology
In contrast to positive theology or theology cataphatic, called apophatic or negative theology which does not define God but never positively lends only negative attributes (eg it does not say that God is eternal but non-fatal "O immortal God have mercy on us").
This type of theological discourse is based on a thesis which is that human language is inadequate to deal with all the dignity of the divine attributes. This would be doubly devalue God: a trial consisting of a subject and a predicate, making God the subject of our decision is to objectify, and append a predicate it is properties that lend in law, could be assigned to other objects.
Transcending the limits of human thought and language, the nature of God is ineffable itself. Therefore, it might tirelessly articulate what it is not, never what it really is.
Radicalization of negative theology could be taken as a starting point for the theological work of Wittgenstein's thesis: "What we can not speak, one must be silent" (Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, 7)
philosophical or natural theology
Natural theology refers to the philosophical discipline that deals with the nature of God and his attributes known by reason alone, without recourse to revelation.
It seeks to identify so closely argued and deductive properties of God. For example, Augustine bases his theology on the philosophy of Plato , while Thomas Aquinas extends the Metaphysics of Aristotle.
One can speak of natural theology for some philosophical systems, such as Descartes or Leibniz , they develop particular evidence of the existence of God , such as the ontological argument , and seek to demonstrate the divine attributes: eternity, perfection, goodness, omnipotence, etc..
But this philosophical approach is sometimes criticized: he specifically criticized his coldness and lack of any appeal to faith, like Blaise Pascal who invokes the "Memorial" ds Thoughts on "God of Abraham, God Isaac, God of Jacob, not of philosophers and scholars. " Moreover, if reason can bring some philosophers of religion, it can just as easily remove them, and support atheism or agnosticism.
Christian theology as aporia of thought
Franz Overbeck in 1873 wished to demonstrate that Christian theology is an aporia of thought and behaves like a parasite culture.
He believed, indeed, that Christian theology can have no proper object, the message of Jesus focusing on the announcement of the coming of the Kingdom of God , end of all time. Therefore, true Christianity is antithetical to everything that is cultural, historical, social, temporal and mundane, including philosophy.
According to him, theology is a branch of philosophy, the theologian and hopes about what is inherently beyond the world from a worldly point of view while remaining in the world. What would be a manifest impossibility: he will discourse of what he knows and not what he can not speak. For Overbeck made a total impasse on the concepts of Catholicism and especially the Revelation.
Faced with this vacuum assumed (besides the logic of Overbeck Christ did not return and the world continues, the message of Jesus and the early Christians would prove false), Christian theology has merely through the centuries to cling to large fashionable ideologies and sociological trends and policies of various moments in the "Christianized" by covering them with a pseudo-nail and a pseudo-biblical warranty. This is to preserve the power of the clergy and the ecclesiastical institution in society.
The disciple Protestant Overbeck, Karl Barth has attempted to overcome this aporia scaffolded by his master through the use of dialectic. The theologian does not speak of God but would return to reality by identifying the elusive and indescribable by the terms of its proposal dialectical opposites, God as faith is the empty center of our thinking.
Jewish Theology
In Judaism , God is both unique and unseen. It may not be for Jews , an approach by studying the Torah and its commentaries, as well as the practice of the commandments (mitzvot). Non-Jews (Gentiles), they can also get closer to God by observing the seven Noahide laws.
View
- YHWH
- Names of God in Judaism
- Laws on the Foundations of the Torah (wikisource)
- Category: Jewish Theologian
Theology in Islam
See Islam and Category: Current Muslim.
This term has a different importance for Christian theology. Indeed, Islamic theology based on revelation from Muhammad through the Quran for the existence of the Creator, Allah, single, omniscient and omnipotent. This imposes several limitations of interpretations, because the lessons never learned philosophical can not put into question the Koran.
Several theological schools have been created from several competing systems of thought:
- First the system Methodological and theology associated called Kalam , based on reflection.
- The Sufism , a study based on mystical or esoteric , Islam
The Kalam is used to prepare the laws ( fiqh ).
On the other hand, other branches of Islam , each with their doctrine multiply Islamic theologies.
Theology "atheology"
This term is sometimes used to denote the kind of philosophical theology that attempts to prove by reasoning the existence or non-attribution of certain characteristics of God or gods. While the materialistic and atheistic thinkers prefer to simply move away from metaphysics, some thinkers, like Epicurus, practice of theology "atheology" (also called "minimalist"). In the case of Epicurus, the philosopher will try to demonstrate the impossibility of providentialism Greek Gods by logical reasoning References See also
Related articles
Bibliography
External Links
Loading ...