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Courses HCT101 Fundamental Theology

Fundamental Theology

Fundamental Theology

This is a basic course in theology. Theology itself refers to the study of God. It covers Revelation, Faith, Reason. Revelation, therefore, is both a fundamental source and condition of theology. It is Faith that we accept God’s revelation so that without Faith there can be no theology. Our course may be called fundamental theology because it is that part of theology which deals critically, that is, it makes a systematic study of its own sources, namely, Revelation and Faith.

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Course Outline

  • Week 1 : Outline 1.What is Fundamental Theology?2.Two ways of knowing God, Faith/Revelation and Reason3.Different ways of knowing God, the world of nature and the world of persons.4.Three major questions: what does it mean to have a Religious Experience? What does it mean to have a Human experience? What are the criteria that must be achieved to have a Religious experience?5.Major divisions of Theology, Fundamental Theology (examines the foundations of theology like God, religious experience and faith) and Systematic Theology (which examines the other areas of theology as the Sacraments).6.The meaning of experience.7.Classification of different kinds of experiences.8.Peculiar character of religious experience.9.Religious experience and doctrine.10.Criteria for Evaluating Religious Experience.11.Criteria for Adequacy.12.The criteria of Appropriateness.INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSEThis is a basic course in theology. Theology itself refers to the study of God. More precisely, “theology is an attempt at understanding the Revelation we accept in Faith.” God reveals Himself. We believe in God and theology attempt to understand God as revealing Himself to us. Revelation, therefore, is both a fundamental source and condition of theology. It is Faith that we accept God’s revelation so that without Faith there can be no theology.Our course may be called fundamental theology because it is that part of theology which deals critically, that is, it makes a systematic study of its own sources, namely, Revelation and Faith. But the course may also be called Theology of Revelation and Faith because it deals with the fact and nature of God’s “self-disclosure” to us and our living response to God’s invitation as He opens Himself to us.Once we accept Fundamental theology as the basis of all theology, we may refer to the different areas of theology as follows:a.Biblical Theology is the that branch theology which seeks to understand God’s revelation as revealed in the scripture.b.Dogmatic Theology deals with God’s revelation as defined by the Catholic Church. This is sometimes referred to as Systematic Theology or simply Systematics.c.Moral Theology deals with the guidelines for man and woman in his/her daily living as he or she responses to God’s revelation.d.Practical or Pastoral Theology deals with how man and woman puts into practice this revelation of God. Practical theology and Spiritual theology are examples.GOD, REVELATION AND THEOLOGYAt all times the question of God is the most fundamental one of the age. For the real question as to whether or not there is a God is a quest for the ultimate question. The question arises in each type of culture and generation in a different way. In Europe up to the 18th century and in Africa up to more recently, the Existence of God was taken for granted and, therefore, there was no need for proofs. But since those times, many people have questioned the Existence of God and so the need for proofs has arisen. In fact, between 1800 and 1950 or there about, proofs for the Existence of God were very central to Catholic teachings. However, it must be admitted that many proofs were frequently found to be unsatisfactory.In this millennium, it is becoming increasingly clear that proofs for the existence of God are losing their significance. They are looked upon as irrelevant to the real needs of people searching for God or a meaning to life. Nowadays, the main question about God is not in giving proofs in His existence but in determining whether He can be experienced in the modern world. For it should be noted that in the days that anti-ceded our scientific awareness, God was known through the world of nature, its beauty, incompleteness, earthquakes, the continuous movement of the seasons, birth and death in nature etc. As science unsearched many of the secrets of nature, there is no longer the sense of awe and fear that enabled nature to draw people to God. Today we experience God more in the world of human existence and in our interactions with each other. The question arises:At what point of our experience do we encounter God? What are the first ingredients of an experience of God? What are the conditions or criteria of genuine revelation? What is revelation? What is faith? THE PURPOSE OF THE COURSE
  • Week 2 : Purpose of the Course

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