Notre Dame HS Theology II 1 st Semester: The Mission of Jesus Christ (The Paschal Mystery)

1. Notre Dame HS • Theology II 1st Semester: The Mission of Jesus Christ • (The Paschal Mystery) • Mr. Kuehne • The purpose of this course is to help students understand all that God has done for us through his Son, Jesus Christ. Through this course of study, students will learn that for all eternity, God has planned for us to share eternal happiness with him, which is accomplished through the redemption Christ won for us. Students will learn that they share in this redemption only in and through Jesus Christ. They will also be introduced to what it means to be a disciple of Christ and what life as a disciple entails.

2. Theology II 2nd Semester: Jesus Christ’s mission continues in the Church. (Ecclesiology) • The purpose of this course is to help the students understand that in and through the Church they encounter the living Jesus Christ. They will be introduced to the fact that the Church was founded by Christ through the Apostles and is sustained by him through the Holy Spirit. The students will come to know that the Church is the living Body of Christ today. This Body has both divine and human elements. In this course, students will learn not so much about events in the life of the Church but about the sacred nature of the Church.

3. Materials: A textbook will be provided and used occasionally. A Bible may be helpful at times however I will inform you if and when you will need it. • A Notebook is essential. The nature of this class is such that you will need to take clear notes to study from if you are to do well. The vast majority of the test material will be from the notes given in class.

4. Class Regulations: • 1) We will observe all the rules and regulations of the NDHS student handbook. • 2) We will observe all class rules, including: • Be on time... class is over when I end it. • -No food, drink, gum, or writing on desks or books. • - Please stay in your assigned seat. It cuts down on attendance errors. • -Students are responsible for any work or testing they have missed.

5. Grading: Is intended to reflect your academic performance in this course, not your personal faith life. • -3 major tests/grades per quarter • -quizzes (announced or unannounced) • -Homework • -Semester exams • It is possible that I may give extra credit assignments from time to time. These are graded as additional assignments and will effect the graded as such. In other words points are not added to the overall grade but there are more grades affecting the average.

6. Theology 2 • Theology deals with those things that are most important to us. Faith and Beliefs • Who we are both in relation to God and with each other • Define our values and self image • Help us set both our immediate as well as our ultimate goals • “It is impossible to be human and not bow down; if God is rejected before an idol we bow” Dostoyevski

7. What is Theology? • Simple Def.- Fides Quaerans Intellectum • Anselm of Canterbury • Faith seeking understanding • Etymology- Theology • Theos= God (gk.) • Logos= Rational reflection, reason (gk.) • Theology is a rational reflection about God • Therefore any course in theology requires thinking

8. However, theology is not purely rational. • Why not? It addresses things the human mind cannot grasp all by itself without help from God. • Because theology deals with mysteries of faith which are revealed by the Divine and we are merely human and thus limited, our intellect and talent cannot grasp these truths entirely. • A photo can’t capture a person in a 2D image, Our minds cannot capture the Mysteries of Faith

9. This does not mean that theology is futile • We have greater tools than our intellect • With God’s help we can come to a better understanding and a deeper appreciation of our faith. • “God has given us the wisdom to understand fully the mystery, the plan he was pleased to decree in Christ…” Eph 1:9-10 • The theologian then needs faith as well as reason. • Faith is a gift from God the enables us to believe the truths revealed for our salvation

10. The Catholic theologian, using their intellect (reason) enlightened and guided by Divine faith, seeks to understand what faith teaches • These aspects of Faith and reason must be balanced • The person who knows about the truths of faith but doesn’t believe has not entered into the realm of theology • They have the gift of reason but are using it without the gift of faith • Reason without faith= Rationalism

11. The person who believes but is unwilling to try to think and reason about their belief is also a problem • Faith without reason=fidism • They believe in what they feel are revealed truths but lack the desire or trust to use their reason. • Theology requires both knowing about God (reason) as well as knowing God (faith)

12. Theology is striving to attain not faith, which is God’s gift, but an understanding of our faith • “Fides Quarens Intellectum” faith seeking understanding • Likewise we realize that faith proceeds understanding • “Credo ut intelligam” – I believe therefore I Understand.

13. Two Kinds of Theology • Natural Theology- Study of God from the point of view of what can be known about him from the created world by the natural power of human reason • AKA- Theism • Reasoning from nature to God • Uses the tools of philosophy to reason to a concept of God.

14. 5 Ways of St Thomas- Motion,Existence, Non-Existence, Absolute goodness, Design • Anselm’s Ontological proof • Possible because all of creation reflects something of the creator • “For what can be known about God is plain to them because God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely his eternal power and deity has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made.” • Romans 1:19-20 • Think of how much of themselves an artist puts into their creation (painting, music, film, etc.) • Something similar can be said of God

15. Sacred Theology • Study of God from the point of view of a revelation given by God or received by man in faith. • Trying to understand our belief • Starts with knowing God as he reveals himself • Old and New Testament

16. An image that may help are the two groups that came to worship the Christ Child. • Magi- Came to Bethlehem by observing the world around them (Star) and used their reason • Natural Theology • Shepherds- Came to Bethlehem because they had been given a revelation through angelic messengers • Sacred Theology

17. Revelation- Revelare= (latin) To strip back the veil, uncover • The sum of all the truths of faith which God has made known to us for our salvation through Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and the teachings of the Church • Perfected in the person of Christ • God’s self communication Natural theology-Tries to understand God using human reason reflecting on the created world Sacred Theology- Tries to understand God with the help of Revelation

18. Revelation • God’s self communication • 2 Sources for Christian Revelation • SS- OT –TNK (Torah, Nebeim, Ketubiim) (Law, Prophets, Writings) • NT- Gospels, Letters, Rev • Inspired by God (How??) • Word of God in Human Words • “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ” Jerome • Written record of the lived faith of God’s people

19. Tradition- Lived faith of God’s people • Equally a part of Revelation • Tradition refers to the way the Church understands and lives the teachings of Christ • Not to be confused with traditions- beliefs and customs handed down through generations • Tradition develops through time • Continues to be developed today • Inspired by the Holy Spirit • SS and Trad. Are closely connected • Both are inspired and cannot contradict • Tradition interprets SS • SS grows out of Tradition • Together they help us to know God

20. Science, Philosophy and Theology • Scope and subject • Science- material reality • Philosophy- All reality accessible to reason • Theology- God…And all reality including divinely revealed mysteries and articles of faith

21. Goals • Science- Proximate causes • Causes next to the observable data • How does this happen? • Philosophy and Theology • Ultimate causes • Why do these things happen? • Tools • Science and Philosophy- Use human reason and experience- But use them differently • Theology- Uses reason, experience and Revelation

22. Advances • Science- Makes advances through an accumulation of data • Isaac Newton would be lost in a modern physics class • Philosophy and Theology- Make their advances by contemplating more deeply certain timeless questions • Aristotle is still read in modern philosophy classes • It is a mistake to think that philosophy or theology must keep up with modern advances the way science must.

23. The advances of science are easier to see because they are cumulative. • The advances of philosophy or theology are more difficult to identify • They consist in a richer understanding of timeless truths • The fact that God loves You is never fully understood even if it is a simple enough concept for a child.

24. Why Study Theology? • Truth as food • Our human nature contains certain desires that we seek to fulfill. One of these is the desire to know– Esp. knowledge of the Divine • The person who doesn’t get hungry is often ill. Similarly the person who doesn’t hunger for truth and understanding can often be disordered • “Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” Mt 4:4

25. Truth as light • No one likes to be in the dark physically or metaphorically • Truth changes our vision- How we view the world • Christ calls us to bear witness to his truth • We cannot give what we don’t have • Nemo dat quod non habet • We learn not only for ourselves to so we can share with others

26. To make it our own • By better understanding what we believe we take a greater ownership of our faith. • Theology doesn’t just belong to clergy but all members of the Church • We have a right and a duty to understand what we believe • A duty to live our faith • A duty to share our faith

27. We study theology to avoid error • Being sincere and passionate about our faith is good but it isn’t enough • We strive to know, love and worship God as he is rather than we would want him to be. • Need for Orthodoxy • Right teaching\ right belief