Theological Methodology: Neo-Scholasticism

Theological Methodology

• Neo-Scholasticism is a theological methodology that presents the church's official teaching or doctrine, provides proofs from the Bible and leading church authorities, and includes speculative elaboration of the doctrine.
• This approach focuses on the contents of faith detached from local circumstances and everyday life experiences.

Limitations of Neo-Scholasticism

• Neo-Scholasticism has been criticized for prioritizing Western thought and evaluating the emergence of new cultures related to the practice of faith.
• This has led to suspicion and inferior treatment of non-Western cultures.

Vatican II Documents

• Four documents of Vatican II are considered pivotal: Lumen Gentium, Gaudium et Spes, Sacrosanctum Concilium, and Dei Verbum.
• Lumen Gentium deals with the life of Catholics within the Church.
• Gaudium et Spes treats the relationship of the Church with contemporary situations.
• Sacrosanctum Concilium lays out the importance, relevance, and re-orientation of worship within Catholicism.
• Dei Verbum is considered the most important document and deals with the relationship between God and people, as well as created realities.

Revelation and Faith

• Revelation is the initiative of God in the relationship, while faith is the human response to God's initiative.
• These two concepts are mutually reciprocal and cannot be understood without each other.
• The relational reality of revelation-faith influences the way we perceive Jesus as the Christ, the Church, and the deep meaning of life shared by God with us.

Critique of Neo-Scholasticism's Interpretation

• Neo-Scholasticism has interpreted revelation and faith in a way that is irrelevant to the context of particular cultures.
• God's revelation is seen as supernatural realities for our salvation, and faith means accepting these facts.
• This approach has been abandoned in Dei Verbum, which espoused the thought categories of personalist philosophy, considering it more biblically attuned and situationally meaningful.

Learn about Neo-Scholasticism, a theological methodology that presents and elaborates on the church's official doctrine, its strengths and limitations.