Reference no: EM133724462

Assignment:

For many the study of theology is irrelevant to life. It is merely getting to know the doctrines and practices of the Catholic Church which seem to have no connection with experiences of people today. Knowledge of it, therefore, may be useful only to persons who have institutional functions in the church but not that important for ordinary Catholics. Even the term "theology" which derives from two Greek words -- theos (God) and logos (word, explanation, discourse) -- sounds foreign.

Life in the world and what is being dealt with in theology appear to be disconnected. The problem lies with theology as many have come to know it rather than with people. A number of misconceptions have developed because of the way theology was done. There is still the popular belief that theology does not consider contemporary experiences as important to understand faith in God. Those who think that theology is merely repetitive of what comes from the past regard theology as not meaningful to actual life.

Knowing the doctrines of the church with a modicum of understanding was deemed sufficient. Then there is the perception that theology is meant to be studied only by priests, nuns and theology teachers so that they can at least educate the Catholic faithful in the rudiments of the faith.

Classically referred to as faith seeking understanding (St. Anselm) it is essential that theology seriously incorporates the experiences of people today. Theology is born when human experience is seen in the light of our faith in Jesus Christ as well as when this faith is reflected upon from the perspective of actual experiences in life. Understood in this way, all Christians who regard their faith as important actually do some form of theology.

Theology then is not a subject reserved for religious professionals. The systematic study of it in college theology courses is meant to enhance the meaningfulness of our faith. With regard to the impression that theology is merely a rehash of old stuff, it is useful to note, as with any discipline of thought, its dynamic character.

Theology is a particular way of understanding our faith in a given cultural context and as such is never really static, although there are those in the church, especially among its leaders, who at times want to see it as unchanging. While this may provide a sense of seeming stability, it risks the faith itself being seen as irrelevant to Christian life as lived today in the world.

In Filipino, we could equate theology to "mabathalang pag-aaral," (de Mesa & Cacho, 2017). The phrase of course is derived from the indigenous language "Bathala" (referring to God) and "aral" (literally lesson). Both are intelligible cultural symbols of how we regard our experiences of God and derive lessons from them which guide our way of relating with the divine and with our fellow human beings (kapwa).

Watch Video: What is Theology?

Are there beliefs/theologies that do not make sense to you? Why do you think they are unable to resonate with your own beliefs?