Dr. Christian A. Hedrick THE 210:4 Intro to Theology, Fall 2022 Assignment: Mini Research Project Mini-Research Project Due Saturday Sept 10, 2022 by 5pm: Email to the Instructor about your chosen topic & subject – this is a 2-3 sentence email to me to explain what you are interested in doing. Please include: which “Option” you are choosing (A or B); and your topic. For example for ‘Option A’ you might be interested in a specific topic like ‘God and time,’ or ‘prayer,’ ‘grace,’ ‘life,’ etc.? For ‘Option B’ please state the book, book chapter, movie etc. you are interested in focusing on. Due Thursday Sept. 29, 2022 IN CLASS: Final Mini Research Paper 500-750 Words Mini Project Requirements: • Must be between 500-750 words and must be type written, double spaced, 11 or 12 pt font • Must be printed out and handed in at the beginning of class (with your full name and class on it) • Must have a bibliography at the end that contains at least 2 primary sources and 2 secondary sources (one of which must be a “scholarly source”). • All citations must be in either MLA or Chicago (Turabian) format. • Topics for both options must be pre-approved by the instructor. If you do not communicate with me first, you will lose points. Descriptions of the two options: Option A: Understanding the Catechism of the Catholic Church Choose a quotation about a topic that interests you from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This is a chance to look at a major collection of Church teaching documents and engage and familiarize yourself with this very important document (book). See: https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM The link above will open up the table of contents. Scroll through the topics, find one that interests you, and click on it. The topic will open and then you can scroll through to find one paragraph that interests you or that is relevant to topics in our class. The quotation should be at least a paragraph long and can be as long as a few (numbered) sections (consult with the instructor if you have questions). Make sure to include the proper citation (including the paragraph number(s) in the Catechism). Please do not use a quotation that we studied in class or that is included in the weekly lesson as far as you can tell. The goal is to find a new idea/quotation. Describe in at least 500 words what the entry is about, why it is important, why you chose this particular paragraph and how it connects to what we are studying (i.e. how is it related to Catholic theology?). If you look carefully you will see that most paragraphs have footnotes/references to all kinds of other texts. Pick a section that has at least 2 of these references and identify those references and explain them and why they are being referred to in your chosen example. The goal is to analyze an excerpt of an important text, explain why it is important/interesting to you, and contextualize it within topic of our class. Option B: Book, Article or Movie review Write a book, article or movie review of a relevant book, chapter, article or movie (published or released within the last 10 years) that deals with some of Catholic theological themes we have been (or will be) studying in class. The Anna Maria College library has a good selection of theological books and journals, Dr. Christian A. Hedrick THE 210:4 Intro to Theology, Fall 2022 Assignment: Mini Research Project as well as movies. You must check with your instructor about a possible book, article or movie title before completing this option. Suggested book titles: 'The Mass Explained' by Monsignor James Moroney (Catholic Book Publishing Corp., 2008) Books or articles by Bishop Robert Barron, Peter Kreeft, and Brant Pitre etc. Suggested chapter titles: • Lecture three 'Religious liberty and the human good' in the book 'Continuing the search for religious freedom' edited by Dennis Billy, C.Ss.R. (Phoenix, AZ: Leonine Publishers, 2016) • 'The evolution of the works of mercy' by James Keenan in the journal Concilium 2017/4 ('Mercy') • 'A field hospital after battle: Mercy as a fundamental characteristic of God's presence' by Erik Borgman in the journal Concilium 2017/4 ('Mercy') • 'Restorative justice: The bonds of mercy' by Linda Hogan in the journal Concilium 2017/4 ('Mercy') • 'The logic of unconditional love: Mercy through the eyes of refugees' by Deogratias Rwezaura in the journal Concilium 2017/4 ('Mercy') Suggested journal titles: America Catholic Biblical Quarterly Catholic Free Press Communio Journal of Catholic Higher Education Journal of Catholic Social Thought Some Suggested movies: Monseñor, The Last Journey of Oscar Romero; The Mission; Bonhoeffer: Agent of grace; John Ryan: Labor priest ('Catholic life in America' series); Daniel Rudd: Black lay Catholic congresses ('Catholic life in America' series); Thomas Turner: Black Catholic leader ('Catholic life in America' series) In addition to the book, article or movie review, write two (2) paragraphs describing how and why you chose this book or movie, and how your review connects with or is similar to the class lessons, assigned readings, themes and/or vocabulary that we have been studying in class. Grading is based upon the following criteria: • • • • • did you meet all the above listed criteria listed above? Word length etc.? full quotations with proper citations (2 primary & 2 secondary etc.) clarity of explanation and responding to all the questions posed meets college-level writing standards – did you proofread carefully? on-time submission (due at the beginning of class) Loigolos The Relationship between Faith and Reason BIC Round Stic Overview The ecclesiastical writer Tertullian (who died approximately 230) asked an extremely penetrating question: "What does Athens have to do with Jerusalem?" He was asking what Athens, which represented philosophy, pure reason, and nature, had in common with Jerusalem, which represented theology, faith, and grace. Today more than ever, there often tends to be two competing viewpoints regarding the relationship between faith and reason, claiming that we must accept either science pure reason, or the or faith; that we must trust either the power of spiritual illumination that comes through faith. If we apply this tension to current religious-based universities, we inevitably observe that there are some students who think that they must disavow all religious convictions before entering the biology classroom, and other students who maintain that we must cast aside all of our scientific knowledge when we enter into the theology classroom. But this situation amounts to a false dilemma. proper attitude towards this apparent tension is the realization The that the Christian accepts all that is true in any discipline, without a need for mental subterfuge. We accept science as well as theology, reason as well as faith, the natural as well as the supernatural. The reason for this conclusion is quite simple, as St. Thomas Aquinas has remindedThe Faith Understood us: there cannot be any real discrepancy between faith and reason, because the light of both faith and reason comes from the same source, namely, God himself. This observation enabled St. Augustinet many centuries before Aquinas, "I believe, in order to understand; and I understand, the better to believe."2 Faith indeed presupposes reason and builds upon it. Faith to say There are several I ways to correctly define "faith." A biblical definition of faith is found in the Letter to the Hebrews: "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1). We supplement his biblical definition with a dogmatic one: faith is a gift of God and human act by which we completely submit our intellect and will to God. To these two definitions we can add a third, "common sense" definition of faith as the act of having complete trust and confidence in someone.³ From these three definitions that approach the reality of faith from a different perspective, we observe that (1) faith has its origin in almighty God as one of the three infused theological virtues; (2) it is directed back to God; and (3) it is a type of knowledge. We also note that faith is not simply a gift from above, but it is also human act. It is not enough for God to give the gift; but we must freely cultivate the gift and choose to use it. a Because the proper object of faith is God Himself and the truths that He has revealed, knowledge gained through faith is more certain than knowledge gained through the scientific method." Through the scientific method, we acquire new knowledge by figuring out the 1 See CCC 159. 2 See CCC 158. 3 Consider that only in a loose sense do we speak about having faith in another human our faith in any human being. "As personal adherence to God and assent to his truth, Christian faith differs from person. It is right and just to entrust oneself wholly to God and to (CCC 150). believe absolutely what he says. It would be futile and false to place such faith in a creature" 4 A virtue is traditionally understood as a habitual and firm disposition to do the good (see CCC 1803). Like the theological virtues of hope and charity, and unlike the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, temperance and fortitude, the theological virtue of faith 1813). cannot be acquired through our own effort, but first must be given to us by God (see CCC 5 See CCC 157. 18 The Relationship between Faith and Reason reasonability of the thing to be known through using our senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste. Knowledge gained through reason, therefore, is "figured out" to be true. Through the knowledge that comes by faith, however, we do not acknowledge something to be true because we empirically "figured it out," but rather because God revealed it to us and we trust His authority. Whereas we can misinterpret data, have faulty sense perceptions (for example, when one is sick), and make errors in our judgments, there can be no such error on the part of God in disclosing truth to us. For this reason, knowledge revealed directly by God (which we call divine Revelation) is more certain than knowledge that we gain through mere human experience. Two human persons of biblical history who stand out more than any others as exemplars of unconditional faith in God are Abraham and Mary. Abraham, the Patriarch of the Old Testament, is recognized by the three monotheistic religions of the world as being their father in faith. Even in our own Roman Catholic liturgical tradition, there is an explicit mention of "Abraham, our father in faith" made in the Roman Canon. In obedience to God, Abraham left his land and fortune, uprooting his family, and journeyed to the unknown land to which God called him. Ultimately, the depth of Abraham's faith was shown through his compliance to God's command that he slay his only son and heir, Isaac, so that the boy could be offered up to God as a sacrifice. Think of how immense his love was for his own flesh and he still loved God even more! How many of us today blood, and yet have such unconditional faith in God? In reward for his great faith, God prevented the actual sacrifice and abundantly blessed Abraham and his descendants. The second human person in salvation history who most perfectly shows forth the theological virtue of faith is Mary, the Mother of God, who submitted her entire being to God so completely that she became the living tabernacle of the Most High, from whom was born the Incarnate Son of God.' As great as Abraham's witness of faith truly was, 6 The three monotheistic religions are the three world religions that profess faith in the one God. They are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. ir son blow w 7 The Roman Canon is also known as "Eucharistic Prayer I." 8 The account of this powerful event testing Abraham's faith can be found in Genesis 22:1-19. See CCC 146-149. 9 19Loigolos The Relationship between Faith and Reason BIC Round Stic Overview The ecclesiastical writer Tertullian (who died approximately 230) asked an extremely penetrating question: "What does Athens have to do with Jerusalem?" He was asking what Athens, which represented philosophy, pure reason, and nature, had in common with Jerusalem, which represented theology, faith, and grace. Today more than ever, there often tends to be two competing viewpoints regarding the relationship between faith and reason, claiming that we must accept either science pure reason, or the or faith; that we must trust either the power of spiritual illumination that comes through faith. If we apply this tension to current religious-based universities, we inevitably observe that there are some students who think that they must disavow all religious convictions before entering the biology classroom, and other students who maintain that we must cast aside all of our scientific knowledge when we enter into the theology classroom. But this situation amounts to a false dilemma. proper attitude towards this apparent tension is the realization The that the Christian accepts all that is true in any discipline, without a need for mental subterfuge. We accept science as well as theology, reason as well as faith, the natural as well as the supernatural. The reason for this conclusion is quite simple, as St. Thomas Aquinas has remindedThe Faith Understood us: there cannot be any real discrepancy between faith and reason, because the light of both faith and reason comes from the same source, namely, God himself. This observation enabled St. Augustinet many centuries before Aquinas, "I believe, in order to understand; and I understand, the better to believe."2 Faith indeed presupposes reason and builds upon it. Faith to say There are several I ways to correctly define "faith." A biblical definition of faith is found in the Letter to the Hebrews: "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1). We supplement his biblical definition with a dogmatic one: faith is a gift of God and human act by which we completely submit our intellect and will to God. To these two definitions we can add a third, "common sense" definition of faith as the act of having complete trust and confidence in someone.³ From these three definitions that approach the reality of faith from a different perspective, we observe that (1) faith has its origin in almighty God as one of the three infused theological virtues; (2) it is directed back to God; and (3) it is a type of knowledge. We also note that faith is not simply a gift from above, but it is also human act. It is not enough for God to give the gift; but we must freely cultivate the gift and choose to use it. a Because the proper object of faith is God Himself and the truths that He has revealed, knowledge gained through faith is more certain than knowledge gained through the scientific method." Through the scientific method, we acquire new knowledge by figuring out the 1 See CCC 159. 2 See CCC 158. 3 Consider that only in a loose sense do we speak about having faith in another human our faith in any human being. "As personal adherence to God and assent to his truth, Christian faith differs from person. It is right and just to entrust oneself wholly to God and to (CCC 150). believe absolutely what he says. It would be futile and false to place such faith in a creature" 4 A virtue is traditionally understood as a habitual and firm disposition to do the good (see CCC 1803). Like the theological virtues of hope and charity, and unlike the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, temperance and fortitude, the theological virtue of faith 1813). cannot be acquired through our own effort, but first must be given to us by God (see CCC 5 See CCC 157. 18 The Relationship between Faith and Reason reasonability of the thing to be known through using our senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste. Knowledge gained through reason, therefore, is "figured out" to be true. Through the knowledge that comes by faith, however, we do not acknowledge something to be true because we empirically "figured it out," but rather because God revealed it to us and we trust His authority. Whereas we can misinterpret data, have faulty sense perceptions (for example, when one is sick), and make errors in our judgments, there can be no such error on the part of God in disclosing truth to us. For this reason, knowledge revealed directly by God (which we call divine Revelation) is more certain than knowledge that we gain through mere human experience. Two human persons of biblical history who stand out more than any others as exemplars of unconditional faith in God are Abraham and Mary. Abraham, the Patriarch of the Old Testament, is recognized by the three monotheistic religions of the world as being their father in faith. Even in our own Roman Catholic liturgical tradition, there is an explicit mention of "Abraham, our father in faith" made in the Roman Canon. In obedience to God, Abraham left his land and fortune, uprooting his family, and journeyed to the unknown land to which God called him. Ultimately, the depth of Abraham's faith was shown through his compliance to God's command that he slay his only son and heir, Isaac, so that the boy could be offered up to God as a sacrifice. Think of how immense his love was for his own flesh and he still loved God even more! How many of us today blood, and yet have such unconditional faith in God? In reward for his great faith, God prevented the actual sacrifice and abundantly blessed Abraham and his descendants. The second human person in salvation history who most perfectly shows forth the theological virtue of faith is Mary, the Mother of God, who submitted her entire being to God so completely that she became the living tabernacle of the Most High, from whom was born the Incarnate Son of God.' As great as Abraham's witness of faith truly was, 6 The three monotheistic religions are the three world religions that profess faith in the one God. They are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. ir son blow w 7 The Roman Canon is also known as "Eucharistic Prayer I." 8 The account of this powerful event testing Abraham's faith can be found in Genesis 22:1-19. See CCC 146-149. 9 19The Faith Understood le Mary did not simply have a few tests of faith throughout her lifetime, but her entire life was mysteriously lived in absolute faith from one day to the next, formally beginning with the miraculous conception of Jesus in her womb and extending through His death, Resurrection, Ascension and beyond. On Mary's faith, consider the reflection of Pope Benedict XVI: The human reality created through the word finds its most perfect image in Mary's obedient faith. From the Annunciation to Pentecost she appears as a woman completely open to the will of God. She is the Immaculate Conception, the one whom God made "full of grace" (cf. Lk. 1:28) and unconditionally docile to his word (cf. Lk. 1:38). Her obedient faith shapes her life at every moment before God's plan. A Virgin ever attentive to God's word, she lives completely attuned to that word; she treasures in her heart the events of her Son, piecing them together as if in a single mosaic (cf. Lk. 2:19,51).10 Reflecting on the examples of Abraham and Mary, one may be tempted to think that believing in God was fine for them back in biblical days, but the importance of faith in contemporary society has lost its relevance. Is it really reasonable for a person living in the 21st century of scientific progress, cutting-edge technology, and "free thinking" to profess faith in God? Consider the following scenario: you are walking across the street late at night when a car spins out of control and hits you, resulting in your immediate need to get to the emergency room. Once you arrive, the attending surgeon tells you that you are seriously injured and that he must operate in order for you to recover. How would you respond? Would you ask to see the surgeon's medical school transcripts, diploma, and list of references whom you can call at one o'clock in the morning, or would you eagerly consent to the operation without reservation, entrusting your life to a doctor whom you may never have even met before? If we would not think twice about trusting a complete stranger 10 Pope Benedict XVI, Apostolic Exhortation on the Word of God Verbum Domini (September 30, 2010), no. 27. 20 The Relationship between Faith and Reason to operate on us in a potential life-and-death scenario, how much more reasonable is it to have absolute trust in our loving God, Creator and sustainer of all life! This absolute trust that has God as its proper object is called faith, and not only is it eminently reasonable to have such faith, it becomes blatantly unreasonable to refuse it. Reason Given what has been said, one might rashly conclude that as long as we possess faith, then we have no need for pure reason. Indeed, persons known as fideists" maintain such a view. Fideists claim that human reason is utterly depraved due to sin and remains utterly useless with respect to our understanding of the supernatural realm. This elevation of faith to the point of rejection of the power of reason is an error. Even the truth of the very existence of God is a datum that the human person can know through reason alone without even having faith! Consider the following solemn teaching of the First Vatican Council: "The same Holy Mother Church holds and teaches that God, the beginning and end of all things, can be known with certainty from the things that were created through the natural light of human reason.. 12 This teaching is explicitly taught in the New Testament by St. Paul who wrote, For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of men who by their wickedness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever 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. So they are without excuse... (Rom. 1:18-20) bloa And lest one fall into the error of thinking that this natural knowability of God is a Christian "invention," it may be helpful to consider that the same teaching is found in the Old Testament Book of 11 Fides in Latin means "faith." 12 Heinrich Denzinger, Compendium of Creeds, Definitions, and Declarations on Matters of Faith and Morals, trans. Peter Hünermann (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2012), 3004. See also CCC 36. 21 21The Faith Understood one Wisdom, attributed to King Solomon who reigned approximately thousand years before the advent of Christianity. This book, possibly a main source for St. Paul's teaching on this matter, states, For all men who were ignorant of God were foolish by nature; and they were unable from the good things that are seen to know him who exists, nor did they rec- ognize the craftsman while paying heed to his works; but they supposed that either fire or wind or swift air, or the circle of the stars, or turbulent water, or the luminaries of heaven were the gods that rule the world. If through delight in the beauty of these things men assumed them to be gods, let them know how much better than these is their Lord, for the author of beauty created them. And if men were amazed at their power and working, let them perceive from them how much more powerful is he who formed them. For from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corre- sponding perception of their Creator. (Wis. 13:1-5) What are some examples of "evidence" of God's existence that are accessible to pure reason? Two examples readily come to mind by reflecting upon the world in which we live. 13 First, we speak of the example from contingency, 14 which can be summarized in the following manner: We instinctively know that it is better to exist than not to exist. Simply reflect upon the sheer volumes of products that are advertized and sold that enable us to live healthier and longer, and consider the number of medical procedures that are carried out with the hope of saving or prolonging the life of someone approaching death. If we had the power of life within us, we would make sure that we would not die, but we do not have such a power because we are contingent beings, that is, we are utterly dependant on a higher power for our continued survival. Yet this higher power upon which we rely for the gift of life must itself be incapable of death, otherwise it, too, would be contingent upon another higher power, etc. This "higher power" upon which we rely is God. 13 See CCC 32-33. 14 To be contingent upon another is to be utterly dependent on it. The Relationship between Faith and Reason Second, consider the example that takes as its starting point the design of the universe. By observing the beauty and order of the world-not simply of what we experience here on earth, but even the amazing discoveries made about the design and order of the universe itself we cannot help but consider that there must be an intelligent, creative designer who authored the world and all its beauty. Beauty cannot originate from chaos or mere happenstance; beauty is the expression of a supreme intelligence that has authored all things and sustains them with His power. God is indeed this ultimate designer. - In addition to these two examples of contingency and design, which provide evidence for God's existence from the perspective of the world around us, consider two additional examples that can be drawn by reflection upon the human person. First, since we are created to be with God as our supernatural end, no combination of purely natural ends can satisfy the deepest longings of the human heart. Sometimes a person may think that power, sex, fame, and wealth hold the key for being happy, but real and abiding happiness cannot be found in such finite and temporal things. Recall those famous words of St. Augustine we mentioned in chapter one, "Our hearts are restless, O Lord, until they rest in thee." The more we seek what the world offers us, the more restless we become, since nothing less than communion with the infinite God can truly satisfy us. Reflecting on St. Augustine's conversion, Pope Benedict XVI states: Even today, as in his time, humanity needs to know and above all to live this fundamental reality: God is love, and the encounter with him is the only response to the restlessness of the human heart; a heart inhabited by hope, still perhaps obscure and unconscious in many of our contemporaries but which already today opens us Christians to the future, so much so that St. Paul wrote that "in this hope we were saved" (Rom. 8:24).15 Another example of a proof of God's existence drawn from reflection on the human person focuses on the role of moral conscience, which 15 Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience of February 27, 2008. 23 22
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