Zadania teologii wobec Tajemnicy Boga

Abstract

A question involving the tasks of theology in the presence of the Mystery of God is de facto the question of the very nature of theology, the cognitive role of faith and the interrelation between faith and mind. J. Ratzinger/Benedict XVI devotes a lot of attention to this issue in his publications and teachings. He teaches that faith releases and purifies mind (making in independent, non-ideologised), opening it towards the truth, thus also towards the mystery. Recognising the priority of gift, God’s grace, who makes Himself known through His Word and actions, constitutes a vital condition of theological cognition. After all, it has Christological sense: Son knows His Father and wants to reveal the Mystery of God. The identity of theology is also shaped by spiritual experience and that, in turn, implies strict, multi-dimensional interconnection between theology and holiness. J. Ratzinger/ Benedict XVI draws methodological consequences from ecclesiastic experience of holiness and perceives holiness as the fundamental meta-theological and hermeneutic category. Only holiness, understood as remaining within the orbit of God’s love, enables theological cognition. That is why experience of the saints serves as the necessary benchmark and criterion of the appropriateness of all theological thoughts. Theology is subordinated (secondary) to holiness — sanctitati subalternata, both in individual dimension (theologian’s attitude), and in the ecclesiastic one (theology as science ingrained in the Church).