Doing Theological / Christian Anthropology

Introduction

Who is in the conversation?

- Your Facilitator
- Co-Faciitators and Formators
- Learning Community

What Theology means to you? (Student Responses)

- Study about God
- Study about Humans in Society
- Study of God & Human beings
- Faith Seeking Understanding

*It is always helpful to be aware of our own ideas when we enter into any learning
engagement. We see from where we stand.

Broad Perspective: How to Do Theology?

- Class Readings - are provided for reference; don’t overwhelm yourself;

discussions are informed by the readings; we learn more from the readings than
from the lectures;

- Workload: Readings; Responses; Discussions; Output

- Class Materials: PC/laptops; Google Classroom; Learning resources; Exercises

- We will dedicate 3 days for this module; there will be 3 sessions per day

What does Doing Catholic Systematic Theology (from a Global Perspective) mean?
[Stephen Bevans]

Exercise#1 – Student Insights

1. Two Explanations:
a. “a study of the articles of faith by drawing from the sources (scripture,
tradition, Church Fathers/documents)
b. as well as other disciplines or systems (metaphysics, philology, spirituality,
psychology, archaeology, mythology, etc.)

2. Forgotten Requirement: Appropriation. Interface of:

a. the information from the theological Manuals,
b. everyday selves, spirituality, experience of God—which means our everyday
spirituality, religion, relationships with people.

3. “Nothing remains intact without effort. Repetition of formulas does not assure the
transmission of thought. It is not safe to entrust a doctrinal treasure to the passivity
of memory. Intelligence must play a part in its conservation, rediscovering it, so to
speak, in the process,” - Henri de Lubac.

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Theological Anthropology, or Christian Anthropology
—the study of the human being in relation to God.

Insert other stuff here

1. Distinct from Socio-anthropology (study of human societies, cultures and their

development), but related to it.
2. Distinct from but Related to Other Theology Subjects.
a. Original Configuration. Creation/sin/eschatology; and grace.
b. Bad Idea: Sin-Grace.
i. For much too long, grace has been understood as the antithesis of sin
—& not much more than that.
ii. But is it really & only an antithesis to sin, such that if there is sin, there
is no grace? Is this true, theological-anthropologically?
3. Grace is Greater than Sin. The whole reality of grace surpasses being just an
antithesis to sin! When there is great, deep, dark sin, there is still grace!
4. Focus. So the focus of this “kind” of theology is more of the human being. And the
starting point of this theology is our relation with God.

The Importance of Theological Anthropology Mindset

Introduction: All “Theos”, No “Anthropos”.

1. Dismissing Students with Single Parents;

2. Avoidance of Sin.
3. Clericalism.

What’s the Problem?

1. Neo-Scholastic Influence.
Theology of the Manuals or the Manualist Tradition. A theology that went further
away from the sources of our faith—Scripture and the Fathers of the Church—and
was heavily based on moral doctrine of the Magisterium.

2. Manualist Theology.
From neo-scholastic philosophy (spread throughout the church in mid-19 th century)
when Thomistic philosophy/theology was revived but used mainly to combat the
modern philosophies (Descartes, Kant, Hegel, etc.) perceived as enemies of
Christian Doctrine.

3. Relationship with God.

In a mindset that is only “theos” without “anthropos”, relationship with God,
especially, in grace, is reduced to being a miraculous force that makes us orthodox,
morally/ritually/sacramentally pure.

4. No Theological Anthropology.
In the neo-scholastic mindset, there is very little consideration of the human person
& the human situation vis-à-vis the God we relate with.

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The Pope Francis Way
His Characteristic Difference

1. A “Human” Pope.
Francis strikes people as someone who knows how to meet people where they are.

He reminds people of the humanity & humaneness of Jesus—who is both divine

(theos) & human (anthropos).

Jesus’ humanity is not just a theological/philosophical assertion off of the

Christological heresies.

Jesus’ humanity was similar to our humanity, except sin; so similar that it was
scandalous.

2. Teachings.
Not perceived to be a police force of orthodoxy. Rather, he begins from the context
of the anthropos as being deeply loved by the Theos.

a. Laudato Si, Evangelii Gaudium, Amoris Laetitia. These teachings address

human problems, world problems—rather than an orthodoxy problem;
reaches beyond race, creed, social status; not dogmatic—but theological-
anthropological.

b. Lessening the Burden.

EG43. “In her ongoing discernment, the Church can also come to see that certain
customs not directly connected to the heart of the Gospel, even some which have
deep historical roots, are no longer properly understood and appreciated.

Some of these customs may be beautiful, but they no longer serve as means of
communicating the Gospel. We should not be afraid to re-examine them.

At the same time, the Church has rules or precepts which may have been quite
effective in their time, but no longer have the same usefulness for directing and
shaping people’s lives.

St. Thomas pointed out that the precepts which Christ and the apostles gave to the
people of God ‘are very few’. St. Augustine noted that the precepts enjoined by the
Church should be insisted upon with moderation ‘so as not to burden the lives of the
faithful’ and make our religion a form of servitude, whereas ‘God’s mercy has willed
that we should be free.’

This warning issued many centuries ago is most timely today. It ought to be one of
the criteria to be taken into account in considering a reform of the Church and her
preaching which would enable it to reach everyone.”

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*The Question Formulation Technique (QFT)
Exercise 2

Francis & Theological Anthropology.

1. The Pope Doing TheoAnth.

The Pope’s starting point is the human person, the anthropos, as related to a loving
Creator-God, the theos.

a. His Premise. The human person in relation to a loving God who created
everything for our sake.

b. Three Main Agents. God, humans, and the world.

2. Most Important Threefold Point.

a. Humans are central to God's loving. God is the center of existence, but we
don’t have to discredit/marginalize humanity in order to honor God as the
center of existence. After all, the human being is the locus of divine activity.

b. We are not the center of the universe, God is.

c. If there is such a thing as an “order” of grace, the proper “order” is: God is the
center & origin of grace. We are the recipients of this grace.

Conclusion.

1. If the universe is marked fantastically by lots of space, then we realize that the
Author of the universe is Himself a God who has unfathomable space in his “mind”
and in his “heart”.

2. Theology as a Laboratory rather than a Curia.