Chair of Dogmatic Theology

Credo ut intelligam - Credo ut experiar

What is dogmatic theology?

Dogmatic theology is the heart of the whole of theology, if I do the basic headquarters of the Christian faith, such as the Incarnation and the Trinity.With these mysteries stands or falls by its own Christian faith.She not only started at that Christianity differs from other religions, philosophies and world views, but in these mysteries prominent beauty, truth and goodness of the Christian faith.In another embodiment of the divine persons is published in the humanity of God: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."(Jn 3, 16) The love of God is reflected even more strongly in the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.It is in the person of Jesus Christ announces God as communion ("communio") of three persons, as the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.God is not "Deus solitarius" (Hilary of Poitiers), but the God of unity and love: through Jesus Christ, God is revealed as a loving God (the Father), who is loved (the Son) and the Holy Spirit (suljubljeni). It follows that the Trinity is not the fruit of human speculation, although traces of faith in the Trinity may be seen in other religions, but also the philosophy (Plotinus and Neo-Platonism). The mystery of the Trinity is reflected as an expression of the fact that God is love (1 Jn 4: 8).We could say the following: if God is love, then it is necessary and triune, and vice versa. This means that oblivion Trinity necessarily causes and forgotten love, such as love and forgetfulness also oblivion Trinity.

According to these fundamental headquarters of the Christian faith, which are dedicated to Christology and Trinitarian theology, governed and derive from them other mysteries of the Christian faith which deals with dogmatic theology: theological anthropology considers the man in the light of the Incarnation and the Trinity (the creation, the doctrine of grace and sin), Mariology and the Blessed Virgin Mary as mother and model of the realization of the Christian faith, a man reflects on eschatology in the context of his recent stuff (immortality of the soul, hell, purgatory, heaven, the resurrection of the body), ecclesiology points out the necessity of the Church in the realization of the Christian faith ("fides ecclesiastica") and the sacraments are treated as a special continuation of God incarnate presence and action in the world.

Now it becomes even more evident why the dogmatic theology of the heart of the entire theology.All other theological disciplines should take as its starting point the Incarnation and the Trinity.Therefore, it is not hard not to recognize that the crisis of dogmatic theology at the same time a crisis of all other theological disciplines, and thus the very theology.In this sense, dogmatic theology bears a great responsibility towards all other theological disciplines at the Institute.

But its role is not limited to college, but as it relates to my life of faith.On the one hand, dogmatic theology comes from faith, and faith itself requires dogmatic theology.On the other hand, dogmatic theology has a critical role to play towards a concrete realization of the Christian faith in the life of believers against various abuses and oblivion, and against the present world.Briefly we will examine only the first form of dogmatic theology, which will clarify the monastic and scholastic method that serves the Department of Dogmatic Theology at this part theological institutions.

According to Jean Leclercq, the great French theologian and connoisseur of monastic theology and spirituality, monastic theology, monastic approach to theology can best be understood if it is compared with the so-called.scholastic theology. Scholastic theology, which is of course found in the monastic theology and vice versa, driven primarily by questions (questio) and knowledge (scientia). St. letter approach to the issue, and the ultimate purpose is knowledge. Within such a "school", scholastic method has an important role teacher.The teacher should teach their students as much objectivity in approaching and familiarizing themselves matter. It requires, therefore, move away of all subjective, ie, from all that we can do to prevent objectivity.From biblical books, especially the Old Testament, scholastic theology prefereria mainly book of Wisdom, the book of Proverbs, because the crux importance of knowledge.

Monastic spirituality guided, on the contrary, the method of desire-desire (desiderium) and wisdom (sapientia).In the center is not so much a question, which is made in front of Scripture and that it examines, but it is about desire. Craving assumes involvement, commitment.The ultimate goal is not knowledge, but wisdom: God wants to make the experience, taste (sapientia - sapor); "Non modo queritur, sed desideratur - sciendum non modo, sed experiendum". This method alters the relationship between teachers and students.The teacher is a lot more involved in relation to his pupil.He wants him to convey their search and desire, their experience of God himself.The relationship is so much more personal.This can be seen in the monastic texts, it was spiritual theology.Often within the debate appears prayer, used personal way of speaking and so on. As we said, monastic spirituality is aware of the importance of scholastic methods, important issues and knowledge.But it does not stop at that, but always emphasizes, warns that the purpose of theology and spirituality-tasting experience of God Himself, to be moved (the affected; lat. "Afficere") its sweetness and grace (important concepts Cistercian spirituality)or the love of God himself.From biblical book it is quite understandable that the monastic theology at the center, a single book, and that is the Song of Songs, it speaks of love between God and man, about man's longing for the Lord.It should also be said that the reading of St.Scripture (lectio divina) always directed toward the "oratio" and "meditatio".Also, often the comments of scriptural texts unfinished, as opposed to the scholastic.The monastic theology is based on the awareness of the mystery of God's indescribable, so dealing with this mystery can not be completed.On the other hand, incompleteness comments pronounced and will love itself.Once spoken love needs no more explanation, there is only silence and commitment.

From all this it follows that the theological method dogmatic conceived as a blend of scholastic and monastic method, where monastic theology has a higher priority and importance.To search for entire his being (mind, heart, feelings) to face the Lord I want all those who have decided to deal with dogmatic theology.

Ivica Raguž, President of Chair of Dogmatic Theology

Profesori:

	Prof. dr. sc. Ivica Raguž, Chair President Ova e-mail adresa je zaštićena od spambota. Potrebno je omogućiti JavaScript da je vidite.
	Doc. dr. sc. Boris Vulić Ova e-mail adresa je zaštićena od spambota. Potrebno je omogućiti JavaScript da je vidite.

Lectures at the Department:

• Christology
• The mystery of the Triune God
• The theological anthropology I
• The sacraments in general
• Sacraments in particular
• The theology of Joseph Ratzinger
• Patristic and medieval dogmatic theology
• Mariology
• Selected topics of sacramental theology
• The theological anthropology, II