1
Introduction :
“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (Jn 8:32) is one aspect of the
fundamental teaching of Jesus. In this particular paper work I am going to summarize the basic
understanding of the dogmatic theology which deals about the basic truth of the church that is
taught in the class by professor John Egbulefu, a well experienced professor on various subject
particularly of the Dogmatic theology. This paper work also will include little research from
different authors, how they define basic understanding of truth. Dogmatic theology is an
important discipline of theology which deals with dogmas which are extremely important for the
church.
The work will be divided into three parts in the first part I would like to present different
definition on dogmatic theology. Then I would like to present the classification of the word
dogmatic theology. In the second part I would like to focus on the system of theology, which
also includes different theme of Dogmatic theology. And finally I would like to present the
development of various discipline.
1. Definition of Dogmatic Theology:
Dogmatic Theology refers to a set of beliefs officially affirmed by a church
body, especially in reference to the Roman Catholic Church. The word "dogma"
comes from a Greek and Latin word meaning "opinion" that is often used alongside
theology in reference to official teachings.
The word “dogma” means “opinion,” so for the Christian, it might be dogmatically
holding onto the divinity of Christ, the holiness of God, and that we are saved by grace alone as
the Apostle Paul writes that it is “by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not
your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph 2:8-
9).
2. Classification of word “Theology”:
The term “theology” etymologically comes from Greek Theos+logos; theos means
“God” and logos means “word”. The suffix-(logy), however, came to mean “study of” and so
“theology” could be understood to mean the study about of God and about things related to God.
2
Therefore theology has its foundation on revealed truths about God, found in the Bible, Creed,
Liturgy, Prayers and moral laws.1 The believer gives assent to these truths by faith. The theology
however, tries to understand, interpret, and elaborate upon these revealed truths under the light of
faith.2 St. Anselm defined theology as fides quaerens intellectum, ‘faith seeking
understanding’. This definition is self-explanatory. By theological activity Christian faith tries
to understand itself in rational terms. In other words, rational activity is called in to understand
and explain faith. Hence theology is not a mere rational activity, not a human search or quest or
investigation on God, based on reason alone, but a search to understand God’s Words and action
revealed in human history for the salvation of humankind.
Therefore, theology consists of three basic elements; essence, object and scope. So these
tree elements summarized in this definition that theology is exploration of the Word of God
believed by all, the exploration on the plane of reasoning and with the purpose of understanding
(interpreting) the word of God, reading through its lines (inter lineas legere) of word of God in
order to understand, using the human common sense and the common experience of men to
arrive at a common consent among men over the truth.
Theology is that scientific operation, which is a scientific, mystical, practical and technical done
on the word of God by the human being. (eg. divinely enlightened and flooded with faith infused
in God, love infused for God and hope infused in him and evangelizing.
Scientific Theology: operation that has object the reality of God and our relationship with
God. It is a mystery of divine trinity as holy trinity, it is mystery of his Son who incarnated and
united with God there exists indivisible unity between three divine persons. Mystery of holy
Eucharist like holy sacrament.
Mystical Theology: theology is mystical when we speak of the divine trinity: Father, son,
holy spirit, the mystery incarnate son of God, indissoluble union.
Practical Theology: it speaks of the divine laws that the man has to practice in his/her life.
(Es. Commandments).
1
J. Lakra, <<Tribal Theology>> in Sevartham 35(2010), 7-10.
2
. K. Pathil, D. Veliath, Indian series of theologys; An Introduction to Theology, Theological publication in India,
Bangalore, 2003.
3
Technical Theology: it speaks of the Christian doctrines on the Trinitarian structure of the
God numerically one which is the only creator and King of the whole creation.
The object of Theology is God: as He is in itself (His person, His structure, His nature,
having its essence as First and Last Being, and Its substance)
1. How is related to others beings such as His creature?
2. To them in general and to man in particular?
His creation of man according to the image of the Creator, that is, of the three persons in Him
who together created according to their image and resemblance. His revelation, to the man, of his
identity (name and person, essence and nature), which attributes and of His intention for His
creation. Therefore, His revelation of His plan of Salvation has been revealed to human being at
history at different time though the scripture and tradition. We are created to participate in their
divine life of eternal mutual love and of mutual glorification, of joy to one another and of peace
with each other, as of the desire to go to God and to see God and to participate in the eternal
intra-divine and inter-personal life to which God has invited.
such interventions of God in our lives is a purpose of making us divine - first His sending His
only Son, out of love for the world, into the world for us men and for our salvation, then the
incarnation of the Son and His redeeming and healing work upon fallen humanity, and then he
sends his Holy Spirit for Divine Righteousness, that is, for the forgiveness of the sins of the
repentant believers in Christ, and for the Sanctification of the justified as the conformation of
man to Christ God-man as to the divine model of perfection. His planned instruments of work of
salvation by His incarnate Son, that is, the institution of the Church and the seven Sacraments, of
the kerygma (proclamation 'preaching and teaching - of the word of God ) of prayer and of
Science (together to teach, to Search, and to Study how to learn from an authoritative and
exemplary Teacher).
3. What is Dogma?
The Dogma is distinctly defined, as a divine truth revealed by God, promulgated by
Magisterium that must be believed by all, entirely by all . The dogmas of the church are among
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the truths that must be faithfully believed by Christians. And such truths are all that is contained
in the word of God written or transmitted, and that the church, both with solemn judgment and
with ordinary and universal magisterium, proposes to believe as divinely revealed truth by all, in
fact, the dogmas of the church are the footprints of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic
Church of Christ that we profess with the faith in the Creed. The dogmas of the church are
among the truths that must be faithfully believed by Christians. In other words, there is nothing
wrong in saying that the dogmas are one, holy, catholic and apostolic.3
A. One: The church is one because of her source; source of this mystery is the unity, in
the Trinity of Persons, of one God, the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit. The Church is one
because of her founder.4
B. Holy: The Church is holy because the most Holy God is her author; Christ, her
bridegroom, gave himself up to make her holy. The church is sanctified by him; through him and
with him she becomes sanctifying.5
C. Catholic: The word ‘catholic’ means all embracing, it includes heaven and earth,
since it includes heaven and earth there is church in heaven there is church on earth therefore it is
‘universal’. The church is catholic because Christ is present in her the fullness of salvation. The
church is catholic because she has been sent out by Christ on a mission to the whole of the
human race.6
D. Apostolic: The Church is apostolic because she is founded on the Peter head of
apostles and other apostles. Church continues to be taught, sanctified and guided by the apostles
until Christ’s return, through their successors in pastoral office: The College of Bishops, Pope is
the head of college bishops. It is proclaimed by the infallible teaching authority of the church or
successors of apostles ( college of Bishops).7 Therefore dogma is divine revealed truth by God,
promulgated by Magisterium as truth that must be believed by all, entirely by all.
4. What is the Theology of Trinity?
3
J. Egbulefu, The Class notes, Urbaniana University, Rome 2019.
4
Catechism of the Catholic Church, English Edition, 188-199.
5
Catechism of the Catholic Church, English Edition, 188-199
6
Ibid.,
7
Ibid.,
5
The Christian doctrine of trinity (Latin: Trinitas, from Latin: trinus "triune") holds
that God is one God, but three coeternal consubstantial persons or hypostases—the Father,
the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit—as "one God in three Divine Persons". The three
Persons are distinct, yet are one "substance, essence or nature" (homoousios).8
The doctrine of the Trinity means that there is one God who eternally exists as three
distinct Persons — the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Stated differently, God is one in essence and
three in person. These definitions express three crucial truths: (1) the Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit are distinct Persons, (2) each Person is fully God, (3) there is only one God.
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons. The Bible speaks of the Father as
God (Philippians 1:2), Jesus as God (Titus 2:13), and the Holy Spirit as God (Acts 5:3–4). Are
these just three different ways of looking at God, or simply ways of referring to three different
roles that God plays? The answer must be no, because the Bible also indicates that the Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons.
For example, since the Father sent the Son into the world (John 3:16), he cannot be the
same person as the Son. Likewise, after the Son returned to the Father ( John 16:10), the Father
and the Son sent the Holy Spirit into the world (John 14:26; Acts 2:33). Therefore, the Holy
Spirit must be distinct from the Father and the Son.
In the baptism of Jesus, we see the Father speaking from heaven and the Spirit
descending from heaven in the form of a dove as Jesus comes out of the water (Mark 1:10–
11). John 1:1 affirms that Jesus is God and, at the same time, that he was “with God,” thereby
indicating that Jesus is a distinct Person from God the Father (see also John 1:18). And in John
16:13–15, we see that although there is a close unity between the three persons, the Holy Spirit is
also distinct from the Father and the Son.
The fact that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons means, in other words,
that the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not the Father.
8
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity , 22, January 2019
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Jesus is God, but he is not the Father or the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God, but he is not the
Son or the Father. They are different Persons, not three different ways of looking at God.9
5. The Theme of the Theology and Dogma
5.1. Ten Different Theme on Dogmatic Theology:
The ten main themes of dogmatic theology are the 1. development of the Dogmas, 2.
the Dogma and the living faith (lived in the context and part of the commitment to believe what
one proclaims, to teach what one believes, and to live what one teaches. 3. Dogma as the point of
fire, of the doctrinal, devotional tradition, and discipline of the Church, 4, the ways towards the
compression of the Dogma, 5. Dogmatic as theological science, 6. Revelation as the foundation
of Dogmatic 7. the Scripture as a living norm of dogmatic, 8. The tradition (devotional, doctrinal
and discipline) of the Church as an interpretative instance of the sacred scripture, 9. The teaching
church (the ecclesiastical magisterium) as the closest rule of faith, 10. The infallibly speaking
ecclesiastical magisterium.
5. 2. Dogmatic Theology is a Science:
Dogmatic theology is that science which by adhering to the law of all the sciences that it
must conform to the structure of the object. The nature of the method must correspond to the
nature as a means of knowing dogmas which is the structure corresponding to that of the dogma.
It also has a method of a nature corresponding to the nature of the knowledge of dogmas as
supernatural truths, revealed by God and believed by men.
9
www.desiringgod.org/articles/what-is-the-doctrine-of-the-trinity, 20th January 2019.
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5.3. The Dogmatic Theology and the Science of the Dogmas:
Dogmatic theology is the science of dogmas - that is the whole of the study of dogmas,
research in dogmas, and of the teaching on dogma in theology. It tries to know not only the
essence of the dogmas but also above all their origin and their development, their structure and
their intra-dogmatic-theological, inter theological relationships. Therefore, the role in the system
of the constitutive elements of the deposit of the Christian faith truths is the deposit of faith.
5.4. The Treatises of Dogmatic Theology:
Dogmatic theology, being that theological discipline that deals with the dogmas of the
church as the divine truths deriving from the self-revelation of God in response to the questions
of men concerning their faith includes sixteen main themes, which can be called the sixteen
dogmatic treatises:
1. Trinitology: Theology on the Trinity- the triune God
2. Regnology(I-II): Theology on divine kingdom, the reign of God
3. Protology(I-II) Theology on the origin of the created
4. Universology- theology on created universe & Histology- theology on created history with
time and space
5. Angelology- Theology on Angels, ministers of the king
6. Anthropology- Theology on man as the image of God & the people of God.
7. Soteriology- Theology of salvation
8. Charismologia- theology on the divine grace
9. Satanology & Demonology- Satan and Demons
10. Harmatology- theology on original sin.
11. Christology- theology on Christ, the word incarnate & Divine Redeemer & Saviour.
12. Mariology- Theology on Virgin Mary and Mother of Christ.
13. Pneumatology- Theology on the Holy Spirit
14. Ecclesiology- Theology on the Church of Christ
15. Sacramentology- Theology on the sacraments of Christ in the church.
16. Eschatology- Theology on the two ends viz. on the end of man’s life on earth and; end of the
world and time.10
10
J. Egbulefu, The Class notes, Urbaniana University, Rome 2019.
8
However, on the above mentioned treatises we will discover the reference of the self-
revelation of God to the humanity in the history of salvation. The whole of human history
viewed from a salvific perspective in God’s activity for human salvation in that history recorded
by the books of the Old and New Testament. 11 These treatises are the summary of the salvation
history. Salvation history is nothing but the history of the salvation of human race, beginning
with the personal activity of God within the personal activity of God within human history of
effect His eternal saving plan after the fall of the first parents. “He seeks all, and desires to save
all, wishing to make all the children of God.”12
6. Developments of Various Theological Disciplines:
Theology is the understanding and explanation of God’s word and action, revealed in
history, especially in Jesus Christ. The Christ event is proclaimed, celebrated and actualized in a
very special way in the liturgy of the church. Faith experience is the starting-point of the
theology.13
Therefore, before entering into the definite topic on the dogmatic theology, I discovered
some elements through the class notes and the lectures of Rev. Prof. Egbulefu, which could be
the starting point of development of the theological disciplines in the course of time.
6.1. (Lex Credendi) Doctrine:
It means the law of faith and faith becomes doctrine. Because I believe that there are
three persons in one God namely Father, Son and Holy Spirit and that through anything I ask the
father in the mane of the Son, the son will give to me and that salvation comes through the cross
that is why when I am making the sign of the cross I mention at the same time the name of the
Father Son and Holy Spirit. This Doctrine is the worldview by which we govern our lives. If our
doctrine is based soundly upon Scripture, we can know we are walking in the path God designed
for us. The more we study true doctrine, the more we understand God and ourselves. Doctrine is
indispensable to Christianity. Christianity does not exist without it. The New Testament
repeatedly emphasizes the value and importance of sound doctrine, sound instruction ( 1 Tim
6:3 ), and a pattern of sound teaching ( 2 Tim 1:13-14 ). The apostles defended the faithful
11
GERALD O’COLLINS, Foundations of Theology, Loyola University Press, Chicago, 87
12
JOHN R. WILLIS, The teachings of the Church Fathers, Herder and Herder, New York 1966.
13
J. Egbulefu, The Class notes, Urbaniana University, Rome 2019.
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proclamation of the gospel ( Gal 1:8 ).14 They formulated Christian faith in doctrinal terms, and
then called for its preservation. They were adamant about the protection, appropriation, and
propagation of doctrine because it contained the truth about Jesus Christ. The doctrine of faith
which God has revealed has been committed to the spouse of Christ as a divine trust to be
faithfully kept and infallibly declared.15 The elements of Christian Faith are always subjective
and objective. Objective means that the object of Christian faith is divinely revealed truth
deposited in the sacred scripture and traditions.16 Therefore, truth is found in the Holy Scripture
and the traditions which are passed on from one person to another or from one generation of the
next without losing its truth.
Faith is a personal act, the free response of the human person to the initiative of God who
reveals himself. But faith is not an isolated act. No one can believe alone, just as no one can live
alone. The subject matter of Christian faith is a person himself who beliefs in Christ as word
made flesh seeking to comprehend the Word of God through human reason and to obtain the
knowledge of God himself.
6.2. Lex Orandi (Devotion):
Lex credende lex orandi, means "the law of praying is the law of believing" which means
that it is prayer which leads to belief, or that it is liturgy which leads to theology. It refers to the
relationship between worship and belief, and is an ancient Christian principle which provided a
measure for developing the ancient Christian creeds, the canon of scripture and other doctrinal
matters based on the prayer texts of the Church, that is, the Church's liturgy. In the Early Church,
there was liturgical tradition before there was a common creed and before there was an officially
sanctioned biblical canon. These liturgical traditions provided the theological framework for
establishing the creeds.17 The prayer of the church by its very nature transmits a theology which
deepens its faith in Jesus the word of God. The Holy Spirit guides the church and aids it in its
prayer to call on the father Abba (Rm 8:15). Therefore the faith must be celebrated because what
we believe is revealed in our worship or celebrations. Consequently, this gave rise to two
different disciplines namely: the sacred liturgy and Spiritual Theology. Sacred Liturgy is a
celebration of Christian faith. It is a form of formulary according to which Christian worship is
14
J. G. Machen, “doctrine”, https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary, date of access 20th January 2019.
15
J. Neuner-J.Dupuis, The Christain Faith, theological publication India, Bangalore 2001, P.49
16
J.P. Mackey, The Modern Theology of Tradition, Darton Longman &Todd, London 1962, p.
17
S.PRIORY, <<liturgy-doctrine-and-discipline-the-right-order>>, http://vultuschristi.org/index.php, date of access
th
20 January 2019.
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celebrated or conducted for sanctification. On the other hand spiritual theology is a branch of
theology that emphasizes living “in the spirit” instead of “in the flesh.” In other words, it is
concerned with how a person grows and develops spiritually.
6.3. Lex Vivendi (Discipline):
Because I believe that God has created me in his image and resemblance, I do not , or
should not do anything that is not similar to what he does, I should not sin. In simple terms it
means the law of life or the moral life. The life of the faithful is governed by the faith they
profess, and by their love for Jesus and his words. Discipline teaches men to live rightly, to every
ethical and social life, and to the pursuit of that holiness that already we contemplate in the saints
set before us by the church. 18 In the Holy Bible we come across that how Abraham lived out his
faith by serving out three guests. Likewise, the life of faithful is manifested his faith by the way
of his life, by his behavior etc. Henceforth, many theological disciplines emerged. Pastoral
theology is one of them which aids in clergy ministry to be a good shepherd in guiding his
faithful to live Christian faith. Thereafter, another discipline developed to guide the people of
God in the matter of morals called moral theology. Furthermore the discipline of Canon Law was
imposed by ecclesiastical authority, to regulate the external institution and government of the
church and its members.
7.Theology on the truth of the word of God found in scripture and tradition:
when we relate the word of God with the life which we have received the important question
comes to our minds and hearts is why God has created human being? the very simple answer to
this question is to know, to understand and to serve. The class given by professor John Egbulefu
gives clear understanding of three aspects of theology to relate with our Christian life. a)
scientific theology: in each parts we have two lines the first line is vertical, indicates the word
of God and the second line is horizontal, indicates the life of human being, in the first stage
which is also called the scientific theology, where the word of God is being presented to human
being which helps him/her to understand the purpose of life. the purpose of life is to understand
God and his divine plan. b) practical theology: in this stage once we begin to understand the
18
. S.Priory, <<liturgy-doctrine-and-discipline-the-right-order>>, http://vultuschristi.org/index.php, date
of access 24 January 2018.
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purpose of life we begin to love God. We try to know his divine plan and try to live according to
the will of God. c) pragmatic theology: in the final stage the word of God produces the fruits.
The word of God is being shown in human heart and when human being accept the word of God
and begin to live a better life the word is being effected and we begin to serve.
Conclusion:
The Dogmatic theology is the divine one deriving from the self-revelation of God in response to
the questions of men concerning their life, a revelation that is in the context of a history of
salvation as a dramatic event involves people and things at the same time, actions and events. In
this particular topic we are more concern on the teaching of the church on faith and revelation
which particularly helps us to understand being of our existence receiving faith from the creator.
The dogmas of the church are the truths and therefore, contained in the word of God written or
transcribed and promulgated by ecclesiastical magisterium, since the magisterium includes
bishops who are successors of the apostles. The episcopal college is an extension of the apostolic
college, the papal magisterium is an extension of the perennial magisterium, the Pope, chief of
bishops, that is, the one with whom and under whom are all the bishops remains, is the successor
of St. Peter the Head of the Apostles, promulgates as truth revealed by God, to be believed not
only entirely but also from all the faithful in correspondence to the catholicity of the Church.
Here we also defend what we profess in our faith. The class given by professor John Egbulefu
with his vast experience as a teacher and the defender of faith helps me to begin my study with
full enthusiasm with regard to better understanding of the subject to proclaim and defend the
church in time of challenge.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS
O’Collins Gerald, Foundations of Theology, Loyola University Press, Chicago 1987.
12
Willis J. R., The teachings of the Church Fathers, Herder and Herder, New York 1966.
Mackey J.P., The Modern Theology of Tradition, Darton Longman &Todd, London 1962,
Pathil K., Veliath D., Indian series of theologys; An Introduction to Theology,
Theological publication in India, Bangalore, 2003.
J. Lakra, <<Tribal Theology>> in Sevartham 35(2010), 7-10
CHURCH DOCUMENTS
The Holy Bible, Theological Publication, Bangalore 1991.
Catechism of the Catholic Church , United States Catholic Conference, Washington
1997.
J. Neuner-J.Dupuis, The Christain Faith, theological publication India, Bangalore 2001.
INTERNET
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity , 22, January 2019
www.desiringgod.org/articles/what-is-the-doctrine-of-the-trinity, 20th January 2019
S.Priory, <<liturgy-doctrine-and-discipline-the-right-order>>,
http://vultuschristi.org/index.php, date of access 20th January 2019
Machen J. G., “doctrine”, https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary, date of access
20rd Janyary 2019.
CLASS NOTES
Egbulefu J., The Class notes, Urbaniana University, Rome 2018-2019.
