Dogma Synthesis Notes
DIVINE WORD SEMINARY, Tagaytay City
Compiled By ARNOLD C. BIAGO,SVD
II. CHRISTOLOGY
11. What does it mean to say that Jesus of
Ø Jesus of
- 1 Tim 2,4-6, Christ is the definitive word of God of salvation given to history and to all people. The unique mediator of salvation between God and humanity.
- For some theologians, Jesus Christ is the midpoint of history. All that happened in the past moved towered the direction of Christ, and all that will happen in the future is an explicitation of the Christ-event.
- Contemporary views on the claim JC -the Savior.
a. In the incarnation, God unified himself with humanity and being so, God united himself with every human. The whole humanity is changed because of incarnation. The savior became man.
- The Paschal Mystery. Christ’s death is for the whole humanity. In the resurrection, God triumphed over son through Christ. Thus Jesus was universalized. Before the resurrection, Jesus was a particular person, but after the resurrection Christ can be with everyone, anytime; not anymore limited by time/space.
- If we confess that JC is Savior, we should understand the universal and salvific will of God.
Ø Our approach to other religions:
a. Exclusive: Only Christ saves. No rooms for other religions.
b. Inclusive: Acceptance/Criticism. It is accepted the partial truths of non-Christian religion; but it is attacked their exclusive claim. Jesus is not the sole, but the constitutive mediator. It is still through JC that salvation comes, though non-Christians acknowledge another savior.
c. Normative Model: All religions have intrinsic salvific values. All can be saved. But it is the norm that corrects and fulfills other religions.
d. Pluralistic Model: Multiplicity and plurality of mediators (thus salvation might be recognized). Christ is one of the mediators.
e. The Liberationist Model: Salvation is experienced in liberation. Practice of liberation is salvation. So whenever liberation is experienced, salvation takes place.
Ø The most applicable to us is model B which tells us that Christ is the universal savior. Thinks of “anonymous Christians.’
12. What is meant by the statement, “Jesus had Jewish features, but the Christ has a thousand faces?” Explain the relationship between the university and particularity of faith in JC? What are the tasks of Filipino theology?
Ø Jesus the Jew/Jesus of History.
o The particular person, Jesus of history who lived in a particular place and did particular things.
Ø Christ of faith
o The Messiah who is recognized by all because he has risen and has universalized with the Spirit.
o The risen one, who could be anywhere, anytime.
o Christ is proclaimed by faith.
Ø Jesus of History and Christ the Messiah is but one person, seen a different point of reference. Proof: we use JC.
Ø How could Jesus in history, as Christ of faith, acquire thousand faces?
Ø Because he is the Christ, the savior, who can enter all time, people and places and be the same Christ who saves.
Ø The Universality and particularity of faith in Jesus the Christ:
Ø Geographically and culturally, Christ could be found in different form, in different people, place and times. But the aspect of “Catholicism” maintains certain universality of Christ, who is accepted in all times and places by those who believe in him. That is why we could go to other places and the people will have the same faith. But there is also a particularity. It takes concrete form in every particular community, culture, times, places. The same universal truth could be experienced and expressed and celebrated faithfully to the universal teaching yet also uniquely expressed in symbols and cultures.
The task of Filipino theology:
- To make Christ concrete in reality/salvation of the ordinary Filipino.
- Process of mediation must be in Filipino context, considering the people to be addressed taking into consideration: language and symbols and impact of life.
3. What is meant by salvation? What does it mean to say that God saves us in Jesus? What are some of the theories regarding the manner in which our salvation was won by Jesus?
I. Meaning of Salvation
1. From Latin “rescuing”.
Ø A comprehensive term for being delivered from personal or collective suffering/evil.
Ø In Christian theology salvation is a divine action in which one plays a part) cf. ex 5,1-21).
Ø It includes in OT: spiritual, otherworldly elements, prophetic, eschatological, apocalyptic promises of future salvation.
Ø In NT, liberation from sin and death (Mk 1,5) connected with the reign of God: salvation in Christ.
2. Healing, making whole.
3. The fulfillment of the human desire for an ultimate truth and goodness in freedom and love.
Ø The act by which the fallen human race, by the act of God through Christ, was delivered for sin and death and restored to the friendship with God.
II. God saved in Christ
Ø God in his desire to reconcile us to himself, made this happen through Christ, the mediator and savior.
Ø
Ø Also GS 22: God reconciled us to himself in Christ.
Ø Christ is the only mediator because:
1. He stands in the middle – he is God-man.
2. He unites God whether morally or physically.
III. Theories regarding the manner in which the salvation is won.
1. By his Passion and Death
Ø Christ made reparation, vicarious satisfaction of our sins
Ø A death in obedience and love.
Ø Affirmed by
2. Satisfaction theory of St. Anselm.
Ø Christ, by his freely accepted death, vicariously making amends for the offenses to the divine honor caused by sin. Through his sinlessness, humanity and divinity, Christ could sufficiently satisfy on our behalf for the infinite dishonor to God that is sin.
14. What are some of the criticisms against classical Christology? What is the difference between Christology from above and Christology from below?
I. Criticisms about classical Christology
1. Classical Christology is from above.
Ø Focus on the divinity of Christ endangering the genuine humanity experience of Jesus.
Ø Theologians further explain that people today first need to be humanized in order to aspire and feel the need of divinization.
2. It always falls into philosophical problems.
Ø The attempt to always explain the two natures of Christ in philosophical terms gets into trouble, especially in terms of thoughts and concepts.
3. It bypasses Christ’s ministry.
4. It departs from his saving work and becomes more speculative and rational than a faith experience.
II. The difference of Christology from above/below
Ø Christology from above:
o The bind of Christology developed form the theme of the pre-existent Logos or Son of God who descended into our world (cf. Jn 1,14).
o It is a classical theology
o It focused on Christ’s divinity and the incarnation.
Ø Christology form below:
o The bind of Christology developed form an examination of Christ in human history especially as it is presented in the Synoptic gospels.
o It is a contemporary approach
§ focused on Christ’ humanity and the resurrection (on saving event).
15. What was the central message of Jesus? Explain the tension between the already and the not yet of Jesus’ proclaiming the kingdom.
I. Jesus’ central message
Ø The
Ø The devil is final defeated.
Ø God will reign. It is God’s sole action, and man’s is only to pay for its coming to accept it like a child when it comes.
Ø It is purely a religious kingdom, not political:
o Communion with God
o A religious reality which has a temporal effect; thus requires repentance and conversion.
Ø Not a vengeful judgment but salvation
Ø A radical decision in humanity.
II. Already, but not yet
Ø The KG is an “already” because the KG is Jesus himself. He is the autobasilia, the representative of the Kg. In his very person, the KG is at hand.
Ø And yet is a “not yet” because it is still in the process of final fulfillment. Kg is an eschatological reality, as it began in Christ, it awaits the fulfillment.
16. Explain implicit Christology in Jesus’ words and deeds. Did Jesus claim to be the Messiah? What titles are given to him by the early Church and what these titles signify?
The implicit Christology in Christ’s words and deeds.
Ø He had an implicit knowledge of himself as the Christ because:
o In the Bible Jesus is portrayed as a human being, having a growing consciousness of his especial relationship with God, the “Abba.”
o He has a sense of mission, which he claims he received from the Father, which is in line with the missions of the prophets of old.
§ Thus he knew that there was something unique in him.
§ Exegetes say we cannot explicitly say that Jesus knew it, for the true confession of him as Christ did not come from him but from others (Peter), after the resurrection.
Ø The Bible has no accurate historical account about this, but it contains historical account but it contains historical core. The authors already had their theological background when they wrote the gospels.
o We are, however, with faith, and not with history.
Did Jesus claim to be the Messiah?
Ø The title messiah came implicitly from the early church. It is the early Church that confessed Jesus as the Christ.
Ø For Gerhald Mueller (of ITC), it is not implausible/improbable that Jesus knows it. Probably not, but it remains an issue of debate up to now.
o Indirectly speaking, he may have knowledge of it as in Mt 14,41.
o But it does not matter for us of Christ knows it or not, what is important is that the Church recognizes him as such.
The Titles given to Christ by the
1. Kyrios (Lord) - .
Ø A post-Easter response to the experience of Jesus. The Church believes that Jesus has been exalted by the Father as Lord of all creation and the universe.
Ø Christ is present in the world now in the Church, Eucharist, etc; and as Lord he is awaited for his final coming.
2. Son of God.
Ø Level of meanings (still rooted at the experience of Easter).
o It has a Messianic sense, i.e., he is enthroned as God’s son.
o From the beginning he is the God-son, through the enthronement happened after the resurrection.
o It is self-understanding as far as his relationship with God is concerned. He called God as Abba, thus sees himself as Son.
o He called God as Abba. He is the total revelation of the Father, but differentiated from the Father.
3. Messiah/Kyrios.
Ø The eschatological savior who inaugurated the eschatological KG.
4. Son of David.
Ø 2 Directions:
o It established the true humanity of Jesus, his genealogy.
o The Son of David is the One who is to come, to inaugurate the kingdom for David is king.
5. Son of Man
Ø 3 levels:.
o It refers to the future judge who comes from Heaven.
o The one who will suffer and die but will rise again after three days.
o Jesus acting here on earth in his presence (a debatable issue).
6. The Servant of Yahweh.
Ø From Isaiah’s the suffering servant.
Ø It focuses on the atoning death of Jesus that will bring salvation.
7. Teacher.
Ø In the gospels, Christ was always referred as “Rabbi.”
Ø But he is a different kind of rabbi; he is one who taught with authority.
Ø Christ is the new Moses and Christ’s surpasses Moses.
8. Prophet.
Ø The early Church believed that Christ is the culmination of the whole lineage of prophets (cf. Hb 1,1-2 and also the Transfiguration).
17. What is the theological significance of the miracles of Jesus?
Miracle
Ø It is an astounding event.
o Astounding because it is extraordinary. Extraordinary because what occurred is breach of the usual natural order.
o Nature does not bring forth miracle, it can only be ascribed to God.
Ø Three Types regarding Christ’s miracles.
- He was the Messiah. b. He was the Savior. 3. He is God’s suffering servant.
For Vatican II, it is a confirmation that the kingdom has come.
Theological Significance:
1. It is a sing that can summon faith.
2. It is a prelude to Christ’s resurrection and the triumph of God.
3. Jesus recognized miracles as “works of the Father who sent him.”
4. It is an impulse to life in the spirit.
5. For Jesus, what proceeds really bring about faith is not the miracles, but the encounter of Jesus himself.
18. Did Jesus attribute a universal salvific significance to his death?
YES:
Jesus expected to die a martyr’s death and to die in
Ø Sacred Scripture
o 1 Jon 2:2 – He (Christ) is the propitiation for our sins, and not for our sins only but for the sins of the whole world.
o Jn
o 1 Tim 2:6 – He gave Himself a redemption for all.
o Ps 22; Mark 15:34 – The righteous man must suffer.
o Last Supper: By Body and Blood – FOR ALL.
Ø The Fathers
o St. Clement of
o St. Ireneus: On Good Friday, the commemorative day of Christ’s death of redemption, the Church prays for the salvation of all mankind.
Ø But it must be noted that the vicarious atonement refers only to the objective redemption. The subjective appropriation of the fruits of redemption is however, dependent on the fulfillment of certain conditions, on faith and on the observation of the commandments.
19. Explain the Christological, soteriological, and pneumatological dimensions of the resurrection of Jesus.
The Resurrection:
Ø An event where God revealed everything, that the eschatological end of history is already here. (This is the hope of
Christological Dimension:
Ø Through the resurrection, the disciples learned that Jesus is truly the Messiah.
o Jesus was recognized as the Christ; an illumination of the true identity of Jesus.
o Resurrection event was an affirmation to the disciplines that Christ is truly the Son. When they looked at the life of Jesus in the framework of the resurrection, it was in the life of the Son of God.
Ø It also revealed that Jesus really shares in the divine majesty and being.
Soteriological Dimension:
Ø Resurrection is a salvation event (cf. Rom 10, 9)
o belief in the resurrection leads to salvation.
Ø In the Jewish faith, resurrection is a sign that salvation has come.
o Thus, resurrection is God’s saving action in the world, taking place in the world, taking place in the particular person of Jesus.
o In the resurrection of Jesus, the possibility of salvation for all is now open.
Pneumatological Dimension:
Ø
o Paul did not distinguish between the risen Christ and the Holy Spirit (cf. 2 Cor 3,17; Rom 8, 9-11). In both passages Christ is described as life giving Spirit).
o Paul’s pneumatology:
§ The resurrection makes Christ a life-giving Spirit.
§ Spirit=total existence in God.
o
o The Father sent the Holy Spirit through the risen Christ (cf. Jn 20,20).
o The Spirit:
§ reconciliation with God;
§ consoler, companion;
§ it will remind us of Jesus;
§ liberator from sin/slavery;
§ that which makes us call God as “Abba.” (also in Paul)
Ø The Holy Spirit is the hinge to Christian’s day-to-day life
o (cf. 1 Cor 12- the works of the Spirit)
§ it is the Holy Spirit that makes us claim Christ as Lord.
20. Explain the historical development of Christology from the time of the Apostolic Father down through the ecumenical councils and heresies to the classical Christologies of St. Anselm and
I. HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT
The Council of Nicea (325)
Ø The problematic
o The Alexandrian school, particularly Arius, denied the equality of the Son of God with the Father in divinity.
Ø The argument of Arius
o He wanted to preserve the biblical monotheism. If Jesus would be conferred as God, they would be two gods.
o Also he wanted to preserve the philosophical unicity of God:
§ The Son of God was produced, made and created by the Father;
§ A creature, thus inferior.
Ø Jesus as creature
o an exalted creature because he was God’s instrument in creating
o but also totally human, yet, above human beings.
Ø St. Athanasius’ Rebuttal
o Athanasius wanted to preserve the divinity of Jesus and the soteriological dimension.
o Salvation is a work of God. If Christ were not God, how could he save? Jesus, then, saves, so he is God.
o To deny Jesus’ divinity is to deny him as Savior.
Ø Official Statements of Nicea
o The Sonship/divinity of Jesus must be understood in the strict sense.
§ If he is the Son of God, then, he must be God.
§ He is the only begotten, from being ousios of the Father, begotten geneitos, not made.
o Homoousios; One in being, same substance – shares the specific nature, i.e., divinity.
The Council of
Ø The Problematic
o Notorious, a priest from
o He accepted the divinity of the Son, but asked, “How does the man Jesus united with the Son of God?”
o He proposed the “homo” assumptions:
§ The man Jesus was assumed by the Son of God
§ He made a clear distinction between the human Jesus and the divine Son that assumed “homo.”
§ He refused to attribute the human life of Jesus to the Word of God. .
o His distinction led to separation.
o The apex of his problem is Mary.
§ Nestorius explained that Mary should not be called “Teotokos”, because she bore only the human Jesus. God need not to be born.
§ Mary should be called Christotokos. This lead to a double Jesus.
§ God’s divinity is affirmed, but not in the person of Jesus.
Ø The Council’s Defense:
The council did not have an official statement. It used the letter of Cyril of Alexandria as its official teaching.
1. The relationship of Jesus and the Son is of real unity; the unity of the Word of God and the human is a unity in hypostasis. The unity is found in one person.
o Jesus is human and divine.
o Hypostatic union = two natures in one person.
§ Person:
· The second person of the Blessed Trinity.
· The Word of God personally took form in Jesus.
o Even before the incarnation, the second person was already there. In the incarnation, the second person took another nature, i.e., human.
2. Mary could be called “Theotokos”. When the human Jesus was born, it was also the Son of God who took new nature.
The Council of
Ø The problematic:
o Eutyches, a monk from
o Accepted Nicea’s teaching; but he asked what happened to the human nature when it was united with the humanity.
o He admitted that Jesus was from two natures, but claimed that Jesus does not remain in two natures.
§ Instead of union (mixture), the human nature was absorbed by the divine nature because the letter is more powerful.
§ Jesus is not one of us in humanity anymore. This theory is called monophysiticism - from two natures to one.
§ Human nature disappeared.
Ø The Teaching of Chalcedon (It used Cyril’s teaching)
a. Unity in the person and distinction in nature.
o Jesus is one person, but has two natures.
o Jesus: 1 hypostasis, 2 physis;
§ human: Homouousios (consubstantial) with Human beings and
§ Divine: homouousios with the Father.
o Divine consubstantiality is numerical identity (to preserve God’s unity).
o Human consubstantiality is specific (to preserve individuality)
o 2-fold origin of Jesus:
§ human, born of Mary and
§ divine, begotten of the Father.
b. Jesus is one person, but two different natures. (one hypostasis prosopon, 2 physis.
o The relationship of the two natures:
§ 2 natures are united in one person without confusion and without division. Jesus is totally human and totally divine.
Constantinople III (681)
Ø The Problematic:
o Sergius, Patriarch of Constantinople raised a question, “If there are two natures, are there two actions, two wills in Christ?”
o Sergius claimed that:
§ There was only one action and will in Jesus. The human will and action were absorbed by the divine (human dimension disappeared again).
§ On Theandric Principle: monoergetism (one source of action) and monotheliticsm (one source of will).
Ø Official teaching of
o The human will moves itself and is submitted to the divine will.
o Two natures perform their respective functions, but always in communion with each other.
o Human will does not disappear, but is always in communion; submissive and obedient to the divine will.
o In the Council of Lateran (649) the teaching of Constantinople II was affirmed.
II. CLASSICAL CHRISTOLOGY OF ANSELM AND THOMAS AQUINAS
St. Anselm:
(Read: “JESUS THE CHRIST” by W. Kasper pp. 210-221)
The satisfaction theory of St. Anselm. His response to “Cur Deus Home? Why did God become man?
Ø He operated the theory of corporate personality. One human being can represent the whole of humanity.
Ø God created everything well. Sin disturbed the order, and the eternal. God was offended, and the harm was also eternal.
o By strict justice, human beings should make the reparation. However, they are mortal and an eternal offense needs eternal satisfaction.
o So Jesus, God, became man to save us. His reparation was enough to satisfy, because he is between God and human beings.
St. Thomas Aquinas:
Christology is always soteriological.
Ø Jesus is the savior. Christ’s death is a Christological event. The death was an efficient cause of our salvation…
a. By giving us merit, Christ performed this saving action to us, a grace for others.
- It is for the satisfaction of sins – the overflowing love of God on the cross is the satisfaction of our sins.
- The sacrifice offered by Jesus to honor God, to restore God’s honor, which was tarnished by our sins.
21. Explain the various theological positions concerning the virginal conception of Jesus, his sinlessness, his knowledge and his sexuality.
A. VIRGINAL CONCEPTION OF JESUS
There is no dogmatic formulation of this belief, but it is part of the dogmatic faith.
Ø The Core of the Belief:
o Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary without the intervention of a human father, but by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit. Cf. Mt. 1:18-25; Lk 1:26-38.
o The incarnation of the Word of God in the womb of Mary is a completely miraculous action of the part of God.
o Mt./Lk are conveying the message that from the beginning Christ was God’s son and that He was the Messiah and not just a mere human.
o Thus not just about Mary, but a Christological belief, affirming the apparently human birth, is also the birth of the Son of God.
Ø The Theological Positions
1. Some Theologians start with
v Christ is homoousious with God in divinity, and also homoousious in humanity.
2. Some Theologians contend: How can Jesus be truly human, if there’s no human intercourse, for man is born through intercourse.
v They assert that Joseph and Mary had an intercourse, and this is God’s chosen way of conceiving God’s Son in his humanity.
v The sexual intercourse is “guided/blessed by the Holy Spirit, so that the one who is conceived will be the Son of God. (Thus a blend of overshadowing of the Holy Spirit and human interaction).
3. For Raymond Brown, exegetically speaking, we could not really affirm or deny an intercourse. But the Bible is not concerned with “how”, but with proclaiming Jesus as the Son of God.
v Thus, whether there was an intercourse or none, it doesn’t matter. What’s important is that a God was born in his humanity in Jesus.
q Intercourse would even make it easier to affirm Christ’s humanity.
q Traditional belief explains that Mary produced the human nature of Jesus.
q Take into consideration the old exegesis, and the negative view on sex.
B. THE SINLESSNESS OF JESUS
Ø Biblically, this not a question. This is even affirmed in Heb. 7:26; 1 Pt. 1:18; 1 Jn 3:5. Also in the Council of Chalcedon (451) – Cf. Christian Faith N/D No. 614 (homoousious with us apart from sin).
Ø Also affirmed in the following Councils:
o Lateran Council (649) – Sin only being excepted
o
o Council of
o Constantinopole II (513).
§ Cf Xtian Faith N/D No. 621.
§ All arguments was based on
§ Explain
§ s that
- Jesus could not sin, for all his action is the action of both the human and divine person in Christ. If Christ would sin, it would mean that sin would come from God.
- Christ was tempted as human, but he never sinned (cf Mk
Ø Modern exegetes says that though Christ is divine, in his human nature, temptations gave him genuine struggles to abide to the will of God.
o To be in harmony with God’s will gave him pains.
C. THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST.
Ø The problematic:
o As God, Jesus must have known everything, but as human, he is limited.
o What then is the knowledge of Jesus?
Ø Proposals/Views:
1. The human Jesus had a beatific vision similar to the beatific vision we are aspiring for. This makes Jesus knowledge perfect.
o so while he was on earth, he is enjoying a full knowledge.
o Today’s theology holds that Jesus had the vision after the resurrection thus all the events of his life is real, and not a mere “act”.
2. Some theologians proposed that Jesus had an infused angelic knowledge.
o His knowledge is like that of angels but limited.
o But it is refuted because Jesus became human, and not angel. His knowledge, then, must be human.
3. Others say that Jesus has an exhaustive experiential knowledge.
o A knowledge that grows in experience, but is exhaustive, for his God.
o Again it is refuted because its experiential, it is developmental and couldn’t be exhaustive.
4. Contemporary Approach
A. Biblical Approach
o There are 2 important aspects of the knowledge of Jesus:
1. At Some moments, Jesus is exhibiting extraordinary knowledge.
v E.g., at 12, he stayed at the temple to teach (cf. Lk
v People marveled at his teaching and authority (cf Mt
v He exhibited a surprising knowledge of scripture (cf Jn
v He sees the secrets of human hearts (cf Lk 6:8)
v Cf Jn.
2. Another set of data shows us that Christ is just like any other being; e.g.
v Jesus the child grew in wisdom (cf Lk
v Jesus admitted not knowing anything about the Parousia (cf Mt 24:36; Mk
v Jesus has many questions.
o The tension must be preserved. In SS, Jesus has an extraordinary knowledge, but in his humanity he also didn’t know everything.
B. Speculative Approach
1. Karl Rahnner’s Notion of Consciousness and Presence
o All human’s (including Jesus), there are levels of consciousness. We are conscious to self and object.
v Presence to self:
· Not thinking about the self, but the implicit, unthematized presence of myself to myself.
· A self-consciousness which is the condition for me to have an objective knowledge.
v Present to objects:
· Some objects become present to my knowledge and become objective knowledge.
· But to have objective knowledge, I must be first present to myself.
o Jesus the human also has the levels of consciousness.
v His self presence is the divine person
v His objective knowledge is part of being human
· Many things do not objectify, and is not always thematic.
· Thus as human, he didn’t always know everything.
v He is growing in objective knowledge, but has no defect in his divine presence; at times it slips.
2. Jack Dupuis Notion of Consciousness and Presence.
o Idea is same as Rahner
v The subjective awareness of Jesus is the awareness of being the Son of God.
v But this awareness includes an objective but intuitive knowledge of the Father.
D. THE SEXUALITY OF CHRIST
Ø There is no conciliar formulation that defined this. But this is how it is viewed today.
1. The interest of Christ’ sexuality is seen in the human side of Jesus.
Ø As human, he is a sexual being, it is
Ø But for Christ, sexuality is not about genetality, but a relationship and its purity.
o The sexuality of Jesus is our model of pure relationship of love.
o He is the most authentic and sexual being in his being in deep loving relationship with others.
§ He could relate to all kinds of people in love and in freedom.
2. Sexuality is a quality of personhood, the vehicle of one’s interiority and hearts.
Ø SS tells how open Christ is. he is the most open person, we could always see through his heart.
o We can always know what gives him joy, sorrow, compassion, righteous anger, deep love for his friends and the power and the sinner.
o For Ratzinger, in the heart of Jesus, we can find a truly human being, who is always at the disposal of God and of neighbors.
o This defines true freedom: to be at the disposal of others.
Ø Thus, the sexuality of Jesus is one about relationship and self transcendence.
22. What does it mean to say that Mary, as the mother of God, was conceived without sin, and that she was a virgin before, during and after the birth of Jesus?
A. MARY AS THE MOTHER OF GOD
Ø In the Council of Ephesus (431), Mary as Theotokos was declared as dogma.
Ø Cf. Christian Faith N/D No. 605 and notes
Ø In this Council, Nestorius, who said that Jesus has 2 persons (the human and the divine). Thus Mary should only be called Kristotokos and not Theotokos.
Ø But the Council asserted that Mary was indeed Theotokos because of the hypostatic union in the person of Christ.
§ The dogma is not protecting Mary, but the 2nd person of Trinity.
B. IMMACULATE CONCEPTION/GRACING OF MARY
Ø Pius IX, in Ineffabilis Deus, 1854, declared this as dogma (cf. Original Sin as background).
Ø The core of faith:
Ø From the beginning of her existence, Mary is chosen and blessed by God in a supremely inward (interior) and living bond with Jesus.
Ø Specific Elements:
- Mary’s Immaculate Conception is an action of God, not because of her own or her parent’s merit.
- God’s action: in her conception, she was chosen for a mission, to be the mother of the Son of God.
- Because of this mission, god already prepared her from the very beginning, by immaculate conception and interior bond with Jesus.
(once again the attribution of this dogma is not Mary but Christ and the action of God)
Ø The dogma of the Immaculate Conception is a negative formulation. Mary is singularly graced by God from the start; she was intimately connected with Jesus.
C. THE PERPETUAL VIRGINITY OF MARY
Ø This is not defined by any council, but is part of the baptismal creed of the Eastern Church from the 4th century.
Ø This could be approached into 2 ways:
Ø Mary, before, during and after the birth of Jesus, did not engage in sexual intercourse (This is a negative formulation and a physical explanation).
Ø The positive explanation/deep truth:
§ Mary is permanently/perpetually reserved to her son.
§ Mary is an image of eschatological hope, the beginning of new creation.
D. THE ASSUMPTION OF MARY
Ø Proclaimed as dogma by Pius XI (1950) in Monitcentessimo Deus (cf Christian Faith N/D No. 715).
Ø The faith states that:
§ With the completion of her earthly life, she was assumed entirely into the glory of God.
§ Take note that the document did not specify whether Mary died or how dit it happen. This is because the main issue is to assert the faith that Mary was indeed assumed to heaven.
§ In her, the eschatological hope is fulfilled, she shared in the glory of her Son.
§ Heaven is not a place, but a person. Thus to assumption of Mary means full communion with Christ.
23. Why is Mary called the new Eve? What is her role in the history of Salvation?
Ø Read: Mary in the Christian Tradition by Coyle (pp. 82-85)
Ø Summary:
o It is a contrast between Eve and Mary, wherein:
§ Eve is a woman of disobedience and unbelief, where is and death entered.
§ Mary, the new Eve, is an obedient and faithful. New life entered the world through her. For Tertullian, as sin entered the scene through a woman, it is also through a woman that salvation will enter.
Ø Vat II on Mary’s role in Salvation
o Vat. II used the title “Mother of God” as the key to Mary’s role.
§ Mary is always referred to Christ the savior
§ We could only understand Mary’s significance if we connect her to Christ, and with the Church.
Ø Mary in relation with Christ
o Mary is an auxiliary (not in equal footing with Christ)
§ There is only one mediator, Christ, and no one could take his peace.
o Mary’s role is to be the mother of the Mediator.
§ She is not to save nor to mediate.
Ø Mary in relation the Church
o The Church is the body of Christ, and is the universal sacrament of salvation.
o If Christ is the savior, than his saving work is always connected in the Church, which he needs heads.
o Mary’s role in the Church as the Universal Sacrament of Salvation.
1. Mary should not be taken out from the Church.
- Vat II is critical with this, Mary should always be seen in such a way that Christians could identify with her. Mary is part of the Church.
- Even Mary herself has to grow in her faith. She does not always understand Christ. Lk 1: “She pondered everything in her heart”.
2. Mary is the model/exemplar of the Church, because she is the image of the disciple.
- we must learn from Mary!
- The Church finds its vocation and the fulfillment of it in Mary, who, after the earthly life, wants to be united with Jesus.
Ø The Church always look up to Mary. In imitations here fidelity and discipleship, we could fulfill own vocation.
No comments:
Post a Comment