Theology

Allegory of Theology, Frankfurt am Main, Gutenberg Monument by Eduard Schmidt von der Launitz (1840) at Roßmarkt

Theology (Greek: θεολογία theología, from θεός theós "God" and λόγος lógos "word, speech, reason, teaching") is the "doctrine of God" or of the "gods" in general and of specific traditional religious beliefs and teachings in particular.

Overview of the development of the concept of theology

Theology, literally the "speech of God", in ancient Greece originally referred to mythological narratives about the polytheistic Greek world of gods. Plato, on the other hand, in his Politeia (379a) already poses the question of the truth of the One supreme imperishable good and sees a "myth-critical speech of God" as important for the construction of the state. Finally, for Aristotle, theology as the "first science" forms the apex of the theoretical sciences and becomes metaphysics.

In the 2nd century, the term was taken up in this sense by the first Christian apologists and used as a tool to consolidate and defend the Christian faith against the heretics, especially against the Gnostics, though still without a comprehensive system. Augustine conceived of theology as "reasonable God-talk". It was not until the high medieval scholasticism that theology systematically encompassed the entire "field of sacred knowledge", i.e. all Christian doctrine, culminating in Thomas Aquinas' extensive Summa theologica. Man is indeed related to God, but God can only be imperfectly grasped by reason. Theology is therefore essentially a "science of faith".

In the age of the Reformation, especially following Martin Luther, theology turned again to more practical and less theoretical questions. On the Catholic side, the teaching of Thomas Aquinas was elevated to the binding basis of theological education by Pope Leo XIII's encyclical Aeterni Patris in 1879 and repeatedly confirmed in this sense to this day.

Theology in this sense is a predominantly Christian phenomenon and does not occupy a central position in other religions, including the other world religions, to say the least. Judaism does not need such a theology, nor does Hinduism or Buddhism. Only in Islam, in addition to the much more important Islamic legal sciences of Fiqh and Sharia, is there also a traditional theology based on theological debate (Kalam, Arabic كلام), the Ilm al-Kalam (Arabic علم الكلام "Kalām-science").

Theology, as it is understood today, is based on the historically given revelation that was once received by founders of religion and prophets by divine grace. Christian theology builds on the Old Testament, which, according to Christian theological interpretation, finds its conclusion and completion in the Word of God revealed through Jesus Christ and recorded in writing in the New Testament. Theology reckons with people to whose consciousness the spiritual world remains permanently closed, as is indeed largely the case for people who draw their consciousness primarily from the intellectual or mind soul. Man and God stand opposite each other and between them lies a gulf unbridgeable for human consciousness. Not knowledge, only faith can bridge this gulf: "Blessed are those who do not see and yet believe!" (John 20:29). Private revelations may be "recognised" by the Church, but they are not binding on believers.

Literature

• Walter Kasper (Hrsg.): Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, 11 Bände, 3. Auflage, Herder Verlag, Freiburg im Breisgau 1993-2001, ISBN 978-3451220128
• Rudolf Steiner: Der Mensch im Lichte von Okkultismus, Theosophie und Philosophie, GA 137 (1993), ISBN 3-7274-1371-9 English: rsarchive.org German: pdf pdf(2) html mobi epub archive.org
• Rudolf Steiner: Die geistige Vereinigung der Menschheit durch den Christus-Impuls, GA 165 (1981), ISBN 3-7274-1650-5 {{Lectures|165}
• Rudolf Steiner: Anthroposophie als Kosmosophie – Erster Teil, GA 207 (1990), ISBN 3-7274-2070-7 English: rsarchive.org German: pdf pdf(2) html mobi epub archive.org
• Rudolf Steiner: Die Anthroposophie und ihre Gegner 1919 – 1921, GA 255b (2003), ISBN 3-7274-2555-5 English: rsarchive.org German: pdf pdf(2) html mobi epub archive.org

References to the work of Rudolf Steiner follow Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works (CW or GA), Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Dornach/Switzerland, unless otherwise stated. Email: verlag@steinerverlag.com URL: www.steinerverlag.com. Index to the Complete Works of Rudolf Steiner - Aelzina Books A complete list by Volume Number and a full list of known English translations you may also find at Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works Rudolf Steiner Archive - The largest online collection of Rudolf Steiner's books, lectures and articles in English. Rudolf Steiner Audio - Recorded and Read by Dale Brunsvold steinerbooks.org - Anthroposophic Press Inc. (USA) Rudolf Steiner Handbook - Christian Karl's proven standard work for orientation in Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works for free download as PDF.