The indispensable requirement of the word of God.
The Sacred
Scripture gives mankind a glimpse of man’s experience of the world, which is
not absolute. God alone is
Absolute. The vision presented in the
Scripture embraces man’s life, his freedom and the immortality of the human
spirit. To deny that every creature is
dependent upon God is irrational and runs counter to human life.
All forms of
relativism, materialism and pantheism and problems bound up with the moral
evil, which stem from the disordered exercise of human freedom. The Bible contains God’s word, which is
absolutely necessary for mankind’s wellbeing.
The mystery of
the Incarnation as revealed in the Bible will always remain the central point
of reference for an understanding of the enigma of human existence, the created
world and God himself. In the mystery of
the Incarnate Word, human nature and divine nature are safeguarded in all their
autonomy. Philosophy is pushed to the limit
by this mystery, and reason is likewise stretched to comprehend the logic of
the mystery of the incarnate Word, in which the essence of God and of the human
being becomes intelligible.
The search for meaning often becomes very
difficult because of the crisis of meaning due to a fragmentation of
knowledge. A radical doubt has grown up
which lead to indifference or to various forms of nihilism.
A philosophy which no longer seeks the
meaning of life ultimately by does not search for truth concerning God and to
answer the questions ‘Who am I?’ where have I come from and where am I going?
Why is there evil? What is there after this life?’
The first requirement for philosophy is to
recover its ‘sapiential dimensions’ as a search from the ultimate and
overarching meaning of life. With the
immense expansion of humanity’s technical capability, it is essential for
philosophy to obtain and explore a deep sense of ultimate values, as otherwise
placing the utilitarian end of technology as most desirable, then, as John Paul
11, noted in his Encyclical Letter ‘Redemptor Hominis’ (4 March 1979) it could
soon prove inhuman and even become a potential destroyer of the human race.
The Word of God reveals the final destiny
of the men and women and provides a unifying explanation of all that they do in
the world. That is why philosophy is
needed to search for the natural foundation of this meaning, which corresponds
to the religious impulse innate in every person. It would be a false philosophy that does not
do this.
A second important feature of
philosophy is to verify the human capacity to know the objective truth about
life. The Second Vatican Council, when
referring to faith stated:
‘ Intelligence is not confined to
observable data alone. It can with
genuine certitude attain to reality itself as knowledgeable, though in
consequence of sin that certitude is partially obscured and weakened.’
The Bible and New Testament in particular
contain texts and statements relating to the nature, essential properties and
relations of being and reality. The
inspired authors intended to formulate true statement expressing objective
reality. Thus theologians need a
philosophy, which does not disavow the possibility of that knowledge which is
objectively true, even it not perfect.
This applies equally to the judgments of a moral conscience, which
sacred Scripture considers capable of being objectively true.
Another requirement of philosophy
is to transmit empirical data in order to attain something absolute, ultimate
and foundational in its search for truth.
It is also required to know moral good, which stems from God himself.
The late Pope stated that reality and truth transcend the factual and empirical, yet
it is possible, although imperfectly, for a person to know the transcendent and
metaphysical dimension in a true and certain manner. Such a person is privileged in encountering
such a dimension such as truth, beauty, moral values, other persons, in being
alive and recognising God.
The late Pope believed we
should move from phenomenon to foundation, as experience itself is not good
enough. A philosophy that shies away
from abstract or abstruse matters (metaphysics) is unlikely to reflect upon and
understand Revelation.
Just having a sense experience
would be insufficient to gain an intelligent insight in the word of God. Metaphysics is essential when considering
theological research. Without it
theology would be crippled if it were to provide a coherent account of the
universal and transcendent value of revealed truth. That is why the Pope was so insistent upon
philosophy embarking upon a metaphysical approach rather than the mistaken
behaviour pervading large sectors of philosophy at present.
It is clear some scholars working
in the fields of hermeneutics and the analysis of language stop short in
understanding reality and whether reason can discover its essence. By adopting such a short-sighted approach,
these professional disqualify themselves by abasing their reason. They are not prepared to consider the word of
God, when analysing language nor to give any credence to Revelation of God.
The Pope backed by other Popes
and the Second Vatican Council strongly reaffirmed the conviction that men can
come to a unified and organised vision of knowledge. By having a splintered approach to truth and
meanings keeps people from an interior unity.
Pastors in the Church are obliged to instruct the people in the correct
paths to follow.
If philosophers desire to follow
through the word of God when thinking, then they must have regard the Church’s
traditions including the fundamental achievements of modern and contemporary
thoughts. Should they carry out this
approach, they will not fail to respect philosophy’s demand for autonomy.
An appeal to tradition is not a
mere remembrance of the past; it involves rather the recognition of a cultural
heritage, which belongs to all of humanity.
Similarly theology is bound up with living tradition, and must maintain
links to the profound theological traditions of the earlier times.
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