Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 321

Chap.

THEOLOGY AS SCIENCE

I]

above,

"wisdom"

different from the

is

given in

Him; but

"understanding"

297

this is still entirely

of the general subject of

human consciousness. Only when (Christ) this " wisdom " has entered from the central subject

humanity

in the general

into individual believers different times

is it

and into

circles

of

believers of

possible that, from these individual

wisdom

and

God, a different kind of insight can gradually be formed as "understanding," which cannot rest until it has become adequate to the content of social insights into the

of

wisdom which was in the central human consciousness, in Christ. But even if for a moment we imagine the

the i.e.

unattainable ideal that the content of each were adequate, yet the nature of each would be entirely different; what was

"wisdom" come

in Christ as the central subject would have be"understanding " and "science " in the general subject

of regenerated

humanity; and

it is

the science of Theology

alone that can lead to "understanding" in this given sense.

As

in every

eral

human

domain science, by the establishing

of the gen-

consciousness, unveils the possibility of single

persons and individual groups, broadening their insight and it, such is also the case here. The more the science of Theology succeeds in giving theology to the general subject of regenerated humanity, and thus in bringing this

clarifying

general subject to the knowledge of God, the more clearly does it open the way to the churches and to believers to attain, at least so far as the intellect is concerned, to a fuller

knowl-

edge of God, and thus to a better theology. Even as science it adds its contribution to the subjective assimilation of the

knowledge its

of

God within

its

appointed sphere, and so derives

right to claim for itself the

name

of

Theology.

Thus

it

presents itself to us as a logical activity, which transfers ectypal knowledge of

God from

Revelation, as " understand-

ing," into the general subject of (regenerated) humanity.

MeauAvhile

demands a

this

qualification

fuller exj)lanation.

vidual persons, but the world.

of

God

regenerated

does

humanity

not love

indi-

His election does not abandon the human race to perdition, merely to save individuals, and to unite these as atoms to an aggregate under Christ;

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