Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 688

664

§ 104.

enough

DEVELOPMENT OF MULTIFORMITY

in itself,

which one enjoyed

ing brightness of the

[Div. Ill

in exhibiting the shin-

Church's confession in

all

its

parts,

even when seen by the light of the data of logic. But this, of course, became entirely different when the multiformity Apologetics of the churches became an established fact. over against Paganism, which had gradually become superfluous, was no longer sufficient to answer the needs of the day, but controversy with the confessions of the other Church

now presented itself. The unity of the Church be maintained under the multiformity in its reveAnd no longer able to derive his point of departure lation. from the Church, the theologian had to seek this elsewhere. formations

had

to

Thus theology became

free,

not in the sense of ever being

loosened from her object and principium, but so that each of the Church formations expected her to vindicate its effort, and thus from that moment on had to reckon with her criticism. It was self-evident that, resulting from the difference of spirit-

and spiritual sphere, the multiformity of the Church formations should also communicate its multiform stamp to theology. But theology as such could never dismiss the problem of how this multiformity was to be brought It had into harmony with the unity of the body of Christ. already been seen that the truth of God was too rich and ual disposition

the great salvation in Christ too aboundingly precious, by reason of the Divine character exhibited in both, for them to be able to reach their full expression in one human form. thousrh the several nations assimilated one and the same truth and the selfsame salvation, the disposition of the several

And

groups of people was too many-sided not to adopt them in different ways, and to reproduce them in different manners. The claim could never be surrendered that each one for himself should accept and confess the truth in the way in which appeared most accurate to him and satisfied his needs most But human limitations were at least recognized and theology could not rest until, together with all the care which she bestowed upon the treatment of one of her concrete it

fully.

;

forms, she at the same time allowed the relation between the She also was not ideal and concrete fully to exhibit itself.

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen