Foundation of Theology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Foundation of Theology - Essay Example All the official teachings of the Church and the official documents of the Church must have their basis on these foundations of Catholic Theology. One of such official Church document is the Vatican 11 document. An analysis of the 16 documents in the Vatican 11 document shows that all the documents are based on the foundations of Catholic Theology. This paper analysis four of the 16 documents in Vatican 11 document and shows how the fathers in the Vatican 11 Council based their teachings in these four documents on the foundations of Catholic Theology. These four selected documents are Lumen Gentium, Sacrosantum Concilium, Gaudium et Spes, and Orientalium Ecclesiarum. Each of these documents deals with different and particular aspects of the life of the Catholic Church. The selected documents are well analysed and the basis of the documents on the foundations of Catholic Theology are given. Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium) The document Lumen Gentium is the document in Vatican 11 documents that gives the dogmas of the Church. An analysis of this document shows that the document is based on the foundations of Catholic Theology. To begin with, the document, Lumen Gentium, is deeply rooted in the Sacred Scriptures, i.e. every chapter of the document has its basis on the Sacred Scriptures. ... Lumen Gentium continues to show how Jesus Christ sent the gift of the Holy Spirit to the disciples on Pentecost day. The Holy Spirit, therefore, is the real authority behind the teachings of the Church for it is him who empowered and enlightened the disciples. This therefore shows that the dogmatic constitution of the Church (Lumen Gentium) has its origin in the Holy Spirit and it is, therefore, the revealed truth of God to His people. Having shown the origin of the dogmas of the Church based on the teachings of the Scriptures, the document explains the various roles of the people of God, i.e. the laity, the bishops, the priests, and the consecrated people/the religious people. All the roles of these groups of people in the Church of Jesus Christ are explained according to the teachings of the Scriptures. In nutshell, all the content of lumen Gentium is based on the Scriptures. The content of the Lumen Gentium is also rooted in the traditions of the Church. For instance, on the teach ings on the Blessed Virgin Mary and her role on the economy of Salvation, Lumen Gentium draws heavily on the traditions of the Church. Lumen Gentium confirms that Mary is, indeed, the mother of God. This confirmation is perfectly in line with the traditions of the Church that teaches that Mary is, indeed, Theotokos (Mother of God). The document also confirms that the Blessed Virgin Mary was a virgin before and even after the birth of Jesus Christ. This teaching is found in the traditions of the Church, but not directly from the Scriptures. On the role of Mary on the economy of Salvation, Lumen Gentium teaches that by obeying to be the mother of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary cooperated in the work of salvation and her role, therefore, is not merely