Quotes About Theology

for the purposes of this chapter, I am principally interested in what Jews of the time thought about God and the divine realm, since it is these thoughts that can make sense of how a man like Jesus could be considered divine.

Origen delved into theological areas that had not yet been examined by any of his predecessors in the faith .. Later theologians questioned his orthodoxy, and he was faulted for developing ideas that subsequently led to the major theological schism, the Arian controversy.

And yet rather than accommodate and moderate student curiosity, for what was after all the best belles lettres and modern science, the theologians responded with interdiction and persecution, as if they had something to fear. In other words, it was less the circle than the seminary itself that was fomenting radicalism, albeit unwittingly.

What I have done is to show that it is possible for the way the universe began to be determined by the laws of science. In that case, it would not be necessary to appeal to God to decide how the universe began. This doesn't prove that there is no God, only that God is not necessary.

I do not believe in the God of theology who rewards good and punishes evil.

Unless God is participating in this holy activity, we must reject his love.

Had there been no Plato, the Christians would have had a harder time selling the idea that all God really wanted from us was fraternal love.

Theology without love simply is very bad theology.

Do you honestly believe God likes you, not just loves you because theologically God has to love you?

The problem of reconciling human suffering with the existence of a God who loves, is only insoluble so long as we attach a trivial meaning to the word "love."

Before the work of Georg Cantor in the nineteenth century, the study of the infinite was as much theology as science; now, we understand Cantor's theory of multiple infinities, each one infinitely larger than the last, well enough to teach it to first-year math majors. (To be fair, it does kind of blow their minds.)

The delight we take in our senses is an implicit desire to know the ultimate reason for things, the highest cause. The desire for wisdom that philosophy etymologically is is a desire for the highest or divine causes. Philosophy culminates in theology. All other knowledge contains the seeds of contemplation of the divine.

Thomas Aquinas is but Aristotle sainted.

the whole substance of the bread has been converted into the Body and the whole sub stance of the wine into the Blood of Christ. What, then, remains ? The Council tells us that it is " the species of

St. Au gustine draws a distinction between habere and utiliter habere 6 and asks: " What does it avail a man to be baptized if he is not justified?

declares: "If anyone saith that in min isters, when they effect and confer the Sacra ments, there is not required the intention at least of doing what the Church does, let him be ana thema/

Alexander III decided that it would render Bap tism invalid to omit the words : " I baptize thee," and simply to say : " In the name of the Father," etc. 53 As all Three Divine Persons must be expressly mentioned, it would likewise be invalid to baptize " in the name of the Most Holy Trinity.

Though Baptism completely blots out the guilt of original sin (reatus culpae), there still remains concu piscence (fomes peccati, concupiscentia), which, however, no longer partakes of the nature of guilt, but is merely a consequence of original sin. 4 This teaching was em phasized by St. Augustine.

The question arises: How can the Lord's Blood be truly shed in the Chalice? Such an unbloody shedding of blood seems to involve a contradiction. It is possible and necessary to distinguish a twofold

under certain conditions, the place of Baptism by water (baptismus fiuminis) may be supplied by Baptism of desire (baptismus flaminis) or by Baptism of blood (baptismus sanguinis).

Does the external sign receive from God a peculiar super natural power enabling it physically to produce sanctify ing grace in the soul, either by a quality inherent in the rite, as Billuart and the Thomists contended, or by an external stimulation of the potentia obedientialis in the soul, as Suarez held?

The fascination with historical-critical theology, to which many evangelicals have unfortunately more or less succumbed, lies in its claim to be scientific. It is considered necessary to respect scientific results. But what goes unnoticed is that these "results" are often nothing more than unproven hypotheses that are forcefully declared to be facts once they have found broad agreement.

Sadly, many contemporary Christians believe that the NT is enough, that it has, in fact, superseded the OT and rendered it obsolete.

All theology is rooted in geography.