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Is Philosophy necessary for the study of Theology?
The short answer is yes, indeed. In our Christian religion
we have the benefit of revelation to go along with the scientific products of
study, experiment, and observation. Among these is Philosophy which is the original
science. It is not the divine science, but it is among the oldest of
disciplines. Philosophy means the love of
wisdom. It is the study of what is:
reality, truth, problems, and existence. Naturally, the theologian who studies
the divine, would want to have a thing to two (understating, of course) to do
with philosophy.
Many believe and trust, in error, that philosophy and theology
do not belong together. Understandably there have been many philosophers and
for every philosopher there is a take, an opinion, a view on things as fact and
not even mere opinion. So for many, it would seem right to place conflict
between the two. Thoughtfully so. However, this is not the essence of the
study. It is not the heart and soul of philosophy. There may be several
conclusions, but there is but one truth. We Christians, nay we Catholics,
believe we have it right.
Since the days before Christ man has studied the way, the
life, the bones, the material and the immaterial. Those such as Aristotle come
to the conclusion of one God, the Prime Mover, although him or/and Socrates
never knew the name of the Lord. Still their intellect and reason led them to
these conclusions. These pagans came to the same conclusions, and the
revelation of Jesus and that given in the Apostolic Era have produced a system
of which we work in. This theology must include Philosophy. For the two shall
never disagree. What is truth in revelation shall never contradict that of
rational philosophy; dualism is its own
contradiction.
Thoughts?
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