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INITIUM FIDEI: An Introduction to doing Catholic Theology

LESSON 1. Theology and the Search for Meaning

“Theo” which means God, “Logos” which means Study

“For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is
stronger than man’s strength”. 1 Corinthians 1:25
What is your purpose in life? It is to be happy, to find meaning in life.
Believe in yourself, be humble to yourself and be content.

Meaning allows us to find a reason to continue on, even when life is difficult. And a lack
of meaning and purpose, Emily Esfahani Smith highlights in her TED Talk, is
contributing to our increasing rates of suicide, depression, and loneliness. [1]

Happiness, on the other hand, is a fleeting emotion. While it’s wonderful to experience,
it isn’t what ultimately sustains us. Though, Smith notes, joy does tend to emerge as a
side effect when you’ve located your sense of purpose. [1]

The 4 Pillars of Meaning [1]

In her book, Smith divides the quest for meaning into four pillars; belonging, purpose,
storytelling, and transcendence.

Belonging defines a connection to a larger community. Forging and sustaining

relationships is how we increase this connection, which in turn makes our lives feel
meaningful. If this is your pillar of meaning, your connections with others are a primary
source of meaning. [1]

Purpose is defined by long-term goals that give us a sense of accomplishment.

Purpose, for many, can be found in their children, their work, or a passionate hobby.
Purpose allows us to have something to work toward and work for. If this is your pillar,
having a long-term vision for your life imbues it with meaning. [1]

Storytelling is building meaning through your own personal narrative and reflections.
Understanding our place within the world, as well as our impact on those around us, is
what creates a strong sense of identity. If this is your pillar, you likely find meaning in
defining and reflecting on who you are. [1]

Transcendence is based on connection to something bigger than one’s self.

Transcendence can be tied to spirituality, nature, or historical ties. Those who prioritize
transcendence as a pillar tend to feel awakened in experience that makes them feel
connected to something bigger than themselves. [[1]

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HUMAN PERSON IN EXPERIENCE

1. Social Being
2. Conscious Being
- Fear
- Philosophical
- Christian Religious
3. Moral Being
4. Embodied Spirits
5. Historical Realities
6. Free and Responsible

Dignity - inherent & undeniable. “No man is an island” meaning, God created man with
a companion.

Cynicism - A cynical person who disbelieves.

Skepticism - A skeptical person who doubts.

Trolling - a specific kind of political activity that is marked by a refusal to participate in

the kind of productive exchange of ideas that marks democratic politics. Instead of
engaging in activity marked by democratic principles of reciprocity, accommodation,
and inclusion, trolls actively work to dominate and control the conversations on any
given site. [2]

Post-truth - The rise of the “post-truth” era is just one of the many signs of the current
brokenness pervading the world and the Philippines of today. There is a brokenness
within people and among people. This is found most evidently in the growing trend of
individualism and exclusivism that has poisoned our society. [2]

Human is open & rational

Individualism - The cultural ideal of the Western industrialized world is the self-made,
self-sufficient, autonomous individual who stands by himself or herself, not needing
anyone else (except for sex) and not beholden to anyone or anything.This age of
individualism is an age of insecurity. [2]

Exclusivism - the brokenness in the world has created a culture of hate and division
that was born out of the exclusivist tendencies of people. The prevalence of
xenophobia amongst people showcases a kind of cultured distrust of others who are
unlike us.[2]

Both individualism and exclusivism are signs of the more privatistic tendencies that can
become hindrances to an authentic search for meaning and purpose in the world.

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Privatism - has birthed a troubling world, and the more we become absorbed in
ourselves, the further away we come to finding our meaning and purpose. [2]

What should be the recourse of privatism? - We can take heed from the advice of
Augustine in his own struggle to understand one’s meaning and purpose: Domine Iesu,
noverim me, noverim te. “O God, let me know myself, so I may know you.”

Theology as an Endeavor for All People

For believers of theology - we can say theology acts as faith seeking understanding
(Latin fides quaerens intellectum). The term was originally coined by Saint Anselm of
Canterbury, elaborating the role of theology saying that, “For I do not seek to
understand in order to believe; I believe in order to understand, For I also believe that
‘Unless I believe, I shall not understand.’” [2]

Theology is to have faith/belief before we understand.

The International Theological Commission describes theology as Scientia Dei -

Theology is therefore Scientia Dei in as much as it is a rational participation in the
knowledge that God has of himself and of all things. As scientia Dei, theology aims to
understand in a rational and systematic manner the saving truth of God. [2]

For non-believers of theology - theology is a form of appreciation of the capacity of

human beings to acquire faith. It is by no means a form of indoctrination, and in no way
is it an attempt to convert people into Christianity or Catholicism. [2]

Youth as an Essential Audience of Theology

We have determined that all peoples can do theology, but amongst all these possible
audiences, theology resonates most with the problems of the youth. Why? Youth is
a time of great self-discovery and self-concern. Young people are still at the point in
their lives where they are trying to make sense of their identity, their relationship with
others, and also their relationship with the world and God. [3]

They are the first global, most technologically literate and socially empowered
generation ever. They are shaped by technology almost from birth. They are
extraordinarily dependent on technology and their first language is a technological
one. [3]

Youth is a time of great self-discovery and self-concern. Young people are still at the
point in their lives where they are trying to make sense of their identity, their
relationship with others, and also their relationship with the world and God. [2]

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Fr. John Fuellenbach, while working with Filipino youth who considered joining the
communist radicals, asked what was so attractive about the communist movement.
One of the youth answered that Maoism: provides us young people in our present
situation with four essential things: [3]
1. A unified and coherent vision of the world, history and reality;
2. A definite goal to work for, live for, and die for;
3. A call to all people for a common fraternity; and
4. A sense of commitment and a mission to spread the good news that there is
hope for the hopeless.

The fact of the matter is, for many of those young people who joined the communists
in the mountains, the reason they left the Church for Maoist ideology is because the
Church could not provide such an essential life direction. [3]

Direction, commitment, call—these are all within the vision of the Christian faith.
Why then do the youth still search elsewhere, when what they are searching for is
already found within the Christian vision? Maybe there is a way to present this vision to
the youth that will be more palpable and acceptable, and that is the modern
challenge of the Church in this new time. [3]

Summary

The world is immersed in the mystery of God. Every search for meaning, truth, clarity
and depth today is in its own way a part of the human being’s quest to engage that
very mystery. God, who is immersed in mystery, awakens our hope for an
encounter with Him. However, it must still be affirmed that mystery is not fully
knowable. We cannot absolutely know everything about life and the world, what more
of the divine Other. The encounter with this mystery is, therefore, a realization of our
limitedness. It is a lesson in humility. We become aware of how little we know of
this reality we dwell in. But as Saint Augustine explained: “The first step in the
search for truth is humility.” Theology is a quest of humble understanding. [3]

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