Philosophical learning in priestly formation

                                                                                > Fr. Conrad Saldanha

I have often come across well meaning Catholics who ask me about the need for philosophical study in the formation of priests. “Is philosophical study necessary for the formation of priests?” they ask. 

My personal opinion is No, not necessary.

The emphasis on philosophical study is a post Vatican I (1869-1870) phenomenon and was encouraged by Pope Leo XIII in 1879 through his encyclical letter; Aeterni Patris.  Pope Leo XIII revisited and developed the First Vatican Council's teaching on the relationship between faith and reason. He believed that philosophical thinking contributes in fundamental ways to faith and theological learning.  He particularly laid emphasis on the Thomistic philosophy (St. Thomas Aquinas) seeing in it an extraordinary wisdom; “he reasoned (i.e. St. Thomas Aquinas) in such a manner that in him there is wanting neither a full array of questions, nor an apt disposal of the various parts, nor the best method of proceeding, nor soundness of principles or strength of argument, nor clearness and elegance of style, nor a facility for explaining what is abstruse.” (Aeterni Patris-17)

 

If we understand the process that theology takes then we will be able to put things into perspective; the compulsions or otherwise of such an action.

To begin with we need to define what theology is all about.

It can be defined as the believer's search for an understanding of the faith.

This mission of theologizing begins with the believer. Primarily, a believer need not be an intellectual or the one who has understood the essence of life and God. A believer can be a practical person who may not be able to explain the reasons why he believes in certain aspects of life. Yet he in his heart knows for sure that what he believes is right. An ideal example we have is the Apostle Peter; “Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom we shall go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God." (John 6:68-69)

Though sometimes what one believes with conviction may not necessarily be right.  This is well understood and discussed in epistemology and for the Christian this limitation of knowledge and convictions are put forth by the Word of God: “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.(Prov.14:12, 16:25) More so, for a Christian, he believes not by his intellectual prowess but by God’s mercy. For, if God would not have chosen to reveal himself then we would not have been able to know God. The incarnation of Jesus is the proof of God’s mercy revealed to humanity and continues to be revealed.  The faithful proclamation of the good news by the Church is participation as instruments into this mystery of God’s constant and merciful revelation.

If the Thomistic Philosophy or scripture asserts that we can know God through our reason then it has to be understood that this is possible because of his revelation. God’s merciful action in creation and in the lives of individuals is to lead them to believe in the truth of Him who alone can save us.  Whatever theories St. Thomas has propounded, concerning God and his existence, has been because of his upbringing in a Christian setup and background, having before him the vast riches and writings of his predecessors centuries before him.

Now this faith, which the believer experiences, is either put to test or believed with conviction depending on one’s faith or intellectual mindset. Remember, faith is an encounter with the living God and therefore an experience in that sense. This experience is not like the experience of the yogi which is an experience minus encounter and hence a warped experience of the universe along with himself, whereby he becomes god; pantheism.

For a Christian, it is a process accomplished at an intellectual level and yet, the intellect is realized to be far more inferior to the experience and the believer feels the limitation of the intellect or rational mind to fully comprehend the Almighty and the ineffable mystery. (Cfr. Eph. 3:19, I Cor. 13:9, Phil. 4:7)

Hence faith is pre-existent to sound reason and is the beginning. One does not require having a sound reason and an intellect to attain the salvific experience. “And without faith it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hb. 11:6). Even though there may be elements of reason used, yet the inquiry aspect of reason has to be set aside in order to believe.

It is only this believer, who has encountered God and knows the limitations of his intellectual power and reasoning who then has the right to theologize. Hence theologizing is an exercise in total humility. Greater the humility, greater will be the rational flow of wisdom, which could then be termed as theology. It is a humility that acknowledges one’s limitation and thus, opens oneself, to the vast ocean of God’s knowledge and love.  To humans it is like an ocean that in spite of it vastness opens itself to the rivers and streams that flow into it.  The theology that flows from humility beautifully manifests itself through parables, allegories and testimonies which witness to God.

Hence rationality or reason is lifted up to a new level. God himself contributes to the growth of sound reason through our formation in the school of the Holy Spirit. “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” John 16:13. This category of reason can create a great crisis whereby some may find it difficult to understand because they seek him only through their intellect. “The spiritual man judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one.” 1 Cor 2:15

Unfortunately, many contemporary entrants into the arena of theologizing are believers fortuitously rather than by conviction. Hence much of their approach to theologizing is based on human reasoning and is a search for the elusive truth which they think is attainable through human inquiry.

On the other hand, the experiences of faith, and the testimony that flows from it, have power to achieve much and are a credible way to communicate the truth of the faith.  Compare this with the reasoning of faith. Jesus was a man of much reason and intellectual wisdom yet rarely argued but communicated the faith through much power and authority and through simple instructions accompanied by mighty signs and wonders. "Go and tell John what you hear and see:  the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. Matt 11:4-5. This action of Jesus is no theology but practical expression of God’s power which has the power to instruct and proclaim. Theologians may give it various shades of interpretation, but it is futile if it doesn’t build up the body of Christ. Such possibilities exist with the so called theologians who claim a right to theology not because they are believers in the true sense of the term, but because they are so, on account of their certification by human institutions.

According to epistemology there is an inherent lacuna in understanding the truth of life and experiences. This is where the Word of God, tradition and the extraordinary experience of Holy men and women through history helps us in this walk.  Added to this, are the fruit which Jesus talks about, and above all the working of God’s Holy Spirit who confirms in our hearts the truth of faith. Hence, Christian faith is not a blind adherence to something, but each according to the measure of his faith finds an answer in a living relationship with the living God, a sure truth, who speaks to us every moment of our lives. Hence we have a comprehensive repertoire of references to live and assert our faith in truth.

Hence, theology as understood, is the primary knowledge, but yet it is not the ultimate knowledge. The existential experiences of life, whereby, we are called to be witnesses, have to be acknowledged at least, in keeping with the simplicity of the objective truth of faith. In this objective experiences, God is at work through the power of his Holy Spirit, whereby we can, become witnesses of Christ; witnessing to the truth. (Jn. 14:6) This is practical theology where faith doesn’t just seek an understanding, but a faith that seeks to announce to the world the good news which one experiences in oneself. Good news that is the truth. Good news which is practical and experiential to the point, where one may even convincingly offer oneself, as a living sacrifice to God for humanity. This form of proclamation and witnessing is able to achieve a lot more than the reasoned theological expression of faith.

Therefore, there needs to be a paradigm shift to the church’s approach to formation. A theology that acknowledges its limitation and the same time gives precedence to God’s constant intervention in calling witnesses to labor in his vineyard.  The primary aim of formation should to be to make disciples who are equipped to witness rather than be apologetic’s who merely defend or become individuals who live in the world of ideas.

The aim of this article is not to underestimate or to push into oblivion the philosophical enquiry and learning but rather to put into perspective, the role of such education in priestly formation. In no way one can devalue the great contribution of philosophical thought and learning which made a great contribution to the growth of learning in Europe. The Church would do well and even better if Philosophy was either relegated into the background or taught along the way, when theological enquiry demands it in the primary formation and lay more emphasis on the faith dimension.

One could even vibe with Pope Leo XIII concerning Thomistic Philosophy; “that reason, borne on the wings of Thomas to its human height, can scarcely rise higher, while faith could scarcely expect more or stronger aids from reason than those which she has already obtained through Thomas.” (Aeterni Patris-18) Though the angelic doctor’s philosophy could be credited with the great positive contribution to the church and society yet to impose it so as to create straight jacket uniformity is a danger to the work of the Spirit.  It could be the standard but cannot be mode or vehicle for all training.

The Angelic doctor’s wisdom did not come from enquiry with self as believed by the great Socrates but rather from God. And this same God who is at work in creation is still at work. Hence the primary formation is always to teach one to depend on this God and receive from him and then from his servants as to be confirmed in the faith.

To the world it is Philosophy which seeks to understand and interpret life, and is considered to be the mother of all knowledge. But to us Christian sound theology is the mother of all knowledge. It helps us to put into perspective every other science and knowledge.  Yet theology is not the ultimate, because it is neither the source nor the summit. God is the ultimate source and summit of all truth and wisdom. What he offers is not just the feeding of the intellect but also a feeding of the sensual for life.  Hence, it has to be broadened and inclusive of the divine interventions in life.

Prayer: God our Father, guide your church into the wisdom of glory, so that in humility we may seek to serve you in the simplicity of faith.