On Theology And History

When you listen to modern theologians (even the Catholic ones), you end up hearing some of the craziest ideas.  If you ever watch the History Channel (most people have stopped watching it) you'll see show after show contradict the words of the Scripture with "historical" evidence.  Generally, the shows contain commentary from obscure little theologians and historians who want to make big splashes and big names for themselves.  

Sometimes, the new theories can be accepted by faithful Catholics.  But most of the time, that's not the case.  Most of the time, the "evidence" (aside from being circumstantial or false) leads to understandings of scripture that are contrary to our Christian faith.

Not that I sympathize with these people, but I do understand how they feel.  They go through all that schooling, they do vast amounts of research, and they spend all their time studying and thinking--and what do they uncover?  They just blow the dust off knowledge that's already been discussed.  I mean there's nothing new here in Christianity.  It all dates back to the saints who had seen it all and done it all before.

That can be frustrating.  People want something new.  They want a theory that will crush all the old precepts and create a new way of thinking.  But there IS nothing new.  That's one of the problems with studying history.  You only look at what already happened, and the only way you find out about it is when someone who already knew wrote something about it.  It's the same with religion.

The best way to deal with this fact, is to take the truths that have already been discovered and make them more understandable to a modern audience... rather than making up a new truth and try to pass it on to an ignorant crown.  After all, the ignorant crowd who follows a false doctrine will be just as quick to dump that very doctrine when they grow tired of it.  Then they'll chase after a newer, more sensational doctrine once it comes along.

This catechism paragraph points that out so beautifully.  The truth in Scripture has already been revealed to us.  But each new generation offers a challenge to the church.  Each new generation is a teaching opportunity, not to make up new truths, but to rediscover the Old Truth.  The One Truth.  When we use Scripture as the basis for our theology, we can be surer of staying within the light of that Truth.  If we abandon Scripture, our own philosophies become tainted.  

The tainted teachings might make a bigger splash, but it hinders our journey to heaven.  It upsets the waters that might have provided smooth sailing to God.

Let's keep the waters calm.  But if there is a storm, let it be from God, and not an artificial one.  If we find ourselves in God's storms, then we can rely on God's help.  If we create our own storms, we have no one to rely on, and we'll drift out into open waters without any hope of finding our way back.