Why Study Theology?
"Truth is food and truth is light"
The study of all theological books must be accompanied by the reading of scripture. Without this reading, it is possible for us to possess the truth, but scripture makes the truths come alive in the soul so that the truth possesses the soul.
Christ says" Not on bread alone does man live". In our quest for happiness do we not hunger for the truth? "But by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God". So revealed truth then, is food! In order for food to nourish us we must eat it ourselves. To feed our hungry soul, we must eat and digest what we have placed in our own mouths, not just what has been given to our fathers in the Church. As Catholics we can not go totally unnourished( ie. the sacraments and especially the Eucharist), but the more we study theology, the more we feed the soul.
So truth then is also light. As our author says "Not to see is to be in darkness, to see it wrong is to be in double darkness". To stumble in the dark with our sister guide the Church, is far from walking in the light ourselves.
To grow in holiness is to grow in love of God. For is this not what our soul desires?
Blind love is possible, but isn't it true that we seek to know in full light, as much as we can about our beloved? With more knowledge of God we will love him more.
Knowledge serves love. And are we not called to love one another? If we see our brother unnourished, would we not long to feed him? Spiritual starvation of our brothers and sisters is just as real.
We are called to discilpeship.. So the study of theology meets the need of our own soul for the food and light and love of God, which the dogmas of the Church brings, and the need for us to feed all of God's people.
posted by Dean at 6:19 AM
