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The nature and identity of apologetics in light of the calls of scripture and the Second Vatican Council
NICOLSON, Stuart
Apologetics in recent times has had for many a negative value, and the term 'apologetics' did not appear in the Second Vatican Council documents. However, by returning to the sources in Scripture and the Early Church, especially Peter's call (1Peter 3:15-16) for all faithful to be ready to respond when questioned or challenged about their faith, and to do so in a Christian manner, apologetics can be understood as far more original, ordinary, and organic than how it is often defined. It was originally an integral part of Christians speaking out about their faith, participating with the Logos. Through a Petrine lens, apologetical calls and content can be identified in 10 of the 16 Vatican II documents, including two clear paraphrases of Peter's call. This indicates a problem in how apologetics is identified and understood. Part 1 provides a working definition for Petrine apologetics in order to identify its development through Christian history. Part 2 present a brief and selective history of apologetics. Petrine apologetics is observed and explored in Scripture in Part 2a, including in Jesus' ministry and the first Church generations. In Part 2b it is shown how a second century apologetical turn, particularly through Justin Martyr, reinforced by Eusebius, and concretised by several later Early Church Fathers, narrowed apologetics into becoming elite, intellectual, and clerical - not for all the faithful but the few. The Mediaeval period (Part 2c) could have seen a return to more universal Petrine apologetics, especially through the Fourth Lateran Council, but weak dissemination of its teachings meant the opportunity was lost. After the Reformation, in Part 2d, Charles Borromeo's pastoral apologetics stands out, as well as a growing movement based upon credibility in the English-speaking sphere where apologetics was becoming part of organic engagement of Catholics in Protestant societies. Part 3 focuses on Vatican II. The entrenched Justinian approach in Catholic Europe eschewed engagement with others, leaving apologetics as overly catechetical. Balthasar identified and rejected the old paradigm and the main reform ideas, calling for a new approach: Love Alone Is Credible. Many conciliar apologetics themes are congruent with his reform call, and with Petrine apologetics. In addition to apologetical calls, Vatican II shows that apologetical preparation should be embedded in Christian education (Gravissimum Educationis 2) and how apologetically prepared faithful should engage with society (Apostolicam Actuositatem 1, 2, 11, 29, 31, etc.). But the Council's apologetics calls were not developed and apologetics was mostly replaced by fundamental theology, which has problematic features from Justinian apologetics and the reform ideas Balthasar rejected, and is not related to the apologetical calls of Peter or Vatican II. However, there has been an organic development of apologetics since the 1980s. In Part 4, the problematic current state of Catholic understanding in the ordinary faithful is evident in two recent surveys. It is necessary to respond to this. By reframing apologetics according to the original Petrine call and its Vatican II confirmation, a New Apologetics (NA) can be developed that emphasises Peter's elements of preparation, response, in a Christian manner, for all the faithful. The Petrine elements are unpacked in today's context and several distinctions are explored, including objective and subjective approaches, and the spectrum of evangelisation-apologetics-catechetics. Three 'voices' are shown to have particularly contributed so far to NA: William Levada, Robert Barron, and Peter Kreeft. All intellectual and two being clerics, they have the insight and ability to guide developments. Looking forwards, the two named conciliar texts are explored in how they can be unpacked for developing an embedded apologetics of preparation, response, in a Christian manner: original, organic, ordinary apologetics.
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Imaginative apologetics
FALDYNOVÁ, Milana
The focus of this thesis lies in the cooperation of imagination and apologetics, which - if succesful - can be a step towards meaningful sharing of the gospel. Imagination as a way of perception of meaning can also be a useful tool in today's world, which seems to lose interest in meaning whatsoever. We seem to find a representative case of imaginative apologetics in the works of C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien and Dorothy L. Sayers. Using imaginative way, these authors deal with many apologetical issues in their stories. The need for a good quality work of imaginative apologetics seems even more valid, when we learn that many atheistic and agnostic authors use imaginative ways to defend ideology of their own; this thesis deals namely with Philip Pullman, whose work could be marked as work of agnostic imaginative apologetics.
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The Immaculate Conception of Our Lady in the Changes of Time. Changes and continuity between Czech XIX. century and contemporary progressive mariology
Drápalíková, Michaela ; Bouma, David (advisor) ; Frývaldský, Pavel (referee)
Four Marian dogmas were gradually formulated in the history of the Church. This work will focus on the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady. The aim of the work will be to present the view of Czech theologians at the time of the declaration of this dogma with regard to the contemporary and cultural context, in contrast to the perspective of contemporary mariologists, as they contextualize, interpret and defend this dogma today. The method used will be the analysis of technical texts. Keywords Mariology, Marian devotion, dogma of the Immaculate Conception, apologetics, Christian proclamation.
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Ecumenism in the work of Josef Kubalík
Chocenská, Vlasta ; Bouma, David (advisor) ; Houkal, Jan (referee)
The thesis "Ecumenism in the work of Josef Kubalík" provides an overview of several works of professor Josef Kubalík. His works influenced generations of students of Catholic theology. Author was a professor of Fundamental Theology at Cyrilometodějská bohoslovecká faculty in Litoměřice in the second half of the 20th century. He wrote a lot of books, university textbooks and ariticles in specialized press. Theologia Fundamentalis has been his most known work. Which is partly still under the influence of manualistic, apologetic-polemical theology. In his later reissues are added council documents Dei Verbum and Lumen Gentium. He translated documents of Second Vatican Ecumenical Council for professional public. We compare his work to these documents and to Ut Unum Sint. At the end it is said, that professor Kubalík grew in the openness and friendliness towards non - Catholics. But he was unable to change given schemes of his thinking.
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Teilhard de Chardin's apologetics of Christianity
Procházka, Leoš ; Bouma, David (advisor) ; Nosek, Lukáš (referee)
The thesis "Teilhard de Chardin's apologetics of Christianity" starts with a brief introduction to apologetics and fundamental theology in general, on the basis of Teilhard's thought, presents the main critical comments and addresses the methodological question of the approach to his thinking. In the main part, develops the structure of apologetics from the phenomenological description of the world's evolution, from the particles and animals through the emergence of consciousness and man. This is showed on the basis of the "law of complexity and consciousness", which shows the increase of consciousness with the increase of the complexity. And then, through noogenesis (evolution of the spirit), it reaches the point of Omega. The thesis addresses the question of the legitimacy of such extrapolation and continues to the philosophical deduction of Omega's characteristics, as essentially transcendent, to an entropy independent, attractive and present. From the philosophically introduced point of Omega, seeks to show the possibility of identifying Christ of revelation with the Omega point through the theological reflection, as proof and defense of the truth of Christianity. The thesis tries to critically evaluate the apologetics thus built, to elaborate the philosophical view and to evaluate the...
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Ecumenism in the work of Josef Kubalík
Chocenská, Vlasta ; Bouma, David (advisor) ; Houkal, Jan (referee)
The thesis "Ecumenism in the work of Josef Kubalík" provides an overview of several works of professor Josef Kubalík. His works influenced generations of students of Catholic theology. Author was a professor of Fundamental Theology at Cyrilometodějská bohoslovecká faculty in Litoměřice in the second half of the 20th century. He wrote a lot of books, university textbooks and ariticles in specialized press. Theologia Fundamentalis has been his most known work. Which is partly still under the influence of manualistic, apologetic-polemical theology. In his later reissues are added council documents Dei Verbum and Lumen Gentium. He translated documents of Second Vatican Ecumenical Council for professional public. We compare his work to these documents and to Ut Unum Sint. At the end it is said, that professor Kubalík grew in the openness and friendliness towards non - Catholics. But he was unable to change given schemes of his thinking.
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The Life and Work of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
BRŮHA, Marek
The work is focused on a life and work of archbishop Fulton J. Sheen and it is divided into three parts. The first part is concerned in bishop's life events and partly in bishop's charakter description. It is completed with american bishop's canonization process report. Second part is decribing literary legacy of bishop Sheen, trying to grasp main emphases in his work, referring on topical komplexity of Sheen's books, depicting author's apologetic writing style. The topic is accomplished with Appendix I. to submit complete Sheen's biography list. The third part is more profound insight into Sheen's christocentric theology which is particularly concerned in Cross, and it also includes further theological insights, biblical quotations and reflexions by several significant theologians. In fact, this part is theological interpretation of Sheen's book Life of Christ.
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Beginnings of Theology and Theological Anthropology in the Works of Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius
DOSKOČIL, Ondřej
The dissertation aims to highlight Lactantius´s position among other authors of Christian antiquity and tries to analyze and assess Lactantius´s views pertaining to selected theological topics. First two chapters summarize available findings on Lactantius´s life and integrate his work into the context of early Christian literature. The following part of the dissertation discusses Lactantius´s apologetic method as well as his ideological points of departure and pays attention to his relation toward ancient culture. The focal point of the dissertation lies in the assessment of Lactantius´s views of selected theological issues, such as the teaching about a sole God, teaching about creation, Christology, soteriology, ecclesiology, eschatology, and anthropology. The dissertation espacially looks into overlapping of ancient and Christian world of ideas as they are mirrored in Lactantius´s theological considerations.
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