Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

DOGMATIC THEOLOGY

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V08, Page 385 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
» Make a correction to this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

DOGMATIC See also:

THEOLOGY , the name usually given in See also:modern times to the systematic study of See also:Christian See also:doctrine or of See also:dogma in the widest sense possible (see DOGMA). Among the many terms used in the See also:early days of See also:Protestant theology to denote the See also:great systems, three deserve See also:special notice—Thetic Theology, See also:Positive Theology, Dogmatic Theology. "Thetic theology " is connected with See also:academic See also:life. It recalls the literal and See also:original meaning of See also:graduation " theses," also See also:Martin See also:Luther's memorable theses and the replies made to him. " Thetic theology," a name now obsolete, naturally included the whole of doctrine, i.e. what-ever would be argued for or against; and " dogmatic theology " came into use absolutely as a synonymous expression. " Positive theology " is also a See also:term employed by See also:Petau (De theologicis dogmatibus, 1644–1650), and more or less current even to-See also:day in See also:Roman See also:Catholic scholarship (e.g. See also:Joseph Turmel, Histoire de la theologie positive, 1906). " Dogmatic theology " proved to have most vitality in it. After some partial precedents of early date (e.g. F. Turrianus—one of the papal theologians at the See also:Council of See also:Trent,—Dogmaticus (See also:liber?) de Justificatione, '557), the See also:title was used in 1659 by the Lutheran Lukas See also:Friedrich Reinhard (1623–'688), See also:professor of theology at See also:Altdorf (Synopsis theologiae dogmaticae, eds. 1659, '66o, x661), and his See also:influence is already seen on the Reformed theologian Andreas See also:van See also:Essen (Essenius, '6'8–1677), who, in 1659, published his Systematis theologiae pars See also:prior, the tomus See also:secundus in '661, but Systematis dogmatici tomus tertius et ultimus in x665.

The same author published a shorter Compendium theologiae dogmaticum in 1669. A. M. See also:

Fairbairn holds that it was the fame of Petau which gave currency to the new coinage " dogmatic theology "; and though the same or kindred phrases had been used repeatedly by writers of less influence since Reinhard and Essenius, F. See also:Buddeus (Institutiones theol. dogmat., 1723; Compendium, 1728) is held to have given the expression its supremacy. See also:Noel See also:Alexandre, the Gallican divine, possibly introduced it in the Roman Catholic See also:Church (1693; Theologia dogmatics et moralis). Both Roman Catholic and Protestant authorities agree that the expression was connected with the new See also:habit of distinguishing dogmatics from Christian See also:ethics or moral theology, though A. Schweizer denies this of Reinhard. In another direction dogmas and dogmatic theology were also contrasted with truths of See also:reason and natural theology.' F. E. D. See also:Schleiermacher, in his Kurze Darstellung See also:des theologischen Studiums, and again in his great See also:System, Der christliche Glaube . dargestellt, ingeniously proposed to treat dogmatic as an See also:historical statement, or See also:report, of beliefs held in For " mixed articles " see DOGMA.

the writer's communion at the‘-See also:

time of See also:writing. He also insisted, however, upon See also:personal conviction in writers on dogmatic. The expression Glaubenslehre—doctrine of faith—which he did much to bring into a wider currency, and which Schweizer, the most loyal of all his disciples, holds to be alone fitted for Protestant use, emphasizes the latter requirement. But " dogmatic " has also continued in use among Protestant theologians of the See also:Left no less than among the orthodox. When we consider the different attitude towards dogma of Roman Catholicism, we feel See also:con-strained to question whether the expression " dogmatic theology " can be equally suitable for both communions. Roman theologians may properly define dogmatic as the scientific study of dogmas; Protestant scholars have come to use " dogma " in ways which make that impossible. Indeed, many of them bid us regard " dogmatic " as falling under the See also:history of theology and not of dogma (see DOGMA). Still, usage is decisive. It will be impossible to uproot the phrase " dogmatic theology " among Protestants. When A. See also:Harnack I praises Schleiermacher's description of dogmatic as " historical," he rather strains the meaning of the remark, and creates fresh confusion. Harnack's point is that " dogmatic theology " ought to be used in a sense corresponding to what he regards as the true meaning of " dogma "—Christian belief in its See also:main traditional outlines.

This claim is an innovation, and finds no precedent in Schleiermacher. The latter regarded dogmatic as stating in scientific connexion "the doctrine prevailing in a (single) Christian church at a given time "—as " not merely historical (geschichtlich)," but containing an " apologetic See also:

element "--as "not confined to the symbolical books, but" including all—even See also:local expressions of the See also:common faith which produce no See also:breach of harmony—and as having for its " very business and task " to "purify and perfect" doctrine (Der christliche Glaube, § 19). The one merit which " dogmatic " may claim as a term in Protestant theology is that it contrasts positive statements of belief with See also:mere reports (e.g. Biblical theology; history of doctrine) of what has been taught in the past.

End of Article: DOGMATIC THEOLOGY

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.
Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.

Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.

[back]
DOGMA (Gr. Sbypa, from b6aeiv, to seem; literally "... 		[next]
DOGRA

Site © 2006 - Net Industries