Theology and The Search For Meaning

Topic 3: Theology and
MODULE II: the Search for Meaning

Topic 4: A Conversation
AUGUSTINIAN SPIRITUALITY between Spirituality
and Theology
TOPIC 3:
Theology and the

Search for Meaning
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
DOCTRINE:
1. Describe the challenges posed to the human quest for meaning by the
current world and Philippine situation
2. Understand theology as an endeavor of every person especially the
youth in finding meaning and purpose in life
3. Realize that the quest for meaning and purpose are all within the
vision of the Christian faith
MORAL:
1. Grow in one’s relationship with others and God as a way in finding
meaning and purpose in life
WORSHIP:
1. Commit oneself to God as the Source and End of human existence
2. Give praise to God through the prayer of St. Augustine: Restless is My
Heart
The Context of Our Search
We live in an age of INDIFFERENCE

(lack of concern and sympathy),
CYNICISM
(motivated purely by self-interest),
SKEPTICISM
(questioning or doubtful attitude towards
the truth).
A disconcerting PLURALISM (holding two or more offices at
the same time) haunts our time.
Anything can be truth, which leads many to argue that
nothing is true.
POST-TRUTH vs FAKE NEWS
news consisting of
the disappearance deliberate
of shared disinformation or
objective hoaxes spread via
standards for traditional news
truth media or online
social media
TROLLING
- “for the lulz”, intended to disrupt, even
end, discussions
- are paid to make lies appear as true
“The mirage is that if enough people believe a

lie to be true, others might be compelled to
believe it with them.”
INDIVIDUALISM vs EXCLUSIVISM
- Individualistic Vision
- Micro-celebrities - brokenness in the world resulted
- Self-made to a culture of hate and division
“Excessive individualism can give “Growing trend is now towards

rise to alienation, lovelessness, looking for meaning in leisure and
unhappiness and inability to acquiring access to endless sources
maintain relationships.” (AGE OF of pleasure.”
INSECURITY)
HEDONISTIC ESCAPISM vs XENOPHOBIA
- occurrences of depression,
sense of meaninglessness and - cultured distrust of others
anxiety who are unlike us
- resultant of the spiritual - us-versus-them mentality

vacuum in which most of the
against immigrants
youth live their lives
All are signs of the trend for more privatistic tendencies

that can become hindrances to an authentic search for
meaning and purpose in the world.
There is a need for attention both to the “other” as well as

the absolutely “Other.”
The more we become absorbed in ourselves, the further

away we come to finding our meaning and purpose.
Theology as an Endeavor for All People
For whom is fundamental theology intended today?
BELIEVER or NONBELIEVER
THEOLOGY IS FOR ALL PEOPLES.

For believers…
THEOLOGY is FAITH SEEKING UNDERSTANDING
(fides quaerens intellectum).
The term was coined by ST. ANSELM OF
CANTERBURY saying that “ For I do not seek to
understand in order to believe; I believe in order
to understand, for I also believe that ‘Unless I
believe, I shall not understand.’”
Theology is a“science of faith.”

- by faith, believers seek to understand ever
more fully that which they believe, pondering
it in their hearts
- believers ask God that they may be ‘filled
with the knowledge of God’s will in all
spiritual wisdom and understanding’
- understanding of faith (intellectus fidei)
‘Faith and reason are like two wings on

which the human spirit rises to the
contemplation of truth.’
For the believer doing theology…
FAITH is PREREQUISITE.
This is what is called by St. Augustine as the

INITIUM FIDEI, “the beginnings of faith.”
For the nonbelievers…
- observe our practice

- study our dogma
- learn from our faith
IT CAN BE SAID THAT THE CHRISTIAN FAITH CAN BE STUDIED BY

OUTSIDE OBSERVERS AS A KIND OF PHILOSOPHY, WHILE OTHERS
MAY VIEW IT AS IMMERSING IN A DIFFERENT CULTURE.
YOUTH AS AN ESSENTIAL AUDIENCE OF THEOLOGY
WHY?
Youth is a time of self-discovery and self-concern.
Young people are still at the point in their lives where they are
trying to make sense of their dignity, their relationship with
others and also with their relationship with the world and God.
GENERATION Z or the DIGITAL NATIVES
- technologically
savvy
- consumes
information through
digital media (ex.
internet)
THE SUMMARY
Every search for meaning, truth, clarity and depth today is in its own
way a part of the human being’s quest to engage in the mystery of
God. God awakens our hope for encounter with Him. However, it
must still be affirmed that the mystery of God is not fully knowable.
We cannot absolutely know everything about life, the world and the
divine Other. This is a realization of our limitedness. It is a lesson of
humility.
St. Augustine explained that, “The first step in the search for truth is
humility.” Theology is a quest of humble understanding.
AUGUSTINIAN VALUE
Interiority

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Topic 3: Theology and

MODULE II: the Search for Meaning

Theology and the

We live in an age of INDIFFERENCE

“The mirage is that if enough people believe a

“Excessive individualism can give “Growing trend is now towards

- resultant of the spiritual - us-versus-them mentality

All are signs of the trend for more privatistic tendencies

There is a need for attention both to the “other” as well as

The more we become absorbed in ourselves, the further

For whom is fundamental theology intended today?

THEOLOGY IS FOR ALL PEOPLES.

Theology is a“science of faith.”

‘Faith and reason are like two wings on

For the believer doing theology…

This is what is called by St. Augustine as the

For the nonbelievers…

- observe our practice

IT CAN BE SAID THAT THE CHRISTIAN FAITH CAN BE STUDIED BY

GENERATION Z or the DIGITAL NATIVES

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