Bogoslovska smotra, Vol. 69 No. 1, 1999.
Original scientific paper
Meaning of the Principles of the Hierarchy of Truths in the Christian Faith and Its Siginificance in Catechization
Đuro Zalar
; Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The basis of this work is the statement of the Second Vatican Council about hierarchy of truths of the Christian faith. In The Decree of Ecumenism, »Unitatis reaintegratio« (no. 11), the Council briefly pointed out that »there is an order or 'hierarchy' of truths in Catholic teachings, regarding their various connections based on the Christian faith «.
In the first part, the author demonstrates that truths of the Christian faith make up an organic whole and that they are concentrated around the sacrament of Jesus Christ and The Holy Trinity, as their centre or foundation. The meaning of some truths is determined by its proximity to this foundation. Therefore, in ecumenical dialogue one needs to take into account various meanings of a particular truth, along with, of course, the same obligation regarding its acceptance in faith.
In the second part, the author explains that the hierarchy of truth can be understood as a principle of the creation of theology in terms of such theology being pervaded by the Trinity and Christ, and that in its explication it aspires to concentrate on that which is fundamental.
In the third and final part, starting with »General Directory of Catechisation« (1997), the author indicates in which sense the hierarchy of truth is also a criterion for Catechisation, and that it is present in this sense in the new Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Keywords
The Second Vatican Council; hierarchical truth; ecumenicity; systematic theology; catechisation
Hrčak ID:
31517
URI
Publication date:
29.9.1999.
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