I'm about half way through a wonderful book by Nicholas Healy, Church, World and the Christian Life: Practical-Prophetic Ecclesiology, and finally, words have formed around something that has been bothering me for years. Healy works with Balthasar's theodramatic perspective, yet the end result he keeps pushing towards is truth! It seems that theology has been plagued since Anselm coined the phrase fides quaerens intellectum with seeking truth. Is that what Anselm meant when he chose the word intellectum? Is theology "faith seeking truth" or is theology "faith seeking intelligent articulation?"
As I was sitting with this wondering about Anselm's intentions, the story from Genesis about the forbidden fruit came to mind – wasn't it the tree of knowing good from evil? What if the whole flow of a theology seeking truth has been a sinful act on the part of humankind?
When I constantly read about truth, I wonder: where is love? Where is service? Where is helping your neighbor out of the ditch? Where is feeding the five thousand? Where is retreating to pray? If Jesus is the logos of God incarnate, should theology be pursuing truth or something else? Could Anselm have meant 'an experience of gracious, loving inclusion seeking authentic, intelligent articulation?' I hope so.
Comments