Two of St. Patrick's faculty, Drs. Jeff Froula and Jon Kirwan, will be travelling this week to present at the Aquinas The Biblical Theologian conference on February 7-9th, co-sponsored by the Aquinas Center for Theological Renewal and the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology. The conference will be held at Ave Maria University in Florida.
Dr. Jeffrey Froula will present on Thursday, February 8th at 7:30PM a talk, entitled “Revelation, Faith, and Theology in St. Thomas Aquinas.” He will highlight the fundamental importance of revelation received in faith for the science of theology in St. Thomas’s teaching. His presentation will show that the word of God accepted in faith serves as the font for all genuine theological reflection.
The science of theology is faith seeking understanding—i.e. it is the science which seeks to probe the revealed mysteries more deeply, see how they relate to one another, and understand what follows from them. Theology is entirely dependent on divine revelation received in faith. The task of the theologian is not to surpass revelation, but accept it humbly and lovingly probe its depths. There is no true theology apart from divine revelation accepted in faith. The task of theology begins and ends with the revealed word of God.
Dr. Jon Kirwan will present on Friday, February 9th at 9:00AM on “The Disputed Legacy of Ambroise Gardeil’s Theology of Revelation.” Ambroise Gardeil O.P. is a late-19th/early-20th century Dominican theologian, whose expertise was in theological method – a scientific method of studying religion. In response to the changes at his time, Gardeil asserted that tradition alone with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit has built the core of Catholic theology and, with this at the cornerstone of theological methodology, historical research then can be employed to better understand tradition and guide any other research.
We are excited that our expert faculty will present their research and thoughts at this prestigious academic conference. Through these kinds of activities, our professors strengthen their skills and thinking. As the proverb states, "iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another" (Pr 27:17, RSVCE).