The Truth, Theology, God

Authors

  • Jerzy Szymik Uniwersytet Śląski w Katowicach

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21906/rbl.567

Keywords:

God, Logos, Christianity, theology, philosophy, Christology, truth, freedom, sense, salvation, hope, modern times, post-modernity, relativism, forgiveness, consensus, tolerance

Abstract

Having been distorted since modern times, the notions of truth and freedom have been radically juxtaposed in post-modern worldviews, consequently resulting in the loss of key values: the truth is questioned, while freedom is determined and limited by worldly purposes. J. Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) shows that the terms are de facto, theologically important (Theological Hermeneutics); i.e., they can be fully and properly understood from the heart of Christian faith God is the right guarantor of the truth (involving the existence of the objective and judicious reality) and the Embodiment of God’s Son, Logos, is the ultimate argument for its attainability and cognizability. When Jesus said: “I am the truth” (John 14 : 6) He convinced that the truth is universal and belongs to God. Thereby, it remains universally binding; it is the appropriate basis of ethos. The truth constitutes the key to interpreting reality and is a superior (independent) criterion for its arrangement (also in the social and political sense). Thus, the task of Christianity and theology is to restore the proper, Christological understanding of truth and freedom for the world, as well as their inseparable, redemptive relationship: “the truth will set you free” (John 8 : 32).

Author Biography

Jerzy Szymik, Uniwersytet Śląski w Katowicach

Rev. Prof. Dr. Hab. Jerzy Szymik: Full Professor at the Chair in Dogmatic Theology and Spirituality at the Fauculty of Theology of the University of Silesia; member of the International Theological Commission in 2004–2014.

References

Benedict XVI. (2009, June 29). Caritas in veritate.

Benedict XVI. (2010, September 30). Verbum Domini.

Eco, U. (1982). Der Name der Rose: Roman. (B. Kroeber, Trans.) (26. Aufl). München: Carl Hanser Verlag.

Ratzinger, J. (1998). Obrazy nadziei. Wędrówki przez rok kościelny. (K. Wójtowicz, Trans.). Poznań: Księgarnia św. Wojciecha.

Ratzinger, J. (2001). Prawda w teologii. (M. Mijalska, Trans.). Kraków: Wydawnictwo M.

Ratzinger, J. (2004). W drodze do Jezusa Chrystusa. (J. Merecki, Trans.). Kraków: Wydawnictwo Salwator.

Ratzinger, J. (2009). Wykłady bawarskie z lat 1963–2004. (A. Czarnocki, Trans.). Warszawa: Instytut Wydawniczy Pax.

Seewald, P., & Benedict XVI. (2011). Światłość świata. Papież, Kościół i znaki czasu. Kraków: Wydawnictwo Znak.

Published

2017-06-30

How to Cite

Szymik, J. (2017). The Truth, Theology, God. The Biblical and Liturgical Movement, 70(2), 101–108. https://doi.org/10.21906/rbl.567

Issue

Vol. 70 No. 2 (2017)

Section

Articles

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License Licencja Creative Commons that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).