PHASES OF THEOLOGY AND THE FUNCTIONAL SPECIALTIES

PHASES OF THEOLOGY AND THE FUNCTIONAL SPECIALTIES

            According to Bernard Lonergan, a method is a normative pattern of recurrent and related operations yielding cumulative and progressive results. Bernard Lonergan developed a method that follows the human cognitive system and this he called the transcendental method. By developing a method that follows the thinking process of human beings, he developed a method that further applies to theology and all human sciences. That his definition applies to the natural sciences is clear because, in the natural sciences, says Lonergan, method inculcates a spirit of inquiry and inquiries recur. The natural sciences insist on accurate observation and description, and, both observations and descriptions recur. It praises discovery and demands the formulation of discoveries in hypotheses, and, discoveries recur.

Lonergan called it transcendental method because of the human being’s capacity for transcendence, and because, the results envisaged are not confined categorically to some particular field or subject, but regard any result that could be intended by the completely open transcendental notions.

            Furthermore, method for lonergan is a set of rules of operations. To put method in theology is to conceive theology as a set of related and recurrent operations cumulatively advancing towards an ideal goal.

            More so, every operation has intentionality and consciousness. An operation is intentional because by it, one becomes aware of the object. An operation is characterized by consciousness because it occurs consciously, and by them the operating subject is conscious. Operations thus by their intentionality make objects present to the subject, so also by consciousness they make the operating subject present to himself/herself. This analysis then invokes the conferral of the appellative conscious intentionality on operations by Lonergan.

           

According to Lonergan, method is divided into four levels of conscious intentionality, two phases of theology and eight functional specialties. He notes that conscious intentionality occurs at four levels, namely:

1) Empirical (Experience)- by which we sense, perceive, imagine, feel, speak and move.

2) Intellectual (Understanding)- by which we inquire, come to understand, express what we have understood, work out the presuppositions and implications of our expression.

3) Rational (Judgement)- by which we reflect, marshal the evidence and pass judgement on the truth or falsity, certainty or probability of a statement.

4) Responsibility (decision)- by which we are concerned with ourselves, our own operations, our goals and so deliberate about possible courses of action, evaluate them, decide and carry out our decisions.

            In order to formulate the conception of theology as evinced above, Lonergan gives us three types of specialization which are:

1) Field specialization- entails the division or subdivision of the field of data.

2) Subject Specialization- entails the classification of the results of investigations.

3) Functional Specialization- entails distinguishing and separating successive stages in the process from data to results.

Hence, functional specialization presents the independent operations in method and links field and subject specialization. There are 8 functional specialties, each having its end and employing different means.

a) Research- makes available the data relevant for theological investigation, that is, makes available what was written. It is either general or specific.

b) Interpretation- Understands what was meant in what was written. It grasps the meaning in its historical context, in accord with its proper mode and level of thought and expression, in the light of the circumstances and intention of the writer.

c) History- puts narratives in context, and considers various human events and activities, judges and narrates them. We have Basic, special and general history.

d) Dialectics- unravels conflicts, dynamics and contradictions in interpretation.

e) Foundations- resolves conflicts within the fundamental horizon of truth, good and God,

f) Doctrines- These doctrines emerge after conflict resolution, and expresses judgement of fact and value.

g) Systematics- attempts to make doctrines easily comprehensible, and also attempts to interpret and explain the ambiguity of doctrines.

h) Communication- provides suitable means of communication the interpreted doctrines to the public using art, language and religion.

            With this Lonergan presents the two phases of theology as mediatory theology (oration oblique) and mediated theology (oration recta).

            Mediatory theology is that which encounters the past and its experiences. It involves what theology has said in the past about God and the economy of salvation. It includes research, interpretation, history and dialectic.

            Mediated theology is the theology in the present and the theologian enlightens by the past, and confronts problems of the present time. Mediated theology is the contemporary appropriation of tradition in order to assimilate the future. It includes foundations, doctrines, systematics and communication. Consequently, correlation and derivation between the four levels of conscious intentionality and the eight functional specialties are made as follows:

After the diagram, Here each of the four levels correlates with the two phases. Hence, there is interdependence between the four levels and the two phases presenting the dynamic unit of theology.

Therefore, the entire process is unified by the cognitive dynamic of the subject who is performing the theological task.