This is the last group of review questions for my Theology mid-term. Whew!

1. What is a Dogma, as understood in contemporary Catholic theological language (see Vatican I)? “…all those things are to be believed with divine and Catholic faith which are contained in the word of God, written or handed down, and which the Church, either by a solemn judgment, or by her ordinary and universal magisterium, proposes for belief as having been divinely revealed….” (Dei Filius, ch. 3)
2. Are all the teachings of the Magisterium in matters of faith and morals dogmas (in the sense defined in the preceding question)? No, because the definition does not include non-infallible teachings of the ordinary non-universal Magisterium, which include points that are “proxima fidei” - close to the faith - which are not required to be believed with divine faith, but only sincere acceptance is required.
3. What does it mean to say that up to the close of the Apostolic times there was (within the Old and the New Testaments) a development or growth of Revelation and not only a development of doctrine (explain and give examples)? Certain doctrines, such as the Trinity, were not clearly revealed until Apostolic times.
4. Beyond the development of Revelation, was there a development of doctrine within the Old and New Testaments (explain and give examples)? Yes, the Old Testament prophets and wisdom teachers reflected on God’s previous Revelation in the history and faith of Israel. In the Apostolic Church, there was development of deeper understanding of Christ’s teaching and of the meaning of his person, death, and resurrection. For example, compare the Gospel of John to the Synoptics.
5. What is the relationship between the History of Christian Doctrines and the Development of Dogma? A great deal of time and theological development and clarification was needed in some cases before the Church’s awareness of its belief had become a clear realization that a certain doctrine is really contained in divine revelation. The history of doctrine is a genuine expression of what has always been globally believed, and can be a defense against heretical misinterpretation. Even after a dogma has been unmistakeably expressed, there is still a legitimate history where it is thought out still further, and more profoundly clarified.
6. Give some examples of the Development of Dogma in post-Apostolic times. In the early Church, the creed of “I believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” developed into Iranaeus’ three articles of faith, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Nicea’s response to Arius then made the divinity of Christ more explicit.
7. Present and evaluate the so-called “Logical Theory” of Dogmatic Development. This Neo-scholastic explanation says that dogmas develop through application of logical syllogisms to previously established dogmas. For the Monothelite heresy, which claimed that Christ had a single, divine will was thus refuted. The Council of Chalcedon defined that Christ has a complete human nature, including a human soul, distinct from his divine nature. We also know that a human soul contains a human will. Therefore, Christ has a human will which is distinct from his divine nature. This worked for the Monothelite heresy, but it is not so simple for some dogmas, such as the veneration of images. Better is the “theological theory” which states that Revelation is more than the imparting of conceptual or propositional knowledge, but is a participation in divine realities of which the Church only gradually arrives at an explicit verbal articulation.
8. How is the Development of Dogma to be conceived according to Vatican II (see especially Dei Verbumsection 8)? The tradition that comes from the apostles makes progress in the church, with the help of the holy Spirit. There is a growth in insight into the realities and words that are being passed on. This comes about through the contemplation and study of believers who ponder these things in their hearts. It comes from the intimate sense of spiritual realities which they experience. And it comes from the preaching of those who, on succeeding to the office of bishop, have received the sure charism of truth. Thus, as the centuries go by, the church is always advancing towards the plenitude of divine truth, until eventually the words of God are fulfilled in it.
9. For what reasons and in what sense can Dogmatic formulas be more or less imperfect, though true? They are subject to imperfections due to the transcendence of the mysteries they express and the historical conditions within which they are formulated.
10. In what sense are dogmas unchangeable (”irreformable”) and in what sense can and should they develop further? A dogma can never be negated or corrected, but they can be further clarified, explained, or give way to new expressions proposed and approved by the Magisterium which present more clearly or more completely the same meaning.
11. What are the main tasks of theology in relation to Dogmas? The tasks of Theology include both the understanding and the furthering of the development of dogmas, both before and after formulation. In carrying out its tasks, theology is guided by the Magisterium’s authentic teaching, but also helps the development (including in the case of non-infallible teaching the correction, if needed) of that teaching. Especially in its task of furthering development, theology cannot avoid taking the risks of error and must be ready to accept the subsequent definite judgment of the Magisterium.