Dogmatic theology

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Dogmatic theology, also called dogmatics, is the part of theology dealing with the theoretical truths of faith concerning God and God's works, especially the official theology recognized by an organized Church body, such as the Roman Catholic Church, Dutch Reformed Church, etc. At times, apologetics or fundamental theology is called "general dogmatic theology", dogmatic theology proper being distinguished from it as "special dogmatic theology". In present-day use, however, apologetics is no longer treated as part of dogmatic theology but has attained the rank of an independent science, being generally regarded as the introduction to and foundation of dogmatic theology.^[1]

The term dogmatic theology became more widely used following the Protestant Reformation and was used to designate the articles of faith that the Church had officially formulated. An example of dogmatic theology is the doctrinal statements or dogmas that were formulated by the early church councils who sought to resolve theological problems and to take a stance against a heretical teaching. These creeds or dogmas that came out of the church councils were considered to be authoritative and binding on all Christians because the church officially affirmed them. One of the purposes of dogmatic theology is to formulate and communicate doctrine that is considered essential to Christianity and which if denied would constitute heresy.

Karl Barth defined Dogmatic theology as the scientific^[2] exposition of the entire theoretical doctrine concerning God and God's external activity, based on the dogmas of the Church. Similar definitions are arrived at by Hans Lassen Martensen and Isaak August Dorner.^[3][4]

A unique approach is found in the dogmatics of Norwegian Lutheran theologian Gisle Johnson, who attempts to construct dogmatics after Kierkegaard as pertaining primarily to the essence of faith (Troens Væsen). According to Johnson, dogmatics is "the systematic understanding of the truth content of the Christian faith," which "develop out of the essence of faith." For Johnson, there is an "organic unity" to dogmatics that develops "from one central, basic truth," i.e. the essence of faith and its primary referent, God.^[5]

Within the Dutch Reformed tradition of Neo-Calvinism, Herman Bavinck devoted four volumes to Dogmatic theology. In volume one of Reformed Dogmatics, Bavinck considers variously definitions of dogmatic theology, arriving ultimately at a definition of it as an organic science, one that has "an organic unity" and considers "three factors: Scripture, church, and Christian consciousness." According to Bavinck, dogmatics includes kerygmatics, or the study of the church's creeds and confessions, and thus must also consider the material ordering of its thoughts in relation to God.^[6]

Within 21st century theology, John Webster has worked considerably with the concept of Dogmatic theology within his project of reclaiming a "theological theology," considering it as an exercise in the ordering of the Church's doctrine in relation to God and Scripture: a scientific exercise in logical location based on assumed principles.^[7][8][9] Although in one place Webster writes in consistency with Barth, "Christian dogmatics has a double theme: God in himself and the outer works of God, theology proper and economy," he will elsewhere specify that "Dogmatics has a twofold task: an analystic-expository task, in which it attempts orderly conceptual representation of the content of the Christian gospel as it is laid out in the scriptural witness; and a polemical-apologetical task in which it explores the justification and value of Christian truth-claims."^[9] He will likewise refer to it variously as "a positive science," "ecclesiastical science," and "a critical science."^[10]

Generally-speaking, Dogmatic theology emphasizes the importance of propositional truth over experiential, sensory perceptions.

The Roman Catholic Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is charged with ensuring fidelity to Catholic teaching regarding theology and doctrine among all members of the Church – especially in disputes or unsolved issues involving theology and the faith, and in dealing with individuals (especially clergy, religious, and catechists, where orthodoxy is a special concern, but also laypeople) whose teachings or statements have been judged erroneous at the local level. In 1989, the Congregation's International Theological Commission prepared a document on doctrinal theology called "The Interpretation of Dogma". This happened when Pope Benedict XVI was Prefect of the Congregation and thus President of the commission.^[11]

The term "dogmatic theology" is thought to have first appeared in 1659 in the title of a book by L. Reinhard. A. M. Fairbairn holds that it was the fame of Petau which gave currency to the new coinage "dogmatic theology"; and though the same or related phrases had been used repeatedly by writers of less influence since Reinhard and Andreas Essenius, F. Buddeus (Institutiones theol. dogmat., 1723; Compendium, 1728) is held to have given the expression its supremacy. Noel Alexandre, the Gallican theologian, possibly introduced it in the Roman Catholic Church (1693; Theologia dogmatica et moralis). Primarily, the word "dogma" originates from the Greek, δόγματα, used in Acts 16:4 and 17:7 and finding early referents in the Septuagint of Esther 3:9 and Daniel 2:13.

Both Roman Catholic and Protestant authorities agree that the expression was connected with the new habit of distinguishing dogmatics from Christian ethics or moral theology, though Albert Schweizer denies this of Reinhard. The exact relationship varies in 19th century dogmatics: for example, Isaak Dorner considers ethics to be dependent on dogmatics, although separate; Hans Lassen Martensen considers them seperate but interdependent, dogmatics being ethical and ethics being dogmatic; and Gisle Johnson considers ethics to be an organic outgrowth of faith and dogmatics.^[12][13][14] In another direction dogmas and dogmatic theology were also contrasted with truths of reason and natural theology.^[15]

• Systematic theology
• Catholic dogmatic theology
• Christian apologetics
• Christian theology
• Constructive theology
• Dogmatix
• Feminist theology
• Liberal Christianity
• Liberation theology
• Process theology
• Queer theology

• Moody Handbook of Theology by Paul P. Enns (ISBN 0-8024-3428-2)
• Dogmatic Theology by William Greenough Thayer Shedd (ISBN 0-8407-5743-3)
• Christian Theology (2nd Ed) by Millard J. Erickson (ISBN 0-8010-2182-0)
• Muller, Richard A. (May 2002). Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics - Prolegomena to Theology Volume 1 (2nd ed.).
• Pomazansky, Michael; Rose, Seraphim (2009). Orthodox Dogmatic Theology. California.: St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood. ISBN 978-0-938635-69-7.

Wikiversity has learning resources about School of Theology

• Dogmatic Theology – Catholic Encyclopedia
• History of Dogmatic Theology – Catholic Encyclopedia
• Christian Theology Reading Room, Tyndale Seminary
• Lessons on Eastern Christian Dogmatics, by John Zizioulas current Metropolitan of Pergamus and Chairman of the Athens Academy