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FAITH, FREEDOM IN THOUGHT AND PUBLICATION " THE act of the believer does not terminate in the article of faith as such but in the reality it expresses ." 1 Academically aloof as this statement may sound, its implications bear directly upon the living experience of faith itself and the current lively state of theological thought, discussion, and publication. The statement touches upon the essential nature of faith itself, as well as upon the bearing of human thought on the exercise of faith. One instance of the exercise of human understanding with and under faith is, of course, theology. Taken either as formal, scientific theology or simply as thought about the truths of faith, theology is a consequence of faith. " Actually there can be no question of whether or not theology is necessary. For all men theologize. The only question worth asking is whether the theology that exists is good or bad, true or false, complete or incomplete." 2 Men, being men, communicate their theology. Publication is a particular form of communication which, because it is both public and permanent, has far-reaching significance in the Church of God. Theological publication may be classified briefly as either technical or general. The first implies the circulation of specialized research of theologians in academic and professional journals. The second refers to works for newspapers , consumer magazines or trade books. This latter form may be quite serious or popularized; it may be done by a professional theologian or by anyone inclined to express himself about the faith. 1 " Actus autem credentis non terminatur ad enuntiabile sed ad rem." S. T., II-II, q. 1, a.~ ad ~2 Journet, Charles, The Wisdom of Faith. (Newman, Westminster, 195~), 45. 516 FAITH, FREEDOM IN THOUGHT AND PUBLICATION 517 From an admirable concern for the spirit of renewal in the Church today, two attitudes regarding communication of Catholic truth have gained wide acclaim and acceptance. One is that the Gospel message cannot be confined nor conveyed within any one conceptual system. The other is that pre-publication censorship of theological writings should be abandoned . Both touch upon the question of faith, its human expression , and its communication; both are a call for a new freedom . These attitudes provide good reason for an examination of the real issues involved in faith's search for understanding and expression. I. THE EssENCE oF FAITH The distinctive character of theological faith is outlined by the First Vatican Council as: . . . a supernatural virtue by which we believe those things revealed by God to be true, not because of the intrinsic truth of these realities as perceived by the natural light of reason, ·but because of the authority of God revealing, Who can neither deceive nor be deceived.8 In this formulation the twofold orientation of faith is made clear: it terminates in the realities revealed by God; it is motivated by the authority of God revealing. The relationship between the terminative and the motive object of faith is also made clear: faith assents to what God reveals as true, because it is motivated by the authority of God revealing. Thus it is not the intrinsic evidence of that to which faith assents that brings about this termination; it is exclusively the authority of God revealing. Because the formal motivation of faith's assent and the basis of its certitude is not intrinsic evidence, but solely the • "(Hanc vero fidem ... Ecclesia catholica profitetur), virtutem esse supematuralem , qua, Dei aspirante et adiuvante gratia, ab eo revelata vera esse credimus, non propter intrinsecam rerum veritatem naturali rationis lumine perspectam, sed propter auctoritatem ipsius Dei revelantis, qui nee falli nee fallere potest." Cone. Vat. I, sess. III, c. 3, Denz. 1789. 518 THOMAS C. o'BRIEN divine authority, the terminative object of faith is neither clearly seen, nor rationally known. Faith as such implies not vision, not science, not understanding, but simple assent. Thus the relationship of faith to its motive object is decisive. As totally supernatural and gratuitous faith confers the basic capacity (posse) to adhere to its motive object; it bestows the otherwise unattainable power to elicit a judgment of assent based upon the authority of God revealing. Truly it is the initium, radix, fundamentum of...

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