Philosophy As The Handmaid of Theology - Edited

 

Ph Phil ilos osop ophy hy as the the ha handm ndmai aid d of theo theolo logy gy ca can n be ea easi sily ly un under derst stood ood in layma layman’ n’ss te term rmss as  philosophy is the foundation of theology. This statement is quite analogous to a creamer, which always needs a substance for it to be used or consumed such as coffee, chocolate, and the like. Philosophy can also be a foundation, not just with theology, but with other different fields of  studie stu diess or discip discipli lines. nes. It became became the foundati foundation on of math math in rel relati ation on to Pythago Pythagoras ras in his Pythagorean Theorem; of science, in relation to emocritus and !eucippus’s concept of atom,  psychology, and the like.

"ut what makes theology peculiar with philosophy# $hy does theology need philosophy# !et us first distinguish the idea of the two. % beginner’s impression in the discipline of philosophy and theology might might be that there is no difference difference between between them e&cept of preference. preference. 'or a  beginner, both fields of study occupy different department uni(ersities, but both deal with the same question. question. The only difference difference from his perspecti( perspecti(ee would be that theologians theologians would would see only )od, and religion, and philosophers would see these things but in line with reason such as logic and causality. In other words, philosophy speaks of truth through reason and theology talks about re(elation of truth through the i(ine "eing we call )od together with *is creatures, more  particularly with human beings.

"ut what can be their connection# $hat makes makes philosophy the handmaid of theology# "efore theology theolo gy was brought into e&istence, e&istence, philosophy philosophy became became the field of study by man. It was the )reeks who influenced the $estern $estern world with their philosophy philosophy.. +lement of %le&andria would e&plain that philosophy was necessary for the )reeks for righteousness.   It became the wisdom

1 Clement of Alexandria, (Stromata,) p.

 

of the )reeks at that time time and not just wisdom, but source source of truth. 'or +lement of %le&andria, %le&andria, wisdom is therefore queen of philosophy as philosophy is of preparatory culture. -  'or the +hurch 'ather, 'ather, philosophy philosophy is the preparation preparation of a person person to understand understand theology. theology. Philo Philosophy sophy comes from the root words Philein Philein and ophia, which means lo(e of wisdom. $ith $ith this kind of  idea, philosophy encompasses wisdom. To understand the nature of the di(ine, one must possess wisdom by studying it with the help of philosophy in order for us to understand the causes and truths trut hs of it. In other words, words, for the +hurch 'ather to understand understand the di(ine, we must know the  process of his manifestation with the help of causes and effects in line with wisdom through  philosophy.

Thomas Thom as %quinas %quinas would also argue argue that that philos philosophy ophy is the handmaid handmaid of theolo theology gy.. 'or him,  philosophy does not destroy theology, instead it perfects it. /  "oth disciplines deal with the truth, the former former deals with natural natural knowled knowledge, ge, and the latter latter deals with faith. faith. In order for us to understand these re(ealed truths by faith, a preparatory stage is necessary, or there is a certain  prerequisite, which is philosophy. philosophy.

$e can see this in this te&t, 01e(ertheless they incorporate some similitudes of these higher  truths and some things that are preparatory for them, just as nature is preamble to grace. 2  These te&ts state state that the term nature is prerequisit prerequisitee with the term grace. "ut is it possible to obtain obtain errors when these two disciplines disciplines merge# merge# %quinas would would say that it is not possible. 3rror only 2 Ibid, p. 3 Thomas Aquinas, (oethius on the trinit!). p. " Ibid, p.

 

e&ists if reason is insufficient which is due to the abuse of philosophy. 4  Theodi Theodicy cy is one of of the  best e&les of merging two fields of study. %quinas’s %quinas’s quid qui (iae or the fi(e ways of the e&istence of )od is a combination of philosophical and theological thought. *e writes5 'irst, to demonstrate those truths that are preambles of faith and that ha(e a necessary place in the science of faith. uch are the truths about )od that can be  pro(ed by natural reason 6 that )od e&ists, that )od is one; such truths about )od or about *is creatures, subject to philosophical proof, faith presupposes. 7

To sum it up, philosophy is the handmaid of theology, because Philosophy can stand on its own  based on natural reasons and causes while theology would re(ol(e in )od’s re(elation. "ut in order for us to understand how )od manifests the truth in little ways, philosophy is necessary in order for man to understand )od with the help of his function or nature, which is *is rationality.

# Ibid, p. $ Ibid, p.