The Science of Sacred Theology
Publication Date: November 20, 2022
Format: Paperback
Pages: 502
The four books (Introduction to Theology, Revelation, The Channels of Revelation, The Church) conveniently gathered in this volume titled The Science of Sacred Theology, were written by the great but sorely neglected theologian, Fr. Emmanuel Doronzo, O.M.I. (1903-1976), as abbreviated texts of his Theologia Dogmatica, a two-volume work totaling over 2,000 pages. These four books were originally published by the Notre Dame Pontifical Catechetical Institute which was founded by Msgr. Eugene Kevane, Dean of the School of Education at the Catholic University of America.
These four books will introduce the reader to important foundational themes in fundamental theology and ecclesiology. In them, Fr. Doronzo clearly sets forth the traditional Thomistic teaching concerning the nature of theological science, the supernaturality of faith, the nature of revelation, the rational credibility of revelation, a clear summary of the various sources of theology (in the tradition of Melchior Cano's De locis theologicis), and a thoroughly documented introduction to ecclesiology. These texts will be of use to both teachers and students who are interested in the recovery of a traditional and robust Thomistic theology.
Author Biography:
A native of the city of Barletta in South-Eastern Italy, a graduate of the Gregorianum and the Angelicum (where he was a student of the great Thomist master, Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange), Fr. Doronzo taught for decades in Europe and the United States, first in Turin, Italy, then at the scholastic of the Oblates of Mary in San Antonio, Texas, and finally at the Catholic University of America. He was a two-time recipient of the Catholic Theological Society of America's Cardinal Spellman Award, receiving it, along with several other recipients, in 1947 (the first year this award was conferred) as well as a second time in 1951. He served as a consultant for the American pre-conciliar theological commission for the Second Vatican Council, doing so along with his fellow CUA faculty member, Msgr. Joseph Clifford Fenton.
"God is the reason for the continued importance of The Science of Sacred Theology. Times change. God does not. Infinite perfection undergoes no revision. And the science of sacred theology never loses sight of its formal objective and ultimate end: God as he is in himself. In this book, Father Doronzo provides his readers a remarkably clear and compelling reminder of what sacred theology is all about: God." —Cajetan Cuddy, O.P., Ph.D./S.T.D., Dominican House of Studies, Washington, D.C.
"This is a fascinating work. An extremely rare example of neo-scholastic theology written in English after the Second Vatican Council. The manualist tradition is not without its shortcomings, but its renewed appreciation is a welcome development in theology." —Dr. John Joy, Dean of Faculty, St. Ambrose Academy; Madison, WI