Notes

INTRODUCTION

Theology of Baptism

Baptism in the Filipino socio-cultural and religious sphere:

Baptism, among the sacraments is the most popular yet limited to its social functions and less on its liturgical, theological and spiritual significance. In fact, it appears to be one of the least understood sacraments.

Baptism is the sacrament of faith par excellence (CCC 1236, 1253)

“Why do we seek baptism?” Because of faith.

Baptism, the “first sacrament of Christian initiation incorporates new members into the Christ and into the Church. It accomplishes what it signifies: new birth, new life, new creation. It arises in response to evangelization, the proclamation of God’s word, to repentance and conversion, to faith and to a desire to be one with Christ in His Church.”

Scriptures bear witness to the significant place occupied by faith in the need for baptism. The Lord commands his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and baptize them (Mt 28, 19-20; Mk 16, 15-16)

The General Introduction to Christian Initiation is more explicit in relating faith and baptism: “Baptism, the sacrament of that faith by which men and women, enlightened by the Spirit’s grace to the Gospel of Christ.”

Reading Notes:

David Tracy, “Approaching the Trinitarian Understanding of God,” in Systematic Theology, The Roman Catholic Perspective, Vol. I. edited by Francis Schusler Fiorenza and John P. Galvin. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1991.

ON THE ONE AND TRIUNE GOD

“For a Christian understanding of God is none other than a Trinitarian understanding.” (132)

“A Christian theological understanding of God cannot be divorced from the revelation of God in Jesus Christ.” (133)

“… on a Catholic understanding, we understand God foundationally in and through Scripture and Tradition.” (135) In particular, “the ecclesial confession on God can be rendered: “We believe in the God of Jesus Christ with the Apostles.”(135-136)

“This common ecclesial confession which informs all the classic creeds, finds its scriptural foundation as well as its clearest rendering in the plain sense of the passion narrative of the New Testament.” (136)

“Christians understand who God is first and foundationally in and through their experience and understanding of Jesus Christ. Christians discover that experience and understanding mediated to them in word and sacrament through the mediation of the ecclesial tradition.” (136)

“A Christian theology further understands the person and salvific events of Jesus as the very self-revelation of who God is and who we are commanded and empowered to become.” (136)

“A systematic theological understanding of both revelation and salvation in turn is also grounded in the common ecclesial confession and the plain sense of the passion narrative of the Gospel.” (137)

“The passion narrative, moreover, should not remain isolated from the rest of the scriptures or from the latter creeds. Rather, the passion narrative, as foundation and focus of all properly Christian understanding of God, should open up to the larger gospel narrative of the message and ministry of Jesus, the incarnation of the Logos…” (137)

“… for the Christian faithful to answer who is Christ to the question “Who God is?,” asked in relation to the self-disclosure of God in Jesus Christ, is: God is love, and Christians are those agents commanded and empowered by God to love.” (138)

But Love is not God…

“God is love:” this identity of God the Christians experiences and knows is and through the proclaimed and narrated history of God’s actions and self-disclosure as the God who is love in Jesus Christ, the parable of God.” (138)

“God is love”, ‘is also to affirm now in the more abstract terms proper to post scriptural metaphysical theologies that God, the origin, sustainer, and end of all reality is characterized by the radical relationality of that most relational of categories, love.”(138)

‘the Christian understanding of the ‘existence” and “nature” of God is grounded in the “identity” of the God disclosed as kenotic love in Jesus Christ.’ (139)

“Holy Baptism and Contemporary Theology” in The Christian Sacraments of Initiation, Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist by Kenan B. Osborne, OFM., New York: Paulist Press, 1987.

In contemporary sacramental theology with its emphasis on Jesus as the primordial sacrament and the Church as the basic sacrament, one would have to say that the only reason, theologically, that baptism is a sacrament is that baptism has an intrinsic and foundational relationship to the humanness of Jesus on the one hand and to the Church on the other hand. (79)

… baptism is a sacrament not simply because Jesus instituted it, but more profoundly because Jesus himself is the very meaning of baptism (79).

Jesus as primordial sacrament and Church as basic sacrament is indicated in some documents of Vatican II (cf. 79-80)

Jesus as the primordial sacrament of baptism is a “twentieth century approach to the issue of sacraments.” It is also the direction taken by Karl Rahner and Edward Schellebeckx.

-In what way can we say that today Jesus is the “primordial sacrament” of baptism?

A theological opinion… “Jesus in his humanity is the first sacrament.” (81) “Jesus in his humanity, is the baptized, that is, jesus is in himself what baptism is all about.”

CATHOLIC DOGMA, In the Eyes of a Baptized

Born in Christ, faithful to Christ, becoming like Christ…

CATHOLIC DOGMA, In the Eyes of a Baptized

INTRODUCTION

The theology of baptism provides a concise yet creative and practical approach in presenting a synthesis of the Catholic dogma. An elaboration of the Church’s doctrine on baptism amounts to a similar elaboration of the contents of the Christian Faith. As a matter of fact, baptism is the sacrament of faith par excellence, wherein one is baptized because of faith and to grow and become mature in faith. This chapter will describe how theology of baptism provides an angle of looking and explaining the dogmatic formulations of the Christian Faith, in view of the challenge to reflect them in the way one has to live his/her life.[1] (Introduction)

By teaching that through baptism one is made into “a new creature” through the Paschal Mystery is to affirm that creation is in need of redemption and has to be transformed into the likeness of Christ[2]. In view of this, the paper will elaborate the Church doctrine on life and the after-life[3] (Chapter I, Creation and Eschatology)

In baptism, a baptized person is incorporated into the Church, the Body of Christ.[4] In such a way, the person needs to profess and commit (fides qua) to the faith (fides quae) received from God through the Church[5]. Not only that, in the event of baptism, the involvement of the community is manifested by their assurance and promise to support the baptized grow in his/her faith.[6] Here, we will discuss such fundamental theological issues like faith and revelation(Chapter II, Faith and Revelation)

The Church holds that its entire liturgy and the celebration of the sacrament in particular is the work of the Trinity.[7] This calls for an elaboration not simply of the content of faith (fides quae) but of the Church’s particular understanding of the Trinitarian Mystery in order for one to become mature in his/her faith (fides qua). Hence, the need to discuss the Church’s dogmatic teaching on the Trinity. (Chapter III, One and Triune God)

As “a new creature”, a person baptized is redeemed by Christ by the forgiveness of sins, divine adoption and sharing in the life of Christ.[8] Hence, one needs to cultivate a deeper and more intimate knowledge of the Jesus the Christ. To be discussed here is the way Jesus lives like us and as the Son of God, who showed us the way to the Father. (Chapter IV, Christology)

In baptism, the graces we received are not only undeserved but constitutes the fullness of life[9]; beyond which there is none other. Here, we will discuss the theological issues of grace and its relation to justification. ereHere(Chapter V, Grace and Soteriology)

Faith and baptism is a gift one received from and to be fully developed within the Church.[10] Also, in baptism one is incorporated into the Church, to belong to the Body of Christ and share in His priesthood, in his prophetic and kingly mission.[11] This means participation in the works of charity and worship of the Church.[12] (Chapter VI, Ecclesiology and Sacraments)

Faith is fides qua and fides quae. In Baptism, one is promised a place in the Kingdom of the Father by sharing in the New Life won by Christ in the power of the Spirit dwelling in the person incorporated in the Church. Baptism happens in faith that is to be later lived out to attain the fullness of life like Christ. (Summary and Conclusion)

]

INTRODUCTION

Theology of Baptism

Baptism in the Filipino socio-cultural and religious sphere:

Baptism, among the sacraments is the most popular yet limited to its social functions and less on its liturgical, theological and spiritual significance. In fact, it appears to be one of the least understood sacraments.

Baptism is the sacrament of faith par excellence (CCC 1236, 1253)

“Why do we seek baptism?” Because of faith.

Baptism, the “first sacrament of Christian initiation incorporates new members into the Christ and into the Church. It accomplishes what it signifies: new birth, new life, new creation. It arises in response to evangelization, the proclamation of God’s word, to repentance and conversion, to faith and to a desire to be one with Christ in His Church.”

Scriptures bear witness to the significant place occupied by faith in the need for baptism. The Lord commands his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and baptize them (Mt 28, 19-20; Mk 16, 15-16)

The General Introduction to Christian Initiation is more explicit in relating faith and baptism: “Baptism, the sacrament of that faith by which men and women, enlightened by the Spirit’s grace to the Gospel of Christ.”

Reading Notes:

David Tracy, “Approaching the Trinitarian Understanding of God,” in Systematic Theology, The Roman Catholic Perspective, Vol. I. edited by Francis Schusler Fiorenza and John P. Galvin. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1991.

ON THE ONE AND TRIUNE GOD

“For a Christian understanding of God is none other than a Trinitarian understanding.” (132)

“A Christian theological understanding of God cannot be divorced from the revelation of God in Jesus Christ.” (133)

“… on a Catholic understanding, we understand God foundationally in and through Scripture and Tradition.” (135) In particular, “the ecclesial confession on God can be rendered: “We believe in the God of Jesus Christ with the Apostles.”(135-136)

“This common ecclesial confession which informs all the classic creeds, finds its scriptural foundation as well as its clearest rendering in the plain sense of the passion narrative of the New Testament.” (136)

“Christians understand who God is first and foundationally in and through their experience and understanding of Jesus Christ. Christians discover that experience and understanding mediated to them in word and sacrament through the mediation of the ecclesial tradition.” (136)

“A Christian theology further understands the person and salvific events of Jesus as the very self-revelation of who God is and who we are commanded and empowered to become.” (136)

“A systematic theological understanding of both revelation and salvation in turn is also grounded in the common ecclesial confession and the plain sense of the passion narrative of the Gospel.” (137)

“The passion narrative, moreover, should not remain isolated from the rest of the scriptures or from the latter creeds. Rather, the passion narrative, as foundation and focus of all properly Christian understanding of God, should open up to the larger gospel narrative of the message and ministry of Jesus, the incarnation of the Logos…” (137)

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[1] Cf. CCC 2087 “Faith as source of moral life.” Also, CCC 222-227 “Implications of faith in One God.”

[2] Cf. CCC 280-281. “… from the beginning, God envisaged the glory of the new creation in Christ. Also. Romans 8:18-23.. “Incorporated into Christ in Baptism, the person baptized it configured to Christ.” CFC 1599 “New life in union with Christ”. See also Romans 8, 29.

Here I am cautious in using the more popular term ‘alter christus” (which I suspect carries an exclusively clerical meaning.) The Eastern Tradition more appropriately used “theosis” to refer to this doctrine of salvation. (See “The Doctrine of Theosis” in http://www.geocities.com/apotheoun/theosis accessed on September 27, 2007.

[3] See Ephesians 2, 4-7. “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ (by grace you have been saved), raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” The NAB commentary notes explains, “Our relation through baptism with Christ, the risen Lord, is depicted in terms of realized eschatology, as already exaltation, though Eph 2:7 brings in the future aspect too.”

[4] CCC 1267.

[5] CCC 1270.

[6] Christian Initiation, General Introduction, 9.

[7] Cf. CCC. “The Liturgy—The Work of the Trinity,” 1077-1112.

[8] Cf. CCC, “The Grace of Baptism,” 1262-1274.

[9] CCC, “The Grace of Baptism,” 1262-1274.

[10] CCC, 1253.

[11] CCC, 1263.

[12] CCC, 1270.