REVELATION AND THEOLOGY

Of all the national Churches within Roman Catholicism, that of Holland is by far the most progressive; and of reputable Dutch theologians, Edward Schillebeeckx is by far the most famous and influential. In this collection of essays, Father Schillebeeckx examines one of the most complex and controversial issues that continue to divide Catholic and Protestant theologians: the nature of divine revelation. Customarily, Catholics have believed that revelation is contained in the traditions of the Church as well as in the Scriptures, while Protestants have held that the Bible alone contains the word of God. Against that background, the author examines the notion of revelation as ""tradition"" by defining the concepts involved and then describing briefly the evolution of the beliefs of the primitive Church into the defined dogmas of later centuries. The second part of the book is a technical and somewhat demanding examination of revelation in relation to theology as a science, of the role of the Bible as a medium of revelation and as a theological instrument, and, finally, of the place of the Fathers of the Church, of the Credo, of the liturgy, and of Scholasticism with respect to theology and revelation. Everything that Schillebeeckx writes is generally regarded as important, and this collection of rather skillfully unified essays will be no exception. Moreover, everything that Father Schillebeeckx publishes is assured of a brisk sale, and Revelation and Theology, despite its formidable terminology, will in much demand among laymen as well as theologians.