THE NEW THEOLOGY

In the thirteenth century, theology became a professional discipline taught in independent faculties of theology at the universities of Paris and Oxford, the most important schools of theology during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The faculties of theology controlled the content of theological education and the granting of the master's degree in theology. From the early centuries of Christianity, theologians always regarded their discipline as superior to that of any secular subject. Secular learning was viewed traditionally as the handmaid of theology and, therefore, subordinate to it. After all, the objective of theology was to interpret and explicate the mysteries of the faith and the meaning of Sacred Scripture. But what theology lacked until the thirteenth century was knowledge of its place in the scheme of learning. How did it relate to other disciplines, especially logic and natural philosophy?

Is Theology a Science?

In the course of the thirteenth century, many theologians, beginning with Alexander of Hales and continuing on through St. Thomas Aquinas and many others, discussed the question of “whether theology is a science.” In posing this question, theologians were inquiring whether theology is a science in the Aristotelian sense of science, namely, science as demonstrative knowledge derived from premises that are “true, necessary, certain, immediate, and appropriate to the phenomenon to be explained.”