DEVELOPMENT OF CHURCH DOCTRINE

A curious believer once asked me about the origins of Church doctrines; how have the Church come to uphold some of her teachings as the guide for living the Christian faith, Pastoral action and Catechesis? I know many believers may be in the same position as my inquisitive friend and for this I have offered the insights below;

Church is treated here as the people that God gathers in the whole world, existing in the local communities and made real as a Eucharistic assembly where she draws her very life (CCC 752).  

Doctrine is generally understood to be communally agreed and communally authoritative teaching.[1] The Catholic Encyclopedia associate it with Catechesis and as such, it is "the act of teaching" and "the knowledge imparted by teaching."[2]

As Jack L. Arnold testified, the early church as a whole was not too interested in deep doctrine as it was much more interested in practical Christian living and the spreading of the gospel. It was not until 313 AD with the cropping up of heresies that gave rise to systemized Christian doctrine[3] whose’ development is as seen below;

1.2.                                                                                  Divine Revelation

This refers to God’s self-communication to man with the aim of drawing man to God (salvation),      Church doctrine develops with time as the unfolding and understanding of revealed truths. From a belief in the operation of the Holy Spirit, the Church developed authentic teachings like the doctrine on the Trinity that God eternally exists as three persons, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God, and there is one God, the person of Christ as fully man and fully God, Sacraments as instituted by Christ among others are products of revelation. 

Heresies: misinterpretation and erroneous teaching of the revealed truth

The major catalyst for the development of Church doctrines were heresies defined by Thomas Aquinas as species of infidelity in men who, having professed the faith of Christ, corrupt its dogmas.[4]  One early example of this is Arianism which denies that Jesus Christ was fully divine. As a result Church Fathers like St. Athanasius refuted this based on the Church tradition; Arianism was resolved in the councils of Nicaea in 335 AD and at Constantinople in 381 AD which defined Christ to be of the same Substance with the Father (CCC 232 – 242). Other most notable heresies included Pelagianism which led to the development of the doctrine on original sin pioneered by St. Augustine, Nestorianism which attacked the doctrine of incarnation and assented to by Protestant sects today was attacked by St. Cyril, condemned by Pope Celestine I and led to the proclamation of the Virgin Mary as Mother of God.

                                                     Reactions and correction of the heresies

As viewed by Wilhelm Joseph, endless controversies with heretics have been indirectly the cause of most important doctrinal developments and definitions formulated in councils to the edification of the body of Christ.[5] From spurious gospels of the Gnostics came the canon of Scripture, from Patripassianism, Sabellianism, Arianism, and Macedonianism came a clearer concept of the Triune God (Trinity), while Nestorianism led to the doctrine on the nature and Person of Christ.

Councilor discussions to resolve the dispute/s

The Church makes decisions through Councils. In case of doctrinal disputes, it’s a regular practice to convene the council like the Jerusalem council (49 AD.) which dispensed the Gentiles from circumcision, the council of Carthage (256) which set the Date for Easter, the council of Nicaea (325) which resolved Arianism and formulated the Nicaean creed, council of Constantinople (381) which affirmed the resolutions of the council at Nicaea, Council of Ephesus (431) which develop modes of successions for Bishops, the Council of Chalcedon (451) second council of Constantinople (553) which defined the four Gospels, third council of Constantinople (680-681) which defined the two wills of Christ, second council of Nicaea (787) which regulated veneration of holy images. Recent councils includes that of Trent (1545-1563) which address Lutheran errors and the Vatican I (papal infallibility) and Vatican II councils.

 Definition of the Doctrine as a rule of faith

Some of the Church doctrines are then decreed as a dogma or a rule of faith held to be authentic in all times and place, e.g. that Christ is divine and human, Papal Infallibility, the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption of Mary and the real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist among others.

 Conclusion

Almost all the doctrines held by the Church is a result of development and definition noted above, as Cardinal Newman said; “developments of a doctrine are according to the emergency of the time, and silence at a certain period implies, not that it was not then held, but that it was not questioned”[6].

From these developments and definition of doctrines, some doctrines are pronounced as Dogmas while others are instructive, used for faith edification, treasured and precious in the Church.

SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY

Geoff J. Thompson, “Doctrine,” in, New Dictionary of Theology: Historical and Systematic (2^nd.   Ed.),     Inter-Varsity Press, Illinois 2016.

Jack L. Arnold, “Church History: Early Church up to A.D. 313,” part 11, Available At:            https://thirdmill.org/magazine.

John Henry Newman, An Essay On the Development of Christian Doctrine, Longmans, Green,    And Co, New York 1909.

Scannell Thomas. "Christian Doctrine." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 5. New York: Robert          Appleton Company, 1909, Available At: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05075b.htm.

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, Available At: https://www.newadvent.org/summa/3011.htm.

Tixeront J., A Handbook of Patrology, Herder Book Co. London 1923.

Wilhelm Joseph, "Heresy," in The Catholic Encyclopedia, (Vol. 7), New York: Robert        Appleton Company, 1910, Available at: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07256b.htm.

 

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[1] Geoff J. Thompson, “Doctrine,” in, New Dictionary of Theology: Historical and Systematic (2^nd. Ed.), Inter                                           Varsity Press, Illinois 2016, p. 260.

[2] Scannell Thomas. "Christian Doctrine." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 5. New York: Robert Appleton                Company, 1909, Available At: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05075b.htm.

[3] Jack L. Arnold, “Church History: Early Church up to A.D. 313,” part 11, Available At:  https://thirdmill.org/magazine.

[4] Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, II, II Q.11, a.1, Available At:    https://www.newadvent.org/summa/3011.htm.

[5] Wilhelm Joseph, "Heresy," in The Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 7, New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910,      Available at: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07256b.htm.

[6] John Henry Newman, An Essay On the Development of Christian Doctrine, ch. 8.