Can the church's teaching authority be invoked to solve the problem? Suppose a point of doctrine regarding salvation and the means thereto is being articulated at a church council. The fathers in attendance debate among themselves, arrive at a result, and claim that it is inspired and certified by the Holy Spirit. By what marks do they authenticate a putative deliverance of the Holy Spirit as a genuine deliverance? How do they know that the Holy Spirit is inspiring them and not something else such as their own subconscious desire for a certain result? But this is exactly Royce's problem.
In my more heretical moments I often wonder why we should be concerned about precise formulations of doctrines, just so long as people authentically "think on these things," as St. Paul suggested we should do.
I think the authoritarian control of theology is part of the authoritarian culture on the Church in general, and isn't really about theology per se. I agree with you, Frank, about thinking on these things. In the early church, everyone was encouraged to do so, as the church was be necessity scattered and non-centralized. And I think that invitation still stands, for anyone who wants to still think on these things. I know for a fact that, even though I'm not Catholic, or even particularly Christian by most lights, I've read more theology than some priests I've met. LOL And I bet you hsave too.
ReplyDeleteAnd as for how you know if it's a Divine revelation or not, that's really not that difficult. Most of the mystics say the same thing, again:
ReplyDeleteIf the revelation advances the soul towards God, or towards better lovingkindness in action towards others, and oneself, then it's probably genuine.
The problem is that a lot of folks use divine revelation to justify building up their own personal egos. "Revelations" that build up the personal ego, rather than move one towards service that helps others, are probably not Divine revelations.
As for the availability of guidance, nothing is more available.