Class discussion focused on how TELEOLOGISM is inconsistent with the Church's teaching on TELEOLOGY?
The definition given by one student for TELOLOGY was"the study of purpose and design." I highlighted the word "end" to be significant for understanding TELEOLOGY, in that the teleological doctrine considers THE LAST JUDGMENT which comes at the end of time. Consider a timeline on which there are three points: the beginning (when God created everything), and the end (when God will judge all creation), and in between the point describing the Incarnation (when God became Man in the Person of Jesus Christ); the OLD AGE describes the time after the Fall of Man, the NEW AGE describes what was intiated because of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. When the END OF TIME comes, the OLD will pass away, and the NEW will continue.
I read from the Book of Revelation where THE LAST JUDGMENT is described. See Revelation chapter 20. There we read about Satan (the name comes from a word meaning "accuser") and about how Satan is finally thrown into the lake of fire, as will be death itself. We read of two books, one a record of all deeds done by everyone, "both great and small," and the other, "which is the book of life." According to the last verse, "... if anyone's name was not found in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."
A question was raised about taking such Scripture "literally." I answered that, literally or figuratively, the text revealed the concept of final judgement for which each person is to be held accountable. The focus of Christian Ethics is on our need to critically consider everything we do in light of such judgement, and on the advocacy available to us through the Spirit of Christ Jesus (the One who determines whether or not our name will be found in the book of life).
I read also from Paul's Epistle to the Romans to describe how everyone will be accountable and why. See Romans chapter 1. It bothers some to think that everyone will be judged; I emphasized that we should first be concerned how each of us will be judged. Having taking this class in Christian Ethics, no one of us has the excuse of not having heard; each one of us must choose belief or disbelief. Questions of belief may come up even if one chooses to believe, and this is not a bad thing unless one is unwilling to heed true answers (pray that the Holy Spirit lead us into all truth). Disbelief, however, leads one, not toward Truth, but away; no answer will be found satisfactory to one who disbelieves.
TELEOLOGY deals with the whole truth about the purpose and design of life. TELEOLOGISM just considers periods of time, each with a particular beginning and end, but without any care given to the END OF TIME when all things will undergo THE LAST JUDGEMENT.
See discussion in section IV of the second chapter in VERITATIS SPLENDOR, especially nos71-75 which specifically addresses Teleology and Teleologism.
2 comments:
TELEOLOGY is summed up very nicely in 2 Corinthians 5:10, where we read:
For we must all appear
before the judgment seat of Christ,
so that each one
may be recompensed for his deeds
in the body,
according to what he has done,
whether good or bad.
Consider what JPII writes regarding "The Purpose of the Present Encyclical" (n4) where he laments "an overall and systematic calling into question of traditional moral doctrine, on the basis of certain anthropological and ethical presuppositions."
When we discussed "teleogism" in class, I had this very crisis in mind. Teleology properly considers human freedom in the larger context of Creation, understanding that the human creature is subject to the final judgment of the Divine Creator and that truth has no meaning apart from the True God whose Spirit leads us into all truth. Teleogism ignores the Last Judgment and thus reduces truth to a matter situational circumstances taking place at disconnected moments of time. "At the root of these presuppositions is the more or less obvious influence of currents of thought which end by detaching human freedom from its essential and constitutive relationship to truth."
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