A MANUAL OF CATHOLIC THEOLOGY: Based on Dogmatik

by Matthias Joseph Scheeben, Joseph Wilhem (Translator), Thomas B. Scannell (Translator)

This Kindle edition is complete in two Volume I was originally published in 1909 by Benziger Brothers from the Fourth revised edition, and Volume II in 1908 by Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner and Co. Ltd. from the Third revised edition. It is fully edited with linked footnotes and a detailed table of contents. “A Manual of Catholic Theology” is Joseph Wilhelm and Thomas B. Scannell’s classic two-volume English adaptation of Joseph Scheeben’s “Dogmatik.” In his preface Cardinal Manning quotes St. Anselm, saying, “. . . the right order of things requires that we should first believe the deep things of the Christian faith before we presume to discuss them by reason, so it seems to me to be negligence if . . . we do not study to understand what we believe.” This work addresses this negligence by scientifically examining the first principles of faith. Originally begun by Scheeben in 1873, it takes the fundamentals of the Christian faith and sorts through them with a fine philosophical knife. Volume one covers the epistemology of faith and the nature of God, while volume two covers the narrative of the fall, redemption, grace, the Church, and the new creation. Scheeben (1835 - 1888) is considered the greatest dogmatic theologian of the nineteenth century; a most illustrious theologian of prodigious learning, of sure and profound judgment, of eminently speculative gifts; and possessing extraordinary profundity, originality, and wide erudition. A thinker of the first order with an exceptional genius for speculation, he was deeply versed in patristic as well as Scholastic theology, resulting in his rediscovery of the Greek Fathers, one of Scheeben's greatest achievement. As the indefatigable defender of traditional doctrines against the rationalists, he played an important part in the resurgence of Scholastic studies in his native Germany. He can rightly be regarded as a pillar and an unflagging apologist of the Church. His undertaking was to uncover again the glorious life that is the right of all Catholics. His objective was not to conduct men to the temple of Catholic faith by a chain of lengthy deductions, and there bid them marvel at the facade; he wished to lead them inside and enable them to live the life that is possible there alone.

Genres: Theology, Catholic

562 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 26, 2015

About the author

Scheeben studied at the Gregorian University at Rome under Carlo Passaglia and Giovanni Perrone from 1852 to 1859 and lived in Collegium Germanicum. He was ordained to the priesthood on 18 December 1858. He taught dogmatic theology at the diocesan seminary of Cologne from 1860 to 1875.