Main theological methods in theory and practice

This book offers a reflection on the ways of practicing Christian theology, understood as the science of God and of all reality in relation to Him, rooted in Revelation and developed within the life of the Church. Its point of departure is the tension between faith and reason, spiritual experience and intellectual precision, which makes every attempt to speak about God a task requiring both humility and intellectual courage. Theology is presented not only as an academic discipline, but also as a path of wisdom leading to unity with the Holy Trinity. The main aim of the publication is to overcome the gap between the theory of theological methods and their practical application. In response to the predominance of purely theoretical studies or technical manuals of methodology, the book proposes an integral approach to methods as tools that shape both the cognitive process and the personal stance of the theologian. Method is presented here as a “path” in the search for truth, inseparably linked to a particular vision of knowledge, faith, and experience. The publication presents seven principal theological methods that constitute the basic toolkit of every theologian. In accordance with the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, priority is given to biblical methods: the historical-grammatical and the allegorical-existential. Next, in historical order, the following methods are discussed: dialectical, dogmatic, historical-genetic, anthropological-transcendental, and hermeneutical. Each method is presented according to a uniform structure: its origins, fundamental principles, an analysis of a classical text (“Reading the Master”), and guidelines for practical application and limitations. The book is both cognitive and formative in character. It invites the reader to make conscious and critical use of theological methods in the study of Sacred Scripture, doctrinal reflection, and pastoral activity, presenting theology as a dynamic unity of theory and practice, thought and the life of faith.