I. Divine Revelation
1.1 God’s Self-Communication in History
God freely reveals Himself through deeds and words throughout salvation history, culminating in a personal invitation to communion with the divine (DV 2; CCC 50–53; Feingold, 3–25).
1.2 Christ the Fullness of Revelation
Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word, is the definitive and unsurpassable Revelation of God, in whom God has said everything (DV 4; CCC 65–66; White, 22–25).
1.3 Ecclesial Transmission of Revelation
Divine Revelation is handed on integrally through the living Tradition and apostolic preaching of the Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit (DV 7–8; CCC 75–79; Levering, 101–106).
1.4 Man’s Response of Theological Faith
Revelation demands a free, obedient response of faith—a personal assent to God who reveals, rooted in trust and moved by grace (CCC 142–150; Feingold, 191–195).
1.5 Motives of Credibility: Signs of Revelation
The credibility of Revelation is supported by signs—miracles, prophecies, the Church’s stability—which prepare the intellect for the obedience of faith (CCC 156–159; Feingold, 196–214).
II. Sacred Scripture
2.1 Christ the Unique Word
Scripture bears witness to Christ, the one Word of God, in whom all divine utterance finds unity and fulfillment (DV 2; CCC 102–104; White, 30–32).
2.2 Double Authorship
Sacred Scripture is authored by both God and man, such that the inspired human authors truly wrote what God intended for our salvation (DV 11; CCC 105–107; Feingold, 242–248).
2.3 Inerrancy of Scripture
Because God is its principal author, Scripture teaches firmly, faithfully, and without error the saving truth God wished recorded (DV 11; CCC 107; Levering, 132–136).
2.4 Canon Formation
The canon of Scripture was discerned and received by the Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, recognizing apostolic origin, universal use, and orthodoxy (CCC 120–127; Feingold, 249–255).
2.5 Ecclesial Interpretation
Authentic interpretation of Scripture belongs to the Church, which reads it within the living Tradition and in harmony with the rule of faith (DV 10; CCC 111–119; Levering, 159–163).
III. Sacred Tradition
3.1 Apostolic Foundation
Sacred Tradition originates from the apostles, who transmitted what they received from Christ and the Holy Spirit, both orally and in writing (DV 7; CCC 76; Feingold, 223–225).
3.2 Living Transmission
Tradition is not merely a historical record but the living transmission of the Gospel through the Church’s teaching, life, and worship (DV 8; CCC 78–79; White, 35–38).
3.3 Development of Tradition
Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Tradition develops organically in the Church’s understanding of Revelation, while remaining faithful to its apostolic origin (DV 8; CCC 94–95; Feingold, 226–233).
3.4 Unity with Scripture
Sacred Scripture and Tradition form one sacred deposit of the Word of God, both flowing from the same divine source and converging toward the same end (DV 9–10; CCC 80–82).
IV. The Magisterium
4.1 Divine Institution
The Magisterium is divinely instituted as the authentic guardian and interpreter of the Word of God, entrusted to the apostles and their successors (DV 10; CCC 85–87; White, 41–43).
4.2 Servant of Revelation
The Magisterium does not stand above the Word of God but serves it, teaching only what has been handed on in Scripture and Tradition (DV 10; CCC 86; Levering, 194–200).
4.3 Charism of Infallibility
The Church is preserved from error in matters of faith and morals when the Magisterium exercises its infallibility, whether in solemn definition or ordinary universal teaching (CCC 891–892; Feingold, 270–276).
4.4 Doctrinal Development
The Magisterium articulates the faith more precisely over time, not by introducing novelty, but by drawing out implications latent in the deposit of faith (DV 8; CCC 94; White, 43–45).
4.5 Three Grades of Assent
Catholic teaching requires different degrees of assent, depending on the level of magisterial authority. These range from: (1) Full assent of faith to doctrines divinely revealed (e.g., the Trinity—denial is heresy); (2) Firm assent to doctrines definitively proposed but not revealed (e.g., the impossibility of ordaining women—denial rejects the Church’s authority); (3) Religious submission of intellect and will to non-definitive teachings (e.g., social doctrine—disagreement must be rare, well-reasoned, and respectful) (CCC 891–892; Feingold, 274–276).
4.6 Hermeneutic of Continuity
True development of doctrine is measured by fidelity to the deposit of faith, ensuring continuity in substance even amidst growth in expression (DV 8; White, 44–45).
V. Contemporary Challenges and Synthesis
5.1 Doctrinal Confusion
Doctrinal confusion arises when the proper relationship between Scripture, Tradition, and Magisterium is neglected, leading to relativism or fundamentalism (Feingold, 233–239).
5.2 Sola Scriptura
The Protestant principle of sola Scriptura fractures the unity of Revelation by detaching Scripture from its ecclesial origin and interpretive context (DV 9–10; Levering, 172–176).
5.3 Final Synthesis
Divine Revelation is a unified whole, safeguarded and transmitted through the interplay of Scripture, Tradition, and Magisterium—each essential, none reducible to the others—so that the Church may faithfully proclaim Christ in every age (DV 10; CCC 80–85; White, 7–9).
Bibliography
Catholic Church. Catechism of the Catholic Church, §§50–53, 65–66, 73–75, 80–85, 91–141, 156–159, 891–892. 2nd ed. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1997.
Feingold, Lawrence. Faith Comes from What is Heard: An Introduction to Fundamental Theology, 3-25, 191-239, 241-276. Steubenville, OH: Emmaus Academic, 2016.
Levering, Matthew. Engaging the Doctrine of Revelation: The Mediation of the Gospel through Church and Scripture. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2014.
Vatican Council II. Dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum, November 18, 1965. At the Holy See. Accessed 3 May, 2025. https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en.html.
White, Thomas Joseph. “Revelation and Reason.” In The Light of Christ: An Introduction to Catholicism, 7-45. Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 2017.
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