AGLIPAY CENTRAL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

NANCAMALIRAN WEST, URDANETA CITY, PANGASINAN

REV. FR. CHRISTIAN EDWARD PADUA

Final Reflection on Current and Emerging Theologies

In the early centuries of the Church, theology is referred to as wisdom and rational

knowledge. It is the systematic study about the nature of God and an effort to make definitive

statements and implications in an accurate, coherent, and relevant way, based on God’s self-

revelations to mankind. Theology as wisdom, it was closely linked to the spiritual life,

essentially a meditation on the Bible, geared toward spiritual growth. This theology was above

all and therefore characterized by a spiritual life removed from worldly concerns; it offered a

model for every Christian desirous of advancing along the narrow path of sanctity and seeking a

life of spiritual perfection. Theology as rational is a meeting between faith and reason, not

exclusively between faith and any one philosophy, nor even between faith and philosophy in

general. This theology works out and focuses more on the reasons why, how, or through some

sort of scholastically works of the scholars. Theology may be used to propagate, reform, or

justify a certain religious belief and practices. It can also help address some present situation or

needs through a religious tradition, or to explore possible ways of interpreting the world, its

wonders and its connection to the divine nature of God.

Theology is a systematic study of God's nature, aiming to make definitive statements and

implications based on God's self-revelations to mankind. It can be used to propagate, reform, or

present situations or needs. Understanding the connection between various topics is crucial,

starting with our special relationship with God, characterized by his creation of humans

according to his own image. The Bible's narrative account of creation and the creation mandate

are essential for understanding the connection between humans and God. The Imago Dei

represents our task in stewardship and bearing God's image to the world.

Western Christian theology views grace as a spontaneous gift from God, undeserved and

undeserved, given to respond to God's call to become children of God, partakers of divine nature,

and bearers of his image. Grace is not a created substance but an inherent gift that requires

human participation to be fully experienced. It must penetrate the human soul, bringing changes

into various aspects of life and transforming individuals into bearers of peace and vessels of

God's will for a humane society. Grace is not a material gift but a deeper meaning that can only

be understood by those who have experienced suffering and pain in a society ruled by the few

and powerful. It comes in full package through Christ's salvation act, but differing views on

salvation divide various Christian denominations.

Faith is defined as loyalty, fidelity, belief and trust, strong conviction to a person, to a

religion and/or to God.1 With this definition, one can say that Christian faith is one’s loyalty,

fidelity, belief and trust, and strong conviction to Jesus Christ. This may be the reason why other

Christian denominations are proclaiming Jesus and not the missions of Jesus that should be

1
Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Merriam-Webster Incorporated, 2023.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/faith?utm_campaign=sd&utm_medium=serp&utm_source=jsonld.
continued. Jesus proclaimed the Reign-Kingdom of God2 here on earth not in heaven. He did not

only teach us to be like him but also to live his teachings and examples.

Nowadays, with the emergence of different Christian denominations and coupled lack of

theological studies of its ministers, the proclaimer is now the proclaimed. It means that they are

evangelizing that just by proclaiming that you have declared that Jesus is your personal Lord and

Savior you have inherited the Kingdom of God. This is a common mistake even for us IFI

members. We must learn that Jesus came and lived with us to be one of us. To teach us to be

good, kind and loving, and treat one another as brethren because we are the Imago-Dei.

Sin is anything that we do that contrary to the law of God and we are accountable for our

own deed against God. Our sin is our individual responsibility. In the book of Genesis, in the

garden stood "the tree of knowledge of good and evil," in which God instructed Adam and Eve

not to eat its fruit. The creation mandate was given to Adam and Eve, who were instructed to be

fruitful, multiply, and cultivate the earth. Humanity was blessed with God's presence and was

instructed to obey His will, but the rules were broken when the first human ate the fruit of

knowledge of good and evil.

But Adam and Eve later broke the instruction and ate the fruit, God exiled them from the

garden, condemning them and their descendants to a life of hard work, pain, disease, and

eventual death, and submitting the earth itself to "bondage." We understand this as our “sin of

2
Abesamis (1999), AThird Look at Jesus, page 12
disobedience”, the sin that broke our good relationship with God and thus shattered the “Imago

Dei” embodied in our being, the very symbol of our special relationship with God and our direct

connection with the creator.

Bearing the Imago-Dei, God created us, the humanity, in his own image and likeness. We

are created to have dominion over all other creations here on earth. We were perfectly imperfect

because we see the image and likeness of God through our own reflection but we do not have the

power and authority that God have. As a Christian, we believe that God is the source of all

goodness and God is the one giving the grace we are all receiving. God created humanity in his

own image, allowing humans to have a deeper understanding of God and His creations. Our

especial relationship with God is characterized by the "Imago Dei," the unique gift bestowed by

God to humans that requires obedience to His divine will. This includes submitting to Him and

expressing that submission in actions, words, and thoughts.

But the image of God has been tarnished and disfigured through the sins that humanity

have committed. Augustine explained that salvation is free and unmerited gift of God 3, given out

of love for sinners. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God gives humanity what

it does not deserve (salvation), and withholds from it what it does deserve (condemnation). We,

bearing the Image of God and grace of God, must instill in us that God’s action and human

action are inseparable. We are the instruments of God’s grace to the world. We are God’s

channel of blessing to others but must acknowledge that the grace is not from us, it is from God

3
McGrath (2001) Christian Theology, 441-475.
and God alone. By acknowledging that God is the source of grace, it is dynamic that our

salvation and liberation also emanates from Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

The sin of disobedience is the sin that breaks our good relationship with God and shatters

the "Imago Dei" embodied in our being, symbolizing our special relationship with God and

direct connection with the creator. This illustrates our Christian belief in the inevitability and

universality of sin. However, many contemporary Christians seek ways to understand sin

separately from the story of Adam and Eve, believing that we must take responsibility for our

tendency to sin and the harm it does to God and our neighbors. A person's sin does not make

them less valued to God, and out of His love, the intention of rebuilding our broken relationship

with God is necessary. Thus, the salvific act of Christ to the world is the expression of the saving

grace of God.

The Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) declares that Salvation is obtained only through a

vital faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as Lord and Saviour. This faith manifests itself in

good works. This definition explains that within the IFI, salvation is obtained through Vital faith

in Jesus Christ based on the creeds, i.e. the Apostles’ and the Nicene Creeds. (Apostles’ Creed is

the ancient creed of Baptism while the Nicene Creed is the creed of the universal Church and is

used at the Eucharist). IFI also understands that salvation should manifest in good works.

Working for Christ is an exposition of our faith through doing good things for ourselves and for

others.
 Good Works which are the fruits of Faith cannot put away our sins, and endure the

severity of God’s judgment; yet are they pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ, and do spring

out necessarily of a true and lively Faith; insomuch that by good works a lively Faith maybe as

evidently known as a tree discerned by the fruit. God requires us to do good works and this good

works are the results of the faith that is within us. Without our faith in Jesus Christ, we are not be

able to continue his mission and follow his good examples.

The Doctrine of Salvation in the Iglesia Filipina Independiente suggests that salvation is

obtained through faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and good works. It emphasizes that our

best efforts are not enough to attain salvation, but God declares us righteous for Christ's sake.

Salvation is not achieved by obeying a list of do's and don'ts, but by our faith in Christ.

Before God's law, humans stand condemned and cannot put themselves right with God.

In the gospel, God reveals his way of putting sinners right with himself through Jesus, the Son of

God, who lived a righteous life and died the atoning death of the cross. Justification is a key

component of God's saving work, involving the "great exchange" where both the sins of his

people were put to Christ's account and he paid the price, and the righteousness of Christ's

obedience to the Father in life and death was put to their account.

Liberation is a holistic approach to saving a person's material wellbeing, emphasizing

awareness of sinful socioeconomic structures and active participation in changing them. It can be

participated by people directly affected by a particular society inspired by Christ's salvific act.
 Theologians argue that the interaction between liberation and salvation in soteriology is

intrinsic to and constitutive for the experience and interpretation of eschatological salvation.

Liberation in sociopolitical principle provides the basis for meaningful communication of God's

saving activity in the current context of oppression and humiliation.

Salvation and liberation is not simply talks about the liberation of humankind from these

fleeting world to attain the kingdom but rather talks about the salvation and liberation from

different forms of dehumanization which Jesus Christ’s ministry is manifested by the gospels.

Jesus fought for the goodness and alleviation of suffering of those who are oppressed in the

society. He did not take the side of those who are with power but took side with those who are

“underdogs” of the society. The integral part of liberation theology is the historical concerns

which differs it from the dominant theology. Liberation theology is from general to particular

when it comes to liberation, which also means salvation. It is a new stage which focuses on the

liberation of the poor especially the proletariat or the working class of the society. Overall, Jesus’

worked for the liberation of the anawim, not for the powerful but for the powerless, for them to

attain the realization of the Kingdom of God.

Isaiah gives the Biblical expression for ultimate salvation, the perspective of “A Third

Look at Jesus.” The good news with Jesus is proclaiming is the coming of the Kingdom

blessings. It is the liberation of the poor and oppressed from all forms of dehumanization and

their unparalleled rejoice to it. The blind will see, deaf hear, lame walk, and the dead will live
again. All captives will be freed. The realization of the provisions of the Jubilee year; restoration

of property, release of slaves, rest to the land, and cancellation of debts. These are the kingdom

blessings which the “third look” emphasizes and the kind of salvation it speaks. It is the

realization of anything that alleviates the suffering of every person especially the poor,

oppressed, and deprived.

The Church promotes the reign/realization of the Kingdom of God and must conform

itself as a sign and servant of that reign. As a quotation during the lectures, “To be with the poor

is being with God, the struggle of the poor is the struggle of God”, this means that the Church

must be in communion with the people particularly the poor and oppressed people.

The poor are not mere beneficiaries of God’s Kingdom. They are working for their

liberation, for their food, for the living, and for their survival. We are here to journey with them

through these struggles. We are here to enable them to move, to support, to motivate, to

facilitate, and to accompany them not just through the words but in flesh. The incarnated words

of Jesus through us, the realized Kingdom of God where there is food on the table, clothes for the

cold, shelter for the homeless, and friend for the outcasts.

Bibliography
McGrath, Alister. 2011. Christian Theology. West Sussex: Blackwell Publishing.