Trinity College Dublin will soon be in a position to begin offering degrees in Catholic theology if high level talks between the college authorities and religious orders are completed, as expected, in the coming weeks. However, there are mixed views among the Catholic theological community to the development with some concerned that the move could damage the long-term teaching of Catholic theology in Ireland. But others have welcomed it and see it as a new positive chapter in theological studies here.
Authorities from the Dublin-based Milltown institute for Theology and Philosophy have been in delicate negotiations with TCD for several years aimed at securing the creation of an Institute of Catholic Theology within the university.
The Irish Catholic understands that negotiations are at an advanced stage and Trinity, once seen as a bastion of the Protestant establishment, could be offering degrees in Catholic theology as early as 2011.
There is concern among some Church theologians that the move could diminish the place of theology in Ireland.
One source who asked not to be named told this newspaper: ''My fear is that in a few years' time, the transfer of resources - mainly property, etc, - will get absorbed into the general TCD campus and will have been lost to the mission of the Church,'' he said.
''The reality is that we have too many providers and they cannot all survive, but the Catholic colleges should not be picked off one by one,'' according to the same theological source.
''At one level, one could see why it would be attractive to have a Catholic theological institute at TCD. ''And yet, big is not necessarily beautiful and theology needs to be done not only where academic rigour can be guaranteed but also a prayer supportive community for students in which theology, service and spirituality are all held together,'' he said.
Mainstream
However, leading theologian Fr Vincent Twomey, SVD, said he felt that bringing theology in to the mainstream would ''be a very positive development both for the Church and for Ireland as a whole.
''Theology belongs in the universities. For too long, we have done theology on the fringes in this country.
''We can't separate theology from everything else, and the hope is that when theology is taught in a university setting, then there can be a cross-pollination with the other faculties,'' he said.
Fr Twomey, who is the emeritus Professor of Moral Theology at Maynooth, also welcomed the fact that it will be a Catholic theological institute at Trinity.
''Theology, by its nature, must be denominational, that is not to say narrow, because all theology must dialogue with other denominational traditions, but all the best theologians are denominational first and foremost,'' he said.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to us or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that we agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
SIC: IC