2. 神學方法的重要元素

在第五、六、七章中，作者強調神學方法的重要元素是利用聖經、重視聖傳及教會訓導。此三章集中說明《啟示憲章》(Dei Verbum)之第二章 ── 論天主啟示的傳授，其中第十號「聖經、聖傳和教會訓導權是組成天主聖言的同一寶庫，並給教會訓導，全體聖民依附著它。」要求信徒明白此三種存在教會內資源是當今做神學的依據。

杜勒斯認為利用聖經做神學有十項探討(ten approaches)，此等方法在當代神學顯明是常用的，即(一)利用聖經作教條陳述的「古典教條探討」(The classical doctrinal approach)。(二)聖經神學(Biblical theology)。(三)視聖經為屬靈的釋經(spiritual exegesis)。(四)聖言神學(Word theology)，透過聖經，與主相遇。(五)視聖經為存在詮釋學(existential hermeneutics)，是向人宣告的神學(theology of proclamation)。(六)由聖經使人走向經驗表白(experiential - expressive approach)。(七)由聖經文字意義(literal meaning)尋找原作者的意向(authorial intention)。(八)歷史重整(historical reconstruction)的聖經歷史批判研究。(九)敘述神學(narrative theology)，利用文化語言的探討(the cultural - linguistic approach)。(十)利用聖經作解放神學(liberation theology)之研究。19

作者評論，以聖經作主題去研究神學，是一種好方法，因為「聖經是天主的話，受聖神的默感而寫成。」(DV10)，它是神聖的啟示媒介。作者重視聖經為做神學的元素，此信仰寶庫是信友生活的聖言之依恃，是天主透過不同時空向人類宣講的語言。作者更強調聖經神學(biblical theology)的重要性，因為它可照明敘述神學(narrative theology)及文化語言神學(cultural-linguistic theology)。

但我們要小心，不可曲解聖經含義，或只在字面上意義兜轉，要信賴詮釋學的研究，用綜合性探討(comprehensive approach)，匯合科學與屬靈的釋經，更要接受天主教傳統指引與梵二的指導，為系統神學的需要，使神學發展更有體系。

在第六章論及聖傳作為神學的泉源。在特倫多大公會議中討論到聖經與聖傳時，認為兩者都來自天主，有其神聖的權威，同樣受到相等的尊重。20梵二後，更指出聖傳有其非常重要地位，在《啟示憲章》第二章中，更把聖傳向天主子民清楚的闡明，21 使神學家在神學工作方面跟隨教會傳統的教導。

作者評論，天主子民既相信「由宗徒傳下來的教會」，那麼便要深深承認聖傳的效力，因為它是把主基督及聖神託付給宗徒的天主聖言，以特殊方式表達於宗徒宣講的默感書上，以連續不斷的繼承而保存下來。教會重視聖傳，因為它可以補足聖經上象徵性意義，聖經藉聖傳的傳授，使人更徹底領悟天主的啟示奧秘。梵二後，天主教神學家大多接受與尊重聖傳，22因為聖傳與聖經都是由天主神泉流出。(DV9)

在第七章論及教會訓導與神學的異議(theological dissent)問題。既然聖經與聖傳是組成天主聖言的信仰寶庫，托給教會去好好保存，教會訓導的責任除了是古遠信仰(ancient faith)的保護守衛者外，還要準確地向信徒闡釋信仰的內容。23但梵二後，教會的聖經權力與神學家之間產生張力，為此作者認為教會訓導當局與神學家們要以坦誠的繼續交談為重，他推崇1990年5月14日教廷信理部頒佈的訓示《神學家在教會中的召叫》(Instruction on the Ecclesial Vocation of the Theologian)對教會訓導有極重要影響。24神學家要理性地接納教會的訓導，而訓導當局也要尊重神學家的專業性，諮詢他們的意見。

教會的訓導當局是藉耶穌基督名義而行使權威，它的職權是解釋和傳授天主聖言，為天主聖言服務。我極之欣賞作者所說的：「那些代表普世教會說話者，一定要對世界之不同狀況，不同文化有一種敏悅感。」25這樣才能負起為教會保管與解釋天主聖言的使命。

19. 參閱 DULLES, O. C. 71-85.

20. 參閱同上 89: Trent held that the authority of tradition was not less than that of Scripture. Both, coming from God, had divine authority Asserting that Scripture and tradition are to be received with equal reverence (DS l 501), the council took over an expression of Basil the Great.

21. 參閱同上 94-98:
(1) Tradition and traditions
(2) The means of transmission
(3) Development
(4) The relation between Scripture and tradition
(5) The problem of distorting tradition
(6) Tradition and magisterium

22. 參閱同上 103-104: Toward a Catholic Consensus:

1. Tradition aroused and continuously sustained in the Church by the Holy Spirit.

2. Tradition is grasped through familiarity or participation as a result of dwelling within the Church

3 . Monuments of tradition serve to sharpen the community's sense of the faith.

4. Tradition, as a sense of the faith, provides an element of continuity in the
development of Christian doctrine.

5. Tradition is 'divine', aroused and sustained by God; it is 'apostolic', it is living, it remains contemporary with every generation.

6. Tradition is of equal dignity with Scripture.

7. The Church drew on tradition as a resource for recognizing the canonical
Scriptures...

8. Divine tradition gives rise to a variety of human traditions that mediate it to particular groups at particular times and places.

9. Human traditions needed to make divine tradition concrete and tangible...

10. The ecclesiastical magisterium, making use of Scripture and tradition.

23. 參閱同上 91: The Jesuits of the Roman school, who were close collaborators with the Holy See, emphasized the role of the magisterium not only in safeguarding the ancient faith against corruptions but in developing the explicit content of faith. They promoted the definition of the Immaculate Conception (l854) and the ogmas of Vatican I concerning papal primacy and infallibility (1870) These theologians (notably J. B. Franzelin and L. Billot) distinguished between "active tradition" and "passive tradition". For them, the role of the magisterium, as the bearer of "active tradition", was not simply to authenticate what was believed by the faithful as a body, but to clarify and explicate the contents of faith. The "passive tradition" borne by the faithful as a body was simply a reflection of what had been taught by the magisterium.

24. 參閱同上 106-107: These various statements agree in recognizing the relative
autonomy of the hierarchical magisterium and the theologians in the performance of their specific tasks. The official teachers and the theologians use different metnods and have different goals. The magisterium, which is charged with authoritatively formulating and safeguarding the faith of the Church, does not have to establish its positions by strict theological reasoning. Theologians, whose essential task is to understand and explain, cannot be content to appeal to the authority of popes and bishops.

25. 參閱同上 107-108: Those who speak on behalf of the universal Church must be
sensitive to the variety of situations and cultures in different parts of the world. At times statements are read in a context other than that of the authors and are taken as referring to problems that were not envisaged. Sometimes, also, concise and objective doctrinal statements, especially as excerpted by the news media, give an impression of abruptness and pastoral insensitivity. Advance consultation with episcopal conferences can be, and has often proved to be, of assistance in finding palatable formulations or permitting the preparation of timely explanations.