Essential Elements of Formation Anthropology and Formation Theology

Description

Over the years many readers have asked us if we could capture in one volume the essential elements of our formation theology and its underpinning science and anthropology of formation. This reference book is our answer to that question. In it we address each element in the light of formation anthropology, understood as an integral theory of our holistic personhood, and formation theology, understood as an equally integral view of the way in which grace works through nature to form, reform, and transform our character and our life situation.

Throughout this book, we respect the distinction—not separation—between informational theology whose primary focus is to gain more knowledge about the content of our faith tradition by means of analytical-logical reason as illumined by the Revelation, and formation theology, whose primary focus is to gain insight into the ways in which the authoritatively affirmed foundations of a faith tradition can be effectively implemented in our everyday lives.

The descriptions of these essential elements complement the theoretical-integrational approach that has led to the publication of our still unfolding Summa Forma Theologica. The theology of formation, as taught and practiced in its own right, benefits from a complementary presentation of the concepts, constructs, and infrastructural principles that comprise formation science and formation anthropology. In service of the body of knowledge articulated in this book, we have written the statements appearing in the first part of each comprehensive description from the viewpoint of formation anthropology and the second part from that of formation theology.

Each entry contains references to what in these fields affects our everyday quest for human and Christian maturation. Our hope is that this compilation will serve our faith and formation traditions in a special way by showing how grace works through, elevates, and illumines our distinctively human nature enhancing in ways known and unknown our humane call to character formation.

Susan Muto and Adrian van Kaam