1. THE CHURCH, THEOLOGY, SCIENCE Dogmatics is a theological discipline. But theology is a function of the Church. The Church confesses God as it talks about God. It does so first by its existence in the action of each individual believer. And it does so secondly by its specific action as a fellowship, in proclamation by preaching and the administration of the sacraments, in worship, in its internal and external mission including works of love amongst the sick, the weak and those in jeopardy. Fortunately the reality of the Church does not coincide with its action. But its action coincides with the fact that alike in its existence in believers and its communal existence as such it speaks about God. Its action is “theology” in both the broader and the narrower sense. Theology is de divinitate ratio sive sermo* (Augustine, De civ. Dei, VIII, 1). Θεολόγος est ὁ τὸν θεὸν ἐκ θεοῦ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ εἰς δόξαν αὐτοῦ λέγων* (Coccejus, Summa theol., 1699, 1, 1). But as it confesses God the Church a...
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