Apologeticae sive Theologiae Fundamentalis, Tomus I: Demonstratio Christiana
Hilarin Felder (1867–1951)
Apologeticae sive Theologiae Fundamentalis
First published 1923
Hilarin Felder, O.M.Cap.'s Apologeticae sive Theologiae Fundamentalis, Tomus I—Demonstratio Christiana—is the Christian-demonstration half of a two-volume Latin manual of fundamental theology. First published at Paderborn in 1920 and revised in the second edition of 1923, it presents a neo-scholastic case for the historical revelation of Christ and the credibility of Christianity, using Scripture, history, and theological argument for classroom formation. Felder's work belongs to the mature manual tradition that shaped Catholic apologetics before the mid-century renewal. Schola presents the 1923 Latin edition with an English translation.
Praefatio
Epistola I: SS. D. Benedictus PP. XV (s. m.) opus collaudat
Introductio
§ I: Introductio theologica
Caput I: Theologiae notio
Caput II: Theologiae divisio
Caput III: Theologiae praestantia
§ II: Introductio apologetica
Caput I: Apologeticae definitio
Sacred theology draws its knowledge from revelation and considers all truths in the light of revelation. Only that is theologically true which has been divinely revealed or is inferred from divinely revealed truths. Revelation, therefore, is the supreme principle and the deepest foundation of all theology.
That revelation exists is established neither of itself—since it is not an intrinsically evident thing—nor has it yet been proved from elsewhere, since philosophy only points to natural religion.1
Between philosophy and theology, therefore, an intermediate science is required, whose office is to establish the supernatural, that is, revealed religion. This science is rightly called apologetics or fundamental theology.
Apologetics (ἀπολογητική, sc. ἐπιστήμη, τέχνη) by the force of the word simply designates the "science of defense" of anything whatsoever. Yet by force of usage that science is especially called apologetics which defends the Christian-Catholic religion as revealed by God.
This science is called fundamental theology because it lays down the foundation or principle on which all theology rests, namely the supernatural revelation given by Christ and preached by the Church of Christ.
If we join both names, the real definition of this discipline is clear: Apologetics, or fundamental theology, is that science which establishes the principles of all theology by showing that the Christian-Catholic religion has been revealed by God.
From this definition it is clear: