The influence of protestat theology on the Catholic "historia salutis"'s concept. Theological debate in Europe
Abstract
Protestant theology has positively influenced the development of the concept “history of salvation” which is accepted in Catholic theology and in mid-20th century, for the first time, included in the dogmatic constitution “Dei Verbum” (No. 2) of the Second Vatican Council. In fact, since the middle of the fifties Protestantism has criticized Catholic theology that it has completely forgotten the historical-salvation scenario which should be in the focus of any theology that truly wants to be a Christian theology, starting from Christocentrism the incarnation of the Son of God Jesus Christ in time and in history. In reality, Catholicism has never been fully satisfied with the contemplation of “teologia naturale”, which is different from the supernatural. The Catholics have rather been aware that theology should have, as E. Schillebeeckx (1914-2009) reminds back in 1953, a historical-salvific foundation to be able to talk about God. Joseph Ratzinger has also recognized this “merit”, but, he noted that the centre of the problem revolves around the relationship between (immutable) God’s existence and history (in progress) in which He has wanted to reveal himself. For Catholic theology, God’s immutableness is not entirely incompatible with the time in which salvation happens. On the contrary, this is the only way one can correctly speak of Christian theology in the proper sense. Therefore, ever since Dei Verbum No.2, Catholic theology has ceased to simply talk about the storia sacra (“sacred history”) and began to speak of “salvation history”, the only one that can explain how modern man and woman can encounter the meaning of their own existence in time, how to be saved.
