UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS

INSTITUTE OF RELIGION

THEOLOGY 4

Living the
CHRISTIAN VISION IN THE
CONTEMPORARY WORLD
UNIT 1 - HARMONY WITH GOD: CALLED TO COMMUNION
LESSON 1: SPIRITUALITY OF TRUTH
Crisis of Relativism and
A SPIRITUALITY OF TRUTH

Imelda
 Crisis of Relativism and
A SPIRITUALITY OF TRUTH

Share your thoughts on the following statement:

Perception is real. Truth is not.

- Imelda Marcos
 Crisis of Relativism and
A SPIRITUALITY OF TRUTH

Our situation today: a POST-TRUTH SOCIETY

• authority is questioned or rejected
• personal opinion/belief is exalted
• “echo chambers” in social media
• dialogue becomes impossible
• veracity replaced by popularity
• universal values are forgotten
• there is no truth, or at least we have no
access to it only belief
…a CRISIS OF RELATIVISM
 Crisis of Relativism and
A SPIRITUALITY OF TRUTH

1. Relativism in FAITH
• authority is questioned or rejected
• personal opinion/belief is exalted
• “echo chambers” in social media
• dialogue becomes impossible
• universal values are forgotten
 Crisis of Relativism and
A SPIRITUALITY OF TRUTH

2. Relativism in MORALS
• Logical consequence of relativism in faith
• Denying existence of moral absolutes
• Moral judgment is equated with moralism
• Relativism>indifferentism>loss of morality
• Rule of power rather than of reason
 Crisis of Relativism and
A SPIRITUALITY OF TRUTH

STUDY
Grounding the lesson in real life situations, acknowledging prior beliefs and
questions, addressing current issues and realities…

1. Our society today is described as a

“post-truth” society. Has truth lost its
relevance or have we lost sight of it?
2. Why is truth important?
3. As Thomasians, how can we live out our
commitment to the Truth?
 Crisis of Relativism and
A SPIRITUALITY OF TRUTH

RESEARCH
Approaching the subject from different angles and opinions, appraising the
views of various disciplines and perspectives...

You will be divided into three groups. Each group will make
a presentation on the strengths and weaknesses of the
three theories of truth:
• Correspondence Theory
• Coherence Theory
• Pragmatic Theory
You may use Google Slides as a chart to aid your
discussion and presentation
 Crisis of Relativism and
A SPIRITUALITY OF TRUTH

ANALYSIS
Articulating and reflecting about the question together with the help of
other disciplines AND IN THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIAN FAITH…

What is our Christian understanding of Truth? How

does this correspond with the foregoing theories of
truth that we discussed?
SPIRITUALITY OF TRUTH
SPIRITUALITY BEGINS
WITH DISCONTENT
SPIRITUALITY:
In general: It is the
awareness that we have a
soul, and acting
accordingly.
In Christianity: It is a life
of growing friendship with
Christ leading us to holiness.
In Catholicism: The
various ways by we live out
our baptismal promises
 3 MOVEMENTS OF SPIRITUALITY
IDENTITY DESTINY RELEVANCE
Who am I? Why was I created? How can I make a
difference?

PURPOSE
FOR WHOM
AM I?
INWARD UPWARD OUTWARD
Created to
KNOW, LOVE and
Rational/Consci Open and
SERVE GOD in this
ous: Relational:
life, and to BE
INTELLIGENT BY, WITH, FOR
HAPPY with Him
AND FREE forever in
OTHERS
HEAVEN.
 ACCORDING TO THE
SUMMA THEOLOGIAE

RE LEGO/ RE-
LEGERE
“to
read again”
RE LIGARE “to consider carefully”
“to bind again”
RE ELIGERE
“to choose again”
Not a theological virtue but a moral virtue.
Religion is the virtue by which we pay due
worship to God.
RELIGION VS.
SPIRITUALITY
Sees RELIGION and SPIRITUALITY as
intimately linked rather than opposed to
each other. RULES and RELATIONSHIP
go together. A relationship without rules
or parameters leads to contempt and
abuse (e.g. 10 Commandments)
Acknowledges that there are REVEALED
WAYS by which we connect with GOD
(e.g. Sacraments)
Believes that SPIRITUALITY is not
formed by human experience alone but
by conforming to a MANUAL – The Word
of God.
 SPIRITUALITY OF
UNIVERSAL
BECAUSE the same at all places and
at all times
TRUTH
SHOULD BE A OBJECTIVE
WAY OF LIFE. discovered and not made,
“Ifwe don’t look for truth, we not what I think or believe

are guided by other interests,

or fears, or the pressure of
the crowd, of the media, of
TRANSCULTURAL
It is the same for all
power, of self-comfort, people
and we are not free,
we are slaves”
Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia,
Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines
UST, August 2018
 Today, having a clear faith based on the

RELATIVISM
Creed of the Church is often labeled as
fundamentalism. Whereas relativism,
seems the only attitude that can cope
with modern times. We are building a
Relativism is the belief that there are no dictatorship of relativism that does not
such things as permanent or universal recognize anything as definitive and
truths.
whose ultimate goal consists solely of
All truths, whether in matters of doctrine one's own ego and desires.
or morality, are dependent on the Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger
individual, on popular opinion, on society, Missa Pro Eligendo Romano Pontifice, 19 April 2005
on culture, etc. but never on an objective
basis such as the Word of God.
All opinions are true and valid, even if
they contradict each other. As such, in a
relativist society, there are no standards,
no permanent moral values.
One who is not a relativist is labelled as
FUNDAMENTALIST, or ARROGANT, or
INTOLERANT.
 RELATIVISM IN
RELATIVISM IN FAITH:
MORALS:
There is no
There is no absolute
absolute Truth.
Right and Wrong.

The Beauty of Life

consists in giving oneself
to others.
St. John Paul II
UST Manila, January 1995

REASON BEHIND THE

LACK OF A SENSE OF
MISSION AMONG
CHRISTIANS
 Crisis of Relativism and
A SPIRITUALITY OF TRUTH

Moral Relativism
“While the Church insists on the
existence of objective moral norms
which are VALID FOR EVERYONE…
there are those in our culture who
portray this teaching as UNJUST, that
is, as opposed to basic human rights.”
(Evangelii Gaudium, 64) ”
 Crisis of Relativism and
A SPIRITUALITY OF TRUTH

Practical Relativism
“…acting as if God did not exist,
making decisions as if the poor did
not exist, setting goals as if others did
not exist, working as if people who
have not received the Gospel did not
exist.” (Evangelii Gaudium, 80; see
also LS 122)
Without God, if I say BEING TRUTHFUL IS GOOD, I only mean
“I like being truthful”
Without God, if I say STEALING IS EVIL, I only mean
“I don’t like stealing”
WHAT IS TRUTH?
Is something factual
automatically truthful?
Is the truth determined
by what we know and
believe?

Is the truth determined

by usefulness?
 Crisis of Relativism and
A SPIRITUALITY OF TRUTH

“Truth is the equation of

mind and thing.” (Summa
Theologiae, I:21:2)
 TRUTH ACCORDING TO ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
A person is logically
LOGICAL TRUTHFULNESS truthful if his mind
conforms to reality
A person is morally truthful
MORAL TRUTHFULNESS if his words/actions conform
to what is in his mind
Something is true in so
ONTOLOGICAL TRUTH far as it corresponds to
the mind of its maker.
 Crisis of Relativism and
A SPIRITUALITY OF TRUTH

Spirituality of Truth
•Verifying the Truth (logical)
•Living out the Truth (moral)
•Actualizing the Truth of who I am,
whose I am, for whom I am (ontological)
 Crisis of Relativism and
A SPIRITUALITY OF TRUTH

Truth = VERITAS
•Became incarnate in the person
of JESUS CHRIST
“He is before all things, and in him all
things hold together.” (Colossians 1:-17)
To be a CHRISTIAN
means to be firmly
convinced that

THERE IS NO
OTHER WAY,
THERS ARE NO
OTHER
TRUTHS

but JESUS,
 JESUS NEVER EXISTED

His life story and teachings were

mere fabrications and later made
into an ethical doctrine.

Aside from the

testimony of the
Gospels, there is
sufficient proof
even from outside
of Christianity
that Jesus of
Nazareth was a
historical person.
 JESUS’ CLAIMS WERE FALSE

He knew he was He did not know his

not what he claims were false.
claimed to be.
 JESUS’ CLAIMS WERE TRUE
He is indeed GOD.
THE way. THE truth. THE life.

If Jesus is LORD, then I have to WORSHIP his PERSON and

OBEY his TEACHINGS.
 Crisis of Relativism and
A SPIRITUALITY OF TRUTH

ACTION
Applying new knowledge to praise (worship - to adore and praise God),
to bless (morals - to bless God by being a blessing to others), to preach
(doctrine - to share and proclaim faith)…

Create pointers/guidelines on how to live a

spirituality of truth today, especially in the world
of social media. You can express this in the form
of memes or a short vlog.
Deadline:
You will find the submission link
in Blackboard Learn