Catholic theology takes for its proper object the mysteries of faith per se. Evangelical theology, on the other hand, takes as its proper object the mysteries of faith per scriptura. Thus while there is an analogous formal object (the text being a divine communication in words and propositions of the substantial truth), there is a strikingly different material object evinced by the methods of analysis.
Evangelical theology draws near to its object exclusively by means of a grammatical and logical analysis of the text, carrying out its investigation entirely within the dimensions of a literary phenomenon.
Catholic theology, on the other hand, encounters its object both intra-textually and extra-textually. Once it has found its object by means of the text, it must take hold of the substantial mystery (the object per se). This act is one which necessarily transcends the interpretation of the embodiment of the mystery in text and enters upon an encounter of understanding and love of the great truth itself, an encounter which yields insights not predetermined by the text.
Evangelical theology draws near to its object exclusively by means of a grammatical and logical analysis of the text, carrying out its investigation entirely within the dimensions of a literary phenomenon.
Catholic theology, on the other hand, encounters its object both intra-textually and extra-textually. Once it has found its object by means of the text, it must take hold of the substantial mystery (the object per se). This act is one which necessarily transcends the interpretation of the embodiment of the mystery in text and enters upon an encounter of understanding and love of the great truth itself, an encounter which yields insights not predetermined by the text.
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