In light of the failure of the Christian churches to cherish their spiritual traditions, it is now becoming popular to point the finger at dogma as one of the culprits. But the real problem is not dogma properly understood, but dogma which is passed on in a mechanical fashion as some kind of end in itself which must be accepted, but not thought about. This misunderstanding of dogma rests, in turn, on a misunderstanding of both faith and theology. Faith has been too often treated as something that is opposed to understanding, and we are left with the feeling that Christians dare not think. That is nonsense.
Theology is meant to be a vigorous use of the intellect.
In the context of the Forum , for example, we need to use our minds to the utmost to reflect on our interior journeys and help lay the foundations for a renewed Christian spirituality. But this use of the intellect is not meant to degenerate into sterile debates. The mind in theology ought to be guided and nourished by faith which, in turn, is guided and nourished by love so that the outcome will be a reflection on the Christian mysteries that will inspire and nourish us in our interior lives because it will give us a glimpse about what the inner journey is all about and where it is heading. Faith is not meant to stop at words about the divine mysteries, but rather, it rests, as St. Thomas says, in the mysteries themselves. If the heart of theology is faith, then it, too, must do the same thing, and when we take up such a perspective much of the tension between the dogmatic and the mystical begins to melt away.