KARDINÁL NEWMAN, ZJEVENÍ A VÝVOJ VĚROUKY

This article deals with John Henry Newman’s account of revelation and the development of doctrine. It is intended as a contribution to the Czech and Slovak debate on Newman’s theological work which was revived after his canonisation in the year 2019. It starts with an overview of Newman’s understanding of God’s revelation (I.), continues with recalling his concept of doctrinal development (II.), and results in a synthesis (III.) presenting possibilities of inspiration we may draw from Newman’s scholarly work for a contemporary re-thinking of questions related to the concept of continual or new revelation. Based on encountering Newman’s thought, the concept of new revelation is critiqued, and a concluding terminological option is made for dependent revelation (instead of continuous or new revelation). This has an important consequence for the complex Christian theology of revelation. Dependent revelation is indispensably rooted in and based on the original revelation of Jesus Christ; it maintains development and includes new insights gained from particular experiences of faith throughout history, on the road towards the final, eschatological revelation. This account of revelation encourages Christians to rethink and experience again that God and human beings as well as time with eternity encounter one another within the Church.