Regula Fidei in the Light of Joseph Ratzinger’s Writings

Abstract

The study of the theological significance of regula fidei was embedded in Ratzinger’s theology of the word of God through its connection with Christology, pneumatology and ecclesiology. The Bavarian theologian derived his reflections on the word of God from the historical structure of revelation and the genesis of Scripture in the Church. The article begins with a characterisation of the concept of Tradition, of which the rule of faith is a constituent element. The perspective adopted has made it possible to identify the main areas of the theology of the Word of God in which the rule of faith plays a role. Subsequently, the article addressed the relationship of revelation to the oral (regula fidei) and written (Scripture) canons, the connection between the Creed and the Church’s liturgy, the relation of the oral and written canons, and the relevance of the Magisterium of the Church to the rule of faith. The theological approach to the rule of faith has also served to deepen reflection on the theology of the word of God, including the primacy of Scripture in the “one living organism of the word of God.”