Fundamental theology

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Fundamental theology is the branch of theology that shows God has revealed himself and that Christ’s Church is the divinely chosen guardian and interpreter of that revelation. In Catholic teaching, it is often described as the study of the nature, possibility, and existence of revelation, and is sometimes called foundational theology.

Unlike apologetics, which aims to persuade people to believe, fundamental theology analyzes how God leads people to accept His Word—examining the means, conditions, and sources of revelation. Some writers have called apologetics or fundamental theology “general dogmatic theology,” with dogmatic theology being more specific. Today, apologetics is usually treated as its own field, serving as the introduction to and foundation of dogmatic theology.