Bogoslovska smotra, Vol. 79 No. 4, 2009.
Pregledni rad
»... with my God I can scale Walls« (Ps 18:29). Theology and the Church in Europe, Twenty Years after the Fall of the Wall
Albert Franz
; Institut za katoličku teologiju, Filozofski fakultet, Tehničko sveučilište Dresden, Dresden, Njemačka
Sažetak
The subject of this article is focussed on the fundamental challenges and duties facing theology and the Church twenty years after the fall of communism. Even though the walls that marked the 20th century have been brought down, walls and barriers, i.e. the consequences of the Cold War which lasted for more than 40 years, they will continue to remain within men for some time to come. »With my God I can scale walls« -from Psalm 18:29 - inspires us to greater activity with God. It inspires courage and at the same time, openness to God's help and protection. The psalm leads us to pose several questions: What role does religion have in today's Europe following the fall of the Wall? What are the signs of the times that theologians in Europe need to respond to? In the first part of the article the author reflects on the signs of the times in Europe today. The author takes a critical stance reflecting towards the past, what happened with the fall of the wall, particularly with reference to religion. The author identifies three phases. The first phase -following the fall of the Wall - meant emancipation for a huge mass of people: they were free of the pressure they had felt until then. The Church was allowed the opportunity to act within society. The second phase marked the start of new problems which followed the freedom that was gained. As the enemy disappeared, a new emptiness emerged which led to feelings of nostalgia for the old structure, old divisions, old identification with the community. Soon, new enemies were found and identified in the new society. The third phase found many - and in particularly theologians - endeavouring to respond to new challenges while searching for them in old habits, in reaching for the past.
The second part of the article deals with the opportunities and challenges facing religion today in an attempt to define new prospects for the future of theology and faith in Europe. Theology needs to be completely focussed on the times at hand, i.e. sensitive to man's every day lives and to feel solidarity with man. The connection between theology and the times involves the need for theology to confirm and accept the world as God's good creation, as something given from God himself to man who should and can gratefully accept it and shape it with creative freedom. On the other hand, solidarity with the man of today requires theology to distance itself from all that may threaten man in today's world. Only in a dialectic tension of confirming the world while at the same time denying all that is directed against life in that world can develop faith and give it the strength to scale new walls that people keep raising anew. In conclusion, the author deals with the identity of theology as a science, highlighting the dangers that face it now, today.
Ključne riječi
theology; the Church in Europe; signs of the times; breakdown of ideology; post-modernism
Hrčak ID:
45130
URI
Datum izdavanja:
18.12.2009.
Posjeta: 2.367 *