Original scientific paper

Interdisciplinary Dialogue and the Social Teaching of the Church

Silvija Migles orcid.org/0009-0001-0101-8267 ; Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

The main topic of this article is the issue of dialogue between theology and other sciences or, more specifically, the issue of determining the role and situating the social teaching of the Church within the interdisciplinary dialogue. The author begins by laying out two unavoidable premises of the contemporary context in which such a dialogue takes place. The first detects the substantial challenge to theology, posed by contemporary sciences and worldviews, which profess unlimited faith in sufficiency of scientific knowledge and technological development. Such faith is at odds with the theological vision that echoes the Christian revelation which, according to Benedict XVI., »presupposes a metaphysical interpretation of the 'humanum' in which relationality is as essential element« (Caritas in Veritate, n. 55) and which is necessary for promoting the integral human development. The second premise recognises the metaphysical truths and the truths of the transcendental and spiritual dimension of the human being as constituting the foundations of all scientific disciplines. The article aims to contribute to the interdisciplinary engagement among various disciplines by pointing towards the possibility of an intellectual synthesis and the necessity of adopting a set of foundational pre-conditions that would make such a synthesis achievable. Furthermore, the author raises the question whether the theological and social-ethical approach to the interdisciplinary dialogue should be seen as an obstacle or an incentive to such an intellectual synthesis, which is also an existential synthesis. The first part of the article discusses the recent re-discovery of inter-disciplinarity and dialogue, whose richness is revealed in a new search and need for a 'strong' interdisciplinary cooperation between scientists, philosophers, and theologians. In this sense, the interdisciplinarity is actually transdisciplinarity. In the second part of the article, the author discusses the interdisciplinary dimension of the social teaching of the Church, since one of the main epistemological concerns of this discipline is to establish an interdisciplinary dialogue with various levels of human knowledge and with the contemporary global and pluralistic society. The interdisciplinary dimension of the social teaching of the Church brings out the sapiential and transdisciplinary dimension of this discipline, which becomes even more important in the light of a general rediscovery of the practical wisdom as the basis of the overall interdisciplinary activity. Therefore, the last part of the article points to the research activity of Marijan Valković in order to give an example of how a life of practical wisdom can respond to the search for an adequate way of conducting an interdisciplinary dialogue. In the conclusion, the author emphasises the importance of an in-depth study and a stronger presence of the social teaching of the Church within the academia. Furthermore, she points out the necessity of becoming more aware of the fact that the main contribution to the interdisciplinary project and to what is truly good for the human person is expected from scientists committed to the transdisciplinary approach.

Keywords

interdisciplinary dialogue; transdisciplinarity; social teaching of the Church; practical wisdom; Marijan Valković

Hrčak ID:

99309

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/99309

Publication date:

27.3.2013.

Article data in other languages: croatian

Visits: 2.301 *