Original scientific paper
INTERPRETATION OF SIGNS OF TIME – A FORGOTTEN TASK OF CHURCH?
Nediljko Ante Ančić
orcid.org/0000-0001-5546-832X
; Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Split
Abstract
Starting from the duty assigned to the Church by the Second
Vatican Council that it should examine the signs of time at any
time and interpret them in the light of the Gospel, the author
investigates to what extent that topic is present in the post-
Council theology. The most recent Council anniversary initiated a
deeper study and an integral analysis of its documents, especially
the Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes and the key category
the signs of time. Then the author presents the theological
advancement regarding the role and meaning of signa temporum
as well as the formation of criteria for their evaluation. There have
been increasingly new challenges of time, and the old ones have
been valued from a new perspective. The signs by themselves
are unclear and ambivalent, and the task to evaluate them is
exceptionally difficult and very important because in that way
the novelty of the Gospel is ever being discovered. Some practical
guidelines for action are also given. In the conclusion the main
perceptions and thought perspectives that the author himself has
arrived at are summarized.
Keywords
signa temporum – signs of time; Gaudium et Spes; reception of Pastoral Constitution; pastoral orientation of dogma; criteria for signs evaluation; guidelines for action
Hrčak ID:
22589
URI
Publication date:
21.6.2007.
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