Bogoslovska smotra, Vol. 73 No. 4, 2003.
Original scientific paper
Theological Reflection on Contemporary Spirituality
Jakov Mamić
; Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
To understand the theme of theological reflection of spirituality in our times, we shall firstly offer a history of the most important changes in spirituality as »a synthesis of some spiritually lived content« developed in the last century. We shall also, if only partly, mention the social and political events in this area. Our presentation transgresses an era called the »the time of renewal«, dating from the 1920s onwards.
In our theological environment it seems that the decade prior to the Second Vatican Council is not accepted as belonging to one of the great periods of theology and the Church. We believe that this decade before the Council should be placed immediately after the times of the Church fathers or immediately following the liveliest moments of the scholastic middle ages. We are talking of a time that is difficult to situate and reconstruct because of its rich activity. We can only relate to this with envy and sorrow: it was a period of work, research, fatigue, polemics, discussions, confusion, mistrust, judgement, courage and productivity. We conclude with the premise that these factors were the justification for the Second Vatican Council. It is these events and the problems of the times that became a reality for the orientation of the Council. We are impressed by the great names of that time with their intellectual and spiritual magnitude overcoming the geographical boundaries and cultural restrictions, they were able to create a world with a completely new future for the man of faith.
Two orientations were observed and imposed on those seeking renewal at that time. On the one hand, a return to the sources was essential and which the movements promoting renewal adopted as an imperative. On the other hand, once modernistic attempts had failed, dialogue with the contemporary world could begin. There appear altogether new categories (historicity, subjectivity, and secularity) within spirituality nurtured by faith. Which faith should be nurturing. Such views were not present in classical theology, especially not in the time of the Tridentine Council, up to the present day, which had become all the more speculative and existentially void. We encounter, therefore, two orientations for theology, different, in relation to their source and their dynamism, but with the same desire for union through its most prominent promoters. One carrying a tension introverted while the other exhibited an extroverted tension. The spark of renewal occurred when these two merged.
Keywords
Second Vatican Council; theology; theologians; spirituality; experience; sources; dialogue; ecumena; Church fathers; liturgy; history; world
Hrčak ID:
27506
URI
Publication date:
10.2.2004.
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