Bogoslovska smotra, Vol. 73 No. 2-3, 2003.
Preliminary communication
Church and Pluralism - Pluralism in Church. Serval Psyhological and Educational Remarks
Ivan Štengl
; Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
A negativistic and an a priory attitude of psychology towards Church and religiousness has contributed to a critical examination of this phenomenon. The criticism in the first place refers to bad consequences of a stronger institutionalisation of personal religious experience throughout history; namely it makes the original religious experience lose its vitality and assume forms of stiff dogmatism that can cause additional difficulties for individuals who already have psychosomatic disorders.
The latest research has not confirmed the widespread belief that institutionalisation of religiousness necessarily has bad consequences: under certain conditions even the institution itself can be vital and can encourage an active participation of its members. Therefore, it should be assumed that greater liberalisation i.e. pluralism within the Church structure does not have to be in a proportional correlation with a higher participation in the religious area. A model of the operations of charities is more and more being profiled as a valuable help in the consideration of the work of Church as an institution. Such a model would satisfy the already established bases i.e. guidelines in Church represented by the system of dogmas and would also open a possibility for a richer pluralistic consideration of a more efficient work - awareness of your own inter-disciplinary and inter-cultural heritage.
Keywords
religiousness; psychology; dogmatism; institutionalisation of religiousness; pluralism
Hrčak ID:
27837
URI
Publication date:
12.8.2003.
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