Bogoslovska smotra, Vol. 78 No. 2, 2008.
Original scientific paper
Global Christianity and Its Influence on Movements in the Catholic Church
Željko Tanjić
; Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The aim of this article is to present a theological analysis of global Christianity and its influence on movements in the Catholic Church. The first chapter analyses some of the latest speeches by Pope Benedict XVIth as well as documents by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith which show how the Catholic Church is reacting to the challenges of the new Christian era which is surpassing European and Northern American boundaries and is shaping to be the Christianity of the South. The second chapter seeks the best term to describe the phenomenon of today's Christianity. Based on an analysis of notions of Christendom, the world and global Christianity the author chooses the latter giving an explanation of the reasons that led to such an option. Even though the notion of global Christianity can be identified with negative forms of globalisation the author selects it because it best expresses the phenomenon he wishes to describe. The article later refers to what occurred to shape the phenomenon we refer to as global Christianity. Based on the book by Philip Jenkins, The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity and criticism of the theories presented in that book, the author analyses the justification of reference to the differences between Christianity of the North and South and of the idea of creating a new Christendom. He indicates the differences that have emerged between the Catholic Church and Church communities with a reformist heritage. The last chapter analyses the influence of movements in global Christianity on movements in the Catholic Church pointing out the challenges facing it in the coming period: the relationship between experience and the teachings of the faith, the question of ecclesiology, relations towards authority in the community, the place and role of the Scriptures, relationship between faith and reason.
Keywords
global Christianity; the Catholic Church; Philip Jenkins; Pentecostalism; Christendom; ecclesiology; post-modern
Hrčak ID:
28228
URI
Publication date:
12.8.2008.
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