Professional paper
Culture and Church's social teaching
Anton Bozanić
Abstract
With the help of humanistic sciences and anthropological
investigations of primitive cultures, the gradual development of
anthropological concept of culture has started since the second half of the 19th century. The Second Vatican Council accepted this new
concept and, searching for the terms of dialogue with time, stressed
the notion of culture as a suitable way of bridging the Catholic
understanding of faith and tradition with the changing circumstances
of the modern world and new knowledge. Pope John Paul II has
moved culture to the centre of evangelization.
The anthropological concept of culture has become soon very
influential in Catholic social thought. The new church's teaching
states that true and full humanity is achieved only through culture.
Today's pope has expressed many times the variations on one theme: "For the church ali ways lead to man" (RH 14).
Related to the concept of culture we find some principles which
protect man. The principle of human dignity lies in the center of
modern Catholic social thought. Many principles are rooted in the
dignity of each human person. The person has rights that are to be
respected aiid protected. Solidarity helps us to see the other' not just
as some kind of instrument, but as our 'neighbor'. Subsidiarity
protects the integrity of person. In Latin America concern for the
defense of human dignity has become the 'option for the poor', since
the poor are the majority of the people who live there. The term
'option for the poor' has become influential in the whole church as a
Christian's lifestyle. It has opened a new sensitivity to culture.
The contribution of the concept of culture to Catholic social
teaching has not been limited to social thought, but it challenges
many areas of theology.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
51381
URI
Publication date:
21.9.1998.
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