Prethodno priopćenje

Perspectives of Croatian Theological Thought

Adalbert Rebić ; Katolički bogoslovni fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska

Sažetak

In the article I discuss theology and its nature, task and purpose in our time accordance with ecclesiastical documents. I discuss the need for theology as a research science in the service of the Church. Theology is of great importance nowadays: when facing the questions posed by these times, it has to answer them in a way in which the Church remains »within the complete truth« (w. ref. to John 8.31). I discuss the need for special attention to granted at theological facilities to subjects such as psychology', sociology and issues of current modern philosophy, which would make understanding and contacting the present world easier. Current theology and theologians are entrusted with tasks such as synthesizing and formulating religious truths in relation to today's man and his knowledge of himself and the world.
I point out the new changes in the world. The Church should educate people for these changes, which are unstoppable and hastily happening in the modern world. I have warned that theology should be linked as closely as possible to practice as the Second Vatican Council pointed out. All theology should be pastorally oriented: it has to take into account the aspirations of present day people for religious experience and their longing to experience the ulterior in their lives. In such a situation, true theology should be able to determine and evaluate these practices courageously. It should be a critique of practice. It must not flee from anything happening within the Church and in the world. On the contrary, it should examine the present day practices of the Church and subject the emerging experiences to critique, thus helping both ecclesiastical teaching personnel and the whole community.
Theology should be prophetically oriented: it should recognize the signs of the times, interpret their meaning and offer some solutions. A theologian should be a spokesman for God, an interpreter of God's words, but on the other hand, he should also be a critic of social as well as ecclesiastical practices, a theologian must constantly call upon those in positions of responsibility in society and the Church to always strive to make their practice better, more humane and thus more godlike. Theological research should produce news.
After the democratic system had been established in Croatia, new possibilities of theological and pastoral activity in general were opened. A theologian should offer solutions to problems and questions imposed on Christianity in our region today and in the near future so that we will not only merely survive, but rather be able tο qualitatively survive as the »salt of the earth« and the »light of the world« (w. ref. to Matthew 5. 13-14). A theologian should carefully follow and analyze all of this under these new social and political circumstances and inform the Church of negative occurrences in society and the Church itself.
After the fall of communism, theology was given the right to go public, it returned to the community of faculties of Croatian universities. This is binding for theology since it should bring about an awareness of transcendence to other sciences as well as an awareness of responsibility for man in all his dimensions. Together with other sciences it should deal with man, his world, and his material as well as spiritual problems: ecology, politics, the workplace, social justice, inner satisfaction, peace, salvation, etc.
The task of theology in a secularized postcommunist Croatia is to launch the »second evangelization« of Croatia, i.e. to elaborate, reconsider and develop ways in which one can communicate the Good News to people today, in language and in notions understandable to them, so that they will be able to accept the subject matter of religion and live in accordance with it.
There are also the issues of solidarity, peace and dialogue, which should be conducted with mutual respect, understanding and lawful diversity, in a sincere manner with love and respective freedom. Dialogue should be, above all, promoted in the Church itself. I also point out that theology should deal -with environmental protection issues (ecology) as well as with ethical and moral issues (bioethics). Special attention is given to ecumenism in our region as well as to interreligious dialogue with Moslems and Jews.
In conclusion, I reiterate that theology should be in collusion with trends in European and global theology and above all in accordance with new ecclesiastical documents. It should ponder and elaborate on true theological issues and work on a deeper knowledge of the Bible as well as on new and modern ways of interpreting the Bible in the Church. From the congregational point of view it should try to understand the subject matter of religion under new cultural circumstances greatly influenced by new means of communication (TV, radio, Internet...). Theologians should consider church structures as well. By church structures, I mean those historically and culturally determined over the course of the millennium.

Ključne riječi

theology; theologian; Church; evangelization; modern crisis; social changes; prophetic critique of society and the Church

Hrčak ID:

29355

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/29355

Datum izdavanja:

24.4.2001.

Podaci na drugim jezicima: hrvatski

Posjeta: 1.519 *