Jiří Pavlík
Essay On the Meaning Of Theology And Its Challenges
The author describes the crisis in which contemporary theology finds itself from various perspectives and suggests that it is primarily a crisis of the whole, or at least of Western Christianity. He shows that Pope Francis is also aware of this crisis and lists the appeals he addresses to theology, among which the call to develop dialogue with other disciplines, with the outside world and social institutions, and with other religions stands out. The Pope makes this subject of the freedom of theological research, which depends on theology maintaining a sapiential dimension, that is, the search for wisdom for the benefit of humanity. For the author, the greatest challenge for contemporary theology is not the decline in the number of believers in the Western Churches, nor the issues that currently arouse the strongest passions, but the recognition of the equality of religions, which no other science can resolve for theology, because it is a proposition that is difficult to accept within the limits of existing Christian discourse. Nevertheless, the theme of an all-human brotherhood that transcends religious and confessional differences is fundamental and crucial for the social relevance of theology in today’s world.
Martin Kočí
The Credibility of Theology In Contemporary Society
From Loss of Trust To The Experience Of Upheaval
The study is introduced by a provocative statement by the Catholic philosopher of religion John D. Caput: “Nobody trusts Theology… and for good reason.” The author acknowledges the experience of the loss of trust in theology and seeks to restore it. The challenge for him is not to think of a different theology, but to think of theology differently. He reflects that the question of a future trustworthy theology is not so much a question of translating incomprehensible theological terminology in a way that is appropriate to the current historical context, but rather a question that concerns theology as a distinctive movement of thought in history. Credible theology is that which seeks an answer in the story of Jesus of Nazareth, because we have no experience of God but through human experience. The author turns to the concept of shattered being as a universal human experience, to which Jesus in particular provides a key component. The kind of “embodied” theology that emerges from this recognises that its thinking, which must not resign itself to conceptual clarity and rigorous argumentation, is not a static construct but must instead be deeply intertwined with the dynamic nature of human existence.
Yong Joo Lee
Public Theology Instead of The Privatisation of Religion: Overcoming The De-Privatisation Thesis
Public theology is based upon the criticism of the privatisation of theology and aims for active participation in public discourses for the common good of society. This essay summarises the starting point as well as the goal of public theology with the concept of a de-privatisation thesis. While the de-privatisation thesis aims to overcome secularisation and individualisation, which are included under the concept of privatisation, their public contributions will be clarified in this paper. The public dimension of theology can be regained not by the exclusion of secularisation and individualisation but by the positive reception of them.
Petr Gallus
Theology at the University
Theology is not solely an academic discipline; university theology departments are not an absolute necessity for theology and its practice. Furthermore, in the context of progressive secularisation and globalisation, the continued relevance of theology faculties within the university setting needs to be revised. It is, therefore, imperative to reconsider the rationale and, thus, the nature, methodology and purpose of the practice of theology at an academic level. The author makes a clear distinction between theology and faith, delineates the distinct domain of ecclesiastical theology, and primarily focuses on the description of academic theology. He addresses the relationship between academic theology and the Church, questioning the possibility of an academic theology that is independent of the Church. He also critically examines the potential limitations of theological methodology as an academic discipline, highlighting the value of interdisciplinary dialogue. The author argues that if academic theology respects the principles outlined and reflects on its position, assumptions, method, and the academic context in which it stands, it can justify its right to exist in the university and be a valid voice in the debate.
“But since when have Catholics not been concerned with the world?!”
Interview with Prof. Johanna Rahner
The interview with the German Roman Catholic theologian Johanna Rahner, Professor of the Department of Dogmatics, History of Dogma and Ecumenical Theology at the Catholic Theological Faculty in Tübingen, addresses not only the role of theology at the university but also its significance for the Church and society. In the interview, Professor Rahner reflects, among other things, on the mission of theology and the university in today’s multicultural society and on the relationship between theology and the Church, discussing the contribution of interdisciplinarity and interreligiosity in the organisation of theological studies. The interview also recalls the significance of the anthropological turn in 20th-century theology, emphasises the necessity of an adequate reading of the Second Vatican Council, and highlights the importance of recognising and acknowledging the signs of the times, both within the Church and in theology.
A Survey Among Academics
In an issue that, among others, concerns the question of the meaning of theology as an academic discipline in secular universities, the perspective of academics from non-theological disciplines is a crucial addition to the discourse. We contacted docents and professors from universities that include theological faculties and inquired as to their views on the presence of theology in the university, given that it is not a worldview-neutral field of study. We were curious as to whether their objection was in principle or whether they considered it conceptually correct. The respondents included Prof. PhDr. Martin Procházka, CSc., Prof. MUDr. Jan Trka, Ph.D., Prof. RNDr. Jan Kratochvíl, CSc., Prof. RNDr. Jan Trlifaj, CSc., DSc., Prof. PhDr. Vojtěch Kolman, Ph.D., Assoc. PhDr. Petr Orság, Ph.D., and Prof. Ing. Vladimír Havlíček, Dr., Doc. RNDr. Pavel Nováček, CSc., Doc. PhDr. Pavel Hlavinka, Ph.D., Doc. JUDr. Kateřina Frumarová, Ph.D., Prof. PhDr. Marie Ryantová, CSc., Doc. Engineer.
Edward Schillebeeckx
On Theology and the Magisterium
This editorial selection from the work of the Belgian theologian Edward Schillebeeckx, book entitled Church: The Human Story of God, addresses the question of the relationship between theology and the magisterium of the Church. Individual passages define the meaning and mission of theology with regard to the relationality and mediation of Christian witness and provide a summary of the history of the relationship between official teaching authority and theology. The tension between the pastoral-legal official teaching authority and the scholarly “magisterium” of theologians is a normal and healthy aspect of ecclesiastical life. The key to understanding this relationship is to consider the extent to which both parties allow for the influence of the Spirit and the extent to which they allow themselves to be constrained by theological or hierarchical pride. The official teaching authority, the theology of the Church, and the body of believers are all interdependent, and in different ways in each epoch, and this threefold is itself fundamentally dependent on the living God revealing and acting in history.
Roman A. Siebenrock
Theology as Science – in Church and Society
Theories and explanations
The classic tradition of theology as an ecclesial science of faith emphasises the participatory aspects of a concept of faith based in mysticism as the place where the Logos of theology unfolds in all its dimensions. John Henry Newman concurs in his proposition that “phronesis” must form the basis of theological reasoning in order to acknowledge the limitedness and temporality of all human thought and its susceptibility to fallacy and ideology. Further, Christian theology is equally fundamental for the cultural memory of Europe and humanity as it is for the establishment of a faith tradition as an educational religion. However, theology can only fulfil this calling if it is able to integrate all constitutive forms of religious learning through self-reflective distancing and participation: Learning through, from and about religion.
Between Christians and Sympathisers
Survey
The survey presents a selection of responses from practising Christians or sympathisers across the spectrum of ecumenical, state or otherwise, to the question of where they see the role of theology in the Church and whether theology has any added value to their own life of faith.
Theologians on Theology
Mosaic
A selection of texts by theologians about theology, from the earliest to the present, presents the meaning and role of theology and its connection to its specific period. The excerpts presented here are drawn from the works of Origen, Anselm of Canterbury, John Henry Newman, Karl Rahner, Rudolf Englert, and others. The mosaic of texts refers to the forever unfinished mosaic of theology that attempts to view the world from God’s perspective, and cannot help but honestly tread each individual path of the world in the process.
Norbert Schmidt
The Stations of the Cross from Krickerhau
This edition of Salve features photographic documentation of the Stations of the Cross from Krickerhau, which formed part of this year’s Lenten programme at the academic parish of the Most Holy Salvator church in Prague. The set comprises twenty-eight paintings from the Church of St. Catherine in Handlová. The individual panels depict the Passion story and the Rosary mysteries, respectively. This is not only a unique and recently – surprisingly – discovered document of the visual culture of ethnic Germans in Slovakia and of everyday folk piety from the early 20th century; it is, above all, a witness to the dramatic events of the end of the Second World War. The work, shaped by the historical context, acquires a unique existential quality for contemporary observers through the visible traces of violence, including the perforations caused by an aerial bomb explosion. It also holds a mirror up to contemporary events.
Karel Šprunk
(11 February 1928 – 3 July 2024)
Memoirs of Stanislav Sousedík, Vladimír Petkevič, Tomáš Machula and Norbert Schmidt
Karel Šprunk, a Czech philosopher, educator, and accomplished translator of philosophical and theological literature, who also collaborated with our journal Salve for a period of time, passed away recently at the age of 96. In the memoirs of his colleagues and friends from different generations, a detailed and nuanced portrayal of his renaissance-like personality emerges, characterised by a wide range of interests and a refined and friendly demeanour. Karel Šprunk’s contributions to the field of translation include works by St. Thomas Aquinas, Duns Scotus, Jacques Maritain and Romano Guardini, which he translated into Czech.