The Culture of Unity and Some of the Great Challenges of Humankind Today
Keywords:
culture of unity, charisma, ecology, transhumanism, communion, generativity
Abstract
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/pepsi-2016-0001
This text explores some of the great challenges present in the cultural landscape of today, such as globalization and its associated phenomena – (internationalisation and ultra-contemporaneousness); exasperated economism with its outcome in the scrap culture; the “piecemeal third world war”, according to Pope Francis’ effective expression, which is connected with a widespread and still poorly understood post-humanism and transhumanism; nihilism and the eclipse of religion as an institution. It considers the light that might be shed by the culture arising from the Focolare’s charism of unity, in order to address these challenges rigorously and without hasty demonizing. The overall picture is not intended to be negative but, without being naive, to offer an interpretation that is able to discern the work of the Spirit in the dramatic scenario of present times.
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Zanghí, G.M. (2015). Leggendo un carisma. Chiara Lubich e la cultura, [Reading a charism. Chiara Lubich and culture]. Roma: Città Nuova.
Bartholomew I. (2015). Lecture given on the occasion of the conferral of the honorary doctorate at the Sophia University Institute. Loppiano, on 26.10.2015.
Bonhoeffer, D. (2015). Lettere e scritti dal carcere [Resistance and Submission: Letters from Prison]. San Paolo, Cinisello Balsamo, pp. 369-271.
Brunkhorst, H. (2008). Habermas, Florence,: Florence University, pp. 55-77.
Bulgakov S. (1916). La luce senza tramonto, [Unfading Light], 1916; vers. it. 2002, Roma: Lipa.
Cacciari, M. (1994). Geofilosofia dell´Europa, [The Geophilosophy of Europe]. Milan: Adelphi.
Cervera, J. C. (2011). Il castello esteriore. Il “nuovo” nella spiritualità di Chiara Lubich, [The exterior castle. The ‘new dimension’ in the spirituality of Chiara Lubich], a cura di F. Ciardi, Roma: Città Nuova.
Glucksmann, A. (2004). La terza morte di Dio, [The third death of God]. Roma: Liberal.
Gonzàlez, A. (2015). Periferia Cristianisme Postmodernitat, [The Christian Periphery in Postmodernity] in Globalizació Vol. 2, pp. 62-68.
Lyotard, J-F. (1979). La condition postmoderne. Rapport sur le savoir, [The postmodern condition. Report on knowledge] Minuit.
Magatti, M., Giaccardi C. (2014). Generativi di tutto il mondo unitevi! Manifesto per la società dei liberi, Milano: Feltrinelli, pp. 9-28.
Pasolini, P. (1985). L’unità del cosmo. Prospettive cibernetiche dell’universo, [The unity of the cosmos. Cybernetic perspectives on the universe], Roma: Città Nuova.
Pope Francis (2015). Message for the 49th World Peace Day, 1st January 2016. “Overcome indifference and gain peace” (signed on 8th December 2015 and made public on 16th December 2015.
Rodriguez, S.G. (2014). Campo de guerra, [Battlefield] Barcelona: Anagrama, pp. 10-11.
Rondinara, S. (2003). Fedeltà al cielo fedeltà alla terra. Il Dioche viene in Teilhard de Chardin, [Faithfulness to heaven and faithfulness to the earth. The God who comes in Teilhard de Chardin], in: Dio e il suo avvento. Luoghi – momenti – figure, [God and his coming. Places – times – people], Cicchese G., Coda P., Žák L. (eds.). Roma: Città Nuova, pp. 347-364.
Theobald, C. (2007). Unité de Dieu, unité du monde. Repenser “l´unité” dans le contexte de la mondialisation, in: Le christianisme comme “style”. Une manière de faire de la théologie en postmodernité, [The unity of God, the unity of the world. Rethinking ‘unity’ in the context of globalisation. in Christianity as a “style”. A way of doing theology in a postmodern world]. Vol II, Paris, pp. 891-912.
Tornielli, A., Galeazzi, G. (2015). Papa Francesco. Questa economia uccide, Milano: Piemme, p. 18.
Viganò, D.E. (2015). Fedeltà è cambiamento. La svolta di Francesco raccontata da vicino, [Faithfulness and change. Pope Francis’ new developments, seen close at hand]. Roma: Rai, pp. 125-139.
Yannaras, C. (2012). Contro la religione, [Against Religion]. Magnano: Qiqajon.
Zanghí, G. M. (2004). Il castello esteriore, [The Exterior Castle]. in: Nuova Umanità, Vol. XXVI (3-4) nn. 153-154, pp. 371-376.
Zanghí, G.M. (2007). Notte della cultura europea. Agonia della terra del tramonto?, [The night of European culture. The earths agony at sunset?]. Città Nuova, Rome, p. 15, note 3.
Zanghí, G.M. (2008). Gesù abbandonato maestro di pensiero, [Jesus Forsaken: master of thought]. Roma: Città Nuova.
Zanghí, G.M. (2015). Leggendo un carisma. Chiara Lubich e la cultura, [Reading a charism. Chiara Lubich and culture]. Roma: Città Nuova.
