Chrześcijaństwo we współczesnej kulturze Europy – rozważania na bazie poglądów Josepha Ratzingera
Abstract
The article is divided in two parts. The first part reconstructs the stance of the Catholic Church regarding the role of religion in culture with reference to the views of Joseph Ratzinger. It also presents the understanding of culture and religion upon which this stance has been based. Moreover it sets forth arguments with which Ratzinger has substantiated the thesis on unique nature of the Christianity and its importance for the cultural identity of Europe.
The second part of the article asks the question of actual consequences of elimination of Christianity from contemporary European culture. It is pointed out that the culture of Europe can be no longer the common way of expressing values which secure personal development of a human being. Today the culture of Europe is more and more often reduced to the role of one of the many sources of experience providing for ‘feeling good’ and pleasure.
References
Annuario Pontificio for the year 2015.
Postman, Neil. Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business. New York: Penguin Books, 1985
Ratzinger, Joseph. An interview for the KAI, July 2004, available at: http://www.niedziela.pl/artykul/1491/Chrzescijanstwo-jest-droga-ktora-winnismy
Ratzinger, Joseph. Czas przemian w Europie. Miejsce Kościoła i świata [A Turning Point for Europe? The Church in the Modern World]. Translated by Magdalena Mijalska, Kraków: Wydawnictwo M, 2005.
Ratzinger, Joseph. “Poszukując pokoju” [Searching for Peace]. In idem. Europa. Jej podwaliny dzisiaj i jutro [Europe: Today and Tomorrow]. Translated by Stanisław Czerwik. Kielce: Jedność, 2005
Ratzinger, Joseph. Truth and Tolerance: Christian Belief and World Religions. San Francisco: Ignatius, 2004
Sól ziemi. Chrześcijaństwo i Kościół katolicki na przełomie tysiącleci. Z kardynałem Josephem Ratzingerem rozmawia Peter Seewald [The Salt of the Earth: The Church at the End of the Millennium: An Interview of Peter Seewald with Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger]. Translated by Grzegorz Sowiński. Kraków: Znak, 1997.
