The Annals of Cultural Studies (3/2024)

We invite submissions for publication in the special issue:
“Karol Wojtyła-John Paul II’s humanistic conception of culture”

In contemporary times, a particularization of the concept of culture can be recognized, along with its systematic breakdown and subsequent denotation. Culture seems to cover everything - from Shakespeare to Superman - and determines almost everything (cultural beliefs determine the way we perceive the world). A philosophical understanding of culture, based on an understanding of the human being as a person, is being lost today. However, it is only from this perspective that one can justify the fact of culture as such, and point to its efficient, patterning, and purposeful cause. Such a conception of culture was represented, among others, by Karol Wojtyla-John Paul II in his works. He explained the fact of culture by pointing to the human being as a person. Thus, his vision was built primarily on philosophical anthropology.

From this perspective it is possible to diagnose the crises that result from losing a sense of the life of the human being himself and above all the purpose of his life. The human being is the creator of culture, but at the same time he is somehow defined by his cultural niche; both the operational and productive understanding of culture focuses on the human being and his nature. In the face of these important findings, we wish to draw attention to the anthropological and philosophical aspects of culture, and through this reconstruct Karol Wojtyla-John Paul II’s conception of culture. On this ground we aim to show the person as the subject, creator, and purpose of culture.

The topic “Karol Wojtyła-John Paul II’s humanistic conception of culture” covers a wide range of philosophical and anthropological problems related to culture, with special attention being given to:

• The role of the human being as the creator of culture
• The relationship between culture and human existence
• The question of the understanding of culture in the context of skills
• The role of culture in raising the human being to maturity
• The question of the aim and subject of culture
• The question of the relationship between nature and culture
• The question of the criterion for evaluating cultural facts
• The cultural contexts of contemporary religious transformations
• Contemporary discussions on the role of religion in culture

We welcome all submissions related these topics, but also welcome submissions from other backgrounds. We particularly encourage philosophical, anthropological, and cultural studies submissions.

Submission Guidelines

Deadline: February 29, 2024

Manuscripts should be prepared according to the manuscript submission information found on the Journal website available at: https://ojs.tnkul.pl/index.php/rkult/about/submissions

Submissions must be between 5000-6000 words in length.
All submissions will be reviewed by the editorial staff prior to two external double-blind reviews.
Please submit a separate cover sheet that includes your name, contact information, institutional affiliation, keywords, and relevant area(s) of research.

Email: roczkult@kul.pl,
Secretary: Łukasz Sarowski, Ph.D

You can send your manuscript also to:
Imelda Chłodna-Błach, Ph.D   imelda.chlodna-blach@kul.pl
Wojciech Daszkiewicz, Ph.D   wdaszkiewicz@kul.pl