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Perhaps in the contentions aimed at Christianity and addressed in the book were valid, but unfortunately in these days they come across to me, at least as "straw men," addressing objections no one makes. Nonetheless, there was much in the book of interest to Christians and some seeking answers in Christianity.

Based in scripture but including much from other writers, there were some perspectives and points that were new to me. For that reason I would give it a 3. Having to choose 3 or 4 I could not bring myself to give it a 4. It was not an easy read for me, but I'm sure would have value to many. Especially academics and theologians. Or academics who are theologians and theologians who are academics. Apr 20, Shannon rated it really liked it Shelves: This book is the second I've read by Trueblood. I picked up the first one because I'd seen his name quoted in several other books I found thought-provoking.

Today, I looked him up on Wikipedia, and I'm surprised that he was so prominent in his time. How is it that no one seems to have heard of him anymore? A Place To Stand definitely takes a lot of concentration to read, but Trueblood's ideas make sense and may even apply more to life in than in Mar 29, Jeanne rated it it was amazing. Terrific book on Christian foundations. A favorite author of mine. A true seeker after God's heart.

Feb 28, Michael rated it really liked it Shelves: A case for the rationality of Christian belief. Sharp and compact like a gem. Oct 12, Michelle Murray rated it it was amazing Shelves: This has become one of my favorite books - I read it quickly for school but am going to go back and work through it at a much slower pace so I can contemplate so many thoughts that struck me.

Mar 28, Cheryl rated it it was amazing Shelves: This practical guide is meant to be slowly read and thought about. Jeremy Meeks rated it really liked it Jan 14, Timothy Hall rated it really liked it Oct 16, Kris rated it it was amazing Nov 03, Steve Walker rated it it was amazing Sep 13, Harmony Courtney rated it really liked it Dec 09, Kierkegaard's Pancakes rated it it was amazing Feb 03, Joe rated it liked it Sep 20, Emily added it Feb 17, Nick added it Sep 23, Mitch Vandiver marked it as to-read Aug 28, Jason marked it as to-read Feb 01, Jim marked it as to-read Jul 14, Tiffany marked it as to-read Mar 10, Larry marked it as to-read Jul 05, Tiara marked it as to-read Dec 20, This quest for truth, which transcends the experience of the senses, offers new possibilities for a pastoral approach to culture which aims to proclaim the Gospel in scientific circles.

The breadth of the scope of bioethics makes it quite clear that it is far more than a scientific discipline; it is a cultural trend with political and juridical dimensions, which the Church deems to be of the greatest importance. In reality, the evolution of legislation in the area of bioethics will depend on the authority invested in legislators, and on their choice of values. There is a stark basic question which constantly needs to be asked: Evangelium Vitae , 18, ? When basic ethical questions are left to a series of legislators, is there not a risk of establishing as a constitutional right , what in moral terms would be a sin?

Bioethics is one of the sensitive areas which invites man to seek out the fundamentals of faith, of anthropolgy and morality. The role of Christians is irreplaceable in forming an ethical social conscience and civil principles, by means of serious but respectful dialogue. This new cultural situation calls for a thorough preparation in bioethics, both for priests and for those lay men and women who are working in this crucial area.

It arises whenever there comes into being the conjugal covenant of marriage, which opens the spouses into a lasting communion of love and life, and it is brought to completion in a full and specific way with the procreation of children: As the cradle of life and love, the family is also the source of culture. It is the place that welcomes life and the school of humanity, where future spouses are best formed to become responsible parents.

The growth process which it guarantees within a community of life and love, in certain civilizations, goes beyond the family nucleus and constitutes, for instance, the great African family. And material, cultural and moral misery can jeopardise the institution of marriage and threaten to drain the very springs of life. When this happens, the family must nevertheless safeguard its basic role as the primary place of humanization for the person and society. As experience shows, civilization and social cohesion depend, above all, on the human quality of families; particularly on the complementary presence of both parents to fill their respective roles as father and mother in the education of children.

In a society where the number of people without families is growing, education is becoming increasingly difficult, as is the communication of a culture shaped by the Gospel. Painful personal situations call for understanding, love and solidarity, but what is a tragic breakdown of family life should never be put forward as a new model for society. In this context, forming a community of life and love which unites spouses in association with the Creator is the best cultural contribution Christian families can offer society.

Today more than ever before the specific role of women in society is a key topic of reflection and initiatives. This has somewhat overshadowed the rich significance of motherhood. Bearing in mind Revelation's message, which spread in spite of the vicissitudes of Christian history and cultures, about the fundamental equality of man and woman, created by God in his image Gen 1: However the divine intervention manifested in creation, through desiring woman to be man's equal in dignity and worth, at the same time clearly affirms her diversity and specific features. It is primarily the responsibility of families, but calls for the help of society as a whole.

Tomorrow's world depends on today's education, and education cannot be seen merely as a transmission of knowledge. It forms people and prepares them for their participation in social life by fostering their psychological, intellectual, cultural, moral and spiritual maturity. So the challenge of proclaiming the Gospel to children and young people, from school to university, calls for an educational programme for evangelizing culture.

Education does not simply form individuals, but initiates them into social life and citizenship, into relationships based on respect for rights and duties, in a spirit of welcome and solidarity, and with a moderate use of property and possessions which will guarantee just conditions for everyone, always.

The future of humanity will depend upon the fully human development and solidarity of all Populorum Progressio , In their various different ways, families, schools and universities are called to bring the leaven of the Gospel to the third millennium. In a world which seems increasingly obsessed with instant gratification, the lure of gain, the pursuit of profit and the overriding importance of possessions, it is striking also to acknowledge a persistent, even growing, fascination with beauty.

Intuitively, the Church was aware of this from its origins and centuries of Christian art magnificently illustrate this. Every true work of art is potentially a way into religious experience. Recognizing the importance of art in the inculturation of the Gospel means recognizing that human genius and sensitivity are akin to the truth and beauty of the divine mystery. The Church shows profound respect to all artists, irrespective of their religious convictions, since works of art bear an imprint of the invisible, as it were Art, like every other human activity, looks beyond itself for its absolute goal: In Christian artists, the Church finds extraordinary potential for the expression of new formulas and for the definition of new symbols or metaphors through the brilliance of liturgical genius in all its creative force, steeped in centuries of Catholic imagery with its ability to express the omnipresence of grace.

Every continent has had its Christian artists, whose Christian inspiration can attract people - of any faith or of none - to beauty and truth. Support and encouragement for Christian artists is an excellent way of reaching a whole host of people who may have no other contact with the message of Christ.

At the same time, the Catholic Church's rich cultural heritage, in the form of its cultural assets, bears witness to a fruitful symbiosis of culture and faith. It constitutes an inexhaustible source of beauty and a permanent resource for a cultural education which is also a genuine catechesis, one which unites the truth of faith to the genuine beauty of art cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium , As the fruits of a community which has lived its faith intensely, and continues to do so, the cultic and cultural treasures of the Church should not be seen in exclusively cultural terms, or their meaning will be lost.

Biblical Series I: Introduction to the Idea of God

They could be a real inspiration for humanity at the dawn of the third millennium. The world of leisure and sport, travel and tourism , is undeniably an important element in modern culture, along with that of labour , in which the Church has long been present, and so is becoming another new forum of evangelization. From the perennial need to earn one's daily bread cf. Laborem Exercens 1 , work is one of the means of responding to the ever more insistent desire for self-fulfilment, on a par with cultural activities.

Elsewhere, new ways of organizing labour, which are part of a process of technological and economic development, go hand in hand with an increase in unemployment at every level of society. This not only gives rise to material impoverishment, but sows in those cultures the seeds of doubt, dissatisfaction, humiliation and even crime. Having become almost universal, sport undoubtedly has its place in the Christian vision of culture and can promote both physical health and interpersonal relationships.

However, sport can be taken over by commercial interests or become a vehicle for expressing tribal, national or racial rivalries, and give rise to occasional explosions of violence which reveal the tensions and contradictions which are part of contemporary society, and thus become an anti culture. So it is an important area for a modern pastoral approach. Despite their variety and complexity and the clutter of symbols and commercialism, leisure pursuits and sport create not just an atmosphere but a whole culture, a way of life and a value system.

Well-adapted pastoral policy will find there all the genuine educational values and a springboard for celebrating everything in human nature which is rich, in the image of God and, like the apostle Paul, announces salvation in Jesus Christ cf. What is most noticeable about the world in which the Church carries out her mission of evangelization today is the diversity of cultural situations which have developed from the perspectives of different religions. This affects every continent and every country, since there are ever more frequent intercultural and interreligious exchanges in the global village.

This was brought out in the special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops. There Christianity and Islam have come into contact with traditional religions, which are still thriving today, since they permeate African culture and the social life of individuals and communities.

When the evangelization of Africa began, the positive cultural values of these religions were not always taken seriously enough to be integrated with the Gospel. Today, particularly since Vatican II, the Church recognizes these religious values and promotes those which are consonant with the Gospel. It is fertile ground for cultivating conversion to Christ. The positive values enshrined in these traditional cultures, such as a sense of family, love and respect for life, veneration of ancestors, a sense of solidarity and community, respect for the chief and elders, are a solid basis for the inculturation of faith, whereby the Gospel penetrates the whole of culture and brings it to fruition cf.

The countries of the immense continent of Asia have ancient cultures, which are profoundly influenced by non-Christian religions and traditions of wisdom, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Shintoism, Confucianism and Islam, which need to be considered very carefully. Asia as a whole may well still appear unaffected by the message of Christ, but is that not chiefly because Christianity is still perceived there as a foreign religion introduced by Westerners, which has not been sufficiently adapted, thought through and lived in the cultures of Asia?

This shows how broad a pastoral approach to culture in this continent must be. Many elements of spirituality and mysticism, like holiness, self-denial, chastity, universal love, a love for peace, prayer and contemplation, bliss in God and compassion, which are very much alive in these cultures, can lead on to faith in the God of Jesus Christ. Pope John Paul II recalls this: Religions are an expression of man's search for God, and evidence of the spiritual dimension of the human being cf.

Nostra Aetate , 2. In a world at the mercy of secularisation, they are a reminder of the divine presence and the importance of spirituality as the living core of cultures. It is an enormous pastoral challenge to start from these rich cultural traditions, such as the age-old wisdom of China, and to steer their ancient quest for divinity towards an openness to the revelation of the living God, who makes us his partners by grace in Jesus Christ, the one Redeemer.

As was highlighted by the Special Assembly for America of the Synod of Bishops, other large parts of the world whose culture is profoundly shaped by the Gospel message are at the same time a prey to the penetrating influence of materialist and secular life-styles, which manifests itself particularly in the rejection of religion by the middle classes and by men of culture. The Church asserts the dignity of the human person, is struggling to cleanse society of violence, social injustice, the abuses of which street children are victims, drug trafficking, etc In this context and affirming her preferential love for the poor and the excluded, the Church is duty-bound to promote a culture of solidarity at every level of society: In striving for greater union between people, between societies and between nations, the Church will associate herself with the efforts of people of good will to build a world that is ever more worthy of the human person.

In doing this, she will contribute to: In our times, religious ignorance is feeding the different forms of syncretism between ancient and now extinct cults, new religious movements and the Catholic faith. The world's social, economic, cultural and moral ailments serve as a justification for new syncretic ideologies that are increasingly present in many countries.

TOWARDS A PASTORAL APPROACH TO CULTURE ()

The Church there has taken up these challenges in particular in its work to evangelize poor people, to promote social justice and to evangelize native cultures and the evolving megalopolis-cultures. The countries where Islam dominates are in a cultural world of their own, although there are differences between the Arab countries and the other countries of Africa and Asia. Islam is not just a religion in the classic sense of the word: Islam is currently expanding rapidly, particularly due to migratory movements from countries with rapid demographic growth. Countries with a Christian tradition, where, except in Africa, population growth is slower or even negative, often see the increased presence of Muslims as a social, cultural or even religious challenge.

Muslim immigrants themselves, at least in some countries, encounter major difficulties as regards social and cultural integration. Furthermore, the alienation of a traditional community often leads - in Islam as in the other religions - to the loss of certain religious practices and to a cultural identity crisis.

True collaboration with Muslims on the level of culture in real reciprocity may foster fruitful relationships in Islamic countries and with Muslim communities established in traditionally Christian countries. Such collaboration does not dispense Christians from bearing witness to their christological and trinitarian faith in relation to other expressions of monotheism.

Secularized cultures have a profound influence in various parts of the world where the acceleration and complexity of cultural changes have increased. Born in countries with a long Christian tradition, this secularized culture, with its values of solidarity, generous dedication to others, freedom, justice, equality between men and women, an open mind, a spirit of dialogue and a sensitivity to ecological issues, still bears the imprint of these fundamentally Christian values which have imbued culture over the centuries and of which secularization itself brought the fruits to civilization and nourished philosophical reflection.

When secularization transforms itself into secularism Evangelii Nuntiandi , 55 , there is a serious cultural and spiritual crisis, one sign of which is the loss of respect for the person and the spread of a kind of anthropological nihilism which reduces human beings to their instincts and tendencies. By putting Christ back as the keystone of existence and restoring the place of reason enlightened by faith, a pastoral approach to culture could strengthen Christian identity by a clear and enthusiastic invitation to holiness.

In this way, individuals and communities could rediscover a reason for searching in every situation for the Lord who comes, and for the life of the world yet to come Rev The reductive effects of the secularism that spread through western Europe towards the end of the s are at present contributing to the destructuring of culture in Central and Eastern Europe. Other countries with traditional pluralistic democracies, against a background of massive social and religious adherence, are experiencing the thrust of a mixture of secularism and popular religious expressions brought in by migratory flows.

This is why the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for America gave rise to a new missionary awareness. People are searching once again for spirituality - more than religion - in a whole variety of ways, in a society which is reminiscent of the Areopagus in Athens, the scene of some of Saint Paul's great debates cf. There is a need to recover a spiritual dimension which will also give meaning to life, and a deep desire to rebuild the framework of affective and social relationships which, in some countries, has been dismantled by the increasing instability of family life.

Many very different groups may be classified under the polysemous heading of sects. Some are of gnostic or esoteric inspiration, some are Christian in appearance, and others, in some cases, are hostile to Christ and the Church. These groups succeed quite clearly because they respond to frustrated aspirations. Many of our contemporaries can communicate easily in such groups and experience a feeling of belonging; they find affection, brotherhood, even apparent protection and security.

In some cases people are psychologically wounded or suffer rejection or total isolation in the anonymity so prevalent in urban life; they readily accept a spiritual vision which restores lost harmony and even offers a feeling of physical or spiritual healing. This shows the complexity and the transversal nature of the problem of sects, which combines the existential ailment with rejection of the institutional dimension of the religions, and is expressed in heterogeneous forms and expressions of religion. However, the proliferation of sects is also a reaction against secularised culture and a consequence of social and cultural upheavals which have uprooted traditional religion.

One of the challenges the Church must take up is that of getting through to people affected by sects, or in danger of it, in order to proclaim to them the message of salvation in Jesus Christ. This realisation calls for a new pastoral approach to culture, one which can take up these new challenges, in the spirit of that conviction which prompted John Paul II to create the Pontifical Council for Culture: The new challenges which must be taken up by an inculturated evangelization based on cultures shaped by two millenniums of Christianity and reference points identified at the heart of the new Areopagus-situations to be found in our times, call for a renewed presentation of the Christian message, rooted in the living tradition of the Church and sustained by the witness of genuine Christian living of Christian communities.

Conceiving everything anew, based on the newness of the Gospel proposed in a fresh and persuasive way becomes a major requirement. In a perspective of Gospel preparation, the primary objective of the pastoral approach to culture, is to inject the life-blood of the Gospel into cultures to renew from within and transform in the light of the Revelation the visions of men and society that shape cultures, the concepts of men and women, of the family and of education, of school and of university, of freedom and of truth, of labour and of leisure, of the economy and of society, of the sciences and of the arts.

But the fact that something is said is not enough to guarantee that it will be understood. When those listening were basically in tune with the message because of their traditional culture imbued with Christianity, and generally well disposed towards it through their overall social and cultural background, what was offered could be received and understood. With the cultural pluralism of the present, there must be coherence between the message itself and the conditions of its reception.

The success of this great undertaking implies the need for continual discernment, with the light of the Holy Spirit invoked through prayer. It also calls for adequate preparation and appropriate formation through simple pastoral means - homilies, catechesis, popular missions, schools of evangelization - together with modern means of communication so as to reach men and women of all cultures. The Synods of Bishops since Vatican II have recalled this ever more insistently, for lay people as much as for priests and religious. Bishops' Conferences find that cultural commissions or committees - which it is important to create where they are as yet lacking - are an excellent tool for collaboration in this field.

They can promote the presence of the Church in the various areas of cultural development, and foster the many types of creativity which are born of faith and express and sustain it. In her mission of proclaiming the Gospel to all men and women of all cultures, which also always involves the inculturation of faith, the Church comes into contact with traditional religions, above all in Africa and Asia.

Ad Gentes , 19 and It is often more a question of religious feeling than of a demanding personal commitment to God, in a communion of faith with the Church. Still, none could deny that a growing number of men and women are turning once again to a dimension of human existence which they call spiritual, religious or sacred, as the case may be.

It is worth noting, by the way, that this is largely something which affects young or poor people - which is all the more reason to pay careful attention to it - and brings them back to Christianity, which had left them quite disillusioned. Some of them will have turned to other religions, and others will have been enticed into sects, or turned to the occult. All over the world, a whole new range of possibilities is opening up for a pastoral approach to culture to bring the light of Christ's Gospel to the hearts of men.

On many points there needs to be a re-formulation of Christian faith which is more accessible to dominant cultures, because of the competition caused by the profusion on all sides of diffuse forms of religiosity. A search for dialogue and its necessary correlative - a clearer identification of what is specific to Christianity - are an increasingly significant area of reflection and action in the proclamation of faith in our cultures.

This is the frame of reference of the challenge a pastoral approach to culture faces in sects cf. This situation calls for rigorous reflection on the way we live tolerance and religious liberty in our societies cf. Dignitatis Humanae , 4. Priests and lay people must, of course, be better trained to be competent discerners of sects and the reasons for their success, but we should never lose sight of the fact that the best weapon in the fight against sects is the quality of ecclesial life.

Priests need to be ready to face the challenge from sects, but also to help the faithful who are in danger of leaving the Church and giving up their faith. This created a whole culture which effectively included everyone, a culture built on faith and organized around it. Such a culture appears to be particularly threatened by secularism. It is important to support the better efforts which have been made to revive such traditions. However, this must not be left to specialists in folk heritage or politics, whose aims are often alien, if not hostile, to faith; pastoral workers, Christian communities and qualified theologians, should also be involved.

If they are to touch people's hearts, proclaiming the Gospel to the young and to adults, and celebrating salvation in the liturgy demand not only a profound knowledge of the faith, but also a knowledge of the cultural environment. When people love their culture as the special part of their life, it is in that culture that they live and profess their Christian faith. Bishops, priests, men and women religious and lay people need to develop a sensitivity to this culture, in order to protect and promote it in the light of Gospel values, above all when it is a minority culture.

Such attention to culture can offer those who are in any way disadvantaged a way to faith and to a better quality of Christian life at the heart of the Church. Men and women who have integrated a deep faith with their education and culture are living witnesses who will help many others to rediscover the Christian roots of their culture.

Religion is also memory and tradition, and popular piety is one of the best examples of genuine inculturation of faith, because it is a harmonious blend of faith and liturgy, feelings and art, and the recognition of our identity in local traditions. Popular piety is evidence of the osmosis that takes place between the innovative power of the Gospel and the deepest levels of a culture.

It is one of the foremost opportunities for people to meet the living Christ. Popular piety is the way a people expresses its faith and its relationship to God and his Providence, to Our Lady and the saints, to one's neighbour, to those who have died or to creation, and it strengthens its belonging to the Church.

Purifying and catechising expressions of popular piety can, in certain regions, be a decisive element for an in-depth evangelization to support and to develop a true community awareness in the sharing of faith, particularly through the demonstration of the religiosity of the people of God as in the celebration of major religious feasts cf. Lumen Gentium , These humble means are available to everyone, and allow the faithful to express their faith, be strong in hope and demonstrate their love.

Daily life in many lands is coloured by a strong sense of the sacred. A valid pastoral approach should promote and make the most of holy places, sanctuaries and pilgrimages, holy days and holy nights, liturgical vigils and adoration, holy things or sacramentals, remembrances and the sacred seasons of the liturgy. Several dioceses and university chaplaincies organize, at least once each year, a journey on foot to a sacred place, following in the footsteps of the Hebrews who sang the Canticles of Ascent with real joy as they drew near Jerusalem.

Popular piety naturally cries out for artistic expression. Those with pastoral responsibility must encourage creativity in all areas: They should also see to it that these things are of good cultural and religious quality. The vitality of the Christian community, united by the faith, gathered to celebrate the Eucharist, bears witness to the living faith and to Christ's love and it constitutes a profoundly human centre of religious education.

In a variety of forms, depending on the age and capacities of the faithful, the parish provides a practical inculturated illustration of the faith, as it is professed and celebrated by the community of believers. This early formation experienced within the parish is decisive. It introduces people to the tradition and lays the foundations of a living faith and of a profound understanding of the Church.

In the complex and sometimes violent urban context, the parish fulfills an irreplaceable pastoral function as a place of Christian initiation and inculturated evangelization, where different groups of people find unity in their joyful celebration of a single faith and the apostolic commitment of which the Eucharistic liturgy is the soul.

As diversified communities, parishes are in an excellent position to respond to new cultural demands by implementing a pastoral approach to culture based on listening, dialogue and support, thanks to priests and parishioners who are well prepared in matters of religion and culture cf. Education brings the child through adolescence to maturity. It begins within the family, which is always the best context for education.

But when families are beset by so many different problems, they cannot be expected to cope alone. Hence the greater importance of educational institutions. In many countries, the Church carries out her mission as an educator and teacher by running nurseries or kindergartens, schools, colleges, high schools, universities and research centres. These Catholic institutions have the specific vocation of bringing Gospel values to the heart of culture. In order to do this, those who are pastorally responsible for these institutions must draw the substance of their educational projects from Christ's message and from the teaching of the Church.

However, to implement their mission, such institutions depend largely on means that are often scarce. One must accept the facts of the matter in order to grasp the challenge: In all cases, one need remains: In the broader picture of a pastoral approach to culture and with a view to providing students with the specific formation which they have a right to expect, Catholic universities, colleges and research centres should take care to ensure a fruitful encounter between the Gospel and the different cultural expressions. These institutions can contribute in an original and irreplaceable way to a genuine formation in cultural values, which is an ideal basis for the symbiosis between faith and the intellectual life.

In this respect, it is recommended that special attention be given to the teaching of philosophy, history and literature as they are essential elements for the encounter between the faith and the different cultures. The presence of the Church in the university and in university culture, 24 together with those practical initiatives which make this presence effective, demand rigorous discernment and unstinting efforts to promote a new Christian culture, one which is enriched by the best achievements in every field of university activity.

Priests, men and women religious, and well-prepared lay people are urgently needed in this task of human and Christian formation. Their joint efforts will allow Catholic educational institutions to bring their influence to bear on the production of educational material, as well as on teachers themselves professionals of culture. They can also help spread a Christian model of relationships between teachers and pupils, at the heart of a genuine educational community. Forming minds and consciences is one of the principal goals of a pastoral approach to culture. Schools are, by definition, places of cultural initiation and in certain countries, for many centuries, places where a culture forged by Christianity is transmitted.

But, in both situations, we are faced with the same basic question: It seems inevitable that, with ever fewer young people having access to catechesis worthy of the name, and without support from elsewhere, religious culture among the younger generations will soon collapse.

Hence the urgent need to re-think the relationship between religious education and catechesis, and the need to find a new way of relating the need for exact and impartial information - which is in danger of vanishing - to the overriding importance of witness. Schools and parishes need to complement each other in this area. Choosing teachers who can link these two areas more clearly is indispensable if this demanding but promising pastoral challenge is to be met successfully.

We must recognise that, while in many countries an adequate religious formation was given, until recently, to the children of Catholic families, an increasing number of young people are now deprived of it, and some of them bemoan the lack of a rigorous theological formation.

See a Problem?

Their request is a new and encouraging one, for at least three reasons. First, because many educated Christians find doctrinal fidelity and growth in faith impossible, unless they can reflect on faith just as seriously as they do on their profane culture or on their professional life. Secondly, the better equipped they are to argue for their faith, the more they will be able to contribute to various services the Church may ask of them: Finally, if they can integrate their job with their Christian faith, this will, in the long run, make for a better osmosis between these two elements in their lives.

The need for serious theological formation is ever more pressing today as we face the new challenges of our times from a religious indifference to an agnostic rationalism. A sound knowledge of the tenets of the faith in the first place is indispensable for a true evangelization. Such knowledge of an intellectual nature, interiorized through prayer and liturgical celebrations, fosters an intelligent personal assimilation on the part of the faithful, enabling them to be witnesses to Christ himself and to his message of salvation.


  1. Language of Recovery!
  2. Rival oscuro (Dark Moon) (Spanish Edition);
  3. Únete a Kobo y comienza tu lectura digital hoy..
  4. In a cultural context characterized on the one hand by a resurgence of fundamentalist trends, adequate theological formation is undeniably the best means by which to counter this grave danger which is a threat to the genuine popular devotion and culture of our times. A pastoral approach focused on the evangelization of culture and on the inculturation of the faith implies competence in two areas: Whether for beginners or for people who already have some qualification, general or specialised enough to merit ecclesiastical recognition, courses in theology are certainly to be encouraged wherever in the Church they are not yet offered, in accordance with the wishes of the Second Vatican Council Gaudium et Spes , 62, 7.

    This is without doubt one of the best channels of communication between contemporary culture and Christian faith, and for the latter to imbue the former so that daily life may be inspired by a sound formation and understanding of the faith made stronger by study of the Word of God and the tradition of the Church. Wherever it has been possible to create them, Catholic cultural centres are an enormous pastoral help in the sphere of culture. Very much part of their culture, they can tackle urgent and complex problems encountered in evangelizing culture and inculturating faith.

    They start with points of contact which come from a largely open debate with all those who create, work in and promote culture, in accordance with the spirit of the Apostle I Thess 5: Catholic cultural centres are a rich and varied phenomenon, whether it is a question of names Cultural centres or circles, academies, university institutions, houses of formation , of orientation theological, ecumenical, scientific, educational, artistic etc All these centres offer cultural activities with a constant concern for the relationship between faith and culture, in the form of dialogue, scientific research, formation, and the promotion of a culture which faith inspires and makes fruitful, refreshing and powerful.

    They draw attention to the cultural projects and achievements of Catholic artists, writers, scientists, philosophers, theologians, economists and journalists, and promote enthusiastic personal commitment to values enriched by faith in Christ. ACatholic cultural centres offer to the Church the possibility of presence and action in the field of cultural change. The Pontifical Council for Culture has recently published its first list of such centres, based mainly on information received from Bishops' Conferences.

    To those responsible for pastoral care, it is particularly striking that culture is becoming more and more global, under the influence of mass media and information technology. Of course, the different cultures of the world have always had reciprocal relations. But today, even the least widespread cultures are no longer isolated.

    They benefit from an increase in contacts, but they also suffer from the pressures of a powerful trend towards uniformity , where - to cite the extreme example of the distribution of forms of materialism, individualism and immorality - the merchants of violence and cheap sex, omnipresent in video cassettes and films as well as on television and the Internet , risk prevailing over the educators.

    In addition, the media of mass communication mass media broadcast a multitude of religious proposals concerning very different religious groups, linked to ancient and modern cultures, which all have equal exposure nowadays on a single platform and at the same time. On the level of mass communication, even the most modest Catholic television and radio stations, particularly the latter, have a significant part to play in the evangelization of culture and in the inculturation of the faith. They reach people in the ordinary circumstances of their lives and thus make a powerful contribution to the way their life-styles develop.

    Where they can exist, Catholic radio networks enable dioceses without great resources to benefit from the technology available to those which are better off, and they also stimulate cultural exchanges between Christian communities. It is very important for Christians to become involved not only in the religious media, but also in state-run or commercial media, which naturally speak to the whole of society. Through them the Church can get through to people who, otherwise, would be beyond her reach. In countries where the media are open to what religion has to say, some dioceses produce advertisements which they have broadcast, to bring out those Christian values which are essential elements of a truly human culture.

    In other places, Catholics award prizes for the best professionals. This use of the media is to be seen as direct evangelization, inasmuch as its quality and seriousness contributes to the promotion of a culture in line with the Gospel. Daily papers and periodicals, and other Catholic publications, have an influence not only in the life of the local Church, but also in the wider society, because they are the sign of a lively faith, and of the special contribution Christians make to cultural life. This remarkable potential sphere of influence calls for journalists, authors and publishers with a broad cultural perspective and strong Christian convictions.

    Where local languages are used alongside official ones, some dioceses publish a journal or at least some articles in the local language, which gives unparalleled access to so many families. The extraordinary possibilities of communication offered by today's technology can be used to beam the message of the Gospel throughout the world and to give culture a soul. In order to make the best use of the most up-to-date communications media, a pastoral approach to culture must promote the training of Catholic specialists: The presence of Catholics in the media will be all the more fruitful if pastors have been introduced to these means of communication in the course of their own formation.

    A Place To Stand

    Well thought-out and accountable involvement is the only way to avoid the pitfalls and face the challenges of the media. The pastoral approach to culture needs to pay particular attention to press, radio and television journalists. The questions they ask are sometimes embarrassing or disappointing, especially when they in no way correspond to the message we have to get across, but these disconcerting questions are often asked by most of our contemporaries. The various sectors of the Church would communicate better with journalists, and the resources, organizers and methods of cultural and religious networks would be better known, if a sufficient number of people were properly trained in communications techniques: In addition, many young lay people have an inclination to work in the media.

    A pastoral approach to culture will ensure that they are prepared to be an active presence in the world of radio, television, books and magazines, the bearers of information which are also the daily reference-point for the majority of our contemporaries.