Theological Research, 2016, Vol. 4

Stały URI dla kolekcjihttps://theo-logos.pl/handle/123456789/3735

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Apophatic and Mystical Realism. Nicholas’ of Cusa Lesson
Sikora, Piotr (The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow, 2016)
In my paper I consider the question, whether one can reconcile radical apophatic perspective with the realistic interpretation of religious discourse. Both are supported by very important religious intuitions, but seem to be mutually inconsistent. In order to show what form of “apophatic realism” is possible to hold, I analyze the thought of Nicolas of Cusa: fifteenth century mystic and philosopher, whose thought does justice to the deepest religious intuitions and can be inspiring, and – in its basic principles – also tenable, even in XXI century.
Between Similarity and Non-similarity. The Nature of Theological Language in the Thought of Peter Abelard
Wąsek, Damian (The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow, 2016)
The aim of this paper is to answer to the following question: How should theological propositions, originating from the language used to describe creatures, be understood so as to avoid idolatry, that is reducing God to the category of contingent entities? Using the theory of similarities formulated by Peter Abelard, I pointed out that the risk of committing theological errors decreases when language formulas are treated as models, and their meaning is understood in a figurative way. Such an attitude enables us to acknowledge the fact that language can be only partially adequate to the subject under discussion, and makes us aware that we describe only one aspect of a given theological phenomenon, as the chosen model may not correspond to other aspects. Such understanding of the theological language calls for a constant reinterpretation of theological propositions. If images used in theology are linked to the structure of the world, each change in the scientific understanding of this structure brought by empirical sciences, should lead to changes in the language used by theology. Lack of such changes in the system of religious beliefs will lead to a decrease in the credibility of theology and push its truths towards the category of myths and fables.
Jürgen Habermas on the (Non-)Translatability of Religious Meaning
Vander Schel, Kevin (The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow, 2016)
The relationship between religious faith and public reason has occupied an increasingly central role in Jürgen Habermas’s mature work. Yet this recent engagement with questions of religious meaning also illuminates a significant area of development in Habermas’s thought. While his earlier writings emphasized a need to subordinate religious beliefs to rational critique and to translate religious truth claims into publicly accessible forms of reasoning, his later writings signal a shift to a more cooperative understanding of religious faith and critical reason that highlights the ongoing potential of religion to advance rational discourse and social criticism in the public sphere. This essay traces this growing recognition of the irreducibility of religious meaning in Habermas’s writings, and it attends to the non-translatable dimension of religious faith as a source of its ongoing contemporary significance.
Kraft der Bilder. Zur Rolle der Metapher bei F. Nietzsche und K. Michalski und ihre Implikationen für die Theologie
Kubasiak, Piotr (The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow, 2016)
The crisis of the theological language has been a subject of heated debate for a long time. Johann Baptist Metz even stated that the “Gotteskrise” (crisis of God) is in the first place a crisis of language. However, the identification of a new and appropriate language is not an easy task and – as the History of the Church shows – it is always a work of several generations. The following text refers to the importance of metaphors for theological language. A metaphor is understood not only as a literary form, but also as a method which next to understanding touches on emotions and the imagination giving it a special persuasive power. It should not replace the reflective language of theology, but complement it. The Polish philosopher Krzysztof Michalski discovered in the work of Nietzsche the idea that a metaphor on the one hand has a concrete effect, but on the other hand shows that the most important thoughts can only be expressed in this form. Simple terms can never encompass all of life, there is always a greater sense to them than the mere words suggest. Therefore, metaphors in Nietzsche’s texts become metadefinitions, which always refer to something else, to something larger, to the limit of our knowledge. Even though the metaphor will not solve the problem of the crisis of language in theology, it points to an important aspect of religious speech. It is a suitable – though not the only one – means of reflection on the Revelation, which ultimately does not only provide information about God, but aims at our life and wants to lead us to a communion with God.
La langue de la théologie pratique ou celle de la théologie en pratique? Autour de la notion de l’artéfact théologique, introduite par Marcel Viau
Draguła, Andrzej (The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow, 2016)
The issue of the language of theology in the practical actions of the Church is first a question of how are these actions understood and of the form the theoretical thinking about it takes. Nowadays, alongside the notion of “pastoral theology,” the notion of “practical theology” is gaining place. This choice of wording emphasizes the whole of the Church’s action and not only the ones of the pastors. However, there is another meaning of practical theology that can be discussed, i.e. “theology in practice.” Marcel Viau, a Canadian protestant theologian, suggests calling practical theology with an Anselmian-like term: “fides quaerens verbum” (faith seeking the word). The notion of “word” should be understood broadly as any act by which the Church communicates faith or the discourse of the Church. Viau introduces the notion of “theological artifact,” which stands for every work of culture that can be seen as an element of discourse of the Church. In this way, Viau broadens the understanding of the Church’s action not only for its specific pastoral action, but also for the widely understood channel of cultural transfer of faith. Consequently, the language of practical theology transforms into the language of theology in practice.
M. Gilski, Mariologia centonów, Scriptum Publishers, Kraków 2016, pp. 246
Drzyżdżyk, Szymon (The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow, 2016)
Naming God: Christian Philosophy of Language, Wierzbicka’s Natural Semantic Metalanguage and Intercultural Dialogue
Popiołek, Piotr (The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow, 2016)
Who is He, to Whom we address words God, Theos, Deus, etc.? How far goes possibility for adaptation of religious and philosophical language from other (non-Western) cultures? Do people, by using certain words and terms, denote being of God, or are they just conventional names? Those questions were raised quite early in theological debates in early stages of Christianity, and answers were given by such prominent Church Fathers as Gregory of Nyssa and Basil the Great. The problem resurfaced millennium later, when Western missionaries encountered nations and people whose religious and philosophical concepts were far different from their own. Should they accommodate local terms to fit the Christian concept of God, or should they introduce Western terminology? This translational and linguistic problem leads to the question: are there universal concepts which (despite of cultural affiliation, based on the common human experience) could communicate the Christian idea of God? Findings of Wierzbicka, and her own claim is: yes – there are semantic primes, through which we can translate our ideas (with minor imperfections). But this last question goes beyond the reach of mere secular linguistics, and enters the domain of theology. For it is theological claim that in our human nature we are capable of addressing Triune God.
Theology Under Siege: Reflections of a Troubled Philosopher and a Believer
Grygiel, Wojciech (The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow, 2016)
The transposition of the theological expression into the framework of epistemology suggested by the contemporary philosophy of science is a long-desired project. The presented article offers an overview of the different epistemological and methodological issues that arise when this expression is carried out in the common sense paradigm. It turns that once the necessary change into the mode of knowledge acquisition of contemporary science is made, one can significantly improve theology’s both methodological and conceptual foundations. In particular, this concerns the use of abstract concepts to better penetrate the intricacies of the Divine nature as well as the non-classical logics to improve theology’s inferential basis. The resulting question of the contextuality of theology, namely, its dependence on the conceptual framework and the picture of the world, is also surveyed. Consequently, theology can be perceived as a lexically open project. In conclusion it is argued that while the contemporary theology should retain its common sense exposition for the pastoral and catechetical purposes that allows for the efficient transmission of faith through intuitive knowledge, the state-of-the-art theological research must reach out to to abstract conceptual frameworks to assure the depth of its penetrative insight.

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