Acedia, neognoza, popreligia et consortes. Josepha Ratzingera/Benedykta XVI teologiczne diagnozy kryzysów współczesności

Abstract

The shape of anthropology depends on the shape of theology. Godless anthropology distorts the image of a man; a broken relationship with God makes all spheres of life and human activity become distorted and degraded. While rejecting his Creator and the dependence on Him, a man loses his sense of meaning and taste of life. He neurotically tries to find them in other areas, replacing real values with substitutes and true reality with independently created requisites. Ratzinger shows that the loss of God and misplaced human autonomy generate sorrow, emptiness and, consequently, protest; everything in life becomes ill. According to J. Ratzinger/ Benedict XVI, the most dangerous contemporary diseases of culture and spirituality are: neo-gnostic mentality which is a mixture of anthropological frustration, blind faith in science and snobbery of elites; trendy fascinations with the West versions of Far Eastern religions generally supporting nihilistic inclinations of postmodernity; narcissistically creative culture and relativistic output placed beyond good and evil ‒ in the name of tolerance and pluralism. The only cure can be cognition of real God and recognition of a source of hope and love in Him. Only by drawing from Him, a man is able to co-create the world where the final word does not belong to death.