Teologiczny charakter społecznej nauki Kościoła

Abstract

The paper seeks to explain in what sense can one speak about the Church’s social teaching as a theological discipline. At the point of departure the author analyzes some of the documents of Church’s social doctrine, which point at the theological foundations of this science. Specifically, it refers to the teaching of John Paul II, who clearly stated that the social teaching of the Church belongs to theology, especially moral theology (cf. SRS 41; CA 55). Seeking the biblico-theological foundations for the social teaching of the Church the author does not confine himself merely to pinpointing some aspects of the biblical science about social life, but shows a necessity to refer to the idea and reality of the New Covenant, thanks to which it is possible to fully read out the biblical social message. It is the author’s conviction that it is of critical importance in a specific theologization of the Church’s social doctrine to refer to an integral vision of man, and this ultimately means basing oneself on theological anthropology. To supplement this perspective is to grasp the Church’s social teaching in the context of the truth about the ecclesial dimension of Christian life and a call to evangelization, which encompasses all spheres of human life, that is also the sphere of social life.