Człowiek – społeczeństwo – kultura. Kulturotwórcza rola chrześcijaństwa w świetle dokumentów Konferencji Lambeth

Abstract

The culture-creating role of Christian anthropology focuses on the transformation of man – transformation of the way of his thinking, decision making, of the motives that snatch him away from the state of passiveness and make him act. A man innerly transformed still lives in history, but he can see its deeper meaning. Hence culture that stems from the Christian view of man will generate a real personal development both in the spiritual and bodily dimensions. The 19th and 20th Century reductionist anthropologies have become a negative example of the fact that separating the truth about man from the truth about God and the spiritual dimension of life leads to celebrating neither the individual nor the community. Indeed, it has become a source of culture that did not develop man in the full dimension. Based on the foundations of the revealed truths the new humanism stresses the new ontological quality of the human person that is the basis for recognizing the sanctity of human body and life. However, the „new humanity” is first of all a category of a moral kind that is realized in its relations to other people. The ability to achieve fullness was given to man at the initial stage. To be put into effect, fullness needs the inner transformation of man so that he becomes similar to Christ in His holiness and in His salutary care of others. Transformation of the mind in the light of revelation of God’s truth, subjecting one’s will to God and building the social order on the foundation of the mystery of the Holy Trinity become a challenge on the way of entering the life of Christ and creating new humanity. Although without man’s involvement in the transformation it cannot be achieved, it is a gift of grace that is revealed when it is assisted by the Holy Spirit and it lets one transcend what on the basis of his own cognitive abilities and his will he may achieve in culture.