Search Results (54)

This study empirically investigates the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools within Hungarian religious communities, with a focus on Catholic respondents, to assess their awareness, application, and acceptance of AI in religious contexts. By religious communities, we do not mean monastic or priestly communities, but rather communities of lay religious people. Conducted between 10 February and 11 March 2025, the questionnaire-based research (N = 133) employs Campbell’s Religious Social Shaping of Technology (RSST) framework to analyze attitudes toward AI across 15 religious functions. Six hypotheses explore gender differences, religiosity types (church-based vs. self-defined), and the acceptability, authenticity, and ethicality of AI applications. Findings reveal high acceptance for administrative tasks (e.g., email list updates: 64.7%) and technical functions (e.g., live translation: 65.4%), but low acceptance for spiritual roles (e.g., spiritual leadership: 12.8%). Self-defined religious individuals are significantly more accepting, perceiving AI as more authentic and ethical compared to those adhering to church teachings. No significant gender differences were found. The study contributes to digital religion studies, highlighting the influence of religiosity on AI adoption, though its non-representative sample limits generalizability. Full article

This paper offers a Christian ethical evaluation of transhumanism. It employs a two-part framework. First, the paper contextualizes transhumanism within the evolutionary cosmology of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and thereby suggests a theological openness to technologically influenced development as part of an ongoing cosmogenesis towards greater consciousness, or the Omega Point. Second, the paper critically evaluates transhumanist values against five key principles of Catholic Social Teaching (CST): natural law, human dignity, human flourishing, the common good, and care for creation. While the Teilhardian lens does indeed allow us to interpret certain transhumanist goals as potentially conducive to humans, the CST assessment reveals serious ethical concerns that must be addressed. These concerns include threats to inherent dignity through the reductionism of the human person, the potential unchecked exacerbation of current social inequality, and significant conflicts with the care of creation stemming from an unchecked technocratic paradigm as described in Laudato Si’. This paper concludes that while engagement with transhumanism is necessary, a Christian perspective should strive to ensure that technological advancement remains subordinate to the universal dignity of all persons, the common good, and authentic flourishing in communion with God. Full article

This article aims to provide an account of the political thought of Archbishop John Carroll on the topic of religious liberty as a core principle of the American founding. It examines the relationship of Church and State through the lens of a developing self-understanding in the American and Roman Catholic identities. American Catholic colonists were accused of having a divided allegiance that made them dangerous to the social compact, divided between papal authority and the authority of the republic. Further, the place of the Catholic Church in a more pluralistic religious landscape following the Reformation demanded a reexamination of the traditional Catholic teaching on religious liberty. One man in particular stands out as a seminal figure in the development of a rapprochement between the American liberal understanding of religious liberty and that of the Catholic tradition. This man was Archbishop John Carroll, the first Roman Catholic Bishop in America. Carroll’s theoretical and practical approach to the highly contentious issue of religious liberty is a noteworthy example of simultaneous commitment to the Catholic faith and responsiveness to the exigencies of the moment and the perennial demands of political life. Carroll’s example is useful for Catholics and all others, as a model for Church–State separation. Full article

Education, understood as the process of forming the human person in their integral dimensions—spiritual, intellectual, moral, and social—occupies a key place in the reflection on the evangelizing mission of the Church. This article presents education as a form of integral evangelization based on the thought and activity of the Polish religious sister and mystic Blessed Marcelina Darowska (1827–1911). The initial part outlines the development of the concept of “integral evangelization” in the teachings of the Catholic Church and its relation to personalist pedagogy. The following section presents the figure of Blessed Marcelina Darowska and her educational initiative, situated in the 19th-century socio-historical context of partitioned Poland. The main section of the analysis focuses on Darowska’s concept of education as the formation of the whole person, encompassing the discernment of talents, intellectual, religious, and social development, and preparation for responsible family and civic roles. It also considers to what extent this vision of education can be identified as an expression of integral evangelization in accordance with the criteria of contemporary Church teaching. This article further presents the development of Blessed Marcelina’s educational work and its impact on forming generations of women conscious of their identity. The conclusion offers a reflection on the relevance and potential of this educational method in the context of contemporary social and religious challenges, particularly in the work of new evangelization. Full article

While American magisterial teaching has continuously cast abortion as part of a consistent ethic covering a comprehensive and interrelated set of issues affecting human life and dignity, the teaching also entails a set of tensions between the single issue of abortion and the larger framework, and this has been resolved by insisting that the legality of abortion affects all other issues and so deserves special focus; this focus has played out in public policy with detrimental consequences. This essay argues that if the bishops’ goals truly are a reduction in abortions, the promotion of respect for life and human dignity, and the promulgation of a truly comprehensive and consistent ethic, then there must be a change in their approach. This change would consist of a focus on the unintended lethal impacts of illegality, more grassroots arguments aimed at changing cultural attitudes, and more support—in both rhetoric and action—for measures that work, including but not limited to the myriad levels of structural justice for the poor and women in particular. These actions would, in turn, reinforce the consistent ethic. Further, the bishops should disavow a single-issue approach and move toward an actually comprehensive approach to public policy. Full article

The Catholic Church in Denmark hosts several migrant communities, with the Polish-speaking group among the largest and most visible. Institutionally, Catholic priests from Poland serve as chaplains for migrant congregations, accompanying these mobilities and providing educational practices (e.g., family guidance, biblical teaching). This paper examines how perspectives on Catholic scriptural authority differ between the Church’s institutional representatives and its members, revealing tensions between biblical authority, social accommodation, and family values in a migratory setting. Based on 20 months of fieldwork in a Polish Catholic community in Copenhagen, this paper highlights the dynamic interplay of how Church members assess scriptural authority as evaluative engagement in their transnational lives in the Danish public sphere, illustrated through interconnected ethnographic excerpts. This article illustrates how scriptural engagement offers a productive lens to explore divergent notions of Polish Catholic diasporic life and the tensions between transnational religion, national belonging, and moral navigation. Full article

It is often said that Jacques Maritain, having disavowed his earlier right-wing political views, became a foremost enthusiast for liberalism among the Catholic cognoscenti of the mid-20th century. In this paper, I suggest that there is another reading of Maritain, one found in the thought of T.S. Eliot, whose political thought was, by his own insistence, inspired by his study of Maritain. In Eliot’s reception and use of Maritain, the modern age has not put an end to the traditional Christian teaching that Jesus Christ’s authority must be acknowledged not only by private individuals but by all temporal, political powers. Rather, the complexities of the modern age have brought to the fore the priority of personal holiness—and by extension, the holiness of the Christian community—in establishing a Christian social order over any causal power of legislative or executive acts by political leaders. In developing my case, I indicate that Eliot emphasises the categorically embodied character of the Christian life, and I highlight that the corollary of this observation is that Christian integralists and secular liberals may be falling into precisely the same error, namely the privileging of abstract schemas over existential spiritual and moral transformation. Full article

Environmental challenges have become essential to study in today’s world because of the technical advancements and human achievements that have promoted an overestimation of human capabilities. This study explores the evolving relationship between humanity and nature through the lens of Catholic Church teachings, particularly the Laudato Si’ encyclical call for an “ecological conversion” (LS). It traces the historical transition from anthropocentrism to an ecological consciousness, examining theological perspectives and contemporary environmental ethics. A key focus is the role of liberation theology in shaping environmental justice. Key themes include the transition from anthropocentrism to a more comprehensive understanding of human–nature interactions, as well as the impact of liberation theology on environmental justice. Grounded in a qualitative research approach, this study investigates the potential of educational programs in Lebanon’s unique socio-cultural context to foster ethical and sustainable environmental practices. Through thematic analysis, this research highlights the concept of ecological conversion—a transformative shift in lifestyle and spirituality rooted in the principles of integral ecology. The findings show that educational initiatives based on Catholic Church teachings can successfully promote environmental stewardship and social justice. This article contributes to the discussion of environmental ethics by emphasizing the significance of an ecumenical and holistic approach, advocating for a synergy of spiritual beliefs and practical activities to confront the ecological issue. It concludes that achieving lasting environmental transformation requires collaboration, solidarity, and a collective commitment to the common good. Full article

Pastoral supervision and spiritual direction are inherently personal in nature. They reveal a transformative life of spiritual and soul care demanding the formation of theological reflection, healing, guidance, and discernment. Whilst pastoral supervision serves to guide theological reflection on service and mission, spiritual direction facilitates the moments of awakening to the presence and narrative of God’s grace and work in the depths of the soul. Under the light of Catholic Social Teaching, the notions of solidarity and subsidiarity will be pressed into service to unveil a common spiritual–theological foundation animating the roots of both these ministries. To understand the common dynamics of pastoral supervision and spiritual direction, the article develops a spiritual theology to reveal that both ministries, however distinct in practice, share the same incarnational (creative) and redemptive (re-creative) qualities. In other words, they both share the same source, root, origin, or existence in God’s word and grace. This comes to light by learning to pronounce love in truth, a prophetical work of solidarity and subsidiarity, of friendship and sharing orienting integral human development to listen and respond to God’s movement. The actions of solidarity and subsidiarity are rooted in the beatitude of righteousness revealing the little goodness, a work of possibility and responsibility. Such actions serve to transform the time of ministry into spaces of blessing and mystery, of appreciating the sacredness and unknowability of the other with boldness, curiosity and gentleness. The article concludes by showing how both ministries of pastoral supervision and spiritual direction share the spiritual-pastoral appeal to form communities witnessing the little goodness of love in truth. Full article

The latest technological advancements, above all artificial intelligence, are raising pressing questions regarding the relationship between machines and humans. Not only have previously known challenges arisen in the new context of digital technological achievements, but machines have now penetrated into spheres of human existence where they were not present until now. In addition to other ethical problems, there are therefore fundamental anthropological questions needing answers, which would clarify the role of the latest digital technologies in the context of our individual and social lives, and define the boundaries of the inviolable human spheres. In this study, we compare responses to these challenges from two important sources. First, we will review how the use of artificial intelligence and the anthropological challenges it poses appear in the teaching of Pope Francis, in line with the Catholic Church’s wider teaching on technology. Second, we examine how this problem is treated in the legislation of the European Union, which is a leader in the regulation of digital technologies, including artificial intelligence. We will highlight four concrete challenges posed by artificial intelligence to the human person (profiling, predictive algorithms, human intervention and manipulation), to which the legislation of the European Union has responded partly on anthropological grounds. We will argue that a systematic analysis of the relevant EU regulations on digital technologies (the General Data Protection Regulation, the Digital Services Act, and the Artificial Intelligence Act) can shed light on new aspects of the legal concept of human dignity, which—even without religious justifications—clearly mirror significant elements of Christian anthropology that are present in Pope Francis’ teaching on artificial intelligence. The anthropological approach of the European legislation is remarkable from a comparative perspective, since other globally relevant regulators have not yet taken such a position and seem to prioritize practical advantages, especially effectivity in the context of new technologies. Full article

From his election, it was clear that Pope Francis advocated for the poor and the protection of creation. However, both areas are linked to ethical aspects of the economy. This paper demonstrates that although new aspects of Catholic economic ethics emerged with Pope Francis, they show a continuity with the Church’s social doctrine. Pope Francis is under fire from two directions. He is under attack from both economically minded conservatives and liberals. This paradox is interesting since these areas indicate Pope Francis’ teaching is partly static and dynamic. It is here that the dichotomy of continuity and progression is most visible. The Catholic Church theologically reflected on economics and then gradually in a transdisciplinary perspective. In this paper, we examine both methodologically and substantively the static elements of the Church’s teaching on the economy. We point to the slow but firm critical articulation of the Church’s opposition to the ethics of the capitalist economy. A qualitative method was used for the research, so primary and secondary Church documents and the theological and economic literature were applied. These were compared, opinions were contrasted, and a conclusion was drawn to justify the hypothesis. Full article

The Christian message evokes the motif of abundant life for all. It is a summon to take seriously the holistic approach to life that has meaning and that is relational in all its expressions and manifestations. It is on this note that one has to appreciate the link between healthcare and the social teachings of the Catholic Church. Such a link is grounded in a pneumatological turn that mandates the Church to explore ways that the common good can be expressed through affordable healthcare for all persons. This work makes a claim that a eucharistic consciousness is the proper way to understand the link between healthcare affordability and the social teachings of the Church. It is eucharistic because the theology of the eucharist is a summon for the Church to be a church for others while upending individualism. Also, a eucharistic disposition is what constitutes the vision of the social teachings of the Church. Thus, if the Church is to offer its own wisdom on how healthcare ought to be understood in our times, it necessarily must be rooted in a eucharistic stance that defines its vision of the common good. Full article

According to European organizations, intercultural competence is considered a prerequisite for achieving social cohesion. Even though its development calls for a lifelong learning approach, the formal education system has a primary task in its development through all school subjects, i.e., the entire school curriculum. In the last twenty years, international and European organizations have emphasized the importance of religious education in developing students’ intercultural competence. The Republic of Croatia has applied European recommendations in its educational documents and defined intercultural competence as one of the fundamental competencies in the national educational curriculum. The question arises of how religious education in the Republic of Croatia helps students achieve and develop intercultural competence concerning knowledge of other religions and worldviews. This paper is focused on Catholic Religious Education in primary and secondary education. Data are collected using semi-structured interviews among nine Catholic RE teachers in Zagreb County, Republic of Croatia. Qualitative research is based on findings of a quantitative survey conducted among Catholic religious education teachers in 2022. The research questions are: (1) Why are guest lectures and visits to religious communities less represented forms of learning in confessional Religious Education? (2) Which methods are used to develop specific dimensions of intercultural competence (conflict resolution, analytical and critical thinking, attitudes)? (3) Does interreligious learning lead to changes in students’ behaviour, and what are the obstacles to interreligious learning? This paper aims to examine the methodical approaches of RE teachers in the development of intercultural competence, as well as the obstacles they encounter in the process of imparting knowledge about other religions and worldviews within Catholic religious education. Results have shown that the teaching process remains at an informational level; the development of attitudes, critical thinking skills, and conflict-resolution skills is lacking. The absence of experiential learning can largely be attributed to external factors, such as administrative obstacles and teacher’s/parents’ attitudes. Full article

The issues of migration and refugees are currently major global challenges. They are also important aspects of the teachings of the Catholic Church, as evidenced by the many recent Church documents. These issues also came up in discussions at the Synod on Synodality convened by Pope Francis. This article attempts to analyze 24 synodal syntheses, created by European episcopates, in terms of their approach to contemporary migration phenomena and further consequences, which allows for the identification of the main themes and indications of both the religious and social aspects of the encounter with newcomers. A common theme of the syntheses analyzed was the conviction of the need to sensitize societies to the specific plight of newcomers, threatening to marginalize them. Accompanying newcomers and caring for their integration with local communities resounded in the syntheses both as a task and also as opportunities for host communities to actualize solidarity, fraternity, and cultural exchange. Full article

This article argues that the Catholic Church in Nigeria needs to move beyond interreligious dialogue that dwells more on Councils’ interactions and discourses to develop a dialogical ethical framework that engages religious multiplicity in a more active capacity. Although Nigeria’s religious diversity necessitates interreligious dialogue, that alone is insufficient for constructing concrete ethics of dialogue. The article thus argued for an ethical framework tagged one family, many flavours. The theological sense of the proposal is rooted in Catholic social teachings but open to engagement with other religious traditions for mutual respect and social justice. The religious scope of the article is on Roman Catholicism and the Nigeria Muslim Ummah. The article addressed related ethical challenges confronting Nigeria’s interreligious landscape as a diverse religious community. Primary and secondary sources were used in gathering information for the article; thus, scriptural texts and traditions in Islam, as well as sources in Roman Catholicism, were theologically engaged. The suggested model acknowledges the importance of retaining one’s religious identity while also recognising the importance of interreligious dialogue and the right of the religious other in ethical matters. The article is envisioned to promote conversations about translating dialogical frameworks into practice. Full article