Relative Autonomy
The Key to Understanding Vatican II
Published on 1. February 1997
Book
Paperback/Softback
XII, 281 pages
978-3-631-31495-1 (ISBN)
Description
The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) - which finished its work just thirty years ago - has rightly been described as one of the most important events in the history of the Church since the Reformation and the Age of Enlightenment. It is in particular the Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et spes «On the Church in the Modern World» which marks a milestone on the Church's way into modernity. It forms a bridge designed to overcome misunderstandings of the past, points of conflict and rifts between the Church and modern society. It purports to guide the differing positions towards a constructive dialog. The central criterion and the crucial question of this new definition of the relationship in all areas, such as culture, politics, science and economics is the criterion of «Relative Autonomy» - the topic treated in this book.
More details
Person
The Author: Anton Losinger, 1957 born in Friedberg, Germany, 1983 ordained in the Diocese of Augsburg, Studies in Theology, Philosophy and Economics at the University of Augsburg, 1989 Doctorate in Theology, 1989 Research Award «Albertus-Magnus-Preis» for outstanding studies in the era of Theology and Ethics, 1993 Doctorate in Economics, 1994 Research Award of the Archdiocese of Cologne, Germany, for outstanding academic studies in the era of Economic Ethics and Social Politics, 1994 Visiting Professor at The Catholic University of America, Washington D.C., 1996 research work in Development Ethics at the University of Bonn.
Content
Contents: Part I analyzes the historical development of the modern concept of autonomy with a special emphasis on the foundation of the subject's autonomy as a central demand of the Enlightenment und shows at the same time the central problems posed for its theological reception. - Part II demonstrates the «relative autonomy of earthly affairs» as a theological principle of structure of the Pastoral Constitution «Gaudium et spes». Central aspects are the terms «aggiornamento», the «signs of the times» and the council's concept of «dialogue». - The final part shows the importance of the principle of «iusta autonomia» as a significant criterion for the modern problem areas of «secularism» and «pluralism».