The Department of Philosophy would like to announce a talk entitled 'Christian Religion in Contemporary Europe'. The speaker is Robert T. Ptaszek from the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin. The talk will be held on Wednesday, 9 March from 17:30 to 19:30, at the Faculty of Arts Library, Msida Campus.
Abstract
The issue of the place of Christianity in contemporary European culture is perceived here from the point of view of a philosopher of religion. The lecture is divided in three parts.
In the first part the lecture reconstructs the stance of the Catholic Church regarding the role of religion in culture with reference to the views of Joseph Ratzinger. It also presents the understanding of culture and religion upon which this stance has been based. Moreover it sets forth arguments with which Ratzinger has substantiated the thesis on unique nature of the Christianity and its importance for the cultural identity of Europe.
The second part of the lecture sets out main arguments with which the 20th century philosophers justified the necessity of minimising the cultural role of Christianity. It also shows what were the exact methods they proposed by which the Christian influence on European culture could be narrowed down.
In its last part the lecture asks the question of actual consequences of elimination of Christianity from contemporary European culture. It is pointed out that the culture of Europe can be no longer the common way of expressing values which secure personal development of a human being. Today the culture of Europe is more and more often reduced to the role of one of the many sources of experience providing for ‘feeling good’ and pleasure.