https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/334 Thu, 22 Oct 2026 08:12:01 GMT 2026-10-22T08:12:01Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/150311 Title: A theology of heighbourhood and synodality : reimagining ecclesial and theological practice today Authors: Zammit, Mark Joseph Abstract: Synodality, understood both as a theological category and an ecclesial practice, reshapes the Church’s self-understanding as a pilgrim community that walks together in communal discernment of the Spirit’s action. Within this horizon, the theology of neighbourhood offers a fruitful hermeneutical key for rethinking ecclesiology in terms of proximity, hospitality, and mutual responsibility. This article explores the intrinsic relationship between synodality and neighbourhood as constitutive tasks of contemporary theology, proposing a way of doing theology that emerges from encounter, attentive listening, and shared experience.; The study offers a theological reading of synodality in dialogue with the theology of neighbourhood developed by the Argentine theologian Lucio Gera, situating its origins within the theology of the people and an incarnational vision of the Church. By approaching neighbourhood as a theological, social, and pastoral category, the article argues that the Church is called to be a “neighbour” to humanity, fostering relationships marked by encounter, recognition, and concrete responsibility for others. It first presents the core elements of Gera’s theology of neighbourhood and then examines its influence on Pope Francis’s synodal vision of the Church. The final section turns to the pontificate of Leo XIV, highlighting key pastoral priorities that continue and deepen this trajectory, pointing toward a Church that is both genuinely synodal and authentically rooted in a lived theology of neighbourhood. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/150311 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/150310 Title: Editorial note [Melita Theologica, 76(1)] Authors: Zammit, Mark Joseph Abstract: The question of theology’s relevance has become unavoidable in contemporary culture. In a world marked by technological acceleration, political fragmentation, ecological anxiety, and growing mistrust toward institutions, theology is often perceived as either a remnant of the past or a specialised discourse detached from lived reality. Yet precisely within this climate of uncertainty, theology may rediscover its deepest vocation. The task of theology today is not to retreat into defensive self-preservation, nor merely to repeat inherited formulas, but to engage courageously with the questions, wounds, and aspirations of humanity while remaining rooted in the mystery of God revealed in Christ. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/150310 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148648 Title: Synodality as baptismal vocation and ecclesial care : toward a theology of participation and accompaniment Authors: Zammit, Mark Joseph Abstract: This article proposes that synodality is grounded in two inseparable theological realities: baptism and ecclesial care. While contemporary studies frequently interpret synodality through the categories of participation and communion, this study argues that care should be recognised as one of its constitutive foundations rather than merely its pastoral expression. Baptism incorporates believers into Christ, establishes the dignity of the People of God, and calls every Christian to participate actively in the Church’s mission through shared discernment and co-responsibility. Care, rooted in God’s saving relationship with humanity and embodied in the ministry of Jesus, gives historical and relational expression to this baptismal identity by shaping communities marked by listening, accompaniment, mercy, and service. Through engagement with the ecclesiology of the Second Vatican Council, the teaching of Pope Francis, and the Augustinian perspective of Pope Leo XIV, the article presents synodality as the Church’s enduring way of living, discerning, and witnessing together in service of the Gospel and the world. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148648 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147368 Title: The heart of spirituality : reclaiming trust and truth Authors: Berry, John Anthony Abstract: Could it be that the deepest spiritual crisis of our time is not unbelief or disenchantment, but a profound imbalance? The real challenge haunting contemporary spirituality is precisely how to overcome the deep and persistent axes of imbalance that define our age. We are living in a time shaped by the predominance of immanence over transcendence, fragmentation over coherence, ethics over metaphysics, alterity without true encounter, and kenosis devoid of glory. As several contemporary analysts of late modern culture have observed, the erosion of shared narratives and institutional trust has reshaped the conditions under which religious belief and spiritual practice are pursued today. What I seek to propose is a long-overdue synthesis, a kind of third way, one in which spirituality holds interiority and transcendence in creative tension, ethics and metaphysics in harmonious interplay, plurality and tradition in dialogue, and kenosis and glory in rhythmic exchange. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147368 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z