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The Dialogue of Faith and Cultures: From Paul VI to Benedict XVI

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2024

Peter Phillips
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Abstract

Vatican II's documents Gaudium et Spes and Ad gentes reveal two interrelated dialogues: a dialogue between Church and other religious traditions, and a more general dialogue between faith and particular societies. The theme takes its cue form Paul VI's first encyclical, Ecclesiam Suam (1964) and, in the last fifty years, has flowered into a rich body of teaching expressed in various documents. It became central to the teaching of John Paul II with his passionate concern for the dignity of the human person. Benedict XVI in a series of speeches delivered both before and after becoming Pope introduced a note of caution to such cultural dialogue. While accepting that he offered an impressive case against the positivism, which he considered to be undermining contemporary culture, we should be hesitant in following his more cautious approach.

Keywords

DialoguefaithcultureGaudium et SpesPaul VIJohn Paul IIBenedict XVI
Type
Original Article
Information
New Blackfriars , Volume 98 , Issue 1077 , September 2017 , pp. 567 - 581
Copyright
Copyright © 2016 Provincial Council of the English Province of the Order of Preachers

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References

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