The question about theology is, indeed, the question about the cognitive role of faith, a mutual relationship between faith and mind, as well as cultural, social and existential consequences of accepting or eliminating faith in the cognitive (scientific) process. While developing in the space of thought, theology seeks rational arguments speaking in favour of God’s answers to existential questions. In his publications and teachings J. Ratzinger/Benedict XVI gives much attention to these issues, as they are particularly topical and important for the contemporary civilisation. He teaches that faith releases the mind (makes it independent, non-ideologized), opens it to the truth, the learning of which constitutes the key objective of all scientific research. Recogni-tion of the priority of gifts, God’s grace, who makes Himself known through his Word and actions is an important pre-requisite for theological cognition. Ultimately, it has a christological sense: Son knows His Father and wants to reveal the Mystery of God. As scientia fidei, theology has got potential to give relational and holistic character to cognitive actions, thus made them acquire sense transcending their temporary use-fulness. Theology, faithful to the Church, contributes to the development of the world and men in the deepest meaning of the word – it leads to salvation, finding fulfilment in God Himself.

Interpreting the Gospel parable of the Prodigal Son and the Loving Father (Luke 15:11–32), J. Ratzinger/Benedict XVI shows the essence of the biggest problems of modern (particularly Western) society. The younger son’s journey to remote places, far from his father, symbolizes the fundamental gap between the present and God, which - although promising a happy and independent life – turns out to debase him. Blind questioning of the existing order (including the order of Creation!), an apotheosis of variability and a priori assumption of the new-over-the-old superiority, inevitably lead to confusion, with relativism becoming a “moral” reference and criterion for every action. Finally: bitterness and a protest generating violence, emptiness looking for satisfaction in drug-induced ecstasy, men seen as destroyers and enemies of nature. The only solution is a spiritual battle and metanoia – a return to the Father.

University and the Church need each other. Following the example of Christ incarnated, Christianity “incarnates” the spiritual. The Church and theology need university and cooperation with other sciences to be able to “incarnate” Christ’s issue into our world. Th e university, on the other hand, needs the Church and theology because otherwise it would be deprived of cultural and spiritual foundation: there is no alternative to a discussion about Christ (God and a human). Theology is sometimes defined as scientia fidei; it is determined by the mind and faith. It’s a discussion about God, but due to the Christ event it is also a discussion about mankind. Th erefore it has the form of a dialogue, a discussion. The dialogue is always held in a specific context (nowadays postmodern), in which theology not only has to ask but also answer the question about the meaning. In this sense it is wisdom. Theology as a discussion has to approach the most urgent human problems. These include agnosticism towards which Benedict XVI suggests the “veluti si Deus daretur” rule, relativism in case of which theology cannot stop asking about truth, despair in case of which theology reminds about God, in whom there is no darkness.

Culture, Literature, Society. Interdisciplinary Character versus Methodology of the Contemporary Theological Research

Summary

Culture, literature and social life are the "living space" of the contemporary man. They can also be "theological loci" (loci theologici), i.e. loci, in which faith can be born, is, or/and disappears. Both Theology and Catholic Social Science, using different methods and in different aspects, investigate these processes and attempt that, through faith, everything which composes everyday life, becomes more understandable for contemporary man.

This paper is a reflection on the contemporary methodology of theological and social research in the context of the interdisciplinary nature of science. Thus, it attempts to answer the question how starting from different premises, Theology, through research of culture, specifically of contemporary art and literature, and Catholic Social Science, through research of the moral condition of social life and drawing inspiration from each other, can and should serve the faith of man in particular conditions and challenges of a fast-changing reality.

The first step of both sciences is an attempt of comprehension: who it is, to whom the Word is directed. These are a specific seismograph registering of all types of "rockbursts" of times and places. The second step is seeing culture, literature and social life in their prophetic function, which consist in "meeting out justice" to time and place, to consciences and people. The third one is searching for the meeting and merging places of the human word and the Word of God. In every step mentioned above there is a creative interaction between Theology and Catholic Social Science.

Postulated in this article the complementarity of Theology and Catholic Social Science gives hope, that contemporary man is able to elaborate uniform and organic conception of knowledge in order to reach inner unity (cf. Fides et ratio, 85).