Kultur des Todes - Kultur des Lebens: Moraltheologie zwischen Rezeption und Kritik der modernen pluralistischen Gesellschaft

The encyclical Evangelium Vitae speaks of the sharp contrast between the 'culture of death' and the 'culture of life', between the culture of secularized, pluralist societies with their liberalized ethics, and a moral ethos of Christian humanism reflected on in the light of faith...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Zeitschrift für katholische Theologie
Main Author: Römelt, Josef 1957- (Author)
Format: Print Article
Language:German
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Published: Echter 1998
In: Zeitschrift für katholische Theologie
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Moral theology / Pluralism / The Postmodern
IxTheo Classification:CC Christianity and Non-Christian religion; Inter-religious relations
KDB Roman Catholic Church
NCA Ethics
Further subjects:B Theology
B Ethics
B ethical argumentation
B concept of life
B Pluralism
B Lebensbegriff
B Ethics / Sittenlehre
B Ethische Argumentation
B Catholic Church
B Moderne Gesellschaft
B Catholic church
B Modern Society
Parallel Edition:Electronic
Description
Summary:The encyclical Evangelium Vitae speaks of the sharp contrast between the 'culture of death' and the 'culture of life', between the culture of secularized, pluralist societies with their liberalized ethics, and a moral ethos of Christian humanism reflected on in the light of faith. This article assesses the charge that the ethics of modern culture tends towards a 'culture of death'. Modern culture, on the one hand, makes possible a technical approach to life's problems, an approach which brings about, in many spheres, life-enhancing relief. Equally, however, a culture of liberal rationality pursued to the extreme, where life's burdens are always something to be removed by technical means, threatens to land up-given a context of pluralist, libertarian ideas-in inhumane paradoxes. Such a culture – as clearly appears in the case of ante-natal diagnosis – can come to work against the interests of life itself. Theological ethics must certainly respect the autonomy of the different spheres of human life if it is to judge situations in ways appropriate to their reality. But for its part secular reason must respect the theological dimension. Otherwise it degrades human dignity precisely at the points where it is most radically under threat: the beginning and end of human life, and situations of unavoidable conflict.
ISSN:0044-2895
Contains:Enthalten in: Zeitschrift für katholische Theologie