Pope Francis has issued a new motu proprio, that is, a document issued by the pope on his own initiative and personally signed by him. Called in Italian Ad theologiam promovendam and yet to be translated from Italian, it means to promote theology.
‘What is needed is “a fundamentally contextual theology”, writes the Pope, “capable of reading and interpreting the Gospel in the conditions in which men and women live daily, in different geographical, social, and cultural environments”.
Opening up to the world and to humanity, “with its problems, its wounds, its challenges, its potential”, theological reflection must make room for “an epistemological and methodological rethinking”, and is therefore called to “a courageous cultural revolution”…’
Read the complete article here
Source: Vatican News.
The “Theology from the Peripheries Project” conducted by the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development during 2021-2022 is an example of contextual theology. One fundamental aspect of the project was the development of a methodology based on an openness to people’s experiences, specifically informed by their contexts.
A report from the conference held in Rome in October 2022 sharing the findings of the project can be found on this website here
Further information about the project and its publications can be found on the Dicastery’s website here
