Chair of Religiology and Missiology – Institute of Fundamental Theology

 of the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin

 and Polish Academy of Sciences Branch Office in Lublin

 

Invite to the Conference

 

Marian Rusecki Memorial Lectures:

From the Maximum Illud to the Evangelii Gaudium. Theology, Humanities and Social Sciences in the Service of Mission.

 John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin

Lublin, 27-28 November 2019

 

 

 

November 30, 2019 marks the 100^th anniversary of the publication of the Apostolic Letter Maximum illud. In this important document of Benedict XV, referred to as the magna carta of Catholic missions, it is worth noting the words that point to the need to educate missionaries “in all the branches of learning [and..] These branches will include both sacred and profane subjects”. The official recognition of the scientific role of ratio resulted in the accepting and applying in the field of missionary activities various branches of knowledge, not just philosophy and scholastic theology. Such an approach is apparent in the missionary documents of the Church, missiological textbooks, scientific missionary publications, including popular books, ordo studiorum, mission materials and in spirituality.

 

The goal of the Conference is to draw attention to the relationship between the understanding and models of the missionary activity of the Church and the trends in theology and other branches of knowledge. In particular, we intend to address the following issues:

 

1. The influence of theology on the shift of paradigms in terms of understanding mission and missionary activities;
2. The impact of various fields of knowledge on the understanding and carrying out of mission activities;
3. The influence of different theological trends, the humanities and social sciences on missionary reflection in Poland and abroad;
4. Social, political, cultural and religious implications of using theological achievements and those of other sciences;
5. The place of missiological, social and humanistic sciences in the training curricula of clergy, lay personnel and volunteers for missionary work.

 

During the Conference the following events are foreseen:

 

1. Display of missiological publications;
2. Review of the achievements of Polish organizations and groups of people involved in the field of mission;
3. Presenting the activities of missionary volunteering as a form of participation in the mission ad gentes;
4. Missionary exhibition: Father Paul Joachim Schebesta SVD - missionary, anthropologist, ethnographer and ethnologist.

The conference is international in character and its proceedings will be published in a peer-reviewed post-conference publication (KUL Publishing House).

 

The Organizers:

Chair of Religiology and Missiology - Institute of Fundamental Theology, John Paull II Catholic University of Lublin

Polish Academy of Sciences Branch Office in Lublin

Polish Province of the Society of the Divine Word

 

Date: 27-28 November 2019

Venue: The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin

The Collegium of John Paul II

Room C-1031.

Al. Racławickie 14

20-950 Lublin

 

Contact: dr hab. Andrzej Pietrzak SVD, Professor of the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin - apietrzak@kul.pl