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This paper reviews the five General Conferences of the Latin American Episcopate held over the course of half a century, from the first one, held in Rio, until the most recent one in Aparecida. To facilitate the understanding of these Conferences, the theological context of each is recalled and some of the main points of their "Conclusions" are indicated. These Episcopal Assemblies prove that there is a specifically Latin American pastoral theology. Nonetheless, if before one had to prevent Eurocentric exaggerations, it is currently necessary that one avoid excessive Latin Americanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper I analyze the concept of Church presented by Danish theologian Nicolai Grundtvig (1783-1872) in the document known as «The Church's Rejoinder». In this text, published in 1825, Grundtvig denounces the rationalist theology of Henrik Nicolai Clausen, particularly his claim that the Bible is the only valid source of Christian revelation; the Scriptures, Clausen adds, ought to be interpreted by professional exegetes. Grundtvig will argue instead that the essence of the Church is the assembly of believers who embraces the message of Christ through the acceptance of the Creed, baptism and communion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking into account the suggestions offered in the Encyclical «Fides et Ratio» (1998) and in the «Decree on the reform of ecclesiastical studies of philosophy» (2011), this paper presents some arguments in order to show the importance of philosophy in the priestly formation. Philosophy helps in the search for the truth, forms the critical sense, and structures the mind. Furthermore, the paper underlines the fact that human reason is the faith's condition and constitutive moment and explains why philosophy is indispensable for the theological formation. Finally, the paper highlights the importance of philosophy in the life of the priest as a shepherd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the theological conception that is revealed in the fourteen encyclicals of John Paul II, as in the rest of his doctrinal documents, anthropology and Christology are inseparable. Only the son of God, making Himself man and uniting Himself with all humankind, has totally revealed the mystery of man. If the central theme of the philosophy and theology of Karol Wojtyla (in which the imago Dei is palpable) was man, as this paper asserts, man will also be the centre of the doctrinal message and pastoral action of John Paul II. His anthropocentrism is, at the same time, Christocentrism and for this reason is also, in its roots, Theocentrism. The interpretative key to his writings previous to his Pontificate is the notion of man as a person, the image of the subsistent Being, who is not in any way absolutely alone, but who is absolute and mysterious communion. This same truth of man as a personal image of the Trinitarian God always performs the function of the ultimate doctrinal foundation in his encyclicals. The theological framework of these texts is modelled by these statements and, even more, by the implicit theology of two conciliar passages that are repeatedly quoted in them: Gaudium et spes, n 22 and Gaudium et spes, n 24. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]