The Family: The Subject and Object of Pastoral Work

Autor u ovom članku govori o braku i obitelji kao objektu i subjektu pastoralnoga djelovanja te kao o osnovnoj društvenoj dimenziji. Uzevši u obzir da je pastoralna teologija znanost koja vodi računa o društveno-kulturološkoj zbilji, autor najprije govori o braku i obitelji s antropološkoga i sociološkog aspekta te ih sagledava kroz teološku viziju naglašavajući sakramentalnu i eklezijalnu dimenziju. Govori o obitelji kao ujedinjujućem središtu pastoralnoga djelovanja predstavljajući kriterije obiteljskoga pastoralnog djelovanja. Naglašava ljubav i zajedništvo kao temelj braka i obitelji te nerazrješivost kao njihovu osnovnu oznaku. U zadnjem dijelu promatra brak i obitelj u kontekstu društvene stvarnosti iznoseći društvenu i pastoralnu perspektivu braka i obitelji. Autor, služeći se teološko, kritičko-empiričkom metodom dolazi do spoznaje da se degradiraju vrijednosti braka i obitelji u kontekstu pluralnog društva i potrošačkog mentaliteta. Smatra da je nedovoljno iznositi samo sociološki vid braka nego da je nužno u pastoralnom djelovanju jasno izlagati njihovu teološku dimenziju.The author of this article treats marriage and the family as an object and subject of pastoral action, as well as a fundamental social dimension. Having taken into consideration the fact that pastoral theology is a science that contends with social and cultural realities, the author firstly looks at marriage and the family from an anthropological and sociological aspect, including the theological vision emphasised by its sacramental and ecclesiastical dimension. He talks of the family as the unifying basis of pastoral action and presents criteria for pastoral action directed towards the family. The author emphases love and community as the basis of marriage and the family, with indissolubility as their fundamental characteristic. The final part of the article examines marriage and family in the context of social realities exposing the social and pastoral perspective of marriage and family. The author, using a combined theological, critical and empirical method, comes to the conclusion that marriage and family are being degraded in value in the context of a pluralistic society and consumerist mentality. He considers it insufficient to express only the sociological dimension of marriage. Instead, it is necessary in pastoral work to clearly state its theological dimensions