Upbringing and Education in The European Context: A Christian View and Proposals for a Contribution

Narav i poslanje Crkve usko su povezani s odgojem i obrazovanjem te je stoga razumljivo da je cjelokupan život i djelovanje Crkve prožeto tim naglascima, ostavljajući u dvotisućljetnoj povijesti bogatu baštinu koja otkriva ne tek nejasnu i sporednu brigu na tome području, nego iznimnu zauzetost u stvaranju sustava i institucija odgoja i obrazovanja (od škola do sveučilišta) koje su oblikovale europski identitet, snažno obilježen pečatom kršćanskih vrijednosti i kršćanskih kulturoloških prepoznatljivosti. Crkva, koja se očituje kao sveopća, u dinamici inkulturacije - u skladu s načelom inkarnacije - ujedno pokazuje vezanost uz konkretnost unutar povijesnih odrednica. U prvome se dijelu nalaze prikazani naglasci iz prošlosti i način na koji je kršćanstvo u raznim okolnostima dijalogiziralo i oblikovalo kulturu kršćanskim humanizmom u području odgoja i obrazovanja. U drugome se dijelu naročito naglašava dinamika povezana s pitanjem transcendentnoga, mita, kulta i etosa i s potrebom teološkoga temelja u suvremenim izazovima, tematizirajući osobito relacijsku semantiku i pitanje različitosti u pluralnosti koja sa sobom povlači pitanja kulturološke dinamike općenito kao i pokušaja stvaranja identiteta na bazi indiferentnosti, kao suvremene specifičnosti, što uvelike utječe na suvremeni europski pristup odgoju i obrazovanju.This article starts from the presumption of immeasurable spiritual and material wealth that the Church, through its activities, has brought and built in the educational processes in the past. As opposed to a certain ideology of neutrality of education and a neglect for upbringing in society (based on forgetfulness of the anthropological determinants), the article emphasises the internal dynamics of Christian values which is present in every historical era, including the contemporary one. Christianity, with its theological (primarily Christological) specificity remains a challenge to society because it interprets the question about meaning and significance at the level of anthropology and culture that, unavoidably, had and continues to have impact on society. Based on the claims of R. Spaeman and P. Donati and in relation to upbringing and education in Europe, the author shows why is the Christian approach to myth, cult, ethics and other elements of formation (such as the value of revelation, memory and experience) interesting. In this effort, the author keeps in mind that Christianity has a particular approach to the relationship between the sources of knowledge (faith and reason), as well as the sources of agency (freedom and love). All this has been and continues to be vitally reflected in the European culture and its notion of organisation of life in society over which the eschatological dimension continues to exert formidable influence. On the basis of historical constants, the author attempts to find possible connections with today\u27s questions in upbringing and education. Amongst these, he finds the imperatives of anthropological foundations (and their theological basis) to be most significant in the European context which is sliding toward a system built on the aforementioned neutrality and in-difference (a difference that does not differ)