The Conference on "Theology in Outreach", which will take place on February 12, 2025, at 9:00 AM, in the Juan Vecchi Hall of the University, is organized by the Faculty of Theology (FT) and is part of the meeting of the Deans of the aggregated and affiliated Centers of the FT to offer a theological update in the current ecclesial and cultural context.
Theology, in its various branches, is increasingly addressing unavoidable cultural issues that concern the future of humanity. Consider: the digital revolution with all its anthropological implications; responsibility towards the earth; ongoing wars and the possibility of a world war; tensions and contradictions between the globalization process and the rise of nationalisms; the migration phenomenon; dissatisfaction with the world economic order, perceived as unjust; the need to deal with the issue of women, differences, reciprocity; the call to build dialogue and a culture of encounter.
The different theological disciplines (all, in one way or another) are opening up to these themes; in this sense, they "go out" into the open with respect to the ecclesial context and traditional themes. This outreach cannot remain one-sided (from us towards culture) and cannot merely consist of adding, as an appendix, themes or simply making the social dimension of faith more explicit. From these themes, the need for fresh air, a more open horizon, and a discourse somehow comprehensible to all is felt. It is also noticed that the cultural context is increasingly less interested in issues related to faith-culture, faith-science, faith-atheism, etc., which presume a prior interest in the Christian religion (which is not at all taken for granted).
The focus shifts, rather, to the quality of the human, i.e., the axis of the human-inhuman (consider debates on posthumanism and transhumanism). It is as if theology needs to find another point of contact and interaction with culture; as if a new apologetics were needed or perhaps breaking away from the (subtly) apologetic attitude and manifesting sincere passion for the human and its truth. It is about traversing the human "with faith" rather than leading the human "to faith."
The movement of outreach seems, as a counter-impact, to refer theology back to itself, to its sources, to understand itself more radically (in the literal sense of re-evaluating its roots). Questions such as: what is the starting point of theology? What is the horizon of its reflection? Theology evidently has radically to do with the event of Christ. But what does it mean? Can this be reduced to starting from Scripture, tradition, or the symbol of faith?
These questions will be addressed by prof. Lucia Vantini, with a presentation on The Unprecedented in Theologies: Long-standing Removals and Unexpected Newness, and prof. Simone Morandini with a presentation on Tradition for a New Time: A Theology on the Boundaries? The two presentations will be followed by a debate in the hall to welcome proposals, ideas, and suggestions that can support the journey of a "Theology in Outreach".