Psychologiczne aspekty nadziei w encyklice Spe salvi

Abstract

Hope has always been a major factor which motivated human behaviour. It signified expectations of something better, which would sometimes guarantee either a profound existential experience, or at least adaptation to the social context. In the name of hope, not only did people undertake expeditions to unknown territories, but they engaged in scientific research too. They did it with the conviction that it would maintain the lives of both individuals and communities, and bring them some meaning.

It seems paradoxical that diverse quests for the sources of hope in the contemporary humanities rarely refer to the deep thought of the Church. Therefore, this article attempts to present compatibility between the papal reflections on hope (mostly in Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical Spe salvi) and some psychological analyses. To present a multidimensional experience of hope, this article mainly discusses some forms and conditions of hope and focuses on the chances of building it.