Theology faced with demand of pastoral care

Abstract

Many postulates are put against the contemporary theology. The most important among them are learning of a high level and pastoral care. On the one hand, there is postulated that theology must be careful, systematic and organized in terms of scientific knowledge. It comes in this case to a clear determination of its nature and methods that constitute every field of research as a science, and then to a consequent sticking to the chosen methods. A supplementary postulate concerns such a scientific doing theology, which allows to specify its position compared to other sciences. On the other hand, a postulate is formulated that theology is supposed to have higher level of pastoral care. It is a postulate that appears almost commonly in circles associated with the formation of priests. This is understandable, since theological studies have to prepare for the pastoral care service. The circles of secular theology students speak rather about the “practicality” of theology, although it is in fact the same. The postulates mentioned above are discussed in this article on the basis of reflection on the subject of theology, its nature and method, also on some theological lecture contents and on the spiritual quality of this lecture. There is paid particular attention to possibilities of pastoral theology, but formulated under explicit scientific criterion.