Abstract

The pastoral theology of the postconciliar period has been influenced l: change in the Church itself, transformations in the world, and in particular changes in the mentality and interests of contemporary people, which do rn always favour the growth of religiousness. All this indicates not only that cor temporary Church carries out its mission under increasingly difficult condition but also that the present situation requires a search for an adequate conceptio of pastor al theology. During the postconciliar period pastoral theology has been understood i a variety of ways. Discussions about .its conceptions are still continuing. Ther are different approaches to its subject matter, solutions and methods of investi gation. There are several possible ways to classity the work of postconciliar pastora theologians. This article adopts a division .into three distinct currents. One is thecclesiological trend, initiated during the council by the authors of the Germar „Handbuch der Pastoraltheologie" and continued by F. Klostermann (the commu· nity principle), H. Schuster (the problem of Jesus), J. Goldbrunner (the principlE of Incarnation), C. Floristan, M. Useros and M. van Caster (interpretation oj experience). The second current of pastoral theology regards the discipline a~dealing with the .activity of the Church. This appro.ach is due to S. Hiltner and its continuators are R. Zerfass and M. Levebre. The various postconciliar conceptions of pastoral theology have some features in common. They agree in viewing pastoral theology as a separate theological discipline, with its own subject matter and methods. Pastorał theology takes the essence of the Church as its starting point and aims not only at analyzing the activities of the Church but also at improving them. Pastora! theological reflection is interdisciplinary. It is based on a dialogue with other theological disciplines and those of the humanities which deal with human activity. The humanistic disciplines often invoked are: anthropology, psychology, sociology, language science, science of the media, praxeology, cybernetics and futurology. Some of these are useful in the analysis of the situation, some in the planning phase and some in the developing of strategies for Church action. Pastora! theology makes use of the results of these disciplines interpreting them theologically.