Author: PhD. Dan Țăreanu (“Andrei Șaguna” Faculty of Theology, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu)
Keywords: Modernity, religion, Church, secularization, progress
Abstract:
If put in contrast with the numerous works on this very complex interaction between Faith and Modernity’s non-religious “spirit”, the thought of Revered Nicolae Achimescu (1955 – 2019) is first illustrated by the power of his exceptional insight and synthesis. Implicitly, his studies, articles and volumes have the power (maybe unique in the Romanian Theology field), to perform an integrated analysis, based on many criteria, of the impact that the religious fact has with Modernity and, simultaneously, to underline (in a synthetical relevant manner) the structure of accents more or less reluctant to its ecclesiology. After all, by means of this set of values – exclusively limited to the horizonal level of an everyday absoluteness – that he cultivates and promotes by all possible means, Modernity tend to render spirituality invalid, to compromise and suppress/ignore man’s religious vocation, replacing it with the primacy of individual prosperity, one very relative and, ultimately, illusory. In this sense, a diagnosis of impact of Modernity on the level of the individual and communities’ religious consciousness will be able to display the tribulations of a world which, based on its self-sufficiency, has thrown God into oblivion, unscrupulously rejecting it from the sphere of its interests. This world has estranged itself from its Creator under the counterfeited pretext of gaining autonomy from any transcendental axiological reference, has been rapidly covered by the shade of unbelief. In this manner, this world has lost the meaning of the true freedom, it has developed exceedingly its egocentric tendencies and, consequently has failed into a consumerism with no spiritual dimension. For this reason, displaying the rich value of the analytical landmarks drawn by Reverend Nicolae Achimescu on the theological issues subsequent to the global progress of Modernity, our study has tried to catch and to comprise the main coordinates of a fundamental theological diagnosis and which should lead to an authentic starting point for any other similar approaches.
Pages: 48-61