Title
The Catholic Church and the Non-Christian World: Teaching Lumen Gentium §16 and Nostra Aetate
Department/School
Theology
Date
2019
Document Type
Article
Keywords
pedagogy, interreligious dialogue, theology of religions, Lumen Gentium, Nostra Aetate
Abstract
There is widespread ignorance among Catholics that the Church formally teaches that it is possible for non-Christians to be saved, and that it encourages interreligious dialogue. Effective teaching methods must be developed to address the issue of the Church and the non-Christian world. Simply focusing on Lumen Gentium §16 and Nostra Aetate is not enough; considerable background information on these documents must be given. If not, these documents can appear to conservatives as capitulations to contemporary trends and to liberals as disingenuous departures from the Church’s historical stances. This paper offers background information upon which the educator may draw. It also explores issues of pedagogy and student reactions.
Published in
The Journal of Interreligious Studies
Citation/Other Information
Ulrich, Edward T. “The Catholic Church and the Non-Christian World: Teaching Lumen Gentium §16 and Nostra Aetate.” The Journal of Interreligious Studies 26 (2019): 19-41.