St. John Paul II’s Ideas of Dialogue between the Church and Science

Abstract

This paper will analyse the teaching of Pope John Paul II with regard to the opening of the Church towards science. This is a relevant issue to the Christian faith. Its justification is made today in a climate of scientific thinking, in which scientific tools of recognising of the world, as well as the scientific picture of the world play an important role. This article will demonstrate in sequence: (1) the need for dialogue between the Church and science; (2) the methodological considerations, and (3) topics of this dialogue. Particular attention is paid to the papal indications on general criteria of dialogue between theologians, as the representatives of the Church and scientists, as the representatives of various fields of scientific exploration.