Catholic View Research Articles

Luther zwischen Mythos und Wahrheit

The purpose of this article is to convey an authentic portrait of Martin Luther as a church reformer. In its first part, this paper deals with history. The author classifies the story of Luther’s publishing of indulgence theses in 1517 as a grounding myth of the protestant church and also points out its catholic counterpart: the anti-myth or ‘defence-myth’, namely the accusation that subjectivism, pantheism or atheism are fruits of reformation and especially of Luther’s teaching. The author then briefly informs about the enormous amount of relevant literature which is due to the complexity of Luther’s personality and goes on to describe the changes in protestant and catholic views of Luther over the time. He makes an interesting point in showing the reciprocal dependence of protestant and catholic notions: as soon as the Lutherans started to criticize their reformer, the roman-catholic theologians discovered unexpected similarities between his teaching and their own objectives. In the second part, looking towards the Jubilee, three major opinions of protestant origin are discussed: that Luther was a pioneer of modern social achievements (Thies Grundlach); that today’s situation of Christianity is definitely not what Luther would want to achieve (Heinz Schilling) and eventually an opinion that praises Luther as a moving force to promote freedom in history. Eventually, five questions or proposals are formulated, namely: 1. What are we to celebrate? What exactly has happened on October 31, 1517? 2. Would it be more appropriate to celebrate a Christusfest instead of pushing the man Luther in the front? 3. All churches, e. g. Anglicans should be involved in the celebrations. 4. Christians should connect their belief in the relevance of the past (Gospel news) with the plausibility to the present (as a gift from the Holy Spirit) in order to be able to reach out to the future. 5. It is necessary to take Luther serious, i.e. together with him to pose questions to the whole corpus of Scripture. This also includes the art to distinguish relevant Luther’s ideas from those of his notions which are bound to the past.

Katolický obraz Luthera na prahu reformačního jubilea

In this article, we have laid out an outline of the development of the Roman Catholic view of Luther as it appears in selected reflections by Catholic theologians. We have identified their views as being basically consensual. They introduce the same key Catholic figures and their similar views, the only differences between them being the accents on certains details and some mutual internal criticism of those who represent this development. We present a formal typology of Catholic views on Luther and a brief characterization of late twentieth century research based on our formulated terms in the second part. We look at Catholic works which were primarily published during the decade prior to the Reformation jubilee of 2017 in the third part. The Catholic works published thus far do not depart from our typology.

Questions of condom use in the Muslim and Catholic response to HIV and AIDS in Nairobi, Kenya

ABSTRACTReligious leaders in Roman Catholic and Sunni Muslim communities in Kenya’s capital city of Nairobi are charged with responding in an official capacity to the pressing concerns facing their respective communities both theologically and practically. However, speaking about sexuality from a religious perspective particularly on the use of condoms in AIDS prevention has been rather troublesome topic many leaders and clergy find problematic discussing openly. This paper offers a comparative analysis of Muslim and Catholic views on sexuality by establishing the parameters within which to consider the presence and activity of Catholic and Muslim leaders in Kenya and the holistic, grassroots approach in responding to the AIDS epidemic in Nairobi regarding condom use.

Jesus of History, Christ of Faith: One Christ Jesus

Whilst stressing the importance of grace and faith, the Catholic bible emphasizes the desirability of wisdom , reason, the need for the faithful to be able to explain their faith and the fact that the existence and some characteristics of God are ascertainable by reason. The real key to the New Testament is its emphasis on truth and on Jesus being the truth. Christianity asserts not only that faith in Christ is reasonable and rational but also that events in the life of Christ actually occurred as a matter of human history . As a result, the events described in the New Testament can be the subject of investigation by the application of historical method , archeology , psychology , medicine and other academic disciplines. The Catholic Church, also places great emphasis on reason and truth and has a long history of engagement considering and benefitting from a relationship between philosophy (an attempt by rational and reasoned consideration to answer questions of life’s meaning including the identification of principles underlying knowledge and being ) and theology (the exploration of the content and implications of divine revelation ). This paper seeks to explain the Catholic view of the relationship between philosophy and theology and to demonstrate their integration with each other. To do so the paper examines why philosophy and theology work, how they relate to each other in Catholic thought and how that relationship can be reconciled with the Magisterium. It concludes with a consideration of the present need for a relationship between philosophy and theology. It argues that the Jesus of History and the Christ of the Catholic faith are one and the same.

Pühaduse performatiivsus ja kristlik teater / The Performativity of Sacrality and Christian Theatre

Pühaduse performatiivsus ja kristlik teater / The Performativity of Sacrality and Christian Theatre

Por la psicopatología hacia Dios: psiquiatría y saber de salvación durante el primer franquismo

Al finalizar la Segunda Guerra Mundial, el regimen franquista intento distanciarse de los fascismos derrotados acentuando su caracter catolico. El cambio de imagen culmino en 1947 con el establecimiento, mediante la Ley de Sucesion, de Espana como Estado Catolico. Este proceso ocasiono que la ideologia nacionalcatolica se convirtiera en las primeras decadas de la dictadura en la fuerza hegemonica para la transformacion de la sociedad espanola en un sentido antimodernizador. La actividad cientifica no quedo exenta de esa modulacion, fomentandose la creacion de una ciencia catolica, portadora de valores universales y armonizada con la fe. Los conceptos psiquiatricos elaborados por Juan Jose Lopez Ibor durante el primer franquismo —la anagogia, el instinto de perfeccion, la psicagogia y, sobre todo, la timopatia ansiosa y la angustia vital— constituyeron un ejemplo de esa ciencia catolica. Se analizan aqui el trasfondo cristiano de dichas nociones, su repercusion cientifica y la utilidad social que tuvieron para la dictadura. El trabajo subraya como resultados, por un lado, la concepcion de esas nociones psiquiatricas clave del primer franquismo como saberes de salvacion, esto es, como transmisoras de supuestos valores eternos acordes con la vision del catolicismo dominante por entonces; y, por otro, el funcionamiento de tales nociones como un dispositivo mas de la red reguladora disenada y desplegada por el franquismo para fomentar la sumision y la resignacion de la poblacion.

Secular Courts and Sacred Ties: A Critical Analysis of the U.S. Supreme Court's Ruling on Same-Sex Marriage

AbstractThe recent Supreme Court ruling regarding same-sex marriage presents a number of problems for a nominally secular and pluralistic society that aspires to be democratic. As to the nation's nominally secular commitments, this decision is striking for the prominence given to veiled (and not-so-veiled) religious language. As to the nation's pluralism, the decision presupposes a rather narrowly Christian (and indeed Roman Catholic) view of marriage. As to the nation's democratic commitments, the decision participates in the emerging trend whereby Court decisions are read simply for their results, not for their reasoning. This creates the perception that Supreme Court decisions create winners and losers in an arbitrary and undemocratic fashion. To counter this trend, this article provides a close reading of the decision, and the four dissents, to pursue broader questions about the place of this debate in current North American society.

AKAR KORUPSI

The author of this article starts from the fact that in Indonesia, as in many other countries, corruption is rapidly escalating, and seemingly is extremely difficult to eradicate. And so the author questions the root of corruption. From an ethical perspective, corruption is clearly categorised as a social sin. In the Catholic view, sin is rooted in what is known as “original sin”. Making use of the study of Eugen Drewermann, the author describes the root of sin as suspicion of God, an attitude that is no longer convinced that God can be relied upon as source of life and basic guarantor of human life. Thus, humans become convinced that they themselves must guarantee the foundation of their existence. To achieve this, humans seek power, property and wealth as the source of apparently guaranteeing the basis of their life. However, humans know in their heart that death is going to take everything away, and so become avaricious and feel that they never own enough to secure themselves. Because of this sinful mechanism, corruption will never be overcome as long as the underlying distrust is not overcome through conviction. In order to oppose corruption, the Church needs to attempt to plant in the hearts of humanity confidence that God can be relied upon as the foundation and guarantor of life. Only then can humans be freed from the necessity of guaranteeing life by their own efforts.

Cardinal Gibbons as a Symbol for Early Sex Education

Scholars and church leaders have recognized Cardinal James Gibbons (1834−1921), archbishop of Baltimore, as a prominent voice for American Catholics. However, few are aware that early sex educators claimed Gibbons as one of their own. Starting in 1912, several national organizations dedicated to sex education elected him as honorary vice president. He was a symbol for the sex education movement, a symbol that gained momentum over time and transformed him posthumously into a founder of sex education. Reasons why are not immediately apparent. To make sense of these representations, it is necessary to understand the historical role of religion in sex education. The embrace of Gibbons grew out of the movement’s liberal Protestant roots and its search for moral legitimacy in a culture that deemed sexual discourse obscene. Gibbons’ reputation grew stronger among sex educators as they sought wider religious support for public campaigns, moving in the direction of ecumenical and interfaith cooperation. His association with these organizations sheds light on the diversity of American Catholic views on sex education—especially in its early days when the mainstream movement did not endorse birth control.

We Gather Together: The Religious Right and the Problem of Interfaith Politics by Neil J. Young

Reviewed by: We Gather Together: The Religious Right and the Problem of Interfaith Politics by Neil J. Young Ronit Y. Stahl We Gather Together: The Religious Right and the Problem of Interfaith Politics. By Neil J. Young. (New York: Oxford University Press. 2016. Pp. xvi, 412. $34.95. ISBN 978-0-19-973898-4.) As Donald Trump gained momentum in the 2016 Republican primary race, many wondered how religious conservatives could vote for a man whose personal life and political views seemed so distant from their own. Neil J. Young’s We Gather Together: The Religious Right and the Problem of Interfaith Politics answers this question by making two interrelated arguments. First, he compellingly demonstrates [End Page 863] that the Religious (Christian) Right was a shaky political, rather than sturdy theological, alliance. Second, he highlights that the fractious and precarious confederation of evangelical, Catholic, and Mormon interests meant that its constituents are neither uniform nor consistently in line with their institutional leadership. “Their union,” he reflects, “more closely resembled a loose braid than the indestructible cord: separate threads brought together in tension, they overlapped in some places and rested closely but independently aside each other in others” (p. 8). Conviction and pragmatism strained to find a middle ground on which conservative Christians could mobilize to fight late-twentieth-century culture wars and social change; the political force of this uneasy alliance was weaker than typically assumed. We Gather Together begins in mid-century with conservative religious resistance to interfaith unity. There was some interest in subgroup cooperation, but the underlying threat of loosening doctrinal certainty pushed evangelicals, Catholics, and Mormons toward separation and isolation rather than cooperation and partnership. The problem, Young shows, was theological: competing exclusive truth claims left little room for collaboration. While suspicion of early-twentieth-century liberal Protestant ecumenism and mid-century tri-faith pluralism lingered, the value of political networks grew as American cultural politics shifted in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. In fact, when this religious trio “perceived themselves as outsiders fighting the cultural and political consensus” (p. 3), they could collaborate. The Second Vatican Council played a crucial role in creating the possibility of conservative interfaith activity. The “Decree on Ecumenism” not only relaxed the long-standing Catholic view of other Christians as heretics but also insisted on inviting “separated brethren” to worship and work together to fulfill Christ’s mission. Evangelicals and Mormons each saw a little potential and a lot of problems in this new direction. But constitutional challenges to school prayer, “God is Dead” theology, abortion, and the Equal Rights Amendment fertilized the soil of ecumenical conservatism and pollinated the buds of the Moral Majority. These fights also highlight Young’s point: even as conservative Christians united to pursue political action in line with their values, distinctive theological commitments challenged, cracked, and eroded coalitions. Phyllis Schlafly’s successful campaign to unite against the ERA, which brought together Catholics, Mormons, evangelicals, and fundamentalists, looked more diverse “from a national vantage point [and] obscure[ed] the divisions that remained at the grassroots” (p. 156). And if the Reagan years represented a harsh right turn for liberals, they were a disappointingly slow veer rightward for this league of religious conservatives. The 1990s Christian Coalition picked up the pieces and tried again to puzzle out conservative interfaith unity; the Clinton years brought evangelicals and Catholics closer together, while Mormons remained on the edge. Gay marriage offered a tantalizing opportunity to ally, while Mitt Romney’s 2012 campaign again exposed the limits of cooperation. A teetering affinity has proved more constant than a stable alliance. Writing about a triangle of religious groups that engaged in dialogues but rarely interacted simultaneously is a massive task, made even more so by the theological [End Page 864] gulfs that informed and strained the developing relationships. Overall, Young handles this task deftly, although at times the extensive detail overwhelms the narrative. Nevertheless, this is a significant reinterpretation of the rise and frailty of the Religious Right that deserves the attention of religious, political, and cultural historians. It also helps explain the present moment, implicitly reminding us that Trump’s “Make America Great Again” motto streamlines Pat Robertson’s clunky...

Ethnonationalism and attitudes towards gay and lesbian rights in Northern Ireland

AbstractDisputes over gay and lesbian rights occupy a central place on both national and international agendas in recent years. This is also the case in societies emerging from chronic ethnonational conflict where debates over gay and lesbian rights vs. ethnic‐based rights predominate. While much scholarly work focuses on the influence of socio‐demographic factors in determining attitudes toward gay and lesbian rights in postconflict societies, to date, the role of political influences, such as ethnonationalism, is noticeably under‐researched. It is with this omission in mind that this paper focuses on the influence of ethnonationalism, or congruency in religious, national and communal identity, on attitudes towards gay and lesbian rights issues. Using nationally representative data from Northern Ireland, the results suggest that while ethnonationalism is a key predictor of attitudes among Protestants, it is socio‐demographic factors, such as gender, age and educational attainment, that are the primary determinants of Catholic views.

CHRISTIANITY FROM THE MARGINS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

The relationship between nationalism and religion is very complicated. In the context of colonialism, Christianity has surely been perceived as a foreign religion that poses a menace to native nationalism. This essay presents a different picture, taking the case of colonial Java (the Netherlands East Indies) to illustrate the complex historical relationship between Catholicism and Indonesian nationalism. Perhaps it is rather ironic that it was chiefly through their connection with the Dutch Church and their mission enterprise that the Javanese Catholic intelligentsia were made deeply aware of their own dignity as a particular people and the limitations of European colonialism. In this case, Catholic Christianity as a world religion with supranational connection and identity has been able to help the birth of an intense nationalism that was prevented from being too narrow, chauvinistic, or simply “racialist,” precisely because it is connected with its larger ecumenism or network. More specifically, this ecumenism is also founded on the idea of “catholicity,” that is, universalism, that lies at the heart of Catholic Christianity. In the post-colonial Indonesia, however, this Catholic view needs to be translated into common platforms with the views and concerns of Indonesian Muslims, who face the same new challenges as they play their role in the formation of an authentic Indonesian nationalism.

Light of Life Christian Group as a New Religious Movement in Zimbabwe

The birth and rapid growth of new religious movements in Zimbabwe is a marked phenomenon in the history of Christianity in Africa. Ever since the Reformation that split the Western Church in the 16th century, a number of efforts have since been made by various new religious movements to try and foster ecumenism amongst the deeply divided ecclesiastical communities. Whilst great strides have since been made in critical areas such as common witnessing, inter-religious dialogue, common prayers, mixed marriages, ecumenism in faculties of theology, among other areas, one key element of ecumenism, namely, the common celebration of the Eucharist has always remained very remote and a no go area. To a greater extent, the Roman Catholic authorities in particular have been accused of dragging their feet or taking a ‘distant and detached’ approach to the same practice.1 This current article specifically examines the Light of Life Christian Group’s (llcg) vision of ecumenism, particularly its practice of Eucharistic intercommunion that dates back to the early 1970s. The main argument developed in this article is that, whilst llcg may stand in sharp opposition to the traditional Christian (particularly Catholic) view with regard to sharing the Eucharist with non-Catholics and norms governing the formation of public associations, it has made a breakthrough in the realization of the highest goal of ecumenism. To a greater extent, it has also succeeded in uniting the various denominations that for centuries had been separated by doctrine, history and practice. The article also argues that whilst llcg’s breakthrough is of pinnacle importance in the history of Christianity in Zimbabwe in particular, it is also unique in the sense that, instead of starting from above, from popes and bishops as is always expected and canonically constituted, the breakthrough has started from below.

Individual choices revisited: Non-heterosexual Christians in Poland

Drawing on qualitative research among highly educated Polish lesbian, gay and bisexual Christians who do not wish to deny their sexual inclinations, seeking instead to integrate their sexuality and religiosity, the author addresses (1) their decision whether to continue to follow Roman Catholicism or seek religious traditions that support such integration, and (2) the choices related to participation in Penance and Eucharist sacraments by those who continue to follow Roman Catholicism. These decisions and choices are structurally conditioned: Christian seekers raised in multidenominational settings and people who are geographically and socially mobile are most ready to challenge the dominant Catholic views on homosexuality and its proscription of the participation of those who are homosexually active in certain aspects of religious practice. The author calls for recognition that, following Bourdieu, the religious field should be interconnected with other social fields, specifically with regard to the analysis of the relationship between religiosity and homosexuality.

A Catholic View of the Ethic Principle of Solidarity. Consequences at the Ethic-social Level

It is well known that founding documents of the EU do not contain any objective reference to the cultural-Christian tradition of the ‘old world’ – in spite of the sustained efforts of several Christian churches from Europe, peculiarly the Catholic one (through the Pope John Paul II himself). In an European society characterized more and more by discriminations and prejudices, superficiality and abusers, the necessity appears to recover the knowledge and awareness of fundamental ethic-social principles like personalismus, solidarity and subsidiarity. The present article put forward a qualified differentiation of the ‘term’ solidarity, followed by bringing into question some types of solidarity, as for instance those of the ethic-social, ethic-individual and legal-juridical areas. Debates go on from the points of view of the delicate balance between individual welfare and collective welfare, the moral-social responsibility of social actors, the human dignity, our social (in) competence as well as the time-space dimension. Conclusions suggest considering the social implications of solidarity principle within social-charitative area.

Zwischen Hinrichtung und Duldung

Abstract The debates on toleration in the Confessional Age have not caught the interest of proponents of historical philosophy. Normally, they tend to locate the writings of Pierre Bayle or John Locke as the origins of modern philosophy. “Why?” one may ask. Perhaps the predominately religiously motivated discourse between theologians simply seems too remote. In this study, however, I attempt to demonstrate that a clear separation between theological and purely philosophical arguments was inconceivable in the 16th and 17th century. I will identify confessional differences in the debate on toleration and analyse the changes resulting from the religious and social transitions of the 17th century. In comparing Catholic, Reformed, Lutheran and Socinian views, the specific structural features of the confessions on the question of tolerating people of different faiths appear. Such a structural comparison demonstrates that the approach to the pressing issue of tolerating people of different faiths was not just based on personal attitudes, but on doctrine, whether of a theological or philosophical nature.

“Beyond Hope He Saved Us”: Trinitarian Analogies in The Lord of the Rings

ALTHOUGH THE THEOLOGICAL UNDERPINNINGS of his Middle Earth involve mythology of his own devising, J. R. R. Tolkien in The Lord of Rings makes use of Trinitarian analogies that lie at heart of medieval Catholic views of structure of world. The novel's three books correspond to theological virtues of faith, hope, and love, providing structure that supports redemptive sacrifices of main characters. At deeper level, these main characters, Aragorn, Gandalf, and Frodo, embody qualities of three persons of Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. An examination of these characters in light of Trinitarian analogies reveals essential Catholicism that lies at heart of Tolkien's novel. Although Tolkien specifically rejects any attempt to read The Lord of Rings as allegorical, he also unequivocally states that it is a fundamentally religious and Catholic work. (1) Rather than including specific doctrines or theologies, he declares that the religious element is absorbed into story. (2) In reflecting on Tolkien's Catholic imagination, Thomas Smith observes that Tolkien's belief hold[s] that there is an ongoing relationship between God and world, wherein divine abundance at heart of Trinity sustains and is manifest in order and beauty and goodness of cosmos around us. To look at world through this lens entails believing that everything and everyone we encounter is vehicle or go-between for divine presence. (3) One way we can discern this absorbed religious element and manifestation of Trinity in world is in Tolkien's use of threefold structures at various levels of narrative. At most obvious level, story is trilogy, divided into three volumes. Each volume has its own name and theme, but, like Holy Trinity, they are of one essence. The first book, The Fellowship of Ring, centers on development of small community of nine walkers who will support Frodo in his quest to destroy ring. Faith is theological virtue that underlies this book and is at heart of fellowship. This community begins with four hobbits, who are bound together by family ties and/or long years of affiliation. Although Frodo intends initially to set off with only his servant Sam as companion, when his younger cousins declare their intentions to accompany him, he accepts their offer, even while expressing his reluctance to lead them into danger. When he first realizes that they have been conspiring to discover his plans, he asserts, it does not seem can trust anyone. (4) Merry's response indicates trust that is foundation of their fellowship: You can trust us to stick to through thick and thin--to bitter end. And can trust us to keep any secret of yours--closer than keep it yourself. But cannot trust us to let face trouble alone and go off without word. We are your friends, Frodo ... We are horribly afraid--but we are coming with you (103). To best of their ability hobbits remain faithful to that declaration, and their faithfulness is nucleus of fellowship that is built up through rest of first book. The first outsider to join their fellowship is Aragorn in his persona as Strider. When Frodo first sees him in inn, he is suspicious of Strider's rough outward appearance and cryptic comments. In their first encounter Frodo felt far from comfortable under stare of those keen eyes (153), and later Strider himself says, I have rather rascally look, have not? (161). The hobbits respond cautiously to his advice and offer of guidance. Strider agrees to answer their questions, but he wonders why should believe my story, if do not trust me already? (163). The arrival of Gandalf's letter affirms Strider's identity, although Sam remains skeptical. Frodo declares, I believed that were friend before letter came (168), and trust begins to build between them. …

The Catholic theology of religions: a survey of pre-Vatican II and Conciliar attitudes towards other religions

AbstractThis article analyses the Catholic view of religions by examining its beginnings as a theology of salvation for non-believers summarised by the aphorism extra ecclesiam nulla salus. It notes that Catholic attempts to examine the capacity of religions per se in attaining salvation for their followers took place in the period before and during Vatican II when the church began assessing the non-Christian person not just as an isolated individual but also by taking into account her wider affiliations to a religious community. This analysis has revealed there were hermeneutical tensions within the church about whether the Council signified greater continuity or discontinuity with tradition, and consequently, similarly contrasting views about the extent to which it was willing to see other religions as holding salvific function to any extent. The survey has concluded that ultimately the Council chose to leave this question of the salvific function of other faiths open for further investigation, even though it displayed an unprecedented positive appreciation of them, contra some observers who have argued the church recognised the possibility of salvation for non-Christians through their own faiths. Nevertheless, the Second Vatican Council did affirm the significance of other religions as a preparation for the Gospel, as well as showed a movement beyond the pre-Conciliar notion of extra ecclesiam by granting the possibility of salvation for non-Christians, particularly those who are invincibly ignorant and who had striven to live an upright life by observing natural law. This implies that the next theological question on the agenda could be on the role and functions of these religions; i.e. are those people who are reckoned to be saved, saved through or despite their religions, and how is this salvation related to the church or to the work of Christ or both? Thus, the analysis provided in this theological-historical survey will serve to provide the backdrop for further discussions on post Conciliar developments within the Catholic theology of religions. Finally, an understanding of Catholic views towards other religions will also be illuminative for Protestantism as it seeks to advance its own theological understanding of world religions.

‘The Edification of the Church’: Richard Hooker’s Theology of Worship and the Protestant Inward / Outward Disjunction

ABSTRACT Sixteenth-century English Protestants struggled with the legacy left them by the Lutheran reformation: a strict disjunction between inward and outward that hindered the development of a robust theology of worship. For Luther, outward forms of worship had more to do with the edification of the neighbour than they did with pleasing God. But what exactly did ‘edification’ mean? On the one hand, English Protestants sought to avoid the Roman Catholic view that certain elements of worship held an intrinsic spiritual value; on the other hand, many did not want to imply that forms of worship were spiritually arbitrary and had a merely civil value. Richard Hooker developed his theology of worship in response to this challenge, seeking to maintain a clear distinction between the inward worship of the heart and the outward forms of public worship, while refusing to disassociate the two. The result was a concept of edification which sought to do justice to both civil and spiritual concerns, without, pace Peter Lake and other scholars, conceding an inch to a Catholic theology of worship

A imagem de Cristo nos parlamentos

Neste artigo, descrevo e analiso a campanha pela colocação da imagem do Cristo crucificado em casas legislativas empreendida por um partido político de orientação nacionalista e católica conservadora na década de 1940. Além disso, busco retratara tradicional cerimônia de entronização da imagem do Cristo crucificado em recintos estatais. Esta cerimônia deita suas raízes no período colonial e imperial. Procuro, ainda, ressaltar as constantes interações entre o religioso e o secular, e, desse modo, problematizo a noção de que esses são campos plenamente autônomos e diferenciados. A dimensão religiosa e a dimensão cívica apresentam-se constantemente imbricadas nas situações que serão examinadas neste texto.