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Secularization And Secularism

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Another area in which the Communio and Concilium communities differ is the issue of how to handle secularism and the church in the modern world. Rahner has defined secularism as the growing influence of the world and the progression by which the world becomes self-sufficient and separates itself from the Church (Catholic Theology 155). He believed that the Church should expand its realm of knowledge, which, in turn, would help her both in the formation of doctrine and pastoral ministry (Catholic Theology 156). Schillebeeckx believed that secularization is man discovering his rational sphere of understanding. He states that secularization is a given with the growth of humanity itself (Catholic Theology 157). Schillebeeckx listed several turning points in history that led to the secularization in the Church: 13th-century laicization, the 16th-century concept of "pure nature," and the Reformation's opposition to philosophy and fideism (Catholic Theology 157). The Concilium group wants the make the faith acceptable to dialogue with the modern world.
In this dialogue with the modern world comes inculturation and adapting of the local culture and customs in the liturgy. This prospect excited many of the faithful around the world. The documents of the church after Vatican II ended the Catholic Church’s retreat and isolation from the world after the Counter-Reformation. For years, the center of Catholicism has been in Europe, but in the 50 years since Vatican II, the majority of

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