Crisis and Opportunity

How Should We Do Theology in Times of Change?

Abstract

This essay argues that contemporary Europe is living through a transitional era in which inherited religious and cultural models erode while new configurations emerge. Using comparative statistics (e.g., Pew Research), it shows that institutional Christianity is declining even as non-institutional forms of belief and non-Christian religions grow – especially in Central and Eastern Europe after 1989. Beyond the issues of demographics and migration, the author identifies a theological deficit: a fear of reality-based reflection and a reliance on simplified narratives. Two instinctive reactions – an inward-looking “traditionalism” and an uncritical “progressivism” – are judged inadequate. Drawing on Vatican II (Gaudium et spes: “reading the signs of the times”), Pope Francis (“reality is greater than ideas”), and Benedict XVI’s call for Entweltlichung, the article proposes a method that treats reality as a locus theologicus. Authentic theology must integrate reliable data, discernment and dialogue, so that the Church regains prophetic credibility. Seen in this way, secularization can become kairos: a purifying invitation to reform, mission, and a new embodiment of faith in contemporary culture.