Wojtyla’s Philosophical Preparation for John Paul II’s Theology

The course aims to present the relation between the philosophy of Karol Wojtyła and the theology of John Paul II. The relation between philosophy and theology is traditionally one of the fundamental issues in Christian thought that mirrors the relation between reason and faith, as well as nature and grace. Therefore, the question regarding the relation between philosophy and theology can be addressed to every one of the great thinkers in the Christian tradition: Augustine, Aquinas, Bonaventure, Newman, von Balthasar. Looking for an answer to this question in case of Karol Wojtyła/John Paul II can be especially fruitful, at least for three reasons. First, during the pre-pontifical stage of his life, Wojtyła was concerned primarily with philosophy and worked as an academic teacher of philosophy. Secondly, the main subject of Wojtyla’s philosophical project consisted in anthropology and ethics that became also the center of John Paul II’s teaching. Thirdly, John Paul II explicitly addressed the relation between faith and reason, philosophy and theology, most notably in his encyclicals Redemptor hominis, Veritatis splendor, and Fides et ratio. Each of these aspects will be examined during the course.