Caritas et veritas - Latest articles

Results 1 to 30 of 47:

Character Formation of Generation Z in Christian Religious Education Through Spiritual FormationStudies Topical

Imanuel Herman Prawiromaruto, Kalis Stevanus, Thomas Pentury, Alvonce Poluan, Tan Lie-lie

Caritas et veritas 2025, 15(2):90-102  

Generation Z, often characterised as digital natives, has grown up in an environment where technology particularly smartphones—is a constant presence. This pervasive exposure to digital devices has significantly shaped their daily lives, cognitive development, and moral reasoning. The omnipresence of technology presents both opportunities and challenges in the formation of their character and social behaviours. Empirical studies indicate that approximately 95% of individuals within this generation possess access to a smartphone, employing it for a variety of functions including communication, education, and entertainment. Notably, around 77%...

Value and Demographic Characteristics of the Czech Population Engaged in Humanities-Oriented Leisure Activities: A Challenge for Values Education and Social SecurityStudies Topical

Jiří Pospíšil, Ivana Olecká

Caritas et veritas 2025, 15(2):72-89  

In the context of current global crises (migratory, and military) as well as the growing phenomenon of child brutality (manifesting, for example, in violent incidents in schools), it is becoming increasingly evident that education has diverged from one of its fundamental purposes: the cultivation of humanity. This article contributes to the ongoing debate by analysing the relationship between participation in humanities-oriented leisure activities and individual value preferences, based on data from a 2024 survey conducted on a representative sample of 1,873 respondents in the Czech Republic. The analysis showed no statistically significant gender...

Ethical Values of Education in Wartime: the Ukrainian ContextStudies Topical

Lyudmyla Ivanyuk

Caritas et veritas 2025, 15(2):55-71  

During wartime, education is confronted with both institutional disruptions and deep ethical dilemmas, as it seeks to uphold and transmit moral values in the midst of instability, trauma, and social disintegration. This study explores the ethical values of education during the war in Ukraine, aiming to understand how educational spaces can foster dignity, responsibility, and solidarity under crisis conditions. Using a three-stage hermeneutical approach – normative theorisation, qualitative analysis through student questionnaires, and critical reflection – the study examines both the ideals and lived realities of ethical education in wartime....

The Demand for Universal Love in the Globalised World And Its Current Challenges for Social Work Based on the Initiatives of the Social Encyclical of Pope Francis Fratelli tutti (2020)Studies Topical

Jindřich Šrajer

Caritas et veritas 2025, 15(2):47-54  

The article reflects the call for universal love in our globalised world and the resulting challenges for social work, drawing on Pope Francis’ social encyclical Fratelli tutti (2020), and relevant scholarly literature. This theoretically grounded article examines and documents universal fraternity and social friendship as contemporary demand for universal love, which Pope Francis presents as essential for the future perspectives of our globalised world. His perspectives also offer a deeper understanding of social reality and the core mission of social work. The text affirms the relevance of Pope Francis’ concept and the specific role of...

Humanity and Spirituality in Social and Pedagogical Rehabilitation: on the Way to Human Integration and Education for HumanityStudies Topical

Helena Dojčarová

Caritas et veritas 2025, 15(2):37-46  

Rehabilitation in contemporary understanding encompasses a holistic approach to the individual, taking into account their psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions. Within this broader perspective, the values of humanity and spirituality come to the forefront. Respecting the client’s spirituality and the values of humanity emerging from it leads to a truly effective rehabilitation care. Focusing on social and pedagogical rehabilitation, this article presents selected social work theories that reflect the themes of humanity and spirituality and are applicable within the field of social rehabilitation – namely, existential analysis...

Interim Bridges to ‘Them’: The Challenges of Education and Living with Diversity Raised by the Ukrainian CrisisStudies Topical

Jana Karlová, Lucie Ludvíková

Caritas et veritas 2025, 15(2):17-36  

This qualitative study explores the experience of living with diversity in three lower-grade public elementary school classes in the Czech Republic, focusing on the challenges brought to light by the arrival of immigrants from Ukraine in 2022. Conducted between September 2021 and March 2023, the research is based primarily on semi-structured interviews with educators, complemented by participant observation and document analysis. Drawing on insights from sociocultural anthropology, it examines educators’ understandings of boundaries—particularly the categories of ‘normal’ and ‘foreign’, and the distinctions between...

Humanity as a Fundamental Value of Education (not only) in Leisure TimeEditorial

Markéta Kropíková, Michal Opatrný

Caritas et veritas 2025, 15(2):6-7  

Caritas et veritas 2/2025 was created with the awareness that life in the 21st century is marked by tension between massive technological advances, social upheavals, and radical changes in human needs—and at the same time by a lasting desire for humanity, which, despite growing uncertainties, has not lost its significance. Most of the articles were therefore guided by a question that periodically recurs in the humanities and social sciences, but which takes on new urgency in times of crisis: Can contemporary education and training still humanise people? And if so, how?

Responsibility and Challenge: Psychological Analysis of Covid-19 Information in a Journal of the.Czech Christian Academy.Studies Varia

Pavel Moravec, Lucia Lacková

Caritas et veritas 2025, 15(1):99-114 | DOI: 10.32725/cetv.2025.009  

The purpose of the research is to analyse information about Covid-19 as it relates to religion in a Czech periodical Universum in the year 2020. We examine coping strategies to deal with the pandemic situation. Thematic analysis is used as a method. Five main themes are found: Challenge, Searching for the spiritual dimension of the crisis, Use of online space, Ineffective management of the pandemic by the Church, and Balancing different approaches. The disease is presented as a challenge to face and the published information gives the pandemic a spiritual dimension, but without apocalyptic fear. Spirituality has emerged as an adaptive coping mechanism...

Christian Ethics and Nigerian Politics: a Reflection on Philippians 2:3-4Studies Topical

Michael Oyebowale Oyetade, Esther Adeola Femi-Olubiyi

Caritas et veritas 2025, 15(1):82-98 | DOI: 10.32725/cetv.2025.008  

Nigerian politics in the 21st century reflects a complex landscape of democratic retrogression, economic challenges, insecurity, and social issues, corruption, poor infrastructure, etc., despite the large numbers of Christians as citizens. Philippians 2:3-4 emphasises key principles such as selflessness, humility, consideration for others, modesty, unpretentiousness, etc., which offer specific guidance for political leaders and Nigerian citizens; thus, this paper aims to reflect on the text in the context of Nigerian politics. The research adopts a qualitative research design and the research methods are historical and exegetical methods, the population...

The Impact of a Parent’s Mental Illness on a Child’s LifeStudies Topical

Silvie Ročovská

Caritas et veritas 2025, 15(1):64-81 | DOI: 10.32725/cetv.2025.007  

The aim of this study is to find out what effect does parental mental illness have on the life of the child. A sub-objective of the study is to show the specific problems of the children and the strategies they use to cope with the family situation.  The starting point is the concept of parental mental illness as a risk factor in child development. The issue is approached through an ecological approach explaining the interdependence between humans and their environment. The text is developed as a theoretical essay that analyses the literature sources dealing with the issue of serious mental illness of a parent and its impact on the child. Literature...

Rituals of the Last Farewell in Contemporary Czech SocietyStudies Topical

Petr Macek, Tereza Lásková

Caritas et veritas 2025, 15(1):50-63 | DOI: 10.32725/cetv.2025.006  

The article is focused on a sub-aspect of the broad topic of the accompaniment of the dying and the bereaved. It presents results of the research into the current ritual practices of the rites of the last farewell. The main aim of the research was to combine methodological perspectives of the anthropological study of rituals with the studies of contemporary (post)modern spirituality. The key research question was aimed at the influence of spirituality on the current ritual praxis. A qualitative probe into the experience of participants for whom accompanying is part of their profession showed strong link between conviction about the importance of rituals...

Religion, Migration, and Political Economy in the USA: from Open-doors to Raids and Sanctuaries for DreamersStudies Topical

Antonio Sánchez-Bayón, Jesús J. Sánchez-Barricarte

Caritas et veritas 2025, 15(1):16-31 | DOI: 10.32725/cetv.2025.004  

This is a Political Economy review on religion and migration management in the United States of America (USA). This evaluation in US migrants-citizens relations shows the pendulum effect, moving from integration policies (open doors and melting pot agenda) to official persecution (raids and deportations), with a high social opportunity cost. There has been a split between the State and the civil society, producing civil disobedience and sanctuary network across the country (the citizens protect the migrants from the State). Special attention is paid to the development of the Sanctuary Movement, as an ongoing example of the sociocultural upheaval bringing...

Our voice – challenging situations and the needs of those who experience them from their perspectiveEditorial

Jan Kaňák, Michal Opatrný, Daniela Blank

Caritas et veritas 2025, 15(1):6-7  

Carol Gilligan’s book In a Different Voice has materialised and highlighted in print the experience of women and girls in the field of moral development, raising their voices alongside a theory of morality built on male experience. In the present issue, I wanted to enable the same. That is to say, to leave space for writers who would let the voices of those who experience various difficult situations, who face the experience of exclusion from the majority society, or who experience misunderstanding from their surroundings, speak in their texts, metaphorically and practically speaking. The thematic texts approach the perspectives of people with...

Theological Challenges of God’s Providence during the Covid-19 Pandemic: a Case Study in IndonesiaStudies

Jusuf Haries Kelelufna

Caritas et veritas 2024, 14(2):98-110 | DOI: 10.32725/cetv.2024.023  

The misguided theological view of God’s providence and worship practices that are not in accordance with health protocols contributed to the spread of Covid-19. It was seen in many religious clusters of the spread of Covid-19 in Indonesia. This research answers the challenges faced by the church in theology and explains how theology has developed during the pandemic. The research was conducted with a qualitative approach. The participants involved in this research were priests, assemblies, and members of congregations of churches in Maluku, Indonesia. The data in the form of interview results were then analysed with Huberman’s analysis....

The Relevance of Youth Identity Formation in an Increasingly Individualistic SocietyStudies

María José Ibanez-Ayuso

Caritas et veritas 2024, 14(2):85-97 | DOI: 10.32725/cetv.2024.022  

In recent months, the health crisis has brought about suspicion of others. Not only does it create major problems for social coexistence, but also for human flourishing. The growth of individualism makes it difficult for people to recognise their relational dimension. This phenomenon especially affects young people, since during their youth they must face the challenge of building their identity. With the aim of offering educational keys to help young people face this challenge in the current context, an exploratory content analysis of different texts of Popes John Paul II and Francis has been carried out. For this purpose, through an initial statistical...

Hermeneutics in social work: the interaction of the worlds of the client and the social workerStudies

Zdenko Širka

Caritas et veritas 2024, 14(2):67-84 | DOI: 10.32725/cetv.2024.021  

In this paper, we explore the connections between social work practice and hermeneutics and examine how hermeneutics, the science of understanding, fits into social work, both in theory and practice. The aim is to contribute to the dialogue and to grasp this hermeneutic potential of social work. The main representatives of hermeneutics (Wilhem Dilthey, Friedrich Schleiermacher, Hans-Georg Gadamer) and related hermeneutic concepts useful for social work are introduced: the human horizon, the hermeneutic circle, historical embeddedness, pre-understanding and conversation. How the connection has been thematized so far (constructivist and reflexive approaches)...

Spirituality of social work studentsStudies

Alena Hricová, Veronika Březovská

Caritas et veritas 2024, 14(2):56-66 | DOI: 10.32725/cetv.2024.020  

The present study deals with the topic of spirituality among social work students.The research part was carried out using the interviewing method through a standardized Expressions of Spirituality Inventory-revised (ESI-R) questionnaire and a self-administered sociodemographic questionnaire. The research population consisted of 156 students from the field of social work from the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice. The research conducted indicated that spirituality may be an important part of the lives of social work students, but the sample achieved on average lower levels of spirituality than the population. The research also tested the...

Human and Christian Recreation of the Way of Life for the Post-Covid 19 EraStudies

Pavel Ambros

Caritas et veritas 2024, 14(2):43-55 | DOI: 10.32725/cetv.2024.019  

The paper reflects the discussion within individual local Churches in Europe in 2020. The results became part of the discussions of the Plenary Assembly of the CCEE from 25th to 26th September in Prague on the topic ‘The Church in Europe after the Pandemic’. The study addresses the main points of discussion within the Church, taking into account the social and economic situation of individual EU countries. The crisis associated with the pandemic has partially deepened intra-Church tensions. Therefore, the study thoroughly examines these themes (celebration of Sunday, spiritual Holy Communion, the significance of forms of liturgy as a rite...

The Social-pedagogic Aspect in the Works of John Amos Comenius and His Legacy to the Modern WorldStudies

Lenka Haburajová Ilavská, Lýdia Lešková

Caritas et veritas 2024, 14(2):34-42 | DOI: 10.32725/cetv.2024.018  

The thoughts of John Amos Comenius, an important figure in Czech history, influenced philosophy, pedagogy and its marginal branches in the Czech Republic and other European countries. His ideas, which he based on Czech traditions, were directed towards resolving the issue of good and evil. This paper discusses the importance of Comenius’ works in the context of the social and social-pedagogical dimensions. Its aim is to reflect on the basic ideas of the teacher of the nations in his many years of work. The enrichment of the social as well as socio-pedagogical sciences is a topic we dealt with in the article; we wanted to point out the legacy...