CHRISTIAN DIALOGUE AND COOPERATION FOLLOWING ŽELJKO MARDEŠIĆ’S IDEAS

Abstract

Following the idea of the famous Croatian sociologist Željko Mardešić (Jakov
Jukić), this paper analyzes Mardešić’s vision of Christian dialogue and cooperation in the
context of contemporary sociology of religion. The presented vision of dialogue and cooperation
in relation to various social, cultural, and religious changes calls for expanding
the space for dialogue and cooperation. According to Mardešić, dialogue and cooperation
presuppose the existence of opposite ideas and not necessarily identity; otherwise,
they would be reduced to mere confirmation. Thus, dialogue and cooperation observed
separately contain an entire program and are key to the realization of Christianity in the
future. Željko Mardešić sees the future of Christianity along the lines of the Second Vatican
Council, which remains the “compass” for the Catholic Church, on four council levels:
establishing a dialogue with divided Christians, major world religions, non-believers,
and the modern world. Importantly, dialogue and cooperation in the Church represent
an unavoidable prerequisite to establishing four effective dialogues with the world. In
this context, the authenticity of Christian dialogue and cooperation, according to Željko
Mardešić, can be summed up in a few demanding words: kindness, forgiveness, mercy,
service, peace, and the joy of hope. A person – not seen as an object but a subject of experience
– is certainly changed by every dialogue because the experience itself is dialogical
and open to cooperation.