Polish Concept? The Idea of the Divine Mercy in the Religious Thought of the 19th and 20th Century 4018-KON316-CLASS

The course consists of eight related topics, which refer to different possible ways of looking at the return of the idea of the Divine Mercy in Polish religious thought in 19th and 20th century.
The “Polish concept” part of the course title is somewhat provocative on purpose, because even a superficial orientation in the Catholic thought leads to the conclusion that the idea of the Divine Mercy is much older than the intuitions of Sister Faustina. Nevertheless this does not change the easily recognasible fact that it was exactly the Faustina's private revelations that gave rise to a powerful intellectual and devotional movements (these are equally important), which are crucial components of contemporary Catholic spirituality. Our goal, however indirectly, will be also to attempt to understand this phenomenon and solve the riddle of popularity of Faustina Kowalska as a person and as a source of religious thoughts.

The proposed topics are as follows:

(Attention: the proposed literature is only a preliminary proposal, which can be negotiated and modified if it results with serious intellectual profits for participators)

Step 1: The Identification of the Study Area – Forms of Worship
At the beginning of our journey we will try to look into the middle of our issue and to analyze various forms of worship of the Divine Mercy present in the revelations of Faustina. These were popularized by Father Sopoćko and today are perceived as canonical forms of the Catholic worship of the Divine Mercy. We will ask questions about the theological meaning and content of these forms of worship and their philosophical implications.
Texts: (1) M. Sopoćko, Jezu ufam Tobie, Kraków 1942 (chaplet of the Divine Mercy, novena, litany); (2) M. Sopoćko, Miłosierdzie Boże jedyna nadzieja ludzkości, Londyn 1949; (3) A. Liguori, Nowenna do Najsłodszego Serca Jezusowego, Kraków 1930; litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus , prayers to Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn, the Mother of Mercy.

Step 2: Faustina and Her Diary
After taking a look at the forms of worship we will try to analyze the religious experience and thought that lie at their source. We will try to search for the meaning of the Diary. We will investigate the form and the content of this book. Our primary goal is to research the conceptual structure in which the idea of the Divine Mercy is dipped. We also examine the biographical context of the Diary' creation, edition and publication for a wider audience.
Texts: (1) F. Kowalska, Dzienniczek, Kraków 1983.

Step 3: In Search of the Conceptual Language. The Foundations of the Theological Reflection on the Idea of the Divine Mercy
To avoid falling too quickly into the seductive power of having a conceptual models and systems of interpretation, in the next step we will look at the theological reflection inspired by the revelations of Sister Faustina, which relatively quickly appeared in her lifetime and after her death. Our guide here will be again Father Sopoćko.
Our questions: how proceed the formation of theological concepts? How “theologisation” affects various forms of worship? How the credibility of Faustina ideas in the Catholic thought increases?
Texts: (1) M. Sopoćko, Miłosierdzie Boże. Studjum teologiczno-praktyczne, Wilno 1936; (2) M. Sopoćko, Jezus Król Miłosierdzia. Artykuły z lat 1936-1975, Warszawa 2005.

Step 4: The Outlining of the Ideological Background 1. Honorat Koźmiński and the Practical Aspects of the Divine Mercy
To recreate a wider background of Faustinas visions we will look into the thought of one of the most important figures of the Polish Catholicism in the 19th and early 20th century: Father Honorat Koźmiński. As the founder of many congregations, preacher and confessor, as well as an active propagator of the idea of the Christian charity and mercy, he influenced a way of understanding the idea of the Divine Love and Mercy in Polish Catholic culture. We will ask the question if his activities can be treated as closely related to the later conceptualisations of the idea of the Divine mercy?
Texts: (1) H. Koźmiński, Notatnik duchowy, Warszawa 1991; (2) H. Koźmiński, Powieść nad powieściami. Historja miłości Bożej względem rodu ludzkiego, Włocławek 1909; (3) H. Koźmiński, Powieść nad powieściami. Serja III. Opowiadanie o miłości Bożej, w cierpieniach Jezusa, Włocławek 1909.

Step 5: The Outlining of the Ideological Background 2. Mariavites and the Work of Great Mercy
One of the few truly Polish heresy emerged in the early twentieth century from the tradition of Koźmiński' congregations (see: step 4) were Mariavites. The main content of private revelations of the Mariavites' foundress, Mother Kozłowska, was a message and a mission named “The Work of the Great Mercy”. The name of this central Mariavite doctrine can be a good reason to take a closer look into their thoughts. However we will deal with more than just a name. We will compare the original forms of Mariavite theology with Koźmiński's thought and with later revelations of Faustina. We will investigate whether or not the Mariavite theology of the Divine Mercy is heretic from a Catholic point of view.
Texts: (1) Komisja Mieszana do Dialogu Teologicznego między Kościołem Rzymskokatolickim i Kościołem Starokatolickim Mariawitów, Dwustronna refleksja na temat podstawowych pism Matki Marii Franciszki Kozłowskiej dotyczących dzieła wielkiego miłosierdzia, Łódź-Włocławek 2006; (2) E. Warchoł, Ważniejsze dokumenty na temat mariawitów i mariawityzmu (1893-1902). Tom I, Radom 2009; (3) E. Warchoł, Ważniejsze dokumenty na temat mariawitów i mariawityzmu (1903-1906). Tom II, Radom 2009.

Step 6: The Theological Work on the Idea 1. Patterns
In this step we will try to analyze the patterns from the arsenal of the theological tradition of the Catholic Church, which were used by Catholic thinkers in process of “theologisation” of Faustina's visions. We will read and interpret works which are fundamental for Catholic imagination and which established the Roman Catholic discourse about the Divine Mercy in general.
Texts: (1) Augustyn z Hippony, Objaśnienia psalmów, Warszawa 1986; (2) Thomas Aquinas, Summa theologica, I, vol. 2, questions 20-21.

Step 7: The Theological Work on the Idea 2. Transformations
After the consideration about the patterns we will look into their twentieth-century transformations. We will be primarily interested in works from intense period just after the World War II. We will consider following questions: how historical reality has affected religious thought? Can we find changes in the theological language or in the contrary war just preserved the old conceptual patterns?
Texts: (1) M. Sopoćko, Miłosierdzie Boże jedyna nadzieja ludzkości, Londyn 1949; (2) J. Woroniecki, Tajemnica Miłosierdza Bożego, Poznań 1945; (3) J. Andrasz, Miłosierdzie Boże... ufamy Tobie!, Kraków 1947; (4) M. Sopoćko, Miłosierdzie Boże w dziełach Jego, tom IV, Paryż 1967.

Step 8: The Theological Work on the Idea 3. Searching for the Continuity
The last step on our way will be to analyze methods of searching for “predecessors” for new forms of worship which are theologically justified. In our case such predecessors for the Divine Mercy devotion can be the worship of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the devotion to Our Lady Mother of Mercy. We will investigate the Catholic ways of collating and comparing forms of worship. We will also try to make such “devotional” combinations and analogies on our own. We will ask the following question: what is the continuity of the forms of worship for a seeking man?
Texts: (1) A. M. De Liguori, Najśw. Serce Pana naszego Jezusa Chrystusa, czyli Rozmyślania na Miesiąc Serca Jezusowego, Poznań 1900; (2) A. M. De Liguori, Ucieczka do miłosierdzia boskiego, Warszawa 1883; (3) M. Sopoćko, Dar Miłosierdzia. Listy z Czarnego Boru, Częstochowa 2008.