Catholic Church’s Engagement with Science and Technology: Navigating the Dual Narratives of Apocalypticism and Millenarianism
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Keywords

Catholic Church
Science and Technology
Apocalypticism
Millenarianism
Gaudium et Spes

How to Cite

Catholic Church’s Engagement with Science and Technology: Navigating the Dual Narratives of Apocalypticism and Millenarianism. (2025). CONCRESCENCE JOURNAL OF MULTI-DISCIPLINARY RESEARCH, 2(1). https://journals.casjournals.com/index.php/CJMR/article/view/35

Abstract

This paper examines the Catholic Church’s approach to science and technology, with a particular focus on how it navigates between the extremes of apocalypticism and millenarianism. Drawing on the Vatican II document Gaudium et Spes and other Church teachings, the paper explores how the Church has been engaging with technological and scientific advancements in a way that affirms human dignity and ethical boundaries while resisting the fears of impending doom of apocalypticism and/or uncritical optimism of millenarianism. Through an analysis of Church responses to issues such as artificial intelligence, genetic  engineering, and  environmental crises, this paper argues that the Church offers a balanced framework that values progress while cautioning against potential moral pitfalls. This paper concludes on the need of the church for a more discerning approach to technology that neither retreats from innovation nor idolizes it, as the church remains an ethical compass that respects the integrity of creation. 

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