Philippine E-Journals

Moral Decline in Teens: The Application of Contextual Theology

Dalmacito A. Cordero Jr

Discipline: Social Science

 

Abstract:

In today’s modern world, the decline of morality among our teenagers is very evident. Three main causes were pointed out in this study: mass media, peer pressure, and poor family involvement. With this, there is an urgent need for an effective evangelization, and this is the task of contextual theology, a kind of theologizing that adapts the context of our teens’ culture. The use of contextual theology enables religious educators to use an approach which is characterized by the process of engagement. This process aims to understand first the context, together with the kind of culture that they are immersed and the meaning of expressions that they utter. After engaging, the purification of this sad reality begins by highlighting and integrating the gospel values, which is the life-giving spirit of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Finally, this paper hopes to provide for future researchers a clearer perspective on how to make an effective approach in addressing this problem. This task is an ongoing endeavor not only for religious educators but also to those who are involve in the formation of our teens’ values. They can enhance and innovate the used theological techniques according to the signs of the times.