Abstract
This project explores the Catholic Church as a narrative and hermeneutical community, where storytelling operates as a theological, institutional, and cultural practice. It critically examines the assumptions about narrativity embedded in recent papal documents and contemporary theological discourse. Drawing on, but also critically engaging with, the philosophical framework of Charles Taylor, particularly his insights into language, identity, and meaning making, the project approaches narrativity not merely as a theological concept but as a structuring principle with interdisciplinary relevance. Narrativity is understood as more than the act of simply telling stories: it carries performative, interpretative, constitutive, and normative dimensions. Within the Catholic tradition, narratives shape communal identity, regulate behavior, and mediate divine presence, often with excluding or marginalizing tendencies. The research combines theology and philosophy in a constructive dialogue, while engaging with law, literature, and history to demonstrate how narrative functions across disciplines. By doing so, it contributes to a deeper understanding of the role of narrativity in shaping both religious and cultural life, highlighting different understandings and exploring inclusive paths forward.
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