Anthropological bases of family studies. Marriage and family as its result are the most basic
communities for any human being as well as any society. Therefore, the present crisis of marriage
and family calls for some action. It is not enough to identify causes of that crisis. We need to draw
up plans how to support the family both from the society and state institutions. To achieve this goal
special Family Studies have been developed by various academic centers and a new scientific
discipline called Familiology has emerged. However, the foundation of these studies on the proper
anthropology is one of the most important issues. The human being should be recognized as subject
and the family as a community which starts with matrimony understood as an inseparable union of
a man and a woman. The Faculty of Social Sciences and Family Studies at the Pontifical Academy
of Theology in Cracow follows the tradition of Academy which has always focused on Family,
making it the most important object of its teaching, research and Christian spiritual formation.
Key words: marriage, family, crisis, family studies, familiology, adequate anthropology, the
Pontifical Academy of Theology in Cracow