Mitropolitul Gavriil Bănulescu‑Bodoni, Generalul Prozorovski şi Galaţii

Author(s): Eugen Drăgoi / Language(s): Romanian Publication Year: 0

Războiul Ruso‑Turc din anii 1806‑1812 a adus, aşa cum se cunoaşte, importante schimbări în viaţa politică şi religioasă a Principatelor Române Moldova şi Valahia. Comunicarea noastră doreşte să îndrepte atenţia participanţilor către colaborarea a doi din protagoniştii acestor evenimente, anume mitropolitul Gavriil Bănulescu‑Bodoni şi generalul Alexandr Prozorovski, şi, în final, să propună câteve elemente noi referitoare la legătura lor cu oraşul nostru Galaţi.

Entre temps cyclique et temps linéaire. Temps, littérature, théologie

Author(s): Evagrina Dîrțu / Language(s): French Publication Year: 0

Our main objective in the present paper is to analyse how time is understood and reflected in some theological and some literary examples, while connecting these perspectives with how science, on the other hand, understood and reflected this dimension of our universe, in different historical periods. We use in our analysis three scientific sources in which the transdisciplinary or the vulgarisation approaches prevail, from which we extract the physical explanations and models. Our starting point is that fiction and religion are often annexes to science in the paradigm of knowledge, as they ask questions and propose answers, in accordance with their own rules, distinct from the ones that science puts forward, but which wonderfully converge so often, that the mirroring is worth bringing to light. Our approach focuses on three main topics, i.e. the issue of the beginning/ending of the universe, the past-present relationship, and the existence of the ‘multiverse’ in relation to the existence of the multiple universes as treated by narratology.

TEACHING THE ORTHODOX RELIGION IN SCHOOLS FROM THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA: CURRENT CHALLENGES AND PERSPECTIVES

Author(s): Viorica Goraș-Postică / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

This study addresses the issue of teaching Orthodox Religion in general education from the Republic of Moldova, at the current stage, in the vision of teachers. For this purpose, a questionnaire of composite items was applied, which identified the strengths and vulnerabilities of the teaching process. Being an optional subject in the curriculum and not enjoying teaching traditions in the context of public education, Religion is not a priority for the vast majority of educational actors. In this sense, the interest and motivation of students and parents are to be educated, and the saving mission of the Faith and the Church to be promoted. The conclusions of the study can contribute to the improvement of educational policies, but also to the awareness of decision makers, including school administrations, on which depends, in general, the fate of our discipline.

DEPENDENȚA DIGITALĂ: PATOLOGIE, REMEDII PSIHOLOGICE ȘI DUHOVNICEȘTI

Author(s): Vasile Crețu / Language(s): Romanian Publication Year: 0

The digital addiction is already acknowledged by the medical specialists as a mental disorder, because it involves a pathological use of the computer or of any other type of technology, characterized by the urgent need to engage in online activities to the obvious detriment of daily and real life (school, family, friendships, etc.). This type of attitude is also dealing to other behavioural disorders. Some psychologists are comparing the states (involving changes in brain maps) caused by digital addiction to those of "classic" (somatic) addictions. Thus, a similarity was identified between the abuse of psychotropic and hallucinogenic substances, which chemically alter the human brain, and the abuse of the virtual space, which psychologically affects the human being as a whole. This is clearly a phenomenon, specific to post-modernity, unprecedented in its scale in history.

CONSIDERATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES FOR A SPIRITUAL (RE)RENEWAL OF THE CONTEMPORARY FAMILY

Author(s): Gavril Trifa / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Research related to family issues shows the importance of this educational institution in human life. Viewed by society more and more often as an individual, it becomes increasingly difficult for the church to form and develop the consciousness of man as a person capable of relating not only to those around him (family members or, more broadly, society), but also to himself, and especially to God. The challenges coming from society find less and less resistance to preserving the morality of the family, even among the parents, so, from our point of view, this is where the process of spiritual renewal should begin, by valuing on Orthodox Christian foundations the institution of the family, of the spouses in relation to each other, the parents’ valorisation of their own children's chastity before marriage and fidelity to each other within it.

ORTHODOX EDUCATION AT CHURCH AND SCHOOL: TRAINING IN VALUES AND HUMAN RIGHTS

Author(s): Velina Toneva / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Research on contemporary innovative pedagogical practices of Bulgarian parochial education relies on insufficient and inconsistent data. Every church community has responsibility and system of teaching its parish Orthodox values with regard of human rights. Church instruction of children, youth, and adults is not a process of provoking anything incompatible with human rights and social peace. Nevertheless, critical circumstances in last several years demonstrated that such tendencies can appear, when both flocks and pastors are under enormous pressure. Still, in my dissertation we have chosen methodologically not to focus on any negative aspects of the problems of Bulgarian Orthodox schooling and catechetic instruction at churches during last several decades. Scholarly objectiveness also requires that we are aware of obstacles, and stay optimistic, adequate, reflexive, analytical, and systematic, oriented to the future and the better, according to values, and keep building good perspectives and relations. Human rights defence can only support our church subculture within traditional local culture.

Man as co-creator Theological presuppositions of the ethics of reproduction

Author(s): Vanțos Miltiade / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

While God is the creator and giver of life, man can become co-creator in having offspring by following His command to “increase and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it” (Gen 1: 28). Man's synergy in the creation of life is expressed by the free will of the future parents and is reflected in the resemblance between the parents and the child, due to the laws of heredity. Parenthood is therefore not determined solely by God, but it is also shaped by man based on his personal desires and goals. At the same time the notion of man as a cocreator indicates that his reproductive freedom should be in accordance with divine providence and wisdom. Therefore, procreation should not only be understood as a personal right, but also as a significant responsibility, both towards God and the child who comes into existence. The theological understanding of man as co-creator allow us to come to some conclusions regarding the ethics of termination of the unborn human life through abortion, and the human desire to overcome the obstacle of infertility through the methods of assisted reproduction.

The Benefit of the Patient in the Hippocratic Oath and the Golden Rule of Christian Ethics

Author(s): Marlena Zerva / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

Modern medical science aims at the benefit of the patient which is achieved through the treatment of the patient. The physician must act in the best interest of the patient and consequently his health. In an ideal world every doctor besides treating a patient would also love him. In this text, there will be examined two fundamental ethical imperatives that can be applied in the doctor – patient relationship. On the one hand the position, do not do unto others as you would not like to do unto you, on the other hand the positive formulation of that sentence which is, do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. The first of those two positions can be found in the ancient oath of Hippocrates, whereas the second position is the basis of the Golden Rule of Christian ethics. These two ethical imperatives will be examined in the context of modern bioethics as well, since the benefit of the patient is the major concern of two of its basic principles, namely the principle of beneficence and that of non-maleficence. The oath of Hippocrates moves in the realm of the moral idea that you should not do to others what you do not want to be done to yourself. The above position is based on the affirmative propositions that are imprinted within the oath. On the other hand, the Golden Rule of Christian ethics consists of a positive exhortation, to do to the other what you would like to happen to you. Each Christian is called to love his fellowman as he loves himself, since the supreme good in Christian morality is the love of God and fellowman that fulfills the purpose of man’s existence, which is the communion with God. Both positions examined in the text have relevant content, aiming at the benefit of the patient, the patients good, either by a direct positive obligation, or by preventing the doctor from harming the patient.

The contribution of the Patriarchate of Romania at the beginning of preparation of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church (1902-1932)

Author(s): Ioannis Ladas / Language(s): English Publication Year: 0

The Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church is admittedly one of the most important Orthodox ecclesiastical events of the 21st cent. The Council’s 2016 convening was finally made possible after a very long and arduous preparatory process of circa 93 years, in which process the Patriarchate of Romania appears to have played an important and constructive role. In fact, the Church of Romania, in 1920, shortly before the official preparation begins, dispatched Prof. Dragomir Demetrescu to the Ecumenical Patriarchate with the mandate to exchange views on the possibility of convoking a “Council of the Orthodox Churches”, and to propose potential issues to be considered in such a Council. Since then, the Church of Romania has responded positively to all the relevant invitations of the Great Church of Constantinople and participated constructively in all the preparatory bodies and phases of the Holy and Great Council, while the Romanian Primates - from Patriarch Myron to Patriarch Daniel - demonstrated a profound synodical awareness and fought devotedly for the unity and cooperation of the Orthodox Churches. The current article has a double scope: on the one hand, it presents the historical contribution of the Patriarchate of Romania at the beginning of preparation of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church, and on the other hand, it attempts to evaluate it.

Преводът на латински християнски произведения на български език – въпроси и предизвикателства

Author(s): Rosen Milanov / Language(s): English,Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

There are specific questions concerning the translation of the Latin Christian literature into Bulgarian. In the first place, the choice of valuable works for translation. Next, the correct rendering of the names of the authors and the titles of the works, the translation of the biblical texts inside of the patristic works and, most importantly, the degree of free translation. The choice of an actual work for translation and the method of presentation – totally or in an anthology, are also very significant. Which are the most remarkable works of Latin Christian literature, whose translations have potential to become masterpieces? And which are the rules for the creation of a great translation? Answers to these questions are given in the following article.

Литература и богословие в „COMMONITORIUM“ на Св. Винценций Лерински

Author(s): Rosen Milanov / Language(s): English,Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

One of the saints of the Lérins islands (modern day France) is St. Vincent of Lérins († after 434). He is the author of the very significant work Commonitorium (in two books). Commonitorium is esteemed from Antiquity till today in the West as well as in the East. The reason for this is its theological value and the important thoughts therein concerning authority in the Church and the principles of development of the Christian doctrine. However, Commonitorium possesses other qualities as well – literary and especially spiritual. The language of Vincent of Lérins is not artificial; at the same time, there are many beautiful similes and antitheses in his essay. Furthermore, the subject-matter of Commonitorium is topical even now and it has special meaning for the life of each Christian today. Commonitorium is a testament to the possibility that the Christian church can express its truths in an exceptionally fascinating way.

Елинското училище в Търново и православният клир през първата половина на XIX век

Author(s): Vladimir Vladov / Language(s): English,Bulgarian,Greek, Modern (1453-) Publication Year: 0

The present study deals with an important point in the history of the educational activities in the old capital city of Turnovo, namely the opening of a Hellenic school in 1821. The analysis of the data of its chronicle reveals the significant role of the Orthodox clergy, headed by the bishop of Turnovo, in relation to the establishment, organization and maintenance of the school. By the middle of the 19th c. it was not only the most authoritative centre of education in the city but it also had a leading role in the public and economic life of the Bulgarians.

Съпоставка на някои митове за сътворението

Author(s): Reni Stoyanova / Language(s): English,Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

Mythology is the basic feature of every ethnicity.The Creation of the world is an important starting point and is differently represented by every nation. In addition, myths are spread into pieces. Here is a brief comparison of the Chinese, Greek, Japanese Egyptian, Indian and Hittite Anatolia mythology. Each of them has its unique features, but they also have some overlapping points. Generally speaking there are one and the same elements, people or things appearing in the myths mentioned above. For example we can find the conception of the Chaos not only within the Chinese myths but also in the Greek and Indian ones.

« Liturgie », Chișinău, 1815 : seuil vers les livres roumains en Moldavie

Author(s): Maria-Lucreţia Cazac / Language(s): French Publication Year: 0

The main cultural threshold to Romanian books from the Bessarabian space is represented by religious texts. These constitute the link between the Romanian background and the new historical context of Russian origin of the 19th century. These texts have had a dual role in the maintenance and development of Christianity on the one hand, and in the propagation of cult variants of the Romanian literary language on the other. This study will analyse the first Romanian book produced in this political framework dominated by the Russian Empire, a liturgical book printed by the Metropolitan Gavriil Bănulescu-Bodoni in 1815, in Chișinău. The Liturgy is written in Cyrillic script, in Romanian, but it strictly followed the compositional structure and formal organization of Russian books.

Патриарх Евтимий Търновски (1375 – 1393) за смисъла и значението на историята

Author(s): Vasil Gyuzelev / Language(s): Bulgarian,Old Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

Триодные гомилии Псевдо-Афанасия Александрийского в новоизводных болгарских гомилиариях

Author(s): Vyacheslav V. Litvienko,Irina M. Gritsevskaya / Language(s): English,Russian,Old Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

Among the texts known to the Slavic people and ascribed to Athanasius of Alexandria there are seven that we find included in the medieval Triodion homiliaries. With the exception of one homily (i.e. Homily on the Betrayal of Jude), all of them were part of the Triodion Panegeric (Hilandar MS, Ohio, HM.SMS.404), whose origin is connected to the Patriarch Euthymius of Tarnovo and whose texts were later included in various Bulgarian, Serbian, and (sometimes) Russian miscellanea up until the XVII century. To have this many texts of Athanasius within one sbornik is quite unusual both for the Church Typica, and for the known Greek Homiliaries. It is suggested that this fact points to a unique feature of the type of Panegirics that were produced in the literary circle of scribes in Tarnovo.

Катенните коментари на Св. Кирил Александрийски върху книга на пророк Исайя: преславското наследство в среднобългарска и руска редакция

Author(s): Stilyana Batalova / Language(s): English,Bulgarian,Old Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

The article discusses some scholia by St. Cyril of Alexandria from the Greek Catena on the Book of Prophet Isaiah in comparison with the Preslav translation according to several representatives of the two Slavonic manuscript traditions – the Middle Bulgarian (F.I. 461 from the Russian National Library in Saint Petersburg) and the Russian ones (Mss. Chudovski 182, 183 and 184 from the State Historical Museum in Moskow and Ms. 89 and Ms. 90 from the Collection of the Troitse-Sergieva Laura). The parallels between the Greek and Slavonic manuscript traditions make it possible to draw the following conclusions. The complex Slavonic tradition should be explored because the Middle Bulgarian manuscript tradition is incomplete and represents only a part of the Preslav translation, and the conclusions made on its basis are incomplete. The parallel study of the Slavonic translation with samples from the Greek Catеnae shows that it is insufficient to work only with the full text of the commentary in Patrologia Graeca, as some translation decisions in Slavonic can be explained only by the Greek source used. The study of the scholia by St. Cyril of Alexandria in Slavonic translation, as well as the study of the scholia by Theodulus and John Chrysostom, point to the possibility that the Slavonic translation represents unknown or today unpreserved abbreviated version of the Greek catena.

Чудото на Богородица с каещия се иконом Теофил от Адан (BHG 1319 – 1320, 1322) – среднобългарски превод от XIV век

Author(s): Johannes Reinhart / Language(s): Bulgarian,German,Old Slavonic Publication Year: 0

Особая редакция службы Свт. Николаю в двух болгарских минеях XIV век

Author(s): Victoria Legkikh / Language(s): English,Russian Publication Year: 0

The subject of this paper is version of the service to St. Nicholas of Myra in two Bulgarian menaions of the 14th century. One is taken from the collection of the National Library of Russia and another one so called “Dragan’s menaion” is taken from the collection of the Zograf monastery. The service in the both menaions demonstrates the brevity of the composition. This composition is different from the version of the Russian menaions of the 12th – 14th centuries. The composition of services for both Bulgarian menaions is almost identical but there is an important difference – there are different canons with the same kontakion and ikos. Both canons are not known by other traditions. The canon of the Dragan’s menaion is particularly interesting. The origin of this canon undoubtedly goes back to an old one, since it keeps the second second Ode. The images and lexical material also show its antiquity. The paper is devoted to the analysis of this services and in particularly of the canon of Dragan’s menaion.

Славянският превод на постническите слова на Св. Василий Велики

Author(s): Petko Petkov / Language(s): English,Bulgarian,Old Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

The article examines the Slavonic translation of the Asceticon Magnum and the ascetical sermons of St. Basil the Great, which can be found in the manuscript No. 3 from the library of the Zographou Monastery on Mount Athos. There are described the morphological and lexical features of this important text and also is presented the reception of this translation in the Slavic Middle Ages.