THE RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL UNDERPINNINGS OF MODERNITY

Author(s): Mihail M. Ungheanu / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2020

The modern world understands itself as being something entirely new in the history of mankind. Modernity describes itself as the age in which mankind reaches adulthood and in which man becomes free and emancipates itself from external constraints and determination. The present-day world was born due duet o a new understanding of man, world, society, and due to the development of technology and afterward sciences. This development is presented as a continuous march toward inescapable progress, and as asteadly increase in rationality which will lead to the complete and total emancipation of man. But modernity is not the product of only reason and technical and supposed moral progress. The tools to understand the real forces behind this development that created modern world can be find in the works of Pierre-Andre Taguieff and in the sociology of Jacques Ellul. The first offers a deep analysis of a concept that undergirds modernity, the concept of emanicpations, and the other author describes the development of modernity as amounting to the total suversion of reality through the technological system. The forces fueling this state of affairs are greed and lust for power. The wish of total emancipation can be seen as another expression of what psychoanalysis called the infantile wish to omnipotence.

THE FIRST RUSSIAN RELIGIOUS MISSIONS TO ETHIOPIA

Author(s): Tatyana Denisova / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2021

The aim of the article is to analyze the first attempts to forge a relationship between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. The paper considers religious and political preconditions for the rapprochement of the two empires. It is noted that in Russia since the 14th century, the perception of Ethiopians as exemplary Christians had existed, but Russian-Ethiopian contacts for a long time had remained sporadic. However, by the middle of the 19th century, the Russian Empire had become a major power with enormous foreign policy ambitions: it had also developed its own interests in the Horn of Africa region. In the second half of the 19th century, the interest in Abyssinia, its history and religion on the part of the Russian public, including the academic circles, increased noticeably. In the 1880s, the first religious missions were sent to Ethiopia, and contacts between the two churches were established. The development of relations between the two countries in various spheres was also greatly facilitated by the opening of the Embassy of the Russian Empire in Addis Ababa in 1897.

A BÁCSKAI BÚCSÚJÁRÁS ELSŐ KUTATÓJA

Author(s): István Silling / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 2/2020

In his key piece on the national religion given in the three volumes of the Festive Calendar, Sandor Balint (1904–1980) paid little attention to the sacred tradition of present-day Vojvodina. The only exception is the ritual practice in the surroundings of Szeged. His first study of our area was published in the Catholic Review in 1942 among the sources of Catholic folk life in the South. Especially because of the inspiration given by the knowledge of medieval Hungarian piety, and at the same time the most inspiring source of Catholic rebirth in southern Bacska in the eighteenth century, which would like to highlight the role and influence of rural celebrations in organizing the community." In his work, Balint focused most on rural celebrations and pilgrimages, as he did in his second, slightly shorter dissertation, entitled Bacska Shrines which deals only with material from Bacska and appeared in the April 1943 issue of Kalangya. In this article, Sandor Balint really deals only with the theme of rural celebrations in Bacska and a brief history of pilgrimage sites mostly with Vodice in the north of Bacska, less frequently with Doroszlo, and he barely even mentions Bacs, as well as Ruski Krstur which is the pilgrimage site of Greek Orthodox Vojvodina, and he only mentions Srem in relation to the chapel of the Snow Blessed Virgin in Tekia. There is no mention of the miraculous water in Bunarić near Subotica. However, in the Holiday Calendar of our researcher we can find other notes concerning the territory of present-day Vojvodina.

On the Role of Livland Pastors in Processes of Cultural Exchange During the Eighteenth Century’

Author(s): Priit Raudkivi / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2021

This article sheds light on the patterns of filling pastoral positions in the Latvian-language area of Livland province, i.e. the Vidzeme rural parishes. Above all, attention is given to the education background of the pastors who imparted biographical information in the published church archives and how their path to become a pastor progressed. Secondly, the problem of pastors’ self-image is examined. Thirdly, an attempt is made to find out whether the church materials deposited in the general framework of the Swedish Church Law of 1686 may reflect the intellectual impulses received by pastors from German universities. The focus is on whether the increased interest in the state of the physical environment, above all weather, as one of the manifestations of the enlightened worldview, is reflected in church chronicles.

«ПЕЩЕРА» НА ЯШЕ-РУЧЬЕ: К ВОПРОСУ ОБ ОДНОЙ АСКЕТИЧЕСКОЙ ПРАКТИКЕ В КАРЕЛИИ

Author(s): Mark M. Shakhnovitch,Anzhella V. Sonina,Yu. N. Kozhevnikova / Language(s): Russian Issue: 4/2021

In South Karelia, there is a small Yashezersky Annunciation Monastery, founded in the XVI century by Saint Jonah Yashezersky. In 2013, an archaeological expedition of the National Museum of the Republic of Karelia examined an interesting unknown monument – a “cave” in a rock crevice, located not far from the monastery. The analysis and interpretation of the object are hampered by the lack of finds. Currently, the lichenometry is one of the most widely used methods available for dating the surface age of various substrata in geological research, as well as for dating ancient stone structures. Based on the study of the growth of lichens on the stones, the “cave” construction dates back to the middle of the XVIII century or earlier. The history of the late medieval Orthodox monasteries of Karelia provides evidence for the tradition of monastic living in cell-caves as an act of faith, common for the Orthodox world. Such caves were also used for prayers by the persecuted supporters of the “old faith”. Therefore, the discovered “cave” could be created by ascetic monks or local peasants (the Old Believers). This is the first late medieval monument of this type in Karelia, studied by a comprehensive scientific expedition.

Писмо папи Јулију и фрагменти 42, 48 и 113 из Против Астерија

Author(s): Aleksandar Đakovac / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 1/2020

Marcellus of Ancyra († c. 374) wrote many works defending his Orthodoxy, including a letter to Pope Julius († 352) and a work directed against the Asterius of Cappadocia († c. 341), which is preserved only in a few fragments. In the present article, we will analyze a couple of interesting passages from Markel’s writings, which are important sources for Christology of the 4th and 5th century.

Павлова теологија „нове твари“

Author(s): Porfirije Perić / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 1/2020

The paper outlines the basis of saint Paul’s theology of the new creation (καινὴ κτίσις) as well as the basic anthropological concepts in his epistles. The first part outlines the basis of Paul’s theological anthropology and discusses the main aspects of the concepts new creation and first and last Adam, while the second part present the main aspects of the dialectic between the first, old Adam and the last, new Adam — Christ. The paper finally presents the importance of the key concepts of the new creation (καινὴ κτίσις) and the new man (καινὸς ἄνθρωπος) in Paul’s anthropology with the aim of getting through the deciphering of these anthropological terms and their meaning to the very foundations of Christian anthropology in general.

„Нека Бог види и суди“

Author(s): Nebojša Stevanović / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 1/2020

The beginning of the second millennium in church history is marked by numerous events that have left enormous consequences for the unity of the Church. Many turmoil in the historical scene will contribute to the alienation between the Roman and Constantinople churches, which will result in the mutual anatomy of each other. The aim of this research is to try to solve the question to which the anathemas from 1054 were addressed, based on preserved sources and with the help of earlier research by some historians-theologians. In the end, the ultimate answer to the set of issues must be sought in it is final overtaking in 1965, when the solution to this question is posed as a spiritus movens of further dialogue between Rome and Constantinople.

Свети Бернар из Тирона и његова реформисана бенедиктинска заједница — кратак осврт

Author(s): Miroslav M. Popović / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 1/2020

Abbot Bernard of Tiron (c. 1046–1117) was one of the many Catholic Church people and religious leaders who had many followers at the turn of the 11th to 12th centuries, and his importance went beyond the local. Bernard’s settlement did not develop in the same way as other small hermit communities that disappeared or were gathered by the larger monastic congregations. Tiron will become the head of the association of the monasteries and Bernard as founder will be honored in the writings of his life and work. His success in Tiron was widely recognized and the monastic community he founded attracted attention after he died and, for some period of time, was recognized as one of the most important representatives of monastic life. The present article is an attempt to show the activities of St. Bernard of Tyrone, a Benedictine reformer from the 11th and early 12th centuries, and the founder of the abbey in Tyrone, which stood out by returning to a stricter Benedictine way of life and had a network of monasteries. With his life and career as an abbot and hermit, he set an example and gathered people around him, and in that way influenced the transformation of the religious life of that time, primarily in France and England.

Македонски раскол — однос Православне Охридске Архиепископије и МПЦ

Author(s): Tomislav Lunić / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 1/2020

The essence of the Church lies in its unity. Even though its local communities are scattered throughout the world, together they form one body — the Body of Christ. Without this unity, not a single Sacrament makes sense. The schism, on the other hand, corrupts the Church from within. In 1967, the Macedonian Orthodox Church (MPC) proclaimed its autocephaly and entered the schism in which it stands to this very day. In the paper we have presented the circumstances and consequences that this non-canonical act of the Macedonians resulted in, as well as the potential prospect of return to the right path, the path of truth and orthodoxy. The suffering and persecution of the Metropolitan John Vranishkovsky perhaps best reflect the fall of the MPC, and with it the people of Macedonia. The Orthodox Archdiocese of Ohrid, the canonical successor to one of the oldest Christian communities in the Balkans, points to the schism and calls on the MPC to return to true faith. Whether it will succeed remains an unanswered question for both the Macedonian people and the Christian world as a whole.

Prikaz: Maren R. Niehoff, Philon von Alexandria. Eine intellektuelle Biographie

Author(s): Predrag Dragutinović / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 1/2020

Prikaz: Jörg Frey, Theology and History in the Fourth Gospel. Tradition and Narration

Author(s): Predrag Dragutinović / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 1/2020

Св. Иполит Римски: Против Ноетија

Author(s): Aleksandar Đakovac / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 2/2020

The present text should be viewed in the historical context of the struggle to logically consistently answer the question of how God is one and at the same time the Holy Trinity. ‘Contra Noetum’ bears witness of the difficulties of dogmatically determining the truths of the Christian faith. The very content of faith has always been the same and essentially unchanged. But the way in which that faith had to be discursively exposed was subject to change, as it is evidenced by the writings of the Fathers and the definitions of the Councils.

„Олтар чудеснији од онога који сада користимо“: Свети Јован Златоусти и брига за ближњег

Author(s): Andrej Jeftić / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 3/2020

The paper analyzes the image used by St John Chrysostom in his interpretation of 2Cor. 9: 15, in which he compares the poor with the church altar. The overview provided herewith of the Christian history of the references of the term ‘poor’ (πτωχός) and his/her role in the life of the Church, provides the context for understanding Chrysostom’s analogy and his particular rhetorical and practical relationship with this social category. Within the interpretation of the theological implications of his position in the present context, some responses are offered to the challenges which the faithful are facing caused by the pandemic of the disease caused by the coronavirus and the accompanying restrictions in the life of worship.

Учитавање фундаменталистичких и рационалистичких тенденција у идеју светосавља тридесетих година XX века

Author(s): Branko Radovanović / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 3/2020

In the period of the 1930s, ideas of Svetosavlje were built and grounded upon the cult of Saint Sava, that had spanned all throughout our history, as a comprehensive idea and the very essence of orthodoxy among Serbs. Seeking to discover the entirety of Saint Sava’s legacy, the Serbian elite of both the theological and secular kind, studiously analyses what the term “Svetosavlje” encompasses and unifies within itself. The contact of Saint Sava’s cult with the political, social and cultural environment of those times had the consequence of the intentional misreading of certain tendencies and thoughts as being, what we could call, fundamentalist and rationalist. Of course, these tendencies were met with sharp criticism by the theological and secular intelligentsia of the time, who saw in the idea of Svetosavlje a resurrectional path of orthodoxy and search for an essence of identity that concerned not only Serbians, but also the entirety of the ecumene.

Кратак историјски приказ значења и улоге појма ἀρχή у космологији

Author(s): Siniša Simić / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 3/2020

Relaying on Aristotle’s interpretation of pre-Socratic thought or later interpretations of early ancient philosophy it is clear that philosophy and science were conceived with a question “What is the principle of everything”, respectively that philosophical-scientific thought (with the presence of a theological context) begins with cosmological topics. Ever since Hesoid, beyond pre-Socratics until today we can notice attributing divine qualities to the principle, in a greater or lesser extent. Through this work we will see that consideration of principles is the central notion within primitive science, and that nowadays it is not in her range at all: which does not mean that it should be considered as excessive from the aspect of theological and philosophical thought.

Платон и стоичко учење у богословљу Иполита Римског

Author(s): Miroslav Marković / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 3/2020

Письма христианского интеллектуала: Алкуин и его эпистолярное наследие

Author(s): Anastasiya Andreyevna Ilyina / Language(s): Russian Issue: 4/2020

The article examines the epistolary legacy (numbering more than three hundred letters) of Alcuin of York, perhaps the most prominent figure of the so-called Carolingian Renaissance, a famous associate of Charlemagne. Comparison of Alcuin’s letters with samples of late antique epistolography makes it possible to trace the degree of continuity of cultural and social practices of pagan Antiquity and the Christian Middle Ages. In addition, reference to Alcuin’s correspondence makes it possible to look into the inner world of a Christian intellectual, to get acquainted with the issues and problems that occupy the minds of his contemporaries, to build a scheme of Alcuin’s network communication and to understand how far his spiritual influence extended in Europe and with which social layers he communicated. Setting the goal of identifying the characteristic features of the Christian intellectual community at the turn of the VIII—IX centuries on the basis of the analysis of Alcuin’s epistolary heritage, the author of the article defines the social and geographical boundaries of the circulation of Alcuin’s letters, identifies the succession of his letters from the ancient epistolary tradition, identifies and analyzes the main problems raised in Alcuin’s letters. To achieve this goal, the article uses a historical and anthropological approach with elements of semiotic analysis. The succession of Alcuin’s correspondence from the traditions of late antique epistolography is reflected, first of all, in the form of letters, the way they were written, and the use of stable rhetorical techniques. At the same time, attention is drawn to the change in the social portrait of the address and, due to this, the expansion of the circle of addressees, which now includes not only representatives of the highest secular and church elite, but also insufficiently educated and ignoble people, for whom Alcuin acted as a spiritual father and mentor. The analysis of the letters shows that Alcuin’s awareness of his responsibility for the fate of the addressees determines the subject matter of the letters, many of which are devoted to explaining the responsibilities of certain members of the Christian community, defining the area of responsibility of the laity and clergy, constructing of the image of an ideal clergyman or a righteous layman.

Улазак у Ханан — историјска и теолошка перспектива

Author(s): Nikola Ožegović / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 2/2017

The conception of Conquest is part of the so-called Deuteronomistic History (DH). There are many evidences that the Book of Joshua have originated in the seventh century in Judea as the “political program” of Emperor Josiah. The Assyrian conquest of the north and the placing of Judea in the vassal position, according to this tradition, were the result of the neglect of the obligations arising from the Sinai alliance. It was necessary to follow the Lord fully, to eradicate idolatry, and thus to gain God’s favor. In that context, the Book of Joshua had a paradigmatic character, saying that when a chosen people truly follows the Lord, no one can oppose it. Once upon a time, God’s people, adhering to the laws of Sinai, managed to overthrow Hanan, and only in this way they will be able to defeat the Assyrians — this was the key theological message of Josiah’s religious reform, expressed in the spirit of the Deuteronomistic History. Conquest as presented in the Book of Joshua and in some parts of the Book of Judges, Numbers, and Deuteronomy is part of the theological reinterpretation of Israeli identity. We can conclude that Joshua is in fact a metaphorical portrait of Judean King Josiah and that the story about the Conquest of Canaan creates a plan for future conquest but also serves as an example of the right relationship of the chosen people with their God.

Wounds of Christ: Wounds of the World. The Crucified and Resurrected Christ and Christians Towards a Suffering Humanity

Author(s): Thoma Panayiotis / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2017

The article discusses the spectacle of Christ’s wounds after His resurrection based on the account from the Gospel of John within the context of the dogmatic meaning of the resurrection from the dead and what it entails for humans. It mainly addresses the reasons why Christ was eager to show the scars of His Passion although His human nature had indeed transformed into an incorruptible, perfected and deified one. This gesture was proof that the person who had suffered was the same person who had defeated death, sacrificed His life and had risen from the dead out of His limitless love for the human race. The author then draws the link between this dogmatic truth and the ethos of the ecclesiastical life, as he contends that the members of the Church should lead a Christ-like life by being compassionate and affectionate towards other peoples’ suffering, i.e. the suffering of the entire world.