Религија, религиозност и савремена култура
Religion, Religiosity and Contemporary Culture
Author(s): Aleksandra Pavićević
Subject(s): Social Sciences, Theology and Religion
Published by: Етнографски институт САНУ
Keywords: Religion; Religiosity; Contemporary Culture;
Summary/Abstract: At the beginning of the third millennium, religion, it is doubtless, plays a very significant role in the life of contemporary civilization – far more important than what was until recently expected. Whether the topic is the influence that religious institutions have on actual political streams, or it is the consequences of religious convictions on creating new/old systems of value; whether we have on mind collective or individual identity praxes coloured diverse religious insights, or we talk about growing problems of effectuation and maintenance of the principle of secularization within modern states, the phenomenon of the revival of religion unfolded a series of questions and dilemmas related to ideological and spiritual foundations of contemporary world.
- Print-ISBN-13: 978-86-7587-074-6
- Page Count: 218
- Publication Year: 2014
- Language: English, Serbian
Религија, религиозност и савремена култура Од мистичног до (и)рационалног и vice versa
Религија, религиозност и савремена култура Од мистичног до (и)рационалног и vice versa
(Religion, Religiosity and Contemporary Culture From Mystical to (I)rational and vice versa)
- Author(s):Milica Bakić-Hayden
- Language:Serbian
- Subject(s):Anthropology, Theology and Religion
- Page Range:19-37
- No. of Pages:19
- Keywords:religion; secularism; globalization; Orthodox Church; Balkans
- Summary/Abstract:The article examines the relationship between religion and secularism with special reference to the experience of Orthodox churches in the contemporary Balkans. The emergence of religion as a key identity marker in the postcommunist countires, its greater visibilty and participation in public life have been perceived by some scholars as a threat to the secular nature of the fledgeling democracies like Serbia. Such views tend to essentialize both religion and secularism as the static “either/or” binary opposites, while failing to see different ways in which religion functions in a complex global system of networks characterized by interconnectedness of religious, socio-economic, political and, most of all, sophisticated systems of communication technologies. The responses to the challenge of globalized culture vary from the strengthening of ethnoreligious neo-traditionalism to religiously uncommitted acceptance of one’s religious culture to individual pursuit (owing to Internet) of selected aspects of one’s own or other religious practices.
Религија, идентитет и културне промене Српско друштво на почетку трећег миленијума
Религија, идентитет и културне промене Српско друштво на почетку трећег миленијума
(Religion, Identity and Cultural Changes Serbian Society at the Beginning of Third Millennium)
- Author(s):Aleksandra Pavićević, Ivica R. Todorović
- Language:Serbian
- Subject(s):Anthropology, Sociology, Theology and Religion
- Page Range:39-56
- No. of Pages:18
- Keywords:identity; religion; family; personality; group; church; state; laws; Serbia
- Summary/Abstract:In the last few years, in contemporary Serbian society the question of relation between identity of Serbia`s citizens and different cultural, social and political transformation processes was intensified. Particular problem that was emphasized in public discourse was connection between confessional and religious identity of Serbian Christian Orthodox population. This led to division and permanent debate between national and civil option in projecting images of desirable identity of Serbia`s citizen`s. Paper focuses at deconstructing different levels of personal and collective identities, as well as actual role that religion has in the life of society. Beside this, since that family should be observed as the main source of reproduction of cultural identity, some crucial questions about position that family has in contemporary Serbian society are raised.
Postati novi čovjek. Sakralna reidentifikacija na Neokatekumenskome putu
Postati novi čovjek. Sakralna reidentifikacija na Neokatekumenskome putu
(Becoming a New Man. Sacral Reidentification on the Neocatechumenal Way)
- Author(s):Goran Pavel Šantek
- Language:Serbian
- Subject(s):Anthropology, Theology and Religion, Sociology of Religion
- Page Range:57-72
- No. of Pages:16
- Keywords:Identity; Neocatechumenical way; religion
- Summary/Abstract:This paper discusses the aspect of religious phenomenon related to the changing of people’s perception about themselves, using the examples from the author’s ethnographic research on the transformation of personal identity of the members of the religious movement “Neocatechumenal Way”. This Roman Catholic movement, from the cultural-anthropological point of view, represents a popular subculture, in the world context and in Croatia alike, and the specificity of every (sub) culture is that it teaches its members to structure their thoughts and feelings in a coherent and appropriated way. This paper discusses in details the process of transformation through which the members of the “Neocatechumenal Way” transform themselves from “verbal” to “real proselytes” i.e. reshape their personal identity. It is also outlining the procedural radicalization of their attitudes, which is in accordance with the Neocatechumenal charisma, and analyzing the ritualization of everyday life. These two processes, the radicalization of charisma, during which the members are faced with increasingly difficult demands, and the ritualization of practices, during which the difference between the sacral and profane context in their everyday life is slowly disappearing, appear to be the two dimensions of the same process through which the religious transformation of human personality is expressed and, simultaneously, encouraged. The aim of the paper is to show that in one of its aspects religion is a cultural activity which is reshaping the conceptions of one’s own personality.
Утицај верске наставе на живот и ставове ученика – резултати анкете спроведене у београдским школама
Утицај верске наставе на живот и ставове ученика – резултати анкете спроведене у београдским школама
(Influence of Catechism on Life and Attitudes of Schoolchildren: Results of Inquiry conducted in Belgrade Schools)
- Author(s):Mihailo Smiljanić
- Language:Serbian
- Subject(s):Anthropology, Theology and Religion, Sociology of Religion
- Page Range:73-84
- No. of Pages:12
- Keywords:religious education; secondary school children; valuesystem; Serbian Orthodox Church
- Summary/Abstract:This paper aims to estimate influence of catechism. Confessional religious education in primary and secondary education in Serbia is percept by some as possibly traditionalistic, nationalistic and conservative. An inquiry was conducted, and reading of textbooks for primary school, in order to estimate whether these concerns are realistic. Questions ranged from basic facts, motivations to choose catechism, attitudes about nation, sexuality and gender equality, to actual knowledge about basic catechetic subjects gained through primary education. Results of inquiry show that schoolchildren who choose religious education mostly originate from traditionalistic background, but that catechism does not amplify this predisposition. Results also show that conception of catechism in public schools does not meet the needs of schoolchildren, and that an adjustment is necessary.
Хипервизантијски парадокс: Зашто је могуће / потребно говорити о стилу савременог црквеног сликарства у Србији?
Хипервизантијски парадокс: Зашто је могуће / потребно говорити о стилу савременог црквеног сликарства у Србији?
(Hyperbyzantine Paradox: Is it Possible/ Useful to Analyze the Stylistic Aspects of Contemporary Serbian Church Painting?)
- Author(s):Todor Mitrovic
- Language:Serbian
- Subject(s):Visual Arts, Theology and Religion, Eastern Orthodoxy
- Page Range:87-103
- No. of Pages:17
- Keywords:neobyzantine painting; medieval painting; Tumane Monastery; style
- Summary/Abstract:Throughout second half of twentieth century, the renewal of medieval style in (Serbian) church arts was focused to mass-production of popular, utilitarian and naïve icons, without aesthetic capacity to attract a slightest dose of attention of academic community. The lack of need for any kind of stylistic change is established as a distinctive feature of such an artistic production, and confirmed through tacit consensus of Church and community of inquiry that the questions of style and aesthetic achievements of ecclesiastic art are already resolved on some intangible cognizant level. Paradox which inspired research of the nature of such a consensus is based in fact that it has been gained from totally opposite conceptual positions: (1) Church would argue that achieved stylistic and aesthetic solutions should not be questioned because they are made through renewal of the highest attainable artistic/theological achievement in the history of visual arts; (2) on the other hand, contemporary artists, art historians and wider academic community (with critical aspirations) would agree that achieved stylistic and aesthetic solutions should not be questioned because they do not display any of the recognizable characteristics of artistic (creative) production. However, under the surface of this bizarre (but very stabile) convention, it is possible to recognize fresh, underground artistic streams which are suggesting that – throughout the last decade of 20th and on the beginning of 21st century – Church art in Serbia can be approached on completely different aesthetic and cognitive level. In this research author makes an attempt to reveal those unexplored artistic streams, and to show that their iconic products can be analyzed through dynamic, inventive, developmental (…) categories, usually related to the set of cultural activities denoted with the term arts.
Materiality and Modernity in Greek Religious Discourses and Practices: from Bodies to Icons
Materiality and Modernity in Greek Religious Discourses and Practices: from Bodies to Icons
(Materiality and Modernity in Greek Religious Discourses and Practices: from Bodies to Icons)
- Author(s):Katerina Seraïdari
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Visual Arts, Theology and Religion, Eastern Orthodoxy
- Page Range:105-114
- No. of Pages:10
- Keywords:icons; materiality; Greece; divine interventions; modernity
- Summary/Abstract:This article examines the role that two different categories of objects, religiously embedded objects (such as icons) and ordinary items, play in Greek religious discourses and practices. In the first place, it shows how individuals’ piety transforms triviality into a personalized way of communicating with the sacred. Second, it analyzes the customary paths that follow icons that periodically move in and out of their sacred state, as well as their fluctuating identities.
Употреба предмета са хришћанском симболиком у свакодневном животу у Србији
Употреба предмета са хришћанском симболиком у свакодневном животу у Србији
(The Usage of Objects with Christian Symbolic in Everyday Life in Serbia)
- Author(s):Milesa Stefanović-Banović
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Anthropology, Theology and Religion, Eastern Orthodoxy
- Page Range:115-125
- No. of Pages:11
- Keywords:religious items; everyday life; commercialization
- Summary/Abstract:Mass revitalization of religion in Serbia in 1990s brought a hyper-production of object with religious symbolic and iconography. Besides the traditional items, such as crosses, rosaries and icons, common objects with Christian iconography also appeared: lighters, napkins, table cloths, fridge magnets, glasses, bottles, clothes etc. Although, subjectively perceived, the initial euphoria of “the return to religion” weakened, some of its heritage has remained. The most notable examples are certainly in the domain of material culture. The research included a survey examining the elements of such material culture present today. The usage and attitudes toward items with Christian symbolic in everyday life in Serbia are examined, as well as the motives of using these items – is their nature primary religious, aesthetical, magical or other.
Верски, друштвени и културни аспекти руских миграција у Боку Которску Руско гробље и духовно заједништво
Верски, друштвени и културни аспекти руских миграција у Боку Которску Руско гробље и духовно заједништво
(Confesional, Social and Cultural Aspects of Russian Migrations in Boka Kotorska. The Russian Cemetery and the Spiritual Union)
- Author(s):Dragana Radojičić
- Language:Serbian
- Subject(s):History, Theology and Religion, Eastern Orthodoxy, Migration Studies
- Page Range:129-141
- No. of Pages:13
- Keywords:migrations; the Russian cemetery; the Church of St. Theodore Ushakov; spiritual and cultural connection
- Summary/Abstract:This study chronologically covers the revitalization of the Russian cemetery in Herceg Novi and the construction and spiritual influence of the Church of St. Theodore Ushakov, the first Russian church built in Montenegro in 2007. From the historical point of view the period described is the one that starts after the October Revolution when a lot of emigrants came and permanently stayed in Boka Kotorksa. These were the members of the Elite of the imperial Russia: high-rank officers, professors, doctors, artists and their families. Russian emigrants relied on the Serbian Orthodox Church in Boka Kotorska. They went to the local churches to attend the liturgy, to get married, christened or be buried. Since the beginning of the 21st century many Russians have come to Montenegro to form another or the only home. In the coastal towns they can be seen throughout the whole year, in every public place such as supermarkets, shops, pharmacies, at public events as well as liturgies, christenings, weddings and cultural events. The general impression based on the field work and media reports is that the Russian newcomers have adapted to the new environment and that they feel free and peaceful- just like at home. The Society of Serbo-Russian Friendship for Herceg Novi and Boka Kotorska contributed immensely to the renewal of the spiritual unity. This has been accomplished through reaching the primary goal of this Society, which was to restore and protect the Russian cemetery on Savina in Herceg Novi. This location has become, especially after the construction of the Church of St. Theodore Ushakov, an active center of spiritual unity between Russians and people from Herceg Novi and nearby places. This everyday-spiritual unity is evident in all the religious rituals taking place.
Invisible Borders Christian–Neopagan Syncretism in Hungary
Invisible Borders Christian–Neopagan Syncretism in Hungary
(Invisible Borders Christian–Neopagan Syncretism in Hungary)
- Author(s):István Povedák
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Theology and Religion, Sociology of Religion
- Page Range:143-156
- No. of Pages:14
- Keywords:vernacular religiosity; neopaganism; religious syncretism; vernacular Christianity
- Summary/Abstract:Religious freedom and religious pluralism in the postsocialist region led not only to the emerging of religious denominations by number but to the decomposition of vernacular religiosity. This transformation manifested in a religious syncretism mingling Christian teachings and symbolism with the emerging new ideologies. This paper aims to analyse Christian-Neopagan syncretism, the most articular segment of the process which often results religious conflicts in Hungary.
Прилози за хришћанску антропологију – владика Николај Велимировић –
Прилози за хришћанску антропологију – владика Николај Велимировић –
(Contributions for Christian Anthropology Bishop Nikolaj Velimirović)
- Author(s):Zvezdana Ostojić
- Language:Serbian
- Subject(s):Anthropology, Theology and Religion, Eastern Orthodoxy
- Page Range:159-171
- No. of Pages:13
- Keywords:Nikolaj Velimirović; Christian anhropology; human; integral aproach
- Summary/Abstract:As a product of intention to get acquainted with the Orthodox thought about the human being through the work of Bishop Nikolai, this work is only a small step in the almost unknown field and therefore the author does not intend to present any definitive conclusions. The basic characteristics of Bishop Nikolai’s thought of man are: it is concerned with the very substance of human beings and it insists on a holistic approach in human observation, without separating the different spheres of his interests. The essential uniqueness of the Orthodox perception of a man, in comparison to the other perceptions of the world and man, is that it starts from what a man could be (become) and observes him in relation to unlimited capabilities of his growth.
Празнично честитање – од религијског контекста до секуларног обичаја
Празнично честитање – од религијског контекста до секуларног обичаја
(Holiday Greetings – From Religious Context to Secular Custom)
- Author(s):Milina Ivanović-Barišić
- Language:Serbian
- Subject(s):Theology and Religion, Eastern Orthodoxy, Sociology of Religion
- Page Range:175-185
- No. of Pages:11
- Keywords:card; annual holidays and rituals; the second half of the 20th and beginning of the 21st century
- Summary/Abstract:The holiday greeting cards that are sent to families or individuals are not recent phenomena, since it is dating back deep into the past of human society. Greeting cards are probably as old as the holidays themselves, and are one of their important features. Acknowledging holidays, members of the same or different communities manifest respect for each other, but also a desire for the welfare and prosperity of the community and each of its individuals. The Content of greetings and the way of the expressing holiday greetings depends on holidays that are congratulated, and the standards which took place inside of the life of the community. Custom greetings are adapted to the holiday, but also the historical and cultural conditions of the society.
Звоно као фолклорни мотив у поезији српских песника друге половине XIX и прве половине XX века
Звоно као фолклорни мотив у поезији српских песника друге половине XIX и прве половине XX века
(The Bell as a Folklore Motive in Serbian Poetry of the Late 19th and Early 20th Century)
- Author(s):Nina Aksić
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Serbian Literature, Eastern Orthodoxy, Theory of Literature
- Page Range:187-199
- No. of Pages:13
- Keywords:bell; custom and ritual; Serbian poetry
- Summary/Abstract:This paper presents a possibility of reading of a poetic literary work as an secondary ethnographical source, on the example of ten selected poems by four important poets of Serbian Romanticism, Realism and Modernism. The central part of the paper actually represents a condensed overview of certain verses from ten poems written by Serbian poets in the second half of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century, containing descriptions of customs and rituals that include the bell as a constituent and central element which is, on this occasion, singled out as an important symbol in Serbian tradition. Serbian poets of Romanticism, Realism and Modernism used folk life as an important inspiration for their artistic creations, while respecting the spiritual values of the people they belonged to and trying to immortalize them by transforming them into their poetry.
`Εις Όρος! Планина и менадизам у Еурипидовим Бакхама
`Εις Όρος! Планина и менадизам у Еурипидовим Бакхама
(`Εις Όρος! Mountain and maenadism in Euripides’ Bacchae)
- Author(s):Đurđina Šijaković Maidanik
- Language:Serbian
- Subject(s):Ancient World, Theology and Religion, Philology, Theory of Literature
- Page Range:201-216
- No. of Pages:16
- Keywords:Euripides (cca 480 – 406 B.C.); Bacchae; mountain: ὄρος; maenadism; ὀρειβασία
- Summary/Abstract:This paper offers one possible reading of the tragedy: mountain is in the focus of this reading, as a (semantic) space opposed to the city, and as a space for maenadic rites. If mythical Thebes corresponds to polis contemporary to tragedy, Kithaeron is juxtaposed zone in regard to this polis, especially during maenadic ritual ascent of the mountain (ὀρειβασία). In this reading of Bacchae, the mountain proves to be a zone of wilderness and violence, a zone outside of and before social norms, a place for outsiders. At the end of the play, such a Kithaeron and Agave: polluted, exiled, transgressor and violator reflect in each other “eyes”.
