The third baptism of Rus. The participation of Moscow orthodox church in Putin's expansion in Ukraine

Author(s): Grzegorz Przebinda / Language(s): English Issue: 148/2014

The author discusses the role of Russian Orthodox Church authorities (Patriarch Kirill and Metropolit Illarion in particular) in the process of creation of ideological-religious basis for incorporation of Southern and Eastern Ukraine. While Vladimir Putin refers first of all to the Russian political tradition, religious authorities pay more attention to religious-national unity of Eastern Slavs (Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians), which began in 988 at the moment of the baptism of Rus.

Bolesław Chrobry i Karol Wielki

Author(s): Miłosz Sosnowski / Language(s): Polish Issue: 2/2016

The paper discusses the issue of worship and imitation of Charlemagne during the reign of Bolesław the Brave in the context of the ruler’s responsibilities and the legitimacy of royal power. The analysis includes primarily the Christianization activity led by Bolesław and a later legend of the ruler.

Монашество и манастири по българските земи

Author(s): Albena Simova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2017

Unity, confession, power. Symbolic communication in the town of Slaný in the 17th century

Author(s): Josef Kadeřábek / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2017

Presented study deals with the problems of change of symbolic communication during the Counter-Reformation period in the Kingdom of Bohemia. It focuses on a micro-historical characterization of the royal town of Slaný in the 17th century which belonged to the group of significant utraquist royal towns in Bohemia but was pledged to the catholic family of Counts of Martinice.

Peri, Oded. Christianity Under Islam in Jerusalem: The Question of the Holy Sites in Early Ottoman Times

Author(s): Asuman Gölpınar / Language(s): Turkish Issue: 1/2017

Review of: Peri, Oded. Christianity Under Islam in Jerusalem: The Question of the Holy Sites in Early Ottoman Times. Leiden, Netherlands: Brill, 2001. xi + 219 p. ISBN-13: 978-9004120426

«IL EST PLUS DIFFICILE DE PRESERVER QUE DE BATIR»: LE PATRIARCHE DE CONSTANTINOPLE, JEREMIE II TRANOS ET LES PAYS ROUMAINS

Author(s): Violeta Barbu / Language(s): French Issue: 3/2017

The status of the patriarch of Constantinople during the Ottoman era has been widely and passionately discussed over many decades. Without being as intensely probed, the institution of the ecumenical patriarchate deserves an equal attention since recently published historical sources may help us to better understand its norms and practices. Such sources were left behind by the visit in the Romanian lands of patriarch Jeremy II Tranos on his way to Moscow. These texts shed new light on his pastoral strategy with respect to the Christians he considered of his fold and on political attitude towards the Romanian princes at the end of the 16th century. Alongside well known sources, the paper brings into discussion five original grammata signed by patriarch Jeremy II, of which three are available in later copies. The acts regard the collection of subsidies for the churches in the Balkans and the welfare of the monasteries Sozopolis and Chalki, to which the princes of Moldavia dedicated the monastery St Nicholas of Jassy.

QUELQUES TRAITS DES RAPPORTS LAZARISTES – BULGARES-UNIS À SALONIQUE OTTOMANE

Author(s): Raya Zaimova / Language(s): French Issue: 3/2017

The study is mostly based on documents from the Archives of Congregation of the Mission. The beginning of the Catholic missions in Salonika is traced and especially those of Congregation of the Mission, which replaced the Jesuits (1782 – 1783). Special attention is paid on the relations between foreign missions and the Bulgarians who accepted Pope’s supremacy, known as Uniates. The objects of research are the first Bulgarian bishops Nil Izvorov, Lazar Mladenov and Epiphane Scanoff, whose administrative activities are directly dependent upon the Congregatio de Propaganda Fide and the Ottoman authorities. The French-Ottoman Capitulations (until 1913) aid the Catholic missions but do not influence denomination changes among the Bulgarians. These changes depend on the Exarchate’s actions and on the agents of the Patriarchate, who are very often sent by Russia, “the protector of the Balkan Christians”. The Ottoman authorities involve only in cases when the Christian communities seek solutions to administrative issues or need support in conflicts inside the respective community.

Mjesto susreta Istoka i Zapada: Buddha i Nietzsche

Author(s): Đuldina Kurtović / Language(s): Bosnian Issue: 1/2014

The overview of the key points in which their reflections encounter, especially those which are related to the existential determination of man and his position in the world, allows comparative study to find its way towards the realization of co-operation and respect for the other and different. The attitude towards life, understanding of the suffer, position of the man in the world are just some of the important touch points on which the philosophies of these two great men meet and dissipate. As riddle that will always represent a source for further comparative researches, Buddha and Nietzsche have greatly influenced the philosophical flows that will follow after them. In order to understand these touch points it is necessary to meet the basic characteristics of their philosophies. European civilization, and thus European man, have reached the end of their development path, and Nietzsche sees the cause in old values, values that ceased to be the directive in life. Nietzsche will recognize and announce values such like that, through critic of morality, religion and philosophy. By criticizing the tradition, Nietzsche is trying to preserve it. For Nietzsche, each moral represents one's will for power, and that shapes the true reality in which a man is pinned down in the world. Through an eternal return, he wants to show that it is a renewal form of the will for power. Nietzsche will not leave us without hope, nor a pessimistic view of the world or without possible solution to the problem in which we find ourselves. He offers art as area where life affirmation is possible. One of the touch points on which Buddha's and Nietzche's philosophical thought meet is a kind of attitude opposite the world, or how they respresent that: “disgust on the world.“ Disgusting on the world and meditative purification brings individual to indifference, to thirst without thirst (nirvana), considers Buddha. On the other hand, the path that Nietzsche advocates, the path of Zaratustra is marked by overcoming the disgust. It is solution for ending pain, suffer, caused by these dirty lives, that can be achieved by escaping life's desires, escaping from life itself. Here we encounter the point at which Buddha and Nietzsche separate. According to Nietzche, buddhism is missing courage and trust in life. “Disgust on the world“, for Buddha, is actually necessarily part that has to be passed on the way of purification. Nietzche considers this path for decadent, that it is a sign of decay, and Nietzche cannot see any positive context in the buddhism in this way of overcoming disagreement with the world. Altough he criticized the ascetic ideal and the buddhist attitude of life, Nietszche agrees with Buddha that loneliness is hypothesis of realization of the authentic existance, in fact, deep suffer is the one who refines, and return of the man into solitude is the possibility of achieving purification and establishing relationships with others. As with Buddha, as with Nietzsche we can find a request directed to a man, where it is said that man needs to be light to himself and to be a resort to himself to turn to.

ОТНОШЕНИЕТО НА ЦЪРКВАТА КЪМ „ЧУЖДЕНЦИТЕ“ ПРЕЗ ІV И V В.

Author(s): Zlatomira Gerdzhikova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2017

The kindness to the stranger is typical for all Mediterranean societies and as part of their cultures Christianity is no exception. The kindness of Christians however is somehow different. During 4th and 5th centuries the social influence of the Church and bishops significantly increased and started to affect all segments of roman society. Among the important social changes implemented during this period was the attitude towards strangers. Few bishops played an important role in this process – St Ambrose, St. Basil the Great and St. John Chrysostom. Some of their deeds – Basil’s Basileada and Chrysostom’s relations with Goths, and standings – Ambrose’s sermon against the expulsion of foreigners from Rome, started to change social perception of foreigners and implemented changes visible even today – the establishment of hospitals and hostels.

Siyasetin Dine Etkisi Bağlamında Stalin’in Kilise Politikaları

Author(s): Şir Muhammed Duali / Language(s): Turkish Issue: 2/2017

Undoubtedly, in the formation of history, relations between religious structures and political powers, which are shaped within certain principles, have an important place. The course of these relations determines the strength and domain of both sides. This form of relationship, in some cases, evolves in favor of political power, and sometimes manifests itself as a political direction of religious interests. It is possible to see politics as a direction of religion or to use it in the direction of its own interests in the politics that the Soviet Union has implemented since the Second World War. As a matter of fact, the Soviet Union, which has embraced the ideology of official atheism and struggled against religious beliefs, did not stop using religion/church for conjuration in its own interests. In this context, The Soviet leader Stalin has almost reconstructed the Russian Orthodox Church, which he had been trying to destroy since the early years of the Second World War. Even, Moscow has made serious attempts to make Patriarchate the pioneer of the Orthodox world. In this article, we aim to emphasize Stalin’s church politics and reasons. We will also stress the reasons behind the Council of the Orthodox Churches, which Stalin sought to achieve through the Moscow Patriarchate in 1947. Finally, we will touch on the policy of the Fener Greek Patriarch against these developments.Summary: Throughout history, politics of states have been under the influence of religion. Likewise, religions have directed political authority in the direction of their own interests. Sometimes a religion takes the state under its influence; sometimes under a state takes a religion under the influence and they try to use the other one in the interests of itself. Concepts that define religion-state relations have emerged under the influence of experiences experienced over time. Secularism is at the head of the concepts that determine religion-state relations today. What secularism is and how it is practiced is much debated in the scientific circles. Despite all these struggles, however, no binding definition has been reached for all political issues. Certainly, the subjective structure of states plays an important role in regulating religion-state relations. The political ideology adopted by this political structure and the world view varies. Sometimes political structures with official atheist ideology can break the principle of secularism. While these ideologies are ungodly in their nature, they benefit from political interests. As an example, it is possible to show the Soviet Union with an atheist ideology. Because the Soviet regime used religion in the direction of political interests between 1943-1948.The Russian Orthodox Church, which was very active and competent during the reign of Tsarist Russia, lost its power with the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. The Soviet regime has made the Russian Orthodox Church an illegal institution. The struggle against the church by the regime continued until the Second World War. With the Second World War, Stalin's church politics changed.There is no doubt that this political change has become more than one reason. The first is that the state has entered into a war. Stalin did not want to continue the struggle with religion while the war was going on. Another reason for pushing Stalin for a policy change towards the Church is the anti-Soviet propaganda carried out by the Germans. As a matter of fact, the Germans defined themselves as the savior of the Russian people. It was also alleged that Germany was waging a war against the Soviets in order to free Russian people from communism. Even brochures were taken from the airplanes in this frame. The Germans aimed to break the resistance of the Russian people with this method. Stalin acted to ward off this propaganda of the Germans. Stalin therefore had to keep an eye on church politics and stopped the oppression against the church. In this framework, opportunities were provided for the Russian Orthodox Church. For example, have been approved to organize rites in churches. The priests are encouraged to strengthen hand the people. Also closed churches have been reopened by Stalin. In this way the German propaganda has been wasted.The Second World War ended with the victory of the Soviet Union. Stalin, however, continued to use the church after the war was over. So why did Stalin continue to support the church as an atheist? What were the reasons for pushing Stalin into this policy? Stalin's post-war church policy has multiple causes. The most important of these is spreading the Soviet influence over the entire Balkans and Middle East geography through the Russian Orthodox Church. Undoubtedly this is related to the long-term policies of the Soviets. Because the war has changed all the balances in the world. This has given new opportunities to the Soviets. At the beginning of these, the Orthodox world comes to the Soviet influence. It seems that the steps towards this have been started to be started from 1945. In this context, the Russian Orthodox Church found important activities. For example, the Moscow Patriarch has established relations with other Orthodox Churches. Jerusalem, Athens, Cyprus, Antakya churches were visited. In the end, an attempt was made to collect the Orthodox Council.The struggle of the Western and Eastern bloc emerged after the Second World War divided the Orthodox world into two camps. In this process, the Greek, Cyprus and Jerusalem Orthodox churches under the leadership of the Fener Patriarchate were under American influence. The Serbian, Bulgarian and Antiochian Orthodox Churches under the leadership of the Moscow Patriarchate were under Soviet influence. For these reasons, the Soviet regime, which has been fighting for the Church since the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, has given up its position. It is understood from this historical fact that a regime adopting irreligion as an official ideology uses religion in its own interests as needed. This indicates that secularism is relative. This study will try to show how the Soviet Union uses the Russian Orthodox Church in its own interests despite the atheism ideology.

DR. BUZOGÁNY DEZSŐ EGYETEMI TANÁR KÖSZÖNTÉSE

Author(s): János Molnár / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 1/2017

Nagytiszteletű Professzor úr, kedves Dezső, a címzetes tanárok között én vagyok a legidősebb. Rég volt, amikor sokáig én vol¬tam a legfiatalabb. Most már ez egészen másként van, s épp ezért nekem jutott az a meg¬tiszteltetés, hogy 60. születésnapod alkalmából köszöntselek Téged, mint aki korban köz¬vetlenül utánam következel. A személyiséglélektannal foglalkozók azt mondják, hogy a 60 év az idős kor kez-dete. Erről mondja a Prédikátor elég pesszimistán azt, hogy egy olyan időszaknak a kez¬dete, amikor a halmocskáktól is fél az ember, mert a sáska nehezen vonszolja magát, a mandulafa megvirágzik, és kipattan a kapor. Vajon így igaz ez?!

A MAROSI REFORMÁTUS EGYHÁZMEGYE 1927. ÉVI KETTÉOSZTÁSA (A BEKECSALJAI REFORMÁTUS EGYHÁZMEGYE LÉTREJÖTTE)

Author(s): Árpád Róbert Berekméri / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 1/2017

The territory of the Reformed Diocese of Maros was modified in 1927, this being the second significant change in its history. In 1641, several parishes have left the diocese to form the Reformed Diocese of Görgény. The managing of a diocese, which by the first half of the 20th century represented 125 parishes, became a difficult task for the governing body. The idea of a territorial division came up in 1918, but only in 1922 was a decision made by the board of the Diocese. The lengthy splitting procedure, approved by the Board of Directors, ended on April 20, 1927, with the formation of the Reformed Diocese of Bekecsalja. Lajos Kolozsvári became the Dean of the new Church organization and Dr. László Dósa lawyer became the churchwarden. The Board of Directors rejected the appeal made against the election, and confirmed the new governing body of the Diocese on May 24, 1927. While the new diocese was not recognized by the Ministry of Culture and while neither the state nor the Board of Directors gave any aid for the settling in arrangements, the functioning of the diocese had to be managed through its own available budget.

AZ ERDÉLYI ORGONATÁJ FOTOGRÁFUSA –BUZOGÁNY DEZSŐ ORGONAKÉPEI (MOZAIKOK, NEM CSAK ZENÉRŐL)

Author(s): István Dávid / Language(s): English,Hungarian Issue: 1/2017

To take a photo inventory of the Transylvanian organs is not only a musical or artistic challenge. It is more important to have friendly relations between the organist – like researcher of the instrument – and the photographer of these marvellous artistic facades. In this article there are presented some pleasant mosaics, memories, remembrances from the past, about the beginning and getting stronger of such a professional collaboration with new and new experiences. In the book Organ-Monuments in Transylvania written by the organist István Dávid, there are more than 30 photos in the Picture Index, each made by prof. Dezső Buzogány. The number of offered photos was much more, some of them with historic value, as the situation changed ever since. This article included 6 Buzogány-photos from the Transylvanian Organ Landscape, made years ago, by the young pastor of Selye and Ádámos Reformed Congregations. And you will find here 6 organs, with a short history of each other as: Segesvár (Sighişoara), Ádámos (Adămuş), Agyagfalva (Lutiţa), Medgyes (Mediaş), Siménfalva (Şimoneşti), Kolozsvár (Cluj).

ILENCFALVI SZÁSZ GERŐ (1831–1904) KÉZIRATOS HAGYATÉKÁNAK FELDOLGOZÁSA

Author(s): Miklós Geréb / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 1/2017

Szász Gerő was one of the most determining figures of the Transylvanian Re-formed Church during the last quarter of the 19th century. He was dean in Ko-lozsvár, editor of the Prédikátori Tár (an omnibus volume of 35 Transylvanian preachers) and also editor of Erdélyi Protestáns Közlöny (the main, official newspaper of Transylvanian Reformed Church at that time.) Later he was elected vice bishop, and he stood very close to becoming even bishop of the church. His career, unfortunately, was broken when he lost the reliance of bishop Szász Domokos. He also wrote many poems, however, by publishing them, he never scored full marks from critics. We can admire his portrait also looking to the statue of King Matthew in Kolozsvár, since one of the king’s captains was modelled by Szász Gerő. We can find his manuscripts at the Central Archives of Transylvanian Reformed Church under mark „F2”.This short essay aims to introduce how many and what kind of sermons we can find between Szász Gerő’s manuscripts and to show the circumstances of their formation, and the author’s attitude to bible-passages has used.

HOGYAN LEHETETLENÍTSÜNK EL ANYAGILAG EGY KOLLÉGIUMOT? – A NAGYENYEDI REFORMÁTUS KOLLÉGIUM CSŐDJÉNEK OKAI AZ 1870-ES ÉVEKBEN –

Author(s): Olga Lukács / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 1/2017

In the time following the revolution, the Nagyenyed College (Main Study Institution) rose just like a phoenix and, because of good organization, in the 1860s it has gained fame once again. In 1868, however, another turn of events put an end to its good financial situation and recovery. This event had a great impact on the future development of pastors’ education. So much so that the turn of events itself brought into question the survival of the institution and its competence in theological education. To keep track of the presented events, a brief description of the economic situation, the supervision and the operation of the Main Study Institution is needed.In Transylvanian Reformed schools the supervision of the church district was carried out by the School Leadership Board made up of the curators and the school teachers. Within the limits of religious legislation, the Board had disposal of all school income. Each year, this body presented a report on the school’s financial situation to the Church District Administrative Council. Property sale or acquisition was only possible with the consent of this Council.From the revolution to 1868, a church district trustee – the so called inspector-curator –, Ferenc Fosztó handled the financial affairs of the college alone, the school leadership having little to say in the matter.After 1868, a teacher – the so called inspector-professor –, Dániel Kasza took over handling the financial situation of the school. Apart from the current affairs, Kasza handled all matters with the consent of the School Board, having to report to it. In the period of Dániel Kasza the financial situation of the college flourished. Without lessening the school’s capital, three new teachers’ homes were built, teachers’ salaries were raised, new departments were created, the best students could go abroad on scholarships, new properties and agricultural equipment was bought. However, following Kasza’s death, no teacher wanted to take on the work that he has done with great commitment, for free. In this period, wasting and selfishness has grown to such proportions that the college was on the brink of financial collapse.The study presents those events which lead to the near bankruptcy of the Nagyenyed College by 1879. It presents the debates and lawsuits, which were proven to be barren initiatives and in the end, no one could be held accountable.During the stormy debates on the financial situation of the Nagyenyed College, the Ferencz József University was established and solidified in Kolozsvár (Cluj). These two facts highly influenced the new dilemma of the next two decades, which, apart from the financial collapse of the Nagyenyed College, aimed at moving the education of Reformed pastors to Cluj. As a final closure of the debate, pastors’ education was finally moved to Cluj in 1895.

ZSARNAY LAJOS TEOLÓGIÁJA

Author(s): Marianna Bátoriné Misák / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 1/2017

Zsarnay’s theological thinking was eclectic. Even though he considered supranaturalism the only valid direction, still the interpretations of several doctrines bear the theology and formulation of Schleiermacher. He made it obvious that the views of rationalism are far from his views, and still, according to some suppositions, its doctrines can be found also in his formulations. He was not familiar with the Hungarian line of the theological liberalism, but it doesn’t mean that the German liberal thinking did not reach him. But according to our convictions, these views were far from him. He was looking for his own path, while he was open, but also critical towards the theological thinking of his time.

„A MAGA KÉPÉRE...” – MISSZIONÁRIUSOK FOTOGRÁFIÁI MINT AZ EGYHÁZTÖRTÉNET FORRÁSAI

Author(s): Károly Zsolt Nagy / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 1/2017

„The picture speaks for itself” – says the proverb, but how do we hear what it says and how do we understand its words? We are now in the age of visual information where visual content plays a role in every part of life. But we do not spend enough time looking at the pictures in detail. We spend a flash of time with them, and the pictures do not affect our consciousness, but our emotions. From this follows the question of how can we, as social scientists extract the contents of the photos? How can a photo be the source of the church history? This essay cannot, of course, give a perfect answer to the question, but it gives a brief introduction to the so-called „skills of visual literacy”, based on some photography relevant to Church history.

MIRŐL ÁLMODIK A LELKIPÁSZTOR? TELEGDI T. ISTVÁN ALPESTESI LELKÉSZ ÁLOMFELJEGYZÉSEI

Author(s): Sándor Előd Ősz / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 1/2017

The study deals with the description of the dreams of a Reformed pastor who worked at the beginning of the 17th century. In the episcopal library of Székesfehérvár can be found one issue from the 1590 edition of Andreas Hondroff's work with the title Theatrum Historicum... We know a few possessors of this book: András Keczeli dominie in Tövis, Gábor Csernátoni pastor in Marosillye then in Alpestes and István Telegdi T. pastor also in Alpestes. On the book Gábor Csernátoni wrote the birth date of his children and István Telegdi wrote down ten of his dreams. The description of these dreams contains numerous cultural aspects and details about the mentality of that period – in three dreams figures Gábor Bethlen prince of Transylvania and in one the widow of the Moldavian prince, Marcu Cercel.

AZ OXFORD GROUP MOZGALOM RECEPCIÓJA A KIRÁLYHÁGÓMELLÉKI SAJTÓBAN.ADALÉKOK A KRE TÖRTÉNETÉHEZ

Author(s): József Pálfi / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 1/2017

The interwar period brought multiple challenges at every level to the newly formed Királyhágómellék Reformed Church District. After World War I, the district faced challenges to fill a given frame with a proper content. Establishing church institutions on various levels and structuring internal mission were of highest priorities. The Oxford Group came as a new internal mission element to revitalise the Church, besides traditional approaches. However, the promoter of the organization failed to provide the Group a wider recognition. This study reveals the background of his efforts.

BARTÓK GYÖRGY KÉZIRATA, MINT RAVASZ LÁSZLÓ FORRÁSA

Author(s): Szabolcs Szetey / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 1/2017

The most influential homiletical book of the later reformed bishop, Ravasz László (The Theory of the Congregational Preaching Ministry – Homiletics, Pápa, 1915) had and has been respected and adapted by many scholars and ministers for more than one century since its publication. In the theological research, all sources of Ravasz’ book have not yet been clearly identified and clarified. A manuscript, mainly written in 1895/1896 by Bartók György (1845–1907), Ravasz’s later father in law and deputy professor of theology in Nagyenyed, coincides with more parts of Ravasz László’s book in several cases concerning the history of preaching in the Christian Church and in the Hungarian Reformed Church. The manuscript, described and analysed in this study, shows also the working method of the young professor Ravasz. The results of this paper contribute to the revaluation of the epochal work of Ravasz László and to the research of history of homiletics and preaching.