Papers by Zdravko Jovanović
Зборник Матице српске за друштвене науке, 2018
The First Epistle to the Corinthians of St. Clement of Rome is one of the most ancient patristic ... more The First Epistle to the Corinthians of St. Clement of Rome is one of the most ancient patristic documents within the corpus of early Christian literature. It reflects a diverse array of theological and cultural issues from the turbulent transitional period between the apostolic and post-apostolic eras of primitive Christianity. The impetus for writing the epistle was the unrest and upheaval in the Corinthian Christian community, provoked by the illegitimate deposition of several local presbyters. In this epistle, the theme of respect for ecclesial structures and hierarchical order is directly linked to the notion of authentic faith. In this context, the present paper offers an analysis of the early Christian approach to connecting faith (πίστις) with a distinct ethos, as illustrated by the author of the Epistle through the exegesis of paradigmatic Old and New Testament texts. Clement's primary goal—the resolution of conflict—is examined by exploring his method of integrating faith with works, emphasizing the practical manifestations of faith, which bear sociological implications rather than merely individual or introspective ones. A faith that is practiced should unequivocally be manifested in the pursuit of concord and peace, through the cultivation of humility, gentleness, hospitality, obedience, and other virtues that foster cohesion, rather than destruction, within the Christian community. The contribution of this paper lies primarily in its analysis of Clement's theological interpretation of the tension between faith and works—a theme that was prominent in the earliest New Testament and Patristic writings and continues to resonate in contemporary theological thought.
Црквене студије/CHURCH STUDIES , 2024
Суштина процеса усиновљења (υἱοθεσία) је измештање из сплета односа који су творили стари идентит... more Суштина процеса усиновљења (υἱοθεσία) је измештање из сплета односа који су творили стари идентитет и улазак у нови сплет односа, у нови живот, који дарује нови идентитет. Појам има снажан асоцијативни потенцијал јер упечатљиво осликава нови живот који је хришћанима дарован у заједници Цркве, као и неопходност да се верa примарно изражава у односу на иницијатора усвојитељног процеса, на Оца Христовог. Иако се може препознати сродност са другим Павловим сотириолошким метафорама, појам "усиновљење" је специфичан јер истиче бројне нове аспекте спасења. Примери који то најбоље илуструју су наглашавање есхатолошке димензије, преображења човековог телесног постојања, космолошког контекста метафоре, човековог посредништва између творевине и Бога, као и значаја човекове слободе и светотајинскoг контекста спасења. Дијахронијски континуитет идеје усиновљења као идентитетског појма који показује сотириолошки аспекат кроз повезаност божанског и људског елемента сеже до митолошких времена.
Богословље/Theology, 2023
The present paper discusses the strategy that Saint Justin the Philosopher used in order to clari... more The present paper discusses the strategy that Saint Justin the Philosopher used in order to clarify the attitude of Christians towards the vast and rich cultural, literary and customary heritage of Greco-Roman culture. This topic is considered in the context of a kind of distancing from the comfort and complexity of classical Greco-Roman literature and customary norms in which the newly converted Christians grew up and were brought up, and leaning towards the enigmatic cultural matrix of the Middle Eastern climate. Distancing of this type was seen by pagan contemporaries as irrationality characterized by adherence to barbaric writings and beliefs whose sophistication was nowhere near that of the culture that Christians consciously abandon. Justin’s refutation of such objections is evaluated in the context of his explanation of the rationality that characterizes the Christian faith. The process of articulating a Christian cultural identity should, from Justin’s perspective, function as a basis for establishing a dialogue with those who objected to the early Christians and their supposedly counter cultural ethos. In this way,Justin was looking for an effective legitimization of the position that the Christian faith by no means represents a culturally unsophisticated, speculative and impotent superstition, but that it implies a “philosophy”, i.e. a complex, comprehensive and inculturated view of the world, life and matters of human destiny about its own origin and designation.
Keywords: cultural identity; ἀπόδειξις; eternal Logos; seeds of truth; creation; rationality; freedom of will; providence; incorruptibility
Наслеђе - Часопис за књижевност, језик, уметност и културу. Nasledje - Journal of Language, Literature, Arts and Culture , 2023
The conspicuous absence of Christians of the pre-Constantinian era from public manifestations ass... more The conspicuous absence of Christians of the pre-Constantinian era from public manifestations associated with polytheistic cults and the cult of the emperor caused the suspicion of the Roman citizenry and government, which eventually grew into accusations of atheism, political subversiveness and disloyalty to the Empire. This text examines the attempt to, in the context of the accusations and persecutions to which they were exposed, shape a more profiled early Christian political self-awareness, primarily in the apologetic literature of the second century and in the writing of the First Apology of the most significant apologist of the era - St. Justin the Philosopher. In the context of refuting the thesis about the anti-state activity of Christians, Justin achieved a revaluation of the terms “subversiveness” and “loyalty”. Emphasizing the eschatological orientation of the Christian ethos, he argued that it is possible for Christians to simultaneously, without necessary internal contradictions, exercise dual
loyalty, that is, devotion to the Christian monotheistic faith and commitment to the political entity in which they live. In this way, Justin relativized the association of the terms mos maiorum and pax deorum with the prosperity and progress of the Roman Empire and hinted at the possibility that “prudent judgment” could enable the Roman emperors to see the existing capacities for their potential conversion and alliance with Christianity. In this way, Justin’s text represents a kind of anticipation of a great upheaval, in the form of the Christianization of the Empire, which took place less than two centuries later.
Keywords: political self-awareness, subversiveness, mos maiorum, pax deorum, loyalty,
Christian ethos and politics
ВИЗАНТИЈСКО-СЛОВЕНСКА ЧТЕНИЈА VI, 2023
The subject of reflection in this paper is St. John Chrysostom's interpretation of Paul's verse a... more The subject of reflection in this paper is St. John Chrysostom's interpretation of Paul's verse about divisions in the Corinthian community in 1 Corinthians 11:19. This verse is part of a larger passage in which the Apostle Paul addresses issues related to Eucharistic worship, particularly the dangerous practice of divisions. Chrysostom's interpretation centers on refuting the notion that divisions within Christian ecclesiology could be seen as a determined necessity or even as having potentially positive connotations. Chrysostom explicitly asserts that the phenomenon of divisions is associated with human free will, specifically with people's reckless actions. He is adamant that, in accordance with an authentic eschatological perspective—which should serve as a paradigm for the establishment of Christian Eucharistic gatherings—divisions based on the introduction of secular sociological stratifications and status categories into the liturgical space are unacceptable. If such anomalies are allowed, Christian unity is fundamentally threatened. A Church that permits divisions in its Eucharistic gatherings, which are alien to the inclusiveness of Christ's sacrifice and His salvific death, tragically misses its eschatological purpose.
Keywords: Divisions, determinism, free will, ecclesiology, Eucharist, eschatological perspective, faith, social status
Сеобе од антике до данас 2 - Прометеј 021: од Агона до прогона, 2024
The text analyzes the motive of voluntary exile as a possible way to resolve the Corinthian confl... more The text analyzes the motive of voluntary exile as a possible way to resolve the Corinthian conflict, which is described in the first post-New Testament, patristic writing, the First Epistle to the Corinthians by Clement of Rome, in the wider context of the so-called ‘discourse of displacement’ from the socio-political glossary of the ancient world. The call to the perpetrators of the riots not to further disturb the Corinthian community with their selfishness and to voluntarily leave Corinth and go into
exile obviously reflects the existing practice of conflict resolution within social communities in the Greco-Roman world. Displacement, regardless of whether it is voluntary or forced exile, i.e. ostracism, was practiced in ancient societies as one of the optimal and dignified ways of resolving conflict situations. The paper discusses the author's intention to, in addition to the contribution to the resolution of the conflict in Corinth, point out the convergence between Judeo-Christian and Greco-Roman intellectual and cultural traditions, on several different levels. In the context of its genre, the Epistle represents a combination of deliberative or advisory rhetoric and epistolary literature, and its primary goal is to clearly distinguish between what is useful and what is harmful, within a particular social or ecclesial (in this case, Corinthian) community. Clement's appeal, in the context of deliberative discourse, for
voluntary withdrawal and exile could only be addressed to people with a clearly expressed civic consciousness and social culture that was characteristic of the noblest strata of Roman society at that time. The appeal to sacrifice, honor and conventions of dignity, despite the destructive behavior of rioters, also reveals that Clement understood the contemporary code of ‘honor and shame’ as a common value and cultural platform, shared by Christians and followers of polytheistic religions, on the basis of
which the appeal to it was possible to guide responsible behavior in an effective way. The author, consequently, did not see any necessary contradiction between the Christian concept of love, which should function as the basic cohesive factor of the ecclesial community, and the imperial political glorification of order and harmony based on Greco-Roman philosophy, rhetoric and political thought.
Keywords: Exile, conflict, rebellion (στάσις), order, deliberative rhetoric, ‘honor and shame’, peace and concord (εἰρήνη καὶ ὁμονοία).
Inherited sin?: Erbsünde? Forscher aus dem Osten und Westen Europas an den Quellen des gemeinsamen Glaubens. Studientagung Wien, 15.-19. September 2021, 2024
The persistent diligence with which both Theophilus’ and Irenaeus’ extant texts are
studied in co... more The persistent diligence with which both Theophilus’ and Irenaeus’ extant texts are
studied in contemporary scholarship is caused, among other things, by their teaching
about the created order as a reality intended for temporal progression and growth.
Moreover, their perplexing doctrine of Adam and Eve as νήπιοι relating to the state
in which they existed before the Fall and the dynamism of human nature potentially
opens up significant possibilities for understanding numerous fundamental topics in
theological anthropology. One of the most important subjects recognized by modern
scholars is certainly an adequate understanding of the relationship between the adjectives “good” and “perfect” in the context of teaching about the creation of men. In
connection with this question, it is important to have a balanced understanding of the
relationship between protology and eschatology, which derives directly from the soteriology of Irenaeus and especially from his doctrine of recapitulation. No less important is the significance of human material, bodily existence, and its connection with the temporal dimension of the created world and the flow and the culmination of human history. In the present paper perspectives that potentially arise in the context of the doctrine about the infancy of Adam and Eve for the reevaluation of perpetual theological topics such as the relationship between anthropology and Christology, the ecclesial context of salvation, mysteriology, ethics, and dialogue between theology and science are also discussed.
JOURNAL OF HISTORICAL RESEARCHES, 2023
To be disinterested in any historically approved tradition while also promoting oneself as a new,... more To be disinterested in any historically approved tradition while also promoting oneself as a new, exclusive religion in terms of soteriology was something quite unacceptable to the mindset of antiquity. Nevertheless, this is exactly how Christianity was perceived in the Imperium Romanum as a historical novelty, an anti-traditional, ethnically unrooted, overbearing, and in fact superstitious religious movement which, to say the least, was a disturbing and subversive social phenomenon.
Given the seriousness of these perceptions and accusations made by both pagans and Jews, early Christian apologetics focused on several key topics that lie in the background of this issue. First of all, apologetics focused on relativizing an alleged contradiction between the historically new and the truth. Moreover, they worked on a reinterpretation of the term new in the context of the Christian relationship to the Old Testament tradition and especially to its prophecies. Also, early Christian theology made it clear that novelty actually represented the timeliness of the divine revelation, as implied by the term καιρός in relation to the incarnation of the Logos. Moreover, this should not be understood in terms of the protological, but rather in terms of an eschatological perspective. Interpreted in this way, Christianity manifests itself as simultaneously old and new, as a phenomenon that inevitably bases its existence on an appreciation of History, within which the successive divine epiphanies took place and tradition (old and new) formed in connection with these epiphanies.
Keywords: Historical novelty, antiquity, Golden Age, truth, tradition, religion, superstition, Old Testament, proof from prophecy, καιρὸς.
Богословље / Theology, 2023
Хришћанство Јустиновог времена суочавало се са непријатељском популарном перцепцијом у римском др... more Хришћанство Јустиновог времена суочавало се са непријатељском популарном перцепцијом у римском друштву и са бројним клеветама и оптужбама које су се односиле на сферу хришћанског етоса. У овом тексту разматра се аргументација коју је Свети Јустин Философ користио за побијање лажних оптужби и његова демонстрација утемељености хришћанског етоса у теологији, односно специфично разумевање божанских својстава које би требало опонашати. Свети Јустин указује и на евхаристијске корене хришћанског етоса и егзистенцијалне приоритете којима се хришћани руководе када радије бирају мучеништво и страдање него одрицање од свог хришћанског идентитета. Шире конотације Јустиновог апологетског богословља такође су узете у обзир. Ово се превасходно односи на његове циљеве у вези са представљањем Хришћанства као одговорног и респектабилног друштвеног чиниоца, затим на његове проптрептичке циљеве који се тичу потенцијалне конверзије његових реципијента, али и на антијеретички капацитет његових аргумената.
The Christianity of Justin’s time faced a hostile popular perception in Roman society and numerous slanders and accusations related to the sphere of the Christian ethos. The present paper examines the argumentation that Saint Justin the Philosopher used to refute the false accusations and his demonstration of the foundation of the Christian ethos in theology, that is, a specific understanding of the divine attributes that should be imitated. Justin also points to the Eucharistic roots of the Christian ethos and the existential priorities that guide Christians when they choose martyrdom and suffering rather than renouncing their Christian identity. The wider connotations of Justin’s apologetic theology are also considered. This primarily refers to his goals regarding the presentation of Christianity as a responsible and respectable social factor, then to his proptreptic goals regarding the potential conversion of his recipients, but also to the anti-heretical capacity of his arguments.
Богословље / Theology, 2022
The subject of analysis in this article is the strategy of St. Justin the Philosopher in his Firs... more The subject of analysis in this article is the strategy of St. Justin the Philosopher in his First Apology in the process of refuting the frequent accusation of impiety, i.e. atheism, which was attributed to Christians by their contemporaries in the second century. More specifically, particular attention is paid to Justin’s effort to influence the cessation of the persecution of Christians, caused by negative perceptions, with the argument that the accusation of atheism is completely unfounded. Additionally, his theological views are evaluated in the context of his intention that in addition to reactive and apologetic effectiveness, they also have a return effect on strengthening and preserving the Christian identity and the unity of the Church. Bearing in mind that Justin’s dialogic endeavor takes place in carefully selected categories and conceptual expressions that fully correspond to the cultural milieu of his interlocutors, his apologetic theology is also valued in the context of his protreptic potential to influence the change of mind in a wider social context. As a desired result of Justin’s approach, which arose directly from his own experience of conversion, the First Apology was to bear witness to Christianity as a faith based on Revelation, which does not have a politically subversive potential, but, on the contrary, represents the embodiment of wisdom, the realized union of philosophy and piety, which is characterized by solemnity, responsibility and devotion to virtues and Tradition. ▶ Keywords: St. Justin, Apology, persecutions, protreptic discourse, atheism, pax deorum, nomen ipsum, rational faith, Resurrection
Сажетак: У тексту се анализира стратегија Светог Јустина Философа у његовој Првој Апологији у процесу побијања учестале оптужбе за непобожност, односно атеизам, која је била упућивана хришћанима од стране њихових савременика у II веку. Конкретније, нарочита пажња је посвећена Јустиновом настојању да утиче на прекид прогона хришћана изазваних негативним перцепцијама, са аргументацијом да је оптужба за атеизам у потпуности неоснована. Додатно, његови богословски ставови се вреднују у контексту његове интенције да, поред реактивне и апологетске учинковитости, они имају и повратни ефекат на освешћивање, јачање и очување хришћанског идентитета и јединства Цркве. Имајући у виду да се Јустинов дијалошки подухват одвија у брижљиво одабраним категоријама и појмовним изразима, који у потпуности кореспондирају са културолошким миљеом његових саговорника, његово апологетско богословље се вреднује и у контексту његовог протрептичког потенцијала да утиче на преумљење у ширем друштвеном контексту. Као жељени резултат оваквог Јустиновог приступа, који је непосредно
происходио из његовог сопственог искуства преобраћења, Прва Апологија је требало да пружи сведочанство о хришћанству као о вери заснованој на Откровењу, која нема политички субверзиван потенцијал, већ, супротно томе, представља оваплоћење мудрости, остварени спој философије и побожности, који одликује словесност, одговорност и приврженост врлинама и Предању.
▶ Кључне речи: Свети Јустин, Апологија, прогони, протрептика, атеизам, pax deorum, nomen ipsum, разложна вера, васкрсење
„Сигурни пут вере“. Разрешење конфликта у Климентовој Првој Посланици Коринћанима. "The Safe Way of Faith": Conflict Resolution in Clement's First Epistle to the Corinthians, 2019
„Сигурни пут вере“. Разрешење конфликта у Климентовој Првој Посланици Коринћанима. "The Safe Way of Faith": Conflict Resolution in Clement's First Epistle to the Corinthians, 2019
„Сигурни пут вере“. Разрешење конфликта у Климентовој Првој Посланици Коринћанима. "The Safe Way of Faith": Conflict Resolution in Clement's First Epistle to the Corinthians, 2019
Овај став Зом резимира следећим закључком: "Personal communion with Christ is the secret and the ... more Овај став Зом резимира следећим закључком: "Personal communion with Christ is the secret and the power of the Christian life. This communion with Christ and the Father was now made dependent upon external forms and conditions. In this consists the nature of Roman Catholicism. Adherence to the external organism, which was represented by the bishops and elders, was the new law which was laid upon each individual Christian. The Church was no longer the communion of believers, but was built upon an office which was now necessary to constitute the congregations members of Christ", R. Sohm, A History of Christianity (C. W. Rishell. прев.),
Philotheos - International Journal for Philosophy and Theology, 2018
Српска теологија данас, књ. 2: Зборник радова другог годишњег симпосиона, 2010
The present paper aims at the one hand at describing the possible connection between the emergenc... more The present paper aims at the one hand at describing the possible connection between the emergence of ecclesiology as an independent discipline of dogmatic theology, and the phenomenon of the marginalization of the importance of the Eucharist and the institutionalism in the theology and practice of medieval RomanCatholic Church on the other. The failure to give proper attention to the importance of the Eucharist and growing institutionalism caused some long-reaching problems for the Church’s life, evoked discussions of many fundamental ecclesiological topics, and initiated the emergence of numerous treatises during the Middle Ages and the Reformation, and finally led to the inclusion of separate chapters on ecclesiology in almost all systematic presentations of the Christian doctrine.
Key Terms
Ecclesiology, scholasticism, Reformation, Eucharist, Berengarius of Tours, transubstantiation, unity of the Church, ministry, liturgical practice, institutionalism, papal centralism, plenitude potestatis, pyramidal ecclesiology, the authority of the episcopate, Conciliarism, laity.
Текст има за циљ да укаже на постојање везе између појаве еклисиологије као самосталне дисциплине догматског богословља са једне стране, и између феномена маргинализације значаја Евхаристије и јачања институционализма у теологији и пракси средњевековнoг Римокатолицизма са друге стране. Запостављање значаја Евхаристије и институционализам створили су дугорочне проблеме у животу Цркве, отворили дискусију о великом броју темељних еклисиолошких тема, иницирали појаву бројних расправа у периоду позног Средњег века и Реформације и довели до стандардизованог укључивања одвојених поглавља о еклисиологији у све систематске приказе хришћанског учења.
Богословље - Theology, 2007
The “Branch Theory” is an ecclesiological concept of the 19th-century Oxford Movement which holds... more The “Branch Theory” is an ecclesiological concept of the 19th-century Oxford Movement which holds that the Roman Catholic, the Orthodox and the Church of England are three branches or portions of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. This teaching attempted to explain the meaning of the unity of the Church by stressing that this unity still exists ontologically in spite of the fact that the branches do not maintain sacramental communion with each other. Each community remains to be a branch of the One Church of Christ provided that it continues to hold some fundamental elements of the Tradition (such as the valid Apostolic Succession of its bishops) which secure the unity with the ancient Apostolic Church. The Branch Theory basically ground itself on a specific understanding of the notion of schism
and on a relativistic explanation of the consequences of the schism for the life of the Church. An understanding of the notion of the schism as an natural and normal phenomenon therefore is a prominent feature of this theory. This study aims to consider some fundamental theological premises which formed a specific context for the origin of the Branch Theory. This was executed through an analysis of the argumentation of the theology of the Theory which rely on an interpretation of some anthropological, ecclesiological, biblical and patristic notions in order to support its conclusions about the meaning of schism. Influences of some presuppositions inherited from the classical Anglican theology (theory of the ”national Church” and “ecclesiological relativism”) were also examined, as well as influences of some presuppositions inherited from the classical Protestant theology (the notion of the “Word of God” and the theory of the “visible” and “invisible Church”). In final analysis some key factors which probably constitute the main weak points of this ecclesiological teaching were identified as a lack of an eschatological perspective on Church’s historical existence and as neglect of the significance of the Eucharistic communion for the realization of the unity of the Church.
„Теорија грана“ Оксфордског покрета је еклисиолошко учење утемељено на специфичном релативизовању последица феномена схизме по остваривање јединства Цркве. У контексту ове теорије схизма се сагледава као природан феномен који не представља суштинску претњу за аутентичност еклисијалног идентитета. Текст анализира неке од основних фактора, наслеђених из класичне англиканске и протестантске теологије, који су пресудно утицали на формирање „теорије грана“ и указује на занемаривање значаја Евхаристије за остваривање јединства Цркве и на одсуство есхатолошке перспективе у еклисиологији.
Ad Orientem. Essays from Serbian Theology Today, 2019
Die Serbische Orthodoxe Kirche in den Herausforderungen des 21. Jahrhunderts, 2019
ТЕОЛОГИКОН, 2014
The present article identifies several stages in the development of reflections about the apostol... more The present article identifies several stages in the development of reflections about the apostolic ministry in the early Christianity with particular emphasis on the assessment of this ministry in the theology of St. Luke. In this context, discussion includes topics such as the (non)existence of the analogy with external, non-Christian institutions, significance of the eschatological perspective for the Luke’s theology as well as some basic criteria for his understanding of the authentic apostolic ministry.
ПОКАЈАЊЕ, ПРАШТАЊЕ И СПАСЕЊЕ У САВРЕМЕНОЈ (ПОСТМОДЕРНОЈ) КУЛТУРИ. Испунило ce време u приближило ce Царство Божје; покајте ce u верујте y Јеванђеље (Мк 1,15), 2018
The aim of this paper is to consider the possibility that the biblical term μετάνοια and the cult... more The aim of this paper is to consider the possibility that the biblical term μετάνοια and the cultural term "postmodern turn" could be thought of as convergent terms as well as about possible ways of articulating their convergence in contemporary theological thought. In this sense, getting to know the basic characteristics of contemporary (postmodern) culture represents a starting point for discussion of issues such as - postmodern diagnosis of the contemporary cultural context, challenges and questions that this diagnosis poses for theological thinking, perspectives for an effective contemporary κήρυγμα of the Word of God, self-criticism of theological thinking and distancing from a self-sufficient, authoritarian and triumphalist ethos, recognition of the most relevant theological topics that are dialogically current in contemporary culture.
Циљ y овом тексту јесте разматрање могућности да ce о библијском појму „преумљење“ и културолошком појму „постмодерни заокрет" размишља као о конвергентним појмовима као и о начинима артикулације њихове конвергентности y савременој богословској мисли. У овом смислу, упознавање са основним карактеристикама савремене (постмодерне) културе представља полазну основу за дискусију о питањима као што су — постмодерна дијагноза савременог културолошког контекста, изазови и питања које ова дијагноза отвара за богословско мишљење, перспективе за учинковиту савремену киригму Речи Божије, самокритичност богословског мишљења и дистанцирање од самодовољног, аутоританог и тријумфалистичког етоса, препознавање најрелевантнијих богословских тема које су дијалошки актуелне y савременој култури.
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Papers by Zdravko Jovanović
Keywords: cultural identity; ἀπόδειξις; eternal Logos; seeds of truth; creation; rationality; freedom of will; providence; incorruptibility
loyalty, that is, devotion to the Christian monotheistic faith and commitment to the political entity in which they live. In this way, Justin relativized the association of the terms mos maiorum and pax deorum with the prosperity and progress of the Roman Empire and hinted at the possibility that “prudent judgment” could enable the Roman emperors to see the existing capacities for their potential conversion and alliance with Christianity. In this way, Justin’s text represents a kind of anticipation of a great upheaval, in the form of the Christianization of the Empire, which took place less than two centuries later.
Keywords: political self-awareness, subversiveness, mos maiorum, pax deorum, loyalty,
Christian ethos and politics
Keywords: Divisions, determinism, free will, ecclesiology, Eucharist, eschatological perspective, faith, social status
exile obviously reflects the existing practice of conflict resolution within social communities in the Greco-Roman world. Displacement, regardless of whether it is voluntary or forced exile, i.e. ostracism, was practiced in ancient societies as one of the optimal and dignified ways of resolving conflict situations. The paper discusses the author's intention to, in addition to the contribution to the resolution of the conflict in Corinth, point out the convergence between Judeo-Christian and Greco-Roman intellectual and cultural traditions, on several different levels. In the context of its genre, the Epistle represents a combination of deliberative or advisory rhetoric and epistolary literature, and its primary goal is to clearly distinguish between what is useful and what is harmful, within a particular social or ecclesial (in this case, Corinthian) community. Clement's appeal, in the context of deliberative discourse, for
voluntary withdrawal and exile could only be addressed to people with a clearly expressed civic consciousness and social culture that was characteristic of the noblest strata of Roman society at that time. The appeal to sacrifice, honor and conventions of dignity, despite the destructive behavior of rioters, also reveals that Clement understood the contemporary code of ‘honor and shame’ as a common value and cultural platform, shared by Christians and followers of polytheistic religions, on the basis of
which the appeal to it was possible to guide responsible behavior in an effective way. The author, consequently, did not see any necessary contradiction between the Christian concept of love, which should function as the basic cohesive factor of the ecclesial community, and the imperial political glorification of order and harmony based on Greco-Roman philosophy, rhetoric and political thought.
Keywords: Exile, conflict, rebellion (στάσις), order, deliberative rhetoric, ‘honor and shame’, peace and concord (εἰρήνη καὶ ὁμονοία).
studied in contemporary scholarship is caused, among other things, by their teaching
about the created order as a reality intended for temporal progression and growth.
Moreover, their perplexing doctrine of Adam and Eve as νήπιοι relating to the state
in which they existed before the Fall and the dynamism of human nature potentially
opens up significant possibilities for understanding numerous fundamental topics in
theological anthropology. One of the most important subjects recognized by modern
scholars is certainly an adequate understanding of the relationship between the adjectives “good” and “perfect” in the context of teaching about the creation of men. In
connection with this question, it is important to have a balanced understanding of the
relationship between protology and eschatology, which derives directly from the soteriology of Irenaeus and especially from his doctrine of recapitulation. No less important is the significance of human material, bodily existence, and its connection with the temporal dimension of the created world and the flow and the culmination of human history. In the present paper perspectives that potentially arise in the context of the doctrine about the infancy of Adam and Eve for the reevaluation of perpetual theological topics such as the relationship between anthropology and Christology, the ecclesial context of salvation, mysteriology, ethics, and dialogue between theology and science are also discussed.
Given the seriousness of these perceptions and accusations made by both pagans and Jews, early Christian apologetics focused on several key topics that lie in the background of this issue. First of all, apologetics focused on relativizing an alleged contradiction between the historically new and the truth. Moreover, they worked on a reinterpretation of the term new in the context of the Christian relationship to the Old Testament tradition and especially to its prophecies. Also, early Christian theology made it clear that novelty actually represented the timeliness of the divine revelation, as implied by the term καιρός in relation to the incarnation of the Logos. Moreover, this should not be understood in terms of the protological, but rather in terms of an eschatological perspective. Interpreted in this way, Christianity manifests itself as simultaneously old and new, as a phenomenon that inevitably bases its existence on an appreciation of History, within which the successive divine epiphanies took place and tradition (old and new) formed in connection with these epiphanies.
Keywords: Historical novelty, antiquity, Golden Age, truth, tradition, religion, superstition, Old Testament, proof from prophecy, καιρὸς.
The Christianity of Justin’s time faced a hostile popular perception in Roman society and numerous slanders and accusations related to the sphere of the Christian ethos. The present paper examines the argumentation that Saint Justin the Philosopher used to refute the false accusations and his demonstration of the foundation of the Christian ethos in theology, that is, a specific understanding of the divine attributes that should be imitated. Justin also points to the Eucharistic roots of the Christian ethos and the existential priorities that guide Christians when they choose martyrdom and suffering rather than renouncing their Christian identity. The wider connotations of Justin’s apologetic theology are also considered. This primarily refers to his goals regarding the presentation of Christianity as a responsible and respectable social factor, then to his proptreptic goals regarding the potential conversion of his recipients, but also to the anti-heretical capacity of his arguments.
Сажетак: У тексту се анализира стратегија Светог Јустина Философа у његовој Првој Апологији у процесу побијања учестале оптужбе за непобожност, односно атеизам, која је била упућивана хришћанима од стране њихових савременика у II веку. Конкретније, нарочита пажња је посвећена Јустиновом настојању да утиче на прекид прогона хришћана изазваних негативним перцепцијама, са аргументацијом да је оптужба за атеизам у потпуности неоснована. Додатно, његови богословски ставови се вреднују у контексту његове интенције да, поред реактивне и апологетске учинковитости, они имају и повратни ефекат на освешћивање, јачање и очување хришћанског идентитета и јединства Цркве. Имајући у виду да се Јустинов дијалошки подухват одвија у брижљиво одабраним категоријама и појмовним изразима, који у потпуности кореспондирају са културолошким миљеом његових саговорника, његово апологетско богословље се вреднује и у контексту његовог протрептичког потенцијала да утиче на преумљење у ширем друштвеном контексту. Као жељени резултат оваквог Јустиновог приступа, који је непосредно
происходио из његовог сопственог искуства преобраћења, Прва Апологија је требало да пружи сведочанство о хришћанству као о вери заснованој на Откровењу, која нема политички субверзиван потенцијал, већ, супротно томе, представља оваплоћење мудрости, остварени спој философије и побожности, који одликује словесност, одговорност и приврженост врлинама и Предању.
▶ Кључне речи: Свети Јустин, Апологија, прогони, протрептика, атеизам, pax deorum, nomen ipsum, разложна вера, васкрсење
Key Terms
Ecclesiology, scholasticism, Reformation, Eucharist, Berengarius of Tours, transubstantiation, unity of the Church, ministry, liturgical practice, institutionalism, papal centralism, plenitude potestatis, pyramidal ecclesiology, the authority of the episcopate, Conciliarism, laity.
Текст има за циљ да укаже на постојање везе између појаве еклисиологије као самосталне дисциплине догматског богословља са једне стране, и између феномена маргинализације значаја Евхаристије и јачања институционализма у теологији и пракси средњевековнoг Римокатолицизма са друге стране. Запостављање значаја Евхаристије и институционализам створили су дугорочне проблеме у животу Цркве, отворили дискусију о великом броју темељних еклисиолошких тема, иницирали појаву бројних расправа у периоду позног Средњег века и Реформације и довели до стандардизованог укључивања одвојених поглавља о еклисиологији у све систематске приказе хришћанског учења.
and on a relativistic explanation of the consequences of the schism for the life of the Church. An understanding of the notion of the schism as an natural and normal phenomenon therefore is a prominent feature of this theory. This study aims to consider some fundamental theological premises which formed a specific context for the origin of the Branch Theory. This was executed through an analysis of the argumentation of the theology of the Theory which rely on an interpretation of some anthropological, ecclesiological, biblical and patristic notions in order to support its conclusions about the meaning of schism. Influences of some presuppositions inherited from the classical Anglican theology (theory of the ”national Church” and “ecclesiological relativism”) were also examined, as well as influences of some presuppositions inherited from the classical Protestant theology (the notion of the “Word of God” and the theory of the “visible” and “invisible Church”). In final analysis some key factors which probably constitute the main weak points of this ecclesiological teaching were identified as a lack of an eschatological perspective on Church’s historical existence and as neglect of the significance of the Eucharistic communion for the realization of the unity of the Church.
„Теорија грана“ Оксфордског покрета је еклисиолошко учење утемељено на специфичном релативизовању последица феномена схизме по остваривање јединства Цркве. У контексту ове теорије схизма се сагледава као природан феномен који не представља суштинску претњу за аутентичност еклисијалног идентитета. Текст анализира неке од основних фактора, наслеђених из класичне англиканске и протестантске теологије, који су пресудно утицали на формирање „теорије грана“ и указује на занемаривање значаја Евхаристије за остваривање јединства Цркве и на одсуство есхатолошке перспективе у еклисиологији.
Циљ y овом тексту јесте разматрање могућности да ce о библијском појму „преумљење“ и културолошком појму „постмодерни заокрет" размишља као о конвергентним појмовима као и о начинима артикулације њихове конвергентности y савременој богословској мисли. У овом смислу, упознавање са основним карактеристикама савремене (постмодерне) културе представља полазну основу за дискусију о питањима као што су — постмодерна дијагноза савременог културолошког контекста, изазови и питања које ова дијагноза отвара за богословско мишљење, перспективе за учинковиту савремену киригму Речи Божије, самокритичност богословског мишљења и дистанцирање од самодовољног, аутоританог и тријумфалистичког етоса, препознавање најрелевантнијих богословских тема које су дијалошки актуелне y савременој култури.
Keywords: cultural identity; ἀπόδειξις; eternal Logos; seeds of truth; creation; rationality; freedom of will; providence; incorruptibility
loyalty, that is, devotion to the Christian monotheistic faith and commitment to the political entity in which they live. In this way, Justin relativized the association of the terms mos maiorum and pax deorum with the prosperity and progress of the Roman Empire and hinted at the possibility that “prudent judgment” could enable the Roman emperors to see the existing capacities for their potential conversion and alliance with Christianity. In this way, Justin’s text represents a kind of anticipation of a great upheaval, in the form of the Christianization of the Empire, which took place less than two centuries later.
Keywords: political self-awareness, subversiveness, mos maiorum, pax deorum, loyalty,
Christian ethos and politics
Keywords: Divisions, determinism, free will, ecclesiology, Eucharist, eschatological perspective, faith, social status
exile obviously reflects the existing practice of conflict resolution within social communities in the Greco-Roman world. Displacement, regardless of whether it is voluntary or forced exile, i.e. ostracism, was practiced in ancient societies as one of the optimal and dignified ways of resolving conflict situations. The paper discusses the author's intention to, in addition to the contribution to the resolution of the conflict in Corinth, point out the convergence between Judeo-Christian and Greco-Roman intellectual and cultural traditions, on several different levels. In the context of its genre, the Epistle represents a combination of deliberative or advisory rhetoric and epistolary literature, and its primary goal is to clearly distinguish between what is useful and what is harmful, within a particular social or ecclesial (in this case, Corinthian) community. Clement's appeal, in the context of deliberative discourse, for
voluntary withdrawal and exile could only be addressed to people with a clearly expressed civic consciousness and social culture that was characteristic of the noblest strata of Roman society at that time. The appeal to sacrifice, honor and conventions of dignity, despite the destructive behavior of rioters, also reveals that Clement understood the contemporary code of ‘honor and shame’ as a common value and cultural platform, shared by Christians and followers of polytheistic religions, on the basis of
which the appeal to it was possible to guide responsible behavior in an effective way. The author, consequently, did not see any necessary contradiction between the Christian concept of love, which should function as the basic cohesive factor of the ecclesial community, and the imperial political glorification of order and harmony based on Greco-Roman philosophy, rhetoric and political thought.
Keywords: Exile, conflict, rebellion (στάσις), order, deliberative rhetoric, ‘honor and shame’, peace and concord (εἰρήνη καὶ ὁμονοία).
studied in contemporary scholarship is caused, among other things, by their teaching
about the created order as a reality intended for temporal progression and growth.
Moreover, their perplexing doctrine of Adam and Eve as νήπιοι relating to the state
in which they existed before the Fall and the dynamism of human nature potentially
opens up significant possibilities for understanding numerous fundamental topics in
theological anthropology. One of the most important subjects recognized by modern
scholars is certainly an adequate understanding of the relationship between the adjectives “good” and “perfect” in the context of teaching about the creation of men. In
connection with this question, it is important to have a balanced understanding of the
relationship between protology and eschatology, which derives directly from the soteriology of Irenaeus and especially from his doctrine of recapitulation. No less important is the significance of human material, bodily existence, and its connection with the temporal dimension of the created world and the flow and the culmination of human history. In the present paper perspectives that potentially arise in the context of the doctrine about the infancy of Adam and Eve for the reevaluation of perpetual theological topics such as the relationship between anthropology and Christology, the ecclesial context of salvation, mysteriology, ethics, and dialogue between theology and science are also discussed.
Given the seriousness of these perceptions and accusations made by both pagans and Jews, early Christian apologetics focused on several key topics that lie in the background of this issue. First of all, apologetics focused on relativizing an alleged contradiction between the historically new and the truth. Moreover, they worked on a reinterpretation of the term new in the context of the Christian relationship to the Old Testament tradition and especially to its prophecies. Also, early Christian theology made it clear that novelty actually represented the timeliness of the divine revelation, as implied by the term καιρός in relation to the incarnation of the Logos. Moreover, this should not be understood in terms of the protological, but rather in terms of an eschatological perspective. Interpreted in this way, Christianity manifests itself as simultaneously old and new, as a phenomenon that inevitably bases its existence on an appreciation of History, within which the successive divine epiphanies took place and tradition (old and new) formed in connection with these epiphanies.
Keywords: Historical novelty, antiquity, Golden Age, truth, tradition, religion, superstition, Old Testament, proof from prophecy, καιρὸς.
The Christianity of Justin’s time faced a hostile popular perception in Roman society and numerous slanders and accusations related to the sphere of the Christian ethos. The present paper examines the argumentation that Saint Justin the Philosopher used to refute the false accusations and his demonstration of the foundation of the Christian ethos in theology, that is, a specific understanding of the divine attributes that should be imitated. Justin also points to the Eucharistic roots of the Christian ethos and the existential priorities that guide Christians when they choose martyrdom and suffering rather than renouncing their Christian identity. The wider connotations of Justin’s apologetic theology are also considered. This primarily refers to his goals regarding the presentation of Christianity as a responsible and respectable social factor, then to his proptreptic goals regarding the potential conversion of his recipients, but also to the anti-heretical capacity of his arguments.
Сажетак: У тексту се анализира стратегија Светог Јустина Философа у његовој Првој Апологији у процесу побијања учестале оптужбе за непобожност, односно атеизам, која је била упућивана хришћанима од стране њихових савременика у II веку. Конкретније, нарочита пажња је посвећена Јустиновом настојању да утиче на прекид прогона хришћана изазваних негативним перцепцијама, са аргументацијом да је оптужба за атеизам у потпуности неоснована. Додатно, његови богословски ставови се вреднују у контексту његове интенције да, поред реактивне и апологетске учинковитости, они имају и повратни ефекат на освешћивање, јачање и очување хришћанског идентитета и јединства Цркве. Имајући у виду да се Јустинов дијалошки подухват одвија у брижљиво одабраним категоријама и појмовним изразима, који у потпуности кореспондирају са културолошким миљеом његових саговорника, његово апологетско богословље се вреднује и у контексту његовог протрептичког потенцијала да утиче на преумљење у ширем друштвеном контексту. Као жељени резултат оваквог Јустиновог приступа, који је непосредно
происходио из његовог сопственог искуства преобраћења, Прва Апологија је требало да пружи сведочанство о хришћанству као о вери заснованој на Откровењу, која нема политички субверзиван потенцијал, већ, супротно томе, представља оваплоћење мудрости, остварени спој философије и побожности, који одликује словесност, одговорност и приврженост врлинама и Предању.
▶ Кључне речи: Свети Јустин, Апологија, прогони, протрептика, атеизам, pax deorum, nomen ipsum, разложна вера, васкрсење
Key Terms
Ecclesiology, scholasticism, Reformation, Eucharist, Berengarius of Tours, transubstantiation, unity of the Church, ministry, liturgical practice, institutionalism, papal centralism, plenitude potestatis, pyramidal ecclesiology, the authority of the episcopate, Conciliarism, laity.
Текст има за циљ да укаже на постојање везе између појаве еклисиологије као самосталне дисциплине догматског богословља са једне стране, и између феномена маргинализације значаја Евхаристије и јачања институционализма у теологији и пракси средњевековнoг Римокатолицизма са друге стране. Запостављање значаја Евхаристије и институционализам створили су дугорочне проблеме у животу Цркве, отворили дискусију о великом броју темељних еклисиолошких тема, иницирали појаву бројних расправа у периоду позног Средњег века и Реформације и довели до стандардизованог укључивања одвојених поглавља о еклисиологији у све систематске приказе хришћанског учења.
and on a relativistic explanation of the consequences of the schism for the life of the Church. An understanding of the notion of the schism as an natural and normal phenomenon therefore is a prominent feature of this theory. This study aims to consider some fundamental theological premises which formed a specific context for the origin of the Branch Theory. This was executed through an analysis of the argumentation of the theology of the Theory which rely on an interpretation of some anthropological, ecclesiological, biblical and patristic notions in order to support its conclusions about the meaning of schism. Influences of some presuppositions inherited from the classical Anglican theology (theory of the ”national Church” and “ecclesiological relativism”) were also examined, as well as influences of some presuppositions inherited from the classical Protestant theology (the notion of the “Word of God” and the theory of the “visible” and “invisible Church”). In final analysis some key factors which probably constitute the main weak points of this ecclesiological teaching were identified as a lack of an eschatological perspective on Church’s historical existence and as neglect of the significance of the Eucharistic communion for the realization of the unity of the Church.
„Теорија грана“ Оксфордског покрета је еклисиолошко учење утемељено на специфичном релативизовању последица феномена схизме по остваривање јединства Цркве. У контексту ове теорије схизма се сагледава као природан феномен који не представља суштинску претњу за аутентичност еклисијалног идентитета. Текст анализира неке од основних фактора, наслеђених из класичне англиканске и протестантске теологије, који су пресудно утицали на формирање „теорије грана“ и указује на занемаривање значаја Евхаристије за остваривање јединства Цркве и на одсуство есхатолошке перспективе у еклисиологији.
Циљ y овом тексту јесте разматрање могућности да ce о библијском појму „преумљење“ и културолошком појму „постмодерни заокрет" размишља као о конвергентним појмовима као и о начинима артикулације њихове конвергентности y савременој богословској мисли. У овом смислу, упознавање са основним карактеристикама савремене (постмодерне) културе представља полазну основу за дискусију о питањима као што су — постмодерна дијагноза савременог културолошког контекста, изазови и питања које ова дијагноза отвара за богословско мишљење, перспективе за учинковиту савремену киригму Речи Божије, самокритичност богословског мишљења и дистанцирање од самодовољног, аутоританог и тријумфалистичког етоса, препознавање најрелевантнијих богословских тема које су дијалошки актуелне y савременој култури.