Symbolic and Fundamental Dogmatic Theology (I)

Course Code: TP301 • Study year: III • Academic Year: 2024-2025
Domain: Theology • Field of study: Pastoral Orthodox Theology
Type of course: Compulsory
Language of instruction: Romanian
Erasmus Language of instruction: English
Name of lecturer: Mihai Himcinschi
Seminar tutor: Razvan Brudiu
Form of education Full-time
Form of instruction: Lecture
Number of teaching hours per semester: 42
Number of teaching hours per week: 3
Semester: Autumn
Form of receiving a credit for a course: Grade
Number of ECTS credits allocated 4

Course aims:

to know and is able to explain the differences between the Orthodox dogmas and the dogmas belonging to the other Christian confessions;
to know the specific characteristics of the Orthodox dogmatics;
to define and explain the general evolution of the dogmas;
to know and is able to apply the concept of dogma;
to apply the rules of an organized and efficient work, and manifests a responsible attitude toward the didactical-scientific domain, in order to creatively exploit his own potential, observing, in the same time, the principles and norms of professional ethics.

Course Entry Requirements:

n/a

Course contents:

1. Introduction in Theology. Theology and Spirituality: the Speculative Theology, the Pietistic Theology, 2. Dogma, Kerugma, Theological Opinion, 3. The Need for Dogmatics Dogmatizing and Non-Dogmatism, 4. Dogmatic Knowledge, the Extrinsic-ism and the Immanent-ism, 5. The Divine Revelation, the Natural Revelation, the Supra-Natural Revelation, 6. The Ways of Conveying the Supra-Natural Revelation, 7. The Knowledge of God: the Natural Knowledge, the Supra-Natural Knowledge, the Cataphatic and the Apophatic Knowledge, the Existential Knowledge, the Way of the Heart, 8. The Being and the Uncreated Energies of God, 9. The Attributes of God: the Report between the Attributes, the Energies, and the Divine Being; the Natural Attributes, the Intellectual Attributes; the Moral Attributes, 10. The Holy Trinity: the Argumentation and the Revealing of the Holy Trinity, 11 The Formulation of the Dogma of the Holy Trinity, 12. The Distinctions and the Antinomies of the Holy Trinity, 13. The Perichoresis and the Closeness, 14. Filioque .

Teaching methods:

Lecture, exemplification, conversation, debate

Learning outcomes:

critical, selective and systematic attitude towards dogmatic information; ability of applying the principles for understanding a dogmatic document in an appropriate manner, respectively, to take into account all elements involved (socio-cultural, patristic, religious).

Learning outcomes verification and assessment criteria:

Written paper-interpretative essay – 40%. Frontal evaluation/ Oral exam: 60%

Recommended reading:

George Remete, Dogmatica Ortodoxă, Reîntregirea Publishing House, Alba Iulia, 2007, x.
Ierotheos Vlahos, Dogmatica empirică după învățăturile prin viu grai ale părintelui Ioannis Romanidis, Doxologia Publishing House, Iași, 2017, x.
Dumitru Stăniloae, Teologia Dogmatică Ortodoxă, vol 1, 2, 3., Editura Institutului Biblic și de Misiune al Bisericii Ortodoxe Române, București, 2003, x.
Cristinel Ioja, O istorie a Dogmaticii în Teologia Ortodoxă Română, Pro Universitaria Publishing House, Arad, 2013, x.
Dumitru Popescu, Iisus Hristos Pantocrator, Institututl Biblic și de Misiune al Bisericii Ortodoxe Române, București, 2005, x.