History of the Romanian Orthodox Church (IV)

Course Code: TP208 • Study year: II • Academic Year: 2022-2023
Domain: Theology • Field of study: Pastoral Orthodox Theology
Type of course: Compulsory
Language of instruction: Romanian
Erasmus Language of instruction: English
Name of lecturer: Viorel Alin Albu
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: Summer
Form of receiving a credit for a course: Grade
Number of ECTS credits allocated 4

Course aims:

- to define, describe, and explain the key concepts, theories, methods specific to the historical discourse and to develop in students some specific skills about the quantitative and qualitative historical research;
- to identify and use the specific bibliographic and archival resources;
- to develop skills of analysis and interpretation of historical data;
- to identify the most important events and personalities which have marked the historical evolution of the Romanian Orthodox Church and the Romanian culture, and to notice the dynamics of events;
- to apply the principle of right interpretation of the historical phenomenon by the just reporting to its influence on the present

Course Entry Requirements:

N/A

Course contents:

1. Bishop Vasile Moga of Transylvania; 2. The Orthodox Church from Moldavia and Wallachia in the first half of the 19th century. Metropolitans Veniamin Costachi and Grigorie Dascalul; 3. Metropolitan Andrei Saguna; 4. The Romanian Orthodox Church (ROC) during the reign of Alexandru Ioan Cuza. Church Reforms; 5. ROC between 1865-1918. Autocephaly recognition; 6. The Metropolitanate of Transylvania after the death of Andrei Şaguna. The Greek-Catholic Church of Transylvania in the second half of the 19th century; 7. The Romanian theological education in the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century; 8. ROC after 1918 – Church unification, establishment of the Patriarchate, Law and Statute of organization, Concordat with the Vatican, General Law of the cults; 9. The ROC hierarchy (selectively) between 1918-1948; theological education, literature and church press; 10. The ROC after 1948: Patriarchs Justinian, Justin, Theoctist; the new organization; 11. The ROC after 1989: organization, theological education, inter-religious and inter-confessional relations.

Teaching methods:

Lecture, exemplification, conversation, debate.

Learning outcomes:

- critical, selective and systematic attitude towards historical information; - ability of applying the principles for understanding a historical document in an appropriate manner, respectively, to take into account all elements involved (linguistic, socio-cultural, political, religious, etc.), and interpret both in a synchronous and diachronic mode; - critical reading skills on bibliographic sources and ability to initiate own research; - interpretation and critical evaluation of the history of the Romanian Church in different contexts.

Learning outcomes verification and assessment criteria:

Written paper-interpretative essay – 20%. Frontal evaluation/ Oral exam: 80%

Recommended reading:

Mircea Păcurariu, Istoria Bisericii Ortodoxe Române, Trinitas , Iași , 2007 , x
Alexandru Moraru, Istoria Bisericii Ortodoxe Române. Note de curs, ”1 Decembrie 1918” , Alba Iulia , 2003 , 142 p
Alexandru Moraru, Biserica Ortodoxă Română între anii 1885-2000. Biserică. Naţiune. Cultură, IBMBOR , Bucuresti , 2006 , 820 p
Alexandru Moraru, Biserica Ortodoxă Română între anii 1885-2000. Dialog teologic şi ecumenic, IBMBOR , Bucureşti , 2006 , 464 p
Alin Albu, Istoria Bisericii Ortodoxe Române. Evenimente, personalități, instituții, Reintregirea , Alba Iulia , 2013 , 388 p