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and systematic attitude towards historical information; - ability of applying the principles for understanding a historical document in an appropriate manner, respectively, to take into account all elements involved (linguistic, socio-cultural, political, religious, etc.), and interpret both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.