History and Philosophy of Religions in Orthodox Theological Schools

Abstract

The main thesis of my book chapter is that History and Philosophy of Religions as an academic disciple in Romanian Orthodox theological schools plays an important role in de-radicalization and counter-radicalization. Starting from the premises that 1) there is a strong relation between exclusivism in the matter of salvation, fundamentalism, and radicalization in the Romanian context, 2) fundamentalism and radicalism can be influenced by religious education, and 3) both are reversible processes, the first section of my chapter investigates the specific forms in which fundamentalism and radicalism are manifest in Northeast Romania. The second section underscores the role that History and Philosophy of Religions can play in managing exclusivist stances toward salvation in non-Christian religions in order to prevent the radicalization of fundamentalism. By facilitating this role, students of Orthodox Theology, and, through them, as future clergymen and teachers of religion in public schools, Romanian society as a whole, will be better prepared to cope with religious pluralism.