Faculty Of Theology Research Articles

Teacher Training for Religious Education in Türkiye: Policy, Debate, and Diversity

Teacher education is debated all over the world, and a part of this debate concerns the quality of teacher education. For religious education (RE) teacher education, however, the debate is not only about quality but also about growing diversity. In this article, we explore how RE teachers have been educated and how this has changed in Türkiye. How religious diversity has been integrated into the RE teacher education system is also explored. By teacher education/training, we mean initial (not in-service) teacher education, and by RE, we mean different types of RE provided in schools in Türkiye: compulsory, optional, and vocational RE. The findings reveal that there have been frequent changes, back-and-forth reforms, and a lack of RE teacher education philosophy in Türkiye. Therefore, establishing a consistent RE teacher education policy remains a serious challenge. Moreover, it seems that religious diversity has not been well integrated into RE teacher education in Türkiye. Currently, theology faculties only offer two courses which are overtly related to religious diversity, and both of them approach religious diversity from a historical perspective. It seems that there is a need to rethink the program structures of theology faculties to reform RE teacher education. Theology faculties may offer several programs in line with employment areas. In this way, religious diversity might also become better integrated into compulsory RE teacher education programs. However, this process should be carried out with a scientific understanding by conducting stakeholder and needs analyses.

Perspectives on theological training in times of crisis

When crises arise, like in the case of the #FeesMustFall-movement (FMF) during 2015–2017, we often tend to be reactive in our actions and immediate plans are made to address the crisis. In this contribution, however, I want to look at a longer-term solution by making use of Stellenbosch University’s five core values. The values of excellence, respect, responsibility, equity, and compassion will be examined in this contribution to empower lecturers who prepare students for church ministry. The basic research question that will be investigated is: How can the five core values of Stellenbosch University help the lecturers with the preparation of students for ecclesiastical training in times of crisis? In response to this, each of the values will first be explained, after which their meaning and impact on theological training will be examined. Afterwards, some crises in the theological training will be investigated where some of the values conflict with each other. At the end, we will turn to the re-scripting of the narrative of higher education by looking at the extended curriculum program (ECP) at the Faculty of Theology at Stellenbosch University.

Митрополит Антоний (Храповицкий) между Кантом и французским спиритуализмом

Today there is no need to prove the importance of I. Kant’s ideas for Russian religious-philosophical thought. A considerable amount of serious recent academic research confirms this obvious truth. At the same time, the field of Russian academic theology is much less developed in this respect, although Kant’s presence in it, both as an opponent demanding an answer from the “theological faculty” and as a source of fruitful ideas, is no less obvious. In particular, Metropolitan Anthony Khrapovitsky’s extramural dialogue with Kant remains unexplored to this day. Meanwhile, as early as in his master’s thesis “Psychological Evidence in favour of Free Will” Anthony devotes an entire chapter to criticism of Kant's “Critiques”, and later, in his articles of the 90s, he addresses Kant’s “Religion within the Bounds of Bare Reason”. This work attracted the attention of Russian theologians more than once. In particular, an answer to Kant’s Christological challenge was already sought by St Innocent of Kherson. Relying by default on his work, however, Metropolitan Anthony concentrates more on an attempt to complete the Kantian idea of moral duty with the idea of love as a divine power that wills and transforms the world. Here he finds unexpected, at first glance, allies in the person of the French spiritualists Ch. Secrétan and A. Fouillée. The latter, in their turn, relied to a considerable extent in their philosophical constructions on French Augustinianism of the 17th century with its ideas of pure or selfless love, ideas that were peculiarly refracted in the autonomous morality of Kant himself. As a result, in the Christological concept of redemptive compassionate love proposed by Metropolitan Anthony, we recognise the ideas of Bl. Augustine, the forefather of Modern philosophy, which have gone through many philosophical iterations.

English-Language Education at the Faculty of Theology of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University

Abstract: In the age of globalization, English-language education at theological faculties in Poland is playing an increasingly important role, especially in the context of international academic cooperation and the integration of foreign stu¬dents. This paper presents an analysis of English-language education at the Faculty of Theology of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University (UKSW), taking into account the importance of English-language programs for the development of theology in an intercultural and interreligious context. The impact of these programs on the spiritual and academic training of students and on the promotion of intercultural dialogue is discussed. Special attention is paid to good teaching and organizational practices that facilitate the adaptation of international students and support their academic and spiritual development. The methodology encompasses descriptive methods, along with participant observation and external observation techniques. The article is both practical and methodological in nature, highlighting best practices within academic communities in Poland, particularly in the context of university education in English-language theology, and addressing the nuances of intercultural communication. Keywords: English-language education, theology, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University, UKSW, education in Poland, foreign students, interculturalism, inter¬religious dialogue, English-language programs.

Shifting identity of a first-year class in Practical Theology

I started 2020 with 130 first-year students enrolled for Practical Theology and Missiology at the Faculty of Theology, Stellenbosch University, South Africa. The students represent twenty different denominations, 75 percent of the students are black, coloured, and Indian (BCI) and 25 percent are white. Ten years ago, the same first-year class consisted of thirty students, of whom 95 percent were white and almost all were part of the Reformed tradition. The shifting identity of the class over a decade inevitably led me to reflect deeply on what I teach them (curriculum) and how I facilitate the learning process (pedagogy). I also had to pay close attention to decolonization and contextualization because of the #feesmustfall-movement. The basic research question of this contribution is therefore: How does one reflect on the shifting identity of a first-year class and how does one decolonize a first-year module in Practical Theology and Missiology in South Africa? In order to answer the research question, the article takes the following steps: first, aspects of the changed context and shifting identity will be discussed and second, attention will be given to what is meant by decolonization, with specific reference to the curriculum. Third, the focus will be on a proposed curriculum that uses a theo-dramatic approach in conversation with the movie Son of Man. Fourth, I reflect on the learning process (pedagogy) and how it also contributed to a shift in my own identity.

„Muzeum etnograficzne na rozdrożu” Czwarte wiosenne seminarium muzeologiczne

In previous years, the Department of Ethnology of the Nicolaus Copernicus University, the Faculty of Theology of the University of Warsaw and the Missionary Seminary of the Verbist Fathers in Pieniężno organized a series of meetings under the common title "Spring Museological Seminars". Until 2019, we met three times, and reports from the conference and some texts of the speeches were published in ZWAM. In 2024, the Fourth Spring Museological Seminar was held (May 13–15), entitled: The Ethnographic Museum at the Crossroads, which this time took as its main topic the role and position of the contemporary ethnographic museum. The organizers of this year's meeting were: the Polish Ethnological Society, Branch in Łódź and the Missionary House of St. Stanisław Kostka in Chludowo, as well as the Editorial Office of the magazine ZWAM in cooperation with the Museological Section of the Polish Ethnological Society and the Department of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. This time we met at the Mission House of St. Stanisław Kostka in Chludowo (SVD) near Poznań. The text presents the nature of this meeting and is also an introduction to selected articles resulting from the workshops.

The Opinions of Theology Faculty Undergraduates and Graduates on Interdisciplinary Learning

Interdisciplinary learning improves cognitive skills and increases motivation for learning and teaching in higher education. Interdisciplinary education, which requires the collaboration of different disciplines, contributes to the development of students by integrating disciplinary knowledge and providing a multidimensional perspective. Thus, interdisciplinary education has become an alternative approach to discipline-centered education in higher education. Interdisciplinary learning is necessary for postmodern life because it eliminates the limitations of disciplinary education. The complex nature of the problems posed by postmodern life requires the collaboration of many disciplines. Current political, economic, social, religious, and legal issues are too complex to be solved from the perspective of a single discipline. Discipline-centered education may not be sufficient to provide solutions to current problems or to equip students with problem-solving skills. For this reason, this study reveals that interdisciplinary learning, which is increasing in higher education, can also be applied to higher religious education. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the outcomes of interdisciplinary learning in higher religious education through a sample training. In the academic year 2023/2024, an interdisciplinary training was conducted on the common problems of theology and other disciplines, and the results were revealed through the views of 16 participants. The research was conducted as a case study by using the qualitative research method, and the research data were coded under four themes: (1) need for interdisciplinary learning in higher religious education, (2) disciplines associated with higher religious education, (3) outcomes of interdisciplinary learning, and (4) suggestions for interdisciplinary education. According to the research findings, the participants believe that courses in higher religious education have interdisciplinary content, that interdisciplinary education is necessary in higher religious education, and that interdisciplinary learning contributes to personal and professional development. It is recommended that studies be carried out using alternative approaches to improve higher religious education.

Strategies of Social Persuasion Against Hussitism

This contribution investigates the different strategies and methods of cultural and social persuasion against the Hussite reformation employed by an important member of the University of Vienna, Peter of Pirchenwart (d. 1436). During his career he used various oral and written means against the “new” heresy: sermons to the people, university lectures, theological commentaries, and short treatise. Different types of audiences were targeted in two cultural centres and key sites of anti-Hussite propaganda in the city of Vienna: the Faculty of Theology and St Stephen’s Church, both connected to the Ducal Court. Here I am going to discuss five unedited texts produced by him: the commentary on the Book IV of the Sentences; the biblical commentary on the Gospel of John, containing two anti-heretic sections, one of which is known to the catalogues under the eloquent title of De religione militari contra Hussitas; the short treatise Determinatio contra Hussitas; and two sermons delivered in 1423 and 1431. In these texts, the dimension of violence (both verbal and physical) is present as a recurring motif and substantial theme; one of Pirchenwart’s primary aims, in fact, is precisely to justify the extermination of heretics, without any form of negotiation or dialogue. Through these case studies I will highlight some of the ways in which the heresy was addressed locally (the city of Vienna), at the intersection of intellectual production and the construction of the collective imaginary.

Die Stellenbosche Heyns: Nagedink oor die vroeë, middel en latere jare van ’n akademiese loopbaan

This contribution is structured in the genre of an academic letter to a deceased colleague, in this case Prof. Johan Adam Heyns (1928–1994). He was appointed for a short period from 1966 to 1970 as a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Theology at Stellenbosch University. This contribution offers a reappraisal of this period in the academic career of Prof. Heyns. His main focus at the time, in line with his teaching duties, was on apologetics and, to some extent, also ethics. The author engages with Prof. Heyns’s views at the time and offers a sixfold mirror to position this phase of his career, namely in terms of the tensions between orthodoxy and modernity, between the philosophical influence of Henk Stoker and the theological influence of Herman Bavinck, and between the implementation of apartheid and the struggle against that. This mirror is held up in order to reflect on the early, middle and later stages of any academic career including that of the author, to contrast the radiance and risk of youthful academic rigour and the wisdom but also the rigidity that may come with mature age.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The research done, is not of an interdisciplinary nature. This article contributes to a growing corpus of literature assessing the legacy of Prof. Johan Adam Heyns.

Unveiling the Silent Narratives: A Multidimensional Analysis of the Stellenbosch University Faculty of Theology Building and its Impact on Teaching Church History

This article delves into the intricate history, contextual significance, and contemporary implications of the building housing the Faculty of Theology at Stellenbosch University. Over decades, the edifice has garnered attention for its historical and architectural attributes, underscoring its role in the broader narrative of Stellenbosch, a significance predating and exemplifying colonial history. In addition to the architectural and spatial dimensions, the myths and symbols associated with the building are explored, adding layers to its complex history. The intersection of these historical elements with its current use within Stellenbosch University prompts a compelling inquiry into whether and how the structure influences teaching and research, particularly in the domain of church history. The article engages with the history of the building that houses the Stellenbosch University Faculty of Theology and attempts to find out if elements of this complex history finds expression in the different church history modules taught in its confines. The authors first work through historic and current source material that share information of the histories of the mentioned building and then work through the course content and foci of the different church history modules, attempting to find teaching links. The authors further engage with broader contextual debates related to visual redress and the contextualisation of symbols in the vicinity of the building. As such this article aims to address the pivotal question: Do the historical backdrop and current realities of the building shape the teaching of church history within its walls?

Debate on the Initiatives of the Faculty of Theology in Debrecen. The Theological Education Designed by Sándor Csikesz and Imre Révész

This study examines the reform initiatives for theological education in the Reformed Church in Hungary during the early 20th century, focusing on the period between 1912 and 1940. Central to this examination are the reform plans developed by Sándor Csikesz and Imre Révész, particularly their 1937 draft aimed at unifying pastoral training. The research contextualizes these reforms within the broader historical and ecclesiastical framework, analysing the efforts and challenges faced by the Faculty of Theology in Debrecen. The study highlights the various debates and controversies sparked by the proposed reforms, particularly the opposition from other theological academies and the broader church community. Through detailed exploration of historical documents, this paper sheds light on the motivations behind the reforms, the resistance they encountered, and their lasting impact on theological education within the Hungarian Reformed Church. Keywords: curriculum, Reformed Church in Hungary, theological education, pastoral training, reforms

“We Must Participate with the Fruits of Our Faith in Building Socialism”. The Preaching Committee in the Danubian Reformed Church District in the Mid-20ᵗʰ Century

As a result of the communist takeover in 1948, the Bishop of the Danubian Reformed Church District, László Ravasz was deposed, and Albert Bereczky took his place. In the end of 1951, Bereczky wrote a report to the general meeting of the Reformed Church in which he requested the authorization to set up a “preaching committee” with the aim of supervising sermons. He believed it was important for the pastors to talk about issues of their time in sermons because “we don’t preach in a vacuum space but to real people”. In reality, the committee’s function was the full control over pastors and the search for the ideological/theological content (which is called “narrow-road” theology) in preachings. That is why every pastor was asked to send in one sermon that was to be delivered between 1/01/1952 and 25/02/1952. József Bodonhelyi, head teacher of practical theology at the Faculty of Theology of the Reformed Church, who was also member of this preaching committee, wrote notes about these received texts and sermons where he probably appeared in person. We could find certain qualifications in his notes that seriously affected the careers of the pastors (for example, “he doesn’t address the issues of our time”; “his teaching is dangerous”; “he must urgently retire”).

A theology rhizome

This article contains suggestions to the Faculties of Theology in South Africa about an alternative way and direction to educate their students in this metamodern era. Because any learning in a specific profession implies lifelong and lifewide learning, the suggestion also includes the alumni of the faculties. This is all about rhizomatic learning, which involves both the educators and their students in an interactive and student-centred relationship where both parties act on an equal basis when deciding on the content and direction of the learning process for a specific year. It also involves the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and large language models such as ChatGPT. This is therefore an appeal to the educators of the Faculties of Theology in South Africa to become highly empowered resourceful online educators (HEROEs), also called recently minded educators (with no age restriction), taking a fresh look at the way in which they are currently teaching their 21st-century students and to maybe reconsider it in light of this article.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Good contemporary theological education would mostly result in good Theology students and good pastors. This article suggests an alternative way to teach our students in the current metamodern era. Rhizomatic learning fits into the technological era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, as well as Education 4.0, Learning 3.0 and the posthuman era.

Challenges in the Creation of the Curricula of the Faculty of Islamic Theology in Sarajevo and Their Implementation (1977–1992)

This paper analyses the creation of the first curricula of the Faculty of Islamic Theology in Sarajevo, and the challenges that arose during their implementation. This topic was previously addressed in the 2017 monograph Faculty of Islamic Studies University of Sarajevo 1977-2017, published for the university’s 40th anniversary. Although the paper uses the information presented in this publication, it goes a step further to examine the process of curriculum implementation, the issues inherent to this process, and the successful and less successful ways in which it dealt with these challenges.

Erratum

Updates have been made to the following articles published in the Journal of Ilahiyat Researches. This information was accidentally forgotten to be added. * “Examining General Self-Efficacy as a Mediator on the Relationship Between Smoking Urge and Religiosity: A Quantitative Study on High School Students” (Journal of Ilahiyat Researches 59/1 (June 2023), 71-81. DOI: 10.5152/ilted.2023.23282). The author's thesis information has been added to the article. * “The Relationship between Religious Attitude, Psychological Resilience and Depression: A Quantitative Research on Syrian Adolescent Individuals” (Journal of Ilahiyat Researches 60/1 (December 2023), 36-49. DOI: 10.5152/ilted.2023.23380). The author's thesis information has been added to the article. * “A Study on the Meaning of Life and New Age Beliefs Among Theology Faculty Students” (Journal of Ilahiyat Researches 60/1 (December 2023), 82-96. DOI: 10.5152/ilted.2023.23423). Ethics committee information has been added. Information of edited files * “Examining General Self-Efficacy as a Mediator on the Relationship Between Smoking Urge and Religiosity: A Quantitative Study on High School Students” (Journal of Ilahiyat Researches 59/1 (June 2023), 71-81. DOI: 10.5152/ilted.2023.23282). https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/ilted/issue/78506/1321025 * “The Relationship between Religious Attitude, Psychological Resilience and Depression: A Quantitative Research on Syrian Adolescent Individuals” (Journal of Ilahiyat Researches 60/1 (December 2023), 36-49. DOI: 10.5152/ilted.2023.23380). https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/ilted/issue/82141/1412494 * “A Study on the Meaning of Life and New Age Beliefs Among Theology Faculty Students” (Journal of Ilahiyat Researches 60/1 (December 2023), 82-96. DOI: 10.5152/ilted.2023.23423). https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/ilted/issue/82141/1412533

Challenging the Gates: Religious Freedom and Access in South Africa's Theology Faculties

Challenging the Gates: Religious Freedom and Access in South Africa's Theology Faculties

„Jawne wyznawanie wiary jest obowiązkiem każdego chrześcijanina”. Kazanie ks. prof. Władysława Chotkowskiego wygłoszone w uroczystość św. Stanisława 8 V 1901 r. katedrze na Wawelu

Priest Wtadysla'w Chotkowski, professor at the Faculty of Theology of the Jagiellonian University, was one of the most outstanding Polish preachers at the turn of the 20th century. The article presents one of Chotkowski’s sermons on the feast day of St. Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr, which was preached on May 8, 1901 in the Wawel Cathedral. The published material is meritorious for its up-to-date ecclesiology, open treatment of the subject of martyrdom of St. Stanislaus and excellent reference to the contemporary situation. The text of the sermon is included in the volume devoted to the history of the worship of St. Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr.

"KERESZTYÉNNEK LENNI NAGY ÉS SOKSZOROS HŰSÉGET JELENT” PÁKOZDY LÁSZLÓ MÁRTON TEOLÓGUS PROFESSZOR, VALLÁSTÖRTÉNÉSZ, BIBLIAFORDÍTÓ MUNKÁSSÁGA

The world-famous theologian professor spent a significant part of his life in Debrecen. Between 1928 and 1932, he studied at the Faculty of Theology of the University of Debrecen, where he graduated, and in 1942 he received his doctorate in theology. At the end of 1945, he was appointed public extraordinary professor at the same faculty, and in the summer of 1949, he was appointed public ordinary professor. In the academic year 1949/50, as Dean of the Faculty of Theology, he was responsible for the establishment of the organizational structure of the Debrecen Theological Academy of the Tiszántúli Church District, which had been separated from the university by government action and had become an independent institution. In 1966, the church leadership transferred Pákozdy and his department from Debrecen to the Reformed Theological Academy in Budapest, where he taught future pastors for about two decades. Professor Pákozdy, a religious historian, has been awarded honorary doctorates by two foreign universities for his scholarly research on the Old Testament and the Dead Sea Scrolls, and for his translation of the Bible into Hungarian. In the twilight of his life, obtaining the Doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences degree was made possible.

A TUDOMÁNYOK FEJLŐDÉSE AZ OLMÜTZI EGYETEMEN A 17-18. SZÁZADBAN

The Jesuits founded a grammar school in Olomouc in 1566, adding a philosophy faculty in 1576 and a theology faculty in 1582. The document describing the Jesuit educational system, Ratio et institutio studiorum, divided education into three stages, the highest of which was called studia superiora, and included philosophy and theology. From the second year onwards, students studied mathematics, astronomy and geography, and in the third year, from 1637 onwards, ethics. The Jesuits did not pay much attention to the teaching of the natural sciences, as these subjects undermined the authority of the Church and contradicted fundamental Church dogma. As a result, in the second half of the 17th century and the early 18th century, only very sporadic research and education in the sciences developed. Nevertheless, the University of Olomouc did have professors engaged in mathematical, physical and astronomical research, including a number of foreign-born scientists. In scholastic disputations, topics approved by the ecclesiastical authorities, mostly controversial, were discussed. Nonetheless, we do find here scientific topics in philosophy, biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics, although not in as large a number as would have been desirable.

Theology in the University: What's Next?

Drawing on my leadership experiences in the academy, particularly as Dean of a theological faculty in a secular, public university (Université Laval), and my recent participation in the Synod on Synodality, I continue my reflections on the future of academic theology that I began in a Toronto Journal of Theology article on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the Toronto School of Theology. I argue that drawing on the historical impetus of the creation of two Roman Catholic universities in 1852 (one in Quebec, the other in Ontario), theological institutions must think about social context and pertinence beyond the university. We cannot think abstractly about the development of our theological institutions. It would also be bad advice to consider it only by comparing them to other institutions around the world or by taking as a reference the criteria and strategies common to the development of university institutions. We should not exclude these approaches, but in this article I highlight the obligation to reflect in context; our institutions must never become detached from their social and ecclesial environment. After discussing the reasons that led to the creation of Catholic universities in Canada in the nineteenth century, the article highlights two challenges: the social progress of marginalized communities through access to university education, and the training of workers to the vineyard of the Lord, in particular the formation in synodality.