Influences of Evolutionary Theory in the Thinking of Teilhard de Chardin and Stephen Hawking

Darwin’s theory has obvious echoes in both the cosmological theology of Theilhard de Chardin and the cosmological physics of Stephen Hawking. The catholic theologian, like Darwin, forgets that consciousness cannot be born from what it has no consciousness, and the British physicist wants to know the beginnings from what the present indicates, but he stumbles in his argument. If he accepts Edwin Hubble’s theory of the expansion of the universe and arrives, running through time, at the singularity called the Big Bang, he concludes that the idea of the Big Bang is good to explain a beginning, but it states that science could not explain why the universe was the way it was after the big bang, that is, why it developed so harmoniously and perfectly arranged? Hawking has moments of sincerity when he claims that he needs God to complete his script, but it gives him a task that the researcher wants and not that God wanted.

Theory of Evolution, Orthodox Theology, Teilhard de Chardin, Stephen Hawking, Deism

Rev. Dr. Mădălin-Ștefan PETRE is Lecturer at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Craiova, Romania.

Craiova, Romania

petrestefan50@yahoo.com

Elements of Ancient Philosophical Doctrine and Their Heritage in the Tradition of Eastern Christian Spirituality

The present study aims to link two traditions that have intersected and interfered over the centuries, one representing the background on which the second has articulated its teaching in the struggle against heresies, and the second representing for many the answer and fulfillment of the first. This is ancient philosophy and Christianity. Beyond the question of terminology, we attempt in this study to identify the doctrinal elements of ancient philosophy that have found their place in one way or another in the Christian spiritual tradition, so that from here on we can understand how the ways of life that ancient philosophy proposed had something to offer to the Christian man.

Christian Spirituality, Stoicism, Platonism, Reason, Philokalia, Anthropology, Plato, Epictetus, Providence, God

Vasile-Răzvan TEACU is doctoral student at the “Andrei Șaguna” Faculty of Orthodox Theology, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, Romania

Sibiu, Romania

razvanteacu98@gmail.com

Les significations inépuisables de la Divine Liturgie, un excellent point de repère dans la pastorale des migrants roumains

Beyond the positive and gratifying aspects of the spiritual life of communities of Romanian Orthodox Christians living abroad, where Romanian Orthodox churches are not just places of worship in a foreign language, but “little Romanians”, and where Sunday or weekly celebrations and meetings become occasions for common prayer, identity anamnesis or warm and sincere communion, on the one hand, this study aims to outline aspects arising from the phenomenon of Romanian migration to EU countries and beyond, on the other hand, this study aims to reflect on an aspect of our Church’s commitment, through its ministers, hierarchs and priests, in the pastoral care and accompaniment of its sons and daughters in the Romanian Orthodox diaspora, a commitment concretized in their participation in the Holy and Divine Liturgy and in learning and understanding the profoundly spiritual meaning of the Holy Liturgy.

Migration, Family, Holy Liturgy, Eucharist, Pastorship.

Rev. Emanuel-Ioan PAVEL is a doctoral student at the “Andrei Șaguna” Faculty of Orthodox Theology, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, Romania.

Sibiu, Romania

pavel_emanuel@yahoo.com

St. John Chrysostom’s Vision on Prayer – Man’s Dialogue with God

Prayer is man’s dialogue with the Creator of all creation. Since Creation, man has had a longing for God ingrained in him; a longing to know the One who made heaven and earth, the One who sets our hearts and minds on fire (Ps 25:2), as the Prophet David says. This longing of man for his Creator is sometimes manifested and dosed in the wrong way (addictions in all their forms, religious fanaticism, wandering in the landmarks of faith, etc.). Among the life-giving forms of human longing for the divine, prayer remains the pathway marked out and recommended by the Holy Fathers on the human journey to know God. Just as we cannot know someone in depth without talking to them and being close to them, without analyzing their natural reactions in different circumstances, so we cannot claim to know God by confining ourselves to reading others’ experience of Him, without making an effort to know Him personally, without having a direct and direct dialogue with Him, without pouring out our fullness or seeing our emptiness and emptiness before Him, without making our own contribution, giving thanks, giving glory and even asking for what is useful to the One who holds the world in His hands. Without all these direct and personal implications of our being, the possibility of a personal experience with God is drastically reduced. The importance and usefulness of prayer in human perfection are outlined and developed, in breadth and detail, in the writings of St. John Chrysostom in a style unmistakable and accessible to most Christians, as one who has experienced the seraphic sweetness of the joy of uninterrupted prayer with God.

prayer, St. John Chrysostom, God

Rev. Marius Iustin STÎNGĂ is a doctoral student at the “Andrei Șaguna” Faculty of Orthodox Theology, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, Romania.

Sibiu, Romania

mariusiustin.stanga@ulbsibiu.ro

Relevanţa donariului de la Biertan şi a vasului cu inscripţie de la Porolissum

The first reason why the Biertan donarium and the inscribed vessel from Porolissum attract attention is the association of the obvious Christian purpose for which the two pieces were created with the presence of a Latin inscription that is relatively long for the place and time of their belonging: Dacia after the Aurelian retreat. The second reason that attracts attention is the similarity of the two texts, both in message and writing style. All these have already been noted by early scholars of the plays, and the literature on them is rich. I considered it necessary to resume the discussion of the two pieces, even more extensively than I will be able to do in an article, in order to reiterate and complete the possible data and connections regarding their origin and belonging. The relevance of correctly relating to these aspects also arises in the context of contestatory opinions that have not ceased, even though since the scholarly articles of the early scholars have established with the utmost probity the belonging of the two pieces to local Christian communities. The negative criticism of these conclusions is not scientifically substantiated, but is part of a broader trend of questioning the continuity of the Dacian-Roman and Christian tradition in Dacia after the Aurelian retreat. For all these reasons, we considered it necessary to revisit the subject of the two Paleochristian pieces. The present article can be a contribution in this respect, without claiming to be exhaustive. I believe that lesser-known details from the research literature and new connections may help the reader eager to know the historical truth.

The Biertan Donarium, Porolissum, Transylvania, Christians

Șerban George Paul DRUGAŞ is presently an independent researcher and holds a PhD in Theology at the “Andrei Șaguna” Faculty of Orthodox Theology, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, Romania.

Sibiu, Romania

serbangpdrugas@gmail.com

Predicile Sfântului Petru Hrisologul la uciderea Pruncilor (CLII-CLIII)

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Dragoș BOICU, Lector la Facultatea de Teologie „Andrei Șaguna” din cadrul Universității „Lucian Blaga” din Sibiu

Sibiu, Romania

dragos.boicu@ulbsibiu.ro

Giacomo Ruggeri, Le 99 fuori. Prepararmi oggi alla Chiesa di domani. Manuale narrativo di Teologia Pastorale, Editura Il pozzo di Giacobbe, 2022, 241 p., ISBN 978-88-6124-968-4.

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Rev. Dr. Habil. Constantin NECULA is Associate Professor at the “Andrei Șaguna” Faculty of Orthodox Theology, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, Romania.

Sibiu, Romania

constantin.necula@ulbsibiu.ro

Vicenzo Paglia, L’Algoritmo della vita. Etica e Intelligenza Artificiale, Editura Piemme, Mondadori, 2024, 198 p., ISBN 978-88-566-9360-7.

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Rev. Dr. Habil. Constantin NECULA is Associate Professor at the “Andrei Șaguna” Faculty of Orthodox Theology, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, Romania.

Sibiu, Romania

constantin.necula@ulbsibiu.ro

Oliver Freiberger, Religionsvergleich. Ansätze, Kritik, Praxis, Seria Studienkurs Religion, Editura Nomos, Baden-Baden, 2022, 191 p., ISBN: 978-3-8487-6876-9 (print), 978-3-7489-0971-2 (ePDF).

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Dr. Alina PĂTRU is Lecturer in History and Philosophy of Religions at the Andrei Şaguna Orthodox Faculty of Theology, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Romania. Adress: Andrei Şaguna Orthodox Faculty of Theology Sibiu, Str. Mitropoliei nr. 20, RO – 550179 Sibiu.

Sibiu, Romania

patru_alina_ro@yahoo.com

Martin Rötting, Spiritualität vs. Religion. Eine interreligiöse Beziehungsanalyse, Editura EOS, Sankt Ottilien, 2022, 289 p., ISBN: 978-3-8306-8111-3.

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Dr. Alina PĂTRU is Lecturer in History and Philosophy of Religions at the Andrei Şaguna Orthodox Faculty of Theology, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Romania. Adress: Andrei Şaguna Orthodox Faculty of Theology Sibiu, Str. Mitropoliei nr. 20, RO – 550179 Sibiu.

Sibiu, Romania

patru_alina_ro@yahoo.com

Maria Dzielska, Hypatia din Alexandria: personajul istoric și legenda modernă, traducere din limba engleză de Ana-Lorina Iacob, ediție îngrijită, cuvânt-înainte și anexă de Dragoș Mîrșanu, Editura Doxologia, 2022, (Colecția Historia Christiana) 168 p., ISBN 978-606-9746-48-6.

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Toma GANIA is a doctoral student at the “Dumitru Stăniloae” Faculty of Orthodox Theology, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iași, Romania.

Iași, Romania

gania.toma@yahoo.com