St Justin Popović and Anglican Theologians: Reflections on a Complex and Multifaceted Encounter
Abstract
During the Great War the Faculty of Theology in Oxford received a group of about 55 theological refugees from a wounded Serbia. In this way the Serbian Church’s seminarian system of formation of theologians was preserved, including its clerical teachers and pupils. This gesture of the British authorities, in unison with the highest representatives of the Church of England, cannot be overestimated due to significant implications for the historical-social relations of the two Churches and nations. Among the first to arrive, in 1916, was Fr Justin Popović. He is regarded as one of the more influential Orthodox theologians in the twentieth century. In Oxford he was accepted to read for a B.Litt. degree. His thesis was entitled “The Religion of Dostoevsky”. It was the only thesis among those written by Serbians in Oxford during WWI not to receive the degree from the University’s Examiners. This chapter explores arguments for and against this result. Alongside, this chapter endeavors to demo...nstrate that next to a negative view of Western Christianity, Popović embraced a more positive understanding. This understanding is revealed in the web of positive references to British Christian minds. If this more inclusive side of Popović’s reflections on Western Christians is taken into consideration by a non-Orthodox (“Western”) Christian and is spiritually understood as a promising “contact-point”, then Popović’s uncompromising dogmatic-canonical strictures with regard to Western Christian denominations might not present a sufficient reason for the premature departure of some from his spiritual, theological and philosophical legacy. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
Keywords:
Anglican theology / WWI / Walter Frere / Serbian refugees / Oxford / Orthodox theology / Justin Popović / Inter-faith relations / Fellowship / DostoevskySource:
Serbia and the Church of England : The First World War and a New Ecumenism, 2022, 131-159Publisher:
- Springer Nature
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-05977-3_7
ISBN: 978-3-031-05979-7
ISSN: 2634-6591
Scopus: 2-s2.0-85134778336
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Institution/Community
Православни богословски факултет / Faculty of Orthodox TheologyTY - CHAP AU - Lubardić, Bogdan PY - 2022 UR - https://rpbf.bfspc.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/280 AB - During the Great War the Faculty of Theology in Oxford received a group of about 55 theological refugees from a wounded Serbia. In this way the Serbian Church’s seminarian system of formation of theologians was preserved, including its clerical teachers and pupils. This gesture of the British authorities, in unison with the highest representatives of the Church of England, cannot be overestimated due to significant implications for the historical-social relations of the two Churches and nations. Among the first to arrive, in 1916, was Fr Justin Popović. He is regarded as one of the more influential Orthodox theologians in the twentieth century. In Oxford he was accepted to read for a B.Litt. degree. His thesis was entitled “The Religion of Dostoevsky”. It was the only thesis among those written by Serbians in Oxford during WWI not to receive the degree from the University’s Examiners. This chapter explores arguments for and against this result. Alongside, this chapter endeavors to demonstrate that next to a negative view of Western Christianity, Popović embraced a more positive understanding. This understanding is revealed in the web of positive references to British Christian minds. If this more inclusive side of Popović’s reflections on Western Christians is taken into consideration by a non-Orthodox (“Western”) Christian and is spiritually understood as a promising “contact-point”, then Popović’s uncompromising dogmatic-canonical strictures with regard to Western Christian denominations might not present a sufficient reason for the premature departure of some from his spiritual, theological and philosophical legacy. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG. PB - Springer Nature T2 - Serbia and the Church of England : The First World War and a New Ecumenism T2 - Pathways for Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialogue T1 - St Justin Popović and Anglican Theologians: Reflections on a Complex and Multifaceted Encounter EP - 159 SP - 131 DO - 10.1007/978-3-031-05977-3_7 UR - conv_355 ER -
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Lubardić, B.. (2022). St Justin Popović and Anglican Theologians: Reflections on a Complex and Multifaceted Encounter. in Serbia and the Church of England : The First World War and a New Ecumenism Springer Nature., 131-159. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-05977-3_7 conv_355
Lubardić B. St Justin Popović and Anglican Theologians: Reflections on a Complex and Multifaceted Encounter. in Serbia and the Church of England : The First World War and a New Ecumenism. 2022;:131-159. doi:10.1007/978-3-031-05977-3_7 conv_355 .
Lubardić, Bogdan, "St Justin Popović and Anglican Theologians: Reflections on a Complex and Multifaceted Encounter" in Serbia and the Church of England : The First World War and a New Ecumenism (2022):131-159, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-05977-3_7 ., conv_355 .