The Relationship towards Roman Catholicism in the Early Works of Karl Barth

Članak tematizira pitanje odnosa protestantskog teologa Karla Bartha prema rimokatoličanstvu. Usredotočen je na razdoblje Barthova djelovanja kao honorarnog profesora na katedri za reformiranu teologiju Sveučilišta u Göttingenu. Riječ je o formativnom razdoblju, kako za Barthovu teologiju uzetu u cjelini, tako i za njegov odnos prema rimokatoličanstvu. Članak prikazuje genezu Barthova interesa za rimokatoličanstvo, smještajući je u kontekst njegova bavljenja samom protestantskom teologijom i njezinom poviješću, odnosno pretpoviješću u teologiji srednjeg vijeka. U članku se pritom pokazuje kako se Barthov stav o rimokatoličanstvu mijenja – i to od shvaćanja rimokatoličanstva kao svojevrsne \u27hereze\u27 srodne novoprotestantizmu pa do shvaćanja rimokatoličanstva kao oblika teologije i crkvenosti koji svojim, premda problematičnim poimanjem mogućnosti Božje Riječi u govoru Crkve, može upravo protestantskoj teologiji i crkvenosti postati kritičkim poticajem u traganju za njezinim djelomice zatrtim identitetom.The article discusses the question of the relationship of the Protestant theologian Karl Barth towards Roman Catholicism. It focuses on the period of Barth’s occupation as a part-time professor at the Department of Reformed Theology at the University of Göttingen. It is a formative period both for Barth’s theology as a whole, as well as for his relationship towards Roman Catholicism. The article presents the genesis of Barth’s interest in Roman Catholicism by placing it in the context of his dealing with Protestant theology itself and its history, or pre-history in the theology of the Middle Ages. The article shows how Barth’s attitude towards Roman Catholicism changed – from understanding Roman Catholicism as a kind of “heresy” similar to New Protestantism, to understanding Roman Catholicism as a form of theology and ecclesiastics whose, although problematic understanding of the possibility of the Word of God in the discourse of the Church, can become a critical stimulus to Protestant theology and ecclesiastics in search for its partially obscure identity

Crux sola est nostra theologia- Jesus of Nazareth in the Reformation Theology of Martin Luther

Članak odgovara na pitanje o značenju konkretne povijesne osobe Isusa iz Nazareta u teološkom opusu Martina Luthera. Polazi se od problematike Lutherovih mladenačkih duhovnih previranja te ih se sagledava u kontekstu Lutherova osobnog duhovnog puta te u širem kontekstu duhovnih previranja karakterističnih za Lutherovu epohu. U obzir se uzimaju okolnosti specifične za Lutherovu biografiju te njegovu duhovnu formaciju kao i šire odrednice kasnosrednjovjekovne religioznosti te povijesti Crkve i društva bitne za genezu Lutherova duhovnog profila. U tom se smislu osvrće na Lutherove autobiografske zapise, na ars moriendi, pokret mistike patnje te pokret devotio moderna. Nastoji se uočiti specifičnost Lutherova odgovora na egzistencijalna pitanja s kojima je bio suočen, kako on osobno tako i njegovi suvremenici. Pažnja se pridaje problematici vezanoj uz indulgencije te Lutherovu sukobu s crkvenim autoritetima koji je započeo u kontekstu Lutherova bavljenja problematikom indulgencija. U članku se upozorava i na neprimjerenost pridavanja centralne uloge sporu oko indulgencija u genezi Lutherove reformacijske misli te se pokazuje kako je Luther preko kritike prakse indulgencija ubrzo zašao u delekosežniji spor s tadašnjim crkvenim autoritetima. Ovaj je spor, koji je kritiku indulgencija ubrzo ostavio po strani, vodio artikulaciji ključne teme za razumijevanje kako Lutherove teologije tako i teologije reformacije uopće: teologije križa. Lutherovu teologiju križa kvalificira se kao onu koja polazi od objave Boga u konkretnom patećem čovjeku Isusu iz Nazareta, a time od toga da se spasenje događa upravo u konkretnoj stvarnosti. Kao takva Lutherova je teologija križa shvaćena kao kritika neautentičnih pristupa stvarnosti čija je bit u konačnici bijeg iz stvarnosti te odvraćanje lica od situacije čovjeka patnika. Lutherovu teologiju križa promatra se u njezinu kontinuitetu s pokretima u povijesti Crkve koji su naglašavali konstitutivnost za kršćansku vjeru konkretne povijesne osobe Isusa Nazarećanina te njegova cjelokupnog puta prema križu. Povrh toga, iznose se novi elementi koje je u dotadašnju tradiciju teologije križa unio upravo Luther, nastojeći, u stanovitom smislu dosljednije nego pojedini pokreti u povijesti Crkve koji su mu prethodili te na koje se nadovezivao, teologiju križa primijeniti na sva područja teologije i crkvenog života. Lutherova teologija križa pritom se predstavlja kao kritika Lutheru suvremene teologije Rimske crkve i to utoliko ukoliko ova autoritetu patećeg čovjeka Isusa iz Nazareta kao istovrijedan postavlja autoritet Crkve odnosno njezine hijerarhije. Jednako tako, Lutherova teologija križa predstavljena je i kao kritika budućeg razvoja protestantske teologije i pobožnosti, kakav se primjerice dogodio u okviru protestantskog biblicizma. U zaključnom dijelu članka kratko se ukazuje na potencijal teologije križa koji u samom Lutherovu opusu nije došao do izražaja. Riječ je o mogućnosti da se teologija križa profilira kao sustavna kritika neautentičnih pristupa stvarnosti te time svake vrste podjarmljivanja čovjeka ignoriranjem njegove stvarne situacije, a čiji domet daleko nadilazi okvire kritike Lutheru suvremene teologije i Crkve.This paper answers the question about the meaning of concrete historical person of Jesus of Nazareth as it has been explored in the theological oeuvre of Martin Luther. Firstly is described Luther’s spiritual turmoil in his young manhood, which is later considered in the context of Luther’s personal spiritual walk and in the wider context of spiritual turmoil that characterized the time of Luther. The specific circumstances in the life of Luther and his spiritual formation, as well as the wider determinants of late medieval religiosity and the history of the Church and society – which were essential for the genesis of Luther’s spiritual profile – are taken into account. In this sense references have been made to Luther’s autobiographical writings, to ars moriendi, to the movement, known as mysticism of suffering as well as to devotio moderna movement. The goal is to notice the specificity of Luther’s answer to existential questions with those he himself and his contemporaries were faced with. Adequate attention is paid to the issues related to indulgences as well as to the Luther’s conflict with the Church authorities, which has begun in the context of Luthers’ dealing with the issue of indulgences. The paper also draws attention to the inadequacy of placing a major role on the dispute over indulgences in the genesis of Luther’s Reformation thought. At the same time it is shown on how Luther’s criticism over the practice of indulgences soon turned into a wider dispute with the contemporary Church authorities. This dispute, by which the criticism of indulgences was quickly put aside, led to articulating key theme for understanding Luther’s theology as well as the theology of the Reformation in general: the theology of the cross. Luther’s theology of the cross is described as the one which is based on the revelation of God in the concrete suffering man – Jesus of Nazareth, and thus it is based on the fact that salvation is happening just in concrete reality. As such, Luther’s theology of the cross is understood as criticism of nonauthentic approaches to reality. The essence of that criticism ultimately consists in the run from reality as well as in deterring the face of suffering man’s situations. Luther’s theology of the cross is observed in its continuity with the movements in Church history which emphasized the concrete historical person of Jesus of Nazareth and his whole walk toward the cross as constitutive dimension for Christian faith. In addition, there is an emphasis on new elements, which existed in the tradition of the theology of the cross firstly introduced by Luther himself, which endeavour to apply the theology of the cross to all areas of theology and church life, in a way that will be more consistent than of former specific movements in Church history Luther was built on. In so doing, Luther’s theology of the cross introduces itself as a criticism of the contemporary theology of the Roman Church in the time of Luther, inasmuch as Roman Church puts the authority of the church or church hierarchies in the same level as the authority of the suffering man – Jesus of Nazareth. Luther’s theology of the cross is likewise presented as a criticism of the future development of Protestant theology and piety, as, for example, occurred within Protestant Biblicism. The conclusion of the article briefly points to the potentiality of the theology of the cross, which in the Luther’s ouvre has not come to expression. It is about how is the theology of the cross to be profiled as a systematic criticism of nonauthentic approaches to reality as well as of any kind of subjugation of man by ignoring his actual situation. Such outreach goes far beyond the framework of the criticism of contemporary theology and church in the time of Luther

Prikaz knjige Jadranke Brnčić Scriptura sui ipsius interpres. Uvod u biblijsku hermeneutiku Izdavač: Teološki fakultet „Matija Vlačić Ilirik“, Zagreb, 2022.

Biblijska hermeneutika, kao disciplina unutar biblijskih studija, u različitim se akademskim teološkim kontekstima razumije na različite načine. U ovoj knjizi autorica prilazi toj disciplini na tragu europske hermeneutičke tradicije u kojoj je hermeneutika oslonjena na svoje filozofijsko ishodište. Međutim, biblijska hermeneutika, kao partikularna, regionalna hermeneutika, nije tek jedna od mogućih primjena filozofske, opće hermeneutike na određenu kategoriju tekstova. Među dvjema hermeneutikama postoji složen i uzajamno uključiv odnos

Reformational understanding of Holy Scripture interpretation: In a fix between the Biblicism, "papists" and “schwermers”

U radu se tematiziraju osnovne postavke koje su ključne za genezu i razumijevanje reformacijskog načela sola scriptura. Pozornost se najprije posvećuje crkveno-povijesnoj situaciji, situaciji u kasnosrednjovjekovnoj pobožnosti, odnosno egzistencijalnoj vjerničkoj situaciji u kasnom srednjem vijeku. Kritički se osvrće na glavna obilježja pučke pobožnosti u kasnom srednjem vijeku. Reformaciju se pritom prikazuje kao pokret koji je u svome velikom dijelu i sam proizašao iz težnje kasnosrednjovjekovnog čovjeka da zadobije Božju milost, ali u isto vrijeme i kao pokret koji je tu težnju postupno artikulirao na drugačiji, sebi svojstven način. U kontekstu ove „drugačije artikulacije“, pri čemu je reformacija dijelom nasljedovala i kasnosrednjovjekovni pokret devotio moderna, promatra se i nastanak principa sola scriptura. U radu se nadalje razmatraju i otvorena pitanja koja postavlja, odnosno ostavlja reformacijsko geslo sola scriptura. Pokazuje se kako se primjereno razumijevanje reformacijskog principa sola scriptura nalazi u permanentnom izazovu balansiranja te svojevrsnom „škripcu“ između triju opcija u odnosu prema Bibliji: prema biblicizmu i/ili biblijskom fundamentalizmu koji se na poseban način razvio unutar protestantizma, prema rimokatoličkom pristupu koji, nadovezujući se na dio srednjovjekovne teološke tradicije, zastupa stav o tome da je mjerodavno tumačenje Biblije pridržano Crkvi, odnosno crkvenim autoritetima i u prošlosti (Tradicija) i u sadašnjosti (papa, odnosno crkveno učiteljstvo) te prema zanesenjačkom, odnosno tzv. švermerskom pristupu koji, također se nadovezujući na određene srednjovjekovne tradicije, karakterizira pozivanje na direktno svjedočanstvo Duha Svetoga u ljudskoj unutrašnjosti kao sredstva prenošenja Božje objave te njezina mjerodavnog tumačenja.The paper focuses on the basic settings that are crucial to genesis and understanding of the Reformation principle of sola scriptura. Firstly, attention is paid to the church-historical situation, to the situation in the late medieval devotion, or the existential religious situation in the late Middle Ages. It critically addresses the main features of folk devotion in the late Middle Ages. The Reformation is being presented as a movement that largely emerged from the urge of the late medieval man to attain God\u27s grace, but at the same time as the movement that has gradually articulated that urge in a different, selfish way. In the context of this \u27different articulation\u27, in which the Reformation partly inherited the late medieval movement devotio moderna, we can also observe the formation of the principle of sola scriptura. The paper also discusses the open questions that are put, i.e. left behind, by the Reformation motto of sola scriptura. It is shown that an appropriate understanding of the Reformational principle of sola scriptura lies in a constant challenge of balancing and in a sort of a “fix” among the three options in relation to the Bible: the first is Biblicism and/or Biblical fundamentalism developed specifically within Protestantism; the second is the Roman Catholic approach, which is a part of the medieval theological tradition and stands for the fact that the authoritative interpretation of the Bible is reserved for the Church, that is, for the church authorities in both the past (Tradition) and the present (pope, or Church Magisterium); and the third is the “enthusiastic” or so called “schwermer” approach, which, also following certain medieval traditions, is characterized by referring to the direct testimony of the Holy Spirit in the human soul as the means of transmitting God\u27s revelation and its valid interpretation

Prikaz knjige Jadranke Brnčić Scriptura sui ipsius interpres. Uvod u biblijsku hermeneutiku Izdavač: Teološki fakultet „Matija Vlačić Ilirik“, Zagreb, 2022.

Biblijska hermeneutika, kao disciplina unutar biblijskih studija, u različitim se akademskim teološkim kontekstima razumije na različite načine. U ovoj knjizi autorica prilazi toj disciplini na tragu europske hermeneutičke tradicije u kojoj je hermeneutika oslonjena na svoje filozofijsko ishodište. Međutim, biblijska hermeneutika, kao partikularna, regionalna hermeneutika, nije tek jedna od mogućih primjena filozofske, opće hermeneutike na određenu kategoriju tekstova. Među dvjema hermeneutikama postoji složen i uzajamno uključiv odnos

Fundamental Presumptions of the Protestant Notion of the Task of the Theologian and Theology in Relation to the Community of Believers

Rad izlaže temeljne postavke protestantskog razumijevanja zadaće teologije u odnosu prema zajednici vjernika. Polazi od definicije Riječi Božje. Pritom razlikuje: Isusa Krista kao Riječi Božje u najvlastitijem smislu, Riječ Božju u pisanom obliku (Sveto pismo) kao svjedočanstva o Isusu Kristu i riječ Božja u navještaju zajednice vjernika. U sklopu ove tematike razmatra se uloga teologije u odnosu prema zajednici vjernika. Pritom je uloga teologije viđena dvojako. Prvo, uloga teologije je bolje protumačiti, razlučiti te argumentacijski popratiti govor Crkve. No, budući da je govor zajednice vjernika uvijek i ljudski govor te kao takav podložan propustima, zadaća je teologije također i upitati zajednicu vjernika u kojoj mjeri njezin govor doista jest riječ Isusa Krista upućena čovjeku današnjice. Radi se o tzv. pitanju korespondencije crkvenog govora Isusu Kristu kao Riječi Božjoj. Kriterij pak za ovu prosudbu jest Sveto pismo.This article presents the fundamental assumptions of the protestant understanding of the task of the theologian in regard to the community of believers. It starts from the definition of the Word of God. Then it differentiates between Jesus Christ as the Word of God in it very sense, the Word of God in the written form (The Holy Scriptures) as a testimony of Jesus Christ and the Word of God in the proclamation of the community. As part of this topic the article considers the role of the theologian with regard to the community of believers. The role of the theologian is seen to be two-fold. First, the theologian’s task is to better interpret, differentiate and argumentatively support the proclamation of the Church. However, seeing that the proclamation of the community of believers is always human speech and as such is prone to fault, the task of the theologian is always to question the community to what measure is its proclamation truly the word of Jesus Christ directed to the man of today. This refers to the so-called question about the correspondence of the Church’s proclamation to Jesus Christ as the Word of God. The criterion for this judgement then is the Holy Scripture

Roman‑catholics and Christians of the Reformation: Complementarity of Theologies and Spirituality in the Past and Today

Članak razmatra pitanje komplementarnosti rimokatoličke i protestantske teologije i duhovnosti. U članku se reformaciju najprije smješta u kontekst kasnosrednjovjekovnih pokreta obnove, a zatim se nastoji opisati njezinu posebnost. Pažnja se pridaje reformacijskim nastojanjima te očekivanjima da se sporna te u ono vrijeme još dobrim dijelom i otvorena pitanja riješe u dijalogu, posebice reformatorskim apelima za sazivanje slobodnoga ekumenskog koncila pri čemu se reformatori nadovezuju na koncilijarističku tradiciju. U članku se nastoji pokazati da se, premda su se u vrijeme reformacije nastojanja za rješavanjem spornih pitanja u okviru dijaloga pokazala neuspješnima, obnova u zapadnom kršćanstvu ipak dogodila i to u vidu više zasebnih i odvojenih obnova. I to kako u onom dijelu kršćanstva koji je slijedio impulse reformacije tako i u onom dijelu koji je ostao privržen Crkvi pod vodstvom pape u Rimu. U članku se nadalje tematizira činjenica da povijest zapadnog kršćanstva nakon reformacije svjedoči o međusobnoj upućenosti te međusobnoj povezanosti rimokatoličkoga i protestantskoga konfesionalnog identiteta, premda se njihov razvoj događao s različitim impulsima, naglascima, smjerovima i dometima te je vrlo često praćen teološkim izričajima koji podvlače razgraničavanje od druge ’strane’. O tome najupečatljivije govori važan dio istih tema kojima se stoljećima bavilo na objema ’stranama’, a s kojima je otpočeo i suvremeni ekumenski dijalog. U članku se autorica osvrće i na pitanje nadopunjavanja, odnosno komplementarnosti rimokatoličanstva i protestantizma proizašlog iz reformacije, a koje je određeno kako dometima tako i granicama pred kojima se našao suvremeni ekumenski dijalog.The article reflects on the issue of complementarity of the Roman‑Catholic and the Protestant theology and spirituality. At the beginning, the article situates the Reformation within the context of Late Medieval movements of renewal and then proceeds with a description of its specificity. The attention is given to the Reformation´s efforts and expectations to solve contested and, in that time, still fairly open issues through dialogue, as well as to the Reformation´s appeals for convening a free ecumenical council, which links reformers to the conciliar tradition. The article is trying to show that the renewal of Western Christianity did eventually occur in the form of a number of individual and separated renewals and despite the fact that during the time of Reformation the appeals for solving issues through dialogue proved unsuccessful. These renewals occurred both in that part of Christianity that followed impulses of the Reformation, as well as in the part that remained loyal to the Church under the leadership of the pope in Rome. Furthermore, the article discusses the fact that the history of the Western Christianity after the Reformation shows the mutual directedness and connectedness of the Roman‑Catholic and Protestant confessional identity, although their developments demonstrates different impulses, emphases, directions, and scope and although these developments were followed often by theological expressions that underlined the distinction from the »other side«. This is most evident when one considers important topics that were discussed for centuries by both »sides« and that initiated the contemporary ecumenical dialogue. The author of the article also discusses the issue of supplementation or complementarity of Roman‑Catholicism and Protestantism that sprung from the Reformation. This complementarity is determined by both scopes and boundaries of the contemporary ecumenical dialogue

Discussion about Baptism between Luther & Anabaptistis Observed in the Context of Medieval Theology

Tekst je rasprava povijesno-teološke naravi u kojoj autorica razmatra Lutherova i anabaptistička shvaćanja krštenja, ne gubeći pritom iz vida širi kontekst teologije srednjeg vijeka, odnosno visoke i kasne skolastike. Problematici autorica pristupa tako da sustavno izlaže, komparira te u svjetlu biblijske teologije propituje Lutherova, Zwinglijeva te anabaptistička shvaćanja sakramenata, a osobito sakramenta krsta. Autorica se pritom služi i izvornim tekstovima i sekundarnom literaturom o toj problematici. Premda je ovdje riječ prije svega o povijesno-teološkoj raspravi koja daje uvid u teološka pitanja srednjeg vijeka i reformacije, tekst je pisan u ekumenskom duhu te i završava ukazivanjem na dokument iz Lime.This article deals with the fraught conflict between Luther and Anabaptists regarding the baptism of small children. In an effort to clarify this issue and offer a synoptical view the article is divided into two parts. The first deals with (Understanding the sacraments in the theology of the Middle Ages and Luther\u27s criticism) where the author surmises the development of sacramentology from the period of the New Testament on to Patristic and the early Middle Ages and in particular, understanding the sacraments in St. Augustine\u27s theology. The article then reflects on the process resulted in the definition of mysterion/sacramentum from the sphere of cerigma which stepped into the area of the cult. In an effort to understand Luther in the context of the theology of his time the author concentrates on understanding Luther\u27s theological development, exceptional vital notion of the sacraments and in particular baptism in higher and particular classic scholastics. The author comprehends Luther as a student and then as a critic of the theological school who was educated in: so-called nominalism. The author believes it to be undoubted that Luther started his discussion about the being of the sacraments - that is the sacrament of baptism - from the common position of the majority of nominalistic theology: in the context of nominalistic criticism of the teachings and actions of the sacraments ex opera operato. As distinct to sacramentalism that claims that the sacraments mediate mercy for all who do not place barriers, Luther emphasises the importance of faith to receive baptism. Nevertheless, even though Luther\u27s criticism of medieval theology begins in the context of nominalistic criticism of sacramentalism, he also moves away from it and Luther quickly moves on from being a student to becoming a critic of the nominalistic model of alternatives to medieval sacramentology. The author stresses how the novelty of Luther\u27s theology does not lie in his criticism of sacramentalism hence proposing a vitally different disposition to validly accept the sacraments but rather because it questioned the actual scheme of »mercy — disposition on behalf of the recipient« as such, be it under this disposition of thought or faith itself. Namely, in Luther\u27s theology faith is not taken as a human disposition in the process of justification but as pure reception: Man can only accept God\u27s mercy through faith. This, as the author emphasises, does not mean that Luther\u27s understanding of the sacraments, that is baptism, represents a step into medieval sacramentalism. On the contrary, for Luther it is unquestionable that like the Word, the sacrament can only be active for someone who accepts it with faith because through the sacrament God speaks to man as a person and as such expects a man\u27s response. However, this does not mean that faith should be taken as a presumption but, as the only correct view to use baptism. In the second half of the article (Luther and Anabaptists about Baptism), the author investigates the Anabaptist notion of the sacraments and in particular baptism; Anabaptist arguments to deny the validity of baptising small children; and Luther\u27s reopens to Anabaptist objections. The author then investigates Anabaptist teaching (observed on the example of the theology of Balthasar Hubmeier) in the context of medieval theology and in particular the late Middle Ages. According to the author\u27s thinking, Anabaptist interpretation of the sacraments, including baptism, largely represents the literally implemented criticism of sacramentalism that is expressed in later medieval theology. However, Anabaptists take this criticism even further and part of the path that takes them away from the medieval notion of the sacraments coincides with Zwingli who denies the sacraments the nature of an act that mediates mercy and understands the sacraments exclusively as a sign of something that occurred inside a man, that is, a sign of what the renewed man obliges to. However, in contrast to Zwingli\u27s theology according to which — even though Christianity is taken only as an external sign of faith of an individual and obligation to life according to Christian principles — he who publicly obliges this need not necessarily always needs to be an individual receiving baptism but in the case of small children their faith is witnessed by a community of the faithful, according to Anabaptist teaching the exclusive subject of faith can be the person receiving baptism. Hence Anabaptist insistence to (renewed) baptism for those christened as children. Even though the author believes that the logic of Anabaptist conclusions from Zwingli\u27s presumptions is unquestionable, the author believes it is necessary to requestion Zwingli and with that Anabaptist notion of baptism as an exclusively external sign of what occurs inside man. In that context, therefore, Luther\u27s understanding of baptism according to which God\u27s action whose validity does not depend on the disposition of the recipient even though this occurs »behind human backs«, even if this means faith which must have logically led Luther to explicitly criticise Anabaptist understanding of baptism, deserves full attention. As such the author concludes (Critical Evaluation of Luther\u27s and Anabaptist Presumptions), requestions the arguments of collocutors in the Sixteenth Century starting from Scriptural testimonies. The author recalls that according to New Testament expression, even though that which baptism signifies becomes realitvy only for the person who believes, baptism in the New Testament represents something »more« than just an external sign of the individual\u27s faith who is baptised because it is God\u27s unopposive call that determines an entire human life. Luther\u27s notion that baptism should not be repeated even when there is doubt about the existence of belief at the moment of baptism is more applicable to the New Testament notion compared to Anabaptist notion of baptism as an exclusively external sign of the individual\u27s faith or the Anabaptist practise of repeating baptism for those who were baptised as children. According to the author however this does not mean that the question of baptising children could possibly hide a potential danger in neglecting man\u27s personal relationship towards God even when one does not forget that baptism without faith does not lead to salvation, or to create the belief that mercy can be granted to man »automatically«. The author believes that the Anabaptist practise of baptism in faith is more explicit towards baptism always being related to as a personal contract to believe in God\u27s calling which is sent to man and as such is closer to reformation of the significant emphasis of the personal relationship between man and God. This however does not mean any special advantage that this practise of baptism of believers justifies Anabaptist practise (renewed) baptism of those baptised as children. Finally the author condudes that these two practises need not mutually exclude each other infact that mutual exclusivity can easily lead to unilateralism and distorts the notion of the sacrament of baptism. They should instead be observed as a complimentary practise that the Churches that practise one or the other mutually motivate to self-criticism

Evolution of a Protestant Theology Institution in Croatia: from Private Church College to University Center

The focus of this case study is the Faculty of Theology “Matthias Flacius Illyricus” (Teološki fakultet “Matija Vlačić Ilirik” – TFMVI) in Zagreb, founded by two minority religious communities: the Lutheran Church and the Baptist Union. The authors’ premise is that by examining over forty years of the institution’s existence, prominent trends and attitudes can be identified that continue to shape the interaction between churches and the state within Croatian society, where the Roman Catholic Church represents the overwhelming majority. The authors begin with a historical overview of the position of churches under the Communist regime in Yugoslavia, with particular emphasis on the situation of Protestant churches. They then present the circumstances that facilitated the establishment of TFMVI in the 1970s, the challenges faced during its early stages, and the revitalization process in the 2000s, during Croatia’s transitional period as an independent state on the path to its European integration. The paper further discusses the impact of the new legislation on institutions of higher education, which placed TFMVI in a precarious position, ultimately resolved through its gradual integration into the University of Zagreb. While its integration is not yet complete in all aspects, it has allowed the institution to survive by granting access to public funds. The study is based on documents from the TFMVI archive, along with other relevant primary sources and scholarly analyses of the religious landscape in contemporary Croatian society. The authors argue that TFMVI has challenged the state’s approach to churches and shed light on the ambiguity in the stance of the state and public services towards the activities of an institution affiliated with minority religious communities