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Short history:
The
academic theological learning has a tradition in The University of the
West Timisoara. According to the Decree 660 of 30 December 1944, the
University of the West is founded with the faculties of Law, Letters and
Philosophy, Sciences, Human Medicine, Veterinarian Medicine,
Pharmacology and Theology. But the project did not come to life then.
After the Revolution of 1989, the Romanian theological learning was
reorganized, facilitating the foundation of new Faculties of Orthodox
Theology, besides those in Bucharest and Sibiu. In this context, the
Department of Orthodox Theology was founded within the Faculty of
Letters, Philosophy and History of the University of the West Timisoara
according to the Protocol concluded by the Ministry of Education, the
State Secretariat for Cults and the Romanian Patriarch, no. 9870, 30 May
1991 and the Convention between the Archbishop of Timisoara and the
Rector of the University of the west Timisoara, no. 2669, 25 March 1993.
The
Department has now 12 teachers: 2 professors, 1 associate professor, 6
lecturers, 3 assistant lecturers. Since 2001, a one-year postgraduate
course has been organized, with the general theme “Modern and
Contemporary Ecclesiastic Theology” and a Master’s degree program is
projected now in cooperation with the Department of Philosophy with the
theme “Hermeneutics”.
Organization and objectives:
The
Department of Orthodox Theology obeys the regulations of the
Constitution of Romania, the Law of Education, The Chart of the
University of the West, the regulations of the Orthodox Church of
Romania. The Department functions as an NGO.
There are
three sections in the Department of Orthodox Theology:
-
pastoral theology
-
theology + letters (Romanian or a foreign language: English, French,
German, Italian, Spanish)
-
theology + history (since 1997).
The
learning process has a duration of four years.
Starting
with 1996, the Department of Orthodox Theology has applied the system of
transferable credits.
The
mission of the department is didactic and scientific, its objective
being to train the future priests of the Orthodox Church of Romania and
the religion teachers with a theological and humanistic formation, with
the purpose of promoting the values of orthodox spirituality and
Romanian culture in an interconfessional and intercultural context.
The
Department of Orthodox Theology has the necessary material basis for a
proper learning process: a chapel for the religious practice, a
multimedia laboratory with 12 computers, OHP, an electronic organ, audio
and video systems.
The
headquarters of the department are in Matei Millo St. 2, property of the
University of the West Timisoara which also offers accommodation for
students.
The rooms
are equipped according to modern standards, securing excellent learning
conditions.
The
logistics for the documentation of teachers and students consits of the
collections of books in the University Library, the Bishopric Library
and the City Library. The department also has an important theological
book fund, many books in English and French being here as a result of
the cooperation between the Bishopric of the Banat or the Faculty of
Letters and History and ecclesiastic institutions abroad. For research,
students use the reading rooms of the Department of Orthodox Theology or
those of the University Library.
Since
1997 up to 2001, 5 sessions of B.A exams have been organized.
In the
programme of postgraduate studies, two former students of the department
have been sent to Germany: Daniel Benec and Dorin Covaci. They are going
to specialize in Christian deaconry and work in the Department of Social
Assistance of the Archbishopric of Timisoara. As part of Bachelor’s
degree preparation programmes, Petru Alexa was sent to Britain and
Ciprian Zeno Popescu to Italy. In the Socrates programme, the student
Daniela Eliza Constantinescu is currently studying in France.
The
teaching staff:
The well
prepared members of the department are the following: Prof. Dr. Petru
Bona, Sorin Cosma, Associate Prof. Dr. Smaranda Vultur,
Lecturer Dr. Eugen Constantin, Lecturer Dr. Nicolae Belean, Lecturer
Nicolae Morar, PhD candidates Vasile Itineant, Viorel Dorel Cherciu,
Ioan Iulian Cosma, Assistant Lecturer Dr. Cornel Toma, Assistant
Lecturer Dr. Constantin Jinga, Assistant Lecturer Remus Mihai Feraru.
Other
teachers cooperate with the members of the department: Prof. Dr. Aurel J
(The Faculty of Orthodox Theology of Sibiu), Prof. Dr. Dumitru Abrudan
(The Faculty of Orthodox Theology of Sibiu) and very well prepared
priests working for the Bishopric of the Banat (Lucian Lugojanul, Dr.
Vasile Muntean, Gheorghe Itininat, Mircea Munteanu, Florin Carebia,
Adrian Carebia, Adrian Covan).
From the
research activity of the members of the department we can mention: books
(Byzanthium, vol 1 and 2, by Vasile Muntean, The Bishopric of
Caransebes by Dr. Petru Bona – awarded with the Prize of the
Romanian Academy for Scientific and Academic Competence in 1999, The
Virtue of Moderation by Dr. Sorin Cosma), courses (The Hebrew
Language by Dr. Nicolae Neaga, The History of the Romanian
Orthodox Church, vol 1 and 2, Elements of Christian Art by
Dr. Petru Bona, Practice Book of the Old Testament by Dr.
Constantin Jinga), studies and articles in the theological series of the
University of the West Annals.
We can
also mention the organization of national and international congresses
and symposia: “The Book of Books” (5 editions), pre-Easter conferences
(7), “The Sacred Horizon” (3 editions). Members of the department have
also attended international conferences: The International Congress of
Science and Theology, Munich, Germany; The Hermeneutics International
Congress, Neuchatel, Switzerland; The Ecumenism International Symposium,
Belgrade, Serbia; The Missionarism International Symposium, Budapest,
Hungary; The International Congress of Religious Sciences, Udine, Italy.
We also mention the achievements of the choir of students in theology
who were awarded the 1st and the 2nd prize in
Italy (Rome, 1998) and Spain (Barcelona, 1999) respectively.
The
Department of Orthodox Theology cooperates with humanistic and
theological faculties abroad: The University and the Institute of
Religious Sciences in Udine, the Faculty of Catholic Theology in
Freiburg, etc.
Three
members of the department benefited from grants offered by the Romanian
Patriarchy: Constantin Eugen Jurca in Padova, Italy, Cornel Toma in
Athens, Greece, Remus Mihai Feraru in Bossey, Switzerland.
Information:
Secretary of Department: Gruber Eva
egruber@litere.uvt.ro
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General presentation:
