Review article

Antun Vramec A Progressive Theologian and Reformer

Katarina Novak ; Filipovićeva 6, Zagreb, Hrvatska

Abstract

The paper deals with a Croatian theologian who endeavored to provide the people with the best possible insight into the word of God in the midst of a difficult time for the Croatian people. The 16th century was a period of changes in the cultural outline of Europe, change in the course of history of Europe as a whole, and the paper
discusses both the reflections of European events on Croatia, at the time reduced to the “remnants of the remnants of the Croatian Kingdom”, and the role of Antun Vramec, Croatian theologian who studied abroad and was thus familiar with the events taking place in Europe (primarily in Austria and Italy), in raising national awareness
of the Croatian people as well as the awareness of belonging to the Church. Vramec does criticize the negative aspects of the institution of the church without hesitation, but aiming toward a change in certain customs and traditions within the Roman Catholic Church, while he considers bringing the message of the Bible nearer to the
common people in its most authentic form the chief task of his vocation, avoiding therein the multitude of examples, peldi, typical of the preachers at that time. This paper presents the contemporariness of the language used by Vramec in his writings
through a comparison between the distinctive features of the language of one of his two works, the Postilla, and the spoken Kajkavian dialect of the Ludbreg part of the Podravina region today. Assumptions about the adherence of this priest and writer to Protestantism are dismissed. The reformist character of the works by Vramec is separated from the protestant, and Vramec is presented as a mature figure of his time who, in a critical spirit, studies and accepts, or rejects customs and traditions that he 180 deems unfounded and who, in his characteristic way, does not hesitate to fight for a change in the Church and the society that he holds to be necessary for their advancement. With his works (Kronika and Postilla), he addresses the members of the Church, the clergy and the congregation in the national language since the majority
would not be able to understand Latin.

Keywords

Reformation; language; the Bible; the 16th century; the Church; Antun Vramec; theology

Hrčak ID:

71713

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/71713

Publication date:

5.5.2011.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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