Preliminary communication

Religiousness and Christian Identity. A New Testament View of Croatian Society

Mario Cifrak ; Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

With reference to a survey of Croatian population on religiousness and Christian identity in this article we wish to find the answer to the question of religiousness and identity given in the New Testament. The question of religiousness and identity is analysed through four key views: 1) To live as Christians (Catholics), i.e. confessional belonging; 2) Rituals and acts (institutional religious identity); 3) Faith, piety (prayer), executing one's moral obligations (elements of religious identity); and 4) witnessing for others (internal Church trust). Texts in the New Testament are related to the percentage of answers by those surveyed in an effort to see the relationship between religiousness and what the New Testament notes as the being of Christianity: faith in the Resurrected/resurrection, celebrating the Eucharist, prayer, living the commandment of love and mutual trust. In the second part of the article, which is based on Pliny's letter to Emperor Titus we search for the Sz'fe im Leben of the Christian name which shows Christianity to be something entirely different to religious practise until then - and that is the belief that Christ is the Son of God. This led to the oppression of Christians in the Roman Empire because Christianity opposed the integrational effects of their religion. In conclusion we wish to compare the core of Christian identity in the New Testament to the related results from the survey conducted as part of the project »Subsidiarity in Croatian Society«.

Keywords

religiousness; Christian identity; Jesus Christ; Pliny; Roman Empire; Croatian society

Hrčak ID:

76021

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/76021

Publication date:

11.1.2012.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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