Original scientific paper

The Development of Theological and Philosophical Studies in Zagreb from the 13th Century until the Founding of the University of Zagreb. Historical Roots of the Catholic Faculty of Theology

Daniel Patafta ; Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

The Catholic Faculty of Theology of the University of Zagreb (CFT) has distinguished itself in the period of modern higher education as the leading theological educational institution. A contributing factors in this are the scope of the Faculty’s educational‑upbringing programme and the fact that it is an institution that can trace its historicalroots to the period of the Cathedral school in the 13th century, through the founding of the modern University of Zagreb in 1974, and until today. Although the development of theology and theological disciplines in Croatia and among Croatians is not a privilege of only one institution, insofar as one has to take into account contributions of individual religious orders and the former higher theological schools of various historical traditions, the CFT has distinguished itself in the last two hundred years as a place of systematic and scientific positive approach to theology and sciences that are necessarily related to it. From the period of the founding of the Cathedral school until today, one could follow through historical periods and shifts how theological education at the CFT and its integral predecessors was part of complex processes on the level of the universal Church. From the medieval ages until today, the development of theological thought, systematic theological education and upbringing institutions linked to activity of the current CFT have been integrated into spiritual, speculative and social‑political changes that the Catholic Church underwent and that were reflected in the educational‑upbringing reality of the Church. Thus, the current CFT that can base its historical starting point in the 13th century, was a spiritual, speculative, intellectual, and cultural link between the Croatian people and the Church among Croatians, on the one hand, and the European ecclesial and social reality, on the other hand. The aim of this article is to offer an overview of processes that led to the emergence of the Cathedral school in the 13th century, the development of philosophical‑theological study within the system of Jesuit and later on Zagreb’s Academy, and finally of the modern University of Zagreb. These processes allowed theology and educational institutions related to theology in Croatia to develop while being in constant touch with Western European ecclesial and social reality since their emergence until today.

Keywords

theology; Cathedral school; philosophy; Jesuit Academy; seminary; University of Zagreb.

Hrčak ID:

238354

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/238354

Publication date:

28.5.2020.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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