Bogoslovska smotra, Vol. 73 No. 4, 2003.
Izvorni znanstveni članak
Croatian Theologians of the 17th Century
Ivan Golub
Sažetak
Theology is systematic and scientific reasoning of revelation as a God-given (Bogomdanom) Word and of faith as a Given-to-God (Bogudanom) Word. The God-given word is inculturated. It incorporates in itself affiliation to culture, nation, tradition and language. That is why theology, maintaining its identity, is different from age to age, from one nation to the other nation, and from place to place. Theology is scholastic but it may also not be. Scholastic theology moves forward along quick paths sometimes deviating. Non-scholastic theology pierces its way forward. The Council of Trent heavily influenced Seventeenth century theology. Theology since the 13th century, had by then reached its climax but not in originality. It was an age of various theologians who integrated in themselves many theological disciplines. Theology of that time was more readily identifiable with its theologians than its theological disciplines. Non-scholastic theologians offered new inspirations to the world of theology. Some were before their time, before the Second Vatican Council, being original thinkers and diligent workers in dialogue with time. The translation of the Bible in the vernacular represented an historic moment for faith and culture. Bartol Kašić (Pag 1575 - Rome 1650) translated the Bible from the Vulgate into Croatian. Nothing that parts of the Bible had existed in liturgy in the Old Slavnic language, nevertheless there existed opposition in the form of the Bishop of Zagreb, F. Ergelski and his auxilary Bosnian bishop J. T. Mrnavić, to the publishing of Kašić's translation into the living and spoken Croatian language. The request by Bishop Ergelski that the publishing of Kašić's Bible cease was accepted by Urban VIII. He formed a commission to investigate the need for the publishing of Kašić 's translation. On the advice of the commission, pope Urban VIII. brought the decision (1634) that publishing this Bible would be superfluous. At that time there didn’t exist a standard Croatian language, but rather three dialects kajkavski, čakavski and štokavski, Kašić's complete translation of the Bible was a unique opportunity for the standardising of the language. Nevertheless, the Croatian language will eventually be standardised in the 19th century whereas it could have happened back in the 17th century. Rafael Levaković Croata and Ivan Paštrić prepared Glaglolian liturgical books in the printing offices of the Congregation of Divine Faith. Croatia lies on the dividing line between East and West, North and South, where Catholicism, Protestanism and Orthodoxy meet in the presence of an insurgent Islam. This geographical fact is reflected in the development of Croatian theology. Marko Antun de Dominis, in Croatian Domnianich (Rab 1560-Rome 1624), who was the Archbishop of Split and primas Dalmatia and Croatia, was a theologian of reconciliation with the Christian West. He saw the pope 's primacy as an obstacle to the unity of Christians. Instead of a monarchical papacy, he proposed an aristocratic collegiality of bishops who would »in solidum« lead the Church. He develops his theology in his notable work entitled »De Republica ecclesiastica« (London 1617). As a returnee from England, reconciled with Rome, he hand wrote »Retractiones« in which he retracts his errors, but does not renounce Episcopalian collegiality somehow harmonising it with the doctrine of the pope's primacy. He died reconciled with the Church. The Inquisition, however, posthumously condemned him. Division amongst the members of the Inqiusition whether he should be given a dignified Episcopalian burial or whether he should be cremated was settled by pope Urban VIII. Who decided that his body along with his books should be burned. De Dominis was the forerunner of the Second Vatican Council that developed the doctrine of Episcopalian collegiality, Juraj Kržanić (Obrh 1617 or 1618) was also a theologian of reconciliation with the Eastern Christianity. For him the key to reconciliation was an ecclesiology giving recognition to the Russian Orthodox Christians, something unheard of until John XXIII and the Second Vatican Council. Križanić's work remained in handwritten form and partly lost »Bibliotheca Schismaticorum Universa« represents a summa of controversy with Orthodoxy just as »Controversiae verae fidei« from Robert Bellarmini represents the summa of controversy with protestanism. Križanić's theology is political while his politics are theological. He went to Russia trying to promote unity amongst the Churches and working on the liberation of the Slavens from the Turks. He died in Vienna under siege by the Turks in ]683. Ivan Paštrić (Poljica near Split 1636 - Rome 1708), a polyhistor, proficient in the Hebrew language, professor of polemical theology at the Urbanian institution for the propagation of the faith, known as a theologian of dialogue with non-Christians, distancing himself far from ireneaism and proslytelism. Matija Frkić (Krk 1583 - Padova 1669), professor of philosophy and natural sciences. Stjepan Gradić (Dubrovnik 1613 -Rome 1683), prefect for the Vatican Library, was a leader of inner-theological discussions concerning moral theology and philosophy, devoted to Eastern theology. Lovro Grizogon (Split 1590 - Trst 1650), wrote the first mariological encyclopedia in three volumes »Mundus Marianus« (Vol. I Vienna 1646, Vol. II Padova 1651, Vol. III Augsburg 1712), Benedict Rogačić (Dubrovnik 1646-Rome 1719) wrote a theology coupled with philosophy, and philosophy with poetry, having included spirituality. He also wrote informative spiritual ascetical songs in hexameter »Euthimia« (Rome 1690, Munchen 1695). In the second half of the 17th century there appears Kajetan Vičić, from Rijeka, the forerunner of the theology of poetics in the works »Sacer Helicon« (Padova, 1686), where he writes »Christ is himself the poet, the Virgin Mother is the poetess - Christus ipse poeta est, et Poetria Virgo Mater« and for poetical art he says its is religious. He introduces the terms »Christian poetry - Christiana Poiesis«. The song »Jesseis« (Prag 1700), is Mary's biography in verse. Here he calls the Church »friendly posterity - amica posteritas«. »Capillary theology« which with its vein of theology extends to capillaries of the catechism, piously and story literature stretches from Alexander Komulović's catechism through Matija Divković to Juraj Habdelić, Habdelić's »Zercalo Mariansko« (Graz 1662) and »Pervi oca našega Adama greh« (Graz 1674) represents pious literature, which could contain authors homilies transformed into reading literature, homiletical texts transformed into stories, intended for people who liked to read and priests for preaching. Of theological interest are the prayer books of Nikola Krajačević Sartorius, Katarina Zrinska, Baltazar Milovac. Song books are a form of prayer book, sung hymns. Song books from the protestant curator of souls Grgur Mekinić from Gradišić are the first Croatian books printed in what is still today's Gradišić in Austria and as such begins Croatian literature in Gradišić. Pauline collection from 1644, originating from the need for the operation of the Zagreb ritual is a type of lectionary, book of rites and hymn book. Homiletical and hagiographical literature is rich in the 17th Century in Croatia. If one takes into account that Croatia was, in the 17th century reduced in size by the Turkish invasion, and also encroached on by others, and finally to be »a remnant of remnants of what was once the glorious Croatian kingdom — reliquiae reliquiarum olim inclyti Regni Croatiae« it is quite surprising the amount of theological works of that century. Observerving qualitatively, in the 17th century many Croatian theologian of reconciliation, original thinkers, poetical and prophetical voices sprouted, of which some (de Dominis) moved ecclesial Europe, others searched new paths for fthr towards unity of Churches and for the good of the people (Križanić). Some of them are forerunners of Christian ecumenism and dialogue amongst religions (Paštrić). In this sense, all were forerunners of the Second Vatican Council. Some were forerunners of poetical theology (Vičić).
Ključne riječi
theology; seventeenth century; interreligious dialogue; spiritual theology; Glagolian liturgical books; B. Kašić; M.A. de Dominis; J. Križanić; I. Paštrić; S. Gradić; M. Frkić; F. Glavinić; L. Grizogon; B. Rogačić; K. Vičić; J. Habdelić; prayer books
Hrčak ID:
27505
URI
Datum izdavanja:
10.2.2004.
Posjeta: 2.098 *