Theological ideas of Nichifor Crainic and their relevance for his political activity

Authors

  • Iuliu Marius Morariu Faculty of Orthodox Theology, "Babes-Bolyai" University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18662/po/45

Keywords:

theology, interwar period, Legionary Movement, Gândirea journal, Christianity

Abstract

Important and, in the same time, controversial personality of interwar period and the later one, Nichifor Crainic was in the same time poet, theologian, philosopher and politician. He published many articles, book reviews, chronicles, meditation and theological studies in books and journals like Gândirea or Ramuri (the first one founded by him). In the same time, he was the first professor of mystical theology in a Romanian Faculty of Theology, the one of Bucharest. His theological ideas are still relevant today for the theological space and this make them to be analysed, referred to and quoted. In the same time, some of them have influenced his political attitude, making them to become exponential for Romanian Nationalism during the interwar period, to see, as others (for example Nae Ionescu) of being Orthodox as linked with national identity, and also to be closed with far-right movement during the aforementioned period, but also during the Second World War. Using his ideas expressed, both in his books of poetry or theology or in journals like the ones already named, but also information from the books and articles dedicated to him, we will try there to see how his theological ideas and the influence of theology and Orthodox Church upon him, have influenced the Romanian writer in his political actions. We will also see how his ideas are reflected in his work as politician and writer and we will analyse the influence that he had upon other personalities of his time with same concerns and political orientation. The research will therefore bring again into attention the profile and work of the Romanian theologian, offering a new approach of the relationship between his ideas and works and a reevaluation of his ideas and their actuality

Author Biography

Iuliu Marius Morariu, Faculty of Orthodox Theology, "Babes-Bolyai" University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

PhD. Candidate, Faculty of Orthodox Theology, "Babes-Bolyai" University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

References

Albu, G. (1993). Nae Ionescu – filosof şi practician al educaţiei [Nae Ionescu – philosopher and practician of education]. Revista de filosofie, 40(4), 411-416.

Boşca-Mălin, E. (1943). Evreii în ţara Năsăudului [Jews in Năsăud county]. Braşov, Romania: Editura „Asociaţiei Scriitorilor şi Gazetarilor Năsăudeni”.

Căşvean, E. (2015). Nichifor Crainic and the Romanian Orthodox Mystique. Astra Salvensis, 5(suppl. 1), 46-52. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/311639896_Nichifor_Crainic_a nd_the_Romanian_orthodox_mystique

Căşvean, E. I., & Morariu, I. M. (2015). Nichifor Crainic’s eucharistic view reflected in his poetic and philosophical work. European Scientific Journal, 26(11), 56- 70. Retrieved from: https://eujournal.org/index.php/esj/article/view/6230/6056

Cioran, E. M. (1936). Schimbarea la faţă a României [The change of the face of Romania]. Bucharest, Romania: Vremea.

Crainic, N. (1923). Politică și ortodoxie [Politics and Orthodoxy]. Gândirea, 28, 77- 83.

Crainic, N. (1928a). Spiritualitate [Spirituality]. Gândirea, 92, 307-310.

Crainic, N. (1928b). Tradiţie şi internaţionalism [Tradition and internationalism]. Gândirea, 86, 76-77.

Crainic, N. (1929a). Darurile pământului – poezii [The gifts of the earth – poems]. (3rd ed.). Bucharest, Romania: Cartea Românească.

Crainic, N. (1929b). Sensul tradiţiei [The sense of tradition]. Gândirea, 109-110, 1-11. Retrieved from: https://www.crestinortodox.ro/religie/sensul-traditieinichifor-crainic-69579.html

Crainic, N. (1930). Pacifism. Gândirea, 124, 101-105. Retrieved from: http://documente.bcucluj.ro/web/bibdigit/periodice/gandirea/1930/BC UCLUJ_FP_279479_1930_010_004.pdf

Crainic, N. (1935). Naţionalitatea în artă [Nationality in art]. Gândirea, 14(3), 113- 116. Retrieved from: http://miscarea.net/gandirea-nationalitatea.htm

Crainic, N. (1937). Schimbarea la faţă a României [The change to the face of Romania]. Gândirea, 16(2), 12-15.

Crainic. N. (1940). Revoluţia legionară [Legionary revolution]. Gândirea, 19(8), 521- 525. Retrieved from: http://miscarea.net/crainic-revolutia-legionaragandirea.htm

Crainic, N. (1941a). Germania şi Italia în scrisul meu de la 1931 încoace [Germany and Italy in my writings since 1932]. Bucharest, Romania: Cugetarea.

Crainic, N. (1941b). Aliaţii lui Adolf Hittler [Adolf Hitler's allies]. Gândirea, 20(7), 337-340. Rterieved from: http://documente.bcucluj.ro/web/bibdigit/periodice/gandirea/1941/BC UCLUJ_FP_279479_1941_020_007.pdf

Crainic, N. (1990). Şoim peste prăpastie. Versuri inedite create în temniţele Aiudului [Hawk over the gulf. Unpublished poems composed in Aiud carcel]. Bucharest, Romania: Roza Vânturilor.

Crainic, N. (1991). Zile albe, zile negre. Memorii [White days, black days. Memories]. Buaharest, Romania: Gândirea Publishing House.

Crainic, N. (1993). Sfinţenia – împlinirea umanului (Hollines – the fulfilness of Human). Iaşi, Romania: Editura Mitropoliei Moldovei şi Bucovinei.

Crainic, N. (1997). Ortodoxie şi etnocraţie [Orthodoxy and etnocracy]. Bucharest, Romania: Albatros.

Crainic, N. (1998). Poezii [Poems]. Bucharest, Romania: 100+1 Gramar.

Crainic, N. (2003a). Rasă şi religiune [Race and religion]. In: R. Codrescu (Ed.), Fiecare în rândul cetei sale. Pentru o teologie a neamului [Each one as part of his team. For a theology of nation] (pp. 48-66). Bucharest, Romania: Christiana.

Crainic, N. (2010a). Curs de Mistică germană. Meister Eckhart şi şcoala sa (1936- 1937). Prelegerea I – inaugurală [Lecture of German mystique. Meister Eckhart and his school (1936-1937). First lecture – inaugural]. Tabor, 34(10), 5-14. Retrieved from: http://www.taborrevista.ro/in_ro.php?module=content_full&id=10587

Crainic, N. (2010b). Cursurile de mistică – teologie mistică, mistică germană [Mystical lectures – mystical theology, German mystique]. Sibiu, Romania: Deisis.

Crohmălniceanu, O. S. (1974). Literatura română între cele două Războaie Mondiale [Romanian literature between the two World Wars]. (2nd vol.). Bucharest, Romania: Minerva Press.

Dogan, M. (1994). The Decline of Nationalisms within Western Europe. Comparative politics, 26(3), 281-305. Doi:10.2307/422113

Dur, I. (2007). Cariatide. Sibiu, Romania: Psihomedia.

Eliade, M. (1928). Noua spiritualitate [The new spirituality]. Tiparniţa literară, 30(2), 47-50.

Foucault, M. (1989). The Archaeology of Knowledge. London, UK: Routledge.

Hasmaţuchi, G. (2011). Nichifor Crainic and the interwar ”New Spirituality”. Philosophy, Social and Human Disciplines, 2, 57-59. Retrieved from: http://www.apshus.usv.ro/arhiva/2011II/004.%20pp.%2057-69.pdf

Hitchins, K. (1994). Romania 1866-1947. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

Ică, I. (2018). Nichifor Crainic. Revista Teologică, 111(2), 7-22. Retrieved from: http://www.revistateologica.ro/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/1.- Nichifor-Crainic.pdf

Iloaie, Ş. (2003). Nae Ionescu şi ortodoxia românească [Nae Ionescu and Romanian Orthodoxy]. Cluj-Napoca, Romania: Limes.

Ioan, I. jr. (2010). Nichifor Crainic şi redescoperirea misticii în Ortodoxie în prima jumătate a secolului XX [Nichifor Crainic and the rediscovery of mystique in Orthodoxy in the first half of the 20th century]. In: I. Ică jr. (Ed.), Nichifor Crainic, Cursurile de mistică [Nichifor Crainic, classes of mystique] (pp.3-77). Sibiu, Romania: Deisis.

Morariu, I. M. ( 2015). Nichifor Crainic şi ”Gândirea” [Nichifor Crainic and ”The taught”]. Tabor , 9(3), 29-32.

Morariu, I. M. (2018). An Orthodox perspective on political theology. Journal for the Study of Religions and Ideologies, 49, 153-157. Retrieved from: http://jsri.ro/ojs/index.php/jsri/article/view/925/756

Morariu, I. M., & Căşvean, E. I. (2015). Tinereţea sufletească şi importanţa ei în gândirea lui Nichifor Crainic [The youth of the soul and its relevance in the taught of Nichifor Crainic]. In: M. Himicinschi (Ed.), Young People in Church & Society (pp.281-289), Proceedings of 15th International Symposium on Science, Theology and Arts (ISSTA 2016). Alba-Iulia, Romania: Reîntregirea.

Nellas, P. (2009). Omul – animal îndumnezeit – perspective pentru o antropologie ortodoxă [Man – divinised animal – perspectives for an Orthodox anthropology] (4rd ed.). Sibiu, Romania: Deisis.

Nellas, P. (2012). Hristos, dreptatea lui Dumnezeu şi îndreptarea noastră – pentru o soteriologic ortodoxă [Christ, God's justice and our salvation – for an orthodox soteriology]. Sibiu, Romania: Deisis.

Petreu, M. (2016). Diavolul şi ucenicul său: Nae Ionescu – Mihail Sebastian [The evil and his disciple: Nae Ionescu – Mihail Sebastian]. (3rd. ed.). Iaşi, Romania: Polirom.

Rădulescu-Motru, C. (1928). Noua spiritualitate [The new spirituality]. Tiparniţa literară, 30(2), 42-46. Stăniloae, D. (2003). Ortodoxie şi naţiune [Orthodoxy and nation]. In: R. Codrescu (Ed.), Fiecare în rândul cetei sale. Pentru o teologie a neamului [Each one as part of his team. For a theology of nation] (pp. 95-114). Bucharest, Romania: Christiana

Downloads

Published

2018-12-14

How to Cite

Morariu, I. M. (2018). Theological ideas of Nichifor Crainic and their relevance for his political activity. Postmodern Openings, 9(4), 54-64. https://doi.org/10.18662/po/45

Issue

Section

Theoretical articles

Publish your work at the Scientific Publishing House LUMEN

It easy with us: publish now your work, novel, research, proceeding at Lumen Scientific Publishing House

Send your manuscript right now