Szabolcs Nagypál | Eötvös Loránd University (original) (raw)
Papers by Szabolcs Nagypál
Public governance, administration and finances law review, Oct 29, 2021
The various legal theorists dealing with the operation and effect of law have mostly examined sit... more The various legal theorists dealing with the operation and effect of law have mostly examined situations that can be described as occurring in the usual, regular, normal state of social life. Over the last half century, and particularly since the formation and later enlargement of the European Union, the requirement of the rule of law has emerged as a key topic. The test of the rule of law is as follows: it is necessary to examine in an abnormal situation or, as it were, in an extraordinary situation exactly how it is possible to take political decisions that are of fundamental importance to society while also guaranteeing that these decisions remain within the rule of law at all times. The aim of this study is to investigate how and by what constitutional mandate the Hungarian Government deviated from the normal constitutional situation in 2020. The "state of exception" theorised by Carl Schmitt and Giorgio Agamben means the suspension of the law. It is important to understand their views in order to see that the Hungarian situation in 2020 is utterly dissimilar to such a state of exception. In short, we need to distinguish a state of exception from an extraordinary situation, because the latter does not imply the suspension of law in general or, more specifically, the suspension of the rule of law, but that parliamentary and government decisions remain within it. The special legal order applied in an extraordinary situation is not in fact a suspension of democracy, still less of the rule of law. On the contrary, it actually falls within both: in a state of national crisis, this situation is democracy itself and the rule of law itself, and-accordingly-strict laws (both democratic and imposed within the rule of law), or rather laws of cardinal importance, make its conditions and its functioning possible and regulate it .
Jusletter IT, 2021
"Smart Contracts" are tools based on distributed ledger technologies deployed in order to increas... more "Smart Contracts" are tools based on distributed ledger technologies deployed in order to increase the effi ciency of transactions. Their adoption is growing at an exponential scale due to the undisputable advantages brought by their property of self-executing tasks, yet on the opposite it raises concerns since it does not require any sort of moral scrutiny. In our paper we fi rst address how the current ethical discussion can be framed in Decentralized Ledger Technologies, then we unfold the evolution in legal theory of a decentralized approach-epitomized by the motto "code is law"-fi nally we focus on "smart contracts" discussing the application of "engineering ethics" or the implementation of "ethical oracles". At the end we conclude with a few remarks and some perspectives for future research.
Books Ireland, 2000
For me doing theology is writing a love letter to God, to the Church to which I belong, and to my... more For me doing theology is writing a love letter to God, to the Church to which I belong, and to my people: and this is my project.
was among the leading evangelists and missionaries in the history of Christianity. Furthermore, h... more was among the leading evangelists and missionaries in the history of Christianity. Furthermore, he was among the pioneers of the ecumenical movement in the world. In a sense, he even personifies the modern ecumenical movement, because in him converged uniquely the varied strands of which the ecumenical movement is woven. AwAkening And Volunteering There was a one-month long missionary awakening for students at Mount Hermon, Massachusetts, in 1886, which was led by Dwight L. Moody. He solemnly declared: "All should go and go to all." Another important keynote speaker in the meeting, William AshMore, delivered there the following grand statement: "Show, if you can, why you should not obey the last command of Jesus Christ!" But it was a third Biblical preacher and evangelist at that meeting, namely Charles Thomas studd, who finally converted John R. Mott, a student at that time, and set him to his future direction, calling for "the evangelization of the world in this generation." Soon, in his local Student Christian Movement (SCM) at Cornell University, Mott brought together the students from all denominations, including Roman Catholics, already by the 1880s. After the high and impressive missionary fervour of that gathering, the Student Volunteer Movement (SVM) was formed, headed by John R. Mott. He played a prominent role in it up until its gradual disappearance after World War I. As for facts and numbers, even now the SVM is considered to be among the greatest missionary movements since the Pentecost.
Since 1908, Student Wo r l d has been a voice and forum to ecumenically-minded students, creating... more Since 1908, Student Wo r l d has been a voice and forum to ecumenically-minded students, creating a network of concerns and ideas. Last y e a r, after a 33-year hiatus, publication of the world's first ecumenical journal began again with the issue 247 on Power and Principalities (Poderes y Principados; Pouvoir et Principautés). Each issue gathers articles and essays around a specific topic, being published in the three official languages of the Federation: English, French and Spanish.
The fundamental theological paper deals with the soteriological grounding of the ecumenical movem... more The fundamental theological paper deals with the soteriological grounding of the ecumenical movement. In the beginning, the author connects the contemporary endeavour for visible Church unity with the historicity of salvation. God has a definite plan with humanity, and the process of salvation continues from the covenants to the reign of God through the Christian Church. Within this context, salvation has two main understandings, and at least eight different models. First, Jesus Christ as Saviour serves as an example for the believers: his saving act is our personal moral and ethical guidance and influence; as well as a restitution, reparation, restoration, reconstitution, even recapitulation of all things; which finally leads to victory over the evil. And second, the salvific event can be understood as substitution: be it ransom and redemption, satisfaction, penal representation, the moral government of the world order, or reconciliatory sacrifice. All these aspects come into work ...
Jusletter-IT, 2021
"Smart Contracts" are tools based on distributed ledger technologies deployed in order to increas... more "Smart Contracts" are tools based on distributed ledger technologies deployed in order to increase the effi ciency of transactions. Their adoption is growing at an exponential scale due to the undisputable advantages brought by their property of self-executing tasks, yet on the opposite it raises concerns since it does not require any sort of moral scrutiny. In our paper we fi rst address how the current ethical discussion can be framed in Decentralized Ledger Technologies, then we unfold the evolution in legal theory of a decentralized approach-epitomized by the motto "code is law"-fi nally we focus on "smart contracts" discussing the application of "engineering ethics" or the implementation of "ethical oracles". At the end we conclude with a few remarks and some perspectives for future research.
The Art of the Master Carpenter Our book is largely about instruments: invisible tools that we us... more The Art of the Master Carpenter Our book is largely about instruments: invisible tools that we use when dealing with each other. About expectations, fears, hopes, manipulations and acceptance-just to name a few at random. It also presents us with life situations in which we tend to become numb tools of others or treat others with insensitive instrumentality. But above all-we focus on the timeless human quest for instruments that can remedy what has gone wrong. According to Miyamoto MUSASHI, a necessary accomplishment of the master carpenter is to have sharp tools and to know that she or he has to sharpen them in her or his spare moments. The master must be able to sort the lumber and use its different kinds in appropriate places. This person shall know the degrees of ability of the other carpenters and assign them to their tasks accordingly. Such person is bound to make major decisions from small bits of information, which is like constructing a great Buddha from a one-foot model. She or he realizes that to know one is to know ten thousand. Thus the master maintains various tools, and carries them around in a box.
Truth: David Tracy and the Hermeneutics of Religion (Az alapvető sokszínűség és az igazság: David... more Truth: David Tracy and the Hermeneutics of Religion (Az alapvető sokszínűség és az igazság: David Tracy és a vallás értelmezéstana), New York (NY) 1991. KINNAMON, M. (Michael) − COPE, B. (Brian) E. (szerk.), The Ecumenical Movement: An Anthology of Key Texts and Voices (Az ökumenikus mozgalom: kulcsszövegeknek és megszólalásoknak egy szöveggyűjteménye), Genf 1997.
CORE View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk provided by ELTE Digital Institutio... more CORE View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk provided by ELTE Digital Institutional Repository (EDIT) 2 There have been important surveys and analyses of the ecumenical condition globally, in Europe and in Central Europe; for example: Kolonits Veronika (ed.), Survey on the Current State of Ecumenism. Budapest, 2004.
Routes of Vision, Roots of Change "There is an irresistible demand to strengthen the leadership o... more Routes of Vision, Roots of Change "There is an irresistible demand to strengthen the leadership of the constructive forces of the world at the present momentous time." (John Raleigh Mott, at his Nobel Lecture in 1946) Heralded as one of the all-time great theatrical releases, Twelve Angry Men by Sidney Lumet (1957), which was remade later by William Friedkin (1997), is based on the drama of Reginald rose and focuses on a jury's deliberations in a capital murder case. A twelve-man jury is sent to begin deliberations in the murder trial of a young Latino, accused in the stabbing death of his father; a guilty verdict at that time means an automatic death sentence. The criminal case appears to be open-and-shut, so eleven of the jurors immediately vote 'guilty'; only one casts a 'not guilty' vote. As the deliberations unfold, the story quickly becomes a study of a difficult decision-making situation of life and death, with diverse and complex personalities, preconceptions, backgrounds and interactions. A Viable Vision on Visible Unity What are our visions, and how can we realise them? Our two seminars in 2007 focused on our shared historical heritage, present circumstances, and visions for the future. What roots do we hold to? In what areas do we need to develop? What methods lead to renewal and reconciliation? How do current prejudices effect our present and our future? Due to the division and fragmentation of Christianity, for the current historical period, all those, who rightly call themselves Christians, find it difficult to belong to the same institutional Church. Nevertheless, young Christians should dream, imagine and make a viable vision on the visible unity of the Church. Such a vision should be based most of all on Biblical metaphors, and on the living Tradition, on the various ecumenical findings, outcomes and results, and on the commitment and creativity of youth and students.
What you give to me, you give it to everyone-so says the earthly power. What you give to everyone... more What you give to me, you give it to everyone-so says the earthly power. What you give to everyone, you give it to me-so says the heavenly power.
It seems that the main divisions of the Church (451, 1054, 1517) follow each other in five hundre... more It seems that the main divisions of the Church (451, 1054, 1517) follow each other in five hundred year terms. It seems, on the other hand, that the twentieth and twenty-first centuries bring about a move to the opposite direction: a tendency for the unity of the Church. In this century of ecumenism, a widespread consensus appears to ripen, that Jesus Christ wants that all may be one, and that this process is led by the Holy Spirit. The question now is not any more whether to be engaged in the ecumenical movement, but rather how to do it according to the will of God. And the question for those who are taken up by this energising wave remains whether this really is a meaningful purpose to strive for and to dream about, or whether it is all about creating grey from the colours, or from black and white. THE SCANDAL OF DISUNITY In the divine feast, the Church is nothing less (and nothing more) than the foretaste of God's purpose to reconcile all things in Jesus Christ. From an eschatological perspective, the Church is a dynamic sign of 'already' and 'not yet'. We are already one, but not yet fully and totally, and not yet in a visible way. Among the many phenomena of human disorder, the silhouette of God's design faintly occurs. In enlisting the four characteristics of the Church (one, holy, catholic and apostolic), the sin against catholicity (universality) is denominationalism, localism and parochia-lism. Holiness requires the conversion of the churches, a diversity creatively integrated and transformed. The ecumenical movement addresses most of all the forth, the oneness of the Church. Historically it has been doing so through three main branches, Mission (bringing the good news to all), Life and Work (answering to human need), and Faith and Order (questions of truth). Let us have a look at the methodology of this third focus: is it creating grey by mixing the colourful opinions into a kind of consensus, or is it about something more elegant and dignified?
The long and glorious life of WSCF is inextricably entwined with the lives of the many people who... more The long and glorious life of WSCF is inextricably entwined with the lives of the many people whose names are scattered throughout the pages of her history. One such name is Philip POTTER, one of the greatest living figures in the ecumenical movement, whose active involvement in the Federation spanned four and a half decades. Although now retired, Philip POTTER remains in contact with the organisation with whom so much of his history is shared. Here, he reminisces with Student World about his own life and the lives of many other people who are responsible for shaping the present condition of ecumenism, and he puts forth a vision and a challenge for the rising generation of young people who are just now taking their place in the life of the Federation and the Church. SW: You were one of the chief architects of the ecumenical movement. Please, tell us about your relationship with the World Student Christian Federation (WSCF) and the Student Christian Movement (SCM). PP: My relationship with the Federation began when I started my theology studies in 1944. I arrived at Kingston, Jamaica, where we had a theological college and after one week there was a meeting of the SCM where I was sent, and I came out of the meeting having been made a study secretary, a person who does everything from arranging meetings to suggesting ideas. During the three years I spent in Jamaica I kept this position in the SCM, which was made up of theological students, people training for agriculture, cultural experts and teachers. When I went to England to finish my studies, there was the world conference of Christian students in Oslo in 1947 and I represented the SCM from Jamaica Philip POTTER is a Methodist minister from Dominica. He was involved in the World Student Christian Federation (WSCF) from the early 1940s and served as the chairperson of the Federation from 1960 to 1968. From 1972 until 1984 he was the general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC).
Education and Ecumenical Renewal ties of theology are again accepted as members of universities. ... more Education and Ecumenical Renewal ties of theology are again accepted as members of universities. For example, Bucharest University includes the Orthodox Faculty, the Baptist Faculty and the Roman Catholic Faculty, with different departments. However now, when the Romanians are trying to follow and adopt all the western traditions to become citizens of the European Union, many voices claim that we should not return to the traditional cooperation. They strongly recommend the pattern of some European countries, where religious education is not a part of the state system of education. Personally, I think each country should keep the traditions that have proven to be successful over the centuries. The European Union is seeking the unity through diversity and does not impose infallible patterns. Religious education is a part of Romanian history and tradition and it is very important during this difficult period of transition. The educational system is democratic, and the denominations that are legally registered in Romania should have access to public education. Classes of religion should be supported by the state because they are important for the formation of the future citizens, and not only from the spiritual, cultural or moral perspective. For example, recently the Romanian Orthodox church developed, in cooperation with USAID, a program aimed at the prevention of domestic violence and the transmission of HIV. The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church adopted the project. During the religious classes, young Romanians are educated from the Christian point of view, on how to fight against the spread of the virus, and how to relate to people living with HIV. Religious education, organised in a democratic and transparent way, could also develop a better understanding of religious and inter-religious relationships. Society could benefit from this education, overcoming superstitions, prejudices and dangerous conflicts. I do think that Europe should accept Romania as a member, together with its old traditions, which could be found among other member states. The religious education that survived here could be an example of a good relationship between Church and state, an expression of ecumenism and interfaith mutual respect.
Public governance, administration and finances law review, Oct 29, 2021
The various legal theorists dealing with the operation and effect of law have mostly examined sit... more The various legal theorists dealing with the operation and effect of law have mostly examined situations that can be described as occurring in the usual, regular, normal state of social life. Over the last half century, and particularly since the formation and later enlargement of the European Union, the requirement of the rule of law has emerged as a key topic. The test of the rule of law is as follows: it is necessary to examine in an abnormal situation or, as it were, in an extraordinary situation exactly how it is possible to take political decisions that are of fundamental importance to society while also guaranteeing that these decisions remain within the rule of law at all times. The aim of this study is to investigate how and by what constitutional mandate the Hungarian Government deviated from the normal constitutional situation in 2020. The "state of exception" theorised by Carl Schmitt and Giorgio Agamben means the suspension of the law. It is important to understand their views in order to see that the Hungarian situation in 2020 is utterly dissimilar to such a state of exception. In short, we need to distinguish a state of exception from an extraordinary situation, because the latter does not imply the suspension of law in general or, more specifically, the suspension of the rule of law, but that parliamentary and government decisions remain within it. The special legal order applied in an extraordinary situation is not in fact a suspension of democracy, still less of the rule of law. On the contrary, it actually falls within both: in a state of national crisis, this situation is democracy itself and the rule of law itself, and-accordingly-strict laws (both democratic and imposed within the rule of law), or rather laws of cardinal importance, make its conditions and its functioning possible and regulate it .
Jusletter IT, 2021
"Smart Contracts" are tools based on distributed ledger technologies deployed in order to increas... more "Smart Contracts" are tools based on distributed ledger technologies deployed in order to increase the effi ciency of transactions. Their adoption is growing at an exponential scale due to the undisputable advantages brought by their property of self-executing tasks, yet on the opposite it raises concerns since it does not require any sort of moral scrutiny. In our paper we fi rst address how the current ethical discussion can be framed in Decentralized Ledger Technologies, then we unfold the evolution in legal theory of a decentralized approach-epitomized by the motto "code is law"-fi nally we focus on "smart contracts" discussing the application of "engineering ethics" or the implementation of "ethical oracles". At the end we conclude with a few remarks and some perspectives for future research.
Books Ireland, 2000
For me doing theology is writing a love letter to God, to the Church to which I belong, and to my... more For me doing theology is writing a love letter to God, to the Church to which I belong, and to my people: and this is my project.
was among the leading evangelists and missionaries in the history of Christianity. Furthermore, h... more was among the leading evangelists and missionaries in the history of Christianity. Furthermore, he was among the pioneers of the ecumenical movement in the world. In a sense, he even personifies the modern ecumenical movement, because in him converged uniquely the varied strands of which the ecumenical movement is woven. AwAkening And Volunteering There was a one-month long missionary awakening for students at Mount Hermon, Massachusetts, in 1886, which was led by Dwight L. Moody. He solemnly declared: "All should go and go to all." Another important keynote speaker in the meeting, William AshMore, delivered there the following grand statement: "Show, if you can, why you should not obey the last command of Jesus Christ!" But it was a third Biblical preacher and evangelist at that meeting, namely Charles Thomas studd, who finally converted John R. Mott, a student at that time, and set him to his future direction, calling for "the evangelization of the world in this generation." Soon, in his local Student Christian Movement (SCM) at Cornell University, Mott brought together the students from all denominations, including Roman Catholics, already by the 1880s. After the high and impressive missionary fervour of that gathering, the Student Volunteer Movement (SVM) was formed, headed by John R. Mott. He played a prominent role in it up until its gradual disappearance after World War I. As for facts and numbers, even now the SVM is considered to be among the greatest missionary movements since the Pentecost.
Since 1908, Student Wo r l d has been a voice and forum to ecumenically-minded students, creating... more Since 1908, Student Wo r l d has been a voice and forum to ecumenically-minded students, creating a network of concerns and ideas. Last y e a r, after a 33-year hiatus, publication of the world's first ecumenical journal began again with the issue 247 on Power and Principalities (Poderes y Principados; Pouvoir et Principautés). Each issue gathers articles and essays around a specific topic, being published in the three official languages of the Federation: English, French and Spanish.
The fundamental theological paper deals with the soteriological grounding of the ecumenical movem... more The fundamental theological paper deals with the soteriological grounding of the ecumenical movement. In the beginning, the author connects the contemporary endeavour for visible Church unity with the historicity of salvation. God has a definite plan with humanity, and the process of salvation continues from the covenants to the reign of God through the Christian Church. Within this context, salvation has two main understandings, and at least eight different models. First, Jesus Christ as Saviour serves as an example for the believers: his saving act is our personal moral and ethical guidance and influence; as well as a restitution, reparation, restoration, reconstitution, even recapitulation of all things; which finally leads to victory over the evil. And second, the salvific event can be understood as substitution: be it ransom and redemption, satisfaction, penal representation, the moral government of the world order, or reconciliatory sacrifice. All these aspects come into work ...
Jusletter-IT, 2021
"Smart Contracts" are tools based on distributed ledger technologies deployed in order to increas... more "Smart Contracts" are tools based on distributed ledger technologies deployed in order to increase the effi ciency of transactions. Their adoption is growing at an exponential scale due to the undisputable advantages brought by their property of self-executing tasks, yet on the opposite it raises concerns since it does not require any sort of moral scrutiny. In our paper we fi rst address how the current ethical discussion can be framed in Decentralized Ledger Technologies, then we unfold the evolution in legal theory of a decentralized approach-epitomized by the motto "code is law"-fi nally we focus on "smart contracts" discussing the application of "engineering ethics" or the implementation of "ethical oracles". At the end we conclude with a few remarks and some perspectives for future research.
The Art of the Master Carpenter Our book is largely about instruments: invisible tools that we us... more The Art of the Master Carpenter Our book is largely about instruments: invisible tools that we use when dealing with each other. About expectations, fears, hopes, manipulations and acceptance-just to name a few at random. It also presents us with life situations in which we tend to become numb tools of others or treat others with insensitive instrumentality. But above all-we focus on the timeless human quest for instruments that can remedy what has gone wrong. According to Miyamoto MUSASHI, a necessary accomplishment of the master carpenter is to have sharp tools and to know that she or he has to sharpen them in her or his spare moments. The master must be able to sort the lumber and use its different kinds in appropriate places. This person shall know the degrees of ability of the other carpenters and assign them to their tasks accordingly. Such person is bound to make major decisions from small bits of information, which is like constructing a great Buddha from a one-foot model. She or he realizes that to know one is to know ten thousand. Thus the master maintains various tools, and carries them around in a box.
Truth: David Tracy and the Hermeneutics of Religion (Az alapvető sokszínűség és az igazság: David... more Truth: David Tracy and the Hermeneutics of Religion (Az alapvető sokszínűség és az igazság: David Tracy és a vallás értelmezéstana), New York (NY) 1991. KINNAMON, M. (Michael) − COPE, B. (Brian) E. (szerk.), The Ecumenical Movement: An Anthology of Key Texts and Voices (Az ökumenikus mozgalom: kulcsszövegeknek és megszólalásoknak egy szöveggyűjteménye), Genf 1997.
CORE View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk provided by ELTE Digital Institutio... more CORE View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk provided by ELTE Digital Institutional Repository (EDIT) 2 There have been important surveys and analyses of the ecumenical condition globally, in Europe and in Central Europe; for example: Kolonits Veronika (ed.), Survey on the Current State of Ecumenism. Budapest, 2004.
Routes of Vision, Roots of Change "There is an irresistible demand to strengthen the leadership o... more Routes of Vision, Roots of Change "There is an irresistible demand to strengthen the leadership of the constructive forces of the world at the present momentous time." (John Raleigh Mott, at his Nobel Lecture in 1946) Heralded as one of the all-time great theatrical releases, Twelve Angry Men by Sidney Lumet (1957), which was remade later by William Friedkin (1997), is based on the drama of Reginald rose and focuses on a jury's deliberations in a capital murder case. A twelve-man jury is sent to begin deliberations in the murder trial of a young Latino, accused in the stabbing death of his father; a guilty verdict at that time means an automatic death sentence. The criminal case appears to be open-and-shut, so eleven of the jurors immediately vote 'guilty'; only one casts a 'not guilty' vote. As the deliberations unfold, the story quickly becomes a study of a difficult decision-making situation of life and death, with diverse and complex personalities, preconceptions, backgrounds and interactions. A Viable Vision on Visible Unity What are our visions, and how can we realise them? Our two seminars in 2007 focused on our shared historical heritage, present circumstances, and visions for the future. What roots do we hold to? In what areas do we need to develop? What methods lead to renewal and reconciliation? How do current prejudices effect our present and our future? Due to the division and fragmentation of Christianity, for the current historical period, all those, who rightly call themselves Christians, find it difficult to belong to the same institutional Church. Nevertheless, young Christians should dream, imagine and make a viable vision on the visible unity of the Church. Such a vision should be based most of all on Biblical metaphors, and on the living Tradition, on the various ecumenical findings, outcomes and results, and on the commitment and creativity of youth and students.
What you give to me, you give it to everyone-so says the earthly power. What you give to everyone... more What you give to me, you give it to everyone-so says the earthly power. What you give to everyone, you give it to me-so says the heavenly power.
It seems that the main divisions of the Church (451, 1054, 1517) follow each other in five hundre... more It seems that the main divisions of the Church (451, 1054, 1517) follow each other in five hundred year terms. It seems, on the other hand, that the twentieth and twenty-first centuries bring about a move to the opposite direction: a tendency for the unity of the Church. In this century of ecumenism, a widespread consensus appears to ripen, that Jesus Christ wants that all may be one, and that this process is led by the Holy Spirit. The question now is not any more whether to be engaged in the ecumenical movement, but rather how to do it according to the will of God. And the question for those who are taken up by this energising wave remains whether this really is a meaningful purpose to strive for and to dream about, or whether it is all about creating grey from the colours, or from black and white. THE SCANDAL OF DISUNITY In the divine feast, the Church is nothing less (and nothing more) than the foretaste of God's purpose to reconcile all things in Jesus Christ. From an eschatological perspective, the Church is a dynamic sign of 'already' and 'not yet'. We are already one, but not yet fully and totally, and not yet in a visible way. Among the many phenomena of human disorder, the silhouette of God's design faintly occurs. In enlisting the four characteristics of the Church (one, holy, catholic and apostolic), the sin against catholicity (universality) is denominationalism, localism and parochia-lism. Holiness requires the conversion of the churches, a diversity creatively integrated and transformed. The ecumenical movement addresses most of all the forth, the oneness of the Church. Historically it has been doing so through three main branches, Mission (bringing the good news to all), Life and Work (answering to human need), and Faith and Order (questions of truth). Let us have a look at the methodology of this third focus: is it creating grey by mixing the colourful opinions into a kind of consensus, or is it about something more elegant and dignified?
The long and glorious life of WSCF is inextricably entwined with the lives of the many people who... more The long and glorious life of WSCF is inextricably entwined with the lives of the many people whose names are scattered throughout the pages of her history. One such name is Philip POTTER, one of the greatest living figures in the ecumenical movement, whose active involvement in the Federation spanned four and a half decades. Although now retired, Philip POTTER remains in contact with the organisation with whom so much of his history is shared. Here, he reminisces with Student World about his own life and the lives of many other people who are responsible for shaping the present condition of ecumenism, and he puts forth a vision and a challenge for the rising generation of young people who are just now taking their place in the life of the Federation and the Church. SW: You were one of the chief architects of the ecumenical movement. Please, tell us about your relationship with the World Student Christian Federation (WSCF) and the Student Christian Movement (SCM). PP: My relationship with the Federation began when I started my theology studies in 1944. I arrived at Kingston, Jamaica, where we had a theological college and after one week there was a meeting of the SCM where I was sent, and I came out of the meeting having been made a study secretary, a person who does everything from arranging meetings to suggesting ideas. During the three years I spent in Jamaica I kept this position in the SCM, which was made up of theological students, people training for agriculture, cultural experts and teachers. When I went to England to finish my studies, there was the world conference of Christian students in Oslo in 1947 and I represented the SCM from Jamaica Philip POTTER is a Methodist minister from Dominica. He was involved in the World Student Christian Federation (WSCF) from the early 1940s and served as the chairperson of the Federation from 1960 to 1968. From 1972 until 1984 he was the general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC).
Education and Ecumenical Renewal ties of theology are again accepted as members of universities. ... more Education and Ecumenical Renewal ties of theology are again accepted as members of universities. For example, Bucharest University includes the Orthodox Faculty, the Baptist Faculty and the Roman Catholic Faculty, with different departments. However now, when the Romanians are trying to follow and adopt all the western traditions to become citizens of the European Union, many voices claim that we should not return to the traditional cooperation. They strongly recommend the pattern of some European countries, where religious education is not a part of the state system of education. Personally, I think each country should keep the traditions that have proven to be successful over the centuries. The European Union is seeking the unity through diversity and does not impose infallible patterns. Religious education is a part of Romanian history and tradition and it is very important during this difficult period of transition. The educational system is democratic, and the denominations that are legally registered in Romania should have access to public education. Classes of religion should be supported by the state because they are important for the formation of the future citizens, and not only from the spiritual, cultural or moral perspective. For example, recently the Romanian Orthodox church developed, in cooperation with USAID, a program aimed at the prevention of domestic violence and the transmission of HIV. The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church adopted the project. During the religious classes, young Romanians are educated from the Christian point of view, on how to fight against the spread of the virus, and how to relate to people living with HIV. Religious education, organised in a democratic and transparent way, could also develop a better understanding of religious and inter-religious relationships. Society could benefit from this education, overcoming superstitions, prejudices and dangerous conflicts. I do think that Europe should accept Romania as a member, together with its old traditions, which could be found among other member states. The religious education that survived here could be an example of a good relationship between Church and state, an expression of ecumenism and interfaith mutual respect.