Romanian Lay Intellectuals and the Orthodox Church in the Interwar Period: Political and Religious Facets of an External View

Abstract

In the interwar period, an intensive debate around the Orthodox Church, Orthodoxy and the spiritual current of 'Ortodoxism' took place in Romania's intellectual circles. In the article, statements by some Romanian intellectuals are analyzed primarily from the cultural milieu, namely from the so-called pre-war generation, the circle of "autochthonistic" representatives, as well as the magazine Gândirea and ultimately the "Westerners". The focus is on statements about the role of the institution of the Orthodox Church. Orthodoxy, as a description of the teachings of the Orthodox Church, and 'Ortodoxism' as non-ecclesiastical, but related to the teachings of the Orthodox Church are also addressed, but are not the focus here. The statements analyzed concern the theological, social and political roles of the Orthodox Church, its position in society, its relationship to politics and its attitude towards identity and nation, especially towards other denominations or towards Western Europe.