Papers by Daniel G Oprean
Kairos, Dec 7, 2023
This paper aims to explore the dimensions of Joshua's journey of discipleship. The thesis of the ... more This paper aims to explore the dimensions of Joshua's journey of discipleship. The thesis of the paper is that such a journey begins with Joshua's movement from the shadow of Moses to the shadow of the Lord. And that means that Joshua is not only a person who follows in the footsteps of Moses, but he also advances uniquely towards fulfilling the call of God. And that is seen secondly, in the way he continues his journey, in a movement from the generation of Exodus that became the generation of failure, to which he belongs, by age, to the generation born in the wilderness that became the generation of entering the Promised Land. Joshua became part of that generation, through a continual advance, characterized by a constant submission, in obedience to the will of God. This continual advance in faithfulness, enables Joshua, as it is argued in the third part of the paper, not only to create a generation of obedience but also to become an inspirational model for future leaders and generations in the history of the people of God. Therefore, the exploration of the beginning, continuation, and fruit of Joshua's journey of discipleship, reveals the necessary ingredients of any journey of discipleship, beginning with the departure from human models and patterns, and continuing with a constant alignment with the patterns of the will of God. Only as such, a journey of discipleship could have as its fruit a relevant legacy, whose helpful illustration is Joshua and his life.
Kairos, Nov 24, 2020
The aim of this paper is to explore a few factors that contribute to the tendency towards secular... more The aim of this paper is to explore a few factors that contribute to the tendency towards secularization in the evangelical churches in Central and Eastern Europe. It further suggests theological remedies to address the causes of secularization. The thesis of this paper is that there are three causes for the tendency towards secularization. First is the secularization of theological education, second is the crisis of ecclesial identity, and third is the secularization of leadership. The first proposal of this paper is that the remedy for the secularization of theological education is redefining theology as communion, theological education as transformation, and theological formation as discipleship. Second, the remedy for the crisis of ecclesial identity that leads to negative identity markers is the replacement of the external conformation model of Christian life (which leads to social isolation, subculturality, and spiritual abuse) with the internal transformation model, which leads to a healthy spirituality and a meaningful theology of mission. Third and finally, the remedy for the secularization of leadership is the rediscovery of the kenotic model of Christian life and ministry.
Fr. Dumitru Stăniloae: Portrait of a Public Theologian
DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Sep 1, 2021
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Dec 2, 2022
A Theological Reflection on Love as a Supreme Human Value. It is the aim of this article to under... more A Theological Reflection on Love as a Supreme Human Value. It is the aim of this article to underline the fact that love is not merely one of the human values, as conceived by human thought over history, but rather it is a supreme human value. This quality is given by the fact, as it will be argued by the theological argument of this article, love originates in God, being the way God lives in the complexity of the three divine Persons, who share the same being. Moreover, love, from a theological perspective, is expressed in creation of everything that exists, being the reason for the creative act of God, that is One in three Persons. Finally, the article will focus on the way Christ event is the culmination of God' s love, that is overflowed in creation and in the redemptive acts of the Father, in the Son, through the Holy Spirit.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), May 18, 2022
The aim of this article is to explore the theological foundation and expression of the concept of... more The aim of this article is to explore the theological foundation and expression of the concept of human dignity. Starting with the concept of imago Dei as the foundation for human dignity, and continuing with the expression of human dignity, namely, human being' s place and role in creation, the argument will end with the affirmation of human dignity, namely, the aim of God' s redemptive actions. The argument of this article has as its pressuposition the fact that according with the theological revelation, human dignity is inherent to humankind. Therefore, the article is a plea for a personalist view of human dignity as opposed to a functionalist view of human dignity.
Perichoresis
The aim of this work is threefold. First, it is an attempt to revisit the doctrine of God’s gener... more The aim of this work is threefold. First, it is an attempt to revisit the doctrine of God’s general revelation in conversation of dogmatic and biblical theology. Beyond the classical twofold categorizations of revelation, as natural and supernatural or general and special, in this work we argue for a threefold understanding of God’s general revelation: revelation in history, revelation in conscience and revelation in creation. Second, we intend to affirm that the foundation for this threefold conception of general revelation is the doctrine of the Trinity and the perichoretic relationships between the three divine Persons in internal life of the Trinity as well as in their activity in creation and salvation. Therefore, history is a space of the Triune God’s revelation, the revelation in conscience is a trinitarian activity, and revelation in creation is unfolding the Father, who creates through the Son in the Spirit. Third, we aim to affirm that there could be possible to elaborate ...
ABSTRACT:<strong> </strong>It is the aim of this article to sketch the dimensions of ... more ABSTRACT:<strong> </strong>It is the aim of this article to sketch the dimensions of Pauline theology of <em>koinonia</em>. The Christian life is lived in the reality of participation in Christ's death, resurrection and suffering. And these are the elements of what could be called the vertical dimension of <em>koinonia</em> with Christ, at the individual and communal level. There is also a horizontal dimension of <em>koinonia</em> with Christ, namely the communion of believers in the Body of Christ, the Church. Any individual believer is to acknowledge his participation in the community of Christ. This is actually reminded anytime when the believers share the Eucharist. The common element that connects the two dimensions, vertical and horizontal, of <em>koinonia</em> with Christ, is His example, expressed powerfully in his <em>kenosis</em>. The church mirrors Christ's <em>kenosis</em> in ever...
Abstract: It is the aim of this article to analyze a few remedies that could contribute to the cu... more Abstract: It is the aim of this article to analyze a few remedies that could contribute to the cure of abusive religiosity. Promoting a conversation between philosophy, psychology and theology, the article focuses on three such remedies. The first one is the holistic understanding of human nature, in all its complexity and with all its paradoxes. The second one is the proper understanding of the phenomenon of conversion with the contrast between conformation and transformation. The third one is the proper understanding and practice of authority, with all the danger that come with the exercise of power. Key Words: religiosity, abuse, holistic, conversion, transformation, authority
Kairos, 2020
The aim of this paper is to explore a few factors that contribute to the tendency towards secular... more The aim of this paper is to explore a few factors that contribute to the tendency towards secularization in the evangelical churches in Central and Eastern Europe. It further suggests theological remedies to address the causes of secularization. The thesis of this paper is that there are three causes for the tendency towards secularization. First is the secularization of theological education, second is the crisis of ecclesial identity, and third is the secularization of leadership. The first proposal of this paper is that the remedy for the secularization of theological education is redefining theology as communion, theological education as transformation, and theological formation as discipleship. Second, the remedy for the crisis of ecclesial identity that leads to negative identity markers is the replacement of the external conformation model of Christian life (which leads to social isolation, subculturality, and spiritual abuse) with the internal transformation model, which lea...
Journal of Humanistic and Social Studies, 2020
The aim of this article is that to remind the fact that forgiveness is not a practice that should... more The aim of this article is that to remind the fact that forgiveness is not a practice that should be held captive for the religious life of a person or human community. Rather, it should be a practice of the public life of a society. Yet, there are biblical models for such a practice of forgiveneness, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. Therefore, for the biblical model embodied by the prophet Jeremiah, the article will continue with the biblical model embodied by John the Baptist. The two are proeminent figure in the Bible, one in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament. The third model is that embodied by Jesus Christ, the central person in the New Testament. From the exploration of the three models, the paper will continue with the coordinates of Church's participation in Christ's model. It will end with the way the practice of forgiveness is reflected in Romanian society and politics after 1989.
TEOLOGIE ȘI MEDICINĂ Dimensiunea bioetică și terapeutică a credinței și a științei, Volumul I, ISSTA, 2024
It is a subject of agreement between all Christian traditions that the Church is called to assis... more It is a subject of agreement between all Christian traditions that the Church is called to assist and address the suffering of the people in the society. Yet, for the Church to be able to do that, she needs to be very clear in her theology of suffering. It is the thesis of this study that a conversation of traditions on the subject of suffering, could bring an important contribution in regard to such clarity. Therefore, it is the intention of this study to underline the features of a theology of suffering in conversation of Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant traditions. The
key theologians from the three traditions, are three leading theologians in their respective traditions, in the twentieth century.
First, the study will focus on Dumitru Stăniloae, probably the
most important theologian of the Orthodox Church worldwide. Second, the study will explore the way theology of suffering is seen in the thought of Thomas Weinandy, an important Catholic theologian. The representative of the Protestant tradition, whose theology of suffering will be scrutinized, is Karl Barth, the most important Protestant theologian of twentieth century.
Journal for Freedom of Conscience, Vol. 12, Nr. 2, 2024
KAIROS: Evangelical Journal of Theology, 2024
This paper aims to explore the way the evangelist Matthew illustrates the deficiency of disciples... more This paper aims to explore the way the evangelist Matthew illustrates the deficiency of discipleship by sketching three portrayals of deficient discipleship. The section under scrutiny is that of chapter 8:18-27 from Matthew's Gospel. The first portrayal is that of a disciple-to-be, described in terms of much enthusiasm without much understanding of the kind of teacher Jesus is (Matt 8:19-20). He is a proper illustration of the first type of deficient human attempt to follow Jesus, namely, discipleship without costs. The second portrayal, is that of an acknowledged disciple, described in terms of manifest hesitation that comes from an insufficient clarification of his existential priorities and of the kind of master Jesus is (Matt 8:21-22). This portrayal is a helpful illustration of the second type of deficient attempt to follow Jesus, namely, discipleship without commitment. The third portrayal is that of the called disciples, described in terms of fear that comes from the lack of understanding of the kind of Lord Jesus is (Matt 8:23-27). This portrayal is a realistic illustration of the third type of deficient human attempt to follow Jesus, namely, discipleship without hardships. Yet, in his answers in the encounters with the three categories of protagonists in the biblical text, Jesus offers corrections to all three types of deficient discipleship. And Matthew combines the revelation of the symptoms of the three deficient types of discipleship with the solution coming 1 This article was written as part of the Zagreb Biblical Institute research project: "The Concept of Discipleship Among Evangelical Churches in Croatia.
JURNALUL LIBERTATII DE CONSTIINTA, 2023
Kairos : Evangelical Journal of Theology, 2023
This paper aims to explore the dimensions of Joshua's journey of discipleship. The thesis of the ... more This paper aims to explore the dimensions of Joshua's journey of discipleship. The thesis of the paper is that such a journey begins with Joshua's movement from the shadow of Moses to the shadow of the Lord. And that means that Joshua is not only a person who follows in the footsteps of Moses, but he also advances uniquely towards fulfilling the call of God. And that is seen secondly, in the way he continues his journey, in a movement from the generation of Exodus that became the generation of failure, to which he belongs, by age, to the generation born in the wilderness that became the generation of entering the Promised Land. Joshua became part of that generation, through a continual advance, characterized by a constant submission, in obedience to the will of God. This continual advance in faithfulness, enables Joshua, as it is argued in the third part of the paper, not only to create a generation of obedience but also to become an inspirational model for future leaders and generations in the history of the people of God. Therefore, the exploration of the beginning, continuation, and fruit of Joshua's journey of discipleship, reveals the necessary ingredients of any journey of discipleship, beginning with the departure from human models and patterns, and continuing with a constant alignment with the patterns of the will of God. Only as such, a journey of discipleship could have as its fruit a relevant legacy, whose helpful illustration is Joshua and his life.
Patricia Runcan (coord.), Consiliere și Mentorare cu impact, Timișoara, Editura de Vest, 2021
Nu da povață celui ce nu ți-o cere, căci nu te ascultă. Însetează-l întâi. Pune-l în situația de ... more Nu da povață celui ce nu ți-o cere, căci nu te ascultă. Însetează-l întâi. Pune-l în situația de a ți-o cere. Și pe urmă spune-i-dacă ai de spus ceva." (C. Noica) Introducere Se vorbește mult despre consiliere în societatea contemporană. De la domeniul economic și financiar, până la cel politic și militar, conceptul "consiliere" este folosit pentru a defini un expert într-un anumit domeniu, capabil să ofere cele mai bune direcții de acțiune pentru o persoană, familie, organizație sau chiar țară. De aceea, există astăzi consilieri economici, financiari, militari, politici. În domeniul religios, deopotrivă, "piața" este invadată de consilieri spirituali care par specializați în consilierea familiei, a copiilor, a afacerilor, a bisericilor etc. Nu este, totdeauna, clar, însă, dacă experiența acestor consilieri se dovedește a fi benefică pentru cei consiliați. Din acest motiv, atunci când vorbim de consilierea spirituală, este vital să ne întoarcem cu atenție la modelul de consiliere al lui Hristos. În această lucrare sunt evidențiate trei dimensiuni ale ceea ce s-ar putea numi modelul hristic de consiliere spirituală. Având în vedere dimensiunile impuse de această lucrare, ne vom focaliza pe trei texte biblice care reliefează cele trei dimensiuni ale modelului hristic de consiliere. Primul text este cel din Luca 11:1, un text care evidențiază prima dimensiune a modelului-stârnirea interesului prin exemplul personal. Al doilea text este cel din Evanghelia după Marcu 4:1-35, un text care evidențiază a doua dimensiune a modelului hristic de consiliere-antrenarea receptivității prin învățare spirituală. Al treilea text este din Marcu 6:31-34, un text care evidențiază a treia dimensiune a modelului hristic de consilierecultivarea pasiunii spirituale prin dăruire sacrificială. Stârnirea interesului prin exemplul personal Sunt multe ocaziile în care Mântuitorul caută să stârnească interesul ucenicilor prin exemplul personal. Aici voi arăta acest lucru ȋntr-unul din episoadele în care Hristos le stârnește interesul pentru rugăciune: "Într-o zi, Isus se ruga într-un loc anumit. Când a isprăvit rugăciunea, unul din ucenicii Lui i-a zis: Doamne învață-ne să ne rugăm, Cum a învățat și Ioan pe ucenicii lui." (Luca 11:1). Episodul acesta este plasat într-un loc retras unde
Journal of Conscience , 2022
A Theological Reflection on Love as a Supreme Human Value. It is the aim of this article to under... more A Theological Reflection on Love as a Supreme Human Value. It is the aim of this article to underline the fact that love is not merely one of the human values, as conceived by human thought over history, but rather it is a supreme human value. This quality is given by the fact, as it will be argued by the theological argument of this article, love originates in God, being the way God lives in the complexity of the three divine Persons, who share the same being. Moreover, love, from a theological perspective, is expressed in creation of everything that exists, being the reason for the creative act of God, that is One in three Persons. Finally, the article will focus on the way Christ event is the culmination of God' s love, that is overflowed in creation and in the redemptive acts of the Father, in the Son, through the Holy Spirit.
Perichoresis Volume 20. Doctoral Supplement (2022).
The aim of this work is threefold. First, it is an attempt to revisit the doctrine of God's gener... more The aim of this work is threefold. First, it is an attempt to revisit the doctrine of God's general revelation in conversation of dogmatic and biblical theology. Beyond the classical twofold categorizations of revelation, as natural and supernatural or general and special, in this work we argue for a threefold understanding of God's general revelation: revelation in history, revelation in conscience and revelation in creation. Second, we intend to affirm that the foundation for this threefold conception of general revelation is the doctrine of the Trinity and the perichoretic relationships between the three divine Persons in internal life of the Trinity as well as in their activity in creation and salvation. Therefore, history is a space of the Triune God's revelation, the revelation in conscience is a trinitarian activity, and revelation in creation is unfolding the Father, who creates through the Son in the Spirit. Third, we aim to affirm that there could be possible to elaborate a perichoretic model of God's general revelation. Being rooted in the perichoretic understanding of Trinity, such a model pressuposes the fact that the three forms of God's general revelation are indisolubly connected, without contradiction, separation or confusion.
JURNALUL LIBERTĂȚII DE CONȘTIINȚĂ VOL. 9, NR. 2, 2021
The aim of this article is to explore the theological foundation and expression of the concept of... more The aim of this article is to explore the theological foundation and expression of the concept of human dignity. Starting with the concept of imago Dei as the foundation for human dignity, and continuing with the expression of hu- man dignity, namely, human being’s place and role in creation, the argument will end with the affirmation of human dignity, namely, the aim of God’s re- demptive actions. The argument of this article has as its pressuposition the fact that according with the theological revelation, human dignity is inherent to humankind. Therefore, the article is a plea for a personalist view of human dignity as opposed to a functionalist view of human dignity.
Keywords: Human being, human dignity, theological reflection, creation, redemption.
ConScienS Conference Proceedings of Research Association for Interdisciplinary Studies. Princeton,, 2021
It is the aim of this article to sketch the dimensions of Pauline theology of koinonia. The Chris... more It is the aim of this article to sketch the dimensions of Pauline theology of koinonia. The Christian life is lived in the reality of participation in Christ's death, resurrection and suffering. And these are the elements of what could be called the vertical dimension of koinonia with Christ, at the individual and communal level. There is also a horizontal dimension of koinonia with Christ, namely the communion of believers in the Body of Christ, the Church. Any individual believer is to acknowledge his participation in the community of Christ. This is actually reminded anytime when the believers share the Eucharist. The common element that connects the two dimensions, vertical and horizontal, of koinonia with Christ, is His example, expressed powerfully in his kenosis. The church mirrors Christ's kenosis in every member's attitude towards each other, in the embrace of the other in the same way in which, lovingly and sacrificially, Christ embraced humanity, in his body, transforming it from within.
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Papers by Daniel G Oprean
key theologians from the three traditions, are three leading theologians in their respective traditions, in the twentieth century.
First, the study will focus on Dumitru Stăniloae, probably the
most important theologian of the Orthodox Church worldwide. Second, the study will explore the way theology of suffering is seen in the thought of Thomas Weinandy, an important Catholic theologian. The representative of the Protestant tradition, whose theology of suffering will be scrutinized, is Karl Barth, the most important Protestant theologian of twentieth century.
Keywords: Human being, human dignity, theological reflection, creation, redemption.