The Orthodox Tradition and the European Identity of Modern Bulgarian Society – from Uncritical Apologetics to a Realistic Assessment of Advantages and Disadvantages

1. Entity type Lemma
2. Original titleПравославната традиция и европейската идентичност на модерното българско общество – от безкритичната апологетика към реалистичната оценка на предимствата и недостатъците
3. Language term Bulgarian
4. lemma author Nachev, Ivaylo
5. lemma category Orthodox theological tradition and practice > Premodern _modern_ postmodern
6. Publication date 16-1-2019
7. lemma work Кондев, Ангел [Author]. Православната традиция и европейската идентичност на модерното българско общество – от безкритичната апологетика към реалистичната оценка на предимствата и недостатъците
8. lemma manifestations Философски Алтернативи
9. Keywords Bulgarian culture - universal values - rationality - Bulgarian Orthodox Church
10. Citations
    1. <p>Ангел Кондев, “Православната традиция и европейската идентичност на модерното българско общество – от безкритичната апологетика към реалистичната оценка на предимствата и недостатъците”, Философски алтернативи 6/2018, 113-133.</p>
11. Lemma body

    1. The article discusses the general impact of the Orthodox tradition on the Bulgarian culture and society. Angel Kondev briefly reviews the role of pillars of the European civilisation such as the Greek-Roman heritage and Christianity. The author notes that the Christian aspect is mainly formed by Catholicism and Protestantism. Looking at main differences between Western Christianity and Eastern Orthodoxy, the author claims the Western Christianity encourages rational and practical organisation of life. At the same time, the Western and Eastern churches react in different manner to the challenges of the contemporary postmodern world. The rational and scientific worldview is challenged by traditional attitudes in the postmodern world, and in Bulgaria in particular, which is combined with declining rationalistic attitude to the world. This “crisis of rationality” is partly due to the inability of science and philosophy in their present form to build a fully developed worldview. Orthodoxy generally demonstrates indifference to scientific knowledge, coupled with remoteness to scientific achievements which implies a suspicion, if not hostility, towards science.  Kondev argued as well that Orthodoxy has been to some extent alienated from the secular education which is based on scientific development, adding there is a latent tension between them which is softened by the general progress, but preserves its potential. At the same time Orthodoxy is comparatively inactive towards main contemporary global challenges.    

       According to Kondev, some aspects of the Orthodox tradition come in conflict with values of the liberal democracy when one focusses on the Bulgarian case. The author believes that the Orthodox tradition draws back to some extent the European integration of the country. He also argues that some figures in Bulgarian Orthodox Church (BOC) have recently taken a number of radical positions, including demands for forceful introduction of religious education at state schools. The article also argues that the values and norms of the modern liberal democracy and market economy are in some degree in conflict with the Orthodox religion, which constitutes one of the reasons for some acute social, economic and political problems for the European integration of the Bulgarian society. The aim of the presentation is to provoke a critical assessment of the recently increased radical manifestations of BOC, which raised some serious concerns about the development of democratic values.