Development of the relationship Bulgarian Orthodox Church - Bulgarian education 865-1989

1. Entity type Lemma
2. Original titleРазвитие на връзката Българска православна църква - българско образование 865-1989
3. Language term Bulgarian
4. lemma author Nachev, Ivaylo
5. lemma category Education, Science and Orthodoxy
6. Publication date 2015
7. lemma work Цонева, Пенка [Author]. Развитие на връзката Българска православна църква - българско образование 865-1989
8. lemma manifestations Развитие на връзката Българска православна църква - българско образование 865-1989 - Sofia: Колбис, 2015.
9. Keywords Bulgarian educational system - Bulgarian Orthodox Church
10. Lemma body

    1. The monograph presents an examination of the role of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church (BOC) for the development of education over a long historical period, namely from the introduction of Christianity in the First Bulgarian Kingdom in 865 to the fall of the communist regime in 1989.

       The material is divided into three chapters –

       1) medieval period and ottoman domination (until 1878);

       2) period of the Third Bulgarian state (1878 – 1944);

       3) new Bulgarian history (1944-1989).

       The author aims at the systematic and comprehensive historical and pedagogical research of the relations between Church, state and schools. Also, Tsoneva seeks reconsideration of traditions and search of adequate models for religious education in the contemporary situation. The book covers a wide-array of topics, including educational policies of the state, the changing role of BOC in the educational process, changing character of the religious education, formal and informal religious education, Church and literary production, tensions between state and religion after 1944 and others.

       The point of departure for the author is that we live nowadays in a society which is deeply influenced by a crisis of Humanism and the Humanistic educational system as the contemporary society is “fruitless” without spirituality.

       The main thesis is the “inseparable link” between BOC and the Bulgarian educational tradition, a link that has existed and developed throughout 12 centuries, according to the author, claiming thus continuity over this long period in spite of changing dynamics in the different historical epochs. The author also seeks to reveal “dogmatism in all of its forms” in regards to attitudes towards the Church and its place in formal and informal education.