<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>This study aims to display a less known part of Spiru Haret’s activity: his vision and efforts for reforming the activity of the Romanian Orthodox Church. Alongside its traditional, Liturgical activity, Haret proposed a larger involvement of the clergy in the social problems of their communities. Therefore, alongside school teachers, the priests had the duties of establishing and/or supporting local associations, clubs and committees active in domains like education, morals, culture, hygiene and even economics. The aim of Haret’s initiative was to modernise Romanian society by raising its culture, morality and financial independence, especially for the peasants, who constituted the huge majority of the Romanian pre-war society. According to his perspective, the mission of the Church couldn’t be limited just to its theological and liturgical spectrums, as it should also target the extra-liturgical environment in which the parishioners lived their earthly lives.</p>
</abstract>

This study aims to display a less known part of Spiru Haret’s activity: his vision and efforts for reforming the activity of the Romanian Orthodox Church. Alongside its traditional, Liturgical activity, Haret proposed a larger involvement of the clergy in the social problems of their communities. Therefore, alongside school teachers, the priests had the duties of establishing and/or supporting local associations, clubs and committees active in domains like education, morals, culture, hygiene and even economics. The aim of Haret’s initiative was to modernise Romanian society by raising its culture, morality and financial independence, especially for the peasants, who constituted the huge majority of the Romanian pre-war society. According to his perspective, the mission of the Church couldn’t be limited just to its theological and liturgical spectrums, as it should also target the extra-liturgical environment in which the parishioners lived their earthly lives.

The Social Theology of Spiru Haret<sup><xref ref-type="fn" rid="j_ress-2023-0018_fn_001">*</xref></sup>

Review of Ecumenical Studies Sibiu

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

This study aims to display a less known part of Spiru Haret’s activity: his vision and efforts for reforming the activity of the Romanian Orthodox Church....

The Social Theology of Spiru Haret^*

Published Online: Dec 21, 2023

Page range: 263 - 276

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ress-2023-0018

Keywords
Spiru Haret, Romanian Orthodox Church, clergy, extra-liturgical activities, the Church Crisis of 1909–1911

© 2023 Ionel Moldovan, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The Social Theology of Spiru Haret*

Published Online: Dec 21, 2023

Page range: 263 - 276

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ress-2023-0018

KeywordsSpiru Haret, Romanian Orthodox Church, clergy, extra-liturgical activities, the Church Crisis of 1909–1911

© 2023 Ionel Moldovan, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The Social Theology of Spiru Haret^*

Keywords
Spiru Haret, Romanian Orthodox Church, clergy, extra-liturgical activities, the Church Crisis of 1909–1911