Culture, structure, and rational interests in interdenominational networking: a case study of Romanian Orthodox Seminarians. Issue 1 (2nd January 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tudor, Mihaela-Alexandra; Burrill Simion, Denise Elaine
• Is Part Of: Journal of beliefs & values. Volume 42:Issue 1(2021)
• Page Start: 124
• Page End: 141
• Publication Date: 2021-01-02
• Subjects: Culture -- interdenominational networking -- Romanian orthodox seminarians -- rational choice; Religions -- Study and teaching -- Periodicals; Theology -- Periodicals; Religious education -- Periodicals; Values -- Periodicals; 200.1
• DOI: 10.1080/13617672.2020.1780392
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1361-7672

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This article is a snapshot of the current attitudes manifested by the Romanian Orthodox seminarians towards interdenominational networking from the perspectives of individual interests, cultural representation, and institutional structure. Using the interdenominational networking as a social platform, the article considers the tension between rational choice and structuralism, whereby an Orthodox seminarian navigates between individual interests and institutional constrains; while also instrumentalizing cultural representation. For this purpose, a face-to-face survey was administered to 133 Protestant and Orthodox seminarians in Romania enrolled as fulltime students in the pastoral theology programmes at five theological seminaries. The contribution of this research lies in the fact that the data we collected and analysed serves as a social barometer revealing not only the restrained attitudes of the Romanian Orthodox seminarians towards interdenominational networking, but also their inability to bypass the deep-seated religious prejudice due to indoctrination and competition for credibility.