2.6: The Image of the Other. The Dialogue with the Other
Theology can be a space for encountering literature, visual arts, music, and ecology. In this approach, it is not about doctrine itself, but about the language of faith as a tool for understanding the world and its crises. Religious concepts, images, and narratives help us to face the challenges of the present day: the crisis in Europe, cultural and religious tensions, the experience of war, and the climate catastrophe.
Research on Byzantine-Russian culture and its connections with Western tradition, with particular emphasis on the Orthodox heritage in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, is conducted at the Speculum Byzantinum, founded by the eminent humanist Irina Tatarova (1964–2021). The work carried out by a multi-generational research team has resulted in academic publications and doctoral dissertations combining theological reflection with various areas of the humanities. This activity is accompanied by scientific conferences and debates with guests from European academic centres, including Sergei Khoruzhiy, Aleksandr Kornouchov, Kirill Hovorun, and Andrei Kuraev.
The research also develops a pro-European, ecumenical, and eco-theological perspective, including reflection on the place of animals in history and a theological vision of their salvation. Inspired by Christian theology, the interpretation of European history reveals the meaning and purpose of the order emerging from religious, cultural, and intellectual dialogue. In this approach, theology becomes a tool for critical reflection on the past and the present, and at the same time a space for responsible thinking about the future.
The theological perspective also illuminates the reading of classics, from the sacramental poetics of T. S. Eliot to new interpretations of the themes of sacrifice and mercy in Shakespeare’s plays. Students participating in the IKAR (Interdisciplinary Club for the Analysis of Religion) are actively involved in the debate on religion as a cultural, social, and existential phenomenon.
Reflection on religious texts, images, and practices leads to the development of a space for dialogue between theology and the surrounding world – without simplifications, with respect for difference, and based on solid humanistic skills. The fruit of this research are publications in recognised journals and renowned academic publishing houses; dialogue is understood here not as a slogan, but as everyday research practice.
The frontiers of theology
Contemporary theology increasingly transcends the boundaries of traditionally understood doctrine, engaging in dialogue with ecology, humanities, and other religions. Reflection on the relationship between Christianity and Judaism raises questions about memory, the experience of the past, and the future of the world, while eco-theology raises questions about moral responsibility that goes beyond the exclusively human perspective.
↑ Greek postage stamps with icon motifs – Byzantine art in everyday circulation (ελληνικη δημοκρατια / Hellas), collection of the Faculty of “Artes Liberales” (photo by M. Kaźmierczak)
↓ FROM THE TOP. 1 The Virgin Hodegetria – a Byzantine iconographic model that is widespread throughout the Orthodox and Latin worlds, a symbol of the shared heritage of Christian Europe (source: Wikimedia Commons) 2 Oberon, Titania and Puck with Fairies Dancing, William Blake, c. 1786 – a pictorial interpretation of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (source: Wikimedia Commons) 3 Votive candles – a material sign of prayer and remembrance, present in Christian traditions throughout Europe (source: pexels.com)