Theology of Creation in the Bulgarian Theological Thought of the 20th Century

Abstract

The theology of creation in Bulgaria during the 20th century emerged within the context of a debate about religious education in state schools, positioning itself at the forefront of the conflict between powerful evolutionist sentiments and the traditional legacy of the Orthodox Church. The primary social and intellectual motivation for the theology of creation in Bulgaria before World War II was a polemical struggle against the secular ideas prevalent in a significant part of Bulgarian society at the time. In the second half of the 20th century, the situation gradually developed more denominationally oriented theological features, based on a revisited Eastern Orthodox spiritual heritage. This shift created a foundation of strong theoretical arguments in favor of a realistic creationism. Unfortunately, with the resurgence of the debate about religious education in state schools in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the long-forgotten discussion about the compatibility between Scripture and science reopened, reigniting an old-fashioned debate in the country.