In his master's thesis entitled Slomšek's understanding of Christian Unity and his sermon »On Christian Concordance and Unity in Faith«, the author presents the blessed's image from the point of view of his efforts to unify Christians, namely on the basis of his works, organizational activity and especially the sermon »On Christian Concordance and Unity in Faith«. The purpose of the work is to show that Slomšek's work for unity is rooted in a deep theological tradition, from which we can still draw today.
The thesis is divided into three parts. In the 1st chapter, the author presents the life of Blessed Bishop Anton M. Slomšek, shedding light on his saintly personality, which can be primarily observed in his love for the Holy Catholic Church. The thesis then focuses on Slomšek's merits. In this section, the author highlights the importance of founding the Fraternity (Apostolate) of Saints Cyril and Methodius, which is considered the cornerstone of all further work for unity (and later ecumenism) in Slovenia and beyond.
In the 2nd chapter, follows an analysis of Slomšek's sermon »On Christian Concordance and Unity in Faith«, which was published in the book Apostolic Food for Pious Souls in 1850. Here the author points out Slomšek's contributions in the field of homiletics and describes the characteristics of the respective literary genre. At the end of this part is a summary of the sermon and its transcript.
In the 3rd chapter, the author presents three key theological emphases, which Bishop Slomšek perceives as the foundations of unity. The first is the commitment for unity or unity as a fundamental characteristic of the Catholic faith. The second is commitment or fidelity to the Sacred Tradition, which is a condition for doctrinal unity. The third is the understanding of the Church as Christ's Mystical Body. Each part is followed by a presentation of most important passages from the above considered sermon, which reflect Slomšek's understanding of a particular theological aspect. The latter is then placed in a wider background. In this way, the author shows the continuity of a emphases throughout the history of the Church, beginning with the biblical understanding and than illuminated by the teaching of Church Fathers. At the end of each part, the content is summarized and enriched by theological explanations of the Church's Magisterium. The last part is a synthesis of Slomšek's understanding of Christian unity.
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