Orthodoxia, the central journal of the Romanian Patriarchate, celebrates, in 2009, six decades of uninterrupted publication. The initiator of such a magazine was the worthy of remembrance Patriarch Justinian Marina.
However, it should be emphasized that before Patriarch Justinian launched the Orthodoxia journal, the Faculty of Theology in Bucharest published two volumes - in 1942 and 1943 - with the same name. Each volume brought together the series of conferences held in the respective year at the Dalles Hall by professors of the Faculty of Theology. In the introductory words of the first volume, the dean at the time, Şerban Ionescu, emphasised the teachers' approach: "The circumstances we are going through demand a clarification of Christian ideas. (...) Romanian Orthodoxy feels the call of a high mission in Eastern Europe". The need to specify and, at the same time, confess the Orthodox faith is reflected in the themes of the conferences (Ecumenical Spirit, What is Orthodoxy?, Orthodox Monasticism, Orthodox Missionaryism in Transnistria, Sects - a national and social danger, State and Church, The Vitality of the Orthodox Church, Orthodoxy under social aspect) and justifies the title given to the volume. The second volume has already become thematic: Christianity and Romanianism. Unfortunately, probably because of the troubled situation in those years, this series of the Ortodoxia journal ended with the two numbers.
At the beginning of 1949, together with Studii Teologice, journal of the Faculties of Theology, Patriarch Justinian also launched the Orthodoxia publication. In the foreword of the first issue, the Primate of our Church linked the appearance of the periodical to the Conference of representatives of the Orthodox Churches in the summer of 1948 in Moscow, on the occasion of the celebration of 500 years of autocephaly by the Russian Church.
Specifically referring to the objective of the journal, Patriarch Justinian emphasized that "Orthodoxy aims to be the banner of our desires - of the keepers of the sacred treasure left by the Saviour - to see the Orthodox Churches united in a united front, testifying through telling facts, the ecumenical unity of Christianity" (p. 10).
As anyone can see, from the beginning, there was a desire for Ortodoxia to have thematic issues (Orthodox Conference from Moscow – issue 1/1949, The truth about the religious union since 1700 – issue 4/1949 or issue 2/1951, which was fully dedicated to the 1500th anniversary of the Fourth Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon).
Over the years, Ortodoxia has hosted several columns, among which we mention: "Interfaith problems", "Orthodox Missionaryism", "Church and life", "Chronicle of Orthodox Churches", "Notes on books and magazines", "Notes and comments".
Prestigious names of Romanian theology have been publishing papers in the pages of the journal, such as: Rev. Prof. D. Stăniloae, Rev. Prof. I. G. Coman, Rev. Prof. D. Fecioru, Rev. Prof. Teodor M. Popescu, Prof. N. Chiţescu, Rev. Prof. Petre Vintilescu, Rev. Prof. I. Rămureanu, Deacon. Nicolae Balca, Rev. Prof. Mircea Chialda, Rev. Prof. Ion Bria, Rev. Prof. Atanasie Negoiţă, Rev. Prof. Ene Branişte, Rev. Prof. Milan Şesan, Rev. Prof. Liviu Stan, Prof. Alexandru Elian, Prof. Constantin Pavel and many others.
With issue 1/2009, the Publishing House of the Orthodox Biblical and Mission Institute inaugurates a new series of the Ortodoxia academic journal. This initiative, which is self-imposed, is linked both to the marking of six decades of appearance, and to the existence of a new ecclesial and social framework. In this context, the Romanian Orthodox Church is called to respond to the specific challenges of a secularized society, to contribute to an authentic Orthodox confession in the contemporary world and to promote close pan-Orthodox relations.
În ceea ce priveşte noua serie, aceasta continuă rubricile consacrate ale revistei, pe care însă le completează cu altele noi, urmărind o recuperare creatoare a izvoarelor patristice, dar şi o sincronizare cu teologia ortodoxă ştiinţifică: „Studii”, "Orthodoxy in Dialogue", „Orthodoxia patristica”, "Contemporary Orthodoxy", „Cronica Bisericilor Ortodoxe”, „Însemnări despre cărţi şi reviste”.
With the joy occasioned by the appearance of the new series of the Orthodoxia journal, we ask Christ the Lord to bless the hard workers, the collaborators and all its readers, eager to know and live the true faith, which is the earnest of salvation and eternal life.
† Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church