The International Office is often the first point of contact for visitors to the Protestant Theological Faculty in Prague. Who works there and what do they do? Here we offer you brief profiles of the staff and the work done by the International Office.
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Continue reading The International Office at the Prague Theology Faculty
On 6-9 May 2019 the first Prague-Marburg Summer School of Theology took place at the Protestant Theological Faculty in Prague. Four Czech students and five German ones met together under the direction of Prof. Dr. Malte D. Krüger (Marburg) and Dr. Petr Gallus (Prague) in order to exchange views on the wide-ranging theme of borders. Continue reading „On the Borderline“ – Prague-Marburg Summer School of Theology
Every year, some 20-30 international students study at the Prague Theology Faculty for a year or a semester, taking advantage of the range of courses that are taught there in English. Here are some thoughts from one of them – a student from Columbia Theological Seminary in the USA. Continue reading Reflections of an International Student in Prague
Milan Balabán was born on 3 September 1929 in Boratín (in what is today the Ukraine), where his father was a pastor of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren (ECCB) for the large Czech community in Volhynia. In 1948-1952 he studied theology at the Comenius Theological Faculty in Prague (today the Protestant Theological Faculty of Charles University – PTF). Continue reading Death of Prof. Milan Balabán, for many years a teacher at the Protestant Theological Faculty in Prague
Associate Professor Jiří Mrázek will continue as Dean of the Protestant Theological Faculty of Charles University (PTF) until 2022. His first four-year term of office came to an end after the academic year 2017-2018, but he was re-elected for a second term by the Academic Senate of PTF (consisting of representatives of the students and teachers) and he was then officially reappointed by the Rector of Charles University. Continue reading Jiří Mrázek Reappointed Dean of the Prague Theology Faculty
For many years, postgraduate doctoral studies at the Protestant Theological Faculty of the Charles University have been possible to do not only in Czech, but also in English or German. Two study programmes are currently open: Theology and Philosophy. In the Theology programme, students can specialise in one of three fields of study: biblical theology, historical and systemic theology or practical theology; in the Philosophy programme, students focus on the field of philosophy of religion. Continue reading Doctoral studies at the Protestant Theological Faculty
Upon meeting Mariana that afternoon, what became immediately apparent was her candid disposition. Indeed, it was not long before we started discussing politics, a topic scarcely discussed even between close acquaintances. Following a delightful exchange of ideas and opinions, she begun to tell me her story. Continue reading „If not you, then who; if not now, then when?“ says wheelchair-bound student from Moldova
In 2015-16 the Protestant Theological Faculty in Prague (PTF) opened a new study programme at Bachelor level which is innovative and unusual in many ways. It is run in conjunction with the Diaconia University of Applied Sciences (Diak) in Helsinki, Finland, and the International Academy for Diaconia and Social Action, Central and Eastern Europe, o.p.s. (Interdiac) in the Silesian part of the Czech Republic, and teaching is provided jointly by teachers from all three institutions. Students are enrolled both at PTF and at Diak, and on graduation they will receive degrees from both partner universities. The title of the study programme is “Social Services Focused on Diaconia and Christian Social Practice”, and it is taught entirely in English. Most of the students come from Eastern European or non-European countries, and the aim of the programme is to equip them with both theoretical and practical knowledge in the whole generic field of social work and social services, with a special focus on the participatory approach, incorporating anti-oppressive practice, empowerment and community development. The programme also includes the study of social work in the context of churches and faith communities (diaconia) which is an additional study that equips graduates to practice in church related contexts. As part of their studies, students have to undertake extensive practice placements. Continue reading Three Things I Learned from my Studies in the Czech Republic
“Let us now share the signs of peace with one another.”
When I heard the pastor say these words, I stood up, ready to smile and calmly shake hands with people in the neighbouring pews, just as we do in my hometown church in the Czech Republic. But what I got was something quite different. Suddenly, people jumped out of their seats. The band burst into a fast-paced song. Everyone started running around the church, greeting anyone and everyone who happened to stand in their way. Many warm hugs, kisses, and firm handshakes were loudly exchanged. After at least five minutes of this chaos (and after everyone but me circled around the whole church at least once), people seemed to start to calm down. When they finally found their places again, the service moved to its next point as if nothing happened. But I couldn’t move on; I had so many questions! “What just happened? How was this mayhem a sharing of the sings of peace? And most importantly: which of the several lunch invitations I just received will I accept?!” Continue reading Signs of Peace – Thoughts From My Exchange Studies in the US
In the first week of September 2017 the seventh annual International Conference on Sociology and Social Work took place in Prague. The tradition of this interdisciplinary meeting started more or less spontaneously several years ago on the initiative of some British and Dutch sociologists and social workers. In recent years this international circle has expanded and has now reached the Czech Republic: this year’s conference took place in Prague for the first time, at the Protestant Theological Faculty of Charles University, and there were around 50 participants coming from 11 countries. The theme chosen this year focused on sociology and social work in post-secular societies. The prefix “post-” is often used to express a kind of state that occurs after attaining a peak in the modern era. Modernism was linked to secularisation, but, as can be seen at the end of the 20th century, secularisation has never been fully achieved anywhere. It is true that in modern states the public sphere has usually been separated from the ecclesiastical one and is administered without any direct influence from religious institutions, but religion and the churches still exist and represent a significant alternative to the prevailing rational-technocratic and economic-pragmatic perspective of modern people and modern civilisation. They show that it is possible to imagine a different dimension of life and the world. The conference focused on how the churches can be involved in the shaping of contemporary communities, how human spirituality can be used in social work, and how to recognise and fulfil spiritual needs. Continue reading Interdisciplinary and international conference on sociology and social work at the Protestant Theological Faculty of Charles University