Theology and Philosophy of Education is a journal dedicated to education. However, in what respect does it deal with education? What is the situation of current education? What is the main role of the school today? All articles from the first issue of the third volume of the journal Theology and Philosophy of Education are presented.

The meaning of academy given in Athens in antiquity is connected with the aim of the journal Theology and Philosophy of Education. This text explains the journal's conceptual roots with methodological distinctions. Both the role of the phenomenological approach and key persons are mentioned.

Augustine and his practical advices on education and teaching. – Based on De doctrina christiana, Augustine is presented as a teacher, an educator of other educators and teachers, namely speakers in the Church in his time. The paper starts with the question of whether Augustine’s distinction between enjoyment and utility and Augustine’s principles of exegetical work and preaching can be inspirational for educators today. The text aims to show Augustine’s conception of the education of fundamental values and thus present suggestions (...) for educators. (shrink)

This text, titled The Responsibility of Educators, is the editorial of the second issue of the second volume of the journal Theology and Philosophy of Education.

The paper compares Comenius’ usage of the terms unum, verum and bonum in his metaphysical writings both with the expression of the image of the Trinity in De civitate dei by Aurelius Augustinus and with the concept of existence as three basic movements in the philosophical work of Jan Patočka. The purpose of the text is to show, despite the differences in historical periods, language and life experience, the possible similarity or connection of the vision that Augustine, Comenius and Patočka (...) mediate in their works. (shrink)

Existence and coexistence of and by means of speech, and its consequences. – The text is concerned with several questions that are interrelated with what was termed “logos” by the ancient Greeks. The questions are as follows: If, according to Aristotle, man is the only spiritual being in the world to be endowed with speech, what does this mean for the (self)education of man? If, according to Augustine, understanding another person’s speech is decisive for whether we want to be in (...) his/her presence, or rather that of our dog, what does it imply as regards the essence of relationship with the other person? If, according to Heidegger, human expression is interrelated with what is real or unreal, what does it mean with respect to our existence through speech? If, according to Heraclitus, it is impossible to determine the limits of the soul, because its logos is too deep, what, then, is the purpose of man? Or where is he/she headed? What does this imply when it comes to the relation of a human being to logos? (shrink)

It is the editorial for the first issue of the second volume of the journal Theology and Philosophy of Education. The journal’s logo is described and interpreted here in the context of the journal’s aim. All the texts of the offered issue are briefly introduced here.

Editorial of the second issue of the journal Theology and Philosophy of Education.

Sameness and alterity: Alterity as the hope of education. – The contribution introduces questions that originate from the very nature of the dynamics of education, where change happens. In the dynamics of education, what is ‘identical’, is formed in the environment of the other; it also creates a new form, which, compared to the original form, is different/dissimilar. At the same time, what is ‘identical’, maintains the core, out of which each of the other forms are formed. As an intentional (...) human activity, education should reflect the relations between ‘same’ and ‘other’. This means, above all, enquiring about their origins and purpose as well as reflecting upon their raison d’être. Following such a reflection, the otherness of the environment, in which education takes place, can become both a challenge and hope for education. (shrink)

According to Gabriel Marcel, no task is more important and more complex than looking for ways of confronting and overcoming despair. Therefore, the search for the essence of hope is the objective of this paper. Reference is made to the theme of the open soul in Henri Bergson’s, Gabriel Marcel’s, and Jan Patočka’s works. Such a soul is not centred in itself; moreover, according to Marcel, hope and soul are intrinsically linked together. Hope opens people towards the future. The concept (...) of hope in the biblical context is shown briefly, according to which hope is in God (Ps 62:5), while God is coming to man. At the same time, biblical texts sketch a pathway to hope, setting out from suffering through endurance and character (Rom 5:3–4). The paper stresses that hope takes root in dialogue and that a person is empowered to adopt hope as a gift. (shrink)

The first editorial of the journal Theology and Philosophy of Education.

From the other side: On dialogue in texts by Jostein Gaarder. – By analysing the phenomenon of dialogue in the works of the Norwegian writer Jostein Gaarder the paper shows the essence of the dialogical situation of man in the world. Admittingly, people find themselves in such dialogical situation already. However, by virtue of their freedom, they are capable of going beyond the existing feeling of security, and – through fundamental dialogue with a person coming from the other side, one, (...) that is different, whose situation is different – finding a new dimension of human life, find life in truth, life of the uncovered (alétheia), in which freedom and responsibility of the dialogical being can be realised in a unique way. (shrink)

Wisdom of love, which does not avoid suffering: The teachers’ life. – Paper reflects the book Suffering and the Intelligence of Love in the Teaching Life: In Light and In Darkness. In the latter, seventeen authors from different helping and arts professions ask the question of the meaning of suffering in human life, and especially in the life of teachers. In a world, which is pluralistic in terms of values it seems to be even more important to reflect on the (...) meaning of the key phenomena of humanity, such as that of suffering. Reflections on the quality of education which, potentially, wants to eliminate suffering, are important, indeed. Especially so by teachers, who are aware of their responsibility for future generations and the world, where suffering would not be hidden in centers of palliative care only. (shrink)

The publication entitled Josef Zvěřina and Theology of Agape involves texts of the foremost disciples of the greatest of Czech theologians of the 20th century and those who have been dealing with the theology of agape in subsequent generations of Czech theology. The three main thematic units of the publication gradually bring insight into the life and work of Josef Zvěřina (1913–1990).