St. Mark’s Church, Zagreb

In May 2008 I had the privilege of team-teaching a course at the Matthias Flacius Illyricus Faculty of Theology in Zagreb, Croatia. Named after a 16th-century Croat who studied under Luther and Melanchthon and became an ardent proponent of Luther’s views, the institution draws its support from the Lutheran Church of Croatia and from the Baptist churches in the country—an unusual ecumenical linkage, to be sure. In addition to students from these two backgrounds, some students come from other Christian denominations, a few are seekers exploring religious teaching, and one student in the class was a Muslim.

Boris and Lidija Gunjevic both teach at the institution. The two are gifted young academics who are also extensively involved in outreach, both within the churches and in Croatian society. Boris and I team-taught the course, on the Theology and Spirituality of Gregory of Nyssa. It was an elective taken by 20 upper-level students. The students had all studied English extensively, and the course was conducted in English. (On this trip, I was struck by how well young people in their 20s and younger spoke and understood English. Rudimentary facility in English is not something one can count on among those middle-aged or older in Eastern Europe, but it seems to be a commonplace among young people there today.)

The students were attentive and usually engaged with the material. Both lecture and discussion went well. A few other guest professors from North America were coming in May and June, as the academic years in their home institutions came to an end, so the students were going to face a number of these condensed courses in May and June. I was fortunate to be the first of these, before the novelty wore off and the pressures of the end of the students’ academic year in Zagreb hit them.

Spending a few days in Zagreb offered an opportunity to see the city, the capital of Croatia. As a former major center in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it boasts some splendid 18th- and 19th-century architecture, beautiful parks, and several monuments to significant Croatian leaders—including an impressive equestrian statue of King Tomislav (crowned 925), which stands at the entrance to the park named for him.

The faculty of theology is situated just across the street from the Stone Gate, which is the only remaining medieval entrance into the old city. Only a few steps inside that gate is St. Mark’s Church, with its roof emblazoned with the coats of arms of Croatia, Slavonia, Dalmatia, and Zagreb. Sharing that square on one side is the Croatian Sabor (Parliament) and, on the other, the residence of the President of Croatia. Just down the street is the Tower of Lotrscak; the landing at the top of the tower steps offers magnificent vistas on Zagreb and its environs. Beyond all this, numerous museums in the old city offer much for interested visitors to explore.

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