Foundation of theological college in Belgrade and establishment of legal framework for its functioning

The foundation of the Theological College in Belgrade is viewed in the context of complex political circumstances which followed the restoration of the Serbian state and the efforts of the Serbian church to gain autonomy and the right to elect bishops independently from the Universal Patriarchate. Once having achieved these goals, and with a conviction that the achieved must be defended and maintained by knowledge and education, the state authorities founded a seminary for education of priests and teachers capable to carry out national and spiritual reformation. The accord between the state and the Church regarding the strategic aims enabled the very first vocational school in Serbia to develop continuously its curricula and hire better and better teaching staff each year. However, due to the change of circumstances, the state passed the laws by which it enforced its dominance and showed a clear intent to subordinate theological education to its control. Yet, by its continuous activity during two crucial centuries, the Seminary became a part of collective consciousness, and its cadres contributed actively to the creation of original cultural and value patterns and preservation of national identity of the Serbian nation. The brilliant history of this school and its precious experience can be of great encouragement not only to the researchers of our pedagogical inheritance but also to all those who are engaged in reforming and adjusting education in Serbia to the European standards.