Orthodoxy and nation-building: Nichifor Crainic and religious nationalism in 1920s Romania

Abstract

This article uses the early career of Nichifor Crainic (1889–1972) to show why Orthodox Christianity became a central element of Romanian ultra-nationalism during the 1920s. Most Romanian nationalists were atheists prior to the First World War, but state-sponsored nation-building efforts catalyzed by territorial expansion and the incorporation of ethnic and religious minorities allowed individuals such as Crainic to introduce religious nationalism into the public sphere. Examining Crainic's work during the 1920s shows how his nationalism was shaped by mainstream political and ideological currents, including state institutions such as the Royal Foundations of Prince Carol and the Ministry of Cults and of Art. Despite championing “tradition,” Crainic was committed to changing Romanian society so long as that change followed autochthonous Romanian models. State sponsorship allowed Crainic to promote religious nationalism through his periodical Gândirea. Crainic's literary achievements earned him a chair in theology, from which he pioneered new ways of thinking about mysticism as an expression of Romanian culture and as crucial to understanding the Romanian nation.

Keywords:

• Nichifor Crainic
• Orthodoxism
• nationalism
• Romania
• Gândirea

Notes

U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Archives (Henceforth: USHMM), Fond Ministerul de Interne – Diverse, Reel #132, Dosar 3/1919, f. 22.

USHMM, Fond Ministerul de Interne – Diverse, Reel #136, Dosar 5/1926, f. 22; Fond SRI Files, Reel #105, Dosar 1151, f. 12–14.

Crainic only edited this journal for four years (1919–1923), but continued to contribute to it until 1931. Cenuşă 94.

Crainic, Zile albe 99, 194; Romanian National Archives – Central (Henceforth: ANIC – Central), Fond Personal Nichifor Crainic, Dosar 4, f. 4.

In 1926–1927 the appointments committee chaired by Crainic appointed Ion Marin Sadoveanu, Ion Teodorescu-Sion, Ioan Gh. Savin and Gheorghe Mugur as inspectors for the Ministry. ANIC – Central, Fond Ministerul Cultelor şi Artelor, 1920–1933, Dosar 1/1927, f 14, 112.

For example, see the exchange Ralea, “Rasputinism”; Crainic, “Mihai D. Ralea”; Crainic “Ortodoxismul nostrum”; Ralea, “Iarăşi ortodoxismul”; Crainic, “D. M. Ralea”.

Luceafărul's collaborators included Al. Busuioceanu, George Gregorian, Vasile Voiculescu, Emanoil Bucuṭa, Artur Enăşescu, Ion Pillat, Lucian Blaga and Gib. I. Mihăescu. Crainic, Zile albe 138.

The founding editorial board included C. Gongopol, Pamfil Şeicaru, Cezar Petrescu, Nichifor Crainic, I. Dragu, G.M. Ivanov, P. Costin, T. Devchi, Al. Radian, Adrian Maniu, Lucian Blaga, Wl. Ionescu, and I. Tolan. “Ce este “Cuvântul”.”

The entire collection of Gândirea is available online at Bibliotecă Centrală Universitara “Lucian Blaga” in Cluj-Napocă. Gândirea. Web. 24 Oct. 2011. http://documente.bcucluj.ro/web/bibdigit/periodice/gandirea.

ANIC – Central, Fond Personal Nichifor Crainic, Dosar 4, f. 2.

Crainic also accused Petrescu of having lost 300,000 lei of Gândirea's funds at a casino. Roberts 64.

Crainic, Zile albe 186–188. ANIC – Central, Fond Fundaṭiile Culturale Regale Centrală, 1921–1946, Dos. 43/1924, f. 1, 18.

ANIC – Central, Fond Personal Nichifor Crainic, Dosar 4, f. 4.

ANIC – Central, Fond Ministerul Propagandei Nationale, vol. 1, Dosar 179/1930–31, f. 4. On Crainic's disagreement with Liviu Rebreanu, see “Al doilea process”.

Meeting of the University Senate of Iaşi, 10 Oct. 1926. ANIC – Iaşi. Fond Universitatea A. I. Cuza, Rectoratul, Dosar 1122/1926, f. 37.

Meeting of the University Senate of Iaşi, 10 Oct. 1926. ANIC – Iaşi. Fond Universitatea A. I. Cuza, Rectoratul, Dosar 1122/1926, f. 27.

Meeting of the University Senate of Iaşi with the Council for the Theology Faculty, 2 Nov. 1926. ANIC – Iaşi. Fond Universitatea A. I. Cuza, Rectoratul, Dosar 1122/1926, f. 58.

“Nota,” 5 Octombrie 1936. National Council for the Study of the Securitate Archives, Fond Zelea Codreanu Corneliu, P. 011784, vol. 8, f. 202.

ANIC – Mun. Bucharest, Fond Universitatea din Bucureşti, Rectorat, Dosar 7/1932, f. 141.

Christine Hall has reflected in more detail on Crainic's ecclesiology in Christine Hall, “Pancosmic” Church , Specific Românesc: Ecclesiological Themes in Nichifor Crainic's Writings between 1922 and 1944 (Uppsala: Uppsala U, 2008). Unfortunately, I was unable to obtain a copy of this book.

Moldovan National Archives – Chişinău, Fond Ministerul de Interne, Dosar 7/1928, f. 295–296.

ANIC – Mun. Bucharest, Fond Universitatea din Bucureşti, Rectorat, Dosar 7/1932, f. 138–140.