ThLic. Jaroslav Franc, Th.D.

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Born in 1976 (Prostějov, Czech Republic).

• 2011: doctoral studies at CMTF UP, The Spirituality of the Christian East and dialogue of religions, Th.D.
• 2010: magister studies of the religious studies Hussite Theological Faculty of Charles University in Prague, Mgr.
• 2005: Licentiate of theology, CMTF UP, Ecumenical Dialogue between the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church in 20th and 21st century, ThLic.
• 2000: magister studies of the theology religious CMTF UP, Mgr.

• Since 2020: head of the Department of communication at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Faculty of Theology, Palacký University in Olomouc
• Since 2014: the Chairman of the Academic Senate at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Faculty of Theology, Palacký University in Olomouc
• Since 2013: senior researcher in Institute for intercultural, interreligious and ecumenical research and dialogue, Sts. Cyril and Methodius Faculty of Theology, Palacký University in Olomouc
• Since 2006: assistant professor at the Department of pastoral and spiritual theology, and the Department of systematic theology, Sts. Cyril and Methodius Faculty of Theology, Palacký University in Olomouc

In my theological work I deal with dialogue between theology and culture in general and between different religious traditions in particular. I have started my theological studies from Spirituality of Christian East focusing on the Ancient Oriental Churches. I am interested into ecumenical relations of Ancient Oriental Churches and churches of West Christian traditions, particularly with the Catholic Church.

Moreover I pursue interreligious relations, especially relation between Christians and Muslims because I have added to the topic ecumenical relations also the topic of interreligious dialogue between Christianity and Islam. Therefore my research is focused on relation between faith and culture. I am searching for paradigms of the intercultural communication in the context of Christian tradition in East and West as well as in the context of religiously pluralistic societies as well as in the context of religiously indifferent societies.

Due to my theological research and I have just recently become a guarantee of newly opened study program Ethics and Culture in Media Communication.

Particular Research areas: Ecumenical relations between the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church; History of interreligious relations between Christianity and Islam in the Catholic tradition (Alois Musil, Ignác Veselý); Continuity and discontinuity of patristic tradition in Arabic speaking Christian churches (Matta El-Meskeen); Ethical issues in ecumenical, interreligious relations, and intercultural dialogue.

I’m constantly publishing papers and studies about spirituality of Christian East and dialogue of religions and cultures including possibilities of intercultural share of common values. Following my research I cooperate with selected academic bodies in Leuven, Rome and Cairo and I participate regularly at international conferences:

• Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran, An International Conference on Eschatology in World Religions, 2019;
• International Congress of the European Society for Catholic Theology, Bratislava, Slovakia - Hope. Where does our Hope lie?, 2019;
• Česká a slovenská islamologie: současná témata a budoucí výzvy. Katedra filosofie a religionistiky Teologické fakulty Jihočeské univerzity v Českých Budějovicích, 2019.
• Al-Mustafa International University, Qom, Iran, conference Islam in Europe, 2018;
• Trnava university, Trnava, Slovakia, Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic, conference, Interreligious dialogue and migrant crisis, 2018

• Member of the research team of the project granted by Grant Agency of the Czech Republic Recepce teologických tradicí křesťanského Východu [The reception of theological traditions of the Christian East] (16-26213S),
• Research at University of Opole (PL), Central European Exchange Programme for University Studies (CEEPUS, CIII-AT-0502-07-1617-M-103306 – Bioethics). Research area: Selected questions in traditionally Muslim countries.
• Member of the research team of the project granted by European Structural and Investment Fonds: Institute for intercultural, interreligious and ecumenical research and dialogue (CZ.1.07/2.3.00/20.0154, Institut interkulturního, mezináboženského a ekumenického výzkumu a dialogu).
• Lead researcher IGA: Reflexe mimokřesťanských náboženství ve vybraných českých teologických periodicích v letech 2012-2013 [Reflection of the non-Christian religions in selected Czech theological periodicals in 2012-2013] (CMTF_2012_018).
• In 2007, 2010, 2011, 2018 researcher of the project Relationship between Islamic and Christian communities in Egypt granted by The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic and The Ministry of Education and Technical Education of the Arabic Republic of Egypt.
• Grant by foundation Fidentia, Scholarship Program for Central and Eastern in 2008–2010, area of research Towards the peaceful coexistence of Christians and Muslims in the modern society.

• Matthew the Poor: Towards Modern Birth Control Methods in the Coptic Orthodox Church. Family Forum, 9 (2019), s. 173–190.
• “I never pushed my way” – Alois Musil´s life with non-Catholic and non-Christian believers. In Alois Musil: Interdisziplinäre Perspektiven auf eine vielschichtige Persönlichkeit (Herausgegeben von Benedikt J. Collinet, Ludger Hiepel, Martina Veselá und Michael Weigl), Münster: Zaphon 2020, in print.
• Alois Musil, Friedrich Delitzsch and Panbabylonism. In Alois Musil: Interdisziplinäre Perspektiven auf eine vielschichtige Persönlichkeit (Herausgegeben von Benedikt J. Collinet, Ludger Hiepel, Martina Veselá und Michael Weigl), Münster: Zaphon 2020, in print.
• I can't say I'm happy, but I am at peace now: Matta el-Meskeen and the Chapter from the Coptic Theology Writen in Arabic [=Nemohu říct, že jsem šťastný, ale teď cítím pokoj: Matouš Chudý a kapitola z arabské teologie koptského křesťanství]. Olomouc: VUP, 2018.
• Pope Gregory´s VII. sentence Qui unum Deum, licet diverso modo, credimus et confitemur in the Context of the Current Relationship between Christianity and Islam. Studia Theologica 2018, 20(1):49-69 | DOI: 10.5507/sth.2017.082
• Transgender issue in contemporary Iran: A theological reflection. Family Forum 2017, 6 (1): 1-22. DOI: 10.25167/FF/2017/1-22
• A Priest and Theologian Alois Musil : A Contribution to the history of Interfaith Relations, Selected Anthology (=Kněz a teolog Alois Musil : příspěvek k dějinám mezináboženských vztahů a výbor z pozůstalosti). Refugium: Olomouc, 2015.
• Europe has changed. In Europe and Islam: Proceedings of the international conference held on 3rd of March – 4th of March 2015, Olomouc, Czech Republic. Olomouc: Refugium, 2015. (Editor)
• Anthropological paradigm of the Koran as a theme for European academic sphere, in Religion and Common good. Olomouc: Refugium, 2015, p. 85-99.