Nichifor Crainic

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Nichifor Crainic
Nichifor Crainic

Nichifor Crainic (December 22, 1889, Bulbucata, Giurgiu County—August 20, 1972, Mogoşoaia) was a Romanian writer, editor, philosopher, poet and theologian. Crainic was also a professor of theology at the Bucharest Theological Seminary and the Chişinău Faculty of Theology.

In 1940 he was elected member of the Romanian Academy. He studied Theology at the Seminary in Bucharest, and received his Ph.D. diploma from the University of Vienna. Crainic developed an ideology given the name Gândirism (from gând – "thought"), a nationalist and neo-Orthodox Christian social and cultural trend. He edited Gândirea magazine, and collaborated with numerous other publications such as Ramuri, România Nouă, Cuvântul, and Sfarmă-Piatră. He was also the editor in chief of the newspaper Calendarul.

He was a convinced antisemite, although he took his prejudice to be a reflection of the message of the Gospels more than a vision of racial hierarchies. His beliefs were a major influence on the Iron Guard legionary movement, although Crainic viewed himself as a supporter of the legionnaires' rival King Carol II. In a 1938 essay, he theoretised the "ethnocratic state" as applied to Romania:

"Our state has been a monarchy throughout its history. Monarchy is what gives this state its continuity. The crown of Romanian kings symbolises the greatness of the people and the permanence of Romanian awareness. (...)
The ethnocratic state differs profoundly from the democratic state. The democratic state relies on population figures, without distinction of race or religion. The basis of the ethnocratic state is the Romanian soil and the Romanian kin. (...)
Today, people of other races and creeds live on Romanian soil. These have arrived here through the means of invading (as the Hungarians have), through colonisation (as the Germans have), or through skillful infiltrations (as Jews have). (...)
The Jews are a permanent danger for any nation-state."[1]

A fulfilment of ethnocracy was to be achieved through the means of a monarch-led corporatist system:

"Once popularised and accepted by the entire nation, carried out by government teams hand-picked from professional elites and controlled by Parliament, [a plan to redress Romania] will be overseen by His Majesty the King.(...)
The corporatist regime culminates in the kingly authority."[2]

Nichifor Crainic was imprisoned by the authorities of Communist Romania in 1947, and spent 15 years in Văcăreşti and Aiud prisons. He was expelled from the Academy by the Communist regime.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Crainic, Programul statului etnocratic
  2. ^ Crainic, Programul statului etnocratic

[edit] References