ŚLĄSKIE STUDIA HISTORYCZNO-TEOLOGICZNE

The authority of the Bible in evangelical tradition. Summary
The Bible in protestant tradition inherits exceptional meaning. There is nothing else along with The Bible that would present of equal or similar value for evangelical theology. Highest merits for elaborating such great respect to the Holy Scripture shall be awarded to the Father of Reformation – Martin Luther. In accordance with the sola scriptura reformative rule formed by him, the only normative value in the life and faith of Evangelical Churches is presented by the Bible. Such position is adopted by all post-Reformation Churches continuously. The rejection of Magisterium Ecclesiae may however lead to the risk of polysemantic and subjective interpretation of biblical chapters by the worshipers of evangelical denomination.

Marriage Vows in the Evangelical Churches. Theological and ethical Aspects
The purpose of this study is to present the evangelical specificity of the marriage vows. The paper consists of three essential parts. In the first one the meaning of the vows themselves in the evangelical theology is discussed. In the second the author focuses on the text of the marriage vows during the evangelical liturgical wedding service. In the last part an attempt is made to answer a question about the theological and ethical implications of the vows in the family life of the evangelical faithful. It should be stated that the evangelical marital vows underline the important qualities of the community, i.e. the unity and the indissolubility (stability). Mutual love, respect and fidelity have to help the newly-weds to observe those qualities. Unfortunately, the practice of the evangelical Churches is not fully coherent with the content of the marriage vows. Divorces and remarriages are allowed because of human weakness and sinfulness.

The Christian Shape of Patriotism According to the Polish Bishops’ Conference
Patriotism is a phenomenon that has experienced a renaissance in Poland over the last few years. This “sign of the times” was noticed by Polish Catholic bishops who, in 2017, have published the document entitled “The Christian Shape of Patriotism”. The aim of this paper is to present the most important thoughts arising from this document, which emphasizes, first of all, the significant difference between noble patriotism and egoistic nationalism. It seems that these social reflections of the Polish Bishops’ Conference should reach a wider audience (also German-speaking readers) and this is the purpose of this article.