Jasmin Koso

Bio: English, hrvatski

Jasmin Koso was born in 1973 in Zagreb. Growing up in a family of diverse cultural and religious backgrounds made him sensitive from an early age to questions of identity, meaning, and belonging. His formative years in socialist Yugoslavia and the multicultural atmosphere of Zagreb nurtured his curiosity about history, politics, and society. Even as a child, he recognized injustice and deeply felt the suffering of others—an awareness that remained a guiding thread throughout his life.

His path led him through the turbulent 1990s, marked by war, uncertainty, and personal loss. For a young man, this meant coming of age in a time of fractures and challenges. Yet, despite hardship, it was during this period that his strength and determination to seek meaning and forge his own way took shape. From these experiences, he carried a lasting empathy for the wounded and marginalized, and a conviction that personal pain can become a source of understanding and solidarity.

The early 2000s brought a significant turning point. Through faith, he discovered renewed strength and hope, which led him into the Christian community, theological studies, and the ministry of an Episcopal priest. He completed undergraduate and graduate degrees in theology, later earning a master’s, and in 2018, a doctorate in practical theology.

Beyond his church and academic path, he was also engaged in civic life—as a local councilor in Zagreb, a member of a school board, and through various humanitarian and community initiatives. For him, faith and social responsibility could never be separated; true spirituality, he believed, is revealed in care for those around us.

Family holds a central place in his life. He lives with his wife Mirjana and is the father of two daughters, to whom he has always sought to be a source of support. Recently becoming a (young) grandfather brought new joy and perspective. His family journey has been marked by challenges, yet also by steadfast devotion and love for those closest to him.

Today, after years of church ministry and life’s upheavals, Jasmin cultivates a critical distance and a broader spiritual vision—one that unites personal experience, theological reflection, and the universal search for meaning. His spirituality is shaped by panentheistic and monistic insights, a universalism of love, and the cosmic dimension of Christ. In his writing, he seeks to bring together personal sensitivity with a liberal and eclectic outlook, always striving for justice and hope.

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Jasmin Koso rođen je 1973. u Zagrebu. Odrastao je u obitelji različitih kulturnih i vjerskih korijena, što ga je od najranijih dana učinilo osjetljivim za pitanja identiteta, smisla i zajedništva. Roditeljsko ozračje i djetinjstvo u socijalističkoj Jugoslaviji te multikulturalnom Zagrebu oblikovali su njegovu osjetljivost i znatiželju za povijest, politiku i društvo. Još kao dijete prepoznavao je nepravdu i duboko proživljavao tuđu patnju, što je ostalo nit vodilja u njegovu životu.

Život ga je vodio kroz burna vremena devedesetih, obilježena ratom, nesigurnošću i osobnim gubicima. Za mladog čovjeka to je značilo odrastanje u vremenu lomova i izazova. Ipak, unatoč teškoćama, u tom se razdoblju oblikovala njegova snaga i želja da traži smisao i pronađe vlastiti put. Iz tih iskustava ponio je trajnu empatiju prema ranjenima i marginaliziranima, kao i uvjerenje da osobna bol može postati izvor razumijevanja i solidarnosti.

Početkom dvijetisućitih dolazi do važnog zaokreta. U iskustvu vjere pronalazi novu snagu i nadu, koja ga vodi u kršćansku zajednicu, studij teologije i službu episkopalnog svećenika. Završio je dodiplomski i diplomski studij te magistrirao teologiju, a 2018. doktorirao praktičnu teologiju.

Osim crkvenog i akademskog puta, bio je angažiran i u društvenom životu – kao vijećnik u Vijeću Mjesnog odbora u Zagrebu, član školskog odbora te kroz različite humanitarne i građanske inicijative. Za njega vjera i društvena odgovornost nikada nisu bile odvojene – istinska duhovnost, vjerovao je, očituje se upravo u brizi za ljude oko sebe.

Posebno važno mjesto u njegovu životu zauzima obitelj. Živi sa suprugom Mirjanom, otac je dvije kćeri, kojima je nastojao biti oslonac i podrška. Nedavno je postao i (mladi) djed, što mu daje novu radost i perspektivu. Obiteljski put bio je prožet izazovima, ali i trajnom privrženošću i ljubavlju prema onima koji su mu najbliži.

Danas, nakon godina crkvene službe i životnih iskustava, Jasmin razvija kritički odmak i širu duhovnu viziju u kojoj povezuje osobno iskustvo, teološko promišljanje i univerzalnu potragu za smislom. Njegova je duhovnost oblikovana panenteističkim i monističkim uvidima, univerzalizmom ljubavi i kozmičkom dimenzijom Krista. U pisanju nastoji povezati osobnu osjetljivost s liberalnijim i eklektičnim stavovima, uvijek tražeći pravednost i nadu.