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The present article deals with the phenomenon of rabata – sufic and neosufic practice and ritual typical of the Nakshibend order and its branches. In the article, several aspects of rabata are discussed: the descriptions of rabata in the writings and works of Nakshibend authors, the different kinds of rabata and their places in the Nakshibend ritual complex and belief system, the theosophical and ecstatic aspects of rabata and its early history. Final conclusion is that the origin of rabata must be sought among the Persian speaking Muslim communities influenced by the Middle age batinism and Sufism.
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This article describes the rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia for achieving regional hegemony in the Middle East. Both states have an ambition to be the leader of the Islamic world and there is a constant struggle between them to dominate Middle East and spread their influence in neighboring countries. Both countries fund militant Islamic movements abroad and are engaged in fierce battle for regional dominance. After the establishment of theocratic regime in Iran, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia vehemently opposed Teheran’s ambitions to export revolutions and increase its influence in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia is determined to counter the Iranian revolutionary threat and constantly opposes Teheran’s ambitions to dominate the Arab World. Saudi Arabia and Iran often accuse each other of fueling sectarian violence by backing Shia and Sunni militias in Iraq, Yemen, Syria and Lebanon. Both countries try to avoid direct confrontation with each other. Instead of direct conflict, both sides fight each other indirectly and provide varying degrees of support to different camps in nearby conflicts.
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In 1964 Thomas Merton hosted a retreat for several peacemakers. This retreat would break new ground for interfaith collaboration in social activism and feed into later anti-war efforts. Its mix of Catholic, mainline Protestant, and historic peace churches voices helped to forge new relationships in peace activism and cross-fertilize theologies of social engagement. What may surprise, however, is that it was not Merton’s monastic tradition that served as his primary resource to prepare for this retreat. For the most part, he sought inspiration for this task in the writings of Louis Massignon, a French Catholic mystic, linguist, and scholar of Islam.
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Today, Bulgaria is both a political and a cultural member of Europe, while Korea forms a common areal with its neighbours, China and Japan. Throughout the centuries, however, both countries, located geographically on the road of intensive commercial and cultural exchange, experienced the impact of nomad peoples, like the Mongols and the Turks. This is why today we can find many similar elements in the culture of Korea and that of Bulgaria, which are the result of the centuries-long thread connecting Koreans, Mongols, Turks and Bulgarians. One of these elements worthy of academic research is the deified Heaven known as tengri, which most probably lies at the core of the names Tangra in Bulgaria and Tangun in Korea. The Korean Tangun is only mentioned once in the work of the Buddhist monk Iryeon from the 13th century as a celestial son, founder of the first Korean kingdom – Ancient Joseon. The name Tangra was deciphered by some scholars in Bulgaria from a Turkish manuscript which did not survive to this day and a somewhat illegible writing on a stone pillar. Throughout the centuries, there have been no traces in either country of people worshipping Tangun or Tangra. There is no historical, archaeological or ritual evidence supporting the existence of a religious cult of the two deities. However, in modern times, in both Korea and Bulgaria, Tangun and Tangra have been brought to public attention as the symbols of an ancient proto-Korean and proto-Bulgarian religion, respectively. For patriotic reasons, the two peoples have brought Tangun and Tangra to the foreground in opposition to the official religion. The aim is to derive a monotheistic religion from one main proto-deity to equate (and why not to precede) the official religions (Christianity in Bulgaria, and Confucianism and Buddhism in Korea). This study investigates the construction of the image of Tangun as a supreme national symbol in Korea and draws a parallel with Bulgarian Tangrism. It focuses on the transformation of the image of Tangun in Korea from a deified mythological hero into a historical figure, through a large-scale, well-coordinated and well-funded state policy. While the cult of Tangra in Bulgaria is a source of national pride for some Bulgarians, it has not received the strong state support the cult of Tangun in Korea has.
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The first celebration of contemporary art in the heart of Ludogorie, called “In the Hand of Demir Baba” – literature, music, theater and “something else”, added a new event in the festival calendar of Bulgaria. Organized by young people with the ambition to promote local cultural heritage and disprove the general view of the lack of interesting and entertaining events outside the capital, the festival, as a pilot, promises more meetings with Demir Baba and asks to become an annual event for sharing culture and meeting with interesting people from all over the country.
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The first part of the treatise On the Sentences and Words (Vakyapadia) – Brahmakanda, of the Ancient Indian Philosopher Bhartrihari is presented. It was first published in Bulgarian in 2019. The treatise is described as one of the most emblematic products of the metaphysical philosophy of the language created in the framework of the Advaita Vedanta School. According to Professor Bratoeva, the translation of this remarkable philosophical text into Bulgarian was done by M. Patseva with professional skill. The analytical introduction to the text is a valuable attempt to bridge the ancient Indian and contemporary interpretations of the mechanism of language processes.
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Na drodze dialogu ekumenicznego powstają różnorodne inicjatywy – na poziomie hierarchicznym, naukowym, lokalnym etc., które z jednej strony są wynikiem mozolnego dyskursu, modlitwy, spotkań, z drugiej zaś świadczą o chęci uczestnictwa w toczącej się debacie publicznej i przemianach społeczno-kulturowych. Ze względu na fakt, że ten głos jest zabieramy regularnie i przez wielu partnerów dialogu, tym bardziej można zauważyć jego rezonans w przestrzeni międzynarodowej, krajowej czy lokalnej. Przykładem tego ekumenicznego zrozumienia jest wspólny dokument Konferencji Episkopatu Niemiec i Rady Ewangelickiego Kościoła w Niemczech pod znamiennym tytułem: Demokratie braucht Tugenden („Demokracja potrzebuje cnót”). „Rehabilitacja” cnót w przestrzeni społeczno-politycznej wypływa z wizji antropologicznej człowieka, opartej przede wszystkim na jego istocie, a nie funkcjonalności. Metafizyczno-deontologiczne spojrzenie na człowieka i jego relacyjne odniesienia pozwala ugruntować pogląd, że cnota sprawiedliwości i solidarności wyznaczają kierunek zrównoważonego rozwoju społeczeństwa.
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W duchu dialogu judaistyczno-chrześcijańskiego, w artykule zajmuję się tekstem Ez 48,30-35, który jest bardzo ważny dla obu wspólnot wierzących. Ostatnia wizja Ezechiela (Ez 40–48) stała się źródłem inspiracji dla judaizmu i chrześcijaństwa. Nie ma jednak zgodności w interpretacji tej prorockiej zapowiedzi: nastania nowej świątyni i nowego miasta. Świątynia (+ miasto) została przedstawiona w świetle judaizmu rabinackiego, pism qumrańskich oraz samego Ezechiela. W części egzegetycznej przebadano dokładnie tekst Ez 48,30-35. Na zakończenie zostały przedstawione wnioski teologiczne w sześciu punktach: chwała Jahwe; dziedzictwo patriarchów; potęga Jahwe; obecność Jahwe; nadzieja Izraela; recepcja chrześcijańska. Księga Ezechiela pozostaje jednym z najbardziej tajemniczych pism biblijnych. Jej potencjał teologiczny nie zawsze jest doceniany. Odnosi się to również do kwestii dialogu międzyreligijnego. Ezechiel był heroldem świętości imienia Jahwe oraz poznania Boga: Pana całego stworzenia, obecnego pośrodku swego ludu. Prawdy te stanowią trzon credo zarówno Żydów, jak i chrześcijan. Wspólna ich kontemplacja pozwala na wzajemne zbliżenie, które w końcu wszystkich pragnących doprowadzi do miasta nazwanego „Jahwe (jest) tam” (Ez 45,35).
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The article analyses the subject of Christian-Jewish relations in historical and theological terms. In the historical part, the following periods are briefly discussed: New Testament, patristic, medieval, modern and contemporary. In the theological part, the common elements of Judaism and Christianity are first presented. Herein: Jews and Christians identify their faith and action through the interrelations between justice and love; they base their beliefs on the common “scripture” (the “Old Testament”); they understand each other as the people of God; they profess the one God, the Creator and the Redeemer; they express their faith in worship, in which there are many similarities;Jews and Christians also live in the expectation for the common history of God with His people, whose fulfilment they expect. Distinctive elements (the divergence of the ways) are: the belief in Jesus, the Christ; the interpretation of the Scriptures; a different understanding of what God’s people are; different developed piety. In conclusion, it is said that the rediscovery of a positive relationship with Judaism facilitates a positive formation of Christian identity and memory.
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The Akaṉānūṟu, listed under the Caṅkam classical anthology, Eṭṭuttōkai, is a logical preamble to the Puṟaṉānūṟu. Akam (domestic environ) and Puṟam (beyond the home, exterior aṟam, righteous war) are keywords in Tamil literary tradition. In a work dealing with domestic behavior, evidences relating to myths and legends may be expected. Specialists in art history are naturally interested in myths. I have tried to show how akam is interlaced with pan-Indian mythologies adumbrated in the itihāsas and purāṇas, while retelling autochthonous cultures, and integrating the southern and the northern of the “Indian Asia”, cf. Tamiḻ-iṇppap pā […] vaṭa-moḻip-paṟṟāḷar “bliss offering Tamil poems, the lovers of the northern language (Sanskrit)” (PT 1.4). This is emotional integration. I guess mahākavi-Kāḷidāsa knew Tamil if Poykai Āḻvār was an expert in the Vedas (TI, 33 maṟai “Veda”, antiyāḷ “Gāyatrī”).
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The present article regards the history of an adamitian sect practicing “ritual nudism” and the specifics of peculiar cult of Adam in the 14th century Bulgaria. On the basis of comparative analysis of other cases of “adamitism” in North Africa and Western Europe in Late Antiquity and Middle Ages it is proposed the hypothesis that Bulgarian “adamitism” was due to the influence of gnostic gospel texts belonged to Early Christian communities. In respect to “adamism” which is specified as a cult of non-biblical and non-Christian Adam, the view that it stemmed from the Jewish community inhibiting the capital of the Second Bulgarian tsardom and reflected religious notions connected with the medieval mystical Judaism is introduced. Chronologically the spread of “adamism” must be attributed to the 1350-ies. Then, according to the contemporary sources, Judaic religious ideas were actively propagandized in the capital city of Tarnovo and its vicinity.
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