“BEGIN AS YOU MEAN TO GO ON”: THE OPENING CHAPTERS OF THE PALAEA HISTORICA IN GREEK, SLAVONIC, AND ROMANIAN

Author(s): Mihail-George Hâncu / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2021

The aim of this paper is to provide a starting point for a comparison between the four edited versions of the Palaea Historica: the Greek one, the first Slavonic translation, the Romanian translation and the recently published second Slavonic translation. The four versions diverge from the very beginning, with the Greek and the first Slavonic translation providing a discussion on the Holy Trinity before moving on to God’s creation of the world, whereas the Romanian version omits the theological introduction and expands the cosmogonical portion with a paraphrase of Epiphanius’ Hexaemeron. The second Slavonic translation omits the entire description of the six days of creation in order to focus on Adam and the symbolic importance of his name. Another point of interest is the treatment of a fragment condemning the heretical view that Satan was Cain’s father, which is not conserved in the first Slavonic version and the Romanian versions.

“Educare il corpo per salvare l’anima”. Sullo Splanamento de li Proverbii di Salomone di Girardo Patecchio

Author(s): Angelo Rella / Language(s): Italian Issue: 27/2020

Can the soul be saved by educating the body? The dynamic expansion of municipal civilization in Italy led to the affirmation of a kind of literature with a predominantly practical character and very clear moralistic purpose, all concentrated on didactic-religious and didactic-social elements. Girardo Patecchio is one of the authors who distinguished themselves particularly in this literary genre in northern Italy. From his Splanamento de li Proverbii di Salomone, rises the assumption that it is possible to have the soul saved by saving the body. Where by “salvation of the body” Patecchio means to “educate” the body because it is only thanks to a costumed and virtuous body that one avoids falling into temptation and can reach the eternal salvation of the soul.

“L’enfer, c’est les autres”: En-gendering Sin in Middle English Religious Drama. The Case of Chester

Author(s): / Language(s): English Issue: 36/2021

This article investigates the relationship between sin and its retribution as depicted in three Middle English biblical plays concerned with retribution, Noah’s Flood, the Harrowing of Hell and the Last Judgement, in the Chester biblical drama collection. The plays’ general tenor is, to modern sensibilities, conservative and disciplinarian with respect to social mores. Yet, studying the portrayal of sin against the plays’ social background may uncover secular mutations of the Christian conceptualisation of sin as a function of gender as well as estate. Chester’s Last Judgement dramatises sin in accordance with fifteenth-century ecclesiastical and secular developments which criminalise people along gender-specific, not just trade-specific, lines. In showing Mulier as the only human being whom Christ leaves behind in hell after his redemptive descensus, the Harrowing dooms not just the brewers’ and alehouse-keepers’ dishonesty, as imputed to brewsters in late medieval England, but women themselves, if under the guise of their trade-related dishonesty. The underside of the Chester Noahs’ cleansing voyage is women’s ideological and social suppression. Whether or not we regard the Good Gossips’ wine-drinking – for fear of the surging waters – or Mrs Noah’s defiant resistance to her husband as a performance of the sin of humankind calling for the punitive deluge, the script gives female characters a voice not only to show their sinfulness. Rather, like the Harrowing of Hell and less so the Last Judgement, Noah’s Flood, I argue, participates in a hegemonic game which appropriates one sin of the tongue, gossip, to make it backfire against those incriminated for using it in the first place: women.

“Per me reges regnant...” (Prov. 8:15): Wisdom in the First Vita of St. Simeon of Serbia

Author(s): Nina Gagova / Language(s): English Issue: 20/2020

This article aims to trace the interpretation of the theme of Wisdom in the Vita of St. Simeon by St. Sava, and its connections with other biblical themes and motifs, with references to various literary sources, models, and patterns employed by the earliest Slavic literary tradition. By analyzing the biblical quotations in the text, the study tries to show why Wisdom occupies such an important place in the first Vita of St. Simeon and what this reveals about the message of the text in its historical and cultural context.

“There May Yet be Hope...” (Lam 3:29) Destruction, Suffering, and Hope in the Book of Lamentations

Author(s): Krzysztof Napora / Language(s): English Issue: 4/2019

In this article, the author analyzes the images of the destruction of the Kingdom of Judah and the suffering of its inhabitants during the Babylonian invasions of the 6th century BCE as they have been described by the editors of the Book of Lamentations. The author discusses the successive stages of the destruction (land—city—Temple) and of the suffering (ordinary people—nobles— children). In the concluding section, some theological refl ections inspired by the book are presented. Among them, a prominent place belongs to the issue of hope that sprouts up in the ruins of the desolated city.

“Who is My Neighbor?”: The Concept of the Neighbor in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) as a Social Phenomenon

Author(s): Nicolae Creţu / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2021

In this article, we aim to examine how the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10: 25-37, a biblical concept, was reflected in various modern social sciences. Following the research, we will analyze the concept of neighbor and how this biblical quotient gave rise to new areas of social research. In addition to the aspect of social love, commanded by the Savior, we can see how European social psychology reflects the example of the good Samaritan in its development. In addition to this science, we also focused on Ricoeur's sociology, but also on the development of the phenomenon of social justice.

“Why have I become a burden to you?” Disability and Holiness: A Reading of Job 7:20

Author(s): Yves-Marie Lequin / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2020

This article explores disability and holiness in light of the neutral theme of burden as it appears in the Book of Job. Job is afflicted by evil and is revolted by it; yet, he ends up accepting this mystery. Job’s example expands the definition of “holiness” to include one of its key elements: the gift of a word of freedom that can give rise to prophetic vulnerability.

“You Shall Tell Your Sons!” Studying the Bible by an Ancient Method

Author(s): Ottilia Lukács / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2021

Teachers and schools are facing constantly challenges in teaching biblical narratives for the young. The source of these challenges can be ascribed to many different things. First, there are historical and cultural gaps between the ancient texts and the modern audience. Second, there is a cultural gap between the schools, teachers and the new generation of students who belong to the first generation to be born in the 21st century. Third, it seems difficult to reach students growing up in a world shaped by the virtual reality and by the so-called “influencers”. Both the described situation and the mentioned cultural gap are getting even worse since the beginning of corona-crisis: the whole world is found in lockdown, many are obliged to use social media and virtual reality for a long period. Against this background, the present paper suggests a teaching attitude or approach which could enable the teachers to be more effective in teaching and more importantly, to bring the world of biblical narratives closer to students, providing alternative means of shaping their way of thinking and forming their identity.

„A słowo stało się Ciałem” (J 1,14). Mesjasz mostem dialogu między Bogiem i człowiekiem

Author(s): Maria Miduch / Language(s): Polish Issue: 2/2020

The relationship of God and man was destroyed by sin. God does not leave people without hope. He promises help. Through ages he sent out his prophets to keep the hope of Messiah. Some of the first messianic prophecies seem to be especially interesting. We can see the longing for the lost safety, for paradise. They seem to be very human related. God’s fulfillment of this promise does not omit people’s desires and needs, it exceeds them. The goal of Messiah is not only to bring people the perfect relationship with God, it is to take it to a higher level. God, who became a human in the person of Messiah, is closer to man in as never before.

„A sprawiedliwy, choćby umarł przedwcześnie, znajdzie odpoczynek” (Mdr 4,7)

Biblia o niespodziewanej chwili śmierci i potrzebie gotowości na spotkanie z Panem

Author(s): Tomasz Maria Dąbek OSB / Language(s): English,Polish Issue: 22/2018

The unexpected death of a young man is not meaningless to a Christian. Although in the Old Testament, longevity was regarded as a consequence of a good life, God’s reward for executing justice (see e.g. Ex 20:12; Dt 5:16.33; 11:8.21; Si 1:12.20), the Bible teaches about the relative value of life on the earth and blessing of the deceased young servants of God (see e.g. Si 18:8-10; Ws 1:6.8; 2.1.6.21-23; 3:1-3.9-11). Sudden death was considered as a God’s punishment (see e.g. Num 11:1; 14:37; 16:21.31-35; Dt 28:20; Ps 78:33; Jr 28:17; Ezk 11:13). The temporal prosperity of sinners is an expression of God’s patience, who calls for conversion and will judge everyone (Ml 2:17–3.2.14-20). Christ calls us to be ready to meet him (Matthew 24:42-44; Luke 12:39; Mt 25:13; 24:45-51; Luke 12:41-48). Just as nobody except the Father in heaven knows the moment of the second coming of Christ (Mark 13:28-37), so no one knows the moment of his death. The apostles encourage perseverance, vigilance, and trustful expectation of the end of earthly life, which is only a stage on the way to God (see Acts 20:28-31; Ephesians 6:18-20; Colossians 4:2; 1 Th 5:5-8; 2Tm 4:5; Heb 13:17; 1 P 5:8; Rv 3:3; 16:15; Ph 3:12-14; 2 Tm 4:6-8; Rm 14:8). We trust that many of our young deceased can already enjoy the reward for their good lives and works.

„Bogactwo” Bożego miłosierdzia w listach św. Pawła

Author(s): Zbigniew Rycerz / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1/2020

The author aims at presenting mercy in the letters of St. Paul in the aspect of the enriching relation of God towards man. He analyses the most representative texts, containing the semantic base: ἔλεος–ἐλεέω and οἰκτιρμός–οἰκτίρω. He takes the personal experience of God’s mercy in the apostle’s life as the starting point. Then, he attempts to deduce how it has influenced the development of the doctrine of mercy and how it has reflected in the practice of the Christian life. Finally, he enquires about the maturity of the Pauline doctrine of God’s mercy.

„Chleba naszego potrzebnego”?

Dyskusja nad nowym szwedzkim tłumaczeniem 'Ojcze nasz'

Author(s): Weronika Plutecka / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1/2018

Ojcze nasz to najważniejsza modlitwa chrześcijan. Jako starożytny tekst biblijny od wieków poddawana jest badaniom oraz tłumaczona na nowo wraz z rozwojem języków docelowych. Ze względu na powszechność tej modlitwy takie zmiany nie zachodzą niepostrzeżenie i budzą sprzeciw członków różnych wspólnot wyznaniowych. Niniejszy artykuł przedstawia specyfikę przekładu tekstów liturgicznych na podstawie analizy tłumaczeń na język szwedzki. Pokazana zostaje historia szwedzkiego tłumaczenia modlitwy Ojcze nasz, aż do opublikowania kontrowersyjnej wersji ekumenicznej w 1996 r. Przeanalizowane zostają wybrane różnice w „starym” i „nowym” tłumaczeniu oraz najważniejsze postulaty w debacie nad przyjęciem wersji ekumenicznej. Artykuł zamyka przytoczenie obecnego stanowiska kościoła katolickiego i protestanckiego wobec nowej wersji oraz dyskusja nad nowoczesnością i tradycją we współczesnych tłumaczeniach Modlitwy Pańskiej. Studium pozwala zobaczyć, w jaki sposób zmiany w obszarze przekładu mogą spowodować poruszenie społeczne i konflikt, jeśli nie są dostosowane do aktualnych przekonań reprezentantów danej kultury. // "Our Father" is the most essential Christian prayer. Being an ancient biblical text it has been translated and interpreted through the ages as target languages were developing. Due to the universality of this prayer, such changes do not occur unnoticed and raise opposition of members of various religious communities. This article presents the specifics of the translation of liturgical texts based on the analysis of translations into Swedish. The history of the Swedish translation of the "Our Father" prayer is covered up to the publication of the controversial ecumenic version in 1996. Selected differences in the "old" and "new" translations and the most important postulates in the debate on the adoption of the ecumenical version are analyzed. The article ends with a description of the current position of the Catholic and Protestant Church regarding the new version and a discussion on modernity and tradition in translations of the Lord's Prayer. The study shows how changes in the area of translation can cause social uproar and conflict, if they are not adapted to the current convictions of representatives of a given culture.

„Domnul Păcii”

Pastorală la Naşterea Domnului – 2018

Author(s): Andrei Andreicuţ / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 01/2019

Hundreds of years before the birth of the Lord, the Prophet Isaiah saw Him down on Earth. Jesus Christ is the Lord of Peace. At His birth, the angels sang: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men”(Luke 2:14) The gospel of the Savior teaches us to be good, to be men of peace, Peace and harmony will reign in the kingdom of Christ.

„Dumnezeu (...) nu locuiește în temple făcute de mâini”?! (FA 17, 24)

Author(s): Traian Florea / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 3/2019

This research addresses the Saint Paul's statement: “God (...) does not dwell in temples made by hands” – an assertion told in Athens, in front of idolatrous pagans. The approach of this assertion, from an exegetic perspective, shows how the meaning of this claim is complemented by the meaning of other passages of Sacred Scripture of both the Old and the New Testament. The literal meaning of the statement is evaluated in harmony with the philocalic understanding, especially of the Saint Maximus the Confessor, but also with the understanding of the other researchers of the Holy Scriptures.This consensus emphasize the unitary way in which is meant to be understood a worship place, both from the perspective of the exegesis of the biblical text and from the point of contemplation in the spirit of prayer. The present study shows that the Apostle Paul's percutaneous statement – “God does not dwell in temples made by hands” – does not eliminate the role of a worship place, but highlights the value of the Church and its significance as a “spiritual Temple”, where God lives and is worshiped.

„Dziś ze mną będziesz w raju” (Łk 23, 43) – znaczenie wyrażenia παραδεισος na tle myśli judaistycznej

Author(s): Dorota Dzieńska / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1-2/2018

In the New Testament, especially in Luke’s version, paradise is perceived as a blessed state of being with Jesus and in this aspect his view differs from the Judaic idea of paradise as a joy-filled waiting room for the great events which are still to come. In Judaism those events, in which the prophet Elijah will play an important role, are closely related to the long awaited Yahweh’s Day. The ultimate happiness as perceived in the New Testament can be achieved only in relation with the infinitely loving God in the Person of Jesus Christ. This relation is the ultimate event for any human being because the very salvation is inscribed in it. The time and place of establishing this relation are not determined by some indefinite future or even by the moment of death, but they depend on the will and openness of the human heart.

„Eu am biruit lumea” (Ioan 16, 33) în lectură niptică

Author(s): Paul-Daniel Cățoi / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 1-3/2020

The last verse of the 16th chapter from the John’s Gospelcreated the occasion of this exposition. The appeal and rare use and,to a certain extent, inappropriate to the orthodox environment,represent the element that determined me to provoke a dialoguebetween the neptic (philokalical) hermeneutics and the modernexegesis regarding the last fragment of this verse: „I have overcomethe world”.It is a fact that the Eastern Biblical Theology does not yet purpose its own method and discourse on biblical topics, being confronted internally with a certain predisposition for using the Western historical-critic method, but also with the exclusive establishment of the Systematic Theology regarding the interpretation of the Holy Scripture. Therefore, the present study is trying to answer some questions regarding the overcoming and the victory over the world, by focusing on the differences of interpretation between the modern exegesis and the neptic approach of this passage.

Ἀκρίδες из Мт. 3, 4: скакавци или биљке?

Author(s): Zoran Đurović / Language(s): Greek, Ancient (to 1453),Serbian Issue: 3/2014

The aim of following paper is to show briefly the cardinal points in the initial history of the Byzantine hermeneutic of noun ἀκρίς which occurs in Mt 3, 4 and Mk. 1, 6. The author examines the essential texts, mainly those patristic, with remarks on the reasons that led towards vegetarian interpretation. In the concluding paragraph, the author affirms that behind the changes in the meaning of the term ἀκρίς there is a vegetarian-ascetic ideology. Among the prominent Orthodox authors, there is no one who would sustain a vegetarian reading, except Isidore of Pelusium.

Ἐθνῶν ἀπόστολος — A Case for Translating ἔθνη in Romans Consistently as ‘Nations’

Author(s): Ksenija Magda / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2020

‘Die alte Perspektive’ zum Verständnis der paulinischen Theo­logie insistiert, dass der Termin ἔθνη, aus der jüdischen Territorialität, als ‘Heiden’ übersetzt wird, und das obwohl sie versteht, dass Paulus sich von seinem jüdischen Glauben abgewandt hat. Schließlich hat er sich selber als ‘Apostel der Heiden’ in Rö­mer 11, 13 identifiziert. Sie sieht aber nicht, daß ein derartiger Hellenist vielleicht auch die jüdische Territorialität verlassen hat. Auf der anderen Seite, kann nicht behauptet werden, dass das Abkommen in Apg 15, unbedingt eingehalten wurde — d.h. bib­lische Quellen zeigen, daß sowohl die ‘Jerusalemer’ ihre Abgesandte in Paulus Ge­meinden schickten, und dass Paulus von seiner Strategie, zuerst in den Synagogen zu predigen, nicht unbedingt abkam. Es ist zu erwarten, dass aus welchen Gründen auch immer, er die Seinen als erste evangelisieren wollte (Röm 9, 1–3). Von diesen Voraus­gedanken befasst sich diese Arbeit mit der These, daß Paulus ἐθνῶν ἀπόστολος in Römer 11, 13 als eine rhetorische Figur gebraucht, die seinen heidnischen Interlokutor bewegen soll zu verstehen, dass Gott sein Volk nicht aufgegeben hat. Die These wird durch eine Wortuntersuchung von ἔθνη unterstützt, die zeigt, dass eigentlich Paulus dieses Wort hellenistisch neutral benutzt als ‘Völker’ und nicht abwertend als ‘Heiden’. Daraus folgt, dass es besser wäre alle Stellen von ἔθνη neutral zu übersetzen, was zu einer jüdisch-heidnischen Versöhnung beitragen könnte. Das, aber, war auch Paulus Agenda schon für die Gemeinden in Rom.

Шта је то тајно у Светим тајнама? – историја и генеза једног поимања –

Author(s): Aleksandar D. Čavka / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 2/2014

The Holy Sacraments are among the most basic Christian concepts, although the current understanding of the Sacraments is mainly related to ritual action. That is an action which is considered especially religious. The question asked is whether this understanding was the same within the ancient Church and how sacramental consciousness developed throughout different periods in the life of the Church? The author points to the fact that the message of early sacramentology is without a doubt soteriological, which finds its form in the person of Christ and that the earliest sacramental concept has a clear foundation, which is Christ, the original Sacrament. He then writes about the relationship and mutual influence of pagan cults and Christian Sacraments. The author searches for archetypes of the Sacraments among the Old Testament. He elucidates that writings from the post-apostolic church fathers readily and extensively used that typology while speaking of the Sacraments and of Christ. During the apostolic and post-apostolic period, a definitional form could not be found for the Sacraments and so, certain holy fathers attempted to at least partially explain the sacramental reality. In view of that, part of the work is dedicated to the sacramental understanding of certain holy fathers and modern theologians.