We kindly inform you that, as long as the subject affiliation of our 300.000+ articles is in progress, you might get unsufficient or no results on your third level or second level search. In this case, please broaden your search criteria.
If a good and almighty God exists, why do we register genuine evil? Whiteheadian process theology wants to assist Christian theology with philosophical theism that interprets God’s sovereignty and God’s creative and providential activity as being more in accord with both our everyday experience and God’s self-revelation in Jesus Christ than in the case of either traditional theism or “free will” theism.
More...
The existence of nations does not destroy the unity of the human race, but they are all contained within it. The human race is identified by elements distinct from those specific to a particular nation by which we identify a particular people. If belonging to a nation is as much a matter of certain external aspects such as physiognomy, skin pigmentation, etc., as of socio-cultural elements (traditions, customs, mentalities, etc.), belonging to the human race consists in the fact that all human beings have their origin in a common point, in God, and possess the image of God, each having the possibility of attaining to the likeness of God.
More...
Mišljenje i građenje su međusobno povezani idejom stvaranja. Ono »novo« ne objelodanjuje se u svijetu bez ideje »novoga«. Taj kontingentni trenutak nastanka dovodi u sklop tvar, energiju i informaciju. Misliti kao stvarati znači nadilaziti granice zbilje koju naše slikovno-govorno umijeće oponaša (mimesis) svagda tako da ne zapada u stanje puke nalikovine slike na već opstojeći svijet tvorevina. Grci su pojmom arhitekture uokvirili sav materijalno-duhovni svijet ljudske mjere jer ono začetno/prvotno jest arché, a to označava vrijeme nastajanja »novoga« koje usudno određuje sve što će poslije doći. Arché predstavlja uvjet mogućnosti oblikotvorne sudbine bitka bića i istodobno odlučuje o svekolikome povijesnome razvitku ideje »novoga«. Filozofijski kazano, prvi uzrok ili načelo stvaranja u sebi pohranjuje i posljednju svrhu (telos i eschaton). Ovaj dualni način mišljenja u drevnih Grka preuzet će i židovsko-kršćanska eshatologija pojmovljem geneze (postanka) i apokalipse (posljednjeg kraja, nestanka i razotkrivenosti novoga početka). Razlika je u tome što je u Grka tragični usud čovjeka ujedno i njegova izabrana sloboda koja se ne može svesti na bitak, biće ili pojam temelja, dok židovsko-kršćansko shvaćanje povijesti pretpostavlja ireverzibilnost i linearnost kretanja. Zato su filozofija i arhitektura od iskona do kraja povijesti izričito grčko poslanstvo idejnoga stvaranja svijeta izvan redukcije na Božje djelo u smislu razumijevanja svijeta kao tvorbe imitatio Dei.
More...
The present study proposed an analysis of the current system of biblical readings beginning with the Liturgy of Resurrection Sunday and continuing until the Saturday of this first Easter week. He tries to overcome the possible arid character, given by a fixed ʻmathematicsʼ of establishing the order, the inversions or the omission of the passages from the books chosen to be read now, by identifying some theological and hermeneutical reasons that eliminate the suspicion of possible chance to be spotted at a very superficial glance. The second part of the study will present a synthetic comparison of the present system of readings with that of Jerusalem of the 4th-8th centuries, accompanied by the establishment of correspondences/divergences and possible conclusions that may result from this brief synoptic appearance.
More...
ʻLife beats the movie’. With this expression we could also describe the passage through the life of Metropolitan Bartolomeu Valeriu Anania, which constitutes a veritable pedagogic manual, from which lesson after lesson can be extracted at any time, applicable to our daily experiences. Even if he was not a pedagogue in the true sense of the word (pedagogical writings, catechesis or a long career in the service of the ʻchair’ etc.), the experience of his tumultuous life, his literary and theological work places him in the long line of Romanian Christian pedagogic catechists- orthodox. The first part of the present study tries to present his biography, along with his fundamental work, namely, the translation of the Holy Scriptures and the provision of annotations necessary for its understanding. What concerned us was the development of biblical hermeneutic principles, starting from two passages, namely Psalm 142 and John 10:1-18. With the hope that we have succeeded in reactivating the interest in reading and why not, the careful analysis of the text of the Holy Scripture in a pedagogical key, translated, diortosite and annotated by father Bartolomeu Anania, by highlighting some obvious improvements of Psalm 142 and of the scriptural passage (Jh. 10:1-18), we express our fully justified desire that the ʻold man from Ostean’ be disturbed in the Reavan soil under the sole of the Cluj Cathedral and in the studies that will follow, because we all have something to learn from him.
More...
The purpose of this article is to attempt to interpret Mary's gesture at the feast in Bethany, that is, anointing Jesus' feet with precious nard and rubbing them with her hair (Jn 12:3). The act of Martha's sister and Lazarus is logically incomprehensible; moreover, it breaks the conventions of the time. In the following steps, we will discuss the closer and further context of the pericope Jn 12:1-11, followed by the ritual of anointing in the ancient world. Analysing the Johannine text from an exegetical and theological angle will allow us to reveal Mary's role in the narrative as servant and disciple. Recognising the bridal metaphor in Jn 12:1-11 brings out the meaningful depth of the text. The image of the contemplative and generous Mary, symbolising the Church as the bride of Christ, is an inspiration for mysticism.
More...
The Life of Saint Mary of Egypt was written between 354 and 431 and initially attributed to Sophronius of Jerusalem. From the 6th century onwards, Eastern monks presented the story of the saint. In the West, it became known through Paul the Deacon’s translation of the Vita S. Mariae Aegyptiacae into Latin.Initially, Mary of Egypt led a lustful life, indulging in pleasures. Thanks to the help of grace and a determination to change, she embraced the severely austere life of a hermit, mourning her former sinful conduct for 47 years. The Mother of God for the penitent was a great help in this life and fighting carnal temptations. Mary became a model for St. Zosimus, who witnessed her holiness in the desert and the mystical states granted to her by God, including the gift of prophecy and levitation.The story of Mary of Egypt can be classified as one of the lives of the desert mothers, for this saint reflects the testimony of an ascetic path, that is, the total abandonment of the world in favour of seclusion in the desert. Some scholars believe that the Vita S. Mariae Aegyptiacae was written on the model of Jerome’s Vita S. Pauli monachi Thebaei.Mary of Egypt was a prominent figure in the female monastic tradition, but it appears from existing manuscripts that she was more celebrated in male monasteries. The figure of the hermit saint emphasises the woman’s independence: she is a teacher, a prophetess, a mystic who instructs the monk-priest, and who surpasses the man in Christian perfection.
More...
The purpose of this publication is to present the vision of St Perpetua of Carthage as a contribution to further hagiological research into the experience of Christian faith, especially in the form of mystical experiences. Perpetua, together with Felicitas, is remembered, in the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church, on 7 March. The first part of the publication explains the understanding of the term ‘vision’ and the life of St Perpetua based on the contents of the work Passio Sanctarum Perpetuae et Felicitatis. In the following sections, four visions of the Saint, experienced before her martyrdom, are discussed. Vision one describes Perpetua’s journey up a ladder symbolising martyrdom, at the end of which, in a heavenly garden, she encounters a man dressed in shepherd’s clothing, saying to her “You are welcome here, child”. In the second and third visions, Perpetua sees her dead brother Dinocrates, while in the last she fights a victorious battle in the arena against Satan in the form of an Egyptian. The story of Saint Perpetua described in the work is one of the most moving models of martyrdom from the reign of Septimius Severus. Unique in Christian literature, this work presents valuable information for modern hagiologists about the religious experiences of the martyrs themselves. St Perpetua’s visions appear as a scion of mysticism, which can be seen as a form of communication about the Christian value of human life.
More...
God’s kingship is based on two important spiritual realities: the justice and legality. The Jewish legal practice in Jesus’ day rested on the Mosaic Law and its rabbinic interpretation. The Torah established a powerful court-system, which interweaved through the whole of society in ancient Israel; and at a later stage, the high priest and the president of the court surrounded themselves with a seventy-strong advisory council, which partly consisted of priests, partly of judges with the highest authority nationwide, and partly of the wise. This Supreme Court (which later called Sanhedrin) was the court of appeal of highest authority, which made decisions in cases not settled by the courts on lower grades. This paper, in addition to the above judicial bodies, also examines the basic rules of investigating the cases, the presence or absence of wilfulness, as well as the Rabbinic regulations concerning testimonies of witnesses.
More...
The topic of the article is the figure and symbolism of Christ in Oscar Wilde’s fairy tales from his collections "The Happy Prince and Other Tales" (1888) and "A House of Pomegranates" (1891). Christ appears in them as a personal model, an ideal of humanity, a symbol of love understood as „self-immolation”. In the figures of the fairy-tale protagonists we will find the Baby Jesus, but also Christ the King triumphing over evil, the Crucified Christ. In particular, rich religious symbolism is evoked by the images of Christian mercy, suffering and selfless sacrifice of one’s life for the love of others. Fairy tales outline the deepest and most sincere thoughts of the writer about the nature and spirituality of man, as well as the primary values on the path of the human spirit. The most important of them turns out to be merciful love, the readiness to sacrifice one’s life for love, which was most fully expressed by Christ.
More...
Hosea’s phrase “bread of mourning” (Ho 9,4) is often combined with other similar prophetic utterances (Jr 17,7; Ez 24,17.22). However, the practice of eating bread during mourning is not consistent with information about fasting during mourning. Some researchers believe that this may be a kind of meal marking the end of the mourning period (Hi 42,11). In Dt 26,14 it is clearly distinguished from another custom – offering food to the dead (Tb 4,17; Syr 30,18; Ps 106,28; Bar 6,26) and – as in Hosea’s statement – such meals are treated as impure. This may suggest that in fact it was an alternative way of behaving for mourners to fasting. On the other hand, it cannot be ruled out that in fact it was only food eaten by mourners who were still mourning but were already encouraged to end it (a sign of returning to “the world of the living”).
More...
From an ecclesiastical perspective, we associate the history of the Neamț Monastery in the 19th century with the prominent figure of the archimandrite Neonil Buzilă, a three-time abbot (1834-1835; 1838-1839;1843-1853). He is known mainly for his philanthropic endeavours (e.g., he built hospitals, schools, and ecclesiastical establishments) – several written records, which I will discuss in this paper, mention all these benefactions. This study focuses on the diptychs for founders within the collection of the „Sfântul Ierarh Nicolae” Church in Humulești (1835) and the Vovidenia Skete (1874). The diptychs feature the names of monks and benefactors of the place of worship, who contributed to the construction of the building while Neonil was abbot. Concerning the writing, the diptychs are drafted in Romanian with Cyrillic characters. Considering the liturgical significance of the diptychs, each place of worship lists the benefactors remembered during the religious service. These unique items belong to the category of founder – specific objects (comprising people who are either alive or dead, accompanied by the formula „and their entire kin”). In conclusion to these preliminary data, in this research stage, I aim to present the deeds and people contributing to the construction of various places of worship that are very significant even today.
More...
The paper explores the poems of the most famous poet from Mostar, Aleksa Šantić, „Prayer“ and „Hymn,“ comparing them with the homonymous poems by Miloš Crnjanski and bringing them into intertextual connection with biblical literature, namely the biblical micro-genres of prayer and hymn, and, finally, some psalms. The aims of the paper are to demonstrate the universality of biblical literary genres and their contemporaneity and to trace their prevalence among modernist and avant-garde authors, i.e., through diachronic observation, to show how the use of these terms differs between Šantić and Crnjanski. Comparative and intertextual methods were used. In addition, there is an overview of Northrop Frye’s archetypal research, which concerns the Bible as a possible support and subtext of almost all literary texts. The obtained results are linked to the fact that in Šantić, biblical genres are still used consistently, in a similar tone, only being adapted and used in the context of national romantic ideas, while Crnjanski’s tone is close to parody, with a more somber atmosphere reminiscent of nihilism and atheism. Šantić places importance on versification and remains faithful to the musicality and rhythm that these genres originally had, while Crnjanski resorts to free verse and breaks the form.
More...
Early Christian music is a phenomenon that, despite being crucial for the further development of Christian liturgical music, is still not sufficiently explored. One of the main reasons for this status is the fact that the writings of Holy Scripture speak of music only marginally and often only in an allegorical manner. Nevertheless, a contextualized reading can yield at least a few basic insights that shed light on the nature and place of music in the perceptions of the early followers of Jesus of Nazareth. This article attempts to provide some perspectives on the issue in an effort to shed more light on the knowledge of early Christian music.
More...
Understanding and evaluating Stăniloae’s anthropology and soteriology in a world marked by conflict and extremism can be of particular significance, offering us a new dimension of understanding what the human being and its potential can be. This theoretical and theological framework can be the means by which postmodern society can gain new perspectives of inter-religious understanding and harmony. By contrasting Eastern and Western theologies we gain new understandings of the reality of sin without falling into the trap of radicalism. The divine purpose and human dignity, as a result of this dialog between the two traditions, brings an enrichment of interreligious visions.
More...
Genesis 46:8–27 lists the names of those who went down along with Jacob to Egypt during the famine in Canaan. However, this passage has some features that inspire to further study. These include seemingly pointless repetitions, tensions within the text and contradictions with other verses in the book of Genesis, which lead us to conclude that the text of the pericope in question has undergone significant changes over time. In this study, we will attempt to deduce possible textual layers and reconstruct the sources used, starting from the canonical text and working backwards in time.
More...
The parable of the ten virgins is generally considered to be as the most ambiguous parable of Jesus in terms of its origin and meaning. Researchers wonder: can be viewed its context in Matthew’s little apocalypse as the very first interpretation of the early church? Is it a genuine, composite text or more a compilation of traditions at all? While these are relevant questions, this paper pays more attention to its final form. The research attempts to reasess its significance through anthropological interpretation. The analysis will address the five main issues of the parable: the relevance of the oil, the human choice, the time of man, the foolishness and cleverness of man, and virginity.
More...
This study delves into the meaning of Isaiah 28:15, examining its original context and subsequent interpretation in the New Testament, with a particular emphasis on the stone metaphor. The first part scrutinises text-critical and semantic issues, considering the Masoretic Texts alongside variant non-Masoretic readings. The latter section assesses the incorporation of the Isaianic text within two New Testament excerpts. This process is mediated through the Septuagint, specifically, a revised edition thereof. The study posits that the New Testament authors, with their different contextualisations, did not seek to innovate but rather aimed to integrate their approaches into an established hermeneutical lineage, commencing with Isaiah’s earlier interpreters. The success of the apostolic proclamation is attributed to the fact that their hermeneutics resonated with the reading traditions familiar to contemporary (Jewish-)Christian communities.
More...
