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This article concerns some of the implications of the Christian discipleship reflected in four of Jesus Christ’s missionary speeches. Here, I am referring to the speech of the Light of the World (John8:12-59), The Good Shepherd speeche (John 10:1-21), Jesus’ Prophetic speech to His Disciples (Mark 13; Mathew 24:1-25:46; Luke 21:5-36) and, not ultimately, the theological speech of the Lord Jesus Christ on the Eucharist seen as the main goal or purpose of the mission (John 6:22-71). All these speeches contain references to the implications of the discipleship which any Christian have to assume, if he/she wants to be an authentic missionary. Whether we talk about the light that every missionary must emanate into the world, or about the love and sacrifice of a true shepherd for his parish, or the continuous vigilance of the members of the Church, or about the necessity for communion with the Holy Trinity through the Holy Eucharist Sacrament, they all converge to a fruitful and effective missionary act.
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A research on the rise and decline of the Romanian Orthodox religious media in the last 30 years cannot ignore the paradigm shifts caused by the emergence of new information and communication technologies and the global Internet network. The theological and spiritual contents do not instantly adapt to technological innovations and, therefore, the printing press remains a space for reflection in religious communication, between the opportunities and risks of rapid change. The transition of religious publications from print editions to online editions is necessary. However, by virtue of spiritual discernment, it requires a balance between tradition and renewal. This balance is kept due to three elements: the respect for the heritage of the printed sacred culture, the pastoral care for the older generations and the awareness of the responsibility for the unaltered transmission of the spiritual content of faith to the generation of digital natives.
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In this article, the author presents and analyzes Exodus 3-4 focusing on the narrative and analyzing the biblical symbols that serve as a basis for outlining the mission of Moses, regarding the deliverance from Egypt, as well as its messianic elements. The article ends with a series of considerations relevant to the ascetic and spiritual implications of the text.
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Tatian the Syrian is important in many ways for understanding the paths taken by the theology of the early Church. His apologetic work was methodologically different from other apologists of his time. While Justin, Athenagoras, Clement, Melito and others were trying to show how Christianity is acceptable to the Greeks, Tatian wants to show his superiority. His Diatessaron provided him a permanent and respected place in the memory of the Churches of the East. On the other hand, his encratism, as well as specific understandings of the Logos, the soul and the place of the Old Testament in the Christian tradition, classify him among heretics. Therefore, the analysis of his teachings is a necessary element of understanding the developmental paths of ancient theology.
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In chapter 12 of the Apocalypse, key to the whole work, there appears the mysterious figure of a Woman clothed with the sun. Throughout history, this figure has been interpreted in many different ways. The average reader spontaneously associates her with Mary, as artists often portray the Mother of Christ according to the apocalyptic description; however, the oldest commentators saw in the Woman the People of God of the Old and New Testaments. Later on, the Marian-ecclesiological interpretation became widespread – and is often accepted in our Times – which perceives the Woman as both Mary and the Church. Certain elements of the description of the Woman are more suited to Mary, others – to the Church, and many can be interpreted in both senses. This is shown in the second part of the article, which discusses the individual symbolic elements of the image of the Woman, emphasizing the references to the texts of the Old Testament.
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Addressing mostly priests and Religion teachers, but also any believer,the entire publicistic series that we commence at this point desires, in astraightforward, plain and clear manner (without proposing thematic biblical theologyapproaches, but by means of a rigurous selection of minimally commentedtexts), to bring forth again The Truth of the Holy Sacraments before the readers,whoever they might be or – why not? – lead the readers before The Truth, That„is the same for yesterday, today and forever” (Jews 13, 8): The Lord and OurSaviour, Jesus Christ, present, alive and active in all undertakings of His Church.
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In the eyes of God, nobody is without importance, indifferent, petty, or less valuable. Each person has his/her own worth. God is counting on us, not on our would-be possessions, but on who we are. God brings forth His love for us as One Who has planted the seed of love in us, ever since He has created us. Each human person is the fruit of the love of God. Would God renounce His love for the human beings? Never, regardless of the depth of our fall. The Hands that Jesus lent to Zacchaeus do not judge and do not condemn. They do nothing but bless, giving everything and expecting nothing in return. The love of Christ is not forced upon the loved one; His love and His forgiveness are boundless and unconditional. The love of God does not depend on our redemption, or on the changes in our lives. God is the same, always present, always ready to give and forgive, no matter what our reaction is.
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This article aims to make the acquaintance to readers of almost unknown Abel’s Life that is saved in the Syriac language, and probably originally written on it, as well as its theological background. By a brief introduction, translation of Life form the syriac source and his theological analysis, it can be seen how the author of Lives, certain Simah, used a biblical story as a basis to bring out his faith that the entire history is christocentric. According to him, all the righteous men from the time of creation of the world and man, participate in Christ’s event of the Cross and the Resurrection.
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On the ground of the texts of the Old Testament concept of history is focused on God and man. Jewish conception of history is based on historical events in which God plays an important role. God who is actively involved with his gentleness in history and a man who always takes a part in history as a historian testifies. God in the Old Testament writings appear as an active participant in the history of salvation of the Jewish people. In this study of scriptural texts we found a model of interpretation of history as God and man joint action in time and space of the Old Testament world.
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The scriptural pericope of Saul and the woman from Endor in 1 Samuel 28 lays at the center of vigorous debates among early Christian authors about the general resurrection, the immortality and posthumous fate of the soul, the source of prophetic gifts and the efficacy of necromancy, as well as on the method of interpretation of Scripture. The article deals with Justine Martyr, Tertullian and Origen’s readings of this pericope from the broader perspective of their exegetical practices, with special emphasis on the eschatological implications of these interpretations.
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On the basis of our research, we conclude that the secret of the knowledge of God is the base on which dynamic biblical hermeneutics is founded, which simultaneously restores and deepens itself. Orthodox biblical hermeneutics, as the event of experience and living of the truth, tells us about new life of the Christian in Christ in whom the death is defeated. The Holy Scripture is not interpreted by a man (exegete), but by God-Man Jesus Christ Himself, who reveals the secret of His words to the man. It is clear that God of knowledge is Lord. Unless the God does not interpret His words, exegete will in vain search for the meaning of the written word of God. Orthodox biblical hermeneutics clearly testifies that Christianity is not a religion of Book and contemporary methods of interpreting the Holy Scripture are just helping devices and not a way to gaining Truth, and they cannot resist the life. a way of the Orthodox exegete is the way of personal relation with God-man Jesus Christ and a communion with Trinitarian God. Duty of the Orthodox exegete, as the new divinized personality and servant of truth, is to follow Christ as the only authentic Exegete and the only true ‘’Method’’ which leads towards truth, because He is destroyerof the dead letter and sender of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the lodestar that leads, moves and inspires the biblical interpreter to speak, testify and expose what the Holy Spirit revealed to the biblical writers. Without the Holy Spirit the interpreter of the word of God would never come to the truth, because the human mind is insufficient for understanding the Holy Scripture. Being of the special importance for understanding our topic is the fact that every man who understands and interprets the Scripture differently from the sense in which it is written by the Holy Scripture, could be called heretic. Thus, orthodox experience is the fruit of the announcement of the Holy Spirit and the fruit of the experience of the truth. If Orthodox exegete as the witness of the true faith succeeds to perceive the Christ’s secret and to prove the spiritual by the spiritual, i. e. to announce and testify by his own life the purpose and the aim of the Economy of salvation and teach others with those things to which he is God-taught, then his name is written on the Heavens.
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