Osobotwórcza rola rodziny w religii Starego Testamentu

Author(s): Jarosław Kupczak / Language(s): Polish Issue: 19/2016

CEL NAUKOWY: Artykuł ukazuje osobotwórcze znaczenie rodziny w przymierzu Starego Testamentu. W starotestamentalnym objawieniu Boga dokonuje się demitologizacja ludzkiej seksualności, której efektem jest oczyszczenie obrazu transcendentnego Boga z seksual­nych odniesień. Płynąca z niej sekularyzacja ludzkiej sek­sualności nie oznacza wyłączenia jej ze sfery świętej, ale ukazuje płciowość jako część dzieła stworzenia, wiążąc ją z odpowiedzialnością rozumnego i wolnego człowie­ka oraz ze szczególnym błogosławieństwem Boga. Takie oczyszczenie pozwala w miłości mężczyzny i kobiety do­strzec sposób realizowania się przymierza z Bogiem, jak również obraz tego przymierza.PROBLEM I METODY BADAWCZE: Artykuł wpi­suje się w nurt historycznych badań nad antropologią relacyjną i krytyczną refleksję nad kulturą czasów współ­czesnych. Jego celem jest ukazanie religijnego i osobotwór­czego znaczenia rodziny w strukturze przymierza Starego Testamentu.PROCES WYWODU: Osobotwórcza rola rodziny una­ocznia się w historii Abrahama, w której widoczne jest, że przymierze nie ma wypełnić się przez samo płodzenie potomstwa, ale poprzez wychowanie dzieci, mające religijny charakter, dokonujące się w przestrzeni rodzinnej i łączące się z przekonaniem o budowaniu siły narodu. Bardzo waż­nym elementem tego wychowania jest rodzinna liturgia, z właściwym jej pry­matem ojca, odsyłającym do prymatu Boga Ojca. Szczególna rola ojca ukazuje się w trzech celebracjach: przyniesienia do świątyni i wykupu pierworodnego syna, obrzezania oraz paschy.WYNIKI ANALIZY NAUKOWEJ: Religia Starego Testamentu ma charakter osobotwórczy, tzn. prowadzi do ujawnienia, oświetlenia i dowartościowania podstawowych wymiarów osoby, takich jak: znaczenie płci, relacyjny charakter osoby ze względu na jej zróżnicowanie płciowe, znaczenie ojcostwa, macierzyń­stwa i ludzkiej płodności.WNIOSKI, INNOWACJE, REKOMENDACJE: Odczytanie znaczenia tych rodzinnych uroczystości może mieć znaczenie także dzisiaj dla pogłębie­nia więzi rodzinnych i zrozumienia roli rytuałów społecznych oraz religijnych w budowaniu rodziny, która pozostaje pierwszym i podstawowym miejscem tworzenia dojrzałej osobowości każdego człowieka, mężczyzny i kobiety.

Prorocki autorytet Papieża Franciszka

Author(s): Andrzej Mrozek / Language(s): Polish Issue: 5/2017

The topic of the Pope’s authority has been known for nearly two millennia. To what extent, however, does this authority rely on a prophetic element? The question of prophecy in the Church – ekklesia – was tackled at the Second Vatican Council. This was primarily a response to the problems that had arisen in the relations between ekklesia and the world. These relations began to change from at least the end of the Middle Ages, and were almost lost during the Enlightenment. Papal authority of a prophetic character can be interpreted precisely in such ecclesiological context because the prophetic nature of Christianity is at the foundation of the community as the Church. The prophetic authority of Pope Francis is based precisely on this prophetism of the Church. The terminology of the description of the prophetic authority of the Pope has its origins in biblical prophecy. Its basis is in a tripartite Christian mission, one of which is referred to as prophetic. This prophetic aspect of the mission is closely related to teaching and the Teacher Office which bases in the prophetic mission discussed. Thus the teaching authority of the Pope is also apparent from his participation in the prophetic mission of Christ. The papal authority of the Pope is an element of the fulfillment of the tasks of the ekklesia sent to the world with a mission. It means discovering the problems of this world and, above all, providing their solutions. In view of a world which is simultaneously given and created, the figure of the Pope, and today Pope Francis, expresses the authority of the biblical prophet, discovering the challenges, expressing admonitions, but at the same time giving hope resulting from the realization of the basilea or the Kingdom.

Autorytet społeczny Kościoła katolickiego w Polsce w procesie przemian

Author(s): Janusz Mariański / Language(s): Polish Issue: 5/2017

In this article we deal with selected aspects of the social authority of Catholic Church in Polish society. We make an attempt – in light of chosen surveys of public opinion and sociological research – to describe this authority in some of its dimensions: declared trust to Catholic Church, commitment in political matters, social competences of Catholic Church, and the presence of religious symbols in the area of public life (secondary analysis of the results of empirical research). During the last years one can observe a slow process of specific “cooling” towards the strong authority of the social Church which was to be seen at the threshold of the 20th and 21st and century. Perhaps, this process will feature with the growing tendency. The crisis of the social authority of the Church in Polish society seems to have had an impact on the crisis of religious authority and vice versa, even if the power of this mutual impact cannot be empirically measured in a precise way.

The concept and meaning of the family in the context of the deliberations of Blessed Father Michał Sopocko

Author(s): Elwira JOLANTA KRYŃSKA / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2022

The thematic scope of the article is related to the re-edition of the book by Fr. Michał Sopoćka, entitled – Family in legislation in the Polish Lands (Ethical and legal study), published in Vilnius in 1926. This is the published version of the doctoral dissertation on the basis of which Fr. Michał Sopoćko, received a doctorate in theology on March 1, 1926. The article does not pretend to be a comprehensive study of the issue contained in the title, it is only an attempt to draw attention to the topicality of the issue of the family raised by Fr. Sopoćko in his doctoral dissertation and the need to continue this issue in the context of legislation and ethics, and Christian morality. The reference to the family theory of Fr. Michał Sopocko – a zealous priest, theologian, social worker, servant of God, it is all the more justified that in the era of strong ideological, worldview, propaganda and ideological tendencies against the national and Christian culture, the 20th / 21st century family found itself in the face of difficult problems – there is even talk of a family crisis. Formerly hidden are coming to light: violence, harassment on various grounds, psychological torment, and even sexual violence against children, incest and crimes of infanticide. Hence, the reference to the Christian model of a family created on the basis of a humanistic approach to human existence is becoming particularly important today and – perhaps – most needed by people. It allows us to strive for the place and right of existence of the Christian vision of the world, the image of man and the Christian system of values in the public space. The more so because Fr. Michał Sopoćko, as an apostle of the truth and worship of Divine Mercy, recognized the truth about man, marriage and family on the basis of the intellectual tradition of personalism and Christian culture. Father Michał Sopoćko pointed out that without the family, its concern for education and service to life, there is no development of the nation and the Church.

Genealogy of Christian Leadership: The Role of Pastoral Care in Educating Communities

Author(s): Vincenzo Salerno,Andrea Mattia Marcelli / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2022

Pastoral care can be understood independently from specific religious values. However, there are communities for which pastoral care is intertwined with their own religious identity. This paper examines Christian leadership style applied to pastoral care as a historical contingency provided with its own ontological placement, which resulted in the transformation of Christian communities into educating communities. The genealogy of such leadership practices reveals the existence of two concurrent functions: that of the shepherd and that of the helmsman. Both contribute to steering communities in ways that are both consistent with religious tenets and mindful of the creation of meaningful change.

Tvor věřící jest řeči pln: výzva hermeneutiky pro teologickou antropologii

Author(s): Zdenko Širka / Language(s): Czech Issue: 1/2023

This study focuses on the ways in which people live in speech and how speech becomes their home. It shows how through speech one expresses existential questions, how speech can grasp the search and finding of the good, the true, the beautiful, how speech formulates the question for God, how it asks for God’s name. At a deeper and more fundamental level, then, it traces speech as that which speaks to us, dealing with the relationship of speech and understanding, the possibilities of communication, dialogue, and, finally, how we can bear witness in speech to that which is inexpressible. The study takes inspiration from the ideas of (theological) hermeneutics, especially those of Hans-George Gadamer (1900–2002), which we use in the context of theological anthropology to show its relevance to how humans understand themselves and the world around them, how they understand God, and how they speak about themselves in relation to God.

THE IMPORTANCE AND CURRENTNESS OF THE PASTORATE OF METROPOLITAN VARLAAM FOR THE CHURCH AND THE ROMANIAN NATION

Author(s): Marinel Pădure / Language(s): English Issue: 30/2022

The current Research Report records the revitalization of the Byzantine way of life during the time of Ruler Vasile Lupu and Metropolitan Varlaam, in which the Moldavian society of the 17th century is already engaged in the spiritual, cultural, historical directions of a Europe that had assimilated almost a century the ideas of the Renaissance and humanism. Keeping the traditional vein of the time, the effort to search for new languages, typologies, or solutions, able to express as faithfully as possible the renewing desires of the era, is recorded now, having to do with an era of great spiritual transformations, the most significant event of the time, making it break away from the sphere of Byzantine-Slavic influence, where Romanian medieval art did not transpose from other areas of culture, but interpreted each time the elements it accepted to appropriate, interpreting the specific data related to the background Romanian spirituality. Throughout this period of time of the first half of the 17th Moldovan century, dominated by the two historical personalities of this time, Vasile Lupu and Varlaam of Modova, a society that for several centuries lived under the umbrella of the Byzantine world, he now feels the need to leave the rigid frames of this life and to look more and more towards the people who will later form one culture, one faith and one people.

SAINT JOSEPH - CALL AND RESPONSE UNDER THE INSPIRATION OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE

Author(s): Călin-Daniel Paţulea / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 31/2022

Joseph is the character of the New Testament who shows a strong and generous faith; thanks to his faith Jesus and his most holy Mother, Mary, are welcomed into human history and fulfill the plan of salvation. He committed himself to perfect and industrious obedience to divine commands, however burdensome and unexpected, manifesting himself as a wise servant of God. He was able to discern the divine will with certainty in very difficult moments. He showed that form of wisdom that made him understand the highest values of life and existence, becoming an intimate participant in the thought of God, in His plans for the salvation and sanctification of the human person. Joseph translated wisdom into a continuous and tireless mission as a father, worker and human instrument involved in the development of the events that brought salvation to all of humanity.

METROPOLITAN VENIAMIN COSTACHI'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SUPPORT OF ROMANIAN MUSIC

Author(s): Mirela Beguni / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 31/2022

Within the prodigious activity of Metropolitan Veniamin Costachi to support Romanian culture, the one in the sphere of ecclesiastical music stands out, through various actions: the establishment of schools of church singers, specialty printed works, the adoption of the Chrysanthos' reform, the translation of texts into Romanian and the adaptation of the melody to the sonorities of the national language - especially by changing the system of cadences and by removing Greek and Turkish influences - thus contributing to the development and romanianzation of Orthodox cult in the Romanian Principalities.

SFÂNTUL PAISIE DE LA NEAMȚ ȘI CONTRIBUȚIA ACESTUIA LA VIAȚA DUHOVNICEASCĂ DIN MOLDOVA

Author(s): Gabriel V. CIOFU / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 32/2023

Saint Paisius from Neamts and his contribution to the spiritual life in Moldova. Loved by Romanians and Russians alike, respected and regretted by Aghiorite monks, renewer of spiritual life from the 18th century, Saint Paisius from Neamts still represents today a philokalic landmark for the entire Orthodoxy. Its importance is revealed to us regarding the spiritual echoes of its Settlements, the hermitage in Optina and throughout Russia, the revival of autochthonous monasticism, especially that of Moldova, and the burning piety of Orthodox believers of various nationalities who cross the threshold of the Neamts Lavra to worship its saints relics. Paisie is not a discoverer of a new doctrine, but he will initiate his disciples in a continuous manifest Christology, in the old but not outdated philokalic, mystical, hesychast tradition, which will adorn monasticism and contribute to Romanian and pan-Orthodox spirituality in parallel with the official scholastic theology. Although its flame is extinguished, the paisianism still warms the souls of those who want to reap salvation, still arouses monastic nostalgia and still strengthens the hope of a possible and authentic life in Christ.

THE SACRIFICE OF THE APOSTLE PAUL EMBELLISHES A LIFE SPENT FOR THE GOSPEL: «I HAVE FOUGHT THE GOOD FIGHT...» (CF. 2 TIM 4, 6-8)

Author(s): Călin-Daniel Paţulea / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 33/2023

The Holy Apostle Paul expresses his attitude towards death with the help of the image of the sacrifice, a sacrificial offering out of love for God, considering that the time of his departure from this world has arrived, like a ship returning to its homeland. The apostle, now on the threshold of eternity, casts a glance over his past and summarizes, in a few words, all his mission and the faithfulness with which he fulfilled it, then he looks to the future and joyfully contemplates the glory that awaits him. With the help of other images such as fighting, running, the crown, taken from the sports field of the respective times and frequently used by the Apostle, the athletic aspect of Christianity is emphasized, a true celebration of faith. The apostle fought the good fight for the defense and propagation of the Gospel like a strong athlete. He reached the end of the race, that is, he completed the apostolic work that was entrusted to him. St. Paul often uses these similes, borrowed from the public games, to explain how the life of true disciples of Jesus Christ should be. He kept his faith, that is, he was faithful in the performance of his duties and above all in keeping the depository of the truths of the Gospel. These feelings of the Apostle don’t come from an attitude, but from a good conscience and a firm hope. The apostle, in his capacity as a preacher, didn’t betray the deposit of truth entrusted by the Lord.

HISTORY PAGES-"BUNA VESTIRE" CHURCH OF TULCEA

Author(s): Florentina Trif / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 33/2023

For 120 years the church was under the use of Orthodox believers of Greek origin. The construction of the edifice was in fact in close correlation, with the hosting of a Greek hierarch in Tulcea. It seems that this fact coincides with the interests of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which wanted to maintain its authority over the Orthodox Christians in this area, that is, in the northern Dobrogean land.

THE TEACHING ABOUT THE HOLY CHURCH IN THE VISION OF METROPOLITAN NICODIM MUNTEANU

Author(s): Petru-Ionuț Irimia / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 33/2023

In the present study we want to present the teaching of the Metropolitan of Moldavia and Suceava, from the period 1934-1939, Nicodim Munteanu as it is found in his speeches, related to the divine-human institution - the Church, mysteriously founded by the Savior Jesus Christ through the sacrifice His from the cross, and in a visible way at the time of the descent of the Holy Spirit, on Pentecost, when following the sermon of the Holy Apostle Peter, 3000 souls were baptized (Act. Apost. 2, 41). Metropolitan Nicodim Munteanu, a tireless writer and scholar with experience especially in translations, known as a translator of the Bible and numerous works belonging to Russian literature, more than 100, considered that the mission of the Church is not only to sanctify the faithful and their lives, but also to teach them, to pass on knowledge that will also be useful for their temporal life on earth. In his speeches, he made an analogy between everything that the Church preaches, what is found and happens inside it with everything that promotes, is found and happens in the school, the comparisons and connections made by Hierarch Nicodim having the role of emphasized the importance and irreplaceable role of the Church in society and in the lives of believers.

THE DIVINE ATTRIBUTES – PHILOSOPHICAL AND THEOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Author(s): Sorin BENESCU / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 33/2023

This research aims to make a foray into the history of points of view regarding the divine attributes within the Roman Catholic Church and then take note of some recent opinions expressed by philosophers of religions, thus bringing back to the attention of specialists a theme that seems neglected.

Moralny wymiar apostazji. Uwagi w kontekście filozofii klasycznej

Author(s): Marian Szymonik / Language(s): Polish Issue: 11/2022

Apostasy is a phenomenon which is gaining strength especially in contemporary religious life in Poland. This paper addresses the issue of the moral dimension of apostasy. A definition of apostasy is the starting point of this analysis. Then conditions of departure from faith are presented. The first are objective con-ditions connected with the state of contemporary culture and philosophy. Contemporary thought is marked by philosophical nihilism, whose main manifestation is the abandonment of metaphysics. In the next part subjective conditions of apostasy are discussed, which basically derive from misconstrued human freedom. The phenomenon of apostasy is also affected by social factors. The discussion closes by drawing attention to the connection between the axiological crisis and apostasy. The paper seeks to draw attention to the moral responsibility of man for the act of apostasy. Man is a free being. A particularly sensitive area of this freedom is religion. Man’s openness to truth makes him open to God as the ultimate fulfilment of man. Just as truth is the means of human existence, so also religion appears as the sphere of the highest values that give meaning to human life. From the philosophical, especially moral point of view, apostasy appears as a form of man’s escape from a deeper, and at the same time difficult, insight into the sense of his own life and the whole of reality.

Love Builds Communion between Persons (UUS, n. 21). Christological-Ecclesiological Key to Confirm the Identity of Marriages of Baptised Non-Catholics

Author(s): Andrzej Pastwa / Language(s): English Issue: 10/2022

The words derived from the Ut unum sint encyclical as well as the fruits of the newest research by theologians (among others the members of the International Theological Commission) on the meaning of the Catechism formula of Christian Marriage: “the Sacrament of Faith in the Service of Communion” — became an inspiration to attempt to verify the assumptions confirming the sacramental Identity of Marriages of Baptised Non-Catholics. The author assumes that the today’s challenge for the study of canon law should be to explore more the subject matter of the “the mystery of communion” (UUS, n. 5) in all the complexity of its detailed issues, including the development of relevant conclusions in the canonical (lawmaking) and canonical-pastoral (application of the law) spheres. This is in the name of the rule that church legislation, especially in clarifying key/systemic issues — and among such is the issue of the universality of Bellarmine’s principle of eo ipso sacramentum — is always based on the widely adopted theological foundations.

A kritikus kritikusai. Ravasz László első prédikációs kötete és annak kritikai visszhangja

Author(s): Árpád Kulcsár / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 3/2022

In this paper I examine the first collection of sermons of László Ravasz, published by him between 1903–1910 in several journals, such as the Református Szemle, the Protestáns Prédikátori Tár, the Protestáns Szemle, and later in his book entitled Ez ama Jézus. These sermons stage the first steps of Ravasz in the field of homiletics and preaching, being influenced and inspired by well-known Western European preachers, as well as his Transylvanian mentors. His preaching from this period testifies to the influence of liberal theology, but he also brings in new and original perspectives into the content, structure and style, furnishing some long-term perspectives for the Hungarian Reformed preaching.

A Young Carmelite on Ice Skates. The Early Occasional Poetry of St. Titus Brandsma as a Literary Testimony of His Love of God, Life, and the Family

Author(s): Marcin Polkowski / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2023

The recently canonised Dutch Carmelite Titus Brandsma (1881–1942), World War II martyr, mystic, Catholic journalist and historian of spirituality, was also – what is less known – a talented poet. The article recalls his early occasional poetry, written in Dutch and Frisian between 1898 and 1906 for members of his immediate family. Its literary characteristics are presented, demonstrating that this poetry is a valuable testimony to the saint’s views on human life from an eschatological perspective, including topics on the family, marriage, and the relationship between children and parents. This justifies recognising St. Titus Brandsma’s occasional poetry as an expression of his unique poetic theology of the family. The article also includes an English translation of a hitherto untranslated poem by St. Titus Brandsma.

Sprawozdanie z 7. Międzynarodowego Sympozjum Familiologicznego w Elblągu

Author(s): Mariusz Ostaszewski / Language(s): Polish Issue: 24/2023

Rainer Bendel: 75 Jahre Seelsorge für die Deutschen aus der Tschechoslowakei

Author(s): Felix Teuchert / Language(s): German Issue: 4/2023

Review of: Rainer Bendel: 75 Jahre Seelsorge für die Deutschen aus der Tschechoslowakei. „… daß sie Boten der Versöhnung und Boten des Friedens seien“. Aschendorff. Münster 2021. 346 S. ISBN 978-3-402-24812-6.