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John Clarke is one of the pioneers of the Baptist faith in the New World of the seventeenth century, but also one of the most remarkable fighters for religious freedom. He has not yet received the attention he deserves for his strategic battle for achieving a place where freedom of conscience can be literally lived out. Inspired by Roger Williams of the Providence Plantation, Clarke and others purchase an island from the Indians in order to create a haven for all those wanting to freely exercise what they believe to be the right to religious freedom. John Clarke, a highly educated Englishman who had sailed to the new shores in order to find freedom, takes on the challenge of getting the approval by the English Crown of a charter that would offer religious freedom to all inhabitants of the newly formed Rhode Island colony. In 1663, the Baptist pastor receives the charter signed by the King, a constitution that was unique at the time and which was the longest surviving fundamental law of a state until the nineteenth century.
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Prophet’s Jeremiah’s message, in it’s many aspects, goes beyond the historical time in which the author lived and is updated in each generation. Human nature has always had difficulties in understanding the rights and obligations of any kind, in different contexts. Focused on certain rights and liberties, the Jews from the Babylonian diaspora will be urged by Jeramiah to a paradigm shift. The model which the prophet offers is that even a foreign land can offer you a fundamental personal right: the joy of a faith that no one can take away from you. Faced with difficulties, human nature can adapt to new contextual requirements. Suffering can be creative, and the waiting can turn into a fertile dream. With it’s qualities and defects, man must bet on the future, even when it looks bleek. Live and enjoy life even if it seems difficult, is the leitmotif of Jeremiah’s epistle to the Babylon exiles. The profethic message is always relevante specially when human rights are touched by different ideological slippages.
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Based on a cross-analysis of the memoir testimony of V. V. Timofeeva (O. Pochinkovskaya) and the materials of Dostoevsky’s creative laboratory, the article establishes the fact of the writer’s prayerful veneration of The Sign, the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, located at the St. Petersburg Znamenskaya (Entrance to Jerusalem) Church on Nevsky Prospect, as well as Dostoevsky’s intention (not realized in one of the episodes of the novel “A Raw Youth”) to portray the main character, Arkady Dolgoruky, at prayer before this miraculous image. When commenting on the draft entry of “The Dark Face of the Virgin at the Znamenskaya Church,” it was discovered there were not one, but two venerated icons of the Sign of the Mother of God in the temple on Nevsky Prospect in the 1870s, Both were replicas of the 12th-century miraculous Novgorod icon of the Sign. One of the replicas dates back to 1175 in the church historical literature, the second - to 1744. Based on an analytical review of the information about these two icons, the article substantiates the assumption regarding which of the two icons is mentioned in the drafts of “A Raw Youth,” as well as which one of them was the object of Dostoevsky’s fervent prayer. The current location of one of these icons is indicated.
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Freedom of conscience, as the core of religious freedom, was a right claimed first and foremost against religious authorities, even before political authorities. The solution to the theological controversies that characterized the 16thcentury and the phenomena of religious intolerance contributed to the political instrument of civil tolerance as the government of the coexistence of several religions within the same territory, as the first step in a process of recognition of religious pluralism.
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Seventh-day adventist were convinced of the divine origin of human nature, and they saw it as a foundation for human rights in religion. Arriving on Romanian soil, the first Adventist missionaries were to come into contact with the native population. Initially, these missionaries preferred to seek out and address existing Baptist or Protestant believers in various localities, due to the doctrinal and religious practice that existed between their faiths and only in a second stage did Adventist missionaries they were directed to believers of other denominations, especially the Orthodox. In their attempt to make room for their faith to penetrate the local population, they clashed with the conservative spirit of the majority church.
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The inter-war time in Romanian society was the most effervescent period in terms of debates on religious issues in all our known history. In the newspapers of the times, in the Parliament’s rostrum or in usual meetings, religion was regular topic of discussion and stirred up very strong emotions. But beyond what we could glean from the extremely harsh words used, or even in persecutions’ accounts, we cannot fail to notice an amazing thirst for knowledge. A very good example of this desire for mutual knowledge is the “contradictory public discussion” proposed by Orthodox priest Petre Chiricuța of the“Hagiu” Church in Bucharest to Adventist pastor Stefan Demetrescu on the topic of the Second Coming of Christ, discussion that was to take place at the Fundația Universitară Carol I in March 1931. Even if the Patriarchy cancelled the meeting at the last moment, the preparation of the event and the reactions sparked by its cancellation help us to see how religious debate was present at all levels in Romanian society during that period.
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Dans cet article l'auteur suivi la précision des caractéristiques sur la base de qu'elle on peut identifier des divinités protectrices des citadelles hellénistiques.
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La littérature ecclésiastique des premiers trois siècles chrétiens représentait l'image du Christ et la communauté des fidèles (I'Eglise) par les syrnboles connus seulement auxquels qu'ils sont initiés.
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Late medieval period is considered as one of the main periods that made Islam religion influenced in a lot places. Islam religion made some changes in culture, architecture and society, this included Balkan also. Places like Albania even though tried to resisted, yet most of the population converted to Islam, this made some of the people to become very important persons to Sultan. Mehmet Pashë Dukagjini was one of the most important persons from Albania which ruled to Aleppo city during XVI century. As a governor there he ordered to build a complex in the city which included one of the best mosques of that time Al-Adiliyya. This mosque has a unique architectural design, was the first one of ottoman type architectural design, has two portico the inner and outer one, and the prayer hall has the largest dome in Aleppo. Today, after all the war that happened from the conflict in Syria, yet with a few renovations would be one of the most important mosques in Aleppo which has history from Albanian origin.
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Social-economic and demographic changes in the Christian world at the decisive stage of ethnogenesis, amplified by the dynamics of the second wave of migration and the inability of secular institutional structures to ensure minimum security for the residents are circumstances that have placed the church in the position of the sole provider of political legitimacy and of solutions to restore order by disseminating and enforcing moral standards among the believers, by converting Slavic and Scandinavian populations, or by supporting some states invested with the task of defending Christianity through actions of an avant la lettre crusade. The need of the church in the process of being reorganized led to initiatives aiming at restoring the Empire in relation to consolidated centers of power on the eastern borders of Christianitas, and the conversion of the Slavs in the Balkans generated the appearance of centers of power interested in taking over the Byzantine imperial succession, in times of crisis that affected the New Rome. The intentions of the Holy See to transform the moral primacy conferred by the Petrine succession into a political and jurisdictional one, as well as the failures suffered by Byzantium in the double competition with Islamic actors and the crusaders, accelerated political instability, but favored deepening reflections on the functions and the meanings of the state and especially on its relationship with the people and its spiritual mission.
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With a crown of thorns on his head, nails on his hands and feet, and a spear wound on his chest, “Jesus Christ of Nazareth Crucified” has occupied Christians for hundreds of years and continues to do so. All Christian faith revolves around this symbolized event, or "Jesus Christ, who sacrificed himself on the cross for the salvation of sinful mankind." According to Christianity, Jesus Christ suffered while sacrificing himself for humanity on the cross, and as a result, some wounds occurred on his body. Christians, especially Catholics, are of the opinion that these wounds of Christ can occur spontaneously on chosen people or through spiritual devotion or meditation that a person establishes with Jesus. In this context, in our article; the subject of "Christian stigmata", which is used in the history to stigmatize different groups such as criminals, prisoners, slaves and sinners, but is associated with the wounds of Jesus Christ on the cross and the emergence of these wounds on the body of chosen people as a grace of God, will be discussed. The aforementioned wounds of Christ have been interpreted by Christians in different ways, such as eliminating the existence of sin, God's divine love and saving action towards man, alleviating the suffering of the poor, and a source of food for believers. In addition to these interpretations, Christ's whole life, especially his suffering on the cross and the wounds on his body, was considered an event to be emulated or imitated. Because from this aspect, Christ was seen as a "model savior" and since the first centuries, Christians tried to feel his suffering on the cross and to create his wounds on their bodies by taking his wounds as an example. In this context, Paul's statement in Galatians 6:17, which took Jesus Christ as an example, "... because I carry the wounds of Jesus on my body" has been influential in the emergence and spread of the concept of stigmata in Christianity. The mentioned expression of Paul has been interpreted by some Bible commentators such as Marius Victorinus and Jerome as sometimes physical wounds similar to those on the body of Jesus, sometimes the distress and persecution of his opponents while spreading the message of Christ, and sometimes both. Although his words have been interpreted in different ways, Paul was accepted as the first person to bear the stigmata of Christ by Christians, and he was followed centuries later by Francis of Assisi in 1224 and others. Three types of stigmata in Christianity are mentioned as follows: "Dominical stigmata", which refers to the physical wounds of Christ on his body when he was on the cross, and "Pauline stigmata" which corresponds to the material and spiritual troubles Paul experienced while serving to Christ, and the troubles and difficulties which individual experienced while serving to Christ is “personal stigmata”. However, there are other types of stigmata, which we can call the interpretation of these stigmata types and their adaptation to religious life. As a matter of fact, in the Middle Ages, the stigmata of Christ was identified with the "pallium" worn by the Popes and "tonsure", a form of shaving, by the Papacy, and this was used as a tool of authority. This stigmata, symbolizing papal authority, has been important in the appointment of archbishops and bishops. Besides, in the 11th and 12th centuries, the concept of stigmata also emerged in monastic communities and the idea of "personal stigmata" was associated with monastic life, especially by Peter Damian. In this context, the ideal priest and nun were seen as bearers of the stigmata of Christ. In addition, in the Middle Ages, the "eschatological stigmata" was also on the agenda with the effect of the discourse of the Pope Urban II in the context of encouraging the First Crusade. In this sense, the cross marks in the form of tattoos, especially on the corpses of the soldiers who participating in the First Crusade, were accepted as the proof of salvation, and the cross marks on the corpses of some deceased clergymen were accepted as stigmata, an indicator of their sainthood status. As a result, the understanding of stigmata in Christianity, arising from Paul's discourse, has become an agenda in the Christian world, mostly in the Middle Ages and partly in the 20th century and later. In addition, it has been determined that the stigmata of Jesus Christ can arise spontaneously on the bodies of the chosen people as a sign of divine grace, or it can be experienced neurologically or psychosomatically, corresponding to the conscious-unconscious learning and beliefs of the person. However, in the Middle Ages, it was understood that the Papacy interpreted the stigmata of Christ in line with its own religious understanding and purposes and used it as a tool of authority.
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Halk dini kavramı akademi dünyasında en azından iki büyük temele sahiptir. Birincisi, Alman bilim adamlarının “religiöse Volkskunde (dinî folklor)” ismini verdiği çalışmadır ve bu kavram için iki tercümem var: Halk kültürünün dinî boyutu veya dinin halk kültürü boyutu. İkincisi ise medeniyetin farklı seviyelerinde, dinin iki formu arasındaki senkretizmlerin antropolojik çalışmalarıdır. Bunun misaline gelince, Haiti’de “Voodoo” olarak adlandırılan Afrika ilkelliğinin ve Roma Katolikliğinin karışımıdır ya da Merkezî ve Güney Amerika’daki Katoliklik ve yerli Kızılderili dinî inanç ve pratikleri arasındaki senkretizmdir.
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What is the nature of historical theology? This article aims to serve as a first of two steps that examine the thought and life of historian-theologians and whose reflections on the same topic aim to provide a backdrop to the furthering of the discipline. The author examines several thinker’s positions regarding the task and nature of history and specifically the nature of the church and seeks to extend and invitation to others willing to learn from the “fathers” of contemporary church history.
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The historical adventures of the sects, which are Islamic schools of thought, have a complex plane that includes different orientations rather than simple and one-way directions. Understanding and correctly interpreting this multi-layered factual dimension requires multiple perspectives, like the variable leg of the compass. As of their historical processes, sects determine their positions depending on political, economic, social, etc. This position draws a route according to its positive or negative relations with its interlocutors. Intellectual debates and works of rejection are the outward manifestations of the interlocutor. It is a common acceptance to try to explain the progress of Ash‛arī thought by centering on the Great Seljuks and Nizamiyyāh madrasahs. This research examines the historical development of Ash‛arism by focusing on the period after the collapse of the Great Seljuks. As it is known, in the Great Seljuk period, the relationship of Ash‛arism with the state did not have a linear progression, but with the support of the state, it had a position that paved the way for it. After the collapse of the Great Seljuks, political conflicts, wars, invasions and plunders increased in the region, causing a great chaos in the region.
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In the Christian world, the worship of relics dates back to the second century of the Christian era. The veneration of the earthly remains of the saints, considered lucky and having healing powers, came to occupy a very important place in the culture of saints’ worship. The relics retained all the prerogatives of the holy bodies of which they were a part, having the great power to heal the sick, to protect the communities from epidemics and invasions, to bring good fortune and prosperity. Moreover, people believed that the remains of the saints had unsuspected powers, including the power to secure the connection between the world of the living and the heavenly world, in which God reigns and judges. Relics were found to be the solution for almost every problem. As a form of popular devotion, the worship of relics has occupied an extremely important place in the history of Christianity, its evolution being long-lasting and allowing the analysis of the most intimate feelings of the members of the Christian community. One may state that this cult of relics is one of the most amazing and striking aspects of medieval religious life.
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Evenimentele pe care le sărbătorim în acest an ne dau prilejul întâlnirii cu patru personaje dintre cele mai influente în istoria creștinătății, dar și a civilizației universale: sfinții împărați Constantin și Elena și sfinții misionari Chiril și Metodiu. Voi încerca să construiesc o paralela între viețile, lucrările și moștenirile lor, preafrumoase roade ale Duhului Sfânt și strălucitoare pagini ale culturii europene
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This article examines rosaries (prayer beads) as material objects related to private devotion from the perspective of social history and art history, by integrating written evidence, visual sources and archaeological finds. Most of the source materials originate from the Hanse town of Tallinn. The focus is on the materiality of rosaries: the aim was to find out how many of these were owned by different social groups, what they were made of, what kind of pendants were attached to them, how and where they were obtained, what the material and symbolic value of these objects was, and whether they continued to be used, or at least kept as valuables, after the Reformation. Thus far, rosaries and devotional pendants have been regarded in studies of visual and material culture as marginal; however, their study will cast new light on medieval religious practices and values.
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The Bogomilism is the most powerful heretic movement in Bulgaria during the Middle Ages. It starts in Bulgaria at the beginning of the 10th century. The initiator of this movement is the Bulgarian priest Bogomil. In the second half of the 10th century, the Bogomilism became a very influential and powerful movement and czar Peter will take measures against them. The Bogomils are driven away from the country. They take refuge in the Byzantine Empire, Serbia, Bosnia, Hercegovina, but also in the West, where we found them under different names: “cathari” in Germany, “albigensi” in the south of France, “patarini” in Italy.
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The subject of these paper is to investigate the main characteristics of old Serbian language (18th century), reflected through church documents signed by several Serbian Bishops in Romanian Banat. The enclosed document is also transliterated, transcripted and translated in to Serbian language. The manuscript, the object of our work, are written in Cyrillic Church Slavonic language, in the traditional unreformed civil Cyrillic (interpretation of office latin). To date, work has not been published. The text of the manuscript is written in italics Russian and are amended with some individual graphemes which mark typical Serbian phonological system. Some text оf letters are provided with Serbian acronyms. He served as official letter and contains provisions and regulations (notes, various correspondence, etc.). The Serbian manuscript represents a valuable testimony to the socio-political events both in the Habsburg monarchy and among Serbs, pointing to the imperial attitude of the authorities towards the Orthodox world, their expectations and orders (travel facilities, school organization, voluntary collect contributions, etc.). In addition, the emphasis on moral values and calling to obey the imperial will, points out to the fact that in the late 18th century Serbian society in the territory of South Hungary still distinctly theocratic, although Regulation of 1777 restricted the political power of the church. These work is an original contribution to proving Serbian preservation, their identity in other countries, until specificall contexts and their contribution in the cultural, religious and social life of the Romanian Banat through 18th and 19th century.
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