Jewish Antiquity in the Sixteenth Century: Calvin's Reception of Josephus

2017 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 668-694
Author(s):  
Kirk Essary
Keyword(s):  
Sixteenth Century ◽  
Historical Data ◽  
Overwhelming Majority ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Biblical Text ◽  
Biblical Criticism ◽  
Biblical Story ◽  
Reliable Source ◽  
Jewish Historian ◽  
And Function

An analysis of Calvin's multifaceted use of the Roman-Jewish historian Josephus reveals several things of importance both for scholarship on Renaissance historical and biblical criticism generally, and for Calvin studies in particular. Calvin's reception of Josephus was quite extraordinary in its breadth, and complex in its employment and function. References to the historian are peppered throughout his works in a wide array of contexts, from the special authority of Moses to the length of the Sea of Galilee. Significantly, Calvin not only used Josephus as a source for raw historical data, but also employed him to philosophical, theological, and political ends as well. And while the reformer is not unequivocally positive in his judgment of the historian as a reliable source, an overwhelming majority of the instances where Calvin cites Josephus's texts are used to augment his exegetical works, and at times Josephus's authority comes close to overriding that of the literal biblical account. The purpose of this paper is to show how Calvin's engagement with Josephus in his commentaries reveals him to have been an able and discerning critic who would at times go to great lengths in order to sort out perceived discrepancies or to fill in historiographical lacunae pertinent to the biblical story, but also an opportunistic humanist who would use whatever resources he had at his disposal for clarifying the historical background of the biblical text.

scholarly journals HIV Protease: Historical Perspective and Current Research

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 839
Author(s):  
Irene T. Weber ◽  
Yuan-Fang Wang ◽  
Robert W. Harrison
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Subsequent Development ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Hiv Protease ◽  
Drug Resistant ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Evolution Of Resistance ◽  
Retroviral Proteases ◽  
And Function ◽  
Retroviral Protease

The retroviral protease of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an excellent target for antiviral inhibitors for treating HIV/AIDS. Despite the efficacy of therapy, current efforts to control the disease are undermined by the growing threat posed by drug resistance. This review covers the historical background of studies on the structure and function of HIV protease, the subsequent development of antiviral inhibitors, and recent studies on drug-resistant protease variants. We highlight the important contributions of Dr. Stephen Oroszlan to fundamental knowledge about the function of the HIV protease and other retroviral proteases. These studies, along with those of his colleagues, laid the foundations for the design of clinical inhibitors of HIV protease. The drug-resistant protease variants also provide an excellent model for investigating the molecular mechanisms and evolution of resistance.

scholarly journals The image of Paradise in «The Sermon on the Annunciation to the Holy Virgin» by Ioanikii Galiatovskii

2019 ◽  
pp. 44-50
Author(s):  
Liliia Bomko
Keyword(s):  
Hierarchical Structure ◽  
Visual Art ◽  
Biblical Text ◽  
Human Soul ◽  
Biblical Story ◽  
The Hierarchical Structure ◽  
Assumption Of The Virgin

The article attempts to analyse the image of paradise in “The Sermon on the Annunciation of the Holy Virgin" from the collection "The Key of Understanding" (1659) by Ioanikii Galiatovskii. Paradise in his sermon is depicted as a hierarchical structure of the nine Angelic Choirs: the Angels, the Archangels, the Principality, the Authority, the Mastery, the Parish, the Throne, the Cherubim, and the Seraphim. Comparing the angelic choirs of Galiatovskii and the depiction of celestial choirs in «The Mirror of Theology» (1618) by Cyryl Trankvylion Stavrovetskyi, one can see some differences, including a change in the sequence of arrangement of angelic choirs and in the semantics of names, which Galiatovskii supplements with explanations of the saints' presence on all choirs. The theme of the Annunciation that becomes the beginning of the salvation of the human soul is brought closer to the understanding of paradise. If one compares the preaching on Gospel with a painting one can easily grasp substantial differences in the interpretation. Galiatovskii does not follow the biblical story of the Annunciation, which tells how did the Archangel Gabriel appear to the Holy Virgin and inform her of the birth of Christ. Instead, he interprets this event in anagogical (spiritual sense), describing paradise and the Blessed Virgin in a similar way. Visual art closely follows the biblical text when depicting the Annunciation – the Holy Virgin and the Archangel, who holds a white lily that means god news, are surrounded by several tiny angels that are holding a white lily flower (like in the painting by the French artist Philip de Champaign "Annunciation", 1644). Interestingly, the interpretation of the Annunciation in Ioanikii Galiatovskii’s writing is close to the theme of the Assumption. One might mention the painting "Assumption of the Virgin" (1475 - 1476) by the Italian artist Francesco Botticini, who depicted the Holy Virgin standing next to the hierarchical structure of the nine Angelic Choirs.

scholarly journals Making the States’ Translation (1637): Orthodox Calvinist Biblical Criticism in the Dutch Republic

2017 ◽  
Vol 110 (3) ◽  
pp. 440-463
Author(s):  
Dirk van Miert
Keyword(s):  
Seventeenth Century ◽  
Thomas Hobbes ◽  
Dutch Republic ◽  
Biblical Text ◽  
Biblical Criticism ◽  
New Science ◽  
The Past ◽  
Biblical Scholarship ◽  
The Enlightenment ◽  
History Of

In the study of the history of biblical scholarship, there has been a tendency among historians to emphasize biblical philology as a force which, together with the new philosophy and the new science of the seventeenth century, caused the erosion of universal scriptural authority from the mid-seventeenth century onwards. A case in point is Jonathan Israel's impressive account of how biblical criticism in the hands of Spinoza paved the way for the Enlightenment. Others who have argued for a post-Spinozist rise of biblical criticism include Frank Manuel, Adam Sutcliffe, and Travis Frampton. These scholars have built upon longer standing interpretations such as those of Hugh Trevor-Roper and Paul Hazard. However, scholars in the past two decades such as Anthony Grafton, Scott Mandelbrote and Jean-Louis Quantin have altered the picture of an exegetical revolution inaugurated by Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679), Spinoza (1632–1677), and Richard Simon (1638–1712). These heterodox philosophers in fact relied on philological research that had been largely developed in the first half of the seventeenth century. Moreover, such research was carried out by scholars who had no subversive agenda. This is to say that the importance attached to a historical and philological approach to the biblical text had a cross-confessional appeal, not just a radical-political one.

Noah’s Ark as Conservation? An Ecological Reading of Genesis 6–9

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tina Dykesteen Nilsen
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Conservation Biology ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Biblical Text ◽  
Biblical Story ◽  
Conservation Project ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Conservation Projects ◽  
Noah's Ark

In a world where loss of biodiversity is a major challenge, this article explores a dialogue between modern conservation theory and an ancient biblical text. Through the construction of an ecological hermeneutics based on conservation biology and conservation anthropology, and with references to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the article analyses the story of Noah’s ark in Genesis 6–9 as a conservation project. Two questions are in focus. First, how does a conservation perspective contribute to the reading of the biblical text? Second, is the biblical story of Noah’s ark a good paradigm for conservation efforts today? The answer to the first question highlights aspects of the text that often do not receive sufficient attention. The second answer shows some of the complexities of applying this biblical story as an inspiration for modern conservation projects.

Is the Future of Biblical Theology Story-Shaped?

2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeannine K. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Human Experience ◽  
Biblical Theology ◽  
Ethical Question ◽  
Biblical Text ◽  
Biblical Story ◽  
The Future

This article explores the concept of story for biblical theology, particularly from the perspective of evangelical scholarship. It is suggested that story offers a framework for biblical theology that avoids undue emphasis on propositional theology and maintains biblical tensions within a plot-focused approach. Additionally, a storied approach to biblical theology resonates with the narrative quality of the biblical text and of human experience and is best pursued via a dynamic hermeneutic. The essay concludes by addressing some weaknesses of the category of story for biblical theology, including its use to avoid historical difficulties, the scholarly tendency toward theological abstraction, and the ethical question of the claim to have sketched the biblical story. In response, dialogue across boundaries, including those of ethnicity, nationality, denomination, and religion, can be a valuable practice to evangelicals and others who see story as a promising category for the future of biblical theology.

scholarly journals Białowieża Forest—A Relic of the High Naturalness of European Forests

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 849 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bogdan Jaroszewicz ◽  
Olga Cholewińska ◽  
Jerzy M. Gutowski ◽  
Tomasz Samojlik ◽  
Marcelina Zimny ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Cover ◽  
Historical Data ◽  
Open Door ◽  
Białowieża Forest ◽  
Continuous Forest ◽  
Lowland Forests ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Natural Dynamics ◽  
And Function ◽  
High Degree

In Europe only some small isolated patches of forests with a high degree of naturalness still exist. These are forests, whose structure, composition and function has been shaped by natural dynamics without substantial anthropogenic influence over the long period. In this respect, Białowieża Forest is a unique location in Europe, with continuous forest cover for close to 12,000 years. The palynological, archaeological and historical data document only a weak anthropogenic fingerprint compared to other European lowland forests in Holocene history. Due to long-lasting protection, a large portion of the forest is still composed of stands originating from the pre-silvicultural period. Moreover, the stands of Białowieża Forest converted by silvicultural activities during the 20th century have the potential to recover owing to patches of stands with high naturalness, scattered throughout the forest. As conflict over management of the forest has recurred regularly for close to century, there is a need to summarize our knowledge on the forest history and natural assets, to help making scientifically informed decisions over its future. Expansion of a non-intervention approach to the Polish part of the forest is suggested to increase the stability of the entire ecosystem and enhance the chances for its successful adaptation to changing environmental conditions. This will increase the importance of Białowieża Forest as an open-door laboratory for biology, ecology, and forestry.

Who Compiled the Sixteenth-Century Patristic Handbook Unio Dissidentium?

1965 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 237-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Peters
Keyword(s):  
Sixteenth Century ◽  
Literary History ◽  
Original Sin ◽  
Word Of God ◽  
Infant Baptism ◽  
The Third ◽  
The Bible ◽  
High Level ◽  
And Function

The purpose of this paper is to raise a problem of more than antiquarian interest in Reformation literary history. The Unio Dissidentium is a collection of passages from the Bible together with nearly 550 quotations, many of them quite lengthy, from the Fathers. This latter feature gives to the book much of its interest, as well as a place in the patristic revival begun by the classical humanists and brought to a high level of development by the work of such men as Erasmus and Beatus Rhenanus.So far as can with certainty be stated, the first part of Unio Dissidentium was published by the Antwerp printer, Martin de Keyser, in March 1527. The ten sections into which it is divided contain passages supporting the compiler’s theology on such current theological issues as original sin, infant baptism, predestination, the nature and function of law, grace and merit, faith and works, and human ordinances. Later that same year the same printer published the second part, dealing with the value of the Word of God, penitence, brotherly correction, fasting, prayer, indulgences, the Eucharist, ecclesiastical constitutions, the vocation of all Christians to be priests, kings, and prophets, and antichrist. To the editions printed in and after 1531 a further three sections were added, the first two of which are on expensive funerals and the flight and persecution of Christians, respectively, while the third is the tract of Pseudo-Augustine, De Essentia Divinitatis.

Migration, Commerce and Community: the Mīzābīs in Eighteenth-and Nineteenth-Century Algeria

1980 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald C. Holsinger
Keyword(s):  
Historical Background ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Religious Ideology ◽  
The North ◽  
Coastal Cities ◽  
Northern Cities ◽  
History Of ◽  
Sources Of Support ◽  
Eighteenth And Nineteenth Centuries ◽  
And Function

The Mīzāb is an Ibādī community consisting of seven cities clustered in an arid rocky region 350 miles south of Algiers. Having established these settlements nearly a millennium ago, the Mīzābīs, as the inhabitants came to be known, struggled against formidable environmental odds and managed not only to survive but to prosper. By the sixteenth century the Mīzāb had become an important northern Saharan market. During the following centuries, the Maghrib witnessed a remarkable movement of Mīzābī men to coastal cities where they attained prominence in a variety of professions while leaving their roots firmly implanted within their distant oasis community.Following a brief historical background to settlement in the Mīzāb, this article sketches the ecological constraints of an urban community in a region virtually devoid of resources. It then traces the history of the commercial dispersion to the North during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and discusses the probable causes of emigration. The Mīzābīs were forced by environmental constraints to seek outside sources of support. Their rise to prominence in the Regency of Algiers may have been related to declining Saharan commerce and new commercial opportunities in the North. The organization and function of Mīzābī corporations in Algiers and other northern cities are described. Finally, this article relates an Ibāçī reform ethic to Mīzābī commercial success and concludes with some reflections on religious ideology and environmental demands as contributing factors to the long-term Mīzābī role in commerce.

Thomas More and Communism

PMLA ◽  
1949 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 549-564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward L. Surtz
Keyword(s):  
Sixteenth Century ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Thomas More ◽  
The Real ◽  
Definite Answer ◽  
The Social

There can be no doubt that Raphael Hythloday, like the Utopians, is persuaded that communism is the solution for the social, economic, and political evils of the early sixteenth century. But what is the real attitude of Thomas More himself toward communism? Which of the following does the author of Utopia consider communism to be: a practical remedy? an impossible vision? an unattainable, but desirable, ideal? No definite answer can be given until one has reviewed, at least cursorily, the historical background to the views of the Renaissance toward communism.

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