The theological value of autonomy

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adiel Zimran
Keyword(s):  
Image Of God ◽  
Human Freedom ◽  
The Will ◽  
Abrahamic Religions ◽  
Age Of Enlightenment ◽  
Way Of Thinking ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Image Of God ◽  
Will Of God

Abstract Western liberalism is based on two different humanistic traditions: First, the biblical tradition of the Abrahamic religions, according to which man was created in the image of God; and, second, the tradition that developed in the age of Enlightenment, which claims man’s absolute independence of any heteronomous or transcendental being and views the very existence as a goal in and of itself. Each one of these two traditions restricts the autonomy of the individual in different ways, thus influencing the constitutional structure one of whose principal functions is to safeguard the autonomy of the citizens. This article deals with the theological value of autonomy. It analyzes the tension between the humanistic-anthropocentric worldview, which sanctifies human freedom, and the humanistic-theocentric way of thinking, which sees God as the source of all norms and holds that the freedom of man is limited by the divine imperative. Subsequently, the article presents three different models of understanding the relations between the will of God and the will of man, through an analysis of the exegesis of three Jewish thinkers on the stories of man’s creation in the image of God and the sin of the Primordial Man. These models represent three attitudes towards the theological value of autonomy. After having presented the different models, I shall compare them to each other and explicate the conceptual differences between them. To conclude, I shall further assess the contribution of these models to contemporary discourse on autonomy and liberty.

scholarly journals Fantastic theology of Robert Sheckley: A pseudo-secular world

2020 ◽  
pp. 167-176
Author(s):  
S.V. Ryazanova
Keyword(s):  
Spiritual Development ◽  
Image Of God ◽  
Consumer Society ◽  
Formal Similarity ◽  
Value System ◽  
Fantastic Literature ◽  
Cultural Phenomenon ◽  
Religious Systems ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Image Of God

The article considers one of the views on God existing within the modern Western literary tradition and out-side of religious systems. The image of God was chosen as a cultural phenomenon relevant for interpretation, which exists both in religious and secular discourse. The research involved the creative heritage of Robert Sheck-ley – one of the most popular authors of fantastic literature in the mid-20th century. The analysis was based on fantastic tales, since they provide the opportunity to prove all strategies for social behaviour, as well as different views on life. The image of God created by Sheckley was reconstructed using intertextual analysis, which helps identify original mythological and religious narratives and individual allusions. This provides the opportunity to define the features of Sheckley's individual fantastic theology and find the reasons for using the image of God in secular literature. The analysis revealed that the used religious names, denominations and plots bear only formal similarity with the traditional ones. They are used and interpreted arbitrarily. God is interpreted as being anthro-pomorphic, pragmatic, partial and not interested in the fate of his creation. Communication with God is described as commercialised and is built on the model of the consumer society. The works of Sheckley indicate the possibil-ity and necessity of contact between the man and God with the obligatory personal participation of the individual. The American writer creates texts that are modernised in terms of the plot using traditional Christian ideas about the spiritual development of people and the need to preserve the Christian value system as a universal one. In this connection, Sheckley offers possible behavioural models for the created image of God.

Boehme, Jakob (1575–1624)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Loup Seban
Keyword(s):  
Image Of God ◽  
The Will ◽  
Good And Evil ◽  
The Image Of God

Boehme was a Lutheran mystic and pantheist. He held that God is the Abyss that is the ground of all things. The will of the Abyss to know itself generates a process that gives rise to nature, which is thus the image of God. Life is characterized by a dualistic struggle between good and evil; only by embracing Christ’s love can unity be regained. Boehme was highly regarded by such diverse writers as Law, Newton, Goethe and Hegel.

The Fluidity of Categories in Hasidism: Averah lishmah in the Teachings of R. Zevi Elimelekh of Dynow

1996 ◽  
pp. 301-320
Author(s):  
Yehoshua Mondshine
Keyword(s):  
The Other ◽  
Ordinary People ◽  
Divine Retribution ◽  
The World ◽  
The Will ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Will Of God

This chapter investigates the concept of ‘sin for the sake of Heaven’ (averah lishmah) in the teachings of R. Zevi Elimelekh of Dynow. In broad terms, there are two types of ‘sin for the sake of Heaven’, one intended for zaddikim only, the other for ordinary people. The first type solves a problem which faces the zaddik: his usual concern is with mitsvot which by their nature draw down the benign forces of heavenly deliverance and grace on the world; but how is he to deal with cases in which it is his duty to bring down divine retribution on the heads of the enemies of Israel? In such cases, he is called upon to commit a sin—albeit for the sake of Heaven—an act which by its nature brings judgements and accusations into being. Although this type of ‘sin for the sake of Heaven’ is more commonly found in his writings, one shall, however, give more attention to the second type. At every moment of the life of the hasid, he deliberates over every action or omission, and the halakhah is powerless to guide him. In addition to all other considerations he must also take account of ‘the Will of God’, a will that is not written in the Torah, since it changes according to time and place and to the spiritual condition of the individual at any particular time.

The Law of Homicide

2011 ◽  
pp. 97-112
Author(s):  
David Novak
Keyword(s):  
Death Penalty ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Image Of God ◽  
The Political ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Rabbinic Judaism ◽  
The Law ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Image Of God

This chapter argues that the law prohibiting murder is the Noahide commandment most immediately and rationally evident. The rabbis considered its prohibition from two distinct points of view, the theological and the political. In theological terms, murder is the intentional taking of another human life, a life created in the image of God. In political terms, murder wrecks social life. Regarding murder at the individual level, the rabbis differentiated criteria for the punishment of Jews and gentiles. For Jews who commit murder, the death penalty is employed only under the strict standard of “hatra'ah,” or forewarning. Such a dispensation was not available to non-Jews. The law of homicide also deals with the morally knotty issue of abortion. Rabbinic Judaism permitted abortion only when the mother's life was in danger, but for Noahides, abortion was proscribed in every case.

Kierkegaard on the Transformation of the Individual in Conversion

1992 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-163
Author(s):  
William C. Davis
Keyword(s):  
Special Interest ◽  
Human Freedom ◽  
Christian Life ◽  
Simple Task ◽  
Remarkable Degree ◽  
Radical Nature ◽  
The Will ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Lutheran Orthodoxy ◽  
The Church

From at least the time of the writing of The Philosophical Fragments, Søren Kierkegaard's work takes a special interest in both the transition from unbelief to faith and the character of the life of true faith. Trained in Lutheran dogma and convinced of the radical nature of human freedom, his work on this subject demonstrates a profound concern for and grasp of Lutheran orthodoxy, as well as a remarkable degree of subtlety. After all, it is no simple task to give an account of the central features of the Christian life that is faithful to both a libertarian conception of human freedom and the doctrines of the church founded by the author of The Bondage of the Will. This paper proposes to accomplish two things: first, to state a problem that lies on the surface of Kierkegaard's account of the transformation involved in Christian conversion and second to present a resolution of the problem that is faithful to Kierkegaard's intentions.

GENESIS OF OLD BELIEVERS ANTHROPOLOGY

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-57
Author(s):  
Oleg V. Parilov ◽  
Lev E. Shaposhnikov
Keyword(s):  
Middle Ages ◽  
Spiritual Development ◽  
Image Of God ◽  
Consumer Society ◽  
Negative Experience ◽  
Old Believers ◽  
Original Works ◽  
Game Simulation ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Image Of God

Introduction. The modern globalized postmodern consumer society, total game simulation, colossal disconnection is extremely destructive for the individual. The Old Believer outlook, which affirms the soborn-person, attached to the fundamental foundations of the national religious culture, the bearer of higher transcendent meanings, acquires a particular urgency today. Accounting for both positive and negative experience of Old Believer anthropology will allow to determine the ideal of an integral convinced person who overcomes the extremes of conformism and fanaticism. Materials and Methods. The article is prepared on the basis of the original works of the Old Believer authors; pre-revolutionary, Soviet, modern Russian and foreign studies of Russian culture and the Old Believer worldview. The methodological basis was: a civilizational approach to history, methods of hermeneutics, comparative-historical, the unity of historical and logical, analysis, synthesis, analogy. Results of the study. The article deals with socio-cultural, spiritual factors of the borderline era of the 17th century, under the influence of which a unique Old Believer anthropology is formed, reflecting the worldview characteristics of the Russian Middle Ages and Russia of the new time. The dynamics of Old Believers’ views on man during the XVII–XX centuries is investigated; revealed spiritual, historical reasons for the transformation of the anthropological views of the Old Believers. Discussion and Conclusion. It is established that the early Old Believers, as representatives of the medieval people’s Orthodox consciousness, affirm a person of a sacral, conciliar, but individually immature. However, under the influence of modern trends, Old Believer gives rise to the idea of the charismatic personality of the Old Believer apostle. For the Old Believers of modern times, anthropocentric tendencies, significant existential interest, exaltation of man as the Image of God, especially his reasonable abilities, are characteristic. But due to the self-consciousness of the last defenders of Holy Russia, the guardianship, the Old Believers miss the fact of the damage to human nature, underestimate the need for spiritual development.

scholarly journals PHILOSOPHICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL IDEAS IN THE WORKS OF PERSONALITIES OF FRATERNAL SCHOOLS (XVI – XVII CENTURIES)

2020 ◽  
pp. 98-108
Keyword(s):  
Image Of God ◽  
Historical Period ◽  
Dual Nature ◽  
Knowledge Of God ◽  
Philosophy Of Life ◽  
Surrounding World ◽  
Spiritual World ◽  
Self Knowledge ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Image Of God

In the article the author tries to analyze the representation of philosophical and anthropological ideas in the works of fraternal schools in the XVI–XVII centuries. It is noted that man was considered in the unity of soul and body as a microcosm and one that was created in the image of God. Self-knowledge was interpreted as a way of liberation from the burdens of the surrounding world, dependence on earthly sensuality. In particular, Stefan Zizaniy had a rationalist vision of the dogmas of orthodox Christianity. The work of Kyrylo Tranquillion-Stavrovetsky shows a neo-Platonist tradition associated with humanism. In accordance with the traditions of the Renaissance, the philosopher turns to the idea of double truth, considering wisdom from the standpoint of theology and practical philosophy of life. K. Tranquillion-Stavrovetsky, according to the Stoic doctrine, regarded man as a dual nature. But the philosopher also emphasized the unity of soul and body, because they are strongly interconnected. It is noteworthy that the scientist reveals the problem of soul and body from the Renaissance-humanistic moral-ethical and epistemological positions. Isaiah Kopynsky emphasizes that self-knowledge and cognition of the surrounding world does not occur through the study of nature and observation of natural phenomena, but, on the contrary, through immersion in your inner spiritual world through “smart deeds”. It contributes to the knowledge of the outside world, self-knowledge and knowledge of God. I. Kopynsky’s views are close to early Hesychast Byzantine theology. The anthropological views of the theologian are focused on the individual who takes an active part in the historical process. In his works, M. Smotrytsky also pays special attention to the transcendent nature of the human spirit, in particular, analyzing the question of the interaction of action and will. The author concludes that the philosophical and anthropological ideas of the fraternal schools were formed in the context of European philosophical culture and were a reflection of the cultural and historical features of the historical period we are studying.

scholarly journals THE IMAGE OF GOD WITHIN MAN – THE FOUNDATION OF SPIRITUAL PERFECTION

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-75
Author(s):  
Leontin POPESCU ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Image Of God ◽  
Human Being ◽  
Time And Space ◽  
God's Image ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Image Of God

The human being is a mystery, he is not only nature, and he is not only soul, but these two together and more than that, he represents the divine seal on the individual. The human being can only be defined as a being impossible to define. Man created in God’s image is immortal, unique, non-recurring and we can even say impossible to clone. Beyond these statements, deep within himself, man discovers himself as a being animated by light and grace that do not come from within, but from the outside, as tension that is above all laws and mechanisms caused by it and which could be altered. Not only by means of his soul, but also by means of his body can any man achieve uniqueness, which makes it so that no body is completely identical to another. We find proof in finger prints or even in the composition of strands of hair, which differ from man to man. With each body, as with each soul, God wanted to make one of His special thoughts come alive. That is why it is not allowed to treat people as simple, identical copies of the same reality, but each person should be considered and treated as a unique value in time and space.

scholarly journals PATH OF SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT IN PHILOSOPHICAL AND RELIGIOUS VIEWS OF THE UKRAINIAN MIDDLE AGES AND THE EARLY MODERNISM REPRESENTATIVES IN THE CONTEXT OF THE DOCTRINE OF THEOSIS

2020 ◽  
pp. 117-127
Keyword(s):  
Middle Ages ◽  
Spiritual Development ◽  
Subjective Experience ◽  
Mystical Experience ◽  
Human Person ◽  
Image Of God ◽  
Main Task ◽  
Divine Grace ◽  
The Will ◽  
The Image Of God

In the article the author tries to analyze the vision of the path of spiritual formation in the philosophical and religious views of the Ukrainian Middle Ages and the early modernism representatives in the context of the doctrine of theosis. It is noted that the doctrine of deification is considered fundamental to the theology of holiness. Theosis, the idea of which is to renew the image and the likeness of God in a person, is the main goal of life from the standpoint of the Eastern Church. After all, the combination of the Divine and human natures opens the way to God for a person. As a state of subjective experience of a human person, theosis is considered in hesychasm, which interprets it as synergy - an interacting combination of energies of man and God. The path to the development of knowledge about God is connected with the ascetic rejection from the worldly life, and the path to the union with Him is connected with the union of the Divine and human natures in a person. Followers of hesychasm believe that theosis is the practice of the subjective experience of a human person; synergy is the interacting combination of the energy of man and God. The main task of austerity is the attainment of divine grace. It dissolves the will of man in the process of a human being transformation. The doctrine of theosis had an impact on the formation of the theocratic idea in the culture of Kiev Rus, in which love of wisdom played an important role in human understanding themselves as the image of God. Analyzing the views of the Ukrainian Middle Ages and early modernism representatives on the path of spiritual development of man, the author concludes that they were characterized by the vision of deification as a person’s approach to God through self-exploration and moral improvement. Theosis is the final result on the path of spiritual growth for the representatives of the Middle Ages and early modernism philosophical conception, who attached great importance to gaining inner mystical experience and sought to experience spiritual ecstasy as the ultimate goal in the mystical path to deification.

Knowing and Willing in Freedom

2020 ◽  
pp. 45-74
Author(s):  
Richard A. Muller
Keyword(s):  
Image Of God ◽  
Human Freedom ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Faculty Psychology ◽  
The Reformation ◽  
History Of ◽  
Voluntary Choice ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Image Of God

Perkins’ basic understanding of human freedom drew on the resources of earlier English and continental Protestant thought, including the work of thinkers like Jerome Zanchi and Zacharias Ursinus. Early modern Reformed writers, whether of the Reformation or of the era of orthodoxy, were participants in a long history of conversation and debate over the nature of voluntary choice. This debate was rooted in theological treatments of grace and freedom extending back into the patristic era. Like the earlier English and continental Protestant thinkers, Perkins carefully worked through the traditional faculty psychology, in order to counter the accusation of Roman Catholic polemicists that Reformed theology utterly denied human freedom and responsibility. From the outset, Perkins’ approach rested on an analysis of the interrelationship of intellect and will, the creation of human beings in the image of God, and the relationship of human to divine willing.

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