The Whole Self

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Pattison
Keyword(s):  
The Self ◽  
Present Moment ◽  
Christian Spirituality ◽  
Temporal Dimensions

This chapter addresses the question as to how the Christian devout life is related to contemporary holistic spirituality, taking C. G. Jung as representative of holistic spirituality’s quest to balance the binary elements of the self. By way of contrast, Christian spirituality might seem to require the hierarchical subordination of one part of the self to another, reinforcing suspicions as to its essentially heteronomous nature. Nevertheless, the devout life can be shown to be a life involving the coordination of ‘body, mind, and spirit’. Where contemporary holism emphasizes the spatial balancing of the self the devout life integrates spatial and temporal dimensions of selfhood seeking to be focused on the sacrament of the present moment as it moves forward in tranquillity and equanimity.

Prodigality and Time in The Merchant of Venice

PMLA ◽  
1972 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvan Barnet
Keyword(s):  
The Self ◽  
Present Moment ◽  
Merchant Of Venice ◽  
Prodigal Son ◽  
The Merchant Of Venice ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Moment

A study of two motifs—prodigality and time—may help to reveal some of the meanings of The Merchant of Venice. Scornful of generosity, Shylock sees Bassanio and Antonio as prodigals, and thus he resembles somewhat the self-satisfied elder brother of the parable of the Prodigal Son. Bassanio's prodigality is in harmony with time; he does not calculate, as Shylock does, but acts intuitively, and because his wants are “ripe” he reaps a reward. Two examples: though he plans to attend a masque, to the audience's surprise he suddenly seizes the moment and departs for Belmont when the wind changes; at Belmont, in contrast to Morocco and Aragon, who offer reasons for their choices, Bassanio offers no reason for choosing as he does, except that the lead casket “moves” him. Such uncalculated responses to the present moment are fruitful, in contrast to the usurer's calculations about the future, and especially in contrast to the usurer's practice of risking nothing while (in Elizabethan terminology) “selling time.”

scholarly journals Time Code in Modern Art: Discoursive Analysis of Temporal Art-Projects

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 150-166
Author(s):  
Galina N. Lola ◽  
◽  
Tatiana I. Aleksandrova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Social Action ◽  
Modern Art ◽  
Semantic Space ◽  
Present Moment ◽  
Work Of Art ◽  
The Future ◽  
Temporal Dimensions ◽  
The Impact

The article explores the influence of the concept of time on modern art practices, as well as the impact of digital media on the ability of art to anticipate the future. The methodology of discourse analysis is used as a tool to reveal temporal characteristics and the communicative potential of relevant art projects. The digital age creates a simultaneous world in which one can perceive the future by being deeply involved in the present moment. Contemporary artists have the ability to grasp changes hidden from the majority, and to formalize them in works of art. The simultaneous perception of time becomes the clue to the development of this ability, while the concept of time becomes the clue to understanding the message contained in the work of art. As a result, the task of the researcher is to discover the temporal dimensions of the relevant art projects and to examine the nature of interaction between the viewer and the work of art. Taking this into consideration, special attention should be given to the method of involving the viewer in the semantic space of the artwork. The subject of analysis is the communicative model of the artwork, which is presented as a flexible, mobile semantic structure that activates the viewer’s imagination and his ability to improvise. The methodological framework for understanding the communicative model was the neo‐pragmatism theory of social action and practice-oriented social semiotics. The interpretation of the work of art as a communicative event actualizes the discourse analysis that allows us to perceive the artwork in its dynamics and to explore its’ temporal dimensions. At the same time, the discourse analysis is represented not only as an effective research tool, but also as a resource that helps the artist, the researcher and the viewer to develop a flexible and conceptual mindset.

scholarly journals The Ibtihalat in the Digital Age: Public and Private Domains

Religions ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 866
Author(s):  
Heba Arafa Abdelfattah
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experience ◽  
The Self ◽  
Radio Station ◽  
Present Moment ◽  
Deep Roots ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Radio Stations ◽  
The Gaze ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Social Media Platforms

One of the most popular cultures in Islam is the genre of “hymns” or “invocations” (pl. ibtihalat, sing. ibtihal), which has recently been amplified on social media platforms. The ibtihalat are Arabic short poems performed by a sheikh known as the “supplicator” (mubtahil). They air regularly on Arabic TV stations and more frequently on radio stations, especially those broadcasting about the Qur’an, its recitation, and its interpretation. In Egypt, the Qur’an’s radio station, which has millions of followers, launched a YouTube station that airs ibtihalat before and after dawn prayer daily. The viewership of one ibtihal like that of Sheikh Sayyid al-Naqshabandi’s “My Lord” (Mawlay) reached 11 million on YouTube. The ibtihalat are also integral parts of Islamic festivities during the two Eids and Ramadan. Focusing on al-Naqshabandi’s ibtihal “My Lord” (Mawlay), this paper discusses the genre of Islamic hymns as a popular culture approach to study Islam as a lived experience based on the inclusion, not the elimination, of difference. To that end, I explore how the ibtihal becomes a domain for contemplating the place of the self in the present moment without the gaze of authority and how this reconfiguration of authority within the self has deep roots in the Islamic notion of “unicity of God” (tawhid).

The Aspiring Self

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Pattison
Keyword(s):  
Seventeenth Century ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
The Self ◽  
Christian Spirituality

Noting that recent fashions in spirituality have moved away from what is perceived as the content of Salesian devotion, it is argued that the latter nevertheless condenses widespread themes in Christian spirituality. The chapter provides a historical context for the texts being studied, looking at the lives of de Sales, Fénelon, and others and noting the controversial status of their teaching in seventeenth-century France, especially through association with Quietism. Although the devout self seems at first to be a submissive self, it is argued that de Sales’s own account requires seeing it as a free and self-determining self, capable of giving itself in devotion, even if the aim is to subordinate the self to the movement of the spirit.

scholarly journals Holiness and humour

2016 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita Houck
Keyword(s):  
Theological Reflection ◽  
The Self ◽  
The Other ◽  
Christian Spirituality ◽  
Religious Imagination ◽  
Ethical Action ◽  
Cognitive Research ◽  
Holy Women ◽  
Right Relationship

Although Christian spirituality includes a long tradition of suspicion of humour, humour can express and further holiness in several ways. Humour serves holiness in religious satire; it can also communicate the self-transcendent perspective of holy women and men. Humour and holiness can also illuminate each other because both are inherently relational. Christian holiness consists primarily in right relationship to the Holy One and, thus, to others. Humour’s complex relational nature is examined with the help of Ted Cohen’s analysis of joke-telling and evolutionary and cognitive research. Humour and its primary expression, laughter, are inherently ambiguous, capable of expressing and creating a range of attitudes and relationships; consequently, they can both conduce to and hinder holiness. Finally, humour can contribute to the religious imagination, and thus to holiness, by challenging established images of the holy, inviting fresh theological reflection, and inspiring ethical action. Both holiness and humour require openness to that which is beyond us and agility in responding to the other.

The Life of the Self in Christian Spirituality and Contemporary Psychoanalysis

Horizons ◽  
1984 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 344-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
John McDargh
Keyword(s):  
Final Section ◽  
The Self ◽  
Christian Spirituality ◽  
Object Relations Theory ◽  
Theravada Buddhism ◽  
Psychological Model ◽  
Religious Vision ◽  
Self Development ◽  
Potential Resource ◽  
Spectrum Model

AbstractThis article explores modern psychoanalytic object relations theory as a potential resource for Christian spirituality in the development of an integrated theological and psychological model of the self. The necessity for such a model is first suggested by considering some potential dangers within the current revival of modes of “imageless” prayer. A suggestive effort that has already been made to construct a “spectrum” model of self development that combines psychoanalytic insight with the psychology of Theravada Buddhism is then examined. The final section assesses the interpretive power of a similar model worked out for the distinctive religious vision of Christian spirituality.

scholarly journals The Effects of Mindfulness on Self-Rumination, Self-Reflection, and Depressive Symptoms: A Research Proposal

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mabel Yu
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
The Self ◽  
Focused Attention ◽  
Present Moment ◽  
Clinical Tool ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Treatment Of Depression ◽  
Self Worth ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Relationship

The investigation of mindfulness has increased significantly over the past decade regarding its efficacy as a clinical tool, particularly in the treatment of depression. Mindfulness is often conceptualized as a mental state characterized by present-moment, non-judgmental attention and awareness. Past researchers have suggested that mindfulness is linked to reduction of self-rumination (i.e. maladaptive self-focused attention to one’s self-worth) through promotion of concrete focus and inhibition of automatic elaboration of intrusive thoughts. Moreover, mindfulness also promotes low-level construal thinking (i.e. concrete thinking) which competes against high-level construal thinking (i.e. abstract thinking). Researchers have proposed that self-rumination involves high-level construal of the self and others, which could increase the likelihood of experiencing negative moods. On the other hand, mindfulness may potentially promote self-reflection (i.e. adaptive self-focused attention to the self) while inhibiting self-rumination. The purpose of this paper is to propose a research idea that will explore the relationship between mindfulness, self-rumination, self-reflection, and depressive symptoms (i.e., low mood, anhedonia or ability to feel pleasure, and changes in sleep). The findings of the proposed research may have significant implications for treatment of depressive symptoms and for promotion of positive outcomes such as mitigation of self-rumination and enhancement of self-reflective processes through potential effects of mindfulness.

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