Diversity in the Church: A Comparative Analysis of Multiracial, White, and Black Congregations

Abstract. The paper presents the results of a research carried out on the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Pizzofalcone in Naples, in which multi-sensor surveys have been performed in order to assess the architectonical, geometrical and colorimetric characteristics of the majestic basilica. The use of integrated technologies made it possible to realize 3D digital models that allowed the complete representation of the building, integrating data and filling the gaps of the different previous surveys. The performances of the various reality-based technologies employed have been subjected to critical analysis in order to maximize their potential, optimize survey and data elaboration phases, and obtain the expected results. These latter have been defined through the derived digital re-elaborations and representations. Hence, the objective of the research is to carry out a comparative analysis on the 3D models generated through the different active and passive sensors employed in order to proceed with their integration and achieve an accurate, original and updated methodology of building survey.

Download Full-text

Wall paintings from the late 15th century in the Monastery church of St. Paraskeve - Brajcino

Zbornik radova Vizantoloskog instituta ◽

10.2298/zrvi0744549p ◽

2007 ◽

pp. 549-565 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Viktorija Popovska-Korobar

Keyword(s):

Comparative Analysis ◽

Wall Paintings ◽

The West ◽

Republic Of Macedonia ◽

Lake Prespa ◽

15Th Century ◽

Last Judgment ◽

The Republic ◽

The Village ◽

The Church

The Monastery of St. Paraskevy is located above the village Brajcino, on the east shore of Lake Prespa in the Republic of Macedonia. In accordance with the incomplete donor?s inscription this one aisle church with a pitched roof was built and decorated at the same time. Reparations came around 1800, when rebuilding was done on the longitudinal walls and the narthex (without fresco decoration). The fresco paintings from the 15th century are preserved on the west facade, and on the east and west wall of the naos. The decorative program in the interior was common for the small type monastery churches without narthex. From the old edifice, on the corner of the outside southwest wall visible are remains of figures, a monk and a man in laymen?s attire facing eastward. The iconographic program of the west facade is interesting for the scenes which encompass the patrons niche: a reduced Last Judgment (Royal Deesis, Hell and Paradise, where the monk Pahomios above the gate is depicted in prayer) and the equestrian figures of St. George and St. Mena. A parallel for the rare iconography of St. Mena with the tamed beasts is found in an unpublished icon, which most probably was painted in the last quarter of the 15th century, and is kept presently on the iconostasis of the church of Panagia tou Apostolaki in Kastoria. In accordance with all the considered characteristics by means of comparative analysis, we assume that the anonymous master could be an individual who belonged to the painting workshops which are credited for painting the church of St. Nicholas of the nun Eupraxia in Kastoria. We suppose the painter worked in Brajcino soon after the year 1486 and before 1493, when the decoration of the church in Kremikovci was completed, in which he most likely took part as a member of another large workshop. Regarding the question about the origins of the style of the 'master from the 1480?s', the paper articulates an opinion that they should be traced not only in the long painting traditions of Kastoria and Ohrid, but also in the collaboration of the masters and the spread of their works in these two important centers of the Ohrid Archbishopric.

Download Full-text

The Impotent Leader and The Legacy of the Church

Scandinavian Journal for Leadership & Theology ◽

10.53311/sjlt.v8.51 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Bård Eirik Hallesby Norheim ◽

Joar Haga

Keyword(s):

Comparative Analysis ◽

Rhetorical Analysis ◽

Interesting Case ◽

Church Of Sweden ◽

The Future ◽

Formal Power ◽

Point Of Departure ◽

The Church ◽

Deliberative Rhetoric

When a leader leaves office, the leader becomes impotent, divested of power. This makes the actual moment of farewell a particularly interesting case study in leadership, as the farewell moment marks the transition of power from one leader to another. Many leaders use the point of departure as an opportunity to articulate the legacy of the institution they leave behind. This article offers a rhetorical and theological analysis of the farewell sermon delivered by former presiding bishop of the Church of Norway, Helga Haugland Byfuglien in January 2020, and a shorter, comparative analysis of the equivalent farewell sermon of the former Archbishop of the Church of Sweden, Anders Wejryd (2014). The article analyses how Byfuglien and Wejryd conceptualize the legacy of the church with the use of epideictic and deliberative rhetoric (rhetorical analysis) and discuss what kind of legacy (theological analysis and discussion) they promote. The article argues that both Byfuglien and Wejryd use the farewell sermon as a rhetorical opportunity to articulate the church`s legacy for the future, although their own formal power to execute that legacy is coming to an end. Byfuglien appeals to a diaconal vision of the church`s legacy, with a tendency to emphasize the church`s welcoming and inclusive character. Wejryd addresses the current ecclesiological situation in more detail. By assessing the church`s numerical decline and changed societal status as a crisis, he mainly appeals to the church`s missional legacy. The article concludes that the farewell sermons of both Byfuglien and Wejryd may be interpreted as a sort of inheritance dispute, or better heritage dispute: In their farewell sermons, the departing bishops present their last(ing) act of leadership, appealing to the audience to commit to a particular vision of the church`'s legacy.

Download Full-text

Liturgijski temelj zajedništva prezbitera s biskupom

Diacovensia ◽

10.31823/d.26.1.6 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 117.-131.

Author(s):

Ivica Žižić

Keyword(s):

Comparative Analysis ◽

Second Vatican Council ◽

Liturgical Theology ◽

Communal Relationship ◽

Vatican Council ◽

God's People ◽

The Given ◽

The Church

Starting from the change and development in the understanding of the presbyterate and the episcopate at the Second Vatican Council, the author introduces the liturgical understanding of ministerial priesthood based on a comparative analysis of the ceremonial rite for the ordination of priests. The ministry of presbyters and bishops must always be understood from their ministerial, that is, their communal relationship with one another as well as with God’s people. The author develops the given topic in three units: the discovery of the liturgical foundation of ministerial priesthood; the bishop and priest as ecclesial subjects in the light of the ordination of bishops and priests; according to the liturgical theology of communion: some indications for lex vivendi. Through the contextual and comparative analysis of ordination and with a special emphasis on the original euchological context, the author concludes the reflection by reading the distinctiveness of the correlation of priestly and bishop’s ministry, whose identity and communion is given and formed by the worship of the Church.

Download Full-text

Hymnographic Complex by Meletios Syrigos Dedicated to the Kyivan Cave Saints and All Russian Saints in the Russian Tradition

Scrinium ◽

10.1163/18177565-bja10041 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-27

Author(s):

Tatiana Borisova

Keyword(s):

Comparative Analysis ◽

17Th Century ◽

Greek Text ◽

Two Stages ◽

The Church

Abstract In this paper, topics regarding the glorification of the Kyivan Cave Saints and other Kyivan Saints of the 17th century are discussed, based on the hymnographic complex (complete feast service and paraklesis) to the Kyivan Cave Saints and All Russian Saints composed by Meletios Syrigos, prominent Cretan scholar and official legate of the Ecumenical Patriarch, during his stay in Kyiv in June 1643. The two manuscripts containing the Greek hymnographic text studied – including the autograph manuscript – reference the names of 55 Kyivan Cave Saints as well as 19 other Kyivan Saints, some of whom remain unknown. The Church Slavonic translation carried out directly after the composition of the Greek text was realized in two stages and is analyzed according to two manuscript sources. Only some parts of Meletios’ complex, namely the Paraklesis with the stichera and troparia, were translated into Slavonic. Several decades later (before 1677), the text of this translation was revised without consulting the original Greek text, resulting in the version kept in Church practice today. During the process of this revision, significant changes were made to the text, both regarding the commemorated persons and their presentation. Therefore, the comparative analysis of the Greek text alongside the Church Slavonic texts reveals unknown aspects and stages of the recognition and acceptance of the Kyivan Cave Saints both in Peter Mohyla’s time and later on, as well as the role of Meletios Syrigos in this process.

Download Full-text

Socialising Church Space

10.26686/wgtn.17144576 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Thaddeus Young

Keyword(s):

Comparative Analysis ◽

New Zealand ◽

Local Community ◽

Potential Interaction ◽

Urban Setting ◽

Analysis Model ◽

Exterior Space ◽

The Impact ◽

The Church ◽

Church Buildings

<p>For hundreds of years the Christian Church stood as the pillar of occidental cities, structuring society and the urban fabric. At the time of European colonisation, the impact of the Church on New Zealand society was less significant than it had been centuries before. Social priorities were slowly shifting away from religious fanaticism, as such; the church did not influence the urban environment to the same level. Church buildings became increasingly isolated from their urban setting, with less impact on their surrounding environment. In addition, New Zealand urban development was expanding, creating the need for vehicular transport. For the majority of Christians, driving to church continues to be commonplace. What little exterior space churches have is typically used as car parking. This space surrounding many church buildings is functional and utilitarian, resulting in an uninviting exterior with no pedestrian interactivity. This has limited the potential interaction between the church and local community. To fully understand the New Zealand model, ten churches were identified and analysed in Wellington. Information and evidence were gathered on how to address the lack of inviting exterior church space. A comparative analysis model was used to identify sites with particular potential for improved design. Engagement with the respective church communities was then necessary to establish a deeper understanding of each site and the needs of the community. Comparative analysis and community engagement methods produced a set of criteria for designing in each space. By following the same process for each church space, the resulting designs propose spaces which allow opportunities for both members of the church and the general public to interact. Designs specifically focus on creating vibrant spaces with less emphasis on the architectural qualities and utilitarian programmes of church space. They are also multipurpose and flexible, taking into account weekly engagement and potential future development.</p>

Download Full-text

Israel and the Individual in Matthew and Midrash: Reassessing “True Israel”

Religions ◽

10.3390/rel12060425 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (6) ◽

pp. 425

Author(s):

Nicholas J. Schaser

Keyword(s):

Comparative Analysis ◽

New Testament ◽

The Holocaust ◽

The Individual ◽

The Church

Since the Holocaust, New Testament scholarship has become increasingly sensitive to issues of Christian anti-Judaism. While many Matthean specialists have acknowledged the problems with polemical interpretations of the Gospel, the idea that Matthew presents Jesus and/or the church is the “true Israel” continues to enjoy broad acceptance. The scholarly conflation of Jesus and Israel recycles the Christian polemic against a comparatively inauthentic or inadequate Judaism. This article argues that Matthew does not present Jesus or his church as the true Israel, and that the Jesus-as-Israel interpretation could be refined by comparing the Gospel with later rabbinic discussion that connects Israel with biblical individuals. Genesis Rabbah 40:6 juxtaposes verses about Abraham and Israel to reveal a comprehensive scriptural relationship between the nation and the patriarch without devaluing either party. The rabbis’ theological thesis is predicated on both similarity and separation between Abraham and his offspring. Insofar as both Matthew and Midrash present similar biblical content and exegesis, a comparative analysis can provide Gospel commentators with a view of the Jesus-Israel paradigm that avoids the Christianization of “true Israel.”

Download Full-text

The Geometries of S. Andrea al Quirinale

Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians ◽

10.2307/990406 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 48 (1) ◽

pp. 53-65 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Julia M. Smyth-Pinney

Keyword(s):

Comparative Analysis ◽

Spatial Organization ◽

Visual Experience ◽

Geometric Method ◽

Historical Documents ◽

Conceptual Clarity ◽

Final Design ◽

Resolution Analysis ◽

The Church

The unusual complexities of the oval plan of Bernini's S. Andrea al Quirinale result from a series of variations founded in traditional Renaissance geometric method. Through the comparative analysis of new measured drawings of the church and existing archival evidence, the development of the design is traced from its initial Serlian beginnings to its final innovative resolution. Analysis of the drawings in conjunction with historical documents confirms Bernini's use of conservative geometric procedures and reveals the reasons for his subsequent departure from strictest practice. The manipulation of geometry, proportion, and dimension arose not only out of Bernini's concern for conceptual clarity and theoretical orthodoxy, but also from a desire to use geometry in the support of spatial organization. The geometry of the final design illuminates and underlines the essential simplicity of the interior and gives us a better understanding of Bernini's intentions for the viewer's visual experience.

Download Full-text