Ἀρχή and δῖνος: Vortices as Cosmogonic Powers and Cosmic Regulators. Study Case: The Whirling Lightning Bolt of Zeus

2020 ◽  
Vol 21-22 (1) ◽  
pp. 449-478
Author(s):  
Pierre Bonnechere ◽  
Gabriela Cursaru
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Emotional States ◽  
Order And Disorder ◽  
Lightning Bolt ◽  
Cosmic Order ◽  
The World ◽  
Study Case ◽  
Law And Justice ◽  
Entire Cosmos ◽  
The Universe

AbstractIn the cosmogonic and eschatological narratives of the origin and end of the world, both in some early myths and in the Presocratics’ systems, the vortex and other spinning motifs act as necessary agents of both order and disorder. Their rapidity induces a separation of opposites, and they jointly cause the resulting masses to move towards their “appropriate” place in the universe and thus produce a constant pendulum between multiplicity and unity. Furthermore, vortices appear to be the cosmic agents of the divine will, and they constantly regulate divine law and justice. Every time the cosmic order they have established is threatened, the Olympians punish the hubristic wrongdoers and protect the equilibrium of the world, using their attributes – e. g., the trident, the kerykeion, or the thyrsus – which often feature whirling shapes, movements, and patterns. The best example is Zeus’ thunderbolt, which is described as a whirling weapon from Hesiod to Nonnos, evoking the tempestuous force and cosmic energy of its origins. Far from being incidental, the vortex was clearly at the centre of the Greek conception of the entire cosmos, from the rotation of the planets to the whirling winds and the tumultuous or serpentine rivers, to the symposium and everyday life, even to turmoil and other spinning inner emotional states.

scholarly journals About Distinction Between Conditions of the World Before and After the Fallin Works of Russian Theologians and Religious Thinkers XIX - Early XX Century

2020 ◽  
pp. 26-48
Author(s):  
Николай Серебряков
Keyword(s):  
Natural Science ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Critical Assessment ◽  
Biblical Narrative ◽  
Philosophical Literature ◽  
The World ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Entire Universe ◽  
Entire Cosmos ◽  
The Universe

В статье рассматриваются мнения русских богословов и религиозных философов XIX - начала ХХ в. о характере и масштабах влияния грехопадения первых людей на состояние всего мира. Показано, что для русского богословия указанного периода характерно признание катастрофического влияния грехопадения по отношению ко всему мирозданию. Это влияние объясняется теснейшей связью человека со всем космосом. Однако эта очевидная богословская истина практически не была учтена в естественнонаучно-апологетической литературе этого периода при обсуждении проблемы соотнесения библейского повествования о творении мира и человека с научными данными. Более того, в начале ХХ в. появляются представления, что грехопадение в объективном плане никак не повлияло на состояние мира, а только изменило человека и его взгляд на мир. Лишь в русской религиозно-философской литературе начала ХХ в. идея о теснейшей связи человека и космоса нашла свой отклик, и на основании этой идеи была дана критическая оценка способности естественных наук проникнуть в мир до события грехопадения. The article describes the views of the Russian theologians and religious philosophers of XIX - early XX centuries about a character and scales of influence of the fall on a condition of the world. We show that the Russian theology of this period recognizes the catastrophic influence of the fall on the entire universe. This influence is due to the close connection of man with the entire cosmos. However, this obvious theological truth was practically ignored in the discussion of the problem of the correlation of the biblical narrative about the creation of the world and man and scientific data in the natural science and apologetic literature in this period. Moreover, at the beginning of the ХХ century there are ideas that the fall in objective terms did not affect the state of the world, but that it changed only the nature of a man and man's view of the world. Only in the Russian religious philosophical literature at the beginning of the XX century the idea about the closest connection of a man and the universe got the response. On the basis of this idea religious philosophers gave a critical assessment of the ability of sciences to get into the world prior to the fall.

Introduction

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve Zeitlin
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Artistic Expression ◽  
The People ◽  
The World ◽  
The Universe ◽  
Crisis Situations

This book explores the poetry of everyday life and relates it to folklore, with the objective of helping the reader to maximize their capacity for artistic expression. It asks how we can tap into the poetics of things we often take for granted, from the stories we tell to the people we love, or the sports and games we play. It considers how poems serve us in daily life, as well as the ways poems are used in crisis situations: to serve people with AIDS, or as a form of healing and remembrance after 9/11. The book also looks at the tales and metaphors of scientists as a kind of poetry that enables us to better understand the universe around us. It includes a section dedicated to art in the human life cycle and explains the author's own conception of “the human unit of time.” Lastly, the book suggests ways to tap in to the artfulness and artistry of our own lives and how to find audiences for your work, to share your vision with the world.

Homiletical possibilities and challenges in Colossians

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (4) ◽  
pp. 458-465
Author(s):  
Casey Thornburgh Sigmon
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Western Turkey ◽  
World Today ◽  
Greco Roman ◽  
Cosmic Order ◽  
The World ◽  
Roman Culture ◽  
In Christ ◽  
The Church ◽  
Christian Society

Colossians shines a light onto how some early churches on the margins of society adjusted to everyday life in the midst of a non-Christian society. Engaging baptismal liturgy and hymnody, the Colossian authors instruct Christians in the Lycus Valley (western Turkey) to beware of philosophies and ascetic practices competing for their devotion. According to Colossians, the baptized are now living a new life in Christ, the head of the Church and cosmos. New fruit is visible evidence to the outside world of the cosmic reconciliation that occurred through the cross of Jesus Christ. As dramatic as the shift in cosmic order may seem in the first chapters of the letter, however, the latter half creates a challenge for the preacher. The authors seem to accommodate the radical new life in Christ to the wider Greco-Roman culture, resulting in a diminished role for women in the church and an acceptance of the slave–master dichotomy. Both accommodations in Colossians haunt our legacy as Christ’s Body in the world today.

scholarly journals The Fusion of Javano-Islamic Mysticism in the Story of Dewaruci

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 75
Author(s):  
Heri Setyawan
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Good Life ◽  
Life Story ◽  
Human Relation ◽  
Daily Activities ◽  
The World ◽  
Human Understanding ◽  
Islamic Mysticism ◽  
The Universe

Serat Cabolek shows the story which represents the Javanese mysticism, especially as told by the story of Dewaruci. The debate among Haji Amad Mutamakin and Ketip Anom about the spirituality of Dewaruci consist of synthesis Javanese and Islamic mysticism. Particularly, it is the emergence of Hinduism and Islam which shapes Javanese mysticism. Looking carefully at the dialogue and debate between Haji Mutamakin and Ketip Anom about the story of Dewaruci it shows that the concept of Javanese mysticism drawn to the fundamental themes such as what life is what to do in life, and how to live in a good life. Story of Dewaruci shows the significance of batin as an inner essence of a person. The goal of life is seeking “water of life” that is unity with the Divine. The Divine is not outside there and far from human. The mysticism of Java, therefore, is all about life in the world and human relation with himself, others, and the universe. It is about human activities in all their mundane activities and about human understanding of himself and the universe. Javanese mysticism lays in daily activities. It is in everyday life Javanese coming to the essence of life. These daily activities consist of all relations Javanese made the way of thinking Javanese understood and believed. All aspects become a mystic realm.  Keywords:Islamic Mysticism, Javanese Culture, Cultural Fusion

scholarly journals “Um poema um romance tuga” – o desafio do género na obra de Adília Lopes / “A Poem a Romance Tuga” – The Challenge of Genre and Gender in the Work of Adília Lopes

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (61) ◽  
pp. 161
Author(s):  
Nazaré Torrão
Keyword(s):  
Middle Class ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
Recent Work ◽  
Fat Body ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Literary Genres ◽  
The World ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Universe ◽  
Positive Concept

Resumo: Os textos de Adília Lopes colocam um desafio ao leitor que os quiser classificar segundo o género, seja segundo o que alguns chamaram os modos literários (categorias meta-históricas) relacionados com a perspetiva do discurso – lírico? narrativo? – seja na perspetiva da visão do homem – trágico? cómico? ou tragicómico? – seja quanto aos géneros literários (como categoria histórica) – poema? crónica? diário? – ou ainda aos subgéneros: paródia? citação? Ao longo dos textos desta autora vai-se construindo uma personagem autoral e desenhando uma crónica de costumes e vivências do quotidiano citadino, de uma classe média alta lisboeta, sob uma perspetiva em que o género, no sentido de gender é essencial. Em Estar em casa, última obra da autora, publicada em 2018, o modo menor, prosaico, pouco glorioso e paródico como é visto esse quotidiano desenha uma crónica tuga (crónica, diário ou romance?) como parece subentender o verso “Um poema um romance tuga” (LOPES, 2018, p. 20) ao usar a designação pejorativa tuga por português. Esse romance tuga é criado com base nas vozes que habitam a casa e o universo familiar do eu lírico/narradora (memórias), composto não só pelo mundo que a rodeia como pelo universo de leituras que influenciam direta e indiretamente a escrita. É nesse sentido que se analisa a obra mais recente da autora, Estar em casa. A citação de vozes várias e de textos numa perspetiva antropofágica e paródica é associada à defesa de uma imagem do corpo da mulher segundo as novas perspetivas do conceito positivo do corpo gordo.Palavras-chave: Adília Lopes; género; paródia; conceito positivo do corpo gordo; casa/mundo.Abstract: The texts of Adília Lopes pose a challenge to the reader who wants to classify them according to the genre, according to what some have called the literary modes (meta-historical categories) related to the perspective of the discourse – lyric? narrative? – whether from the perspective of man’s vision – tragic? comic? or tragicomic? – as for literary genres (as historical category) – poem? chronic daily? – or to subgenera: parody? quote? Throughout the author’s texts, an authorial character is constructed and a chronicle of customs and experiences of the daily life of a city of Lisbon, from a middle-class, under a perspective in which gender, is essential. In Estar em Casa, the last work of the author, published in 2018, the minor, prosaic, little glorious and parodic mode as seen in this everyday life draws a chronic tuga (chronicle, diary or novel?) As seems to imply the verse “A poem a romance tuga“, when using the pejorative designation tuga, by Portuguese. This tuga novel is created based on the voices that inhabit the home and the familiar universe of the lyrical / story teller (memories), composed not only by the world around it but also by the universe of readings that directly and indirectly influence writing. It is in this sense that the most recent work of the author, Estar em casa, is analyzed. The quote of various voices in an anthropophagic and parodic perspectives is associated with the defense of an image of the woman’s body, according to the new perspectives of the positive concept of the fat body.Keywords: Adília Lopes; genre; gender; parody; positive concept of fat body; home/world.

Gods in Ancient Egypt

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oskar Kaelin
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Ancient Egypt ◽  
Ancient Egyptian ◽  
The People ◽  
The World ◽  
The Dead ◽  
The Universe ◽  
Vast Network

The ancient Egyptians were surrounded by various manifestations of their many gods. Though their gods usually lived in heaven or in the netherworlds, they were permanently represented on earth by monuments, statues, symbols, animals, and plants, as well as by social concepts. The Egyptians described their gods by various names and images, always aware that in the end their true personalities and characters remained elusive. The ancient Egyptian universe comprised heaven, earth, and netherworld, all part of creation and surrounded by eternal darkness. Though separate areas, they were permeable for the gods and the dead. The universe ran smoothly as long as there was respect and cooperation between them and the living. This formed an ideological, social, and economic cohesion. The gods were powerful but benevolent, and approachable in many ways. The divine king was the hub between the world of the gods and the human sphere. He was the main entity responsible for organizing the supply and welfare of the humans, and for keeping order. During official festivals, the living, the gods, and the dead celebrated together, but there were also a number of more personal ways to approach deities. The various sites of interaction between gods and men formed a vast network connecting all the players: the gods were responsible for creation and abundance, the kings and elites were primarily responsible for ensuring that the system ran according to Maat (“Order”), and the people were responsible for living and working throughout the country. The system of ancient Egyptian gods structured Egyptian ideas, policies, and everyday life from the end of the 4th millennium bce to the rise of Christianity and beyond. The ancient Egyptians’ beliefs were polytheistic, acknowledging the existence of thousands of gods and endless deceased humans. At times, the ancient Egyptians appeared to be henotheistic and would exalt a deity in his or her uniqueness. Moreover, with Akhenaten, they were the first to experiment with monotheism, though that did not last much longer than a decade. The ideas and images created for the Egyptian gods and religion had an impact on many contemporaneous cultures, as well as on later religions.

scholarly journals The elements in the cosmogonic myths of the world nations

2021 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Margarita Arutyunyan ◽  
Nataliya Solovyeva ◽  
Olga Evreeva
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Study ◽  
Semantic Analysis ◽  
Field Research ◽  
The World ◽  
Different Types ◽  
General Scientific ◽  
The Common ◽  
Entire Cosmos ◽  
The Universe ◽  
Contemporary Context

For many sciences, such as history, archaeology, ethnology, linguistics, and for philosophy, cosmogonic beliefs of ancient peoples became a subject of detailed study. This work uses field research results with reliance on the scientific tradition. The authors used both special, or general scientific, and philosophical methods. The problem of semantic analysis of the elements in the folklore of the world nations in the contemporary context is highly relevant. One of the tasks of this article is to identify the importance of the elements in the ancient beliefs. For this purpose, the article describes the results of a comparative study of myths mentioning different types of the elements. The article reveals the characteristics of the elements’ embodiment in the cosmogonic myths of the world nations and determines the reasons for worshipping the sky, earth, fire, and water in cosmogonic folklore. The authors analyse the common and the special in figurative symbolism of the elements in classical and contemporary folklore. The analysis of semantic load of archetypal images describing the elements showed that each of the elements in the world mythology is sacred. The elements act at all levels of the universe and occupy the entire cosmos in the cosmogonic myths of the world nations.Contribution: The results of the article can be used in scientific research in the field of folklore and ethnology.

Text as action, action as text? Ricoeur, λoƔoσ and the affirmative search for meaning in the ‘universe of discourse’

2011 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 593-600
Author(s):  
Alison Scott-Baumann
Keyword(s):  
Common Ground ◽  
Search For Meaning ◽  
Order And Disorder ◽  
The World ◽  
Extended Analysis ◽  
Language Ethics ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Universe ◽  
Readable Text ◽  
Universe Of Discourse

Ricoeur placed a great deal of importance upon text and the interpretation of text. Bell accepts this by virtue of his extended analysis of the story of Babel, and I hope to offer ways of extending and developing Bell’s arguments to incorporate the ethical demands that Ricoeur placed upon text, upon our interpretation of text and upon action as a form of readable text. This will not include a commentary on discourse analysis, which I am not qualified to give. Ricoeur differed from the structuralist tradition in that he saw the relationship between language and life as taking a dialectical form: debate that presumes the possibility of altering one’s position by grappling with different views, and often taking inspiration from Hegelian dialectics, with their contrasting polarized views and the eventual attempt at affirmative common ground. The term λoƔoσ ( logos) was first used in a philosophical way by Heraclitus to give us the principle of order and knowledge, and yet for Heraclitus the world was dominated by conflict and change. Ricoeur studied this tension within logos between order and disorder, partly by his writing about language and his work on signs and symbols, partly through metaphor and narrative and also through his insights on translation. For him, all these are facets of the need for both Explaining and Understanding as forms of interpretation of language, ethics and action. Ricoeur’s work on logos provides us with an approach that asks whether ethics controls language or vice versa or both and how this fits in with structuralism and later movements. For Ricoeur, signs (words, texts) are not the centres of our perceptual experience. At the heart of our perception are our motivations and our actions, for which we must take responsibility in a sort of provisional affirmation that we will keep trying. In so doing we must doubt (be suspicious of) our own motives just as much as those of others, and see action as a form of readable text.

‘A pinch of unseen, unguarded dust’: The World and Self in Thomas Hardy's Poems

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-66
Author(s):  
Monika Szuba
Keyword(s):  
The Body ◽  
The Self ◽  
Phenomenological Philosophy ◽  
The Earth ◽  
The World ◽  
The Universe ◽  
Recurrent Theme ◽  
Body Subject

The essay discusses selected poems from Thomas Hardy's vast body of poetry, focusing on representations of the self and the world. Employing Maurice Merleau-Ponty's concepts such as the body-subject, wild being, flesh, and reversibility, the essay offers an analysis of Hardy's poems in the light of phenomenological philosophy. It argues that far from demonstrating ‘cosmic indifference’, Hardy's poetry offers a sympathetic vision of interrelations governing the universe. The attunement with voices of the Earth foregrounded in the poems enables the self's entanglement in the flesh of the world, a chiasmatic intertwining of beings inserted between the leaves of the world. The relation of the self with the world is established through the act of perception, mainly visual and aural, when the body becomes intertwined with the world, thus resulting in a powerful welding. Such moments of vision are brief and elusive, which enhances a sense of transitoriness, and, yet, they are also timeless as the self becomes immersed in the experience. As time is a recurrent theme in Hardy's poetry, this essay discusses it in the context of dwelling, the provisionality of which is demonstrated in the prevalent sense of temporality, marked by seasons and birdsong, which underline the rhythms of the world.

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