scholarly journals A hermeneutic of vulnerability: difficult empathy in response to moral injury within whiteness

2021 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerrie Snyman
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Moral Injury ◽  
Biblical Text ◽  
Biblical Hermeneutics ◽  
The Third ◽  
Working Hypothesis ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Set Up ◽  
White Innocence ◽  
The Way

The purpose of this essay is to expose reader vulnerability by unmasking what is hidden in the reading of a (biblical) text. The working hypothesis is as follows: The mythical norm of reading the biblical text masks the issue of race in biblical hermeneutics in assuming white innocence and hiding a moral injury caused by the imperial agenda of modernity. A hermeneutics of vulnerability is suggested in order to acknowledge the moral injury that the racial implications of the imperial agenda of modernity caused and is still causing. The moral injury is mitigated by a process of difficult or unsettling empathy engendered by a hermeneutic of vulnerability. The arguments are set up as follows: the first section endeavours to figure out what lies behind the projection or construction of white innocence associated with the mythical norm (given the preponderance of race in current discourse in South Africa and the USA). The second section deals with the way a hermeneutic of vulnerability can enable a reader to credibly respond from a position of whiteness to, for example, the pressures from the decolonial turn in the discourse on race, asking what it means to be vulnerable and how one accounts for vulnerability. The third section embroiders on the consequences of accepting and revealing vulnerability, namely to show empathy and more specifically an uneasy or difficult empathy in a racially tense society. Opsomming Die doel van hierdie opstel is om die weerloosheid van die leser bloot te lê deur dit wat verborge is in die lees van ‘n (Bybelse) teks, te ontmasker. Die werkshipotese is soos volg: Die mitiese norm van die lees van die Bybelse teks verbloem die kwessie van ras in die Bybelse hermeneutiek deur die aanname van wit onskuld en die verdoeseling van ‘n etiese wond wat veroorsaak is deur die koloniale agenda van moderniteit. ‘n Hermeneutiek van weerloosheid word voorgestel om dié morele wond raak te sien in terme van rassisme wat deur die koloniale agenda van moderniteit veroorsaak word en nog steeds veroorsaak. Die etiese letsel word egter versag deur ‘n proses van moeilike of ontsetelende empatie wat deur ‘n hermeneutiese kwesbaarheid veroorsaak word. Die argumente word soos volg opgestel: die eerste afdeling poog om uit te vind wat agter ‘n konstruksie van witwees se onskuld lê ten opsigte van die mitiese norm van uitleg (gegewe die oorwig van ras in die huidige diskoers in Suid-Afrika en die VSA). Die tweede afdeling handel oor die manier waarop ‘n hermeneutiek van weerloosheid ‘n leser in staat kan stel om geloofwaardig vanuit ‘n posisie van witwees te reageer op, byvoorbeeld, die druk van die dekoloniale wending in die diskoers oor ras deur te vra wat dit beteken om kwesbaar te wees en hoe neem ‘n mens met kwesbaarheid rekening hou. Die derde afdeling verduidelik wat die gevolge is wanneer weerloosheid aanvaar en erken word, naamlik om empatie en meer spesifiek ‘n ongemaklike of moeilike empatie in rassespanning te toon.

scholarly journals O-bi, o-ba: Koniec cywilizacji – postpiśmienny świat Piotra Szulkina

1970 ◽  
pp. 273-284
Author(s):  
Maciej Pietrzak
Keyword(s):  
Science Fiction ◽  
Biblical Text ◽  
The Third ◽  
The Future ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Written Word ◽  
The Way ◽  
Adam Mickiewicz

Pietrzak Maciej, O-bi, o-ba: Koniec cywilizacji – postpiśmienny świat Piotra Szulkina [O-Bi, O-Ba: The End of Civilization – The Postliterate World of Piotr Szulkin]. „Przestrzenie Teorii” nr 32. Poznań 2019, Adam Mickiewicz University Press, pp. 273–284. ISSN 1644-6763. DOI 10.14746/pt.2019.32.14. Piotr Szulkin made his mark in the history of cinema primarily as the author of disturbing visions of the future. His four films made between 1979 and 1985 comprised the science-fiction tetralogy, which is still one of the greatest artistic achievements of this genre in Polish cinema. The subject of the article is the third production of Szulkin’s series – the post-apocalyptic film O-Bi, O-Ba: The End of Civilization from 1984. In the film, the director creates a suggestive vision of a world destroyed as a result of nuclear conflict, in which the original functions of literature and the written word are forgotten. The author article analyzes the way in which forsaken literary artifacts are used in the post-literary reality of the film. An important element of his considerations is also the post-apocalyptic reception of the biblical text, on whose elements the mythology of the film’s world is based.

scholarly journals The symbolism of Mesopotamian cult images

1979 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 105-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helmer Ringgren
Keyword(s):  
Literary Creation ◽  
The Third ◽  
Set Up ◽  
In Fire ◽  
To Receive ◽  
Precious Stones ◽  
The Way

Is. 44: 12-20 contains a satirical description of the way the pagans, i.e., the Babylonians, make their "gods", i.e., their idols. "The ironsmith fashions it and works it over the coals; he shapes it with hammers, and forges it with his strong arm ... The carpenter stretches a line, he marks it out with a pencil; he fashions it with planes, and marks it with a compass; he shapes it into the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house. He cuts down cedars, he plants holm trees and oaks and lets them grow. Some he uses for fuel to warm himself or to bake bread, of others "he makes a god and worships it. With these and similar words the prophet ridicules those who make cult images. This might of course be an independent literary creation—and perhaps it is—but interestingly enough there is a Babylonian text that could well have served as the prophet's model. In a ritual for the akitu festival in Babylon from Seleucid times we read about the third day as follows: "When it is three hours after sunrise, he shall call a metalworker and give him precious stones and gold from the treasury of the god Marduk to make two images for (the ceremonies of) the sixth day. He shall call a woodworker and give him (some) cedar and tamarisk (pieces). He shall call a goldsmith and give him (some) gold." It is obvious that the images in question are not cult images in a real sense, i.e., images to be set up in a temple to receive sacrifices and worship, but images intended to be used in a "magical" ceremony: they represent evil forces that shall be annihilated by means of destroying their images in fire. At the same time, the text shows that it was well known how these images were made, but also that this did not detract from their symbolic, or magical, value.

scholarly journals Some thoughts on the relationship between Old Testament studies and systematic theology

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
S.D. Snyman
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Old Testament ◽  
Cutting Edge ◽  
Systematic Theology ◽  
Historical Overview ◽  
Fields Of Study ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Way ◽  
Old Testament Studies

This article explores the relationship between Old Testament studies and systematic theology. After an overview of what Old Testament studies and systematic theology comprise, a historical overview of the problem is given. Two examples of the problem are provided (the USA and South Africa) before the author proceeds to his own views. The article argues that the two subjects have grown so far apart that it is doubtful whether the interaction between Old Testament studies and systematic theology will have any significant impact on the identity or content of either Old Testament studies or systematic theology. The identity of and the way in which the fields of study are practiced will not allow them to impact on one another. In an increasing way, theological disciplines will live side by side, each carrying on with what are perceived to be the cutting-edge questions within the respective fields of interest.

scholarly journals “I Discovered I Love to Pray Alone Too”: Pluralist Muslim Women’s Approaches to Practicing Islam during and after Ramadan 2020

Religions ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 784
Author(s):  
Anna Piela ◽  
Joanna Krotofil
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
Religious Identity ◽  
Muslim Women ◽  
Religious Practice ◽  
Online Surveys ◽  
The Third ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Way

Public health guidelines implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic have changed the way many people practice religion. In the realm of Islam, practices from the margins—attending online mosques and prayer groups, or praying alone—suddenly became commonplace. This paper addresses the question: What religious processes have become more evident among pluralist Muslim women during the pandemic? Based on 34 open-ended online surveys completed by pluralist Muslim women living chiefly in the USA and the UK, our analysis evidences the existence of four narratives that reflect fluctuations in the intensity and type of religious practice. The first and most prominent narrative in our dataset conveys enthusiastic embrace of social-distanced practices; the second describes a profound sense of aberration impossible to overcome in spiritual ways. The third highlights that for some Muslims, the pandemic brought no changes, as they continued to be isolated from their communities. The fourth is focused on an affirmation of a “remote” sociality experienced online. While some respondents acknowledge the increased individuation in their religious practice, they also find fulfilment in collective, if transformed, sociality. The changes in social interaction have led to a re-evaluation of salient aspects of their religious identity or, alternatively, highlighted longstanding modalities of exclusion.

scholarly journals Women and Nature in the Book of Job: An African Eco-Feminist Reading

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-90
Author(s):  
Jonathan Kangwa
Keyword(s):  
Human Nature ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Ecological Crisis ◽  
Biblical Text ◽  
Biblical Hermeneutics ◽  
Book Of Job ◽  
The Way

The realities of the current ecological crisis require us to develop a biblical hermeneutics that is life giving to both women and non-human nature. This paper does so by offering an African ecofeminist reading of the book of Job. The paper argues that traditional, patriarchal interpretations of the book of Job have contributed to the subjugation of women and the natural world. The paper analyses the book of Job, focusing on ways in which patriarchy and the theology of retribution have served to dominate women and the natural world. Finally, the paper shows how reading the book of Job from an African ecofeminist perspective can pave the way for interpreting the biblical text in a way that is empowering for women and the natural world in the context of the current ecological crisis.

Social Entrepreneurship in South Africa: Context, Relevance and Extent

2011 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 233-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kobus Visser
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Social Entrepreneurship ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Developing Economy ◽  
Industrialized Countries ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activities ◽  
Constituent Elements ◽  
The Way

In its broadest context, ‘social entrepreneurship’ refers to individuals and organizations that engage in entrepreneurial activities with social objectives. Whereas this concept and its constituent elements are well-researched and acknowledged in industrialized countries (such as the USA and UK) (Thompson, Alvy and Lees, 2000, p 328) and to some extent in developing economies (for example, in Bangladesh and Venezuela) (Mair and Martí, 2006, p 36), its prevalence and impact in South Africa (and in Africa for that matter) are not contextualized. This article presents an overview of social entrepreneurship in South Africa by analyzing why it has become important and popular, and assesses the role, relevance and extent of social entrepreneurship in a developing economy, concluding with the challenges and the way forward for social entrepreneurship in developing economies.

scholarly journals African Biochemists Plan More Collaboration

2000 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 21-21
Author(s):  
Peter N. Campbell
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Molecular Biology ◽  
American Association ◽  
The Third ◽  
Pan American ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Regional Organisation ◽  
Similar Organisation ◽  
The Way

The Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS) was the first regional organisation of biochemists, holding its first congress in London in 1964. There followed the creation of the Pan American Association of Biochemical Societies (PAABS) and then the Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemists (FAOB). An obvious development was the formation of a similar organisation to take care of Africa, but this proved impossible so long as apartheid survived in South Africa. With the removal of the latter, the way was clear for the foundation of the Federation of African Societies of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (FASBMB). The first congress of the new federation was held in Nairobi in September 1996 under the Presidency of Prof. Dominic Makawiti of Nairobi University. Among the 300 participants were representatives from 19 countries in Africa. The second congress was held at Potchefstroom in South Africa in 1998 and the third was just held in Cairo.

scholarly journals Bedreiging en verlossing in 2 Konings 6:24 - 7:20 - ’n literêr-teoretiese benadering

1991 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Snyman
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Theoretical Approach ◽  
Biblical Text ◽  
Ideological Perspective ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Way

Instead of regarding a biblical text as an archaeological field filled with revelations of God which only need to be exposed, this article focuses on the relationship between the text and its readers. The aim is to discuss the way in which readers can be helped to interpret the text in a certain way. To read is an enjoyable experience which leaves no one untouched. In the play between intrigue and the development of various characters the readers are invited to get to know themselves. The text on which this approach will be applied, is 2 Kings 6:24-7:20. This approach is part of a literary theoretical approach which is not always appreciated by Reformed scholars. Because of the novelty of this approach in the theology of the Gereformeerde Kerke in South Africa, this article endeavours to explain the legitimacy of the approach. It also discusses the concept of narrator while illustrating the use of the concept in the above-mentioned text. The notion of perspective in the sense of focalisation and ideological perspective is also discussed.

The Iranian Nuclear Impasse: The Protracted Imbroglio

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 148-166
Author(s):  
Deeplekha Sengupta Dasgupta
Keyword(s):  
International Community ◽  
Nuclear Technology ◽  
The West ◽  
The Third ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Nuclear Issue ◽  
The 1950S ◽  
Set Up

The Iranian nuclear deadlock has been one of the most contentious issues confronting the international community till date. The following article seeks to trace the tussle between the evolution of the Iranian nuclear aspirations and the politics of non-proliferation. It is divided into four main sections. The first section attempts to give a brief description of the problematic of the discriminatory politics of nuclear non-proliferation regime that Iran has been put through by the West. Iran’s nuclear aspirations can be traced back to the 1950s. Its strategic relations with the USA and leading European nations brought Iran significant scientific and technological assistance to set up a nuclear infrastructure. The second segment of the article delves into Iran’s nuclear activities during the Shah regime and the Western response. The post-Shah years brought about notable changes in the Western approach to Iran’s nuclear pursuit, the denial of nuclear technology to Iran being the predominant stand of the West especially the USA. The third section addresses the changes in Iran’s stand on the nuclear issue and the consequent changes in its relations with the West especially the USA. The last section of the article, that is, the concluding part attempts a dispassionate take on the rationale behind its nuclear aspirations, the veracity of its arguments and the future of the Iranian nuclear impasse.

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