scholarly journals Contemporary Models of Marian Discourse in Slovakia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roman Kečka
Keyword(s):  
21St Century ◽  
Spiritual Development ◽  
Religious Freedom ◽  
Western Country ◽  
Religious Discourse ◽  
Marian Devotion ◽  
Christian Communities ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
Church Structures ◽  
Religious Landscape

According to the 2001 census, the majority of Slovakia's population statistically follows the Catholic confession of Roman or Byzantine rites. In both rites, the Marian devotion has a consider- able place in religious reflection and spirituality. This study explores the religious discourse of the Marian devotion as it appears in available books and booklets on this topic. The main focus of the chapter is a comparison of the Marian discourse in Slovakia (representing a post-socialist country) and the Marian discourse in neighbouring Austria (representing a ‘Western’ country with no socialist history). For this purpose, a sample of Mariological reflections and spiritual texts was created based on their availability in all Catholic bookstores in the capital of Slovakia (Bratislava) and the capital of Austria (Vienna). The reason for this choice is that these bookstores offer books that mirror the living intellectual and religious brainstorming and reflect Christianity, in par-ticularly the pattern of the Marian discourse of the recent decades in both countries. The study comments on the absence of modern Marian literature in Slovak bookstores. The author also analyses the Marian vocabulary and topics in the both samples. The author distinguishes three existing models of the Marian discourse in Slovakia, all of traditional origin, portraying Mary as an unselfish and patient mother, Mary loving conditionally and restraining God's anger; Mary leading the legions against Satan and crushing his head. All three models are based on the traditional images of Mary and, within the Christian communities, are not understood as contradictory, but complementary. Compared to Western Christianity, the Marian discourse in Slovakia lacks two recurrent models: (1) the progressive 20th/21st century model, and (2) the traditionalist and fundamentalist mod- el. The first model has created a Marian vocabulary and contents representing a self-confident, social and communicative model of Mary. This model presents an alternative to the old models combining mild or triumphant vocabulary with mild or triumphant contents. The second model which is absent among Slovak believers is the Marian discourse of the traditionalist and fundamentalist groups of each age tolerated by official Church structures. These traditionalist and fundamentalist groups return to the old Marian vocabulary and contents that is triumphant, militant and – in this modern version – has an offensive character. This form of discourse, created as a reaction to progressive Christian groups – did not emerge in Slovakia, since there were no progressive Christian movements. Based on the research of the author, the Slovak Marian re- flection and spirituality result from traditional beliefs, having no affinity to Western progressive and traditionalist models. In this regard, it can be stated that Slovakia's isolation from the European spiritual development, which has caused traditional devotion to be fixed in its forms, is, paradoxically, continuing also after the fall of Communism in the era of religious freedom. The comparative discoursive analysis of Mariological literature in Slovakia and its Western neighbour – Austria has showed that the Slovak religious landscape is far more traditional (but not traditionalist) than the current trends in the ‘Western’ religious discourse.

scholarly journals The Right to Discriminate

2011 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Russell Sandberg
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Judicial Review ◽  
Religious Freedom ◽  
Human Sexuality ◽  
Religious Groups ◽  
Broadcast Media ◽  
High Profile ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Right

The first decade of the 21st century has witnessed a number of controversies surrounding the interaction between law and religion in the United Kingdom. In particular, tensions have emerged between laws protecting religious freedom and those which prohibit discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation. In particular, Parliament has repeatedly examined the scope and ambit of exceptions afforded to religious groups which allow them to discriminate on grounds of sexual orientation when specific conditions are met. And these exceptions have reportedly led to tensions within both the Blair and Brown cabinets and rebukes from the Vatican and the European Commission, criticising the exceptions for being too narrow and too broad respectively. The exceptions have also been challenged by way of judicial review, have been applied or commented upon in a number of high-profile cases and have attracted comment in the print and broadcast media. A number of employees have brought claims asserting that new legal requirements promoting equality on grounds of sexual orientation are incompatible with their religious beliefs. This article seeks to explore the legal changes that have occurred in the first decade of the 21st century affecting religion and sexual orientation with particular reference to how courts and tribunals have dealt with clashes between the two. It discusses the extent to which English law allows religious groups and individuals to follow their own beliefs regarding human sexuality.

scholarly journals ‘By Name United, by Sex Divided: A Brief Analysis of the Current Crisis Facing the Anglican Communion’

2004 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew K. T. Yip ◽  
Michael Keenan
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Difference ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Religious Discourse ◽  
Current Crisis ◽  
Global Context ◽  
Personal Liberty ◽  
Lesbian And Gay ◽  
The Social ◽  
Cultural Reality ◽  
Religious Landscape

The current controversies in relation to homosexuality - which emanated from the western quarters but quickly engulfed the entire Anglican Communion - highlight two significant issues. In our view, the first issue, regarding the ‘religious citizenship’ of lesbian and gay Christians, is generally a western concern. The second issue pertaining to the prospect of the disintegration of the Anglican Communion, however, needs to be examined within a global context. On the first issue, we argue that, since the contemporary western religious landscape (and society in general) prioritizes the authority of the self rather than that of religious institution/tradition, the traditional religious discourse that marginalizes lesbian and gay Christians is undermined by an increasingly sophisticated reverse discourse. This reverse discourse, equipped with lesbian and gay affirming theology and documentation of lived experiences, also converges with contemporary cultural (secular) discourse of human rights and personal liberty, which values social diversity, including sexual difference. We believe that the social and political currency of the reverse discourse will proliferate, thus eclipsing the traditional discourse that appears increasingly out of step with contemporary western socio-cultural reality. On the second issue, we welcome the heightened significance and relevance of (local) culture and Christianity in the debate. We argue that the decentralization (i.e. de-westernization) of the Anglican Communion should be welcomed, for there are various versions of Christianity, the conception and practice of which are closely informed by local cultures. Thus, to force the production of a unified Anglican response to moral or social issues that are differently defined across cultures may prove counter-productive.

scholarly journals Nazwy stacji drogi krzyżowej (przemiany struktury i funkcji w XX wieku)

Onomastica ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Sieradzka-Mruk
Keyword(s):  
Syntactic Structure ◽  
Religious Discourse ◽  
Second Vatican Council ◽  
Cultural Changes ◽  
New Evangelization ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
Vatican Council ◽  
New Type ◽  
Passion Of Christ ◽  
The Way

The names of stations in the Way of the Cross may be used as titles of pictures and sculptures, each corresponding to a particular event in the Passion of Christ, or as titles of meditations. The article focuses on the second meaning, but the trends of the development of both kinds of names are similar. The study is based on material consisting of about 200 texts of the service that have been published from the beginning of the 20 th century to the present (2020). The purpose of the article is to describe the changes that have taken place in the 20 th century, a period of particularly turbulent changes in religious discourse. The article deals with the function, syntactic structure and features of style, such as the use of archaic or colloquial vocabulary. These properties are considered in connection with social and cultural changes. At the beginning of the analyzed period, it was customary to use relatively long titles, which informed the participant or reader about a particular event using expressive and evaluative lexis. Those titles gradually gave way to short, schematic names. Since the Second Vatican Council, titles of a new type have appeared. Their purpose is to attract the attention of the recipient. They are based on a riddle, a contrast, allusions, etc. Therefore, the recipient derives satisfaction from deciphering the puzzle or finding the source of the quote or allusion. These phenomena are known from research on the language of press or fiction, but they can also be linked to current trends in the so-called new evangelization.

Blending Digital Content in Teacher Education Programs

2018 ◽  
pp. 713-736
Author(s):  
Patricia Dickenson ◽  
Cynthia Sistek-Chandler
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Teacher Candidates ◽  
Digital Content ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
The Status

Teacher Education programs worldwide are engaging in a digital conversation around best practices for supporting and teaching teacher candidates in the creation of digital content for a 21st century blended classroom. This chapter examines the status of teacher preparation in technology and explores current trends for instructors of the NextGen educator. Further the authors share how 21 Century Skills and global competencies among pre-service teachers can be applied in an online learning environment in teacher education programs.

scholarly journals School Library Perspectives from Asia: Trends, Innovations and Challenges in Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chin Ee Loh ◽  
Annie Tam ◽  
Daisuke Okada
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
21St Century ◽  
School Library ◽  
National Level ◽  
School Libraries ◽  
Independent Learning ◽  
National Policies ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
Learning And Collaboration ◽  
Policies And Practices

In this global, multicultural world requiring greater levels of literacy, independent learning and collaboration, the school library as a learning hub needs to meet the needs of 21st century students. However, more information about how different countries’ school library policies and practices is required for nations to learn from each other. This professional panel brings together three presenters from Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan to engage with the issue of what counts as a future-ready library in their own contexts of reading and learning. Each presenter will focus on the current trends, challenges and innovations in their own contexts, with particular focus on national policies, practices and librarian education. Significant parallels and differences across the different systems will be discussed. Implications for developing future-ready school libraries and librarians at national level will be discussed.

scholarly journals Historyczne mury dla nowych muzeów. Muzealna moda na początku XXI wieku

2011 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 171-190
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Jagodzińska
Keyword(s):  
Contemporary Art ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Public Life ◽  
Important Goal ◽  
The West ◽  
Good Image ◽  
Historical Museums ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
The Times ◽  
Post Industrial

The Author considers a trend, which comes from the west, to use post-industrial developments for museums. The article includes issues concerning adaptation of post-industrial developments for museum functions, references to history and identity of the building concerned, as well as relations of an institution — which is hosted within the historical construction — with the surroundings. The museums which have been selected for the analysis are representative for a boom observed in Poland since the beginning of the 21st century — the majority of newly-established museums are located in adapted old buildings, the museums representing almost exclusively only two categories: historical museums and contemporary art museums. The Author seeks an answer to a question whether museums must follow current trends. She concludes that a quest for success translating to a good image and high attendance is and certainly shall remain an important goal of a museum. She warns, however, of dangers related with a museum trying to be a “trendy” place to attend, especially in the times of public life commercialization, which is more and more common.

scholarly journals A New Character of French Novels of the 21st Century (M. Page “How I Became Stupid”)

2020 ◽  
pp. 107-115
Author(s):  
Т.Г. Струкова
Keyword(s):  
World War Ii ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
21St Century ◽  
French Literature ◽  
Spiritual Development ◽  
Industrial Society ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Bourgeois Society ◽  
City Dweller ◽  
Real Self

В статье анализируется появление нового типа героя-трикстера во французской литературе первого десятилетия XXI века, фиксация М. Пажем иных, чем прежде, стратегий и тактик приспособления человека к стремительно изменяющейся технологической и информационной среде. Повседневная жизнь современного горожанина формируется на пересечении сектора, которым он управляет, и сектора, который ему не подвластен. Именно на этих стыках происходит вечно изменяемое столкновение между естественными (физиологическими) и социальными ритмами. Уже во второй половине XX века повседневная жизнь горожанина превратилась в зону чистого потребления, порождая скуку, ухудшая качество жизни, препятствуя реальному самовыражению. Герой романа «Как я стал идиотом» намеренно надевает маску шута и использует гибкую тактику ускользания, сопротивляясь жесткой рациональности буржуазного общества. Установка эмпирического автора нацелена на осмеяние безграничного потребления, ироническое осмысление основных положений постиндустриального общества. В романе критически переосмысливаются практически все европейские метаповествования (религия, история, образование, медицина, социальные структуры, финансы, роль Франции во Второй мировой войне и т. д.). Ирония автора нацелена на высвечивание повседневных реалий скуки, насмешку над социальными обещаниями свободного времени и досуга, которые вместо духовного развития ведут человека в тупик безграничного потребления. Герой романа, предприняв попытку приспособиться к жестким законам консюмеризма, прилагает все усилия к изменению собственной повседневной жизни. Ускользание героя в невидимую зону, которая не контролируется «дивным новым миром», позволяет ему сохранять собственную индивидуальность и судьбу. The article analyzes the appearance of a new type of trickster characters in French literature of the first decade of the 21st century. It analyzes the way M. Page depicts strategies and means used by a person to adapt to the rapidly changing technological and information environment. Everyday life of a modern city dweller teeters between spheres subservient to the city dweller and spheres they fail to control. This juxtaposition results in a conflict between natural (physiological) and social rhythms. In the second half of the 20th century, everyday life of a city dweller focused on consumption, generating boredom and deteriorating the quality of life, depriving one of real self-expression. The character of the novel “How I Became Stupid” intentionally wears the disguise of a jester and, repelled by the cruel rationality of bourgeois society, uses a slithering-away tactic. The author mocks at endless consumption and treats the major principles of post-industrial society with irony. The novel critically reassesses practically all European metanarrations (religion, history, education medicine, social structures, finances, the role of France in World War II and so on). The author’s irony is aimed at highlighting everyday boredom, at mocking at social promise of leisure and spare time which instead of spiritual development lead people to endless consumption. After an attempt to adjust to the rigidity of comsumerism, the character of the novel does his best to change his everyday life. The character eludes the brave new world and escapes its manipulative grasp, which enables him to preserve his individuality and shape his own destiny.

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