scholarly journals Rebels in Biblical and Chinese Texts: A Comparative Study on the Interplay of Myth and History

Religions ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 644
Author(s):  
Aryeh Amihay ◽  
Lupeng Li

This study offers a new approach for studying biblical myth in two directions: first, by expanding the scope of investigation beyond the clearly mythological elements to other areas of biblical literature, and second, by drawing comparisons to classical Chinese literature. This article thus reconsiders the relationship between myth and history in both biblical and Chinese literature, while seeking to broaden the endeavor of the comparative method in biblical studies. Two examples are offered: (1) the story of Moses’s call narrative and his relationship with Aaron in Exodus in light of the story of Xiang Liang and Xiang Ji in the Shiji; (2) the story of Saul and David in 1 Samuel compared with the story of Dong Zhuo and Lü Bu in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Both comparisons demonstrate the operation of Claude Lévi-Strauss’s inversion principle. Conclusions regarding each of these literatures are presented separately, followed by cross-cultural insights and shared aspects in the study of myth, historiography, and religion.

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gang Hong

In response to the relative lack of scholarly attention paid to the relationship between island utopia and Chinese literature, this paper studies the imagination of both island and insular geographies in Chinese ‘utopian’ literature using an island-sensitive approach. Employing an expanded and constructive conception of the island, the paper examines the heterogeneity of Chinese island and insular imaginaries in literary works from diverse historical periods, especially in relation to the dominant western model of the remote tropical oceanic island. Based on the finding that the alterity of Chinese island and insular imagination lies as much in its depiction of spatial ambiguities as in its mixing of diverse figures, I reflect further on the benefits and perils of adopting a west-inflected island approach in examining the imaginary landscapes of utopianism and insularity in Chinese literature. It is argued that Chinese island literature is more a reading effect enabled by an imported theoretical approach than any inherent tradition in itself. In the end, two paths for innovating island aesthetics and epistemologies in cross-cultural contexts are proposed.


2021 ◽  
Vol XII (2) ◽  
pp. 173-179
Author(s):  
Caroline Jeffra ◽  

Investigations tackling the production techniques used by ancient potters often rely upon experimental archaeology to clarify the relationship between surface morphology, surface topography, and the techniques, methods, and gestures used in the potting process. These experimental archaeology programmes focus on creating collections of experimental vessels to compare against archaeologicallyrecovered vessels, thus allowing production techniques to be identified. Often times, however, the typesets generated are designed to address a specific intersection of qualities; replica vessels adhere to a tight range of shapes, dimensions, paste recipes, and/or forming techniques. As such, the applicability of those typesets remains narrow and context-specific. How, then, can researchers tackle assemblages with diverse vessel types? Or contexts composed of competing potting traditions? Or contexts with significant proportions of vessels from many different origins? This paper presents a new approach to the way that experimental typesets are designed, developed specifically to address the problem of reliably identifying forming techniques across multiple assemblages. By focusing on accommodating common geometric possibilities of vessel shapes, a generalised typeset can allow individuals to make use of well-documented experimental data. The typeset for the Tracing the Potter’s Wheel project was designed for broad applicability, and has been made freely accessible as a reference collection. Through the creation of and comparison against a generalised typeset, heterogeneous assemblages can be better understood and resources can be directed toward answering specific questions. This paper presents the theoretical foundations supporting the concept of a generalised typeset, as well as the practice of using a generalised typeset for analysis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 605-615

The article is relevant in defining the role of modern Kyrgyz language as one of the ancient Turkic languages and examines the process of the Kyrgyz language development. The purpose of this article is to determine the level of words application related to kinship in the dictionary Diwan Lughat at-Turk by Mahmud Kashgari, a written monument of the 11th century, in comparison with the vocabulary of the modern Kyrgyz language. The object of the research is the Kyrgyz translations in M. Kashgari’s dictionary. The research was carried out on the basis of the historical-comparative method. Words related to kinship studied in the dictionary in comparison with the materials of the modern Kyrgyz language. On this basis, the level of use of the modern Kyrgyz language determined. In some cases, facts from related languages were used for comparison. Therefore, the level of related words use in the modern Kyrgyz vocabulary given in the M. Kashgari’s dictionary determined and distributed as following: Words related to kinship, registered in the dictionary of Diwan Lughat at-Turk by M. Kashgari and used without changes in the modern Kyrgyz language: ата – father, еже – sister, ини – younger brother, еркек – male, атаке – daddy, қыз – girl, киши – human, төркүн – own parents home, келин – bride, қары – old, ак сакал – veteran etc. Words used in the modern Kyrgyz language with phonetic changes in words, related to kinship in the dictionary: уғул – son, уғлан-boy, аба – mother, grandmother, еге – sister, elder sister, өге – brother, өгей уғул – adopted son, қазын – husbands brother, емикдеш – breastfeeding, тун уғул – firt son, йезне – sisters husband, йурығчы – marriage broker, mediator, йеңе – sister in law, савчы – marriage broker,emdiator күни – rival, тағай – uncle, қаңсық ата – stepfather, қаңсық уғул – adopted son, тутунчы уғул – nursed son, ерңен – single (эрен), қаатун – wife etc. Words related to kinship, found in the dictionary by M. Kashgari, but not used in modern Kyrgyz language: үзүк – woman (female), урағут – woman (female), ишлер – wife, woman, (female), ынал – child borned from rich grandmother and poor mother, оғуш – relatives, беки – couples, кис – partner (couple), қузуз – divorced woman, чыкан – cousin, mother sister child, намыжа – brother in law, туғсақ – widow, жамрақ – children, қазнағун – wifes relatives to husband, йурч – wife’s younger brother, husband’s younger brother, йанчы – mediator, қуртға – old woman, туңур – husbands relatives to wife, etc. Thus, most of the words in M. Kashgari’s dictionary used in modern Kyrgyz vocabulary, and this conclusion proves that the Kyrgyz language is one of the ancient Turkic languages. The results of studying the relationship of related words in the dictionary of Diwan Lughat at-Turk by Mahmud Kashgari with the modern Kyrgyz language can be material for a comparative study of the history of the Kyrgyz language, historical lexicology, and names associated with kinship in the Turkic languages.


2019 ◽  
pp. 167-176
Author(s):  
Sai Na

The popularity of «Prose Poems» (1878–1882) by Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev dates back more than a hundred years, while they remain the very first works of the writer, translated into Chinese. The study of Turgenev has gained particular relevance in China. This article discusses the understudied issue of the influence of the Turgenev’s prose poem «Threshold» on Chinese literature through the example of the work of the classics of Chinese literature of the first half of the 20th century, such as Lu Xin (1881–1936), the father of the modern Chinese novel, Li Ni (1913–1968), the singer of «sorrow and grief», and Lu Li (1908–1942), one of the founders of the new Chinese lyrical prose. Using the comparative method, the article analyses the artistic features of the following prose poems: «The Traveler» by Lu Xin, «The Falcon Song» by Li Ni, and «The Door and the Recluse» by Lu Li. The author reveals the significant influence that the philosophical ideas of Turgenev and his creative style had on these writers and Chinese literature in general. The comparative analysis shows that in the poems of Lu Sin and Li Ni, the spatial characteristics of Turgenev's prose poem «The Threshold» are recreated, while Lu Li was inspired by the philosophical meaning of this work of art. In this way, opening a new page for Russian literary scholars in the history of the relationship between Russian and Chinese cultures, the research topic and the analysis done reveal new material for Russian literary studies about on the history of the reception of Turgenev‘s creative work in China.


1966 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur L. Kalleberg

During the last ten years the study of comparative politics has undergone a methodological revolution. Reacting against the static, formalistic, “country-by-country” approach of earlier students of foreign governments, numerous contemporary political scientists have endeavored to create a more dynamic, empirically interpreted, and truly comparative method of analysis. This group of political scientists makes three general assumptions concerning the new approach.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (10) ◽  
pp. 2019
Author(s):  
Jinyu Liu ◽  
Lan Wu ◽  
Sarula Sarula

The Story of the Stone written by Cao Xueqin was one of China’s Great Four Classical Novels. Many Redology researchers compared between the original text and English translations, but very few of them ever knew the Mongolian version, and compared it with the original Chinese texts and between English and Mongolian translations in new approach. This paper tends to investigate the unique features of Mongolian version. The comparison between the Mongolian and English versions is also conducted in the aspects of translating process, translations strategies and commentaries.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 138-151
Author(s):  
Mahmoud Ibrahim Rezk Elnemr

The research examines the influence of the theological ideology on The Holy Qur’an, 1997 by Shar Ali; moreover, it demonstrates the relationship between ideology and translation. conveyed and supported their beliefs through translations. The Qadyani translators of the Qur’an convey and support their beliefs through translations. They dedicate themselves to produce English translations which were circulated at a very wide scale with a missionary spirit in the English-speaking world with a view to win over unsuspecting readers to Qadyanism. The comparative method is used to explore the different aspects of ideology on the translation and exposes many results as shown in the current study. Sher Ali’s translation is prejudiced and influenced by the Qadiani beliefs. He misrepresents and mistranslates many verses that shall be scrutinized in the research. He depends on unauthentic beliefs which distorted the core of Islam and distorts the attributes of Allah. The translator denies the finality of the prophethood and denies the miracles of the prophets. The translation of several verses which refers to the theological ideology of Qadyanism movement. In translating verses on miracles, prophethood, and Jesus, for instance, these translations show their distinctiveness and how this sect distorted the Qur’anic text to present its beliefs and thoughts.


2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Robar

The relationship between linguistics and philology, within biblical studies, became a fraught issue when the Society of Biblical Literature proposed subordinating linguistics to philology. The larger concern is the integrity and integration of scholarship within biblical studies, which itself is related to the integration of scholarship within the academic world. The history of institutionalised scholarship suggests two potential paths for biblical studies: one in which each sub-discipline pursues relative independence and expands the field of knowledge from a detached, scientific vantage point, and one in which the role of the text in speaking to a community is sought in the context of relational knowledge.


2006 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 160-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Senokozlieva ◽  
Oliver Fischer ◽  
Gary Bente ◽  
Nicole Krämer

Abstract. TV news are essentially cultural phenomena. Previous research suggests that the often-overlooked formal and implicit characteristics of newscasts may be systematically related to culture-specific characteristics. Investigating these characteristics by means of a frame-by-frame content analysis is identified as a particularly promising methodological approach. To examine the relationship between culture and selected formal characteristics of newscasts, we present an explorative study that compares material from the USA, the Arab world, and Germany. Results indicate that there are many significant differences, some of which are in line with expectations derived from cultural specifics. Specifically, we argue that the number of persons presented as well as the context in which they are presented can be interpreted as indicators of Individualism/Collectivism. The conclusions underline the validity of the chosen methodological approach, but also demonstrate the need for more comprehensive and theory-driven category schemes.


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