Maternal Image of Divine Wisdom in the Bible and Christian Tradition

2021 ◽  
pp. 79-93
Author(s):  
Alexei Viktorovich Dikarev
Keyword(s):  
Christian Tradition ◽  
The Bible ◽  
Divine Wisdom

Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Christian Humanism

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens Zimmermann
Keyword(s):  
Natural Law ◽  
Christian Tradition ◽  
Nazi Regime ◽  
Human Flourishing ◽  
Theological Interpretation ◽  
Christian Humanism ◽  
The Bible ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Theological Politics

Based on a comprehensive reading of his entire work, in this book Jens Zimmermann presents Bonhoeffer’s theological ethos as a Christian humanism, that is, as an understanding of the gospel rooted in apostolic and patristic writers who believed God to have renewed humanity in the incarnation. The heartbeat of Bonhoeffer’s Christianity that unifies and motivates his theological writing, his preaching, and his political convictions, including his opposition to the Nazi regime, is the conviction that Christianity as participation in the new humanity established by Christ is about becoming fully human by becoming Christlike. In eight chapters, the author details Bonhoeffer’s humanistic theology following from this incarnational starting point: a Christ-centered anthropology that shows a deep kinship with patristic Christology, a hermeneutically structured theology, an ethic focused on Christ-formation, a biblical hermeneutic centered on God’s transforming presence, and a theological politics aimed at human flourishing. In offering a comprehensive reading of his theology as Christian humanism, Zimmermann not only places Bonhoeffer in the context of the patristic and greater Christian tradition but also makes apparent the relevance of Bonhoeffer’s thought for a number of contemporary concerns: hermeneutic theory, the theological interpretation of the Bible, the relation of reason to faith, the importance of natural law, and the significance of religion for secular societies. Bonhoeffer turns out to be a Christian humanist and a modern theologian who models the deeply orthodox and yet ecumenical, expansive Christianity demanded by our time.

Ritualizing Iconic Jewish Texts

2020 ◽  
pp. 239-255
Author(s):  
James W. Watts
Keyword(s):  
Semantic Interpretation ◽  
Religious Communities ◽  
Christian Tradition ◽  
Oral Performance ◽  
The Bible ◽  
Christian Worship ◽  
Scholarly Attention

Bibles and parts of bibles are themselves used as ritual objects in Jewish and Christian worship. Their display and manipulation, oral performance, and semantic interpretation have been ritualized by synagogues and churches since antiquity. The origins of these practices are rooted in the Bible itself. Their influence has shaped every Jewish and Christian tradition and reaches beyond them to Muslims, Manicheans, and other religious communities. This chapter and its companions in this volume on Christianity and Islam focus mostly on how the iconic dimension of scriptures gets ritualized, because the iconic dimension has received less scholarly attention than the ritualization of scripture’s oral performance, artistic illustration, and semantic interpretation.

Terms of Scriptural Interpretation: A Study in Hebrew Semantics

1962 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Gertner
Keyword(s):  
Ethical Behaviour ◽  
Religious Thought ◽  
Historical Events ◽  
Scriptural Interpretation ◽  
Christian Communities ◽  
The Bible ◽  
Religious Doctrine ◽  
Divine Wisdom ◽  
The Subject

In the last centuries before the current era and in the early centuries after its beginning the major intellectual and literary activity in the realms (first) of the Jewish and (later) of the Christian communities was wholly centred in the field of interpretation. The OT, as the mainspring and foundation of all religious thought and teaching in those days and in those spheres, was the subject of this interpretation activity. In both the Jewish and the Christian world the Bible was considered to be not only holy and authoritative, but also, and this is in our context more important, the only and exclusive source of divine religious doctrine and of good ethical behaviour. Also historical events, political or religious, were seen, even foreseen, and evaluated from the aspect of this holy source of divine wisdom and planning.

MARKETING THE TESTAMENTS: CANONGATE AND THEIR POCKET-SIZED BIBLES

2002 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 221-244
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Biblical Studies ◽  
Christian Tradition ◽  
The West ◽  
Positive Potential ◽  
Publishing Firm ◽  
Investment Promotion ◽  
The Bible ◽  
King James Version ◽  
As If

AbstractRecently the Edinburgh-based publishing firm Canongate has brought out the Bible in the form of single books in the King James Version. Each of these volumes is introduced by a writer not necessarily associated with the Christian tradition, thus inviting the readers to approach them as literary works in their own right. For long the Bible came with commentaries written by prominent religious scholars, but now it looks as if it needed an introduction by novelists, pop artists, scientists including and even by some who are outside the Christian tradition to make the once familiar texts now widely neglected in the West come alive again. The purpose of this essay is to look at the following: the positive potential of this Pocket Canon; the role of the interpreter's personal voice within the process of discovering meaning in a narrative; the marketing of the Bible and appropriation of religious themes by secular marketeers; the re-iconization of the Bible though the King James Version; the colonial parallels in the investment, promotion and dissemination of the Bible; and the challenge of personal-voice criticism to biblical studies. Put at its simplest, can this disparate group of essayists rescue the Bible, which is fast losing its grip and importance in the West, and discover fresh significance in it?

scholarly journals The First Witnesses. Martha, Longinus and Veronica in the Slavic Manuscript Tradition (Initial Observations)

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 101-126
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Skowronek ◽  
Marek Majer
Keyword(s):  
Middle Ages ◽  
Literary Texts ◽  
Christian Tradition ◽  
Early Christian ◽  
The Bible ◽  
Manuscript Tradition ◽  
The One ◽  
Canonical Texts ◽  
Patron Saints ◽  
Popular Texts

The epithet ‘first witnesses’, conferred on the three saints in the title, is but a conventional designation; it seems fitting as common for the figures of saints, who gave proof of their devotion to Christ. Otherwise, although they make no simultaneous appearance in any of the canonical texts, there are – interestingly – far more interconnections between the three characters in pseudo-canonical and legendary literature than could be surmised from the lack thereof in the Bible. The aim of the paper is to present a literary picture of three New Testament heroes, as commemorated in different literary texts representing diverse cultural registers, even from the Ancient Christian Times until the close of the Middle Ages. Among them there are short and extended lives and passions of saints, liturgical poetry, as well as specific, more popular texts, such as ‘tales’ and legends. The material under discussion largely includes texts that form a part of the Slavic Orthodox tradition, depicting them on the background of fairly wellknown works belonging to the Western Christian tradition. It turns out that the legends are inspired by the canonical text on the one hand, while on the other hand they themselves infiltrate official texts – they become officially sanctioned as soon as their popularity is taken over and adopted by liturgical practice. It should be borne in mind that those legends – part of which is known both in the Eastern and in the Western Christianity – confirm one further crucial characteristic of texts constituting the canonical and pseudo-canonical tradition: the commonness of themes and motifs which can without exaggeration be called ‘wandering’. They determine the fact that there is hardly any originality in the formation of the characters of patron saints; moreover, on the level of creating the notion of sainthood and its reception, there seem to be far more common points than differences between both of the Early Christian traditions – the East and the West. The paper is an attempt to point out how the Christian tradition exemplifies various manifestations of holiness, what means it has for annotating, elucidating and embellishing the Biblical hypertext, and how it adapts pseudo-canonical legends for the purposes of liturgical use.

scholarly journals The Normative-Ethical Context of the Golden Rule

TECHNOLOGOS ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 9-21
Author(s):  
Apressyan Ruben
Keyword(s):  
Golden Rule ◽  
Christian Tradition ◽  
Cultural Traditions ◽  
Early Christian ◽  
The Bible ◽  
Ethical Context ◽  
Three Stages ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
Normative Content

According tocommonunderstanding, the Golden Rule exists in a form of maxims and various proverbs. However, in many cultural traditions, this rule is present as part of institutionalized texts and has a specific normative context. The article proposes an account of the Golden Rule within a particular example of the Judeo-Christian tradition (based on a study of the Bible books), in relation to the Lex Talionis and the Commandment of Love, in respect to what the Golden Rule is contextualized, in three stages. Firstly, the main passages, in which these principles are compared and contrasted have been selected in the books of the Bible. Such are the following: Lev. 19.18, 33–34, Matt. 6.37–38; 7.12; 22.40. Secondly, it has been taken into account that the normative content of these principles, although they are expressed in strict formulations, is internally dynamic. When clarifying both the normative context of the Golden Rule and the content of each of the principles, it is necessary to take into account their internal normative dynamism. Thus, Talion, which historically arose as a principle of retribution, limiting the amount of punishment to the degree of harm caused, eventually transformed into a principle of compensation, primarily monetary, and in a later era, early Christian authors reinterpreted it as a principle that admonishes against causing harm to anyone. The Commandment of Love for one’s neighbor covers the spectrum of demands from love for one’s neighbor as a close one through love for one’s neighbor, who is considered a stranger, to love for a neighbor, who is actually a foe. The normative dynamics of the Golden Rule can be traced in its two formulas – negative and positive. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the examples of thinking in the spirit of the Golden Rule, which are found in the oldest Bible books. Thirdly, the three principles are compared in their imperative characteristics by a number of parameters, regarding which similarities and differences between them are presented in different configurations.

scholarly journals Towards a Theological Overcoming of Anthropocentrism. The Vegetarian Choice

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 54-65
Author(s):  
Paolo Trianni ◽  
Sara Sgarlata
Keyword(s):  
Thomas Aquinas ◽  
New Method ◽  
Christian Tradition ◽  
Ethical Implications ◽  
The Bible ◽  
Sacred Scripture ◽  
History Of ◽  
Christian Thought ◽  
Contrary Evidence ◽  
Supportive Argument

The article intends to demonstrate that a theology of vegetarianism is possible, despite some contrary evidence present in the biblical texts. Like other theologies dealing with issues not directly voiced in the Bible, it becomes possible to interpret the biblical statements in a new way, on the bases of a specific methodology. As a result, an objective comprehension will go back inductively to Sacred Scripture. The article advocates for applying this new method as well as for introducing its ethical implications into the Christian tradition. An additional supportive argument in favour of establishing the new understanding can be found in the history of the Roman Church, besides the consolidated custom of carnivorous nutrition: there has been no shortage of positions in favour of vegetarian asceticism. This stance was also represented by Thomas Aquinas. By valorizing classic Christian authors in favour of vegetarianism (starting with Jerome), the inauguration of the theology of vegetarianism becomes legitimised. Such an inauguration would reorient Christian thought toward reconsidering cosmology, ecology and topical contemporary issues such as anthropocentrism and speciesism.

scholarly journals XII ASSEMBLEIA GERAL ORDINÁRIA DO SÍNODO DOS BISPOS SOBRE A PALAVRA DE DEUS

2009 ◽  
Vol 41 (114) ◽  
pp. 165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan Konings
Keyword(s):  
General Assembly ◽  
Christian Tradition ◽  
Word Of God ◽  
The Bible ◽  
Vatican Council ◽  
Dei Verbum ◽  
The Church

Em outubro de 2008 transcorreu em Roma a XII Assembleia Geral Ordin ária do Sínodo dos Bispos, o qual é uma instituição permanente criada pelo Concílio Vaticano II para manter o diálogo dos pastores-bispos das Igrejas particulares. Nesta Assembleia, dedicada à Palavra de Deus na vida e na missão da Igreja, foi retomada praticamente a Constituição Dogmática Dei Verbum do Vaticano II. Depois de apresentar o tema da Palavra de Deus, traçamos um breve histórico focalizando os inícios da Tradição cristã e os tempos modernos desde Leão XIII até hoje. Em seguida descrevemos a XII Assembleia Geral, especialmente a Relatio post Disceptationem e as Propositiones. Concluímos com uma reflexão teológicopastoral sobre a Revelação e a leitura bíblica, e sugestões para a prática.ABSTRACT: In October of 2008 the XII Ordinary General Assembly of the Sinod of Bishops took place in Rome. The Sinod of Bishops is a permanent institution created by the II Vatican Council in order to maintain the dialogue of pastorsbishops of the particular Churches. This Assembly, dedicated to the Word of God in the life and in the mission of the Church, basically treated again the Dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum of the II Vatican Council. After presenting the theme of the Word of God, we outline a brief history focusing on the beginnings of the Christian Tradition and the modern epoch since Leo XIII until today. Next we describe the XII General Assembly, especially the Relatio post Disceptationem and the Propostiones. We conclude with a theological-pastoral reflection on Revelation and the reading of the bible, and some practical suggestions. 

Pan-Brittonic Hagiography and the Arthurian Grail Cycle

Traditio ◽  
1970 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
pp. 29-61
Author(s):  
Valerie M. Lagorio
Keyword(s):  
Christian Tradition ◽  
Natural Consequence ◽  
Oral Transmission ◽  
The Bible ◽  
Grail Legend ◽  
Grail Romances ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Exegetical Tradition ◽  
Religious Elements ◽  
New Religion

St. Joseph of Arimathea, acclaimed by the monastery of Glastonbury as the apostolic evangelist of Britain, gained this accolade through the Arthurian Grail romances, and most particularly, the Estoire del Saint Graal. Heretofore, the majority of those favoring the Christian origin of the Grail legend have plumbed the Bible, the apocrypha, and the Christian exegetical tradition in search of source elements of the Grail's history. Their research has been concentrated on the mystery of the Grail itself, or the pre-Britain adventures of Joseph and his followers. Some others have investigated various aspects of Celtic Christianity, particularly the assimilation of Celtic legends and narrative materials regarding Bran, son of Llŷr, into Christian tradition, as the genesis of Joseph's activities in Britain. This euhemerization of pagan folklore was a natural consequence of the pattern of Christianization established during the apostolic era, which attempted to build the new religion on the foundations of the old, retaining and adapting heathen practices which were consonant with Christianity. A few, notably Roger Loomis, studied the impact of these euhemerized legends on the Grail history, pursuing the mutations of the myths through oral transmission, in accordance with the process outlined by the noted Bollandist, Père Hippolyte Delehaye. Still others correlated the religious elements of the entire Joseph/Grail saga with the history and characteristics of the Celtic Church in Wales, with strong overtones of heterodoxy.

“The Green Gospel” by B.I. Antonych in the Context of the Neopagan Movement

Rusin ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 159-172
Author(s):  
S.D. Abramovych ◽  
◽  
M.Yu. Chikarkova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Experience ◽  
Christian Tradition ◽  
Holy Communion ◽  
Absolute Value ◽  
Physical Body ◽  
Avant Garde ◽  
Mother Nature ◽  
The Bible ◽  
The World ◽  
Historical Methodology

The article analyzes B.I. Antonych’s poem “The Green Gospel”, usually perceived in the vein of Lemko mythology as a direct emotional experience of the spring Carpathian landscape, interpreted within the aesthetics of symbolism or avant-garde. Critics point out the parallelism of Christian and pagan motives, but do not focus on the poet’s spiritual position. The purpose of our study is to consider this poem in the context of the growing global neo-paganism. In particular, it concerns the growing authority of Indo-Iranian mythology, which was thought as a more significant counterweight to the Bible than the folklore heritage of pagan Europe (except for Antiquity). The authors emphasize the consistent neo-pagan position of Antonych, whose work is implicitly built on the system of Indo-Iranian mythological motifs and polemically directed against the Christian sacrament of the Eucharist. The poet consistently replaces the symbol of the Holy Communion Cup with the Slavic Dzban; Heavenly Father is opposed to Mother Nature, etc. The comparative-historical methodology allows to see Antonych’s poem as a kind of manifesto of European neo-paganism, the denial of the spiritualist aesthetics of the Christian tradition and the assertion of the absolute value of changing physical existence. Recognizing the poet’s right to this position, the authors argue that even in the paradigm of pagan wisdom, inseparability from the physical body of the Mother- Gaia can be deadly (Anthea’s plot); for, according to Jung, Initiation (maturation) consists in going beyond the world of the Mother and comprehending the world of the Father.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document