On the Impossibility and Inevitability of Monsters in Biblical Thought

After general considerations of what constitutes a “monster,” this essay examines the examples of “monsters” in the Bible, showing that the Bible does not as frequently depict such beings as do other mythologies. The implications of this for understanding the biblical outlook on creation in general are considered, leading to the conclusion that in fact, in the Bible, it is God who is a monster, or at least, on the side of monsters, and is not to be relied on to eradicate them.

Retranslating Genesis 1–2: Reconnecting Biblical Thought and Contemporary Experience

Some traditional translations of Genesis represent the text in ways that are excessively anthropocentric, masking the awareness of the nonhuman other in the text, silencing the nonhuman voice, and wrongly subordinating the nonhuman to the human. Selected translations in Genesis 1–2 from the Common English Bible illustrate a more integrative understanding of the human and nonhuman, recognize the presence of nonhuman agency, and capture a more accurate representation of the human place in the world as Genesis’s authors conceived it (Gen 1.9-12; 1.26-28; 2.7). A tradition of translation has inscribed the dualistic, anthropocentric, and hierarchical cast of Western philosophy and theology into the biblical text. Careful attention to the world of the text, and translations that reflect that world authentically, can open up new (“old”) readings that are more ecologically sound and sensitive.

2. Criminal law history

This chapter explores aspects of the criminal law’s history. The main focus is the influence of religious—and, especially, biblical—thought on the criminal law. This influence does something to explain the law’s harsh attitude to theft and homosexuality, as well as to murder. Examination of efforts to codify the law is also included. This exploration is central to the analysis of how the past has shaped the criminal law’s values. However, the development of the law has not been one of continuous moral improvement. Old injustices have been replaced by new ones. In that regard, threats to civil liberties are also discussed in the final section, focusing on bureaucratic regulation, terrorism, and free speech.

Rivelare e Tacere: Note per una riflessione su Scrittura e Tradizione nel pensiero di Clemente di Alessandria

This article intends to highlight the idea of revelation that Clement expresses throughout his work. Drawing both from Greek philosophical culture and biblical thought, Clement shows how supernatural revelation, on the level of both faith and gnosis, corresponds to select ‘places’ of Scripture and the Church’s Tradition, culminating in the embodiment of gnosis by men who have reached the highest degree of knowledge and holiness of life. A comparison with the theme of revelation in Gnostic texts sheds more light on the peculiarities of Clementine thought.

The forgotten struggle of Albert Geyser against racism and apartheid

Albertus (Albert) Stephanus Geyser (10 Feb. 1918 – 13 June 1985) was a South African cleric, scholar and anti-apartheid theologian. On 17 February 2014 his alma mater, the Faculty of Theology of the University of Pretoria, presented the first commemoration lecture in tribute to the legacy of A.S. Geyser. This article portrays the décor of this commemoration. The article addresses the need to recall his contributions by discussing his prestigious career as a young academic, his transformation into an opponent of apartheid, the opposition against and persecution of him and his protest against apartheid. It discusses Geyser’s conviction that apartheid could not be justified on the basis of the Bible and theological grounds. His activism is rooted in his biblical thought. The article reflects on Geyser’s view that the church could be a powerful presence in the state and world while not compromising its message and preaching of the gospel of peace and love.