Między zamknięciem i otwarciem… Interpretacja wiersza Tadeusza Różewicza „Syn marnotrawny (z Hieronima Boscha)”

The aim of the article is to interpret a poem by Tadeusz Różewicz, Syn marnotrawny (z obrazu Hieronima Boscha) [The Prodigal Son (from the painting of Hieronymus Bosch)], from the volume Srebrny kłos [The Silver Ear of Corn] (1955). The poem is subjected to intertextual reading, which included strongly sketched autobiographical allusions, ecstatic descriptions of Bosch’s paintings and contextual references to the biblical parable of the prodigal son. Confronting the situation of the lyrical hero with the theological interpretation of the parable and reaching for the concept of reading the play proposed by Mieke Bal, ultimately reveals the kerygmatic meaning of the piece.

The Prodigal Doubter (Nauen 1911–12)

This chapter explores sermons from Tillich’s curacy in Nauen (1911–12). In Tillich’s adaptation the parable of the Prodigal Son, the pious of the day do not come with empty hands but grasping rags of love, faith, zeal, and orthodoxy. By characterizing the creedal assent of the pious as a self-righteous ‘work’, Tillich echoes Wilhelm Herrmann’s defence against ‘positive’ detractors. Tillich will speak sharply against provocatively liberal figures but distances himself from conservative Christians he deems self-righteous. Tillich attempts thereby a levelling of the distinction between the believer and the unbeliever through a law-gospel dialectic emphasizing human inability. Reimagining piety as piety in godforsakenness, he insists that even in an age of doubt, all share in the predicament from which all are saved. Those who now protest against the church do in that protest exhibit forms of faith: they are of the truth and will come to the truth.

Dall’enciclica “laudato si” all’enciclica “fratelli tutti”. Una prospettiva sulla spiritualità e l’etica sociale

From the Encyclical „Laudato si” to the Encyclical „Fratelli tutti”. A Perspective on Spirituality and Social Ethics. The essay begins by showing that it is essential for all Christian thinking - and thus also for a Christian social ethics - to refer to a deeper meaning passively received from God. Starting from this Logos, Christian social ethical thinking tries to convey how to build a civilisation or a society of integral and humane capitalism whose inner building principle is love. This reception of meaning and love in order to be enabled to love takes place practically in liturgiacal worship as the author argues with Romano Guardini; here the absolute love of God is first received and vouchsafed as an unclaimable and yet profoundly vital gift. Liturgy focuses, like a burning glass, the experience of a greater freedom of the human being to do good in the face of a greater love, in the face of absolute love, in the face of God. In this view, liturgy is liberated freedom for the good and for the better, for the beautiful. From there, all human activity not only has a technical-instrumental and efficiency-oriented side, but is deeply ordered towards the realisation of higher values, so that the author can say: Culture grows out of cult. From here, he shows how a culture of law and ethics unfolds from the mere nature of man to faith in a personal God. In this perspective, law and morality are formulations of the primordial sense placed by God in human natural reason - the logos - and serve to shape a world conducive to life and worthy of human beings. This highlights in particular the space of political action, which plays a prominent role especially in Pope Francis’ encyclicals „Laudato si” and „Fratelli tutti”. In these encyclicals, the author primarily criticises a „technocratic paradigm”, in which human action is only reduced to questions of technical possibilities and efficiency, but in which the deeper meaning of human action is obscured. Starting from the parable of the prodigal son and the parable of the Good Samaritan, which is particularly prominent in „Fratelli tutti”, the author then develops the extent to which one must first convert to the incarnate Logos Christ in order to be able to realise the Logos instilled in man and the world, also in political thought and action. This is where the author sees the proprium of Christian social ethics as ethics of institutions and as inclusive capitalism, as also developed in the encyclicals of Pope Francis: The orientation of state, society and economy towards the realisation of higher values, of the Logos placed in the world by God. Keywords: Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti, Romano Guardini, Liturgy and Ethics, Social Ethics, Personalism, Integral Humanism, Critique on technocracy

Simeon Polockij a Playwright: The New Study Aspects

The study of the dramaturgic complex which has come to us in a manuscript created in the 1680s–early 1690s in Moscow (kept in the Austrian National Library, Vienna) established that the dramaturgic heritage of Simeon Polockij was not limited to two plays (about Nebuchadnezzar and the prodigal son) in the «Rythmologion». It also includes morality play about the struggle of the Church with the «host of infidels» and seven interludes, previously known from a single list as an anonymous works of the first third of the 18th century. The analysis of the historical and cultural context of the time the morality play was created, as well as its vocabulary, in particular, a rare lexeme (Turchin) and literary techniques typical for the texts of Simeon Polockij (using of the liturgical texts as a structural and thematic motives), leave no doubt about the authorship. Simeon Polockij is also the author of the interludes that can be proven by the content, plot-thematic, stylistic and lexical calls observed between them. Certain situations, plot motives and the vocabulary of the(«Vertograd mnogostvetnyj», «Rythmologion», etc.). interludes can be identified in the context of Simeon’s works.

Return of the Prodigal Son? Transformations in Zimbabwe’s Relations with China Since 1963

The Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) introduced Zimbabwe into the realm of China during the liberation struggle as it sourced military support. In line with the Chinese dominance in ZANU, the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) guerrilla warfare followed the Maoist doctrine. However, at independence, Zimbabwe joined the British Commonwealth and became a part of the western orbit. Although the country continued to have some form of political and economic linkages with China, the relations were cosmetic. It was at the fall of the cordial relations with the West at the end of the 1990s that Zimbabwe refocused on China. Zimbabwe hinged its survival on Chinese support as it turned full circle to the East. This paper analyses the long historical relations between Zimbabwe and China. It argues that political transformations returned back Zimbabwe to China’s hegemony. The paper is based on qualitative research methods and information was gathered primarily through the use of archival data.

Liturgical Mystery in Zviad Gamsakhurdia's Poetry

For today's Georgian society, the attitude of Zviad Gamsakhurdia to true Orthodox faith is less well known. He not only showed to the Georgian nation the way to gain state independence but he restored the Religious consciousness to Georgian people and Inspired by the spirit of Christianity. All his works are full of orthodox spirit. He creates new poetic phrases, which are more intensely melodic liturgica than just poetry. While his contemporaries avoid mentioning religion, he creates musical prayers: to Saint George, to Saint Nino , prayers for the nation… He writes the poems under the titles: Proscomidia, Easter, Melkesidek – King of Salim, Betania, Prodigal son. Z. Gamsakhurdia not only dedicates poetic prayers to his devout saints but he also gives the poetic form to the Holy liturgy. The poems are proof of this: "Epiphany", "For Manana". As for the poem "Father", he resembles the prayer of the Savior in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Marketing and Self-Promotion in Early Modern Painting: The Case of Guercino

This article focuses on Guercino’s Return of the Prodigal Son, commissioned in the name of Cardinal Alessandro Ludovisi and on his marketing choices. This is a case study in terms of self-promotion tactics employed by an ambitious artist. My argument is that one finds in the painting a secondary and more sophisticated level of interpretation, which relates to the relationship between the painter and his patron. To the most traditional iconography of the scene, Guercino added musicians and spectators, thus positioning the entire composition in the theatre. One of the musicians is depicted in a way that casts him as a representative of the painter. The patron understood Guercino’s intentions and commissioned what became Guercino’s most important artworks. It was Guercino’s ability of shifting the attention of a given iconography and deliver current political meaning that is discernible in his Roman works commissioned by the same Cardinal Ludovisi who was elected Pope Gregory XV.

Coming Home: The Spiritual Journey of the Prodigal Son

In this article, I reviewed the passage of the Prodigal Son in the context of the Lukan perspective and the reader then, is referred to Luke 15: 11-31. This parable gives us an image of a loving and forgiving God whose mercy endures forever. This is the greatest love story which presents the depths of God’s love. Several biblical scholars disclose that this parable guides us to new hope by allowing God to love, forgive us and accept his saving love.

An Unpublished Fragment SI 4645 of the Sanskrit Lotus Sutra from the Serindia Collection of the IOM, RAS

The article provides a study of a newly discovered manuscript fragment from the Serindia Collection (IOM, RAS), containing the Sanskrit text of the Lotus Sutra. Currently, the group of the Sanskrit Lotus Sutra manuscripts from the Serindia Collection comprises 28 items. Some folios and fragments among them remain unpublished. The goal of the article is to introduce to the specialists a previously unpublished fragment of the Sanskrit Lotus Sutra. This manuscript fragment is preserved in the Oldenbourg sub-collection (part of the Serindia Collection), call mark SI 4645. According to the documents from the IOM RAS archive, this fragment was acquired by Serguei F. Oldenbourg in Kizil-Karga during his first expedition to Eastern Turkestan (1909-1910). The text of the manuscript is an excerpt from the 4th chapter of the Lotus Sutra, which contains “The Parable of the Prodigal Son”. The article provides facsimile reproduction of the fragment SI 4645 accompanied by transliteration and translation into Russian. It also outlines the physical features of the manuscript, provides a brief description of the text of the fragment SI 4645 and offers its comparison with the other well-known texts of the Lotus Sutra. The comparison of the fragment with several texts representing two Sanskrit “editions” (versions) of the Lotus Sutra shows that the fragment SI 4645 stands closer to the Gilgit-Nepalese “edition” of the Sutra, while the majority of the Lotus Sutra manuscripts from the Serindia Collection reveal features of the Central Asian “edition”.