Specific study of biblical parables in a pedagogical university

The author of the article focuses on the analysis of specific methods and techniques for identifying the universal and unique cultural meanings of biblical parables in the study of the disciplines of the humanities cycle in a pedagogical university. The purpose of the article is to develop techniques for working with parables for practical classes in the cultural cycle at the Pedagogical University. Research methodology and methods. The work is based on the use of the methodology of the sociocultural and activity-based approach to the psychological development of the individual, as well as systemic and holistic approaches to education. When decoding the meanings of parables as texts of culture, it is proposed to use axiological, semiotic, cognitive and systemic approaches. The systemic culturological approach allows you to create conditions for the development of aesthetic taste, artistic thinking. Research results. As the scientific literature and the practice of teaching culturological disciplines at the Pedagogical University show, working with parables teaches us to personally and emotionally perceive the text of culture, to adequately assess the relationship in the system man-man and man-world, to recode the content from one semiotic system to another. Through the interpretation of the text, the individual creative abilities of students are developed, a steady interest in modern art practices is formed. Interpretation of the categories of culture, embodied in human and natural images of the transcendental, time, space, make it possible to essentially comprehend the texts of culture containing the plots of biblical parables. Conclusion. The consistent identification of the specifics of the study of parables in the context of the spiritual quest of a certain historical period contributes to the emergence of interest and the formation of a respectful attitude towards the cultural heritage, the values of world culture. Cultural practices of working with cultural texts contribute to an adequate understanding of the place of national culture in the world artistic process and its creative enhancement.

THE SPIRITUAL QUEST OF THE HERO IN MELITON GABULOV'S NOVEL "THE HERMIT"

В статье рассматриваются жанровые, сюжетные и психологические особенности романа Мелитона Габулова «Отшельник». Автор романа акцентирует свое внимание не на сложных исторических процессах, а придает событиям неожиданно динамичный, приключенческий характер. Его герой, по сути своей, довольно интеллектуальный, образованный молодой человек, но в силу своей эмоциональной неустойчивости попадает в необычные обстоятельства и совершает порой неоправданные, ничем необоснованные злодеяния. Сочетание злодейства и благородства, противостояние добра и зла, ума и безумия в одном характере определяют сюжетную канву произведения. Определяющим в данной статье является исследование глубоких душевных противоречий и исканий главного героя. Через призму анализа поступков, слов, внешнего облика героя осуществляется попытка раскрыть его внутренний мир, его отношение к жизни в определенных психологических ситуациях. В статье поставлена задача раскрыть глубину чувств и переживаний человека, который пытается превозмочь душевную боль и физическое недомогание. Терзания героя, изнуряющая душевная боль и раскаяние становятся неизбежнымим попутчиками всей его жизни. Писателю удалось в полной мере, достаточно глубоко изобразить чувства и мысли своего персонажа. Чувства и переживания героя определяются его поступками, которые зачастую доходят до абсурда и их невозможно бывает оправдать. Однако авантюрный роман, в силу своих жанровых особенностей, не предполагает понимать и объяснять мотивы поступков героя, более того, он создает условия для небрежного развития сюжета. Таким образом, абсурдные поступки героя и динамизм сюжета становятся определяющим в жанре авантюрного романа, в общем, и романа М. Габулова, в частности. Несмотря на авантюрный характер романа, в его основе лежат нравственно-этические понятия человека. Злодеяния героя становятся следствием его душевных терзаний. Писатель утверждает концепцию добра и гуманизма: добро надо любить, ценить и творить. За доброту нужно бороться, иногда даже с самим собой. В извечной борьбе добра и зла, света и тьмы должно побеждать чувство гуманности и милосердия – таков идейный замысел произведения М. Габулова «Отшельник». The article examines the genre, plot and psychological features of Meliton Gabulov's novel "The Hermit". The author of the novel focuses his attention not on complex historical processes, but emparts to the events unexpectedly dynamic, adventurous character. His hero, in essence, is a rather intelligent, educated young man, due to his emotional instability, finds himself in unusual circumstances and sometimes commits unjustified, unmotivated atrocities. The combination of villainy and nobility, the opposition of good and evil, intelligence and madness in one character constitute the plot of the work. The determining factor in this article is the study of deep spiritual contradictions and searches of the protagonist. Through the prism of the analysis of actions, words, the appearance of the hero, an attempt is made to reveal his inner world, his attitude to life in certain psychological situations. The article aims to reveal the depth of feelings and experiences of a person who is trying to overcome mental pain and physical ailment. The torment of the hero, exhausting mental pain and remorse become the inevitable companions of his whole life. The writer managed to fully, deeply enough depict the feelings and thoughts of his character. The feelings and experiences of the hero are determined by his actions, which often reach the point of absurdity and cannot be justified. However, an adventure novel, due to its genre characteristics, does not imply understanding and explaining the motives of the hero's actions, moreover, it creates conditions for the sloppy development of the plot. Thus, the absurd actions of the hero and the dynamism of the plot become decisive in the genre of the adventure novel, in general, and in M. Gabulov’s novel, in particular. Despite its adventurous nature, the novel is based on the moral and ethical concepts of a man. The hero's atrocities are the result of his mental anguish. The writer approves of the concept of goodness and humanism: good must be loved, appreciated and created. You have to fight for kindness, sometimes even with yourself. In the eternal struggle between good and evil, light and darkness, the feeling of humanity and mercy should prevail - this is the ideological concept of the work of M. Gabulov “The Hermit”.

«Huguenots» by J. Meyerbeer in the context of spiritual-Christian quests of the era of romanticism

The purpose of the article is to identify the poetical and intonational features of J. Meyerbeer’s «Huguenots» in the context of the spiritual quest of romanticism, the evolution of French musical theater in the first half of the 19th century and its mystery component. The methodology of the work is the intonation concept of music from the perspective of intonation-stylistic analysis inherited from B. Asafiev and his followers. The analytical-musicological, genre-style, interdisciplinary, historical and cultural approaches are also essential for this work, revealing the spiritual and moral specifics of the poetics of the French «grand opera» and its mystery primary sources using the example of J. Meyerbeer's «Huguenots». The scientific novelty of the work is determined by its analytical perspective, focused on the consideration of the «Huguenots» by J. Meyerbeer in the context of the spiritual-Christian quests of the romantic era. Conclusions. The poetics of J. Meyerbeer’s opera «Huguenots», which is one of the exemplary examples of «grand» French opera, was formed at the intersection, on the one hand, of creative discoveries in the field of French musical theater of the first half of the 19th century and its vocal and performing stage practice. On the other hand, the named work demonstrates a deep connection with the mysterious traditions of the French spiritual theater, dating back to the Middle Ages, to the spiritual, religious and stylistic attitudes of the musical theater of French classicism («lyric tragedy» by J. B. Lully) and at the same time consonant with the religious quests of romanticism and the moral and ethical positions of French historicism. The essential role of religious confrontation in the Huguenots, which determinesthe intonational and dramatic specificity of the work, right down to the quotations of the Lutheran chant, ultimately focuses on the «collegiality of the highest order», which overcomes confessional barriers, defining the spiritual and moral pathos of the French «grand opera» and its spiritual attitudes.

Of People and Protest: Spiritual Resistance in Newar Hymns

The spiritual and the political at times merge together in the formation of powerful voice of protest in quest of social harmony. This is also seen in Newari cultural landscape. Newari hymns present that the collective imagination poetically transcends beyond the earthly domain of control of authority and social structures, revolting against the prevalent social order. The paper studies two historical Newari hymns “Shitala Maju” and “Bijaya Laxmi” from the perspective of the cultural resistance. When the hymns that are still sung as integral cultural performance in social life of the Newari settlements are analysed to examine the nature of their spiritual quest, the hymns, in the form of devotional poetry, emerge as a sharp critique of the then power structure. This paper argues that the Newari hymns raise the voice of people against the atrocities of both the state and/or the King in the form of spiritual resistance in its inner core though such poems externally display devotion as their primary ethos.

Kafka’s “Frightened Mouse”

Existentialist doctrine and neo-Sufi Arabic poetry share the conviction of the worthlessness of human existence – strangeness, alienation, wondering about the meaning and purpose of life, and deep depression after the tragic nature of human existence are imprinted on the character of man by the very nature of his humanness. Two short literary texts, one by the Austrian novelist Franz Kafka (1883–1924) and the other by the Egyptian poet Ṣalāḥ ʿAbd al-Ṣabūr (1931–1981), deal with such topics of the human existence presenting a new original vision. A mouse is the central figure of both of them. Despite the worthlessness of human existence, both texts offer some kind of hope and spiritual quest, a salvation in which death could be the gate to true life.

“Rethinking the Tradition”: about young believers seeking their own path within Islamic Spirituality

In the modern world, as noted by researchers (P. Berger, D. Hervieu-Léger, etc.), there is an increasing individualization of religion. Believers are increasingly constructing their own religion, using symbolic resources of different religious systems. The article describes three stories of young believers studying in Muslim educational institutions of Tatarstan. The paper also reveals the main stages of their spiritual quest. Young people are critically rethinking their own religious traditions. Their further religious choices turn out to be closely related to the changes in their personal lives and refer to the realization of their key life interests. A new understanding of religion gives young people a desire to benefit the entire Muslim community and provides them with an openness to social creativity. These stories show three options for rethinking a man’s religious tradition: the transition to Islam from Orthodoxy; creative combination of the postulates of Islam and Buddhism; and also a new understanding of Islam, different from that of the older generation.

Mythic Life

This introductory chapter discusses Erich Ludendorff’s postwar political machinations, his publications, his conspiracy theories and his spiritual quest. It illustrates how the German World War I hero played a significant role in the country’s crucial moment when they sought to build a new Germany out of the ruins of the Empire and the Great War. In order to achieve a more complete understanding of Ludendorff’s place in German history after 1918 (including the post-1945 history of the Federal Republic of Germany), the chapter takes a biographical approach that differs from traditional biography and focuses on the two battles from 1914, Liège and Tannenberg, which appear out of all proportion in Ludendorff’s postwar writings. These battles establish characteristics — bold, courageous action and operational genius in defense of Germany — that Ludendorff wanted to associate with his mythos. It then examines Ludendorff’s struggles to create a “mythos.” That mythos allowed Ludendorff to tap into deep wellsprings of cultural power and symbolism. Ultimately, the chapter gives significant attention to Ludendorff’s importance as a prolific writer — of autobiography, political commentary, pseudo philosophy and history, and prophecy.

Luminaries in Shadows: Women in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness

Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness is a popular modernist work which has often been implored for racist undercurrents. The characterisation of women in the novella remains frail and severely restricted. However, the seemingly mute and insignificant figures of the narrative are an ‘absent presence’ which shapes and directs Marlow’s spiritual quest into the “heart of darkness”. The novella is a text which captures the feminist ethos rising in the contemporary British society as an invisibly powerful undercurrent.

Competing with Urban Verticality: Cinematic Landscapes in Seediq Bale and Beyond Beauty: Taiwan from Above

While buildings strive to reach higher and higher, cities are obsessed with a visible expression of verticality. Seediq Bale (2011) and Beyond Beauty: Taiwan from Above (2013) represent a new development in Taiwan’s cinematic use of landscape that challenges the dominance of urban verticalism. Seediq Bale sets up an alternative vertical dimension of mountainous areas that puts into dialogical relationship the dichotomies of civilised/barbarous, advanced/primitive, and vertical/horizontal. Audiences no longer experience space in a traditional manner, as eventually Mona Rudao’s graveyard is undiscovered/undefined. Beyond Beauty, on the other, asks viewers to ‘go higher’, encouraging a break with ordinary experience for a more spiritual quest like aerial shots. As both offer a sense of disorientation and alienation, what does the spatial metaphor address to aesthetics, ecocriticism, politics of identity, and sovereignty in geography? What are the implications as cinematic landscapes extend into a real-life environment that is ready to be consumed?