Our spatial reality and God

Modern scientific models of cosmological space and the theological concept of God’s immensity seem to exclude the possibility that God himself is personally present with us humans at particular places in space. Are God and our spatial reality incompatible? Or, is it possible to conceive the connection between God and space as ‘positive’, that is, in such a way that God himself can be fully and personally present with us at particular places in space? This essay explores how this question may be addressed in a theology which accepts the results of the natural sciences and acknowledges that God is the free creator of physical space. It describes how space can be conceptualised, and presents an overview of five different views on a positive relation between God and space in recent protestant theology. It concludes by some considerations on the question whether a positive relation between God and space requires that God himself is spatial.Contribution: This article contributes to the conversation between natural science and theology by making three points. (1) The scientific understanding of cosmological space and the biblical witness of God’s personal and local presence with humans require an alternative for the traditional theological view on God and space in terms of God’s immensity and omnipresence. (2) It is argued that new theological models for the interrelation between God and space have serious weaknesses. (3) A ‘positive’ relation between God and space may be articulated in terms of the correspondence among God’s uncreated movement, multiplicity and relationality, and the movement, multiplicity and relationality in the physical space of creation.

Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann: The Liturgical Theology of the Symbol

В статье предпринимается попытка актуализировать богословское понятие «символ», существующее в литургическом богословии. Эта попытка осуществляется автором на базе имеющихся по этой теме материалов, опубликованных протопресвитером (1953-1970 гг. протоиереем, 1946-1953 гг. священником) Александром Шмеманом, известным богословом и литургистом Православной Церкви. В своих публикациях отец Александр выражает озабоченность по поводу того, что литургический термин «символ», широко использовавшийся в христианской Церкви уже с древних времён и являвшийся ключевым понятием в богословии и в литургической практике с середины второго тысячелетия, стал трансформироваться и приобретать несвойственные ему значения, что оказало негативное влияние на литургическую жизнь Церкви в целом, и особенно на понимание Евхаристии. Со временем термин «символ» стал терять своё богатое онтологическое содержание и приближаться к понятию «знак». Это понятие усвоено символу во многих современных толкованиях литургической жизни. The article attempts to actualize the theological concept of «symbol» that exists in liturgical theology. This attempt is carried out by the author on the basis of materials available on this topic published by Protopresbyter (1953-1970, Archpriest, 1946-1953, Priest) Alexander Schmemann, a renowned theologian and liturgist of the Orthodox Church. In his publications, Father Alexander expresses concern that the liturgical term «symbol», which has been widely used in the Christian Church since ancient times and which has been a key concept in theology and liturgical practice since the middle of the second millennium, has begun to transform and acquire uncharacteristic meanings which had a negative impact on the liturgical life of the Church in general, and especially on the understanding of the Eucharist. Over time, the term «symbol» began to lose its rich ontological content and approach the concept of «sign». This concept is adopted by the symbol in many modern interpretations of liturgical life.

Av denna världen?

This article deals with the theological concept "Kingdom of God" in pre-1848 German political thought, more specifically in the texts of three political authors of the era: Wilhelm Weitling, Friedrich Julius Stahl, and Karl Theodor Welcker. The article is located in the nexus between theology and history of political thought, and has three main aims: First, in a gen­eral sense, it discusses and applies Amos Funkenstein's idea of laymen theology and Jan-Werner Müller's notion of in-between figures. Second, using these, it gives an example how theology has been an active language in the formation of modern political thought, more specifically the modern political ideologies of liberalism, socialism, and conservatism. Third, it tries to complement existing studies of temporality and theology in the mod­ern period, most notably the work of Jayne Svenungsson. Methodologically, in focusing and historicizing one specific concept, it connects to the theories of Reinhart Koselleck. The article shows how the Kingdom of God was differently conceived by authors of different political positions, but, more importantly, discusses how it became an active theological concept, used by laymen, in a political context obsessed with questions of historical change, the possibility of societal perfection, and the role of Christianity in the world.

Nature through God’s Eyes: Eco-theological Perspectives in Paul Schrader’s First Reformed

Environmental crisis is one of the major issues that humankind is facing today. The crisis can be discussed through a Christian perspective, as the relationship between Christianity and environment has been long discussed for its complexities. Eco-theology is one of the ways for Christianity to bridge its teaching to the environmental crisis. First Reformed, a 2017 film directed by Paul Schrader, is one of the films depicting the interplay between Christianity and environmentalism. This paper examines how First Reformed portrays the process of reconciling Christianity and environmentalism. Using Jürgen Moltmann’s eco-theological concept and Kierkegaard’s concept of despair, this article discovers that while First Reformed demonstrates the ways Christianity could be both an ally and an enemy of environmentalism, the film’s final message leans more towards the way the church can respond to the crisis through embracing insights and values beyond Christianity’s core doctrine that are more in line with environmental concerns, such as seeing nature as a female figure and the idea of harmony illustrated through a yin-yang symbolism.

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Time perception has important consequences for how human activity is structured. The question of how time perception has shifted in history could therefore be of certain importance in archaeological interpretation. This article is an attempt to analyze the construction of time in early- and high-medieval lreland and Scandinavia. The bell and the sound of the bell related to a theological concept in Christian ideology which referred to time. The bell was to become an utensil of power in the process of christianization. With help of the bell, the church partly abolished the subjectivity in the perception of time. When the bell rang it thereby dictated a common sense of time. We could therefore perhaps assume that a conceptual polemic concerning time has been one of the reasons for conflicts in medieval Ireland and Scandinavia.

Eka Aneka Vis-A-Vis Ṭawḥīd Al-Asmā’ Al-Ḥusna: An Analysis Of Uthaya Sankar’s View In His Malaiur Manikam

In the religion studies, al-Asmā’ al-Ḥusnā refers to the beautiful names of God, which such phrase is never ascribed to His creations, but only unto Him alone, as prescribed in the notion of tawhīd. In Hinduism, the theological concept is addressed as eka aneka. Eka means one, while aneka means not one or many. Therefore, eka aneka means God in Hinduism is one but also aneka, which has many manifestations, incarnations, and different from the concept of tawḥīd in Islam. In 2015, Uthaya Sankar, a famous Hindu writer, claims that the Hindu concept of eka aneka is similar to the concept of al-Asmā’ al-Ḥusnā in Islam in his Malay language book titled Malaiur Manikam. Therefore, this research aims to study the intellectual background of Uthaya Sankar and his book Malaiur Manikam. Then this research intends to describe the concept of eka aneka as prescribed by Uthaya Sankar in his Malaiur Manikam and also to investigate Uthaya Sankar’s view of equalizing the concept of eka aneka with the concept of al-Asmā’ al-Husnā in Islam. This research applies the qualitative approach, namely content analysis method on the Malaiur Manikam text. As a result, this research found that the Hindu concept of eka aneka cannot be equalised with the concept of al-Asmā’ al-Ḥusnā in Islam. This is due to the fact that although Allah has 99 names, but Allah is one (tawḥīd) in His essence (dhāt), actions (afcāl) and names (asmā’), as well as does not incarnate into any forms or manifestations. On the contrary, even though the Hindu God is one, but it incarnates into various forms and manifestations. Thus, this finding can enlighten the Muslims and the non-Muslims on the concept of tawḥīd al-Asmā’ al-Husnā vis-a-vis eka aneka, and also evaluate Uthaya Sankar’s notion of equalizing the Hindu concept of eka aneka with the concept al-Asmā’ al-Husnā in Islam.

The Transfigurations of Spacetime: The Concept of Tabor in the Hussite Revolution and its Implications for Philosophy of History

In this paper, I aim to show how medieval political theology and contemporary philosophy of history can inform one another. To do so, I examine the concept of Tabor–a notion which emerges among the radical Hussites, known as the Taborites, during the Hussite revolution in medieval Bohemia. I believe that the politico-theological concept of Tabor puts into question modern philosophies which think of history in terms of time, by clearly showing the insufficiency of a purely temporal approach to historical ideas and experiences. To successfully articulate the Taborite concept, we must understand history as structured not only by time but also by space and ideology. Conversely, a historical study guided by the philosophical categories of ideology, space, and time can expand our understanding of Hussite political theology by revealing notions and experiences which cannot be identified by an exclusively ideological, or solely spatial or temporal, analysis.

Refleksi Teologis Kitab Hosea Tentang Peran Tuhan Terhadap Kekudusan

Holiness is a very serious matter before God and is not compromised at any price. Holiness is the most important part of a relationship between God and humans. However, it cannot be denied that because of sin, the quality of human holiness with God is destroyed. God cannot compromise sin. Sin severed man's relationship with God. Seeing how very important holiness is, it is necessary to seriously discuss the meaning of holiness before God. Because what is happening at this time, holiness has begun to fade with evidence of moral destruction and several principles of good life in the family, dating style, service standards and even in work, holiness is not a priority, because holiness remains the highest standard. Through descriptive qualitative method with literature study approach, it can be concluded that in order for people to believe in returning to the divine quality of life, that is, living in holiness according to God's heart. The book of Hosea becomes a reference for serious contemplation with the meaning of a holiness from the side of God's role. And the discussion of this context will focus on the theological understanding of the Book of Hosea by using the method of extracting literature and several sources of writings that strongly strengthen the theological concept. So that from exploring the theological concepts of God's role in the holiness of the Book of Hosea, we can get a reflection of life that holiness is the most important part in the standard of life forever. AbstrakKekudusan menjadi hal yang sangat serius dihadapan Tuhan dan tidak ada ditawar-tawar dengan harga apapun. Kekudusan menjadi bagian terpenting bagi sebuah hubungan antara Tuhan dengan manusia. Namun tidak bisa dipungkiri, karena dosa, maka kualitas kekudusan manusia dengan Allah menjadi hancur. Allah tidak bisa kompromi dengan dosa. Dosa membuat hubungan manusia dengan Allah menjadi terputus. Melihat betapa sangat pentingnya kekudusan, maka perlu dibahas secara serius arti sebuah kekudusan dihadapan Allah. Sebab yang terjadi saat ini, kekudusan sudah mulai luntur dengan terbuktinya kehancuran moral dan beberapa prinsip-prinsip kehidupan baik dalam keluarga, gaya pacaran, standart pelayanan bahkan dalam pekerjaan, kekudusan menjadi hal yang tidak diutamakan, sebab kekudusan tetap menjadi standart tertinggi. Melalui metode kualitatif deskriptif dengan pendekatan studi pustaka dapat disimpulkan bahwa supaya orang percaya kembali kepada kualitas hidup ilahi, yaitu hidup dalam kekudusan sesuai dengan hati Tuhan. Kitab Hosea menjadi acuan untuk perenungan secara serius dengan arti sebuah kekudusan dari sisi peran Tuhan. Dan pembahasan konteks ini akan difokuskan kepada pemahaman teologis dari Kitab Hosea dengan menggunakan metode penggalian pustaka dan beberapa sumber penulisan-penulisan yang sangat menguatkan konsep teologisnya. Sehingga dari penggalian konsep-kosep teologis peran Tuhan dalam kekudusan dari Kitab Hosea, didapatkan refleksi kehidupan bahwa kekudusan menjadi bagian terpenting dalam standart kehidupan sampai selama-lamanya.