The Problem of “Higher Individuals” in the Works of F.M. Dostoevsky

This article deals with the controversial issue of F.M. Dostoevsky’s concept of “Higher Individuals.” The latter are people who rise above other people and have a special influence on society and on history. The authors argue that this concept is most clearly expressed in “The Diary of a Writer” (1876) as well as in the story “The Sentence”, along with Dostoevsky’s commentaries on this story. By means of a detailed analysis of Raskolnikov’s “theory” within the novel “Crime and Punishment”, it is demonstrated that only a superficial version of the concept of “higher individuals” is refuted in the heroes’ argumentations; at the same time, the novel’s characters – Marmeladov, his wife Katerina Ivanovna, and Raskolnikov – can be viewed as examples of different degrees in the personal accomplishment of this “higher personality” state. In conclusion, it is observed how a person must go through three stages of development in order to become a “higher character”: firstly, the experience of an existential crisis and the understanding of the lack of meaning in one’s life; secondly, the “rebellion” against the Creator of the world and its laws along with the rejection of the traditional church faith, whose rejection leads this person on the edge of suicide; thirdly, the acquisition of a new faith, first of all, a faith in one’s immortality, which happens in an unusual, unorthodox form, as is well demonstrated by the character of Svidrigailov in Dostoevsky’s novel. According to Dostoevsky’s doctrine, the meaning ofimmortality lies in the continuation of a person’s existence in a new form in the earthly world or in a “parallel” world similar to the earthly one, and not in the ideal Kingdom of Heaven, as the church claims. Finally, the authors maintain that the process of a character’s transformation into a “higher individual” was consistently and fully described by Dostoevsky in the stories of Raskolnikov and Ivan Karamazov.

ICONOGRAPHY: ON BAROQUE MENTALITY OF UKRAINIANS

Based upon the empirical background of professional and folk baroque icons represented in the Radomysl Castle Museum’s exhibitions, this article reveals the compositional, artistic and ideological characteristics of the Ukrainian baroque icon painting. The coincidence of its images and ideals with the national character and public aspirations of Ukrainians is also described. It is due to this that the Ukrainian baroque icon painting (both professional and folk) in the time of long statelessness and cultural decentralization became the main means of rendering collective reminiscences that are basic for the preservation of ethnic and cultural identity, and social ideals with them. The latter transformed over time into mental models that unconsciously determined the ideological and value priorities of Ukrainians. They, as evidenced by the compositional specification of the baroque icons presented in the Radomysl Castle Museum’s collection, were much influenced by the ideas of the world’s transformation and achieving the Kingdom of Heaven on earth through the ascetic activity of heroes, which was basic for the baroque worldview. For a man of the “Baroque era,” such heroes were not only Orthodox saints, but also religious and political figures. Moreover, it was assumed that they could even ignore the demands of Christian moralists for the sake of promoting the specific vital interests of the people. Their ascetic activity was considered one of the main prerequisites for the transformation of the world, the prototype of which was the Mother of God. For Ukrainians, she was not only a tireless patron for disadvantaged and suffering ones, but also a prototype of the selfless love that would rule the world (“the holy Ukrainian land”), as the result of its transformation. The sincere hope of Ukrainians for the protection of saints, combined with an unshakable faith in the divine “omnipresence” and the fullness of the whole world with God’s wisdom led to the establishment of ontological optimism in the Ukrainian consciousness. This means the belief in the ultimate overcoming of all life obstacles without personal efforts. Ideas and mental models formed and transmitted by Ukrainian baroque icon painting, due to the spiritual leaders of the 19th century’s national revival (with the absolute primacy of Taras Shevchenko and his both literature and art heritage) acquired secular features. They continued to determine the way of thinking and behavior of Ukrainians. Even today, they sincerely believe that the renewal of the world and the formation of new and just order does not require any personal effort and is to be achieved by the forces of some heroes they would call.

The World and the Kingdom of Heaven: An Orthodox Perspective on Migration

This article aims to explore the subject of migration within the horizons of imperial unicity by reviewing the historical roots and modern modifications of cosmopolitan ideology. It intends to detect its theoretical foundations and test them against the Orthodox missionary goal to become a citizen of the kingdom of heaven.

TINJAUAN TERHADAP DASAR-DASAR TEOLOGIS PRAKTIK HIDUP SELIBAT

This article discusses an overview of the theological foundations of the practice of celibacy. The theological grounds that are generally used are free choice for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven, gifts and the concept that sex is a sin. Regarding these three principles, there is debate about how to understand each of the existing principles and which ones are acceptable and which are not. Through a study of various literatures, from these three theological foundations it is concluded that only free choice for the sake of the kingdom of God and gifts can be used or accepted as the theological basis for the practice of celibacy. While celibacy on the basis of sex is a sin, it is an inaccurate theological basis. With two accepted theological grounds, namely free choice for the sake of God's kingdom and grace, celibacy should be lived as a vocation that is lived willingly (free choice) by someone who is given gifts by God with the aim of living to glorify God. Keywords: Celibacy, Gift, Calling, Sex, Sin. Abstrak: Artikel ini membahas tentang tinjauan terhadap dasar-dasar teologis praktik hidup selibat. Adapun dasar-dasar teologis yang umumnya digunakan adalah pilihan bebas demi Kerajaan Surga, karunia, dan konsep bahwa seks adalah dosa. Terkait ketiga dasar ini, ada perdebatan tentang bagaimana semestinya memahami setiap dasar yang ada dan dasar mana yang dapat diterima dan tidak. Melalui studi terhadap berbagai literatur, dari ketiga dasar teologis ini disimpulkan bahwa hanya pilihan bebas demi Kerajaan Surga dan karunia yang dapat digunakan atau diterima sebagai dasar teologis untuk praktik hidup selibat. Sementara selibat dengan dasar seks adalah dosa merupakan dasar teologis yang kurang tepat. Dengan dua dasar teologis yang diterima, yaitu pilihan bebas demi Kerajaan Surga dan karunia, maka selibat semestinya dijalani sebagai sebuah panggilan yang dihidupi dengan kerelaan hati (pilihan bebas) oleh seseorang yang diberikan karunia oleh Allah dengan tujuan untuk hidup mempermuliakan Allah. Kata-kata kunci: Selibat, Karunia, Panggilan, Seks, Dosa.

Eusebius of Caesarea, the Roman Empire, and the Fulfillment of Biblical Prophecy: Reassessing Byzantine Imperial Eschatology in the Age of Constantine

Modern scholarship often attributes to Eusebius of Caesarea (d. circa 340 AD) the view that God's heavenly kingdom had become manifest in the Roman Empire of Constantine the Great. Consequently, Eusebius is deemed significant in the development of Christian eschatological thought as the supposed formulator of a new “realized eschatology” for the Christian Roman Empire. Similarly, he is considered the originator of so-called “Byzantine imperial eschatology”—that is, eschatology designed to justify the existing imperial order under the emperors in Constantinople. Scholars advancing these claims most frequently cite a line from Eusebius's Tricennial Oration in which he identified the accession of the sons of Constantine with the prophesied kingdom of the saints in the Book of Daniel. Further supposed evidence has been adduced in his other writings, especially his Life of Constantine. This article argues that this common interpretation of Eusebius's eschatology is mistaken and has resulted from treating a few passages in isolation while overlooking their rhetorical context. It demonstrates instead that Eusebius adhered to a conventional Christian eschatology centered on the future kingdom of heaven that would accompany the second coming of Christ and further suggests that the concept of “Byzantine imperial eschatology” should be reconsidered.

Kingdom of heaven versus nirvana: a comparative study of conceptual metaphors for Christian and Buddhist ideals of life

This paper adopts Conceptual Metaphor Theory to compare the Christian ideal of life, i.e. the kingdom of heaven and the Buddhist ideal of life, i.e. nirvana. Through a systematic investigation of the metaphorical expressions bearing the two concepts in the Book of Mathew and the Lotus Sutra, we find that they share the static metaphor (the kingdom of heaven/nirvana is a container), i.e. both religions envision the ideal state of life as entering a container. Dynamically, the kingdom of heaven is conceptualized as an upcoming event while nirvana as the destination of a journey. The two dynamic metaphors reveal four major differences. Firstly, the kingdom of heaven is described as arrival into and nirvana as departure from the mundane world. Secondly, the arrival of the kingdom of heaven aims to eliminate the sin of human beings while the departure for nirvana aims to leave behind bitterness of the mundane world. Thirdly, the kingdom of heaven emphasizes the dichotomy between the good and the evil while nirvana emphasizes delivering all living beings. Fourthly, God acts as a king and judge in the final judgement of the kingdom of heaven while Buddha acts as a guide in the journey to nirvana.

Theirs is the kingdom of heaven

For many centuries, one in three newborns did not survive up to their first birthday, and details and causes of their death were unknown. Pioneers of vital statistics were Graunt and Petty in Britain, Süßmilch in Prussia, Berg in Sweden, Quetelet in Belgium, Villermé in France, Bodio in Italy, and Woodbury in the US. Since 1860, halfway reliable records were available, and infant mortality, at that time ranging from 100 to 300 per 1000 live births, was perceived as a humanitarian and political problem. Variables identified as associated with infant mortality included artificial feeding, poor sanitation, parental social and marital status, male sex, ethnicity, prematurity, and others, although their precise mechanisms often remained unclear. Since 1860, a dramatic and sustained decline in infant mortality caused a demographic revolution. Recent infant mortality rates ranged from 2 to 12 per 1000 live births in developed countries. Most of this reduction was achieved through public health measures and improved sanitation. Only since prematurity became the major cause of mortality could medicine claim to have enabled most of this progress.

Revealing the Secret of the Kingdom of Heaven in the Gospel of Matthew Chapter 13

The God of biblical revelation is present everywhere in the Gospel according to Matthew, but often in a self-effacing way, receding behind Jesus, Emmanuel, God-with-us. God's presence is veiled by divine passives, hidden behind the reverent circumlocution “heavens.” The parable of the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God is widely stated in our Gospel of Matthew. Many scholars claim that the Gospel of Matthew reveals more about Jesus as a powerful King.

Freedom and Grace in the Teaching of Mark the Hermit

Mark the Hermit is one of the most important theoreticians of ascetic life in the ancient Church. In his ascetic writings, he takes up a number of subjects, including teaching about freedom and grace. This is not a systematic doctrine, but rather statements scattered in his works, occasional, often similar to each other. “Freedom” is defined by St. Mark the Hermit by the term ἐλευθερία, while “grace” – by the term χάρις. He also reminds us that freedom is given to man by Christ; man also receives it in the sacrament of baptism, because it frees him from the burden of sin. Grace, in turn, is presented by Mark the Hermit always as a gift from God given to man. Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven is a gift, and not a reward for deeds, and the salvation that we receive from Christ is also grace. St Mark the Hermit’s teaching on freedom and grace certainly differs from the views of the Messalian sect, whose followers did not want to admit that grace and freedom are given to the baptised, so that they can perfect themselves throughout their lives and become similar to God.