Legal Theology in Interdisciplinary Discourse

The paper as a research subject deals with the importance of a new interdisciplinary trend in studying the law – legal theology. The authors argue in favour of acknowledging the value of the theological dimension of law and legal awareness for the contemporary post-secular world. The aim of this paper is to substantiate the theoretical and practical value of legal theology for investigating legal awareness, shaping legal culture and legal theology of the contemporary Russian state. As a result of the theological dimension of law, the paper also focuses on spiritual and moral grounds of legal awareness, which determine legal values, ideals and beliefs of a personality as well as primarily impact the related criminal behaviour. For these purposes, to investigate legal awareness of a criminal, the authors appeal to orthodox anthropology based upon patristic concepts and teachings on combating egocentrism and aggression, as well as the reflection of passions which generate, originate the basic negative motives of legal mentality and legal awareness of an individual. The legal theology actualizes the ascetic study of legal awareness and enables in the context of the post-secular world to mobilize religious feelings and concerns in order to establish a steady rule of law.

The “A-theist” Christ

For Metropolitan Anthony Bloom, the kenosis of Christ climaxes with his God-forsakenness on the cross. It is this aspect of kenosis that the present article tries to explore and build upon. One key element will be the meaning of the concept of “a-theist” Christ – coined by Bloom – and how this status of the incarnated Son can function as a basis for our identification and solidarity with today’s atheists. By the way of kenosis, the incarnation brings together in one hypostasis the divine and human nature. This reality endowed both our nature and created order with significant dignity. This paper explores the possibilities from this dignity and how it can serve as a bridge for dialogue with humanists and materialists. As Bloom suggests, this can open the discussion towards the secular world and Christians could take some responsibility for the process of secularization. The objective of this article is to demonstrate that Anthony Bloom’s controversial idea of “a-theist” Christ can become a connection point with the other and a mirror in which western Christians might look at some of their anthropological shortcomings that hamper their solidarity and dialogue with those who do not share the faith in God.

Kierkegaard. Existence and Identity in a Post-Secular World, Alastair Hannay

Kierkegaard. Existence and Identity in a Post-Secular World es un libro de Alastair Hannay, profesor emérito de la Universidad de Oslo, publicado por la editorial Bloomsbury, en mayo de 2020.

POSTSECULAR RELIGIOSITY AND ITS CONCEPTUAL VERSIONS: FROM "INVISIBLE RELIGION" TO "RELIGION WITHOUT ESSENCE"

The article is devoted to the theoretical reconstruction of the of the conceptual version of postsecular religiosity. All the theories clame that the traditional religion can survive today through cover-up it’s religious identity. This is accompanied by the marginalization of religious organizations and an increase in the influence of religion at the level of individual interest. Theological analysis is limited mainly by negative characteristics when describing post-secular religiosity: the devaluation of transcendence and the rejection of dualism (Daniel HervierLeger), the absence of doctrinal boundaries (Thomas Luckmann), the weakening of the ideological core of the doctrine (Roberto Cipriani). The author argues that post-secular religion is an implicit ideology in terms of the way it functions. In the late XX - early XXI century, a number of researchers (U. Eco, S. Zizek, G. Marcuse and others) noted that the imaginary post-ideology of modern society is associated with the formation of a specific type of ideology, which can be designated as "implicit". The post-Christian secular world is also "implicitly" religious. The author reveals the commonality of the processes taking place in the field of religion with the characteristics of the "post-ideological" world and concludes that the religiosity of the post-secular society is most productive to study precisely as part of an implicit ideology.

RESPONDING TO VIOLENCE: LITURGY, AUTHORITY AND SACRED PLACES, c. 900–c. 1150

ABSTRACTThe principle that church buildings constitute sacred spaces, set apart from the secular world and its laws, is one of the most enduring legacies of medieval Christianity in the present day. When and how church buildings came to be defined as sacred has consequently received a good deal of attention from modern scholars. What happened when that status was compromised, and ecclesiastical spaces were polluted by acts of violence, like the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral? This paper investigates the history of rites for the reconciliation of holy places violated by the shedding of blood, homicide or other public acts of ‘filthiness’ which followed instances such as Becket's murder. I first identify the late tenth and early eleventh centuries in England as crucial to the development of this rite, before asking why English bishops began to pay attention to rites of reconciliation in the years around 1000 ce. This paper thus offers a fresh perspective on current understandings of ecclesiastical responses to violence in these years, the history of which has long been dominated by monastic evidence from west Frankia and Flanders. At the same time, it reveals the potential of liturgical rites to offer new insights into medieval society.

THE WORLD BETWEEN PARADISE AND HELL: “FEAST OF THE THREE KINGS” BY H. BOSCH (Rev.: Maizuls M.R. Between Christ and Antichrist: “The adoration of the Magi” by H. Bosch. M.: Alpina non-fiction, 2021. 238 p.)

The review pays special attention to the features of early Modern spiritual world and ideas of the Other by looking at the figures depicted on the triptych by Hieronymus Bosch. Paintings with biblical plots can give us information not only on the religious culture, but also on the secular world where the painter was living, displaying new discoveries of science, new lands and societies previously unknown to Europeans.