La recepción de Isaías 43.20 en Adversus Marcionem de Tertuliano: las sirenas como un tipo de los “gentiles” y como un caso de hibridismo cultural

Tertullian in his work Adversus Marcionem quotes Isaiah 43.20, which is peculiar because it documents a reference to sirens. This article aims to review Tertullian’s interpretation of Isaiah’s text to determine possible sources. A historical-philological methodology is followed where initially the text’s meaning is defined through the author’s context and then approaches to the cultural horizon of the Patristics of the first centuries. The evidence reveals a close relationship with Clement of Alexandria; consequently, the existence of a common cultural background between the two writers can be inferred. Thus, Tertullian ends up participating in the same process of cultural hybridization as other authors of his time.

The first few centuries of the Common Era saw great theological fluidity in emerging Christian doctrine. A figure looming large in many early controversies is Marcion of Pontus. Not considered truly gnostic by modern scholars, Marcion fueled the ire of early Church Fathers—Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, and others—by spreading his apparently biblically-based, ditheistic theology of a superior Unknown Good God and an inferior Just Creator God. Additionally, Marcion’s gospel, generally considered a version of canonical Luke, witnesses the three Jesus sayings in Luke 9:57–62 (cf. Tertullian, Adversus Marcionem 4,23,9–11; Clement of Alexandria, Stromata 3,4,25). This article examines these sayings—in light of both ancient and modern commentary—as representing a collective theological way or ὁδός to ideate Marcion’s Unknown Good God. Today Marcion’s voice is faint, but in ancient Christianity it was exceedingly strong. This article attempts to find a hint of its former strength.

In this talk we try to explain why synchronous data-flow languages have been successful in programming critical control systems. A tentative explanation is that these languages have their background in both computer and control sciences. This supports our opinion that such a common background would be useful for other related topics, for instance formal methods and distributed programming. Furthermore, we believe that computer based control of critical systems requires engineers trained in both sciences, and finding such engineers is difficult. A common cultural background, which the hybrid community tries to establish, may help in this issue.KeywordsTemporal LogicTentative ExplanationPrototype Verification SystemHybrid Dynamical SystemControl ScienceThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

Since Christian visual culture emerged from the substratum of antique pagan imagery in the late second – third century AD, the relationship between iconoclastic and iconophile views has oscillated in Christianity. The basis of the criticism against imagery was the ban imposed in the Old Testament, which was interpreted, depending on exegetical stringency, as a strict ban on either the production of images of God or of any representation of animated creatures. In the eighth century, the confrontation between the opposing inner-Christian positions culminated in the Byzantine Iconoclastic Controversy. With reference to the actual discourse of hybridity in cultural theory, this paper provides a case study of processes in the eighth century which took place in the Syro-Palestinian region during the clash of Christian and Muslim Arab religious ideas and visual cultures. Archaeological investigations of church interiors in this area have documented a trend towards geometrical motifs on the one hand, and deliberate destruction of older figural representations on the other: mosaic tesserae were removed from relevant places in floor mosaics and rearranged on the same spot into abstract or floral motifs. These discoveries raise the questions of the agents’ identity and the backgrounds to these iconophobic acts.

“Beam Me up, Ömer”:Transnational Media Flow and the Cultural Politics of the Turkish Star Trek Remake Iain Robert Smith (bio) While subjected peoples cannot readily control what emanates from the dominant culture, they do determine to varying extents what they absorb into their own, and what they use it for. —Mary Louise Pratt, Imperial Eyes: Travel Writing and Transculturation In the recent Turkish sci-fi comedy G.O.R.A. (2005), writer/star Cem Yilmaz thoroughly lampoons many of the Americentric traditions of Hollywood science fiction. After the film opens on a space station in which all the characters are speaking English, one character points out the anomaly, pleading, "Can we not have it in Turkish?" Indeed, Turkish turns out to be the galactic lingua franca in this narrative, with everyone—including the alien races—conversing in the Turkish language and using Turkish lira to trade. It is not America that has colonized the people's consciousness—to paraphrase those infamous words of Wim Wenders—but Turkey. This pointed inversion of the U.S. bias in Hollywood science fiction narratives, however, is balanced with an obvious affection for said films, with the film also offering loving homages to such iconic U.S. films as Star Wars (1977) and The Matrix (1999). This tension between oppositional critique and mimetic reverence illustrates one of the many layers of ambivalence that lie at the heart of transnational processes of cultural exchange. While the film undoubtedly offers a critique of the Americentrism in science fiction narratives, it also draws upon and imitates elements from those same cultural products. Indeed, this is a relationship that can be traced throughout much of Turkish cinematic history, most evidently in those cycles of popular cinema from the 1960s and 1970s that are known within Turkey as Yesilçam. Steeped within what Nezih Erdogan terms "mimicry beyond innocent inspiration" (166), these films self-consciously appropriated elements from U.S. popular culture, often taking characters, plots, and music and recontextualizing them within films produced in the local industry. These ranged from unlicensed remakes in which stories were translated for local audiences, such as in ¸Seytan (Satan, 1974), which follows the basic premise of The Exorcist (1973), albeit with the Catholic iconography replaced with that of Islam, to films such as Dünyayi kurtaran adam (The Man Who Saves the World, 1982), in which footage from Star Wars (1977) was appropriated and used as special effects sequences in a wholly unrelated narrative. These processes of cultural hybridization reflect what Marwan M. Kraidy describes in his recent Hybridity, or the Cultural Logic of Globalization in that they represent globalization not as a unitary one-way process of cultural homogenization but as an interstitial process through which cultures borrow from and interact with each other. Nevertheless, while these examples point to the hybridizing nature of cultural exchange, this does not mean that we should neglect the fact that these processes of hybridization are highly contingent on structural factors. As Kraidy argues, while most analyses of globalization that focus solely on cultural imperialism tend to overemphasize the structural factors of economic power and dominance, and most analyses that focus on processes of hybridization tend to offer a politically benign vision of diversity, an alternative framework that he terms "critical transculturalism" would pay attention to the hybridizing nature of cultural exchange and yet still retain the broader concerns of cultural imperialism around unequal power distribution (9). In this article I utilize this framework of critical transculturalism to explore Turkish appropriations of American popular culture, looking specifically at how Turist Ömer Uzay Yolunda (Tourist Ömer in Star Trek, 1974), the film more commonly referred to within Western fan culture as the "Turkish Star Trek," reconfigures [End Page 3] and recontextualizes the world of Star Trek.1 Rather than see this unlicensed remake as a derivative plagiarism of the earlier TV series, I position Turist Ömer Uzay Yolunda within wider debates on the transnational flows of media and the overlapping, intersecting nature of cultural production. Opposing the essentialist positions that envision cultures as "pure" and under threat of being tainted by the "other," I intend this model of transcultural exchange to draw attention to the intricate...

BackgroundCross-border research is a novel and important tool for detecting variability of ecological knowledge. This is especially evident in regions recently divided and annexed to different political regimes. Therefore, we conducted a study among Hutsuls, a cultural and linguistic minority group living in Northern and Southern Bukovina (Ukraine and Romania, respectively). Indeed, in the 1940s, a border was created: Northern Bukovina was annexed by the USSR while Southern Bukovina remained part of the Kingdom of Romania. In this research, we aim to document uses of plants for food and medicinal preparations, discussing the different dynamics of Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) transmission among Hutsuls living in Ukraine and Romania.MethodsField research was conducted using convenience and snowball sampling techniques to recruit 31 Hutsuls in Ukraine and 30 in Romania for participation in semi-structured interviews regarding the use of plants for medicinal and food preparation purposes and the sources of such knowledge.ResultsThe interviews revealed that, despite a common cultural and linguistic background, ethnobotanical knowledge transmission occurs in different ways on each side of the border. Family is a primary source of ethnobotanical knowledge transmission on both sides of the border; however, in Romania, knowledge from other sources is very limited, whereas in Ukraine interviewees reported several other sources including books, magazines, newspapers, the Internet and television. This is especially evident when analysing the wild plants used for medicinal purposes as we found 53 taxa that were common to both, 47 used only in Ukraine and 11 used only in Romania. While Romanian Hutsuls used almost exclusively locally available plants, Ukrainian Hutsuls often reported novel plants such as Aloe vera, Aronia melanocarpa and Elaeagnus rhamnoides. Knowledge related to these plants was transferred by sources of knowledge other than oral transmission among members of the same family. Therefore, this may imply hybridization of the local body of knowledge with foreign elements originating in the Soviet context which has enriched the corpus of ethnobotanical knowledge held by Ukrainian Hutsuls.ConclusionsWhile ethnobotanical knowledge among Romanian Hutsuls is mainly traditional and vertically transmitted, among Ukrainian Hutsuls there is a considerable proportion of LEK that is transmitted from other (written and visual) sources of knowledge. This cross-border research reveals that despite a common cultural background, socio-political scenarios have impacted Hutsul ethnobotanical knowledge and its transmission patterns.

P rofessor A lain L e B oulluec ’s rich and irreplaceable contribution to studies dedicated to early Christianity in Alexandria is well known and does not warrant a particular introduction to the academic community who research this subject. On this occasion, we are very privileged to receive in one volume a collection of his 27 papers previously published in various studies and journals; now, however, reprinted with helpful all-encompassing indexes. The study is divided into six sections. The first offers two essays on the origin of the so-called ‘Alexandrian school’ ( didaskaleion ), with a reassessment of the debate about the reception of this concept in literature from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The second essay, among other issues, examines the roles of Pantaenus and Clement of Alexandria in the emergence of the Alexandrian community. Le Boulluec’s insightful commentary highlights the richness of the cultural background which produced both the phenomenon and enigma of the early Christian method of education, which later (by Eusebius of Caesarea and others) was perceived in terms of a ‘school’.

The expression Rule of Faith was used from early on to designate the basic theology of the church—the sum content of "apostolic" teaching—as set down in Scripture, (pre)baptismal confession, and apostolic teaching patterns. Based on early Christological formularies and two- or three-limbed Christian confessions to the One God (cf. 1 Cor 8:6; Matt 28:19; 1 Clem. 46:6; Irenaeus, Epid. 6), this language emerged as a first- and second-century response to questions raised both within and outside of the Christian communities. With particular focus on Irenaeus (especially Haer. I, 10.1), but also on Tertullian and Clement of Alexandria, this article seeks to reflect on the origins of the Rule of Faith (regula fidei). The existence of the Rule is traced back to the apostolic period through close association with baptism and prebaptismal teaching patterns (use of traditional Christ-creed material, the Pauline Heis-Theos profession, and dyadic or triadic structuring of the faith). Particular attention is given to pre-Irenaean use of the term canon, Irenaeus's combination of onemembered, two-membered, and three-membered confessions, and to the close relationship between the Rule of Faith and Scripture in Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Clement. Together, these features of the regula fidei constitute a textual matrix within which proto-orthodox Christian hermeneutics by and large operated. Some structural similarities between the scribal nomina sacra practice and the Rule-of-Faith-pattern are noticed.

The expression Rule of Faith was used from early on to designate the basic theology of the church—the sum content of "apostolic" teaching—as set down in Scripture, (pre)baptismal confession, and apostolic teaching patterns. Based on early Christological formularies and two- or three-limbed Christian confessions to the One God (cf. 1 Cor 8:6; Matt 28:19; 1 Clem. 46:6; Irenaeus, Epid. 6), this language emerged as a first- and second-century response to questions raised both within and outside of the Christian communities. With particular focus on Irenaeus (especially Haer. I, 10.1), but also on Tertullian and Clement of Alexandria, this article seeks to reflect on the origins of the Rule of Faith (regula fidei). The existence of the Rule is traced back to the apostolic period through close association with baptism and prebaptismal teaching patterns (use of traditional Christ-creed material, the Pauline Heis-Theos profession, and dyadic or triadic structuring of the faith). Particular attention is given to pre-Irenaean use of the term canon, Irenaeus's combination of onemembered, two-membered, and three-membered confessions, and to the close relationship between the Rule of Faith and Scripture in Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Clement. Together, these features of the regula fidei constitute a textual matrix within which proto-orthodox Christian hermeneutics by and large operated. Some structural similarities between the scribal nomina sacra practice and the Rule-of-Faith-pattern are noticed.

The aim of this article is to expand on the ideas presented in Kim (2014) to include the Caribbean American population in the description of how cultural awareness can be important in therapy, and how—especially in solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT)—a general understanding of, or personal access to, the client’s cultural context may be helpful. Cultural awareness may help to initiate joining and conversation, and often can help the therapist more easily follow the client’s hints about their personal possibilities and solutions. We will describe some of the specific issues and differences from mainstream American culture that Caribbean American youth can face. We will also describe some of the strengths and protective factors that stem from this same background. To illustrate our ideas of how to hold a culturally competent SFBT conversation, we present the case example of Nadine, who sees her therapist Jamie-Lyn to get help to get back on the right track in school. When Jamie-Lyn sees her supervisor, Giselle, she gets some new ideas based on the common cultural background of her client and supervisor. Since this common background will not always be present, therapists should take notice of how Jamie-Lyn with the help of Giselle became more open and curious about her client’s different life experience.

The Role of Communication in Building the Pedagogical Relationship

I doubt that anyone would disagree with the need to establish a positive teacher/child relationship in any classroom situation. The fact is that most young children are expectant of this happening and are conditioned by their home environment and experience to relate to the school and the teacher. There is no doubt that this attitude tempers any sense of strangeness and assists in the development of a feeling of security so necessary to a successful school experience. Many of the steps taken to foster a positive relationship between teacher and pupils occur spontaneously and as a result of mutual interaction, on the basis of a common cultural background. In the case of Aboriginal children in a class situation, this common cultural background cannot be presumed to exist. Many aspects of the Aboriginal culture are vastly different from the European one, not the least of the differences being that the very concept of the school institution does not belong to the Aboriginal culture.Some understanding of the basic cultural differences is necessary to provide for the building up of a feeling of mutual trust and ease. Suggestions, hopefully of a practical nature, are offered to facilitate this most important aspect of a class teacher’s responsibilities, for without it, I am convinced little meaningful learning will occur.

Masaryk University (MU) perceives the development of lifelong learning (LLL) as very beneficial. It is aware of the importance of further development of LLL, not only on a national scale. Therefore, it maximally supports efforts to establish and maintain cooperation with foreign partners. One of MU's foreign partners is the Danube University in Krems (DUK), which is focused on adult education. Following activities of a recently completed project of MU and DUK, the question of the possibility of further cooperation arose. Thanks to the Lifelong Learning Without Borders project, MU representatives had the opportunity to visit the Center for Applied Music Research at the Department of Arts and Cultural Studies of DUK, and the Gottweig Abbey. The opportunity to see music archival materials that are not commonly available led MU and DUK academics to collaborate on a project that would focus on music culture relationships in Austria and the Czech lands in the 18th to 20th centuries. The aim is to increase awareness of the richness of cultural history of both, in the history so closely connected nations, in the field of music. Several meetings of experts from both universities followed, and the result is a series of activities aimed at presenting the interdependence of the two nations from a slightly different perspective. Implementation of the planned activities will be preceded by research activities of experts, which will include the study of archive sources, musical works forming a common cultural background; analysis and evaluation of compositional qualities in comparison with contemporary standards; preparation of musical notation; arrangement of the repertoire and interpretation of selected compositions at concerts in Kremz, Telc and Brno. The concerts will include a cross-section of works by composers of the 18th to 20th centuries who left for Austria, the so-called Czech music emigration, as well as composers from Austria who are closely tied to Bohemia. Based on the joint research activities of the music science experts, addressed Czech and Austrian performers will mediate selected compositions to participants of the concerts. Students from both countries will have the opportunity to acquire new knowledge or to extend their existing knowledge in this area at planned lectures to be held in Krems and Brno. The lectures will be held in Czech and German. The lectures will include Czech-Austrian musical relations in a historical overview, personalities and works of composers from the 18th to 20th centuries, including presentation of examples of works that shaped, and still shape the common cultural background of both nations. Preparation and subsequent presentation will be carried out in cooperation of music science experts of both partners. Participants will receive supporting materials for presentations in the form of a bilingual brochure, the creation of which requires close cooperation of music science experts of both partners. Participation in project activities is intended for all interested persons from Austria and the Czech Republic, professionals and general public. Before the end of the project, a meeting of project partners will take place in Brno, where all project activities will be evaluated. The expected outcome of the project is to increase awareness of the richness of common cultural history of both nations in an interesting way, and to actively strengthen the language competence of all participants.

Background Health literacy (HL) is recognized as one of the major determinants of health. International population HL surveys in Europe and Asia using a unified measurement of European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q) demonstrated similar results of approximately 50% of population having poor or problematic health literacy level. In the present study the HLS-EU Q47 was adapted for the Russian population for the first time. Russian language is spoken widely beyond the Russian Federation (RF). Among international migrants, more than 25 million are from the RF or former Soviet Union, typically speak Russian and have a common historical and cultural background. Methods Adaptation of the questionnaire was based on the HLS-EU methodology and included 5 stages: translation from English into Russian, back translation by two independent translators, focus group (n = 12), online expert opinion (n = 12), field-testing (n = 90). For the focus group, the purposeful sampling was used, stratified by gender, age, education level and place of living (urban/rural). The field-testing was conducted by personal interviews in households, using a random stratified sampling based on gender and age. Results The translations analysis identified discrepancies on the use of plain language, and allowed to simplify the wording in 10 questions (13%). The focus group and expert opinion qualitative analysis allowed identifying and adapting cultural and linguistic peculiarities, so 24 questions (31%) were adapted. The field-testing showed 86% feasibility of the questionnaire in real settings. Conclusions Despite that the instrument was translated into Russian and used in some countries for the Russian-speaking population, a substantial adaptation of the questionnaire is necessary, taking into account the cultural and linguistic characteristics and background of the studied population. The instrument can contribute for measurement of HL in Russian population living in different countries. Key messages The HLS-EU-Q 47 was adapted for the Russian population. The adapted instrument can contribute to further health literacy measurements of the Russian population worldwide.

Grenada is one of seven small and newly independent island nations in the Caribbean sharing a common cultural and political background and a close association within the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). Because of their small size and common background, these seven nations share a common market, a common currency and to some extent common administrative, diplomatic, judicial and defense functions within the OECS framework. Although independent, in many respects they have closer ties than, for example, members of the OAS or even the EEC.