Media Representations of Jesus Christ: The Dichotomy between the Sacred and the Profane

Christian hagiography reveals not only the facts of life of individual saints, but first of all, it is a description of the experience of God loving mankind. From the beginning of Christianity, of great importance in building faith, hope and love had had stories about those believers who responded with a particular radicalism for the prevenient love of God in the Trinity of Persons. These stories have been written in various forms of literature. Author in the introductory part of the article introduces into the lives of the saints and their role in the Ruthenian and Russian Orthodoxy. Essentially he focuses on presenting The Menaia edited by St Dimitry Rostovski. This book was published in the years 1711 to 1718 in Old Church Slavonic. At the beginning of the twentieth century, it has been rewritten and translated into Russian. This monumental work appeared in the years 1903-1911 under the title The Lives of the Saints. It has been a rich source of information for researchers from many disciplines. From a theological point of view, the author studied The Lives of the Saints in order to find direct references to the person and teaching of Jesus Christ. For this purpose, he analyzed quotations from the New Testament, especially from the Gospel, referring directly to the Person and teaching of Jesus Christ, as well as the prayers addressed to Him. In his analysis, he searched for answers to the questions: Who is Jesus Christ for the Ruthenian and Russian saints, and what kind of His images predominate in The Lives of the Saints. The first part of the article, on the basis of source texts, indicates personal qualities of Jesus Christ. The Savior has been experienced by the Ruthenian and Russian saints as God who is close to man, the blessed King, the best Lord, the Comforter of the crying, the Light, the merciful God, and the Foundation of all good. The image of Christ as sinless, innocent suffering and merciful shines especially in the devotion of Saints Passion-Bearers Boris and Gleb. In the consciousness of the Ruthenians Christ is not God who condemns the sinners, but God who wants to bring them to a change of heart and holiness. Christ is also the true Physician of souls and bodies. In the second part of the article were shown images of Christ that occur while reading The Lives of the Saints. Some of these images relate to the Gospels, and others have as their bases an existential expression of faith in Jesus Christ. The Saints refer to Earthly life of Jesus by recalling images of Jesus in various situations (the image of Jesus tempted the desert; the image of the merciful Christ, who wants to lead a mind of man mired in spiritual disease to change and salvation; the image of Christ suffering voluntarily for the salvation of man). An important element of the image of Jesus Christ, typified in The Lives of the Saints is a reference to His suffering and death on the cross, which is supplemented by a triumphant image of the Risen Lord, who won the death by His death and gave us eternal life. An interesting part of The Lives of the Saints (attributable to the month of April) is a description of the appearances of Jesus Christ after His resurrection. It shows the primordial light infinitely brighter than sunlight. In the mystical experience of the saints Christ is revealed as the glorious Light radiating with passionate love. It is characteristic for the spiritual experience of Ruthenian and Russian Saints that their Saviour is God who desires for the salvation of all.

In this study, the relationship between one’s self-perception of personality and his or her image of Jesus Christ was studied within a sample of 153 undergraduate students, of whom 130 were Christian and 23 were non-Christian; 23 Protestant pastors; and 55 Protestant laypersons. Using two forms of the NEO Personality Inventory (Self and Observer), ratings of the Big Five personality factors were obtained for both self and Jesus Christ. Results indicated significant positive correlations between ratings of self and Christ in each of the subgroups of Christian individuals. No correlations were found between ratings of self and Christ for the non-Christians. A repeated-measures ANOVA revealed significant differing correlations between groups. Christian persons may project perceptions onto Christ or attempt to mold themselves in a way more consistent with their own images of Christ. Further implications of the results as well as direction of the relationship between self-perception and image of Christ are discussed.

The unexpected appearance of Jesus Christ at the end of Aleksandr Blok’s The Twelve has caused much debate among scholars. This essay attempts to discover a key to decoding this image in the light of a much-discussed remark in Blok’s diary: “A terrible thought from the present times: the problem is not that the Red Guards are ‘unworthy’ of Jesus Christ who walks with them now; rather, the problem is that it precisely He who walks with them, when an Other is needed”. This remark suggests that the author himself could not fully explain this controversial idea he introduced in the poem. In the light of this remark, this article reads the ending of the poem as Blok’s attempt to deconstruct the symbolism of the traditional image of Christ. For Blok, such an attempt was necessary because at the time of writing the old image of Christ was already obsolete for Blok, and the new meaning had not yet crystallized for him. As a result, we are presented with a puzzling, transitional image that stems from the author’s searching for a new meaning.

The social semiotics approach examines the meaning-making process in order to demonstrate how meaning is constructed in social actions and contexts. The rising interest of researchers in social media and its widespread use in society have both highlighted new challenges for data analysis. Social semiotics can provide a deep understanding of the visual grammar of the social media meaning-making process by assuming that this process is considered a social practice. The main objective of this chapter is to guide researchers and enable them to use the social semiotic approach as a research tool for the analysis of visuals in the social media environment. The chapter introduces the key elements, principles, assumptions, and rules of using the social semiotics approach in the analysis, understanding, and interpretations of social media visuals and how to explore the role played by visual elements in the meaning-making process in a social media within a specific social context.

This paper explores the possibility of a social semiotic approach to popular music in order to document the voice qualities, melodies and instrumental sounds found in popular music using the case study of Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’. The paper explores how these semiotic features, as well as the lyrics, communicate and reveal something of the subjectivity, the emotional world, created by musicians. Here the analysis explores Jackson’s use of restricted pitch ranges, breathiness, melodic patterns and gentle disjunctive articulation showing how these help to communicate the ‘tension’, and ‘trouble’ in the song. Taking a social semiotic approach the paper identifies the underlying available repertoire of meanings available to musicians and shows how musicians can skilfully draws upon these.

When the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints published a new hymnbook in 1985, it began with a preface by the First Presidency articulating their hopes for the new volume: “The hymns invite the Spirit of the Lord, create a feeling of reverence, unify us as members. . . . Some of the greatest sermons are preached by the singing of hymns.”1 In the Latter-day Saint tradition, hymns serve to instruct and reinforce doctrine.Of all the doctrines contained in the hymnal, one most familiar to Latter-day Saints relates to the Savior's atonement.2 The hymns are often used to add insight to this key doctrine. President Russell M. Nelson recalled comforting a tearful missionary who asked, “Why did the Savior have to suffer so much?” In response, President Nelson opened a hymnbook and answered the question by quoting from a hymn: “And when I think that God, his Son not sparing, / Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in, / That on the cross my burden gladly bearing / He bled and died to take away my sin.”3This article examines how hymns published in the first three hymnals (1835, 1840, and 1841) and the 1985 edition depict the Savior's suffering in Gethsemane and his death on the cross. We selected these four hymnals to identify potential historical contrasts between the early hymns of the church and those sung in the late twentieth century.There is a disconnect between what the hymns teach and emphasize regarding the Savior's atonement and what many church members typically believe. In a previous study, researchers (including one of the present authors) asked 992 Latter-day Saint adults, “Where did Jesus Christ atone for our sins?” In response, 55 percent wrote only about the events of the Garden of Gethsemane, and 42 percent included Gethsemane and Calvary.4 A separate survey of 792 Latter-day Saint adults asked, “Where would you say Christ's Atonement mostly took place? A. In the Garden of Gethsemane, B. On the Cross at Calvary, or C. Equally in Gethsemane and Calvary.” In response, 58 percent chose “Gethsemane only.”5These survey results indicate that a majority of Latter-day Saints focus on Gethsemane as the central location of Christ's atoning for sin. That this is the case has been observed by scholars such as the anthropologist Douglas J. Davies who wrote, “Mormonism relocates the centre of gravity of Christ's passion in Gethsemane rather than upon the cross and Calvary.”6 Similarly, historian of American religion John G. Turner argues that Latter-day Saints see “the principal scene of Christ's suffering and, thus, his atonement, was at Gethsemane rather than on the cross.”7 Moreover, Kent Brown, a BYU religion professor writing in the influential Latter-day Saint publication the Encyclopedia of Mormonism states, “For Latter-day Saints, Gethsemane was the scene of Jesus’ greatest agony, even surpassing that which he suffered on the cross.”8It has not always been the case that Latter-day Saints have emphasized Gethsemane over Calvary. The Crucifixion was once at the heart of Latter-day Saint understandings of the atonement. This was the central thesis of Michael G. Reed's Banishing the Cross: The Emergence of a Mormon Taboo published in 2012.9 Our own work has made the same points.10 The personal writings and sermons of Joseph Smith do not mention Christ atoning for our sins in Gethsemane; in contrast, they frequently mention Jesus's death.11 Through the 1930s the word “Gethsemane” was used in general conference ten or fewer times per decade.12The powerful descriptive language used by James E. Talmage in Jesus the Christ (first published in 1915) likely played a role in the increasing emphasis on Gethsemane.13 More forceful words were spoken by Apostle Joseph Fielding Smith in a 1944 general conference address, in which he explicitly attributed greater atoning efficacy to Gethsemane than to Calvary.Over the next forty years, Latter-day Saint apostles made eight similar statements in books or in general conference.15 Church curriculum materials in the 1970s and 1980s utilized these quotations, leading some church members to believe that what transpired in Gethsemane had more soteriological significance than what happened on Calvary.16In the twenty-first century, church leaders have emphasized the atoning significance of both Calvary and Gethsemane, and the above-mentioned quotes that give preeminence to Gethsemane are no longer used in curriculum. Nevertheless, the quoted survey results suggest that Latter-day Saints continue to prioritize Gethsemane. This emphasis is interesting because Calvary is emphasized much more frequently than Gethsemane in scripture,17 by Joseph Smith,18 and in the collective teachings of church leaders.19 As we will demonstrate in this article, the hymns also give atoning priority to Calvary. The specific questions this article answers are as follows: How many hymns in the 1835, 1840, 1841, and 1985 hymnbooks describe Christ's atonement in Gethsemane and Calvary?What do the hymns teach about Gethsemane and Calvary? Have these teachings changed over time?In this study we identify hymn references that can be explicitly connected to either Gethsemane or Christ's Crucifixion. The references come from four English hymnbooks: A Collection of Sacred Hymns (Kirtland, 1835), A Collection of Sacred Hymns (Manchester, England, 1840), A Collection of Sacred Hymns (Nauvoo, 1841), and Hymns (Salt Lake City, 1985).To determine what these hymnbooks teach about Gethsemane and Christ's Crucifixion, two researchers read through all the hymns in each book and noted every statement that could be explicitly connected with Christ's death or his sufferings in Gethsemane. They did not include hymns that did not make clear reference to the Crucifixion or Gethsemane even if the Savior's death or Gethsemane could be inferred.24 Some hymns contained multiple references to Gethsemane and/or Calvary; these were only counted once, unless the hymn included references to both the Crucifixion and Gethsemane. In that case it was counted once in each category.25 They did not include any generic references to the “cross” unless it could be reasonably inferred to be referencing to Calvary.26 Hymns that contained references to Christ's death only in connection with the fact that he now lives were also excluded.27 In addition, the researchers did not count references to the blood of Christ, unless explicitly spoken of in relation to the Crucifixion or Gethsemane.28With this list, the researchers read the relevant hymn text, looking for common themes. A process of emergent coding led to eight themes that were used to code each reference. Table 1 summarizes this coding structure.Each reference received at least one code but could receive more than one depending on its content. For example, the following hymn received codes for both “Love” and “Salvation” based on these lyrics: “Here's love and grief beyond degree, / The Lord of glory died for men!”29Two independent raters read each hymn and assigned codes based on the descriptions. If the codes disagreed, a third rater reviewed their work and made a final determination.Table 2 summarizes the number of hymns in each hymnbook, and what percentage of these hymns reference Christ's suffering in Gethsemane and/or his death on Calvary. Our analysis of these four hymnbooks indicates that approximately 17 percent of the hymns in the first three hymnals focused on Christ's Crucifixion with that total dropping to about 12 percent in 1985. Thus, while the percentage of hymns referencing Calvary decreased in the 1985 hymnbook, the atoning power of the cross is still frequently mentioned. In the first two hymnbooks there were no direct references to Christ in Gethsemane, with two in the 1841 hymnbook and four in the 1985 hymnal. This finding may suggest a need to nuance the extent to which hymns effectively communicate doctrine. As explained, Latter-day Saints tend to emphasize Gethsemane as the place where Christ mostly atoned for our sins. Although approximately 16 percent of hymns across the four hymnbooks we analyzed speak of Christ's Crucifixion, fewer than 1 percent reference Gethsemane. This highlights a mismatch between what the hymns teach and what many church members appear to believe.The four hymnbooks we analyzed contain six references to Gethsemane. One defining feature of Gethsemane is that Jesus sweat great drops of blood, a unique detail from the gospel of Luke.30 This suffering is referenced in the 1841 hymnbook where lyrics say: Legions of angels. . . .They heard him [Christ] in the garden groan,And saw his sweat of blood;They saw his pierced hands and feetNail'd to the cursed wood!31The other hymn from the 1841 hymnbook to refer to Gethsemane states, “Oh garden of Olivet / dear honor'd spot / The fame of thy wonders shall ne'er be forgot / The theme most transporting to seraphs above / The triumph of sorrow, the triumph of love.”32The 1985 edition is the only hymnbook in our corpus that explicitly used the word “Gethsemane,” which occurs in two different hymns. One of these hymns states, “He answers privately, / Reaches my reaching / In my Gethsemane, Savior and Friend.”33 This hymn personalizes Gethsemane to describe times of sorrow experienced by the singer. The other hymn to use the word reads, “Our Savior, in Gethsemane / Shrank not to drink the bitter cup / And then, for us, on Calvary / Upon the cross was lifted up.”34 Eliza R. Snow in her hymn “Behold the Great Redeemer Die” alludes to this same statement Christ made in Gethsemane. After describing several elements of Christ's Crucifixion she describes the Savior as saying, “Father from me remove this cup / Yet, if thou wilt, I'll drink it up.”35 Finally, the hymn “Reverently and Meekly Now” appears to connect the Savior's suffering in Gethsemane and Calvary. The lyrics state (in the voice of Jesus), “With my blood that dripped like rain / Sweat in agony of pain / With my body on the tree / I have ransomed even thee.”36It is interesting to note that the two earliest hymnbooks make no reference to Gethsemane. The fact that four of the hymns in the 1985 hymnal connect to Gethsemane may suggest a small shift towards emphasizing it. However, no hymns in any of the four hymnbooks we analyzed make an explicit statement regarding the soteriological significance of Gethsemane. These findings stand in contrast to the survey data where a majority of church members locate Christ's Atonement primarily in Gethsemane.Across the four hymnbooks in our corpus, a total of 156 hymns reference Christ's death. Some of these hymns appear in two or three hymnals and two of them appear in all four hymnbooks.37 After eliminating duplicate hymns, a total of 110 unique hymns in this corpus refer to the Savior's Crucifixion. The following sections describe themes taught by these hymns with respect to the Savior's sacrifice on Calvary, organized by most to least common themes, with miscellaneous appearing last.Out of the 110 hymns containing references to the Crucifixion, 58 (53 percent) related to salvation, making it the most frequently mentioned theme. Three specific groups are consistently identified as recipients of salvation: individuals, sinners, and all humanity. Collectively the messages of salvation for these groups teaches the inclusive nature of his sacrifice.Roughly 25 percent of the hymns about salvation emphasize the individual nature of Christ's sacrifice. These hymns frequently include lyrics that focus on the redemption of the individual's soul, such as “[Jesus] died, my poor soul to redeem,”38 or statements of praise and awe, such as “How vast the love that him inclin'd, / To bleed and die for thee!”39 In addition to hymns that teach that Christ died for the individual,40 about a quarter of the salvation hymns teach that Christ specifically died for sinners. These hymns are most common in the 1840 and 1841 hymnbooks, which include lyrics that teach that Christ “did for every sinner die”41 and that the Messiah came “to bleed and expire for poor guilty man.”42 Three hymns specifically mention that Christ “[gave] his life to save his foes”43 or make statements like, “The very foes who slay thee, / Have access to thy grace.”44 By drawing attention to the fact that the Savior might save those who crucified him, these hymns emphasize the comprehensive nature of his death.The remaining hymns that reference salvation teach that Christ died not only for the individual and for sinners but for all humanity. A hymn that appears in both the 1840 and 1841 hymnals emphasizes this universality: “Bid their hearts rejoice / In him who died for all! / For all my Lord was crucified: / For all, for all my Saviour died!”45Other hymns contain similar statements regarding the inclusive nature of the Savior's death, describing Christ as “him who died for all.”46 Five hymns specifically state that Christ has saved the whole “world,”47 emphasizing the full extent of his redeeming death with declarations such as “all the world through thee may live.”48In addition to emphasizing the universality of salvation, we identified additional themes related to the saving power of the cross. A few hymns draw heavily on the imagery of Christ's death opening or unlocking the path to heaven. For example, the following lyrics appear in the 1835 hymnbook: “Twas Jesus, my friend, when he hung on the tree, / Who open'd the channel of mercy to me.”49 Three additional hymns in the 1985 hymnbook contain similar references, with statements such as “He who was slain on Calvary / Opens those pearly gates for me”50 and that he alone “could unlock the gate / Of heav'n and let us in.”51 The third hymn portrays similar imagery: We'll sing all hail to Jesus’ name,And praise and honor giveTo him who bled on Calvary's hillAnd died that we might live.He seized the keys of death and hellAnd bruised the serpent's head;He bid the prison doors unfoldThe grave yield up her dead.52Seven hymns specifically use the word “ransom” to describe the salvific nature of Christ's death on the cross. Some describe Christ himself as the payment, stating that he “gave himself a ransom,”53 or describe his death as “the precious ransom's paid.”54 Others instead emphasize our identity as sinners as “thy ransom'd ones.”55 Four of these seven hymns appear in multiple editions of the hymnbook, with two appearing in all four of the analyzed This indicates a emphasis across the on Christ's central role in our redemption and ransom'd the of the the for our and the key to the role of Christ's death in our salvation is very in all four More than of the hymns that reference the Savior's Crucifixion specifically teach that Christ died for our identified hymns that to the personal nature of Christ's death, making it the most common theme. One of this personal is in lyrics that the Savior's one third of these hymns our personal role in his pain and how it about our salvation, “And can it be that I / in the / he for who his hymn the of Jesus and the state of he that / For such a as / it for that I have / He upon the these hymns, percent are in first such as the hymn hymns are in first with an additional in first This of hymns that both praise and give to an interesting contrast between both the and the individual nature of Christ's personal sacrifice. These hymns, in both and the that he did for every sinner die, / died for eight of the hymns we as are in most of these are but declarations such as “For you the Saviour / is for The to those who to draw to the Savior, such as his pain he you / by his / by his / in Christ all in and Meekly Now” is unique in that it is from the Savior's The of highlights an from Jesus and / thy most / of thou ransomed / what I for thee have / With my blood that dripped like / Sweat in agony of / With my body on the tree / I have ransomed even percent of the hymns mention love in connection with Christ's Crucifixion. of these hymns describe the of love in Christ's to die for us or of Christ's death as a of his love for For example, the 1985 hymnbook the following lyrics: “He died in / A to / love love is as or This hymn teaches that Jesus that he has love for through his Crucifixion. in other hymns, such and hymn to to his let his love hearts suffer him to die in love is to love to to his no him in, this at his for him who died for lyrics to let the same love that Christ to die for them them to for They invite those singing to think of Christ on the cross when they are and let his love hearts so that he will not have in Similarly, hymn those drops of grief can ne'er / The of love I hymn that appears in both of hymnbooks “the love of thy crucified These lyrics suggest that Christ's Crucifixion the between Christ and his the salvific of what transpired on Calvary. A hymn When I survey the which the of glory . . from his his his and love such love and sorrow so a these that the scene was also with A similar hymn appears in all four of the hymnbooks: “Here's love and grief beyond degree, / The Lord of glory died for identified hymns that describe Christ's suffering on the cross. They of “the of the as with was . . . when for our he suffering They emphasize Christ's from the Crucifixion, his specific and their to our than of these hymns mention Christ's from the Crucifixion. of these hymns are in the first three hymnbooks, a of in previous with more of Christ's A hymn appearing in the first three hymnbooks a personal connection between the sinner and Christ's the my is on his hands . . he on speak for him, they let that ransom'd sinner connection to the of Jesus is also in other hymns. For example, one from the 1840 hymnal describes his as a place of there I would always . . . in the of thy from the 1840 hymnbook us to to Jesus / to those dear of Similarly, these lyrics from the 1985 hymnal a personal connection to the Savior's as a place of of for / me in / the and the blood, / thy which / of the / from and make me addition to the of the Crucifixion, many hymns describe other of the Savior's hymns from the first three hymnbooks refer to Christ's from the cross. They describe the pain he as he let Others describe the atoning nature of Christ's such as his pain he you / by his this was mentioned in the earliest of the hymns that mention Christ's suffering in the 1985 hymnbook contain any references to the of Jesus on the the four hymnbooks, a total of hymns connect Christ's Crucifixion with to the and six to One noted contrast is that hymns and the Savior's death appear more often in the early hymnbooks than the 1985 hymns the and his death appear more frequently in the 1985 hymnbook than in the This of connection between Christ's Crucifixion and is in general conference are unique hymns in the 1840 and 1841 hymnbooks with Christ's These hymns teach that we be with the by his In contrast, the 1985 hymnbook only one hymn that the to the As an of thy thy the who thy great the . . with the Lord and a life hymn first in the 1835 hymnbook, where it was the only one to the Savior's death in that of the six hymns that draw a connection between and the Crucifixion mention the These hymns describe the as an of his with our own body / of the For example, both the 1840 and the 1841 hymnbooks contain these lyrics: For Jesus is the died that we might our the opening to life from the there are few hymns in the three earliest hymnals that draw a direct connection between the and the Savior's death. The 1835, 1840, and 1841 hymnbooks have a total of and hymns in their However, both the 1835 and 1841 hymnals only have one hymn that Christ's Crucifixion with the and the 1840 edition has The following lyrics appear in each of the first three hymnbooks: He took the and and words of he is my body for and the took the and the the new in my he shall of at my and love of the words of the above the other included in the 1840 hymnbook also the with an emphasis in the Savior, stating that we the of our Lord . . . sorrow, and there are few hymns with an explicit connection to Christ's death in the first three there is still a clear emphasis on the of his death in these early contrast, hymns the Savior's sacrifice on Calvary to the are much more in the 1985 hymnbook, which eight hymns of a total of in the that connect his death to this This finding the of increasing between the and the Savior's death on the cross observed in general conference from the to the For example, the 1985 hymnal the now we take the / Our are to thee, / Son of God, who for us, / died on our corpus, we identified hymns that emphasize Christ's Crucifixion in a appear in the 1841 hymnal. In contrast to that often the sufferings of the Crucifixion, these hymns the that can also be with Christ's death. One hymn unique to the 1840 edition to Calvary, me that / The place of thy / in an / And on a crucified the is as state in which the is and . . . of some or or an These words are of many of the other hymns with the they emphasize the and used by the of Christ to his on the hymn appearing in both the 1840 and 1841 hymnbooks to and / on in the triumph of the atoning sacrifice Jesus these suggest that a towards the death of Christ results from an of its significance and that it made redemption and life for all addition to the towards the Crucifixion, these hymns also for the Savior's death on the cross. The following lyrics in each of the first three hymnbooks: might I my his dear cross my heart in to . . Lord, I give all that I can hymn that also in the first three hymnbooks alludes to the of feeling for Christ's love is he died for us, / we In the 1985 hymnal this is also that all a of of the 110 hymns could not be assigned to our codes as many of these hymns present on Calvary that is unique to a specific For example, in 1841 hymnal, a missionary to and Savior's / the of his he taught in the that at his And the of the other hymns do not explicitly the cross as they do the and of the cross to For example, one from the 1985 hymnal to the of the cross / . . . for our come hymn I a of the / A of the the early hymnbooks, it was common for hymns to reference following Jesus's of up the cross. For example, one hymn from 1840 of the to take up “the that was in all three of the first hymnbooks like Jesus the / him the / And count all but / For his most However, in the hymnbook, these of hymns were not as but two of the hymns from the 1985 hymnbook that mentioned “the used it in a more when describing Jesus's at interesting of the lyrics in one hymn may indicate in which Christ's Crucifixion was by those the The hymn as of was included in the 1840 hymnbook with the following lyrics: a and / the Lord, the great I / with was / on he In the 1985 the two of this were changed to upon the cross he / now his is the Although it is as to these lyrics were one is that the highlights a Christ while the lyrics emphasize the suffering hymns from the 1841 hymnal the sorrow that will be by those who the One of these hymns states, “Behold on he / shall the / they that pierced him / In and coding the hymns, several references to Christ's blood were because it was they were connected to the Savior's suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane or at Calvary. However, upon it clear that most of the hymns referencing blood were likely by their to refer to “the blood of his One of this on the the Savior from his the thou sinners hymns, the one about blood describing the Crucifixion, leading us to believe these were references to Christ's blood at Calvary, not at Gethsemane. For example, the of one hymn reads, “For us his with was One a reference to his blood “For us his precious blood was / To for our By one might that precious was his blood at Gethsemane to for our this hymn in that it is a reference to his as there is no reference to Gethsemane in this A more of how the word has been used may be a of Our findings that likely to Christ's indicate that the emphasis the hymns on Christ's death is even than what we have hymns in our corpus emphasize the of Christ's atonement. that across the four hymnals we only hymns refer to Gethsemane, to 156 that are connected to Christ's Crucifixion, the hymns the Savior's from as the central that to salvation from sin. Latter-day Saints have about Christ's suffering in Gethsemane, these are not in Latter-day Saint emphasis on hymns to Calvary may some to the emphasis in the hymns regarding Christ's Crucifixion, do so many members focus primarily on Although a is beyond the of this study, we that our findings suggest to the power of hymns to when other are As between the 1944 and three church leaders taught on separate that what transpired on Gethsemane had more salvific significance than what happened on Although these teachings were not with of other statements from church leaders regarding Christ's Crucifixion, they influential in church curriculum and other may be that a few direct statements from church through curriculum have had a over the of many church members regarding the atonement than the is also that for the of the hymns. historian explained, has the power to the and One study that across a of Latter-day Saint church approximately contained of Christ in Gethsemane, while fewer than percent had an of Christ's Moreover, the in that an of Christ to be hung in the of all Latter-day Saint include from which leaders can These include Christ in Gethsemane but not on the the of Crucifixion in Latter-day Saint has led some church members to prioritize Gethsemane over we state some Latter-day Saints have in more emphasis to Gethsemane than Calvary, Latter-day Saint hymns focus on Christ's death for the sins of humanity. They a historical focus on the cross of The following included in the first three church a of how Latter-day Saints have the of the the let me / How he / the / To a world from

The coming out (CO) process is fundamental for identity integration among LGBQ+ people, and its impact can vary greatly depending on personal and contextual factors. The historical, cultural, and social contexts in which LGBQ+ people develop their sexual identity can mediate the relationship between CO and health outcomes. The present study aimed at clarifying the CO process in three generations of Italian LGBQ+ people (young adults: aged 20–40 years; middle adults: aged 41–60 years; older adults: aged 61–80 years) by providing data on: (a) sexual orientation milestones, such as age of first awareness, age of first self-label, and age of first CO, as well as the rate of disclosure during different life stages; (b) the rate and average age of CO to significant others; and (c) CO within the religious context and its effect on participants’ minority stress experiences. A total of 266 Italian LGBQ+ people participated in the study, with ages ranging from 20 to 80 years (M = 41.15, SD = 16.13). Findings indicated that, on average, the older adult group became self-aware, self-labeled, and disclosed their sexual identity at a significantly older age than the other groups. Older adults were also more Catholic and had CO more frequently to their Catholic community, relative to young and middle adults. CO within the Catholic context was associated with distal and proximal minority stressors, such as discrimination, vigilance, and internalized sexual stigma. Catholic community reactions to participants’ CO were distinguished through thematic analysis in three main types: unconditional acceptance, invitation to change, and open rejection. The present research extended current knowledge on CO and minority stress experiences in different generations of LGBQ+ people. Several differences emerged between generational groups on sexual orientation milestones, highlighting the potential impact of historical and cultural contexts in determining sexual minorities’ experiences related to sexual identity. It is recommended that mental health professionals working with LGBQ+ clients implement targeted interventions based on their clients’ multiple salient aspects, including age and religious background. Clinicians should also be aware of the potentially detrimental effects of CO within an unsupportive context, rather than encouraging CO tout court.

The article deals with the symbolism of the image of Christ in the Passion cycles of three artists Olena Kulchytska, Osyp Sorokhtei, and Ostap Lozynskyi. The attention is focused on how they interpreted the image of Christ and what idea they put into the Passion theme. The relevance of the study is due to the constant interest of society in religious themes, in particular, in the passionate image of Christ as one of the most eloquent examples of sacrifice and sacrifice. The study of the image of the Savior in the Passion cycle is conducted through the prism of the concepts of E. Levinas, Raymond E. Brown, D. Stott, M. Borg, who considered the significance of Christ's sacrifice, His suffering, mercy and love. It was found that O. Kulchytska in her composition (1915) shows the humble image of Jesus Christ and focuses on his sacrifice. In his Passion cycle (1930-1932), O. Sorokhtei borrows the idea of the Pokuttya “calvary” and presents Christ as an ordinary person-one of us. O. Lozynsky in his project “The Way” (2014) speaks of the importance of the personal relationship between Jesus Christ and man. In our opinion, the creation of these cycles was influenced by the events of the First World War and the Liberation Movement of the Ukrainian people (O. Kulchytska), the events of repression of Ukrainians in the USSR (O. Sorokhtei), and the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war (O. Lozynskyi).

The epidemic HIV/AIDS has been alarmingly threatening the developing countries like India. To address the issues of control and management of this vexatious infection, nations of the world have developed, created and circulated Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials. Following in the footsteps of the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), Tamil Nadu has produced many IEC materials. It is in the portrayals of such materials that construction of gender and sexuality takes place in the form of gendered social actors. Many impact studies have been conducted on these materials. But this study concentrates on the less researched area of how the construction of Gender and Sexuality in these IEC materials takes place using Social Semiotic Approach through the Gupta’s Continuum of Social Construction of Gender and Sexuality in HIV/AIDS programmes. Five IEC materials in the form of posters were taken for the analysis. While analysing these materials under Gupta’s continuum consisting of stereotypical, neutral, sensitive, transformative and empowering constructions, the fact as to what type of gendered social actors were made of were also revealed.

Multimodal construction of ‘rule of law’ in Chinese anti-corruption public service advertisements

This study aims to understand the methods of interpretation of the Qur'an used in traditional and contemporary approaches in understanding the divine messages contained in the Qur'an. This study uses a qualitative research method with a literature study approach. Primary data was obtained from primary sources such as classical interpretations by well-known scholars, while secondary data was obtained from literature relevant to the research topic. This study explores the differences between traditional and contemporary approaches in the method of interpreting the Qur'an. The traditional approach applies interpretation methods such as interpretation bil ma'tsur, ta'wil, and interpretation bi al-ra'yi, which have been used for centuries by prominent scholars. Meanwhile, the contemporary approach involves methods of interpretation that are more contextual, such as linguistic, historical and social approaches. This research identifies the strengths and weaknesses of each approach, as well as their impact on understanding the divine messages written in the Qur'an. The results of this study indicate that the traditional approach provides a deep understanding of the text of the Qur'an and maintains the intellectual heritage of earlier generations. However, this approach also has limitations in dealing with contemporary challenges and changing times. On the other hand, the contemporary approach provides an understanding that is more contextual and relevant to the current social and cultural context, but can pose a challenge in maintaining the continuity of an authentic understanding of the Qur'anic text. This research provides valuable insights for researchers, mufassir, and Al-Qur'an readers in understanding Al-Qur'an exegesis methods used in traditional and contemporary approaches. This research also underscores the importance of engaging in a holistic and comprehensive method of exegesis in understanding the divine messages written in the Qur'an, taking into account the historical, cultural and social context.

From time immemorial, the search for healing has been an essential and universal dimension of human life. Human beings are motivated by the natural and spontaneous instinct to preserve life in its entirety, especially when health is threatened by, sickness or disease. The mission to heal belongs to all members of the human family, regardless of gender, race, age, or religion. The Church bases her mission to heal on this prerogative and on Jesus' mandate to his disciples to preach and heal. This study is a theological and pastoral analysis of the Church's involvement in the healing ministry among the Banyankore of the Archdiocese of Mbarara. The research investigates the Church's pastoral activity in this regard, examining the successes but also the challenges encountered. From the hypothesis that a theological and pastoral analysis of the Church's approach to the practice of heating in the context of Christian living today, will help to develop an integrated healing mission for the Church in the Archdiocese of Mbarara, the study set out to investigate the Church's contribution to the healing ministry at the local or diocesan level. It is an attempt to discover how best the Church can use an integrated approach to healing to fulfill Christ's legacy. As illustrated in Chapter one, the present study uses the contextual approach to theology inspired by Stephen Bevans' Anthropological and Synthetic models of contextual theology, and Theresa Okure's Incarnational paradigm as theological key to inculturating the Church's healing mission. The local Church is perceived as agent and mediator of healing. The present study takes seriously people's cultural and native practices of healing, while at the same time acknowledging the contribution of other healing traditions. Grounded in the above approach, Chapter two of the thesis looks at the Church's past and present approach to healing in the Archdiocese of Mbarara. It becomes apparent that the Church's ministry of healing at this level lays greater emphasis on the medical model - through health care services offered hospitals, dispensaries, medical clinics. Yet this approach alone is Insufficient to care for all the sick and afflicted, and does not treat sicknesses that are not physiological in nature. People search for alternatives, thus showing that there is a need for a more integrated approach to healing. Chapter three studies the Banyankore native concepts and practices of healing. The study reveals that because of their holistic world view, many sick Banyankore are attracted to native practices of healing. This discovery further emphasizes the need for integration: some of the native beliefs and practices of healing could enlighten the Church's healing ministry. Chapter four is a christological analysis of the healing dimension in the various African faces of Christ. All the dimensions contribute toward the image of Christ the Divine Healer. In other words, Christ's healing ministry as presented in the New Testament, and the Gospels in particular, finds expression in the…

The Science Fiction Film in Contemporary Hollywood focuses on the American science fiction (SF) film during the period 2001-2020, in order to provide a theoretical mapping of the genre in the context of Conglomerate Hollywood. Using a social semiotics approach in a systematic corpus of films, the book argues that the SF film can be delineated by two semiotic squares —the first one centering on the genre’s more-than-human ontologies (SF bodies), and the second one focusing on its imaginative worlds (SF worlds). Based on this theoretical framework, the book examines the genre in six cycles, which are placed in their historical context, and are analyzed in relation to cultural discourses, such as technological embodiment, race, animal-human relations, environmentalism, global capitalism, and the techno-scientific Empire. By considering these cycles —which include superhero films, creature films, space operas, among others—as expressions of the genre’s basic oppositions, the book facilitates the comparison and juxtaposition of films that have rarely been discussed in tandem, offering a new perspective on the multiple articulations of the SF film in the new millennium.

ABSTRACTIncreasingly, New Testament scholars have been calling attention to the interrelationship between spoken words and written words in the rhetorical world of the first century CE. In this essay, I examine these two forms of verbal expression through the lens of social semiotic multi-modal theory as articulated by Gunther Kress. In attending to how spoken words and written words give material realization to meaning through modality as well as how they are employed in systems of meaning making within specific historical, cultural and social contexts, I endeavor to introduce a new level of complexity to our understanding of communication systems in early Christianity and how they were employed to generate meaning. The studies of Pieter Botha on orality and literacy serve as my point of entry for the ancient world.

Homo Ritualis: Hindu Ritual and Its Significance for Ritual Theory