Ancient Church Research Articles

Microclimatic control of a fourteenth-century Church in Italy: The design of systems by experiments and simulations

Heritage buildings represent part of a city’s identity, and their conservation, as well as the preservation of the works of art they house, is indispensable. This study gives a contribution to the topic of indoor microclimatic analysis and control in building heritage, focusing on the environmental monitoring of an ancient church in the center of Naples (Italy). The measurement campaign, performed during two typical winter and summer periods, was a necessary preliminary step to examine the current indoor microclimate and to calibrate a dynamic energy model of the church. The numerical model was employed for coupled analyses of the church by performing BES (Building Energy Simulations) and CFD (Computational fluid dynamic) simulations.The monitoring revealed the inadequacy of current indoor microclimatic conditions for the conservation of the artistic heritage, and for the comfort of the occupants, therefore a heating and cooling system was designed paying attention to the historical/artistic value of the church. The results of BES and CFD simulations demonstrate an indoor temperature increase of up to 4.4 °C in winter and a decrease of up to 3 °C during the summer, by assuring the preservation of artifacts (e.g., too cold or too hot conditions can induce cracks of wooden materials) and improving occupants’ thermal comfort.

Aristide's apology, its form and addressee

The object of the study is early Christian apologetics as a socio-cultural phenomenon. In modern science, the issue related to the audience of early Christian apologies is actively discussed. A number of apologies of the second century, as is known, are addressed directly to the rulers of the Roman Empire themselves. But is such an addressee genuine? Or is there a masterfully executed literary stylization in front of us? The subject of our research is the apology of Aristide. Aristide, according to ancient church historians, was the first apologist of Christianity who submitted his work to the Emperor Hadrian. However, the Syriac translation of the apology indicates the Emperor Antoninus Pius as the addressee. Thus, we are faced with two questions: 1) which of the two emperors was the addressee in the original apology; 2) is the imperial addressee real or is he a literary fiction? In the course of the study, the author came to the following conclusions. Firstly, we have no reason to prefer the Syriac version of the apology to all the data of the church-historical tradition. This data is confirmed by the Armenian translation of the apology. It should also be pointed out that the Syrian addressee contains a number of errors and resembles, rather, a later interpolation. Secondly, the content of the apology convinces that it is designed for an educated pagan, and not for a Christian. And there is every reason to believe that the Emperor Hadrian really acted as such an addressee. At the same time, it should be noted that the apology does not represent an official petition addressed to the emperor, we have before us a literary work written in the protreptic genre.

Sabbath and Sunday: The meaning of the day of rest in the ancient church – A hope for the future?

The Sabbath is part of Jewish tradition. In Christianity it has taken on a new meaning. Both faiths saw it as a gift from God, a tool to affirm one’s spiritual creed and identity, and a way to maintain a distinct faith identity. The secularism of contemporary society has resulted in a misinterpretation of the purpose of Sunday rest and a disregard for the spiritual aspects that the Sunday celebration involves. A false perception of Sunday rest has emerged in modern times: It is not perceived as a divine gift that enables a spiritual ministry, which leads to resistance and opposition to the restless anxiety of the consumerist world and serves as an alternative to advertising’s demanding presence in this world. This rest, as a gift from God, has been one of the most fundamental defining features of man’s connection with God throughout history. Since Christian antiquity, there has been substantial debate over how to observe this tremendous gift of rest. Rest was valued as a gift in the Jewish culture in a specific way that included defining the identity of the chosen people. Later, in the Christian tradition, it was connected to the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection and the spiritual healing He provided to the world. There has been much debate on the continuity and discontinuity between the Jewish Sabbath and the Christian Sunday, as well as on how the transition from the Sabbath to the Sunday celebration came about. The two qualities of the Jewish Sabbath – a day of rest and a day of religious celebration – have been transferred to the Christian Sunday but in a radically different context.Contribution: By analysing early Christian literature, this study aims to investigate how the concept of Sabbath rest was taken up and reconstructed in Christianity in the celebration of Sunday, and how spiritual work was a constant in the life of Christian communities up until the 4th century, when Sunday rest was established by law. Contrary to Rordorf’s opinions, this article aims to show that Christians, despite being physically obligated to work on Sundays, tacitly observed this day as a day of resurrection, emphasising the spiritual work of the virtues as their vehicle towards their entrance into the rest in God, even before Sunday became socially established as a day of rest (Heb 4:1–11). This study intends to show that this unique vision of the Sunday rest of the early church can be an element of resistance and an alternative to the demanding stress and restless anxiety of modern society.

The emergence of Christianity and its difference

The study of religions reveals to the Muslim many secrets and hidden facts, and inspires the Muslim to use his tongue with thanks and praise to Allah Almighty for sending us a noble prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) who explained to us the ways of peace, as it becomes clear to the Muslim what a great blessing he is. The Christians disperse There are several churches belonging to several denominations that follow different rites, and the most prominent of them are: the Chaldean Catholic Church, the Syriac Orthodox Church, the Syriac Catholic Church, the Armenian Catholic Church, the Armenian Orthodox Church, the ancient Church of the East, the Assyrian Church of the East or the Assyrian Church, the Roman Catholics, and the Roman Orthodox, National Evangelical Protestant denomination, Assyrian Evangelical Protestant Church, Adventist or Seventh-day Adventist denomination, Light Catholic denomination, Coptic Orthodox

To Build Fast and Cheap”: The Formation of the Idea of Pskov’s Urban Development in the 1940s–1970s

This article examines the evolution of ideas on the post-war development of Pskov based on the city’s master plans. Modern Pskov with many ancient churches and fortress walls was restored after severe military destruction which had happened during the Great Patriotic War. The master plan of 1945 worked out by Leningrad architects assumed a complete ensemble building system inside the center of Pskov with the restoration of Orthodox churches as well as the relocation of industrial enterprises from the city center to the outskirts. An important feature of the new look of Pskov was to be the city center with low buildings, emphasizing the importance of ancient monuments raised from the ruins. This vision of the historical center of the city was actively defended by the restorer and architect Yu. P. Spegalsky, who, however, failed to interest the local government in his ideas. As a result, the postwar Pskov was restored and developed with an eye kept on the current needs of the city’s development. In the 1950s, the area to be built in Pskov was significantly expanded. From an open space with a view of the Trinity Cathedral and a proposed monument to Alexander Nevsky, Sovetskaya Square, the center of the city, was turned into Lenin Square, a transport junction, surrounded from different sides by new buildings, which had an important ideological meaning (Oktiabr movie theater, Trade Union House of Culture). The new master plan of 1963 was focused on mass construction of model housing and development of urban infrastructure. But this master plan did not take into account the value and importance of ancient architectural monuments. After the consolidation of the professional community in the mid-1960s in Pskov, the attitude towards the monuments began to change. This was reflected in the master plan of 1973, which tried to combine the further growth of the city and the development of Pskov as a tourist center.

Church Responses and Theological Resources for Technological Addiction

In this paper, I engage work done in philosophy, theology, and addiction science to argue that the Church possesses resources for preventing technology addiction. First, I briefly sketch what technology addiction is and provide evidence to suggest that it is rapidly growing. Then, I suggest two causes for the growth of technology addiction: boredom and the desire for a meaningful identity. Third, I discuss two resources that the ancient Churches possess to address these two causes. These two resources are the doctrine of divinisation and the sacrament of reconciliation. Fourth, I argue that some Protestant traditions possess similar practices for addressing technology addiction. The significance of my thesis is that the Church can help preventing non-addicted people from falling prey to technology addiction.

The conception of Living Tradition in the context of the life and work of Jaroslav Pelikan

The article considers the issue of the formation of the idea of a Living Tradition in the scientific and social activities of the American scientist Jaroslav Pelikan (1923–2006). In the life and intellectual path of a scientist, three stages — early, middle and late ones — are conditionally identified. The article shows that the concept of Living Tradition is the result of the development of two sides of Pelican’s life and that the study of the Christian tradition can lead to a change in confessional affiliation. Particular attention is paid to the middle and late periods of his intellectual and spiritual searches, at the stage of which the scientist discovers the heritage of the Ancient Church. The article also highlights the Pelikan’s theological features of the conception of the Living Tradition. Through the idea of a Living Tradition, the scientist reconciles the continuity of the tradition of the Church and the changes within this continuum. The article shows that the conception of Living Tradition is closely connected with the idea of catholicity and continuity of the Church. The author claims that, firstly, the Pelikan, in the idea of Tradition, adopted the language of representatives of the Catholic school of Tubingen and the Orthodox Neo-Patristic school. At the same time, the theological thought of J. Pelikan continues to move within the strict framework of the set research goal — historical research and justification of continuity and changes in the Church. It is also shown that J. Pelikan’s views on the conception of Living Tradition are largely dictated by his correspondence polemic with his predecessor A. von Harnack. In addition, the article concludes that the Pelikan in his understanding of Tradition is not so sensitive to the Divine within Tradition, understood as the action of the Holy Spirit in the Church. At the end of the article, it is demonstrated that at the late stage of his work, Pelikan fails to fully solve the problem of Tradition. This research can be useful for everyone who is interested in the life and work of modern theologians and Christian historians.

Collaboration in Liturgical Ministries: A Synodal Church

The issue of participation, communion, and the general sharing of all the baptized in the mission of the Church is central to the discussions going on in preparation for the “Synod on Synodality. ”At the heart of this discussion, therefore, is the collaboration and sharing which should be at the heart of liturgical ministry. This paper contributes to the discussion by studying the origins of ministries in Christ and the early Church. It posits that collaboration is at the heart of the exercise of liturgical ministries and that the variance in the practice of this collaboration within the various churches of the Universal Church has a lot to do with the cultural experiences over time of the various churches. With this established, the example from Minna diocese in Nigeria demonstrates that collaboration in ministry, despite the challenges that abound in its practice, is not something that belongs to the ancient Church but one that is being realized in the diocese of Minna Nigeria, and thus, a possible example for other churches in the spirit of synodality.

М. Lysenko's Christmas Kontakion “Today the Virgin Gives Birth to the Transcendent One”: Technical Characteristics, Performance Features

The purpose of the research is to introduce into scientific circulation one of the most significant spiritual and musical works of Mykola Lysenko, the Christmas kontakion “Today the Virgin Gives Birth to the Transcendent One”. The research methodology. The author of the research uses a structural-functional method to analyse the musical material, as well as a comparative-historical method to explain the original transformation of biblical texts by the composer, which fits into the general spiritually oriented methodological system. The scientific novelty of the research. The article offers a musicological and performing analysis of one of the composer's brightest spiritual works, the Christmas kontakion “Today the Virgin Gives Birth to the Transcendent One”, with the aim of introducing it into scientific circulation. Conclusions. The analysis of the structure of the work, musical and performing means has shown that M. Lysenko, in his work on the ancient church melody of the Christmas kontakion in the chant version of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, significantly changed the melody of the original. So much so that he completely rethought the content concept of church chanting. In the composer's version, the festive chant of the Nativity of Christ took on the meaning of a world event that changed the world order due to its significance. The church singing turned into a choral concert with vivid contrasting episodes in which the events of Christmas are conveyed as separate pictures, emphasising their significance for humanity and depicting the nativity characters in a pronounced and almost cinematic way. The composer used a wide range of musical means: original interpretation of the form (fugue elements), extensive use of textural contrasts (solo episodes, choral unisons), strong tonal movement (deviation to the third degree of kinship), expressive choral fingering.

Нехалкидонские (древневосточные) общины во внешнеполитической деятельности российского государства и Церкви. Конец XIX – начало XX в.

The article analyzes the contacts of the Russian state and Church in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century with the non-Chalcedonian communities - the Assyrian-Nestorians of Northern Persia and Eastern Turkey, the Syro-Jacobites of Mesopotamia, the Monophysite Church of Ethiopia. These undertakings, largely determined by the desire to strengthen the religious and ideological influence of Russia in the strategically important regions of the world, were not, at the same time, purely pragmatic. Factors of a cultural and symbolic nature were also of great importance, namely, the opportunity to get in touch with the heritage of ancient churches, whose historical roots dates back to biblical times, to take them under Russia's protection and thereby elevate the role of the Russian Church in the international stage. Russia's help would make it possible to reveal the cultural riches hidden in the bowels of remote religious communities, to create the basis for the revival of Christianity in the vast expanses of Asia and Africa. The doctrinal basis for expanding contacts with non-Chalcedonian churches was the idea of the proximity of their doctrine to the dogmas of the Orthodox Church. The undertakings of the Russian church-state structures resulted in the foundation of the Russian mission in Urmia (Persia), the conversion of part of the Nestorians and Syro-Jacobites to Orthodoxy, the strengthening of ties with the church of Ethiopia, and help to Ethiopian Christians in returning the shrines of Jerusalem that once belonged to them. Successfully developing activity was interrupted by the First World War and the revolution. However, the relationship of the Russian Church with the non-Chalcedonian confessions continued in the second half of the 20th century.

Joint Investigation with Ground Penetrating Radar and Infrared Thermography as a Diagnostic Support for the Restoration of Two Wall Mosaics in the Church of St. Mary of the Admiral in Palermo, Italy

The church of S. Mary of the Admiral in Palermo, known as “La Martorana” and very famous for its Byzantine mosaics, has been a World Heritage site since 2015. The mosaic system of the church includes several groups of figures and scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary. From the western part of the ancient church only two mosaics survive, detached from their original position, and are now located in two internal chapels. On the occasion of several restoration works, these two mosaic panels were investigated with non-invasive techniques, in order to provide diagnostic support to the restoration and consolidation interventions. The investigations were aimed at detecting any air pockets that could cause the detachment of the tesserae or of possible differences between cement mortars under the tesserae. For this purpose, the integrated use of two non-invasive techniques namely infrared thermography (IRT) and ground penetrating radar (GPR) was considered. The joint analysis of IRT and GPR data allowed the interpretative uncertainties inherent in each technique to be reduced. Furthermore, for both techniques differentiated analyses were performed for layers at different depths under the mosaic surface. The results of these analyses were found to be more reliable regarding GPR data, compared to infrared thermography, the latter being more influenced by the reflectivity of the tesserae. However, the results partially confirmed the restorers’ diagnosis, also allowing the identification of further critical areas that could be affected by deterioration or compositional differences in the layers supporting the mosaics

Дослідження християнського Сходу в науковій спадщині єпископа Порфирія (Успенського)

The study is devoted to the scientific heritage of Bishop Porphyry (Uspensky) (1804–1885), who found a significant number of written and material sources on church history in the Christian East. The bishop made three trips to the East during 1843–1846, 1848–1854 and 1865–1877. The main sources for this article were published documents, primarily the epistolary heritage of Porphyry, his publications in periodicals and in separate editions. Based on them, it was found that the bishop’s scientific activity in the East can be divided into three interrelated areas. The first was the description of ancient church buildings and monasteries, the second was the study of manuscripts found in monastery libraries, and the third was the study of early Christian painting. Porphyry visited a large number of monasteries, churches and other religious places in Constantinople, Jerusalem and around it, in Palestine, Athos and Sinai. For most of them, he compiled descriptions, drawings, revealed architectural features. As a result of his work in the libraries of the Sinai Monastery, the Holy Sepulcher Monastery in Jerusalem and the Jerusalem Patriarchate, the bishop found more than a thousand different church documents and manuscripts. Among them, the most controversial was the Sinai Code of Scripture. In studying ancient manuscripts and historical events, Porphyry was an uncompromising critic of the unverified facts that took place in the Christian history of the East. The manuscripts of the conversations of Patriarch Photius of Constantinople, edited by Porphyry, contain important information about the campaigns of Prince Askold of Kyiv, which is rather fragmentary in sources of domestic origin. Exploring ancient paintings, Porphyry noted that there were few such monuments in the East, and those that have survived have been carefully copied and described. In addition, the bishop made a comparative analysis of the pictorial style of the most important ancient icons. The scientific heritage of Porphyry (Uspensky) was a significant contribution to the study of the history of the Christian East.

The ancient churches in the city of Madi in Fayoum

The ancient churches in the city of Madi in Fayoum

GPR 3D model in the area of the San Nicola church, Misterbianco (Sicily)

Abstract In 1669 the most destructive eruption on Etna volcano was recorded since historical times (about 700 BCE), whose lava flow destroyed completely the ancient town of Misterbianco, located on the southern slope of Mount Etna. San Nicola church is one of the three churches that historically were covered by lava flow. In the 1980s, some works for the construction of a parking lot allowed to discover an ancient wall belonging to the church. Some georadar prospections were carried out in the investigated area finalized to reconstruct the planimetric development of the ancient church and to direct future excavation works.

The architectural evolution of the ancient Lebanese churches in Koura, Batroun and Byblos, from the 8th Century to the 13th Century.

I think this work is intriguing for a wide circle of readers interested in the history of ancient Lebanese churches. Monumental historical temples are the symbol of cultural identity showing the spiritual value of their old period and reflecting the social, cultural and economic endurance of the past. They are the main part of the architectural heritage that signalizes the continuity of history and the important link between our time and history that helps to understand the development of the architectural features in time and space. Like in many countries, ancient churches need to be identified, classified and then assessed; for this reason, in this research, I will offer an overall picture of the original ecclesiastical parts, which is based on the latest architectural and documental data. The study of these structures is important because it helps to identify the structural forms, the disaster preparedness and the potential hazards. The original damaged and undamaged parts of these churches should be examined in order to achieve proper results, considering the first step to accomplish this, is to recognize them in their original status, so that the applied intervention could be implemented respecting these results. Documentation, protection and conservation of historic monuments are the most important procedures of the cultural heritage preservation, therefore large inventory of these temples should be well documented before starting to detailed analyses and restoration projects.

A Preliminary Study on Properties of A Weak Units–Strong Mortar Masonry: The Case Study of Matera Tufo Masonry (Italy)

ABSTRACT In this paper, an experimental investigation addressed at the characterization of compressive strength of a weak units-strong mortar masonry is presented. This masonry, made with natural units of calcarenite improperly named “tufo”, is massively recurrent in the historic center of Matera, an UNESCO site since 1993. The tufo masonry was used for building ordinary and historical constructions, such as ancient churches and palaces, and nowadays it is extensively applied for restoration interventions in order to preserve the historic site and its surrounding area. At first, the research focuses on the evaluation of compressive strength of masonry components, by examining tufo cubic units and lime mortar prisms, and to propose relationships between non-destructive (sonic) and destructive (compression) tests statistically validated. Then, some formulations for estimating the masonry compressive strength by combining those of the basic masonry components are examined. Comparisons with results obtained with prism specimens (doublets and triplets) confirm that in this type of masonry compressive behavior (failure mode and compressive strength) is strictly dependent on tufo units. Finally, a probabilistic study of strength distribution highlights the importance of taking into account the compressive strength dispersion of each component, especially the one related to tufo units.

М. Э. Поснов (1873-1931): основные этапы научной биографии

The author of this article saw his task in reconstructing the scientific biography of M.E. Posnov (1873-1931), a well-known representative of Orthodox thought who studied the history of Ancient Israel and early Christianity. To solve this problem, the author analyzed the following sources: office documents characterizing the official activities of M.E. Posnov and deposited in the funds of the Holy Synod; materials of correspondence between M.E. Posnov and N.N. Glubokovsky, preserved in the fund of the latter in the Department of Manuscripts of the Russian National Library; letters, memoirs and diaries of his colleagues, acquaintances and relatives; scientific works of M.E. Posnov, published in Russian and Bulgarian. Based on these documents, the author identified two main stages in the scientific biography of M.E. Posnov: Kyiv and Bulgarian. During his work in Kyiv, the scientist's life proceeded quite predictably. He graduated from the Kyiv Theological Academy, defended his master's thesis, received chairs at the Kyiv Theological Academy and the University of St. Vladimir. At the same time, in his scientific search, he went from the study of Judaism to the reconstruction of Christian Gnosticism. This topic attracted his attention due to his acquaintance with the Protestant thought of the 19th century. In 1917, he defended his doctoral dissertation on the history of Gnosticism. However, some of M.E. Posnov's conclusions were critically evaluated by his colleagues, who questioned not only his scientific conclusions, but also the general methods of work. While working in Bulgaria, M.E. Posnov also found himself in the center of a major academic scandal that cost him a place at the Sofia Theological Academy and Sofia University. However, the conflicts that arose did not affect the scientist's scientific activity, and it was in Bulgaria that he completed his work on the history of the Christian Church, having studied its history from 30 to 1054. M.E. Posnov's works are distinguished by attention to sources, familiarity with the latest literature of the subject and the desire for scientific objectivity. At the same time, he always sought to combine secular historical research with a theological approach, revealing human and divine elements in the history of Ancient Israel and the Ancient Church.

Synthesis of arts in the ancient Russian church

Synthesis of arts in the ancient Russian church

Bread at the Last Supper: New Testament rationale and Eucharistic practice of the Ancient Church

Bread at the Last Supper: New Testament rationale and Eucharistic practice of the Ancient Church

Beauty, a Path to Christ: A Psychological and Neuroscientific Perspective

Beauty, a Path to Christ:A Psychological and Neuroscientific Perspective Samantha Mattheiss (bio) and Joseph R. Laracy (bio) Catholic philosophers and theologians, ancient and modern, have described the attractiveness of beauty for centuries, explaining that beauty attracts because it flows from truth; and vice versa—beauty attracts to truth.1 In the patristic era, perhaps no one put it as powerfully as St. Augustine when he wrote, Late have I loved you, beauty so old and so new: late have I loved you. And see, you were within and I was in the external world and sought you there, and in my unlovely state I plunged into those lovely created things which you made. You were with me, and I was not with you. The lovely things kept me far from you, though if they did not have their existence in you, they had not existence at all. You called and cried out loud and shattered my deafness. You were radiant and resplendent, you put to flight my blindness. You were fragrant, and I drew in my breath and now pant after you. I tasted you, and I feel but hunger and thirst for you. You touched me, and I am set on fire to attain the peace which is yours.2 [End Page 149] In the twenty-first century, Pope Benedict XVI, in his homily at the Mass for the Inauguration of his Pontificate stated, "There is nothing more beautiful than to know Him and to speak to others of our friendship with Him. The task of the shepherd, the task of the fisher of men, can often seem wearisome. But it is beautiful and wonderful, because it is truly a service to joy, to God's joy which longs to break into the world."3 Christian writers have further discussed the effects of beauty on the beholder, positing that beauty elicits overall well-being, points to the infinite,4 invites one to engage in the objective experience of beauty,5 and evokes selfless acts of love.6 Given the attractiveness of beauty and its influence in inviting further acts of love, it seems fitting to explore the role of beauty in evangelization. In fact, the Pontifical Council for Culture has proposed that beauty is integral to evangelization: Beginning with the simple experience of the marvel-arousing meeting with beauty, the via pulchritudinis can open the pathway for the search for God, and disposes the heart and spirit to meet Christ, who is the Beauty of Holiness Incarnate, offered by God to men for their salvation. It invites contemporary Augustines, unquenchable seekers of love, truth and beauty, to see through perceptible beauty to eternal Beauty, and with fervor discover Holy God, the author of all beauty.7 As suggested by the Pontifical Council for Culture, beauty can be instrumental in inviting others upon a search for God. Moreover, in consideration of the intersection of faith and science—where truth lies evident not only in ancient Church traditions but also in modern sciences—we might look further at the psychological and physiological reactions elicited by beauty. From a psychological perspective, does beauty truly elicit marvel, pro-social and selfless acts of love, as well as [End Page 150] interest and motivation? Notably so, the field of psychology offers extant evidence of the countless positive effects of beauty. Psychologists have characterized aesthetics across multiple domains, including beautiful landscapes and mathematical theories. They have also noted its effects on physiological human processes. In the following sections of this paper, we discuss physiological evidence for the role of beauty in evangelization. Beauty Defined by Psychologists and Theologians Both theologians and psychologists have wrestled with the essential question: What is beauty? Scholars from both fields have sought to describe the objective features of aesthetic stimuli. Theologians have identified both the objective and subjective properties of beauty: "Two elements would enter into an account of the beautiful—the form of some object, and the splendor with which it strikes the beholder."8 Hans Urs von Balthasar names these two elements, like St. Thomas Aquinas, species (or forma) and lumen (or splendor).9 Theologians, in sum, often refer to the experience of the beauty of Christ...