Christian Elements Research Articles

TRANSFORMASI MAKNA KEMATIAN DALAM KEPERCAYAAN SUKU NIAS: ANTARA WARISAN BUDAYA DAN KONTEKS KEKRISTENAN

The Nias tribe has a unique view of death reflected in its beliefs and traditions. It reflects a blend of Christian elements with local beliefs rich in myths, rituals, and symbolism. Local beliefs are reflected in traditional ceremonies rich in symbols and meanings. But it has slowly adapted to the changing times. It is undeniable that the people of Nias are facing significant transformations due to globalization and modernization. These changes not only affect the way of life economically and socially but also change the understanding and management of corpse. This study uses literature as a guideline in compiling this article. To obtain data, use a qualitative field or ethnographic approach to the social and culture of the Nias tribe. The results indicate that the meaning of death for the Nias tribe has changed along with the interaction with the influence of globalization and modernization. The tradition of death, rich in spiritual and social values, remains a strong foothold in maintaining its cultural identity, despite its adaptation to contemporary dynamics

Культ гороводу (Кунде) в ритуальных практиках народов Ганы, Того, Бенина

This article is devoted to – the Gorovodu / Kunde cult, which is one of the widespread cults of Vodun in West Africa. It is grounded in the Vodun religious system. However, this order denotes peculiarities, including elements of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism and authentic interpretations. The study relies on the previous scientific realms of research, dated XX–XXI centuries. Comparative analysis is used for detailed description and generalization of anthropological materials, based on field research. Meanwhile, structural analysis, supplemented by the historical-genetic method, deploys the evolution of the cult and its practices. The research draws the following conclusions. Firstly, the emergence of the Gorovodu / Kunde cult was a form of adaptation to socio-cultural challenges. They implied the decline in the standard of living of the population, and the spread of epidemics and famine associated with colonization. Secondly, the negative consequences of colonization were interpreted as the result of the white people’s sorcery. Consequently, the resistance required new spiritual entities, borrowed from the more prosperous regions of the North. Finally, this led to the unique combination of Vodun religious and monotheistic religions elements, which continues developing these days.

A. A. Smirnov and the Christian point in Old Irish narrative tradition: a case of "nativism" in Early Russian Celtic Studies?

The article is devoted to the concepts contributed by Alexander Smirnov about the Irish Church and the role of Christian culture to the Old Irish narrative tradition in general. Archival records shows that so-called "Christian element" was entirely accepted by him and was emphasized in an initially neutral formula; later, however, passages about the ‘undoubted Christian influence’ related to some motifs were replaced by such markers as "late interpolations" or "artificial insertions". The turn from a comprehensive approach to an intensive search for the archaic "Celtic basis" has affected all aspects of Smirnov’s discourse: from the interpretation of particular motifs to the characteristics of Christianization and Irish Church organization in general. Due to these observations, we suppose to depict such Smirnov’s conceptions as the truly ‘nativist’ position.The author gives special gratitude to the National Library of Russia, the Institute of Russian Literature (Pushkin House) of the Russian Academy of Sciences for an opportunity to work and consult with their founds and record series.

Bessarion on the Value of Oral Teaching and the Rule of Secrecy

Cardinal Bessarion (1408–1472), in the second chapter of the first book of his influential work In calumniatorem Platonis, attempted to reply to Georgios Trapezuntios’ (1396–1474) criticism against Plato in the Comparatio Philosophorum Platonis et Aristotelis. Bessarion investigates why the Athenian philosopher maintained, in several dialogues, that the sacred truths should not be communicated to the general public and argued in favor of the value of oral transmission of knowledge, largely based on his theory about the cognitive processes. Recently, Fr. Bessarion Kouotsis has argued that Cardinal Bessarion’s reasoning draws primarily on the “Disciplina Arcani”, i.e., the rule of secrecy, which was an established practice of the Early Christian Church, aimed at protecting and preserving the core elements of the religion from outsiders. While I find Kouotsis’ approach interesting and thought-provoking—for instance, the idea that Bessarion’s argumentation was likely influenced by Eastern Christian views on the rule of secrecy—I intend, first of all, to discuss why Bessarion did not explicitly mention it. Moreover, I would like to argue that Bessarion’s good knowledge of the long Platonic tradition and Eastern mysticism, encompassing both pagan and Christian elements, should also be considered a significant source. Furthermore, I would like to question Kouotsis’ implicit argument that Bessarion’s views were dominated by his training in Orthodox theology and discuss the possibility that Pletho’s (1355–1454) teaching was the obvious influence for Bessarion’s defense of secrecy. After all, we should bear in mind that Anastos has already pointed out Pletho’s reverence for the rule of secrecy. Finally, I would like to support that Bessarion, in the specific text, focused predominantly on the epistemological and cognitive aspects of oral teaching, resorting to the rule of secrecy only to enhance his views.

Christian Elements and Their Folk Adaptations in the Funeral and Memorial Rites of the Ludian Karelians

Abstract The article* focuses on an analysis of the funeral and memorial rituals of the Ludian Karelians in the context of folk religion. For many years, rites of Orthodox origin were either viewed unilaterally or ignored altogether in ethnographic literature, with the reconstruction of ‘pagan’ elements being highlighted, which in turn gave rise to the theory of dual faith. According to the results of my research, the funeral and memorial traditions of the Ludians (from the late 19th to the late 20th century) are based on an Orthodox funeral system in which many aspects derived from a Christian basis found new interpretation. For example, the requirement to light candles was explained as lighting the way to the afterlife, the importance of making confession was so that the dying person’s sins would not attach to the living, and funeral services were to help the soul of the deceased ‘settle’, etc. The principal exponents of the funeral rituals, who ensured the successful transition of the soul to the next world, were representatives of the people: women who washed the body of the deceased, and lamenters, but the church priesthood nonetheless played a significant role in conducting the rituals. The priest’s participation is apparent at all stages of the funeral ritual, from confession to commemoration. Following the abolition of the institution of the church during the Soviet period, the functions of the priest were assumed by elderly women who knew the prayers and church burial traditions.

ECONOMIC KNOWLEDGE IN ISLAMIC ECONOMIC DOCTRINE IS A PHILOSOPHICAL VISION

The separatism that represents the challenge existing between reason and revelation is a distinctive feature of the Western intellectual heritage. This separatism arose from the concept of conceptualizing existential convergence, which enables philosophers to use standards of judgment to measure the outcomes of both reason and revelation. This existential convergence leads to the equality of fields. Cognitivism, and subjecting judgments to criteria or standards like this is in fact a declaration of the true sovereignty of reason, which led to man becoming the focus of Western philosophy, the dialectic of (Locke) that most knowledge comes from experience, and the hypothesis of (Kent) that knowledge A joint product of the mind and the external world, and the certainty of (Auguste Comte) which focuses on the scientific stage as opposed to the metaphysical and theological stages, and the experimental radicalism of (William James) are all many ideas stemming from the cognitive foundations presented by Aristotle’s empirical doctrine and keeping pace with human-centered knowledge. The approximation of the levels of existentialism stemming from the syncretic atmosphere of the Roman era, which was an essential element in Christianity, was gradually subjected to the two systems. Hume’s interpretation of God as the spirit of the material world, Hobbesian materialism in metaphysics, the theory of thought (the Absolute, the specific deity), and James’s idea of finiteness. Thinking are all exciting stages of formulating the cognitively specific existential theory of the Western heritage, which established a new model (Ihsanoglu, 2000, 122).

Syncretism and Cultural Resilience: The Coexistence and Evolution of Traditional Itolimin and Christian Burial Practices in Esanland, Nigeria

Purpose of the Study: This research aims to uncover how traditional second burial rites coexist with and have adapted to Christian funeral norms, reflecting the socio-religious negotiation in a postcolonial context. Methodology: Employing a qualitative ethnographic approach, the study gathered data through semi-structured interviews with local chiefs, elders, and adults, alongside observations and an extensive review of related literature. Participants were selected based on their deep knowledge of Esan customs and involvement in the Itolimin practice. Main Findings: The study revealed that Itolimin, while embracing certain Christian elements, remains a vital cultural practice that reinforces the community's moral and social order. The rite's evolution showcases the Esan people's ability to blend traditional and Christian values, thereby preserving their cultural identity amidst religious changes. This syncretism illustrates the community's broader cultural resilience and adaptation approach in a rapidly changing religious landscape. Applications of this Study: Insights from this study apply to the broader discourse on funeral practices in postcolonial societies, providing a framework for cultural preservation amidst religious transformation. It is relevant for policymakers and public health officials regarding community health and burial practices. The findings also offer a basis for developing contextual theological education that respects indigenous beliefs within Christian teachings. Novelty/Originality: This study provides a unique contribution to the understanding of funeral rituals within African postcolonial societies by documenting the living tradition of Itolimin. It highlights how syncretism acts as a dynamic cultural force, shaping the way communities like the Esan negotiate identity and religious practice in a contemporary Christian-dominated context.

SCHOOLS AND THEMES OF ANTHROPOLOGY, ETHNOLOGY, AND HISTORY OF RELIGION IN ROMANIA

The article represents a brief presentation of the evolution of religious studies in Romania during the 19–20 centuries. The studies on the religious phenomenon written in Romania in the 19th century were closely related to the national problem. One of the fundamental questions that arose at the time was whether Christianity is an integral part of national identity. At the end of the 19th century Christianity was seen as a popular tradition, part of what was beginning to be known as folklore. As folklore represented the Romanian identity, it had to be preserved at all costs, therefore also the Christian elements found in popular traditions. Tudor Pamfile is the scholar who shows that folklore is not just a sum of superstitions that must be preserved because it represents tradition. He says that folklore represents a complex universe of meanings, a coherent world, which modern people no longer understand. After the First World War, Christianity is reconsidered. The rationalism of the 19th century is rejected, and "spiritualism" is adopted. Ernest Bernea, Ovidiu Papadima and other scholars wanted to show that the Romanian popular tradition, the basis of national identity, is permeated with the most authentic Christian vision. The Romanian popular tradition was no longer a matter of "superstition", but of the most authentic truth of life. Such an idea is spreading that the authentic man is a religious man. It is the basis of the conception of Mircea Eliade, who will become one of the most important researchers in the field of the history of religions in the world. He overcomes the issue of Romanian identity and its relationship with Christianity. He will be concerned in his works to show the universality of religious feeling, studying religious manifestations at a global level, from prehistory to the present. After 1945, the communist period was established in Romania. Religious history studies have been replaced by atheistic propaganda. However, scholars from the interwar period sought to study the religious phenomenon in Romania and the rest of the world. Also, many young people learned about Mircea Eliade and his work, carried out in France and the United States. One of them was Ioan Petru Culianu who managed to escape from Romania and become one of the great scholars in the field of history of religions. After the fall of the communist regime, religious history studies in Romania experienced a remarkable development.

The Revolt against Humanity: Imagining a Future without Us

The Revolt against Humanity: Imagining a Future without Us

The Revolt against Humanity: Imagining a Future without Us

The Revolt against Humanity: Imagining a Future without Us

Conscious of Christ: Toward a Doctrinal Mysticism in Dialogue With Bernard McGinn, John Calvin, and Meister Eckhart

While mysticism can at times be viewed with skepticism by Protestants, recent research by Bernard McGinn suggests that it is often misunderstood. As such, mysticism deserves an honest appraisal concerning its biblical merit, and doing so reveals that “doctrinal mysticism,” in which the “mystical element of Christianity” is guided by Scripture and doctrine, can and should be applied within a Christian’s life as an aid in spiritual growth and vitality. The application of McGinn’s heuristic definition of “mysticism” to the mystical elements of Meister Eckhart’s and John Calvin’s works, along with a Scriptural critique of their positions, shows the spiritual benefits of doctrinal mysticism and the necessity of developing a conscious awareness of the presence of God in one’s spiritual life.

Comparing Carefully

Abstract A contribution to the Common Knowledge symposium “Caroline Walker Bynum across the Disciplines,” this essay explores the side of Bynum's scholarly personality that may be regarded as comparativist. She is interested in comparison with regard to periods of time, with regard to ritual and gender-based religious practices in the Christian West, and with respect to similarities that might be claimed between elements of Christian and non-Christian cultures. Her thoughts about morphology, materiality, and gender extend beyond medieval Europe to the world at large. Her coedited volume Gender and Religion (1986), the first of its kind, has figured importantly in the development of the field many call comparative religion. Here Bynum's impact on selected scholars of Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh religion — as well as of non-Western Christianity — is assessed. This essay concludes with the text of a response delivered by the author, who is a scholar of Hinduism, to Bynum's Lionel Trilling Lecture at Columbia University, “Am I My Body? Medieval Theories of Bodily Resurrection and Some Modern Implications” (1991).

HASIDIC INFLUENCES IN HUNGARIAN LITERATURE AFTER 1989

The present study is an overview of the reception of literary Hasidism and its impact on Hungarian literature after 1989. Even at the end of the 1980s, traces of the anamnesis of the Jewish and Hasidic heritage of rural Eastern Hungary can be discerned in literature and public discourse. In fact, we can speak of the reception of literary Hasidism after the end of the fall of the regime and the tabuization of Jewish topics. Indeed, publishing the Hungarian translation of Martin Buber’s (1995) and Jiří Langer’s (2000) collection of Hasidic stories has influenced several works of fiction. Géza Röhrig’s prose poetics of his “imaginary Hasidic stories” resemble those of the magical realism, with their traditional mixture of imitation and imaginary elements. Langer and other Hasidic story collections inspired some dramatic works in the years following the millennium, notably the plays of Péter Kárpáti, Martin Boross and Szilárd Borbély. Szilárd Borbély’s case is special for our study, as he incorporates Hasidic motifs and reminiscences in several of his works, but mixes them with Christian elements, creating a specific, culturally hybrid bricolage-poetics.

Ethnographic Study of Symbolic Meanings in the Ma'nene' Toraja Ritual Series

In an ethnographic study of the "Toraja Ma'nene' Ritual," the Toraja people follow the Aluk Todolo beliefs which involve symbols, religion, and cultural preservation. The Ma'nene' ritual is a funeral ceremony that honors ancestors and is related to symbols that have meaning in the life of the Torajan people. The Toraja people believe in the Aluk Todolo belief, which combines elements of local beliefs and elements of Christianity. The Ma'nene' ritual is understood as a way to respect ancestors, care for them, and preserve culture. The traditional meaning, rooted in the Aluk Todolo belief, has experienced a shift to a modern meaning that emphasizes love, gratitude, respect and care for ancestors. This study reveals the complexity of interactions between tradition, religion and cultural preservation in Toraja society. The Ma'nene' ritual is a symbol of changes in meaning and implementation that reflects the combination of Aluk Todolo beliefs and the influence of Christianity, with the aim of preserving cultural heritage.

The Missionary and the Marxist in Pearl S. Buck’s The Good Earth

Abstract: In chapter 14 of her 1931 novel, The Good Earth , Pearl S. Buck juxtaposes two episodes in the life of Wang Lung, her protagonist. Wang Lung encounters a Christian missionary and a Marxist activist. However, both the missionary and the activist fail to reach Wang Lung. This article explores the way in which Buck depicts the failure of the missionary and the activist, discussing the shared “critical” element of Christianity and Marxism and the ways in which both the missionary and the activists may have been more successful than they may have realized.

Az angolszász házassági jog a törzsi szokásjogok alapján

According to Sir Maitland and Sir Pollock, the „Anglo-Saxon law is not only archaic, but offers an especially pure type of Germanic archaism”. This means that the Old-English law is free from any Roman or Christian element, thus it is inherenlty different among other Germanic customary laws. The law codes (in Old-English they are called domas) are written in their own language, unlike other Germanic tribes who wrote in Latin. Altough the Roman and Christian elements will appear in the Isle when Aethelberht changes religion, the impacts are minimal. In other words: those who want to come to know the closest one of the Germanic customary laws to the original, they should pay attention to the „lost child” of the Leges Barbarorum: the Leges Anglo-Saxonum. In my essay the questions are simple: what characterizes the legal status of a married woman and a widow? Is she an object or a person? What happens with her and her property after the death of her husband? There are answers, but they are comlicated. The provisions are obscure and are difficult to understand because their language is archaic, and the researchers are subjective to the point where we no longer knows the truth. This way there is no end of the presumptions and guesses, the literature is often contravene with itself, thus it is necessary to take a commitment in some questions. Still I think there is some kind of an objective reality I found: a woman is not less than a living person but sadly she cannot be totally equivalent with men (and her husband).

İsmaili Düşüncede Hristiyan Etkileri

Christian influence is considered important in the development of Ismaili doctrine. While this research was being conducted, many Christian elements were encountered in the Ismaili doctrine. For example, the adoption of the doctrine of the Crucifixion of Christ which is cited in many Ismaili sources is one of them. Such sources even quote exactly what happened to Jesus Christ, based on direct quotations from the Bible. Some Ismaili dais even made a comparison between the Christian cross symbol and the Ismaili symbols; thus, they tried to establish a relationship of similarity between the Cross and Muslim pantheism, which shows the complete acceptance of the doctrine of the Crucifixion. This study examines the Christian influences in Ismaili thought, including the similarity between the Imam's character and that of Jesus, that have succeeded in entering Ismaili thought. Accordingly, both characters are connected with the spiritual world and carry a sacred color. It can be said that there is a similarity between the structural organization of the Ismaili da'wah and the religious structural organization in Christianity. The study highlights some of the overt Christian elements in Duruz thought. These include the spread of the concept of the Christianization of al-Mahdi's character among the Druze, and the use of verses from the Bible concerning the Messiah by some Duruz dais.

Similarities and Comparisons Between Stefan Zweig’s ‘Last Mass in St. Sophia’s Cathedral’ and Ismail Kadare’s ‘Saint Sophia’s Church’

Zweig’s contribution in Albanian literature comes from the effort of well-known Albanian intellectuals and translators, which in turn has inspired and influenced prominent figures in Albanian literature and culture. This paper focuses on the inspirations, similarities and differences between ‘Last Mass in the Cathedral of St. Sophia’ by the German author Stefan Zweig, who is one of the authors most frequently translated into Albanian, and ‘The Church of St. Sofia’ by the famous Albanian author, Ismail Kadare. The paper provides solid arguments demonstrating the interesting parallels between the theme, plot and motives in the two stories that depict the same historical event, the conquest of Constantinople and the invasion of Ottoman soldiers into the capital of the Byzantine Empire. Particularly, they emphasise the Church of Saint Sophia, the Sultan’s amazement at its beauty, the conversion of the Church into a mosque and the covering of the Christian elements, the faces of the saints and especially ‘those of Christ and Saint Mary’. Furthermore, icons and elements of historical and religious Christian significance, the fall of the Cross and the altering of the direction of prayers according to religious affiliation are also depicted. Thus, it may be said that great writers, such as Zweig and Kadare, do not have any regularity in where and when they appear. Hence, the connections and literary similarities, whether accidental or a sign of inspiration and influence, can be found in their works, as in many other authors of world literature.

Queering Faith in Fantasy Literature: Fantastic Incarnations and the Deconstruction of Theology, By Taylor Driggers

The study of religion has long known how to show students where to find religion where they might not at first see it. The tradition of fantasy literature is one such site. University students can easily see Christian elements in various works of C.S. Lewis’ fiction that they might not have seen when they first read them as children, and how the genre of fantasy literature was imagined along theological lines in J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘On Fairy-Stories’ and its account of fantasy as offering consolation through what he called ‘eucatastrophe’. But, given Lewis’ and Tolkien’s traditionalism, how do we show students how to find dissident religious expressions where they might not at first see them? Taylor Driggers offers at least two answers to this question in Queering Faith in Fantasy Literature. The first answer has to do with canon curation. The works that Driggers focuses on here are Angela Carter’s The Passion of New Eve (1977), Ursula Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness (1969), and Lewis’ Till We Have Faces (1956). Some of these choices are obvious. As Driggers shows, ‘Carter juxtaposes religious narrative with the tropes and trappings of fantasy precisely to undermine any claims to ultimate or “natural” reality’ (p. 43), and the work of Le Guin’s book in getting past the binary of two sexes that is fundamental to theological orthodoxies is well known, even if a tad messy or even unsuccessful (pp. 94–101). The attention to Till We Have Faces is a bit more surprising, but Driggers convinces that ‘the inevitable failure of language and religious doctrine’ (p. 54) is an important theme in that book, and one that might ground the development of a theologically heterodox reading, one that is pro-sex and feminist (see pp. 117–18). The display of another possible Lewis, contrary to the traditionalist known from The Chronicles of Narnia and other fictional and nonfictional writings, is the greatest of Queering Faith in Fantasy Literature’s pleasures.

Gender, Climate Change and Food Insecurity: A Zimbabwean Rastafari Perspective

The global climate change crisis has a direct bearing on the imbalances affecting the ecosystem including food security. In Africa, the theme of food security is urgent and has been exacerbated by pandemics and the footprint of the ecological crisis. The study seeks to examine the experiences of Rastafari women in the context of gender, climate change and food insecurity in Zimbabwe. Rastafari is a religious and political movement that developed in Jamaica in the 1930s and was adopted by many groups globally. It contains elements of Protestant Christianity, mysticism, and a pan-African political consciousness. Paradoxically, Rastafari is a patriarchal movement that subordinates women, but at the same time claims to advocate for the liberation and social justice of the oppressed in society. The research posits that Rastafari women experience a double jeopardy in the face of human-made climate change and food insecurity in Zimbabwe. The study grappled with the following questions: How are the forms of inequalities legitimated in Rastafari? What becomes visible as violence and what is eclipsed in Rastafari? What practices are being reshaped and reconceptualised under climate change and food insecurity contexts? By using observation and interviews to gather data as well as insights, from the ecofeminist theoretical framework, the study established that rapid industrialization, heightened consumerism, unrestricted technologies, policy flaws and other anthropogenic factors engineered through the hegemonic tendencies of ‘Babylon’ are blameworthy for the catastrophe of climate crisis and food insecurity. Rastas are skeptical towards the use of Genetically Modified Foods. The research concludes that despite gender disparities in the movement, the agency of women Rastas is expressed through, inter alia, natural living, Ital foodways and waste management in the context of ecological crisis and food insecurity.