Christian Literature Research Articles

«БОБОК» Ф. М. ДОСТОЕВСКОГО: ПРОБЛЕМА ЖАНРА

Тhe article raises the problem of the genre of the work of F. M. Dostoevsky «Bobok», actualized by M. M. Bakhtin, but still of scientific interest. The purpose of the article is to clarify the understanding of the genre of the «Bobok» work existing in literary criticism. The objectives of the research are related to the identification in the «Bobok» story of the signs of the genres of vision and anecdote and the definition of their role in the formation of the genre specificity of the work and its semantic organization. The article uses an integrated approach to the analysis of the «Bobok» story, including the philological and structural analysis of the text. As a result of the study, the conclusion is drawn: the consideration of the «cemetery history» in the «Bobok» story from the standpoint of the medieval genre of vision – more precisely, the vision-test as a variety of the genre of vision – and the anecdote characteristic of the cultural tradition of the time of F. M. Dostoevsky and his work the structural and synthetic nature of the genre of this work. The vision and anecdote are inserted genres in the «Bobok» story reinforcing its versatility. The vision and the anecdote interact with each other. The appeal to these genres allows F. M. Dostoevsky to combine in his story the traditions of Christian literature of the past, folklore and the literary tradition of the present. The presence of the genres of vision and anecdote in the «Bobok» story allows us to define the positions of the author of the story and his hero: the genre of vision accentuates the position of the author, who creates a situation of spiritual and moral test for the hero; the genre of the joke accentuates the position of the hero, who demonstrates his inner ideological, spiritual and moral paradox. The synthesis of genres within the framework of one literary work forms a complex, multi-focus, optics of seeing the world and man.

Studies on Latin Christian Literature (2nd – 11th cc.) in Bulgaria

Studies on Latin Christian Literature (2nd – 11th cc.) in Bulgaria

La helenización del cristianismo: Nombre e identidad en los testimonios literarios de los siglos I y II

In early Christian literature there is an interest in defining the identity of Christians as a religious group against Judaism and Hellenism. The clearest and most defining identity of the new grou...

Jesus and Mary Reimagined in Early Christian Literature ed. by Vernon K. Robbins and Jonathan M. Potter

Reviewed by: Jesus and Mary Reimagined in Early Christian Literature ed. by Vernon K. Robbins and Jonathan M. Potter Jo-Ann Badley vernon k. robbins and jonathan m. potter (eds.), Jesus and Mary Reimagined in Early Christian Literature (WGRWSup 6; Atlanta: SBL Press, 2015). Pp. x + 351. Paper $44.95. This book of essays developed out of a doctoral seminar led by Vernon Robbins at Emory University in 2013. The essays use Robbins's approach to textual analysis ("rhetorolect") to detect and describe motifs in discourse (pp. 1-2; R. also puts the neologism in quotation marks). He defines the approach as an analysis of "the rhetorical presentation of belief-argument," found in "themes, topics, reasonings, and argumentations" and works with six rhetorolects: wisdom, prophetic, apocalyptic, precreation, miracle, priestly (pp. 15-17). The essays "explore the diverse character of emerging Christian narratives" as a means "to move beyond traditional literary-historical criticism into comparative sociorhetorical exegesis" (pp. 9, 1). In addition to the introduction by the editors, the book includes ten essays: seven focus primarily on priestly rhetorolect (which "features beneficial exchange between God and humans"; p.19) in the Gospel of Luke, the Protevangelium of James, and the Acts of John; and three offer detailed responses from other scholars. Robbins wrote the first two essays on Luke-Acts (both previously distributed). In "Priestly Discourse in Luke and Acts," he collects examples of priestly rhetorolect from Luke-Acts. He concludes that "the basis for forgiveness of sins in Luke and Acts appears to be the 'priestly' ritual of a devout life, rather than a priestly 'blood sacrifice'" (p. 39). In the second essay, "Bodies and Politics in Luke 1–2 and Sirach 44–50: Men, Women, and Boys," Robbins presupposes that different rhetorolects use language referring to bodies in different ways (p. 44). He examines the bodily locations of divine power as found in the first chapters of the Gospel of Luke, concluding that power moves out of the temple by means of the angel Gabriel and the priest Zechariah, and returns with Jesus's visit at age twelve. In this way, power is transformed from priestly to prophetic modalities (p. 62). Christopher T. Holmes ("Who Am I to Be Blessed? Mary as Blessed Mother in the Protoevangelium of James") assumes a dependency of the Protevangelium of James on Luke and analyzes the basis for Mary's blessedness by comparing documents. He concludes that in the Protevangelium of James the depiction has a priestly character, in contrast to its prophetic tone in Luke; Mary's blessing derives from her role as mother (pp. 100-101). Meredith Elliott Hollman ("Temple Virgin and Virgin Temple: Mary's Body as Sacred Space in the Protevangelium of James") also considers the role of Mary in the Protevangelium of James (esp. 7:1–8:1), by analyzing the plot of the text and its relationship to texts in the Hebrew Bible. Hollman concludes that Mary is presented as a holy vessel in continuity with, but surpassing, other holy characters by virtue of her physical purity (virginity) (p. 128). Michael K. W. Suh and Vernon Robbins's essay, "From Prophetic Hymns to Death at the Altar: Luke 1–2 and Protevangelium of James," attends to the ways Luke's four hymns (prophetic discourse) are reconfigured in the Protevangelium of James (priestly discourse). [End Page 737] They conclude that in significant ways, "the high priest Zechariah, rather than his son John, is the forerunner of Jesus" (p. 174), and that the Protevangelium of James offers "an account alternative to the argument in the Epistle to the Hebrews about the 'heritage' of Jesus as 'high priest who gave the perfect sacrifice once for all'" (p. 175). In "Naked Divinity: The Transfiguration Transformed in the Acts of John," Jonathan M. Potter examines the reconfiguration of the transfiguration account (esp. from Luke 9:28-36) in the Acts of John. Potter concludes that each account "uses the transfiguration to develop their own distinctive presentation of the identity and nature of Jesus" (p. 221); Acts of John "removes the prophetic/apocalyptic [elements] and portrays the Lord in his true, precreation essence" (p. 222). Thomas Jared Farmer deals with accounts of Jesus...

Что Афины Иерусалиму? Раннее христианство и Вторая софистика

The article deals with the early Christian literature of the 2nd–3d centuries in the context of the Second Sophistic. Famous sophists and Christian intellectuals were contemporaries, and they were educated by the same teachers. The focus of the article is on such themes as the claims of apologists for the status of ambassadors to the Roman emperors, the desire to demonstrate their education and include Christianity in the mainstream of development of ancient culture, an appeal to Greek history. When Christians tried to prove the truth of their views on the world and the deity and to demonstrate the superiority of their culture and their own tradition, they often used ideas and methods borrowed from the arsenal of Second sophistic.

САКРАЛЬНІСТЬ У ПАЛІТРІ СУЧАСНОЇ ЛІТЕРАТУРИ: ГУМАНІЗМ ЧИ ЦІННІСНА ДЕСТРУКТИВНІСТЬ?

In a secularized society, on the base of the rapid development of technologization and globalization, we also observe an intensive "return" of the sacred. It "returns" with the growth of nostalgia for the personalism of social relationships. And this return is reflected, in particular, through the phenomena of contemporary art – some of them are filled with appropriate symbolism and emotional atmosphere. Undoubtedly, there is no historical period, which would be characterized by complete secularization and the absence of any sacredness. However, in the modern era, the uniqueness of the sacred is that it is not just a religious phenomenon. Because today's semantic space of the sacred is not only the idea of God, it is also about justice, identity, self-sacrifice and the search for answers. This is one of the main categories of value orientations, which relates to anthropological reality in all its diversity. In this article, the author analyzes the manifestations of the Christian worldview and sacred meanings in modern literature work: the means of their expression and symbolism. After all, the Bible in modern literature is used in a unique way. Definitely, there are still a number of important Christian literature works, but more and more often artists use biblical symbolism to embody their creative ideas without mentioning Christian saints or biblical quotations. The researcher examines a number of particularly popular fantasy novels of the early third millennium, in which the plotline is interwoven with elements of Christian sacredness and value categories, the meanings of their ideological guidelines. Cult literature works are also analyzed, where sacredness is hidden under other layers of meaning. In these works, the sacred is not immediately demonstrated, it may be seen in the value potential of the profane. The reverse side of Christian sacredness is also comprehended – on the basis of works of art about demons and Satan, the artistic and ideological purpose of these works is considered. All this is subordinated to the goal of understanding the influence of ideas about the sacred (and in general – the transcendent) in its modern cultural expression on the transformation of the aesthetic axiosphere. The research is at the interdisciplinary intersection of religious studies, philosophy of religion, culturology and aesthetics.

Creation and Contingency in Early Patristic Thought: The Beginning of All Things by Joseph Torchia

Reviewed by: Creation and Contingency in Early Patristic Thought: The Beginning of All Things by Joseph Torchia Alexander H. Pierce Creation and Contingency in Early Patristic Thought: The Beginning of All Things Joseph Torchia Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2019. Pp. xxxiv + 229. ISBN: 978-1-4985-6281-2 The publication of Gerhard May's Schöpfung aus dem Nichts in 1978 (and its subsequent translation under the title Creatio ex nihilo in 1994) contributed to a heightened concern among biblical scholars, theologians, and historians of philosophy to trace the development of the doctrine of creation ex nihilo within Jewish and early Christian literature and to situate it in the light of the philosophical traditions that developed in response to Plato's Timaeus. Many scholars have called May's proposal into question and others have come to his defense. Joseph [End Page 446] Torchia's book under review successfully accomplishes pushing the focus of the conversation beyond controversy over whether the explicit terminology of creation ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων is the evidence necessary to evince early Christian selfdifferentiation to a more implicit factor, what he calls the "contingency criterion," by which he means "whether the text in question affirms the contingency of created reality in relation to the sovereignty and omnipotence of its Creator" (xxvii). In this excellent monograph, Torchia builds on a diverse and expansive literature by offering a well-balanced analysis that provides us with a greater level of clarity concerning the theological horizon of creatio ex nihilo as the absolute sovereignty of God and contingency of all creation. Creation and Contingency is comprised of three parts. In the first, Torchia examines the sources of the development of the doctrine of creation, including Christian Scripture (Chapter 1), Plato's Timaeus (Chapter 2), and the debates among Middle Platonists concerning Aristotle's criticism of Plato's cosmogony (Chapter 3). Torchia contends in Chapter 1 that Scripture attests both the correlativity of creaturely contingency and divine sovereignty and that God's creation is invested with an intelligible purpose, to participate in the God who is its highest Good. In Chapter 2, Torchia takes the "beginning" of all things in Tim. 27d-69a as a point of departure to explore how Plato presents a teleological world in which true Being is immutable, cosmogony involves the mutability of this sensible world, and the changing world of Becoming we experience is good because of its participation in intelligible Being. In anticipation of the third chapter, Torchia presses the issue of the literal and metaphorical readings of Plato's Timaeus, contending that whereas the majority of Plato's successors took his claim that the world came into being (γέγονε) metaphorically, Aristotle read Plato literally, which conflicted with his own view that the world is eternally existent, without beginning or end. Chapter 3 then charts the Middle Platonists who uphold the "majority opinion," siding with Aristotle on the eternal world while referring to Plato to speak of causal principles that explain its order (e.g., Alcinous, Apuleius), and those who maintain a temporally originated universe (e.g., Plutarch, Atticus). As he turns to consider the early patristic reception of these sources, Torchia alerts readers to an important issue often underappreciated in such studies, namely, the problem of "meaning variance" in the unwarranted conflation of creation as ordering disorder with creation as bringing being out of non-being (64–65). The second part of the book attends to the theology of creation and the relation of God to the world in Hellenistic Judaism and the Apostolic Fathers, finding in these sources both the conflicted reception of the biblical text and Plato's Timaeus and the undeniable anticipation of later developments among the Greek apologists of the second century. In Chapter 4, Torchia treats the creation account according to Philo Judaeus, showing how Philo's reading of Genesis as a Middle Platonist enabled him to function as a point of contact between Hellenistic and Judeo-Christian thought and a model for how to incorporate Plato's Timaeus and Genesis (among other scriptural texts) in a satisfactory account of the beginning of all things. Chapter 5 prepares the [End Page 447] way for the final part by considering the Apostolic Fathers' affirmations...

Dire il Concilio in Università Cattolica. Michele Pellegrino e gli interventi presso l’Università Cattolica di Milano all’indomani del Concilio Vaticano II

Immediately after the end of the Second Vatican Council, Ezio Franceschini, just appointed as rector of the Catholic University of Milan, launched a series of initiatives aimed at presenting to professors and students the most important outcomes of the Council, especially those related to Catholic universities, their relevance and their mission within contemporary society and the Church. Mgr Michele Pellegrino, a former student of the Faculty of Literature, was invited several times to these meetings. He was an illustrious scholar of ancient Christian literature and full professor at the University of Turin, before being elevated to the archiepiscopal chair of Turin a few years before. Indeed, he was also one of the protagonists of the last Council period, who significantly contributed to the discussion and the drafting of the so-called “schema XIII”, which sketched the Gaudium et spes. In his speeches at the Catholic University of Milan, as well as in other public occasions and through various media, he openly and clearly highlighted the role and mission of Catholic universities, as a meeting point between Church and contemporary society, as essential elements of the dialogue between theology and secular sciences. In connection with Rector Franceschini and Giuseppe Lazzati, who was soon to succeed the latter, he fostered the idea of the Catholic University of Milan as the university of the Second Vatican Council.

Vitae Antonii Versiones Latinae (CCSL 170) ed. by P. H. E. Bertrand and Lois Gandt

Reviewed by: Vitae Antonii Versiones Latinae (CCSL 170) ed. by P. H. E. Bertrand and Lois Gandt Scott G. Bruce Vitae Antonii Versiones Latinae (CCSL 170) P. H. E. Bertrand and Lois Gandt, Eds. Turnhout: Brepols, 2018. Pp. 616. ISBN: 978-2-503-57748-7 Although it was composed in Greek, the hagiographical portrait of Saint Anthony by Archbishop Athanasius of Alexandria (ca. 299–373) exerted an influence on the imaginations of Latin readers far surpassing that of any other saint in the eastern tradition. The impact of Anthony's exemplary life among Latin-reading audiences in North Africa and western Europe was only possible because of the industry of late antique translators who rendered Athanasius's Greek into Latin for distant readers eager for information about the desert saints. In the volume under review, P. H. E. Bertrand and Lois Gandt provide critical editions and expansive introductions to the two known Latin translations of Athanasius' Life of Blessed Abbot Anthony (Vita beati Antonii abbatis). The organization of the book is not as intuitive as one may like. The first half of the volume (242 total) contains the modern scholarly material, including a shared bibliography (7*–38*), Bertrand's long introduction (in German) to Evagrius's well-known literary Latin translation of the Vita Antonii (41*–188*) and Gandt's much shorter introduction (in English) to the so-called versio vetustissima, a little-known literal rendering of Athanasius's text into Latin which was written in the fourth century and survives only in a single tenth-century manuscript (191*–242*). The second half of the book (360 total pages) reboots the pagination to [End Page 175] present Bertrand's edition of the Vita beati Antonii abbatis Evagrio interprete (1–103) and Gandt's Vitae Antonii versio vetustissima (105–83), followed by a long appendix (see below). It would have made more sense to print the editions immediartely after their respective introductions and to present continuous pagination throughout the volume. Quibbles about the organization aside, the content of this volume offers readers much to admire. Bertrand's introduction to Evagrius's Latin translation of Athanasius's Greek text begins with a valuable summary of the careers of Anthony and Athanasius and a survey of the arguments for Athanasius's authorship of the Greek Vita Antonii, which heralded a new genre of Christian literature perhaps inspired by ancient biographies, but more explicitly related to the Gospels and the acts of the earliest martyrs. Bertrand then introduces his reader to Evagrius, who composed his Latin translation of Athanasius's work in 373. His was not a literal translation but a rendering ad sensum, that is, approximating the original text without losing sight of its meaning. The second part of Bertrand's introduction presents a reception history of Evagrius's translation from Late Antiquity to the eleventh century, with evidence of its oral transmission, its function as an Inspirationsquelle for early medieval readers, its direct influence on the works of later authors from Jerome's Vita Hilarionis to Odo of Cluny's Collationum libri tres, and its widespread presence in early medieval manuscripts (fifty-eight exemplars between the eighth and eleventh centuries) and monastic library catalogues (ten references). The third part of Bertrand's introduction describes the contents of the codices containing Evagrius's translation used as the basis for the edition (most are legendaries with an emphasis on desert saints), an analysis of the several families of variations in the manuscript tradition, and an explanation of editing principles employed. Perhaps unavoidably, Gandt's introduction repeats some of Bertrand's on the careers of Anthony and Athanasius before arriving at her topic, the versio vetustissima, a literal Latin translation of the Greek Vita Antonii discovered in 1914 by André Wilmart. The translator was most likely either Ammonius or Isidore, two learned monks who accompanied Athanasius during his exile in Rome in the early 340s. This vita did not enjoy the popularity of Evagrius's translation; it survives in toto in a single tenth-century manuscript. The importance of the versio vetustissima is not its influence on western audiences, Gandt shows, but rather its value as a literal, near-contemporary witness...

Other Writings/Traditions

Other Writings/Traditions Christopher T. Begg and Michael W. Duggan 2383. [Abraham in Philo] Sean A. Adams, "Abraham in Philo of Alexandria," Abraham in Judaism and Early Christianity, 75-92 [see #2424]. In the above essay, A. adopts a "character theory approach" and seeks to evaluate how Philo reads Abraham's life in light of his relationships. Specifically, A. argues that modern theories about how character is developed in narratives can be profitably applied to Philo's interpretation of the Genesis narrative. In particular, an interfigural approach, which identifies relations between characters within a given text or from different texts, highlights how Philo defines Abraham through his engagement with and relationship to other characters, esp., though not limited to, Sarah, Isaac, Lot, and Pharaoh. [Adapted from published abstract—C.T.B.] 2384. [3 Maccabees; Intoxication Topos] Nicholas P. L. Allen and Pierre J. Jordaan, "Filled with the Spirit; Or New Wine, Which Cheers Both God and Men? Analyzing the Topos of Intoxication in 3 Maccabees," JNSL 45 (2, 2019) 1-18. This paper explores the topos of intoxication in its application to the reading of 3 Maccabees. In particular, A. and J. examine the use of the topos as part of a Hellenistic rhetorical strategy that is designed to highlight the differences between Jews and non-Jews and between the righteous and non-righteous actors in the narrative. In the course of their study, it becomes evident that the author of the book uses the above topos to focus attention on issues of orthopraxy and heteropraxy. Ultimately, A. and J. identify three dimensions to 3 Maccabees' use of the intoxication topos: (1) in association with King Philopater and his friends as adherents of the cult of Dionysius; (2) to highlight the irrational behaviors of drunken partygoers who exhibit qualities that are opposed to both Dionysian and Jewish [End Page 852] orthopraxy; (3) in ironic and antithetical fashion, alcohol, from 3 Macc 6:30 on, suddenly becomes a symbol of orthopraxy. [Adapted from published abstract—C.T.B.] 2385. [Abraham in Josephus] Michael Avioz, "Abraham in Josephus' Writings," Abraham in Jewish and Early Christian Literature, 93-108 [see #2424]. In his essay on Abraham in the Josephan corpus, A. argues that his treatment of the patriarch should be seen above all as an exegetical project. A.'s categorization of Josephus's writings as "exegesis" differs from the taxonomy proposed by S. Docherty (see #2393) for "Rewritten Scripture" texts, with A. arguing that as an exegete Josephus is primarily concerned with translating the biblical text into Greek, resolving contradictions in the Hebrew Bible, and addressing problematic ethical issues that might have troubled Graeco-Roman readers—all of which strategies are on display in his handling of the biblical Abraham narrative. [Adapted from published abstract—C.T.B.] 2386. [4 Macc 15:29] Grzegorz M. Baran, "'Mother of the Nation (Mḗtēr éthnous)' (4 Macc. 15:29)—Mother of Seven Maccabean Sons as Patriarchess of New-Quality Nation," RB 127 (2020) 5-34. The mother of the seven sons, during the martyrdom of her children, is portrayed in 4 Maccabees as displaying the same attitudes as Abraham. The book's describing her with the use of typically masculine terms also underlines her great authority and special role within a patriarchal society. Her title mētēr ethnous in 4 Macc 15:29 can therefore be interpreted within the context of the book as a whole in light of the person and mission of the patriarch Abraham. In particular, the mother can be seen as a "patriarchess of a new-quality nation" consisting of those who, through their obedience to the Law in the face of various difficulties, inherit not so much earthly goods as an eternal reward. [Adapted from published abstract—C.T.B.] 2387. [1 Corinthians 5–7; Deuteronomy] Pasquale Basta, "'So you shall put away the evil from among you': Exclusion from the Community in Deuteronomy and in the Early Pauline Churches (1 Corinthians 5–7)," Bib 100 (2019) 426-54. The Letters of Paul not only feature extensive quotations of OT Scripture but also echo OT motifs...

Ancient Natural Philosophy in Byzantine Christology: The Issue of Penetration of Fire into Iron

Introduction. The author shows how the Stoic principle of total blending of physical bodies finds its refraction in the Byzantine Christological teachings on the example of penetration of fire into iron. According to the Stoics, total blending occurs when one body accepts certain qualities of the other, however, remaining themselves, or both mixed bodies acquire qualities of each other preserving their natures. Analysis. The author asserts that Origen’s use of the example of iron incandesced by fire turned out to be paradigmatic for the subsequent Christian literature, and influenced the formation of two directions of using this example at once: in Christological context, as well as to describe deification of man. Further, the author addresses to Christological problematics and claims that using the incandesced iron example in Byzantium literature in properly Christological context began with Apollinarius of Laodicea. The paper also investigates the specificity of the refraction of this example in Christological perspective in (Ps.-) Basil of Caesarea, Theodoret of Cyrus, Cyril of Alexandria, Severus of Antioch, John of Damascus, and Corpus Leontianum. Results. In this context, the author pays special attention to the discrepancy between John Damascus and Leontius of Jerusalem regarding the issue of the complexity of Christ’s hypostasis. The researcher clarifies prerequisites of this discrepancy.

John the Theologian and His Paschal Gospel: A Prologue to Theology by John Behr

Reviewed by: John the Theologian and His Paschal Gospel: A Prologue to Theology by John Behr Michael G. Azar John Behr. John the Theologian and His Paschal Gospel: A Prologue to Theology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019. 416 pp. Relatively early in his Commentary on John, Origen unveils the key to understanding the truth of Scripture: one must become “another John.” As the disciple at the cross was revealed to be Mary’s son, so also one must “be shown to be another Jesus” (Comm. Jo. 1.23). While Origen’s point is explicitly rooted in the Fourth Gospel (cf. Jn. 19:26–27), it nonetheless demands a significant recalibration of how one understands the evangelist’s well-known assertion: “the Word became flesh” (Jn. 1:14) [End Page 225] Such a recalibration is among John Behr’s primary tasks in this study of John’s gospel. “Melding” a variety of horizons by bringing ancient and modern voices into contact, Behr offers historical (Part I), exegetical (Part II), and phenomenological (Part III) explorations, each of which comprises a wide array of secondary and primary texts aimed at unveiling the Theologian’s Gospel for the gospel’s theologian. Behr’s “introduction” serves as much more: it is an essay–indictment of modern theological trends that have so shaped the study of ancient texts (rather than vice versa). At centerstage is the common concept of “incarnation,” which nowadays frequently limits the range of meaning to a first-century “episode in the biography of the Word” (a Rowan Williams phrase that Behr repeats frequently). Such has misled generations of scholars—debilitated, Behr argues, by a “mythology of doctrines” (a Quentin Skinner phrase appearing almost as often)—to seek out where this concept of “incarnation” susurrates and surfaces in early Christian literature, while neglecting the ways in which the ancient sources themselves actually speak of the Word’s flesh. Part I explores the lingering memories of the Gospel and its author amid the early “Johannine school” (chiefly amid Ignatius, Irenaeus, and Melito; not to be confused with the “Johannine community”). Behr demonstrates that John the author, not the same as John, the son of Zebedee, was variously called “the Elder” or “the Disciple” and was remembered as the “high priest of the paschal mystery” (98), the revealer of the mystery of God hidden in the Scriptures and the originator of Christian paschal observances. Given this early reception, the Gospel is, according to Behr, fittingly called an “apocalyptic gospel,” but, given that what is unveiled—God and his temple, the human being—is unveiled definitively and finally at the cross, “it is more appropriate . . . to designate John as a ‘paschal gospel.’” (110) Part II comprises an exegetical examination of the Gospel and the completion of God’s building of the “temple,” the human being, revealed therein. Behr demonstrates that John not only presents Christ as the temple, but “the believer and the community” as well (176), and in both cases, the building of this “temple” (the human being)—which stems from “God’s project announced from the beginning” (219)—is fully revealed and brought to completion by “the Passion of Christ and its opening of Scriptures” (176). Chiefly for this reason, Behr regularly contends that one cannot separate “incarnation” from “passion.” The latter, as shown especially in the Eucharist, is the former; “the way up and the way down” are “one and the same” (218–19). It is in this light that Part II concludes with a rereading of John’s Prologue. These eighteen verses, Behr argues, do not lend themselves to “a narrative beginning with a figure called the Word who later on becomes Jesus Christ,” but rather encapsulate the whole work of Christ and particularly his passion. The Prologue is, quite simply, “a hymn about Jesus Christ, speaking about him and his work in various ways” (252). In the way that the end is thus unveiled at the beginning (and, in good apocalyptic fashion, vice versa), one cannot help but call to mind the words of T. S. Eliot: “the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time” (Little Gidding). Behr...

Jewish and Islamic Foundations of Late Medieval Christian Literary Practices

This article explores the transmigration of letters from East to West during the Andalusian shift from an Umayyad cultural politics of cohabitation to an Almoravid politics of acculturation. As the eleventh-century Christian-Islamic frontier was redrawn in the Iberian Peninsula, Muslim Saracens migrated south while Jewish and Christian minorities headed north. This migration fostered the travel of Arabic letters, particularly to the rising Christian kingdoms. By translating Arabic texts into Hebrew and Latin throughout the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, a lineage of Muslim and Jewish writers enabled translatio imperii from Muslim to Christian Iberia, England, and France. Iberian maqāma literary production imitates earlier Persian-Arabic texts of border-crossings and helps illustrate medieval cultural and epistemic exchanges. This shared literary practice for telling stories was particularly popular among migrant writers who crossed religious borders. During the formation of a Christian Iberian and North Atlantic literary imagination, Petrus Alfonsi (ca. 1062-1140), a Jewish convert, was an early figure in this long process of epistemic transfiguration of classic Arabic and Greek texts into medieval Latin and European vernacular literatures. Many others followed his path to survive, in translation, late medieval religious wars.

Sibilas: a sobrevivência das profetisas pagãs no mundo cristão

Os mitos antigos não estão mortos. A partir desta afirmação fundamentada nas obras de autores como Warburg, Jean Seznec, Erwin Panofsky e Fritz Saxl, este trabalho pretende apontar os caminhos históricos que legitimaram a sobrevivência do mito das sibilas no mundo cristão, em sua estreita relação com a astrologia. O paganismo não renasceu após o medievo, mas esteve sempre presente no cristianismo, não só como símbolos, mas como efetiva influência essencial sobre os homens e as suas vidas. Alguns momentos históricos em particular são privilegiados neste caminho, desde os padres apologistas do cristianismo primitivo até o nascimento da ciência moderna. Sibilas e astrologia, como testemunhos “de fora” são presença constante seja na teologia cristã, seja na literatura e na música, ou nas representações plásticas do mundo cristão, que aqui privilegiamos. A sua sobrevivência ou pós-vida (Naschleben) é ora afirmada também pela legitimação de grandes nomes da patrística e da escolástica, e ainda por meio da influência de Albumasar, teólogo muçulmano nascido no século VIII e que faz o elo entre sibilas, astrologia e a Virgem Maria. O que fazem as sibilas nos tetos das igrejas católicas? É esta a pergunta que o presente trabalho pretende, em grande medida, responder.

Prey of Pray: Allegorizing the Liturgical Practice

Numerous images embedded in the painted decorations in early modern Central and Eastern European synagogues conveyed allegorical messages to the congregation. The symbolism was derived from biblical verses, stories, legends, and prayers, and sometimes different allegories were combined to develop coherent stories. In the present case study, which concerns a bird, seemingly a nocturnal raptor, depicted on the ceiling of the Unterlimpurg Synagogue, I explore the symbolism of this image in the contexts of liturgy, eschatology, and folklore. I undertake a comparative analysis of paintings in medieval and early modern illuminated manuscripts—both Christian and Jewish—and in synagogues in both Eastern and Central Europe. I argue that in some Hebrew illuminated manuscripts and synagogue paintings, nocturnal birds of prey may have been positive representations of the Jewish people, rather than simply a response to their negative image in Christian literature and art, but also a symbol of redemption. In the Unterlimpurg Synagogue, the night bird of prey, combined with other symbolic elements, represented a complex allegoric picture of redemption, possibly implying the image of King David and the kabbalistic nighttime prayer Tikkun Ḥaẓot. This case study demonstrates the way in which early modern synagogue painters created allegoric paintings that captured contemporary religious and mystical ideas and liturgical developments.

Wczesnochrześcijańskie rozważania o imieniu Jezus

This study opens with a brief reflection on the typological value of the person and name of Josh- ua in the ancient Church. Christians saw the figure of Joshua as a foreshadowing of the saving work of Jesus Christ. According to patristic vision the order of grace in Jesus Saviour replaces the ancient order of the Law. On the basis of homonymy Joshua is associated with Christ. The intent of the study was also to present the historical beginning of the practice to invocate the Lord’s Name. To express the faith in Christ symbolically, the first Christians recurred to the use of numerology and to the nomina sacra. This article argues that the ancient Christian literature contains sustained and substantial references to the name of Jesus as ‘Saviour’. It is possible to find the theological finality in the interpretation of Lord’s name. At every point of the discussion in the Patristic tradition it is found a considerable richness and significance of the name of Jesus (biblical, doctrinal and spiritual).

A Golden Tree in the “Garden of Pages”

This article offers a critical evaluation of a purported diplomatic mission from Genoa to the Marīnid sultan of Morocco, Abū Yaʿqūb Yusuf (r. 1286–1307 CE). Ibn Abī Zarʿ, author of a famous chronicle known as the Rawḍ al-qirṭās, or “Garden of Pages,” recorded the arrival of the Genoese along with their impressive gift: a golden or gilded tree with singing birds. His inclusion of the episode in a narrative otherwise devoted to the deeds of the dynasty and history of Fez raises several interesting questions. How did the Genoese construct or acquire the tree? Why was the nature of this gift important, and what might have been the goals of the Genoese embassy in bringing such a costly object along? I propose that we understand the embassy and its inclusion in the narrative as part of a Marīnid desire to promote the dynasty as legitimate heirs of previous Islamic rulers. This desire made use of symbols of pious and wise kingship, including the mechanical marvel represented by the tree, which bore an impressive ideological pedigree in Islamic and Christian literary and representational traditions. For their part, the Genoese may have been motivated by a desire to repair relations with Abū Yaʿqūb damaged by the activity of Benedetto Zaccaria in the straits of Gibraltar. Taken as a whole, this brief but under-studied event suggests both the Mediterranean scope of this symbol of kingship and its use by medieval diplomats to achieve practical ends.

Кореляція категорії sacrum у драматургії Григора Лужницького

Based on the material of a little-known Ukrainian playwright and cultural-ecclesiastical leader, a member of the literary grouping „Logos” Hryhor Luzhnytskyi (1903−1990) the paper discovers his artistic embodiment of the category sacrum in the external and internal structure of his religious and Christian plays. It proves the interdependence of this category as well as the content and the creative form coverage of such a type of dramas by Hryhor Luzhnytskyi. Simultaneously, it outlines the traditions of creating religious and Christian literature, particularly dramaturgy, in the Ukrainian spiritual-cultural context, as well as in the world writing.

Erzählungen von Leben und Tod

Abstract While a narratological reading of the Gospels is relatively well accepted, their characterisation as parts of the genre of ancient biography was much antagonised in former times. Although things have changed thanks to seminal monographs on the problem from the second half of the 20th century and to continuing work, some questions remain open. Therefore, a narratological comparison of Gospels with concrete representatives of the ancient bios could possibly help to clarify the relations between both. In what follows, the oldest Gospel is read simultaneously with Plutarch’s Biography of the Younger Cato. Three observations are made: a) The structures of the narratives of Cato and of Jesus match to a high degree. Both protagonists carry out certain duties while operating in public. In most instances, they achieve great successes. From a certain point on, however, they irrevocably approach failure and ruin. This structure of story seems to form the basis both of the Gospel and of the biography of Cato, written ca. three decades later. b) Obviously, both works narrate the life of a man, his exceptional character, his extraordinary operations in public and his non-natural violent dead. In Plutarch’s version, the Younger Cato fails in the end. At first sight, also Mark’s Jesus fails to accomplish his mission. By God’s action he is turned into the saviour of the faithful however. This claimed unsurpassed relevance of the story is contrasted with the laconism of the narration. c) Both narrations are composed out of both factual and fictional elements. Thus, readers cannot separate both elements precisely in every instance. Both stories are imagined worlds designed for the in narratology so called game of fiction. As can be learned in Plutarch, authors of stories like the Life of Cato or the Gospel of Mark guarantee a certain sense of responsibility in their work. Summed up, the narratological comparison has illustrated both the close affinity and the individual specifications of both narratives. It thus helps to clarify the position- fixing of the Early Christian literature within its Graeco-Roman context.

Paul and the Emergence of Christian Textuality: Early Christian Literary Culture in Context

Paul and the Emergence of Christian Textuality: Early Christian Literary Culture in Context