Christian Work Research Articles

Christian influence on the culture of the blind in Japan

The blind in Japan have created their specific culture. As early as in the 14th century, they organized their own guild (Tōdōza) and succeeded in monopolizing a number of traditional entertainment and medical practices, having acquired a rather stable financial position. However, after the end of the Tokugawa shogunate and during the first reforms of the Meiji period, the guild was abolished together with its monopoly, and the blind found themselves in difficult circumstances, having to compete with the sighted, without practical support from the new government. In the early Meiji period, these were mostly Christian missions and private philanthropists who undertook measures to promote education of the blind and fought for their rights and welfare. Christian organizations founded first schools for the blind, such as the Tokyo School for the Blind and Dumb, which made many blind people wishing to acquire education interested in Christianity. The blind often became Christian converts and plunged into educational and philanthropical activities themselves. Major achievements in modernizing the life of the blind in Japan were made due to the work of blind Christians. Blind Christians launched the first Japanese newspaper and one of the first magazines for the blind, were the first among persons with visual impairments in Japan to get higher education, founded the first braille library and one of the first charity funds for the blind. Christianity not only contributed to the rise in living and educational standards of the blind, but also gave them possibilities to discover new ways of self-realization in acquiring new professions as well as in the sphere of spiritual development. For its followers, Christianity eradicated the concept of karma-bound blindness spread in traditional Japan and empowered them with the idea of their special mission in society entrusted to them by God.

VIRTUAL INTERACTIVE TOURS AND COMMUNICATION OF THE DIVINE THROUGH CHRISTIAN ART

Virtual Interactive Tours and Communication of the Divine through Christian Art. Today, Christian works of art are seen more often in museums and on the Internet than in the places for which they were created, namely churches. For many years, museums have been helping visitors discover the meaning of their works of art through the use of various multimedia tools, and recently their activities are increasingly present in the virtual world as well. An example of this is the exhibition Seeing the Unseen, organized by the National Gallery in London in 2020-21. Its virtual version is highly interactive and multi-sensorial. However, the museum context does not always allow the viewer of a Christian work of art to discover its religious meaning and references to the divine. The increasing digitalization of museum collections and the emergence of new multimedia tools, such as virtual visits, are opportunities for the Church to communicate the spiritual meaning of Christian works of art in an easily accessible way. The inclusion of Christian images that refer to God in online communication can help modern man, accustomed to experiencing reality even virtually, to discover a new way of spiritual encounter with God through art.

ISLAMIC AND CHRISTIAN WORK ETHICS: AN ANALYSIS

Various scholars have been inspired by ethics and value systems across the centuries. However, conversations on such topics – especially in academia – have been conducted from a Judeo-Christian perspective, without giving much attention to other systems of thought. Thus, we argue that the Islamic view of ethical consideration and work needs to be explored more. This article explores the notion of Islamic work ethics, and its dimensions in contrast to Christian work ethics. This study contributes towards removing any misconceptions of Islamic work ethics and to clearly understand the Islamic view of work ethics and its implementation. Findings revealed that the notion of work ethics, as generally understood, is specifically related to work only. However, work ethics in Islam is an essential constituent of a typical Muslim's life, which is part of the Islamic tradition. Islamic work ethics is not only related to work but is equally applicable in all fields of life, irrespective of religious beliefs.

The art of translation in the Abbasid period

Arab-Islamic culture as a product of the mental and spiritual potential of many peoples around the world forms an important branch of human civilization. In particular, with the Abbasids overthrew the Umayyad dynasty, the role of non-Arabs in this culture increased, and the local population of the territories where Islam originated made their contribution to the all-Muslim culture. The strengthening of Islam in the conquered territories is observed with the strengthening of urbanization. Cities such as Basra, Kufa, Baghdad, Samarkand, Kardoba, Toledo are distinguished by a universal–cosmopolitan character, in which various ethnic communities and religions meet. On the other hand, with the intensification of the translation movement, Greek philosophical thought and Indo–Iranian thought penetrate into the depths of Islamic religion. The local Christian population, especially scholars, scribes and healers, who have firmly established themselves in the administrative institutions of the Baghdad caliphs, in the court of individual nobles, play a major role in this. Their activities are reflected in the work of both christian and muslim authors.

Sejarah Sakramen Penguatan dan Teologi Sakramen Penguatan menurut Thomas Aquinas

As one of the sacraments of initiation in the Catholic Church, the Sacrament of Confirmation has an important spiritual element for the salvific work of Christians. The role of the third person of God, the Holy Spirit, often appears in the liturgy of this sacrament. This sacrament has a physical sign in the form of anointing oil that has a deep meaning from its historical, biblical and theological background. The theology of the sacrament of chrismation developed with one of them being elaborated by St. Thomas Aquinas in Summa Theologiae. In Summa Theologiae, there are several basic theological concepts of this sacrament of confirmation. From this history and theology, the sacrament of chrismation has a meaning that brings Christians to maturity in faith.

Editorial: Laity in Christian work and witness

For this issue of the journal, contributions were invited on any subject relevant to the Church and theology in Scotland. From the diverse range of topics covered in the papers selected for the issue, one uniting theme emerged: the significance of the role of lay people in Christian work and witness and in the life of the Church.

Hearing God’s call one more time: Retrieving calling in theology of work

Calling is a very important concept in Christianity. In the medieval era, calling was restricted to ecclesiastical work alone, a devotion to the life of contemplation. Ordinary work or physical labour was not considered qualified to be a calling. Martin Luther was the one who taught that the ordinary work of the ordinary people was also God’s calling and equally spiritual as the ecclesiastical work. However, Miroslav Volf, a Croatian theologian, criticised Luther that his view of calling was too static and irrelevant to the modern context where people often choose to quit a job because of its negative effects and some people have to do multiple jobs in order to make ends meet. While recognising the validity of Volf’s critique, this article seeks to demonstrate that even in the modern context, calling is still a very important theological concept to reflect upon work. Luther’s vocational view of work could be retrieved in discussing the theology of work by putting it in dialogue with Calvin, Kuyper, and other theologians.Contribution: This article seeks to show that the concept of calling is indispensable in constructing a sound theology of work for the modern context. By understanding work as calling, Christian workers are enabled to see how they are participating in God’s redemptive work through their jobs.

"A Disturber of Christians": The Life and Spirituality of Romeo Maione

Abstract: During his lifetime, Romeo Maione (1925–2015) was widely regarded as one of Canada's most prominent Catholic advocates for social justice. As the first national President of the Young Christian Workers in Canada, he brought this movement into English Canada and challenged Catholic lay people to become more actively involved in the world. As the first Executive Director of Development and Peace-Caritas Canada, his dynamic leadership established the foundation for how this new nationwide movement would serve the world's poor. An innovative thinker, he was the catalyst for creating ecumenical coalitions for justice. His legacy was to "disturb" Canadian Catholics out of complacency and into action for others.

“We Pledge Ourselves to the Masses of Working Girls”: The Distinctive Mission of the Women's Young Christian Workers Movement in its Founding Decades in England (1940s–1960s)

“The first important point is to win the young women with whom we work,” explains an early campaign newsletter from the women's English Young Christian Workers (YCW) Movement. In a context where the Catholic community was still a defensive minority, the outward looking mission of the YCW was remarkable and unique. The Movement's praxis was particularly distinctive, focused on a demographic group, working‐class girls and young women, who held little significance in either Church or society. The YCW engaged them as apostles and activists, challenging ecclesial and social assumptions and expectations. This paper draws material from YCW archives and oral interviews to argue that what YCW offered young women in the 1940s–1960s expressed an ecclesiological vision that was ahead of its time. The YCW empowered them to be leaders in a Church where women still rarely spoke or held leadership roles. It also nudged them into a confident construction of their citizenship and agency within secular contexts. This is significant in relation to how the English Catholic Church negotiated its restored presence in a protestant state but is barely recognised in existing historical analysis. The YCW's “leaven in the dough” model of activism within workplaces and other political domains deserves greater notice.

Spiritual Succor or Sacrilege? British Catholic Responses to and Interpretations of Wagner’s Parsifal

Abstract: Scholarly knowledge about the interplay of Wagnerian opera and British church history has advanced on an uneven front and has yet to reach lofty heights. Relatively little has been published about how Parsifal , Richard Wagner’s final and arguably most religious opera, was perceived in the United Kingdom. The present study begins to fill that gap by investigating how a spectrum of British Catholics diversely debated such crucial themes as the extent to which Parsifal was a Christian work, the possible mimesis of the Mass in the Holy Grail scenes, the construction of the title character as a symbolic Christ figure, and whether the staging of this work, whose spiritual content was widely acknowledged, could appropriately be performed in a secular setting like the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden.

ПСАЛОМ 88 (89) В ЧЕТВЕРТОМ ВИДЕНИИ ПЕРПЕТУИ

The paper explores the fourth vision of Perpetua from the early Christian work “Passio Perpetuae et Felicitatis”, focusing on her battle with an Egyptian. We identify liturgical allusions in the passage where Perpetua is anointed with oil by her helpers, drawing connections to Psalms, especially Psalm 88 (89). The term “ἀντιλήμπτωρ” is highlighted, linking it to God’s role as a helper in Psalms and its appearance in the vision. The anointing with oil in Perpetua’s vision is compared to New Testament references, where it serves purposes of exorcism and healing. The paper delves into the liturgical significance of oil, connecting it to the defense against defeat and the exorcism of evil. The paper suggests that the term “ἀντιλήμπτωρ” may have entered Perpetua’s vision through liturgical practices or the Psalter. Connections to Psalm 88 (89) are analyzed, with parallels found in Perpetua’s victory song, the image of a Lanista, and the defeat of an Egyptian reminiscent of Rahab in the Psalm. The transformation of Perpetua into a man is linked to the image of David in Psalm 88 (89), highlighting her role as a king-military commander. The image of the Egyptian is related to the images of Goliath and Pharaoh from Ezekiel’s prophecy. The paper concludes that these intersections between the vision and Psalm 88, such as the use of specific terms, anointing, and victorious themes, are not likely accidental and may indicate an unconscious influence. The Greek version of the vision is suggested to contain more recognizable liturgical allusions than the Latin version. The findings encapsulate the key points of a detailed analysis of the connections between Perpetua’s vision and Psalm 88 (89), highlighting the significance of these intersections in understanding the theological and liturgical context of the vision.

ВОДА В ЗАГРОБНОМ МИРЕ: ЧЕМ КОНЧАЕТСЯ ТРЕТЬЕ ВИДЕНИЕ ПЕРПЕТУИ?

The early Christian work the “Passion of Perpetua and Felicity” (Passio Perpetuae et Felicitatis, early 3rd century) has a complex composition. One part contains unique writings, Perpetua’s “Notes,” written by her in confinement before her execution. In particular, a record of dreams or Visions. The article discusses Perpetua’s second and third Visions (7, 1 – 8, 4), where she sees her brother Dinocrates, who died as a boy after a serious illness. These two dreams show at first a sad picture of his afterlife, but after her sister’s fervent prayers, the boy’s appearance is transformed and Perpetua is assured of his salvation. The article examines this plot from the point of view of the influence of Christian prayer on posthumous fate and emphasizes the special role of water in alleviating this fate. The author also addresses the question of the sustainability of pagan ideas about the afterlife in the new context is also. Finally, a slightly different interpretation of the final words of the Perpetua’s third vision is proposed than it is traditionally understood by commentators, translators, and publishers of the “Passion”.

Christian Worker Analogy According to 2 Timothy 2:1-13 and Its Implications for Sunday School Teacher Professionalism

This article is conducting research based on the analogy by the Apostle Paul mentioned in 2 Timothy 2:1-13. In the text, Paul makes an analogy of Christian workers in three analogies. This analogy has something to do with the teacher’s professionalism. Therefore the research being done here is divided into two parts, namely the analogy of Christian workers in 2 Timothy 2:1-13 and the second part the implications for the professionalism of Sunday school teachers. The research approach being used includes exegesis research through utilizing Biblical hermeneutic principles and also through utilizing an analysis of implications. The hermeneutic process of the Bible is carried out by analyzing the context and meaning that is found in the text of 2 Timothy 2:1-13. We have used several relevant sources such as books on Bible commentaries and various research reports both in journals and repositories. The implication analysis was carried out after completing the exegesis of 2 Timothy 2:1-13. We have examined the various phenomena that are related to the professionalism of Sunday school teachers and find their correlation to the results of the exegesis already conducted beforehand. The results of the study show that Christian workers by way of analogy in comparison to soldiers, sportsmen, and farmers. The first is the soldier analogy. The soldier analogy explains that the Christian worker is ready to fight on the battlefield to defend his faith in Christ. The second analogy is the sportsman analogy. The sportsman's analogy explains that Christian workers must prepare himself or herself before the competition. In the analogy of sportsmen, Christian workers must be consistent, enterprising, and ready to finish the matches with an enthusiastic spirit. The third analogy is the farmer's analogy. The farmer's analogy explains that Christian workers must be ready to plant the seed of God's Word in everyone's heart. In the farmer's analogy, Christian workers must also be patient and diligent in caring for the seeds of the world that are planted so that these seeds may produce fruit.

Астрономические и календарные вычисления Ефрема Сирина в 6-м гимне «О Распятии» в вавилонском, иудейском и христианском контексте

The paper is focused on the astronomical and calendrical lore which the Syriac poet-theologian Ephrem the Syrian abundantly uses in his 6th hymn De crucifixione. In this hymn devoted to the interpretation of three days problem of Jesus’ resurrection, the Syriac poet and theologian employs some astronomical data, i.e., the duration of solar and lunar years, the duration of the lunar months, the necessity of the intercalations in the calendars etc. The author analyses this lore in the context of the astronomical knowledge existing to Ephrem’s epoch. On the one hand, the article pays attention to the similar use of the astronomical data in a lot of Jewish and Christian works of the 3rd and 4rd centuries. In this period the astronomical calculations have been used actively both in Christian and Jewish milieux. On the other hand, the calculations by Ephrem mirror the peculiarities of the region of the north Mesopotamia where he lived and created his works. For example, the author demonstrates that Ephrem could be influenced by the old Babylonian astronomical theory and use in his computations the Babylonian “double hour”. In the article is also demonstrated that the calculations by Ephrem are striking similar to the ones in the “Panarion” by Epiphanius of Salamis. Epiphanius seems to be acquainted with Ephrem’s works or to use the similar tradition stretching back to the Babylonian one. The author draws a conclusion that the calculations in the hymns are used to express Ephrem’s self-presentation as the scribe and the sage who obtains the cosmic “secrets”. This picture is deep rooted as in the old Mesopotamian literature as in Jewish Aramaic writings. The author points out that Ephrem uses the astronomical lore in the liturgical context and not in the theological “scientific’’ tractate. Hence, Ephrem constructs a new religious and poetic “myth” about the Crucifixion and feast of Pascha upon the astronomical dimensions it has both in the Christian and in the Jewish traditions.

Presentations and Criticisms of the Literary and Christian Work of the Writer, Journalist and Non-fiction Writer Luka Brajnović According to Hrvatska revija from 1951 to 2000

Luka Brajnović (Kotor, 1919.–Pamplona, 2001.) bio je hrvatski književnik, novinar, publicist i teoretičar medija, koji je velik dio svojega života proveo djelujući u španjolskoj Pamploni. Prije odlaska iz Hrvatske, bio je suradnik časopisa „Luč“ i „Hrvatska straža“, a objavio je romane „Zaboravljene suze“ i „Tripo Kokoljić“. U Madridu je s dominikancem Hijacintom Eterovićem uređivao katoličku reviju „Osoba i duh“. Osnovao je nakladu „Osvit“, u kojoj je objavio djela Vinka Kriškovića, Augustina Juretića i Lucijana Kordića kao i Sveto Pismo u prepravljenom prijevodu nadbiskupa Šarića. Gotovo trideset godina pisao je kolumnu za vanjsku politiku u dnevniku „Diario de Navarra“. Usput je bio urednik u časopisu „Nuestro Tiempo“, surađujući i u nekoliko drugih revija u Španjolskoj, Portugalu i Meksiku. Ovaj rad u prvome dijelu sažeto prikazuje spisateljsko djelovanje Luke Brajnovića nakon odlaska u izbjeglištvo 1945. Potom se u istraživačkom dijelu rada posvećuje istraživanju priloga koji su objavljeni o njemu ili koje je on objavio u Hrvatskoj reviji od 1951. do 2000. jer to istraživanje do danas nije provedeno. U prilozima se nastoji otkriti spominje li ga se u kontekstu vrijednosti kršćanstva, kršćanske duhovnosti i nadahnuća i ima li ih u njegovim književnim, publicističkim i novinarskim tekstovima objavljenim u tom časopisu i u spomenutom razdoblju. Usporedno se njegov opus stavlja u kontekst skromne recepcije književne kritike njegovih djela objavljenih u Hrvatskoj.

In Search of an Ideal Christian Follower in Modern Organizations

This paper offers fresh ways of thinking and perceiving the importance of effective followership in the context of modern organizations and Christian discipleship. It reviews the extant literature on the concept of followership to advance the importance of the follower role in modern organizations. Specifically, we examine the meaning of followership in modern organizations and the role and qualities of an ideal follower. We argue that followership is a self-conscious choice by the follower to actively partner with the leader to advance the organizational mission and objectives. We also discuss how Christian workers can blend biblical discipleship and organizational followership in the workplace to reflect their calling as true disciples and, in the process, benefit the organization. We propose a model for the authentic Christian follower, which can be further explored.

Christian Arabic Theological Works: Copyists and Author’s Endings and Self-abasement

This article analyzes author’s endings and copyist’s colophons in theological works, especially from tenth-century Syro-Palestine and Egypt. A tentative typology and a comparison of Christian and Islamic colophons is also provided. Self-abasement, seeking God’s forgiveness, and prayers from the reader are features derived from the monastic tradition in the Greek, Syriac and Coptic languages before they became characteristic of Arabic colophons of Christian works. Moreover, the apologetic language of Christian works varies according to historical circumstances. While Abū Qurra, in the Syro-Palestine region, wrote a strong apologetic colophon in a time of mass conversions, Sāwīrus b. al-Muqaffaʿ, under the tolerant Fāṭimid rulers, takes a less apologetic approach. Islamic colophons render similar formulas of self-abasement, mostly using the vocabulary of Sufism. The extent of this usage needs further research, however. The printing press put an end to religious formulas and self-abasement, due to the influence of the secularized milieu of Western Europe.

Potensi Destruktif dari Kemalasan terhadap Etos Kerja Kristen Berdasarkan Amsal 18:9

Laziness is a lifestyle that no one wants, because it disrupts ethical discourse in the work culture. The aim of this research is to investigate the issue of laziness in relation to the Christian work ethic by referring to the biblical text, namely Proverbs 18:9 which shows a bad precedent for God's decrees for His human creation. The research method used is hermeneutics or biblical interpretation in order to find the meaning of the text for the current context. Related to this, the author uses primary books for exegetical studies, as well as other supporting sources from books and journal articles. The results of this research are that laziness has the potential to be destructive and is contrary to the Christian work ethic which was originally established by God to be passed down from generation to generation in the history of human life. Laziness never brings benefits in any form because its nature is to damage figures that give the image of a lazy character.

Athens and Jerusalem Redux

In this essay, I evaluate the extent to which some currents in classical Christian mysticism might count as properly ‘Christian’ against the rules of faith and theological methodology of thinkers like Tertullian, Irenaeus, and Justin Martyr. I begin by expounding this methodology as it relates to non-Christian philosophical traditions, and from there explore the rules these thinkers offer, suggesting that the beating heart of these rules is not a string of propositions to affirm so much as it is a commitment to a certain rendition of biblical narrative grammar. After exploring this grammar, I turn to a brief discussion of the foundations of Christian mysticism and the thought of Evagrius Ponticus. The aim here is to illustrate the theoretical foundations of much Christian mysticism, as well as to provide a test case to evaluate how far some prominent elements of this discourse might, or might not, cohere with the biblical narrative grammar elucidated above. I argue that there is ample room to question the legitimacy of Evagrius’s claim to properly Christian theorizing, and suggest this has serious implications for future Christian work in the philosophy of mysticism.

How many co-authors had Perpetua and Saturus?

Abstract The early Christian work “The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity” consists of different parts combined into a single book. Three parts are generally accepted: 1) Perpetua’s Notes, 2) Saturus’s Vision, 3) the Eyewitness story and the Prologue and Epilogue written by the same author. We argue that the Prologue plus Epilogue and the Eyewitness story had different authors and there was one more person, who was neither a participant nor a contemporary of the Carthaginian martyrdom. The results of his activity can be found in short sentences connecting the parts, as well as in violations of the structure of the narrative and a serious mistake made in the enumeration of the arrested catechumens. The authors claim also that this kind of collection as in The Passion had no analogues in ancient classical literature and followed the model of the New Testament.