Concept Of Sanctity Research Articles

Preispitivanje narativnih svojstava i dogmatskog shvatanja zida – doprinos shvatanju liminalnosti arhitekture u zrcalu forme i strukture / Review of the Narrative Properties and Dogmatic Understanding of the Wall – a Contribution to Understanding the Architecture’s Liminality Through the Mirror of Form and Structure

Architecture has the role to mediate communication and fabrication of perception of truth and dogmas of a society in certain space and time, and the wall, as the most accessible element, plays a significant role in this process as the bearer of the symbolic-representational function of architecture, thus overcoming its tectonic definition. The position of the wall at the interface of intention of blocking and permeating socio-spatial flows within the urbo-architectural ensemble makes it a liminal artifact subject to multiple interpretations. For this reason, numerous aspects of recognized binding narratives – protection, communication, marking and memory – were examined, indicating the existence of transcendence of the idea and concept of sanctity throughout the history of construction. Goal of this paper is to examine the existence of relationship between the inherent liminality of the wall and the type of narrative that men define responding to recognized liminality, that is, the origin of man’s need for enclosure – for barriers that are the product of seeking and creating sense and meaning in truths and dogmas. One of the answers lies in theological philosophy as the cause of structural dogmas in architecture, which through a metaphorical expression based on the subjective pathological dogmatism of the religious conception of the world can realize a literal collective interpretation through the artefact of the wall.

Šventojo Dominyko ikonografija: asmuo, atvaizdas ir šventumo perteikimo problema

[full article and abstract in Lithuanian; abstract in English] In this article, the issue of the “disappearing” personality of St. Dominic (1170–1221) is analyzed through showing the main aspects of his portrayal and the expression of his holiness in biographical and iconographic sources. In these texts, he is called “holy” with a reference to a conscious imitation of Jesus Christ. In the iconography, the signs of his sanctity became the only signs of his personality, and his figure is used as an example of the adoration of God. If losing a vivid personality is connected with expressing holiness, this problem refers to a concept of the icon formulated by Jean-Luc Marion. It gives us an opportunity to call St. Dominic a typical icon, transferring the adoration and losing his own originality. The 13th century concept of sanctity, expressed in the texts of St. Thomas Aquinas, enables us to understand St. Dominic’s image as a continuation of the saint’s choice to become a reference to God.

Sanctity of the Human Genome as Foundation of Life

In times before ethics and laws were formalised, it was commonly held that human life is sacred since it is divinely ordained and because of this divine intervention human life must be protected by implication due to it being holy. As a result, people often assume that this meant that human life is completely inviolable. This view of life is more prominent in western religious philosophies and had been raised in many legal debates about human life such as abortion and euthanasia. To ensure survival and peaceful coexistence the uniqueness of human life was emphasized so that people would respect the worth of human life. This respect entailed values such as equality and autonomy and incorporated both reciprocal rights and obligations to one another. History, in the form of wars and pandemics, has proven that when legal systems ignore these basic human rights, it will lead to tyranny and anarchy. The atrocities committed during the Second World War prompted nation states to collect the values of human life into a single concept termed ‘human dignity’. This term was then adopted as a new form of legal humanism deriving its basis from the concept of sanctity of human life. The recognition of this concept enables an entire set of human rights and obligations to find practical application on a universal basis setting apart from the diverse religious and other philosophical views on human life.

Borders and bordering in Jewish geopolitical space

ABSTRACT Cultural and religious concepts of space inform contemporary social and political identities, confirming the inherent embeddedness of borders in social life. This study analyzes concepts of borders and bordering processes in socially heterogeneous and politically sensitive environments, as portrayed in classic Jewish texts. Jewish-legal rabbinic writings dated from the first to the fifth century reveal perceptions of both concrete and metaphysical aspects of a territorial homeland and of social-spatial bordering. These perceptions are echoed in contemporary debates of national sovereignty and borders. Like most legal systems, Jewish law prefers clear spatial separations and creates dichotomous spatial-legal distinctions. Yet textual analysis through lenses of geopolitics and law reveals nuanced concepts of borders and surprising perceptions of flexible and permeable borders despite this preference for clarity. This adaptability stands in contrast to widespread presumptions of rigidity of religion. Classic texts enrich social and political discourse in multi-cultural societies, particularly regarding holy territory. Their interpretation offer prospects of de-linking concepts of sanctity from sovereignty, thus presenting innovative channels to perceive and experience one’s homeland. Paradoxically, religious texts offer pragmatic geo-political insights, which could enrich contemporary discourse, challenged by over-simplistic perceptions of borders and bordering.

Феномен святости в системе религиозно-философских воззрений

The analysis of the phenomenon of sanctity from the religious, philosophical, theological and Orthodox perspective is conducted by means of a semantic, etymological and structural examination of this concept. One of the work’s objectives is to highlight the different conceptual meanings of sanctity called for by the use of a comparative method. The point of departure was the biblical understanding of sanctity which substantially approaches the idea as the quality of deity, later developed in the Patristic teachings and supplemented by religion experts and philosophers. Based on that, the concept of sanctity is viewed in four semantic levels: 1) sanctity as sanctity, i.e. a quality typical of God and His chosen ones; its achievement is possible through the process of theosis [deification]; 2) sanctity as numinosum, or a particular dimension of transcendence leading to a unique experience in the human psyche; 3) sanctity as sacrum, or a higher level of being, ontological reality, the original reality manifested in hierophanies; and finally 4) sanctity as perfection, moral virtue achieved by a person through personal development.

Chastity or Procreation? Models of Sanctity for Byzantine Laymen During the Iconoclastic and Post-Iconoclastic Period

This article presents evidence for married saints, which can be dated to the early ninth century, and compares such material with hagiographical data about chaste laymen from the tenth century. This approach makes it possible to define more clearly the different concepts of sanctity that were current at these times and thus to gauge the changes that occurred during the intervening years. The article concludes with a brief discussion of possible reasons for the changes in the discourse about sainthood that set the eighth and early ninth centuries apart from both the preceding and the following periods.

The Renegotiating Clause in Petroleum International Joint Venture Agreements

Foreign investors and host states rely for the protection of their interests on contractual clauses aiming at maintaining the integrity of their contracts and precluding any modification of the ventures except by mutual consent. Petroleum International Joint Venture Agreements (JVAs) involve the commitment of significant capital for a very long duration. For example, the classic forms of Stabilisation Clauses were introduced by foreign partners as a mechanism to prevent the host state from taking action by virtue of its sovereign power that might affect oil and gas agreements. Unlike some forms of classic Stabilisation Clauses, which try to prevent unilateral modification, Renegotiation Clauses are known to recognise the mutability of the contract and allow for changes in the contract. Renegotiation Clauses aim to protect the parties to oil and gas joint ventures by making the contract flexible and dynamic throughout its duration, in order to adapt it to changing circumstances and, more particularly, to re-establish the contractual equilibrium of the transaction. This article is devoted to a discussion of renegotiation. Section B begins by defining what is meant by the term renegotiation, and argues that we only need to distinguish between two different renegotiation situations, namely, anticipated renegotiation and involuntary renegotiation. Section C focuses on and discusses some reasons for renegotiation. I explore three such reasons, and in so doing, I look at some arbitration cases that have taken place in the petroleum industry. Apart from illustrating the point that renegotiation is a fact of life in any long-term commercial relationship, the case analysis should also help us understand the factors and forces that trigger renegotiation. To avoid confusion in this section, I shall not discuss cases that do not directly concern renegotiation. Two such cases described in the literature are Phillips Petroleum Co (UK) Ltd et al v Enron Europe Ltd. and Mobil Oil Iran, Inc. v. Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This is because I believe that the importance of the Enron case lies not in the reasons for renegotiation but the difficulties that can arise in the enforcement of a clause – ie is it an agreement to agree or not. The Mobil case, on the other hand, is about negotiation in relation to the termination of a contract and not about renegotiation. The article then, in section D, discusses the change in circumstances concept. On one hand, according to the concept of sanctity of contract (pucta sunt servanda) a contract is an expression of the parties’ free will and choice; as an exercise of the parties’ freedom and autonomy, as such, it should be honoured and not be interfered with by the court. The terms of the contract must be implemented to the letter no matter how onerous or burdensome they may prove to be. The change of circumstances concept, on the other hand, has been recognised by many major legal systems of the world, ie England, United States, France, and the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (1969). Hence, some writers, rightly, argue that, based on the change in circumstances concept, parties in oil and gas agreements can overcome the sanctity of the contract principle in order to adjust the contract. We shall therefore quickly highlight those major legal systems that have recognised the change in circumstances concept. The aim is to see whether or not those legal systems have recognised the change of circumstances similarly. The comparison is important in case parties to oil and gas agreements are put in situations where there are no contractual clauses that provide for renegotiation. If parties face a case where no contractual term provides for renegotiation but where an obligation to re-negotiate under the general law is argued, then much will depend on the applicable law. For example, if the law governing the agreement is English law, the result may be different from when the law governing the contract is the law of France.

From virtue to apocalypse: The understanding of sainthood in a medieval Sufi order

Although the concept of sanctity is well-established in the Islamic tradition, it was not among the theologians that it was considered and debated. This task was taken up by the mystics. The period from the 10th to the 14th century saw both dramatic innovations and subtle arguments advanced. This article will explore this debate by focussing on its development within one Sufi order. A significant development soon becomes apparent, one which begins with a conception of sainthood as an ideal spiritual virtue, but escalates to assertions of a final ultimate saint who marks the end of time. The conceptual shift among these mystical thinkers moves from concern with the spiritual stations of the aspirant to arguments over the identity of an apocalyptic "seal" of sainthood.

Religious factors in territorial disputes: An intra-Jewish view

This paper concerns the internal political controversy that polarises the concepts of sanctity and sovereignty over Eretz Yisrael (The Land of Israel; Palestine). The controversy has deep religious roots in the history of the Jewish people's bonds with their country. The historical elements of which derive from a longing for religious perfection, which included observing Commandments associated with the Land. The destruction of the Temple, the Exile and the devastation of Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel broke the chain of such continued observance. Polarisation of the concepts of Sanctity and Sovereignty accentuates the problem of the relation between political sovereignty and national bonds with it. The association of religious affinity with the relatively recent phenomenon of Nation-State sovereignty led many to see religious connotations in political sovereignty. The traditional, religious bond with Eretz-Yisrael, which many of the more secular Israeli public also feel, has existed for generations; conversely, national sovereignty continually changes form, not always conforming to traditional, religious perceptions of dominion over the Land. This raises problems about the link between Jewish religious laws and the political world. Abandoning the knit between national sovereignty and religious bonds may lead to the loss of religious and cultural bonds. The conflict between beliefs and opinions on the one hand and new objective circumstances on the other leads to confrontations that may cause serious harm. Time becomes critical and expediting the processes of appeasement and adaptation is a matter of redoubled importance.