Theological Doctrine Research Articles

From churchyard to urban public cemetery. A preliminary assessment of the funerary spaces in Late Medieval and Early Modern Cluj

This study contextualises funerary practices in Cluj in the early modern period by presenting an overview of known burial grounds and isolated graves, analysed within the framework of the religious and administrative norms. Using historical data and the available archaeological research results, it retraces burial ground dynamics over three centuries, focusing on the gradual relocation of cemeteries to extra-mural areas starting from the second half of the 16th century. The complex interplay between theological doctrines and administrative regulations shaped this transition. Future archaeological research and publications are essential to confirm burial practices, explore deviations from norms, and enhance understanding of societal and mental shifts in attitudes toward death and burial.

Preaching Peace and War. Savonarola’s Political Theology in the Florentine Republic (1494-1498)

Between 1494 and 1498, Savonarola was involved in a wide range of actions and challenges: exposition of his theological doctrine, reformist activities, moral and political preaching and prophetic announcements. Initially, much of this activity was dominated by a rhetoric of peace, an idea closely linked to the Christian and scholastic tradition. Under the auspices of Savonarola, Florence promulgated the Legge della pace, a law designed to moderate executive power and ensure the reconciliation of citizens. However, the severe Florentine crisis and the polarisation around his figure led Savonarola to change his discourse according to the practical needs of the moment. The scholastic notion of peace, understood as the harmonious unity of plurality, in fact allowed for a friend-foe logic; however, it was far removed from the civic-republican approach to politics.

Una mirada teológica sobre la familia

In this article several conceptual references on the family are analyzed, from a theological perspective, regardless of the institutional model considered and the type of relationship of the people that constitute it. It is not a reflection on civil, canonical, or religious marriage, but on the family as a community reality lived in the field of Christian faith, to establish its values and dimensions of faith, beyond sociological aspects, psychological, economic, political and cultural aspects of the family institution in its various modalities and possibilities of constitution and understanding. It is about seeing the family in the light of reflection and theological doctrine, as one of the significant and necessary understandings of this fundamental and central institution in the organization and social dynamism and as a contribution to its interdisciplinary vision, which allow and help to recognize the different dimensions or areas of family diversity.

THE MEANING OF LIFE. PHILOSOPHY VERSUS THEOLOGY PHILOSOPHICAL MORAL NIHILISM VERSUS MORAL THEOLOGY FROM AN ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

The dichotomous structure of the human person defines it as a being who transcends time and space in search of perfection. Nothing in the materiality of the created world can rest the soul of man, which is permanently in a movement incomprehensible to rationality, towards the Absolute. If God as the Absolute does not obey the laws of physics, and if man has his soul directly from Him, "by the breath of life" (Genesis 2:7), it is imperative to consider whether human nature can be limited to rationality or whether it demands of itself the union, as far as it is possible for human beings, with God. From this perspective, it is necessary to analyze from an anthropological perspective the philosophical precepts regarding nihilism, be it metaphysical or the doctrine of Orthodox theology that positions man in another relationship, both with God and his fellow men.

Civil-Legal Peculiarities of Halal Finance Natural Person — Consumers (on the Example of the Republic of Tajikistan)

Halal financing is undergoing a process of globalization and is beginning to expand actively and steadily. Despite some advantages of this institution, there are a number of pressing problems that need scientific understanding. One of the main problems is the incompatibility of Sharia principles with traditional financial laws. Halal financing, based on the principles of Islamic theological doctrine, uses terminology and concepts that are not always equivalent to generally accepted traditional banking laws. Unlike traditional banks, halal banks cannot enter into certain transactions, such as a traditional consumer loan agreement. Nevertheless, the institution of an alternative to traditional consumer lending has not been sufficiently developed, especially in those countries where halal financing appeared not so long ago. The study of this issue in the post-Soviet space, where halal financing is beginning to develop, is still in its early stages, which necessitates its consideration. The article examines a halal alternative to traditional consumer lending through the murabaha agreement based on the civil legislation of Tajikistan.

Kebangkitan sebagai Manifestasi Kuasa Allah: Pendekatan Historis-Kritis terhadap Matius 22:23-33 dalam Kontras Keyakinan Yudaisme Reformasi dan Kristen

This study aims to analyze the concept of resurrection in Christian and Reform Judaism beliefs, emphasizing that resurrection is a manifestation of God's power over life and death. The study contrasts the Christian belief, which regards resurrection as an integral part of faith, with the Reform Judaism view, which generally rejects resurrection as a literal fact. Using the Historical-Critical interpretation method and a qualitative approach, this research analyzes Matthew 22:23-33 through inner-text and inter-text approaches to reveal its theological meaning and context. The findings show that resurrection is not merely a theological doctrine in the Christian faith, but also serves as evidence of God's power over life and death, aligning with the belief that those who die in faith in God will be resurrected. In conclusion, this research makes a significant contribution to the theological understanding of resurrection, highlights its distinction from Reform Judaism beliefs, and reinforces the role of resurrection as a key element in Christian faith.

The House of One

This paper explores the potential of the client-architect relationship to be part of a design methodology conducive to conceiving sacred space as collaborative, dialogical practice. The case study for this investigation is the multi-confessional project ‘House of One’ by Kuehn Malvezzi, currently on site in Berlin, Germany. The client for this project is not one cleric or religious community but a foundation initiated by a local Protestant, Jewish and Muslim congregation. The fact that the client is not one homogenous entity has shaped the conception of the project and consequently the building’s final appearance: all design decisions have been taken conjointly by the three clerics. In this project, the correlation between theological considerations and material realisation has been recognised as a reciprocal two-way process: theological doctrines are materialised through constructed space – equally, architectural questions can act as a catalyst for theological debate between the three clerics and their respective communities.

Three Interpretations of the Moral Good and Bad in Islamic Philosophy and Theology and Their Impact on Legal Hermeneutics

Abstract In the Islamic moral discourse, the Muʿtazilī theologians are generally known to deem moral good (ḥusn) and bad (qubḥ) to be real and related to the action itself independently of the revelation. They also admit that the human intellect is capable of grasping moral principles. This position, however, was opposed by Ashʿarī theologians who consider good and bad to be recognizable only through revelation, as well as by philosophers who believe that ethical propositions carry a social normative function, and, hence, must be endorsed by a sufficient proportion of the population to be truly deemed ethical through praised opinions. According to Ibn Sīnā (Avicenna, d. 428/1037), the existence of a given proof is not a sufficient criterion for a moral proposition to be true. After discussing these three views in the Islamic tradition, this paper looks at the impact of theological and philosophical views on legal hermeneutics (uṣūl al-fiqh), which has received little scholarly attention. The scope of my investigation is limited to Shīʿī uṣūl al-fiqh of the last century. More specifically, I shall focus on Ākhūnd al-Khurasānī (d. 1329/1911), a proponent of Muʿtazilī moral theory, as well as al-Muḥaqqiq al-Iṣfahānī (d. 1361/1942), a proponent of the philosophers’ position. In so doing, I argue that while some Shīʿī jurists have explicitly endorsed the theory of essential and rational goodness and badness, others defended Ibn Sīnā’s theory on moral propositions. Finally, I conclude that while Shīʿī jurists did not explicitly endorse the Ashʿarī position, one can observe some resonance with the epistemological claim of the Ashʿarī approach in their legal hermeneutics without necessarily endorsing the theory of divine and legislative goodness and badness. This leads me to underline the impact of both philosophical and theological doctrine on Islamic legal hermeneutics.

Supremasi Pemerintahan di bawah Agamawan: Menilik Strategi Diskursif Ruhulloh M. Khomeini dalam Revolusi Islam Iran

Abstract: Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini was a multifaceted revolutionary figure. His engagement with various scholarly discourses, prophetic historicity, and the political realities of his era profoundly influenced him. The synthesis of these influences eventually formed the new Khomeini, characterized by a pragmatic socio-political outlook. This outlook was manifested in his mission to oppose the secular regime of Reza Shah and establish an Islamic government. Based on this phenomenon, this research aims to discuss academic questions regarding Khomeini’s strategy in founding an Islamic government. It concludes that Khomeini’s political involvement in Iran was closely linked to the political realities he faced and the horizontality of Shia theology. His primary strategy was non-military, involving the integration and reinterpretation of various ideas, including monotheism, Shia theological doctrines, ‘irfani (mystical knowledge), Islamic law, and the texts of the Qur’an and the Prophet’s hadiths. This religio-political strategy effectively toppled the Pahlavi regime, leading to the establishment of an Islamic government

The Islamic Influence on Saadia Gaon’s Method in Defending Rabbinic Judaism

Saadia Al-Fayyumi was one of the medieval scholars of Jewish law who lived in Muslim societies. He was the first in Iraq to defend Rabbinic Judaism against the opponents and skeptics of its religious heritage and he was influenced in his defense by Islamic thought. Previous studies discussed Saadia’s defense of the Written and Oral law and illustrated Saadia’s polemical writings against the Karaites. The current paper discusses the influence of Islam on Saadia’s method in defending Rabbinic Judaism. Also, this essay illustrates the influence of Islamic thought on Saadia’s arguments to pave the way for the Rabbis to use reason like the Mu’tazilah to defend their beliefs and provided them with arguments and proofs. Clearly, Islamic thought was a principle for Saadia to establish the foundations of faith. He laid down the principles of faith just as the Mu’tazilah and was influenced by Mu’tazilah’s thoughts, Muslim jurists, Islamic theological doctrines, and their various ideas related to religious matters. Also, Saadia agreed with the Islamic theological sects in using logical evidences and religious texts as defensive tools to defend his beliefs. This Islamic influence on Jewish thought was a factor in its development, especially in light of the Arab-Islamic civilization in the medieval ages between 10th and the 15th centuries CE.

المعتزلة ودورها في شرعنة الدولة العباسية ومواجهة الطوائف المعارضة

The Mu'tazila scientist provided a great and important service to the Abbasid state, as the Mu'tazila participated in the revolution against the Umayyads, and the summit of their political, military and intellectual activity against the Umayyad authority was represented in their contribution with the Shiites in overthrowing the Umayyad rule, which led to the stability of power in the hands of the Abbasids. This activity has reached an extent of clarity and effectiveness, as during the last period of the Umayyad state, "Wasel" and his followers were actively working in the service of the Abbasid cause. and that the doctrine of "Wasel" and the doctrine of the early Mu'tazila were the two official theological doctrines of the Abbasid movement. In addition, the Abbasid rulers were able to pass their political ideas through Mu'tazili thought, which they found the best way to legitimize their authority, liquidate their political and religious opponents, and justify their actions. Therefore, during the time of al-Ma'mun, the Abbasid state adopted retirement as an official principle of the state.

Artificial Intelligence and Theology: Can Different Doctrines Have Different Outcomes?

This article focuses on how different theological perspectives may influence AI acceptance in diverse faith communities. It highlights differences between Western and Eastern Christian traditions, suggesting that the historical emphasis on intellect in Western Christianity might make it more open to AI, though challenges in church integration are acknowledged. Global examples of AI assimilation in religious practices, from a robotic Buddhist preacher to a blessing-delivering robot in a German church, are discussed. The article argues that theological doctrines shape AI perspectives, influencing ethics and raising profound questions about human identity. The ongoing debate questions whether AI threatens theology or fosters enriching dialogue. The article suggests, through historical parallels and the dynamic interplay of theological doctrines and technology, that the relationship between AI and theology could evolve into constructive engagement rather than inherent conflict.

Synchronizing Missio Dei with Process Theology and Theodicy

Since the second half of the 20th century, missiology has continued to elevate Missio Dei to a topic of the highest importance in theology. According to Missio Dei, the salvific mission is more theocentric than anthropocentric in that its actuality is wholly rooted in the nature of God. However, much work remains to be conducted to evaluate and reconcile the modern interpretation of the Missio Dei and its predecessor theological doctrines, to avoid illogicalities. Consequently, the responsibility to identify any discrepancies in the systematic knowledge of the Missio Dei falls on the broad shoulders of theology in general, but of missiology in particular. In keeping with this unavoidable intellectual duty, this article interrogates the literature on modern theodicies to improve the conceptualization of the Missio Dei and missionary God in the context of evil and human suffering. The inter-comparative analysis of the biblical Job serves to relate divine perfection and human suffering within process theodicy. Consequently, the intellectual enterprise of this work, with all its shortcomings, not only illuminates another facet of Missio Dei but also motivates further investigation to reconcile mission Dei with the reality of evil, free will, and human suffering.

Political theology, discovery and the roots of the ‘great replacement’

In recent years, fears of the ‘great replacement’, popularised by Renaud Camus, warning against a supposed Islamist take-over of France, have motivated White supremacist violence and resulted in mass shootings in Europe, New Zealand and the US. The author shows how this conspiracy theory can be traced back to medieval theological doctrines used to justify the conquest of Muslim lands in Al-Andalus and later refined to warrant the European subjugation of the Indigenous nations of the Americas, Australia and New Zealand. Through papal authority, the ‘Doctrine of Discovery’ bestowed a God-given right on Christian nations to take and control lands, wiping out or confining Indigenous people, to then repopulate countries at will − itself the real racial reversal of settler colonialism. The theological argument is now thoroughly secularised in law in the US. ‘A great replacement’, incorporating the Doctrine of Discovery coupled with eugenicist ideas, can be found in the works of Lothrop Stoddard, and echoes are found even today in utterances from US politicians and on Fox News.

ЄВХАРИСТІЙНЕ СПІЛКУВАННЯ ЯК ЗАСІБ ЄДНОСТІ ПОМІСНИХ ЦЕРКОВ: ІСТОРИКО-РЕЛІГІЙНИЙ КОНТЕКСТ

Background.The topic of the article "Eucharistic communication as a means of unity of local churches" reveals the issue of the unity of Christian churches, especially in the conditions of modern conflicts, globalization and ecumenical efforts, which is extremely important. The Eucharist remains a central aspect of Christian worship and serves as a powerful symbol of the unity of believers with Christ and with one another. Studying the role of the Eucharist in a historical context helps to understand how the common communion helped to overcome conflicts and preserve church unity in times of heresies and schisms. The study is based on the works of such authors as Kimberly Hope Belcher, who in her speech at a conference at Calvin University considered the properties of the Eucharist in the context of unity and communication, D. McHardy studied the role of the priesthood and the Eucharist in the field of religious studies, J. Hopkins and J. Pelikan reveal religiously – the historical symbolism and significance of this rite as a key instrument of church unity. In the modern context, in particular against the background of interfaith and intercultural interactions, the topic of Eucharistic communication acquires special importance as a tool of inter-church dialogue and a means of reconciliation. The Eucharist continues to be a key element of ecumenical efforts, making this topic a hot topic for consideration in academic and church circles.Methods. The article "Eucharistic communication as a means of unity of local churches" uses several research methods that helped to deeply analyze the role of the Eucharist in inter-church relations. The main methods used are historical and theological analysis, where biblical narratives, theological doctrines and historical events that emphasize the role of the Eucharist in strengthening the unity of churches through common communion are examined in detail. A comparative method was also used, comparing Orthodox and Catholic traditions regarding the importance of the Eucharist for the unity of churches. This helps to reveal similarities and differences in approaches to Eucharistic communication between these traditions. Results. The study confirmed that the Eucharist plays a key role in maintaining and strengthening spiritual unity between local churches. Through joint communion, believers of different churches express mutual recognition, which contributes to the preservation of the unity of Christian communities even in the presence of administrative or political differences. At the same time, the study found that contemporary challenges, such as different liturgical practices and cultural differences, complicate ecumenical efforts. Common Eucharistic communication remains an important tool for restoring the unity of Christian denominations. This emphasizes that ecumenical efforts aimed at achieving mutual understanding through liturgical practices can become the basis for a deepened dialogue between the churches, which can play a positive role in the future. Сonclusions. The Eucharist plays a central role in strengthening unity between local churches, not only as a sacred ritual, but also as a tool to overcome heresies and support inter-church dialogue. Despite the different approaches of the Orthodox and Catholic traditions to the interpretation of unity through the Eucharist, it remains an important means of ecumenical efforts and spiritual rapprochement in the face of modern challenges and cultural differences. In a globalized world, the Eucharist remains an important tool for interfaith dialogue, although different liturgical traditions and sacral peculiarities can make it difficult to achieve complete unity.

Эксплицитные теологические предпосылки натурфилософских воззрений Дж. Толанда о материи и движении

John Toland (1670–1722) is known as one of the most extraordinary and bright representatives of the early British and certainly of the Western European Enlightenment as a whole. He is recognisable for his controversial religious-philosophical and natural philosophical ideas, usually qualified as deistic, materialistic, pantheistic. The historiography of Toland’s religious-philosophical views is quite extensive. As a rule, Russian and Western specialists emphasise deistic, materialistic-atheistic, pantheistic attributes of Toland’s religious-philosophical ideas, criticism and subversive nature of this ideas – orientation either against any Christian religious and theological doctrines, or against religion in general. The focus of this article is Toland’s natural philosophical views on matter and motion, as expressed in the fourth and fifth letters (addressed to an unnamed Dutch Spinozist) of the work Letters to Serena (1704). In general terms, Toland’s natural philosophical materialism has been and still is evaluated by many Russian and Western specialists only as a forerunner of modern forms of natural-scientific materialist discourse, as a predictable complement to his subversive religious-philosophical ideas. Toland is also predominantly identified as a thinker who sought to liberate natural philosophical views on matter and motion from theological constructs as much as possible. Vivid examples of the embodiment of such and similar interpretative attitudes when reading Toland’s reflections on matter and motion are presented in the studies of B.V. Meerovskiy and J. Brown. However, the author of this article is inclined to take the side of those scholars who, when interpreting Toland’s deistic and materialistic views, prefer to fix the presence of meaning-forming theological foundations in these views in a reasoned and justified manner. Such scholars include, for example, J. Champion and J. R. Wigelsworth. The article reviews a number of fragments of the fourth and fifth letters of Letters to Serena, which contain Toland’s conceptual judgements on matter and motion. The main ideas and propositions of these judgements are also highlighted. This allowed to identify and objectify some basic explicit (outlined directly in Letters) theological premises of Toland’s natural philosophical views on matter and motion.

Liberty of Land, Liberty for God: Between Indigenous Land-Human Relationship and State Sovereignty in French Polynesia

This paper will discuss tiàmāraa faaroo, the concept of religious sovereignty advocated in the Māòhi Protestant Church in French Polynesia, and how it intersects with the idea of political sovereignty. Whilst territorial politics revolves around the possibility of national independence, religious sovereignty suspends the idea of political self-governance, and instead promotes the recovery of Indigenous relationships with the land, a core doctrine of local Christian theology. Religious sovereignty supports a notion of Indigenous sovereignty that is practice-based and conceptually independent of the modern nation-state, but nonetheless is seen to be crucial for national independence, should they wish to achieve it. I suggest how localised Christianity in the Pacific, itself a combination of Indigenous and exogenous epistemologies, provides a model of cultural and temporal hybridity for shaping decolonial futures.

Comparing Islam with other Late Antique Religions: Examining Theological Parallels with Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Manichaeism

This article argues that Islamic theological doctrines emerged out of broad late antique religious trends. Such trends were reflected in Judaism and Christianity, but also transcended them. In support of this view, the article systematically examines parallels between Islamic theological doctrines, and those found in the late antique religions of Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Manichaeism. It is argued that all of these religions share six basic doctrines: (1) belief in one morally-concerned Supreme Being (2) belief in lesser spirit beings that are good or bad (3) belief in prophets (4) belief in scriptural texts (5) belief in an afterlife (6) belief that the world will end with the triumph of good over evil. It is argued that the preceding six doctrines coherently fit together into a larger perspective on the universe. The article explains how this perspective is central to late antique religions, including Islam.

SEEKING THE HISTORY OF PENDALUNGAN CULTURE: A DISTINCTIVE STUDY OF LOCAL CULTURAL HISTORY IN THE HISTORY AND ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION PROGRAM OF UIN KHAS JEMBER

This article explains, in a narrative-analytical manner, the Pendalungan culture in the Eastern Salient of Java. The Eastern Salient of Java is located in the far eastern part of East Java, known as 'Pendalungan'. This article departs from the history of Pendalungan, whose cultural identity is unclear. Therefore, this article will briefly explain the migration of ethnic Javanese-Madurese to East Java, the interpretation of Pendalungan, and the results of the analysis of the cultural trajectory of Pendalungan in the Eastern Salient of Java. In writing this article, researchers combined historical methods with cultural approaches and accumulated theoretical concepts. The main finding in this research is that the Pendalungan culture is one of the keys to building the local identity of a particular area, in this case, the Eastern Salient of Java. The Pendalungan culture, due to the ethnic acculturation version of the Eastern Salient of Java Region, is not located in a theological doctrine theory. The cultural and religious dimensions of the Eastern Salient of Java Pendalungan culture lie precisely in the aspects of identity and the formality of forms that develop and shape the face of culture following the direction of purpose and substance in each particular regional locality. None other than these developments are aligned with the cultural and religious realities of the people in the Eastern Salient of the Java Region. It is the foundation that paved the way for the development of the Pendalungan culture in the Eastern Salient of Java until today.

‘Implanted in us by Nature’: The Cognitive Science of Religion and its Importance for Theology

AbstractAbstract: The Cognitive Science of Religion (CSR) holds that religion emerges from human cognition and its intuitions. Hence, it describes religion as a ‘natural’ belief in ‘supernatural agents’. Traditional theology also maintained that there is an ‘innate’ or ‘implanted’ knowledge of God or gods. It will be argued that CSR and theology can be related, yet not in a straightforward manner. After sketching out in what sense CSR calls religion ‘natural’ and how it describes ‘supernatural agents’, this article explores some examples of the traditional theological doctrine of an ‘implanted’ knowledge of God. It shows that the reliability of such an ‘implanted’ knowledge of God was disputed among theologians and, even if it was affirmed, had an ambiguous position in theology. This also applies to CSR if it is to be related to the traditional theological doctrine. There are illuminating convergences between CSR and theology but also considerable divergences. Both, however, prove significant for theology.