Life Of Faith Research Articles

Validation of the Short Forms of the Centrality of Religiosity Scale in Georgia

This study presents the validation of the short forms of Centrality of Religiosity Scale (CRS) in Georgia. This country offers a unique Christian orthodox context with a long-lasting religious tradition and strong affiliation to churches. Translated short forms were administered in the years 2012 (CRS-5) and 2018 (CRSi-7). Participants reported on ideological, intellectual, and experiential aspects of their faith and their private and public religious practice in face-to-face interviews. The collected data was subject to reliability analyses. Scale invariance over time was tested with the CRS-5, whereas the CRSi-7 was examined for model goodness, with one factor—Centrality of Religiosity—with a confirmatory factor analysis. Derived statistical coefficients from large stratified random populational samples (2012: N = 2238 and 2018: N = 1906) show good to acceptable Cronbach’s α s ( α = 0.73 and α = 0.67). The composite scores’ means and standard deviations contour norm values for further investigations in social sciences related to religiosity in Georgia. The results of the confirmatory factor analyses show that the Centrality of Religiosity manifests a stable factor, adequately explaining different dimensions of faith life. The high reliability of the CRS-5 over time leads to the conclusion of consistent measurement characteristics and thus, its suitability for longitudinal analysis. The CRSi-7 has a comparable model fit to the CRS-5 providing an alternative for interreligious contexts if needed. Aspects of assessment and analysis are discussed and reasons for the application of the longer version of the CRS are provided in the end.

Masinloc, Zambales: Augustinian Recollect Mission (1607-1902)

Zambales carved a special niche in Augustinian Recollect mission history. Recollects evangelized Mariveles, then part of Zambales, where their protomartyr Miguel de la Madre de Dios met his death. Rodrigo de San Miguel later set up five towns. In 1607, Andrés del Espíritu Santo founded Masinloc and then proceeded to create Casborran [Alaminos], Bolinao, Balincaguin [Mabini] and Agno in Pangasinan. Blessed Francisco de Jesús resided there before his 1632 martyrdom in Nagasaki. We recall the successful defense of Masinloc in 1649 against 600 Moro pirates by the natives headed by Father Francisco de San José. Its parish priest José Aranguren became Manila archbishop in 1845. In the wake of the Revolution, the returning Agustín Pérez was welcomed by his parishioners. He restored the Catholic worship and urged Aglipayans to return to the fold. In 1902, Father Pérez left due to a conflict with its anti-friar mayor. Thus, ended its Recollect history. But the legacy of Christian faith lives on. The parish church of 1745 is a witness to the zealous Recollect evangelization and the people’s steadfast Catholic faith.

Can Dead Faith Assent to God? A Brief Reflection on St. Thomas's Account of the Relationship between Living and Lifeless Faith

Can Dead Faith Assent to God?A Brief Reflection on St. Thomas's Account of the Relationship between Living and Lifeless Faith Jeffrey M. Walkey St. Thomas Aquinas, like many within the Christian tradition, makes a distinction between living and lifeless faith. Living faith is faith that is accompanied by charity, or what St. Paul calls "faith working through love."1 Love, or charity, is the form of living faith. This is the faith that enables the believer to be ordered toward and attain their beatifying end, namely, union with the triune Lord. Lifeless faith, on the other hand, is faith that lacks charity. It is what we call, following St. James, "dead" faith.2 It is to no avail. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, however, as we shall see below, even lifeless faith enables one to assent to the truths of the faith on the basis of the authoritative testimony of the revealing God. That is to say, in lifeless faith the intellect of the believer conforms to the mind of God, at least with respect to the intellect and its object, namely, the true. More specifically, in lifeless faith the intellect is able to assent to the articles of faith as revealed by God and mediated by the Church. In short, lifeless faith, which flows from [End Page 1181] the same habit or disposition as living faith, is perfect with respect to the intellect, though imperfect with respect to the will. It assents to God and the articles of faith, though, without charity, which is to say that it assents without loving and living in accordance with that to which assent is given in faith. Some interpreters have challenged this claim. The late Princeton philosopher Victor Preller maintained that lifeless faith is incapable of conforming the intellect of the believer to the mind of God. Without living faith, one does not and cannot do so.3 We see this in his rigorous "reformulation" of St. Thomas in Divine Science and the Science of God. He notes, "Unless God 'takes the opportunity' of infusing the intentional forms of live faith, the mind of the 'believer' will not be conformed to the being of God."4 He suggests that those without living faith "do not refer to God or conform the mind to God. … This [conformity] is not done by the communication of intelligible forms, but the ordination of the whole soul, intellect and will, to the Word or Image of God."5 Such conformity, insofar as it requires the ordination of both the intellect and the will, obtains only in living faith. A further consequence of Preller's interpretation is that, without living faith, or what he calls here "live faith," one cannot even in principle assent to the truth "God exists."6 [End Page 1182] Only believers, which are, for him, only those with living faith, can assent to the truth "God exists."7 There are good reasons, both exegetical and systematic, for thinking that the interpretation of Preller is incorrect on this point. In order to make this clear, the following discussion will be threefold. First, I shall consider St. Thomas's distinction between Christian credere, on the one hand, and other kinds of cognition, namely, scire and opinari, on the other. This discussion sets forth the principles of faith, the relationship between those principles, and the objects or ends of its act. Second, I shall discuss what, for St. Thomas, is the essential notion of faith, the roles of the intellect and will, and the relationship between the theological virtue of charity and this essential notion. This discussion maintains, following St. Thomas, that the essential notion of faith resides primarily in the intellect, being perfective of it, whether or not it is accompanied by charity. Moreover, the will-act that is a part of faith is not charity, but a prior or preexistent (and graced) will-act that is further elevated and perfected by charity. So, while charity perfects faith (and its prior will-act), it does not constitute faith. With or without charity, faith heals the believer from unbelief vis-à-vis God and the truths of faith. Lastly, third, I shall consider...

About the Term Exile

Previous articleNext article No AccessAbout the Term ExilePaul Mendes-FlohrPaul Mendes-Flohr Search for more articles by this author Paul Mendes-Flohr is the Dorothy Grant Maclear Professor Emeritus of Modern Jewish History and Thought and associate faculty in the Department of History at The University of Chicago Divinity School and Professor Emeritus at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is the author of Martin Buber: A Life of Faith and Dissent (2019) and Cultural Disjunctions: Post-Traditional Identities (forthcoming).PDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Critical Inquiry Volume 46, Number 2Winter 2020 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/706681 Views: 400Total views on this site © 2020 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Attitudes to Death of Middle-Aged in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Psychological aspects of the attitude to death in the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic are considered. The results of the research characterizing the attitude to death in different countries of the world during coronavirus infection are presented. The results of an empirical psychological study of the Ukrainian medieval group during the "first wave" of COVID-19 are presented. The attitude of people of the studied Ukrainian middle-aged group to the phenomenon of death in the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic is ambivalent with a predominance of negative character. For middle-aged people, thoughts about death are not the main thing, thoughts about their own death are ambivalent, and the level of stress resistance associated with thoughts about death is average. People are afraid, in particular, not of death itself and the cessation of its existence, but of the difficult and painful process of dying. It was determined that the attitude to death is related to thoughts about their own death in the study group. An optimistic attitude towards death is associated with positive thoughts about one's own death. The problems of faith in life after death, as well as the influence of religiosity on the fear of death are considered. The presence of more positive metaphors about death, belief in life after death, the possibility of reunion with relatives, wisdom and forgiveness have led to significant differences in the results between groups of believers and atheists. The atheists studied, who are frightened by the loss of the physical world in the phenomenon of death, who imagine earthly life as the only one and believe that those who die feel fear and hopelessness before death, more often chose negative metaphors about their own death. Significant differences were identified between thoughts of death in women and men. Women, unlike men, have more pessimistic thoughts about the phenomenon of death. Women more often than men consider that thinking about death is outrageous and indicate that thoughts of death frighten and traumatize them. Thus, in the spring and summer of 2020, no significant impact of COVID-19 on the anxiety of middle-aged Ukrainians about death was identified. The situation of the second wave of coronavirus infection and the expected third (in early 2021) requires further research on the phenomenon of death in this age group.

Soundings in the History of Hope: New Studies on Thomas Aquinas by Richard Schenk

Reviewed by: Soundings in the History of Hope: New Studies on Thomas Aquinas by Richard Schenk T. Adam Van Wart Soundings in the History of Hope: New Studies on Thomas Aquinas by Richard Schenk, O.P., Faith and Reason: Studies in Catholic Theology and Philosophy series (Ave Maria, FL: Sapienta, 2016), x + 332 pp. Consisting largely of a series of essays and articles previously published elsewhere, Richard Schenk's Soundings in the History of Hope engages a variety of current theological conversations by making use of the resources presented by Saint Thomas Aquinas and his contemporaries. The book unfolds in three parts, all variously attempting to point the way forward for Catholic theology through a discerning retrieval of the Church's rich theological past. Thematically uniting the whole, however, is Schenk's manifest desire to take up that past in a way that avoids any and all theological oversimplification, whether that be in repristinationist or progressivist directions. Schenk brings the past and present into conversation in such a way that the cherished ideas of both are challenged and made better for the exchange. The first part, coextensive with the book's opening chapter, is a case in point. Here Schenk suggests specific ways in which Catholic theology, in general, and both Thomism and the Dominican Order, in particular, might best utilize and stay true to the multi-faceted past communicated to them, and this precisely by bringing that past into an open two-way conversation with the present. What Schenk says with respect to Thomism there proves programmatic for the book and his vision of Catholic theology overall: "Thomism as a whole cannot live without a vibrant communication with what is outside it, nor will it flourish without a reflective diversity of methods within it. Genuine Thomism is necessarily collaborative" (25). The rest of the book is the concretization of just that conviction. The second part of the book, then, opens with a chapter that takes up anew the question of how faith's interiority—what is proper to the faith itself—should engage with those truths experienced as exterior to, or only "indirectly expressive" of, the faith. Beginning with Melchior Cano and moving to Saint Thomas's treatment of how all Christ's acts are variously instructive for us, Schenk proceeds to make the case that properly neither "interiority" nor "exteriority" should be pitted against one another, as has too frequently occurred in recent theology. Rather, "faith lives in its own way from a basic sense of exteriority (here the donum Dei) that makes a qualified interiority of human understanding and its openness to the other possible." (68) In the book's third chapter, Schenk explores what he takes to be the occasionally underplayed Platonic elements in Thomas's thought, especially [End Page 718] with respect to Thomas's alleged "realism" and the idea that "grace builds on nature." In so doing, he shows how Saint Thomas was able to bridge the divergent Proclean and Porphyrian streams of Platonic thought as they had been taken up in the West by Dionysius and Saint Augustine, respectively. Father Shenck opines that only by shedding light in this way on how Saint Thomas deployed and developed the Platonic tradition can one truly grasp "the programmatic nature of Thomas's own thought" (70). What is more, such retrievals have added theological benefit in terms of helpfully addressing present concerns, such as, for example, perhaps providing "an alternative to today's antithesis between demythologizing doctrine into our prior experience of humanity and remythologizing as the more genuine faith allegedly new experiences of the Trinity drawn from private revelations" (83). Continuing to seek new convergences where divergence has been presupposed, Father Shenck moves in chapter 4 to reexamine the question of whether or not human labor is chiefly to be seen as a perfecting participation in divine blessing or an ongoing degenerative, post-lapsarian curse. As before, Schenk enters into conversation with Saint Thomas and the broad historical tradition to problematize potential answers to that question which would minimize any aspect of work's theocentric, anthropocentric, or cosmocentric character, or slight its function as avenue for grace. Schenk's fifth chapter makes use of...

Genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection among pregnant women in Jos north, Jos, Nigeria: A hospital-based cross-sectional study

Background: Chlamydia, infection caused by Chalmydia trachomatis, is recognized as one of the most prevalent curable sexually transmitted infections. Chlamydial infections during pregnancy have been considered as significant factors in the causation of poor pregnancy outcome and complications like ectopic pregnancy, low weight birth, still birth etc. Objectives: The study was undertaken to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with Chlamydia trachomatis infection among pregnant women accessing antenatal care in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. Methods: A total of 200 endocervical swabs were collected from consenting pregnant women who were attending antenatal clinic in Faith Alive Foundation Hospital, Jos, Nigeria. Structured questionnaire was used to obtain data on socio-demography and risk factors. The samples were analysed using lateral flow immunoassay – Rapid Test Device (Swab/Urine) (International Ltd. China). Results: Chlamydia prevalence of 48.5% was established in the current study. The age group 24 – 28 years had the highest prevalence of 67.1% while the least prevalence (23.5%) was recorded among women older than 43 years. This variation of chlamydia prevalence was significantly associated with age group (χ2 = 16.541; p = 0.001). demographics such as marital status and educational status were not associated (p > 0.05) with chlamydia but in addition to age, occupation of the women was significantly associated (χ2 = 44.490; p = 0.001) with the infection. Unskilled women had the highest chlamydia prevalence (74.7%) as opposed to 20% recorded in skilled women and 47.1% among the semi-skilled women. Risk factors like HIV status was significantly associated (χ2 = 27.205; p = 0.001) with chlamydia. HIV positive women had chlamydia prevalence of 83.7% compared with 38.9% in their HIV negative counterparts. Conclusion: The study demonstrated chlamydia prevalence of 48.5% in this study. Age group, history of STI, use of IUD, history of abortion among others were identified as risk factors associated with the infection.

Синтез веры и научного знания в жизни и деятельности святителя Луки (профессора-хирурга В. Ф. Войно-Ясенецкого) в 1941-1944 гг

Цель исследования - описать соединение христианской православной веры и медицинской хирургической науки в личности профессора В. Ф. Войно-Ясенецкого (святителя Луки) в красноярский период его жизни и деятельности. Для этого автором представлены сведения об общем количестве научных трудов Валентина Феликсовича по хирургии, об объёме произнесённых и записанных проповедей и философско-теологических произведений архиепископа Луки. В цифрах продемонстрирована его масштабная хирургическая деятельность. Показано исключительное значение хирурга В. Ф. Войно-Ясенецкого как учёного-новатора в области военно-полевой и, особенно, гнойной хирургии. Отмечена видная педагогическая роль Валентина Феликсовича в подготовке им в Красноярске ученых-врачей, продолживших и развивших дело профессора после его переезда в Тамбов. На основании воспоминаний очевидцев его священнического служения и научно-практической деятельности представлены убедительные доказательства гармоничного соединения науки и религии в личности святителя Луки в красноярский период. В итоге автор формулирует вывод: успех научно-практической работы учёного-монаха в глубоком тылу в военное время оказался возможным именно благодаря синтезу веры и науки. Необходимо отметить, что тема, изученная в данной статье, поднимается впервые. The aim of the study is to describe the connection of the Christian Orthodox faith and medical surgical science in the personality of Professor V. F. Voino-Yasenetsky (St. Luke) in the Krasnoyarsk period of his life and activity. For this purpose, the author presents information on the total number of scientific works of Valentin Feliksovich on surgery, the volume of sermons delivered and recorded, and philosophical and theological works of Archbishop Luke. The figures show his large-scale surgical activity. The exceptional value of the surgeon Valentin Felixovich is shown. Voyno-Yasenetsky as a scientist-innovator in the field of military and, especially, purulent surgery. The prominent pedagogical role of Valentin Feliksovich in the training of scientists-doctors in Krasnoyarsk, who continued and developed the work of the Professor after his move to Tambov, was noted. Based on the recollections of eyewitnesses of his priestly Ministry and scientific and practical activities, convincing evidence of the harmonious Union of science and religion in the personality of St. Luke in the Krasnoyarsk period is presented. As a result, the author formulates a conclusion: the success of scientific and practical work of the scientist-monk in the deep rear in wartime was possible thanks to the synthesis of faith and science. It should be noted that the topic studied in this article is raised for the first time.

HAVE WE FORGOTTEN THE 7TH ECUMENICAL COUNCIL? ERRORS CONCERNING THE WORSHIP OF THE ICONS IN CONTEMPORARY ROMANIAN LITURGICAL PRACTICE

In marked contrast to the orthodox theology and practice of worshiping holy icons, as taught by the Church as a result of the iconoclastic debate in 8thcentury (Nicaea, 787), Romanian Christians attitudes and practices today are not only erroneous, but sometimes even contradict the decisions and teaching of the Holy Fathers. These deviations also have affected the currently practice of worshiping. For example, the Euchologion endorsed for the Romanian Church today stipulates that icons are blessed in a liturgical service (I think can be used both words; during , but also through), although this was rejected by the Fathers and by usual customs of the 8th century. Another misunderstanding of the Tradition spirit in the official worship of the Church are irregularities in Christians’ private life of faith. Various practices here seem to reflect ideas which are not in line with the doctrine of the Orthodox Church. For example, many faithful place the icons in their homes to hinge on the dimensions of the wall and not always on the east side walls of the house. Sometimes they arrange icons in a way that makes it impossible to touch and kiss them, thus deviating from what the most important Fathers who defended the worship of icons have prescribed. Sometimes the faithful intermingle family pictures with their icons, thus misleading onlookers to stipulate a misplaced “holiness” for such family members.

Calling, Virtue, and the Practice of Medicine

Abstract This essay argues that an account of vocation that ties one’s work with divine calling stands counter to the biblical witness of calling in the New Testament. Rather than calling to a particular profession, the biblical account of calling is to a unique way of living that is to exemplify the followers of Christ. Therefore, the re-enchantment of medicine is not accomplished when one makes the practice itself sacred simply by imagining it as one’s divine calling. Rather, the sacredness of medicine is rooted in the character of the physician whose daily decisions and patient interactions are the outcomes of virtues inculcated in worship, prayer, Bible study, and all other practices that mark the life of faith. Thus, the practitioner avoiding burnout asks not “Am I called to be a physician?” but “How as a physician in the daily practice of medicine might I exemplify my calling to Christ-likeness?”

The ‘long and winding road’ of faith: learning about the Christian life and discipleship from two Methodist congregations

ABSTRACT The popular understanding and practice of discipleship has often assumed a particular shape of the life of faith, one which is more ‘heroic’ and active. This paper explores how the understanding and experience of learning and growing as Christians in two Methodist congregations challenges and nuances this understanding of discipleship. Focusing on the themes of non-heroic faith and participative faith which arose in the data, it compares the understanding of the Christian life within these congregations with the discipleship material in the book Holy Habits, by Andrew Roberts. Through engaging with Vygotskii’s Zone of Proximal Development an alternative pedagogy from that presented in the discipleship material is suggested of the dual practice of deep conversation and risk-taking. Far from retreating from a participative faith, the paper shows how it can provide a theological basis for such faith to grow and mature.

Drawing in-church and drawing-in to joy

ABSTRACT This paper explores what can be learned about the possibilities for joy when the private practice of drawing is located in public experience of Sunday worship. A case study identifies distinct phases of making, being with and seeing art, all integral to the process of aesthetic theological inquiry, as mechanisms for drawing in both artist and viewer to participate in creative conversation. In the immanence of honesty, the experience of making and seeing art in church offers an experience of joy characterised by an embodied experience of ‘emotional attunement between the self and the world’ (Volf 2015). Whilst the experience of drawing in-church extends our capacity to see God at work when it happens, the emerging work of art is drawing-in (the) church, inviting us to participate in a process of honest reflection that transforms the way we understand what it means to belong in a life of faith.

Civic and Faith Life in College: A Two-Part Investigation of University Students’ Political and Spiritual Engagement

This two-part investigation extended research demonstrating the civic impact of college students’ spiritual commitments. The initial study served as a large-scale assessment (n = 768) of political involvement using a new Inventory of Political Activity. The smaller-scale, follow-up study (n = 129) used two validated measures of spiritual transcendence and meaning-making. Findings suggested that the relationship between faith and politics is complex. Students who identified as “spiritual-but-not-religious” evidenced the highest levels of political involvement.

IMPLEMENTASI KOMUNIKASI EDUKATIF DALAM PEMADUAN IMAN, ILMU DAN AMAL STUDI PEMBELAJARAN PAI DI SMA IT ABU BAKAR YOGYAKARTA

Abstract Educative communication in the integration of faith, science and charity is communication carried out by two or more people whose education is educational. And this communication is very good to be mastered by the teacher for the sake of the fluency of the students. The type of research used by the author is the type of qualitative research. The subjects of this study were PAI teachers and Abu Bakar High School IT students in Yogyakarta. Data collection is done by conducting observations, interviews, documentation and triangulation. Data analysis was carried out through four stages, namely: data clarification, data reduction, data interpretation and conclusion drawing. The technique of collecting data with the inductive method is to find as much data as possible and then conclude (general-specific) The results of this study are: 1) the concept of characteristics and implementation of educational communication in the integration of faith, science and charity. Study of PAI Learning in Abu Bakar High School IT Yogyakarta, so a teacher must prepare teaching materials and a teacher must be able to explain and be able to master the material taught in the classroom, and a teacher must be able to provide examples in daily life so students easily understand the content of the material taught and the concepts in PAI learning refer to the JSIT curriculum and the merger of services for example by combining faith, science and charity in everyday life. 2) implementation of educational communication in the integration of faith, science and charity. PAI learning study at Abu Bakar High School IT Yogyakarta, the implementation is at 7:30 all students are already in class and reading the prayer and tadarus of the Qur'an, every Friday for those who are obliged to pray Friday, fasting Monday Thursday, eat together, hold a big day commemoration such as the lightning boarding school in the month of Ramadhon, social charity services and at Abu Bakar IT High School Yogyakarta do not know every day there are Islamic programs, Islamic art of calligraphy, recitations, hadroh, nasid, and there is religious mentoring and Boarding Scool, Full Day, Extracurricular, sports, robotics, journals, scouts (scouting), mentoring to support faith, science and charity. 3) the contribution of educational institutions in the implementation of educational communication in the integration of faith, science and charity. PAI learning studies at Abu Bakar High School IT Yogyakarta, the contribution of the concept is clearly KYM, namely noble foundation consortium escorts and manages the foundation from the concept of learning, Islam becomes the main spirit in Abu Bakar High School IT Yogyakarta so all teachers such as PAI teachers and from elementary, junior high, high school, the foundation is how to manage in terms of management, facilities, all R & D who take care of foundations are very helpful and learning activities. Keywords: Educational Communication, Integration of Faith, Science and Charit.

The Inconspicuous God: Heidegger, French Phenomenology & the Theological Turn by Jason W. Alvis

Reviewed by: The Inconspicuous God: Heidegger, French Phenomenology & the Theological Turn by Jason W. Alvis Chad Engelland Alvis, Jason. W. The Inconspicuous God: Heidegger, French Phenomenology & the Theological Turn. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2018. 249 pp. Cloth, $65.00 Nearly three decades after Dominique Janicaud's 1991 criticism of "the theological turn in French phenomenology," Jason Alvis delivers a sustained defense of the phenomenological viability of the turn by elucidating Martin Heidegger's phenomenology of the inconspicuous. In Being and Time, Heidegger says there is need for phenomenology only because the phenomena for the most part do not show themselves as they are in themselves. The later Heidegger becomes even more attentive to this theme of elusiveness or nonappearance of phenomenology's subject matter. Alvis's book exploits the resources of this Heideggerian emphasis and draws on some of the voices that comprise the theological turn in French phenomenology in order to explore the ordinary inconspicuousness of God. Each of the eight chapters focuses on a different "inconspicuous" theme. The first chapter examines inconspicuous revelation by arguing that Jean-Luc Marion's saturated phenomenon can apply not only to the spectacular but to the inconspicuous as well. The second chapter focuses on inconspicuous phenomenology by offering a reading of Heidegger's later talk of a phenomenology of the inapparent (Unscheinbarkeit). Alvis prefers translating this as "inconspicuous" rather than "inapparent," because he wants to emphasize, against Janicaud, that the concept cannot be identified with the invisible as such. By Alvis's count, there are three possible interpretations of inconspicuousness: first, it may name the hiddenness that characterizes all of phenomenology's phenomena; second, it may name a hiddenness that in principle could be registered in any and all phenomena; third, it may name a hiddenness characteristic of one class of phenomena in particular. Alvis acknowledges that the first interpretation is generally favored, but his own preference is for the third. In this way, the divine would count as one of those classes of phenomena that are peculiarly marked by inconspicuousness. The third chapter attends to the inconspicuous lifeworld of religion in light of Heidegger's focus on world and with reference to Michel Henry's claim that the affectivity of life is prior to the world. For Alvis, the tension between life [End Page 127] and world opens the place for inconspicuous revelation. The fourth chapter focuses on inconspicuous liturgy and the reduction to the inconspicuous place of the Absolute that Jean-Yves Lacoste wields against Heidegger's closed conception of world. The fifth chapter turns to inconspicuous adoration present in Jean-Luc Nancy's deconstruction of Christianity. Alvis notes that Nancy's atheism shields him from Janicaud's censure even though his project exploits Heidegger's phenomenology of the inapparent to develop religious motifs, in this case the praise of the ordinary. The sixth chapter joins William Alston, Merold Westphal, and Anthony Steinbock in arguing against William James's reduction of religious experience to the realm of private feeling; the notion of inconspicuous evidence allows for an element of paradox concerning the question of warrant in religious experience. The seventh chapter details an inconspicuous faith by charting senses of forgetting at work in Jean-Louis Chrétien and in Heidegger, including the forgetfulness of being and the flight of the last gods. Alvis then suggests that such forgetfulness operates in the way that the act of faith recedes into the background of the life of faith, an experience he likens to the way the car recedes into the background while driving. The eighth turns to the inconspicuous God by examining Heidegger's explorations of hiddenness in the introduction to Being and Time. Alvis argues that inconspicuous phenomena and inconspicuous givenness provide an alternative to the idolization of incomprehensibility that marks much of the contemporary philosophical discussion of the divine. The Inconspicuous God exploits a central if ambiguous concept in phenomenology to provide a thematic treatment of the mode of ordinary religious phenomena with reference to recent French phenomenological authors. God, the book argues, is not to be found in the spectacular but in the inconspicuous. This is a welcome emphasis in the contemporary conversation about the relation of God to...

Evangeliarium dan Pemakluman Injil: Simbol dan Puncak Kehadiran Kristus dalam Liturgi Sabda

The Eucharist is the Christians’ source of life in faith. In Eucharist, Christians gather to commemorate the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ's presence in the Liturgy of the Word is marked symbolically with the book of Evangeliary and with the act of proclaiming the Gospel. The meanings of these symbols in the Liturgy of the Word seem to receive less attention by the practice of replacing Eucharist’s readings with other texts on spirituality. The Evangeliary and the act of proclaiming the Gospel hold an important role in the Eucharist as the symbol and the peak of Christ’s presence in the Liturgy of the Word. When liturgically and correctly administered, the liturgy of the Word is the medium for Christ to be present and to speak to the faithful.

Faith and Reason: an Alternative Gandhian Understanding

Liberal theory and practice rests upon, and constantly re-affirms, a division between the secular/rational and the religious/faithful aspects of individual life. This paper will explore the philosophical implications of an alternative Gandhian understanding of the role of faith and reason in individual life. The paper will argue that M K Gandhi thought of moral life differently from both the religious traditionalist and the liberal. The distinctiveness of Gandhi’s vision came from the manner in which he could reconcile two very different ways of thinking about the good human life. These could be simply put as the religious insight (which is well articulated in the Aristotelian position) into the good life as an essentially integrated life and the alternative liberal insight that morality was better connected with the idea of universalizability/reciprocity. The first section of this paper entitled “An alternative Gandhian understanding of faith, reason, and the integrity of the good life” philosophically unpacks Gandhi’s arguments about the integrity between faith and reason in reading religious texts with a view to living a good life. The second section is entitled “On religious belief: Gandhi and liberalism”. It brings out the differences between Gandhi and liberals on faith, reason, and the truth of religious belief. Both Gandhi and the liberals agree that religious beliefs should be held with modesty. However, the liberal argument for modesty comes from an avowed skepticism about the truth of religious belief. It is such skepticism that philosophically grounds the liberal division between faith and reason. In this section, there will be an attempt to bring out Gandhi’s reasons for being modest about religious beliefs held with certitude. The paper ends with the thought that though one cannot say which of these positions on faith and reason—Gandhian or liberal—is more coherent, there is some reason for exploring the Gandhian position if only because religious persons can act on Gandhi’s arguments quite consistently with their faith.

The Way as the Goal

With the ever-growing net of cultural-touristic holiday routes in Switzerland, people are becoming more and more tired of impersonal travel and aimless wandering. While some are still satisfied with the commonplace phrase “the way as a goal,” others look for more meaning in their favorite activity. Here comes pilgrimage as an ideal combination of bodily and spiritual search. But is a leap from “tourist” to “pilgrim” realistic and how can it help to replenish one’s Christian faith? A project of two Swiss missional organizations was set exactly for this purpose: to animate the life of faith of the post-modern seekers of truth.

Ancestry, Place[s], and Identity in Spiritual Direction Narratives

In this 2017 John McKendy Memorial Lecture, Dr. Janet Ruffing, RSM, discussed spiritual direction as a narrative process, recognized or not, in which the directee tells his or her sacred tale in the interaction with a spiritual director who significantly affects the unfolding of this serial narrative of lived faith. At a time, when directees have unprecedented access to genealogical information and also live in or make retreats in a variety of places, how do these new experiences affect their identity spiritually and socially? Do they become integrated into the ongoing narrative of identity or not?

Impact on Life of Estero de San Miguel

This research responded to the challenge of Pope Francis to do research that provides better understanding of how different creatures relate to one another in the ecosystem. Through semiotic analysis applied on the life sharing of the local people and some images, this research yielded a deeper appreciation of the impact on life of Estero de San Miguel. Accordingly, the estero is an abiotic component of the local ecosystem within the district of San Miguel, Manila. It had freely offered greater provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting services before to local communities and other life forms within its immediate ecosystem than today, when it had been relegated only to serve as a tributary of Pasig River and sewer of human waste. The present status of the estero shows lesser impact on life within its local ecosystem. While there is still time to finally halt this local ecological catastrophe, people must actively contribute in creating a serious awareness of, respect, and love for the estero and the environment at large. A serious awareness that focuses more on their intrinsic value, apart from their services being offered. The compounded lingual and visual semiotic reflections provided several principles that served as underlying ideological reference for a new inspiration and commitment to value creation, like the estero, and practice responsible stewardship. ReferencesBerry, T. & Swimme, B. (1994). The universe story, from the primordial flaring forth to the ecozoic era-A celebration of the unfolding of the cosmos. New York: Harper Collins Publishers.Biblioteca National De Espana. (1870). Mga bahay sa San Miguel, Maynila sa Ilog Pasig. Picture.Biodiversity Information System for Europe (BISE). (2019). Ecosystems Services. Retrieved from https://biodiversity.europa.eu/topics/ecosystem-servicesBrockhaus, H. (2017). Pope: Caring for creation means caring for your brother and sister: Catholic News Agency. Retrieved from https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-caring-forcreation-means-caring-for-your-brother-and-sister-60815Catholic On Line. (2018). The Canticle of Creation (by Saint Francis of Assisi). Retrieved from https://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=3188City of Manila Waterways. (July 2014). Estero De San Miguel Reborn. The UrbanRoamer. Retrieved from http://www.theurbanroamer.com/estero-de-san-miguel-reborn/Piper, J. (February 1987). The Pleasure of God in His Creation. Retrieved from: https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-pleasure-ofgod-in-his-creationDejillas, P. (2017). Our cosmic origins. USA: Tatay Jobo Elizes. Fox, M. (1983). Original Blessing, A Primer in Creation Spirituality. Bear and Company, Inc.Google Map of Estero de San Miguel. Retrieved from Hurault, B. (2004). Christian Community Bible. Catholic Pastoral Edition. Quezon City: Claretian Publications.Kapit Bisig Para Sa Ilog Pasig. Estero de San Miguel 2010 - 2012 Photos. Facebook.Macaubulletin. (2011). Christian Community Bible: Catholic Pastoral Edition. New Revised Edition 2013. Retrieved from https://ccbpastoralbible.wordpress.com/online-bible/englishversion/.Mansell, T. L. and Tewell, J. Nice home along the Pasig River, San Miguel. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/johntewell/36861568211.National Archives of the Philippines. Old map of Manila published by The Philippines company, express - passengers, freight, brokers and forwarders. Spanish Period Collection.Peñamora, A., et.al. (2017). Why, O God? (Disaster, Resiliency, and the People of God). Quezon City: OMF Literature Inc.Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. (2004). Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church. Makati City: Word and Life Publications.Pope Francis. (2015). Laudato si, Encyclical Letter (On Care for Our Common Home). Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana.Piper, J. (February 1987). The pleasure of God in His creation. Retrieved from https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-pleasure-of-godin-his-creationSaint Meinrad Seminary & School of Theology. (January 2018). Ecological environment. Retrieved from: https://www/saintmeinrad.edu/seminary-blog/echoes-from-the-bell-tower/posts/20154/environmental-stewardship/Tewell, J. San Beda College, Mendiola Street, looking north, Manila, Philippines, about 1930. Retrieved from http://www.flickriver.com/photos/johntewell/16572142004/.Warner, K. (2012). St. Francis: Patron of ecology. U.S. Catholic Faith In Real Life. Retrieved from https://www.uscatholic.org/church/2010/09/st.-francis-patron-ecology