Image Of God Research Articles

Religious Motifs in Soviet Prose by M. Sholokhov (Story “Family Man”)

A new interpretation of Mikhail Sholokhov’s story “Family Man” from the collection of stories “Lazorevaya Step” (“Don Stories”) is proposed. Traditionally, the image of the central character — the Cossack ferryman Mikishara — has been interpreted as a portrayal of a sinful hero, a criminal, a patricide. However, the author of the article considers the leading character’s image in light of biblical motifs and parallels. It is demonstrated that the old ferryman’s night confession is permeated with allusions to sacred biblical texts, specifically to the image of God the Father who sent his own Son to death. The image of the Cossack father is constructed by the writer in projection to the sacred image of the Father-Spirit, and in this comparison, new semantic markers of the character’s nature are explicitly revealed. The temporal constant of the confessional narrative — Easter — is supplemented by Sholokhov with motifs such as dove, soul, willow, river, fish, and others. Thus, an unexplored layer of meaning in the work emerges in which new components of the motif system begin to appear: not sin and guilt, but misfortune and sacrificialness, torment and suffering that the Cossack-father faced in the conditions of a terrible fratricidal civil war. The analysis demonstrates how the poethological components of the story (title, change of title, composition “story within a story”, plot dynamics and narrative pauses, symbolized landscape, portraiture techniques, etc.) are oriented by the writer towards authorial evaluative meanings.

Kryzys wiary, czy religii? Przesłanie nadziei i zangażowania duszpasterskiego w świetle adhortacji evangelii gaudium

The public debate increasingly talks about the crisis of the Church, which is manifested by a decline in the most important statistical indicators of faith. However, if we look at the development of Christianity, we will easily see that in its history it has very often experienced problems with the hallmarks of a crisis. Perhaps the basis for perceiving the current situation as a crisis is a distorted image of God and the expectation that Catholicism would dominate in quantitative terms over other worldview proposals that can be found today. This text reflects on the phenomenon of the crisis of the Catholic Church in Poland and discusses whether the observable changes in the Church concern faith itself, or rather religion, which is a broader concept. Finally, based on Francis’ exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, the article shows inspiration for awakening hope and pastoral activity, which are a guarantee of saving the faith of those seeking God and being close to Him.

Portrayal of Female Agency in the Mary Karooro Okurut Novel, The Official Wife

This article of the Portrayal of Female Agency in The Official Wife (2003) a novel by Mary Karooro Okurut. The article explores forms of female agency and the narrative techniques used to portray female agency in The Official Wife (2003). I classified the forms of female agency into three categories which include; bargaining and negotiation, subversion and resistance, deception and manipulation. I argue that it is these forms through which women show agency. Agency is a crucial matter of focus and I therefore employ a number of narrative styles implored to perfectly bring out the portrayals of female agency including; vivid descriptions, imagery, irony, alliteration, direct speech, dialogue, point of view, indirect speech and others. In the article, I argue that all females deserve to enjoy their freedom and rights like the males because they are both created in the image of God. Some of the female characters in The Official Wife are mistreated, tortured psychologically and treated as the weaker sex. In spite of the trauma, the main character identified as Liz in The Official Wife turns out to be resilient and outspoken due to the problems she encounters. In the article, I also bring out the fact that female characters develop agency as a result of trauma and crisis as according to Pointiere, Mathilinde (2021). Every female in the novel goes through a hardship before they show their abilities. And it is this much trauma that enables females to show off their agency. I further show that females in The Official Wife are resilient, spirited, elastic, irrepressible and outspoken because they do not use physical violence to obtain what they want. They rather use forms of female agency including; subversion and resistance, deception and manipulation through which they deceive and manipulate the people around them in many ways to achieve what they want. Female agency is therefore a crucial matter of focus and it contains three forms which aid women in becoming resilient and successful. All this is discussed as I take a close look at the forms of female agency and the narrative techniques Karooro uses to depict female agency.

The Human Being as the Image of God

Abstract This is a theological exposition of the biblical statement that the human being is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). The treatment concludes that this affirmation is the clal gadol, the foundational principle of the whole Torah (as Ben Azzai says, Talmud Yerushalmi, Nedarim, ch. 9, h. 4). There are four dimensions to the image of God: (1) Intrinsic dignities—that all human beings (no matter gender, skin color, race, religion) are endowed by their Creator with three intrinsic dignities: infinite value, equality, and uniqueness; (2) Capabilities—God has infinite consciousness, power, relationship (=love), freedom, and life. Humans have these capabilities in a finite but remarkable, i.e., Godlike, form. According to Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, humans fulfill the commandment of Imitatio Dei (v’halachta b’drachav) by developing these capabilities. God bestows these capabilities on humans to use in fulfilling a mission to perfect God’s Creation in partnership with the Divine (=covenant); (3) These dignities are rooted in love. That all humans possess these dignities reflects the fact that God loves all life, especially humans (the most advanced form of life); (4) Prophetic messianism envisions this planet turned into a Garden of Eden (paradise). This is a reality worthy of an image of God, i.e., the enemies of life (poverty, hunger, oppression, war, sickness) are overcome and the fullness of human dignity (infinite value, equality, uniqueness) is honored, in actual practice, in daily life.

Julian of Norwich's Grateful God

AbstractThe sixth “showing” that Julian of Norwich recounts in her Revelation of Love includes a vision of the saints receiving thanks from God. Julian echoes and refers back to this scene at several other points in her text, but she never acknowledges its oddity within the broadly Augustinian‐Platonist stream of theology within which she works. How can it make sense for the God who is Being, Goodness, and Truth—the creator and cause of all that is—to give thanks to a creature? I argue that Julian's image of a grateful God accords with (1) her account of God's aim in creation, including the defeat of sin and evil, and (2) her understanding of the place of giving and receiving in humans’ likeness to God.

Longing for Humanity: The Process of Leaving a Context of Perceived Spiritual Abuse

This study provides an account of leaving a context of perceived spiritual abuse within some Pentecostal fellowships in Norway. We discuss how our 16 informants discovered the need for change and sought support to navigate challenging departure processes characterized by emotional strain. Three empirical themes emerged: (1) God’s will, as conveyed by leaders, evoked shame, (2) there were various sources of help in leaving a context of perceived spiritual abuse, and (3) the acknowledgment of vulnerability provided space for new images of God. Throughout the leaving process, many informants underwent a profound shift in their perceptions of God, marked by a heightened awareness of their vulnerability. This transformation encompassed a deep-seated desire to embrace their humanity and to accept the relevance of their thoughts and feelings. Acknowledging their own vulnerability allowed them to have more humanized images of God. Our analysis employs Kenneth Pargament’s notion of orienting systems and his theory of religious coping to elucidate how their images of God changed. The process led to a perceived sense of freedom from spiritual abuse. We understand the informants’ experiences of leaving the church and affiliated organizations as instances of deconversion through what empirically emerged as “deprogramming” processes in our material. Deprogramming involves disentangling individuals from what they perceived was conveyed and thus “programmed” by spiritual leaders. Deprogramming processes emerged as a new exploration of images of God, shame, power, and human vulnerability.

Three perspectives on the notion of ‘the best interests of the child’

The research reported in this article was centred on three research questions about the issue of ensuring that, in education and schooling, the principle of the best interests of the child is respected. The inauspicious treatment of children through the ages led the international community in the form of the United Nations to adopt its Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1989. The series of developments culminating in the adoption of the CRC led to the formulation of the following three research questions: (1) What motivated the United Nations to adopt its CRC, in particular its formulation of the notion of ‘the best interests of the child’? (2) How did the notion of ‘the best interests of the child’ subsequently find expression in the 1996 Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and the South African jurisprudence following thereafter? (3) What perspectives does the Bible, as the Word of God, provide on the notion of ‘the best interests of the child’? Interpretivism-constructivism was used in putting together the thesis developed in this article. Interpretivism was applied to the results of an initial literature study on the status of the child, followed by constructivism in construing the line of argumentation that follows. The second part of the article emerged after a critical analysis of the post-1994 legislation and jurisprudence in South Africa. The norm set by the CRC has been respected since the advent of the new political dispensation in South African legislation and subsequent jurisprudence. The Bible, as the Word of God, also provides perspectives regarding the notion of ‘the best interests of the child’, although it does not employ this phrase as such. It teaches that since children are human beings and created in the image of God, and also because they are vulnerable, they have to be treated with loving care, respect, sympathy, and empathy.Contribution: The article sheds light on the way the concept ‘best interests of the child’ attained international acceptance and subsequently obtained application in the South African constitutional arena since 1994. It also creates a link between legal stipulations and biblical perspectives regarding the notion of ‘the best interests of the child’.

God image as a moderator of God concept’s relation to shame, depression, and existential well-being among seminarians.

God image as a moderator of God concept’s relation to shame, depression, and existential well-being among seminarians.

The God of the Gut: Examining the Role God Image Plays in Spiritual Formation

The God of the Gut: Examining the Role God Image Plays in Spiritual Formation

Perempuan Disabilitas dan Hubungannya dengan Teologi Belas Kasih Katolik

Abstract: Humans are the image of God and have the dignity of life as a special gift from God. In this regard, it must be noted that gender differences as men or women, normal physical conditions or as people with disabilities are never a measure of human dignity. Women with disabilities have the right to live and be loved like other human beings. Discrimination and various acts of injustice against women with disabilities are a moral issue that threatens the value of equal human dignity. This research aims to call for the need to realize Catholic theology of compassion, especially for women with disabilities. Women with disabilities are often ignored in various groups such as families, local communities, and in religious/religious circles. To overcome these problems and collect data and analyze problems comprehensively, this research uses case studies and qualitative methods through literature studies. Thus, the problem is studied through quantitative and qualitative approaches. First, I will explain that women with disabilities experience marginalization in general society; second, I will outline the idea of Catholic theology of mercy; Third, build a theological reflection and show the possible direction of pastoral theology. Through this research, the author hopes to be able to tell the concrete experiences of women with disabilities in relation to Catholic theology of compassion. In this way, it is hoped that there will be a joint movement that will increasingly promote peace, love, justice and prosperity. Keywords: human dignity; women with disabilities; mercy; discrimination

Reinterpretation of Literary Classics: The Aesthetic Value of Liaozhai Zhiyi Characters in Pu Songling's Works

This paper probes deeply into the aesthetic value and shaping mode of the characters in the works of the Tales of Liaozhai by Pu Songling, a Chinese writer in Qing Dynasty. By analyzing Pu Songling's writing style, aesthetic concept and the shaping way of several typical characters, this paper reveals his unique aesthetic pursuit and literary talent in his works. The contrast of the images of gods, demons and human beings, the characteristics of characters and the description of images all show Pu Songling's deep thinking about human nature, fate and supernatural power. The influence of the ancient aesthetic concept on his works and the re-interpretation of the characters under the contemporary aesthetic concept are also discussed. The characters in Pu Songling's works not only have historical significance, but also radiate new vitality and significance in the field of contemporary literature, bringing readers profound thinking and aesthetic experience.

Gods and people in literature and philosophy. God by the picture of human or human by the picture of god? Homeric vision of reality versus Heraclitus’ vision of reality

The article deals with the theological issues of Homer and Heraclitus. The analysis of the works of Homer and the philosophical thought of Heraclitus serves to compare and contrast them extracting significant differences regarding the image of god and man. The author develops both literary and philosophical understanding of gods. She compares the man-god relationship in early Greek literature and philosophy. There is an interesting intrinsic tension in the literary tropes that can only be understood if the religious function of this literature is taken into account. The author tries to describe the vision of the world and the place of human beings in it in both sources: literature and philosophy. In philosophical writings, there can be seen a movement in the vision of the world structure: the gods become more inaccessible to humans, but humans gain the opportunity to become godlier if they follow a proper set of thoughts and actions proposed by philosophy. Religious poets were speaking of the past when the gods were approachable to people. Their fantasies were often mixed with old beliefs so that the divine-human world has as much wonder and eccentricity as dread. Philosophy conquers not only minds but also hearts, to convey them towards the ideal, bearing in mind the unattainable model of a virtuous man. While religion describes gods similar to humans, philosophy forges a new god-resemblant human figure.

Mirrors of Death, Images of God: Likeness and Difference in Gregory of Nyssa’s Social Ethics

Abstract Gregory of Nyssa’s critiques of various forms of social injustice hinge on his rigorous theological anthropology. For Gregory, slavery, the accumulation of wealth, and the mistreatment of the poor are evil because they deny the freedom proper to human creatures created according to the divine Image. However, Gregory’s anthropology also contains, we will argue, a distinct account of the ways in which humanity’s difference from God – particularly its poverty and limitation – reveals important aspects of the particular and ultimately Christological mode in which finite humans imitate the infinitude God. The aim of this present essay is to articulate how both likeness and unlikeness to God – mirrors of God and mirrors of death – are integral to Gregory’s theological anthropology as it pertains to various forms of social critique.

Opposition Is True Friendship: C.G Jung, Ibn ‘Arabi & the Answer to Job

This essay examines the intriguing connections between Carl G. Jung, the Sufi mystic Ibn ‘Arabi, and Jung’s engagement with the Biblical “Answer to Job,” bridging vast cultural and temporal gaps. It explores Jung’s transformative dialogue with Pueblo spirituality and his introspective challenges with Islamic concepts of divine submission, culminating in an analysis of “Answer to Job” through the lens of Ibn ‘Arabi’s Divine Names. The discussion highlights the paradoxes within divine attributes and the human perception of God, offering a unique interpretation of Jung’s confrontation with the God image. By integrating Jung’s psychological insights with Sufi mysticism, the manuscript provides a nuanced perspective on divine justice, mercy, and the quest for spiritual understanding. Keywords: Carl Jung, Ibn ‘Arabi, Answer to Job, Psychological theology, Sufi mysticism.

The Man at Noah’s Window—The Death of the Old King in Patrick Roth’s Novel Starlite Terrace

Starlite Terrace is a contemporary novel comprised of four interlinked stories about the American film milieu by the German-American writer Patrick Roth. Four protagonists tell their Hollywood-tinged, highly personal life stories to a fifth, who is also the main narrator. In each of their singular collisions with life, a universal and mythical pattern is gradually revealed that gives these so-called ordinary people a dignity they have long since lost in everyday life. Literary scholars are considering Starlite Terrace a brilliant portrayal of the so-called “seeker spirituality” found primarily on the West Coast of California. In fact, the novel is part of Patrick Roth’s own life story, a condensation of his 40 years of experience in Los Angeles, the center of the American film industry. The novel represents a new kind of literature, a new poetics that strives to give expression to an archetypal layer of the unconscious through the writing process, thus bringing together these separate spheres. The highly Jungian worldview is mirrored in the character of Rex, “The Man at Noah’s Window,” among others. In his fixation on the movies and movie stars, he represents an aspect of the narrator’s shadow, a content eventually recognized and accepted. Ultimately, Rex, the “eternal outsider,” embodies the old ailing king in desperate need of rejuvenation. On the level of the collective psyche, the figure of Rex conveys the end of the old God image and the beginning of a new one, as experienced and foretold in the narrator’s archetypal puer aeternus dream.

The Clinical Gaze of Lurianic Kabbalah

AbstractWhat changes in the conceptualization of God, the ultimate healer, once God himself becomes the object of healing? This article examines the delicate tensions between divine and human agency in the Lurianic kabbalah, focusing on its grammar of action, and the complex relations between the subjects and the objects of this action. Rather than analyzing the relations between the kabbalists and their God through their conscious perceptions, the article explores how these relations emerge from the Lurianic discursive configurations and describes the role of medical discourse in their shaping. I claim that in order to perceive the transformation in the image of God in this early modern kabbalistic corpus, we should place at the heart of our inquiry the questions of who the patient is in the Lurianic medical clinic and how the relations between the human and the divine protagonists of the Lurianic drama are woven in this clinic.

Inaugurated eschatology from a transgender perspective

Many people who identify as transgender, experience discrimination, stigma and societal marginalisation as if they are not really human beings created in the image of God. This article argues for more acceptance of transgender people within a Christian world view. I contend that gender and the imago Dei can make room for more inclusivity and inherent human dignity for all people. Transgender identity, the idea of inaugurated eschatology as ‘already/not yet’ with the arrival of the Holy Spirit, the restoration of God’s image, and the acceptance of transgender individuals in God’s Kingdom will be focussed on. Inaugurated eschatology enlightens us on who we are in Christ. The topic focusses on transgender issues in relation to inaugurated eschatology and its effects on transgender roles within the Christian faith community. The nature of the research is qualitative and descriptive, either contradicting or supporting different views on transgender and inaugurated eschatology.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: To encourage discussion and deeper exploration of the concepts of transgenderism and inaugurated eschatology that could contribute to more inclusivity and inherent human dignity for all people in the fields of theology, gender studies, politics, philosophy, history and psychology.

Catherine of Siena on persons created in God’s image: Basis for a spiritual path

The belief that persons are images of God offers powerful constructs for imagining and thinking about a spiritual journey. What about; who we are makes a relationship possible with God? What are the goals of a spiritual journey given who we are to God? Catherine of Siena’s wisdom regarding persons as images of God offers answers to these questions. This study presents a textual analysis of Catherine’s metaphor-filled rhetoric on this topic and shows how Catherine, an uneducated woman mystic appropriated the foundational systematic teaching of Augustine of Hippo on persons as images of God having memory, understanding and will. Catherine asserts that persons as images of God having these three powers of the soul are created out of God’s love with a capacity to love and to be in a relationship of love, first of all, with God. The spiritual journey essentially consists in transcending – through God’s redemptive love – all that obscures this created capacity.Contribution: This study contributes by highlighting the importance of theological anthropology – both as a theological tenet and as a belief – to the way persons imagine and live a spiritual journey. Furthermore, it shows how Augustine of Hippo’s formulations, foundational for Christianity, influenced a medieval mystic and can be relevant for spiritual practice today. Accordingly, this study concludes with suggestions about how this patristic and medieval understanding of persons can be appropriated for today’s spiritual life.

In Our Own Image: How Americans Rate Jesus on the Ideological Spectrum

How can Americans on the political left and right both claim their views represent those of Jesus? Using nationally-representative data in which Americans rated Jesus on the left-right ideological spectrum, we assess what characteristics are associated with Americans’ ratings and consider arguments about causal ordering. Competing expectations are drawn from “images of God” research and research showing political identities influence Americans’ religious characteristics. Focusing on Christians first, the strongest predictors of where Christians place Jesus was their own ideological identity followed closely by views on Christian nationalism. No other religious, racial, or partisan characteristics were associated with where Christians place Jesus. For insights on causal direction, we interact religiosity measures with ideological identity and Christian nationalism, finding identical patterns regardless of religious commitment. We also run models to see if patterns differ for non-Christians and the influence of ideological identity and Christian nationalism are nearly identical. Given that Americans’ ideological placement of Jesus has little to do with their own religious identity or commitment, findings lend more support for the theory that Christians and non-Christians alike project their own ideological identities and views about Christian nationalism onto Jesus rather than such characteristics following from stable images of Jesus.

Takanab and Human Dignity According to the Dawan Society


 
 
 Humans are unique creatures, they were created in the image and likeness of God. Humans are also highly noble creatures because humans have the dignity of reason, conscience and the nobility of freedom to preserve God's other creations. Humans are creatures that exist because they have consciousness, through this consciousness humans establish relationships with God, nature and fellow humans. Human life always exists with others because through others each individual can know who he really is. In this togetherness, humans maintain what is considered good in the collective life of society, which is called tradition. In the context of the archipelago, the Dawan people in Timor, East Nusa Tenggara know an oral tradition, namely the Takanab for picking up new priests. Takanab for picking up a new priest is a traditional speech spoken by traditional elders or mavefa (speakers) when picking up a new preist. The fundamental question of this cultural study is why humans should be respected? This research uses qualitative research methods to collect and analyze data. Based on data obtained through literature review and interviews, there are new findings regarding the Takanab tradition of picking up new priest. In the Takanab tradition, it is not only an expression of gratitude to the ancestors and God, but also human dignity is highly upheld. Human dignity in the Takanab tradition of picking up new priests is one of the new variants that needs to be developed and must be supported by government institutions and religious institutions (Catholics) so that there is harmonious inculturation in living together.