Judeo-Christian Culture Research Articles

Climate Change as Dark Magic in <em>Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir</em> Animation

Climate Change as Dark Magic in <em>Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir</em> Animation

The Hegemonic Character of Techno-Functional Neo-Immanentism and Its Relationship with Culture Wars

This paper analyzes the social processes that have led to the consolidation of a technocratic secular order and the type of cultural struggle that has made this possible. To this end, it first proposes a reconstruction of the technocratic consciousness in the course of the secularization process that culminates in the technological determinism or technological solutionism of the social present; then, the analysis focuses on the neo-immanentist tendency of techno-functionalism, in which the secular context and the text of secularization become one and deplete a social explanation; thirdly, it reflects on and deals with the open nature of secular life, in which context does not determine social texts (inter-actions) and opens the way to the existence of different life options that compete with each other and even turn on—rebel against—institutional design. This reflection, then, focuses on the specific features of the culture wars in Western Judeo-Christian culture and its globalizing tendency. Finally, the document closes with a conclusion that analyzes the road travelled and introduces the new challenges arising from the arguments presented.

Imperativele Predaniei în câteva reprezentări iconografice ale Sfântului evanghelist Ioan cu ucenicul său, Prohor

The Judeo-Christian culture is par excellence a logocentric culture, derived from the Word of the Creator and from the founding narrative, which, being fundamental elements for shaping this culture, is however transmitted in writing. From the Tablets of the Law, where the Decalogue is written by the finger of God himself, to the Pentateuch dictated to Moses (the Torah), or the Gospels instilled into the four apostles under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, an entire sacred history unfolds under the sign of revelation and, implicitly, of the imperative to transmit the revealed truths, i.e. the “predanie”. Starting from this observation, our study aims to focus on, and analyse, some of the symbols that are recurrently exploited to suggest the idea of revelation received and transmitted instantaneously, starting from the representation of St. John the Evangelist dictating the Gospel (or The Book of the Revelation or the Apocalypse) to his disciple Prochorus.

A joguralom elvét megalapozó elemek a Vetus Testamentumban és a Novum Testamentumban

Our study undertakes to explore the Old and New Testament roots of the rule of law. It shows that the roots go back to the Mosaic laws and the organization of the ancient Jewish state based on them, an ancient state based primarily on laws. It points out that from the aspect of state and legal theory, the uniqueness of the Mosaic laws lay in the presentation of the supremacy and primacy of the law. This principle was reflected in the fact that no one, neither the king nor any leaders, could set themselves above the law. In addition, according to the specific laws concerning Israel’s kings, the exercise of royal power was even more confined within the framework of the law. We present that the principle of governance bound by law is part of the social teaching of both the Old and the New Testaments. All of this – in interaction with the related elements of ancient Greek-Roman political philosophy – played a prominent role in the fact that it was the Judeo-Christian culture where the idea of the rule of law spread and became the basic principle of the political and legal system of the states belonging to this circle.

Editorial Introduction

Editorial Introduction

Editorial

Populism, like nationalism, can be found on the right as well as on the left-wing of the political spectrum. However, current political debates demonstrate how in recent years, nationalist and populist movements have advanced the preservation of Christian “roots” against a global cosmopolitanism. Right-wing populism thus tends to present itself as a guardian of Christian culture, or Judeo-Christian culture. However, there is a struggle over the definition and the ownership of this religious heritage. Whilst it is certainly possible to identify sources within the Protestant tradition that may legitimise support for right-wing populism, the questions this struggle raises often relate to particular intersections of culture, theology, perspectives on history as well as political thought. This special issue explores and critiques these intersections, employing theological, historical, and sociological methods. While the main perspective is that of cross-disciplinary reflections on the fraught relationship between Protestantism and right-wing populism, it also examines the evolution of broader connections between Christianity and nationalism through time.

Introduction: Christos Tsiolkas: Rage, Discomfort, Disgust … and Beauty

IntroductionChristos Tsiolkas: Rage, Discomfort, Disgust … and Beauty Barbara M. Hoffmann (bio) "This is what's so great about it. It doesn't have to be your own story. It can be a story you heard, something that happened to someone else …" "God, it sounds so complicated." "No, it's a load of fun, I promise you." "How do you win?" "At the end of the round we all vote on the best story." —Christos Tsiolkas, "Merciless Gods" (7) To say Christos Tsiolkas is a celebrated Australian author is, at this point, an almost absurd understatement. The vote has been cast over and over—by scholars, by readers, by those who deem a work of literary fiction worthy of the jump from page to screen—and Tsiolkas has won, over and over. In highlighting Tsiolkas's breadth of accolades in the author blurb of his most recent novel, 7½, the editor at Allen and Unwin mentions the 2006 Age Fiction Prize and 2006 Melbourne Best Writing Award for Dead Europe, the 2009 Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Overall Best Book for The Slap, and the 2019 Victorian Premier's Literary Award for Fiction for Damascus, as well as shortlists and the fact that The Slap and Barracuda were "both adopted into celebrated television series." Per Henningsgaard, in his essay in this special section, notes, "In the years between the initial publication of The Slap and the release of the Australian television miniseries, the novel won the ALS [Australian Literature Society] Gold Medal, the Australian Book of the Year in the Australian Book Industry Awards, the Vance Palmer Prize for Fiction in the Victorian Premier's Literary Awards, and the Commonwealth Writers Prize—all in 2009." Eight days after the publication of 7½, Tsiolkas was announced as the recipient of the prestigious Melbourne Prize for Literature in 2021, awarded every three years to a "Victorian published author whose body of published work has made an outstanding contribution to Australian literature and to cultural and intellectual life" (Melbourne Prize). The Melbourne Prize, then, awards an author not only for the quality of the work published but also for the author's more transcendent contribution to national culture, raising the question of how an author [End Page 24] makes such a "contribution" to "cultural life." The word "contribution" signals an active role and points to a dual purpose of art in both reflecting and shaping a culture. In a line that is oft referenced in discussions of the purpose of art, Hamlet instructs the players that the purpose of playing is to "hold, as 'twere, the mirror to nature" (3.2.20), showing "the very age and body of the time his form and pressure" (3.2.22). In other words, the great purpose of art is to present as exact an image as possible of the present times. Of course, Hamlet knew that art does much more than merely mirror—that a skillfully acted scene can have a material effect on those who consume it, as he hopes will happen to his uncle (3.1.583–85). In fact, it is only through such storytelling—Hamlet refers to the players as "the abstract and brief chronicles of the time" (2.2.520)—that Hamlet can obtain a seemingly unrecoverable truth. In order to have such an effect, though, artists must not limit themselves to reflecting that which is pleasant: in addition to showing "virtue her own feature," artists must also show "scorn her own image" (3.2.21). It is in showing that which is scorned, all vice and meanness and human frailty, that art has a transformative effect on its audience. Christos Tsiolkas is certainly an author whose work shows scorn its own image. Most of his works reflect those parts of a culture—of Australian culture, of European culture, of Judeo-Christian culture—that often remain hidden: the pornographic, the scatological, the profane. As Tsiolkas himself asserted at the beginning of a 2014 essay in the Los Angeles Review of Books, "I didn't want to write polite books because what I wanted to say was not polite" (qtd. in Zuckerman). Put more bluntly, Jeffrey Zuckerman notes that Tsiolkas's "books...

The Psychedelic Reinterpretation of Corpus Christi by Philip K. Dick

The article discusses the literary search for God as given in the novel The Transmigration of Timothy Archer by Philip K. Dick. Religious, theological and fantastic contexts of the novel are analyzed here. The author also presents some cultural aspects of the novel. Set in late 1960s and 1970s, it is one of the novels in his Valis triptych where the search for God and His hidden essence is fulfilled through traditional theological and philosophical texts of Judeo-Christian culture and gnosis. Its main protagonist, bishop Timothy Archer, is on a quest for uniting man with the infinite divine, coping with the juxtaposition of the official interpretation of religious texts and the newly discovered fragments of Zadokite texts. Studying these texts, Archer gains knowledge of the anokhi fungus, abandons the idea of contacting with God, and focuses on the practice of hallucinogenic communion that gives him the knowledge leading to the most suitable way to avoid the final experience of death. Tracing the shift in the main protagonist’s worldview, the author shows us the dilemmas that a homo religiosus faces in his search of the divine caused by mistranslated texts. This article thus deals with the opposing phenomena of spiritual passivity and practical attitude towards the world, the religious ecstasy the protagonist seeks and the experience of narcotic trance he turns to in the end, and the manipulation of terms ‘body of Christ’ and the Fungus. Still, further research into the ecstatic experience and its role in culture is needed.

DISPOR-DE-SI-MESMO NOTAS SOBRE O MATAR-SE E A POSSIBILIDADE DA VIRTUDE NO SUICÍDIO

EnglishThe objective of this work is to bring on philosophical notes to the important question of “to do away with oneself”, foundation of any exam of suicide and also euthanasia. Beyond the hideous coloring spread around self-killing over the centuries, especially from the Judeo-Christian culture, we try to delineate the possibility of a self-killing as a virtuous expression of being-there (Dasein), the most original truth of presence because the more authentic, which we call “to do away with oneself” or “deciding about oneself” (statuere de se). To carry out this endeavour, we first seek to briefly investigate the various nuances of this concept within Greek thought and then in Roman culture. In the third part of the essay, starting from an effort to appropriate the concept of being- toward-death (Sein zum Tode) and to die (Sterben) - in Martin Heidegger's philosophy - we concentrate our notes and argumentation on a other approach to the subject, emphasizing the possibility of suicide as a decision (Entschlossenheit), that is, a privileged mode of openness (Erschlossenheit) of being-there (Dasein). portuguesO objetivo deste trabalho e aportar notas filosoficas a relevante questao do dispor-de-si-mesmo, fundamento de qualquer exame do suicidio e inclusive da eutanasia. Para alem do colorido macabro disseminado em torno do matar-se ao longo dos seculos, sobremodo a partir da cultura judaico-crista, procuramos delinear a possibilidade de um matar-se como uma expressao virtuosa do ser-ai (Dasein), a verdade mais originaria da presenca porque a mais propria, que chamamos justamente de “dispor-de-si-mesmo” ou “decidir-sobre-si-mesmo” (statuere de se). Para levar a cabo esta empreitada, primeiro, procuramos investigar brevemente as diversas nuances deste conceito no interior do pensamento grego e, depois, na cultura romana. Na terceira parte do ensaio, a partir de um esforco de apropriacao do conceito de ser-para-a-morte (Sein zum Tode) e o morrer (Sterben) - na filosofia de Martin Heidegger - concentramos nossas notas e argumentacao em uma outra aproximacao para o tema, enfatizando a possibilidade do suicidio enquanto decisao (Entschlossenheit), isto e, um modo privilegiado de abertura (Erschlossenheit) do ser-ai (Dasein).

Cross-cultural support for a link between analytic thinking and disbelief in God: Evidence from India and the United Kingdom

AbstractA substantial body of evidence suggests that favoring reason over intuition (employing an analytic cognitive style) is associated with reduced belief in God. In the current work, we address outstanding issues in this literature with two studies examining the relationship between analytic cognitive style (as measured by performance on the Cognitive Reflection Test) and belief in God. First, prior research focused on Judeo-Christian cultures, and it is uncertain whether the results generalize to other religious systems or beliefs. Study 1 helps to address this question by documenting a negative correlation between CRT performance and belief in God, r = −.18, in a sample of 513 participants from India, a majority Hindu country. Second, among 150 participants from the United Kingdom, Gervais et al. (2018) reported the first and (to date) only evidence for a positive relationship between CRT and belief in God. In Study 2, we assess the robustness of this result by recruiting 547 participants from the United Kingdom. Unlike Gervais et al., using the same items, we find a negative correlation between CRT and belief in God (r = −.19). Our results add further support to the argument that analytic thinking undermines belief in God.

The Topo-nomological Discourse in Judeo-Christian Culture: Religious Loopholes and the Practice of the Other

The Topo-nomological Discourse in Judeo-Christian Culture: Religious Loopholes and the Practice of the Other

Impact of Tectonic Activity on Ancient Civilizations: Recurrent Shakeups, Tenacity, Resilience, and Change

Impact of Tectonic Activity on Ancient Civilizations: Recurrent Shakeups, Tenacity, Resilience, and Change

Consanguinity and Charity: A Cultural Study on the Different Fates Between Lanzhi and Ruth

Both The Bride of Jiao Zhongqing and Ruth share the same literary theme: a woman’s fate in ancient societies. Both of them have the same relationship, daughter-in-law and mother. However, the fates of these two daughters-in-law are quite contrary. Their fates have been determined by their societies with different cultural structures. Consanguinity, a preference of a feudal, patriarchal culture, is reflected through Lanzhi’s tragedy while charity, a preference of a Judeo-Christian culture, is reflected through Ruth’s happy end. A social preference relies on the culture: whether the saint or God is regarded as the final determinant of this world.

UMA ECO-FILOSOFIA-LINGUÍSTICA: A RELAÇÃO POVOLÍNGUA- TERRITÓRIO NA FORMAÇÃO DO CONCEITO DE PROPRIEDADE

Nesse trabalho pretendemos demonstrar que a relação de um povo com o seu meio ambiente é fundamental na formação do conceito de propriedade/posse. Comunidades que mantêm relação mais direta com seu meio naturaltêm, tendencialamente, uma ideia de propriedade mais fluida. Nesse caso, o conceito de “posse coletiva” é mais comum do que o de “posse individual”. Em comunidades em que essa relação é mais mediada pela cultura ocorre o inverso, e “o meu” prepondera sobre “o nosso”. Para os fins deste ensaio faremos a análise dos termos linguísticos utilizados para marcar a ideia de posse relativa a plantas, animais e terra em duas culturas distintas: uma representando comunidades que mantêm relação direta com o meio, os indígenas Xerente Akwén, outra representando toda a nossa cultura ocidental. Nesse caso analisaremos alguns termos da Bíblia, tendo como pressuposto que nossa cultura tem por base duas outras, a judaico-cristã ea grega, sendo que a bíblia hebraica representaria uma dessas bases.

"Living in a Shell of Something I'm Not": Transsexuality, Medical Ethics, and the Judeo-Christian Culture.

A surgeon participating in a 2008 congress on the topic of trans-identified people posed the question of whether doctors would have to defend themselves when "judgment day" comes for having employed surgical means to turn men into women or vice versa? What might be viewed as a certain level of (medical) irrationality surrounding transgender life, coupled with widely documented cases of violence directed at these groups may well partly be attributable to the deeply internalized doctrine of creation in Judeo-Christian culture. Objections, however, to the use of transgender medicine "in the name of normalization" cannot relate to the biblical tradition, for there is no normative concept of gender and no text whose scope is to articulate theory of gender. In the vast expanse and freedom of the Judeo-Christian creator there is space for diversity, variations, and, above all, for the development of individual freedom.

On the Use of Language in Individual and Clinical Group Analysis and in Training

The nature of the first language is the subject of many myths and beliefs. It is believed that language is a supernatural gift and the grace of one or many gods. According to the Judeo–Christian culture to which I belong, there is no doubt that the first language was Hebrew. The belief that Hebrew was the original language comes from the text in the first book of Moses: ‘The Lord our God formed every beast of the field and every bird in the sky, and brought them to man to see what he would call them . . . Man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast in the field. And the whole earth was of one language and one speech’ (Genesis 11.1). But when the ‘children of men’ started to build the city and the tower of Babel, God punished their vanity, ‘Let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech’. So the Lord scattered them all over the face of the earth, and they abandoned the building of the city (Genesis 11:7, 8). As we know, communication is the essence of psychotherapy. Linguistic diversity, as the consequence of God’s punishment, could therefore cause much trouble for the therapist and the patient in both individual and group psychotherapy, as they try to communicate and discuss their experience in different languages.

No sertão e na capital, salve Aparecida: peregrinações em Sergipe no tempo presente

ResumoAs peregrinações constituem uma das principais facetas do catolicismo no mundo ocidental. Elas estão presentes na cultura judaico-cristã e em pleno século XXI ainda exercem um papel relevante no processo de congregação de devotos. Este artigo se debruça sobre duas peregrinações devotadas a Nossa Senhora Aparecida em Sergipe, ambas instituídas no primeiro decênio do século XXI. A primeira, designada em 2004, ocorre no sertão sergipano, no município de Nossa Senhora Aparecida. A segunda, criada no mesmo ano, ocorre na periferia da capital sergipana, no Conjunto Bugio, onde há um santuário mariano. Com esse exame, pretendemos entender a constituição, pautada no uso de diferentes linguagens da cultura religiosa, de novos santuários em torno de devoções tradicionais em Sergipe no tempo presente.

Indigenous Spirituality: An Introduction

Social work and social work education are heavily influenced by values, philosophies, and practices of the Judeo–Christian culture of UK, Europe, and North America. With the global population movem...

The darkening spirit: Jung, spirituality, religion

The twenty-first century could well be Jung's century, just as the twentieth century was Freud's. Jung predicted the demise of secular humanism and claimed we would search for alternatives to science, atheism and reason. We would experience a new and even unfashionable appetite for the sacred. Educated people, however, would not return to unreconstructed religions, because these do not express the life of the spirit as discerned by modern consciousness. The sacred has developed a darker hue, and worshipping symbols of light and goodness no longer satisfies the longings of the soul. The new sacred cannot be contained by the formulas of the past, but nor can we live without a sense of the sacred. We stand in a difficult place: between traditional religions we have outgrown and a pervasive materialism we can no longer embrace. These changes in our culture have come sooner than Jung might have imagined. In his time Jung struck many as eccentric or unscientific. But his works speak to our time since we have experienced the full gamut of Jungian transformations: the unsettlement of Judeo-Christian culture, the rise of the feminine, the onslaught of the dark side, the critique of modernism and positivism, and the recognition that the Western ego is neither the pinnacle of evolution nor the lord of creation. A new life is needed beyond the ego, but we do not yet know what it will look like. The outbreak of strong religion and terrorism are signs of the times, but these are expressions of a distorted and repressed spirit, and not, one hopes, genuine pointers to the future. What the future holds is uncertain, but Jung's prophetic vision helps to prepare us for what is to come, and this will be of great interest to analytical psychologists and psychoanalysts, as well as to theologians, futurists, sociologists, and the general reader.

História e mitos indígenas em O Guesa: uma performance escrita da construção literária

O artigo analisa o canto II de O Guesa, poema épico de Sousândrade, abordando a relação da obra com o momento histórico em que foi produzida. O poeta confronta a cultura greco-romana e a judaico-cristã a um substrato que é, fundamentalmente, simbólico-cultural indígena. Assim, o poeta elabora sua própria compreensão da realidade indígena do país, no momento em que o índio, na visão do romantismo, era símbolo da identidade nacional. A abordagem de Sousândrade inscreve-se na dialética relação entre literatura e sociedade (CANDIDO, 2000), mas sua construção literária é uma performance escrita (RAVETTI, 2003), ao tecer uma narrativa no diálogo entre História e mito.