Monotheistic Belief Research Articles

Exploring the links between religiosity and learning motivation, belief in science, and need for cognition: insights from studies on Polish Catholics and atheists

ABSTRACT This article examines the relationships between Catholic religious beliefs and learning motivation among Polish Catholics and atheists. Study 1 (n = 691) found that Catholics exhibited lower learning motivation compared to atheists, a difference linked to a weaker Belief in Science (BIS) and a lower Need for Cognition (NFC). Interestingly, monotheistic beliefs were positively related to learning motivation. To explore this relationship further, based on the similarities between monotheistic beliefs and intrinsic religious orientation, Study 2 focused on Catholics (n = 754) and examined their religious orientation. The results revealed that Catholics’ intrinsic religious orientation was associated with lower BIS, higher NFC, and greater learning motivation, both directly and indirectly. In turn, Catholics’ extrinsic religious orientation correlated with lower NFC. Considering the effect sizes, the mixed findings suggest that although Catholicism is strongly associated with weaker cognitive orientation (learning motivation, BIS, and NFC), certain aspects of Catholic belief, such as belief in a monotheistic God, may be weakly positively related to cognitive outcomes. These findings emphasise the importance of considering specific belief systems and cognitive processes in understanding Catholics’ learning motivation.

The Compassion-Centered Model and Its Constructive Role in the Formation of a Healthy Society in the Light of

Compassion is kindness rooted in appreciation of other human beings as real human beings. Research has been done on these important and constructive educational models of kindness and their constructive role in the formation of a healthy society in the light of the Prophet's way of life. Kindness is one of the important issues. In the field of community education, we can mention skills and characteristics that play a significant role in individual and social relationships based on kindness and attention to people's needs and problems and creating solidarity and responsibility of community members. Although the role of kindness as an educational model in the society has been neglected in the present era, the Quran and hadiths have mentioned it as a source of guidance and human education. This research investigates the concept of compassion and its educational effects from the perspective of the prophetic tradition with a descriptive-analytical method in order to investigate the characteristics and skills of compassion and its educational effects in the fields of belief, emotion, emotional and moral, in individual and social axes, and the culture of compassion to grow in society and focus on it. The results of the research show that compassion is one of the effective and useful personal and social traits that causes the mutual influence of people on each other in the direction of a better life and healing of the soul and spirit. And still, compassion is a set of qualities and skills and has a concept more than kindness and compassion. If after discussion and investigation it can be said that compassion is a person's relationship with God and man himself and It places society and people on the basis of monotheistic belief, love, responsibility, sympathy and empathy. According to this compassion, it has several basic educational roles, including seeing God as present and watching in all stages of life, and seeing Him as the agent of receiving mercy and guidance; And also controlling emotions and feelings and managing human interactions with others and protecting and relieving humans from the pains and pains of others and being kind to them and creating a platform for creating mutual love and good interaction in the community and these are reasons for being human and Muslim. We should keep this religious and human duty alive in our minds so that we can have a society free from unkindness.

Research on Buddhist Cosmology from the Perspective of Religious Comparison

With regard to the assertion of the nature of the world, primitive Buddhism advocates “all phenomena that arise from causes” and opposes the existence of “God” or “Creator”, who created everything in the universe, which is significantly different from monotheistic beliefs such as Brahmanism, Christianity, and Islam and is therefore often called “atheism”. This paper introduces the Buddhist cosmology of Mount Sumeru and the tri-sahasra mahā-sahasra lokadhātu under the perspective of comparative religions and the first human beings who came to this world from the ābhāsvara-deva as recorded in the Buddhist scriptures and explores the question of whether Buddhism is atheistic. It is believed that the key to the debate between Chinese and Western scholars on whether Buddhism is atheistic is the difference in understanding the concept of “God”. Buddhism does not deny the supernatural power of “ghosts and gods”, so its essence is still theism.

Carbon Stock Environment of Mapping Vegetation in UMMAT Education Forest West Rinjani

Indonesia is a country that has a role as carbon sink which is very influential on climate change in the Southeast Asian region, on the island of Lombok there are clusters that stretch forest hills from West Rinjani to East Rinjani. This Forest Protected or Educational Forest which has been controlled has an area of ​​more than 90 hectares with based on Minister Environment and forest Republic Indonesia SK 405/MENLHK/Setjen/PLA.0/6/2016 in couple years ago are diversity of flora and several types of plants and trees. Land fires or forest areas in Mount Rinjani National Park on the eve of the 78th Indonesian independence along the Aik Berik hiking trail were caused by humans or due to negligence. The community thinks about the condition, the destruction as well as the benefits of Protected Forest/Edu Forest, residents have perceptions about carbon storage and the benefits of Protected forest as a carbon store as well as people’s perceptions about climate change that is happening. The Data was obtained systematically have marked 9 plots divers growth stage 20x20 m for tree shape, 10x10m for poles, 5x5m for saplings, 2x2m for seedlings, 1x1m for wet grass. The form of balance and harmony that is still protected by Muslims the bond between human and Allah, and their environment. The Universe of God’s gave gift to manage and maintain it, so that it remains sustainable and good. In the Al-Qur’an it is explicitly stated that all forms of damage that exist on this earth are the result of human activities in interacting with their environment. That the universe was created by Allah as a form of His love for humans. Allah created and this nature for the benefit of humans. Nature is made a verse or a sign of the existence and omnipotence of Allah. Realizing that the universe is God’s creation, then taking care of the earth and preserving it is part of the consequences of this monotheistic belief. The primary data used is hill mapping, settlements and watershed observations of perceptions about carbon storage to vegetation, while the purpose of the activity or research is to carry out an analysis of identifying community perceptions of carbon storage and forest vegetation in Batu Bolong Village.

THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY: INTERPRETATIONS BY MUSLIM SCHOLARS

The aim of this study was to highlight the analysis and the interpretations of the Muslim scholars over the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, emphasizing the relationship between the Christianity and Islam over this concept. The study adopted a comparative and phenomenological approach to study the doctrine of Trinity as it required a comparison of the Christian ideology with the Islamic. The use of the inductive method further helped n collecting and examining scientific material from its sources and analyzing them in the light of the religious texts like the Bible, the Quran and the Sunnah. The study constantly referred to the Quran, and the Sunnah to build the foundation for all criticism of this doctrine. The study revealed that the views and opinions of the Muslim scholars aimed primarily to clarify the doctrine of the Trinity. They unanimously refuted this doctrine of Trinity as having neither any monotheistic meaning nor any authenticity in religious terms. The study concludes that neither the Quran nor the Bible allowed doctrines such as the Trinity to be practiced and believed in. All the Muslim scholars selected for this study denied and exposed the falsehood of the doctrine of Trinity and refuted it logically, calling on people to abandon and cease believing in it. These findings clarified that Jesus was a human prophet sent by Allah and ascribing him the status of a god is against the monotheistic belief of both Islam and Christianity.

Religious Inscriptions from Southern Arabia

Ancient religions and worship still constitute a fertile field for study and research, and various historical sources are still full of materials that can be studied with a serious inductive method. Since we have inscriptions in Musnad script from the IVth century AD indicating the emergence of a monotheistic religious pattern in southern Arabia, the present research aims to shed light on these inscriptions and what they recorded about this monotheistic belief as it was expressed in the worship of a god known as Rah. man.

The Importance and Meaning of the Shema, the Expression of Monotheistic Belief in Judaism

Tanrı’nın bir olduğu, eşinin ve benzerinin olmadığı hususu bütün Yahudilerin iman etmesi gereken bir inançtır. Yahudilikte bu inancı ifade eden cümle ve bununla alakalı olup devamında gelen ve Tanrı’nın sevilmesinden bahseden cümle Tevrat’ta geçmekte olup Şema olarak bilinmektedir. Esasen Şema, Tevrat’ın muhtelif yerlerinde yer alan üç metinden oluşmaktadır. Yahudi din adamları bu üç metin arasındaki bağlantıyı fark ederek bunları bir araya getirmişlerdir. Böylece bir bütünlük kazanan Şema, kendine özgü ayrı bir mahiyet kazanmıştır. Bu çalışmada ise Şema’nın çalışmanın başlığını da yansıtan en önemli cümlesi Tesniye 6/4 (Dinle ey İsrail! Tanrımız Rab tek Rab’dir) ve bununla yakın ilgisi olan Tesniye 6/5 (Tanrımız Rab’bi bütün yüreğinizle, bütün canınızla, bütün gücünüzle seveceksiniz) cümlesi üzerinde durulmuştur. Bunların dışındaki metinler çalışmanın kapsamı dışında tutulmuştur. Şema, birtakım tartışmaların neticesinde, II. yüzyılın sonlarına doğru ilgili metinlerin bir araya getirilmesiyle oluşturulmuş ve bir bütün halinde günümüze kadar söylenegelmiştir. Şema okuması, Yahudi hayatındaki en kutsal ve en önemli uygulamadır. Zira Şema Yahudi amentüsünün özü kabul edilmektedir. Şema, bir duadan daha çok Yahudi imanının ikrarı’dır. Yahudi inancına göre Şema, Tanrı ile Yahudilerin Sina dağındaki diyaloglarına işaret etmektedir. Bu bağlamda Şema, Tanrı’nın çağrısı ve Yahudilerin bu çağrıya verdiği cevaptır. Şema aynı zamanda Yahudiler için politik bir söylemdir. Yahudilerin son nefeslerine kadar Şema’yı dillerinden hiç düşürmedikleri anlatılmaktadır. Nitekim Yahudi kimliğine ait bütün izler kaybolsa dahi Şema’nın Yahudi hafızasındaki yerini muhafaza edeceğine dikkat çekilmektedir. Nitekim Yahudiler en zor şartlarda dahi çocuklarına Şema’yı öğretmişlerdir. Öte yandan Şema’nın Yahudi hastalara manevi destek sağlamak amacıyla kullanıldığı da bilinmektedir. Şema’nın ilk kelimelerinin iyileştirici vasfının yanında koruyucu bir gücü olduğu kabul edilmektedir. Şema’nın ilk cümlesi olan “Dinle, ey İsrail! Tanrımız Rab tek Rab’dır” ifadesinde geçen “Dinle”, itaatkâr bir dinlemeyi kastetmektedir. Dinlemek, hassas bir şekilde dikkatlice dinleyip konu hakkında düşünmek, anlamak ve idrak etmek anlamlarına da gelmektedir. Zira dinleyen kişi, konuşanın sadece sözlerini duymakla kalmayıp o sözlerin altında yatan derin anlamların da farkında olur. Şema’da geçen “İsrail” kelimesinden kasıt ise Musa’nın “Tanrı’nın birliğini işitmeleri” için çağırdığı bütün Yahudi milletidir. Şema’nın ilk cümlesi aynı zamanda Yahudilikteki monoteist inancı da açıkça ifade etmektedir: “Tanrı tektir”. Yahudi düşüncesinde monoteizm, Yahve’den başka bir tanrının olmadığı anlamına gelmektedir. Şema’nın şu ikinci cümlesi (Tesniye 6/5) de sıkça tekrar edilmektedir: “Tanrımız Rab’bi bütün yüreğinizle, bütün canınızla, bütün gücünüzle seveceksiniz.” Bu ifade bir Yahudi’nin Tanrı’nın rızasını gözetmesi gerektiğini belirtmesinin yanı sıra Tanrı ile arasında sevgiye dayalı bir ilişki geliştirmesi gerektiğini de vurgulamaktadır. Yahudi inancına göre Tanrı’yı sevmek bir ibadettir. Tanrı’nın birliğinin kabul edilmesi, Tanrı’nın sevilmesini zorunlu kılmaktadır. Genel olarak kabul edilen görüşe göre burada kastedilen sevgi soyut değil somut bir sevgi olmalıdır. Somut sevginin ise “Tanrı’nın şeriatına itaat” gibi sadakatin somut bir işareti olması gerekmektedir. Öte yandan, Tanrı’yı “bütün yüreğinle” seveceksin ifadesi duygusal olduğu kadar bilişsel unsurları da kapsayacak şekilde bir Yahudi’nin bütün tutkularına işaret etmektedir. Ayrıca “bütün gücünle seveceksin” emriyle Yahudilerden sahip oldukları mal varlıklarını Tanrı için feda edebilecek kadar Tanrı’yı sevmeleri istenmektedir. Ancak yapılacak fedakârlığın hangi boyutta olması gerektiği tartışma konusudur. Bu hususta dile getirilen en uç görüşe göre Yahudilerden gerek inançları gerekse Tanrı’ya olan sevgileri için sahip oldukları bütün maddi varlıklarından vazgeçmeleri istenmektedir.

Menyelami Simbolisme pada Kisah Nabi Ibrahim dalam Al-Qur’an

In the Qur'an, there is a narrative about a prophet named Ibrahim. The purpose of this research is to analyze the symbolic meanings included in that account. This type of research is qualitative and focuses on the study of literature while adopting a semiotic strategy. The presentation of this research covers the themes of the Qur'an and semiotics, the structure that supports the birth of the narrative of Prophet Ibrahim AS, and the symbols revealed in the story of Prophet Ibrahim AS in the Qur'an. [Covering the issues of the Qur'an and semiotics] This study comes to the conclusion that the Qur'an gives rise to components of the tale of Prophet Ibrahim AS in the form of conversational language and moral precepts that would be imparted. Specifically, these aspects include: Specifically, the social structure adheres to a monotheistic belief system. The sole purpose of the numerous descriptions included in the Qur'an is to present the concept of Allah as a unitary being. It is impossible to separate the tale of Prophet Ibrahim AS from other aspects, like as his background, because those aspects serve as the foundation for the wonderful moral teachings that are derived from his story. As a result, the Qur'an provides instruction on how to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet Ibrahim (AS) via his struggles and tenacity, while also avoiding the misguidance and foolishness that were perpetrated by his people during that period. Academically and practically speaking, it is hoped that this research will have a significant impact on activists who have an interest in the Qur'an and semiotics. Only one of the stories found in the Qur'an is analyzed in this particular research. This research leads to the conclusion that it is possible to develop a more in-depth and up-to-date semiotic analysis of the stories found in the Qur'an by basing it especially on the Qur'anic exegesis literature.

Tauhid Education in Surah Luqman Ayat 12-19 (Review of The Book of Tafsir Al Munir by Wahbah Az Zuhaili)

This article discusses monotheistic education in Surah Luqman verses 12-19 explains teaching in children. This research was conducted by studying Surah Luqman. This type of research is included in library research (library research), researching library materials/literature related to research problems. The subject of this research is the Qur'an. At the same time, the object is the method of monotheistic education according to the Qur'an surah Luqman verses 12-19 in the perspective of tafsir Al-Munir by Wahbah Az-Zuhaili. Based on the research results in Surah Luqman verses 12-19 is an important role in building the growth of the fruit of the heart (child) by becoming an individual with great morals. Luqman made a solid educational foundation as the foundation of the existence of a Muslim in the form of monotheistic beliefs. Luqman warned his son not to use shirk to tarnish the monotheistic faith. Luqman even stated that shirk is a severe injustice. Luqman also instilled the respect given to his parents, who had cared for, taught, and even lovingly directed him. The need to treat both parents well is shown by setting the procedure to treat both parents well following the teachings of monotheism. Luqman instilled the piety of mahdhah in his social life, such as prayer and Amar ma'ruf nahi munkar, and adorned himself with noble morals and avoided low morals. Luqman's teachings are implemented with awareness of the power of Allah SWT and with love and affection, avoiding violence and coercion.

Ibn Sina’s Theory of the Soul: A Taxonomy of Islamic Education

Ibn Sina’s theory of the soul possesses a logical-metaphysical categorisation of that concept, which allows for the designing of a new taxonomy of educational objectives. Its unique alteration of Aristotelian philosophy creates both an understanding of the natural relationship between categories, species, varieties, etc., and powerful inventive philosophical arguments and principles supporting the structural basis of monotheistic belief (tawhid). When speaking of the goals and objectives of the contemporary Islamic educational world, this approach also embraces the demands of the twenty-first century knowledge economy and the holistic development of the human being, enabling people to become critical, creative, innovative, and ethical without leaving religion behind. However, the new scene has created volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity among educators as to how to liaise the new curriculum and apply new assessment methods in their classrooms. This study intends to develop a taxonomy that will enable curriculum designers and Islamic educators to easily identify hierarchal and categorical human faculties and relate them to specific curricular objectives, proper classroom assessments, and suitable teaching methods. The taxonomy is designed using a philosophical-descriptive analysis of Ibn Sina’s theory of the soul and a logic-argumentative description of his human categorisation. The end result is a prototype taxonomy for future validity evaluation.

Design and validation of Quranic model, Validity of hope therapy with integrated monotheistic treatment approach

Introduction: In the Holy Quran, hope and hope for the future have been spoken about many times and in different ways. In general, the study of the concept of hope shows that hope in any case, means waiting to achieve the goal, is accompanied by effort. In recent years, to achieve such a goal, especially in Iran, they use integrated monotheistic therapy. The aim of this study was to design and validate the Quranic-narrative model of hope therapy with an integrated monotheistic treatment approach. Methods: This study is a combined method (qualitative and quantitative) of exploratory type. Statistical sample in qualitative section 48 people were selected by purposive sampling method and in quantitative section 313 people were selected by relative stratified sampling method. The research tool was a semi-structured checklist and interview in the qualitative part and a researcher-made questionnaire in the quantitative part. In the process of research, the literature of hope in the Qur'an and narrations and psychological sources were studied and the indicators of hope and hope therapy were extracted from this literature. Finally, the appropriateness of the indicators with the structures and the structures with the stages of the existing models were measured. Free coding was used to analyze the qualitative part of the information and confirmatory factor analysis was used in the quantitative part of the exploratory factor analysis. Results: The findings indicate the extraction of the Quranic-narrative model of hope therapy in 4 stages, 8 steps, 15 components and 75 items. Stages and components of the model: Step 1) Understanding the meaning and destination of monotheistic hope (expecting something beloved from God / benevolence from God / peace before God / desire for truth - hereafter hope / worldly hope), step 2) Determining the paths of monotheistic hope ( Positive attitude to solving problems / understanding needs and desires / creating monotheistic behavior), stage 3) giving meaning to monotheistic hope (strengthening faith and belief / performing rituals and worship / hope to attract divine mercy and gifts / hope for piety and divine guidance) and Step 4) Integration of monotheistic beliefs and behavior (integration of beliefs and behavior). Conclusion: Considering the appropriateness of hope therapy models and the model presented in this study, it can be said that the current model is effective for the treatment of despair.

Re-Examining the Anatomy of Islamic Psychotherapy and Counselling: Envisioned and Enacted Practices

Islam is a major world religion and is considered one of the Abrahamic, monotheistic faiths, focusing on monotheistic beliefs. The population of Muslims is estimated to be over one billion people and it is a heterogeneous rather than homogeneous community. Muslim communities are made of different races, ethnic groups’ nationalities, and cultures across the globe and united by their common Islamic faith. There has been an exponential growth of Muslim communities in most countries of the West and Southern hemispheres. This growth has resulted in an increased prevalence of psychosocial and mental health problems leading to a demand for psychotherapeutic and mental health services. The increased mental health problems among the Muslim communities have brought new challenges to therapists to provide a non-Eurocentric therapy approach based on the worldview of their Muslim clients. It is argued that mainstream psychology has lost its ‘soul’ and is largely devoid of the psycho-spiritual concerns of its clients. The therapeutic interventions of mainstream therapies, based upon a mono-cultural perspective, are failing to meet the holistic needs of Muslims. Based on the increasing recognition of the need to provide holistic therapy, a new paradigm shift is needed in the development of Islamic psychotherapy and counselling.

PESAN DAKWAH HASAN AL-BANNA DALAM BUKU MAJMUA’AT AL-RASAIL

This article analyzes the massage of Hasan Al-Banna preaching in the book Majmu’at al-Rasail relating to the aqeedah, sharia, and morals, the study uses critical discourse analysis method of Norman Fairclough with an emphasis on the background of sosial situation until the massage of da’wah was formulated. The result of the reaserch show that the massage of da’wah in the book Majmu’at al-Rasail can be explained, among other: the massage of the faith in theological discourse, the massage of sharia in the discourse of power and the moral massage in the discourse of social relations. The monotheistic belief system must be able to provide the divine spirit in all dimensions of life. The spirit grow out of true, pure, clean faith from the element of shirk to God; the sharia system requires applicable law according to the teaching of Islam, focusing on a number of social and political problems that it the country of Egypt after the destruction of the Ottoman Caliph wich fell into British hands. The massage of Hasan al-Banna’s preaching was oriented toward reforming the living system wich was damaged by colonialism and desirous of returning it to the Islamic system.

The Salience and Substance of Spiritual Leadership

The binary construct “spiritual-leadership” is a challenge to explain and a conundrum to unravel. Its inscrutability lies within our intrinsic nature and is, as we know, malleable, succumbing to cultural as well as value relativity. The spiritual lies deeply within our mental environment swaying perception, memory, judgment, reasoning, and volition. Few doubt the importance of the spiritual, but its substance is often ill-defined yielding more to religious belief and emotion than rational validation. Its entwinement with monotheistic belief appears to limit its more widespread application. Practically, the question is how the spiritual functions to expand and clarify our knowledge of values-based leadership; that is, what is its cognitive as well as its moral value.

The Trace of Stones

This article examines how a collection of stone tools excavated and classified as prehistorical in 1926 in today’s KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) were made into scientific objects through their relationswith various knowledge systems in South Africa, Germany, Austria and the Vatican. In these places, they became involved in the production of knowledge about themselves and the temporality in which they were located. Thus, through their encounter with a South African archaeologist, they moved into an archaeological narrative that was contemporary with the project to racially hierarchize South African populations, while in the realm of the Catholic influenced Kulturkreislehre, they were supposed to help support a theory about the origin of monotheistic beliefs.

Echad: A D’var Torah on Parshat Vaetchanan

This talk explores two mysteries about the Shema, the great motto of Judaism, which begins “Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad.” The first mystery is familiar. What does it mean to say “Adonai Echad”, which literally means something like “God One”? The most familiar translation of the phrase is “God is one,” thus understanding it as a declaration of monotheistic belief. But this customary interpretation is both trivial and misleading. Some Biblical scholars translate the phrase as “God alone” so that it is a vow of loyalty to only one God. Or it might mean “God is unique.” Jewish mystics have taken “Adonai Echad” to be a token of the Unity between God and the universe. Or, as I suggest, Echad might be one of the names of God, a descriptive name to be sure, but not merely a description. The second mystery is why the first paragraph of the Shema is the piece of scripture inscribed in mezuzot and included (along with other passages) in tefillin. The standard answer is that these are the very passages that describe the commandments of mezuzot and tefillin. But we’re so used to this that we might not realize how odd it is. These are instructions about how to remember and memorialize God’s commandments. And we claim to obey those instructions by reciting and inscribing and packaging the instructions. In some sense, the Shema is like a Quine, a self-replicating computer program, or like an Escher staircase that goes up and up and lands on itself. It is an infinite regress. The talk tries to connect these two mysteries of the Shema to each other, and then to the commandments to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves.

Kajian Struktural-Semiotik Ian Richard Netton terhadap Q.S. Al-Kahf

This paper describes the structural-semiotic perspective of Ian Richard Netton towards the Qur’anic interpretation of Surah al-Kahf. The analysis departs from the theory of “surah as a whole”, means that a surah of the Qur’an is a collection of the interconnected units. Netton does not provide a thorough interpretation of surah al-Kahf, he only focuses on four stories narrated therein. He argues that the stories in surah al-Kahf contain archetypes and theologemes, and the core of this surah is chaos and harmony. He further stated that every chaos will always be followed by harmony which comes from God’s intervention. On the other hand, I also compare Netton’s interpretation with the structural-thematic approach initiated by Muh}ammad al-Ghazālī . In contrast to Netton, al-Ghazālī concluds that the essence of surah al-Kahf is to establish monotheistic beliefs.

Linguistic creativity in the words of Imam Ali ()

After this study, in the words of the Commander of the Faithful, I wanted to summarize the most important findings of the study: No one denies that the words of Imam Ali (B) are words that represent the truest manifestations of creativity. This is why his reasons are summarized as follows:His soul had never been infected with atheistic beliefs or other than the monotheistic belief before, so it accepted Islam with eagerness and sincerity.The Bani Hashem boy was raised in the homes of eloquence and eloquence, and in the tribe of eloquence and eloquence, and in the most eloquent environment of those who uttered adverbs, so he learned his qualities and virtues and gained from his logic what he acquired. Reasons to say he has and contented himself with the inexhaustible spring, which is the Holy Quran.You study in the greatest school in history (the Qur’an school),

Mystical and monotheistic motives in ancient Chinese “Book of Songs”

The purpose of the article is to explore main mystic and monotheistic motives in Chinese ancient “Book of Songs”. The historical circumstances of its genesis, including the hypothetical reconstruction of ancient Chinese beliefs and the intellectual atmosphere of the studied period are observed. The article explores the main religious themes in ancient Chinese poetry, especially in the part of Hymns and part of Big and Small Odes in the “Book of Songs”.This paper tries to systemize main mystic motives in ancient Chinese Poetry. Also one of the most important tasks of this article is to study ancient Chinese monotheistic believes. The focus is on the concept of Heaven as the reflection of the highest mystic power in ancient Chinese literature and the role of the cult of Heaven in ancient China. The heaven power is personalized by figure of the Heaven Emperor, who is believed to be the world ruler in cognitive conceptual system of the Book of Songs. The urgency of the paper concerns the analysis of the structure of the “Book of Songs” and the history of its current version (“Mao Shi”). In particular it is important to systematize all hymns and songs that include mystical motifs and monotheistic component of the classical ancient Chinese culture.The Book of Songs contains the key monotheistic motives of the cult of Heaven and it’s emperor, the legend about the contact of ancient Chinese princes with higher heavenly powers, the heavenly emperor, which is the source of monotheistic and theistic beliefs in the culture of ancient China. Poetry “Book of Songs” greatly influenced the further development of Chinese literature, literature in the countries of the Far East, Central and Southeast Asia. The observing of this influence is a perspective direction for further scientific research.

Comparing Byzantine and Arabic poetry: Introductory remarks

Older generations of modern critics pronounced negative assessments of both Byzantine and Arabic poetry for lacking originality and creativity. Further, medieval readers of Greek and Arabic presumably could not properly understand the content of this poetry because they were too focused on its vocabulary, grammatical points, and rhetorical tropes. On occasion, modern critics have suggested that medieval Arabic culture possessed no literary criticism and that Byzantine culture in effect possessed no belles lettres. Recent positive re-evaluations in both disciplines either propose to take medieval Greek and Arabic poetic and literary texts in their own terms or analyse them in order to show that they possess characteristics valued by modernity. Arabic poetry has been much more widely studied than its Byzantine counterpart because both medieval and modern Arabic literary critics were interested in it as a repository of Arab cultural heritage. Modern judgements regarding the relation between the poetry of the pre-Christian and the pre-Islamic periods and the poetry produced within the time of monotheistic belief were frequently influenced by modern political realities, and especially calls for increased secularization pronounced both in Europe and the Ottoman empire. Detecting analogies in how medieval Greek and Arabic literary cultures have been assessed by modernity can help identify modern prejudices that obstruct more productive approaches to the medieval literary material. The paper also examines the process whereby older pagan classics were preserved and made to serve the needs in two medieval monotheistic societies, the Byzantine and the Arabic one.