Public Square Research Articles

Karl Gaspar’s Transformative Spirituality: Rediscovering Precolonial Philippine Spirituality and Its Challenges to Contemporary Filipino Pentecostal Spiritualities

Karl Gaspar’s Transformative Spirituality: Rediscovering Precolonial Philippine Spirituality and Its Challenges to Contemporary Filipino Pentecostal Spiritualities

Do We Know How to Sacrifice?

Do We Know How to Sacrifice?

You Are Invited to a Masked Ball P.S.: Do Not Wear a Mask

You Are Invited to a Masked Ball P.S.:Do Not Wear a Mask David Caldwell (bio) Rob Reiner's 1987 movie The Princess Bride tells the story of a princess, memorably named Buttercup, who is kidnaped and rescued. Fans of the film will recall that Princess Buttercup's abductors are a lovably inept trio of villains, and that her savior in dogged pursuit of the band is a mysterious man in black. His outfit includes a black mask. Genuinely curious, one of the kidnapers, a giant named Fezzik, asks his pursuer, "Why are you wearing a mask? Were you burned with acid, or something like that?" The man in black replies, "Oh no, it's just that they're terribly comfortable. I think everyone will be wearing them in the future." More than thirty years later, the prophetic nature of that whimsical dialogue enhances enjoyment of it, though many would claim it was a bit off in its assessment of comfort level. However, the prediction of universal face coverage resonates no less during the Covid-19 pandemic than does a bit of advice that Fezzik gives his fellow accomplice Inigo Montoya elsewhere in the film. As Montoya prepares to engage their pursuer in a sword fight, he tells his friend. "You be careful. People in masks cannot be trusted." In addition to the role of the mask in various health practices over time, representations in popular culture, theater, literary prose, and eventually in film provide a revealing account of human masking and unmasking over the centuries. America's tumult of mistrust and apprehension over pandemic face coverings in 2020 has unfolded as the latest chapter in the history of humans alternately covering their faces and leaving them unmasked. In particular, a selective examination of masking in other times, both in historical context and in the virtual venues of literature, reveals much about American society since the election of Donald Trump. In The Princess Bride the man in black, played by Cary Elwes, makes his way up the Cliffs of Insanity, through the Fire Swamp, [End Page 199] and into the Pit of Despair--fantasy destinations that again scream metaphorical comparisons to 2020. This tour, however, first provides historical context, then drops in on a couple of exceptionally garish masked balls from 19th and 20th century literature. They are the type of festivity that would be inconceivable for a non-literary party planner. Similarly, prior to the ascendancy of Donald Trump in politics, the unprecedented spectacle of his administration could scarcely have been conceived outside of fantasy. While the Pit of Despair is not a destination on this overview of mask culture, we will drop by 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Masks are optional there. Humans have always found reasons to cover their faces, whether as a means of expression or as a tool for concealment. Even the use of masks as protective equipment by various professions in the technological age has historical precedence. Beginning in the 17th century, European plague doctors wore beaked visors with glass eye coverings to protect themselves from miasma, the putrid and supposedly infectious air that was believed to cause the disease. In some European cities and towns, including many where a memorial plague column dominates the public square, historical epidemics remain a part of the cultural fabric. For example in Venice today, replicas of the plague mask are sold as curiosities. Medieval Venice is a particularly instructive example of pandemic response, due to its development of the forty-day quarantine for incoming ships and their crews on two outlying islands, a prerequisite for permission to disembark in the harbor. The word quarantine derives from the Italian term for forty days, quaranta giorni. Between plagues, Venice´s embrace of mask-wearing has historically found a less macabre outlet in costume balls that highlight what is called "cosplay" today. During Carnival season in particular, elaborately decorative face coverings are a staple of Venetian galas. The social convention of the masked ball emerged during the Middle Ages, around the same time as the first epidemics. Though the two phenomena are not necessarily related, their separate deployment of masks is enlightening. After the emergence of the plague...

Crateús na luta contra o racismo: reflexões docentes de uma atividade em espaço educativo não-formal

O presente trabalho versa sobre uma experiência pedagógica intitulada “Crateús na luta contra o racismo”, realizada em um espaço educativo não-formal, em dezembro de 2018, no município de Crateús/CE. Tem como objetivo abordar os conceitos de preconceito, racismo e intolerância e apresentar os aparatos legais brasileiros que versam sobre a igualdade e a dignidade da pessoa humana, como a Constituição Federal de 1988, a Lei “Caó” e o Estatuto da Igualdade Racial. No âmbito educacional destaca a importância da Lei 11.645/2008 que inclui no currículo oficial da rede de ensino a obrigatoriedade da temática História e Cultura Afro-Brasileira e Indígena. Através de uma pesquisa descritiva, com abordagem qualitativa, este artigo traz à baila reflexões sobre o evento, que aconteceu em praça pública e foi pensado, construído e realizado por representantes de diversas Instituições e destinado a toda a população. A atividade teve como objetivo gerar uma reflexão sobre a temática do racismo e o necessário movimento de resistência e luta para afirmação, consolidação e ampliação de direitos da população negra. Utilizar espaços que não sejam a sala de aula e privilegiar outros atores no processo de ensino e aprendizagem que não sejam professor e aluno, se mostraram potencializadores na realização de ações reflexivas e educativas.

Bench over Ballot: The Fight for Judicial Supremacy and the New Constitutional Politics, 1910–1916

AbstractThe nature of American constitutional politics was forever changed during the Progressive Era. In the nineteenth century, the process of constitutional interpretation was a vague and decentralized enterprise balanced between the courts and the public square. The meaning of the Constitution was decided as much at the polls or on the battlefield as in court opinions. This balance started to give way at the turn of the century as federal courts began asserting greater authority in the definition of constitutional bounds. “Bench over Ballot” illustrates how the assertion of judicial supremacy in the Progressive Era precipitated a fight that upended the traditional dynamic of American politics. Populist-progressives championed the people's ultimate right to correct judicial decisions while traditionalist-conservatives stood for judicial supremacy to ensure a “government of laws.” The outcome of the political battle in 1912 was a consensus between Wilsonian progressives and Taftian conservatives in favor of judicial supremacy that banished the notion of popular supremacy and transformed the nature of constitutional politics from a popular, decentralized process to a vicious battle over the personal composition of the bench—a phenomenon deeply familiar over a century later.

Occurrence of geohelminths in the soil of public squares in Rio Branco, Acre State, Brazilian Western Amazon

Soil contamination by dog and cat feces can become a public health problem due to the transmission of various etiologic agents that cause zoonoses. This study aimed to verify the occurrence of geohelminths in the soil of some public square areas of the municipality of Rio Branco, Acre State, Western Brazilian Amazon. Five public squares were selected, and soil samples collection was performed from April 2014 to March 2015. The samples were processed by using the Baermann-Moraes and centrifugal‑flotation methods. Geohelminths positivity was of 25% for Toxocara spp., 6.6% for the Ancylostomatoidea Superfamily and 1.6 for Trichuris spp.. Measures should be implemented to prevent the free access of animals to these places, as well as deworming of stray dogs and cats and the implementation of population control and policies for such animals.

Masterpiece Cakeshop and the Foundations of Free Speech and Toleration

Abstract What do Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd v Colorado Civil Rights Commission, other leading cases from the USA, Canada, and the UK, and Teresa Bejan’s concept of ‘mere civility’, teach us about free speech and toleration? This article seeks to answer that question and suggest a path forward that allows people with deep disagreements about fundamental social and moral issues to live peaceably together despite their differences. This article defends two primary claims: First, ‘mere civility’ is complimentary to a broader legal argument for protecting the freedom of all members of a society to espouse and live out their views within the context of the public square and marketplace; and Second, compelling speech (or agreement) under the guise of civility endangers liberty and genuine equality. When freedom is properly protected, ‘mere civility’ is the natural result, while attempts to achieve something more than ‘mere civility’ invariably jeopardize freedom.

Islamic Values of the Northern Town Square of the Yogyakarta Sultanate

Since the end of the 13th century during the era of the Majapahit Kingdom, the Public Square or town square has always become part of the kingdom. The square is a manifestation of public space, an integral part of the spatial layout of the royal capital. This concept was later adopted by cities in Indonesia, which provides an open space right in front of the palace or government office. Public squares as public spaces can play various roles in enhancing the quality of urban life, especially to express the social economic and environmental values. This paper aims to solely focus on the northern town square located inside the palace complex, especially by addressing the Islamic values of the northern town square of the Yogyakarta Sultanate using qualitative approaches in terms of its social economic and environmental aspects. Primary data were directly obtained from the research location by taking some photographs, field observation, and notes, while secondary data were derived from the literature and the Internet. The research suggests that the northern town square serves as the symbol and manifestation of not only the media to relate mankind to God but also the media to relate mankind to nature. In terms of mankind-to-God relation, the northern town square serves as a place for Eid prayers every year, including the Eid Fitr and the Eid Adha. Also, some annual events like the Sekaten are held every year to commemorate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. The Sekaten Fun Fair to celebrate the birth of the Prophet highlights the Islamic values related to social economic and tourism activities. In the context of northern town square landscape, the element of 64-banyan trees around the northern town square symbolizes the age of the Prophet Muhammad. This tree concept has been successfully protected the environment around the northern town square and serves as a public open space in the city of Yogyakarta.

Unmasking Islamophobia: Anti-Muslim Hostility and/as White Supremacy

AbstractThis article considers the twenty-first century enforcement of Georgia’s Anti-Masking Act as a site of confluence for American white supremacy and American anti-Muslim hostility. Extending Judith Weisenfeld’s theory of religio-raciality, I argue that contemporary American white supremacy might best be understood as a religio-racial force, evidenced in part through anastrophic law enforcement. As seen in the application of Georgia’s Anti-Masking Act, laws initially instituted to deter religio-racial terror in the public square now also work to publicly discipline non-white, non-Christian bodies as well as any who would overtly challenge the supremacy of American whiteness. This case study demonstrates the importance of understanding anti-Muslim hostility as informed but not exhausted by racism.

Apuntes sobre la ritual expulsión del mal en la plaza pública y edición de <em>El antojo de la gallega</em>, mojiganga de Francisco de Castro

Es ésta una edición de la mojiganga autógrafa e inédita de Francisco de Castro que lleva por título El antojo de la gallega. La pieza tiene la peculiaridad de presentar en escena el despedazamiento del Gran Turco, que aparece aquí como una variante de la partición y aserramiento de la vieja que simbolizaba la Cuaresma. Se alude, asimismo, a otras degollaciones y ahorcamientos similares, no carentes de contenido ideológico, si bien entroncan con las rituales eliminaciones del mal en la plaza pública en tiempo de fiesta.

Native dignity

ABSTRACT The article presents a reading of the painting Native Dignity (1860) by Anglo-Australian artist S T Gill. In treating the painting first as an artefact, the article shows how a discourse of dignity is embedded in it, in a way that registers its constituent understandings, anxieties, and contradictions. The result is a genealogy of ‘native dignity’ that traces its movement between Europe and Australia – a movement that reveals its terrible cost for Aboriginal peoples. While the price of ‘native dignity’ might not have been apparent in Europe, in the searing antipodal light it became all too clear that the concept, which was supposed to uphold the dignity of all humans, upheld only the dignity of European Man; that this supposedly natural property remained an artificial one that Aboriginal peoples could possess only if remade in the image of the European. If that is what the painting reveals when analysed as an artefact, then just as important is what it reveals when seen as an artwork. Here the article shows how the contradiction that lingered in ‘native dignity’ was innervated by the painting – how Native Dignity confronted its European audiences with nerve-force, revealing like a harlequin in a public square the underbelly of European Man’s native dignity.

THE POLITICS OF DISSENT: THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THE CONFLICT IN NORTHERN IRELAND

The conflict in Northern Ireland altered the way in which the Catholic Church in the region behaved in the public square. The main proponent of this was Cardinal Cahal Daly, the only bishop to have served throughout the troubles in Northern Ireland. This article will explore the methods he used before illustrating their implementation by examining his work on prisoners and human rights. It will argue that human flourishing and dignity lay at the heart of all of the Catholic Church’s interventions in the public square.

Arachne’s Loom: A public art drawing for Porto Design Biennale 2019

The essay claims that a substantial part of contemporary drawing research has worked on the conceptual boundaries of what drawing is or when it takes place. It reports on a piece of public art on the limits of drawing that illustrates contemporary research issues based on drawings as elements or substantial parts of installations, public art, urban interventions, performances, unconventional media and materials. The piece – Arachne’s Loom – was an installation of 1500 m of black fibre-optic cable displayed across an artificial lake connecting a public library building to five computer heads. It was paired with a wind turbine blade placed in a public square – The Children of Eos – and the two together were presented under the title Hard Design. Curating this intervention was an opportunity to explore in a practical way issues that interweave the materiality/immateriality of graphic elements and that have been an important part of the author’s previous work. The wind turbine blade and cables installed in public spaces set up a number of polarities, two of which are relevant for drawing research: monuments vs. festivals and shapes vs. shapeless. Within the first polarity, a symbolic foundation for public art rooted in ancient myths is discussed. Particular attention is given to the power of Arachne’s myth as a cautionary narrative connected to the origins of both figurative and abstract drawing. Within the second polarity, in opposition to the wind blade’s distinct, ‘pure’ form, the rhizomatic structure of a web-like network of fibre-optic cables is explored in the context of drawing research. The text links philosophical rhizomes, real rhizomes, representations of rhizomes and visual allusions to rhizomes with public art, drawing, drawing as process, the World Wide Web and its extensions. The epilogue frames the piece within Nelson Goodman’s aesthetics, suggesting that further research into the work of this philosopher may open interesting paths for drawing theory.

AN UNSTEADY ‘WALL OF SEPARATION’: A FEW CONSIDERATIONS

This is a polemical essay concerning the "wall of separation" between church and state in the United States of America. The author observes that there is a political struggle between defenders of religion, primarily Christians, on the one hand, and secularists on the other. Typical reasons given by secularists for a hard and fast division between church and state, and/or religion and politics, are historical, constitutional, and cultural. Underlying all of these reasons perhaps is the idea that faith is cognitively inferior to knowledge and therefore has no place in the public square. The author vigorously contests each aspect of the secularists' position and explores in further detail the epistemological distinctions between faith and knowledge.

‘Digital due process’: a need for online justice

Social media platforms have evolved into the ‘modern public square’—with all the legal complexities involved. Public discourse, free speech and global online crime prevention are all at present under extreme pressures, due—ironically—to both significant over-blocking and under-blocking by social media platforms. At the one end of the spectrum, user-generated content is far too often subject to robo-takedowns.1 At the other extreme, clearly criminal activities such as online child sexual abuse run rampant and is not blocked nearly enough throughout the world.2 These two extremes are to a great extent caused by an inadequate and unbalanced content moderation and legal architecture developed by the digital gatekeepers. Moreover, the manner in which the Internet’s so-called ‘attention merchants’ and ‘surveillance capitalists’ abuse personal privacy through the data-harvesting and micro-targeting of individuals who gather in the ‘modern public squares’ is of enormous public concern internationally.3 There is a clear and present need to ensure justice is done within the international digital community as evidenced by the public outcry on these fundamental issues as they play out on the world’s social media platforms. ‘Digital due process’ might form the basis of an online infrastructure to restore fundamental freedoms and support the rule of law in the digital world.

Keeping Faith in the Public Square: An Autobiographical and Contextual Approach

How do we live authentically as a people of faith within our secularized societies? The challenges to public representations of faith underline the tension between personal expression and corporate identity. This article argues for engagement in the public square that signifies being present in positive social action and change. Charles Mathewes's A Theology of Public Life offers a useful lens through which to interrogate this argument. Through biblical examples, we recognize the epicenter of this notion of engagement as relational, at an individual and a collective level. Faith intersecting with the public square emphasizes the recognition of the other and of their need, as well as our own identity as a people called to bear witness. This article explores this integrated and holistic approach that decompartmentalizes faith and affirms its rightful location in the public square.

Are religious people intolerant?

Abstract The central question in this article is: ‘Are committed young Catholics, Protestants, Muslims and humanists in the Netherlands and Flanders intolerant towards other groups?’ To answer this question, we analyse survey data and interviews collected in this research population. We first look at intergroup attitudes, which mainly show a pluralist approach towards the plurality of worldviews. Subsequently, we discuss the levels of religiocentrism and perceived intergroup threat among these young people. Finally, we search the interviews for practical examples concerning interviewees’ willingness to accept a plurality of worldviews in the public square. Although liberal values are dominant, much depends on the specific topic and how it is presented in the media. Generally, interviewees are tolerant towards other worldviews.

A Church Historical Meaning of the Year of 1919 and the Role of the Church Today in Korea

The year 1919 is regarded by the Seventh-day Adventist Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church especially in Korea as a very meaningful year both theologically and historically. The Bible conference, held in the United States in 1919, was a deep debate in on the Inspiration, Ellen White, and the role of the Spirit of Prophecy in the church. Since then , however, theological development of the church has been stagnant for some time due to the influence of fundamentalism that has entered the church. In the same year of 1919, the March 1 movement broke out in Korea seeking, yearning for independence from Japan''s colonial government. The movement was carried out under the influence of Christianity with, and the Seventh-day AdventistSDA Church also participated participating in the movement. This historical experience is Seventh-day Adventist Church to current and future provide an opportunity of redefining life. First, theFrom this the SDA learned that the right and clear understanding of God''s revelation helps to interpret the Bible properly, so the church should be able to have a deeper and more thorough foundation in theology. Secondly, the Church''s influence on society is not just by words, but by practical life, when each Christian practice for the public good of the community in the public square.

The Supreme Courts’ Icing on the Trans-Atlantic Cakes

On both sides of the Atlantic in 2018, the Supreme Courts ruled on Christian bakeries that declined orders for cakes from gay customers. This article reviews the Masterpiece Cakeshop and Ashers Baking decisions and analyses the religious liberty, discrimination and compelled speech arguments presented. Were these kulturkampf cases a prodigal exercise for all concerned? We put forward some extra-legal suggestions for a collaborative approach in the light of the inevitable ongoing attempts by both ‘sides’ to maintain a presence in the public square.

When private property masquerades as public space: the shifting face of publicness in London’s city squares

"Access to space is fundamentally related to social status and power...changing the allocation of space is inherently related to changing society" (Weisman, 1992)
 
 In contemporary London, a pattern has emerged whereby private corporations create and take ownership of public space, but the type of publicness they promote is conditional. In private-public space, private property masquerades as public land with rules of inhabitation often impenetrable, unknowable until they are broken. International owners activate networks of relations beyond the local; I question how private-public space fits with local communities, and how these networks shift notions of authenticity and inauthenticity in relation to public belonging. There is a specific focus on the public square as a form of private-public space, because the city square has a long-established spatial identity that embodies notions of publicity. The public square stimulates and contains public life, and neoliberal dynamics of ownership and management threaten public assemblages. Private-public squares do not fit into the majority of theories that have been developed on place, public space and private dynamics, but they are exemplative of a type of space increasingly prominent in Britain. I focus on four private-public squares in London to examine what can be learnt when a format of space is reproduced under incompatible conditions. How do these spaces work on a quotidian level and how does this intervention in public life shift urban identities and behavioural paradigms? The basis of my research is to examine concepts of publicness and privateness and how they apply to private-public squares in London, whilst utilising the practice of photography, observation and inhabitation to gain empirical ethnographic evidence. My research intends to assemble a toolkit to facilitate understanding about pseudo-public space, rather than ascribe fixed meanings to a subject which requires specificity.