Secular Culture Research Articles

Flannery O’Connor and Robert Giroux: A Publishing Partnership by Patrick Samway, SJ

Reviewed by: Flannery O’Connor and Robert Giroux: A Publishing Partnership by Patrick Samway, SJ Angela Alaimo O’Donnell Flannery O’Connor and Robert Giroux: A Publishing Partnership. By Patrick Samway, SJ. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2018. 320 pp. $39.00. Flannery O’Connor and Robert Giroux is a tale of love and friendship. With meticulous detail, Patrick Samway charts the progress of O’Connor’s and Giroux’s relationship from their fateful first meeting on March 2, 1949 in the Madison Avenue offices of Harcourt, Brace (the publisher that employed Giroux at the time) until O’Connor’s death on August 3, 1964. And yet, in a sense, Samway’s book suggests that their relationship extends far beyond those scant fifteen years. In some ways their partnership seems to have been destined before they met, and it continues beyond their deaths. The books they produced together are still being published and read, and O’Connor enjoys her status as one of the twentieth century’s premiere writers at least in part because of their remarkable literary and theological kinship. As editor of four of O’Connor’s books, including her first, the ground-breaking novel Wise Blood (wherein he first recognized her genius), and her last, The Collected Stories (which Giroux edited as she was dying, published posthumously, and witnessed its winning the National Book Award in 1972), Giroux was her literary partner for nearly the whole of her career. Though there were two interim editors who worked with O’Connor at Harcourt, Brace after Giroux resigned (1955) and before [End Page 79] O’Connor rejoined him when she began publishing with his new firm, Farrar, Straus and Cudahy (1958), O’Connor regarded Giroux as “the best” editor she had ever had (2). Samway’s account of their meeting and the flourishing of their friendship is governed by the eloquent metaphor of “confluence”: “When O’Connor first met Giroux, she could not have imagined the impact that meeting would have on her life . . . At that moment, the lives of these individuals, as well as certain of their friends and acquaintances flowed into one another, creating an unanticipated multilevel confluence whose swirling vortices move forward, creating receding eddies or new currents of one sort of another” (14–15, emphasis Samway’s). Samway traces this confluence faithfully, offering an account not only of O’Connor’s and Giroux’s lives, but also of the lives of many of their friends and associates, all of whom conspire, in ways both conscious and unconscious, to bring the two together and whose futures are shaped by their meeting. The reader learns of the complex relationships each shared with Robert Lowell, Jean Stafford, Caroline Gordon, Allen Tate, and Robert and Sally Fitzgerald, among others. The book is a rich literary tapestry, full of anecdotes that illuminate the parallel and shared histories of this collection of writers, most of whom are Catholic. This latter fact, of course, is no coincidence, nor is the fact that it took a Catholic editor to recognize the genius of Flannery’s first novel. Bound by a common set of beliefs, most of which ran (and continue to run) counter to the prevailing secular literary culture, these writers understood there to be a mysterious intersection between their twin vocations as Catholics and artists, and they valued and encouraged one another’s work accordingly. In the midst of this mid-twentieth-century flowering of the Catholic imagination is the central figure of Robert Giroux, whose labors helped to bring it about. The account of O’Connor’s life Samway provides is helpful and necessary in this context, and will be appreciated by readers, but the account of Giroux’s life breaks new ground. As Samway mentions, there has been “no formal in-depth biography” of this influential literary figure (a man who edited over 480 books, many of which have won Nobel and Pulitzer Prizes), and this book seeks to fill that serious lacuna in scholarship. Drawing heavily on the letters exchanged between O’Connor and Giroux, many of which have never been published before, Samway makes evident the “development of her stories and novels as detailed in...

Концепт «ярмарок» в українській сміховій культурі

The article analyzes prose works of the 19th–20th centuries, presenting verbal pictures of the fair environment. The concept of «fairs» is modeled on the material of the language of works of art by G. Kvitka-Osnovianenko, I. Nechui-Levytskii, S. Rudanskii, O. Vishnia.Several subconcepts have been implemented in them: fair as a cluster; fair as a voice; fair as a living element; fair and grassroots literature; fair as entertainment. The objects of analysis were the vocabulary and phraseology of the respective contexts, as well as stylistic techniques for creating a fair humorous color. There are several varieties of folklore texts (or folklore texts) used by writers as a means of stylizing the animal element at fairs in Ukraine, as well as expressing the variety of socio-cultural masks presented to them (salesman, Jew, gypsy, blind musician, petitioner, gambler, etc.). It is emphasized that the concept of «fair» in the relevant narrative texts retains signs of burlesque and enlightenment. Particular attention is paid in the article to the fact that the texts of fair laughter culture are focused on the traditions of the «bottom», which contrast with the traditions of secular literature and culture in general, that is, the traditions of «the top». In analyzing the verbal imagery of the fair in prose works, it is taken into account that the basic techniques of creating a humorous color are the amplification of titles, actions, processes, as well as pun, the contractual blending of high into low, book and spoken, concepts related to the concept. «yourown – someoneelse's».

Social Mechanisms of Harmonization of the Relations between Muslim and Christian Culture

The article is devoted to the theoretical and methodological problems of the study of relations between Muslim and Christian culture. It has been shown that the globalization processes in the world affect all spheres of human life, diversifies it, promotes interpenetration of cultures, increases pluralism, and requires a new vision of the world in all its manifestations. It has been actualized that in today’s world traditions related to religious ones mostly gain the form of religious culture. The new state of secular culture and the emerging socio-cultural environment is accompanied by the activation of religious structures, institutions and processes, which are called »desecularization«, »religious renaissance« and »revitalization of religion« in the scientific literature. The dialogue between Islam and Christianity, Muslim and Christian culture, has historical and religious roots. In the era of wide development of Islamic culture, Muslims actively contributed to the establishment of mutual understanding with other people and civilizations. History shows that Islam has been the initiator of dialogue and exchange of opinions with other cultures for ages. The Holy Scripture of Muslims, The Koran, in many verses obliges its followers to conduct an intellectual dialogue with members of other religions. The unique and centuries-old experience of religious interaction on the territory of Russia strives at maintaining the religious identity by Christians and Muslims alike. Dialogue within the Cristian and Islamic culture in Russia does not provide for and even prevent attempts for selection of dogmatic integrity and unity of religious knowledge, however it implies the need of individual, personal relationships and joint solutions of various socio-cultural problems and challenges, where the tasks of the spiritual and moral development of society are the most important ones.

Faith

This essay advances a new materialist philosophy of faith. Mobilizing affect, I show that a change in the capacity to act, such as that created through belief or non-belief, is an experience that unites both secular and religious people. Belief in the superiority of secular culture over religious culture, or vice versa, are affectively similar corporeal orientations.

Hope Endures: Reading the Boston Marathon Bombing Through the Lens of Christian Hope

Moral tradition teaches that there are particular clarifying events which aid the renewal of moral freedom, the pursuit of the good, and the promotion of justice. The Boston Marathon bombing is one of those events, inviting theologians to consider what a sacramentally-oriented systematic theology offers society via faith and culture’s engagement. Viewing the Boston Marathon bombings through Moltmann’s lens of Christian hope shows seeds of it in the community’s response: it was forward-looking and called people to action; it anticipated a justice connected to the reign of God; and it called people into communities of hope, like those of the disciples. Engaging the community’s response and individual stories from the bombing which embody these three aspects of Christian hope offer a sacramental vision of hope with the potential to give life to a largely secularized culture.

GEOMETRY. WHAT ELSE !? - MORE OF “ENVIRONMENTAL GEOMETRY”

This paper is an addendum to a previous article [01] in which several examples demonstrate that “all natural or artificial objects have a shape or form resulting from a natural (bio-physical) or technical (design) process, and therefore have an intrinsic (immanent) geometric constituent”, focusing on the fact that “reality reveals geometry and geometry creates reality”. Since many objects are metaphors for geometric and mathematical content and the starting point for mathematical abstraction, one can conclude that geometry is simply everywhere. This sort of “Appendix” focuses on the symbiotic terms “grasping via senses” and “meaning” in connection with geometry and its visualisation and interpretation, from objects found in our usual environment. A real object that we see or recognize may even gain spiritual meaning, because it is extraordinary and rare and has, therefore, besides its somehow practical purpose, a symbolic one. Here, simplicity, symmetry, smoothness and regularity play an essential role beyond simple aesthetics. In our mainly secular culture, the aesthetic point of view stands in the foreground. KEYWORDS: elementary geometry, intuitive geometry, right angle, cross and square, proofs without words.

FAITH-BASED ARBITRATION EVALUATED: THE POLICY ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST RELIGIOUS ARBITRATION IN AMERICA

ABSTRACTThis article explores whether allowing such expansive arbitration is a wise idea for the United States (and other western democracies). Like all arbitration, religious arbitration starts with a contract to arbitrate, but frequently does not invoke the law of the United States as the law to be used to resolve disputes, but instead allows parties to resolve disputes according to their own religious principles, both procedurally and substantively. The article is organized into two substantive parts. One part explores the strengths and weaknesses of the seven arguments against faith-based arbitration, which are (1) one law for one people; (2) religious arbitration produces substantive injustice; (3) religious arbitration produces procedural injustice; (4) religious arbitration is often subtly coercive to its members; (5) liberal society has a difficult time policing religious arbitration; (6) enforcement of religious arbitration sometimes violates people's rights to religious freedom; and (7) allowing religious arbitration promotes isolation and non-integration of religious communities. The next part explains and criticizes the five arguments in favor of religious arbitration, which are (1) religious arbitration is a religious freedom imperative; (2) religious arbitration can resolve some commercial disputes more accurately than secular courts can; (3) religious arbitration is the only way to resolve certain religious problems; (4) secular regulation of religious arbitration helps moderate and integrate religion; and (5) religious arbitration promotes value sharing between religious and secular cultures and as such enriches public discourse. The article concludes with an endorsement of the value of religious arbitration subject to reasonable procedural and substantive limitations.

Een laatste wagonnetje of op een zijspoor? Orthodox-gereformeerden en de cultuur

Although the Dutch Reformed attitudes to sexuality, the role of woman, and politics, have become more liberal, the nature of their accommodating to mainstream secular culture remains unclear, for the gap with the secular moral majority on many issues is (still) large. Nevertheless, in a super-diverse society the impact of the social context continues to create differences within the Reformed circles.

Bioethics After the Death of God

In After God: Morality & Bioethics in a Secular Age, Professor H. Tristram Engelhardt, Jr. argues that the now dominant intellectual culture of the West actively shuns any transcendent point of orientation, such as an appeal to God or to a God’s eye perspective on reality. Instead, it seeks to frame its understanding of reality and morality, and thus its bioethics, without reference to any foundation outside of particular human concerns. This article explores the implications of living in a secular culture that eschews any appeal to a fully objective perspective on reality. Drawing on Engelhardt’s analysis, it argues that absent access to a binding moral standpoint that is not already conditioned by a particular society, culture, or place in history, all moral and bioethical commitments are merely contingent, subject to particular human interests, aesthetic inclinations, personal intuitions, idiosyncratic choices, and political objectives.

Critical Issues in Islamic Education Studies: Rethinking Islamic and Western Liberal Secular Values of Education

This paper examines two sets of interrelated issues informing contemporary discussions on Islam and education that take place within both Muslim majority and minority contexts. The first set of issues concerns the academic conceptualisation of the study of education within diverse historical and contemporary Islamic cultural, intellectual, political, theological and spiritual traditions. After a critical examination of the current literature, the paper suggests that ‘Islamic Education Studies’ offers a distinctive academic framing that incorporates an interdisciplinary empirical and scholarly inquiry strategy capable of generating a body of knowledge and understanding guiding the professional practice and policy development in the field. Lack of conceptual clarity in various current depictions of the field, including ‘Muslim Education’, ‘Islamic Pedagogy’, ‘Islamic Nurture’ and ‘Islamic Religious Pedagogy’, is outlined and the frequent confusion of Islamic Education with Islamic Studies is critiqued. The field of Islamic Education Studies has theological and educational foundations and integrates interdisciplinary methodological designs in Social Sciences and Humanities. The second part of the inquiry draws attention to the lack of new theoretical insights and critical perspectives in Islamic Education. The pedagogic practice in diverse Muslim formal and informal educational settings does not show much variation and mostly is engaged with re-inscribing the existing power relations shaping the society. The juxtaposition of inherited Islamic and borrowed or enforced Western secular educational cultures appears to be largely forming mutually exclusive, antagonistic and often rigid ‘foreclosed’ minds within contemporary Muslim societies. The impact of the educational culture and educational institutions on the formation of resentful Islamic religiosities and the reproduction of authoritarian leadership within the wider mainstream Muslim communities have not been adequately explored. The study stresses the need to have a paradigm shift in addressing this widely acknowledged educational crisis. The formation of a transformative educational culture remains the key to being able to facilitate reflective and critical Muslim religiosities, and positive socio-economic and political change in Muslim majority and minority societies. This inquiry explores a significant aspect of this crisis by re-examining the degree to which Islamic and Western, liberal, secular conceptions and values of education remain irreconcilably divergent or open to a convergent dialogue of exchange, reciprocity and complementarity. The originality of the paper lies in offering a critical rethinking of Islamic Education through mapping the main relevant literature and identifying and engaging with the central theoretical issues while suggesting a new academic framing of the field and its interdisciplinary research agenda.

New directions in adult baptism: Baptism in a secular culture

In this article I argue that the rise of secular culture demands a new approach to baptism, especially the baptism of adult converts for whom the claims of Christianity may be entirely unfamiliar and who will in consequence need extensive preparation to make the sacrament sensible and the Christian life meaningful. Towards that end, I review work done on the subject in the Church of Scotland and commend the Roman Catholic Rites of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) as a model for the development of a full catechumenate.

The decay of Western liberalism and the Christological alternative

Recent election results across the Western world have seen the resurgence of authoritarian and nativist forms of politics. Key shibboleths of liberal democracy have come under fierce attack from burgeoning populist movements. Calls for a return to homogenous national identities and firm lines of cultural belonging increasingly eclipse values of social openness, pluralism and multiculturalism. In such a febrile atmosphere, it might be legitimate to ask, is Western liberalism in a state of decay? And if so, how should Christian communities respond to such a development? Drawing constructively on the work of Karl Barth and E.M Forster, this article argues that the fragmentation of liberal values risks making secular culture less receptive to the distinctive summons of the Christian message. Chiefly imperilled by such disintegration is the pedagogical capacity of political liberalism to sensitise otherwise secular citizens to notions of universal community, which lie at the centre of the Gospel's subversive social imaginary. In a world where ‘nation’ and ‘ethnicity’ are again compelling rivals for the West's civic affections, liberal politics must recover a public creed which grounds the language of liberty in a robust account of community, friendship and care.

GAUGING THE GERMAN JEWISH

Few fields are as riddled with terminological indecision as “German Jewish thought.” One cannot invoke this sphere without immediately bumping up against essential questions of definition. Should membership within its bounds be reserved for those who wrote, primarily, as Jews for Jews, even if in a non-Jewish language? Or should its borders be expanded substantially to include Jewish contributions to secular German thought—or, perhaps more aptly put, secular thought in German, in order not to exclude the vast number of Central European Jewish innovators who wrote in the language? If one takes the latter route, the problems only proliferate, for the question then ensues, what makes any of these supposed Jewish contributionsJewish? How is the Jewishness of a particular work, school of thought, or sensibility to be gauged and assessed? How does one avoid the risk of reading too much in—or too little? How does one steer clear of reducing Jewishness to some stable core or essence, without relying on a notion so broad and diffuse as to be effectively meaningless? And always lurking is the question whether, in imputing Jewishness to a cultural product or outlook, one has betrayed its creator, who would have recoiled at being labeled a “Jewish” author or artist. These problems are not peculiar to German Jewish intellectual history. They arise wherever and whenever Jews have been disproportionately prominent in the shaping of secular culture—for instance, in the writing of the “New York intellectuals” in the postwar United States. But the role of authors and artists of German Jewish background proved especially pronounced even after many, like Hannah Arendt or Leo Strauss, emigrated to escape the Nazis. In their new environments, they remained active participants in intellectual life, and the question remains whether they were carrying on the tradition of German Jewish thought.

The Entanglements of Europe: History, Geography, Identity

Europe is a continent of extraordinary variety and diversity geographically, ethnically, nationally, culturally, economically and politically. Yet at the same time all its parts are and always have been so deeply linked by their destiny that this continent can accurately be described as a single albeit complex political entity. Anything crucial in any area of human endeavour occurring anywhere in Europe always has had both direct and indirect consequences for our continent as a whole. The history of Europe is, in fact, the history of a constant searching and reshaping of its internal structures and the relationship of its parts. Today, if we talk about a single European civilization or about common European values, history, traditions, and destiny, what we are referring to is more the fruit of this tendency toward integration than its cause.

Towards Islamic Accounting Anthropology

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to shed light on how accounting, which has been recognised as a contributor to the modernity problem, has been influenced by secular anthropology, which hinges on the concept of “self”. Based on Akbar S. Ahmed’s concept of Islamic Anthropology, Islamic Accounting Anthropology (IAA) is proposed as an answer to shift the accounting paradigm.Design/methodology/approachA case study in Indonesia was conducted by studying the development of the nation’s Shariah accounting from the perspective of diffusionism as an approach to anthropology. Following the constructivist tradition, IAA, which rejects the Social Darwinism notion of the superiority of the West over the East as the basis of the evolution of civilisation, is used as tool to realise Islamic norms through synchronic-diachronic study, constructing an accounting concept and invoking accounting transformation through accounting education.FindingsThis study finds that accounting has been greatly affected by secular Western culture through education and educators as agents that find their legitimation in country policies. Standard setters have also taken the same stance by siding with the capital market. By proposing IAA, it is hoped that Islam will replace the concept of “self-interest” as the faith of accounting and promote welfare for the ummah.Research limitations/implicationsThe problem of modernisation lies in the newfound faith of self-interest. In accounting, self-interest is ingrained in accounting theories such as Positive Accounting Theory, Entity Theory and Agency Theory, and thus accounting has become a tool to support neoliberal society. IAA will help produce accounting that is rooted in local wisdom and necessity yet very much embedded in Islamic values.Practical implicationsIAA suggests that accounting education must be geared towards anthropology detached from the Orientalism-secularism concept. This shift can be accomplished by integrating IAA into the accounting education curriculum.Social implicationsBased on IAA, accounting practices can be designed under the guidance of the Quran and result using a synchronic-diachronic approach. By changing the ontological view through accounting education, accounting can drive societal consciousness towards the welfare of society instead of self-happiness.Originality/valueIslamic accounting and anthropology are two subjects that are rarely discussed concurrently.

PESANTREN SEBAGAI MATA AIR KEBUDAYAAN

Besides as a center of education that teaches and spreads Islam, pesantren is actually the center of Islamic culture of Nusantara.Walisongo is the foundation of a cultural strategy that makes traditions and cultural arts as means or instruments (wasilah) and methods(manhaj) in teaching and spreading Islam in Nusantara. Walisongo’s cultural strategy is continued by pesantren in the next phase, especiallywhen facing Western culture in the colonial era. since then the pesantren became the springs of culture that inspired the ulama and ummaatIslam Nusantara when in touch and dealing with the various cultures that came later, especially secular modern culture with the ideologicaltools that accompany it.

. Xix - . Xx .: (Secular and Religious Culture in Russia in the XIX - Early XX Centuries: The Conflict of Values on the Eve of the Era of Revolutions)

Russian Abstract: Настоящее исследование, тематизирующее связь дискурса «наука и религия» и проектов по социально-политическому изменению, также вносит вклад в современные научные дискуссии о причинах Русской Революции 1917 года. Одним из аспектов современных дебатов является социальное измерение революционной деятельности в контексте споров о природе секуляризации как понятия и явления европейской культуры. Анализ спектра интерпретаций отношений между «наукой» и «религией» позволяет поставить вопрос о значении дискурса «наука и религия» как идеологического фактора секуляризации интеллектуальной культуры Российской империи. English Abstract: The present study, which relates the connection between the discourse and and projects on socio-political change, also contributes to modern scientific discussions about the causes of the Russian Revolution of 1917. One aspect of the current debate is the social dimension of revolutionary activity in the context of disputes about the nature of secularization as a concept and phenomenon of European culture. An analysis of the spectrum of interpretations of the relationship between science and religion makes it possible to raise the question of the meaning of the discourse and as an ideological factor of the secularization of the intellectual culture of the Russian Empire.

THE SONG LITURGICAL HYMN AND THE WAYS OF DEVELOPING THE GENRE IN THE MODERN PRACTICE OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

The Second Vatican Council (1962—1965) formulated the principles of parishioners’ active participation in the liturgical and pastoral life of the Church. The introduction of congregational singing into the Catholic Church service led to a significant rethinking of the cult repertoire. The hymns of Proprium, which have not yet received a unified name in the Russian liturgical practice, became one of the leading genres of collective performance in the mass. In connection with the significant changes in hymnography that took place in the twentieth century, the concept of “song liturgical hymn” is introduced. It refers to the liturgical chanting in the national language for communal performance in the procession sections of the reformed mass. The article analyzes the hymns of the modern composers G. Gsel “You Are My Good Shepherd” and P. Bebenek “Glory to You, Lord”, deeply rooted in activities of the Russian Catholic parishes. In the song liturgical hymn the traditional signs of Church chants are supplemented by attributes of secular culture. The indissoluble connection with the Church environment and the subordination to the liturgical tasks bring the new hymn-creating closer to the temple practice. The modern hymns are stylistically distanced from household music, but at the same time absorb some attributes of song. It is emphasized that the genre dominant of Church chants is constant; it has not changed for centuries. In the song liturgical hymn, the new conditions of performance influence the reintonation of the genre heritage. The Second Vatican Council marked the beginning of the integration movement and gave impetus to the expansion of the musical vocabulary of the service. The official permission of national idioms in the Church practice played a significant role in changing today’s repertoire. The definition of “song liturgical hymn” reflects the new position of the Holy See regarding the direct participation of parishioners in the mass.

Religion and State: Revisions Needed in Sri Lankan Constitutional Implications

The paper compares infl uence of religion in the Constitutional culture of Sri Lanka and India. The secular nature of both constitutions, the historic relationship between the State and religion, and religious rights is analyzed in detail. Sri Lankan Constitution has provisions of giving special recognition to the Buddhist religion while, the Indian Constitution declares itself as a secular state. However, both nations have similar societies with a lesser degree of secular political culture. An entrenched provision of the Sri Lankan Constitution stands against the good principles of constitutionalism, instrumental in transforming the constitutional culture. The benefi ts of the maintenance of public order and the wellbeing of all parts of the society for the nation by, allowing real freedom of religion and maintaining no partiality, secular government is yet to be recognized in the Constitutional making history of Sri Lanka and in India as well.

General Trends in the Development of Western Christian Theology of the Postmodern Era

The aim of the article is to identify strategies for the development of modern Western Christian theology, which is to find a way out of the crisis of the Christian worldview.Research Methodology. The article is based on a synthetic methodology that combines culturological, philosophical and historical methodology. The current state of the Western Christian theology reflects the general tendencies of the development of Christian religion and the spiritual sphere in general, therefore, it is advisable to use the humanitarian methodology in the study of theology.Results. The study demonstrated the development of Western Christian theology in the twentieth century. Theology is not just a special science; it reflects the general tendencies of the development of the spiritual sphere of a certain period of development of the mankind. The author provides evidence for the issue of demythologization of Christianity and, as a consequence, the issue of harmonizing relations between religion and modern science. The author of the idea of demythologization R. Bultman came from the dialectical theology, insisting on the elimination of various metaphysical systems from Christianity and the return to the simple (existential) faith. R. Bultman showed that it was the faith of the first Christians that led to the development of the mythological component in Christianity and that for the faith it was necessary to get rid of numerous Christian myths. Theologians–adherents of modern science propose not to refuse the idea of the evolution of nature, but to understand the creation of the world of God as an evolutionary process that continues to this day. An important trend in the development of modern theology is its secularization, which consists in identifying opportunities for the coexistence of secular society and culture and Christianity, and overcoming the contradictions between them. The secularization of theology also means the study of theologians not only of the problems of the divine sphere, but also of purely secular problems that arise in the process of the real life of people. A significant trend in the development of theology is also its ecumenical movement, which is to seek the ways of cooperation between religions and confessions of the contemporary world. Such tendencies in the development of theology will continue to develop alongside conservative tendencies that may be marginalized.Novelty of the study is to summarize the development trends in the modern Western-Christian theology and to identify the significance of theological projects in the process of overcoming the general crisis of Christianity.The practical significance. The material of the article can be used in teaching the courses on the history of Christianity and the history of theology.