Spiritual Forces Research Articles

Die tempel-metafoor in Efesiërs 2:11–22 as deel van identiteitsvorming van die gelowige in-groep

The temple metaphor in Ephesians 2:11–22 as part of identity formation of the believing in-group. One of the basic human needs is to belong, feel accepted and be part of a group. During the first century people from different backgrounds believed in Jesus, consequently unity among believers became a challenge. The inclusive heart of God, the atonement of Christ and the Holy Spirit unites believers from different backgrounds and groups. This article examines spiritual unity as part of the believers’ identity as portrayed by the temple metaphor in Ephesians 2:11–22. Christians should acknowledge their differences, as the author of Ephesians clearly does, without causing division in the group. Identity formation is linked to group membership, therefore the identity of the early Christian group is examined, to determine the influence it still has on the present-day unity among believers. We divide our society into groups and tend to discriminate against those that are different from us. These phenomena were part of the social interaction of Christians in the first century. To better understand the social functioning of the ancient Mediterranean world, this article uses Social Identity Theory to identify and compare the groups in Ephesians. The Jews and Gentiles were the out-groups. In the context of the letter, Gentiles were Artemis-worshippers. The Christians formed the in-group. The identity of the out-groups, to which Christians previously belonged, should be considered to determine the identity of the in-group. The metaphor of the spiritual temple identifies believers as becoming part of the temple at the time of their conversion. Unlike the Jewish temple and the temple of Artemis, which were physical buildings with exclusive membership, the temple of the Holy Spirit is an inclusive unity of believers. The Jewish temple was part of the identity of the Jews, the Artemis temple gave identity to the city of Ephesus and the spiritual temple identifies the unity of the Christian in-group. The Christian-identity, whether in the first century or in contemporary society, is unifying and inclusive regardless of our differences. According to the author of Ephesians Christ-founded and Spirit-driven identity should determine Christian thinking and actions.Contribution: The temple of Artemis and the Jewish temple were places of religious, political, economic and social status and power. The temple of Ephesians 2, however, becomes a spiritual force to which every believer has access apart from political, economic, social, ethnic and gender status. Christian identity and unity are rooted in the redemptive work of Christ.

СУЧАСНА КОРЕВОЛЮЦІЯ: ДІЯЛЬНІСНИЙ ЗМІСТ І ДІАЛЕКТИКА ПІЗНАВАЛЬНИХ ТА КОГНІТИВНИХ СИСТЕМ

Сучасну кореволюцію подано як важливу складову історичного переходу від ери опредмечування до ери олюднення, від індустріальної епохи до постіндустріальної та епохальної олюднюючої революції; діалектичну єдність революцій – новітньої промислової та знаннєво-інформаційно-цифрової – у контексті глобальних еволюційно-революційних процесів. Охарактеризовано минулий механічний, сучасний електронно-цифровий та майбутній постелектронний етапи знаннєво-інформаційно-цифрової революції. Розглянуто трансформацію електронно-обчислювальної машини в інформаційно-комунікаційну машину з можливою квантовою, біологічною і/або оптичною елементною базою. Обґрунтовано концепти «людинорозмірна пізнавальна система» і «машинорозмірна когнітивна система». У межах діалектики цих систем акцентовано на їх відносній відособленості, первинності, домінуванні першої над останньою, включеності останньої в першу. Визначено імовірні будову і структуру машинорозмірних когнітивних систем. Зокрема, прийнято, що сенсорно-когнітивну роботу з поверхневим шаром об\\\'єкта виконують машини-сенсори, генералізаторно-когнітивну роботу з підповерхневим шаром об\\\'єкта – машини-генералізатори, інтелектуально-когнітивну роботу із сутнісно-рівневими шарами об\\\'єкта – машини-інтелектори, когнітивно-прикладну роботу з цільовим шаром об\\\'єкта – машини-прагматизатори, когнітивно-інтегративну роботу з об\\\'єктом як цілісністю – машини-інтегратори. Енергетичну, комунікаційну, управлінську роботу і функції зберігання похідних інформаційно-цифрових продуктів покликані виконувати, відповідно, такі машини, як енергайзери, комунікатори, менеджери і сторейджери. На прикладі взаємодії чуттєво-емоційної пізнавальної діяльності людини і активності сенсорної машини, а також людської пам\\\'яті й систем сторейджерів показано і визначальну роль людини, і зростаючу роль машини в сучасних пізнавально-когнітивних процесах. Отже, незважаючи на активну машинізацію духовно-психічних олюднених сутнісних людських сил, головним актором сучасної кореволюції та знаннєво-інформаційно-цифрової революції залишається людина.

Demons and Evil Spirits in Ancient Iraq in Light of Cuneiform Texts

The civilization of ancient Iraq was distinguished by its religious beliefs from its inception until late periods. This was reflected in different aspects of life, including belief in the influence of spiritual forces, which are divided into the forces of good and evil. These forces were known since ancient times and developed over time with the development of ancient Iraqi beliefs, until they acquire in the first millennium BC. It takes an advanced position in the ancient Iraqi thought and belief, so that this was reflected in the mention of these powers in cuneiform texts such as texts of incantations, incantations and exorcisms, or in myths and other texts, or in the inscription of their forms on carvings and seals, inscriptions, statues and various monuments, or in finding ways to expel these Evil forces, as in the forms of sentinel compound at the entrances to palaces or temples to expel their harmful effects. This study deals with the spiritual forces of evil such as demons and evil spirits, based on cuneiform texts and some of their effects that were reflected in the behavior of society as a whole.

A Note on African Socialism

A Note on African Socialism

Of Life and Health: The Language of Art and Religion in an African Medical System, Alexis Bekyane Tengan

Reviewed by: Of Life and Health: The Language of Art and Religion in an African Medical System by Alexis Bekyane Tengan Patrick Chukwudike Okpalaeke BOOK REVIEW of Tengan, Alexis Bekyane. 2019. Of Life and Health: The Language of Art and Religion in an African Medical System. New York: Berghahn Books. 242 pp. $135 (hardcover). If anything has discredited the ingenuity and authenticity of African traditional approaches to life, health, and wellness, it is an emphasis on the secrecy associated with traditional African healthcare (Emeagwali 2014; Ezekwesili-Ofili and Okaka, n.d.; Masango 2019). Assumptions of secrecy have been a major setback when discussing traditional health practices. They have led many Eurocentric scholars to dismiss traditional healthcare as nonexistent and to regard whatever Africans claim to practice as simply a variant of jujuism, voodoo, or necromancy. This in turn has ensured that knowledge of traditional African healthcare continues to be limited on many fronts. Nonetheless, anthropologist Alexis Bekyane Tengan’s Of Life and Health: The Language of Art and Religion in an African Medical System debunks some long-held views and proves not only vital in unraveling the nitty-gritty details of traditional African healthcare, but also timely, as it provides a nuanced analysis and graphical demonstration of healthcare seen from a typical African perspective. It contributes to a critical aspect of African studies, that of the nature and praxis of the healthcare system. It has seven chapters, with a rigorously drafted introduction to get the narratives rolling, an appendix, references, and an index. Taking the indigenous perspective of the Dagara people (located in northern Ghana and southern Burkina Faso), Tengan analyzes the nexus between African indigenous knowledge systems (AIKS) and traditional [End Page 154] African healthcare practices. He presents a richly particularized insight into the operationality of traditional healthcare by adopting a method that “consists of ethnographic description and analysis of six cultic institutions within an African society, the Dagara people of northern and southern Burkina Faso” (1). As a member of the Dagara community, he recounts his experiences to elucidate the mode, dimension, and practices inherent in traditional forms of healthcare delivery. His childhood recollections support the argument that traditional African societies had a uniquely crafted method of educating their youth. This sort of education is ingrained in the AIKS, where “participant observation” (4) is a key to learning in the traditional education system. Tengan shows how the living relate to nature in their quest to gain access to enriched life experiences. In this respect, two points need to be expatiated to make sense of Tengan’s narratives. First, Tengan overwhelmingly annotates the reasoning patterns and knowledge framing that aid traditional medical practices; his argument centers on the fact that the knowledge framing and scientific language(s) employed in traditional healthcare are “embedded in cultural practice” (17). The second point concerns the link between the physical and the metaphysical (spiritism): in a broader sense, traditional beliefs link the seen and the unseen, the living and the ancestors, in issues that involve health, wellness, and life. Of course, beyond the Dagara cosmology, several other African groups have similar views on healthcare. Take for instance, the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria, where illnesses are not treated apart from spiritual forces (Nwoko 2009; Okonkwo 2012). Of Life and Health addresses many epistemic issues relating to traditional African healthcare: it makes a paradigm shift toward unearthing fundamental ideals ingrained in traditional medical practices. Tengan particularly explores the nexus between AIKS and traditional healthcare, and he emphasizes a link between the physical and the spiritual, both tied to nature, in traditional healthcare systems. Nonetheless, Of Life and Health comes with some question marks. One of the most worrisome is that it may be too insular for an audience with little understanding of anthropology, given it often uses professional jargon, and that could prove problematic in pedagogy; this, however, does not diminish its importance. In sum, it is highly recommended for scholars of medical history and the anthropological and sociological dimensions of African studies, for which it promises to be a useful companion. Patrick Chukwudike Okpalaeke University of Uyo references cited Emeagwali, Gloria. 2014. “Intersections between Africa’s Indigenous Knowledge Systems and History.” In African...

“Yo’ Kin Cut All Kinda Tricks”: Crossroad Ordeals, Peavine Drills, and Other Technologies of the Self in African-American Vernacular Esotericism

Abstract The vernacular magical, divinatory, and healing practices associated with the Afro-American Gulf South, alternately called “Hoodoo” or “Conjure,” offer a window into an intriguing world of “everyday esoterica.” Practitioners envision a world of competing human desires, which move and are moved by an array of malign and benign spiritual forces. They cope with this world with a pharmacopeia of symbolically powerful physical substances, but also through works of bodily discipline, prayer, meditation, and other practices aimed at the cultivation of will, self-awareness, and self-regard. These latter tools and techniques comport closely with Michel Foucault’s concept of technologies of the self. Exploring Hoodoo ritual through Foucault’s lens offers opportunities to re-imagine American Hoodoo as an esoteric system that enables practitioners to manipulate and transform themselves as well as their circumstances. This examination serves to increase our appreciation for the sophistication of these traditions, while simultaneously enlarging and enriching Foucault’s paradigm – offering new ways to consider the techniques by which one might come to know and understand oneself. This inquiry addresses a lacuna in the scholarship of Hoodoo and Conjure and also situates these traditions more firmly (and accurately) within the wider corpus of Gnostic Studies and Western Esotericism.

Review: The Guggenheim: Frank Lloyd Wright's Iconoclastic Masterpiece

Review: <i>The Guggenheim: Frank Lloyd Wright's Iconoclastic Masterpiece</i>

THE SYMBOLISM OF IMRE MAKOVECH'S METAPHORICAL LANGUAGE IN THE FORMATION OF SACRED SPACE

The article analyzes the iconic temples of the twentieth century designed by the Hungarian architect Imre Makovec. The anthroposophical theory of architecture is presented, which assumed that the world and man are permeated with various types of spiritual forces, thanks to the forms of objects of the visible world, they can be strengthened or weakened.&#x0D; The understanding of the harmony of forms in the formation of the sacred space is presented.&#x0D; The architecture of sacred buildings erected according to the principle of organic architecture is considered. It is determined that the forms created by Makovech do not belong to any of the "languages" of architectural expression that have been created so far.&#x0D; The article presents a view on the mysterious nature of the connection of people in society – close to the types of connections that connect religious communities, as well as the concept of architecture as a bridge between heaven and earth, which also changed the approach to a building as an exclusively material object.&#x0D; The forms of individual sacred structures and the ways of organizing their interiors were analyzed, which made it possible to conclude that the ideas of reviving the unity of the surrounding landscape, the tendency to use local materials (primarily wood), but also a more general, philosophical attitude, allows us to consider architecture as an element that binds forces space with human life.&#x0D; The use of the metaphorical language of Makovech's architecture is considered based on the world of visual human products and their iconographic distinctive features. Revealed the need to take into account the relationship between certain forms and messages, through them are transmitted to the formations of the sacred space.&#x0D; An attempt is also presented to adapt the principles of modernism to the needs of the shaping of the sacred space. The tendencies of the formation of the sacred space in the twentieth century are revealed, namely: anthroposophical; continuation and development of Christian symbols.

An exploration of the elements of effective cultural healing in North America

IntroductionHow traditional cultural healing works is difficult for biomedical science to understand. Outcomes do occur that defy the conventional logic of materialistic, reductionistic cause-and-effect.ObjectivesWe aimed to understand how participants understood what happens in traditional cultural healing.MethodsWe identified 26 cases of results in which improvement occurred beyond what biomedicine would expect from a placebo response. We interviewed the healers and their clients to understand their experience and how they saw what had happened.ResultsSeven cases involved resolution of cancer; 2 cases, musculoskeletal disorders; 9 cases of rheumatological disorders; 8, other disorders. Each person spoke about the importance of spiritual transformation and described such an experience. They spoke about an attitude of the cultural healer that involved what could best be translated as radical empathy coupled with non-judgmental listening without interpretation. Many of healers had been initiated into their healing roles via a life-threatening illness that resolved when an extra-ordinary being(s) (a spirit or god, or God) entered their life world and became an integral part of their being. This was also a common description given by the participants for what had happened. The healers often described themselves as a hollow bone, a conduit through which spiritual forces flow.ConclusionsTraditional cultural healing remains important to psychiatry because it defies explanation in our usual paradigm. Spiritual transformation and radical empathy may be necessary, though not sufficient components. For the person who undergoes a profound spiritual transformation, extensive changes in self and world view may occur.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

International Progress, International Order, and the Liberal International Order

Most explanations for the crisis of the liberal order revolve around geopolitics, globalization, economic resentment fueling new forms of populism and nationalism, and Western states following their interests away from liberal values and institutions of their creation. But international orders are produced and legitimated by both material and spiritual forces. The spirit in liberalism is moral progress defined by practices of humanity. If the Liberal International Order (LIO) is in decline, then perhaps we should consider its moral foundations. Section “Introduction” briefly introduces the question of international order, categorizes international relations theories according to the mixture of consent and coercion, and how legitimacy often refers not only to the existing order but a vision of progress. This is particularly true of the liberal international order. Section “International Order, Legitimacy, and Progress” turns to the liberal international order, progress, and the possible spiritual decline of the liberal international order. After briefly considering the liberal in international liberalism and the late 20th-century emergence of the liberal international order, I argue that one reason for its declining moral foundations is because of the pronounced individualism that resides at the heart of the contemporary international order. In other words, the sources of decline are not exogenous but rather part of liberalism. The Conclusion asks: what is next? The conjunction of the decline of the LIO and COVID-19 has complicated the debate about the future international order, and much of the conversation hinges on whether and how the United States can recover from its self-destructive tendencies and China’s intentions. But where is the spirit of moral progress and humanity in this discussion?

TRENDS OF FORMATION OF SACRED SPACE IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

The article analyzes the iconic temples of the twentieth century. The anthroposophical theory of architecture is presented, which assumed that the world and man are permeated by different types of spiritual forces, due to the forms of objects of the visible world can be strengthened or weakened. An understanding of the harmony of forms in the formation of sacred space is presented. The architecture of the sacred constructions erected on the principle of organic architecture is considered. The influence of German Expressionist architects on the formation of the temple architecture they created, as well as the regularity of the use of geometric figures and the use of magic numbers are presented. A look at the mysterious nature of the connection of people in a society that is close to the types of connections that connect religious communities is presented. The forms of individual sacred buildings and ways of organizing their interiors are analyzed, which led to the conclusion that the ideas of the revival of social unity arose as a result of a combination of various elements, such as Christian religion and non-political socialism. The phenomenon of perception of the Church as a social organization is presented, but also of the church as a building, which became a model of a proper social organization in the early 20th century. Perceptions of the Gothic cathedral as a phenomenon of the community association of architects are highlighted. The use of Gothic typography for the design of publications of the early twentieth century is considered. The need to take into account the relationship between certain forms and messages, which are transmitted through them in the formation of sacred space. An attempt is also made to adapt the principles of modernism to the needs of the formation of sacred space. The tendencies of formation of sacred space in the XX century are revealed, namely: Anthroposophical; community worship and liturgical reform.

Experience and Perceptions of Changes in the Living Environment by Older People Losing Their Autonomy: A Qualitative Study in the Caribbean.

RationaleAlthough the literature recognizes the importance of older individuals’ subjective perceptions about their living environments, past studies on the subject have been primarily restricted to nursing home settings.ObjectiveThis study aimed to better understand the experiences, perceptions, coping mechanisms, and needs of older people living in Martinique who had to modify their living environment because of a decline of autonomy.DesignQualitative study using content analysis.MethodsSemi-structured one-on-one interviews were conducted with older people living in three different types of environment i) at home with professional support, ii) in a foster care family, iii) in a nursing home. Interviews were conducted until data saturation was reached. A conventional content analysis approach was used.ResultsThirty-four participants were interviewed. Subjects perceived ageing as a factor leading to changes in their living environment. However, they did not spontaneously evoke their functional/structural impairments nor their activity limitations as if the change of living environment could reduce the perceived loss of autonomy by maintaining an acceptable participation. Participants mostly experienced change as both inevitable and as a relief as it took them out of isolation and domestic hardship. This reaction was somewhat facilitated by spiritual beliefs as the changes were interpreted as the will of spiritual forces. Family and social relationships appeared to be more important determinants of participants’ perception of changes in living environment than was health status. We found differences between the three groups regarding familial relationship, fear of death, acceptance of change, and unmet needs. Unmet needs were particularly expressed by those living in foster care. The concept of “feeling at home”, which emerged as essential for all participants, was lacking in foster care families.ConclusionPerceived autonomy, including not only functional/structural impairments, but also, social interactions, should be carefully considered when developing support services for older individuals.

Japanese divine light in Kinshasa: transcultural resonance and critique in the religiously multiple city

The Japanese “new religions” ( Shin Shūkyō) active in Kinshasa (DR Congo) nearly all perform healing through the channeling of invisible divine light. In the case of Sekai Kyūseikyō (Church of World Messianity), the light of Johrei cannot be visually apprehended, but is worn as an invisible aura on the practitioner’s body. This article discusses the trans-cultural resonances between Japan and Central Africa regarding the ontology of spiritual force, regimes of subjectivity, and the gradual embodiment of Johrei divine light as a protection against (suspicions of) witchcraft. Meanwhile, I argue that religious multiplicity in urban Africa encourages cultural reflexivity about concepts of health and healing, self-responsibility, and Pentecostal suspicion-mongering of occult sciences. Thus, Johrei divine light not only feeds into a longstanding local tradition of spiritual healing; within the religiously multiple city, it is also a discursive space for, and an experience and performance of, emic critique.

An Ethnopragmatic Analysis of Death-Prevention Names in the Karanga Society of Zimbabwe

ABSTRACT This article interrogates death-prevention names among the Karanga people in Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe, from an ethnopragmatic perspective. In Karanga society, there is a strong belief that death-prevention names can counter the powers of supernatural forces that are responsible for the death of children. The use of such names is anchored in the Karanga belief that death is caused by external forces and can thus be prevented. The article argues that the bestowal of death-prevention names in the Karanga onomastic tradition is an emotional reaction to infant mortality and a device to facilitate recovery from fear, as the names are believed to prevent the death of the name-bearers. The article evinces that death triggers feelings of despair, helplessness and hopelessness driving name-givers to make entreaties to spiritual forces to spare the lives of the named children. It can also generate extreme frustration that can drive name-givers to express feelings of defiance and, in the case of death allegedly caused by witchcraft, threaten revenge through the names. The article uses data from four predominantly Karanga districts in Masvingo. The article concludes with the argument that death-prevention names are not arbitrary labels but are terse expressions of larger sociocultural meanings.

Awesome forces and warning signs: Charting the semantic history of *tabu words in Vanuatu

The Proto-Oceanic etymon *tabu has hardly been studied outside Polynesian, yet it is attested in other Oceanic languages — albeit with different meanings. This study describes the polysemies observed for modern reflexes of *tabu, with an initial focus on Vanuatu. Sometimes, *tabu words simply refer to the mundane warning signs put up in various locations to fend off unwelcome visitors. But reflexes of *tabu are more often linked with supernatural powers, good or evil, and with the sense of awe and fear they induce upon us. The root may evoke the numinous power of high-ranked dignitaries; or the world of ancestral spirits and ghosts, and the forces of death. The diverse array of meanings attached to *tabu words is best synthesized in the form of a semantic map. This visual tool helps picture the internal organization of the root’s polysemy, and can be used as a background as we compare modern languages with each other. By applying principles of the Comparative method, we can reconstruct the meaning of *tabu at the level of ProtoOceanic: ‘forbidden, off limits; sacred, due to a sentiment of awe before spiritual forces’. Finally, semantic maps reveal their full potential as we take a dynamic perspective, and retrace the evolution of *tabu from its original meanings to the various polysemies it has acquired in modern languages.

Watching Guzikowski and Villeneuve’s Prisoners through the Lens of Patristic Teachings on Evil

The 2013 film Prisoners , written by Aaron Guzikowski and directed by Denis Villeneuve, was the most profoundly Christian film produced by Hollywood that year. Yet its many spiritual themes have gone largely unexplored by Christian film critics and theologians. Among the most striking of these themes is a much-neglected idea concerning the sources of evil in our world, an idea with deep historical roots in scripture and patristic theology. In this article, I explore this idea and seek to show how Prisoners is effective in conveying its spiritual force and practical import for the lives of believers.

An Exploratory Study of Suicidal Ideation and Risk Behavior Among Secondary School Students in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

Suicide is the leading cause of death among adolescents in the world. In Kenya, the rising number of teenage suicide cases is a matter of great concern. This study examined the underlying causes of suicide risk behavior among teenage secondary school students in Kenya. Participants comprised seven students who exhibited suicidal behaviour from four schools drawn from Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. Out of the seven participants, four were female, and three male students. This study adopted phenomenological design. Blank sheets of paper-were used in data production. Content analysis method was used in analyzing the written data generated. Results of this study revealed that the causes underlying suicidal risk behavior included: Depression, Hopelessness, Negative thoughts, Sexual abuse, Spiritual forces, Suicidal content from videos, lack of parental love and Mistrust. The findings of this study are useful to stakeholders in education in understanding the underlying causes of suicide, and designing prevention strategies to curb the rising cases of teenage suicides in schools in Kenya.

“And Now She Sings It”: Conjure as Abolitionist Alternative in Jesmyn Ward’s Sing, Unburied, Sing

“And Now She Sings It”: Conjure as Abolitionist Alternative in Jesmyn Ward’s Sing, Unburied, Sing Joanna Davis-McElligatt In this essay I contend that Jesmyn Ward’S 2017 novel Sing, Unburied, Sing constructs conjure and, more specifically, conjure healing as a decarceral strategy—or what Angela Y. Davis terms an “abolitionist alternative” (105)—to counteract racism, class bias, patriarchal domination, ecocide, and the lingering violence of enslavement and its carceral aftermath. As an African diasporic syncretic system rooted in transformation, interrelation, collectivity, and radical change, conjure exemplifies what Mariame Kaba describes as a “justice infrastructure,” or a structurally creative justice system whose practice by Indigenous and/or African peoples has been suppressed by imperialist violence (62). Transformative justice, Kaba argues, requires rethinking all forms of complicity with carceral apparatuses, creating new structures that advance collectivism and interdependence, and reducing engagement with the criminal legal system; in other words, transformative justice is a call to “not only change how we address harm but also . . . change everything” (5). To that end, I adhere to Fred Moten and Stefano Harvey’s definition of abolition as a movement concerned both with the eradication of the prison system and “the abolition of a society that could have prisons, that could have slavery, that could have the wage, and therefore not abolition as the elimination of anything but abolition as the founding of a new society” (114). I argue here that Sing, Unburied, Sing reclaims conjure as a model of transformative justice that advances the survival of Black people through rituals of healing and radical change, intracommunity interdependence, and by providing methods for the redress and prevention of harm. Though the narrative structure of Sing, Unburied, Sing intentionally disrupts space-time, the novel is primarily set in 2010s Bois Sauvage, [End Page 103] Mississippi, a racially-segregated rural town on the Gulf Coast saturated by the conditions of life in the afterlife of slavery—ecological precarity, structural underdevelopment, deep poverty, early death, and carceral state violence. Among the novel’s most urgent work is its close attention to the destructive effects of these spiritual, interrelational, and environmental forces on Black life. The novel follows a family of Black conjurers struggling to survive together: Philomène, the family matriarch, her husband River, their children Given and Leonie, and their grandchildren, thirteen-year-old Jojo and three-year-old Kayla. Just as the family is connected to one another through their unique conjure powers, however, so too are they cohered—and simultaneously fractured—by the violent intrusion of the carceral state. The primary action of the novel follows Leonie, Jojo, and Kayla as they make their way from Bois Sauvage to Parchman prison to pick up the children’s white father, Michael, where he has been incarcerated. While there, Jojo meets Richie, a boy-ghost killed by River during their own joint period of childhood incarceration at Parchman. Haunting all of the text’s characters, both literally and figuratively, is Given, whose murder at the hands of Michael’s racist cousin several years before the present moments of the text results in a traumatizing trial that offers the family neither justice nor reprieve. Over the course of the novel, conjure magic and healing emerges as the family’s most powerful way to resist and circumvent the complex of violences that accompany life in a carceral state. Whereas carceral logics advance isolation, dominion over the land, hierarchical stratifications between self and other (including animals, plants, land formations, and the universe), and authoritarian control of space-time, conjure values communitarianism, sacred ecological balance, and interconnected interdependence between all living things, existing things, and their domains. As I will make clear, conjure justice can be seen as an interdimensional intercollective healing event in which the individual and their community are inevitably changed. In its emphasis on the healing event as a necessary counterpoint to harm, conjure justice infrastructures resist modes of carceral (in)justice, in particular those that emphasize isolation, separation, and confinement as punishments. Most importantly, however, conjuration holds that life continues on in the spirit world after death; in Sing, Unburied, Sing, [End Page 104] orishas, loas, and saints answer prayers, the dead can...

Компаративный анализ представлений Джалаладдина Руми, Анри Бергсона и Шри Ауробиндо Гхоша об интуиции и духовной любви

The article analyzes the ideas of the Sufi thinker, poet Jalaladdin Rumi, the prominent Indian philosopher Sri Aurobindo Ghosh, and Henri Bergson about intuition and spiritual love. These thinkers, who lived in different historical eras, who were not familiar with each other’s creativity, expressed a number of similar ideas. These are ideas of spiritual love and intuition. According to Rumi, the idea of a person as God’s slave or servant is significantly lower than the idea of a person as a beloved of God, since it prevents one from seeing the im­age of God in the inner world of a person; the enlightened human soul strives to merge with the world soul. The highest goal of the integral yoga of Aurobindo is the unity of body, soul and spirit, thanks to which a latent spiritual force with a divine nature manifests itself in a person, a person turns into an instrument of action of divine will – Shakti. Rumi sees the meaning of human life in the dis­closure of creative abilities. Bergson defines intuition as the energy of benevo­lence, with the help of which the intellectual limitations of people are over­come. A person, according to Bergson, is a creative being, in whose activity a creative impulse is manifested; in turn, this impulse gives rise to intuition. Comparing the views of three thinkers, we find a pantheistic attitude that makes different worldviews comparable and provides a basis for their comparative study, which was pointed out in the 11th century. outstanding Central Asian en­cyclopedist Abu Rayhan al-Biruni. In our opinion, the ideas of spiritual love and intuition are the bridge that connects Western and Eastern cultures, which are very different from each other.

Этика Фихте о радикальном зле

Fichte constructs the general part of his early ethics as a philosophy of concrete freedom in the shape of a history of moral self-consciousness, and in the course of this construction he discovers something what he, in Kantian stile, may call a “radical evil in human nature”, that is, a force of “inertness to reflection and to activity in accordance with such reflection” inherent to human nature. Schelling and some contemporary authors recognize in Fichte’s doctrine of evil a symptom of his return to the ethical naturalism of the Enlightenment. An anal­ysis of the dynamics of moral reflection in the I according to Fichte shows, however, that, exactly as the I itself is for Fichte essentially a duality, a subject-object, so is each particular position in the movement of the self-reflection of the I, on the one hand, conditioned by this spiritual inertness of human nature, but that same inertness is, on the other hand, a chain with which human free­dom retains itself, and therefore actually inexistent as a restraining force for a free I, conscious of his own ethical vocation, so that its dwelling within the limits of the customary (in the invariability of consciousness) is the subject’s own fault as “non-use of freedom”. The spiritual inertness, as an empirical con­dition of possibility of a bad choice, is nevertheless in Fichte a spiritual force of a specific kind, active even there where ethical choice in the strict sense of the term is not (yet) at issue. Schelling’s reproof must therefore be acknowledged as invalid, exactly because the history of self-consciousness is, in Fichte’s ethics, not so much an exposition of a real sequence, as a transcendental reflec­tion of grounds.