Spiritual Renewal Research Articles

ОТ РЕВОЛЮЦИИ К ГНОСТИЦИЗМУ: МИХАИЛ КУЗМИН ОСЕНЬЮ 1917 Г.

The article analyzes Mikhail Kuzmin’s poetic cycle Sofia. Gnostic Poems (1917–1918) in the context of his political position in the second half of 1917. Contrary to the assumptions that this cycle, inspired with Gnostic symbolism, became Kuzmin’s way of escapism and his departure from actual problems, a new interpretation of the cycle is proposed. Analysis of the poetics and pragmatics of the cycle against the background of his other works and diaries of 1917 suggests that the gnostic theme has become the way of his mystical understanding of the revolution. Taking into account the fact that the poems were written during a period when Kuzmin shared revolutionary enthusiasm and welcomed both the February and October revolutions. The central Gnostic myth, the descent of Sophia, Kuzmin juxtaposed onto current events, trying to see in the revolution a project for a radical reorganization of the world and the spiritual renewal of man

The Issues of Art and the Artist in Karol Wojtyła’s Literary Works

The relevance of the selected research topic, especially the meaning of art and the artist in Karol Wojtyła’s poems, arises from the current growing crisis of civilization, in which modern man does not occupy a key place, but gets lost in the technological space and armed conflicts. The subject of this study is the concept of ethics, the moral character of man in the role of God’s co-creator of the world, which is omnipresent in K. Wojtyła’s poems. It is not only about religious foundations, but also about the integral human essence inherent in the behavior of a person. This is ethical personalism, a theory developed by John Paul II at an early stage of his career. It dominates the sphere of images, motifs, stylistic figures, etc. The individual is at the center of John Paul II’s thinking as a poet and thinker. Based on the ethical personalism developed by the author himself, we have traced the main directions of the spiritual renewal of the individual and of the society indicated by him. It is not only about a separate nation or nationality, but also about an integral human community to which Karol Wojtyła spoke in his works. Based on the analysis of the poems, it was concluded that the categories of artist and art are presented in Karol Wojtyła’s poetry in various ways, taking into account the horizontal and vertical peculiarities of their semantics, have a universal resonance, and contribute to the development of patriotism and moral values of society.

Harmony of National and Universal Values in Uzbekistan

This article studies the process of improving the relationship between national and universal values in the development of a democratic society, the socio-philosophical analysis of the role of SDGs and priorities and principles of the strategy of spiritual renewal. Moreover, article clarifies the process of transformation national and universal values and its influence to the uprising of Uzbek cultural heritage.

THE VALUE OF RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS: CULTURAL CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE KAZAKH PEOPLE AND THE ZOROASTRIANS

In our material presented to your attention, the value of religious and devotional traditions common to the Kazakh people and Zoroastrians, as well as inter-ethnic, inter-religious features and similarities of religious traditions are studied and discussed. Today, in social networks and mass media, the majority of existing Kazakh traditions in Kazakhstan are foreign to Islam, some of them are full of elements of traditions of foreign nations, as well as comments from the side of Islam that «associating partners with God is wrong.» In this article, the Zoroastrian religious and other traditions and holidays, which are closely intertwined with some Kazakh traditions, are studied and analyzed from a scientific point of view. Returning to the past, studying history, re-examining historical relics, spiritual renewal and turning to new and fresh perspectives are the demands of time. It is true that any nation has its own culture, spiritual identity, and spiritual world. In fact, just as no nation can live in isolation without individual historical, political and economic ties, culture cannot exist without mutual influence and connection.

Дискурс націєтворення у публіцистиці Ірини Калинець: перманентність традиції

The article makes an approach to understanding Iryna Kalynets’ journalism as an organic sphere of revealing her socio-political, intellectual and creative energy. The body of signifi cant texts (articles, speeches, interviews) of the dissident writer involved in the interpretation is analysed through the prism of nation-building issues and its projection in the present. The crystallization of the presented na-tional identity theory and author’s ideological position is considered in the nation-building strategies context of the prominent thinkers-predecessors of Ivan Franko and Ivan Ohienko. The quintessence of his work is manifested in the following ideological and thematic dominants: Ukraine’s sovereignty priority, national exist-ence completeness, nation-building and state-building functions of language and culture, intelligentsia role in people’s spiritual progress. The imperative warning against national assimilation by Russian chauvinism in its most diverse manifes-tations claims a special status in journalism of Iryna Kalynets. The author’s pro-posed program principles of the struggle for national-state self-determination of Ukrainian people, nationally specifi c program of improving the nation and spiritual renewal of socio-political life of Ukraine in gained independence realities draw attention. Ideological constructions and reasoned expositions of nation-building issues in her journalism function in the permanent tradition direction of political satire (expressive tendency, polemical sharpness, rich informative resource, vari-ety of stylistic language means, emphasized pathos, bright expressive imagery). The article notes the emotional and revelatory pathos, patriotic fervour, political foresight and relevance for today of Iryna Kalynets’s journalistic work, substanti-ates the need for its further professional analytical understanding

A inserção social do pentecostalismo no Brasil

Pentecostalism has become, in the history of the Protestant religious tradition, a chapter of indisputable relevance. Through not dogmatic or academic paths, he established himself as a clear representative of the pneumatological interpretation of the Christian presence in the world, without the necessary dependence on theological categories but for a simple and popular reading of the sacred books, for this very reason, he effectively expanded his influence on all continents being recognized as a legitimate member of world Christianity. In his secular history He highlighted the free examination of the Scriptures and in this regard he was prodigal in the implantation of communities and denominations that do not cease to multiply, as for example in Brazil. From this movement of spiritual renewal, of morality customs and hermeneutic freedom, since the 1980s, the neo-Pentecostal variant with more daring and freedom of action in society, using them as media and especially direct participation in the political field, emerged attitude that is becoming generalized across the entire Pentecostal spectrum and in historical Protestantism.

ETHNOCULTURE OF THE NOGAIS AND THE HERITAGE OF DASHT-I-KIPCHAK

In the modern world, in which significant changes are taking place, the processes of globalisation and unification of cultures are becoming increasingly important. In this regard, the issue of searching for ways of spiritual renewal and reassessing the priorities of further cultural development of Turkic peoples, the preservation of the fundamental spiritual values of Turkic ethnoculture, unique and original, is of particular importance. Turkic-speaking thinkers have always strived to build a holistic philosophical image of man. The philosophical approach to the human being implies revelation of its essence, concrete and historical determination of the forms of its activity, the disclosure of various historically existing forms of its being. The anthropocentric philosophy of the Eurasian thinkers of the Middle Ages reveals man's place in the world and his relation to the world, analyses the question of who man can become, realising his potential, what is the ratio of the sacred and profane in him, who is the «perfect man». Key words: The Turkic culture of Nogay, Dagestan, Desht-i-Kipchak, nomadism, the Middle Ages, the Great Silk Road.

Analysis of Spiritual Renewal in Christian Life According to 1 Peter 2:1-4

This writing aims to describe the spiritual renewal of Christian life based on 1 Peter 2:1-4. In this paper using exegesis and qualitative descriptive approach, by collecting data through the Bible, other literature books such as journals, interviews and documents related to the object of research. In Christian life, spiritual renewal is a priority for church leaders. However, spiritual renewal is certainly inseparable from various challenges and problems. Allegedly at this time the lives of believers still prioritize deception and have a hypocritical nature and the habit of slandering others. As a result, spiritual renewal in the lives of believers occurs because they live in holiness, become healthy spiritual babies and live relying on God. In conclusion, to increase spiritual renewal, God's people must be like babies who have just come into the world, namely thirsty for milk that has not sinned and is spiritual, because believers have received salvation

HRYHORII SKOVORODA AND DISCOURSE OF UKRAINIAN MODERNISM

The aim of the paper is to explore the line of Ukrainian Modernity which is expressed in the writings of Hryhorii Skovoroda by combining the Christian concept of human life and the experience of Antiquity, perceived through the prism of Christianity. In this context, the motive of spiritual renewal is directly conditioned by the understanding of the interaction of God’s Word with the human one, which is manifested in the persistent work of revealing the biblical meaning and creating a new form for its preservation and transmission. In this way, the timeless nature of the human ideal and its function in distinguishing the temporal forms of the new and the old, the real and the false, is affirmed. It is noticed that Skovoroda's concepts and images agree with the theories of modernism and modern identity of the 20th and early 21st centuries.
 Against the background of the elongated, even irritating discourse of Ukrainian Modernism caused by external and internal transformations of national existence, Skovoroda’s markers prove that spiritual, moral, and expressive priorities may be conflicting but not deny each other. This is mostly true for language and correlation of religion and metaphysics. According to Skovoroda, the art of the form serves as a shell, amulet, and translator of the divine meaning revealing life-giving depths. In this sense, the whimsical clothing of the word draws attention to the process of cognition, gives an opportunity to see the inner behind the external. In this regard, the continuity between the Baroque and Romanticism determines primarily their common spiritual space, due to the whirlpool of the same sources.
 It is concluded that Skovoroda’s creative figure always becomes a landmark for Ukrainian Modernism, because due to him even modernity is understood not only as a certain era or ideology but as the inner state and inner world of an author. This state can coexist with the patriarchal way of life and with the phenomena of real or conditional progress. In this sense, the thesis of the unfinished project of Ukrainian modernism must be understood from the perspective of eternal travel and distant horizons, which may not always equally reveal but do equally contain sources of Antiquity and Christianity.

Beyond the pandemic: The truth of life after COVID-19

This study focused on how to deal with the psychological trauma from the perspective of a doctor on the front line of the fight against COVID-19. As the pandemic continues to ravage our world, post-pandemic psychological counseling urgently needs to be addressed. Based on the experience of fighting the epidemic, this study discusses the psychological changes since the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020. Taking a 19-year-old with breast cancer as an example, this study considered how to find spiritual comfort, and examined how to find meaning in today's complicated world and lives, as well as turning the crisis into an opportunity for spiritual renewal and adding meaning to our lives. It is hoped that this study will inspire readers to overcome the difficulties of the epidemic, find strength and see it as a life-changing opportunity.

Human action and social structures. A Reformed theological critique of conflict theory and micro-interactionist theory

People’s understanding of the origins of social structures and their relatedness, or lack thereof, to human actions and divine providence has a bearing on the moral significance they attach to the rules of structures. Within sociology, both structural-conflict theory and micro-interactionist theory has provided theories on the interplay between human actions and structures. Although both strands attempt to ground their ideas in empirical evidence, philosophical-anthropological views on human nature, the human will and human freedom play a major role in constructing the theories. In this article it is argued that the two theories are based on philosophical premises that create moral difficulties. Conflict theory, emphasising structures as the cause of human behaviour, risks cultivating a revolutionary moral attitude towards social structures that may end up in endless cycles of nihilist conduct. In contrast, micro-interactionism’s social constructivist explanation of the relationship between human action and structures could lead to moral relativism and apathy. This article reflects on an alternative approach. At the core of both voluntarist and revolutionary moral attitudes towards structures lies the notion that morality has no grounding in a deeper reality – they are merely social constructions. The article argues that a Reformed-Christian theory that grounds moral responsibility in what Michael Welker calls an ‘anthropology of the spirit’ may provide an alternative that avoids the moral ambiguities created by structural-conflict theory and micro-interactionist theory. This approach resists voluntarism by grounding morality in God who is the origin of being and understanding moral conduct in terms of the encounter between the divine and human spirit. It counters anarchy by promoting a spirit of moral realism and constant social renewal that takes seriously the consistent threat of the desire for power.Contribution: The specific contribution of this article consists in it bringing Reformed theology and sociology into dialogue. It identifies blind spots in conflict and micro-interactionist theories on the relationship between human agency and social structures, especially when it comes to morality. It also indicates how both theories are guided mainly by presuppositions about human nature and the human will. In response, it is attempted to provide an alternative theological outlook on the question of the relationship between human agency and social structures, which grounds morality in an anthropology of the Spirit. Until now, no such attempt has been made.

Postmodern Ethics, Premodern Farce

Postmodern Ethics, Premodern Farce

VOLUME 52 (2022)

VOLUME 52 (2022)

ISSUES OF PERSONAL SPIRITUALITY FORMATION IN UZBEKISTAN

The article discusses the fact that religious knowledge does not consist only in the formation of thinking, subjective views and transcendental thoughts, it is necessary for the spiritual renewal of society, and the transformation of human qualities into a stable reality among people.

Sebestyén Jenő, a történelmi kálvinizmus és a Soli Deo Gloria Református Diákszövetség

"Jenő Sebestyén (1884–1950), the Historical Calvinism, and the Soli Deo Gloria Student Alliance. This paper aims to give an introduction into the origins of Jenő Sebestyén’s theological movement, the “Historical Calvinism”, while it discusses Sebestyén’s formative role in the creation and later development of the Soli Deo Gloria Student Alliance (SDG). Historical Calvinism can be understood as the Hungarian adaptation of Abraham Kuyper’s (1837–1920) Neo-Calvinism. Following Dutch examples, Sebestyén inspired his students, especially Zoltán Töltéssy (1900–1932), at the Budapest Reformed Seminary to form a confessional-minded student movement in order to serve the evangelization of the Youth and the spiritual renewal of the Reformed Church in Hungary in the 1920s. Soon, the SDG would become widely popular among high school and university students, attain the support of the church officials, and pursue many debates with the inter-confessional student missionary organizations. Keywords: Abraham Kuyper, Neo-Calvinism, Historical Calvinism, Jenő Sebestyén, Soli Deo Gloria Student Alliance (SDG), Zoltán Töltéssy "

Turkic world in the flow of civilizations

Significant changes in the dynamics of cultures and civilizations are taking place in the modern world: S. Huntington’s conclusion about the collisions of supercilizations no longer corresponds to the realities of the XXI century, the processes of localization and unification of cultural worlds («Russian world», «European way», «Malay civilization», «Turkic world», etc.) are becoming increasingly important. The purpose of the article is to consider the genesis, chronotopes and civilizational potential of the «Turkic idea». In this regard, the issue of finding ways of spiritual renewal and revaluation of priorities for the further cultural development of the Turkic peoples, preservation of the fundamental spiritual values of the ethnoculture of the Turks, unique and original, is of particular importance. Turkic-speaking thinkers have always sought to build a holistic philosophical image of a person. The anthropocentric philosophy of Central Asian thinkers reveals the place of the Turkic man in the world and his attitude to culture, analyzes the question of who a person can become by realizing his potential, what is the ratio of the sacred and profane in him, who is the «perfect human».

Conjectures on Forest literature

Abstract These conjectures on two novels about woods or forests from different points and periods in the capitalist world-system, Thomas Hardy’s The Woodlanders (1887) and Annie Proulx’s Barkskins (2016), seek to demonstrate that forests are locations saturated with histories and rival ideologies. Forests are variously godless wastes, places of worship and spiritual renewal, as well as symbols of national, cultural and even racial identity. They are also portents of liberty, the liberty of nature from plantation monocultures, and the liberty of humans from conformity to the regimenting disciplines of capital. Timber is a ubiquitous and indispensable capitalist commodity much like coal or oil. But underground seams of coal and reservoirs of unprocessed crude oil obviously do not, as forests and forest literature often do, represent utopian visions of a post-capitalist future. Much recent work in the ‘energy humanities’ and on ‘the aesthetics of commodity frontiers’ neglects this capacity of literary texts to sketch alternatives to capital’s destructive and instrumentalising logic. This article therefore uses Andreas Malm’s important work on ‘fossil capital’ and his recent speculations on ‘wilderness literature’ to show how in two works of fiction the forest provides an image of a future beyond capital.

VYGOVSKY ZION: UNDERSTANDING THE EVENTS OF 1787–1788 IN THE CONTEXT OF BIBLICAL HISTORY

The article analyzes for the first time the work of Andrey Borisov, a writer, an Old Believer, and a representative of the Vyg literary school. The work is dedicated to the restoration of the main cathedral chapel of the male Vyg community on July 16, 1788 after the fire. A lengthy Word has been preserved in the draft autograph, which testifies to the author's careful work on the text, and in the handwritten lists representing two editions of the text. The Word of Andrei Borisov describes thoroughly and emotionally the disaster that befell kinovia. The article provides valuable historical evidence about the circumstances of the fire, the new development and restoration of the community, about the rich church decoration of the Vyg temple. As a retrospective analogy to the events of 1787–1788, Andrey Borisov chose the story of the destruction of the first Zion temple and the creation of the second Zion temple after the return of the Israelites from Babylonian captivity. The article analyzes numerous examples of likening of the Vyg chapel to the main temple of the Israelis. Another biblical image, to which Andrei Borisov resorted when describing the events of 1787–1788 is revealed, is the image of the Vygovskaya / Babylonian River, which contains a direct likening of the people of Vyg to “ancient Jerusalem captives” who mourned the loss of the first Jerusalem temple. In accordance with the genre requirements and the Vyg tradition, Andrei Borisov concluded the Word with an edification and a call to observe God's commandments and spiritual renewal. Since the Vyg cathedral church of the Epiphany was the main one for the entire Old Believer district and the entire Pomorian consent, its likening to Zion had not only an external basis (the fact of the fire and subsequent restoration), but also a deep inner content for the Vyg author.

Said Nursi and Rufus Jones on the Spiritual Life

Although they almost certainly never heard of one another, Said Nursi and Rufus Jones were contemporaneous mystics and leaders of spiritual renewal in their respective Muslim and Quaker communities. A comparison of their writings reveals a high correspondence of thought on the spiritual life: a sense of awe, a sacramental view of life in which God is available to all and a democratisation of the mystical life. This in turn inspires a pluralistic appreciation of God’s mystical presence in other religious communities, even as one acknowledges the distinctive truth of one’s own. For each writer, this process opened a path to respond to the challenges of modernity in the early twentieth century.

SEMANGAT AGGIORNAMENTO DAN MISI DALAM DEVOSI HATI KUDUS YESUS MENURUT ARNOLDUS JANSSEN

The Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a spiritual treasure of the Church that can help the growth of people's faith and for the implementation of the work of proclaiming the Gospel for all nations. Arnold Janssen who has an extraordinary missionary spirit introduced the devotion of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to the world. His devotion is not just an adoption from his predecessors but also carries a distinctive spirit, missionary spirit, and openness. In the spirit of the Second Vatican Council, it is called an aggiornamento. This article aims to explore the spirit of renewal and the spirit of missionary work. The method used by the author in this search is a literature study. Through this analysis, the writer finds that the spirit of “aggiornamento” is also present in the devotion of the Sacred Heart according to Arnold Janssen. The contribution from the spirit of spiritual life and motivation introduced by Arnold through the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is very useful for the preaching and pastoral work of the Church. This devotion introduced by Arnold can also be one of the relevant means of preaching and pastoral of the Church.