Theological Themes Research Articles

Paul Tillich – Interpreter of Life

Abstract Werner Schüßler regards Paul Tillich’s philosophico-theological thinking to be relevant for today for three reasons: His idea of a theology of culture shows that religion is the depth dimension of culture and that both areas cannot be strictly separated from each other. Therefore, in principle everything can become a subject of theology. With his formal definition of faith as the state of being ultimately concerned, he tries to make clear that every human being as a human being is a religious being and that even secularization is a religious phenomenon. And in contrast to Karl Barth, Tillich draws attention to the indispensable importance of philosophy for theology.

Introducing a Comparative Ecotheology: Islamic Concept of Basmalah and Luther’s Commentary on the Ten Commandments

"In our trying time of the COVID-19 pandemic, this paper discusses current environmental concerns in light of critical questions about the relationship between God and Mother Earth. This paper addresses this question in an inter-religious context. In order to fulfil its original duty of inculcating spirituality, faith can build a bridge between God and people on a constructive understanding of the Earth. To this end, Christianity and Islam offer notions of divine grace and divine <em>lutf</em> to do this duty. In this paper, I examine two inspiring sources: the Islamic motto of Basmalah, and Luther’s commentary on the Ten Commandments in The Large Catechism. These are core to understanding the holy texts of Islam and Lutheran Christianity, both as theological subject matters for imams and pastors and as guides for the daily spiritual practices of ordinary people. This comparative study uses both textual and conceptual analysis to develop inter-faith cooperation and dialogue, and to bring the faithful closer together. The paper beings with an explanation of the spiritual aspects of Basmalah, its connection with divine nature and names, and the most important names of God in order to introduce how divine mercifulness (al-Rahman) suggests an eco-theology honoring the Earth. Then, I discuss Luther’s The Large Catechism focusing on the Ten Commandment as the spirit of that book. I demonstrate how Luther’s explanation relates to Islamic ideas of Basmalah. I ponder Luther’s text and his description of each of the Ten Commandments separately to shed light on an eco-friendly theology. Finally, the study concludes by examining how the Basmalah and Luther’s Catechism pave the path to develop inter-religious dialogue and promote eco-theology by offering harmony between their particular visions and universal values. This nature-friendly theology concentrates on humanity as the image of God in Christianity and the representative of God in Islam."

The Research on the School of Salamanca (2008-2019). A Conceptual and Multidisciplinary Bibliography

This bibliography offers a general panorama of the developments in research on the School of Salamanca over the last decade. This period saw the introduction of new research methods, partly stimulated also by the growing interest in Salamanca's scholasticism of scholars from a wide variety of disciplines. The research field became more international, and various research projects and initiatives preparing editions of important scholastic sources were launched. These projects sought to broaden research perspectives which had previously focused mainly on the study of natural law, the law of nations, and specific theological and metaphysical themes. The entries in our bibliography of academic works published between 2008 and 2019 are arranged according to an exhaustive list of thematic descriptors that enables the reader to quickly locate the publications dedicated to a certain author, concept, research topic or institution. Although most of the concepts used as descriptors are of philosophical-political and historical-legal character, the bibliography also offers references related to disciplines such as the history of books, the history of universities, natural philosophy or epistemology, in what is intended to be a faithful representation of the current multidisciplinary interest in Salamanca scholasticism.

The Theological Language of Anorexia: An Argument for Greater Rapprochement between Chaplains and Physicians

This article explores the theological themes prevalent in the language of anorexia nervosa by briefly exploring extant literature in the field before reporting on the author’s qualitative fieldwork with Christian women with anorexia nervosa. Sufferers, both those from religious and non-religious backgrounds, often convey their understanding of their illness in theological and moral language, using terms such as ‘sin’ and ‘sacrifice’. The use of theological frameworks on ‘Pro-Ana’ internet forums is also considered. The article concludes by considering the implications of this use of theological language for pastoral and chaplaincy care, and argues that highly skilled mental health chaplains would be of benefit to treatment models for anorexia nervosa and that community church leaders can pay a crucial role in long-lasting recovery, particularly for anorexic women who profess a Christian faith.

Does Alcoholics Anonymous Help Grow the Spiritual but not Religious Movement?

Both the 12 Step movement of Alcoholics Anonymous and the spiritual-but-not-religious (SBNR) movement insist there is an important difference between spirituality and religion. Briefly, it is claimed that spirituality is personal and heart-felt, while religion consists of human-created doctrines, institutions, and outward rituals. However, the two routes to that definition differ in significant ways. For AA the dichotomy has been functional to allow a diverse membership and reduce an undercurrent of societal judgmentalism. For SBNRs, the claim has been boundary-marking, facilitating the movement away from organized religion. Nevertheless, as AA has progressed, it has become more of a portal away from religion and toward the SBNR ethos. This essay shows some of the more significant theological themes that have facilitated this movement.

Hildegard of Bingen’s musical work in the aspect of the phenomenon of author’s style

Hildegard of Bingen’s musical work in the aspect of the phenomenon of author’s style

“Wonderful”, “Hot”, “Good” Priests: Clergy on Contemporary British TV and the New Visibility of Religion Thesis

This article examines the “new visibility of religion” thesis through a case study of recent depictions of priests and ministers in British television drama and comedy. It focuses on four award-winning shows produced between 2009 and 2019 with clergy as central characters: Broadchurch, Broken, Fleabag and Rev. Clergy on these shows are depicted positively, in ways that contrast with portrayals in the 1990s and earlier 2000s. The shows demonstrate an active sympathy for, and engagement with, theological themes, and awareness of the important social role that clergy play in inner-city parishes. While some elements of these depictions support the idea of a “new visibility”, at the same time, they reiterate narratives of continuing religious decline in Britain. Rather than unproblematically celebrating faith, the shows use religion to critique neoliberal welfare policy and sacralise notions of community. This “new visibility” is also shown to contribute to the continued invisibility of some religious viewpoints in the media. This article concludes that despite these limitations, recent portrayals of clergy offer new opportunities for religious debate and conversation, particularly within media and fan commentary.

Theology and politics in the German imagination, 1789–1848

ABSTRACT This piece introduces a special issue of Global Intellectual History, on the theme of Theology and Politics in the German Imagination, 1789–1848. The essays in the issue proceed from a conference of the same name, held in Cambridge at the Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CRASSH), in July 2017, which was supported by funds from the DAAD Cambridge Research Hub. The event was primed to consider the distinctive relationships between theology and politics, church and state, that emerged in early nineteenth-century Germany (and German-speaking central Europe). By focussing on figures, institutions, and events from this period – when a nascent ‘Germany’ was defining itself as a nation and a culture – we challenged the all too frequent reduction of religion in the modern world to an ideology which simply competes with politics. Instead, we sought to discuss the subtle and significant ways in which theology and politics interact and inform one another. During our opening roundtable discussion, panellists stressed the need to re-think the category of ‘nationalism’ as applied to late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century Germany.

Taking the discussion onward

ABSTRACTThis response to the foregoing reviews of The Poetry and Music of Science identifies common themes raised by them, responds to direct questions where this is possible and suggests further avenues of discussion. It focusses in particular on issues of the historical and cultural setting of human creativity, the particular issues raised by poetry, the differences between artistic and scientific imagination, the confusion (and de-confusion) of ‘imagination' and ‘creativity', the social and institutional framings of the sciences and the arts, the question of digital creativity and theological themes. A common emerging idea is that human creativity, whether artistic or scientific, is well-described by neither purely ‘expressive' nor ‘receptive’ actions but by a meeting of both.

Augustinus:'n Studie oor die Etiek van'n Kerkvader uit Afrika by J.H. Van Wyk

Reviewed by: Augustinus:'n Studie oor die Etiek van'n Kerkvader uit Afrika by J.H. Van Wyk Chris L. de Wet Van Wyk, J.H. 2018. Augustinus:'n Studie oor die Etiek van'n Kerkvader uit Afrika. Stellenbosch: SUN Press. Pp. 233. ISBN 978-1-928357-66-7. ZAR250.00. One should read this book for what it is. First, the genre of the book falls between that of a popular publication and an academic monograph, although I would argue that it is probably more of a popular than a critical academic study. The book reads well; the writing is very accessible to experts and non-experts alike. Second, although it displays some historical insights, the book is mainly written from a theological perspective. The author, J.H. (Amie) van Wyk, is a rather well-known South African Reformed scholar of systematic theology. Third, the book is written in Afrikaans, which does presuppose that the author engages primarily with a South African audience. However, the book certainly does address the wider scholarly community also, especially those working in theological disciplines. At the outset, it may be said that the book does a good job of contextualising Augustine's ethics diachronically. In other words, Van Wyk brings Augustine into a sensible and constructive dialogue with other theologians, especially Luther, Calvin, and others. For this, the author should be lauded. It should also be said that, although the book is semi-popular, theologians will certainly benefit from it, especially those who have not done thorough studies of Augustine or Patristics in general. Scholars of Classics, Ancient History, and more critically Early Christian Studies might find the book frustrating because of its theological focus, and perhaps a bit elementary, but reading it is not without some gain even for them. The short first chapter of the book, 'Inleiding' (pp. 1–8), starts with a justification: why is there a need for another book on Augustine? As justification, Van Wyk argues, rightly, that Augustine's influence, and popularity, especially as a figure that resonates ecumenically, is reason alone for the need to study his ethics. Furthermore, Augustine is crucial to Van Wyk because of his focus on the kingdom of God as a theological theme, and finally, Van Wyk considers Augustine a typical biblical theologian, which is further reason for his importance. The latter two points are, of course, debatable, but these also act as presuppositions for Van Wyk's approach to Augustine's ethics. The second chapter, 'Oriëntering' (pp. 9–50), contextualises Augustine's life. Given that this book is written for a popular audience, this chapter is quite important to the whole endeavour. This chapter is very similar to Peter Brown's biography of Augustine18 in that it examines Augustine from his many possible backgrounds: first, as an African, second, as a Roman, and [End Page 285] third, as a Christian bishop and theologian. The chapter also highlights the roles of Augustine as a preacher, catechetical teacher, pastor, letter writer, attendee of councils, and peacemaker. Finally, Augustine is also theologically contextualised as an apologete and polemicist, especially in his fight against Arianism, Manichaeanism (to which a long, detailed, and helpful section is devoted), Donatism, and Pelagianism (Van Wyk still uses this term, although it is often disputed whether there was actually any such thing). Although Van Wyk writes from his own theological perspective, anyone who can read Afrikaans and who wants a rather compact summary of Augustine's life and person will find this chapter helpful. Chapter Three, 'Fundering' (pp. 51–88), focuses mainly on Augustine's theological, that is, dogmatic, foundations. Whereas Chapter Two contextualised Augustine historically, here we have his theological contextualisation. Van Wyk delineates the following aspects of Augustine's theology: God as mystery, God as Spirit, God as the Father of Christ, and God as a Triune God. Thereafter, Van Wyk comments on the centrality of Scripture in Augustine's theology. This is followed by a discussion of Augustine's ecclesiology, with a focus on the sacrament of baptism as affecting salvation, catechism, preaching, the eucharist, and liturgy. He then moves on to Augustine's anthropology, with a focus on human beings as agents with...

A megfeszített Krisztus kettős természete : Jézus golgotai hét szavának komplementaritás-realista vizsgálata

This study focuses on the paradox of the union of two separate natures, divine and human in Jesus. Many reject this teaching on a rational basis. However, the Bohrian complementarity principle provides an example of the ‘yet-unity’ of opposites as a rational statement as well as an experience. Barbour introduced the methodological concept of critical realism to point out that science and theology share this methodology. In our research, we also keep in mind the linguistic-cultural approach of Lindbeck and the bottom-up thinking of Polkinghorne. By integrating these three with the principle of complementarity, we introduce complementarity realism, which we use as its first application to examine the words of Jesus on the cross. By evaluating Christological teachings throughout early church history using the aids of dogmatic summaries, we check their ability to interpret the seven words of Jesus within their own system. Thus, we obtain a kind of statistical measure of deviation from orthodoxy. This analysis also shows how difficult it is to formulate not only the seven words but ultimately the Christological statements of the New Testament as a whole and coherent teaching. The second half of the study, through a thorough exploration of the problem, points out that the principle of complementarity known from physics can help us to understand the rational aspect of Christ’s dual nature. Moreover, the similarity between the dual nature of Christ and the dual nature of matter can lead to important theological insights and shed light on other theological themes (such as the paradoxes of Lutheran theology) and on the relationship of theology and science.

Teología transversal universitaria: Claves formativas para los jóvenes de la educación superior

The Synod on Youth has highlighted the necessity to consider the realities of youth and to propose new formational and evangelization languages. The purpose of the article is to characterize a specific kind of education that is provided by catholic universities to their students in the area of theology. Bearing this in mind, it considers the ideas of the young regarding their beliefs and experiences within this educational sphere. The text is conceptually based on the magisterial triduum that came out of the Synod on Young People: Instrumentum Laboris, Final Document and Christus Vivit, in addition to considering the voices of the youth with respect to their beliefs and experiences in this formative field, through two instances, namely, an on-line questionnaire from the Secretariat of the Synod, answered by the students of the Universidad Catolica Silva Henriquez, Chile (UCSH), and a study carried out at the UCSH on theological subjects. A methodology will be developed for the analysis of data and information for both instruments, that is, for both the quantitative survey and the qualitative oriented study. The text is arranged in three sections, the first referring to the on-line survey, the second to the study of the theological subjects and, in the third, it concludes by proposing a University Transversal Theology that should rest on the anthropological dimension of searching, interreligious dialogue, antropodiversity, interdisciplinarity, and ethics.

The Reformation and the Irrepressible Word of God: Interpretation, Theology, and Practice ed. by Scott M. Manetsch

Reviewed by: The Reformation and the Irrepressible Word of God: Interpretation, Theology, and Practice ed. by Scott M. Manetsch John T. Pless The Reformation and the Irrepressible Word of God: Interpretation, Theology, and Practice. Edited by Scott M. Manetsch. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2019. 244 pp. The title is a bit misleading as the reader is led to think that the volume focuses on questions of biblical authority and hermeneutics in the Reformation. While these topics are addressed in the two chapters in Part One, the remaining three parts of the book touch on a range of topics. The nine chapters were originally given as lectures(?) at a 2017 conference, "The Reformation and the Ministry of the Word" held at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. The two chapters that deal most explicitly with biblical interpretation are by the editor, Scott Manetsch, and David S. Dockery. Examining Jean Crespin's history of Reformation martyrs, Manetsch demonstrates how the scriptures were employed to interpret martyrdom in the context of the larger narrative of salvation history thus [End Page 370] providing consolation for those who faced imprisonment and death on account of their confession. Dockery treats Luther's understanding of biblical authority in light of Luther's Christology. A chapter by Michael A.G. Haykin takes up Hugh Latimer's approach to biblical preaching in the English Reformation. Perhaps the most interesting chapter is Ronald K. Rittgers' "Scripture as 'Sacrament' in Protestant Pastoral and Devotional Literature." Rittgers, the author of several major Reformation studies including The Reformation of Suffering (Oxford, 2012), masterfully develops his thesis that the scriptures functioned sacramentally in the pastoral and devotional literature of this era to give ordinary lay Christians a tangible connection with the divine without "superstitious" practices associated with late medieval Christianity: "Wherever it was found, Scripture was a Spirit-inspired and Spirit-enabled means of grace for those who had faith, especially for those who suffered in body or soul. God did not simply inform the afflicted of His will in Scripture; God also poured out divine grace to them through Scripture. God was present to them via the Word" (101). In advancing his thesis, Rittigers challenges the so-called "disenchantment" thesis that asserts that the Reformation de-mystified the world thus opening the way for the Enlightenment and modern secularism. Michael Horton's chapter looks at Luther's reading of the biblical texts on justification by faith in light of patristic exegesis, pointing out what he sees as similarities between Luther's opponents and positions taken by advocates of the New Perspective on Paul. Kevin DeYoung reflects on implications of the doctrine of justification for preaching and pastoral care in an age of "victimization." The final section, "The Christian Life in the Reformation," contains chapters by Thomas H. McCall on "The Sainthood of All Believers" and David Luy on "Luther on the General Priesthood: An Embedded Account." McCall, critical of Gerhard Forde's often repeated assertion that sanctification is "the art of getting used to justification" (148), does not so much seek to engage Forde as he does to point out positive references in Luther and the Formula of Concord to the renovating work of the Spirit and the presence of good works in the lives of those who have the status of sainthood. Luy takes a fresh look at "the doctrine of the general priesthood" [End Page 371] which he calls a "signature theme of Luther's reformation theology" (168). After critiquing "unembedded" readings of Luther's teaching on the priesthood of all believers, Luy draws connections with the Reformer's understanding of vocation as priests speak the Word to one another so that Christ is mediated to the neighbor. An Afterword, "What Evangelicals Can Learn from the Reformation," by Timothy George concludes the volume. George notes the increased interest in Luther and the Reformation among American Evangelicals over the last forty years, echoes Bonhoeffer's concern that America has experienced a Protestantism without a Reformation, and emphasizes the dangers implicit in such Protestantism also for Evangelicals. Overall, this helpful book signals a thoughtful engagement with the Reformation in light of contemporary challenges. [End Page 372] John T. Pless Concordia Theological Seminary...

Biblical Theology

Biblical Theology Christopher T. Begg and Thomas Hieke ________ 824. [Paul] Bryan Blazosky, The Law’s Universal Condemning and Enslaving Power. Reading Paul, the Old Testament, and Second Temple Jewish Literature (BBRSup 24; University Park, PA: Eisenbrauns, 2019). Pp. xiv + 227. $74.95. ISBN 978-1-57506-979-1. My first and second chapters are a biblical theological study of the OT presentation of the plight of the nations and their relationship to the Mosaic law. Selections from the Torah, Prophets, and Writings are examined in regard to why the nations experience God’s wrath and how the Mosaic law relates to these nations. The third chapter surveys the diverse body of Second Temple Jewish literature in regard to the same issues. Since it is fairly common within Second Temple Judaism to view some or all of the nations as subject to God’s wrath, I examine the reasons given in these writings for why the nations deserve judgment. What is the basis for their condemnation, and specifically, are nations held accountable for breaking the law of Moses? . . . The fourth through sixth chapters are the heart of this monograph. As with any Paul and the law monograph, Romans and Galatians form the backbone of this study. The fourth chapter is, thus, an analysis and synthesis of Galatians on Paul’s view of the human plight, especially with reference to the Mosaic law. The fifth chapter, on Romans, mirrors the chapter on Galatians. In the sixth chapter, five related passages, i.e. 1 Cor 9:19–23; 15:56; Eph 2:13–15; Col 2:8–23; and 1 Tim 1:8–10 are examined and compared with the findings from Galatians and Romans. . . . In my final chapter, my conclusions are drawn together from the Pauline section about what Paul’s view about the question at issue was as well as the logic that holds his view together. Next, I compare Paul’s view with my findings from the OT and Second [End Page 265] Temple Jewish literature. Furthermore, I discuss how my proposal fits within current scholarship. Finally, my work concludes with reflections on the relevance of this study of Gentiles and the Mosaic law for biblical theology, Pauline studies, and the church [pp. 11–12, adapted] Through a comparison of the above texts, B. finds that Paul—in line with the OT and other Second Temple Jewish texts—interprets the Mosaic law as having the power to universally condemn. Despite being gifted to Israel, the law’s ability to curse, condemn, and enslave reaches beyond the covenantal boundaries of Israel. [Adapted from published abstract—C.T.B.]. 825. [OT Theology] Konrad Schmid, Theologie des Alten Testaments (Neue Theologische Grundrisse; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2019). Pp. xviii + 415. Paper €39. ISBN 978-3-160150763-2. S.’s “Old Testament Theology” follows a decidedly historical approach in its seven chapters: (1) Introduction: the relationship between “Old Testament” and “theology”; (2) Reflections on the term “theology” from Plato via Philo, the Church Fathers, and the Reformation to the twentieth century, including Jewish theology; (3) Relevance and relativity of the canon (“Old Testament” vs. “Hebrew Bible” vs. “Tanakh”); (4) Methodology, especially what a theology of the Old Testament does not address; (5) Canonical hermeneutics of existing “Hebrew Bibles” and “Old Testaments” (different selections and arrangements of books and parts); (6) Theologies of the three parts of the Hebrew Bible: Torah, Nevi’im, Ketuvim; (7) A history of theology vis-à-vis the history of the Old Testament literature (from the late eighth cent. to the era of the Maccabees); (8) Topics of Old Testament Theology (literary genres, ideas about God and God’s name, creation, divine interventions in history, political theology, law and order, cult and sacrifices, state and people, kingdom and theocracy, Zion and Sinai, anthropology, pluralism of theologies vs. “center” of the OT); (9) Jewish theology of the Tanakh (Talmud, halakhah) vs. Christian theology of the OT (reception in the NT, the two-part Christian Bible). The book comes with an index of references and Hebrew and Greek words as well as with a very detailed index of subjects and topics.—T.H. Christopher T. Begg Catholic University...

Los principios del cristianismo: Una Teología Fundamental según Newman by Fernando María Cavaller

Reviewed by: Los principios del cristianismo: Una Teología Fundamental según Newman by Fernando María Cavaller John T. Ford, CSC Los principios del cristianismo: Una Teología Fundamental según Newman BY FERNANDO MARÍA CAVALLER Colección En Diálogo 53. Buenos Aires: Agape Libros, 2018. 542 pages. Paperback: $930.00 (Argentine pesos). ISBN: 9789876405317. Although he never wrote a treatise specifically devoted to "fundamental theology," John Henry Newman, both as an Anglican and as a Roman Catholic, discussed many of the major issues presently treated in works on "fundamental theology." At the outset, it should be noted that theologians differ about which topics should be included under the heading of "fundamental theology." Some or all of the following are included: revelation and faith, tradition and scripture, Christ and the church.1 Newman treated all of these topics at various times during his life. In addition, theologians use different methodologies to elaborate their "fundamental theology." Some prefer a historical-philosophical approach, while others opt for a theological perspective. This book follows Newman in its treatment of all six of these topics from a theological approach. [End Page 110] What Cavaller does so diligently is to organize and discuss the topics of fundamental theology that Newman treated in various publications during his life-time: divine revelation (23–264), Christ and the church (265–368), and faith as the appropriate response to revelation (369–487). Cavaller's detailed discussion and analysis concludes with a helpful synthesis (489–538), which might be read first by those who are not familiar with fundamental theology. Finally, there is a very short bibliography (539–42). Cavaller's treatment of revelation begins with Newman's teenage conversion, which resulted in his sacramental view of revelation. Newman's view of revelation contrasted sharply with the more "historicist apologetics," which characterized most Roman Catholic treatments of the topic during the nineteenth century. Newman, of course, treated such fundamental theological topics as natural and revealed religion—Christianity as the fullness of revelation—and the transmission of revelation.2 Nonetheless, there was an on-going ambivalence in Newman's treatment of revelation: sometimes he emphasized its experiential aspects, and at other times he stressed its expressional (doctrinal) dimension. His theology of revelation could well be enhanced by employing Avery Dulles's "models of revelation."3 Nonetheless, Newman's characterization of revelation as "dogmatic" and his well-known insistence on the development of doctrine were theologically avant-garde, so much so that his advocacy of doctrinal development was somewhat suspect during his lifetime. Newman's treatment of Christ and the church also contrasted rather markedly with that of his contemporaries, who, in response to historicist tendencies emerging in the nineteenth century, elaborated "historical proofs" for the divinity of Christ and the founding of the church. Newman instead viewed the Incarnation as "Fundamental Christology" and emphasized the church's sacramentality. While granting the merits of Newman's incarnational Christology, the need for addressing the numerous questions concerning the "Jesus of History" is critically urgent today. Similarly, while a sacramental ecclesiology may be eminently satisfying for believers, the human defects of the church loom so large that they must be candidly considered in ecclesiological discussions today. Finally, in the manualist treatises of the nineteenth century, "faith" was usually, but incongruously, treated independently of revelation, thereby neglecting to emphasize that revelation calls for the response of faith. Although Newman was very much concerned about the relationship of faith and reason, he also viewed faith as "preparation for the beatific vision" and the contemplation of Christ. Indeed, [End Page 111] Newman emphasized the dogmatic content of Christian belief and considered theology as the explication and development of the teachings of revelation. Cavaller's inclusion of Newman's writings on development is a welcome and indeed necessary addition to fundamental theology; however, there is still a pressing need to expand Newman's view of development by specifically considering the ways in which our understandings of how revelation, tradition, and scripture develop.4 On the whole, one is pleasantly surprised that most of Newman's "fundamental theology" is quite at home in post-Vatican II theology. Nonetheless, there are a couple of areas that Newman...

Лінгвософія «рабства – свободи» у драмі Лесі Українки «В катакомбах»

The article offers a stylistic analysis of Lesia Ukrainka’s drama “In the Catacombs”. The basis of the research methodology is the linguosophical approach, ie the projection of the topic – the main idea – issues, features of social and ideological conflicts on the linguistic basis of the work. Emphasis is placed on the lexical and grammatical manifestations of the interaction of rhetoric of “high”, “neutral” and “low” registers for the advantages of the first two. In this regard, communication with theological, evangelical and everyday topics is differentiated. Emphasis is placed on the stylistics of the antithesis, the symbolism of the text, the textual interpretation of precedent names. It is established that the first helps to stylize the debatability, polylogical communication of the characters, the second – to express the philosophy of the boundaries of earthly and spiritual being. It is emphasized that the interpretation of precedent phenomena in Lesia Ukrainka corresponds to the author’s strategy of expressing the socio-political position of the intellectual in imperial Russia of the late XIX – early XX centuries. Changes in the textual semantics of the tokens slave, will have been traced. It is noted on the role of the text of the drama “In the Catacombs” in the development of the literary Ukrainian literary language as a means of glorifying the ability of the Ukrainian nation to compete.

Micah by Stephen G. Dempster

Reviewed by: Micah by Stephen G. Dempster Matthew Seufert stephen g. dempster, Micah (Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2017). Pp. vii + 284. Paper $30. A lengthy and learned introduction (pp. 1-56), which discusses, in continual conversation with scholarship on Micah, the prophecy's historical and literary contexts, language, text, structure, and theology, precedes the two main sections of this commentary. The first of the two is the commentary proper; the second deals with Micah and theology. "This commentary … thus stress[es] both exegesis and theology" (p. 37). Following Dempster's view of "the literary plan of the book," the commentary proper divides Micah into three main sections (1:2–2:13; 3:1–5:15; and 6:1–7:20); the plan "organizes judgment and salvation oracles into three sections of escalating intensity in which the negative notes of judgment gradually are drowned out by the positive notes of salvation, and the final chapter dramatically shifts from a lament to a hymn" (p. 18). "Each section that begins with judgment ends with a note of grace" (pp. 24-25). Dempster, discerning several distinct oracles within each of the main sections, further subdivides them (e.g., section 1: 1:2-16; 2:1-11; and 2:12-13) and runs each of these subdivisions through five parts of commentary: Structure; Literary Features; Key Words and Expressions; Interpretation—Micah's Word Then; and Interpretation—Micah's Word Now. He engages the secondary literature in English, French, and German and regularly converses with competing interpretive options. The commentary is thorough and insightful and does a wonderful job of balancing attention to detail with a view of the whole (whole subdivisions, main sections and book). Dempster resolves the well-known grammatical incongruity of some of Micah's pronouns (e.g., Mic 1:11 and 1:13; note his attention to detail) by suggesting that the words may reflect "the uncontrolled grief of a person stunned by shock"; "this cannot help but affect his grammatical precision" (p. 68). It is difficult to reconcile this view with the string of wordplays in chap. 1, helpfully charted and engagingly discussed in detail by D., which would have required the precise thought and articulation of a wordsmith. Positively, D.'s eye for poetic techniques is keen, and he not only notes them but offers interpretation as to their significance (e.g., as structural markers; note his view beyond the details). [End Page 301] The last two of the five parts of commentary (i.e., Interpretation—Micah's Word Then, and Interpretation—Micah's Word Now) were born out of the purpose of this commentary series: "Historical and literary considerations are the focus of the exegesis but with the ultimate intent of connecting the two horizons of the word of God then to the word of God now. That movement from one to the other will be aided by considering how the context of the canon contributes to the understanding of Micah's words today" (p. 37). D. reads and interprets Micah "as a text addressed to all generations" (ibid.). He does this without neglecting or flattening out the importance of the original contexts within which the oracles were spoken and written (i.e., Micah's Word Then). It would be hard to critique the thoughtfulness behind D.'s tentatively proposed historical reconstructions both for the originally spoken oracles (the priority of which he affirms) and the oracles as written down and incorporated into a larger literary whole. Navigating these horizons and their import for interpretation is challenging enough, which makes D.'s work in viewing Micah from multiple other horizons (e.g., that of the Twelve, notably, Jonah and Nahum, the OT, the NT, and of today) all the more admirable. The second of the two main sections deals with theology and Micah in three parts: Theological Themes of Micah, Micah's Contribution to Biblical Theology, and Micah's Relevance to Present-Day Issues. Since the commentary proper includes a good bit of theological discussion, including applications to present-day issues, there is some repetition. I see the usefulness of the second main section in the confinement of this discussion to one spot, along...

John Henry Newman and the Crisis of Modernity ed. by Brian W. Hughes and Danielle Nussberger

Reviewed by: John Henry Newman and the Crisis of Modernity ed. by Brian W. Hughes and Danielle Nussberger Stephen D. Lawson John Henry Newman and the Crisis of Modernity EDITED BY BRIAN W. HUGHES AND DANIELLE NUSSBERGER New York: Lexington Books/Fortress Academic, 2019. xiv + 195 pages. Hardback: $95.00. ISBN: 9781978702103. The ten essays in this book are a promising sign for the future of Newman studies. The essays are not part of a shared program but are constructive engagements with Newman's work in a number of different areas. The premise of the book is that Newman's work can speak to some important topics in contemporary life. The authors readily use historical, philosophical, and theological approaches, sometimes several approaches in the same essay. The result is a lively book that convincingly demonstrates Newman's continued relevance. I must, however, begin with a critical observation. The book is divided into two sections. The first four essays are grouped under the unwieldly label "Theological-Historical Investigations and Newman's Influence on Contemporary Thinkers." The six other essays are included under the label "Contemporary Applications of Newman's Thought." These labels make it seem as though the first four essays are concerned with interpreting Newman and his influence on others, while the latter six are devoted to constructive engagement with Newman's thought. However, the reality is that the first four essays also bring Newman into constructive conversation with more contemporary issues and figures. Each essay deals with one aspect of contemporary life and asks how Newman's writings can provide resources for navigating tensions. Benjamin King's essay on [End Page 125] the Anglican and Catholic receptions of Newman's notion of "consulting the faithful" is an exemplary work of historical theology. King demonstrates that the way those communions have received Newman's idea is the inverse of what one might expect: Anglicans in the nineteenth century argued that consulting the faithful should not be confused with democracy, while recent Catholic documents increasingly appeal to the idea as though it were a form of liberal democracy. Paul Monson's essay is an appropriation of Newman's ecclesiology from the 1877 preface to the third edition of the Via Media. He argues that Newman's idea of three offices in the church (prophetic, sacerdotal, and regal), which are full of tensions and collisions, is a useful way to frame the complex history and theology of Catholics in North and South America. He creatively demonstrates that Newman provides a grammar for speaking of a "hemispheric ecclesiology" of the Americas. Several of the authors use Newman as a way to interpret and respond to the transformation of knowledge in modernity. Timothy Muldoon asks what Newman's Idea of a University has to say to today's fragmented "multiversity." He discusses a promising initiative at Boston College that seeks to restore the idea of the university as a shared community of learning. Ono Ekeh's interpretation of Newman's phenomenology of the mind demonstrates the continued relevance of Newman in epistemological debates, especially those over the philosophy of science. Colby Dickinson's essay brings Newman into conversation with Theodor Adorno and Bruno Latour, arguing that each thinker helps to diagnose the extraordinary complexity of religious existence in the modern world. In different ways Dan Rober and Christopher Cimorelli argue that Newman can help us develop more Christian ways of thinking about history. Rober puts Newman's Essay on Development in conversation with Charles Taylor's writings on "the secular." He argues that Newman's robust theology of history frees us from the trite nostalgia so prevalent in genealogical accounts of modernity. Cimorelli brings Newman's eschatology together with his emphasis on the moral agency of individuals to propose an alternative to the blind hope that the future will improve without requiring moral transformation. Newman, Cimorelli argues, can provide us with an account of progress that avoids the danger of acedia. Such an account is essential in light of the current climate crisis. The remaining three essays highlight theological themes in Newman's work, which have special relevance today. Danielle Nussberger argues that Newman's account of sainthood is a valuable resource for recovering...

A Theology of the Christian Bible: Revelation, Inspiration, Canon by Denis Farkasfalvy, O. Cist

Reviewed by: A Theology of the Christian Bible: Revelation, Inspiration, Canon by Denis Farkasfalvy, O. Cist Anthony Giambrone O.P. A Theology of the Christian Bible: Revelation, Inspiration, Canon. By Denis Farkasfalvy, O. Cist. Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 2018. Pp. xii + 239. $34.95 (paper). ISBN: 978-0-8132-3029-0. Denis Farkasfalvy, Hungarian Cistercian, displaced from the monastery of Zirc and longtime abbot of Our Lady of Dallas, mathematician, expert on Bernard of Clairvaux, translator of the Psalms and member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission for more than a decade (2002-13), was already in ill health when he died of Covid-19 on May 20, 2020. His passing interrupted work on one final, monumental project on the Gospel of Matthew. It is the theology of sacred Scripture, however, where his legacy is most assured. This final book, with the all-embracing, yet targeted subtitle, “Revelation, Inspiration, Canon,” caps a lifetime of reflection and personal engagement around these central theological themes. Out of this engagement comes Farkasfalvy’s considerable frustration over a standing ecclesial inability to enunciate the correct doctrine on these matters, as he sees it. This weariness blurs in these pages with a more systematic and detached account, and the book wavers among being a primer, a history of the conciliar era, and a kind of personal theological memoire. [End Page 157] While the dustjacket blurbs are true to form (“remarkable work,” “epochal,” “crowning achievement,” “brilliantly luminous”), Richard Ounsworth has captured another quite valid response in his entertaining and appreciative, yet sharp review in New Blackfriars. “This book is simultaneously excellent and rather frustrating, fascinating and puzzling, even at times infuriating, but nevertheless a must-read for anyone seeking to engage with the Bible as sacred scripture.” Farkasfalvy’s deep personal investment in his theme, and his equally deep disappointment at its travesty in modern Catholic thought, “seems to have caused him to lose the thread of his argument through large parts of the book.” “The structure of the book is opaque, the titles of the chapters offering very little clue as to where the argument is going.” In the end, the book is “very clear about what Farkasfalvy thinks is the wrong understanding of biblical inspiration, far less about what he thought was right.” The complaints are not without warrant. What Ounsworth fails to observe in all this is that this book is, in fact, in many ways a more tangled version of and sequel to Farkasfalvy’s earlier, somewhat more disciplined effort, Inspiration and Interpretation: A Theological Introduction to Sacred Scripture (CUA Press, 2010). The present text is, accordingly, perhaps best read as a supplement to that initial work, almost in the form of a family of essays: a circular thinker’s imperfectly polished (practically) posthumous manuscript. The keys ideas and major insights, in any case, are very much the same in both these works. The fundamental error remains a misunderstanding of the double authorship of the sacred text, illuminated by Rahner’s Urheber/Verfasser distinction. God is not a literary author, we are repeatedly told. His action in the generation of the Scriptures is not to be plotted on the same level as the human veri auctores, for, if it were, every error and deficiency in the text would be charged to God’s account. The result would be either the collapse of the divine meaning of the Scriptures, or else a willful blindness to the genuine problems (both of which responses are today championed in various quarters). Neo-Scholasticism, notably in the persons of Augustine Bea and Pierre Benoit, does not fare at all well in this account. Briefly, the model of inspiration advanced by these figures, which became at the time of the Second Vatican Council the doctrina communis—a view based on instrumental causality, joined to the Summa’s treatise of prophecy, and applied not only to prophets but to all scriptural authors or “hagiographers”—is, for Farkasfalvy, in large measure responsible for our present woes. “We must here repeat: Rahner’s succinct critique of the Neo-Thomistic concept of dual authorship is philosophically correct” (50). The abbot goes on to add, however...

"El circular coliseo": The Loa to El gran teatro del mundo Reconsidered

This essay reconsiders the status of the loa to Pedro Calderon de la Barca's highly influential auto sacramental El gran teatro del mundo (ca. 1633–36). For the last century, it has been conventional among scholars to consider the loa inauthentic and as having been written by Francisco Bances Candamo. The article begins with an examination of the arguments for this assumption. The second half comprises a textual interpretation of the loa regardless of its author. This analysis focuses on four dimensions: the stylistic figure of metalepsis, the motif of the fiesta, and the theological themes of theodicy and divine law. In so doing, the study proposes that the loa carefully prepares ways to see the theatrum mundi as a means to foment an appreciation or celebration of baroque reality. This interpretation invites a reconsideration of the widely held notions of the theatrum mundi as a pessimistic experience of desengano or vanitas.