Supernatural Dimension Research Articles

Se transporter dans l'autre" : une théorie weilienne de l’empathie ?

Defined as the ability to understand and share others' feelings and suffering, empathy seems to come naturally to mind when we consider Simone Weil's life and works. If this concept doesn't explicitly appear in her writings, "pity", "sympathy" and "compassion" are pervasive: the purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how these notions converge on the contemporary understanding of "empathy". Since the turn of the century, this concept has known such a development that it has become difficult to clearly identify its object, and to appreciate its ethical value. To study Simone Weil's works from the angle of empathy offers both a new approach of the concept, and a very relevant point of view to put in light the great continuity between all the fields of the philosopher's thought. Our main hypothesis is that the weilian theory of empathy is based on the idea of "transposition", a process that allows someone to transport himself into another person, and from the natural to the supernatural dimension. It is in this last dimension that Simone Weil can found intersubjectivity, and solve the ethical problem of empathy: the right distance between the Self and the Other.

A Critical Appraisal of The Role of Retribution in Aníkúlápó: The Movie

This study examines Aníkúlápó, a Yoruba historical movie, to elucidate cultural perspectives on retributive justice. The study is grounded in the Yoruba worldview, which frames retribution as essential for restoring cosmic and social equilibrium when moral norms are violated. The data analysis used textual analysis of Aníkúlápó’s narrative depictions of crime and punishment as insights into traditional Yoruba principles of retributive justice. The findings reveal that the movie accurately portrays customary public punishment processes in precolonial Yoruba society aimed at communal justice and harmony. Beliefs in supernatural forces dispensing divine retribution are also authentically represented. While punishments seek to deter crime and rehabilitate offenders, scholarly critiques note occasional unfairness and excess. Overall, the analysis of the movie illuminates the pivotal role of retribution in Yoruba's cultural identity and moral philosophy. The key themes in the study relate to retribution's links to cosmic balance, supernatural dimensions, and functions as deterrence and rehabilitation. By situating the analysis of Aníkúlápó within scholarship on African jurisprudence, the study elucidates Yoruba perspectives on fate, choice, proportionality, and pragmatism when responding to moral complexities and wrongdoing. This study contributes original humanistic insight into indigenous African philosophies of social harmony beyond punitive justice. This study recommends comparing diverse narratives and contemporary attitudes to enrich the understanding retribution's nuanced cultural significance.

Beyond Miracle: Event, Idea and Organization in the Political Thought of Alain Badiou

ABSTRACT This article aims to provide a response to the critique of the idea of the ‘event’ that forms the backbone of Alain Badiou’s studies. Accordingly, it argues that Badiou’s event is based on a materialist foundation and that this foundation should be considered together with the concept of ‘Idea’ and ‘organisation.’ It focuses on how the idea of the event, interwoven with the concept of Idea and organisation, can provide a way to change the order of the world or eliminate the established order. Thus, it is argued that the centrality of the concept of event in Badiou’s thought gains importance with the Idea and organisation, and it is stated that it is not possible to consider the event independently of historical struggles. At this point, the main problem of this article takes shape: What is the relationship between the concept of the event and social struggles? In this direction, the main argument of the article is that the concept of the event in Badiou’s thought does not have a miraculous or supernatural dimension, but that, on the contrary, this concept acquires a concrete meaning when it is related to social and historical riots and the communist Idea.

Occult Surrealism as “Profane Illumination”: Mina Loy, Leonora Carrington, and Ithell Colquhoun

Walter Benjamin in his 1929 essay “Surrealism: The Last Snapshot of the European Intelligentsia” regarded the supernatural dimension of Parisian surrealism with suspicion: as a “profane” distraction from its more politically engaged aesthetics. Commenting on André Breton’s obsession with the “telepathic girl” of Nadja, Benjamin opined, “the most passionate investigation of telepathic phenomena . . . will not teach us half as much about reading (which is an eminently telepathic process), as the profane illumination of reading about telepathic phenomena.” A second generation of feminist surrealists, however, propeled the movement toward revisionary “illumination” precisely through a deeper engagement with the occult. Coming after Breton’s Parisian circle of the 1920s, Mina Loy, Leonora Carrington, and Ithell Colquhoun from the 1930s onward mined the resources of fin de siècle precognition, telepathy, clairvoyance, spiritual alchemy, and sex magic: opening surrealism to a posthuman biopolitics of community, embodiment, and deep ecology that is yet to come.

Visões do coletivo e da partilha em Homero e Aquilino: entre a convergência e a diferença

Andam faunos pelos bosques stands out in Aquilino Ribeiro’s vast work for the supposedly supernatural dimension created by a disruptive “mystagogic entity” embodying the power of Eros over humans, whose alleged assaults on beautiful girls impact the life of rich and poor alike in some bucolic villages of Beira Alta. There, everyday life includes many celebrations, more or less opulent, that constitute spaces of relevant social and personal interaction, and, ultimately, of hospitality, community and communion with nature. Collective feasting (“agape”) stands out among these moments of simple happiness, particularly the multitudinous picnic that closes the otherwise unsuccessful hunting journey for the mysterious creature. Its location in Chapter II and the presentation of a catalogue of hunters that parodistically evokes the Achaean Catalogue in the second canto of the Iliad, together with the use of Homeric allusions, allow the parallel between the countryside agape and the numerous feasts narrated in the Homeric poems, along with their concept of hospitality and happiness, expressed in some of the scenes engraved on Achilles’ shield. The parody involves the inversion of some fundamental features of Homer’s heroic world, with the valorisation of popular figures and the subversion of serious moments, such as the epic speech or song at the end of the feast, attributed not to a Nestor or Demodocus, but to a disgusting beggar, who takes the opportunity to deliver an anarchist sermon, with evangelical overtones.Thus, and in line with his thought, Aquilino blends the classical and Christian heritage, achieving at the end of the chapter a moment of communion between humans and also with nature, which was after all the goal of the “mystagogic entity” and his human avatars.

Christian Involvement in the Socio-Economic Life in the Thought of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński

Due to the multifaceted character of Stefan Wyszyński’s personalist concept, this article focuses on the Christian vision of involvement in socio-economic life. In this context, several important questions arise: is the idea of total commitment to socio-economic life feasible in the Christian life? Is Christianity compatible with effective socio-economic activity? The above questions are essential in the era of modern civilization changes. Moreover, attention was drawn to how personalism can constitute the basis for shaping the attitude of involvement in worldly reality, especially concerning the contemporary vision of active participation in social life and the broadly understood economy. The analysis of these issues relates to the realities of Christian life inscribed in the creative and salvation perspective. In this sense, creative activity in the socio-economic dimension is perceived in the context of realizing the fullness of the human personality in the temporal and supernatural dimensions. It allows the human person to join the dynamics of modern-day socio-economic changes but also allows a person to discover the right place in the changing realities of the contemporary world.

Seksualitas Sebagai Ciri Martabat Manusia Dalam Teologi Tubuh

This study entitled “Sexuality as a Characteristic of Human Dignity According to John Paul II in the Theology of the Body” was prepared with the background of the author's concern for the understanding of sexuality which has been understood only at the biological level. So, this study presents a review of Pope John Paul II's thoughts on the theology of the body in order to straighten the understanding of sexuality. As a phenomenologicalpersonalistic philosopher and theologian, Pope John Paul II initiated the theology of the body with the foundation of Christian anthropology in order to straighten out the understanding of sexuality that had been considered too reductive. In fact, sexuality actually reveals the characteristics of human dignity as the image of God in its entirety. Sexuality is also an attempt to express the supernatural dimension in humans. This is because sexuality in body theology is also understood from the perspective of creation and salvation theology. Through the framework of this understanding, the noble value of sexuality is increasingly displayed in human life, including through sexual union which is an expression of true love. Through sexuality, the human body is also understood as a sacrament that expresses the divine mystery, thereby further acknowledging that sexuality is not just a biological reality. Based on these descriptions, sexuality is a feature of high human dignity as desired by God since the beginning of creation.

Name Taboo in Ancient China

This essay introduces the name taboo (bihui) phenomenon prevalent throughout China’s imperial history. Under this convention, the names of sovereigns and a person’s ancestors were proscribed from writing and speech. Past scholarship in Chinese tends to view the phenomenon as purely secular and explore merely its political and social implications, without exploring in depth the possible influences of the beliefs about the supernatural on the behavior of those that practiced name-tabooing. In this essay, we undertake an exploration of the hypothetical motives for name tabooing rooted in the supernatural dimension. At the same time, we will also examine the inadequacies in the rationalization tendency of past scholars, and furthermore reflect on the general difficulties that modern rationalism created for the study of the past.

Aesthetics of Evil in Middle Ages: Beasts as Symbol of the Devil

Since the very origin of art, human beings have faced the challenge of the representation of Evil. Within the medieval Christian context, we may find many beings which have attempted to convey the power of the devil. Demonic beings, terrifying beasts, fallen angels or even Satan himself can be frequently found and appear in many forms. They can be seen in chapitols, stained glass windows, codices … Our aim is to evaluate different creatures, animals and monstruous hybrids, which represent the efficient presence of the devil. We base our evaluation on some bestiaries, natural history books and encyclopedias from the XII and the XIII century, like the Bestiaire from Philippe de Thaon, Pierre de Beauvais, Guillaume le Clerc, or the so-called Cambridge Bestiary as well as the one from Oxford, the Livres dou Tresor from Brunetto Latini, the Liber monstrorum de diversis generibus, L’image du Monde from Gossuin, the Bestiario moralizzato di Gubbio, and of course, the Physiologus. Natural beings acquire a supernatural dimension in bestiaries and in natural history books. We will present the reader with a satanic bestiary, a short selection of these evil-related beings. In this, we will distinguish between those beasts representing evil through their ability to deceive and those which are able to generate not only fear, but also death.

Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński’s Concept of Christians Engagement in Culture

The Christian concept of involvement in culture, as defined by Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, exposes man in his entire personal vocation from the perspective of all essential dimensions of his existence. In this sense, all historical-political or socio-cultural processes - affecting society as a whole - always refer to a specific human person. In the context of all these essential dimensions, man is understood as a homo artifex. Thus, the fullness of man’s personal affluence becomes the ultimate and fundamental principle, subject, and goal of culture. Therefore, the article aims to answer the question: can the personalistic concept of a human being constitute the basis for forming and influencing the culture, especially in contemporary reality? Stefan Wyszyński’s personalism treats Christian involvement in culture regarding a vocation addressed to every human being. Moreover, by emphasizing elements such as the human person, family, nation, state, the international community, culture, economy, and politics, as well as the Church proclaiming the universal message of salvation, the personalistic vision of culture emphasizes its praxeological character, rooted in a specific human existence and oriented towards the supernatural dimension. Therefore, the human person is directly involved in the stream of modern civilization and its cultural changes, as well as finds his proper place in the dynamically changing realities of the contemporary world.

REPRESENTATIONS SOCIALES DE LA TRISOMIE 21 A COTONOU

Downs syndrome is a birth defect that affects some children whose parents hide from birth. Known in Benin under the name tͻxͻsu, is trisomy 21 also called Down syndrome or mongolism a disease as perceived by Western medicine? Social representations defined as the images of perception developed by the communities to define a situation will make it possible to study this congenital reality in Cotonou because, in this West African city, the presence of a child with Downs syndrome in a family gives rise to several interpretations. Indeed, people with Downs syndrome are assimilated to vodùn divinity and are called Tͻxͻsu which literally means king of the waters. This work aims to analyze the social representations of Downs syndrome in Cotonou. Qualitative in nature, the investigation involved documentary research, direct observation, in-depth interviews and life stories. The survey took place in Cotonou from April 2020 to March 2021. The reasoned choice sampling and the route technique led to the selection of 46 actors from various socio-cultural groups. The triangulation of the data collected led to the following results: first the anomaly is not in itself a disease according to the actors and does not relate to any popular nosology, except the popular etiological register which inscribes it in a supernatural dimension then, the child with Downs syndrome in a family is a source of blessing with presumed consequences (brings well-being to a model family or restores the social order broken by the transgression of social rules) or source of curse calling for a spiritual sanction finally, the management of trisomy 21 is multifaceted and involves several actors who perceive this congenital anomaly in different ways depending on what their culture conveys.

“Even the NGOs Never Talk About Ufiti [Witchcraft]”: a Decolonial and Feminist Cultural Psychological Analysis of Individualized Development Clashing with Communal Ways of Being

Conducting a multi-sited psychology study on how Malawian participants perceive Western-oriented non-governmental organizations’ (NGOs) gendered development approaches, it became apparent that perceptions of ufiti (the Malawian term for what loosely translates as witchcraft in English)—and its gendered inclination—was highly relevant. As in many parts of the world, people in Malawi may relate themselves and their social world in connection to spiritual and supernatural dimensions, manifested in practices and discourses often closely linked to communal norms and values. Many international NGOs in Malawi run individualized development initiatives, often particularly focusing on women and girls’ personal empowerment. When local communal ways of experiencing and knowing are not taken account for in the NGOs’ interventions, this indiviualized approach can spur interpersonal resentment, and in worst-case ufiti assaults. This article explores the link between individualized development incentives and perceptions of ufiti. Using decolonial and feminist cultural psychology as a lens, we ask how the individualized focus of the NGOs plays out in Malawi, and what negative and unintended consequences individualized interventions can lead to. Our results indicate the need for contextually grounded and informed development approaches, to avoid that effort to empower individual women and girls lead to their disempowerment, social disruption, and ufiti accusations and assaults. The article speaks to the need for decolonial and feminist cultural psychological approaches that consider subjective intentional worlds.

Kesenian Kuda Lumping Ditinjau Dari Perspektif Aqidah Islam Di Desa Pematang Ganjang Kecamatan Sei Rampah Kabupaten Serdang Bedagai

<p>This research is entitled Kuda Lumping Art from the Perspective of Islamic Aqeedah in Pematang Ganjang Village, Sei Rampah District, Serdang Bedagai Regency, because this Kuda Lumping art has deviated greatly from the purpose for which it was created. This Kuda Lumping art scene displays the attraction of trance, immunity, and magical powers or eating glass so that it can endanger the health of the player and for others. This can affect one's understanding of one's aqidah because the area of aqidah includes believing in the existence of the supernatural dimension. The hallmark of the magical element in this attraction is carrying out rituals using Islamic prayers and offerings to summon spirits to other than Allah which is a major sin. The people of Pematang Ganjang village still carry out Islamic law and still believe in magic. In essence, the art of Kuda Lumping in general has been attached and integrated into the community. It is a habit that has been passed down from one generation to the next. The methodology used in this research is through field research (Field Research) with a qualitative approach, data collection techniques are processed from direct observations by looking at village community activities, field interviews with only a few informants and documentation. The results of the study in Pematang Ganjang Village which focused on the art of Kuda Lumping in terms of the perspective of Islamic aqidah that 70% supported the existence of Kuda Lumping on the grounds of wanting to hold a harvest celebration event, on August 17 and more often found in weddings and circumcision as entertainment media. Every Muslim must have the correct aqidah and it is very important for players not to enter into the element of shirk if it is not fortified with a strong religion.</p>

Kríza povolaní a nevyhnutnosť integrálneho skúmania súcosti kandidátov pre formáciu do kňazstva

A large number of countries in Western civilization are experiencing a kind of vocational crisis. This may impact superiors to be more tolerant when accepting candidates into seminaries and religious communities. From the psychological point of view, however, the new generation of candidates is extremely diverse, and a profound personality assessment is required. This paper focuses on how the Catholic Church is open to psychological sciences and practices in the process of accepting candidates into the formation for priesthood. It also proposes an integral model of evaluation of the suitability of candidates before entering the formation communities. This integral model is interdisciplinary and incorporates both the natural and supernatural dimension of personality. The paper critically interprets certain diagnostic instruments and methods used in the model. In this perspective, the vocational crisis becomes a challenge in searching for the truth regarding the quality of candidates for formation.

Physicality as a possible key to understanding human nature

The statement about human nature is the subject of numerous discussions, which, however, does not negate the presence of the substrate of its origin, manifestations, specificity, and real dynamics in space and time. In the process of analysis, we find a lot of arguments that confirm this fact, as well as a decent number of counterarguments. In this article, a priori, we proceed from the validity of the existence of the term "human nature", recognizing its ambiguity. Of course, our stated physicality as an aspect of human nature does not exhaust the idea of his nature. The nominal division into soul, spirit, etc. gives us some methodological tools. No more than that. Physicality, in its turn, requires problematization. "Physicality "is a category that denotes what a given human body naturally becomes in the course of its social modifications, so this category can certainly not be considered outside of conjunction with another very important category - "spirituality". These concepts, as well as the phenomena they denote, are interrelated (MORGAN 2006). In our review, there are three main ways to interpret "Physicality". Firstly, it is the only factuality that initially claims the ontological status. Secondly, it is part of a harmonious whole that includes all non-corporeal things. I would like to focus on the third aspect, which includes at least three principles. Thirdly, physicality changes its seemingly simple "fate" dramatically, turning into a problem as a way of human existence. This can be interpreted "as a creative act of overcoming oneself". Only this overcoming of the present self presupposes a reliance on its relevance and reality. This ontologically conditioned event is always self-based. In this sense, the body as a creative phenomenon " never appears just by its own. Yet it is precisely overcoming that is the constitutive feature of human existence. A man is bigger than himself. We can say that the problem is a way of human existence. The problem in the most primitive form can be expressed as "I already want to, but I can't yet". Where does the desire come from if the object of desire (the desired situation) is not yet available? How can you want something that doesn't exist yet and never has? The man himself is a few steps ahead (BUBLIK, 2006). Human rationality is based not only on reflectivity, but also on the ability of a person to operate with ideas that do not have objective visibility (for example, the ultimate category of being). Thus, man proves his metaphysicality: "man's metaphysics expresses not only the presence of the supernatural dimension in man but also his ability to determine himself, to be his own creation". The main methods used in writing the article: the unity of historical and logical, the method of reflection.

Excalibur, Durendal, Joyeuse: La force de l'épée by Martin Aurell

Reviewed by: Excalibur, Durendal, Joyeuse: La force de l'épée by Martin Aurell Jodie Miller Martin Aurell, Excalibur, Durendal, Joyeuse: La force de l'épée (Paris: Presses Universitaires de France/Humensis, 2021), 320 pp., 16 ills. In the medieval imagination, stories of the sword engendered awe, wonder, and superstition. Not only did the sword hold mysterious powers that exerted influence over the fate of its bearer, but it was also imbued with a soul and a personality. The possessor of the sword and the weapon coexisted in a spiritual symbiosis that could lead to victory or defeat. The courageous chevalier touted an unbeatable blade, whereas the coward found himself abandoned by his weapon in the thick of battle. In Excalibur, Durendal, Joyeuse: La force de l'épée (Excalibur, Durendal, Joyeuse: The power of the sword), Martin Aurell provides an impressively thorough analysis of the supernatural dimension of the sword. The title reflects three of the most legendary swords and their bearers—King Arthur and the mythical Excalibur, Roland and his beloved Durendal, and Charlemagne and the unrivaled Joyeuse. Emphasis is made on the sword's symbolism, both religious and [End Page 221] secular, as seen in sources from the eleventh to thirteenth centuries. The work is separated into four chapters: the blacksmith's trade, the marvel of the sword, the sword as the symbol of chivalry, and the two swords of Christianity. In the end, the story of the sword is just as much the story of the individuals around it: the forger, the knight, the lady, the king, the preacher, and even the fairy. The first chapter introduces the reader to the blacksmith's trade by means of research in the field of experimental archaeology, whereby medieval smithery practices are tested using lower temperatures (only above 1,538 degrees Celsius / 2,800 degrees Fahrenheit does iron liquify, allowing it to flow into a mold). Before the fourteenth century, the creation of a metallurgic masterpiece was beholden to the quality of the iron ore due to the lack of technology creating temperatures hot enough for the iron to melt. The medieval blacksmith needed exceptional savoir faire to carry out the trade. The myth of the blacksmith is essential to better understand the nostalgia of chivalric glory evoked by the sword. For example, Aurell traces the figure of the blacksmith back to the legend of Völundr, the mythical forger of swords, along with the blacksmithing dwarves of Germanic legend. Once adopted into the Christian context, the blacksmith was demystified and subsequently demonized as a maleficent figure. For example, the French enfer (hell or the underworld) is connected to en-fer (made of iron). Like alchemy, blacksmithery depended on the transmission of secrets, often considered to be sorcery. In consideration of the sword as an artifact, Aurell mentions the twelfth-century chanson de geste dedicated to Raoul of Cambrai, which takes an ekphrastic form in its description of the sword's perfection. The aesthetic focus often falls on the hilt, the rigidity and radiance of the blade, and the luxury of the baldric (a belt worn over the shoulder to which the scabbard is attached). In turn, these qualities reflect the status of the sword's possessor. However, the sword can also hold other symbolic importance, that of a warning system, a religious signpost, or the mark of belonging. For example, in Norse and Celtic mythology, the blade sometimes has its own luminescence. In the biblical account of the garden, Adam and Eve are kept out by cherubim with a flaming and flashing sword. The bestowal of the baldric, as seen in Chrétien de Troyes's thirteenth-century text La Quête du saint Graal, is a reference to the dubbing ceremony of Roman legionnaires. Overall, this chapter shows that the mythology surrounding the sword indicates how the medieval mindset is constantly bent on better understanding both the material and immaterial worlds. The second chapter considers the duality of the sword, at once a practical tool and an object of marvel (from the Latin, mirabile). The sword is the tangible proof of chivalric distinction and wonder. For example, the Chanson de mon Cid (ca. 1200) describes the...

Chrześcijanin i kultura: w kręgu personalistycznej myśli Kardynała Stefana Wyszyńskiego

The article’s subject discusses Stefan Wyszyński’s personalist concept of Christians’ involvement in culture. In this context, the author’s attention was drawn to how the extent to which personalist’s main assumptions may constitute the basis for shaping culture, especially regarding contemporary (post)-modern cultural reality? The analysis of culture carried out in the above article presents the discussed issues in terms of a calling addressed to every human being. Placing it with the “realities of earthly life” emphasizes that in creative cultural activity, one should see the proper way of realizing the fullness of the human personality in the temporal and supernatural dimensions. Moreover, highlighting such elements as the human person, family, Nation, state, the international community, culture, economy, and politics understood in an integral way, as well as the Church proclaiming the universal message of salvation, the personalist concept of culture displays a praxeological character, rooted in a particular human existence and oriented towards the creative-saving dimension of human life. Therefore, it allows not only the explicit inclusion of the human person in the current of civilization-cultural changes but also admits a person to discover the right place in the dynamically transforming realities of the modern world.

Openness to Christianity among Chinese Graduate Students Who Attended a U.S. Christian University: A Grounded Theory Study

More than 300,000 Chinese students attend U.S. universities annually (USDHS, 2018), many of whom reportedly “Leave China, Study in America, Find Jesus” (Zhang, 2016). However, research on this phenomenon of worldview change is thin, especially as related to the experiences of atheist or nonreligious Chinese graduate students attending Christian institutions. This grounded theory study investigated the central research question: “What factors influence Chinese graduate students’ openness to Christianity while attending a Christian university in the United States?” Twenty-five Chinese graduate students from various majors were interviewed regarding their experiences attending an anonymous member institution of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU). Among the 25 participants, 20 entered the university self-identifying as nonreligious or atheist; three entered self-identifying as Christians who had attended an unofficial or official church in China. One participant reported having had limited involvement in Christianity in China; another reported significant previous involvement in Daoism. The major finding of the study is that Chinese graduate students who attended a Christian university experienced increased openness to Christianity yet with competing influences—contributors increasing openness to Christianity and other contributors that reportedly decreased openness to Christianity. This article focuses solely on the contributors that increased openness, organized by the researcher in three domains—the Theoretical-Curricular, Relational-Cultural, and Supernatural Dimensions. Ten contributors to openness were identified: (a) Worldview Courses Analyzing Arguments For/Against God’s Existence, studying the work of atheist Richard Dawkins (2008) alongside Christian apologists J. P. Moreland (2007) and W. L. Craig (2010); (b) Faith Integration Requirements; (c) Intellectual Freedom; (d) The Bible; (e) Faculty and Classmates’ Influence; (f) Church Relationships; (g) Family Support; (h) American Culture; (i) Direct Experience With the Supernatural; and (j) Experimental Prayer.

The artist as a medium and the artwork as metaphor in Murakami Haruki’s fiction

In many of Murakami Haruki’s works, the protagonist is in a profession close to the world of literature, although usually not exactly a writer. In their role as translators, advertising copywriters, journalists, or editors, Murakami’s protagonists are invested with the task of rearranging fragments of reality into narrative or artistic form, and/or of transmitting a message. This process is emotionally charged, often involving a supernatural dimension. While the process of reconstructing a narrative is largely unconscious, the narrator’s choice to act in this capacity is deliberate, and is presented as a way of fulfilling his responsibility towards others. I read this element as an expression of Murakami’s vision of the role of a writer in society. The figure of the artist-narrator takes an interesting form in Kishidanchō-Goroshi (Killing Commendatore, 2017), where the protagonist, a visual artist specialising in realistic portraits, decides to pursue a more creative approach to painting that leads him to a series of supernatural adventures. Through a close reading of the novel, this article investigates how Murakami’s portrayal of the artist as a shaman-like figure functions like a metaphor for the role of the literary author as a catalyst that enables people to connect with their inner self and with each other.

Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski as the defender of truth, freedom and justice in the period of communist enslavement o

Cardinal Wyszyński was a defender of every individual, family, nation and Church during the time of communist enslavement of Poland. He was an ardent defender of the truth with regard to human being and its dignity, he constantly emphasized the significance of respecting basic rights and obligations of men, and strongly demanded the observance of these rights when the state violated them. Furthermore, he was radical defender of the freedom of human persons, families, nation and the Church, indicating that only in freedom can they truly develop and fulfill their vocation and goals. He constantly reminded us of the need for justice made in the spirit of love with regard to every individual, family and nation. He clearly defined the tasks and duties of the state and the Church in relation to every human person that should be regarded as the highest value in the world, as well as towards families that are to be considered the cradle of the nation, and towards the nation that he regarded as a family of families sui generis. Additionaly he emphasized that the Church has a unique role to perform in relation to these communities, bringing into their existence not only the supernatural dimension, sanctifying God’s grace, salvation, but also the natural dimension consisting in the care of the Church for the national raison d’etat. Last but not least, in his view, the Church must be free and independent in its activities to be able to perform its religious and social role properly. The Primate indicated the need for cooperation between the state and the Church for the benefit of man, family and nation. When the communist state did not fulfill its role and acted against the rights of citizens, especially believers, against families and nation, he radically opposed these actions, demanding respect for dignity, rights, truth, freedom and justice with regard to every human person, family and family of families – that is the nation.