Theological Issues Research Articles

Extra-Terrestrials or Terrestrial Heretics? Being Green in the Middle Ages

ABSTRACT In this paper, we seek to propose a novel solution to the Green Children of Woolpit, a twelfth-century “alien” mystery by approaching the “otherworldly” through a terrestrial, theological lens. In focusing specifically on their otherworldliness, we suggest a congruence between the children's characteristics and the theological threat of early Catharism. When viewed Christologically, the Green Children mystery offers ample opportunity for exotheological discourse, focusing as it does on key Christian theological issues such as Christ's humanity, the Incarnation, and what it means to be human in the Middle Ages.

Archaic religious predicates in contemporary East Slavic folk Orthodox culture: Interpreting of symbols in the structure of religiosity

This academic work is an extension to the article “Christian theology and the archetypal in religion: A reconciliation experience for the stances” that was published in the journal “Issues of Theology”, 2024, no. 2. As a critical characteristic of spiritual culture, religiosity can be described as sacred acts significant for this culture, i. e. as religious predicates. The compiling of a “predicate pattern” of East Slavic religiosity is an intriguing and promising academic task which can aid in defining the key features of Russian culture in its ecclesiastical and folk Orthodox interpretations. The article draws attention to the fact that Russian culture, which was formed under the unquestionable influence of the Orthodox faith and Church tradition, experienced a considerable influence of pre-Christian ideas in the course of its development. The text presents an attempt to consider the phenomenon of Russian religiosity through the prism of religious predicates that are significant for the Eastern Slavs, which not only reflect the specifics of folk religious practice, but also determine the uniqueness of Russian ecclesiastic culture. The circumambulation and other variants of circular movement, drawing of a sacred symbol, tying and tearing apart, touch and remembrance are the most vivid religious predicates isolated on the basis of the semantic load they are conveyed and of the functions they perform. The analysis of predicates is followed by examples from modern folk ritual customs and Church tradition. The archetypal nature of many practices is evidenced. The article identifies and suggests possible solutions to the main problems associated with the isolation of predicates in the spiritual culture language.

Дэвид Брэдшоу «Разум и сердце в понимании христианского Востока и Запада»

Having moved from Protestantism to Orthodoxy at a conscious age, David Bradshaw begins to scrupulously explore the Orthodox Church multifaceted teachings. The theological and philosophical categories of mind and heart are one of the aspects of church doctrine. Philosopher indicates that his research interest is focused on understanding the parallels and the division between the Greek-speaking (Eastern) and Latin-speaking (Western) branches of Christianity, as well as between the three great monotheistic traditions of the Middle Ages — Christian, Jewish and Islamic. The book ‘Aristotle in East and West: Metaphysics and the Division of the Christian World’ (2004) ‘examines these East-West differences through the lens of ‘energeia,’ a Greek term lying at the root of both the concept of the divine energies (in the East) and that of God as pure act (in the West)’ [30]. This book was translated into Russian in 2012. The philosopher’s subsequent works continued this comparative study in the context of such theological issues as Divine freedom, time and eternity, predestination and election, etc. In the study ‘Mind and Heart in Understanding the Christian East and West’ David Bradshaw attempts to consider the paradigms of Eastern and Western understanding of mind and heart, starting from their common origins in biblical and classical antiquity. Special attention is paid to the psychosomatic holism of the biblical perception of environment. The philosopher defines it as both the central core and one of the conditions for the interaction of mind and heart in the position of the Eastern Christian Church. Speaking about the interpretation of the mind and heart in the texts of the West and the East, David Bradshaw emphasizes the importance of the connotative field of their perception, and the different interpretation of concepts determines the level of their relevance. Actualizing the position of Eastern Christianity in relation to the bodily state of man, David Bradshaw speaks about the internal dependence of holism on the concept of ontological dualism of mind and heart, which is very unexpected from the traditional Western philosophy’s point of view. Nevertheless, based on the logic of the development of Eastern Christian theological thought, such dependence seems consistent and convincing. Moreover, the author concludes his reflection saying: ‘…it seems both coherent and plausible, at least given Christian presuppositions; and it offers real hope that the mind and the heart need not always stand apart, but can in fact be reunited.’ Since the text of David Bradshaw’s paper uses a series of quotations from Holy Scripture and patristic writings as an illustration, we decided to follow the Old and New Testaments in Synodal Translation. While translating other texts we use existing translations into Russian. References to the used publications are noted in the comments.

Review of the IXth Annual Moscow International Scientific Conference "Transcendental Turn in Contemporary Philosophy - 9: Metaphysics, Epistemology, Theory of Consciousness, Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence, Theology"

From April 11 to April 13, 2024, the 9th annual International Scientific Conference “Transcendental turn in modern philosophy – 9: metaphysics, epistemology, theory of consciousness, cognitive science and artificial intelligence, theology” was held in Moscow. The focus of the conference remains the current and innovative ideas of transcendental cognitive science and artificial intelligence. The seminar also reflected metaphysical, epistemological and theological issues.

Examining the Impact of Denominationalism on the Unity of the Churches in Nigeria from the Backdrop of Pauline Theology

The need for unity among Christians, particularly the Pentecostal Churches, has been a long-standing issue that has generated a lot of controversies. This arose from the fact that the church has been polarised along denominational lines. Previous studies have examined this issue from the ecumenical point of view with little attention to the theological issues. The study examined the impact of denominationalism on the unity of the Churches in Nigeria from the backdrop of Pauline theology with a view to stimulating cordial relationships between the selected Churches.The study adopted a historical-descriptive research methodology with profound reliance on secondary data. Findings revealed that there exists disunity among Churches based on doctrinal emphasis, mode of worship, denominational rivalry, distrust, and struggle for dominance, which hinder inter-denominational interactions. The study concluded that unity is an essential aspect of human socio-religious polity which enhances stability, particularly in the church. Therefore, the study recommended that Pentecostal Churches should emphasise teachings that promote unity, as outlined in Pauline theology. More so, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) should encourage Churches to shift focus from individual church accomplishments and denominational identities to a collective identity rooted in Christ.

Scotus’s Analysis of the Structure of the Will in the Light of 14th-Century Philosophical and Theological Discussions

This article addresses the issue of the two-level nature of acts of the will, i.e. its ability to voluntarily refer to its own acts. First, we will examine the ancient sources of the concept of the two-level will (Plato and Augustine). Then, we will focus on the views of John Duns Scotus on the types of acts of will, with particular emphasis on the concept of non velle and its application in philosophical and theological issues. Against the backdrop of Scotus’s concept, we will examine the ways in which 14th-century thinkers engaged with his position and developed his account of the two-level acts of will and types of acts of will. Finally, the article discusses a significant change in the function of non velle and the use of this type of volitional act in 14th-century ethics by exploring the views of Buridan and Kilvington. -------------------------- Received: 29/01/2023. Reviewed: 30/03/2023. Accepted: 18/04/2023.

Interfaith Tolerance in Tafsir Fath Al-Qadir and Tafsir of the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia

This article is based on the reality of life, especially Muslims in general, where there are still many Muslims who do not pay attention to religious tolerance in the life of the state and society. It can be seen from the reality that happened recently in Indonesia. The aim of this article is to look at the meaning and essence of tolerance in the Qur'an through the comprehension put forward by the tafsir experts by comparing the tafsir of Fath al-Qadir and the tafsir of the Ministry of Religious Affairs of Indonesia. The comparative method is carried out on the work of Imam Shaukani in the interpretation of Fath al-Qadir and the Qur'an and its Tafsir by the Ministry of Religious Affairs. This article finds that these two works of interpretation both emphasize that tolerance between religious communities only applies in the sociological aspect, not in the theological context. This argument was found through various verses in the Qur'an that talk about inter-religious relations, such as Q.S. Al-Baqarah: 256, Al-An'am: 108 and Al-Kafirun 1-6. In these verses, it is then illustrated that first, in the context of the da'wah passage there is no compulsion for non-Muslims to embrace Islam and it is strictly forbidden to hurt non-Muslims by mocking their God; second, there is no compromise for non-Muslims to invite to worship idols, because theological issues or monotheism are the identities and characteristics of a Muslim.

Ecological Theology of Creation in The Perspective of The Theology of The Trinity

The action of God is always the action of the Trinity. Therefore, in properly interpreting theological issues, taking this truth into account is necessary. This is the reason for attempting to interpret the ecological theology of creation from a Trinitarian aspect. The analysis of biblical and theological sources provides the basis for this. The analyses carried out reconstruct the traditional issue model of the theology of creation. They develop an understanding of the relationship between God and creation. For the triune God is the model and deepest source of relationality. The essential love between the persons of the Trinity and the profound relationship of love between the Triune God and creation carries an inspiring message for the construction of man's relationship to the world according to God's design. This should constitute the essential foundation of an ecotheological praxeology.

„Bezreligijska“ misija?

Our world continues to change as a result of things such as rapid technological and scientific advances, the rapidly spiraling climate crisis, and shifting geopolitical dynamics. If mission is defined as God’s ongoing work to reconcile, heal, and renew all of creation, the Church must spend serious time reflecting on what God might be currently doing and how to best participate in it. Dynamic missional praxis emerges from a robust missional theology reflecting upon the realities in both local and global contexts—thus, missional praxis must always be creatively adapting. This paper urges evangelical churches in Croatia to reflect on their past understanding of mission and engage in a missional hermeneutic involving the witness of scripture, the context, and the theology of the church. In this regard, it highlights a central issue in current mission theology and praxis—a missing doctrine of creation in evangelical theology. This has contributed to a church with a disembodied mission ill-equipped to speak to the crises of today. However, because of the current challenges, there is also a significant opportunity for missional engagement in Croatia.

The Theodicy Challenge and the Intelligibility of the World

This paper revisits one of the most difficult theological issues, namely God’s infinite goodness and the presence of pain and suffering in the natural world. We deepen the understanding of this problem by referring to the philosophical notion of the intelligibility of the world. We argue that pain and suffering are present in biological evolution as a “structural necessity” for the development of more complex structures from simpler ones. The struggle for existence works as a necessary condition for the development of a sophisticated order of nature at the expense of an increase in pain and suffering. If this is so, arguments justifying the ways of a good, omniscient, and omnipotent God in a world where evil and suffering are widespread seem to be undercut. Therefore, we argue that the astonishing intelligibility of nature may help to open our understanding of whatever nature may reveal of itself. This notion—analyzed from ontic and epistemic perspectives—seems to be crucial in reflecting the evolving world, not only from the scientific point of view but also from the theological one.

The Digital Public Square: Christian Ethics in a Technological Society

The Digital Public Square: Christian Ethics in a Technological Society

Ethical foundations of Jacques Maritain’s and Michael Novak’s conception of human rights

Abstract The aim of the contribution is to outline the ethical foundations in Maritain’s and Novak’s interpretation of human rights in a wider historical context and to assess its meaning for the present, with special regard to our Central European area. The issue of human rights has, in addition to its political aspect, an inherent ethical one. Fundamental human rights relate to the possibility of autonomy of a person as a moral being endowed with reason and striving for a meaningful life. Therefore, these rights have a fundamental role in practical life; however, they have also become an issue of speculative philosophy and theology, where the focus is upon concepts of freedom and reason. Jacques Maritain and Michael Novak were important figures in the advancement of human rights at the international level, with exceptional impacts especially in Central Europe. Both have their roots in Christian humanism, and for both their concept of human relations is derived from Biblical religion and love for one’s neighbour. Novak accepts Maritain’s concepts of a person and human dignity, and he tries to explain his own concept of democratic capitalism in accordance with it.

Philosophy versus theology in medieval Islamic thought

The encounter of the medieval Muslims with Greek philosophy undeniably shaped the course of their philosophical and theological thought. This encounter led to the complex and contentious issue of ‘philosophy versus theology’. Medieval Muslim thinkers needed to develop a response to the issue of philosophy versus theology. The present article will first highlight the response of the Islamic theologians to their encounter with Greek philosophy in the form of three major trends in medieval Islamic theology: (1) strong opposition to the application of reason and rationalist approach to Islamic doctrines, and strict adherence to the actual text of the Qur’an and the Hadith, (2) the adoption of Greek philosophy, and the application of reason and rationalist approach to explain and defend Islamic religion and (3) acknowledging the significance of reason in exploring the matters related to the natural world but, at the same time, stressing the subordination of reason to revelation. This article will discuss Atharism, Muʿtazilism and Ashʿarism as the representatives of the first, second and third trends, respectively. The response of the medieval Islamic theologians to the issue of philosophy versus theology serves as a context in which medieval Muslim philosophers carried out their philosophy–theology debate. The article will proceed to show that some medieval Muslim philosophers, such as Abu Bakr Al-Razi, subordinated religion or revelation to philosophy or reason. Other medieval Muslim philosophers, such as Al-Ghazali, subordinated philosophy to theology. The third group of medieval Islamic philosophers represented by Alfarabi argued for the reconciliation and harmonious co-existence of philosophy and religion.Contribution: This article highlights the response of medieval Islamic theologians and philosophers to the issue of philosophy versus theology that was caused by their encounter with Greek philosophy.

Canon of Sacred Texts among the Old Believers and Organization of Religious Life in the Communities

The article addresses the problem of Old Believers’ reasoning for organizing religious life in the communities. It focuses on a unique attitude toward the texts, which had an almost sacred status. The author outlines a process of formation of the canon of the Old Believers’ sacred texts in the second half of the 17th century. This canon included fragments from authoritative manuscripts and printed editions that provided foundational arguments for the opponents of the church reform in any disputes, primarily related to the reformation of the rite and liturgical practice of the Russian Orthodox Church. The author also indicates a process in the first quarter of the 18th century associated with the Old Believers’ continued attempts to find citations to expand the canon of sacred texts. The article analyzes the analysis of miscellany compiled by the Vyg Old Believers in the first quarter of the 18th century. It contained fragments of texts that several generations of defenders of the Old Rite had selected. From their perspective, these texts testified to the justness of their views on controversial issues of religious life. The contents of this miscellany, given in the appendix to the article, show how citations of these texts used to be practical tools to resolve debatable issues related to theology, rites, and liturgy, as well as the organization of everyday religious life in the communities. The miscellany's compilers were keen to find texts that strengthened their positions and enabled their disciples to defend the Old Rite in debates with official church representatives and within the religious and social movement. The article concludes by arguing that the Old Believers’ canon of sacred texts was significantly expanded in the first quarter of the 17th century to include fragments of texts, which covered not only issues of theology, liturgy, and rituals but also the organization of the communities’ everyday life (for instance, performing occasional Christian services when no priest is around).

The reason for disagreement about the essence of the evidence: a study in Islamic jurisprudence

Objective: This study delves into the definition of evidence in both language and Islamic jurisprudence. It also provides an explanation of the reasons behind differences in Islamic jurisprudence.
 
 Methods: I utilized the method of induction to gather scientific material by examining relevant books of principles and extracting pertinent information. The first section of the research outlines the opinions of scholars and their supporting evidence for each school of thought, after clarifying the point of contention in the issue. In the second section, the reasons for differences in Islamic jurisprudence are divided into four categories, including issues related to principles and fundamentals, such as whether every jurist is infallible, distinguishing between evidence and indication, and distinguishing between certainty and conjecture. The final reason relates to theological principles, specifically the issue of prioritizing reason over tradition.
 
 Results: The significance of studying Usul al-Fiqh in comprehending the reasons behind disagreements and their influence on the various branches of Islamic jurisprudence. Furthermore, the interdependence of Usuli issues, leads scholoars to become a source of Usuli disagreement.
 
 Conclusion: One of the causes of Usuli disagreement in this matter is linked to theological issues, which sheds light on the connection between Usul al-Fiqh and the principles of religion.

Voorbeskikking, goed en kwaad, menslike verantwoordelikheid, en die sending

Predestination, good and evil, human responsibility, and mission. The background of this article is the challenge that Paul deals with in Romans, namely predestination and the reference to good and evil in theology. It seems as if God ordained good and evil. God is, however, holy and totally good. Sources by Augustine, Calvin, Weaver, Van de Beek and others highlight the questions in this regard. The central implications of the cross of Jesus, as well as the issue of human responsibility are extremely relevant in this regard. The objectives are to give a sound theological evaluation of the question of good and evil from the perspective of reformed theology in interaction with Scripture. Interaction with Scripture and theologians leads to a literature study and thereafter exegetical, hermeneutical and systematic theology issues are addressed. The results established that different positions are taken, but God is just and not the author of sin. This implicates a clear view on mission: reject sin and turn to God. The conclusions are: God is holy, but all mankind should reject evil and accept that God is the fountian of good. Mission is the act of the Triune God (missio Dei) in Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit, to lead sinners from darkness to God. The good in Jesus Christ, by his death on the cross and in his resurrection, overcame evil.Contribution: The article illuminates the issue of good and evil in a new way and offers insight into its significance for the mission. This has significance for the current missiological engagement.

Spiritual Being in the Theology of Wincenty Granat

Treatises on dogmatic theology draw attention to a whole spectrum of theological topics, among which the issue of angels also finds its place. Scholastic theology dealt with this issue within the framework of the treatise on God the Creator; however, it is not exceptional that it is also treated in a separate part. In this paper, we pay attention to spiritual creatures in the context of the eminent Polish theologian Wincent Granat who emphasized respect for the Christian tradition and pointed to the vital values of Christian dogmas. In his pre-Conciliar work Catholic Dogmatics, he discussed most of the issues of dogmatic theology using the scholastic method. In his post-Conciliar work Ku człowiekowi i Bogu w Chrystusie [To Man and God in Christ], the doctrine of angels comes to the fore in close relation to Christian anthropology and its personalistic orientation.

Editorial: Ecumenism in Scotland

What should we be learning from each other, and with each other, in the increasingly post-Christian context of today’s Scotland? For this issue of Theology in Scotland, contributors were invited to explore various facets of ecumenical theology and reflect on different expressions of ecumenical engagement.

Do Islamic Values Matter for Environmental Protection? Empirical Evidence and Policy Suggestions Based on a Global Dataset

Environmental degradation increases all over the world with every passing day. Scholars have attempted to understand the parameters that impact environmental quality over the last three decades. The empirical models use different economic and technological parameters as explanatory variables to do so. However, in recent times, some studies mentioned the importance of social parameters in reducing environmental degradation. Religious principles and values are among the main social parameters that may impact the environment. Considering that climate change's repercussions are increasing daily, understanding the relationship between religion and the environment is essential for effective climate control measures and policies. Although environmental studies based on theological issues are common, there is hardly any empirical investigation related to eco-theological arguments with macro data. This study is the first initiative to uncover the environmental quality and religious teaching and values nexus by applying various panel econometric approaches at the global level. Accordingly, this study inspected the impact of Islamic Principles on the environment in 147 countries. The novel findings provided evidence that Islamic values help decrease CO2 emissions in 147 nations. These findings offer more effective practices and solutions to environmental problems.

Det andliga nutidsläget och kyrkan

In April 1919, the publication of the first part of the edited collection Det andliga nutidsläget och kyrkan ("The Contemporary Spiritual Condition and the Church") caused an intense debate within the Church of Sweden and in the daily press. The editors of the book were driven by ideals of open and honest dialogue about religious and ethical reformation in a time of deep spiritual distress and invited contributions from academia and lay people as well as clergy. Some of the contributions have been analyzed in previous research, as examples of contemporary theological debates. This article presents an analysis of the contributions of the books and of the most salient themes in the debate, covering 192 newspaper articles between April 1919 and May 1920. The analysis contributes to previous research by the additional new material concerning how theological issues were connected to contemporary political and cultural debate. This concerns the implications of modernization in contemporary Sweden, such as individualization, social justice, and secularization. Furthermore, the debate in the newspapers, previously not thoroughly researched, highlights how the book became a locus for issues such as participation of the laity in theological debate, and the role of the Church as a public authority in a secular, modernized society. These themes present fruitful openings for further research on the role of Christian actors in new forms of public debate shaping modernity in Sweden.