Theological Statements Research Articles

How to redeem a corrupted world: The aporia of negative theology in the thought of Theodor Adorno

In Minima Moralia, Adorno talks about a ‘messianic light’ which shines from beyond the corrupted world, offering the possibility of redemption from suffering. Theological statements like these have created significant controversy within the literature on Adorno, with interpreters like Hent de Vries and Peter Gordon arguing that the ‘messianic light’ depicts a transcendent negativity in line with negative theology. This is in opposition to the materialist interpretation, with interpreters like Jay Bernstein who oppose this reading, arguing that Adorno’s use of messianic language is only a metaphorical means to express a negative approach to finite, material experience. In this article, I argue that an ambiguity concerning the source of redemption in Adorno’s work prevents either interpretation from being conclusive. Adorno vacillates between locating hope in sensuous experience or in spiritual negativity. In response, I offer a reading of Adorno’s notion of the object’s preponderance that fulfils both the materialist concern with concrete mediation as well as the theological notion that the messianic light cannot arise from the existing world. The experience of the retreat of the object’s preponderance explains our consciousness of a negative notion of redemption that transcends our current cultural circumstance.

Artemis’ Garments and Paul’s Aprons (Acts 19:11–12)

Abstract The practice of dressing the cult statue of Artemis in radiant garments was quite widespread in antiquity. During religious festivals, such garments were carried in procession and displayed for the benefit of spectators. By virtue of their contact with the statue, such robes were considered to be bearers of the power of the deity itself. This may provide an intriguing parallel to the strange scene wherein Paul’s thaumaturgical activity in Ephesus is undertaken by means of cloths which, upon contact with his skin, acquire a healing and exorcising power. This article tries to develop the comparison. In turn, the effectiveness of the apostle’s poor textiles in the face of the splendor of the patroness of Ephesus constitutes a profound theological statement. This statement not only offers an implicit critique of pagan worship, but also firmly establishes in the apostle’s hands a humble and unobtrusive, yet highly effective, means of salvation.

The Grammar of Faith. Ludwig Wittgenstein on Madness and Religious Faith

Ludwig Wittgenstein repeatedly called religion and faith "madness", "folly", etc. However, this does not mean that he considered it irrational or meaningless. Rather, he saw in it a way of thinking and speaking, a “language-game”, that was not explicitly rational, but nevertheless meaningful, and in which there were “entirely different connections” than normal between individual statements. Nor can the language of faith be regarded as conventional, according to Wittgenstein, even if approached from the point of view of the nature of the statements it contains. If, for example, we think that theological statements are factual statements (as if they refer only to existing things or objects), then this language immediately becomes meaningless. The aim of my study is to analyze the “grammar” of this language (the language of faith or religion), using Wittgenstein’s notes from different times, paragraphs of his published works, comments made during university lectures, etc., and to describe the correct use of words in it. Keywords: Wittgenstein, madness, religious faith, language-game

“The Scripture Is an Instantiation of Divine Discourse”

Abstract Modern scholarly literature often presents classical Islamic theology treating the speech of God (kalām Allāh) and the Koran as synonyms. Moreover, the discussion on the nature of the Koran/God’s speech is portrayed as having to do with the question of whether or not the Koran was created. However, I suggest that this was only a fraction of the issues debated. Classical and post-classical Muslim scholars put forward multifaceted and sophisticated theories on the natures of divine discourse and the Koran. Many, if not most, deemed the speech of God and the Koran to be separate concepts. This article analyses the Safavid-era Iranian philosopher and theologian Mullā Ṣadrā (d. c.1045/1635) with regard to his views on the ontological and theological status of divine speech and the scripture(s), with particular emphasis on his magnum opus the Four Journeys. I trace some of Mullā Ṣadrā’s sources regarding this issue and endeavor to pinpoint the original ideas he is putting forward.

Religija, teologija i filozofske vještine automatiziranih programa za čavrljanje (chatbotova) pogonjenima velikim jezičnim modelima (LLM)

In this study, I demonstrate how religion and theology can be useful for testing the performance of LLMs or LLM–powered chatbots, focusing on the measurement of philosophical skills. I present the results of testing four selected chatbots: ChatGPT, Bing, Bard, and Llama2. I utilize three examples of possible sources of inspiration from religion or theology: 1) the theory of the four senses of Scripture; 2) abstract theological statements; 3) an abstract logic formula derived from a religious text, to show that these sources are good materials for tasks that can effectively measure philosophical skills such as interpretation of a given fragment, creative deductive reasoning, and identification of ontological limitations. This approach enabled sensitive testing, revealing differences among the performances of the four chatbots. I also provide an example showing how we can create a benchmark to rate and compare such skills, using the assessment criteria and simplified scales to rate each chatbot with respect to each criterion.

God as “The Highest and Most Elevated Thing”: Contributions to the Theological, Phenomenological Interpretations of God-Experiences in Heidegger, Conrad-Martius, and Stein

Maybe the most divisive topic of the Heideggerian reception is whether the question of God is part of the disclosure of being in Heidegger’s thinking, or if Heidegger rather obscures the phenomenological inquiry on God by way of his questions on being and his reinterpretation of the meaning of being as historical beyng. It is not accidental that Hedwig Conrad-Martius, the contemporary of Heidegger, writes in her critique on Being and Time that it is “like when, with tremendous force of wise prudence and unflagging tenacity, a door that has been closed for a long time and is almost impossible to open is blown open and then immediately slammed shut again, locked, and barricaded so tightly that it seems impossible to open it again.” (Cf. Heideggers ‘Sein und Zeit’). Unfortunately, the different stages of Heidegger’s thinking do not help further clarify the question of whether it is a conscious program of Heideggerian thinking to involve theological questions into the fundamental ontological analysis of being, if it follows from his theological background and from the relation to theology (as a positivistic science in Heidegger’s sense), or if that he includes theological knowledges into his thinking and shows a critical turn against the theological statements. Heidegger’s reflections on his own thinking in relation to theological questions and his influence on the Munich–Göttingen Phenomenology raises the present argumentation for the common phenomenological interpretation of God-Experiences.

Balaam’s God(s): Divine Designations in Num 22–24

The biblical figure of Balaam is ambivalent in many ways, including his religious affiliation. In the attestations of the Balaam tradition within the Hebrew Bible, different conceptions of this literary character are sometimes blended, sometimes unconnected. In the prose of Num 22–24, he is portrayed as a worshipper of YHWH and even confers with him nightly, albeit being a stranger from far away. In the oracles, a variety of divine designations is used without apparent reason, while the prose alternates between YHWH and Elohim only. The article focuses on the third and fourth oracles (Num 24:3–9, 15–19) and explores their use of divine designations against the backdrop of Num 22–24. The variation can be interpreted as a stylistic feature, literary conception, spoil from different religious traditions, and/or theological statement.

The Preferential Option of the Poor: Liberation Theology, Pentecostalism, and the New Forms of Sacralization

AbstractThis paper argues that the alleged demise of liberation theology is the product of an oversimplification of the movement’s development,—one that depends on a church-focused understanding of the process of secularization. Yet, a different interpretation of this process may allow us to see secularization as a process capable of eliciting new forms of sacralization. My contention is that liberation theology has remained active in civil society, especially through faith-based organizations not supported by the Catholic Church. I argue that these civil-society organizations have become new sacred spaces that address the needs of the most vulnerable. To warrant these claims, I present a comparative study of the parallel development of liberation theology and Pentecostalism in Latin America, particularly in the case of Peru. Since both movements focus on the most disenfranchised and thus may compete for the same public, attention to the success or failure of their strategies will help to elucidate the current status of liberation theology.

The Book of Lamentations by John Goldingay

Reviewed by: The Book of Lamentations by John Goldingay Megan D. Alsene-Parker john goldingay, The Book of Lamentations (NICOT; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2022). Pp. xix + 288. $40. With his recent commentary, John Goldingay adds a valuable and timely voice to the conversation surrounding the Book of Lamentations. In this work, G. reads Lamentations in light of its literary and poetic features, textual witnesses, deeply "traumatic" backdrop (p. 2), intertextual links with the prophets, and likeness with certain psalms. In this way, G. portrays Lamentations as a text that teaches the believing community a kind of worship that asks hard questions of God and prompts God toward action when they feel as if God has abandoned them (p. 206). Lamentations, he writes, "is not just theory. … As the poem melds theology and spirituality, it makes key theological statements about God. But part of its point in doing so is to lean on Yahweh to be himself" (p. 139). Goldingay's exposition of Lamentations provides a balanced and well-researched textual analysis, steering away from what he terms "ideological criticism" (p. 30) and avoiding an oversimplification of Lamentations' complexities. One of G.'s key presuppositions about Lamentations is that "it holds together in an unstable unity a variety of theological themes and convictions" without resolving their perspectives or pain (p. 27). Goldingay's work itself contains two main sections, introduction and commentary. His thorough introduction covers matters such as the unity of composition, authorship and date, historical backgrounds, canonicity, theology, and main themes. The remainder of the work consists of verse-by-verse original translation and commentary. In each chapter's comments, G. focuses first on the broadest strokes, noting the overall similarities as well as differences between the poem at hand and Lamentations' other poems. Next, G. proceeds with a close translation of the Hebrew text, translating primarily from the MT but also incorporating and, at times, revising his translation based on other ancient witnesses (the LXX, Vulgate, 4QLam, etc.). G.'s original translations prove insightful, as he elucidates the literary and poetic features in the Hebrew text, including how careful attention to word order can influence the rhythm and emphasis of a given verse in striking ways (e.g., Lam 3:2 [p. 128]). G. also makes some novel translational decisions on particular words or phrases, for example, glossing (bat ṣîyôn) as "Ms. Zion" (pp. 59–60). Next comes the bulk of G.'s comments, through which he invites the reader to become more familiar with Lamentations; he does this by pointing out questions and tensions in the text, discussing its theological import, or painting a picture of a given verse's meaning in the time of the Judahites. At times, G. will embark on a theological excursus, discussing the nature of God's anger (p. 90) or Yhwh's nature (pp. 144–45). At others, he explores questions that help the reader understand the world of Lamentations, for example, the question, "What's so bad [End Page 335] about carrying a millstone?" that arises from Lam 5:13 (p. 200). Finally, G. provides a brief "Reader's Response" section, which reimagines and paraphrases the sentiment of each poem as an individual's reflection on Jerusalem during a worship gathering at Mizpah or Bethel. This imaginative space helpfully frames the thrust of each poem as it may have been received and processed by the generations following Jerusalem's fall, proving formative and fruitful for the reader in beginning to process both the emotional and spiritual import of each poem. When reading G.'s commentary, the great extent to which he has read, weighed, and integrated both old and new ideas from Lamentations scholarship quickly becomes apparent: he includes works from as early as 1546 to as recent as 2021, and everything in between. He distills this diverse breadth of voices into a succinct and nuanced reading of the text, making his commentary eminently accessible, despite, or perhaps, precisely amid his academic depth. There are only a few quibbles I have with this work. First, in G.'s extensive use of secondary sources, he does not always clarify his own position or attempt to draw opposing sources together. For...

Spirit(s) and the Land: A Comparative Theological Exploration of Two Contemporary Indigenous Visions

At a time when comparative theologians are being called to decolonize the discipline, this article explores the theological status of the land in the writings of Alf Dumont (Anishinaabe) and Keneipfenuo Rüpreo Angami (Naga). These theologians from two different indigenous communities write in theological terms about the aliveness of the land and the multiplicity of spirits therein. While acknowledging the friction that experiences with these beings create for the dominant Christian theologies, both choose to honor the importance of traditional stories, practices, and relationships with animals and the land. The comparison considers implications for divine unity and multiplicity and highlights the emphasis on relating to the land that each brings to the political tensions in their contexts.

Peace and Faith: Christian Churches and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict ed. by Cary Nelson and Michael C. Gizzi

Reviewed by: Peace and Faith: Christian Churches and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict ed. by Cary Nelson and Michael C. Gizzi Jonathan C. Friedman Peace and Faith: Christian Churches and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. Edited by Cary Nelson and Michael C. Gizzi. Philadelphia, and Boston, MA: Academic Studies Press (for Presbyterians for Middle East Peace), 2021. Pp. 638. $45.00, cloth; $30.00, paper. Nelson and Gizzi’s expansive edited volume brings together religious leaders and scholars around three main issues: the different, often divergent, approaches [End Page 127] of the many Christian churches toward Israel; the boycott campaigns of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (PCUSA); and the path forward for Israel and Palestine. Nelson is Professor of English at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Gizzi is Professor of Criminal Justice at Illinois State University. The book, the fifth in a series of publications for Nelson contesting the movement advocating a boycott of Israel, is exhaustive in its research and presentation. Nelson begins with an 86-page introduction to the beliefs about, and relations toward, the state of Israel from Christian denominations, including, among others, American Evangelicals, Catholics, Presbyterians, Methodists, Mennonites, and members of the United Church of Christ. Part One features in-depth articles about theology and Zionism and specific denominational approaches to Israel, essentially augmenting Nelson’s introduction. The dividing line is both religious and political; the Evangelical right has been supportive of Israel (some would say because it fulfills “end of days” prophecies), while left-leaning churches have tended to be more critical of Israel. Some, including Presbyterian and Methodist churches, have embraced or considered embracing parts of the boycott/divestment/sanction movement (BDS). The 2009 publication, Kairos Palestine, a theological statement by Palestinian Christians on Israel and Palestine, looms large in this work, appearing multiple times in the discussion of Christian support for BDS. Critics have decried the anti-Zionist theological perspective of Kairos Palestine, along with the absence of language affirming Israel’s right to exist. Part Two centers on the boycott campaigns of the PCUSA. In 2004, its General Assembly voted to support divesting from companies that conducted business in the West Bank. Presbyterian pastors John Wimberly and William Harter write about the genesis and evolution of PCUSA positions, noting that the church altered its position in 2006 to focus on “corporate engagement,” acknowledging the “hurt and misunderstanding” that the 2004 resolution had caused (p. 329). Nelson and Gizzi use the last two chapters of this section to critique the 2014 anti-Zionist Presbyterian publication, Zionism Unsettled. In Part Three, they offer perspectives on reconciliation, with Gizzi emphasizing re-lations through individuals and such groups as Seeds of Peace and Kids4Peace, and Nelson offering specifics for a two-state solution. With full acknowledgment of the book’s import and contribution to scholarship, a greater variety of voices from within the many denominations of global Christianity would have enriched the volume. Assembling clergy from outside [End Page 128] the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East, who represent Christianity in all its theological and geographical diversity, and allowing more men and women clergy to have their say, however unpopular some positions might be, would have been a bold choice. Nelson and Gizzi’s admirable frameworks for peace in their final essays also shift the attention from theology to politics in a book that is supposed to be about religion, specifically Christianity. An epilogue from “postmodern” Christians and Jews, such as Brian McLaren, Cornel West, and Rabbi Michael Lerner, whose Network of Spiritual Progressives envisions a healing of Israel and Palestine that is as much spiritual as it is political, would have kept the focus on faith, which is where the book has its most profound and original impact. Jonathan C. Friedman West Chester University, West Chester, PA Copyright © 2023 Journal of Ecumenical Studies

The place and role of Theology in the Space of "Secular," "Sacred," and "Holy"

Despite the recognition of theology as a scientific specialty, its legal and actual consolidation as a scientific branch of knowledge in the Russian scientific and educational space, there are still many questions related to the comprehension of its place and role in the academic space. It has been revealed that theology, occupying the place of the "sacral" in the space "secular-sacred", being inside the tradition and open to the secular space, is a connecting bridge between the secular and religious, and solves the problem of overcoming the "mutual estrangement" between them. As for theology, which is in the field of the "sacred" as we see it, its main task is to preserve the original Tradition by being closed to the "secular" and the "profane". However, not being closed from the "sacred", i.e. open to the space of theology, theology fears the possibility of distortion of Tradition on the part of the theological community, which, according to some theologians, encroaches on the Sacred by its intellectual fabrications and reformatory ideas. Despite the fact that most of the theological community considers the concepts of theology and theology as synonyms, the presented study carries out their distinction, in order to understand the reasons for both the difference in views of the academic community regarding the scientific status of theology and the possibility and need for its teaching in secular universities, and within theological disagreements. Keywords: Theology, profane-secular-sacred, tradition and reformation, ultimate concern, transcending.

Постметафизическое мышление, экклезиология и вопрос уникальности богословского языка

The article compares two selected ecclesiological concepts of the twentieth cen­tury (bishop Damascene Tsedrik and metropolitan Anthony Bloom) with the cur­rents of thought of postmetaphysical theology, namely the movement of weak theology (G. Vattimo, J. Caputo). Firstly, a special study is required to define the object of consideration – a set of ecclesiological programmes of the twentieth century, in key points consonant with the general principles of contemporary postmetaphysical thinking; this task requires, on the one hand, identification of specific features of weak theology in its authentic variants, on the other hand, establishment of a wider (both chronological and with respect to different schools and movements) space of thought that possesses the highlighted fea­tures. Secondly, the question of the uniqueness of each replica under considera­tion arises: to what extent they are conditioned by “external” factors (an object­ive historical situation or orientation towards certain philosophical tendencies) and to what extent they remain a specifically theological statement, reflecting a particular situation in a specific religious logic. The main part offers a detailed examination of the ecclesiological views of Bishop Damascene and Metropolitan Anthony (which are chosen as two distinctive examples of a wider range of typ­ically similar positions). As a result, it is possible to identify common for them content and methodological features, which at the same time are consonant with the main points of postmetaphysical theology. The conclusions are that 1) there is a wider space of reaction to the cultural situation of criticism of modernity, of which the weak theology movement is a part, 2) in the considered concepts there is a proper theology, not reducible to the actual historical and ideological context, and 3) sacramental aspects of the presented ecclesiologies can be inter­preted in the spirit of postmodern poetics of Event.

Постметафизическое мышление, экклезиология и вопрос уникальности богословского языка Часть II

The article compares two selected ecclesiological concepts of the twentieth cen­tury (bishop Damascene Tsedrik and metropolitan Anthony Bloom) with the cur­rents of thought of postmetaphysical theology, namely the movement of weak theology (G. Vattimo, J. Caputo). Firstly, a special study is required to define the object of consideration – a set of ecclesiological programmes of the twentieth century, in key points consonant with the general principles of contemporary postmetaphysical thinking; this task requires, on the one hand, identification of specific features of weak theology in its authentic variants, on the other hand, establishment of a wider (both chronological and with respect to different schools and movements) space of thought that possesses the highlighted fea­tures. Secondly, the question of the uniqueness of each replica under considera­tion arises: to what extent they are conditioned by “external” factors (an object­ive historical situation or orientation towards certain philosophical tendencies) and to what extent they remain a specifically theological statement, reflecting a particular situation in a specific religious logic. The main part offers a detailed examination of the ecclesiological views of Bishop Damascene and Metropolitan Anthony (which are chosen as two distinctive examples of a wider range of typ­ically similar positions). As a result, it is possible to identify common for them content and methodological features, which at the same time are consonant with the main points of postmetaphysical theology. The conclusions are that 1) there is a wider space of reaction to the cultural situation of criticism of modernity, of which the weak theology movement is a part, 2) in the considered concepts there is a proper theology, not reducible to the actual historical and ideological context, and 3) sacramental aspects of the presented ecclesiologies can be inter­preted in the spirit of postmodern poetics of Event.

Severus of Antioch’s idea of transforming the theological language from Triadology to Christology and its critique in Leontius of Byzantium’s treatise “Refutation of syllogisms of Severus”. Part three

The given study is the third part of the article, which scrutinizes the idea of Severus of Antioch concerning which way, in the event of Christ’s incarnation, the meanings of the concepts of essence, nature, hypostasis, and person, which are the most important for representation of the theological sense of this event, are mystically transformed. Along with that, the polemics between the Chalcedonites and Severian Monophysites deployed on this idea, which is immediately represented in the third chapter of Leontius’ of Byzantium treatise “Refutation of syllogisms of Severus”, is taken into consideration. By its content, this chapter is split into two parts, each consisting of an argument of a Severian adversary of the Chalcedonite confession and a detailed refutation of this argument proposed by Leontius. While the content of the first half of the text is focused on the philosophical analysis of the problem of methodological adequacy of the very formulation of Severus’ idea both from the viewpoint of external philosophical wisdom and of theology. In the final, third part of the study, a detailed interpretation of the second part of the third chapter of Leontius’ treatise is proposed, where the argumentation of the Severians and Chalcedonites intended to solve the problem of the grammatical, philosophical and theological status of exegesis of Saint Fathers’ ambiguous expressions is represented together with the formulation of the method which would allow to exclude the homonymy present in these expressions.

Down with This Sort of Thing: Seth Heringer and the End of the Historical-Critical Method

Down with This Sort of Thing: Seth Heringer and the End of the Historical-Critical Method

한국선교신학회 태동의 선구자들

The Korea Society of Mission Studies was established in October 1992. However, early formation began in 1990, In the fall of 1991, the mission theologians who first gathered for the founding of the Society petitioned the Korean Christian Association for the establishment of the Mission Theology Society. At the inaugural general meeting of the following year, Pres. Jung-won Seo, V. Pres. Jae-Oak Chun, and General Secretary Kwang-soon Lee were elected. The first Pres. Jung-won Seo, emphasized the status of mission theology, and Prof. Jae-Oak Chun emphasized the weakness of mission theology that should support the vitalization of missions. Prof. Kwang-soon Lee helped them and took on practical roles, from preparatory meetings to establishment, registering for conferences, and publishing academic journals. They served as the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd presidents side by side, and their term of office lasted 2 years each. This article introduces the early activities of the KSMS. We must not forget the hard work of Prof. Soo-il Chai(1994) and Prof. Ki-young Hong(1996) increasing the few dozen members to 300 members in the Society today.

Understanding the Difference Between Antisemitism and Anti-Judaism

Understanding the Difference Between Antisemitism and Anti-Judaism Marianne Moyaert (bio) In his article, John Pawlikowski begins by discussing the Church's ambivalent position vis-à-vis the history of antisemitism. On the one hand, Pope John Paul II explicitly condemned antisemitism as a sin, a condemnation, which Pawlikowski notes, "represents the strongest theological statement against this pernicious disease." He also makes explicit what steps have been taken, especially since the Second Vatican Council, by both ecclesial authorities and theological scholars to remove anti-Jewish legacies from their theology. On the other hand, there are reasons to doubt whether the Church has taken responsibility for its implication in the history of antisemitism. The Church has tended towards arguing "that antisemitism came only from fringe elements in the Church who were muscled by wayward preachers and teachers." Such an argument denies the pervasive and systemic problem of antisemitism and disavows the view that it is deeply embedded in the Catholic tradition. The document We Remember: A Reflection on the Shoah (1998), which Pawlikowski also mentions, is exemplary in this regard. While this document makes clear the necessity of thoroughgoing scholarly research to better understand the mechanisms that finally led to the Shoah and emphasizes that Christians have to confront the injustices of [End Page 373] the past to open up a new future (memoria futuri), the document also shifts responsibility away from the Church and its theological traditions to those Christians who failed to live according to what "might have been expected from Christ's followers."1 Rather than recognizing antisemitism as a form of systemic racialization legitimized and institutionalized by Catholic tradition and its authorities, the document tends to reduce the problem of antisemitism to the personal failure of some.2 To make matters worse, the document immediately contrasts the few rotten apples to the many initiatives taken by ecclesial authorities to halt the suffering of the Jews under the Nazis. In addition, We Remember emphasizes that National Socialism was in fact a modern, anti-Christian, pagan racist regime, which ought to be clearly distinguished from Christian anti-Judaism. By way of conclusion, the document acknowledges that "erroneous and unjust interpretations of the New Testament regarding the Jewish people" contributed to "feelings of hostility towards this people," but points out that such interpretations have been "totally and definitively rejected by the Second Vatican Council." Understood in this way, the problem of Christian anti-Judaism belongs to the past and has been dealt with appropriately within the Church; the problem of racist antisemitism is inimical to Christian tradition and its theological vision about the unity of the human race, and has been condemned in the strongest words. In contrast to We Remember, Pawlikowski explicitly states that "thus far the roots of antisemitism in the Catholic Church have [not] been fully erased from Catholic consciousness." To this day, Pawlikowski asserts, there is a problem of latent or dormant antisemitism, which can become the ground for new more explicit expressions of hatred, such as the attacks on the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. To uproot antisemitism from Catholic tradition, Pawlikowski suggests a research program focused on biblical exegesis and the Patristic tradition, as well as on the failure of the Church to acknowledge how its anti-Jewish traditions provided fertile ground for the Shoah. Finally, he also urges us to revisit the issue of the Church's evangelizing mandate in relation to the Jewish people. [End Page 374] I am a Catholic comparative theologian working after Nostra Aetate and I find myself in full agreement with Pawlikowski. The history of Christian antisemitism covers almost 2,000 years and we only started to grapple with it in the aftermath of the Shoah. Far from it being merely a surface issue, antisemitic discourse has seeped deeply into the core of (European) Christian culture. Antisemitic patterns of thinking were imprinted on the Christian imagination through liturgy, prayer, and sermons, but also through art, illuminated manuscripts, theatre, music, as well as legislation. Even when one is dedicated to moving beyond antisemitism, it remains difficult to step outside of this framework. As David Nirenberg states, "The peril of fantasizing our freedom from the past is great": when we...

Theological education and theological enlightenment in modern Russia: Conceptualisation, orientation and development prospects

Introduction. The discussions in the scientific and educational environment on the scientific status of theology, its prospects in the system of university education, the opportunities opening for religious education in Russia, show the relevance of the analysis of the place of theology as a sphere of scientific knowledge in a number of social and humanitarian sciences and reflections on the essence of theological education and enlightenment that influence the axiological basis of society.Aim. The aim of the study is to conceptualise “theological education” and “theological enlightenment”, which define the focus of the conversation about religion today. The objectives of the study are related to determining the scope of each of the concepts and considering promising educational and enlightening practices in Russia.Methodology and research methods. The scientific argumentation presented in the article is based on the following theoretical research methods: logical analysis, structural and functional method, discursive analysis, axiological approach. The basis is an interdisciplinary methodology that allows synthesising approaches peculiar to various social and humanitarian sciences. When describing educational practices, the methods of comparative analysis, systematization and classification were applied.Results. It is determined that the educational paradigm is being changed today: the “return” of the religious component to education is considered as an attempt to set a new education coordinate system in the unity of horizontal (institutional) and vertical (meaning-forming) vectors. The authors define the essence of theological education in a broad (the formation of an axiological basis) and narrow (the process and result of the implementation of values in educational practice) sense. Moreover, the authors reveal the specifics of theological education in professional and comprehensive education. Changes in educational practices over the past few decades have affected educational activities in the field of religion, which required an analysis of the “theological education” concept and the definition of its prospects in a digital society. The authors describe the principles, conditions and directions of the implementation of theological enlightenment.Scientific novelty. The paper presents a terminological analysis of the categories of “theological education” and “theological enlightenment”, which are relatively new for pedagogical science.Practical significance. The conclusions presented in the study on the possibilities of theological education and theological enlightenment may be of interest to developers and organisers of religious educational programmes.

On the theological status of experience in seminary formation

On the theological status of experience in seminary formation