Christian Understanding Research Articles

Christian personalism and “carnal race” in the philosophy of H. S. Skovoroda

The purpose of the article is to analyze H. Skovoroda’s criticism of mass society, called the “carnal race”, based on the position of Christian personalism, which the Ukrainian philosopher adhered to. Its implementation will allow us to expand our view of H. Skovoroda’s personology, taking into account the ascetic component and critical orientation of the content of his creative heritage. The main methodological tool for the stage of the mentioned problem includes a philosophical-anthropological, axiological and philosophical-religious analysis of H. Skovoroda’s texts in their dialectical unity and interaction. The result of the research presented in the article. The undertaken analysis of the teachings of H. Skovoroda revealed his critical attitude towards mass society, the environment of which is the “carnal man” as an anthropological type. An alternative to the named society has been identified, which is contrasted with the Kingdom of God as a community of spiritually renewed people. It is shown that condemnation and the desire to oust the community of “slaves of the flesh” is complemented by the desire for its spiritual transformation towards unity with God in the inner world of the individual — the heart. The view of the philosophy of the heart as an essential feature of personalistic thought is substantiated, and the achievement of identity with God and Christ in the spiritual space of the heart organically correlates personalism with Christian thought. The condemnation of the “carnal race” together with the “carnal man” in the horizon of Christian thought is recognized as one of the aspects of the personalization of man and society, a concern aimed at their spiritual transformation. The scientific novelty. The interpretation of Christian personalism as the foundation of H. Skovoroda’s philosophy has been expanded and deepened due to its correlation with the ascetic criticism of mass society. This circumstance allows us to pay serious attention to the role of criticism in constituting the Christian-personalistic foundation of the work of the Ukrainian philosopher. To develop an understanding of Christian thought, the organic connection between its personalistic and ascetic values is demonstrated, which makes it possible to evaluate their unity and interconnection in their focus on the spiritual development of man and society. The practical significance. The results of this study can be used in the educational process for teaching general and special courses on the history of philosophy, the history of Ukrainian culture, and Christian ethics.

The Christian Trinity in the Writings of Quranic Exegetes: A Comparison with Islamic Polemicists

Objectives: This paper compares the perspectives of sixteen Quranic exegetes with those of Islamic polemicists specialised in Christian studies, particularly in their treatment of the Christian concept of the Trinity. Methodology: The paper employs an inductive approach to uncover the views of various Quranic interpreters and Islamic polemicists regarding the Trinity. Besides, it utilises a comparative method to discuss and contrast their opinions on the subject matter. Findings: Comparing the polemicists’ views with those of the exegetes reveals the precision and consistency of the former in conveying the Christian understanding of the Trinity. In contrast, the exegetes' interpretations vary, with some describing it as three hypostases, others as three gods, and occasionally an exegete may mention both interpretations. There is also a distinction in addressing the third entity of the Trinity. While the polemicists identify it as the Holy Spirit, some exegetes alternatively mention Mary, and others refer to both views. Originality: The paper underscores the importance of cautiously conveying Christian beliefs about the Trinity based on certain exegetes, highlighting the specialisation of polemicists in religious studies.

Ранний Джон Хик о теистической религии и его версия теодицеи

This paper discusses the most significant issues of John Hick’s philosophical theology in the early period of his work. In this study I trace the relationship between Hick’s personal religious experience and his philosophical intuitions, showing that it was both of these components, mutually influencing each other, that set him on the path of rejection of most of the Christian doctrines. In addition, the study shows that the specificity of Hick’s relationship with Christianity, as well as the principle of religious ambiguity arising from his religious epistemology, determined his further strategy within such a primary project of philosophical theology as theodicy. This conception, designed by early Hick as a Christian response to the problem of evil and named by him as “Irenaean theodicy”, from my point of view, was only partially successful, since the flaws and contradictions it contained were not resolved by him within the framework of the Christian religious paradigm, but only largely contributed to his further shift towards pluralistic worldview. Finally, Hick’s division of the Christian understanding of evil into “Augustinian” and “Irenaean” traditions and their further opposition, as this study demonstrates, is not sufficiently justified, nor is his naming of his own conception as “Irenaean”.

Escaping Chronos: The Metaverse as a Surrogate for Aeon

ABSTRACT The Metaverse promises the abolition of physical and temporal boundaries, people achieving what they want freely, and the feeling of immortality. In this paper I analyze the hyper-spatiotemporal nature of the Metaverse from a Christian anthropological perspective. I start by reviewing the Christian understanding of time and the Metaverse space–time construct. Next, I draw a parallel between digital immortality and the eternal life of the age to come. Finally, arguing that the Metaverse’s offer of digital immortality is a palliative, discarnate surrogate, I discuss the Christian perspective on how eternity can be authentically anticipated while living in this world.

Reflections on the Research of Chinese Christian’s View of Suffering Based upon Fusion of Horizons: Understanding and Reviewing “Research on Christian’s View of Suffering”

Humans have always tried to understand suffering as a condition of existence, and grasping the notion of suffering is central to understanding a culture. "A Study of the Christian Concept of Suffering" employs the method of religious anthropology to explore the Christian understanding of suffering from the dimensions of reason, faith, and reality, revealing that the actual concept of suffering among Chinese Christians is a result of the integration of Chinese traditional culture with Christian cultural perspectives. Comparing the understanding of suffering in traditional Chinese culture with that in Christianity, based on this Fusion of Horizons, will deepen and advance the study of the problem of suffering and holds significant theoretical and practical importance for the sinicization of Christianity.

THE EFFICACY OF PAN AFRICA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY TRANSFORMATIVE SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM ON THE TEACHER’S MORAL AND SOCIAL LIFE

Nearly every civilization has faced a plethora of moral issues since the introduction of contemporary innovations, including violence, drug misuse, nepotism, thievery, corruption, immorality, and sexual abuse. The old institutions that formerly taught social cohesion, morality, and the meaning of life have been eroded and are no longer helpful. This study argues that Sunday school, which Robert Raikes founded in the eighteenth century, remains essential for teaching morality to the next generation. It examines how Pan Africa Christian University's training program aligns with Sunday school teachers’ understanding of contemporary Christianity, at Christ Is The Answer Ministries in Kapsabet, Nandi County. The study employed a convergent parallel mixed-method research design. The target population was 135 participants, including trained teachers, church leaders and parents with children in Sunday school. The study findings indicated a statistically positive and significant relationship between the Transformational Leadership Training Program and Teachers’ moral life at (r=0.519**; p<0.05). The study findings also revealed a statistically significant relationship between the Transformational Leadership Training Program and Teachers’ social lifestyle at (r=0.509**; p<0.05). The study findings confirmed that the said church leaders’ training program effectively equips and trains Sunday school teachers to nurture children holistically.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0087/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Is the Church Untruth?

This study seeks to enrich the contemporary discourse of the thought of Søren Kierkegaard by positing an analysis of the ecclesiology of the New Testament according to the Danish thinker’s critique of the crowd. Through a literature study on both topics, I try to indicate whether Kierkegaard would consider the church untruth based on its similarity to his depiction of the crowd. Such a literature study is delineated in a three-segmented explanation, each focusing on Kierkegaard’s view of the crowd, the New Testament portrayal of the church, and the intersections between the two. Eventually, I conclude that Kierkegaard would indeed perceive the church as an embodiment of the crowd and consider it untruth. Such a conclusion demands further study on the validity of Kierkegaard’s understanding of Christ, as it confirms the potential aporia that haunts his critique of the crowd when read in light of the New Testament ecclesiology.

선교사와 ‘하나님’의 만남 - 개신교 용어가 ‘하나님’으로 귀결된 이유 -

The issue of translating the Christian god, Yahweh, into what term could greatly influenced the understanding and acceptance of Christianity by indigenous people, so missionaries argued about whether to use the term “general god” or the name of a specific god used in the mission. Therefore, we have looked at the reason why “Hananim” was chosen as the term for the God’s name of Protestantism, even though there were “Cheonju” used by the Catholic Church and the general terms “Sangje” and “god”. In order to find out the view of each missionary in a number of perspectives, we considered how they thought of the origin and attributes of “Hananim” and what emotional feeling they had about the term “Hananim”. As a result, missionaries thought the origin of “Hananim” was “Lord in heaven” or “Great One God,” and attributes were considered to be equal to Christianity's “Yahwe” as they had omnipotence, battery, absence, love, and uniqueness. The missionaries who reached this conclusion not only thanked the term “Hananim” but also even felt the atmosphere of ancient Jewish culture in Korean culture with the term “Hananim”. Missionaries had a degenerative view of religion, which turned out to be a penetrative and holistic look at the reason why they chose “hananim” as the term. From this, we could see that the choice of terms was an important basis for revealing the theology of missionaries.

The ethico-religiousness of Atwood’s “God’s Gardeners” vis-à-vis Kierkegaard’s thought

Abstract This study aims to ascertain the ethico-religiousness of “God’s Gardeners” in Atwood’s The Year of the Flood, an eco-religious cult featured by the “self-rescue effort” rather than “God-relationship”. Through examining Atwood’s secularist imagination vis-à-vis Kierkegaard’s ideas about ethico-religiousness, the relationship between Atwood’s post-Christian speculation and Christianity will be re-estimated. Starting with a comparative overview of the two writers’ situatedness in their own “post-Christian” milieu, the discussion then focuses on Kierkegaard’s thought to facilitate the investigation into the religiousness of Atwood’s ethical type. Ultimately, a certain “crossroads” is testified between the secularized vision and the Christian understanding of being ethical and religious.

“Beyond the Window That Can Never Be Opened”—Roger Scruton on “Moments of Revelation” in Human Life

This study addresses Roger Scruton’s understanding of what he called “moments of revelation”. In two short essays, both entitled “Effing the ineffable”, Scruton framed his discussion of moments of revelation with reference to the medieval Christian mystical discourse. Introducing the medieval discussion of this topic, this study provides an analysis of Scruton’s approach to the theme. In tune with the traditional discourse on revelation, his general aim was to demonstrate that there are ways of revealing important truths about the supernatural, of the world “beyond the window”, that do not require words to be pronounced. He calls our experiences of such phenomena moments of revelation and identifies four different transitory sources of revelation. This study deals with them one by one, after considering whether it is right to label such a revelation transcendental. The four sources of Scruton’s moments of revelation are natural beauty, the beauty of painting, the beauty of music, and personal encounters. The first three examples are connected to his thoughts on art and beauty as a substitute of divine revelation. Perhaps the most surprising of these is the last ones, moments of intersubjective human relationships, “our knowledge of each other”. Relying on both Buber and Levinas, Scruton makes the strong claim that it is in the other that we can experience that world “beyond the window”. His phenomenological exploration of human encounters sheds light on concepts like grace, shekhinah, or real presence and gift. He explains the Christian understanding of the human–divine relationship as well along the lines of the nature of interpersonal human relationship, both of them being in a certain sense, he claims, transcendental. From grace, his account moves forward to self-sacrifice and finally arrives at his idiosyncratic understanding of gratefulness for life. His moments of revelation in art and interpersonal exchange turn out to be, indeed, late and secular versions of the Christian understanding of revelation. In its summary, this study claims that revelation, understood by Scruton as a form of general human experience, allows to catch a glimpse of that which is beyond the window, by the direct, sensually based experience of either the existence of another person or of the beauty of nature and art.

History and Humor

Arguably, Monty Python’s The Life of Brian is one of the most controversial interpretations of Christ’s story, due to the Pythons’ shrewd, satirical sense of humor and the film’s mockery of the historical public’s admiration and obsession with messianic figures. This paper takes a similar stance to scholars who argue, however, that the film is not blasphemous—it does not mock Christ himself. The argument hinges on the distinction between Christ and Brian. In separating Christ and Brian into two figures, the film operates on another level, allowing viewers to experience the rise of a messianic figure through Brian as well as introducing them to the historical context. Therefore, though ostensibly not about Christ, The Life of Brian provides insight into the historical time period of Christ and can be beneficial for those interested in furthering their understanding of Christ’s story.

Comparative Analysis of Sacrifice: Igbo-African Traditional Notion and Christian Understanding in Relation to Notion, Forms, Intentions, and Implications

This article presents a comparative analysis of sacrifice, focusing on the Igbo-African traditional notion and the Christian understanding of sacrifice.The Igbo-African tradition views sacrifice as a means to establish and maintain a harmonious relationship with the divine. Sacrifice is seen as a reciprocal act, where offerings are made to deities or spirits in exchange for blessings and protection. In contrast, the Christian understanding of sacrifice centers around the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, seen as an ultimate act of love and redemption. Jesus’ sacrifice is believed to reconcile humanity with God and provide salvation. While these traditions differ in their rituals and theological interpretations, they share a common goal of seeking a harmonious connection with the divine. This article explores the motivations, practices, and symbolic meanings associated with sacrifice in both traditions, aiming to deepen our understanding of the human quest for spiritual connection and the role of sacrifice in fulfilling this need.

The power of the Roman emperors in the understanding of ancient Christians

The power of the Roman emperors in the understanding of ancient Christians

A State of Grace: Community, Self-Consciousness, and Faith in W.H. Auden's "The Age of Anxiety".

In this essay, the author examines a highly influential poem, The Age of Anxiety by W.H. Auden, for its engagement with anxiety and religious faith in the modern world. Published in 1947, the book-length poem reveals Auden's deep understanding of western psychology, Judaism, and Christianity. The author argues for the relevance of The Age of Anxiety in this modern moment, but demonstrates that this relevance does not derive from any direct diagnostic or therapeutic implications of the poem. Rather, Auden's work provides readers with an image of a state of grace in the middle of an age of anxiety.

THE IMAGE OF A SINNER IN DRAMA «THUNDERSTORM» OF A.N. OSTROVSKY

The article studies the image of sinners based on the drama «Thunderstorm» written by A.N. Ostrovsky. This issue is related to the prototype theory, which is based on the image, motivation and plot of the work with similar characteristics to the mythological component.In this way, it can be concluded that the creativity of literature comes from mythology. In this regard, the concept of «eternal image» appeared in literary criticism, which has a certain value to world literature. An important motive of classical literature is depravity. However, this motive is away to shape the image of a sinner.This image exists in different versions of Russian literature:that is, the heroine engaged in prostitution, the «tempted and abandoned» and unfaithful wife, the «camellia»(ladies of the demimonde, kept women) and others.The motives and plots of the hypostases of the image of the sinner are reduced to a certain archetypal semantic core, which is characteristic of Russian literature. The sinner refers to the sufferer in Russian literature; the path is from sin to rebirth, and the events will develop in the following order: «fall-repentance- suffering-redemption-salvation». This paradigm is obviously based on the Christian understanding of sin, mainly referring to the biblical story of the Savior and the repentant prostitute, and is related to the theological triad «sin-repentance- salvation». The analysis of the image of the sinner Katerina in the drama «Drama» by A.N. Ostrovsky is based on a single semantic archetypal core. And this type of unfaithful wife is depicted through a moral and religious understanding of sin, directly related to the concepts of guilt and shame, as well as a philosophical approach to the concept of this category, revealed in the image of the «holy harlot» through the realization of the concept of repentance and forgiveness.

Humanitarian Teachings of Christianity and Islam

The aim of this research is to provide insight into the concept of humanitarian teachings in Christianity and Islam as a basis for understanding ethical values, social solidarity and contribution to the development of human welfare. By focusing on the two major religions, Christianity and Islam, it provides a comprehensive overview of the similarities, differences, and potential contributions to humanitarian teachings of the two. In the context of Christianity, it teaches the concepts of love, mercy and social responsibility found in the Bible. Meanwhile, Islam teaches the concept of brotherhood, justice and a caring society. The method used is text analysis, literature studies, and interviews with religious scholars to gain in-depth insight. It is hoped that these results will provide a better understanding of Christianity and Islam.

Tanı Sürecinin Tarihsel Dönüşümü ve Tıbbi Kozmolojiler

The changes that medicine has undergone throughout history have led to various transformations in the diagnosis process. The effect of metaphysical elements was seen in the diagnosis process in Antiquity and the Middle Ages. After the Renaissance, the diagnosis process took on a more systematic character. The values of each age affected the diagnosis process. In ancient times, there was a symptom-based approach in the diagnosis process and symptoms were sometimes associated with metaphysical elements. The diagnostic techniques used in Antiquity reflect class differences. Some diagnostic techniques of this period were the source of the techniques used today. The understanding of Christianity in the Middle Ages had interrupted the diagnosis and treatment process until the Renaissance. The Renaissance was an important period in shaping the philosophical foundations of medical science. Today, the diagnosis process is more systematic and mechanistic. The understanding of each era is associated with medical cosmology. In the study, the diagnosis process is examined historically and the diagnosis process of the 18th century and beyond is discussed in the context of medical cosmologies.

Christianity, Enlightenment, and the American Experiment: A Review Essay

Abstract In the Classical and Christian Origins of American Politics: Political Theology, Natural Law, and the American Founding, Kody Cooper and Justin Dyer argue that the classical Christian Natural Law tradition is the central tradition shaping the American political order. Rejecting the scholarly consensus that the American founding was shaped by multiple traditions, Cooper and Dyer see continuity from Aristotle to Aquinas to the founding generation. This argument far exceeds the evidence: It is unpersuasive at the level of ideas, but it is even less compelling considering the epic political conflicts that surrounded these ideas—conflicts that were responsible for the genesis of Enlightenment ideas about religious liberty. Both liberalism and civic republicanism, to take the two leading schools of thought, emerged in response to conflicts over theology among the different sects of Christianity. Yet Cooper and Dyer's analysis obscures the political conflicts that were an essential feature of creating the American political order. To argue that Christianity and political theology had an important influence on thinking during the founding era, we must wrestle with what type of Christianity and political theology? How did understandings of Christianity and political theology change in their encounter with Enlightenment thinking? Cooper and Dyer do not attend to these questions. Yet such questions are all the more important given the rise of Christian nationalism and Catholic integralism, which would return us to pre-Enlightenment understandings of religious liberty that are profoundly at odds with the American experiment and the religious pluralism that stems from it.

Rediscovering Christian Culture and Spirituality in the Fluid Reality of Europe

This article points to the plight of man in the 21st century and his intimidating spiritual and axiological confusion. The 2020 COVID pandemic, the 2022 war in Ukraine and high economic inflation have exposed the lack of stable ethical values and lasting references for Europe. On the one hand, many EU citizens live today in uncertainty and fear, falling in line with populist slogans, and on the other hand, strong xenophobic and fundamentalist currents have emerged in the Catholic Church. Europe is arguably not so much in need of a return to over-institutionalized Christianity, but rather of a search for new forms and systems that would express the ideas of Jesus of Nazareth in innovative ways. Postmodernity with its characteristic elements, i.e., pluralization, mercantilization and rapid change, seem to be completely incompatible with the conventionally accepted Christian understanding of God, the concept of man and the world around him. Therefore, this is a great challenge to all Christian theologians.

Christ: A Religious Priest? A Thomistic Approach

Abstract The nature and value of the religious priesthood have often been questioned, including after Vatican II. John Paul II, however, claims that the religious priest ‘reproduces in his life the fullness of the mystery of Christ’. Examining Aquinas’s understanding of Christ’s total self-sacrifice provides a model that explains how. In this article, I present a Christological and Thomistic approach to the question by identifying Christ as a religious priest, highlighting one of Aquinas’s patristic sources (St Gregory the Great) and one of his greatest spiritual interpreters of modern times (Bl Columba Marmion). Because of his grace of headship, Christ contains all the perfections found in his members. The perfection of Christ’s priestly and religious life consists in his total sacrifice of himself to the Father out of love. Christ firmly fixed his will to offer himself from the moment of the Incarnation. By vowing to follow the counsels, religious priests imitate the fixity of Christ’s will to offer himself as a total self-holocaust. This conclusion allows me to propose that Christ is the religious priest, which has several theological and pastoral implications.