Christian Understanding Research Articles

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The article investigates the possibilities and limitations of a religious Christian hope from a postmodern perspective. It argues that Søren Kierkegaard’s Christian understanding of hope as ambiguous, despiteful, and ethical is in alignment with Gianni Vattimo’s postmodern theory of kenosis as the essence of secularity. The argument proceeds in three steps. The first section outlines the challenge and the potential of the postmodern. The second section analyzes Kierkegaard’s understanding of hope. The third section sketches how Vattimo’s postmodern theory contrasts the pragmatic, scientific, and nihilistic hopes of today and aligns with Kierkegaard’s understanding of hope.

The Question of Beauty and the Aesthetic Value of the Image of the Mother of God in Pastoral Care and Catechesis

Ancient philosophers attached great importance to the ideals of unity, truth, goodness, and beauty as the path to the greatest good. Beauty expressed through works of art can open the eyes of the mind and heart and direct the human spirit to transcendence. The beauty of art awakens inner emotionality, evokes elation in silence, and leads to “coming out of oneself”. The concept of beauty is inextricably linked to Catholic theology and preaching. Beautiful sacred images were a source of theological messages, intercession, and entry into the transcendental world. Medieval Gothic cathedrals had images on the walls as a basic tool of catechesis. Even in today’s teaching of young people, images play a crucial role. The world of symbols enables Christians to connect everyday life experiences with theological messages. The image of the Virgin Mary is the best example of recognizing personal life situations, with the story of a mother who loved her child, accepted the suffering and death of her own son, and together with St. Joseph formed a holy family, which is the image of an imperfect family in which each person recognizes himself. All these aspects of the life of the Virgin Mary could form the basic concepts of the Christian understanding of beauty. In modern thought, the concept of beauty is understood quite narrowly (we are talking about narrowing the meaning of the concept of beauty). In the first part of this paper, we focus on the philosophical concept of beauty with a brief historical overview, then we point out the difference between transcendental beauty and aesthetic beauty. Beauty appeals to the human being and opens the heart to the transcendent, to God, who is the source and fullness of beauty, beauty itself. The originality of the article is in its presentation of the understanding of the Christian concept of beauty through the figure and image of Mary, the Mother of God. The experience of the beauty of Mary and Mary’s life story enables the believer to have a different perspective on the perception of his own life and thereby opens him to the transcendent, to a personal relationship with God, who is eternal Beauty.

Gennady Shimanov and His Unfulfilled Dream of “Orthodoxizing the Soviet State”

The article delves into the life and endeavors of Gennady Mikhailovich Shimanov (1937–2014), a relatively unknown to the wide audience yet a profoundly intriguing thinker, Orthodox publicist and dissident of the Soviet and post‑Soviet eras. It provides an overview of his biography and creative journey, highlighting his atypical position within the dissident and human rights movement, which predominantly leaned towards liberalism. In general, Shimanov’s beliefs revolved around practicing Orthodoxy during the Soviet era, Christian socialism, and Russian nationalism. The article focuses on Shimanov’s historiosophical prediction in the 1970s, suggesting the transformation of the Soviet state into an Orthodox theocracy, and the subsequent debates within the dissident literature of that time. Unusual for that period was Shimanov’s conviction in the necessity of maintaining loyalty to the Soviet state even on the part of dissidents. The article also touches upon Shimanov’s post‑Soviet creative works and their character, notably after the collapse of the USSR when his expectations starkly failed to fulfill, or fulfilled in the opposite direction. Nevertheless, other successful ideas and predictions by Shimanov are acknowledged. For example, those regarding the detrimental consequences that the country and society would experience if the liberal approach was chosen as the way out of the historical impasse of the Soviet era. The article also notes weaknesses in Shimanov’s ideologies, particularly evident in the post‑Soviet years: painful antisemitism, excessive social interpretation in understanding of Christianity, and ideological engagement. Simultaneously, the article acknowledges positive aspects of his ideas, namely his focus on national and family issues that heavily impacted the future of the Russian people.

Gerald H. Anderson and the Overseas Ministries Study Center: “Mission Trends” from Postcolonialism to World Christianity

This article introduces the scholarship and administrative accomplishments of Dr. Gerald H. Anderson, longtime Director of the Overseas Ministries Study Center and Editor of the International Bulletin of Missionary Research. Based on his missionary experience in the Philippines, his voluminous writings, and his founding of major missiological organizations, Anderson was central to the reframing of mission studies in the postcolonial era of the last third of the twentieth century. Under his leadership, the Overseas Ministries Study Center (OMSC) became a hub for the emerging network of World Christianity scholarship. Unlike the rigidity of academic institutions caught in the discourse of secularization theory, the OMSC represented a creative liminal space with the flexibility to innovate. Anderson and the OMSC incubated teams of scholars and practitioners who cumulatively formulated a new approach to the study of mission and to the understanding of Christianity as a worldwide rather than Western religion.

Race-Religious Discrimination in South Africa's Hindu Marriages

South Africa is known historically for racial apartheid when people were classified as white, Indian, Colored, or Black/Native.1 Indians, Coloreds, and Blacks were discriminated against and denied rights afforded to whites. One example was the right to vote, which was withheld from anyone not classified as white.2 What is less well known is that other forms of discrimination also existed, including religion, culture, gender, and sexual orientation. These discriminations manifested in religious marriage laws. They also intersected in the domain of marriage through race and religion, resulting in what Rabiat Akande describes as “mutually imbricated religious and racial othering.”3 Akande's observation that “Euro-Christian foundations of the legal regime of religious liberty” excluded minority religions from legal protections in colonial settler situations resonates in South Africa.4 Apartheid South Africa adopted a colonial European Christianized approach to marriage, namely, the voluntary union of one man to one woman for the duration of the marriage.5 This definition of marriage was embedded within South Africa's common law and entrenched values of heteronormativity and monogamy, both of which are inherent in a Christian understanding of marriage. Consequently, same-sex marriages were excluded from legal protection.6 Similarly, customary marriages and Muslim, Hindu, and Jewish marriages were not legally recognized because they were potentially polygynous, which in South Africa was deemed immoral and contrary to the colonial and apartheid era notions of public policy.7 This essay focuses on the legal implications of Hindu marriages not being legally recognized in South Africa, and especially the disparate effect that this has on women. The essay thus adds a gendered dimension to Akande's arguments about religious discrimination.

A Christological Reflection on Yom Kippur from an Akan Christian Perspective

The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) is arguably the holiest and most important day in ancient Israel’s religious calendar. In the Christian religion, the Yom Kippur ritual is interpreted to foreshadow the ultimate sacrifice made by Christ for the atonement of the sin of humanity. Therefore, a theological study of this Old Testament atoning ritual has the potential to shed light on the salvific ministry of Christ. Using a literary research approach, this article explores how atoning practices associated with Yom Kippur might enhance the Christian understanding of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice. I argue that by fulfilling what the Old Testament sacrificial system prefigured, the cross renders any atoning sacrifice obsolete. Therefore, believers ought to refrain from any form of traditional religious sacrifices because such sacrifices have no salvific value. The paper contributes to the ongoing scholarly discourse on Christian soteriology, particularly the doctrine of atonement. Keywords: Akan, Atonement, Christ, Leviticus, Yom Kippur

Il faut savoir désespérer où il faut. Pascal et le désespoir de la philosophie

Whether it's a question of "human philosophy" or of the Christian understanding of action in a regime of efficacious grace, for Pascal despair is always the effect of an error of appreciation. We overestimate our misery and powerlessness, we make them the whole of our being and our action, and so we consider ourselves only miserable and totally powerless. Despair should therefore be prevented and neutralised when it takes hold of the soul, never advocated or fed. Never - except perhaps in one case, and it is this case that we would like to address in this paper. A case that is all the more paradoxical because it is precisely in its proper place, where it is opportune and necessary, that despair appears difficult if not almost impossible to produce.

Old Believer mentor Mitrofan Kozlov: a deserter for the salvation of the soul

The article is devoted to the history of the participation of Old Believers in the Great Patriotic War and consecrates the little-studied issue of desertion for religious reasons. The article is based on the materials of field research conductedby the participants of the expedition of the Archive of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Archeographic Laboratory of the Faculty of History of Lomonosov Moscow State University among the Old Believers-"Bespopovtsy",residents of Kilinsk. The source base was audio records of interviews collected during field research in 2003-2015, focusing on the study of everyday religiosity. The article analyzes the case of Mitrofan Kondratievich Kozlov, a strict mentor of the community of Old Believers-"Bespopovtsy" of the chapel of concord from the Kemerovo region. Mitrofan Kondratievich built his whole life and the life of his family in accordance with his own understanding ofChristian rules and strict prohibitions.

РЕЛИГИОЗНЫЙ СМЫСЛ ТРАНСЦЕНДИРОВАНИЯ

The article is devoted to the consideration of the concept “transcendence” in history of philosophy. The research has led to the idea that transcendence has always had a religious meaning - explicit or implicit. In the Ancient philosophy, this concept denoted the ascent to the Highest Good. Although the Good was synonymous with the “God of philosophers”, which did not require prayerful veneration and cult actions, transcendence itself was considered by philosophers by analogy with a religious cult, since it assumed a carefully prepared and diligently executed system of actions, aimed at establishing a connection with the transcendent reality and related to the transformation of personality. In the Middle Ages, transcendence was also understood as a conscious transformation of a person in order to gain the highest level of being. But among scholastics the idea of the leading role of the intellect in transcendence arose, and in the philosophy of the Renaissance and Modernity it was developed and has found its maximum expression in the philosophy of Kant. In existentialism, which was the antithesis of neothomistic metaphysics, the Christian understanding of transcendence, as the movement of a person to God, became one of the subjects of criticism. However, religious existentialism combined the existentialist search for the true being of man with the Christian understanding of the transcendent as the sphere of absolute being or God and, thereby, returned the concept of “transcendence” to its religious meaning.

Pemahaman Pebisnis Kristen Tentang Karakter Kristiani Terhadap Kinerja Pegawai

The world of work or business has theological implications. For Christian business people, it is necessary to base their business activities on the word of God as a standard of faith and behavior so that they do not only pursue material gain but at the same time become witnesses of Christ. The purpose of this study was to find out how much influence Christian businessmen's understanding of Christian character has on employee performance, especially for those who are congregated at GBT Maranatha Bandung. The chosen research method is the quantitative-correlational method. The results of the study show that the influence of Christian businessmen's understanding of Christian character on the performance of employees who are congregated at GBT Maranatha Bandung is 0.446, which is in the medium category. Based on this, the understanding of Christian businessmen about Christian character must be continuously improved, so that employee performance can get better and can affect the results of a business. Christian business people must separate themselves from all business practices that are ethically unholy and fair by adopting Christian character as a Christian identity.

LOCUS THEOLOGIAE W ARCHITEKTURZE I SZTUCE SAKRALNEJ – STUDIUM PRZYPADKU

The article, in the theological and philosophical key, shows the Christian understanding of beauty and its place in the broadly understood sacred art. The author points to a specific evolution of beauty, which from the Renaissance to modern times lost its original mysticism of beauty in favor of its individualistic interpretations, closing the need to find divine-human unity in sacred art. This is expressed in the liturgy and the eternal connection with it of the arts, both structural and expressive. Looking for patterns reaching the essence of beauty in sacred arts, the author brings out two Italian architects: Ciro Lomonte and Guido Santoro, who in a small parish church in Sancipirello reached for the primal instinct of beauty in sacred art and, through simple forms, made a kind of sacralization of the "naked" church interior.

Understanding Novak’s Spirit of democratic capitalism through “the corporation”

Abstract Many social theorists hold that the corporation is the key institution of the modern world. Novak wrote four books on the corporation, viewing it as the chief instrument of innovation within “democratic capitalism”, and the concrete entity in which its three systems (political, economic, moral-cultural) converge. We look at Novak’s account with its roots in Maritain, and at Novak’s intention to ground this account in the ideals of the American Founding, and in a Christian understanding of grace. “The corporation” turns out to be an excellent pathway into Novak’s thought and a safeguard against some fundamental mistakes in interpreting him.

Truth in a Wintry Season

Directing attention to what has become an arctic winter for truth, this article explores a distinctly Christian understanding of truth, utilizing biblical accounts, the Christian mystical tradition, and theological anthropology. Considering truth as existential, as something that emerges within life commitment to Christ, the article presents a group of strategies from theological and secular realms that prove practically suggestive for contemporary discipleship in an increasingly post-truth era.

Soteriological reflection on priestly Christology from an Akan perspective

The priesthood of Christ forms a key foundation upon which Christian soteriology is built. In the Akan traditional community where priesthood is a common religious institution, a proper understanding of the soteriological significance of Christ’s priesthood has the potential of making the Christian faith more relevant and meaningful. Nonetheless, there is inadequate scholarly attention given to this subject from an Akan perspective. This literature-based research was, therefore, conducted to contribute to the scholarly discourse about Christian soteriology by exploring how Akan traditional priestly tradition might enhance the Akan Christian understanding of the nature and relevance of Christ’s priesthood and sacrifice based on a theological study of Hebrews 9:11–14. This text has been chosen because it gives a clear expression the biblical perspective on the priestly sacrifice of Christ.As a work in the area of Christian theology, the article does not provide detailed exegesis of the text but explores theological themes that are relevant for the Akan appreciation of the priesthood of Christ. The main argument is that since the atonement of Christ is sufficient for holistic salvation, there can be no legitimate sacrifice for salvific purposes in any society. The article contributes to the contextualization of Christian theology in the Akan/African society.

Makna Bersukacitalah Berdasarkan Filipi 4:4-7 Dan Refleksi Teologisnya Terhadap Orang Kristen Masa Kini

This research aims to describe the meaning of rejoice contained in Philippians 4:4-7 and reflect it on the lives of Christians today. In this writing, a qualitative method is used with an exegetical approach to draw meaning through the images that Paul has given through his writing, then the results of the interpretation and conclusions are expected to provide the right understanding for believers. The initial understanding of Christians assumes that if everything goes according to what is desired, it is desirable that they will rejoice and Christians imagine that joy is living without problems or just having fun and measuring this joy only by the amount of material things. The results of the analysis show that rejoicing cannot be separated from all His advice and rules and rejoicing is not just having fun or living without problems, but rejoicing in every situation of abundance, lack, then all things can be borne in Him who gives strength ( Phil. 4:13). Where the meaning of rejoice is expressed by being grateful in all circumstances, meaning both in hardship and happiness, disappointment, trials, suffering, which is implemented through friendly, kind-hearted actions towards everyone regardless of whether they are rich or poor and there is no place to worry and give up. everything to God by praying. So in this way, Christians who can do this will receive grace from God, namely God's peace which preserves and protects human hearts and minds, where disappointments, trials and suffering will be transformed by God into salvation. This research concludes that the meaning of rejoice is a command written by Paul for every Christian which can be seen from his gratitude and is implemented through actions that are friendly, kind to others and that there is no room for excessive worry and prayer. So that in the end you will obtain God's peace and God, the source of peace, will guard the hearts and minds of believers.

Truth and Responsibility: Understanding Christian Pastors and Priests

ABSTRACT This special issue focuses on the roles and lived experience of pastors and priests, with an emphasis on North America and Europe. This introduction to the special issue includes: (1) the rationale for focusing on pastors and priests as a way to further the anthropological understanding of Christianity as it is lived by the agents at the core of its culturally generative forces, (2) a short review of the burgeoning literature both within and outside anthropology that coalesces around the centrality and risks of being a pastor or priest, and (3) an introduction to the five papers and the kinds of pastors, pastoral concerns, and theoretical and conceptual problems they address. Throughout, there is an emphasis on how a pastoral habitus that mutually, if not seamlessly, conjoins the human and divine fortifies and reproduces pastors and priests in their work, whether they are providing subtle nudges to their parishioners, confronting the devil on behalf of those parishioners, or giving more focused this-worldly practical advice.

Rebellion Against the Church in the Name of Christ – Nikolai Leskov’s Rebel Priests and Russian Cultural Tradition

The paper discusses an important figure of Nikolai Leskov’s numerous literary works: a clergyman who does not accept rules in force in the Church, as he regards them as obstacles to true religion and people’s relationship with Christ. This character is analyzed in the context of Christian understanding of categories of obedience and disobedience, their biblical sources, as well as older Russian spiritual, cultural and literary tradition, namely “holy fools” and the Archpriest Avvakum. It also deliberates later transformations of the rebel priest figure in early-twentieth-century Russian literature in conjunction with the social changes and leftist political sympathies of the Russian clergy of that period.

Human Technological Enhancement and Theological Anthropology

Human Technological Enhancement and Theological Anthropology

ON THE CRISIS OF CULTURE AND MAN IN THE «FAR-FETCHED» TRADITIONALISM OF R.GUENON

The problem of the crisis situation of Western European culture at the beginning of the 19th century became the central problem in the ideological heritage of R. Guenon. In his reflections, the French thinker turns to the consideration of the role and significance of traditions in the life of a person and society. R.Guenon fills the term “tradition” with his semantic load, making this term a key element in his philosophy. The reflexive space of Guénon’s philosophy is the sphere of the philosophy of religion and it is difficult to attribute it to the sphere of religious philosophy. This difficulty lies in the departure of the French thinker from the traditions of the Christian worldview to the ideological foundations of Eastern mysticism, agnosticism and theosophical views. Perhaps it is these preferences of Guénon that lead the researchers of his work to the idea that he is, in a certain sense, the “forerunner” of the postmodern era in Europe. Tradition and the crisis of traditions for the philosopher are considered as the main subject of study. The scale of historical and philosophical analysis is taken by the thinker without embarrassment as wide as possible. Ultimately, the very crisis of culture for Guenon can and must serve as a transition to a new stage in the development of culture. In this new stage, a syncretic creative renewal of world religions on the basis of the Eastern mysteries will take place. The cyclic concept of the author’s history does not retain its traditional connection with the Christian understanding of the future, the loss of the Christian eschatological understanding of man. the Renaissance is declared a break point with the traditional understanding of being. For a philosopher, tradition is not reduced to folk custom. And already at this stage, we are witnessing Guénon’s attempt to give the established philosophical terms their own sound, fitting them to his concept and esoteric context.

#ChristianCheck: TikTok and the Construction of Generation Z Faith

Abstract This paper examines the media practices of young Christians as expressed in the TikTok trend “#ChristianCheck,” a challenge in which TikTokers create videos displaying objects that represent their faith. Through #ChristianCheck, Christian TikTokers emphasize the tangibility of their faith at a time when United States media expresses anxiety over the “dilution” of Christianity in a new generation of non-religious teens to whom the tangible components of religion do not seem to matter. Ultimately, in the face of notions that Christianity is “dead” or “uncool,” Generation Z TikTokers pose their own understandings of Christianity through reiterative processes oriented around race- and gender-based values.