Renewed Vision Research Articles

Evolution of Spirit and Life into God's Love and the Word in the Johannine Corpus

This study aims to develop a novel framework for understanding Johannine theology, particularly its transformative emphasis on spirit, life, divine love, and the Word as conveyed in the Gospel of John, the Johannine Epistles, and Revelation. Employing a systematic review methodology, this research integrates magisterial texts, including Dei Verbum and Deus Caritas Est, alongside seminal theological analyses by Raymond E. Brown and Francis J. Moloney. The methodology facilitates a comprehensive exploration of key themes in Johannine theology, such as Logos theology, the ethical imperatives of divine love, and the eschatological vision of justice and renewal. The findings underscore the centrality of divine love as a unifying principle that informs Catholic doctrine and ethical practice, highlighting its implications for contemporary challenges. Specifically, the study discusses how Johannine theology addresses issues of social justice, ecological stewardship, and global inequities, demonstrating its enduring relevance for theological education and pastoral care. In conclusion, this research contributes fresh perspectives by bridging Johannine theological insights with practical applications, offering transformative guidance for the Church's mission in a complex, interconnected world. This synthesis reaffirms the power of divine love and the Word as foundational elements for fostering justice, renewal, and ethical responsibility in modern society.

Aspects of Convergence in the EU’s Renewed Strategic “Vision” of the European Administrative Space

The set of “overarching principles” and shared values of member states, known as the “European Administrative Space”, from various documents of the European Commission and SIGMA, was revised in 2023 to adjust and upgrade the existing framework to the most recent practices and guidelines established by the OECD, the EU, and other international organizations. The present article explores this renewed vision of the consolidation of the European Administrative Space and the instruments that the European Union, especially the European Commission, will use to expand cooperation and offer support to Member States in planning and adapting their public administrations’ reforms for the current and future needs of their societies.

Priestly Work: God, Creation, and Order

This paper presents the concept of humans as priests of creation and mediators of order, offering a Christian response to ecological challenges. It contests the standard view that Christianity contributes to ecological harm, instead arguing that it provides a framework for stewardship and renewal. Drawing on biblical ideas and theological traditions, the paper views the world as God’s temple, with humanity called to nurture and guide creation, via their priestly vocation, toward its divine purpose. Building on this idea, the paper explores how this priestly vocation can be realized within modern organizations. Practices like sustainability, carbon neutrality, and regenerative industries are reframed as expressions of priestly stewardship and worship. Such an approach emphasizes the interconnectedness of the divine, human systems, and the natural world, advancing a holistic vision of renewal and flourishing.

“This Is What You Get When You Lead with the Arts”: Making the Case for Social Wellness

Like other key terms in the medical and health humanities—empathy, creativity, and reflection, to name just a few—wellness has become a weasel word, rife the language of optimization, duty, and self-perception. While alternative vocabularies exist—well-being and quality of life among them—these options usually privilege the objectives of academic (often psychological) research, health institutions, and the economic state apparatus, rather than people themselves. In mind of these concerns, why attempt to make a case for wellness at all? We present a historically informed, theoretically driven, praxis-guided framework for a renewed vision of social wellness (a concept first defined in the late 1950s). While definitions since Bill Hettler’s “hexagonal” model (1980) have included mutual respect for others and the assumption of cooperative behaviors, conspicuously absent from contemporary definitions and usage is any mention of the aesthetic realm, which we—alongside philosophers like Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum—take as a central human capability. How can the relational possibilities of arts engagement be understood as not just a means of promoting individual wellness, but also as a method and outcome of social wellness? We propose that social wellness is ultimately premised on the interplay between wellness of the collective and the strength of the relational encounters it engenders. We turn to a key practice paradigm—community arts engagement—as both a vehicle for and site of social wellness. With brief reference to a Canadian exemplar, we conclude with concrete recommendations for addressing critical opportunities for advancing arts-led social wellness initiatives involving academic and community partners.

Book review: Myles Werntz, From Isolation to Community: A Renewed Vision for Christian Life Together

Book review: Myles Werntz, <i>From Isolation to Community: A Renewed Vision for Christian Life Together</i>

The communal reception of the Spirit’s gifts of grace: Re-imagining a decolonised Church of England theological education

ABSTRACT In this article, I examine the three classical models of theological education: paideia, Wissenschaft, and professional training within the context of the Church of England’s expectations for theological education as expressed through the new Formation Framework. Drawing on the publications from Eerdman’s series ‘Theological Education Between the Times’, I critically examine the three models through the lens of whiteness and argue that the classical models can each be used to oppress and exclude people of colour. In response, I offer a re-imagining of how the Church of England might think about a de-colonised theological education as the communal reception of the Spirit’s gifts of grace. I use this descriptive and teleological account to offer a renewed vision for the three classical models, showing how professional training might be re-orientated by a theological education focused on the Spirit’s grace; Wissenschaft might be re-purposed through the concept of receiving gifts; and paideia might be revived through the intentional formation of racially, socially, vocationally and denominationally diverse communities.

Gene Therapies in Clinical Development to Treat Retinal Disorders.

Gene therapies have emerged as promising treatments in clinical development for various retinal disorders, offering hope to patients with inherited degenerative eye conditions. Several gene therapies have already shown remarkable success in clinical trials, with significant improvements observed in visual acuity and the preservation of retinal function.A multitude of gene therapies have now been delivered safely in human clinical trials for a wide range of inherited retinal disorders but there are some gaps in the reported trial data. Some of the most exciting treatment options are not under peer review and information is only available in press release form. Whilst many trials appear to have delivered good outcomes of safety, others have failed to meet primary endpoints and therefore not proceeded to phase III. Despite this, such trials have enabled researchers to learn how best to assess and monitor patient outcomes, which will guide future trials to greater success. In this review, we consider recent and ongoing clinical trials for a variety of potential retinal gene therapy treatments and discuss the positive and negative issues related to these trials. We discuss the treatment potential following clinical trials as well as the potential risks of some treatments under investigation. As these therapies continue to advance through rigorous testing and regulatory approval processes, they hold the potential to revolutionise the landscape of retinal disorder treatments, providing renewed vision and enhancing the quality of life for countless individuals worldwide.

Editorial: Navigating the future of health organization and management with a renewed vision

Editorial: Navigating the future of health organization and management with a renewed vision

Whitehead, Tansley, Sen, Bobbio y el enfoque One Health

Objective: draw parameters to structure concepts of the One Health approach through the thoughts of Alfred North Whitehead, Arthur George Tansley, Amartya Sen, and Norberto Bobbio. Methodology: this was original research, with a deductive approach, hermeneutic bias based on the selected thoughts and the One Health. Results: One Health is structured on the holistic and integrated assertion that human, animal, and environmental health are interconnected. From Whitehead's perspective, the One Health approach can be considered a dynamic and relational process, where humans, animals, and the environment constantly interact, interconnecting through relationships and processes, forming a whole. From Tansley's perspective, the idea of One Health can align with the ecosystem concept, where health cannot be analyzed in isolation in individuals, but necessarily through the complex interactions between humans, animals, and the environment. From Sen's development prism (rights and freedoms), the One Health approach can be seen to achieve it, through the interrelation of mechanisms, systems, and institutions focused on promoting health and well-being. In Bobbio's view, fundamental rights, democracy, and peace are ethical and primary ways to ensure rights, especially a right of nature (humans, animals, and the environment) in the joint pursuit of guarantees for peaceful coexistence. Conclusion: the One Health approach is not just a practical strategy, but also a renewed vision of the old perception that recognized the interconnection of all forms of life. Submission: 10/01/24| Review: 02/02/24| Approval: 13/02/24

Whitehead, Tansley, Sen, Bobbio y el enfoque One Health

Objective: draw parameters to structure concepts of the One Health approach through the thoughts of Alfred North Whitehead, Arthur George Tansley, Amartya Sen, and Norberto Bobbio. Methodology: this was original research, with a deductive approach, hermeneutic bias based on the selected thoughts and the One Health. Results: One Health is structured on the holistic and integrated assertion that human, animal, and environmental health are interconnected. From Whitehead's perspective, the One Health approach can be considered a dynamic and relational process, where humans, animals, and the environment constantly interact, interconnecting through relationships and processes, forming a whole. From Tansley's perspective, the idea of One Health can align with the ecosystem concept, where health cannot be analyzed in isolation in individuals, but necessarily through the complex interactions between humans, animals, and the environment. From Sen's development prism (rights and freedoms), the One Health approach can be seen to achieve it, through the interrelation of mechanisms, systems, and institutions focused on promoting health and well-being. In Bobbio's view, fundamental rights, democracy, and peace are ethical and primary ways to ensure rights, especially a right of nature (humans, animals, and the environment) in the joint pursuit of guarantees for peaceful coexistence. Conclusion: the One Health approach is not just a practical strategy, but also a renewed vision of the old perception that recognized the interconnection of all forms of life. Submission: 10/01/24| Review: 02/02/24| Approval: 13/02/24

Sosialisasi dan Edukasi Visi Misi Hasil Musyawarah Pastoral IX Keuskupan Atambua di Dekenat Mena

In September 2023, the Diocese of Atambua's 9th Pastoral Conference (Muspas) in Emmaus initiated a mission to redefine its pastoral vision to address current social challenges. Led by the Bishop, the quinquennial plan emphasizes enhancing understanding of Church teachings amidst socio-economic and human development concerns. Particularly in the Mena deanery of North Central Timor, a culturally diverse and pivotal area, STP St. Peter's efforts aimed to align pastoral agents with this renewed vision. The collaborative educational approach underscores the importance of education, economic prosperity, and synodal collaboration as church success cornerstones. This strategy fosters a uniform approach across the diocese, encouraging ecological farming initiatives for sustainable development, and dynamic evangelization. The ultimate goal is fostering a community that progresses in intelligence and prosperity, in harmony with the Church's evolving vision and mission.

Emerging applications of artificial intelligence in pathogen genomics

The analysis of microbial genomes has long been recognised as a complex and data-rich domain where artificial intelligence (AI) can assist. As AI technologies have matured and expanded, pathogen genomics has also contended with exponentially larger datasets and an expanding role in clinical and public health practice. In this mini-review, we discuss examples of emerging applications of AI to address challenges in pathogen genomics for precision medicine and public health. These include models for genotyping whole genome sequences, identifying novel pathogens in metagenomic next generation sequencing, modelling genomic information using approaches from computational linguistics, phylodynamic estimation, and using large language models to make bioinformatics more accessible to non-experts. We also examine factors affecting the adoption of AI into routine laboratory and public health practice and the need for a renewed vision for the potential of AI to assist pathogen genomics practice.

Extended commentary—Keeping the republic: A vision for America

AbstractThe United States is enduring an identity crisis characterized by a polarized political climate precipitating an American culture war. In this battle the Republican Party has been overtaken by “Anti‐wokeism” allied with antidemocratic “states' rights” beliefs claiming an exclusive, antipluralist definition of republic. The extremist right in America insists that America is not a democracy, but a “republic” built to respect the status of a minority characterized as white, nationalist and Christian. “Anti‐wokeism” is an extension of Trumpism and MAGA (Make America Great Again), gathering together antidemocratic forces, fueled by resentment and theories of racial displacement known as the Great Replacement Theory. These forces are overwhelming the modern Republican Party, inspiring homophobia, misogyny, racism, book bans, and violence. This essay addresses the following four elements of this crisis with an eye to a renewed vision of America: (1) the difference between an 18th Century and 21st Century definition of a republic; (2) the antidemocratic states' rights movement; (3) the nature of strongman populism in American politics; and (4) a vision of diversity as the core principle of the American Republic.

Greek theatre, electric lights, and the plumes of locomotives: the quarrel between the Futurists and the Classicists and the Hellenic modernism of Fascism

Abstract The controversy between the Futurists and the classicists over the Greek theatre of Syracuse remains largely overlooked within the scholarship concerned with the relationship between Futurism and Fascism. The Futurist movement launched a polemic against the staging of Aeschylus’ Libation Bearers in 1921, counterposing Greek tragedy to new forms of drama drawing on Futurist performance aesthetics and Sicilian popular theatre which, according to the Futurists, could express the spirit of the modern age. In a similar vein, the manifesto that F. T. Marinetti addressed to the Fascist government in 1923 advocated for the staging of modern Sicilian plays in the theatre of Syracuse. Contrary to Futurism, Italian Fascism turned to Greek models in creating new forms of popular theatre. Mussolini’s state supported the production of ancient drama throughout the ventennio, as evidenced by the consolidation of the Istituto Nazionale del Dramma Antico (INDA) in 1925. The theatre of Syracuse should be viewed as a field of antagonism between the different versions of modernism represented by Futurism and Fascism. By examining the convergences and divergences of Futurist and Fascist visions of theatrical renewal, this article highlights not only the Hellenic character of Fascism’s modernism but also the role of Fascism in transforming classical traditions.

Wordsworth, Ecocriticism, and Natural Education

ABSTRACT This essay argues that Wordsworth reinvents the Enlightenment’s concept of natural education in ways that resonate with theories of ecology in a time of global warming. In book 5 of The Prelude, Wordsworth launches a scathing satire against the modern educator, whose scheme of natural education resembles rationalist interpretations of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Wordsworth questions the naturalism of Enlightenment educational theory, arguing that modern education is rooted in a desire to control the course of both nature and human development. He reimagines natural education as a process that entails unpredictable and irreversible change. For Wordsworth, natural education is not a highway that leads directly towards a better future but is instead a broken and winding passage from one stage of life to another. Ecocritical scholars have embraced Wordsworth’s attack on rationalistic, anthropocentric conceptions of nature, but his ecological sensibility continues to be defined in relation to an outdated vision of pastoral renewal. This essay maintains that the sense of discontinuity that characterizes Wordsworth’s lyric narration of natural education approaches much more closely to twenty-first-century experiences of ecological chaos, estrangement, and loss.

1.M. Workshop: Health Services Research in Europe: time to dust off the field

Abstract Since the 90s, and in spite of major transformations in health systems and the new challenges they face (e.g. rising social inequities, labour shortages), the health Services Research (HSR) field has seen little evolution in the definition of the ground it covers. In 2021, researchers from the EHESP School of Public Health (France) launched a CNRS- and INSERM-funded research team devoted to Health Services and Management Research. To mark the event, a seminar was held to reflect on what HSR stands for today and the specific contributions of our team to the field. In this workshop, Eric Breton will first briefly present the summary of the conclusions of the seminar and the topic areas our research team addresses. He will point to the specificities of HSR in the context of strong European welfare regimen and the importance of recognising the impact upstream social determinants of health have on health systems. We will then move on to our panellists who will, through their own research, question the current perspectives on HSR and highlight new advances in methodological approaches and tools at hand. Here is the list of topic we will cover. For our first panellist, Nicolas Sirven, the HSR scene is witnessing the coming of age of public policy evaluations in Europe, which is reflected in enhanced capacities to inform health system governance. He will argue that European health systems are increasingly collecting and giving access to large datasets. These datasets stand out as they cover whole populations or at least large shares of them. They will stress the importance of making the best of new evaluation approaches and methods that not only inform on impacts and outcomes but also on contextual conditions for policies to deliver. Drawing lessons from his work on access to kidney transplantation waiting list, Latame Komla Adoli will raise the issue of gender discrimination in health services. After presenting the evidence of this gender gap, he will demonstrate the capacity of HSR to provide valuable insights on how to close the gender gap and the importance of combining bio-statistical analyses with qualitative investigations. Nolwenn Le Meur-Rouillard will share insights on how big data and new data collection tools are opening up a new landscape for HSR. E-health devices, social networks, and electronic medical records (EHR) are all sources that can feed HSR making possible ‘real-life’ longitudinal studies on the entire population of a territory. This is offering a renewed vision of the disparities in access to and use of healthcare services. Carla Perrota, from the University College Dublin will conclude the workshop by offering some general remarks on the French HSR agenda and provide an account of her vision on the future of HSR. This interactive workshop will be facilitated by a web-based survey tool to further engage members of the audience. Highlights of the workshops will be published in a short paper. Key messages • Most definitions of health services research limit investigation to health care services; a situation that does not reflect the scope of actions of the strong welfare systems of Europe. • From a social determinant of health perspective, health services research needs to address programmes and policies governments deliver beyond health care to promote population health and equity.

Book Review: From Isolation to Community: A Renewed Vision for Christian Life Together by Myles Werntz

Book Review: <i>From Isolation to Community: A Renewed Vision for Christian Life Together</i> by Myles Werntz

Caveats for change: exploring pre-service teachers’ concerns regarding change

ABSTRACT Notable within the rhetoric of recent global reform trends is the (re)positioning of teachers from peripheral to critical stakeholders in educational change processes. Responding to this imperative, programmes of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) are now frequently tasked with promoting teacher agency as a core dimension of teaching. Yet, much evidence points to a persistent tension between renewed visions for teacher engagement and agency as part of global curriculum reform processes and the associated enactment of such visions. While teachers’ concerns related to individual reforms are increasingly detailed, less attention is paid to teachers’ views regarding change as a process. Premised on the conviction that better understanding and attention to teachers’ concerns related to change, holds the potential to support more authentic, impactful and sustainable reform developments, this paper explores the reflections of 53 Irish pre-service teachers on their openness to change and examines the caveats they attach to their engagement in and with change. Reflexive thematic analysis identified a range of caveats pre-service teachers attach to their engagement in and with change. Consideration of these caveats by policy makers and initial teacher education providers may support teachers to engage more deeply with change.

Ecstasies of Uplift

Abstract “Religion is the decoration of life,” declares Peter Sloterdijk in his newly translated Making the Heavens Speak: Religion as Poetry (MHS), arguing that much of our understanding of the spiritual life is distorted and exceptionally narrow. With refreshing and renewed vision, this text points out the ways in which the heavenly skies have been a source of divine inspiration and cipher for theopoetic illuminations. We have failed to grasp how modern secularization, ironically, was a blessing in disguise for religion since it helped to unscrew any religious authorities from the burden of needing to associate with or justify their existence through some national, political, or identity-based associations and cultural traditions. Either as a stroke of good fortune or just a contingent set of circumstances, Sloterdijk argues that religion has benefited from secularization—in becoming “useless,” religious practices have been liberated or “emancipated” from the burden of being politicized, nationalized, or mythologized.

Honoring Rosemary Radford Ruether: Feminism Was Her Liberation

Feminist liberation theologian Rosemary Radford Ruether was a prophetic and progressive voice for women in the Roman Catholic Church. Although feminism was only one aspect of her scholarship, it resulted in her theological contributions being dismissed in the Church. Rosemary’s challenges in the Church were primarily her biological sex and her feminist perspective. This clashed with male clericalism, and the patriarchal hierarchy of the Church. Rosemary was also highly critical of the First Vatican Council’s declaration about papal infallibility. In the twenty-first century, Rosemary Radford Ruether should be recognized as a Doctor in the Church for her groundbreaking scholarship, which reclaims women’s theological perspectives as a starting point for doing theology, and for her renewed vision of a more “authentic Catholicism.”