Miarą ofiary jest człowiek. Antropometria w wedyjskim rytuale ofiarniczym śrauta

Author(s): Olga Nowicka / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1/2015

The institutionalisation of the Vedic śrauta fire ritual in ancient India was strictly connected with the priest class’s establishment of a systematic theory of ritual. However, the pivot of ritualists’ reflections turned out to be not the gods receiving the fire oblations but the human being. As Taittirīya Saṃhitā states: man is commensurate with the sacrifice (TS.5.2.5). The first activity just after fixing the proper area for conducting the Vedic ritual was taking the sacrificer’s measurements. Then, using the units of measure modelled on the dimensions of man, the ritual enclosure was meted out and built. The origin of the mentioned procedure of taking human dimensions as units of measure can be traced to the Vedic passage of Taittirīya Saṃhitā: with man’s measure he metes out(TS.5.2.5). The constructed ritual enclosure therefore belonged to the sacrificer in a strict sense – it was his altar.

Purity and Impurity in Nondualistic Śaiva Tantrism

Author(s): Raffaele Torella / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2015

Indian civilisation has been strongly characterised by the work of containment erected by the Brahmanical elite over the almost two thousand years of its grandiose attempt at culturally and socially dominating the Indian world as a whole. Lacking any direct power, the Brahmans have replaced it by successfully imposing, as an alternative, an opposition between purity and impurity that has marked every aspect of Indian culture: purity of spirit, purity of philosophy, purity of rites, purity of language, purity of social and religious conduct, etc. Nondualistic Śaiva Tantrism’s response starts by questioning the legitimacy and very basis of the division between pure and impure, destined to crumble progressively beneath the thrust of deliberate “non-dual” behaviour (advaitācāra). Purity or impurity are not properties of things. They are qualifications pertaining to the knower depending on whether he perceives the object as united with consciousness or not. “Impure is what has fallen away from consciousness: therefore everything is pure if it has achieved identity with consciousness.” Moreover, if Śiva “is” the universe, there may be no impurity. In the Tantric texts special emphasis is laid on the necessity to overcome śaṅkā (“hesitation, inhibition”), viewed as the ultimate purpose of the Brahmanical rules concerning purity/impurity, acting as a subtle and effective instrumentum regni.

Buddyjska koncepcja świetlistego umysłu i jej rola w tradycji tathagatagarbhy

Author(s): Jarosław Zapart / Language(s): Polish Issue: 2/2015

The primary aim of this article is to outline the Buddhist idea of a pure, luminous mind. First, the conception of a “luminous mind” (pabhassara citta) from the Pāḷi Nikāyas is considered. Two functions ascribed to this idea are examined: its soteriological role, i.e. pure mind as a enlightenment-enabling factor, and its role as a “link” between consecutive saṃsāric existences. Next comes the examination of the Theravāda idea of bhavaṅga, which is seen as being related to the pure mind in its diachronic function. Main part of the article deals with combining the notion of a pure mind with Mahāyāna Buddhism by showing the role of the “innate mind” (cittaprakṛti) in tathāgatagarbha tradition.

W czyje imię? Problem języka inkluzywnego na przykładzie kontrowersji związanych z formułą chrzcielną w północnoamerykańskich Kościołach protestanckich

Author(s): Marcin Składanowski / Language(s): Polish Issue: 2/2015

The inclusive language issue is an important element of Christian reflection on Church involvement for gender equality. The article focuses on American Protestant communities and their attitude towards inclusive (non-exclusive and non-discriminatory) language, although tendencies to make the Church’s language more inclusive are also present in some Catholic circles. The article begins with an attempt to define the Christian understanding of inclusive language. It then presents the positions of North American Protestant communities towards this kind of religious language. It also shows the difficulties related to this issue, using the example of the inclusive baptismal formula.

“The Name of Yahveh is Called Upon You.” Deuteronomy 28:10 and the Apotropaic Qualities of Tefillin in the Early Rabbinic Literature

Author(s): Wojciech Kosior / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2015

Although the apotropaic qualities of tefillin have been generally recognised, there is one additional aspect that needs some further attention. The main purpose of this paper is therefore to present the connection between tefillin and Deuteronomy 28:10 that is drawn in the early Rabbinic literature. The said verse reads: “and all the nations of the land will see that the name of Yahveh is called upon you and will be afraid of you” and in itself bears the meaning of distinction, provision and protection. Yet, despite this verse’s interpretative potential, it is referred to just eleven times in the scope of both Talmuds and Midrash R. Seven of these references are clustered in the Babylonian Talmud: one (Berakhot 56a) interprets the passage as a metaphor of fame, whereas the remaining six (Berakhot 6a, 57a; Megillah 16b; Sotah 17a; Menahot 35b; Hullin 89a) explicitly state that the words “the name of Yahveh is called upon you” refer to head-tefillin. Meanwhile, the other four mentions (Exodus R. 15:6, 17; Deuteronomy R. 1:25; JT Berakhot 5:1 37b–38a) portray Israel as an earthly representative of Yahveh respected and feared by the heathens, despite the military supremacy of the latter. This indirect connection between tefillin and the idea of godly provision is supported by BT Menahot 36b and Mekhilta de-rabbi Ishmael to Exodus 12:23, 14:29, which explain the power of tefillin as stemming from the sacred names contained therein. This explanation fits the broader context of the apotropaic power of divine appellations.

Hermeneutyka trydenckiej doktryny na temat mszy świętej w perspektywie katolickiego tradycjonalizmu

Author(s): Marcin Lisak / Language(s): Polish Issue: 2/2015

The Council of Trent defined what the Eucharistic conversion is, and classified some liturgical questions concerning the order of Holy Mass and its sacrificial nature. Regarding this, groups of traditionalist Catholics claim that such definitions must be treated as a perfect, crowning, and unalterable way of orthodoxy. Nonetheless, an in-depth analysis shows that the Tridentine doctrine and discipline are far more “open” than “hermetically sealed”. The Eucharistic Tridentine terminology, however, is predominantly symbolical, that is characteristic of communication in religion, but not only abstract or strictly metaphysical. Furthermore, the disciplinary research solutions are rather historical and apologetic than universal or unchangeable. In consequence, the article proves that a hermeneutical approach is essential in analysis of Christian tradition and doctrine.

Fenomenologia przemocy eschatologicznej w mesjanizmie Adama Mickiewicza

Author(s): Tomasz Niezgoda / Language(s): Polish Issue: 3/2015

This article considers the phenomenon of eschatological violence present in the messianic works of the Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz. Eschatological violence is a conception according to which the eschaton can be created by means of war and violence. For Mickiewicz, alongside self-sacrifice and suffering, violence is one of the two forms of creation of the millenaristic kingdom of everlasting freedom and peace. Polish pilgrims are those who, after sanctification and purification, are destined to unleash the final war – as a result, all the demonic enemies of freedom revealed by Christ will die and there will be no more war.

Kosmos i przemoc – analiza związku kosmicznego ładu i rytów ofiarnych w perspektywie koncepcji René Girarda

Author(s): Bogumił Chmiel / Language(s): Polish Issue: 3/2015

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between the idea of the cosmic order and sacrificial rites associated with ritual violence, which can be found in many different mythologies and religions. The whole analysis is based on René Girard’s theory of primordial force as a fundamental factor that cultivates culture. According to the consideration, the concentration of rapidly exploding violence (caused by natural disasters or social conflicts) on a victim not only re-establishes an order between agents (through concentration of aggression on one point), but also leads to an idea of universal harmony, which can be disturbed by “evil” deeds and restored through the repetition of sacrifice.

Badania nad historyczno-doktrynalną genezą islamu – Bruno Bonnet-Eymard i francuska szkoła sceptycyzmu naukowego

Author(s): Marcin Grodzki / Language(s): Polish Issue: 3/2015

The article briefly presents the scholarly theory on the historical and dogmatic origins of Islam by the modern French researcher Bruno Bonnet-Eymard, with an attempt to classify its place in the modern field of Islamic studies. The result of over thirty years of Bonnet-Eymard’s work is his translation of the first five Qur’anic suras into French, with their comprehensive critical edition, prepared on the basis of his own philological, historical and theological exegesis. Bonnet-Eymard, who belonged to the Islamicist sceptical school, attempts to read the Arabic Qur’anic text also from the perspective of other Semitic languages – mainly Hebrew and Syriac. Regardless of the flaws and merits of Bonnet-Eymard’s exegesis, it is surely a valuable source of scholarly insights, conclusions and linguistic remarks that cannot be overstated for modern critical studies of the Qur’anic text.

Nie-religia w Yogyakarcie (Jawa Centralna). Historia, problemy i wyzwania kejawen

Author(s): Joanna Ilona Wacławek / Language(s): Polish Issue: 3/2015

The aim of this article is to explore the perceptions and understanding of the term kejawen, not only in academic publications (from Geertz to Mulder), but first and foremost in terms of changes to Indonesian law and society. Kejawen, traditional Javanese beliefs and traditions, are officially not recognised in Indonesia as a “true” religion (agama). This paper discusses the definitions as well as the interpretations of religion in contemporary Indonesia in the context of religious discrimination, especially “non-official” religions and beliefs in the world’s largest Muslim – but formally still not Islamic – state.

Ce ar trebui să facem de Revelion? O scurtă meditaţie pe marginea practicii împărtăşirii la Marile Praznice

Author(s): Ovidiu Sferlea / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 01/2016

The autor of this article presents some contradictions between christian habits and what Church canons and hymns tell us to do. Celebrating New Year's Eve is purely secular, it has nothing to do with faith, so we are, from the begining, in an ambiguous situation. Establishing an certain prayer or service on this occasion resembles to an attempt to make this a christian celebration. The romanian word Revelion (New Year's Eve) comes from the french Reveillon de Noël, which means the vigil of the christians on the Christmass night, when they went to the midnight mass until two o'clock after which they shared a festive family meal. All the same, on Easter night, vigil, in most parish churches, is incomplete and with no finality, because after matins, Christians surrender to sleep and Mass will follow only a few hours later. The author's conclusion is that secondary things have taken the place of the essential ones, leaving the Feast' empty of its fundamental purpose and setting in its center the folkloric and culinary picturesque

Editorial

Author(s): / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2015

JESUS UND DER RÖMISCHE STAAT IN DER SICHT DES LUKASEVANGELIUMS ZUGLEICH EIN BEITRAG ZUM VERHÄLTNIS VON KIRCHE UND STAAT

Author(s): Hans KLEIN / Language(s): German Issue: 2/2015

Die Beziehungen zwischen Kirche und Staat sind ein Problem, das die Kirche seit ihrer Anfangszeit begleitet. Im folgenden Beitrag wird zunächst die Botschaft Jesu von der Nähe der Gottesherrschaft näher betrachtet, welche die Dauerhaftigkeit des Staates in Frage stellt. Jesus ist von den Außenstehen und auch von den staatlichen Organen als Umstürzler betrachtet und als solcher gekreuzigt worden, wiewohl er keinerlei politische Interessen, sondern nur geistliche hatte. Lukas zeigt in seinem Evangelium und in der Apostelgeschichte, dass Jesus und ebenso Paulus keine Ungerechtigkeit gegenüber dem Römischen Staat ausgeübt hat. Jesu Eltern haben sich den Geboten des Kaisers unterworfen, Jesus hat keine Steuerverweigerung ausgesprochen. Er wurde vom eigenen Volk verlästert. Dies Volk verlangte seinen Tod. Das Christentum hat eine spezifische, geistliche Botschaft. Diese hat aber immer auch Elemente, die dem Staat unangenehm oder zuwider sein können, besonders, wenn dieser autoritär oder von einem Diktator geführt wird.

ACTS AND ROMAN AUTHORITIES

Author(s): Martin MEISER / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2015

Die Sicht des Lukas auf das Verhältnis der christlichen Gruppen zum Imperium Romanum ist immer wieder einer Kritik unterzogen worden. Doch gilt es, das Bild einzelner römischer Herrscher nach sozialem Stand und geographischer Herkunft des antiken Betrachters zu differenzieren. Auch musste Lukas unter den Bedingungen fehlender Meinungsfreiheit abwägen, wen unter den Personen der Vergangenheit er kritisieren konnte, ohne sein Anliegen zu gefährden: Er wollte Christinnen und Christen zurüsten, ihren Glauben zu bezeugen und gegenüber korrekten und korrupten Machthabern offensiv für die Belange einer politisch loyalen, aber religiös anderweitig gebundenen Minderheit eintreten.

CHRISTIAN SUBMITTING TO ROMAN AUTHORITY ACCORDING TO ROMANS 13:1-7

Author(s): Stelian Tofană / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2015

This study analyses a text from Romans 13,1-7 where the Apostle Paul presents six reasons for the Christian submission and obedience to the civil Roman authority at that time. Taking into account that the Roman Persecutions against to Christians have already made a lot of victims among them, Paul’s exhortations to Roman Christians urging them to be obedient to secular authority, seemed to be extremely courageous. Paul argues his advices by affirming that governing authority that exists is established by God and it is, therefore, his “ministry” in the world rewarding the good deeds and punishing the wrong ones. According to this perspective the Christians motive for submission to the civil authority is not “the fear”, but rather “the conscience” and “the love”. Rom 13,1-7 constitutes, therefore, the key text of the entire New Testament on the subject of Christian’s obedience and submission towards the State’s civil authority.

FÜR MEHR ZUVERLÄSSIGKEIT GOTTES: DIE WÄCHTER AN DEN MAUERN JERUSALEMS (JES 62,6-9)

Author(s): Johannes Klein / Language(s): German Issue: 2/2015

Als wahrscheinlichste Abfassungszeit von Jes 60-62 wird die Zeit nach der Tempeleinweihung angesehen, ca. 25-30 Jahre nach der Wende durch das Kyrosedikt, eine Zeit der Tempeleuphorie mit nationalreligiösen Heilserwartungen, aber auch eine Zeit, in der die Realität an diesen hohen Erwartungen zu scheitern drohte. Die Ich-Person von Jes 62.6-9 sieht die Lösung der Probleme in der Beschwörung Jhwh durch Wächter, die an die (noch unfertigen) Mauern Jerusalems gestellt werden. Ziel der Beschwörung ist, dass Jhwh ein Versprechen leistet, für Gerechtigkeit einzutreten, und zwar in dem Sinn, dass wer arbeitet, auch essen soll. Diese Beschwörung könnte im Rahmen eines öffentlichen Ereignisses -wohl der Tempeleinweihung - geleistet worden sein und hatte dadurch hohe politische Brisanz. Die Anliegen wurden klar formuliert, ohne die Verantwortlichen für Staat und Gesellschaft direkt anzugreifen. Letztere wurden sogar eingeladen, Wächterfunktion zu übernehmen und damit strategisch in die formulierten Ziele eingebunden. Eine neue prophetische Art der kritischen Begleitung der Verantwortungsträger.

APOSTLES AND POLITICS IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE

Author(s): Julia A. Snyder / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2015

This essay discusses political perspectives in several extrabiblical stories about the apostles: the Acts of Peter, Acts of Thekla, Acts of Paul (Ephesus and Martyrdom episodes), and Acts of John at Rome. It investigates the literary function of references to political figures, observing that their presence both decorates the literary backdrop and serves to advance the plot. The essay also argues that these narratives should not be described as '' anti-imperial,'' drawing on Philostratus' Life of Apollonius of Tyana as a reference text.

BOOK REVIEWS

Author(s): Hans KLEIN / Language(s): German Issue: 2/2015

Jean Zumstein, Das Johannesevangelium KEK 2, Vandenhoeck&Ruprecht 2015, 795 S. ISBN 978-3-525-51638-6

BOOK REVIEWS

Author(s): Zsolt GERÉB / Language(s): German Issue: 2/2015

Hans Klein, Der erste Korintherbrief. Übersetzt und erklärt. Honterusverlag. Sibiu/Hermannstadt. 2013, 260 Seiten

BOOK REVIEWS

Author(s): Zsolt GERÉB / Language(s): German Issue: 2/2015

Hans Klein, Der zweite Korintherbrief. Übersetzt und erklärt. Honterus Verlag. Sibiu/Hermannstadt.2015, 265 Seiten