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Review of: Novotný Vojtěch "Maximální křesťanství, Adolf Kajpr SJ a list Katolík" Karolinum, Prague 2012, 444 pages by: Vojtěch Vlček
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Review of: Jindra Martin "Z milosti trpět pro Krista. Životní příběh faráře Církve československé (husitské) Václava Mikuleckého" Blahoslav ve spolupráci s náboženskou obcí CČSH v Praze 1 – Staré Město, Prague 2011, 379 pages by: František Konvalinka
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April of last year marked the sixtieth anniversary of Operation K, the so-called Czech St. Bartholomew’s Night, when on the order of the Central Committee of the Czechoslovak Communist Party armed units of the State Security police (StB), the National Security Corps and the People’s Militia attacked holy male orders in Czechoslovakia on the night of 13-14 April 1950 and deported the friars to concentration camps. The second stages of Operation K followed fourteen days later, when the monasteries were definitively dissolved (until the collapse of the communist regime in 1989). Some monks were interned in camps with a stricter regime. The younger monks had to go to forced labour camps. In the course of the 1950s, more than 350 of them were convicted in trumped-up trials. Most communist countries in Central and Eastern Europe adopted a similar approach to monks even though each had its own specific characteristics. In the text, we present a comparison of the fate of monks in Czechoslovakia whilst taking account of differences in the Czech lands and in Slovakia, Hungary and Poland.
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Reflection on beauty should also consider the moral aspects, and therefore the relationship to good. The relationship between beauty and good indicates Hebrew and Greek terminology, which is the same word (heb., tob, gr. kalos, agathos) that determines both beauty and good. In the Aristotelian-Thomistic concept every being is beautiful and also good because it has its source in God’s creative action. Due to the ongoing today subjectivisation and relativism of beauty it should be emphasized that this title is worth only what reflects eternal beauty. Therefore, not everything is beautiful what a man creates and what as such is considered. Beautiful is what is good and what leads to goodness. Beyond this limit imposed by the good exists only apparent beauty, and even ugliness, which is sometimes called beauty, but it is not. Striving toward eternal beauty, creating beauty within and around each other, growing up in beauty is a moral duty of a man.
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This Study aims to touch on Marriages among Christians of different ethnic origins or sects in the Late Ottoman Empire. Christian communities living under the Ottoman rule felt the need to redefine themselves against nationalism and intense missionary activities in the last century of the empire. Especially missionary activities led to disintegration of existing communal structures and the emergence of new communities. Particularly the Armenian community was deeply affected by these activities. When it came to 1850s Armenian community was divided among the Gregorian, Catholics and Protestants into three parts. Communities, in such an atmosphere, had rigid and jealous attitude against each other to protect their communal integrity and identity. Its reflection in everyday life would lead to emerge of extremely painful stories. The problems experienced can be observed clearly in marriages among the Christians of different ethnic origins or sects. Such marriages will be seen as eroding of communal boundaries and communities will use all kinds of pressure to prevent these marriages.
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Death has been one of the major themes of philosophy since the ancient times. The article attempts to analyze last works of Boethius Consolatio philosophiae with particular reference to this subject. It is divided into two parts in which the author tries to present Boethius predecessors’ point of view such as Plato, Plotinus, St. Augustine and Proclus. Consequently, the second part of the fragments’ enquiry related to death finds its depth and clarity.
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One of the basic functions of the Catholic Church parish community is creating the space for communing with God in common prayer, the holy sacraments and the Word of God, creating the environment shaping the faith and enabling the experience of faith. This multidimensional task, being part of the parish community work, is implemented, among others, through scheduled and systematic catechetical service, especially when it comes to preparing for the reception of the holy sacraments. Considering the pluralism of contemporary youths’ religious experience and the need for the most effective catechetical impact, especially during the time of preparation for the sacrament of confirmation, what is currently being suggested is the involvement of a larger group of people, both the clergy and the laity, who could enforce the catechetical message with their testimony of the life of faith. This elaboration will show the role of lay animators in the time of preparation of candidates for the sacrament of confirmation, relevant elements of the animators’ formation and forms of service. Responsible cooperation led in the spirit of dialogue and generosity may bring fruit in the future adult life of the catechized.
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The analysis of contemporary practical preparation for the sacrament of confirmation in Poland and Germany allows us not only to diagnose its present situation in both countries but also to discover the challanges which are to be faced. Considering the hardships of the present pastoral work connected with the sacrament of confirmation, the appropriate theology needs to be clearly specified in order to define the objectives of the religious education for confirmation. It seems more accurate to talk about “the way” to confirmation, meaning the process in which a young man is accompanied not only before but also after receiving the sacrament. The main challenge for the present practice of preparation for the sacrament of confirmation is its operating on two dimensions. The first is the divergence of expactations of the church community (the parish) together with the expectations of the youth, the other is the heterogeneity of the group involved in the process of preparation for the confirmation. The answer to those should be the optimization of the proportions between the uniform and diversified preparation for the sacrament, applying appropriate discourse together with the right choice of people who accompany the young at this stage of their lives. All these actions should be taken not only to prepare young people for receiving the sacrament but also to move their inner side. It is indispensible to emphasize the element of evangelism in “the way of confirmation” as well as benefiting from the rules developed by the practice of catechumenate.
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The article concerns with the ways in which antic model of leisure’ transformed into theocentric one. The influence of paradigmatic principles of Christianity on perception of leisure in the early Middle Ages is demonstrated through analysis of early Christian apologists. The stress is on the point that Christian ethics regard as inappropriate either entertaining leisure or intellectual ("Letter of Paul to the Colossians"). Antagonism between antic and Christian cultures is examined using writings of Clement of Alexandria, Minucius Felix, Cyprian of Carthage, Lactantius, etc.Since proclaiming Christianity state religion of Roman Empire spiritual fight between old and new values acquired certain new forms correspondingly influencing leisure’ axiology. As a result pagan cults and rituals were ousted, pagan temples and monuments were destroyed, gladiators’ fight, circus performances were declared as inappropriate as well as philosophy, literature, music, public services, because people wasted weeks and months in various entertainments like circus competitions, theater performances, races, sports which produced laziness, slavery and haughtiness. Luxury was inappropriate for Christians too. Early Christian apologists proved that one was spoiled with unordinary, unnatural enjoyments concentrated at show effects and emotions in turmoil and is disable to understand joy and pleasures of real world which look uninteresting and unattractive.Antic entertainments led to inebriety, passion for enrichment, honors, insatiability, sexual pleasures, reasoned gossips, angriness, shamelessness, other "opuses of Satan". These impeded real freedom, pleasures and enjoyments, good conscience, honest life, absence of fear of death, charity, life for God. So the first Christians already called to know one’s duty to reject temptations of a show as well as other sins, while keeping rules of religion and not making a sin because of ignorance and cunning.Early Christian apologists considered antic culture as one that had lost moral ideals and principles, embodied every failings of paganism, and had opposed to it new, humanist values and ideals. Ideal leisure had to promote achieving of verity, so it would be intellectual, full of spiritual joy to perfect contemplative activity aiming the very essence of a human to recognize God, to get closer to Him, to intercommunicate with Him. The article proves that theocentric model of leisure is grounded on unity of two theologian and philosophic methods – exegetic and apologetic which reflect discursive methodology of leisure on new level within the new historic and cultural conditions. This methodology is formed in writings of Minucius Felix, Cyprian of Carthage, Lactantius, Tacian, Tertullianus, who gave proof of possibility of integrative world perception within the context of Christian doctrine, as well as in writings of John Chrysostom, Saint Augustine, Boetius who tried to harmonize connection of belief and raison and to prove importance of social order and role of Church in it.In society where religion is the highest form of spiritual life, only ideal, intellectual leisure may help to achieve the Verity, to recognize and glorify God. Such a leisure isn’t an abstract contemplation, but a practical raising of really pious moral person. So leisure conduct should work for maximum realization of human life’ aim – achieving of eternal beatitudiness. The principle of religious practicalness was proclaimed as the main one of an ideal leisure. Beside considering leisure as a contemplative activity, as a way to get closer to God other motives were widespread which considered a leisure as a laziness, and considering of leisure as a part of free time.
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We live in a time of growing discrepancies between the proclaimed political ideas/affiliations and reality. The systems of media seduction and manipulation allow for ‘manufacturing consent’ in contemporary citizens, the consumers of mass media products. This leads to new forms of establishing hierarchies, which repeat some of the old behaviour patterns. Truth is unwelcome. Communities of people interconnected through their interests develop various forms of substitutes for truth and the ways of bypassing truth and making it irrelevant. In this paper, the fact that illusions overpower ideas (as noted by Feuerbach) is illustrated by Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s The Grand Inquisitor from The Brothers Karamazov. “Why shouldst Thou now return, to impede us in our work,” the Grand Inquisitor inquires of God Himself, who has ‘descended from heaven’ in order to see His children. The encounter is marked by the Grand Inquisitor’s threat that God Himself will be tried and burned at the stake as a heretic. Dostoyevsky sets up a marvellous literary backdrop for the examination of the fundamental issues of faith, attitudes towards miracles, the Inquisition, but also the Reformation, which is turning 500 this very year. This text examines the relationship between faith and freedom, hierarchies and followers, the media system of mediation and the results of the mediation, the relationship between an idea and its lived reality. The paper draws a parallel between the time The Brothers Karamazov was written (mid 19th century) and the current turmoil, and seeks to find/suggest the answers to the eternal questions that Dostoyevsky rose/read from the history of the human quest for freedom. It is a philosophical and literary analysis, an exploration of philosophical ideas in a literary work. Dostoyevsky lends himself well to this kind of analysis, since some of his observations are marked with intellectual objections to such an extent that an entire closed philosophical system could be constructed with minimal effort. The additional motive for the exploration of the idea of the Grand Inquisitor is the increasing authoritarianism of the political leaders of countries both big and small, superpowers and banana states alike. Dostoyevsky has plenty to say to them, and this paper attempts to bring to life the great writer’s political and libertarian ideas, and transfer them to a time that has plenty to learn from him.
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The article discusses some of the aspects of the broadly understood social life of peasantry in western Lesser Poland at the turn of the 18th century, which was a period of dynamic geopolitical and social changes brought about by, among others, the Partitions of Poland, as well as social and legal reforms introduced at the time. Special attention was given to the following issues: relations within the peasant community, peasants’ participation in the village self-government and their attitude towards the clergy, as well as the matter of the social awareness, religiousness and customs and traditions of peasants. Of course, the study does not fully explore the problems, but it points at issues that need to be further examined within systematic research.
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The formation of modern Ukrainian national identity in Galicia in the 19th – the early 20th century was a long and difficult process, not devoid of alternatives. The starting point was the delimitation of the cultural and spiritual space of the Commonwealth, declaring that the Galician Ukrainians are entitled to independent national development separate from the Poles. Although among the Galician Ukrainians there were supporters of a two-stage national identity ‒ “gente Rutheni, natione Poloni” ‒ the Ukrainian-Polish relations in Galicia developed by the logic of a struggle between nations. After separating from the Poles, the ideologues of the national movement of Galician Rusyns faced the task of defining “their” territory and history, of forming literary language. They expected serious difficulties on this way. The conservative attachment to “old Rus,” backed by a large role of the Greek Catholic clergy, has created a database for searches of national identity within a wide pan-Russian space. However, the Russophile orientation was only a step to the establishment of modern Ukrainian identity, and an attempt of some of its ideologues to equate pan-Russian space with Russian space led to its split and fall in popularity. Much more attractive to Galician Ukrainians was the “Ukrainian project” built by means of the new “Shevchenkivska” culture from Dnieper Ukraine. With the turn of the 19th and 20th century the idea of an independent Ukrainian democratic state, which had to overcome all contradictions, began to function as a kind of perfect recipe for happiness. It captured more and broader sectors of the population, although it seemed achievable at a remote time in the future.
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The objective of the article is to present the meaning of a historically constructed dichotomy between “us” and “them” in Spain,based upon a simplified vision of the relation between Christianity and Islam, thereupon relating it to social life. Regardless of the increasingly multicultural character of the Spanish society, its secularization processes—leading to the decrease of the importance of Christianity and the Roman-Catholic Church as the source of morality and a number of other factors, this dichotomy remains vivid in social life. In this context, a special focus should be made on the perception of the Muslim heritage in constructing identities of Spaniards. A particular goal is an attempt to its systematization with reference to the identity of respondents upon semi-structured interviews conducted in Spain in the years 2010-2016. Drawing upon this material, three working categories of attitudes towards the heritage of Islam can be made with reference to respondents’ identity. They may serve as a contribution to hypothesis forming in a wide-scale empirical research in Spain or other societies where a significant religion had been disowned and eroded from the national memory over the centuries.
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Ethics by Lermontov are deeply original and have a religious character. According to Christian canons, in the poet’s consciousness, the source of moral is acting and a measure of a moral sense is Christ. Primary in Lermontov’s poetry is the accusation of his generation’s flaws. Also accusation of defects are strong in his creativity. The leading motive of Lermontov’s poetry is that of God's court, which acts as a justice standard.
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This article is devoted to outlining characteristics of the big picture report on the basis of publications focusing on the abdication of Pope Benedict XVI. The analysis of this content enables us to determine how the genre functions as a form of media communication relying on exchange of news, and how it exploits the specificity of the internet as a means of transmission. An attempt is made to show how this form of journalistic expression may evolve and to describe its usefulness from the point of view of the audience.
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The goal of the article is to present the scope of interventions by the Regional Offices for the Control of Publications and Performances in the Catholic press during the decline of the People’s Republic of Poland (PRL) and the first months of the Republic of Poland, i.e. between January 1989 and April 1990. Initial censorship was a period which preceded the Round Table talks while final censorship ended with the abolition of censorship, i.e. the passing of the act (11 April 1990) on the liquidation of the institutions for the control of publications and performances. The source material for the article were the files of the Main Office of Control of Press, Publications and Shows stored in the Archives of New Records.
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Po objęciu władzy przez PiS w 2015 roku Kościół uzyskał pewność, że w kwestiach światopoglądowych, obyczajowych, a także formalnych relacji pomiędzy państwem a Kościołem nie nastąpią zmiany w prawie niezgodne z jego nauczaniem. Uznanie Kościoła musiał wzbudzić program „500+” i jego oficjalne uzasadnienie. Powyższe przyczyny sympatii ludzi Kościoła dla obozu obecnej władzy są logiczne i zrozumiałe. Natomiast niezrozumiałe – i obawiam się, że bardzo kosztowne dla Kościoła i polskiego społeczeństwa – mogą okazać się skutki milczenia Kościoła w innych niezmiernie ważnych sferach polityki PiS. Pierwsza z tych sfer to kierunek zmian ustrojowych w państwie i sposób ich przeprowadzania. Lekceważenie konstytucji i prawa jest niezwykle groźne dla wspólnoty politycznej. Wprowadzanie zmian o charakterze autorytarnym nie tylko ogranicza wolność obywateli, lecz w wielu przypadkach wprost uderza w ich godność, zmuszając do zachowań niezgodnych z ich przekonaniami i łamiąc charaktery. Tam, gdzie chodzi o godność osoby ludzkiej, Kościół nie powinien milczeć.
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