Narrative Ethics: Imagination and Empathy in Ian McEwan’s Atonement

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

My paper starts from the assumption that empathy and imagination are closely connected, and that this connection offers rich ground for the exploration of moral values. However, as I aim at demonstrating, neither empathy nor imagination are presented as givens, but rather as means for rendering the infinite ethical complexity, guilt, ambiguity, contingency, and moral dilemmas faced by the characters’ of Ian McEwan’s 2001 masterpiece, Atonement. The paper calls attention to the novel’s concern with the risks posed by inhabiting a fictional universe, with the amendments that universe grants to both readers and writers, and with the limitations it imposes on them. The novel’s writer-protagonist possesses the power of inflicting trauma upon herself and other people as well as that of creating unity out of a chaotic and potentially destructive world through moral empathy and responsibility. My paper considers the novel’s exploration of dramatic events that distort and reshape the characters’ existence as a result of misinterpretation, misunderstanding, and misreading, with a view to highlighting the moral implications of telling stories and the power that a writer has to bend history to her own will.

Comemorarea Episcopului Emilian Birdas al Caransebesului (+5 aprilie 1996)

Author(s): Pavel Marcu / Language(s): Romany Issue: 04-06/2016

The article herein shows a brief presentation of the life and activity of the Bishop Emilian Birdaş, one of the hierarchs of worthy memorial, belonging to the Bishopric of Caransebeş. Normally, while skimming through one of the many imposing works belonging to Bishop Emilian Birdaş, there is an utter feeling of an honest dialogue that does not attempt, except out of politeness, to hide the wrinkles of time. Thus, one may feel under the hegemony of sensing the person next to one. That is why creating such a work is a difficult and challenging task.The study herein is just a short summary of the most important moments in the past of the Bishop Emilian Birdaş.

Pièces liturgiques médiévales moldaves – objets d’art au musée du Monastère de Putna

Author(s): Emilian Adrian Gavrilean / Language(s): French Issue: 2/2015

Located at 72 km from Suceava Fortress, Putna Monastery Church (1466-1469) dedicated to the,,Assumption of the Virgin” is the first and most important foundation of Stephen the Great and the Saint (1457-1504), built as a princely necropolis.Built in the Moldavian style, with Byzantine, Gothic and Renaissance architectural elements, purpose of this foundations was first of all liturgical, to celebrate The Seven Daily Prayers unto God by the hierarchy church (bishops, priests, deacons), in the center of which is until today the most important mystery of the Christianity - the Eucharist. But the Monastery of Putna was not just a spiritual center of Moldavian Christianity, it was one of the most important centers of medieval art and culture from the Romanian Principalities, here there are significant workshops for embroidery and iconography and a famous school of calligraphers and miniaturists. Most of the objects made here were destined of the religious cult of the monastery as well as Prince donations made of orthodox monasteries. As time passes many of liturgical objects from the altar of Putna have been deposited in the Thesaurus Tower (1481) and then exposed to the general public in the monastery museum which was inaugurated in 1976. Refurbished in 2004, the Putna Monastery Museum, located in the west section of the precinct is perhaps the most rich and valuable in the country, with many objects of the time Stephen the Great and from the period his direct descendants. Here are part of artistic and historical treasure of the monastery, consisting of the manuscripts (Tetraevanghelii, Psalter, educational books, Leastviţe, Psaltichii) and embroidery made in the monastery workshops (epitaphs, coverings for holy vessels, procovete, dvere, waves of temples, tombs coverings, priestly vestments), religious books, religious objects (sacred vessels, crosses, icons, censers, candles), ceramics, etc. Spiritual value of liturgical of the objects the Putna Monastery Museum analyzed in this study is doubled by the artistic value these amply reflecting the perfect harmony perfect between Cult and Culture in the Middle Age from the Romanian Principalities, between the liturgical function of these objects and Oriental, Byzantine, Gothic and Renaissance elements, with which they were decorated. At that time, perhaps more than ever, Art was Put in the Service of the Supreme Artist – God and His Service ,,as in heaven” by The Angelic Hierarchy ,,so on earth” by The Church Hierarchy.

PREDICĂ LA DUMINICA FLORIILOR

Author(s): Ionel Popescu / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 04-06/2017

The historical and so impressive moment of the entrance of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Jerusalem fortress is described by all evangelist saints. The inspired words of the saint Gospel are addressed directly to our soul and are advising us to enter, all of us, together with Jesus Christ in the celestial Jerusalem.

PĂRINTELE MITROPOLIT LAURENȚIU AL ARDEALULUI LA CEAS ANIVERSAR

Author(s): Ionel Popescu / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 07-09/2017

On 12 October, His Eminence Father Dr. Laurențiu Streza, Archbishop of Sibiu and the Metropolitan of Ardeal, has reached seven decades of life gifted by the Holy Father to the Metropolitan Father Laurențiu and almost half a century serving as priest and hierarch at the altar of our Blessed Church. As a theologian with a solid intellectual formation, „priest of our Holy Father“, hierarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, chairman of the Sanctification Commission within the Holy Synod, position from which he has recorded Romanian-born preachers within the calendar of holiness, the Metropolitan Father Laurențiu Streza enriches our academic patrimony by their theological contributions, teaches rightful belief and watches over the intact safekeeping of our Holy Orthodoxy’s treasure.

Moartea și învierea Cuvântului întrupat, coordonatele înveșnicirii omului în Dumnezeu

Author(s): Adrian Covan / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 24/2018

Emmanuel’s Death and Resurrection harmonizes the existential horizontality and verticality in a new unit of life, called the Cross of Christ, on the pediment of which are not only nailed the plague of death and the pestilence of sin, but also the transfiguring arms of the theoforic humanity are graved: the Resurrection and the Life. Therefore, God-The Holy Trinity, life in its absolute, is offering to us the neo-existential paradigm, the Cross, as an arduous ascension assumed towards He Who is.

APORTUL RITUALULUI RELIGIOS ORTODOX ÎN PROTEJAREA ȘI PROMOVAREA VALORILOR SPIRITUALE ȘI SOCIALE, PRIN DEZVOLTAREA COEZIUNII SOCIALE ȘI A GRUPULUI MILITAR

Author(s): Radu Bogdan / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 07-09/2018

In the framework of the 21st century, the trends of modern armies are mainly aimed towards a specialization in the field of gathered operations, but also particularly towards a full cooperation within multinational operations. The features of gathered operations highlight the need for cohesion between the forces involved, which stems for the existence of a unitary concept, a unitary plan and a unique command. It is truly fundamental to have a cooperation and a high morale, for purposes of safety and protection of forces. As a matter of fact, alliances originate from the need to defend collectively, a fact which, once again, highlights the need to conjure an assembly of forces for purposes of increased efficiency in some actions, so that certain joint objectives may be reached.

TEMEIURI BIBLICE NOUTESTAMENTARE CU PRIVIRE LA OFICIEREA SFINTELOR TAINE ȘI IERURGII BISERICEȘTI (VIII)

Author(s): Ioan Bude / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 10-12/2018

Addressing mostly priests and Religion teachers, but also any believer, the entire publicistic series that we commence at this point desires, in a straightforward, plain and clear manner (without proposing thematic biblical theology approaches, but by means of a rigurous selection of minimally commented texts), to bring forth again The Truth of the Holy Sacraments before the readers, whoever they might be or – why not? – lead the readers before The Truth, That „is the same for yesterday, today and forever” (Jews 13, 8): The Lord and Our Saviour, Jesus Christ, present, alive and active in all undertakings of His Church.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACTIVITIES AND INNOVATIVE APPLICATIONS

Author(s): Eirini Christianaki,Athanasios Glaros,Eleftherios Bampasis / Language(s): English Issue: 01-03/2019

ACTE DE CULT RELIGIOS ÎN VREMEA PATRIARHILOR BIBLICI

Author(s): Viorel-Cristian Popa / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 01-03/2019

The life of the biblical Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, remains a living example for all of humanity. Preceding to be the Old Testament Law, their faith remains exemplary to all world peoples.The worship is a tribute to divinity through religious acts, the manifestation of religious feeling through prayers and ritual acts or the total rituals of a religion. The cult is also defined as the feeling of admiration, respect, awe, adoration to someone or something. The worship expresses the homage, that is the attitude and activity designed to recognize and describe the value of the person to whom homage is given. The cult encompasses the unity of a religious life, the embrace of piety, and divine liturgical ministry.To preserve the purity of the faith about God and the world, and to restore the true purpose of divine worship - the worship of God - Yahweh chose Abram from Ur of the Chaldeans to be the representative of the true religion and of the true divine worship. This is the God that the patriarchs of the Old Testament and all the Jews of their time honored him. It was God, who called them to a monotheist faith. Therefore, for the Jews, the words „the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob“ are loaded with emotional and historical significance. Essentially, the worship of the Patriarchs consists of sacrifices, prayer and circumcision. It was a worship of the covenant between God and Abraham.

Lót története a Koránban

Author(s): Arnold Kovács / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 08/2017

EVUL MEDIU BĂNĂȚEAN REFLECTAT ÎN OPERA LUI GHEORGHE COTOȘMAN

Author(s): Tiberiu Ciobanu / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 04-06/2019

Born on 5 September 1904 at Sânnicolau Mare, Gheorghe Cotoşman finished the Pedagogic School in 1924. From 1924 to 1927 he attended courses at the Theological Academy of Arad. Between 1928-1937 he functioned as a parish in Jimbolia, Timiş county, where he erected a church. From 1937 to 1948 he worked as a professor of Church History and Patrology at the Theological Academy of Caransebeş. In 1948 he moved to Timişoara, working at the Metropolitan Seat of the Banat. Between 1949 and 1950 he was a cultural councillor at the Archbishopry of Timişoara, then its vicar (1950-1968). In his secular activity he was a member of the History section of the Institutul Social Banat-Crişana of Timişoara. Gheorghe Cotoşman was one of the most prolific Banatian researchers in the period between 1935-1975 spotlighting the history of the Church and some important aspects concerning the Middle Ages of the land. A critical study about his historical research has never been made and the most representative part of his works calls for a critical edition. He died in 1977.

EVANGHELIZAREA CA ASPECT AL LIBERTĂȚII RELIGIOASE ÎN MENTALITATEA SOCIETĂȚII POSTMODERNE

Author(s): Razvan Brudiu / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 1/2017

The mission belongs to the Church no matter the conditions of its existence because there is no Church without mission. The Church carries into the world the deliverance work of Our Saviour Jesus Christ. The moment the Holy Ghost descends in Pentecost enables the evangelizing mission of the Church. The apostolic community is filled with the power of the Holy Ghost to preach the Gospel of Christ who died and was resurrected for the whole sinful world. To evangelize means to call the people to deliverance, to restore their connection with God. The aim of the evangelization is to convert an individual or to return him from a sinful immoral life toward a new life through the renewal of the relation of the individual with God in Holy Trinity. The conversion is, in fact, the voluntary reversion from sin, death and viciousness to the real life into Christ. The Church is called to spread the Annunciation into Jesus Christ, the forgiveness, the hope, a new sky and a new land; to destroy the power of evil, the sin and iniquity; to comfort the widows and the orphans, to heal and strengthen those with a hurt heart and to praise life in the middle of death. Each person created after the face of God is called to witness the Annunciation. Preaching the Gospel means to recognise that Jesus Christ is Son of God and Saviour of Our World. The Annunciation means revealing the glory of God in the person and the delivering work of Jesus Christ, also the message or the content inHis homily and teachings and preaching the message. Conclusively, the aim of the Gospel is not to produce a superman, but to permit to the humans to overcome the usual unnatural limits of humanity. Absolving the man from the limits imposed by the sin, Christ enables the human to discover the real dimensions and possibilities of human nature.

CHEMARE ȘI ASCULTARE. PREDICĂ LA DUMINICA A- II-A DUPĂ RUSALII

Author(s): Ionel Popescu / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 07-09/2019

Calling and listening are two terms that are used on the pages of Holy Scripture and the Fathers of our Church, very current in our times. Like the apostles, disciples and saints, we are called to obedience to God, the Church and our spiritual parents. Temptations, trials, and tribulations adversaries world we live we can sometimes cause disappointment and even failure, but never forget that, in fulfillment of our mission, and our obedience to the call, we enjoy God’s help.

PREDICĂ LA DUMINICA A-8-A DUPĂ RUSALII. ÎNMULȚIREA PÂINILOR. FOAMEA ȘI SETEA DE DUMNEZEU

Author(s): Vasile Rojneac / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 07-09/2019

This Gospel teaches us that God is the sublime end and the meaning of our existence; that it is He who not only gives us “our daily bread”, which we ask for within the Holy Prayer, but at the same time, it is He again who offers us the “bread of life” which is merely His Blood and Body which, by our sincere confession to the priest, take on to forgive our sins and for the eternal life. At the same time, this Gospel provides assurances that God is permanently looking after us, that each and every one of us have our own value even when we are hurting, starving and thirsting, or are oppressed for justice.

EPISCOPUL MARTIR VENIAMIN NISTOR -DRUMUL PRIBEGIEI ȘI REÎNTOARCEREA ACASĂ

Author(s): Casian Ruşeţ / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 07-09/2019

The year 2019 is for the Bishopric of Caransebeș a landmark commemorating the seven decades since the dissolution of the diocese in 1949, but at the same time a anniversary year, if we remember the 25 years since the Diocese of Montane Banat was restored by the toil of the Metropolitan, of worthy commemoration, Nicolae Corneanu. In this context, it’s offered for meditation these two cumulative events under the generic The Bishopric of Caransebeș - Crucifixion and Resurrection. In a completely providential way, this year the founding works of the new buildings belonging to the monastery of Christ the Pantocrator, in Alba Iulia, respectively the former monastery Nativity of St. John the Baptist, led the Archdiocese of Alba Iulia to transfer the remains of the hierarchs who are resting in this place. Thus, through the goodwill of His Eminence IRINEU, Archbishop of Alba Iulia, at the persisted wish of His Grace LUCIAN, Bishop of Caransebeş, of the Eparchial Council and of the intellectuals from Caransebeș, with the blessing of His Beatitude DANIEL, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, on July 25, 2019, the remains of Bishop Veniamin Nistor were exhumed, and on July 27, 2019, they were brought to Caransebeș by a delegation of the diocese and deposited in the episcopal chapel within the eparchial residence. The religious ceremony of reburial of the hierarch’s remains took place on August 1, 2019, at the historical cathedral, Saint George in Caransebeș, after that the body was buried in the Church of Saint John the Baptist, from Caransebeș, the necropolis of the bishops. On this occasion there was a allocution about evoking the personality of the martyr bishop Veniamin Nistor, which is, in fact, the present study. We consider it appropriate to publish the present study in the metropolitan periodical Altarul Banatului, since the evoked personality is the originator of this periodical in 1944.

O PROBLEMĂ DE CONȘTIINȚĂ  DE LA LIPSA ICOANEI SPRE CRIZA IMAGINII ÎN SOCIETATEA CONTEMPORANĂ

Author(s): Emil Jurcan / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 1/2017

The theme proposed in this study is an attempt to respond to one of the biggest current crises: image crisis. We are unfortunately living in a world that no longer has the sacred vertically image, but only the day-old faces of horizontality. Why happened this? Because we lost the sacred authentic image. Because we became too horizontal in life. We are bent over materiality and forget to look at the sacred image of heaven and God. The icon is the only image that resists time and space, because it comes from the eternal face of God. The icon is also a sacred image and a holy divine presence, full of grace. The world needs a return from the prosaic and banal image to the real icon that sanctifies us.

The ‘Gospel of Freedom’ or a Letter of Warning? The Use of Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians in the Byzantine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

Author(s): Elena-Ene Vasilescu / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2019

Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians, read on important Christian feasts, can be commented on from various perspectives: as a documents about mission, about warning with regard to the difficulties concerning the life of a believer, as one about the differences between Jews and Christians, or/and as one about freedom. It seems to us that within this text the Apostle intended to emphasize especially the latest aspect. St. John Chrysostom considered this document so important that he included it in his Liturgy.

Aspects of the Romanian Sacred Music during the Communist Oppression

Author(s): Lois Paula Văduva / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2019

During the Communist regime in Romania, the arts were submitted to continuous control through specialized censorship services that focused primarily on the ideological content of the arts. Atheism was accepted as the ideology of the country, and as a result, all religious activities and manifestations were abolished. Despite this reality, religion continued to remain an essential part of the Romanian heritage, and several artists looked for ways to incorporate sacred themes in their art. The two principal ways in which the sacred was incorporated in music was through avoiding religious titles, while the content was sacred and by filtering it through the specific national Romanian Byzantine traditions. As a result, there are notable examples of religious music composed during the Communist regime.

Culture of a Stylistic Religious Ensemble.

Author(s): Ovidiu Felipov / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2019

Through those made in the field of culture and spirituality, "helped by Romanian and foreign scholars, Constantin Brâncoveanu created a new period of cultural, artistic and spiritual revival" [1]. Thus, it can be concluded that a glorious age for both the people and the Romanian Church was the one dimensioned by the actions and rule of the great martyr of the Romanian nation, Constantin Brâncoveanu. Because this era has decisively influenced later developments, the term is used extensively and to describe the works of art of its time. The Brancovean art of the 17th-18th centuries included all the artistic manifestations, both within the religious framework: painting, sculpture, construction, engraving, silverware, embroidery, manuscripts, icons - and in general the entire furniture required for a church settlement - civilian: palaces, royal houses, mansions. All this artistic variety has been subordinated to features specific to the style: the uniqueness of the constituent elements that may belong to a certain historical period, the geometry revealing their connection to Antiquity, the use of the presentation of the Saints or of the prophetic figures in the mosaics. As a general feature of this period, we mention the richness of the decorative conception of the stone sculpture from the porches, where the space-separating balustrades disappear and where the monumental portals depict an unusual profusion of the vegetation as an authentic climax of Brâncoven's ornamentation. Under the rule of the great humanist Constantin Brâncoveanu, the construction and religious painting of the churches was raised to the rank of art, being the master of a world in full economic rise, a world he manages to make conscious of his spiritual dimension first and foremost. The Brâncovenian pattern left traces and created history from the life of the great humanist, after his death, but long afterward. Many of the founders were high hierarchs, rich personalities of monastic clergy, societies, nobility, etc., which built up monumental post-Bronze monuments, either becoming models for a whole series of places through them or by taking some important brâncovenesc monument.