The Journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, from the Baptism to becoming the Son of God and from the Earthly to the Heavenly Kingdom from the Point of View of Allegorical Interpretation

Author(s): Eva Kovacheva / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2022

The article discusses two historical events taken from texts from the Holy Scripture – the Old and the New Testaments, and a spiritual view on human soul, as found in the Holy tradition of the Orthodox church: they support the thesis that, according to the method of allegorical interpretation, the three evidences point to three inner stages through which human soul passes in its transition to a holistic spiritual development: from the act of the Holy Baptism to the entry into the Kingdom of God.

Концептуални аспекти относно Бог и спасението в ученията на гностицизма и богомилството

Author(s): Georgi Belogashev / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 4/2022

Article aims, through a comparative analysis, to explicate the Gnostic and Bogomil religious-philosophical conceptual grounds for the possibility of acquiring knowledge saving man from the dualism of being. The tasks of the study are to indicate the reasons for the search for such knowledge, which provides a form of human existence that will lead man to salvation. To achieve the tasks, the study begins by establishing the connections of Gnosticism and Bogomilism with historically preceding spiritual-religious communities and their concepts, the relations with Christianity and the grounds for their designation as Christian heresies are indicated, the conceptual parallels between Gnosticism and Bogomilism in their cosmological understandings are indicated and their consequences for man, the way out is indicated, which overcomes the unnatural state of being and the subsequent opportunity available to man for union with God.

NEGATIVE INFLUENCE MARKERS OF RELIGIOUS FANATICS IN SOCIETY

Author(s): Iulian Dinulescu / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2022

Religious fanaticism is a ubiquitous phenomenon in society, shaping and generating complex individual and collective behaviors and duplications both in relation to members of the community they belong to and those outside them. An important role in determining such behaviors has the religious precepts adopted by fanatics. They definitely influence the behavior of the followers as well as the way those with extreme and intolerant religiosity relate, ie the religious fanatics to themselves and to those with whom they interact. For some fanatics, their behavior has a component represented by that of violence committed in the name of their divinity. What is worse is that they think they are right and the rest of the members of society are not, which is why the latter are guilty before the supreme being for not following the sacred precepts and consequently not adapting their behavior to those precepts. For these reasons, the article will analyze the common landmarks of all the entities that fanaticize their followers, as well as the uniqueness of the repercussions on the other members of society.

СОЦИАЛНАТА ДЕЙНОСТ В ХРАМ „СВЕТИ ПРОРОК ИЛИЯ“ В КВ. КНЯЖЕВО ПРЕЗ ПЪРВАТА ТРЕТА НА ХХ В.

Author(s): Dilyan Tsvetkov / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 21/2022

After the liberation from the Ottoman Empire, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church began to actively care for Christians in Bulgaria. The Church does not limit care giving to the spiritual needs of people; it also provided material help by developing broad social activity. Both the high clergy and the ordinary clergy and Christians are active units in this activity. The period before the Second World War was a time of comprehensive development of church activities for those in need of medical help, shelter and care.

المنهج النقدي عند المحدثين من منظور علم النفس المعرف

Author(s): Asmaa AL BOGHA / Language(s): Arabic Issue: 2/2022

This research deals with reading the psychological states through Islamic knowledge that includes the method of hadith criticism. Because, in the hadith studies, we understand that the critic makes evaluations in the field of cognitive psychology even though he or she doesn’t use psychological terms. The implementations of these scientific rules related to the science of cognitive psychology, which is used to accept or reject hadiths, reveals that there is a similarity between these two sciences because their subject is human knowledge. Scholars of both sciences were compared in terms of cognitive processes such as attention, memorization, memory and measurement tests, and some subjects related to human psychology, which are the focus of these processes, such as their abilities, motivations and the imbalances that affect them. After that, examples from the studies of the hadith scholars and researchers in the science of psychology were presented in the method of criticism in order to determine the points where they converged and diverged. As a result, although they differ in terms of starting point and result, it was concluded that there is a partial similarity between the two sciences in terms of subjects related to mental actions. The condition for the Zabt of the Thiqa definition of hadith critics includes the meaning of attention that psychologists talk about. However, the hadith scholars were more selective in this regard due to the Shari’a reasons such as good deeds and sins. In cognitive psychology, researchers have proven that people’s mental abilities play a role in attention and focus. The attention of hadith critics, who made comparisons among the narrators, concentrated on this point in order to distinguish the acceptable one from the others.

LA FEDE IN GESÙ, FONTE DI APOSTOLATO E MISSIONE NELLA COMUNITÀ ECCLESIALE

Author(s): Călin-Daniel Paţulea / Language(s): Italian Issue: 28/2022

We go to the encounter with Christ with disinterested, enlightened, unlimited faith. This is how the faith of a true Christian must be: it must have as its center not one's own self, but the infallible word of God. We believe because God is true and because He has spoken. We believe in faith, not because we can control its truth directly, but only relying on God, who in his sublime intelligence can neither deceive nor deceive us, and who in his great goodness wanted to reveal truths inaccessible to the human intellect alone. The individual and the community must strengthen their faith with a profound study of the revealed truths, adequate to their intelligence and responsibilities.

DRAMATISM AND DRAMATIZATION – A PERSUASIVE STRATEGY IN NICOLAE STEINHARDT'S SERMONS

Author(s): Maria Lupu / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 28/2022

N. Steinhardt proves in his homiletic discourse a real predisposition for dramatization. The Christian "tragedy" is staged and, at the same time, commented by an exceptional playwright and director. Argumentative discourse is a “mise en scene” and thus adheres to a determined social theatricality (of roles and actors). We identify the predilection for theatricality in the impeccable rhetoric, in the syntax of the sentence - the mixture of concise, elliptical sentences with astonishingly long utterances that presuppose a certain rhythm of utterance, the preference for interjection and exclamation, for the free indirect style. All this reveals a permanent concern of N. Steinhardt for the effect. Concentrated and unitary, Steinhardt's essay relies, sometimes, on the "shock" of the listener, on an aesthetic of the paradox and, apparently, of the sensational. Finally, we are witnessing, together with Steinhardt, a dramatic change in the homily paradigm. Sermons such as the ”Living Water”, the ”Hananian Woman”, the ”Tragedy of Judas”, the ”Holy Prophet Elijah”, ”Reflections on Death”, the ”Lord came to save and scandalize us”, the ”Holy Wrath” amply proves the directorial pleasure of the learned monk.

Radbruch’s formula and the conscience of a Saint: Cardinal Alojzije V. Stepinac

Author(s): Vanja-Ivan Savić / Language(s): English Issue: 26/2023

This paper examines the life of Blessed Cardinal Alojzije V. Stepinac during three regimes that were very hostile towards the Catholic Church and its values. The paper discusses the values by which Blessed Stepinac lived and explains that his teachings correspond to the rules of conduct established by the German legal philosopher Gustav Radbruch. According to the latter, laws that contain no traces of humanity and are unbearably unjust should not be considered laws that must be followed. Cardinal Stepinac accepted the political realities of his times but denounced the evils present in each of the regimes under which he served as archbishop of Zagreb and shepherd of his flock. In doing so, he always underlined the values of equality, humanity and religious freedom.

LORD’S ARMY – AN ASSOCIATION CONFESSING AND SACRIFICING FOR THE ORTHODOX CHURCH

Author(s): Mihai Liviu Marici / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 35/2023

As a movement of spiritual rebirth within the Romanian Orthodox Church, the Army of the Lord had its beginning on January 1, 1923, through the initiative of the Orthodox priest Iosif Trifa from Sibiu, who published a Call in the name of Jesus Christ, through the leaflet of the Metropolitanate of Sibiu, Lumina satelor, (Village light) whose editor he was, addressed to the readers and to all Christians, to a Decision of change of life, this being considered the moment inspired to the initiator by the Holy Spirit as the beginning of the movement. It was outlawed by the communist regime in 1948, continuing its activity underground for more than 40 years until 1990, when it was legally rehabilitated as a religious association within the Romanian Orthodox Church with its headquarters in Sibiu and has been active since 28 September 1990 with the blessing of the Holy Synod of the R.O.C., which also approved its Statute.

The visual transformation of women’s identity: From Lot’s wife to the women of Iran

Author(s): Evaguelia Diamantopoulou / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2023

In Art History, the representation of the female figure has an important role, since as early as the prehistoric period and the Venus figurines and is respective to the social and cultural conditions that differ from era to era and place to place. As these data are linked to social stereotypes and the construction of the social gender, the woman as an object of representation is transformed according to her role as a social subject. The artists derive their themes from both myth and reality regarding how the female identity is transformed. This research proposal focuses on a comparative analysis of the works of two contemporary artists who draw their themes from Jewish religious tradition and women’s lives in the Middle East. These are the sculpture Lot’s Wife, by the Greek sculptor Froso Efthymiadi-Menegaki, and the film Turbulent, by the Iranian visual artist Shirin Neshat. The research is based on the theory of social gender, as formulated by the Australian sociologist Raewyn Connell, and the theory of social representations, introduced by the French social psychologist Serge Moscovici.

Постмодернизъм и невротеология. Някои актуални въпроси около феномена на религиозното преживяване

Author(s): Ivo A. Dochkov / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2024

The human experience of consciousness and the divine has long been a source of fascination and curiosity. In recent decades, two seemingly disparate fields have emerged one after the other to rethink our experiences in new contexts: postmodernism and neurotheology. It was already obvious to Aristotle that logic is a reflection of language. This immanent coherence and the status of "truth" have been well-rethought by the neurosciences. Neurotheology offers a new field of research on key problems related to paralogisms, the aetiology of belief, and social beliefs in the direction of generating a new field of solutions. It attempts a kind of technical revision of why thinking suffers from deficiencies with a rather Cartesian approach. The other line of reasoning also provides interesting perspectives - the consideration of consciousness as a function of the universe. If successfully tested - this thesis would fundamentally change the perspective of psychology in the direction of a complete transformation and fusion with neuroscience. The big winner in the duel of positions is ethics - it would have to rethink its basic definitions, with all the social implications that entails. The advent of brain implants and large language models (which, driven by intellectual inertia, we call "artificial intelligence"), and advances in medicine and pharmacology certainly contribute to the possible realization of some, if not all, of these scenarios.

CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVES IN CONTEMPORARY ROMANIAN PAINTING: CATECHUMEN NEO-EXPRESSIONISM AND CONTEMPLATIVE MAGICAL REALISM

Author(s): Ana-Irina Iorga / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 36/2024

The last century of our history is longer and more complicated than any previous. Frequent wars, excessive consumption, moral norms violated, radical sexuality, the rule of image. Art, generally speaking, reflects the reality in personal forms which describe and confirm stylistic profiles. Romanian plastic art metabolizes these twists and turns in a particular way, on the background of deep and stable cultural-psychological substrates.

REDEMPTION AND SPIRITUAL SUFFERING IN THE “MARIE DOLENTE AU PIED DE LA CROIX” POEM

Author(s): Paul-Cristian Albu / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 36/2024

The purpose of the paper is to offer a panoramic view of the relation between religion and humanism in the French evangelical poem Marie Dolente au Pied de la Croix, written in sixteen century. I am interested in discussing how the Christian religion can be reflected in a humanist century, in a world where social vicissitudes are essential for understanding the universal message of Christianity. By this poem, God would like to invite us to reflect on the concepts of peace, freedom, love, and fraternal peace. I am also interested in observing how the universal message of Eternal Love can penetrate a secular society. I will consider using the technique of close reading the poem and diverse literary and religious books, to reflect in which way it is sought to express the idea of Christian Redemption in the literary world. The creative use of language will be regarded as a means to make visible the new paradigm of fraternity can be understood by the readers in contemporaneity.

Psychologiczne rozważania o roli kobiety w Kościele

Author(s): Dorota Kuncewicz / Language(s): Polish Issue: 2/2023

The question about the role of a woman in the Church is asked in the context of the world and triggers its problems. And the modern world has difficulty accepting roles, requirements and interdependence, but also in appreciating every day, arduous effort aimed at the common good. The context for answering the question should also be the parallel definition of the roles of other members of the community - men, priests, nuns. And of course, there remains the question of why the question is asked and whether the answer is consistent with the one given in real life.

Традиционната религия като елемент от националната конституционна идентичност

Author(s): Mladen Mladenov / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2024

The concept of traditional religion is a complex phenomenon containing within itself legal, customary, moral, and other positions. For historical reasons, it has settled in each individual society in a unique and authentic way, in the different nation-states, exchanging active and passive influence with other deontic and axiological systems. The special and essential role of the traditional religion in the Republic of Bulgaria - the Eastern Orthodox faith - is an explicitly enshrined constitutional postulate with the meaning of an element of national identity, on the basis of which doctrinal, administrative, judicial, and other positions are developed, in the complex and dynamic environment of the phenomenon of rule of law.

Toward a Theology of Compassionate Release: Orthodox Christianity and the Dilemma of Assisted Dying. Confronting End-of-Life Realities with Faith and Compassion

Author(s): Cosmin Tudor Ciocan / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2024

This article examines the subtle interconnection between the sanctity of life and individual autonomy within the context of assisted dying, as seen through the lens of Orthodox Christianity. It seeks to unravel the complex theological, ethical, and pastoral considerations that inform the Orthodox stance on end-of-life issues, particularly the nuanced understanding of suffering, death, and the redemptive potential encapsulated within them. Orthodox theology, with its profound veneration for life as a divine gift, offers a counter-narrative to contemporary discourses that often prioritize personal autonomy and the alleviation of suffering above all. This tradition emphasizes the transformative power of suffering when united with Christ’s own redemptive suffering, proposing a vision of end-of-life care that is rooted in compassion, dignity, and hope for resurrection. The exploration begins with a historical and theological examination of the Orthodox perspective on life’s sanctity, engaging with the teachings of Church Fathers and contemporary theological and bioethical discussions. It highlights the foundational concepts of Orthodox anthropology, which perceives human beings as an indivisible unity of body and soul, reflecting the imago Dei. This anthropological understanding challenges reductionist views of human existence and informs the Orthodox approach to medical ethics, palliative care, and the spiritual accompaniment of the dying. By critically evaluating arguments for and against assisted dying, the article presents a balanced discourse that respects the depth of individual suffering while upholding the intrinsic value of life. It argues that Orthodox Christianity, through its rich theological heritage and pastoral practice, provides a compassionate and ethically nuanced framework for navigating the moral complexities of assisted dying. This framework advocates for an end-of-life care that honors the fullness of the human person, supports the spiritual journey toward eternal life, and fosters a communal embrace of life’s sacred threshold, offering a dignified passage that aligns with the faith’s deepest convictions about human destiny and divine grace.

Zhuangzi: Oblivion and Happiness

Author(s): Radosav Pušić / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2024

From the perspective of our time, it is difficult to guess what Zhuangzi wanted to tell us with the expression “zuo wang 坐忘”. Different angles of looking at the world give us pictures of different worlds. In the text “Zhuangzi: Oblivion and Happiness”, I will try to shed light on the various possibilities that the term “zuo wang 坐忘” offers us. In this light, the possibility opens up to understand to what extent it is the path to our happiness. At the same time, numerous philosophical questions arise: the relationship towards the body, self, dao, de, towards dream, reality, the cultivation of one’s being, wisdom, etc.

Thou Shalt Not Be Overcome: Martin Seligman on Academia, Leadership, and God, in Conversation with Michał Łuczewski and Piotr Czekierda

Author(s): Martin Elias Peter Seligman / Language(s): English Issue: 24/2023

THE SPECIFICITY OF PASTORAL COMMUNICATION FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF AGE CHARACTERISTICS

Author(s): Maria Dorina Pașca / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 38/2024

As a component part of the whole, psychopastoral communication represents the sine qua non, the connecting element between priest and parishioners, versus parishioners - priests, seen as both an intrinsic and an extrinsic way of knowing and adapting, of understanding and helping, of humility and blessing. From the perspective of the particularities of age, psycho-pastoral communication manages to find "the way, the truth and the life" so that the solution of problem situations finds its purpose by approaching with wisdom and involvement, the pertinent solution of the existing casuistry because "nothing that is human, he is foreign".

CONSIDERATIONS ON THE COMPILATION PROCESS OF SAIKOKU SANJŪSANSHO KANNON REIJŌKI AND SAIKOKU JUNREI UTAGENCHŪ – ON TSUJIMOTO MOTOSADA’S SAIKOKU SANJŪSANSHO KANNON REIJŌKI ZUE

Author(s): Mihaela-Lacramioara Ivan / Language(s): English Issue: 38/2024

In the Edo period an extensive road system is created, and thus average people get engaged in walking the paths of Saikoku pilgrimage. While Saikoku pilgrimage becomes widespread within the whole country, it also gets tainted with strong entertainment features. This infiltration into society and people’s lives leads to a great number of pilgrimage texts. Among them, the texts written by Buddhist priests, to serve them when preaching the way in which Kannon’s salvific powers work on people who entrust their faith in the bodhisattva, are of important interest. Especially, a set of pilgrimage texts written by the Jōdo (Pure Land) priest Kōyo Shunō in 1726, Saikoku Sanjūsansho Kannon Reijōki (hereafter cited as Kannon Reijōki) (Record of the Thirty-three Holy Locales of Saikoku), and Saikoku Junrei Utagenchū (the interpretation of goeika, poem-prayers for each of the 33 temples), that take a double layer structure, guide the pilgrim from the surface layer of this worldly benefits into the deep layer of the after world salvation. Kōyo’s texts were targeted at priests who taught the Buddhist law to laymen, but in 1803 Tsujimoto Motosada edits the original work and rearranges it so as to be available for commoners’ level of understanding. Saikoku Sanjūsansho Kannon Reijōki Zue (hereafter cited as Kannon Reijōki Zue) (The Collected Pictorial Guide of the Thirty-Three Kannon Holy Locales of Saikoku) becomes very popular and is republished in 1833 and 1845. In this article, I will focus on the way Tsujimoto rearranged Kōyo’s texts and I will consider the religious nature of Saikoku pilgrimage in the late Edo period.