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Current and past historical research on Russia and China's borderlands heavily relies on the concept of ethnicity. Both the Russian and Qing empires ascribed to an "ethnic mode of ruling" in their borderlands, reflected in the estate inorodtsy and the Eight Banner system. In view of how strongly state-determined categories of ethnic identification can influence historical analysis, this paper observes that the focus of research is shifting from "ethnicity" to "regionality". The paper also explores how the communist regimes in Russia and China of the 20th century handled the legacy of the multiethnic empire with the politicization of ethnic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The document is a response to a paper by Gruber, Block, and Montemayor (GBM) on the topic of time. The author admires GBM's inventive experiments but raises concerns about the philosophical foundations of their ideas. They discuss the use of James Hartle's IGUS model to incorporate subjective experience of time within a 4D Minkowski spacetime framework. The author suggests that thinking in terms of second-order cybernetics and considering a wider range of features could help address the problem GBM is discussing. They also question the assumption that our theories of physics and cosmology can provide a straightforward temporal worldview. The author proposes a dual-aspect monist view, where both subjective and objective time arise from a deeper structure. They believe that the resolution to GBM's problem lies in this deeper domain. [Extracted from the article]

In 2022 the Johns Hopkins University purchased an annotated copy of the Epigrammata Antiquae Urbis (Rome, 1521), the earliest published collection of inscriptions from Rome. A paleographical comparison shows that the annotator was the Servite friar Alessandro Totti (1498–1570), a little-studied Brescian antiquarian. The present study confirms him as the source of numerous papers within Vat. lat. 5237 (a composite epigraphic manuscript assembled by Aldo Manuzio the Younger), and sheds light on his exchange of antiquarian information with Ottavio Pantagato, Paolo Manuzio, and his son Aldo Manuzio. The analysis of Totti's annotations in the Epigrammata , written in the 1550s, reveals not only his detailed study of Rome's inscriptions, but also his interest in two of the most heated antiquarian debates at the time: Roman chronology as attested by the discovery of the Fasti Capitolini, and the identification of the 35 Roman tribes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

But Marcocci and McManus offer more open-ended narratives in which humanism emerges as a multi-directional and polyfocal phenomenon. Both Marcocci and McManus thus illustrate what a global history of Renaissance humanism could look like and how historians today can turn to Renaissance humanist culture to write global intellectual history and I vice versa i . [Extracted from the article]

Paper and parchment were used for the production and repair of musical instruments from the 16th century onwards. Today, several layers of reused materials such as binder's waste can be found in instruments. This makes them carriers of materials of bibliographical and fragmentological interest. Based on the analyses of 96 lute instruments the reinforcing material is described and put into context with current approaches of the study of fragments and the material history of the objects. The use of vellum and reuse of parchment manuscripts was mainly common during the 16th century and for instruments made of materials of high density. Paper in the form of blank folios, reused prints, manuscripts, music staves and notes, or drawings can be found as material for the production and repair of lutes in all periods. The content or the exact edition of the reused prints or manuscripts could be identified in several cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims at re-evaluating two of Hungarian artist Dóra Mauer's films, the video work PROPORTIONS (1979) and the 16mm film TIMING (1973/80). Both films follow a rigid structure. In PROPORTIONS, Maurer uses a paper roll to compare her own body measures repeatedly; in TIMING, she repeatedly folds a white linen to compare the rhythm of her arm movements. Through her use of paper and the gesture of folding, the two films can be read as references to the very origin of the term format , as coined in early letterpress printing. When the notion of format is understood as a determination of a ratio and, as such, as an indexical reference to given social relationships (Summers, 2003), these films unfold sociocultural and political meanings. The present paper traces this spectrum of meaning through the pointed inclusion of historical discourses surrounding early motion studies, the art scene in socialist Hungary in the 1970s, and early time experiments before the advent of precision clocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When the PRC was first establishing diplomatic missions around the world Ambassador Panikkar reported to Nehru about Yuan Zhongxian, who would be the PRC's first ambassador to India, and the preparations being made for the embassy in India: "The women members of the mission have been given special courses in deportment. Devaki Panikkar got the opportunity to live in China because of her father's position, but she obviously did not see herself as an extension of him or of the Indian embassy in China. The China-India relationship in the late 1940s and the early 1950s is often viewed through the lens of "Hindi-Chini bhai bhai" (Indian and Chinese brotherhood) but attention to gendered language in the Nehru Papers archive highlights the extent to which the relationship was both fostered and troubled by women. While the Chinese authorities took the delegation to the case to show how gender roles were changing in China, Singh found it was more evidence of the lack of individuality in China. [Extracted from the article]

Mirror studies have uncovered evidence for self-awareness in several non-human animals; however, this approach has not been extended to invertebrates. Here, we examined mirror responses of Polistes paper wasps, insects with high social cognitive abilities. We used a highly replicated design, exposing wasps to mirror self-recognition (MSR) test stimuli (mirror, facial marking) and several control stimuli (non-reflective surfaces, invisible marks, and sham marks). We found that nest-founding queen wasps respond to mirrors with increases in antennation and touching over non-reflective surfaces. Visible marks also resulted in more exploratory behaviours (antennating and touching the mirror), but decreases in self-directed behaviours typically used as indicators of MSR. While this experiment does not support the notion that wasps possess self-awareness, it shows that wasps respond to subtle alterations in their visual environment and appearance with exploratory behaviour. This work thus increases our understanding of insects' cognitive abilities, suggesting high levels of perceptual richness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay explores a collection of over two thousand "travel patents" issued during the sixteenth century by the chanceries of the Republic of Venice and the Order of St. John of Rhodes and Malta. Far from being the equivalent of modern passports, these papers were ad hoc concessions of exceptional travel rights. The article's systematic comparative approach shows that magistrates in Venice and Malta used travel patents to promote the circulation of valuable people and goods in response to both exceptional and recurring mobility needs. However, these letters were not only an expression of princely desire to "control the legitimate means of movement," but also tokens of a convergence of administrative and individual interests that worked together, from above and from below, to address contingent mobility challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the contours of debt and labor in the early twentieth-century Persian Gulf pearl dive. It examines the barwa , a declaration exchanged by nakhoda s (dhow captains) about the amounts that divers owed and the terms by which they might be hired out. By looking both through and at the barwa, we find a window into the Indian Ocean maritime bazaar, and into the artifacts through which mobile and itinerant laborers were bound to the dhow and its captain. Maritime actors used these papers to navigate the boundary between person and property, and between free and unfree, all within a changing commercial and legal world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adoption of paper in the Middle East changed literacy practices and improved economic performance, yet current accounts remain unhelpful for understanding why and how it happened. This paper offers a new analysis of the long-term factors behind the adoption of paper in the Middle East, combining insights from economic theory, economic history and evidence from quantitative studies. The paper establishes a long-term trend in the price of writing material and books in the Middle East, and suggests an explanation based on economic factors which led to a decline in the price of inputs in paper production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our project seeks to analyze the interactions and exchanges between China and India in this age of decolonization through the pages of the Nehru Papers. Although the members of our group have all been engaged in the study of China and India, for many of us, the types of documents that comprise the Nehru Papers vary significantly from the kinds of materials we otherwise work on. Some years ago, the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) in New Delhi declassified the post-1947 materials within the Jawaharlal Nehru Papers collection. [Extracted from the article]

This essay introduces readers to the recent discovery of the personal papers of Grand Steward Tajima Michiji. These documents capture the post-surrender reflections of Hirohito, Japan's Shōwa Emperor, and record him speaking on such issues as his war responsibility, as well as the culpability of prewar politicians such as Konoe Fumimaro and General Tōjō Hideki. In August 2019, Nippon Hoso Kyokai (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) (NHK) announced that it had gained privileged access to the papers. Acting on advice from scholars, it then released extracts from Tajima's audience records. Drawing not on the Tajima papers themselves, but on what the NHK has made available, the documents demonstrate that Hirohito, after Japan's surrender, experienced anguish and over the war and its outcome. He continued as emperor because he accepted "moral responsibility" for the war that required him to help his nation and its people endure occupation and reconstruction. This article also describes Hirohito's postwar reflections on several issues, such as Japanese field officers and subordinates in the 1930s initiating without authorization acts of aggression, the Rape of Nanjing, and Japan's postwar rearmament. While the Tajima papers will not resolve the ongoing debate over the emperor's responsibility for Japan's path of aggression before 1945, they do provide valuable insights about his role in and reaction to events before, during, and after World War II. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on two aspects of Isaac Bashevis Singer's life and work from 1923 to 1935. First, it outlines his early career in Warsaw, focusing on his essays and tracing his efforts to establish a literary career independent from that of his older brother, Israel Joshua. Second, it considers Singer's emigration from Warsaw, with a focus on his brother's efforts to get him out, as found in personal correspondence. Along the way, I expose gaps between Singer's memoirs and details found in letters, especially relating to historical circumstances leading him to obtain a tourist visa to the United States in 1935. The article delineates a tension between Singer's establishment of a position within Yiddish literature in Warsaw distinct from his brother's, and the need to leave the city in order to survive, adding Israel Joshua's own voice to the testimony from this period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boris Hessen's 'The Social and Economic Roots of Newton's Principia ' (see https://doi.org./10.1163/1569206X-00002041) is considered a pioneering work in the historiography of the natural sciences. For some, it marks the founding moment of the 'externalist' approach to this field of study. Previously, Hessen published another paper on Newton entitled 'Preface to Articles by A. Einstein and J.J. Thomson', which, some maintain, bears a stronger resemblance to works in the 'internalist' camp of the historiography of the natural sciences. For decades, scholars have puzzled over why Hessen chose to argue for, seemingly, diametrically opposed positions. In this paper, however, I argue that Hessen does not advance two different historiographical methods, but a single, dialectical-materialist approach that accounts for the 'unity in opposition' of the external and internal dimensions of natural-scientific theory. I draw from Hessen's two papers on Newton, his previously untranslated writings, as well as selections from the secondary literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the Saudi government's refusal to introduce paper currency until 1956 against the backdrop of two developments: First, the composition of a number of treatises written by Muslim scholars in the late Ottoman and early Saudi Hijaz and Najd permitting use of the medium; second, the unsuccessful effort by several Muslim entrepreneurs to create formal banking facilities in the Hijaz between the 1920s and 1950s. Throughout these decades, as the Saudi regime repeatedly claimed that paper currency violated Islamic orthodoxy because it was a bearer of interest, these scholars argued forcefully for the medium's legitimacy by mobilizing the legal sources of their particular school of law (madhhab). This contrast reflects how the religious politics of the kingdom departed from both Ottoman precedents and other contemporary Islamic contexts in which paper currency was widely assimilated via the assent of Muslim legal scholars. The regime's tepid support for, or outright obstruction of, the creation of formal banking facilities that issued paper currency further exacerbated this divergence. In the end, because of such inconsistency it required technocratic institutions like the IMF and ARAMCO to introduce paper currency and a formal banking system into the kingdom from the mid-1950s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Criminal Law Review is inviting submissions for volumes 24 and 25, which will be published in 2024 and 2025. The journal is seeking articles that provide a comprehensive examination of international criminal law and justice from a multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary perspective. This includes topics such as international and domestic law, landmark cases, and sociological and historical aspects of international crimes. Submissions can be made online through Editorial Manager, and while there is no strict deadline, articles submitted by June 1st typically receive faster review. For any inquiries, contact the Editor-in-Chief, Professor Caroline Fournet, at iclaeditor@gmail.com. [Extracted from the article]

Crop raiding has been reported in many parts of Punjab as a result of an overabundance of nilgai antelopes (Boselaphus tragocamelus) and farmers are constantly battling to save their crops. In the present study, various management strategies such as physical deterrents (nylon rope, nylon net and garden net), visual repellents (scarecrow and reflective ribbon), chemical repellents (different concentrations of Neelbo and Ecodon (based on ricinoleic acid) applied by spraying, soaking jute rope, soaked in wood shavings packed in plastic bags and paper cups) and biological deterrents (bioacoustic device and different concentrations of faecal solution of horse, tiger and Himalayan black bear) were evaluated to minimize the damage caused by nilgai. Nylon net was the most promising method, providing complete protection against nilgai, which can be used for protecting crops at vulnerable stages with a one-time cost. The nylon rope and garden net provided partial protection from nilgai damage. The bioacoustic device and reflective ribbon were also effective for a short period of time. Neelbo was found more effective as chemical repellent against nilgai. The faecal solution of horse and Himalayan black bear remained effective as repellent for 10 days. It is thus concluded that while comprehensive damage prevention may be difficult, animal management devices can help reduce nilgai damage at vulnerable stages of the crop. The employment of a range of management devices at the proper time can be part of a cost-effective system to keep nilgai damage at acceptable levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the private library book sale catalogue of paper-cutting artist (knipkunstenaar) Johanna Koerten (1650-1715), one of the most famous artists in the Dutch Republic. The study draws on data gathered for the ERC-funded MEDIATE project (Measuring Enlightenment: Disseminating Ideas, Authors and Texts in Europe, 1665-1830). The bibliometric approach of this digital humanities project uses book sale catalogues to study the circulation of books and ideas in eighteenth-century Europe. This article analyses the catalogue of Koerten, her background and professional interests, the 'femininity' of female book collections in general, and the problems and opportunities one faces when using bibliometric data on book sale catalogues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the essential characteristics of the private press working on the principles laid down by William Morris was the use of hand-made paper, and in practice a proprietary paper with a distinctive watermark, such as those that were manufactured for De Zilverdistel and De Heuvelpers. Morris's rules were published in 'The Ideal Book' and could be checked from his Kelmscott Press books. They were initially followed to the letter by Dutch private presses, and prospectuses and publisher's lists attest to this. The lack of information about paper in the colophons was copied after Morris's example. However, a practical approach of printing implied that the ideal of hand-made paper was silently abandoned, when so-called hand-made Japanese papers were selected for some books, and for financial reasons papers with obsolete watermarks were used. In his printing studio, the idealistically inclined printer turned into a pragmatic artisan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent critical revision of the order Skleroptera by Beutel et al. (2018a) is considered. We show several defects in their interpretation, contradicted by the original descriptions and diagnosis (Nel et al. , 2013 ; Kirejtshuk & Nel, 2013). The main arguments of the initial interpretation of Stephanastus polinae Kirejtshuk et Nel, 2013 (Stephanastidae) and reasons for the proposal of the order Skleroptera (Kirejtshuk & Nel, 2013) are mentioned, together with reasons to reject the proposal of Beutel et al. (2018a, b). A comparison of Skleroptera with other neopteran orders is made. Lastly the problem of the position of Umenocoleus as a member of Coleopterida versus a roachoid is discussed, the first hypothesis being supported by synapomorphies which is not the case for the second. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a call for papers for a conference on the topic of "Magic and Mischief: Text and Practices in Philosophy, Theology, and the Sciences." The conference aims to explore the persistence of magical thinking and practices in various aspects of society, including popular culture, politics, and religious discourse. It questions the notion of secularization and highlights the historical entwinement of esoteric and magical thinking with the development of disciplines such as philosophy and the sciences. The conference invites papers from various disciplines to contribute to the exploration of these spiritual and esoteric agencies. [Extracted from the article]

This document is a book review of "Juristische Glossierungstechniken als Mittel rechtswissenschaftlicher Rationalisierungen, Erfahrungen aus dem europäischen Mittelalter – vor und neben den großen 'Glossae ordinariae'" edited by S. Lepsius. The book contains papers presented at a conference in Munich in 2017, discussing the editing of glosses to the Liber Augustalis. The papers cover various aspects of gloss production in the late Middle Ages, including editing commentaries and the relationship between main texts and glosses. The review recommends specific articles as informative introductions to the study of medieval glosses and commentaries. Overall, the book provides valuable insights for those interested in editing and studying glosses in medieval law texts. [Extracted from the article]

Reconstructing the formation and use of the hitherto neglected Pandechion epistemonicon, Ulisse Aldrovandi's (1522-1605) extant manuscript encyclopaedia, this article shows that early modern naturalists in many ways shared a world of paper with the members of several other professions. An analysis of the Pandechion suggests that Renaissance naturalists who applied the humanist jack-of-all-trades, the commonplace book, in their own field sometimes considerably altered its form. Aldrovandi tested and recombined different techniques so as to arrive at the paper technology that he considered to be the most fit for his purposes. He thereby drew on administrative practices as well as on the bookkeeping practices of early modem merchants that he knew first-hand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines Socrates' problematic analogy of reading big and little letters in Book 2 of Plato's Republic. The examination highlights a significant grammatical detail, which has been generally overlooked in contemporary Platonic scholarship: Socrates refers to the justice of the city as 'doing one's own thing' (τὸ αὑτοῦ πράττων), in the singular, but the justice of the individual as 'doing one's own things' (τὰ αὑτοῦ πράττων), in the plural. In terms of Socrates' analogy, the big and little letters of justice are not, in fact, the same. Ultimately, the paper argues that Socrates' analogy of reading big and little letters is intentionally problematic, intended to draw attention to this literal difference between the justice of the city and the justice of the individual. The paper concludes with a discussion of a few immediate implications of this grammatical detail for interpreting the argument of Plato's Republic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses the relationship between the sources of international law and fairness. The author addresses this issue within the framework the following main question: what is the role of fairness for the formal sources of international law? By analysing the relationship between fairness and the formal sources of international law, the author also responds to two other, substantively relevant, questions: is the typology of these sources listed in Article 38 of the Statute of the ICJ fair?; is soft law a means to fairness in the sources? The author claims that fairness is neither a material nor formal source of international law but it is a procedural value which supports the legitimacy of the making of international law. Thus, it is relevant to the formal, not material, sources of international law. The term 'formal sources' is used in the paper in the twofold meaning. First, as instrumentum or 'containers' for rules and principles (where the law can be found), and, second, as processes and forms by which rules and principles are made. The author's proposition is that fairness is primary relevant to the latter meaning. When the international law-making processes are fair, then their results, i.e., the formal sources conceived as instrumentum or 'containers' are also fair, and the law may be known. Rules and principles of international law are fair when they satisfy the requirements of a fair international law-making process, in particular, certainty, transparency and authoritativeness/representativeness. That is why, fairness may be seen as a crucial criterion of the legitimacy of international law-making processes. There are close relationships between fairness, law-making, legal certainty, effectiveness of rules and principles and the rule of law. These relationships mark the place of fairness in the sources of international law. The author seeks to point out that fairness as a product of the constantly changing social and political environment, does not occur in its pure form in practice. As such, fairness is a 'matter of degree' in the international law-making. That is why, a realistic goal of the international legal order is neutralization of unfairness as much as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the concept of adab in Islamic education in Singapore and argues that it is an integral but relatively misunderstood and neglected concept. Adab is a term that embraces holism and forms the basis of an epistemic framework of an Islamic way of knowing. It is concerned with the education of the intellect and the spirit in the development of a morally upright person. Adab is also considered to be a set of ethical values serving as a spiritual beacon to provide order and clarity to knowledge. Unfortunately, due to colonisation and the secularisation of the Islamic education system in Singapore, adab has suffered a diminution, both in meaning and application. It is now taken to refer almost entirely to notions of good etiquette and reduced only to traditional understandings of social grace. Based on interviews with Islamic education subject matter experts, we identify and clarify the correct understanding and value of this concept. The paper also suggests that the correct and proper consideration of adab provides us with the opportunity to examine and reconsider the core values of Islamic education and its relevance in secular education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is an ethnographic study of an urban Bengali Christian neighbourhood in Kolkata where Hindu women from nearby places attend the two Christian prayer meetings – Catholic and Pentecostal – run by the local preachers of the neighbourhood. Borrowing the theoretical understanding of belief, the paper interrogates the question, posed by Cannell (2006) 'what difference does Christianity make, in the lives of these Hindu women? The paper looks into the experiences of these women in the intimate spaces of kinship, marriage and family as they undergo a form of separation from their Hindu beliefs yet remain largely embedded within Hindu familial ties and obligations without engaging in the practice of baptismal conversion. The study allows us to critically examine the sharp binaries of religious divisions and argues that a focus on baptismal conversion only renders invisible the complex possibilities of what difference Christianity makes on the ground. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout history, empires have promised perpetual peace and justice for all; however, they have constantly bathed in blood while expanding their colonies and control. This paper intends to explore the theological concept of peacemaking from the experiences of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) and the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea (PROK), both of which suffered from U.S. (neo)colonialism. It also aims to study how we can live faithfully amidst the empire by decolonizing theology and the church. To achieve this, I will begin by reviewing the concept of peace as proclaimed by empires, from the Roman to the American, and contrast it with the biblical concept of peace. This will be followed by analyzing and evaluating the impact of the received colonial American Protestant cultures and the churches' responses to the colonial gospel. The final part will propose peace as a way of peacemaking amid the empire. This paper suggests that the concept of peacemaking is essential to decolonizing theology, particularly the theology of sallim (life-giving). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A passage from Ps.-Basil of Caesarea's ep. 366 contains verbatim parallels with a quotation of Valentinus given in Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 3.7.59.3. These parallels have rarely been recognized by scholars. Völker and Markschies have argued that Ps.-Basil was excerpting from Clement, but this paper argues that Ps.-Basil was independent of Clement and was likely Clement's source. Overlooked evidence includes (i) the coherence of the parallel passages in the context of ep. 366 and their relative incoherence in the context of Strom. 3.7.59.3; (ii) Valentinian theology that is found throughout ep. 366, including the notions of spiritual bodies and Charis as God's protological consort; (iii) grammatical errors in Clement that are not present in Ps.-Basil; and (iv) further textual evidence suggesting that ep. 366 has the original version of the passage. A plausible explanation of the evidence, this paper will argue, is that ep. 366 comes from the pen of Valentinus himself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature on reparative justice focuses for the most part on the grounds and limits of wrongdoers' duties to their victims. An interesting but relatively neglected question is that of what – if anything – victims owe to wrongdoers. In this paper, I argue that victims are under a duty to accept wrongdoers' apologies. I claim that to accept an apology is to form the belief that the wrongdoer's apologetic utterance or gesture has the requisite verdictive, commissive and expressive dimensions; to communicate as much to him; and to recognise that his apology changes one's normative status in relation to him, and to comport oneself accordingly. I then offer a Kantian argument for the duty to accept and qualify that argument in the light of some hard cases. I end the paper by addressing the objection that victims do not owe it to wrongdoers to engage in any form of reparative encounter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The case of nineteenth-century Buganda opens up a number of assumptions within scholarship about religion, secularity, and politics in African history. Although much scholarship focuses on European colonizers introduced alien categories such as religion and imposed distinctions between religion and politics, this paper foregrounds a different set of historical transformations in what is now Uganda – transformations that ultimately increased rather than diminished connections between the exercise of political power and markedly religious convictions. Along the way, it locates some of the most important pieces of this story in 'the precolonial'. This allows the paper to trace the emergence of the category of religion, as well as analyze the sense in which it is meaningful to think of precolonial Buganda as secular at a particular moment. In so doing, the paper puts an African story in dialogue with wider conversations on the secular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Angolan independence, proclaimed in 1975, instituted a one-party, socialist-oriented revolutionary regime that vowed to create a nation of workers under a secular state with freedom of worship. However, such a framework existed only on paper. A generation gap opposed Protestant, mission-educated leaders to younger agnostic and atheist militants trained in socialist countries. The government acted to circumscribe the public space of churches and enforce compliance with the heavily contested new order, but also promoted certain denominations as a tool to build hegemony. Further complications arise from African religious practices not being deemed religion but tradition, pointing both to superstition and obscurantism on the one hand, and to the cultural corpus of nation-building on the other. This paper posits that the study of secularity in Angola does not fit into the usual theoretical dichotomy but must take into account the intersections and interplay of tradition with both religion and the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing literature portrays the declaration of the independence of Biafra as a unanimous decision of the people of Biafra. While many leaders and personalities in Biafra supported the secession and some other decisions taken by the Biafran High Command, some others had reservations on that. Unfortunately, the existing literature in the Nigerian-Biafra war has not captured these silent voices. This paper intends therefore to capture these voices that have been neglected in the historiography of the war and situate them in proper historical perspective. The paper relies more on oral history of the war granted by some Biafran leaders who were actively involved in the war; it was complimented with books, monographs and other materials on the Nigerian-Biafran war. Available facts will be analysed using qualitative research methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adhira Mangalagiri delves into early cultural delegations India and China sent to each other's countries. Nehru was perhaps more sanguine than his officials in his assessment of the communist government in China and its security repercussions for India. We now know with certainty that the first Indian prime minister saw that the recognition of communist China was inevitable; the People's Republic was a stable government with which interactions were essential for the defense of New Delhi's interests. [Extracted from the article]

In this article two major volumes with Chinese paper cut art by Fan Pu (Paula Fan) are reviewed. In her work it becomes clear how a traditional type of folk art can be transformed by using new techniques and material. By doing so, Fan Pu is able to make modern Christian art, which hopefully also appeals to present-day Chinese people. Herself being an evangelical Christian, she interestingly also uses sayings by pre-Christian Chinese sages like Confucius in her art; their wisdom can be seen as a kind of preparatio evangelica. The two works, analyzed here, together form a catalog of her work so far, from the nineteen seventies till now. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines John Bruce's vision of the bureaucratic archives of the British state and empire at the end of the eighteenth century. As Historiographer to the East India Company and Keeper of State Papers in the 1790s and early 1800s, Bruce used the archives of corporate and state government as sources of bureaucratic knowledge to justify and plan imperial and domestic policy. In this way, Bruce deployed a strategy of governance by the authority of "state papers," rooted in early modern political practice, across imperial and domestic government. The demise of Bruce's influence signaled the waning of this role of the archive as a technology of governance in Britain during the nineteenth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically, interpreters of Gal. 4 have found the literal sense of τὰ στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου , "the elements of the world" to be unintelligible in context. Although a compelling Pauline vision of enslavement to these στοιχεῖα has remained elusive, this paper argues that it is possible to recapture that vision with recourse to the traditional usage of the phrase in ancient Greek philosophical literature. By examining one of the earliest extant quotations of Gal. 4 – i.e., that of Clement of Alexandria in his Protrepticus (c. 190 CE) – and the philosophical language with which Clement associates Paul's στοιχεῖα , this paper argues that Paul uses the phrase τὰ στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου according to its meaning in the ancient philosophical Sondersprache. Because an ambiguity between matter and divinity already characterized ancient philosophical thought about στοιχεῖα , Paul's "elements" need not be either "cosmological" or "principial" (as most previous interpreters have thought), but both. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Nile River has been both an engine of development and a cause of controversy among its riparian states for millennia. This paradox took on an international dimension with the inception of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Using a qualitative research method, this paper investigates the GERD controversy and the role of a benefit-sharing approach in the Nile Basin. The dam negotiations have been hampered by unjust colonial treaties, the hardline interests of Egypt and Ethiopia, politicisation, uncertainty about the consequences of the dam’s use and lopsided third-party intervention. The paper argues that the adoption of a benefit-sharing approach in the basin can sustain the Nile ecosystem, promote regional peace, increase water flow and decrease unnecessary expenses through modest intraregional cooperation. The resolution of the Nile Basin conflict thus relies on identifying the potential of the basin and on integrated cooperative frameworks adopted by the technocrats of its riparian states and international experts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the historical evolution of Chinese school reform, focusing on the important roles of rational thinking and value reconstruction in the process of reform. Through the review of the historical process of school reform in China, the important milestones of the past reform are determined, which provides the historical background for understanding the reform. This paper analyzes the application of rational thinking in school reform and emphasizes the necessity of accurately identifying and solving difficulties in the process of reform. At the same time, it emphasizes the key role of value reconstruction in the realization of an effective reform and provides a theoretical framework and practical direction. At the macro level, the paper examines the historical evolution of China’s educational goals and analyzes the impact of these changes on school reform. Through the historical perspective, this paper reveals the historical enlightenment in the reform, discusses the intersection of history and value reconstruction, and puts forward the school reform strategy based on the historical perspective. The paper looks forward to the future of school reform based on historical evolution and points out the upcoming challenges and possible directions of reform. In summary, the main proposition of this paper is to effectively promote school reform through rational thinking and value reconstruction, combined with historical perspective. The core elements of the article include historical review, rational analysis, value reconstruction, and macroscopic education objectives. This paper uses the method of historical analysis and literature review to provide guidance and reference for future school reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars usually understand Κύρια Δόξα (ΚΔ) 33 as an antiplatonic polemic. This paper denies the communis opinio. First, it argues for an ontological reading of the maxim according to which justice (understood as virtue) is not a body but a property. Second, it shows that the Stoics hold the very thesis disputed in ΚΔ 33, namely that virtue is a body. This makes the Stoa the natural target of the maxim. Finally, the paper deals with De rerum natura I.464-482: here Lucretius criticizes nameless opponents with regard to the thesis that events are to be understood as bodies. If these opponents can be identified with the Stoics, as is usually assumed, there is further evidence besides ΚΔ 33 that the Epicureans engaged with the Stoic thesis of corporealism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this contribution we have compiled the papers published by Christoph D. Schubart, the species named by him and his coauthors, and the species named in his honour. At the date of compiling these lists, Christoph has published 205 papers, many with his students as first authors. More than 50 taxa, all decapod crustaceans, have been named by Christoph, and his colleagues have named more than 15 taxa in his honour. His career has been characterized by collaborations, and we expect these lists to grow during the coming years, when his colleagues continue to conclude the studies Christoph had initiated before his tragic death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diasporas are often viewed as mirrors for their homeland's politics. The Lebanese diaspora's involvement in the 2019 Thawra , however, established the diaspora as a locus for autonomous and disruptive political action. Through an analysis of the spatialities of protest, this paper analyses the diaspora's involvement in the Thawra , its implications for the protest movement, and for the diaspora itself. It argues that diaspora protests gave rise to new tactics and protest repertoires. These mirrored protest activity on the ground, supported protestors in Lebanon, and constituted the diaspora as a locus for contestation and claims-making. Moreover, the diaspora's mobilization in the Thawra contributed to the consolidation of diasporic identity and the construction of alternative societal imaginaries and conceptions of citizenship that challenge Lebanon's state-centric and sectarian citizenship regime. This paper thus makes the case for reassessing the autonomous political role of diasporas to gain a fuller understanding of transnational protest dynamics, solidarities, and citizenship beyond the boundaries of the nation-state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper captures women's religious agency and their bonding with the mosque by taking a snapshot of the discourse and experiences of female preachers, appointed by the Egyptian Ministry of Endowments, who were confronted with the closure of mosques within the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Though these female preachers have managed to perform their preaching roles while being detached from the mosque, their spiritual affinity to the mosque could not escape notice. This paper argues that the detachment of the female preachers from the mosque due to COVID-19 offers a novel conceptualization of 'religious' agency that could be partially ascribed to their attachment to the mosque, not as a locale for their 'official' or 'semi-official' affiliation with the state, but as a 'sacred' extension of the private space of the home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper traces the rise of sectarianism in the Syrian governorate of Deir Ezzor from the 1970s up to the current civil war. To this end, this research will focus on answering two main questions: "what factors made sectarianism prevalent in Deir Ezzor after 2003?" and "how did attempts by the Syrian regime, Iran, and Islamists to use sectarianism to mobilize people, lead to the catastrophe in Deir Ezzor during the Syrian civil war?" The primordial framework that considers sectarianism to be a consequence of age-old religious differences between Sunni and Shiʿite Muslims is rejected in this paper. This paper shows that a better understanding of sectarianism can be found through a synthesis of instrumentalism and historical sociology. The historical sociology framework provides an understanding of how adverse socioeconomic conditions and security threats in Deir Ezzor led to the rise of sectarianism, whilst instrumentalism explains how the regime, Iran, and the Islamists used sectarian identities to retain control over the population of Deir Ezzor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]