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The Catholic Church had a rich tradition of church design prior to the liturgical reforms occasioned by Vatican II. The paper examines 20th-century architecture of the Catholic Church in Ibadan, Nigeria in the consolidatory stages of Christianity in the city. Based on documented archival records, oral accounts and field investigations, the paper argues that the earlier 20th-century church buildings of the Catholic Church of Ibadan were largely in line with Charles Borromeo's (1538–1584) summary of Catholic traditions regarding church design and the later 20th-century Catholic Church buildings were in line with modernist Catholic Church architecture influenced by liturgical reforms occasioned by the Second Vatican Council and the modernist ideology of functionalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The government's COVID-19 measures, including a nationwide lockdown and social distancing, presented a challenge for Johane Marange Apostolic Church (JMAC) in their implementation. Unfortunately, the women in the church could not voice their concerns about the leadership's shortcomings in this area. This study utilizes Gender justice theory to investigate how JMAC's teachings on polygamous marriages impacted the mental health of women during the pandemic. Through purposive sampling, interviews, and secondary sources, it was discovered that women in polygamous marriages in JMAC struggled mentally during COVID19 due to their roles as wives and their positionsin the church. While the church allows polygamous marriages, the study suggests that women's decision-making power should be elevated, and men should take more responsibility as breadwinners. The study also recommends that the church's teachings should be more adaptable during future pandemics to improve the mental health and well-being of women. Ultimately, the study proposes that congregants should be free to choose. The implication of the study will be for a paradigm shift in the beliefs and practices of JMAC, which encourage polygamy and result in mental health challenges during pandemics like COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Armenian Apostolic Christians in Istanbul implicitly assert their "right to the city" through the liturgical itinerary that moves around the megalopolis of Istanbul. Though the right to the city has been taken up in a plethora of ways, its applicability to religion and religious practices is underexplored. While many Armenians in the Republic of Turkey explicitly take up the language of rights, the urban liturgical movements described in this article do not sit easily with either ideas of universal human rights or the minority rights framework operative in the Republic of Turkey. The concept of the right to the city, which already sits at the limits of conventional notions of rights, helps articulate how these religious practices claim an urban minority presence. By considering Armenian Christian liturgical practice in Istanbul simultaneously as "stational liturgy" and as a claim to the "right to the city," this article offers an ethnographic account of urban minority presence‐making that encounters the legal strictures of rights discourse without being fully enmeshed in them. In so doing, the article uses the ethnography to make a broader argument about the limits of rights discourse to account fully for forms of presence‐making that are grounded in minority traditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Xipe Totek is the property of Xipe Totek and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The COVID-19 pandemic proved challenging and traumatic for many, with its effects still being felt four years later. This article contends that the witness of Jesus of Nazareth and the early Christian communities can serve as guides for navigating post-pandemic life. This article will do so by examining the historical context of first-century Jewish Palestine with attention given to the Roman Empire's brutality and traumatizing impact. It will then provide an analysis of the Matthean Jesus' call to love one's enemies and the Markan Jesus' emphasis on bearing the cross as constructive responses to the trauma Matthew and Mark's communities went through. Lastly, it will show how Jesus and the early Christian communities reveal that pain and trauma can be healthily transcended for better ways and behaviors. Thus, what has happened to us, however painful, can bear the seeds of a healthy purpose and meaning that can lead to us and our world becoming more humanized. The research methodology in this article is interdisciplinary, employing biblical theological, historical, and psychological methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the late nineteenth century, the Phrygian funerary imprecation, known as the Eumeneian formula, has been considered one of the clearest indicators of Christian religious identity on inscriptions from Roman Asia Minor. After a brief précis of the early scholarly history of interpretation of this formula and the historiographical assumptions which underpinned its identification as Christian, this article attempts to reframe how we understand the specific context out of which these inscriptions emerge—that of the wider socio-religious context of Roman Asia Minor—and to examine the degree of continuity which these inscriptions have in terms of religious sentiment with similar pagan examples from wider Anatolia. The central contention of this article is that the Eumeneian formula inscriptions, quite apart from what they can tell us about the socio-political status of early Christians and their relationships with their wider civic environment, are also an important index for understanding early Christian popular religion in the pre-Constantinian period and how ordinary Christians expressed their religious identity in a potentially hostile environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the interpretation of 1 Corinthians 2:6-16, specifically focusing on the role of preaching in understanding God's hidden wisdom. The author argues that the phrase "in a mystery" refers to the form of preaching rather than the content of God's hidden wisdom. The article explores different possibilities for understanding the phrase and suggests that it signifies a form of speaking that is open to all but hidden in its true meaning. The author also discusses the interpretation of a difficult verse in 1 Corinthians 2:9 and emphasizes the importance of understanding preaching as speaking in a mystery. [Extracted from the article]

Students of early Christianity have debated the question of how Christians organized themselves in taking care of the poor who died, in comparison with their Greco-Roman cultural counterparts. The question has centered specifically on the place of the collegia in early Christianity. On the one hand, some argue that Christians formed their own collegia akin to Christian churches in order to skirt the pre-Constantinian legal status of the church. On the other hand, some hold that Christians could not participate in the secular setting of the collegia. This article argues that not only did early Christians participate in the collegia, but, significantly, this participation helped them prepare to deal with future plagues such as the one that took place between ca. 251 and 266. Additionally, while earlier scholarship on the issue tended to emphasize those associations that were mainly organized by official Roman law, later scholarship has recognized the more private ones as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardinal Bessarion (1408–1472), in the second chapter of the first book of his influential work In calumniatorem Platonis, attempted to reply to Georgios Trapezuntios' (1396–1474) criticism against Plato in the Comparatio Philosophorum Platonis et Aristotelis. Bessarion investigates why the Athenian philosopher maintained, in several dialogues, that the sacred truths should not be communicated to the general public and argued in favor of the value of oral transmission of knowledge, largely based on his theory about the cognitive processes. Recently, Fr. Bessarion Kouotsis has argued that Cardinal Bessarion's reasoning draws primarily on the "Disciplina Arcani", i.e., the rule of secrecy, which was an established practice of the Early Christian Church, aimed at protecting and preserving the core elements of the religion from outsiders. While I find Kouotsis' approach interesting and thought-provoking—for instance, the idea that Bessarion's argumentation was likely influenced by Eastern Christian views on the rule of secrecy—I intend, first of all, to discuss why Bessarion did not explicitly mention it. Moreover, I would like to argue that Bessarion's good knowledge of the long Platonic tradition and Eastern mysticism, encompassing both pagan and Christian elements, should also be considered a significant source. Furthermore, I would like to question Kouotsis' implicit argument that Bessarion's views were dominated by his training in Orthodox theology and discuss the possibility that Pletho's (1355–1454) teaching was the obvious influence for Bessarion's defense of secrecy. After all, we should bear in mind that Anastos has already pointed out Pletho's reverence for the rule of secrecy. Finally, I would like to support that Bessarion, in the specific text, focused predominantly on the epistemological and cognitive aspects of oral teaching, resorting to the rule of secrecy only to enhance his views. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study discusses the importance of digital discipleship as a Christian response to the development of internet-based technology. By conducting an exegetical analysis of discipleship in Acts 2:42 regarding the way of life of the early church, its construction is obtained as a way of forming a spiritual experience, which matures and strengthens the faith and fellowship of Christians. This study rearranges this construction from a digital perspective and concludes that digital discipleship needs to be added as a new vocabulary in the construction of Christian theology. The merging of old tradition-based concepts and new technology-based strategies is an Inevitable trend in Christian discipleship. However, even though they differ in methods and practices, the purpose of discipleship and fellowship, as in the early church, is still the same because the church is challenged to adapt rather than distance itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field of Patristics, or early Christian and Mediaeval Studies, traditionally works along the lines of historical and literary criticism. But this method is not always useful, especially when it comes to complex objects and circumstances. No wonder the current trend of replacing it, more often than not, by interdisciplinary frameworks. The article begins accordingly by reviewing three interdisciplinary frameworks, namely, the "socio-historical method", "Deep Time", and archaeological theorist Roland Fletcher's "transitions", highlighting their suitability for a comprehensive approach to Patristic cosmology. Here, cosmology should not be taken in the narrow sense of contemporary science. It means both a way of representing reality—a worldview—and a way of inhabiting the world. The present article analyses the evolution of the early Christian and mediaeval perception of the environment and the cosmos in Greek sources, pointing to successive transitions from apprehension (cosmophobia) to a keen interest in understanding nature to the thought that holiness represents a universe-(re)making agency. It addresses relevant historical and social circumstances, but proposes that the above transitions were triggered by internal or existential factors as well, and not only external, thus complementing Fletcher's outline, which focuses upon external catalysts, such as economy and technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reuse of construction materials has been a consistent practice throughout the history of architecture, especially prevalent during periods of transition when it was preferred for its ability to simplify installation and reduce construction costs. This practice was particularly common in late Roman urban contexts, where construction materials, especially ashlar and sculptural elements, were abundant following the abandonment of temples and public buildings. However, there are occasions when the use of spolia, or reused materials, goes beyond simple material recycling. The reuse and display of certain pieces carry complex implications involving symbology, cultural appropriation, or collective memory exercises that convey messages through new buildings. In this paper, we focus on the unique case of Hispanic Christian architectural sculptures that were "recycled" in new buildings during the first centuries of Islamic domination of the Iberian Peninsula, specifically within places of worship. Through a general analysis and review of some examples, we aim to reflect on the motivations and intentionality behind the use of certain sculptural pieces and their placement in new buildings, which is not arbitrary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay considers what conclusions may be drawn concerning the socio-economic situation of the Philippian community from Paul's response to the Philippians' gift in Phil 4:10–20. It contributes to the recent discussions of the socio-economic situation of the Pauline communities, as well as to the current understanding of the possibilities, challenges, and limitations of a social-scientific interpretation of this letter. Phil 4:10–20 includes several potential hints about the Philippians' socio-economic situation. These could indicate that their situation is quite precarious under shifting economic circumstances. Immediately after Paul founded the community, the Philippians supported him twice (4:15f). Afterward, however, they did not have the opportunity to do so, although they kept it in mind (4:10: ἐφ' ᾧ καὶ ἐφρονεῖτε, ἠκαιρεῖσθε δέ). Eventually, they were able to send another, apparently large, gift to the imprisoned apostle (4:18). As a part of his response to this gift, Paul explicates his self-sufficient lifestyle (4:11–13), possibly as an example for the Philippians. He also promises them that God will satisfy all their needs (4:19), which may be understood as a consolation in view of socio-economic distress. This study reconsiders the potential socio-scientific interpretations of these hints. It explores to what extent they (even collectively) may shed light on the socio-economic situation of the Philippian community. In doing so, it also points out the uncertainties and challenges such an interpretation must address. It thus shows how the scope of social-scientific interpretation, at least in this case, is limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While understandings of Johannine Christianity have been many and varied, single-issue analyses no longer suffice. Things were more complex than simply inferring that synagogue-Johannine tensions, pneumatizing Gnostics, heretical secessionists, or Petrine ecclesiasts was the lone issue. Nor is a two-level reading of the Johannine narrative plausible, as there is no evidence of alien material underlying John's story of Jesus. Thus, the early, middle, and later phases of the Johannine tradition must be taken into consideration, as an autonomous memory of Jesus is best seen as developing in a first edition, which was finalized later by the Johannine Elder after writing the Epistles. Within that perspective, Social Identity Complexity Theory is well applied as a means of understanding a number of partners in dialogue within the Johannine Situation, including the stances of Jesus remembered by the Fourth Evangelist and Johannine Elder, who addressed no fewer than seven crises over seven decades within the cosmopolitan Johannine Situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reads the emergence of a Romani political space in Jordan, and its containment in the private sphere in Palestine, through Hannah Arendt's classic The Human Condition. In modernity, Arendt argues, political potential has been stifled by a kind of despotism best characterized by a masculine domination associated with the private sphere of the family. Given that such a position is to a great extent based on Arendt's reading of Classical Greek, Roman, early Christian, and Enlightenment thought, what variations to such a neat division can be found in the case of Romani groups in Arab/Islamic contexts that are beyond Arendt's geographic and epistemological scope? This article puts Arendt's idealized notion of the public/private into conversation with the longue durée of settlement and politics of Romani groups in Palestine and Jordan. Working with Arendt and alternate but related notions of the public/private in the Middle East, this article aims to offer a nuanced understanding of kinship and politics in a context in which the political is incomplete without the private. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From its early identification by Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg to its current prominence in scientific research, Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) has emerged as a foundational model organism in microbiology. This comprehensive review delves deep into its genetic, physiological, and biochemical intricacies, revealing a sophisticated cellular blueprint. With the incorporation of advanced techniques such as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR‐associated protein 9 and integrative computational methodologies, the potential applications of B. subtilis span diverse sectors. These encompass its significant contributions to biotechnology, agriculture, and medical fields and its potential for aiding environmental cleanup efforts. Yet, as we move forward, we must grapple with concerns related to safety, ethics, and the practical implementation of our lab findings in everyday scenarios. As our understanding of B. subtilis deepens, it is evident that its contributions will be central to pioneering sustainable solutions for global challenges in the years to come. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2018, the authors have been working on reconstructing the exterior of the Great Pitiunt Roman fortress in 3D. This article presents the results of the visualization of the exterior and interior of the temple complex. During the study, the dimensions and plans of the site were analyzed, revealing discrepancies in various sources. To clarify the complex's dimensions, aerial photography using UAV was conducted, and photogrammetric models, orthophoto, and digital surface models were created. The research also uncovered previously unrecorded architectural features. During the reconstruction of the temples, much attention was paid to the structural design of the buildings, connections and load distribution. Engineering calculations have been carried out for the clarification of the structural solutions. The article presents the results of a detailed reconstruction of the exterior, interior and structural features of Temple Nos. 1–4, based on preserved archaeological evidence, excavation results, contemporaneous Early Christian sites, and an analysis of the materials and technologies used at the time. The reconstruction of the mosaic floor of Temple No. 2 allowed a realistic visualization of the interior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The curious shape of the so-called early Christian mausoleum of Iovia, Pannonia has attracted much attention since its discovery in the 1980s. The main part of the building, a hexagon flanked by alternating semi-circular and rectangular rooms was complemented by a bi-apsidal vestibule and a rectangular peristyle courtyard. The hexagon was a relatively rarely used form in late antique architecture compared to the octagon, however, hexagons can still be detected in all parts of the Roman Empire in all kinds of architectural contexts: they appeared in late Roman villae , baths, funerary buildings, early Christian mausolea and baptisteries. The architectural parallels of the mausoleum of Iovia are traced among the thin-walled hexagons that were flanked by protruding semi-circular and rectangular rooms. The buildings closest in shape were the pagan mausoleum of Louin in France and the trefoil hall of the Villa of Aiano in Italy. Other related structures include the so-called Stibadium A of the Villa with Peristyle in Mediana in Serbia, the reception rooms of the Keynsham villa in England, the hexagonal hall of the Palace of Antiochus in Constantinople, the Domus delle Sette Sale in Rome, the baptistery of Limoges in France, and the cella quinquichora of Aquincum in Hungary. Although similar in general layout, they had different functions: early Christian mausoleum , baptistery, pagan mausoleum , and foremost dining halls or reception rooms. This warns us that it is essential to study early Christian buildings in the context of late antique architecture in its complexity and not only in the limited context of other early Christian buildings. Late antique architects seem to have been fascinated by the opportunities offered by the different polygonal or central-plan halls and buildings and used them for different purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Ilahiyat Researches / Ilahiyat Tetkikleri Dergisi is the property of Ataturk University Coordinatorship of Scientific Journals and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article examines the early Christian critique of astrology, focusing on its perceived conflict with the concept of free will. Key figures such as Origen, Tatian, and Bardesanes are highlighted for their contributions to this discourse. Origen’s works, including his homilies and commentaries on the Book of Genesis, notably oppose the deterministic implications of astrology by asserting human free will and divine omnipotence. Tatian’s writings, particularly his “Oratio ad Graecos,” condemn astrology as a demonic invention that undermines Christian doctrines. Bardesanes, who is well-informed in astrology, differentiates between cosmic influences and moral decisions, arguing that ethical behavior is not determined by the stars. The article also explores the theological and philosophical foundations of these arguments, tracing influences from earlier thinkers like Philo of Alexandria and Carneades. Overall, the text provides a comprehensive analysis of how early Christian writers engaged with and refuted astrological beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To mitigate the costs and risks of travel, Greek communities utilized the formal social institution of proxenia. The honorific title of proxenos ("public host") was bestowed upon someone in another community who provided travelers with hospitality services, such as physical accommodation, social access, and legal protections. This social institution of proxenia, similar to but more specific than ancient patronage or benefaction, offers a fruitful heuristic model for interpreting travel among early Christians and the role of host-leaders within the emerging movement. Itinerant Christians would have utilized the proxenos -paradigm and cultivated proxenos -like relationships with prominent Christian hosts. This paper examines how Philemon and Phoebe functioned as proxenos -like hosts for Christians traveling through their respective cities. We conclude with discussions regarding the prominence and authority of proxenia-like host-leaders within early Christian social networks. Such people with the capacity to facilitate travel and grant social inclusion amassed significant power, as they became the centralized nodes enabling social connectivity.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Confirmation, one of the seven sacraments in Lombard's schedule, was retained by the English Reformers, but not as a sacrament and without any distinctive quasi-sacramental grace attributed to it. It became a ceremony to complete the catechizing process for children who, having been baptized as infants, were at the age of discretion now to come to holy communion. The reformers thought that a post-baptismal laying on of hands had been practised from apostolic times, and so commended the ceremony for their church practice. This requirement enabled later generations, such as Gregory Dix, to bid up its significance, teaching that confirmation completes baptism, and thus that water-baptism is of itself incomplete. The underlying premise has been that from the apostles onwards a requisite second initiatory ceremony invariably followed baptism. Both Bible and early church history contradict this thesis, not least the eight post-apostolic authors of the first two centuries who mention baptism. All eight testify to the use of water without any further ceremony. Thus, any insistence upon a two-stage sacramental initiation today lacks historical foundations; Anglicans ought to review residual texts and practices which reflect such a pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers the construction of the speaking subject in Justin's First Apology and Tatian's To the Greeks, two interlocking texts (often associated with the problematic genre of Christian apologetics). Bracketing questions of biographical reality, it explores the fictionalising techniques Justin and Tatian adopt to magnify their own authority, co-opt well-known narrative models (including martyrologies and imitatio Christi) in the service of their own self-fashioning. I take their autobiographies as stylised self-dramatisations, rather than guides to historical realities. There are strong parallels with the kind of self-modelling that we see in the works of pagan sophists of the era, notably Dio Chrysostom. Reading these two authors in this way blurs the sharp distinctions they seek to draw between Christian and pagan. It also requires a reading of their texts, in line with recent scholarship, as generically complex, sophisticated and absorbent, and open to the opportunistic appropriation of elements characteristic of pagan literature of the era. Foucault has argued that the voice of early Christianity was characterised by its confessional quality, which was new, confident and distinctive; this article argues, by contrast, that Justin and Tatian at any rate were intellectual bricoleurs and experimentalists, and had much more in common with their pagan peers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Late Antiquity, as today, women's veiling was a contentious topic. Early Christian churchmen wrote about it at length, exhorting women to cover and criticizing those they considered were not veiling appropriately. According to these writers, veils were an essential garment tied to Christian modesty and religious ideas about female submission to male authority. Modern scholarship has tended to side with these clergymen, often claiming that with the rise of Christianity came the social expectation that adult women cover their heads. However, veiling had been a part of life in the Mediterranean for centuries, and the frustration and frequency with which churchmen urged women to veil suggests that contemporary practices often diverged significantly from their expectations. This article examines veiling and head-covering as a complex social practice shaped by numerous intersectional and situational factors beyond religion, including status, practicality, fashion and social context. It explores a wide range of visual and material culture to illuminate the diversity of veiling beyond the diatribes of churchmen. Throughout, how we understand veiling in the past is brought into dialogue with scholarship on modern Islamic veiling to address biases towards veiled women and to find new ways of centring women's experiences and everyday practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I examine several sources of authority to which Origen laid claim as he set about the task of interpreting scripture. On occasion, in both his commentaries and his homilies, Origen provided accounts of his access to three different, though connected sources of authority that contributed to his self-presentation as an expert interpreter. These sources are as follows: 1) participation in the lineage of the apostles, particularly his exegetical role model, Paul. The second source of authority is a result of the first: 2) direct communication from the Logos, whom he understands to be Christ himself, and 3) angelic assistance and engagement with his pastoral exegetical project. In some instances, Origen even claimed to be on par with two of these sources of authority; he can be found claiming to have exegetical abilities similar to Paul's and, on some rare occasions, to have reached the same epistemological level as the angels. This analysis provides us not only with a case study of the kind of self-fashioning and authorising strategies used by elite scriptural exegetes in the first few centuries of the common era, but it also allows us to shift our focus away from exegetical methods towards the figure, personality and social position of the exegete him or herself. From this shift of focus we gain a better appreciation of a topic to which exegetical authors themselves dedicated considerable energy: just who it was that could occupy the office of authoritative Christian exegete and why. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article deals with the role of the papacy during the first years of the Anglo-Saxon mission in Germania. The topic has usually been approached in the past with respect to the following development in Europe, namely the Carolingian Renaissance. The goal of the contribution is to emphasise the autonomous character of the eithth century, when the creation of a new empire in the West was not yet considered. During this time, the papacy was facing a crisis within the empire coming from the Lombards and Byzantines. The Pope found support in Franks, but mostly in Anglo-Saxon missionaries. The dynamics of the process comes mostly from the apostolic character of the Church, which was emphasised by the Pope and missionaries and which is illustrated with three selected epistles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I focus on the emergence of ritual studies and subsequently formulate six characteristics that, in my opinion, establish their identity: a) an emphasis on being grounded in ritual theories; b) a plurality of ritual definitions; c) a wide area of application of ritual theories; d) a ritual understood as (performative) action; e) the plurality of methods; f) interdisciplinarity. Based on these characteristics of ritual studies, I deal with some aspects of their application to early Christianity. I demonstrate the benefit and innovation of this perspective on selected approaches: new viewpoints on rites of passage (DeMaris) and on the origin and development of the Eucharist (Taussig) and cognitive approaches (Uro). Finally, I address the problem of the researcher's imagination (speculative-ness) and the relationship between theories and exegesis of texts. I conclude by analysing the theory of ritual failure applied by P.-B. Smit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Epistle to the Galatians, which is the richest in historical references to Paul's conversion and his apostolic activity (Gal 1:11-2:21), contains one of the most interesting remarks in Paul's letters, "I went to Arabia" (Gal 1:17b). This brief autobiographical statement is not easy to clarify. A careful consideration of all the factors leads to the conclusion that Paul travelled to the territory of the Nabatean kingdom to do missionary work there. In keeping with Paul's later missionary activity, which is oriented toward large cities, and which usually begins in a Jewish synagogue, it is plausible to assume that Paul followed a similar missionary strategy in Arabia and that he therefore focused on large cities (Petra, Hegra, Bosra) in which Jewish communities, perhaps with a certain circle of sympathizers, may also have been present. The main reason for Paul's journey to Arabia was in all probability the fact that this territory had been neglected by Christian missionaries in the early church and that he could therefore preach the gospel where the name of Christ was not yet known. Paul's missionary activity in Arabia, which undoubtedly must have involved a longer period (one or two years), as is evident from the later conflict with the governor under King Aretas after his return to Damascus (2 Cor 11:32), was probably not successful and met with considerable opposition, since there is no evidence of Christian communities having been established in the territory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is about J. R. R. Tolkien's adaptation of Pythagorean musical elements in the 'Song of the Ainur' of the Silmarillion. It details Tolkien's use of Pythagorean dissonance, along with what that amounts to in terms of musical theory, and explores the epistemological origins of the concept and how it found its way into this work of fiction. On the latter point, Platonism, Neoplatonism, and early Christian theology are considered. This includes the likes of Prudentius, pseudo-Dionysius, Augustine, and Aquinas, among others. The article observes that Tolkien has deliberately chosen a somewhat esoteric element of Pythagorean musical theory, albeit highly relevant to his own historical context, in order to explore concepts of morality along with the traditional, Christian conundrum of predestination vs. free will. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the number of Chinese Christian organizations in Europe has grown considerably compared to other overseas Chinese community organizations. They can mobilize transnational networks and resources to expand religious space in host societies and form a highly visible social force. Although the rise of early Christianity in the Western world has been considered an outcome of inherent religious strength, especially in terms of its central doctrines and religious ethics, this article suggests that in the diasporic Chinese world where Christianity constitutes a non-indigenous religious tradition, social relatedness based on native place, family, and kinship ties provides a more useful context for understanding its dynamic expansion and cross-regional transmission. Drawing on anthropological fieldwork conducted in Europe among overseas Chinese Christian traders and entrepreneurs, this research seeks an alternative framework for understanding the religious-cultural dynamics of Chinese Christianity in the context of transnational migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Easter controversy of the late second century unveiled a profound theological and cultural debate within early Christianity. Originating from differing practices regarding the calculation of Easter dates, the dispute pitted the churches of Asia Minor against the Roman Church. This paper primarily employs a method of documentary analysis. It analyzes the accounts provided by the fourth-century historian Eusebius of Caesarea in his work The History of the Church. It is also cross-referenced with the works of second-century Christian writers. Through this process, this paper seeks to reconstruct the situation of this Easter controversy. Furthermore, it aims to uncover the struggle for apostolic authority concealed beneath the surface of this debate over dates. Central figures like Victor I and Polycrates engaged in this struggle for Apostolic authority, responding to challenges posed by heresies. Victor I leveraged his position to convene religious conferences and issue excommunication decrees against dissenting churches, laying claim to the papal primacy. However, Polycrates invoked the apostolic succession and heritage from John the Apostle to assert the legitimacy of the churches in Asia Minor, challenging Victor I's attempts at centralizing power within the Roman see. The controversy reflected broader debates over apostolic succession and ecclesiastical power structures. The Easter controversy serves as a case study of the Early Church's engagement with practical theology and the integration of religious festival culture with social backgrounds, highlighting the significance of Easter as a symbol of Christian unity and collective memory. This debate highlighted theological nuances and underscored broader issues of communal identity and the power struggle within early Christian communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After setting out the background of the early history of the Church of the East, this contribution focuses on the Syriac sources of the fifth to seventh centuries which are witnesses to the development of the 'two-nature' Christology of the Church of the East, situated outside the Roman Empire during this formative period. Special attention is paid to the ambiguous term qnoma, which is used to render hypostasis in the Chalcedonian Definition, but which, for native Syriac authors, has the different sense of 'defining characteristic'. The problematic designation 'Nestorian' should be avoided since it implies completely different things to different parties. Some final thoughts are given to the ongoing significance of the tradition of the Church of the East in its various present-day manifestations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While studies of how Paul and the Pauline letters were received in early Christianity continue to appear at an ever-quickening rate, there are still corners of early Christian literature that remain underexplored with regard to Pauline reception. The letters of Ignatius of Antioch would not usually be included in the underexplored category, but this article argues that one statement within Ignatius's letters is deserving of more careful attention vis-à-vis its relationship to Pauline themes and terminology. After showing that interpretations of Ignatius's Philadelphians (Phld.) 8.2 have typically run along two opposing tracks, the article argues that both ways of interpreting Ignatius's letter fail to do justice to his rhetoric in the letter. The article proposes an alternative way of reading Ignatius's justification language in Phld. 8.2. Whereas Paul wrote about justification before God, Ignatius desires to be proven right in the eyes of his Philadelphian readers, with whom he has had a dispute. The article concludes by offering ways to account for the different meanings evidenced in the letters of Ignatius and Paul while also endeavouring to explain the purpose for which Ignatius employs terminology that is similar to that of Paul. In the final clause of Phld. 8.2, Pauline terminology provides Ignatius not with his doctrinal substance but rather with authoritative rhetoric that evokes the Apostle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salvage excavations along Naḥal 'Ashan, to the north of Be'er Sheva', unearthed several farmhouses that formed part of the rural hinterland of the city. The farmhouses, dating from the late Byzantine to the Abbasid period, shared a uniform building technique that exploited the local loess soil for producing mud bricks and reused building materials from earlier Christian edifices. The finds included mainly locally made pottery, glass and stone vessels. This article offers a discussion of the settlement patterns, economy and demography of the region during the Byzantine-Early Islamic transition period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This article argues that the focus on sexuality and the body in early Christianity, prompted by the seminal work of Peter Brown and Michel Foucault, has obscured a truly major and profound shift brought about by Christian thinking in late antiquity. This concerns the very construction and evaluation of the notion of nature and the natural world. It is well known that Greek and Roman thinking conceptualized man's place in the order of things through a tripartite systematization of man, beast, and god, and that consequently through rituals such as sacrifice, epics such as the Odyssey , or normative texts of husbandry such as agricultural manuals, self-understanding of humanity is triangulated through a care for nature and a recognition of the divine. Similar structures are evident in early Jewish writing too. But in early Christianity, there is a turn away from care for nature and seeing man's place as integrally embedded in an agricultural world. In contrast to the book of Jonah or the Talmud—where care for animals is expressly a source of divinely given regulation—St Paul can ask: "Surely God does not care for oxen?" There is a corollary absence of Christian agricultural manuals, and repeatedly Christian writing privileges the anchorite, the ascetic, the sage who, like the lily of the fields, do not work the land. Animals are present in parables and metaphors—but are absent from Christian care or regulation. This article considers how the normative discourses of nature are redrafted within Christianity and its subsequent impact on the ideas of ecology—and on the possibilities of eco-criticism for classics. Καὶ φύσις ἄψ ἐγέλασε, "And nature laughed again." Nonnus [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paul often uses metaphors as a method of persuasion. In Rom 8, Paul's use of kinship metaphors such as "sonship" and being "heirs" is particularly ubiquitous. Paul writes to an audience situated in Rome where they would have been well aware of kinship metaphors as this inter alia formed part of the Julio-Claudio Caesars' vocabulary and legitimation of their rule. Paul's familial metaphors would have resonated with an audience in Rome au fait with the notion of adoption and its implications. The use of the images of "sonship" and "heir" also function as spatial metaphors indicating a vertical and horizontal understanding which the audience would have picked up on. The spatial metaphors contribute to an understanding of "in" and "out", underscoring an alternative family identity found in Christ. These metaphors play a role in the formation and construction of what is later to be called early Christianity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this essay, I argue that modern science can function as a source of "sacred reminders" for aspects of Christian theology, like the doctrine of the Trinity, that are not normally engaged with in the empirical world. This approach is an alternative to the usual ways of relating scientific and theological endeavors in terms of conflict, separation, or consonance. I demonstrate this by beginning with the thoughts of two representative physicists (John Archibald Wheeler and Steven Hawking), particularly focusing on a fundamental distinction they make about the underlying ideal of the physical sciences. Noting a striking similarity of this distinction with some of the biblical imagery of God's Word and Spirit, I review biblical texts along these lines to show partial continuity with the groundbreaking ideas of our physicists, and to show how they can be generalized to include (a) levels of organization beyond those of physics; (b) intensive, localized agencies of Word and Spirit as well as the more extensive agencies suggested their ideas; and (c) the commissioning agency of God the Father. A review of the theology of Irenaeus shows that these distinctions in biblical imagery were developed in the early Church and played an important role in early Trinitarian theology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thomas Graumann's book, "The Acts of Early Church Councils: Production and Character," provides valuable insights into the complex processes involved in creating and understanding conciliar acts and canons. Graumann examines various sources, including the Conference at Carthage, the Council of Ephesus, and the Council of Chalcedon, to reconstruct the expectations and conventions for conciliar acts. The book is divided into five parts, covering topics such as the documentation process, the role of physical and paratextual features, and the editorial process. While the book's organization may pose challenges for readers seeking a comprehensive understanding of individual councils, it offers valuable information for scholars interested in the institutional life and textual productions of the early Church. [Extracted from the article]

This article explores apologetic early Christian approaches to Pontius Pilate, demonstrating the popularity of the idea that Pilate was innocent of Jesus's death, regarded Christ as innocent and just, and even became a Christian himself. Focusing on the exceptionally detailed image of the man who condemned Jesus to the cross found in the New Testament homilies of John Chrysostom, this article connects Chrysostom's treatment of Pilate to his interaction with a real-life (and pagan) governor of Syria. It suggests that apologetic interpretations of Pilate were used not merely to denigrate Jews but also to allow Christians who were themselves both Christian and Roman to believe that Rome had witnessed their Messiah—a historical example which proved the congruence of Romanness and Christianity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article briefly surveys the historical evidence of Byzantine deaconesses and trends in modern research on the order. By drawing attention to the detrimental effects of research bias, the value of an historical theology of deaconesses becomes clear. The diaconate, like all the major orders, evolved throughout the early Christian period reflecting an adaptation to changing circumstances. Historical deaconesses should be interpreted by the theology of their own time and place, rather than through the lens of the more limited liturgical role of the modern diaconate. Does theological continuity exist between the apostolic diakonia and the ordination and vesting of deaconesses in the eighth century? An historical theology of this enigmatic, yet canonical ministry will reveal the varied iterations of deaconesses extended the ministry of the apostles and bishops into women's spheres in a manner consistent with the Church's enduring theology and mission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through the Medieval Era, the function of the Offices shifted from continual God-directed prayer to advancing and preserving local culture. The early form of the Offices found in the Rule of St. Benedict was built on the Psalms, engraining their words in the participants through the structure of the services and the weekly repetition. Commitment to primarily scriptural content is evidenced in early church traditions, papal decrees, and conservative efforts from clergymen. However, this focus changed with the emergence of cults of saints, which integrated the Offices into civic culture. As the number of feast days greatly expanded, cantors across Europe wrote versified Offices derived from saints' vitae, drastically changing the textual content of the Offices and often with the purpose of aiding a specific political cause. The integration of religion into the broader culture demonstrated how worship in the Offices was gradually redirected away from God towards saints who could be used to lend authority to a ruler, a state, or church. This shift is explored through examining primary sources from the earliest years of the Offices and the later versified Offices, such as the Notre Dame setting for the Virgin Mary, the Beneventan Offices during the Carolinian invasion, and many less prominent Offices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Illness, Pain, and Health Care in Early Christianity" by Helen Rhee explores how early Christians incorporated and reinterpreted Greco-Roman medicine and health care. Rhee argues that this appropriation of medical practices influenced the formation of early Christian identity, particularly during the fourth century when the status of the church within the Roman Empire changed. The book examines a wide range of primary sources, including Greco-Roman and Christian texts, and incorporates insights from medical anthropology to provide a nuanced understanding of health, illness, and care in early Christianity. Rhee's interdisciplinary approach and attention to detail make this book a valuable resource for scholars studying early Christianity and the intersection of medicine and religion. [Extracted from the article]

Among the most perplexing of John's theological riddles is question of salvific universalism and particularity. John is both the greatest biblical source of Christian universalism and the greatest source of Christian exclusivity. After all, the Johannine Overture affirms universal access to the saving–revealing Light of Christ, declaring: "The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world!" (Jn 1:9). What else could this mean, other than to affirm that every person has saving access to the divine Light of Christ? And yet, Jesus also declares in John 14:6, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me!" What could this mean, other than to assert that there is only one means of access to God, and that it involves saving belief in Jesus as the Christ? Sorting out the apparent contradictions within these tensions is the goal of the present essay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay employs the framework of affect theory to explore the role of emotions in producing and sustaining attachments to UFO narratives in episodes from early Christian history. Why, I ask, do UFOs and aliens keep popping up in the miracles, visionary experiences, and biographical exploits of early Christian figures? To answer this question, I focus on the ways affect is entwined with knowing—how the way knowledge feels structures the histories we tell. I argue that (ancient) UFO narratives are filled with pleasures, and these pleasures bind purveyors and consumers to fantastical modes of knowledge production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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