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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]

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]

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]

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]

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.)

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]

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]

The article seeks to purvey a moral philosophical foundation to the apostolic letter. The apostolic letter speaks pointedly of the fatherhood crisis as an issue that needs moral philosophical atrention. The research will use two methods: the philosophical (content) analysis and applied ethical theories. Philosophical analysis is a general term for techniques typically used by philosophers in the analytic tradition that involve breaking down philosophical issues in order to bring clarity, consistence, and coherence. The method is used to analyse concepts like parenthood, fatherhood and shepherdship. Applied ethics is a philosophical examination, from a moral point of view, of particular issues in private and public life which are matters of judgement. However, the punch line, ‘Children today often seem orphans, lacking fathers’, is a direct moral challenge that calls for the application of the ethical theory of hunhu/ubuntu because love is hunhu/ubuntu’s character, nature and responsibility. From hunhu/ubuntu’s view point, I argue that one must acquire personhood primarily first in order to be a father. In hunhu/ubuntu, personhood and fatherhood are dynamic concepts; morally achieved and acquired. Hunhu/ubuntu is not asking that we replace God as the author of our being, but rather that our being as persons in the world is substantially of our own making. As such, we have a victory to win, and the path to that victory lies in the part of our lived morality (hunhu/ubuntu). God created us, but we must mould ourselves into the persons that God wants us to be. [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]

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]

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]

The work Illyricum Sacrum is examined in this article, or more specifically, how it presents the origins of Christianity in the ancient Roman province. The claims made by the editors of the Illyricum Sacrum are analysed in regard to the apostolic origins of the churches in the area, focusing on the roles of apostles Peter and Paul, as well as their disciples Titus and Domnius in particular. The article discusses the absence of concrete evidence supporting these claims and explores the potential religious and political motivations behind the narrative. It also takes the Jesuits' influence into account in proving these churches' antiquity and apostolicity. Despite possible deficiencies, the article recognizes the value of Illyricum Sacrum as a historical source for researching Christianity in the Adriatic region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Christian feminist movements, including the Chilean group Mujeres Iglesia (MI), have tried to answer the question of the role of women in the ecclesial community, in search of greater equity and justice. To this end, MI proposes to seek sources of inspiration in biblical texts. This article analyzes the characteristics of the Chilean Christian feminist movement and the roles played by one of the women members of the first assemblies of Jesus' followers: Prisca. To do so, we study the dynamic role of women in Christianity and society, from the characterization offered by the New Testament texts (Paul's letters and the book of Acts). This hermeneutical proposal allows us to affirm that Prisca is an illuminative figure for the understanding of women's leadership in the church, given the multifaceted character of her authority, mainly as a collaborator, that is, a woman leader of the Early Christian communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pneumatology refers to the study of the Spirit within Pentecostal theology. Similarly, Pentecostals believe that pneumatology has a role to play in ecclesiastical leadership, which results in leadership through the Holy Spirit. In this article, this kind of leadership is theorised as pneumatocracy and is discussed in contrast to other leadership theories such as autocracy and democracy. The article seeks to demonstrate that pneumatocracy in the Pentecostal movement is important. However, it should engage in societal transformation, development of communities, and socio-economic and -political challenges for its relevance in the 21st century. Furthermore, this theory is proposed as an approach relevant to addressing gender parities in ecclesiastical leadership. The practices of pneumatocracy in early Pentecostalism, the early church, and contemporary times are explored in detail. A transformational pneumatocracy is proposed to address current leadership challenges in the African context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The edition of an epigraphic and funerary fragment is published. Judging by the material evidence, the fragment may have come from the necropolis of Algezares or its surroundings. It has been preserved since ancient times in the Archaeological Museum of Murcia and belonged to a slab of fine-grained and high-quality white marble. Based on its paleography, the inscription can be dated to the 1st century AD. After its verification, the fragment was exhumed during ancient excavations carried out by Cayetano de Mergelina y Luna in 1934. In this year, the basilica of Algezares was excavated for the first time. Due to the almost absolute predominance of the Late Antique record in Algezares, the epigraphic fragment was interpreted as Early Christian inscription. However, the actual chronology of the fragment coincides in time with the necropolis of Algezares. Its first phases were excavated in 2007 and dated between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigations on the link between Entrepreneurship and Religion establish important reflections in the academic and business environment. By considering this thematic relationship, this study presents the case of Pastoral do Empreendedor. This pastoral belongs to the Roman Catholic Apostolic Church and its purpose is to welcome and create favorable environments for the training of entrepreneurs, to stimulate reflection and sharing on the Word of God and Christian ethics and, thus, to foster spirituality to face the situations of the everyday business environment. This research was carried out based on a bibliographic survey and aims to carry out an analysis on the emergence and performance of the Pastoral do Empreendedor and the existing relations between Religion and Entrepreneurship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of African Christianity from missionary tutelage towards the close of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century raised concerns of syncretism that only eased with arguments of contextualisation in the 1970s. The arguments some missiologists in Southern Africa made, especially about the older Spirit churches (Zion and Apostolic churches) as indigenising agents, almost retired the concept of syncretism in relation to these churches in favour of recognising them as being responsive to their context—hence, agents of contextualisation. The advent of the neo-prophetic movement requires a reconsideration of both the concepts of syncretism and contextualisation of the Christian faith, especially in light of the alleged interaction of some in this movement with ancestral spirits. The article concerns itself with the question: why does the advent of neo-prophetism require a conceptual reconsideration of syncretism and contextualisation and to what end? The search for an answer to this question adopts a qualitative desktop research approach. The study seeks to understand the reasons for the traditional healing (sangoma) prophet phenomenon requiring a reconsideration of the mentioned concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the need for liturgical formation that Pope Francis recently highlighted for the whole Catholic Church in his apostolic letter Desiderio Desideravi. The current American Eucharistic Revival encourages engagement in this. Based on a detailed spiritual–liturgical reading of the Emmaus account (Lk 24:13–35), the article develops guiding principles for liturgical catechesis and considers their practical applications with a particular focus on families. The first principle underscores the connection between liturgy and life, which makes catechesis relevant for daily life, e.g., by including testimonies of parents. A second principle outlines the pivotal importance of symbols and suggests methods to enhance their understanding. Fostering active participation in the liturgy, the third principle, is a practical consequence because the celebration itself forms the participants. Moreover, liturgical catechesis connects explanation and experience, as the mystagogical catecheses of the Church fathers demonstrated. Along with Pope Francis, this article also highlights Sunday as a gift and discusses ways of integrating families in the Sunday Eucharist. Finally, the last principles shed light on the task of the priest as the "catechist of catechists". This article both explains the biblical basis of these principles and outlines practical ways to implement liturgical catechesis for families in parishes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire and the introduction of Buddhism into China, Christianity and Buddhism were both faced with the adjustment of the existing society. In the Roman Empire, faced with some censure, apologists began to write articles to clarify misunderstandings and express their beliefs. At the same time, there are similar argumentative documents on Buddhism in China. Their argumentation ideas also have many similarities, such as, firstly, distinguishing them from the original ideas, then using the existing ideas, and finally, actively integrating them into existing society. However, there are some bigger differences in the background of the debate between the Roman Empire and China—Christianity has strong political independence. The most fundamental difference is the atmosphere of the existing ruling ideology—China has been Confucianized, and the political independence of Confucianism is relatively weak. It is this fundamental difference that finally led to the final difference in the development paths of Christianity in the Roman Empire and Buddhism in China, which then affected their historical paths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starting with Augustine's controversial translation and interpretation of Romans 5:12, this paper compares Augustine's and the apostle Paul's different understandings of "sin": Paul understands "sin" from the apocalyptic eschatological perspective, and regards "sin" as a cosmic power; Augustine, on the contrary, gradually understood sin as an ontological sin in the discussion of the concept of "original sin". Through the development and transformation from Paul's theory of sin to Augustine's theory of sin, this paper further discusses the interactive relationship between the development of early Christian thought and its social and cultural contexts and tries to outline the path of interweaving biblical text and theological thought in history, particularly to teach how Chinese readers should interact with scriptures in the Chinese context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent scholarship on the Bodmer Miscellaneous Codex (BMC) has analysed various features of the manuscript, mostly attempting to answer questions like "Why was this codex created?" and "What purpose did it serve?" Some have given more specific answers, while others believe the document to be largely enigmatic. To further the academy's understanding of this ancient codex, this paper will examine the BMC, which comprises 11 different writings, for evidence of early Christian social identity formation. More specifically, it will heuristically apply Social Identity Theory (SIT) and Social Identity Complexity Theory (SICT) to reflect on identity and boundary construction in the BMC. It will be argued that various features of this ancient codex reveal a process of social identity formation, specifically an emerging orthodox Christian identity that is seeking positive distinctiveness and striving to reinforce the boundaries between an ingroup and various other outgroups. Furthermore, it is argued that the evidence of these features, in the context of persecution and competing Christianities, denotes a lower level of social identity complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The article presents a critical approach to the archaeological complex at Arbanas quarter in the town of Radomir. Its excavator identified the site as important production and trade centre that was built near a sanctuary of Zeus and Hera. After its destruction ca. middle of 3rd c. AD, at the beginning of the 4th c. AD a walled Early Christian martyrial complex was built on the place with two single-apse buildings, subsequently transformed into a monastery. The thorough analysis of the available archaeological information allows to propose a different function of the site. According to it, a sanctuary of Zeus and Hera was established sometimes in the second half of the 1st c. AD. After its demolition by the raids of the Costobocs (170s AD) or the Goths (the middle of the 3rd c. AD) the sanctuary was rebuilt with walled temenos and two apse temples placed in a peristyle courtyard. Two votive altars reused as building material in the nearby villa at Bela voda quarter of Pernik most probably originate from the sanctuary in question. Both are dedicated to Zeus Στοβουστορηνος what was probably the local name under which the two deities were worshipped in the sanctuary at Arbanas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The article tries to show the role of the father in the light of the canons of the early Church, starting from the beginnings of Christianity until the year 600. It concerns issues such as the father's responsibility for the faith and salvation of children, proper upbringing of offspring, protection of children against various forms of violence, and providing the child with appropriate financial resources (maintaining) and maintaining the father's authority in the context of responsibility for one's word. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the challenges faced by Liberal peers in the House of Lords after the victory over the legislative veto in 1911, examining their distinctive position, membership, activity, identity and impact outside the House throughout the twentieth century. It mentions despite their weakened status and representing a party that questioned their right to sit, Liberal peers played a crucial role, contributing ideas and activity that benefited the Liberal Party during vulnerable periods.

Attention has often been seen as a selective process in which the mind chooses which already‐formed objects to focus on. However, as Merleau‐Ponty and others have pointed out, this ignores the complexity and ambiguity of sensory information and imposes on it a set of already‐formed objects in the world. Rather, attention is a process by which objects in the world are constituted by the perceiving subject. Attention thus involves a process of mutual negotiation with the environment. There are connections between this and the process of attente described by Simone Weil, in which the perceiving subject suspends the dominant preoccupations of the ego in order to become more aware of an independent reality. This, in turn, expresses in a more modern idiom what early Christian teachers had to say about the role of attentive looking in the contemplative life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The review discusses the work "Papal Jurisprudence" by David L. d'Avray, which makes an important contribution to the study of papal decretals. The book provides a comprehensive presentation of early church law and examines the reception history of decretals from the 5th to the 13th century. D'Avray compares two periods and analyzes the interpretation and significance of these documents. The work is attractive to various readerships and stands out for its authoritative knowledge of texts and methods. It offers a meaningful selection of textual sources and convincing editorial decisions. The overall quality of the medieval transmission of decretals is good, although there are occasional uncertainties regarding authorship. The strengths and weaknesses of medieval canon law are illuminated. The second volume of the work "Papal Jurisprudence" by David d'Avray analyzes the phenomenon of the growing Christian community in late antiquity and its impact on the development of customs and norms within the communities. The author examines the papal responses to doctrinal and disciplinary questions of the 4th and 5th centuries and emphasizes the dual structure of the clergy and monasticism. He also shows how ancient decretals were preserved in the early Middle Ages and rediscovered in the 11th century. The ancient norms were successfully integrated into the canonical law of the later Middle Ages. The work offers a detailed interpretation of texts and analyzes larger contexts. It is of interest to readers without prior knowledge as well as to critical philologists and historians. [Extracted from the article]

The objective of this article is to restore the credibility of the church within society by reestablishing its public role. Through the study of the lives and activities of women ministers in early Christianity, the research reveals that early Christianity initially granted equal authority to the ministries of diakonia (service to society) and the ministry of the Word, but gradually diminished the role of diakonia while stripping women of their status and authority. Therefore, to fully reinstate the genuine spirit of Christ, it is emphasized that the Korean church must regain the church's public presence and recover the spirit of Jesus within the scattered congregations that currently exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a book review of "Research on the Letter to the Galatians 2000-2020" by D.F. Tolmie. The book provides an overview of research on the Letter to the Galatians from 2000 to 2020, covering various topics such as authorship, translation issues, interpretative approaches, and theological issues. The review notes that while the book does not provide evaluations of the research, it presents the information in an accessible manner. It is recommended as a helpful resource for researchers studying the Letter to the Galatians. [Extracted from the article]

In recent decades, archaeological and written records have been used in combination to improve our understanding of Late Antique and Early Medieval Hispanic architectural culture (5th–10th c.). Within this renewed research context, the rebuilding of Late Antique churches and the reuse of earlier materials in both Early Medieval Christian and Islamic religious buildings; the transformation of Late Antique churches into early Islamic mosques in al-Andalus; and the rebuilding of other churches by the Christians themselves, both in al-Andalus and in the northern Iberian plateau, from the late 8th century onwards, have often been used to thread narratives concerning tradition, continuity, and re-sacralisation of earlier religious architectural spaces and, through this, religious change in the middle ages. However, the application of modern archaeological methodology reveals that these processes need to be qualified, for the stratigraphic gaps between building phases make them sometimes hard to interpret. By analysing some examples of Hispanic religious sites, this paper reflects on the many concepts related to sacralisation, explains the way archaeology is able to trace the sacralisation processes, and intends thus to highlight the complexity of these phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Le Royaume [English Translation: The Kingdom] is one of the French author Emmanuel Carrère's most successful works. The main question posed by this book is this: how can normal, intelligent people believe in something as absurd as the Christian religion? One of the believers with whom the author enters into dialogue is Carrère, who for some years was a devout Catholic himself. He then links this questioning to a form of historical research into the sources of Christianity. If Carrère's historical research is not always up to date, the part devoted to introspection is a convincing testimony, showing how a renowned author grapples with his own past and that of the church in a postmodern, secular world. The interesting aspect of his research is that he finds that, although he is not a believer, he wants to be a disciple. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper traces the complex relationship between classical literature and Christian doctrine in the first four centuries. In the earliest period of Christianity, we can identify two attitudes of Christians towards Greek literature: the hostile attitude shown by Tatian, Theophilus, and Tertullian, and the openness to Greek culture and philosophy demonstrated by Justin the Martyr, Athenagoras of Athens, and Minucius Felix. A notable change happened in the Alexandrian milieu when Clement of Alexandria and Origen started considering Greek classics the embodiment of an authentic Christian spirit. In keeping with Origen, Basil of Caesarea realized a good synthesis between Greek thought and Christian faith. Noting germs of divine revelation in ancient Greek thought, Christian authors took the tools of Greco-Roman criticism and ancient philosophy to develop their doctrine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work focuses on the solid modeling of the church of Santa Sofia in Benevento, Italy, and is related to a multidisciplinary research project that involved methods typical to both the humanities and mathematical engineering. Starting from the history of the church and its current configuration, a twofold objective is pursued: to give a brief account of the methodology used to analyze and virtualize the main phases of Santa Sofia and to report on the problem of modeling the church vault complex. Indeed, the 3D modeling of the church presented different levels of difficulty with some parts very easy to draw and others calling for specific geometrical analysis. In particular, to reconstruct the complex system of vaults of the church, a home-made code based on remapping Coons patches was written. The resulting 3D models of the different archeological and architectural phases of Santa Sofia are an example of virtual heritage and, being a digital content, allow for immediate sharing both to the scientific community and to a general and nonexpert audience, keeping in mind that knowledge is the means used to ensure the enhancement and preservation of cultural heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article deals with the notion of precious stones as a unit in the early medieval Christian imagery. This idea was repeatedly echoed in the coeval writings of important Christian scholars such as Augustine of Hippo, Bede the Venerable or Hrabanus Maurus. Rather than considering the symbolism of individual types of precious stones, the article focuses on the precious stones as a unified medium that had the quality of being varied, symbolizing the perfect diversity of believers and virtues coming together in the unified Church of God. At the same time, the article draws attention to the same notion of precious stones functioning as a diverse unit that was captured in the bejeweled medieval objects such as reliquaries, altars or book covers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]