Search

This paper examines the way in which ancient historiography makes use of rhetorical and even fictional devices (dramatic poetry as well as the novel) to dramatize in writing down events which the historians obviously consider as being important for their judgement, ideologically or otherwise biased, of historical personalities. An outstanding example for this narrative method is the Roman author most often thought of as one of the greatest historians in all antiquity: Tacitus. It can be shown that he in those of the books of his Annals which concern the reign of Nero makes use of rumours, insinuations and even fictional elements, especially of the ancient novel and novella (examples for this will be taken mostly from Ann. XIII–XVI), and particularly with regard to Nero’s relationship with his mother, Agrippina.

espanolAdolphe Gesche indico el «principio de responsabilidad» como uno de los que debian guiar el quehacer teologico. Ser responsable respecto de la fe y la razon, respecto de Dios y del hombre. En el presente estudio exponemos su comprension y el desarrollo particular de esta tarea en su obra Dieu pour penser, atendiendo al doble movimiento teologico-fundamental —ad intra y ad extra— con el que solia articular sus escritos. EnglishAdolphe Gesche indicated the «principle of responsibility» as one of those that should guide theological work. Be responsible for faith and reason, for God and man. In the present study we expose his understanding and the particular development of this task in his work Dieu pour penser, attending to the double theological-fundamental movement —ad intra and ad extra— with which he used to articulate his writings.

Composing the first Ukrainian Synaxarion (Chetii-Minei), the great Ukrainian theologian, scholar and hagiographer St. Dymytriy Tuptalo (1651–1709) relied on different sources, including Slavonic, Greek, Latin, and Polish. Thanks to an Antiochian Patericon by the Greek Syrian author Theodoret of Cyrrhus – History of the Friends of God, Dymytriy could introduce Theodoret’s holy friends to a Ukrainian readership, creating a bridge between the School of Antioch and Kyivan theological tradition. Introducing the Vitae of Syriac Saints into the Ukrainian and Russian Church calendar, Dymytriy to a considerable extent adopted Theodoret’s views on asceticism, Christian anthropology, and Church history. Thus, he may be called an ally of the Antiochian school, which was to a great extent marginalized in Byzantium since the 5th century and later on. Moreover, St. Dymytriy venerated Theodoret himself as one of those Saints despite incessant debates around his name initiated by his opponents at the Second Council of Constantinople.

This study focuses on the Pseudo-Clementine writings as examples of Jewish-Christian literature between the second and fourth centuries CE. In view of their mutual antagonism and friendship, it interprets them as an attempt at orthodoxy, an instance of the line which led from Paul’s mission to the Nicaean Council. On the one hand, the Pseudo-Clementines introduce peculiar rationalist Christology, while at the same time opposing both Gnosticism and paganism, as well as coming to terms with other early Christian schools. They also use the image of family to represent the Christian community connected by love, in which relationships acquire a new quality as compared to friendship.

The recent document of the Congregation for Catholic Education on the question of gender ‘Male and Female He Created Them’ emphasises the importance of the sexual difference for the masculine and feminine identity. On the other hand, in his essay ‘Faisons-lui une aide semblable à lui’ written in 1967, Jacques Maritain insists that this difference is more a difference of the soul than a difference of the body and that it will last also when the bodies are resurrected after death. His concept of the masculine and feminine specificity is based both on biblical and philosophical arguments. Without inclining to feminism, Maritain underlines especially the way in which a woman is different from a man. This study tries to show, how Maritain’s ideas about the sub-specificity of man’s and woman’s soul can be complementary to the anthropology of the above-mentioned document of the Congregation for Catholic Education. Furthermore, it shows also a critical point of view of Maritain’s idea of manhood and womanhood with the emphasis on the philosophical terms which are used for the difference between man and woman.

The article presents the view of the Russian Orthodox theologian Paul Evdokimov on the topic of women. Evdokimov’s theological reflections are framed in his own experience with women. The first chapter on the role of woman as mother as the inspiration of the icons of the Mother of God and God’s Wisdom begins with the mention of Evdokimov’s beautiful relationship with his own mother who gave him religious faith. He could not perceive a woman other than through this experience of maternal love. As an Orthodox thinker, he put the theme of woman as fiancee and wife in the sacramental unity of man and woman, modelled on the love of Christ and the Church, as discussed in the second chapter. The third chapter, again, deepens the topic in the example of the archetype of the woman as the Mother of God, and the archetype of the man as John the Baptist from the Deisis icon. The second and third chapters also mention his pain in the death of his first wife and his second marriage, which gave him the power to create. Evdokimov was critical of the history of subjugating women to men through ideologies, philosophies, and religions. Against this, he stressed that, in a Christian perspective, the woman, through her religious nature, is the stronger sex.

Philo of Alexandria wrote about what it meant to be a ‘friend of God’ in relation to key biblical figures. This article explores to what extent Philo’s understanding of the human relationship to God was inspired by the Greek concept of friendship based on the equal reciprocation of similar goods. It also addresses the complexity of Philo’s view of such a relationship and the notion that to become a friend of God is to realise an ideal state of being. I will also illustrate Philo’s influence on early Christian authors Clement of Alexandria and Gregory of Nyssa.

In Augustine’s Confessions, friendship not only has two forms, an individual and a communitarian one, but it also has two faces, a positive and a negative one. On the one hand, we find philosophical friendship which loves gratis (i.e. without thinking about any profit) and shares the common effort in search for wisdom. As Augustine puts it, such a friendship is based on a community of souls ascending to God. In his eyes, to love one’s friend ‘in God’ is even a necessary element of a true friendship. Besides an individual form of friendship, we also meet a broader community of friends in Augustine’s Confessions who even plan a common life devoted to philosophical leisure and later to religious service. On the other hand, both individual and communitarian forms of friendship also have their negative sides. Friendship is not necessarily a common search for wisdom, it can also become a substitute for such an effort. Even more harmful is the impact of what Augustine calls the ‘unfriendly friendship’ which makes ‘shame not to be shameless.’ We meet this behaviour in a group, even in a mob, several times in Confessions and find Augustine playing the role of both the seduced and the seducer.

Unlike family relations, friendships are based primarily on deliberate personal decisions. In some cases, however, they can be marked not only by sympathy and positive emotions but also by opportunism and conflicts. The relationship between two Church Fathers and close friends, St. Gregory of Nazianzus and St. Basil the Great, went through a whole range of emotions. A portrayal of this relationship, as well as several others (e.g. the one with Maximus the Cynic), is to be found in St. Gregory’s autobiographical poem De vita sua. Some details on the saint’s friends can also be perceived from his letters in verses, addressed to a group of more or less close friends from his surroundings. The variety and seriousness of the matters that St. Gregory discusses in these texts mirror the depth or superficiality of each particular relationship. In his letters in verses, Gregory of Nazianzus asks his friends for special favours (e.g. Hellenius), praises their deeds (e.g. some members of the monastic community in Caesarea), encourages them (e.g. Nemesius) or reprimands them (e.g. Vitalianus). A significant indicator of the level of friendship with the persons involved is the way St. Gregory addresses them. The salutations he uses are often very courteous, but in a couple of cases, marks of enmity can be found as well.

The 15th-century poem ‘Adam lay ybounden’ presents a ‘folk version’ of the paradoxical theology of the notion of felix culpa, Adam’s ‘happy fault’ by which the Incarnation of God in Jesus of Nazareth was unintentionally provoked. The poem is simple in its vocabulary, but elaborate in its invocation of theological notions such as the descensus Christi as inferos, the felix culpa and the necessarium Adae peccatum, both from the Easter prayer of the ‘Exsultet,’ focussing on the role of Mary within the economy of salvation rather than on Christ’s. While having been researched only fragmentarily in the past, in this article, the theological content of this poem is analysed integrally for the first time.

Avec la rigueur et la precision qu’on lui connait depuis sa these et la version publiee de celle-ci, Sylvie Daubresse nous invite a s’immerger avec elle dans les archives du Parlement de Paris afin de mieux saisir l’esprit, la culture et les methodes de travail des hommes composant cette institution ; mais aussi pour mieux apprehender la societe et la montee des troubles qui l’agitent durant les annees 1555-1563 auxquelles elle circonscrit son etude. Le choix de cette sequence chronologique l...

Perceraian di Indonesia semakin meningkat dari waktu ke waktu. Ini merupakan fakta sosial yang tidak terbantahkan. Melalui pendekatan filosofis penelitian ini akan menganalisa bagaimana proses perceraian terjadi dan bagaimana suami atau istri melihat pasangannya dalam perspektif Martin Buber. Perceraian adalah sebuah proses menuju perpisahan. Bermula dari sebuah krisis dan konflik rumah tangga yang berkepanjangan, pada akhirnya menghadirkan “sudut pandang” baru terhadap pasangannya. Sebelum konflik, dalam perspektif Buber, relasi suami istri dapat disebut berada pada pola I-Thou. Suami atau istri melihat pasangannya sebagai gambar diri atas keberadaannya sebagai seorang pribadi, tetapi krisis keluarga membawanya pada pola I-It yang memandang pasangan sebagai things. Krisis berdampak pada perubahan pola relasi dari relasi yang bersifat integratif menuju pola relasi segregatif dan sparatif. Proses perpisahan suami istri tersebut dimulai dengan adanya konstruksi diri oleh pihak yang “kuat” kepada pasangannya yang berada pada posisi inferior. Konstruksi diri negatif ini menjalar menjadi konstruksi sosial yang berdampak pada stigmatisasi pihak inferior sebagai pihak yang patut dipersalahkan. Stigma terhadap pasangan sebagai It inilah yang memperlancar proses separasi yang berujung pada perceraian.

Fenomena kematian massal yang terjadi di tengah pandemi Covid-19 membuat manusia merefleksikan kembali makna kematian. Ayub 1: 1-22 berisi refleksi tentang kematian saat Ayub kehilangan semua anaknya secara bersamaan karena kematin. Tujuan utama penelitian ini adalah menemukan makna fenomena kematian massal di tengah pandemi berdasarkan kitab Ayub 1: 1-22. Metode yang dipakai ialah kualitatif dengan pendekatan fenomenologi dan hermeneutika. Studi ini menemukan memaknai kematian massal di tengah pandemi covid-19 berdasar Ayub 1:1-22 adalah: 1). wujud dari kekuasaan Tuhan yang harus diakui dan diterima oleh manusia; 2). ujian iman yang diijinkan Tuhan untuk terjadi dalam kehidupan manusia.

This study aims to determine the effect of sermons in Sunday worship on the maturity of the congregation's faith in the Gereja Kristen Indonesia Setia (GKSI) Merauke. The method used is quantitative. The hypothesis is that there is a positive and significant influence between the sermon in Sunday worship on faith maturity. The population is the GKSI Merauke congregation, amounting to 292 people with a sample of 30 people. The instrument used was a closed questionnaire. Validity is tested using the product-moment correlation formula. Data were analyzed using the correlation technique (rxy), tested for the significant relationship with the formula (t) and the test of determination (r2), and simple regression. The successful test was tested by F, then to find out the effect regression equation was carried out with the formula Y = a + bX. The results showed the effect or r2 = 51% and significant influence or F count = 28.65 where it is known that F table = 4.17 and obtained the meaning of the simple regression equation Y = 7.25 + 0.87X. This study concludes that the sermon on Sunday worship positively and significantly affects the congregation's faith maturity.

espanolEn la regulacion del sacrificio ritual, deben tenerse en cuenta cuestiones relacionadas con la proteccion de la libertad de conciencia y religion, la libertad de actividad comercial y el trato humanitario a los animales. Los argumentos economicos influyen en la forma en que se regulan los sacrificios rituales y, en general, llevan a apartarse del proposito religioso original de esas normativas legales, en favor de la proteccion de los intereses economicos. EnglishWhen regulating ritual slaughter, we need to take into consideration issues related both to the protection of freedom of conscience and religion, the freedom of business activity, and the humane treatment of animals. The economic arguments have an influence on the way ritual slaughter is regulated and generally lead to departing from the original religious purpose of such legal regulations, in favour of protecting economic interests.

Misericordia significa “un corazón que es sensible a la miseria de los otros”. Esta definición pone de manifiesto la síntesis de actividad y pasividad ambivalente que caracteriza la relación entre el misericordioso y el mísero, al tiempo que, desde un punto de vista fenomenológico trae consigo interesantes consideraciones sobre del perdón o de la simpatía. No obstante, querer superar los límites de estas dos realidades, hasta el punto de ponerse frente a la empatía, significa abandonar la perspectiva filosófica y adentrarse en la entraña del Evangelio, esto es, en el misterio de la Encarnación del Hijo de Dios.

Usando elementos del análisis narrativo, este artículo examina la batalla final y la victoria que se consigue a través del enviado de Dios, un jinete en un caballo blanco. Desenredando la red de relaciones en el texto, el jinete en el caballo blanco se identifica con el Cristo de Dios, que ha estado presente en el libro desde el inicio. El artículo muestra como el Jinete en el caballo blanco resume en sí mismo todo lo que el Apocalipsis dice sobre Jesús.

Al cumplirse en este año el siglo de la despedida del Beato Manuel González de la diócesis de Huelva, ¿tienen todavía algo que decirnos su pensamiento y su actividad pastoral? Los tiempos de don Manuel no son los nuestros, ciertamente. El estilo de sus escritos y determinados elementos propios de su acción pastoral responden a las necesidades y espíritu de su época. Pero, a poco que se profundice en su obra, se descubren intuiciones de permanente actualidad e incluso de progreso. El artículo presenta los elementos permanentes de la pastoral de don Manuel González en Huelva, sin olvidar la totalidad de su peripecia humana, sacerdotal y episcopal.

La neurociencia, en particular la neuropsicología, ha otorgado una explicación a diversas actividadeshumanas. ¿Existe evidencia de la activación de estructuras y mecanismos neurobiológicos asociados a la espiritualidad y la religión (E/R)? ¿La actividad E/R genera transformaciones en los procesos neurobiológicos que pueden impactar la actividad y salud humana? El presente texto reporta alguna evidencia del funcionamiento del cerebro y las estructuras subcorticales que se vinculan a cambios en las personas, asociados a las experiencias de la espiritualidad y la religión. Metodológicamente, son consultadas fuentes con indexación Web of Science y Scopus que refieren antecedentes al respecto bajo los términos “espiritualidad”, “religión”, “cerebro”, “neurociencia” y “neuropsicología”, o combinaciones entre estos. De un total de 920 textos, en los últimos 20 años fueron seleccionadas 52 publicaciones que refieren a E/R indistintamente o por separado, junto con los demás términos. Los resultados reportan cambios en la actividad eléctrica cerebral vinculados al funcionamiento y la sincronización del funcionamiento neuropsicológico ejecutivo que pueden explicar estados perceptivos de unicidad, concepción de un Ser Superior, mecanismos de control, abstracción y el origen de estados de consciencia de la persona. La investigación ofrece perspectivas de desarrollo, incluidas acciones terapéuticas que favorecen la salud mental y las posibles acciones neuropsicoeducativas.

Teks Kitab Suci sebagai landasan pelaksanaan pendidikan agama Kristen memiliki beberapa bagian yang terkesan ambigu dalam aktualisasinya. Hal ini Nampak pada tiga kelompok guru PAK dan orang tua dengan masing-masing pemahaman. Kelompok pertama menganggap bahwa disiplin sebagai bagian dari aktualisasi otoritas guru dan orang tua di rumah yang tegas dibarengi hukuman badan dibolehkan. Kelopmpok kedua menganggap bahwa hukuman badan tidak dibolehkan, dan kelompok ketiga menganggap bahwa pelaksanaan disiplin yang tegas dan hukuman badan harus dilakukan namun perlu dibarengi aspek mendidik. Jika demikian, bagaimana seharusnya guru PAK dan orang tua di rumah sebagai pendidik menyikapi sisi ambiguitas dari Amsal 13:24 yang terkesan menganjurkan untuk menerapkan pola disiplin yang tegas. Penulis menggunakan metode kualitatif dengan pendekatanan studi pustaka yang bersifat hermeneutik guna interpretasi teks. Hasilnya disimpulkan bahwa guru PAK dan orang tua di rumah sedapatnya menerapkan pola pendidikan dengan sikap yang tegas terhadap anak sebagai peserta didik namun tetap memiliki sikap hati yang “mengasihi” dalam prinsip mendidik.

Amid the revivals of world religions, the Protestant Christian bodies (mainly the ecumenical and the evangelical ones) are fragmentally divided into different attitudes toward other faiths. They propose three positions in dealing with this issue: pluralist, the inclusivist, and exclusivist. Any choice taken may result in varying levels of openness toward other faiths. The article aims to acquaint the readers with both ecumenical and ecumenical such attitudes. At the core, it will also explore the underlying theological as well as practical issues behind such attitudes. To achieve the goal, the author will use a historical-theological comparative analysis. The result of the analysis shows that various views on certain aspects (like hermeneutics, revelation, salvation, and the gospel) have contributed to the disparities of both ecumenical and evangelical attitudes toward other religions. In the end, this analysis expectedly will enable every Christian to show a proper attitude toward other religions, in-line with the characteristics of the Kingdom of God.Abstrak. Di tengah kebangkitan agama-agama dunia, berbagai tubuh Kristen Protestan (utamanya kaum ekumenikal dan evangelikal) secara fragmentatis terbagi dalam sikap-sikap yang berbeda terhadap iman-iman yang lain. Mereka mengajukan tiga posisi dalam menghadapi isu ini: pluralis, inklusif, dan eksklusif. Setiap pilihan berakibat pada tingkat keterbukaan yang berbeda kepada iman yang lain. Artikel ini bertujuan untuk mengakrabkan para pembaca kepada sikap-sikap ini. Pada intinya, artikel ini juga akan mengekplorasi baik isu-isu teologis maupun praktis yang secara integral di balik sikap-sikap tersebut. Untuk mencapai tujuan ini, penulis akan memakai analisis perbandingan historis-teologis. Hasil analisis ini menunjukkan bahwa berbagai pandangan dalam aspek-aspek tertentu (seperti hemeneutika, pewahyuan, keselamatan, dan injil) telah berkontribusi kepada disparitas sikap evangelikal dan ekumenikal terhadap agama-agaman lain. Akhirnya, analisis ini diharapkan akan memampukan setiap orang Kristen untuk bersikap yang tepat terhadap agama-agama lain, yang sejalan dengan karakteristik-karakteristik Kerajaan Allah.

This article aimed to show God's justice in the midst of lives of His people. The method used is the historical and grammatical exposition of Amos 1: 1-15. The struggle of faith of God's people is never loose in sorrow, sadness, and cheering. In the book of Amos 1: 1-15 teaches us that the people's struggle is inseparable from God's justice. God gives protection to His people to pass through every issue or problem of life. God also does His justice both to good doers and condemnation to those who do evil. Thus every people should live what God promised and hold in hope in God.

espanolEste articulo pretender ser una invitacion a la lectura de la primera enciclica social del papa Francisco en su quinto aniversario. «El desafio urgente de proteger nuestra casa comun —dice el papa— incluye la preocupacion de unir a toda la familia humana en la busqueda de un desarrollo sostenible e integral, pues sabemos que las cosas pueden cambiar». La primera parte de este articulo ofrece una presentacion del contenido de la enciclica, iluminando las ideas principales y el encadenamiento de los diferentes capitulos: la actual crisis ecologica, el Evangelio de la creacion, las raices de la crisis, una ecologia integral, propuestas de dialogo y accion, lineas para una educacion y espiritualidad ecologicas. Nuestra relectura de Laudato si’ incluye el resultado de la celebracion del Sinodo sobre la Amazonia, la exhortacion apostolica Querida Amazonia. Este articulo concluye mostrando que la idea trinitaria de la creacion es el principio que nos invita a desarrollar una espiritualidad de la solidaridad global, porque «en el mundo todo esta conectado». EnglishThis paper aims to be an invitation for the reading of the first social encyclical of Pope Francis on its fifth anniversary. «The urgent challenge to protect our common home —says the Pope— includes a concern to bring the whole human family together to seek a sustainable and integral development, for we know that things can change». The first part of this article concerns the presentation of the content of the encyclical, highlighting the main ideas and the linkage between the successive chapters: the present ecological crisis, the Gospel of creation, the roots of the crisis, an integral ecology, some proposals for dialogue and action, the guidelines for an ecological education and spirituality. Our rereading of Laudato si’ includes the results of the celebration of the Synod on the Amazonian region, the apostolic exhortation, Querida Amazonia. This article ends by offering that the trinitarian idea of creation invites us to develop a spirituality of global solidarity, because «everything in the world is connected».

espanolAl igual que la Iglesia tras el Concilio Vaticano II, Vida Nueva experimenta un proceso de profunda transformacion: en el periodo posconciliar, la revista comienza un camino de renovacion especializandose en un periodismo de informacion religiosa. Este estudio muestra la acogida del Concilio por Vida Nueva y sus propuestas en materia eclesial a traves de un analisis de contenido de los editoriales del semanario de 1968 a 1975. Los resultados indican que el mensaje conciliar influye en la revista, debido a la manera de entender y analizar los acontecimientos de la Iglesia de indole nacional e internacional. El semanario tiene particularmente presente la labor de Pablo VI y de los obispos, por medio de las actividades y documentos publicados por el papa, y el trabajo de las diocesis y conferencias episcopales. Asimismo, para la revista, la apuesta por la renovacion implica el compromiso de los presbiteros, los religiosos y los laicos. Igualmente, reflexiona sobre temas debatidos en el seno de la Iglesia como el celibato sacerdotal, los ministerios femeninos, la responsabilidad de los laicos y la secularizacion. Ademas, para llevar a la practica las reformas, Vida Nueva apuesta por la promocion de las nuevas corrientes teologicas, la actualizacion del lenguaje, la renovacion de los metodos pastorales, la reforma de la liturgia, el impulso de la evangelizacion, la formacion de los creyentes, el fomento de la doctrina social, el ecumenismo y el dialogo interreligioso. EnglishAs the Church after the Second Vatican Council, Vida Nueva was undergoing a process of profound transformation: in the postconciliar period, the magazine is beginning a journey of renewal by specializing in religious news journalism. This study shows the acceptance of the Council by the magazine and its proposals in ecclesial issues through the results of the analysis of the editorial contents of Vida Nueva from 1968 to 1975. The results reveal that the Conciliar message influences the journal, due to the way it understands and analyses national and international Church events. The publication reflects on the work of Paul VI and the bishops, through the activities and documents published by the Pope, and the work of the dioceses and episcopal conferences. Furthermore, for the magazine, the commitment to renewal includes the involvement of priests, religious and lay people. For this reason, it reflects on themes discussed within the Church such as priestly celibacy, women’s ministries, the responsibility of the laity and secularization. In addition, in order to put the reforms into practice, Vida Nueva is committed to the promotion of new theological currents, the updating of language, the renewal of pastoral methods, the reform of the liturgy, the encouragement of evangelization, the formation of believers, the promotion of social doctrine, the ecumenism and the interfaith dialogue.

The article asks a question about the link between the comprehension of believers of their common priesthood and the authentic place of confirmation within Christian initiation, enabling one to participate in the tria munera Christi. First of all, the author explains the role of the term, ‘common priesthood’ in the theology of the sacrament of confirmation and its origin in Christ, the only perfect High priest of the New Testament and in the priestly nature of his body, the Church as it is presented by the universal magisterial documents since the Second Vatican Council. This reality is manifested in unity and order of the Christian initiation. A following part describes how this feature has not been included in the Czech and Slovak instructions and episcopal documents and explores a local praxis. The unity of the three sacraments is understood in a superficial manner, and their order is underestimated or doubted in this area; however, pastoral needs and a link between confirmation and the age of adolescence is determining. In consequence, the faithful cannot perceive the signs referring to the reality of common priesthood and the effects of confirmation are reduced. The last part tries to answer the question what can be done to renew the authentic place of confirmation in local communities in order to enable believers to grasp their participation on Christ’s threefold office in a better way.

The text is dealing with the so called household (status) codes (Haustafeln) especially in the Letters to Colossians and Ephesians. Both texts, parts of a more voluminous parenesis for the community of the church, are based on a scheme typical for that period of relations between man and woman, parents and children, and lords and slaves in a household. The Christian interpreta- tion of that scheme in the Letters to Colossians and Ephesians brings a signifi- cant innovation, because it is based on a new understanding of man as reno- vated in Christ. Although the patriarchal order is maintained, still these relations are seen in a new way in which the decisive role is played by pointing to Jesus Christ and his relation to the church. In the Letter to Ephesians first of all the relation between man and women is elaborated and their unity is stressed. The exam- ple and at the same time the place of realisation of their relation is the relation between Christ and the church. This relation full of love, obedience and self- sacrifice from both sides ought to fill and represent the Christian marriage. The Letter to Colossians deals with the relation between the lords and the slaves. This relation is again made relative by pointing to Christ. A significant moment is stressing the dignity of human work, because it is – irrespective of human evaluation – service to Christ himself. Also the relation between par- ents and children is seen as a partnership with duties from both sides. Beyond that, the letter to Ephesians stresses the duty of parents to educate in faith, to pass the values of life. These texts, though they are often understood as sanctification of patriar- chal structures, in reality want to lead to responsible and effective family life in which everyone has his or her role and responsibility. This is the lasting message of these texts irrespective of the momentary social structures which are passing.

The article deals with the postmodern criticism of Christianity. Our inves- tigation focuses on French philosopher Jean-Francois Lyotard who was the leading figure of the theory of postmodernism. Lyotard’s postmodern thinking includes a philosophical reflection of Christianity. He criticizes Christianity to be an oppressive hegemonic narrative of love. This article wants to deal with Lyotard’s critique of Christianity theologically. Nevertheless, Lyotard’s description of Christianity is understandable only in the context of his think- ing about the shift between modernity and postmodernity. Therefore, Lyotard’s theory about the end of modern master narratives as a significant character- istic of postmodernity is offered in the first part of the paper. We elaborate the notion modern master narrative and then we ask the question, whether is pos- sible to apply this category to Christianity. Our answer is that a certain type of Christianity could be described as a master narrative of love. We point out the reasons why Christianity could become an oppressive (modern) master nar- rative and we look for a (postmodern) solution. We propose the outline of the theological concept which is called the open narrative of Christianity devel- oped by Flemish theologian Lieven Boeve.

This article interprets the secret of Easter in the Byzantine rite by means of mystic-theological reflection, or by means of spiritual development of a person- ality as perceived in the Christian mystic tradition. The article is chronologi- cally structured according to the sequence of days of the liturgical period. The method is the application of the teaching of personal spiritual development by means of the path of conversion, purification, enlightenment and unification on individual days of celebrating the secret of Easter in the Byzantine rite. The gift of knowledge of the perfect agape love which is concluded in the Eucharist leads the man to the conversion and truthful self-knowledge. On Good Friday the worshipper meets the root of all evil and sin, the egoistic and idolatry self- love, confronts themself with treachery, renouncement and succumbing to evil. By Jesus Christ’s road to Calvary who assumes the consequences of the origi- nal sin, the man is internally purified and acquires the inner attitude of hum- bleness and confidence instead of the darkness and anxiety of the soul. The secret of Holy Saturday is Christ’s descending to pre-hell and His Annunciation which liberates from the hell of abandonment and despair in death. People waiting for salvation are enlightened by the announced God’s words; they can fearlessly bear the burden of disturbance to relationships and participate in the resurrection. Worshippers unified with Christ’s God-humanity participate with Easter joy and peace in the expiating force of Christ’s Resurrection. The new God-human life of Easter Sunday is thus opened which a Christian enters through the sacrament of Christening.

El 1300 aniversario de la batalla de Covadonga es un buen momento para reflexionar sobre el sentido providencialista que los contemporáneos dieron a aquellos hechos. Además, el presente estudio analizará la influencia que tal interpretación, asumida a lo largo de los siglos por la historiografía principal, tuvo en la Historia de España, y su sustitución por nuevos paradigmas desde el siglo XVIII y, especialmente, desde mediados del siglo XIX.

Si bien la obra de Joseph Ratzinger es rica en interpolaciones sobre la esperanza, carece sin embargo de una presentación sistemática. La presente investigación, recogiendo todo el corpus ratzingeriano, pretende ofrecer una sistematización del tema esperanza, su fundamento bíblico, su estructura antropológica y su composición teológica.

This article deals with the theme of the discernment of good and evil from the perspective of three Christian traditions. It is written in a form of a dialogue between three authors, where each represents the voice of one Christian tradition. Dialogue is not just an important part of theological discourse but also an essential element of every kind of discernment since it creates space for a non-fundamentalist approach to truth about God, oneself, and the world. For a better understanding of the conversational flow, which sometimes leads us to associated themes, the article is divided into five parts. Firstly, it speaks about the difference between theological, moral, and spiritual discernment. Secondly, it concentrates on discernment in connection with the different concepts of redemption. Consequently, the article deals with the discernment of good and evil in relationship with the origin of evil. Lastly, it elaborates the present and eschatological aspects of discernment and the role of individuals and community in the process of how Christians discern.

Verse 7:17 from Isaiah presents its interpreters, both ancient and modern, with difficulties and ambiguities regarding the text that must be accounted for on the level of formulation (problematic grammar), content (uncertain meaning) and incorporation into the larger context of Isa 7:1–17. The Damascus Document from Qumran uses this verse twice (in CD VII & XIII) in texts of different types (Admonitions and Laws). The author of the Damascus Document resolves the ambiguities of the biblical verse and incorporates it into his two compositions for the benefit of his argumentation. This type of redactional work is possible due to a recognition by the author of a continuity between the biblical Israel and the current (Qumran) community. While resolving the problems inherent to the biblical verse, the author of the Damascus Document also creates a new tension between the ways in which this verse is incorporated into the two documents.

Dalam tulis ini, penulis melakukan kajian terhadap Pendidikan Bagi Warga Gereja: Peran gereja dalam membangun dan memberdayakan ekonomi jemaat di era digital. Kajian ini berangkat dari pengamatan penulis secara empiris dimana gereja hari-hari ini hanya bergerak dari sisi rohani tanpa memikirkan keberlajutan kehidupan jemaat. Penulis menekankan dalam tulisan ini bahwa gereja tidak hanya hadir sebagai pengkhotbah dan pendoa kepada jemaat tetapi gereja harus memberi solusi terhadap masalah yang dihadapi oleh jemaat dalam bergereja. Metode yang digunakan adalah metode penelitian kualitatif, penulis mengkaji Peran gereja dalam membangun dan memberdayakan ekonomi jemaat di era digital. Proses analisis yang dilakukan oleh penulis adalah menggunakan berbagai sumber pustaka maupun elektronik yang terpercaya untuk mendukung analisis penulis. Hasil penelitian ini menemukan bahwa dengan memanfaatkan teknologi sebagai peluang usaha, gereja ikut mengurangi angka pengangguran dan kemiskinan warga gereja. Tujuan dari tulisan ini adalah upaya mendorong setiap gereja untuk memiliki inovasi yang mumpuni dalam menjawab tantangan yang ada di era digital sebagai peluang untuk menciptakan lapangan kerja bagi warga jemaat.

El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo mostrar la evolución que ha tenido la definición de abuso sexual. Esta va desde una visión restringida e individual, centrada en la transgresión estrictamente genital, ejercida con fuerza, malinterpretando el fenómeno del abuso de poder en situaciones de vulnerabilidad, facilitando, así, el encubrimiento, la negación institucional y la retraumatización de las víctimas. La evolución va hacia una visión más integral, estructural y ética, que permita a la sociedad, personas e instituciones asumir su verdadera responsabilidad en el reconocimiento y la justicia con las víctimas. Esta es la única manera en que la sociedad y las organizaciones pueden cambiar de una cultura de abuso y encubrimiento a una cultura de atención y confianza lúcida.

Esta nota plantea la relación entre conciencia y autoridad, primero desde el punto de vista de la conciencia, que emerge desde su despertar en relación con un fundamento más grande que ella misma, y, en seguida, desde el punto de vista de la autoridad, cuyo sentido es servir a la conciencia. Conciencia y autoridad se implican recíprocamente. Después de esto, la nota se detiene en el abuso de la autoridad sobre la conciencia, para pasar a las pretensiones injustificadas de la conciencia respecto de la autoridad. Finalmente, se expone la importancia de la cuestión en la vida de John Henry Newman y sus líneas de solución.

La actual crisis ecológica tiene en su trasfondo una crisis antropológica. La raíz de esta crisis antropológica se encuentra en el desequilibrio que desde la modernidad se produjo en el interior del «triángulo primordial»: ser humano, Dios, mundo. La pérdida del vértice divino produjo la emergencia de un «segmento» cuya polaridad «yo-mundo» ha producido muchas tensiones que nos han conducido a la crisis ecológica que hoy estamos sufriendo. La antropología teológica, con la ayuda de las categorías de «interrelación», «interdependencia» e «inhabitación», debe contribuir a un nuevo planteamiento del problema pensando nuevamente qué ser humano estamos llamados a ser y qué relación con la naturaleza debemos tener.

El ecologismo contemporáneo, a pesar de la polémica generada por su pretensión sociopolítica, su propuesta sistémica y su espiritualidad ecléctica, no tiene por qué entrar necesariamente en conflicto con la fe cristiana. Al contrario, en las últimas décadas el movimiento ecologista está siendo un acicate, un revulsivo y una oportunidad histórica para volver a las fuentes teológicas, profundizar en el significado de la tradición sacramental, recuperar una antropología relacional, redescubrir una mística de alabanza al Creador, rehabilitar la categoría de sacrificio y expandir el horizonte ético del pensamiento social cristiano. Al mismo tiempo, en el diálogo entre la teología y la ecología, el cristianismo puede realizar una valiosa contribución que corrija algunos de los excesos ideológicos del ecologismo.

The article questions real theological character of some streams of the older Czech moral theological thought which ended in 1948 (beginning of the communist regime) and after 1989 has never been quoted or mentioned. It was a rationalistic neo-scholastic period of abstract philosophical theology. The blind alleys of theology can be traced in such areas as: the Scripture and philosophical speculation; “good” deed being good only as resulting in one’s eternal happiness; personal spiritual life and universally binding mo- ral norms; moral norms and the church and state law; natural ethics; depen- dence of theology on the political situation; universal validity and particular character of catholic moral theology; moral and religious norms of acting; moral responsibility to one’s conscience and ethical responsibility to a hete- ronomous authority. As examples of a really theological moral theology the work of Thomas Aquinas and Franz Bockle are presented. Their rationally constructed theology may be opposed by legal or disciplinary measures, religious manipulation, direct arguing by the will of God, or blind obedience. Nevertheless, personal moral responsibility remains undisputed. It is necessary to free oneself from some thought patterns and false traditions to uphold responsibility to the tradition of faith and real theology.

Liturgy is a privileged type of action: it is the actualisation of the Easter mystery, God’s salvation of His people, and the thanksgiving and praise of the Christian community. At the same time, liturgy must be seen as human behaviour and very specific – ritual behaviour. This study focuses on the concept of liturgy as a ritual which allows the exploration of the anthropological, physical, and performative part of liturgical action. This article demonstrates the basic elements in which the nature of this certainty is based in ritual (certainty based on the body, on traditionalism, on the form and on the doctrine).

This article constitutes a brief response to the reflections of Kateřina Bauer, František Štěch, and Michaela Kušnieriková on helpful models of theological, moral, and spiritual discernment, emphasising that the meta-praxis of discernment is needed in order to theoretically reflect on diakrisis and its theological, spiritual, and moral aspects. The article continues with a couple of remarks on discernment in Catholicism, Protestantism, and Orthodoxy. The article focuses on (i) discernment as the art of learning and listening; (ii) the practice of discernment as an ongoing hermeneutical re-reading of the past experiences and traditions; and (iii) false forms of discernment.

La constitución dogmática sobre la Iglesia del concilio Vaticano II profundiza en las relaciones entre la Tercera Persona de la Santísima Trinidad y la Virgen María. La santidad original de la Virgen, formada por el Espíritu Santo como nueva criatura, requerirá de ella una actitud activa y consciente, como colaboradora única en su obra. De este modo, la Madre de Dios aparece con las notas de “Casa de Dios”, “Theotokos” y “Madre de la Iglesia”. La obra de H. Mühlen se convierte en referencia canónica obligada para la recta comprensión de esa relación pneumatológica.

The German Protestant theologian Dorothee Solle, who came with the central ideas of relationship and reciprocity in the context of feminist liberation theology, accentuates what is known as the mysticism democratisation project. Within the framework of the project of the democratisation of mysticism, mystical sensitivity as a human constant that all people have without difference is thematised. In order to emphasise the equality and relationship between man and God as well as between man and others, she perceives mysticism as resistance: resistance against injustice and oppression in the world. According to Solle, mysticism cannot be an elitist matter for a few people, nor should it be solely aimed at contemplation; it is necessarily related to the social, everyday reality of people, where the connection with God can be found. However, mysticism in terms of resistance against injustice and oppression is subject to objections because of the consequent politicisation and instrumentalisation of mysticism, which in turn may result in the secularisation of the mystical experience.

The topic of this study is the relationship between dogmatic and moral theology. In the fi rst part of this paper the author defi nes this relationship as a hermeneutic circle and as an analogy of the trinitarian perichoresis. The second short chapter of this article is concerned with the issue of the natural and supernatural in the moral theology. In the third part the writer considers the relationship between Christ and the Torah. In the following paragraph we can see the relationship between the image of God and requests of moral theology. In the fi fth short chapter we can fi nd some inspirations of how to conceive of a new trinitarian moral theology. In the last point the author presents the thinking of Saint Bonaventura about theology of Sapientia that creates harmony between intellectus, affectus, contemplation and ethics.

François Mauriac desarrolló fundamentalmente su producción literaria en la primera mitad del siglo pasado, un periodo marcado por las dos Guerras Mundiales en una Francia en creciente proceso de secularización. Así las cosas, con motivo del cincuenta aniversario de su fallecimiento la pretensión de este trabajo es hacer emerger la figura de Mauriac como apologeta que, desde el ámbito literario, defendió algunos de los principales postulados católicos cuestionados por el alma moderna. En efecto, el premio Nobel de literatura pertenece a esa constelación de autores católicos que, profundizando en las raíces del Cristianismo, intentan dar una salida a la crisis de la Modernidad, cimentada fundamentalmente en el positivismo y el materialismo. De hecho, veremos cómo plantea el problema del mal en el mundo y la solución al mismo desde el ámbito de la caridad por medio de mártires inmolados. Asimismo, asistiremos a la crítica sistemática del novelista francés contra el antitestimonio cristiano o contra el fariseísmo religioso como elementos clave de su pedagogía apologética.

El presente artículo pretende rastrear los caminos por los que la noción de belleza ha transitado durante el pensamiento medieval, identificando dos grandes líneas de pensamiento: la belleza ontológica y la belleza formal. Ambos vienen a coincidir en la reflexión de Tomás de Aquino, cuya mirada abrirá el camino hacia una reflexión más autónoma del arte.

In this article we intend to present the divine liturgy of the presanctified gifts, an ancient and significant Lenten liturgy of the Byzantine tradition. It consists of vespers and a solemn Holy Communion.

Coptic-Arabic liturgical texts express the Easter mysteries in the rich idiom of the Scriptures and ancient Christian tradition, as seen in the Eucharistic Liturgies of St. Basil and St. Gregory, as well as in hymns and prayers of the Sixth and the Ninth Canonical Hours. They concentrate on the sacrifice of Christ on the cross as connected to that of the Holy Mass. The liturgical texts profess, in accordance to the Creed, the Divine economy of salvation in the incarnation of the Son of God and his crucifixion for human sin, his death and descent to the hell as well as ascent to the Father. Prefigured in Isaac and the Suffering Servant, he is seen as establishing the Eucharistic Sacrament on Maundy Thursday to perpetualize the effects of his sacrifice for partici- pants in the Mass. His trial and his suffering before Pontius Pilate is contem- plated, along with his crucifixion, his acceptance of the Thief on the Right. The liturgical texts essentially confess Christ’s death in the human body, his burial and descent to save the deceased, his resurrection and his ascension to sit with the Father. These points are succintly expressed in the ancient Trisagion. Fundamental is the connection between Christ’s incarnation and the redemption as well as between his past work of salvation and its present effect in the Eucharist. Coptic liturgical texts unite catechesis of faith to acting out Christ’s Easter mysteries where the salvatory events happen in the life of the participants.

Los obispos latinoamericanos reunidos en Puebla (México, 1979), en el marco de la opción preferencial por los pobres que toman en continuidad con Medellín (Colombia, 1968), afirman que dicha opción ha ayudado a la Iglesia a descubrir el potencial evangelizador de los pobres. Hace pocos años el papa Francisco en la encíclica La alegría del Evangelio (2013), retoma la idea del potencial evangelizador de los pobres. El presente texto quiere aportar una breve reflexión al modo como la opción por los pobres impacta de modo radical la pedagogía cristiana, aquella en donde se forma el discípulo, pero también aquella en la que la Iglesia entra en diálogo con el mundo, de modo especial el ámbito escolar formal. No ofrece indicaciones prácticas sobre cómo la opción por los pobres se hace presente en los planes de formación, en los proyectos pedagógicos o en el currículo del área. Pero sí se espera que, a partir de ellas, sean los agentes educativos implicados en estas áreas quienes tomen decisiones prácticas y de terreno al respecto.

Desde la creación del Plan de Formación de Laicos de la Arquidiócesis de Santiago (2001) se han implementado diversos procesos formativos bajo las directrices de su documento. Dichos lineamientos han requerido ser revisados y renovados en vistas de los cambios culturales, sociales y eclesiales que exigen nuevas condiciones formativas. Este artículo presenta los principales hallazgos de los procesos de consulta y reflexión liderados por el INPAS, asumiendo los desafíos de buscar una nueva propuesta formativa para los laicos. El procedimiento se llevó a cabo mediante encuestas que caracterizan sociológicamente al laicado y los impactos de la formación cristiana en su vida, junto con grupos focales y entrevistas grupales que entregan ideas clave para los fundamentos de una nueva propuesta. A partir de ello, se evidencia la importancia de entregar procesos que consideren la integralidad de la persona, desarrollen el discernimiento cristiano y colaboren en la síntesis entre fe y vida.

This paper is a review of renewing and guarding the nous in the Philokalia teaching. The Philokalia is a collection of spiritual texts written between the fourth and fifteenth centuries by the monks of the Orthodox Christian tradition. Christian spirituality is very concrete and practical not mysterious or abstract. Its various aspects are described well in the Philokalia but the Philokalia remains relatively unknown while people seek to satisfy their thirst by consuming from the heresies teaching that ever existed from the beginning of time. One of the most important spiritual aspects that needs to be re-discovered today is renewing the intellect or nous. The fathers of Philokalia concern much on the renewing and guarding the nous. The way to renew the nous is only guarding the nous with all nepsis (prosoche) and praying (proseuche). They emphasized nepsis or watchfulness because the arch - enemy of the soul is a certain kind of thought which they described with the word logismoi. Nepsis and praying are the way to contend against the logismoi and the passions.