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This paper reconsiders the critical promotion of science fiction in the Anthropocene. It highlights the genre’s technocentrism and ethnocentrism, and its historical alliance with empire and globalisation, but specifically argues for the genre’s association with an emerging planetarity whose hegemonic dynamics are underscored by Matthew A. Taylor (2016), among others. The paper revisits Margaret Atwood’s distinction between science fiction and speculative fiction, and calls attention to theorisations of planetarity that are not premised on scale or totality, to raise the question of genre and planetarity in and beyond science fiction proper. As a literary illustration of how genre my bear upon planetary thinking, the paper examines Jeanette Winterson’s 2007 novel The Stone Gods, which varies genres, scales, and planets. In the novel, a critique of imperial, world-making, planetarity is implemented as a parody of science fiction, whereas a change of genre opens for a different understating/practice of planetarity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marriages come in a very wide variety: if the reports of anthropologists and historians are to be believed, an extraordinarily wide variety. This includes some of the more unusual forms, including marriage to the dead; to the gods; and even to plants. This does suggest that few proposed marriage relationships would require 'redefining marriage': but on the other hand, it makes giving a general theory of marriage challenging. So one issue we should face is how accepting we should be of the reports: to what extent reported 'marriages' really are marriages. This paper defends the view that almost all of these reported marriages are in fact marriages, and suggests some theoretical approaches that may be generous enough to account for this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores recently reported inscriptional and sculptural evidence from an early Medieval "Jayaskandhāvāra" i.e. the royal administrative headquarters of the Pāla dynasty, named Mudgagiri (present-day Munger), in Bihar, India. Xuanzang visited Mudgagiri during c. seventh century CE and mentioned the Buddhist vihāras and other sacred structures situated there. Sculptural evidence suggests that in addition to Buddhism, Brahmanical traditions including Śāktism, Vaiṣṇavism, and Śavism were also prevalent during the Pāla period. The practice of worshipping mainstream deities with local names is supported by inscriptional evidence. The depiction of several sculptures reflects the prevalence of revering warrior-like goddesses. The rare image of fleshy and serene Cāmuṇḍā presents one of the many forms of goddess sculpted in the eastern Indian context. The paper also analyses unfinished sculptures to understand the carving and polishing sequence employed by the śilpakāras. The present paper also aims to comprehend the role of "Jayaskandhāvāra" in the socio-political-economic milieu of the Pāla kingdom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider a formal model of polytheistic religion, where worshippers choose gods to address, and expect benefits in return. At the game-theoretic equilibrium, they choose gods optimally depending on how the gods return favors, as a function of divine efficiency. This efficiency can be modeled based on a random growth model of prayer benefit, and results in worship acts following power laws. A reduction in the range of random events associated to the various divinities, or to their range of interpretations, leads to more concentration of worship towards less divinities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qaryatum dhāt Kāhilim ('the City of [the god] Kahl') is the Ancient South Arabian name of the modern site of Qaryat al‐Fāw. This compound refers to the tutelary deity of the city, in this case, a god called Kahl. However, the identity of this Kahl is obscure. Who is this god that makes his appearance in history towards the end of the second half of the first millennium bc? Despite his name being recorded in various texts and inscriptions on numerous objects that confirm his role as the city's patron god, scant information exists regarding his attributes or sphere of influence. Nonetheless, clues on some of his characteristics can be gleaned from coins bearing his likeness. This serves as a springboard for exploring potential connections with iconographies seen in petroglyphs, statues and paintings from the region, suggesting that Kahl may fit within the archetype of the smiting or menacing god, a prevalent motif in the broader Eastern Mediterranean region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The statistical brain hypothesis posits that the brain constructs probabilistic models of the environment. Here we examine whether this perspective can provide any insight on religion. We propose that religious ideas represent an attempt to explain away residuals, that is, to explain discrepancies between observations and predictions. The framework postulates probabilistic generative models where gods are described by latent variables whose possible states correspond to the actions available to the gods. As examined in the paper, our proposal offers a plausible interpretation of typical religious phenomena such as miracles, omens, and divination. Moreover, it captures important characteristics of religious beliefs including the notion that gods control multiple spheres of reality, are organized hierarchically, and control aspects that are salient for believers. Besides offering an intriguing new perspective on religion, the paper corroborates the possibility that the statistical brain hypothesis represents a unifying theory of the mind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weituo 韦驮 is one of the most frequently represented protective deities in Chinese Buddhist temples. The statue of Weituo is enshrined virtually in every standard Buddhist temple in China today, and at a unique location—in the entrance hall for the four Heavenly Kings and facing inward. Why is the Weituo statue placed at this place and looking inward? The Chinese Weituo can be traced back to the Hindu god Skanda. However, his iconography and functions in China were completely reshaped by master Daoxuan's 道宣 (596–667) account of this deity. Actually, Weituo is just one of the many Buddhist protective deities for general protection and prosperity. In China, as I demonstrate in this study, Weituo has been known as the most diligent Dharma-protector and is associated in particular with the saṅgha, as a patron guardian and inspector of monks and nuns. Thus, Weituo's images are shrined in Buddhist temples. The locations of these images reflect the importance of Weituo and his special role in Chinese Buddhism. In the past, there have been a few studies, but they mainly focus on his origin. The functions of Weituo and the worship of Weituo in the Chinese saṅgha have not been well examined. Going beyond his identities, iconography, and style, this study aims to contextualize Weituo images in temple space and religious practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Divine Doppelgängers: YHWH's Ancient Look-Alikes" explores the similarities between the God of the Bible and other ancient deities in the Near East. It questions how the Bible's depiction of God differs from the gods of other cultures and examines the theological implications of these parallels. Various scholars contribute to the discussion, offering different perspectives on the issue. The article delves into the historical context of ancient beliefs and their impact on monotheistic traditions, providing a scholarly and erudite exploration of the topic for readers interested in theological debates. [Extracted from the article]

The article explores the thematic and phraseological parallels between the Sumerian City Laments and the Biblical book of Lamentations, both grieving the destruction of major cities. Lamentations focuses on Jerusalem's fall, emphasizing themes of loneliness, abandonment, and suffering. The Sumerian City Laments depict the destruction of cities and temples by divine forces, with a focus on the patron gods' pleas for mercy. Both texts address the devastation caused by deities and the possibility of restoring relationships with them, reflecting unique theological perspectives. The article highlights the differences in divine interactions and human involvement between the Sumerian and biblical texts, shedding light on cultural and theological distinctions. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses Gematria in the Hebrew Bible, focusing on the application of numerical values to letters. It explores the historical use of Gematria in Jewish religious literature and the dispute over its recognition in the Hebrew Bible. The text presents examples of both "overt" and "secret" Gematria in the Hebrew Bible, highlighting the application of numerical values to letters in ancient Israel. The article also delves into the use of alphabetic numerals in ancient Greek and the significance of numbers in biblical texts, offering insights into the complex practice of Gematria. [Extracted from the article]

The life‐giving power of Christ's flesh and the unique efficacy of his atoning death are grounded in the fact that the flesh belongs to a divine person, the eternal Word. Though some theologians have argued that this should be explained by a divine sort of suffering taking place on the cross, this essay briefly critiques the idea of divine suffering in the atonement and proceeds to offer constructive discussion of other ways in which the life‐giving power of Christ's flesh and the efficacy of his atoning death are grounded in his deity. This first requires a consideration of the way in which Christ's humanity is empowered and supported by his deity in his suffering and atoning death, which will be articulated in dialogue with several patristic, medieval, and early modern theologians. A second essay will then elaborate further on the relationship between the efficacy of the atonement and the deity of Christ by discussing the way in which the ransom that Christ pays on the cross derives its infinite worth from his deity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major form of meat abstinence in modern China was the observance of periodic fasting, as distinct from permanent vegetarianism. This article explores the various forms of such observances and their evolution from late imperial times to the Republican period. It describes the religious calendars that circulated widely from the late Qing onward and identifies the most common fasting regimens (and the associated gods) that people selected from a large choice of fasting days. It then draws on narrative material to tease out how and why people adopted such regimens and to discuss debates and polemics about them. Finally, it shows that periodic fasting continued to be popular during the twentieth century, exhibiting more continuities than current studies of modern changes in the discourses about vegetarianism would suggest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helenus’ oracle in Sophocles’ Philoctetes is commonly misunderstood as an unqualified revelation of an immutable future: the gods have fated Philoctetes to rejoin the Greek army at Troy. This has occasioned further misinterpretations of the play, especially as regards the “false ending”, in which Neoptolemus and Philoctetes would appear to disregard the divine will in an act of conscious impiety by choosing to sail for Malis instead. This paper argues that the oracle should rather be understood as conditional, allowing Philoctetes either to assent or refuse to rejoin the Greek army in good conscience. In the absence of compulsion from the gods, Neoptolemus and Philoctetes feel free to make tragic choices of real gravity about their futures, and these choices reveal the duo’s characters before Heracles appears and reverses their course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In his commentary on Psalm 118(LXX):73a, "Your hands made me and fashioned me" (Tract.118Ps. 10.1–8), Hilary of Poitiers provides a unique perspective on the creation of humanity and on its exceptional dignity. I will examine key aspects of Hilary's exegesis of this verse, namely, the identification of the hands of God, the interpretation of the two verbs "made" and "fashioned", and the connections with Genesis 1:26 and 2:7. I will also compare Hilary's interpretation of Ps 118:73a to the views expressed by other authors such as Theophilus, Irenaeus, Origen, Tertullian, Ambrose, and Didymus, with the purpose of contextualising Hilary's novel understanding of human dignity within the larger framework of Early Christian interpretations of Genesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this essay, I provide a holistic reading of Gregory Nazianzen's Poemata Arcana , eight poems providing a coherent and systematic account of the elements of Christian theology. I explore in particular the reflexive didactic poetics of the work, arguing that one of the most recurring themes is that of continual and gradated spiritual progress toward God and that Gregory takes care to position himself as an instructor and exemplar for his readers in their own individual, gradual self-perfective journeys. Over the course of this argument, I critically reconsider prior judgements concerning the poem's theological content (especially on the issue of apophasis and theōsis), literary technique and textual constitution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secularism worldwide poses great challenges to religion. It is as if the gates are open to reject religion. Secularism in many ways challenges the truth, morality, political power and social value provided by religions in general terms. Secularism also tends to promote a society where religion has no role to play in education or state affairs. In some cases it additionally argues for the separation of Church and state and this importantly tends to limit the vital influence of a religion on pressing social and moral issues. The most important challenge however, comes from some scientists who reject a religious understanding of the world. Evolution is regarded as a proven scientific explanation of the present world. Furthermore, religious books such as the Holy Bible are rejected because of the so-called discrepancies and evil descriptions even of God. How should religions react to these challenges? The purpose of this paper is to explain the main implications of secularism. In South Africa, the religious beliefs of many are rejected. Authors of novels, many influential people, and even some theologians who turned away from faith explain that secularism should be embraced. The purpose was to engage these views and explain how religions should react. The method followed in this paper was to conduct a literature study of the main views on secularism from a selection of novelists and ex-theologians and to engage with these from a literature study of exponents who, largely from a Christian viewpoint, discuss their responses to these views. The paper then evaluated these ideas and views. The implications are that the purpose of religious beliefs is again made clear and that the value of faith in the present world of secularism is established. Although the answers are not acceptable to all, it is essential to engage secularism in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Apostle Paul has been an iconic theologian of the church. As a diverse society and a platform where there is expectation for excellence and orderliness, it is imperative for the church to be led by Christ-like, morally sound, and competent individuals. Based on media reports, most churches in Nigeria are mostly governed by individuals who have character deficit and lack leadership acumen. The church, as the body of Christ, must go back to the status-quo, which is the Holy Bible, for ethical direction. The study employed a socio-rhetorical method of studying 1 Timothy 3:1-7 towards developing theological and ethical guidelines for church leadership in Nigeria. In addition, the study made use of interviews as a research tool in gathering relevant information. The research reveals that Paul's guidelines in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 hinge on character, ministerial, spiritual, household, and social criteria which must be considered as standards for choosing anyone into ecclesiastical leadership positions. It is recommended that church leaders in Nigeria should appropriate the spiritual, ethical and social guidelines as stated in 1Timothy 3:1-7 as an evidence of faithfulness to God and excellence in Christian ministry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the transformative role of translation in bridging cultural, linguistic, and subjective divides, particularly in the context of current global conflicts. It explores how translation is not just a means of conveying information but a creative act that fosters empathy, connection, and mutual understanding, akin to the Greek god Eros.

"The Uses of Idolatry" by William T. Cavanaugh explores the concept of idolatry and its prevalence in contemporary societies. Cavanaugh argues that everyone worships, whether they are believers or nonbelievers, and that idolatry is not limited to religious practices but also extends to economic and political spheres. He emphasizes that idolatry comes in degrees and can be discerned through worship, trust, loyalty, and devotion directed at something other than the God worshiped by Jews and Christians. Cavanaugh suggests that the remedy for idolatry is a sacramental approach, where humans make contact with the immaterial God in the material world without reducing God to the material. The book also examines the idolatrous devotion found in nationalism and consumerism, highlighting the need for discernment and the recognition of virtues within distorted forms of idolatry. While Cavanaugh's remedies for idolatry are questioned, his exploration of worship and the Eucharist as a remedy for idolatry is commended. [Extracted from the article]

This paper examines the critical perspectives of scholars during the Han Dynasty on customs and beliefs related to ghosts and deities. Focusing on Wang Chong as an example, it explores the naturalistic explanations of life and death, the concept of ghosts and deities, and the associated customs of funerals, sacrifices, and taboos. Wang Chong's criticisms focused on the core ideologies that underpinned funeral practices, sacrifices, and taboos and attempted to undermine the essence of these traditional customs. By reinterpreting funeral practices, sacrifices, and taboos from a ritualistic perspective that emphasized the social function rather than their supernatural implications, Wang Chong aimed to reconcile local tradition with rationality and promote a more profound understanding of the world. His approach, though complex and at times seemingly contradictory, holds an important position among the intellectual critiques of customs and beliefs during the Han Dynasty, and it sheds light on the challenges faced by ancient Chinese scholars in navigating the intersections between rationality, morality, and religion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the myth of the death of the Norse god Baldr in a comparative framework. Scholars working in the fields of comparative mythology and religion have long argued that a myth concerning the sacrificial killing of the first man is represented in the ancient and medieval literatures of several languages in the Indo-European family. In the reconstruction of this myth, the first priest sacrifices his brother, whose corpse is integrated into the structure of the cosmos, and who rules the realm of the dead. It has long been argued that Ymir's death and dismemberment and the use of his body to construct the world in Old Norse sources is a reflex of this myth; this study argues that the myth of the death of Baldr is also a cognate version of this myth. This article is the second part of a two-part study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An intriguing anepigraphic panel, carved in a quarry a few kilometers north of Aswan during the Greco-Roman period, features two registers depicting nine deities and a man of Nubian origin. The latter is portrayed in an unusual defensive posture, with his back turned to the Elephantine triad. While certain gods (Khnum, Satet, Anuket, and Min) are easily recognizable, others pose more challenges in terms of identification. By reconstructing the regional religious context of this period, it becomes possible to suggest identifications for the deities in the lower register, following Min. It seems that these deities are visibly connected to Elephantine theology and, in some instances, may belong to the category of deified humans. The Nubian individual could potentially be the dedicant of this enigmatic scene, with his martial character conveyed not only through his representation but also by the selection of specific gods in the lower register. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents evidence that some—but not all—religious experts in a particular faith may have a schizophrenia-like psychotic process which is managed or mitigated by their religious practice, in that they are able to function effectively and are not identified by their community as ill. We conducted careful phenomenological interviews, in conjunction with a novel probe, with okomfo, priests of the traditional religion in Ghana who speak with their gods. They shared common understandings of how priests hear gods speak. Despite this, participants described quite varied personal experiences of the god's voice. Some reported voices which were auditory and more negative; some seemed to describe trance-like states, sometimes associated with trauma and violence; some seemed to be described sleep-related events; and some seemed to be interpreting ordinary inner speech. These differences in description were supported by the way participants responded to an auditory clip made to simulate the voice-hearing experiences of psychosis and which had been translated into the local language. We suggest that for some individuals, the apprenticeship trained practice of talking with the gods, in conjunction with a non-stigmatizing identity, may shape the content and emotional tone of voices associated with a psychotic process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the use of Greek mythology in current ecological discourse. In Classical Studies, specifically in Classical Tradition studies, the ecocritical revision of Greco-Latin texts and their survival is still in its infancy. The ecological question is usually approached as a reconstruction of notions and uses of nature, with little reference to the contemporary philosophical and cultural discourse that revolves around the cultural causes of the climate crisis, its historical paradoxes, and its future projections. This has led to a situation in which ancient mythology, especially Greek mythology, is used by ecological discourse representatives for argumentative, explanatory, or informative purposes without the required textual criticism and scientific rigor. This paper insists on the need to critically review the ecological readings of Greek mythology to avoid contradictions, paradoxes, or biased interpretations that could weaken the ecocritical debate. Specifically, two predominant tendencies are analyzed: the argumentative use of myth (e.g., in the case of the adamantine chains of Prometheus or the use of Platonic myths) and its resemanticization for a specific discursive purpose (e.g., the reductionist interpretations of Gaia and Medusa) in authors such as Timothy Morton, Jane Bennett, Ursula Heise, or Donna Haraway. The results show that the treatment of Greek myths in the ecological discourse is often subordinated to argumentative needs, avoiding alternative mythographic sources that relativize what has been exposed or venturing into biased interpretations that can lead to undesired contradictions concerning the postulates of the ecological discourse itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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There are various permutations of theism: henotheism, pantheism, panentheism, a/theism, and nontheistic divinity. There is debate whether the idea of OmniGod was ever achieved in India. R. C. Zaehner argued that an evolutionary transition from pratenaturalism of the Vedas to Upaniṣad's monism, culminated in monotheism with Purāṇas and the Bhagavad Gītā. I argue differently, beginning with ancient ritualistic polytheism, followed by unifying One Brahman, toward monistic panentheism and later non-dualism of advaita Vedānta. Under the influence of Asaṅga, Buddhism elevated the Buddha as the Great Divine Replacement. As a response or reaction, Brāhmaṇism forged Īśvara as God with the World as his Body. By 13th century, theistic dualism separated Īśvara from his creatio. Even Nyāya rational philosophy was persuaded by monotheism as demonstrated in their teleo-cosmological argument for the existence of Īśvara. I attribute all this to sectarian and doctrinal shifts rather than to any evolutionary teleology and/or predestined historicist movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sogdian fragment SI 5704T, known as "The Story of a Tortoise Fallen from the Wood", is a short narration of the thirteenth story of the First Book of Pañcatantra. The Sanskrit story quotes a wise man called Manu, who is missing from the Sogdian. Indologists know him as the archetype of the first man. According to Hindu mythology, fourteen mythical rulers called Manu took turns ruling the earth. Ibn ʿArabī knows that the world was never evacuated by Walī. As in Hinduism, the earth will never be evacuated by Manu. This article aims to compare Manu's identity with Ibn 'Arabi's thought on Al-Insān Al-Kāmil. As Philosophia Perennis asserts, common thoughts in religions share universal enlightening truths in different epochs that are widespread, common and distinguishable. This research is based on a descriptive-analytical method, and all methodological elements are stored in a method library. This comparison is based on a study of Manus identity among Sanskrit books such as the Vedas, the Laws of Manu, the Puranas of Jainism and the identity of Al-Insān Al-Kāmil according to Fusus Al-Hikam and Al-Futūḥāt al-Makkiyy. According to Hinduism, each Manu lives for more than three million years; no mortal being can boast such longevity. As Ibn Arabis noted, the world would never be abandoned by the gods Walī. Manu's identity is congruent with the identity of Al-Insān Al-Kāmil by virtue of the Philosophia Prennis. Since Adam, by God's grace, was His Khalifa, Manu, as the archetype of the first man, could be God's Khalifa on earth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The Laws x argument that the gods attend to humans has a surprising structure: the Athenian offers an argument that 'forces' the interlocutor to agree that he was wrong, then says he needs a myth in addition. I argue that the myth responds to the interlocutor's motivation for thinking that the gods ignore human beings, and that although it is not an argument, it is a vehicle for rational persuasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the basic semantic and compositional principles of the location of ancient-themed mascarons in the space of the Russian architecture of the 19th — early 20th centuries on the example of buildings in Moscow and St Petersburg. They have appeared in the focus of the search for artistic expression by Russian sculptors and architects. Nevertheless, mascarons have never been the subject of specialized scientific research. The accents they bring to the figurative concept of structures are very instructive for understanding the system of meanings of some works of Russian architecture. All this determines the relevance of addressing this issue. The study uses formal stylistic and comparative methods of analysis.

This article presents a corrected reading of the traces of the Old Phrygian inscription on the Arslan Kaya monument in the Phrygian Highlands, attesting to the name of the goddess, Materan, and providing notice of stylistic details that confirm the dating of this monument to the first half or middle of the sixth century BCE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although Aristotle's Metaphysics received much attention in the nineteenth and the twentieth centuries, scholars and historians of science were not particularly interested in clarifying the aim of Aristotle's appeal to astronomy in Λ 8. Read with monotheistic prejudices, this chapter was quickly abandoned by Aristotelian scholars as a gratuitous insertion, which downgrades Aristotle's God for the sake of some supplementary principles, whose existence was dictated by celestial mechanics. On the other hand, historians of astronomy read the astronomical excursus as providing a picture of Aristotle as an able astronomer, who made an important contribution to the theory of concentric celestial spheres of Eudoxus and Callippus by adding the counteracting spheres. The present article argues (a) that Aristotle purposefully turned to astronomy as the only mathematical science whose objects were correlative to the immaterial first substances or gods, the number of which had to be precisely determined by his own project of first philosophy; and (b) that he had no aspiration of improving the astronomical theory of his peers, contrary to an interpretation that first emerged with the Peripatetic exegete Sosigenes in the second century A.D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Competing for the gods: agonistic rituals in the ancient world (Competiendo para los dioses: los rituals agonísticos en el mundo antíguo): edited by Rocío Gordillo Hervás, Eduardo Ferrer Albelda and Álvaro Pereira Delgado, Seville, University of Seville, 2022, 14€, (hardback), ISBN 978-84-472-3023-5 While the Olympics are the most significant record of sports practice since classical antiquity, they remain one of the most significant and universal manifestations of the presence of sport in the modern world. In chapter six, Rocío Gordillo Hervás focuses on how Emperor Hadrian, interested in homogenising the religious and civil time of the entire Roman Empire, uses the Greek agonistic ritualistic competitions to create a new calendar. [Extracted from the article]

Religion has remained a major source of hope for man’s existential experiences. In Africa, the domineering effects of Christianity and Islam have undermined the history and practice of the African Traditional Religion (ATR) that was hitherto the original religion of the people. The influence of Christianity and Islam has thus brought observable changes that affected the dynamics and practices of African Traditional Religion creating a clash of civilization and internal communal conflict, arising from misunderstanding from faithful of other religions. This study focused on ATR in Isuokoma, Nigeria. It identified the ideas and religious practices of the people using primary and secondary data that were interpreted thematically. The study found that ATR was very pragmatic and realistic, adjusting ever to meet the needs of the existential circumstances, notwithstanding the dwindling percentage sof adherents in Isuokoma. The study concluded that African Traditional Religion, in its pre-colonial form, offers the Isuokoma men and women some explanations in relation to why they are where they found themselves, why things continue or discontinue to happen and, reasons for some changes often expressed in the Isuokoma religious culture and civilization. It recommends increased religious socialization in Isuokoma and Nigeria at large as a way of building sustainable societal harmony. The study contributes to the body of knowledge in Religion, and African Traditional Religion in particular as well as enhances studies in inter-group relations.

The article titled "Beyond Immanence: The Theological Vision of Kierkegaard and Barth" explores the influence of philosopher Søren Kierkegaard on theologian Karl Barth. The authors, Alan J. Torrance and Andrew B. Torrance, provide a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between these two influential figures, highlighting both explicit and implicit references to Kierkegaard in Barth's work. The article also delves into the theological implications of this influence, emphasizing the importance of starting theological thinking with Jesus Christ as the privileged site of revelation. The authors argue against an immanent theological approach and propose a "Kierkegaard-Barth Trajectory" that emphasizes the centrality of Christ in theological discourse. The article concludes by suggesting that liberation theology may be a natural extension of this trajectory, freeing theologians from the constraints of liberal theology and encouraging identification with the marginalized and oppressed. [Extracted from the article]

Rightly recognized as a great scientific achievement of physics of the XX century, the special theory of relativity (SRT), however, turned out to be erroneous, because at that time there was no experimental knowledge necessary for its creation, which had to be replaced by postulates. But not everything was guessed. And that's only natural. All new theories are always later finalized and corrected. But the SRT had a different fate. It was canonized, as in its truth could not be doubted50, it could not be corrected, and everything that was written in it had to be unshakably believed. Therefore, its numerous subsequent experimental corrections and refutations were not and still are not taken into account. As a result, it remained uncorrected. It is in this form that SRT is now studied in all physics textbooks, according to which it is taught even at the most prestigious universities. However, a corrected version of SRT has already been created, in which instead of the in-correct principle of non-exceeding the speed of light, the experimentally proven principle of phys-ical reality of imaginary numbers, which refuted this postulate, is used. And from relativistic for-mulas of the corrected version of SRT follows the existence of numerous mutually invisible parallel universes. The corrected version of SRT has allowed to solve many unsolved in the noncorrected version of SRT problems. In the corrected version of SRT also it is explained that these invisible universes about which it is spoken in all religions, and are invisible afterlife world in which Gods and souls of dead dwell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay considers Gregory of Nazianzus' allusion to 'divine deceit', a motif related to the so-called 'Christus Victor' theory of atonement. This allusion is curious when we recall that for Gregory, the devil, not God, is the master of deception. When we treat On the Lights (Or. 39) as a literary unit – which commentators have yet to do – we see that Gregory makes several doctrinal affirmations before alluding to what is known as 'divine deceit'. In this doctrinal discussion, Gregory draws upon the Platonic distinction between the orders of being and becoming as described in the Timaeus. He then alludes to 'divine deceit' with respect to the order of 'becoming', which bears the possibility of being misapprehended because it is 'grasped by opinion'. The devil's 'opinion' of himself and of Christ, therefore, is suspect. Death – or rather, Christ's vanquishment of it – is the moment of reckoning. Since God alone can defeat death, Christ's putting death to death is the only certain way for the devil to recognise that the 'Son of Man' is, after all, the 'Son of God'. The 'devil's delusion', then – not 'divine deceit' – best summarises Gregory's understanding of this moment in the history of salvation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to show that the traditional problem of evil can be logically dissolved by a more thorough analysis of what love (Agape, Eros, Philia) and evil actually are. When investigated this analysis reveals that they are manifestations and evaluations of power dynamical relations leading to a conclusion that it would be logically impossible for God to be all-loving and at the same time prevent evil as all-loving constitutes an unlimited, unjudgmental, empowerment and good and evil are simply evaluations or perspectives on that power use. To stop evil God would have to disempower in some way and that would not be Agape and thus logically impossible as Agape is part of the very nature of God. This paper reveals the "form" of good to be empowerment and the "form" of bad/evil to be disempowerment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to provide a preliminary investigation into the religious profile of a Malla-era Newar king, namely Jitāmitramalla (r. 1673–1696), by examining his scribal and compositional output. It does this by engaging with largely unstudied sources, chiefly (i) an unpublished poem written by King Jitāmitra known as the Siddhilakṣmīmantrayantroddhārastotra in which the monarch extols the goddess Siddhilakṣmī and lays out methods for her worship and (ii) the colophons of seven liturgical paddhatis copied by this king, which to my knowledge, are still undiscussed and untranslated in secondary literature. In doing so, we gain an insight into the King's understanding of various aspects of his own religious identity, including his role as a tāntrika and his relationship with his chosen deities. The material studied will also uncover new information on the religious affiliations of the royal Bhaktapuri court and the medieval religious landscape of the Kathmandu Valley generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper refutes the common objection against pantheistic models of divinity that they are valueless or bereft of ethics due to the ambiguous model of God they espouse, arguing instead that pantheism can be construed as an inherently ethical model of divinity. It addresses common assumptions about omnibenevolent deities and the values they do or do not inspire. It then discusses the values that are arguably both immanent and inherent in nature itself. Finally, this paper makes the case that the ambiguity that pantheistic models of God acknowledge in nature is actually a necessary precondition for goodness itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]