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The image of 'the people' has occupied a central place in the discourse of the contemporary Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) for many years. However, the ROC's ecclesiastical 'populism' has not been systematically analyzed. The study at hand aims to fill this gap by examining the representations of 'the people' articulated at the Bishops' Council of the ROC in the last three decades. Following and modifying Ernesto Laclau and his followers' approach to studying populism, the analysis of the Council's documents shows that the official Church plays a dual language game, simultaneously constructing a hegemonic order in Russia and its alleged 'civilizational space' and promoting a seemingly counter-hegemonic project in global politics. However, the role of 'the people' in this setting is far from Laclau's conception of radical popular agency. Instead, the Bishops' Council calls for the preservation of traditional identities and local hierarchies in order to ensure Russia's continuity and greatness. Thus, the official Church has been contributing to the elitist, statist, and great-power nationalist hegemony in Russia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work analyses the macroscopic definition of Bishop's χ function for double porosity soils by imposing the thermodynamic consistency of the constitutive stress derived from that function. The analysis presented demonstrates that, under the assumption of equilibrium between macrostructural and microstructural water, χ should be understood, from a thermodynamic perspective, as a correction of the macrostructural suction that enables an accurate definition of the increase in Helmholtz free energy in the soil when using the constitutive stress to compute the strain work. For the low salinity conditions assumed, the proposed functional structure establishes a broad model framework that can accommodate developments tailored to different materials and test conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronations in Great Britain previously offered an occasion for national civic and spiritual renewal. However, the recent crowning of Charles III threw a spotlight on some of the deepening dissonance, diversity and divisions within British society. This paper is an 'in principle' argument for change and development. As the clamour for constitutional reform in the United Kingdom continues, and the awkwardness of Church of England bishops sitting in the House of Lords becomes more apparent, the time is ripe to reconsider disestablishment. In particular, the power and privilege of one denomination over all others is interrogated in relation to a kenotic ecclesiology, and which may now require the intentional divesting of kingly power: not clinging to status any longer, but self-emptying and embracing equality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to nuance the traditional interpretation of Bishop Adalbero of Laon's satirical Carmen ad Rotbertum regem as a rebuttal of Cluniac reform and its disruptive effect on early eleventh‐century society. Study of the text's literary antecedents reveals that its criticism was rooted in a tradition of commentaries on the conduct and attitudes of a much larger monastic cohort. Furthermore, comparison of its argument with evidence about the context and with a number of polemical statements regarding the relations between bishops and monastic leaders since the 990s indicates that the author's focus was on cautioning against abbots' hypocrisy rather than against a programmatic reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyril of Alexandria's Festal Letters are an underutilised source of his theology. Through them one can trace the development of his thought throughout the tumultuous years of his episcopacy. In this article, I draw attention to Cyril's 'unitive' Christology and the way he explains the incarnation to those under his pastoral care. Cyril employs key strategies informed by strong theological convictions to describe Christ as one subject who is fully divine and human. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article attempts to identify the anonymous Franciscan bishop who, according to the Lanercost Chronicle, participated at the Battle of Neville’s Cross, Durham, against the invading Scots, on 17 October 1346. The Franciscan ‘Matthew episcopus Manchensis’, previously suggested to be the bishop in question, is shown to derive from a scribal error, but even the corrected Matthew bishop Organchensis was probably not the prelate in question. Rather, it is argued, another Durham suffragan, frater Richard bishop of Bisaccia, may have been in the man at Neville’s Cross. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the dams registered on the National Information System on Dam Safety (SNISB of Brazil) do not have enough information to assess whether they fit into the National Dam Safety Policy (PNSB), or to assess their safety conditions. According to the National Agency of Waters (ANA, 2021b), there are currently 122 dams with some important structural problems indicated by their inspectors in 23 states. Therefore, this article proposes a methodology for identifying faults in dam safety activities. The method applies to all types of existing dams. The proposed methodology comprises ten stages that, according to the progress of the steps, are defined by three levels of completeness of the information. Tables were developed with the objective of being a verification guide for these ten stages. This research applied the proposed methodology to two dams in Paraná, Brazil. The first is the Iraí dam, located in the metropolitan region of Curitiba, and the second is the Jordan River Derivation dam, located in Reserva do Iguaçu. The example of the Iraí dam could complete all stages of the proposed methodology. For the Jordan River Derivation dam, stages 1 to 5 of the proposed methodology were carried out. The application of the proposed methodology intends to become a useful tool, especially for inspectors, aiming at a more effective registration process, accelerating the completion of the SNISB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

John Lydgate's Life of Our Lady (1416–1421), a digressive devotional poem centred on a biography of Mary and a liturgical cycle from Christmas to Candlemas, challenges recent critical opinions on the limited direct impact of Archbishop Thomas Arundel's Constitutions of 1409. The poem both shapes and is shaped by the spirit of the age; it was likely intended for Henry V himself, survives in 50 manuscripts and was printed by William Caxton. In Life of Our Lady , Lydgate neither breaks the rules of Arundel's Constitutions nor seeks reform. He experiences the rules as stimulation, not censorship. He will not straightforwardly apply Latinate authority to the vernacular. He draws attention to his authority as a writer, rather than to the language he uses, in order to create official ways to write an original, authoritative text for private use without Church intervention. He shows that neither compilation—as passive assembly of texts—nor translation—as a means of doing this in the vernacular—properly addressed the problems that Arundel had identified. Life of Our Lady purports to be an exercise in 'dullness' in the fifteenth century—self-effacement as the compiler and translator of authoritative sources—precisely because Lydgate uses the strictures of compilation and translation so cleverly to create his own vernacular authority. He uses this vernacular authority for original composition and to help readers in their private devotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Can religious leaders who oppose state violence reduce its use? Communal elites, such as religious leaders, may oppose human rights violations. This article argues that these leaders, part of institutions embedded in local communities and with influence based on traditional power, reduce repression when they oppose dictatorships. The argument's main implication is tested in Argentina during the Dirty War of its 1976-1983 military dictatorship, using original archival data on the country's Catholic bishops. Opposed bishops are associated with reduced disappearances and killings. A variety of evidence is consistent with opposed bishops taking two types of actions to resist repression: assisting likeminded local agents and participating in human rights advocacy campaigns. The findings point to the importance of influential civil society actors in reducing state violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attention to the complexities of social networks at the time of the first Origenist controversy at the end of the fourth century reveals that while both Jerome and Anastasius I, bishop of Rome, were anti-Origenist, they had differing attitudes towards Paulinus of Nola. Jerome was suspicious of him because of Origenist associates, while Anastasius seems to have held him in high regard. It is argued here that it is too simplistic to divide participants in this controversy into pro- and anti-Origenist camps and to expect that those within each camp all shared the same outlook and evaluation of others. Personal attitudes towards others usually are shaped by more than one issue, and different issues hold different significance for different people. In the case of Anastasius, it would appear that he was unaware of potential Origenist sympathies held by Paulinus, did not place the same importance on his network of contacts as Jerome did, and/or was more influenced by his social standing as a member of the elite than by suspicion about possible Origenist affinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the friendship between Cardinal Basil Hume and Archbishop Rembert Weakland, two influential figures in the Church. The author, Gertrude Feick, aims to honor and preserve the memory of both men. Feick conducted interviews with people who knew Cardinal Hume, including Archbishop Weakland, and shares their insights on his spirituality and the unique contemplative dimension of the English Benedictine Congregation. The text discusses various aspects of Cardinal Hume's life and spirituality, including his participation in morning prayers, his sense of humor, and his role in addressing issues within the church. It also highlights his ability to form deep connections with others, including Prince Charles. The article concludes by emphasizing the personal connection between Cardinal Hume and Archbishop Weakland, and their shared ability to make others feel like friends. [Extracted from the article]

Census data shows that Northeast Indian (NEI) migration to various metropolitan cities has been fast emerging as a new phenomenon where Delhi is increasingly becoming a sought-after destination for out-migrants from the region. While on the one hand, the lack of opportunities or the developmental gaps in the region 'pushes' the youth out, and on the other, by catering to the labour market it not only contributes to the destination's economy but has also leads to the creation or development of areas where people from the region are concentrated, including 'Northeast Neighbourhoods' within the vast city of Delhi. This paper attempts to look into this process of creating 'places' by Northeast out-migrants in Delhi. Data from censuses (1991–2011), along with primary data collected during a field survey in Delhi have been used for the analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the wills of bishops in late medieval Britain and Ireland who were members of religious orders, and attempts to answer two questions: to what extent can these wills be distinguished from those made by their secular counterparts; and did these monks, canons and friars refer or allude to their status as regular clergy in the wills? The wills of 47 regular bishops have been identified, dating between 1350 and 1535, from England, Wales and Ireland, and are compared with those of 111 secular prelates for the same period. While only a handful of the monastic and mendicant bishops explicitly mention their status as regulars, the vast majority – and friars in particular – do appear to have made decisions when drawing up their wills that were a result of their religious vocations. Only seven wills make no allusion to their testators' regular status at all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the first half of the 18th century, bishops fray José de Lupia y Roger and D. Alonso Fernández de Velasco y Pantoja visited most of the parishes in diocese of León, the former doing so on several occasions. The objective of these visits was to learn about the spiritual state of the territory they oversaw. Within the current province of León, these two bishops visited the archdeaconries of Mayorga and Cea as well as four of the ten vicariates. They recorded their observations and the information they gathered in ledgers. These documents constitute an invaluable source of information concerning matters in which the bishops felt it necessary to intervene, for instance, to correct customs and behaviours --among laypeople and clergy-- that did not adhere to official religious practices. Furthermore, these ledgers also detail who held church patronages and the devotions and pious works carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the term 'establishment' is ambiguous, it generally refers to a formal relationship between a church and the state in which it operates. This can range from parliamentary representation (as with the Church of England) to mere observance by the monarch (as at the Church of Scotland's annual General Assembly). Since the 1960s there have been proposals regarding Crown appointments and the number and status of the Lords Spiritual. There exists no major push for full disestablishment of the Church of England, but a bill is currently before Parliament. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the role of conferences of bishops' websites in facilitating communication within the Catholic Church, focusing on selected countries. The aim is to assess how these websites align with the Church's mission and engage diverse audiences in the digital age. Analysis of websites from Slovakia, Poland, and the Czech Republic reveals variations in content emphasis, multilingual accessibility, multimedia utilization, and social media integration. These differences reflect cultural and ecclesiastical distinctions, shedding light on how these websites serve as digital gateways to the Catholic Church and public-facing portals for their respective conferences. This research employs the website communication model (WCM) to assess the selected websites. It examines content elements, multilingual support, multimedia incorporation, and social media presence. This study underscores the potential for enhanced utilization of digital platforms in advancing the Church's mission and expanding its outreach. It highlights the importance of aligning website goals with organizational objectives and engaging diverse audiences effectively. Ultimately, these websites serve as crucial tools for communication, evangelization, and pastoral care within the Catholic Church. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many conservative Catholics in the US have managed to project an aura of orthodoxy and submission to the Magisterium even as they move the Catholic Church to identify more firmly with neoconservative and free-market political movements. By outlining this "masked dissent" (portraying itself as radical fidelity to the Magisterium) and bringing the ecclesiological insights of Joseph Komonchak to bear on the assessment of this new form of dissent, this article outlines the limits of reception and dissent in the life of the church and suggest that a shift to a more collaborative and consultative polity, such as the exploration of a "synodal way" currently explored at the Synod of Bishops, supplies a way forward in keeping with the very nature of the church which nevertheless requires a dramatic shift in the popular understanding of authority and teaching. This shift in polity holds the promise of promoting an authentically catholic unity, providing space for the "forbearance" of certain kinds of dissent as the Pilgrim Church waits on God's voice, even if the latter provides no clear resolution, as in the case of the biblical story of Job. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article delves into the constitutional issue that arose when Boris Johnson, the first Catholic Prime Minister of the UK, recommended a candidate for the position of Bishop. The Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 prohibits Catholics from advising the Monarch on appointments in the Church of England, and although this provision has never been used, Johnson's involvement in the appointment raises questions about its violation. The article provides historical context on the relationship between Catholicism and UK politics, as well as the process of appointing bishops in the Church of England. It examines the potential legal implications of Johnson's appointment of the Bishop of Chelmsford in December 2020, considering factors such as his conversion to Catholicism and the interpretation of "advising" the Monarch. While there may be a prima facie case that Johnson committed an offense under section 18, the constitutional implications and consequences of this offense remain uncertain. [Extracted from the article]

Since a peace treaty in 2016, Colombia has faced a significant challenge to reduce poverty and strengthen its institutions. A few studies have analyzed the relationship between institutions and subjective poverty, but none has demonstrated this influence in the Colombian context at a municipal level. This article estimated a logit regression including a cluster effect to evidence the influence of municipal institutions over perceptions of poverty by the inhabitants of twelve main cities in Colombia in 2016. Findings include that having a better rule of law and fiscal performance, reducing political fragmentation to have better governance, guaranteeing property rights, fostering the benefits of metropolitan areas, and improving citizen participation reduce the probability of feeling poor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article bridges the fields of Catholic history, Women's history, and American religious history to propose a new perspective for studying the development of the American Catholic Church, termed by me as the consolidation controversies. Previous historians have focused on the development of the local parishes and the dioceses, focusing on the power conflicts between the lay trustees and the local bishops that accompanied this institutional growth. However, an often‐forgotten aspect of Catholic history is the simultaneous rise of religious congregations and orders. As these communities developed, their leaders clashed with the local bishops over questions of property and authority over members of the communities. Often at the centre of these power struggles were the women religious. Rather than allowing themselves to be manipulated, women religioudemonstrated their own autonomy, navigating larger institutional politics. Should these women fail, they faced losing their place in the diocese as well as their position and vocation as women religious. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visigothic Iberia experienced significant economic transformations from the sixth through the early eighth centuries, during which churches played an increasing ideological and material role. This article investigates the role of churches as key landholders in Visigothic Iberia, with a focus on how their growing wealth was managed. It explores three aspects of the intertwined relationship between churches, the state and the economy. First, it reveals the ideological views of authors who accepted and promoted ideas concerning the correct use of a church's wealth. Second, the article shows that churches, like secular landowners, slowly shifted from an economic system based on taxes to one based on landowning and rents. And third, it demonstrates that this shift to rent collection gave greater power to bishops, who were able to decide how to divide up revenues, which led to tensions over what was institutional church property and what was personal clerical property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For decades scholars have argued that there was a heated argumentative exchange between the bishop of Cork and Ross, Peter Browne, and the bishop of Cloyne, George Berkeley. Thus, they have unduly reduced Browne to a mere adversary of Berkeley. They also thereby distorted the perception of the Irish intellectual milieu in the seventeenth / eighteenth century and the way its participants influenced one another. Contrary to this controversy-reading I establish how ill-supported the prevailing narrative of the relationship between the bishops of Cork and Cloyne is. This, in turn, allows me to demonstrate that the discussion about the problem of divine analogy in seventeenth / eighteenth century Ireland was embedded in a larger context, which has hitherto been too little appreciated. I will illustrate this point by demonstrating that the two bishops not only reacted to William King's solution to the problem of divine analogy, but that they did so by accepting his 'resemblance-requirement'. That is, King's notion that divine representation requires resemblance. This indicates how the discussion about the problem of divine analogy in seventeenth / eighteenth century Ireland was influenced by the way these churchmen thought about the relation of resemblance, representation, and knowledge more generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a historical and contextual investigation of the practice of synods and synodality in the historical moment of the colonial Church of New Spain. Bishops, clergy, and religious orders vied for ecclesial and spiritual power against civil and royal authorities, and often even against themselves. The bishops of New Spain did not use the language of "enlarging the space of one's tent", but they were deeply and genuinely disturbed by the evils present concretely before the eyes of the Church. The Third Mexican Provincial Council of 1585 will be examined as a case study of how the Church has listened to and responded synodally to large-scale abuse of human dignity perpetuated and legitimized by the social order. The paper will then explore how the Council's decrees anticipate modern notions of synodality. The historical perspective of the bishops of New Spain and contemporary documents of the Synod on Synodality will help form the basis for questions about how Christ is made central in synodal gatherings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archbishop Wulfstan of York's interpolation in the DE version of the Anglo‐Saxon Chronicle entry for the year 959 is out of character for both the churchman himself and for the pre‐Conquest period as a whole, as it is the only text from early England critical of King Edgar. This article shows that Wulfstan's complaints about Edgar, which focus on the king's policies related to Scandinavians in England, are rooted in the monarch's probable official employment of Scandinavians and in the law code IV Edgar. Ultimately, this article argues that Wulfstan's criticisms of Edgar are best understood in relation to the archbishop's notion that royal policy could have significant long‐term negative consequences, especially if such policy contravened Wulfstan's understanding of the will of God. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines two figures from the early twentieth century beginnings of the Hebrew Israelite movement. Malinda Morris was a central, though forgotten, figure in William Crowdy's Church of God and Saints of Christ but her creation of an independent Church upon Crowdy's death has not so far been discussed. The strongest body of evidence regarding this Church is a booklet published by one of their Bishops, A.W. Cook, in Harlem, 1925. This booklet offers biographical, legal, constitutional, and theological information about Cook and his branch of Morris' Church. Situated at a crucial juncture, at the beginning of the second wave of Hebrew Israelite preachers and congregations, Cook's booklet offers some important insights into the development of foundational narratives of the movement, as well as allows us to reconstruct some of the life of this forlorn thinker and minister, and his leader Malinda Morris. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the case for conceptualising Anglican cathedrals as episcopal theological resource churches for nurturing growth and sustainability. The case is rooted in two sources of empirical evidence: statistical evidence published by the Church of England for the period 2009–2019 show cathedrals to be growing while the rest of the Church is declining; and a series of studies listening to those attending Sunday services and special events explores the motivation and experience of those attending cathedrals. The case is then advanced by exploring three questions that illuminate the distinctive religious and ecclesial identity of Anglican cathedrals within the contemporary spiritual landscape of England that is increasingly characterised by secularity: Why bother with Anglican identity? Why bother with theology? Why bother with bishops? Discussion of these three issues leads to a reasoned response to the fourth question: Why bother with cathedrals? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The renowned theologian and liturgical scholar Hans-Joachim Schulz has passed away at the age of 91. He was an expert on the Christian East and was awarded an honorary doctorate for his work on the history of Byzantine liturgy. The article also mentions the awarding of the Pope Sylvester Order to church musician Franz Karl Praßl and the Vatican's permission to bless same-sex couples. The Austrian Bishops' Conference has published the church statistics for 2022, which show a slight decrease in the number of Catholics but overall stability at 4.73 million. Church attendance has increased compared to previous years but is still lower than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Biblical events such as Bible Week and the Day of Judaism were also held. The Bible Society bids farewell to Lea Gremm, who has supported the team for the past two years. [Extracted from the article]

The article offers information on the complexities of pluralism and academic freedom in universities, particularly in confessional institutions. Topics include three understandings of pluralism: worldview pluralism, encompassing fundamental and universal views shaping human life such as religious beliefs and philosophical and ethical visions.

The article offers information on the early stages of ecumenism in Chile, particularly in the 1960s, involving Protestant, Orthodox, and Catholic churches. Topics include the establishment of the National Department of Ecumenism in the Catholic Church in 1965, led by Father Humberto Muñoz, with collaboration from Protestant pastors such as Samuel Vallette, Samuel Araya, Joel Gajardo, and Bishop Francisco León Garay.

The purpose of this article is to show Ratzinger's proposal, contained in his book Das neue Volk Gottes, regarding the decentralisation of ecclesial structures in the context of the conciliar debates on Lumen gentium. The aim is to answer the questions: To what extent did Ratzinger's work fit into the thinking of theologians and bishops at Vatican II? To what extent did the German professor's ideas represent his original, or isolated, voice, and to what extent were they compatible with other reformist views in theological reflection at the time? The article consists of three parts: the first part refers to the conciliar discussions on those passages of Lumen gentium which deal with the relationship between the college of bishops and the pope; the second presents Ratzinger's proposals for the decentralisation of ecclesiastical structures; the third part is evaluative and shows the later pope not so much as an innovator, but as a proponent of a compromise solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a neural network-based approach to calculate the value of a chess square–piece combination. Our model takes a triplet (color, piece, square) as the input and calculates a value that measures the advantage/disadvantage of having this piece on this square. Our methods build on recent advances in chess AI, and can accurately assess the worth of positions in a game of chess. The conventional approach assigns fixed values to pieces (= ∞, = 9, = 5, = 3, = 3, = 1). We enhance this analysis by introducing marginal valuations. We use deep Q-learning to estimate the parameters of our model. We demonstrate our method by examining the positioning of knights and bishops, and also provide valuable insights into the valuation of pawns. Finally, we conclude by suggesting potential avenues for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates a crisis in leadership in the Christian church after changes in imperial policy made it more acceptable socially and more advantageous financially to occupy clerical positions. For several decades in the early 5th century, Isidore of Pelusium and his network of friends reproached and lamented the venal conduct of Eusebius, bishop of Pelusium, and several clerics he had appointed. But their efforts to alter the situation had little effect. To understand why this was so, the paper considers the types of people who wrote letters lamenting the situation in order to understand the nature of their response in relation to their social or political position, and it explores reasons why Eusebius and the other clerics were not dislodged by the censure and even derision of their critics. The conflict, it is argued, exposes the limitations of παρρησία as a means of altering the actions of the powerful and qualifies the role of ascetic authority in the de facto exercise of episcopal office in Late Antiquity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The book review discusses a collection of twelve articles titled "The Church and Northern English Society in the Fourteenth Century: The Archbishops of York and Their Records." The articles are the result of an AHRC research project that focused on creating accessible online resources from the administrative archives of the archbishops of York between 1304-1405. The essays cover a range of topics related to the ecclesiastical province of York, including political matters, administrative records, clerical taxation, and the influence of York clerks in Scottish administrations. The essays provide valuable insights into various aspects of medieval society and offer connections to broader regional and national historical research. [Extracted from the article]

This paper analyzes the homilies of the Bishop of Cuernavaca, Sergio Méndez Arceo, in the 1970s. The objective is to deepen the multiple messages that economic problems take up, by contextualizing these ideas, within the general framework of Liberation Theology. The main axes of the homilies focus on two positions: 1) conversion and 2) dualism. By conversion, Méndez Arceo constantly returns to the idea of “class struggle”, at the same time, from the perspective of Holy Scripture, he emphasizes the Liberation of the man. While by dualism he insists on the division between a ruling class of wealthy businessmen or landowners and a dominated class of workers and peasants, dividing society into good and bad Christians. It is worth highlighting that this article takes up a novel theme, considering that an in-depth analysis of the economic problems in the homilies has not been carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Synod' and 'synodality' have become synonymous with Pope Francis. Since Pope Paul VI instituted the Synod of Bishops as a permanent office in 1965, there hasn't been any pontificate that has given these matters as much profile and attention as his has. Why is this the case, and what is Pope Francis' vision for a synodal Church? More fundamentally, what is synodality, according to tradition of the Church, and Pope Francis? Several years into both local and global synodal‐type processes and formation gatherings, it seems many people, even prominent Church leaders, readily admit that they still do not fully understand it. For this reason, this article sets out to provide a general overview and introduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This tribute to Richard R. Gaillardetz was given as a lecture on September 24, 2022 at a conference held at Boston College honoring his contributions to the field of Ecclesiology. Gaillardetz, who is terminally ill, had delivered his own 'last lecture' the previous evening. This essay gives an overview of Gaillardetz's work with a focus on the topic of authority in the Roman Catholic Church. Gaillardetz's ecclesiological vision emphasizes how bishops should minister as witnesses to the faith in their local churches. Bishops and the pope have real and legitimate authority within a church informed by the Holy Spirit on all levels, including the entire People of God. Ecclesial structures are important, even essential, but still secondary to the ecclesial vitality brought about by the Spirit. Gaillardetz calls for a noncompetitive theology imbued with a sense of eschatological humility. Gaillardetz's contributions to ecumenism and to the challenges of globalization are further explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyses the reshaping of the religious landscape of the cities of Hispania, from the disappearance of polytheistic sanctuaries to the construction of Christian churches, from the fourth to the middle of the sixth centuries CE. The focus is placed on the agents who financed these complexes and the motivations behind their euergetic activities. The study highlights that the configuration of places of worship in the urban landscape was a contingent process often dependent on individual (layperson) initiative, challenging the widespread assumption that the Church and its bishops were the main promoters of urban redevelopment in Hispanic cities during this period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores an important aspect of artworks overlooked by art historians: their gradual material deterioration and the measures taken to slow this process of decay. It focuses on one extraordinarily detailed set of maintenance instructions set down by an early sixteenth-century English bishop. Drawing out some of the key themes from this maintenance program (its ritual performance, its analogies with medicine, its philosophical stakes) and placing them in dialogue with surviving artworks, I argue that maintenance work offers an instructive new perspective from which to consider the material turn, as well as a deeper point of connection between art history and conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on American bishop, Jermain Wesley Loguen's steadfast refusal to purchase his own freedom, even when given the opportunity to do so. It examines the circumstances surrounding these opportunities, such as the negotiation for the freedom of his mother, Jane, and the abolitionist efforts to raise funds for her release. It also explores broader debates within the abolitionist movement regarding the ethics of purchasing freedom and the moral implications of such actions.

The article focuses on the audience construction in Nicholas Love's "Mirror of the Blessed Life of Jesus Christ," highlighting Love's intention to address "symple soules" and his perceived reinforcement of orthodox authority. Topics include the diverse implied audience of the Mirror, the question of whether Archbishop Thomas Arundel commissioned the work, and the reinterpretation of certain passages to appeal to a wide range of readers.