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In this comment paper on von Fircks (2023a), I would like to focus on four issues and offer some reflections on them: first, what is happening in the process of a new I arising through mindfulness meditation practice? I would like to supplement the dialogue between Buber and Rogers in 1957 on the dynamism of I and Me, which is the basis of Mead's theory of self formation, in which I and Me separate, discover and meet a new self. The second, is that meditation, which at first glance appears to be an internal meditation practice and a personal activity, leads to a semiotic mediated social process. The Tao and early Buddhist ideas that form the background to the experiential process of mindfulness meditation will be reviewed, and the significance of people experiencing the interdependence of non-human nature and the environment through the practice will be discussed. Third, connecting this to the idea of Umwelt (Uexküll) and the semiosphere (Lotman), an attempt is made to extend the otherness as a collating body of self formation to Umwelt. Fourth, mindfulness meditation focuses attention on the breath. In relation to Mead's focus on the environment under the skin, i.e. corporeality, I will supplement the psychological meaning of cultivating the body's sense of interoception through the sensing of repetitive movements of tension and relaxation. Through the above, what kind of semiotic mediating function does mindfulness meditation have in relation to the construction of the new I, and how does it lead to the creation of social meaning? We would like to discuss these points. Clinical Trial Registration: The article does not contain any studies with clinical trial. This, clinical Trial registration is not applicable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contemporary philosophy, philosophical anthropology focuses more on the human person and the value of a concrete individual subject. Amid consumerism, materialism, and technological advancement, more philosophers focus on the dignity and value of the human person. By studying the human person, what he is, his concerns, intentions, and relationships with the world, God, and others, we can fully understand his essence as a concrete individual and relational subject. One of those thinkers who focused on the human person as a relational subject is the Jewish religious existentialist philosopher, Martin Buber. This paper highlights Buber's philosophical anthropology and philosophy of dialogue, based on an existential and relational or intersubjective character of human existence, man's relation with God as the eternal Thou, the distinction between the two fundamental types of human relations (I--It and I--Thou), and the realm of the "between." The main focus of this paper thus are Buber's notions of man as a relational subject and thou, intersubjectivity that is anchored on his notion of dialogue, the distinction between the two types of relations and their primal movements, genuine dialogue, the interhuman and its elements, and also social relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In continental and analytical philosophy, which developed in parallel in the 20th century, there was a turn to language, which in particular was marked by the creation of a philosophy of dialogue in continental philosophy and dialogical logic in analytical. Despite their significant differences, these two directions have much in common and can significantly complement each other. The philosophy of dialogue considers reality as the subject of dialogue between persons—I, Thou, He/She, We. World, activity and culture are dialogic and interpersonal in nature. Languages and texts are the basis for understanding reality and activity. Dialogical logic describes reality as an object of a dialogical game. This allows us to consider rationality, activity and communication from a unified perspective. The article compares these two directions of dialogical thought with each other and examines the aspects in which they can complement each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers an existential-phenomenological perspective on the schizoid personality, its struggles, coping capacities, and creative strategies. The writings of Kierkegaard, particularly in terms of his exploration of the concept of 'shut-upness,' or 'inclosing reserve,' and its relationship to despair can be decisively instructive in facilitating and promoting the therapeutic process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Couple therapists have the unique and challenging opportunity of helping people find deeper connection in their intimate relationships. These clinicians apply therapeutic models and interventions designed to help couples. However, many of these models are derived from theoretical, scientific, and sociocultural traditions that conceptualize human phenomena as individualistic and reductionistic, and the language in these theories may not match clients' experiences, which include deeply relational phenomena such as love and loss. We review how Western scientific and sociocultural traditions have shaped conceptualization of problems and clinical intervention in couple therapy. In contrast, we provide an alternative, strongly relational framework for couple therapy that draws upon philosophical perspectives asserting that relational, rather than individual, experience is fundamental in human interaction. These ideas provide relational language which can influence how couple therapy is viewed and enacted. Specifically, we discuss how a strongly relational approach changes how therapists understand and intervene with conflict, abuse, love, and deception. This relational framework can help couples in their own goals to become more unified. Implications for the therapeutic relationship, interventions, and scholarship are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artikkelissa tarkastellaan vanhempien ja varhaiskasvatuksen opettajien välisiä lasten varhaiskasvatussuunnitelmakeskusteluja. Tutkimuksessa kysytään: millaisista ihmissuhteista vanhempien ja varhaiskasvatuksen opettajien välisissä varhaiskasvatussuunnitelmakeskusteluissa kerrotaan? Varhaiskasvatussuunnitelmakeskustelujen tarkastelussa sovelletaan Buberin dialogisfilosofista teoriaa sekä kerronnallisuutta. Aineisto koostuu kolmesta vanhemman ja varhaiskasvatuksen opettajan välisestä videoidusta keskustelusta. Tutkimus osoittaa, että keskustelut ovat moninaisista suhteista kertomisen areenoja, eikä niissä ole kyse pelkästään vanhempien ja varhaiskasvatuksen opettajien välisistä suhteista tai lapsesta. Tutkimus paljastaa keskusteluiden kerroksellisuuden ja monimuotoisuuden. Tulokset nostavat esiin Buberin Minä–Sinä- ja Minä–Se-luonteiset suhteet sekä suhteissa toteutuvan etäisyyden ja läheisyyden akseleilla tapahtuvan liikkeen. Tutkimus haastaa tunnistamaan, että varhaiskasvatussuunnitelmakeskusteluissa lapsi kerrotaan osaksi moninaisten ihmissuhteiden kutoumaa.

A growing body of literature suggests that 'intercultural education' is an important tool for transformative learning about oneself and the other. Yet little is known about the challenges and opportunities of intercultural education in practice, particularly in light of an increasing focus in Western education policy on testing and standardisation. This article uses ethnographic and focus group research in an ethnically diverse secondary school in East London to empirically explore the opportunities and challenges of intercultural education in practice. It highlights similarities between the concept of intercultural education and Martin Buber's theory of the 'I−Thou' encounter, suggesting that this dialogical relation has the potential to transform stereotypes and develop personhood. The research findings show how teachers at the East London secondary school employed dialogical techniques to encourage critical perspectives among their students and to cultivate their trust, a key element of I−Thou encounter. The findings also, however, draw attention to the deleterious impact of the marketised education paradigm on the dialogical relation, demonstrating how a policy focus on attainment and the narrow national curriculum limit opportunities for dialogue in the classroom and erode trust between teacher and student. The article argues that there is a clear and urgent imperative for change within the Western education system if Buber's dialogical pedagogy is to bear fruit and transformative learning is to take place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Martin Buber (1878–1965) and Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy (1888–1973) were influential theologians and intellectuals known for their heterodox theologies and for their visions of a society based on dialogue. Both experienced migration. Buber emigrated during his teens from Vienna to Galicia, then, after his marriage, from Vienna to Germany, and finally from Germany to Palestine in 1938. Rosenstock-Huessy, a Christian theologian of Jewish origin, fled Germany in the wake of the Nazi rise to power in 1933. Independently and in different contexts, these thinkers employed their theologies in the 1930s and 1940s, advocating for immigration against the prevailing ideas of nativism and developing an (embryonic) theory and praxis of dialogic integration. Both sought to replace the popular totalistic and intolerant melting-pot ideology. This essay explores Buber's and Rosenstock-Huessy's approaches to immigration and its reception, the influence of their immigration experiences, and the relation to their approaches to other aspects of their thought. It explores the nativist theological approaches they opposed and the anti-nativism that might have inspired them. Finally, this essay examines the novelty of their approaches; while their theological advocacy of immigration was unique only in their times, their dialogical approach to integration stands out, even with regard to the contemporary multicultural approach, due to its theological edge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a troubled world, the launch of ChatGPT generated both cultural hopes and eschatological fears. It also reactivated the classic question of whether a "someone" is "at home" in the model, or why people act toward machines as if they are persons. This experimental essay reopens that question, arguing that the strong drive to establish "pan-relations" is not solely due to deceit; through relational expectancy, an I is yearning for a Thou in communication with the chatbot. This is shown in chatbot interactions among AI professionals who "believe" in the thrust of the model (and in AGI) pitted against first encounters among existential pundits who are more "doubtful". Subjecting the model to an "existential test", harnessing Jaspers' definition of existential communication as containing risk and deferral, the article concludes that, because of what it lacks - a someone - it reminds us of what is of paramount importance in any vibrant future of human communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Martin Buber's seminal work is his "I and Thou". In I and Thou, Buber establishes a philosophical foundation for the creation of a dialogical society. Buber's concept of I–Thou dialogue provides a framework for understanding the inherent connection between interpersonal encounters and social justice. As Buber elucidates, genuine dialogue is not confined to the encounter between two persons, but it manifests in the manner of a society organized on premises of social justice, freedom and compassion. In this regard, it is important to note that if we trace Buber's personal and philosophical biography we will not find many instances of him engaging in what could be called social justice activism. Buber did found and join civic organizations that dealt with issues of peace and justice, and lent his support to many such political endeavors (see the organizations called Brith Shalom (Covenant of Peace) founded in 1925 in mandatory Palestine, and Ihud (Unity) founded in 1942, six years before Israel's statehood). Nonetheless, a number of world prominent social justice advocates and activists found inspiration and guidance in Buber's philosophy, and it is perhaps hereby, where Buber's impact on social justice is most distinctly pronounced. What Buber aimed to achieve in his writings and political endeavors was to present a philosophy of relationships on which to found a society established on practices of social justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contrast between student-centred and knowledge-centred teaching is explored through a qualitative case study exploration of the pedagogies (Bruner's 'folk pedagogies') of six teachers of Jewish studies. These teachers, based in orthodox Jewish schools in the UK and Australia, discussed their roles as teachers in the context of their responsibility for inducting students into the Jewish community. They appear to overcome (or at least mitigate) the tensions between being student-centred and knowledge-centred through understanding both students and knowledge in communal terms. This communally-focused approach, drawing on the philosophers of 'personal' knowledge such as Polanyi, and of personalist approaches to schooling such as those of Macmurray and Noddings, is then proposed as of value in debates on schooling and the curriculum in general, well beyond the religious context of this particular research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The quality of the helping relationship is experienced when theories and principles are enacted in practice. Here, the people social workers seek to serve are able to decide whether the practice they experience is useful. One way that social workers can enhance the quality of the relationships they develop is to 'start where the person is at'. In order to explore what this phrase means in and for effective social work practice, this paper revisits Martin Buber's articulation of the I/thou relationship seeking to shed light on the notion of personhood in this value-based profession. Two participants, within a larger research project exploring the experiences of social workers in the Australian child welfare field, independently used the language of personhood to refer to the way they conceptualised the process of engaging with people. Both were referring to enacting the transcendent value of each person in terms of a practice philosophy. These personal narratives inspired the authors to move away from the usual professional discourse about the skills involved in relationship building and instead reflect on their own practice in order to capture something philosophical about caring relational processes. Revisiting humanistic conceptualisations of the helping relationship such as the I/thou has the potential to discourage practitioners from seeing relationships as transactional. This has particular significance in practice contexts characterised as risk-averse, austere or involuntary, and/or where people may be feeling anxious, stressed and/or simply unheard. Contemporary implications for social work practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the book Martin Buber's Theopolitics and analyzes the conflict between the hierarchy in nature and in human society. Buber qualifies our relations to nature and to other non-living objects as darker than human relations. This creates an imbalance between the human You and the other type of You. This reflection allows us to think about the meaning of the principle of humanity in relation to personhood, and in relation to different forms of communities (natural, or inorganic communities). It is an important question in the light of "conflicts" and tensions created by the environmental crisis we are facing today. The paper explains how to use the word "conflict" in this context and whether it is justified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Editoriál k č. 7.

The paper examines the book Buber’s Theopolitics and it analyzes the conflict between the hierarchy in nature and in human society. Buber qualifies our relations to the nature and to other non-living objects as darker than human relations. This creates an imbalance between the human You and the other type of You. This reflection allows us to think what the meaning of the principle of humanity in relation to the personhood is, but also in relation to different forms of communities (natural, or inorganic community). This question is important in the light of the “conflicts” and tensions created by environmental crisis we are facing today. The paper explains how to use the word conflict in this context and whether it is justified.

This article explores an age-old form of dialogical learning, havruta, which has been employed by Jews throughout the centuries to study the Torah and the Talmud, and evaluates the experiment of extending havruta from a couple of fellow students (haverim) to an international, multi-religious group reading philosophical texts together, and transferring the learning process from the Jewish house of study (in Hebrew: beit ha-Midrash, in German: Lehrhaus) to an online environment. Methodologically, the experiences from the online havruta are brought into a theory-practice feedback loop and are discussed from various theoretical angles: (1) The first section introduces how havruta was conducted traditionally and how Franz Rosenzweig, who in 1920 founded the Frankfurt Lehrhaus and invited Martin Buber to offer lecture courses, advanced havruta. (2) The second section explains how Rosenzweig's pedagogical principles as distilled from his writings on education are applied and modified in the above-mentioned contemporary online reading group. (3) The third section draws on Buber's philosophy of dialogue, Juhani Pallasmaa's architectural theory and Michel Chion's film theory in order to investigate the epistemological and pedagogical significance of different modes of listening, asking, and responding, and the role of trust for dialogical learning in local and online learning communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims at giving a coherent interpretation of Winnicott's concept of the „mirror-role of the mother's face". As we are going to try to demonstrate, following one of Winnicott's letters to Klein, in order that a gesture, be it spontaneous or creative, could be met, it has to first of all be reflected by someone else, in this case, by the mother. Therefore, we are going to present, in a Heideggerian manner, a phenomenological analysis of gestures, as this is found in Heidegger's Zollikon Seminars, so that we can prove that gestures reflect a unified comportment, which in Winnicott's words would mean the „true self". Before analyzing Winnicott's conception, we are going to turn towards some insights from Lacan's mirror stage. We are also going to search for the relation between the true self and the spontaneous gesture in one of Winnicott's earlier papers. The last chapter will consist of an analysis of Winnicott's view on creativity, and as we want to demonstrate, creativity is possible only if the other person, namely alterity, validates, confirms, or recognizes the spontaneous gesture. Our main thesis is that if the mother meets the child's spontaneous gesture, he or she is going to introject the mother's image, which in effect, will give the child's enough trust in the world, so that he or she will start to take a creative glance towards reality. We will focus especially on the situation in which the mother responds to the infant's gesture by smiling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Metafísica y Persona. Revista Sobre Filosofía, Conocimiento y Vida is the property of Universidad Popular Autonoma del Estado de Puebla A.C. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this article, I introduce and develop a logic of dialogue and reciprocity as distinguished from a logic of reflection. I argue that interreligious dialogue is not only desirable, but logically necessary for two reasons: one, the logic of dialogue precedes the logic of reflection and, two, the intersubjective dialogue is a precondition for the dialogue with the Ultimate Reality. I proceed in three stages. First, I problematize the terms identity and belonging and expound on the challenge of dialogue. Second, I reflect upon the nature of interreligious dialogue and present my dialogical theology together with its crucial notion of "trans-difference". Third, I refer to the dialogical philosophies of Buber, Fischer and Gandhi, whose thoughts contribute to a dialogical theology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zasadniczo w kwestii zasady dialogicznej i użycia jej do celów filozofii społecznej, formułuje się takie paradygmaty, aby na rynku nowożytnych idei filozoficznych na nowo reinterpretować myśl Arystotelesa (człowiek jest istotą społeczno-polityczną). Celem tego artykułu będzie natomiast ukazanie innej ścieżki interpretacyjnej w aspekcie poznawczo-etycznym. W refleksji tej będzie wykorzystane „ja” z filozofii dialogu, które w tym kontekście należy rozumieć jako wyjątkowy podmiot „walczący o siebie” przez pryzmat „ty” i „my”. Motywem zaś przewodnim będzie problem prawdy i poznania prawdy o sobie samym w aspekcie współczesnego rozumienia zasady dialogicznej.

The aim of this paper is to propose some philosophical interpretations of Winnicott's concept of "the use of an object". These interpretations will be coming from Heidegger's fundamental ontology and from Buber's late philosophical anthropology. We also noticed that Winnicott's theory of "the use of an object" was already in some way or another present in the Phenomenology of Spirit, in the fourth chapter, where consciousness is treated in terms of desire. Our main thesis is that after the subject encounters the resistance of the external world, its adversity and contrasting feature, the subject recognizes it as something independent and autonomous from the self, so the subject is able therefore to set that being at a distance, enter into relation with it, and finally establish the world qua world. We are going also to draw lines between Winnicott's perspective and the views of some phenomenological authors such as Eugen Fink, Merleau-Ponty or Marc Richir. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

“I also talked to Buber yesterday; as a person he is lively and simple and remarkable, and seems to have nothing to do with the lukewarm things he has written” – wrote Franz Kafka to his fiancée Felice Bauer in the early 1913. What is the meaning of this harsh, yet respectful portraiture of Buber? Was it a casual ironic remark – or was it rather the way Kafka really thought of Martin Buber? And to what extent was Kafka important for Buber? How can we understand the collaboration between the writer and philosopher? Close reading, contextualization and Begegnungsereignis (encounter as fundamental event).

A virtual encounter between Buber and Gandhi articulates where they differ and where they touch common ground. They developed a transformative thinking that opened up the individual and collective ego to others. Only recently have scholars paid full attention to Buber's theo-political thinking. Gandhi's article "The Jews" made his way of thinking irrelevant for many Zionists over the decades. The relative neglect of Buber's political thought and of Gandhi's contribution to conflict resolution in Israel/Palestine explains why studies systematically comparing Buber's politico-religious thinking with that of Gandhi are rare. The present article wants to fill this gap. Gandhi and Buber's religiosity impacted upon spiritual, social, and political life. Their transformational perspectives could shed new light on how to deal with violent conflict situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Seminare Learned Investigations / Seminare. Poszukiwania naukowe is the property of Francis de Sales Scientific Society / Towarzystwo Naukowe Franciszka Salezego and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Referência do texto comentado: Carvalho, José Maurício de; Tomaz, Mauro Sérgio de Carvalho. Martin Buber e a fenomenologia: o encontro no discurso filosófico e psicológico. Trans/Form/Ação: revista de filosofia da Unesp, vol. 43, n. 4, p. 203-224, 2020.

The current article argues that Paul Mendes-Flohr's turn to address contemporary challenges faced by Jews at large, and Israeli Jews in particular, is proleptic in the sense that it excavates the anticipation of the current intellectual, spiritual and moral reality from the intellectual history of modern German−Jewish thought. Based on a reading of his recent book, Cultural Disjunctions: Post-Traditional Jewish Identities, the discussion shows how Mendes-Flohr's adaptation of Martin Buber's call to aspire to I−Thou relations supports proleptic historiography both as a historiographical methodology and as a moral act. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The final part of David Hume's Dialogues concerning Natural Religion has often left Hume's readers perplexed. After a long and articulate debate between Philo, the skeptic, and Cleanthes, the theistic philosopher, the reader would expect the victory of Philo, whom many considered to be Hume's spokesperson. Surprisingly, the book ends with the victory of Cleanthes. Keith Yandell suggested that none of these personages represented Hume, and that Philo's change of mind was a "change of perspective", epistemologically grounded in the concept of "propensities", which Hume presented in The Natural History of Religion. In this article, I build on Yandell's analysis and explore the dialogical dynamic of Hume's work with the use of the twentieth-century philosophy of dialogue. I first focus on Michael Bakhtin's analysis of Fyodor Dostoevsky's books and show that, as in Bakhtin's analysis, Hume does not orient the plurality of voices based on a pre-made understanding of reality. I then bring Hume into conversation with Martin Buber, especially regarding their epistemological standpoint. The aim of the article is to show the relevance of Hume's thought for our contemporary philosophy of dialogue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migrants, coming to Germany, must attend integration courses in order to obtain a residence permit. These courses are comprised of a language section as well as an orientation section. The latter’s purpose is, according to the German Federal Agency for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), the transmission of knowledge of the German legal system, culture, and history and especially of democratic values of the German political system (BAMF, 2017, p. 6). This article examines the challenges that instructors and participants of those courses face when it comes to the teaching and learning of democratic values, based on a qualitative research conducted in 2018. As the theoretical lens, this article incorporates the concept of dialogue by Martin Buber.

This paper aims to compare the concept of otherness in Emmanuel Levinas and in Martin Buber. More precisely we would like to examine the possibility to apply the concept of otherness in environmental philosophy. The concept of otherness used by Levinas in his later work makes it complicated to apply this concept in the area of environmental philosophy. Buber on the contrary used the concept of otherness that requires to include other entities to this concept (abstract entities and several material entities) and his philosophy is therefore more open to the application of this concept in the environmental philosophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Journalismi on reagoinut yhteiskunnallisen keskustelun kärjistymiseen luomalla uusia dialogiin perustuvia toimintamalleja. Dialoginen journalismi erottuu tässä tutkimuksessa muista kansalaisjournalismin pohjalta ponnistavista uudistusliikkeistä. Kansalaisjournalismi on pitänyt dialogia esivaiheena punnitsevalle keskustelulle ja demokraattiselle päätöksenteolle. Dialoginen journalismi puolestaan kytkeytyy hetkellisesti irti demokraattisista tavoitteista, kuten deliberaatiosta ja päätöksenteosta, ja suuntaa huomion kokemuspuheen tuottamiseen. Dialoginen journalismi rakentaa eksklusiivisia dialogeja, joiden osallistujat toimitus valitsee. Julkiseen keskusteluun liittyvää puntarointia ja väittelyä lykätään, jotta kaikki valitut osallistujat tulevat kuulluiksi ja erilaiset näkökulmat pääsevät osaksi keskustelua. Artikkelissa tutkitaan laadullisen sisällönanalyysin keinoin neljää dialogista kokeilua: Helsingin Sanomien Suomi puhuu ja Eurooppa puhuu -juttusarjoja, Kutsu Yle kahville -hanketta, ja dialogijournalismin kokeiluja Yhdysvalloissa Time-lehdessä ja Advance Localin paikallisilla uutissivuilla sekä Fresno Bee -lehdessä. Analyysi osoittaa, että hankkeissa käytetään dialogille tyypillisiä toimintatapoja, kuten turvallisen tilan rakentamista ja ohjausta kokemuspuheeseen, keinoina luoda ymmärrystä erilaisten sosiaalisten todellisuuksien välille. Näitä dialogisia tarpeita selitetään Martin Buberin dialogikäsityksellä. Siinä osallistujat pyrkivät kokemuspuheen kautta ennakkoehdoista vapaaseen Minä-Sinä-suhteeseen.

The paper explores how the psalms of lament of the individual constructed the identity not only of the Israelites who used them in worship but also of their antagonists. It starts with a critique of Amy Cottrill's Language, Power, and Identity in the Lament Psalms of the Individual, which is critical of the psalmist's non-specific presentation of the enemies that 'obscures the humanity of the one he prays against'. This alleged dehumanisation of the enemies is explored further through the dialogical framework of Martin Buber's 'I-Thou'. A consideration of Buber's two basic word pairs, 'I-You' and 'I-It', prompts the question of whether the psalmist treats the enemies as 'You' or 'It'. Further arguments based on the social setting of the lament psalms lead to the conclusion that they construct an identity of a psalmist who is in real relationship with both God and the enemy and who treats them as genuine relational beings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the time of writing this paper, leading evangelical and Roman Catholic Christians were beginning a legal challenge to the prohibition of communal worship during a period when Covid-19 infection rates were rising dramatically. Their arguments are considered in this paper. What is striking from the reports of their actions is the striking absence of what I call 'the sacred' amidst their considerations. Through a largely personal narrative outworking of Rudolf Otto, and then more traditional expository consideration of Martin Buber and John Zizioulas, I look at 'the sacred' in worship from a number of perspectives. I then advance the proposition that 'the sacred' is so crucial in worship that intentional fasting from, and sacrifice of, communal interpersonal worship, is the decision that Christians must make if 'the sacred' is not to be brought into disrepute. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within current interfaith dialogue scholarship, perspective transformation towards the religious other is one of the most desired outcomes. However, exactly how such transformed perspectives come about and the characteristics of thistransformation have not been adequately researched. In this study, we examine transformative learning within interfaith dialogue. Using a theoretical framework that combines Buber's philosophy of dialogue and transformative learning theory, we equate the transformative process with the dynamics of becoming Thou. Through thematic analysis of qualitative interview data, we found that transformative learning within this context is contingent upon the creation of genuine and deep relatedness, that are constitutive of becoming Thou. Our findings report how dynamic relatedness serves as a foundation, a catalyst, and culmination of transformative learning processes. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of these findings and suggestions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge is a key concern at the moment in schools. Advocates of so-called 'knowledge-rich' schooling claim that constructivist models of mind, and a focus on skills education has meant that students are leaving school without core knowledge. Extending this to Religious Education (RE), there are some that have defined the need for a robust knowledge-base as the defining challenge for its future. This way of talking about knowledge, namely in the sense of a 'body of knowledge', is common in educational circles. When used in this sense, knowledge is conceived of as exterior to the knowing subject, and prior to any subject coming to know it. Yet, this is not how knowledge is spoken of in the field of epistemology, where even the most minimally defined position concerns what is known and the knowing subject. I argue that the knowing subject is key to the knowledge acquired in RE, that knowledge of religion cannot be easily conceived of without taking the knowing subject into account. Employing Buber's notion of the I–Thou relation, I characterise knowledge in RE as the result of an engagement with the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper explores what it could mean to speak of love as involving a delight in 'the simple actuality' of another, or, as Buber does, of the 'touchable' human being as 'unique and devoid of qualities'. Developing strands in Merleau-Ponty's treatment of perception, it is argued that the relation between recognising this as a particular individual and recognising particular qualities in her may be close to the reverse of what might be supposed: a recognition of this distinctive smile being dependent on a recognition of who this is. The fundamental place of particulars, as opposed to kinds (transferable properties), in our thought about those we know and care for is developed in part through a phenomenological treatment of our perception of faces. That treatment is set in a context of the justification of our judgements about who someone is, and is linked with a critique of treatments of proper names of individuals in the spirit of Frege. It is in our speaking to (rather than 'about') those we know (rather than 'know about') that we find a relation to a particular that is direct—not mediated by a description of its properties—that Russell sought in 'knowledge by acquaintance'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article was derived from my doctoral thesis, ‘Post-apartheid racism among Afrikaans speaking urban adolescents: A narrative-pastoral reflection’. The impetus for this study was the seemingly increasing occurrences of racism amongst post-apartheid Afrikaans-speaking urban adolescents in South Africa by taking a narrative practical theological perspective on the matter to help build meaningful cross-cultural dialogue. This study explored the level of dialogue of the participants using a postfoundational paradigm. Two questions guided the investigation: (1) How deeply embedded are objectifying of cross-cultural relationships? (2) How can we instigate honest dialogue aiding us in being more aware of our biases to embrace diversity and going forward as a unity in diversity? This study was conducted in 2016 amongst white Afrikaans-speaking urban adolescents living in Pretoria-East, South Africa. I had four group conversations (A, B, C and D) with my co-researchers (research participants), with six to eight adolescents per group. I made use of certain empirical research methods, such as narrative interviewing and group discussions. From an epistemological perspective, a postfoundational, social constructionist perspective, including an auto-ethnographical approach, was followed. The research indicated that Afrikaner adolescents could live life unquestioned from a position of power and objectivity that was culturally inherited. It was found that by objectifying relationships (I-It), diverse engagement becomes almost impossible. Consequently, this article advocates for a dialogical (I-Thou) approach towards building relationships in a context where people feel vulnerable and shameful, have fears, but also gain trust to contribute to meaningful dialogue with ‘others’.

This article considers three different concepts of the role of the teacher. Buber understands the teacher as the builder-teacher of a dialogical community playing a fundamental role in the character formation of individuals. Freire develops this notion, adding a political tinge, and argues for a political-teacher who plays a central role in the formation of critical individuals and in the liberation of the oppressed. Gur-Ze’ev is critical of Freire and defends the improviser-teacher, who is always critical and encourages criticisms, but without reference to utopias. The article compares and assesses critically these concepts of the role of the teacher; and indicates the implications of adopting them, not only for education, but also for society more generally.