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Kafka's aphorism of the leopards tells us that no temple is spared of a visit of these surprising animals. However, when the leopards suddenly spill the chalices of the temples of capital and drink the wine over and over again they become part of the capitalist ritual. Their presence becomes noticeable, and the surprise effect of their profanity becomes predictable, calculated, instrumentalised, appropriated as part of the ceremony. However, the parable of the leopards may tell us more about Critical Theory than Political Theology. Such a parable can be seen as a method in itself to question complicities and co-options of Critical Theory in the very survival of capitalism. In the face of the ongoing collapse of earth ecosystems and unresolved global crises, the temples of capital may run dry on wine. What would it mean, then, to apostatise from the religious cult of capital? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming to introduce various regions throughout history, travels are not only valuable sources for disciplines such as history and geography but also serve as important sources for folklore studies. In addition to documenting the historical and geographical characteristics of the places visited, travel writers also provide insights into the local folk culture. The Travels of Ibn Battûta, written in the 14th century, is one of the valuable works in the Turkish Folklore with the products it had. While describing the places he visited in Anatolia, the author also closely observed the local culture, incorporating legends and parables he encountered in oral tradition into his work. One of the parables Battûta includes in his book is about Mevlâna. This article examines that specific parable within the framework of spiritual dreaming (bade içme/wine motif) a practice traditionally linked to shamanism. The aim of the study is to identify the similarities and differences between the classical "bade içme" ritual and the extraordinary event experienced by Mevlâna. In this context, incidents regarded as "bade içme" experienced by figures such as shamans, warrior saints (alperen), saints (evliya), and minstrels are compared. The fact that this parable still continued to be told a century after Mevlâna indicates that local people had not forgotten beliefs and legends related to the initiation of kams, which originated from Shamanism - an old belief system at that time. In this context, this cultural heritage which experienced some changes and was transferred from shaman to saint / Mevlâna preserved its continuity by passing from him to minstrel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The eleventh and twelfth centuries witnessed either the rise or revival of long-form amorous narratives in at least four courtly language traditions across the southwestern flank of Eurasia: Persian, Georgian, Greek, and French. This coeval occurrence of the "rise of romance" offers fruitful grounds for considering broad literary-historical questions about genre, poetics, and interconnectivity in a comparative fashion. The aim of this article is to give an account of this phenomenon in the early Persian context, with special attention to the role of poetry in transforming popular tales into elite literature. Understanding the implications of this practice may shed some light on possible factors contributing to the romance's (re-)emergence in other twelfth-century literary traditions. As a coda, this article suggests twelfth-century Anatolia and Syria as significant contact zones where all four of the courtly languages mentioned above would have had some opportunity to interact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 25-37) is one of the most illustrious stories on human relations among the teachings of Jesus Christ. One of the critical questions among scholars is whether the parable should be understood as a mere story of loving a neighbour offering empathy and kindness to people in need, or as an allegory. This study interrogates the parable of the Good Samaritan as an allegory about the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa. On that basis, the Priest and Levite may refer to the government; Jericho may represent the world; thieves represent the hostile forces of the world in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic; the Samaritan represents Jesus Christ, and the Inn represents the Church. The study argues that while the moral aspect of good neighborliness is emphasized in the parable, the parable may also be viewed as an allegory considered related to the experiences of people under the coronavirus disease. The study also utilized the narrative perspective as a theoretical framework to cross-examine the parable of the Good Samaritan in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study concluded that the discourses on the parable of the Good Samaritan remind people to love everyone, including their enemies, even in the context of health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic where for the most part, others were shunned in an egocentric manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyses of Mark 7:15 are absent from sustained discussion in studies of Jesus's use of figurative language, despite its description as a παραβολή ("parable," 7:17). Studies typically label this text a "riddle," but this is generally undefined and its relationship to other figurative devices in language is mysterious. Accordingly, I discuss some modern categories of figurative language, like metaphor, riddle, and metaphorical riddle and consider how they are related to the topic of this article. I then analyze Mark 7:15 in the light of these discussions, concluding that the category of metaphorical riddle could be helpful in interpreting the Marcan text. In the context of the metaphorical riddle, Jesus, without providing a source domain, misleads the audience into thinking that the subject of 7:15b is something physical (probably excrement), when the true meaning relates to something abstract (sin). On this reading, Jesus's metaphorical riddle implies something like, "excrement is to the body as sin is to the heart." Regardless of one's interpretation, I argue that greater clarity regarding definitions and methods would be beneficial to this conversation, which can be ad hoc and idiosyncratic. In my view, the interpretation can be improved by utilizing approaches of modern literary criticism concerning figurative language, which offers relatively coherent and stable terms by which we might continue this discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New historicism establishes that the historiographical discourse is essentially narrative, that historiography necessarily behaves like a story. The problem boils down to the relationship between fiction and faction, to the narrative functioning of historiographical material. Novelistic prose can solve this relationship by being loyal or by undermining the idea of logical coherence in the narration, formal plot, time sequence and psychological explanation. Reality is, therefore, a semantic landfill that requires selection and formulation, be it through history or history, and in that process narrative/discursiveness, mimeticity, and rhetoric cannot be avoided. In the novels Ugursuz and Karabeg Ibrišimović sees the content of the past as a landfill of floating stories that write history as a story. At the same time, the story is freed from the unequivocal context of historiographical understanding and interpretation, and gives itself to endless interpretability, multiplied possibilities of interpretation offered by the literary context. With this, the meaning of the facts is checked by moving them from the historiographical context to the literary one, and also to the parabolic form, which is characterized by narrative disguise and complexity, paradoxicality, ambiguity and absurdity. In Ugursuz, the state of complete value emptiness opens the way for the heroes to transfer reality into the illusion of their own power, which is encouraging, and thus appropriated paves the way for an alienated self-image. With alienated emotional states, their sick needs and their sick actions are also alienated. In Karabeg, the angel inhabits the thoughts and hearts of the heroes and witnesses their danger in the conflicts of their own reason and emotions, thus revealing their slavish relationship towards higher goals or, on the other hand, towards the determination to follow their own destiny/nature.

This paper aims at analyzing utopias and dystopias in Last and First Men (1930) by William Olaf Stapledon. Taking into consideration that this narrative was already defined as a scientific romance and an anatomy with allegorical status, as well as McCarthy's observation that Stapledon’s writing resists simple categorization and that its classification as science fiction or utopian literature is inadequate, this paper suggests several definitions for Stapledon’s work. The author also takes into account the ongoing dispute between utopian studies and science fiction scholars about the strong interaction between utopia and science fiction in the twentieth century. The possibilities of applying the conceptual integration theory to such a complex work of fiction as Last and First Men is explored.

Copyright of Journal of Islamic Civilization Studies / İslam Medeniyeti Araştırmaları Dergisi (IMAD) is the property of Islam Medeniyeti Arastirmalari Dergisi 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.)

Copyright of Bulletin of the Institute of Ethnography of the Serbian Academy of Sciences & Arts / Glasnik Etnografskog Instituta SANU is the property of Institute of Ethnography, SASA 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.)

This study explores the concept of the Kingdom of Allah through the parable of the mustard seed in Mark 4:30-34, illustrating its growth from small beginnings to greatness. Using a qualitative method, the research examines how Mark's Gospel emphasizes faith, hope, and transformation. The Kingdom of Allah, as described in Romans 14:17, is about righteousness, peace, and joy through the Holy Spirit, bestowed upon those who surrender to divine guidance. Mark, though not named in the Gospel, is traditionally recognized as its author. He grew up in Jerusalem and was part of the first generation of Christians, collaborating with Paul, Barnabas, and Peter. The parable of the mustard seed highlights the potential for significant growth from something seemingly insignificant. This metaphor teaches that small faith can become powerful with proper nurturing. The study suggests that this parable encourages developing faith, fostering inclusivity, and striving for sustainable personal and community growth. The message remains relevant today, inspiring individuals to cultivate their faith and contribute positively to their communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the application of the parable of the Good Shepherd in contemporary life, focusing on the aspects of spiritual leadership, protection and sacrifice, recognition and obedience, rejection and acceptance, and resurrection and eternal life. Through literature analysis, this study identifies how the concept of the Good Shepherd in John 10:1-21 can be implemented in the daily lives of Christians. Jesus is portrayed as the Good Shepherd, who leads, protects and sacrifices Himself for His sheep. Spiritual leaders in modern times can take this example to guide and serve the congregation with genuine love and sacrifice. This study highlights the importance of knowing and obeying the voice of Jesus, discerning between truth and deception, and living in awareness of the promise of resurrection and eternal life. The results show that this parable remains relevant and provides meaningful guidance for the spiritual and practical lives of Christians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an analysis of Bolesław Prus’s satirical microstory Filozof i prostak [Philosopher and Simpleton] from the collection To i owo, właściwie zaś: ani to, ani owo, czyli 48 powiastek dla pełnoletnich dzieci [This and That, or Rather, Neither One Nor the Other: 48 Tales for Children of Age]. It discusses the manner in which China, as the setting of the story, is portrayed, in line with the nineteenth-century knowledge and awareness of the far-away country. The article addresses the question of the appropriateness of choosing China as a backdrop for events, given its geographical and cultural distance from the perspective of a Polish reader. In addition to embodying a significant concept in Prus’s entire body of work, namely humour understood as a precise and sophisticated literary tool, the work bears the characteristics of a parable. As shall be demonstrated, certain features that are present in this early work evolved and returned in a fuller form in Prus’s later works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper conducts an anthropological study of Jesus’ metaphorical call to his disciples to emulate enslaved individuals who reliably carry out the business interests of their master, as conveyed in his Parable of the Talents (Mt 25, 14- 30). In the first part of the paper, the research is methodologically positioned concerning the relationship between anthropology and the Bible/biblical studies. In the second part, ethnographically collected data on the parable’s meaning is interpreted through the historical context of Matthew’s Christianity. The paper then demonstrates that the metaphor of profit-oriented slavery in the Parable of the Talents served to warn Matthew’s Christians not to falter in the face of adversities during Jesus’ absence and the inherent (Jewish) understanding of messianism. Matthew’s Christians are called by the parable to, like good and faithful slaves, overcome possible fears and urgently participate in bringing all nations into the status of their/Jesus’ disciples (28, 18-20). By showing that anthropological analysis may overcome methodological errors in the scholarly interpretation of the parable/Bible, the paper also aims to promote the contribution of anthropology to biblical studies and the collaboration between the two fields.

The aim of this article is to question whether the parable of the minas (Lk. 19,11–27) is a reflection by Luke on the delay of the parousia. After a review of research showing that the delay-oriented interpretation of the parable has been prevalent for some time, there are four parts to the argument. First, in agreement with the delay hypothesis, it is argued (against a recent social-scientific interpretation) that the parable has allegorical features when compared with the portrait of Jesus in Luke-Acts (the "Lukan" setting). Secondly, examination of the parable and its frame in Luke 19,11 shows that Luke cannot straightforwardly be understood as applying the parable to a particular, contemporaneous eschatological concern (the "rhetorical" setting). Thirdly, the expeditions of royal claimants to Rome do not supply evidence for the "delay" reading of the parable because these journeys were not sufficiently cumbersome or protracted to imply delay in the parable (the "Roman" setting). Fourthly and finally, the article engages in exegesis of Luke 19,11–27 itself to show that the details of the parable do not point to a concern about delay on Luke's part. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Present Paper introduces Kino as a man with responsibilities towards his family and values learnt from life. In this article, we bring out the true essence of life not being materialistic but by relinguishing a lavish life style . Kino is described as a self-learner with personal ideas, thoughts about his actions and place in his town. Kino’s acquisition of The Pearlfrom sea tests his character which has been already complicated by his ‘Pride, idealism, greed, strength, despair and honor’ which guides all men of those times. Kino wants to sell the pearl in order to send his son to school and prosper ; so he demands a fair price to buyers but the greedy towns men decides to rob him instead showcasing ‘The World’ corrupted values of the society. Steinbeck implicates Social Realism to the extent the society is exacting on the psyche of Kino’s small family and the subsequent realization of not being moral amidst the greed and corruption in making money for oneself. The irony is of implicating morality of men and is the crux of the novel. It tries to differentiate selfrespecting idealism of few to all men to greed. Kino wantins to live in reality, decides to throw the pearlaway. He flung it, to disassociate with the ‘sense of possession and insanity’, that drew him to greedy buyers. His act of decadence vanishes as he relinquishes his final rare asset ‘the pearl’. This renunciation helps him to regain peace for his soul.Hence,The Pearlis a ‘parable’wheresalvation is relevant to the current age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims at analyzing utopias and dystopias in Last and First Men (1930) by William Olaf Stapledon. Taking into consideration that this narrative was already defined as a scientific romance and an anatomy with allegorical status, as well as McCarthy's observation that Stapledon's writing resists simple categorization and that its classification as science fiction or utopian literature is inadequate, this paper suggests several definitions for Stapledon's work. The author also takes into account the ongoing dispute between utopian studies and science fiction scholars about the strong interaction between utopia and science fiction in the twentieth century. The possibilities of applying the conceptual integration theory to such a complex work of fiction as Last and First Men is explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 25-37) is one of the most illustrious stories on human relations among the teachings of Jesus Christ. One of the critical questions among scholars is whether the parable should be understood as a mere story of loving a neighbour offering empathy and kindness to people in need, or as an allegory. This study interrogates the parable of the Good Samaritan as an allegory about the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa. On that basis, the Priest and Levite may refer to the government; Jericho may represent the world; thieves represent the hostile forces of the world in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic; the Samaritan represents Jesus Christ, and the Inn represents the Church. The study argues that while the moral aspect of good neighborliness is emphasized in the parable, the parable may also be viewed as an allegory considered related to the experiences of people under the coronavirus disease. The study also utilized the narrative perspective as a theoretical framework to cross-examine the parable of the Good Samaritan in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study concluded that the discourses on the parable of the Good Samaritan remind people to love everyone, including their enemies, even in the context of health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic where for the most part, others were shunned in an egocentric manner.

The paper deals with the first decades in the work of Dr. Seuss (the pseudonym of Theodor Geisel, 1904–1991), one of the most prominent children’s authors of the 20th century. Seuss was not only the author of children’s tales, but also a talented artist who illustrated his own books and whose manner was deeply influenced by his 15-year experience as a cartoonist. In 1920–1940s he worked for different print media, from humor magazines to a political newspaper, drew cartoons and commercial advertisements. Our aim is to study the mutual influence of Seuss-thecartoonist and Seuss-the-writer and illustrator. Our main focus is the “bestiary” of Dr. Seuss, the animal characters of his cartoons and tales. Seuss created his first eccentric animals in the series of cartoons and anecdotes for a weekly satirical magazine Judge in 1927; he blended the Victorian tradition of nonsense and the features of newspaper cartoons and comic strips of the first decades of the 20th century. The motif of eccentricity is developed in the first children’s tales that Seuss published at the turn of the 1930–40s. The same motif is significantly transformed in his political cartoons for a daily newspaper PM in 1941–1942. Seuss puts the familiar animal images into the context of World War II and gives them different political meaning, from the totalitarian insanity of the Axis leaders to the carelessness and blindness of the “America First” supporters. Interestingly enough, Dr. Seuss used in his political cartoons some plot elements of his tales for children, as well as his old sketches and drawings. In its turn, his post-war tales are peculiar parables that absorb the political issues of the previous historical period. Creating his images of tyrants, Seuss makes use of the techniques of political cartoons. He puts his human and animal characters into the situations of tyranny or isolationism, that can be overcome with the help of common sense.

The parable of the works of N.V. Gogol as one of the most important elements of the writer's strategy is analyzed. Emphasis is placed both on its formal and content embodiment in the author's works. The formal part shows the important connection between the parable and the artistic detail of the literary work and the composition on the whole. The content part deals with the writer, who builds a complex system of conflicts and their role in the plot scheme. For the study, researchers consider it necessary to warn against a shallow analysis of Gogol's parable as a kind of vulgar form of reasonableness or teaching. Reading the author's texts shows that the parable departs from the classical model and resembles “die Parabel”, a form of parable in the literature of European modernism, which complicates and makes the edifying aspect less obvious. The parable element considered in this work should be studied not in general terms, but as an integral part of the poetics and artistic system of the author, which allows us to consider this phenomenon in more detail, as an individually mastered part of the composition of the work of a single author. Using this approach, it is possible to show Gogol as a phenomenon of world literature, and the reason for that is a complex system of parables, implemented in different ways in his literary works. This system absorbs particular elements of poetics using a variety of functions that form a single system of artistic originality of Gogol's texts. Moreover, it emphasizes the originality of texts and their dissimilarity from each other even within the author's collection.

In this article, a parable (which will be called as the Poet’s Parable from now on due to its subject) in the fourth volume of Mawlānā Muhammad Jalāl al-dīn Rūmī’s (d. 672/1273) Mathnawī, which consists of approximately twenty-five thousand seven hundred couplets will be discussed in terms of patronage. While reading and evaluating the story in terms of patronage, the commentary of Ahmed Avni Konuk (1868-1938), who annotated the entire Mathnawī will be used. The poet we encounter in the Poet’s Parable is a person who keeps his hopes for the world high, and therefore he faces with sadness and grief. However, Allah is the one who bestows freely. Narrowing hope down to worldly goods is not in accordance with Allah’s consent. Complying with the desires of not only the patrimonial ruler and but also the royal court and always being in expectation can harm the poet. It is a known fact that some poets yearn to achieve a worldly desire, such as obtaining better positions and make efforts to achieve this goal. When the desires do not come true, sadness will follow it. In this article, we will try to examine “the Story of the Poet” both in terms of patronage and Sufism. The proposition arisen during this study is as follows: “There is always a contradiction between our desires and the reality. This contradiction usually ends up with sadness. The one (“the poet” in this case) who cannot control his/her desires is doomed to blame his/her superior (“the vizier” according to the story) and be unhappy.” When the story is read, it will be seen that as long as the poet is willing to wait for blessings from man instead of God, he eventually will become disappointed.

Meseller, insan ve toplulukların yaşamlarında bazı önemli olayları vurgulayan, sonraki nesillerin bunlardan haberdar olmasını sağlayan kültür aktarımı vazifesi gören sözel unsurlardır. Kur’ân-ı Kerîm Arap dilinde indiğinden onun içinde de cahiliye dönemi Arap kültüründe yerleşmiş bazı meselleri görmek mümkündür. Kur’ân-ı Kerîm, tüm insanlığa rehber ve hidayet kaynağı olarak indirilmiş, Arapça bir kitap olduğu için onu anlamada bazı sorunlarla karşılaşılmış ve bu sorunları çözmek adına bazı çalışmalar yapılmıştır. Kimi çalışmalar onun dilsel yönüne yoğunlaşırken kimileri de anlam boyutunu, verdiği mesaj kısmını ön planda tutmuşlardır. Bazı ayetleri yorumlamada mesellerden yardım alan müfessirler olmuştur. Nitekim meseller hem dil hem de anlam boyutunun ortak olduğu kabul edilen ögelerdendir. Arapça konuşan toplumlar dışında Kur’ân-ı Kerîm’i anlama sorunu ortaya çıkınca tercüme tefsirler yazılmaya başlanmıştır. Bu çalışmada Şii-İmami çizgiye mensup bir müellif tarafından yazılan ilk Farsça tefsir olan Ravdu’l-Cinân esas alınarak bu tefsirdeki Arapça meseller ele alınmıştır. Tefsirde Farsça meseller olsa da Arapça mesellerin kullanımı ile belli bazı amaçlar gözetilmiştir. Bu meseller yoluyla kelimenin kökeni, etimoloji/sarf açısından kelimenin kalıbı ve nahiv ilmi açısından da kelimenin mahiyeti ve i‘râbı, cümlede işgal ettiği yer gibi hususlar açığa kavuşturulmuştur. Ayrıca bunların dışında da ayette geçen kelime ile doğrudan ilişkisi olmasa da ya içinde geçtiği için ya da anlam olarak karşılaması nedeniyle mesel kullanılmıştır. İşte tüm bu amaçlar örnekleriyle verilip değerlendirilecek, mesel kitaplarından asılları tahriç edilerek geçen diğer hususlar da ayrıca açıklanacak ve bir sonuçla çalışma sonlandırılacaktır.

Elizabeth Gaskell's Mary Barton (1848) employs Biblical parables to interrogate the social inequities faced by Manchester's urban poor. This analysis investigates Gaskell's interpretation of the Good Samaritan parable by extending the idea of hospitality beyond sympathy to active intervention designed to help a stranger in trouble. Close readings of four key episodes explore the Good Samaritan parable through Esther's meetings with John, Jem, and Mary, each of whom know her, dismiss her as a fallen woman, and ignore her warnings about impending danger, in effect failing to provide her with hospitality. The Sturgis couple, although strangers, are true Good Samaritans, extending radical welcome and care to Mary and preventing the events Esther warned of. As a result, both Mary and Jem are transformed, and together they put these insights into practice in society. As is true of the Good Samaritan, unconditional hospitality to the stranger exemplifies Jesus's call in the parable to "go and do likewise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Burdur Theology Journal / Burdur İlahiyat Dergisi is the property of Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy Universitesi lahiyat Fakultesi Dergisi 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.)

We shall define literary parables and their values as a type of discourse using illustrations from the authors of Albanian literature Anton Pashku and Migjeni as a case study. The parable is a literary figure, an archetype that can be found everywhere as a necessity of resemblance and how it fulfills its functions through the example that serves as the primary instrument. Only if the example has the value of a precedent does the ancient definition "parable" have its solution function and granting of the right. The parable is a type of early origin discourse. Its origins can be traced back to ancient Greek and Persian literature. They emerge at various ages, in various provinces, under various conditions, and from various cultural and ethnic realities. Literary parables are a common literary style throughout space and time, serving as an effective and fascinating way of human civilization representation. However, we will focus on their scientific definition, as well as their genesis as a form of discourse, as a prerequisite for the message to be transmitted later, in the literary works of notable Albanian writers Migjeni and Anton Pashku. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Islamic Civilization Studies / İslam Medeniyeti Araştırmaları Dergisi (IMAD) is the property of Islam Medeniyeti Arastirmalari Dergisi 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.)

The high-quality commentary of Joel Marcus on Mark's Gospel contains at least seven illuminating comments on what he calls 'the parable of the child' (Mark 9:36–37). His final comment pushes beyond a mere moral exhortation to welcome or show hospitality to little children. These parables, like others, make Jesus vividly present, and so reveal God, to whom Jesus is 'strongly connected.' Marcus should have recognized more clearly the call to recognize in vulnerable, little children the disclosed presence of God who sent his Son into the world. The face of even insignificant children brings us the face of God. The 'mystery of the child' reflects the 'mystery of God.' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When the works of historicists are examined, it is clearly seen that they were influenced by western critics and orientalists, as well as the ancient batinis in the Islamic world. In essence, just as western critics were influenced by the esoteric interpretation of Origenes (d.253-254), historicists seemed to be reviving the path of the ancient batinis in the Islamic world. Phenomena such as heaven, hell, angels and jinn are symbols, the Quran is a human word, the stories of the Quran are not experienced realities, the provisions of the Quran are universal in the sense of being "valid at all times and for everyone". Those ideas are some of the similarities between the two groups that could be given as an example in this regard. However, the lack of a study revealing the relationship between historicists and the bâtınîtes and evaluating the fictional historicist method of exegesis in this context is an important deficiency on the subject. Therefore, it was deemed appropriate to investigate this issue in order to eliminate this deficiency and to create a basis for future studies on the subject. For this purpose, in the first part of the article, two groups were compared in terms of sources, methods and opinions and an evaluation was made about this. In the second part, it is examined whether the historicist method of exegesis in accordance with the Qur'an in the context of esotericism. Since the Qur'an contains many subjects that are not included in the culture of the Arabian Peninsula - and therefore cannot be counted as historical - it has been seen that it is not possible to apply this method of tafsir to the Qur'an. In addition, historicism's treatment of verses with an approach that is contrary to the Qur'an, such as the humanity of the Qur'an, contradicts the teachings of the Qur'an. The tafsir method of the historicists, who could not stay away from the esoteric interpretation style due to the method they followed, turned the Qur'an into a distorting word full of contradictions, legends and esoteric meanings rather than a guiding word. Therefore, it is clear that historicism, which we can define as modern esotericism, is a style of explanation contrary to the spirit of the Qur'an for these and similar reasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, I bring Terrence Malick's 2019 film, A Hidden Life, into conversation with two of philosopher Paul Ricoeur's concepts: (1) the "social imaginary" as the interplay of ideals, images, ideologies and utopias, and (2) Ricoeur's description of the genre of "parable" as a narrative-metaphor which provokes a "re-orientation by disorientation" within an audience's imagination. Drawing from Ricoeur's thought, I apply a theological film criticism I call "theocinematics" to A Hidden Life in order to call attention to the ways in which the cinematic form itself engenders sociopolitical and theological thought. Through emphasizing film aesthetics in my analysis, I am ultimately suggesting that A Hidden Life as a cinematic parable has the potential power to affect and inform our social imaginaries for the good. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article posits a way forward for church-based Christian Education following the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns. Drawing on the writings of Kierkegaard, it is proposed that both a "leap of faith" and an "interruption" of linear learning might establish a more authentic way of relating to children's spirituality. Including examples from practice, the icon is visited as a pedagogical tool that inspires possibility and wrestles with fixed ideas to inspire new meanings for children today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pericope Mt 25,1-13, of the ten virgins, is one of the most commented texts in the First Gospel. In general, its textual unity is not questioned and this is one of the few consensuses among researchers regarding this pericope. The discussion about its literary genre pits those who defend it as a parable against those who consider it an allegory. This definition is not merely a formality, as it directly influences the possible hermeneutical possibilities for this text. This article therefore looks at the history of the interpretation of Mt 25,1-13. To do this, we offer a segmentation and translation of the text, notes on textual criticism, form criticism and literary genre criticism. This is followed by an exegetical commentary based on the main words in the pericope of Mt 25,1- 13. Finally, the history of the interpretation of the proposed pericope is presented. The methodology used is the Historical-Critical Method and bibliographical research. In this sense, the article demonstrates that the definition of a literary genre does not necessarily imply that there are no elements of another literary genre in the same text. With this, the pericope of Mt 25,1-13, as an open work, is contemplated in its polysemy, obviously without arbitrariness, but within the interpretative limits imposed by the text itself.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are apparent similarities between the parables contained in the Gospels and those found in the Qur'ān, which provide their audiences with illustrations of complex religious concepts and moral teachings through the imagery of everyday life. Based on the form-critical analysis of the Gospel Parable of the Sower and some Qur'ānic parables, this article aims to detect defining similarities and differences between the Gospels and Sūrat al-Baqarah and illuminate details about the historical and geographic context in which the two texts originated. Based on the findings of the comparison, this article will argue that the Qur'ānic text represents a genuine continuation of the biblical text. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The author undertakes a study of the symbolic-religious conflict, a man and Viy, as a structural and content basis for the integrity of the novella Viy . In Gogol's “paradoxical negative realism”, the “squabbling of life” is depicted from an eschatological perspective. The heterogeneity of the conflict is predetermined by the heterogeneity of Gogol's vision of life: behind the vulgar relations of vulgar people, an existential world, invisible to the characters, shines through, in which an irreal enemy awaits a person in order not to allow this person to avoid meeting with himself. The basis of the conflict of the novella Viy is the subterranean phenomena of the universe, which are at different stages of accepting evil. The mutual negation of the vulgarity of evil (Khoma) and the fantasy of supernatural evil (Viy) does not seem to Gogol absolute, just as the scenario of their movement towards each other does not seem impossible. Analysis of the conflict allows us to assert that Gogol, as a “prophet and philosopher of Orthodox culture”, according to V. Zenkovsky's definition, declares himself already in the story of 1834, and Russian literature owes the “implantation of the religious theme” to this particular work.

In The Prince with the Sad Eyes, the short story that we will here interpret as a parable in the context of Jung's theory of archetypes, Andrić shows a woman torn between her real and idealized partner, and her suffering as a consequence of a lack of discernment in the matters of the heart, a lack of self-knowledge, and most of all, the influences of the archetypes of the collective unconscious - the animus and the shadow. Andrić thematizes projection as a psychological mechanism of falling in love, which rules interpersonal relationships in other contexts, too. Through this woman's infatuation with the prince, Andrić sheds light on phenomena that take place between men and women every day: projecting, expecting, and disappointment experienced as betrayal. One cannot live with the animus, the archetypal figure responsible for falling in love: once a relationship becomes reality (sexuality is here a metonymic replacement for the whole of their real life, the reality of a relationship) all projections start disappearing and in most cases, are replaced with their negative counterpart, as archetypes are essentially dual in meaning. In a parable about the permanent misunderstanding between sexes in the process of falling in love, Andrić uses biblical signals (the tree of knowledge, miraculous healing, the genre of the parable) to point to the wrongness of the depicted world, that is the imaginary heaven, pursued in the wrong way and in the wrong place.

Parables are considered to be an effective tool in a psychologist’s work with parents of children with abnormal development. As a kind of metaphor, parables actuate neurodynamic mechanisms of the personality’s reflection of actual life issues. The use of parables is specific, depending on the psychodynamic stage of the family with a child who has some developmental problems. The requests of parents of children with abnormal development were classified and the parables were matched to each underlying request type. The use of various options of work with stories by psychologist in the therapeutic process is possible. The authors give some examples of parables at the end.

Ebû Nuaym önde gelen İslâm âlimleri arasında yer almaktadır. Kaynaklar kendisinden Tâcu’l-Muhaddisîn, el-İmâmu’l-Celîl, el-Hâfızu’l-Kebîr, eş-Şeyh, Müverrih ve Muhaddisu’l-Asr şeklinde bahsetmiştir. Konumuzun ana mihverini oluşturan ve 800 kadar zâhid ve sûfînin hayatlarına yer verilen Hilyetü’l-Evliyâ’sı alanının en güzel örneklerinden birisidir. Bu eserinde kitabının hacmini genişletmemek amacıyla sadece meşhur zâhidleri ele almıştır. Ebû Nuaym, Ḥilyetü’l-Evliyâʾdaki malumatın çoğunu üstadlarından ve muasırı diğer ulemadan derlemiş, az bir kısmını da Buhârî ve Müslim’in başını çektiği hadis kaynaklarından aktarmıştır. Müellifimizin eserinde karşımıza çıkan meseller günlük hayatımızda hemen her alanda muhatap olunan bir konudur. Hz. Peygamber, Arap dilinin en üst düzeyde konuşulduğu bir toplumda dünyaya gelmiş ve yetişmiştir. Bu sebeple Arapça’nın inceliklerine vakıf olup konuşmalarında zaman zaman mesellere yer verirdi. Bu noktada da ihtiyaçtan fazla konuşmaz ve göstermelik hareketlere asla başvurmazdı. Resûlullah’ın konunun daha iyi anlaşılması ve kavranması amacıyla meselleri kullandığı malumdur. Burada Ebû Nuaym’ın Hilyetü’l-Evliyâ adlı eserinde yer alan mesellere dair bazı örnekler verilmiştir. Makale yazılırken Ebû Nuaym’ın hayatı ile ilgili olarak hazırlanmış olan klasik kaynaklar taranmakla birlikte interaktif ortamdaki programlar da çalışma konumuz olan mesellere ulaşmamız konusunda büyük katkı sağlamıştır. Mesellerin daha iyi ve doğru anlaşılması bağlamında gerekli görülen hususlarda kısa izahlara da makalede yer verilmeye çalışılmıştır.

The article attempts to reveal some probable biographical aspects of two artistic and philosophical dialogues of Hryhoriy Skovoroda, written in 1783: Archstrategist Michael’s Struggle with Satan and The Devil’s Controversy with Varsava. The dedication of the first work to Mykhaylo Kovalyns’kyy and the later preface to this dialogue could have been inspired by the family tragedy of the Kovalyns’kyy couple – the death of their young son. It is probably not by chance that H. Skovoroda addressed the theme of the Resurrection three times in the preface, persistently reminding that the death of the body is not the end of human life, but only a rough appearance of the end. Everyone who crosses the threshold of apparent death actually passes to a new life, so the father of the dead son had to believe that in time he would meet his beloved child again, and already forever. The second dialogue is perhaps the most autobiographical in H. Skovoroda’s writings. The lines of both protagonists of this work (Daimon and Varsava) sound like the inner voices of the author of the dialogue. At the same time, according to one of the hypotheses, the prototype of Daimon can be considered not just some abstract force of doubt that was either outside the soul and consciousness of H. Skovoroda, or within his rational understanding of the metaphysics of the universe, but a specific person – Samuyil Myslavs’kyy, a younger friend of H. Skovoroda during the years of study at the Kyiv Mohyla Academy, and later the bishop and head of the Kharkiv College, because of whom, perhaps, the “official” pedagogical career of our philosopher ended forever. In general, the issue of the biographical “fullness” of certain prose works of H. Skovoroda is extremely complex and debatable in Ukrainian literary studies. Perhaps the versions highlighted in the article will somewhat bring the two “heavenly” dialogues of 1783 closer to their “earthly” reader’s perception.

One of the most debated problems in the history of philosophy is the problem of evil. Since classical times, philosophers have started to think about evil, a phenomenon that exists in the world and that almost everyone encounters. With questions such as why there is evil in the world we live in or how we can deal with evil, the problem of evil began to be examined philosophically. However, this is not only unique to the history of philosophy, it is also a topic of discussion that religions with a tradition of revelation have dealt with. Religions such as Judaism, especially Christianity and Islām have to some extent dealt with this problem. The means by which these religions respond to this problem is different from that of philosophical explanation, in which the process of reasoning and each philosopher's own logical process is heavily involved. Philosophers have tried to explain evil within the framework of neo-platonism and argued that it is actually the absence of goodness. While matter takes its most concrete form at the lowest levels, it moves far away from the good. Therefore, distancing from the perfect brings evil. Scholastics and Islāmic theologians, on the other hand, have tried to show that the evil in the world is not incompatible and contradictory with the existence of God by providing explanations that are partially in line with the doctrine of their religion. These theologians sometimes went beyond the framework of the doctrine and carried their reasoning tools quite far. Philosophers and theologians have tried to act according to the religious tradition to which they belonged in offering some solutions to this problem. Nevertheless, they did not always take the religious tradition into consideration when providing these answers and often tried to produce philosophical answers. In the modern period, the problem of evil has been seen as the soft belly of the Abrahamic religions. Since the seventeenth century, it has become one of the strongest atheistic arguments and has been used intensively today. Academically, this issue has generally been dealt with within the framework of philosophy of religion. It seems possible to say that a Qur'an-oriented study is relatively rare compared to the philosophical one. Therefore, in this study, the researcher has tried to focus on some Qur'anic verses that can be associated with the problem of evil and to show the relationship between the concepts used in the Qur'an in this context. He then discusses whether some of the Qur'anic parables can be evaluated within the framework of theodicy. In addition, the researcher has tried to reveal the differences between the arguments and style in the Qur'an and philosophical theodicy, also called systematic theodicy, throughout this study.

This essay explores James Joyce's engagement with Biblical parables in Dubliners. Like parables, Joyce's stories employ realistic situations, vivid imagery, and puzzling endings to prompt readers into moral reflection. Joyce's stories also draw upon specific Biblical parables. In "The Boarding House," Joyce inverts the Parable of the Ten Virgins to illuminate the disconnect between love and duty in Irish society. In "A Painful Case," he draws upon the Parable of the Great Banquet to highlight the implications of individual and societal inhospitality. Examining Joyce's parabolic method adds to the growing conversation about Joyce's sustained interest in Scripture and Christian thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In spite of being mentioned just once in the Qur'an, the parable of Dhu al-Qarnain is one of the most commented on stories. The story is interpreted many times since it has full of scenery that forces human willpower. The multiplicity and variety of narrations in exegesis is another effect that increases interpretations. In this article, a general ordering of controversies based on comments and variety of narrations about the parable is presented not to deal with the reasons, but no opinion is given about them. Certain words in related verses are examined in terms of the context so that the parable is understood and ensured more reasonably. Thus, it is seen that a real portrait section is presented with the parable. Henceforth, the methods of Dhu al-Qarnain on dawah, invitation, contract law, management, and constructional activities is examined. Besides, the results of the message, which is the main purpose of the parable, is analyzed. It is seen that his method can always be used due to the universality of the message. On the other hand, it is understood that human knowledge is limited as God is allknowing, thus our comments are subjective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Van Journal of Divinity / Van Ilahiyat Dergisi is the property of Ilahiyat Fakultesi, Yuzuncu Yil University 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 the Qur’an, many subjects are covered in the stories. One of the subjects in these stories is worldly goods. The test of man with world property is as old as the history of humanity. The test of man with worldly goods is as old as human history. The common point of these verses is that the worldly goods created for humans turn out not as means but as an end for some people. In Surah al-Kahf 18/32-44, the parable covers all the related verses of worldly property. In this group of verses, the destruction of the property of a person with a fertile, large land after he claims superiority over his friend is narrated. Since the people, place, and time in the parable are ambiguous, it is possible that the same parable may happen again in any place at any time. In this study, we found it appropriate to examine the parable in the relevant verses separately. While doing our study, we first defined the parable. Afterwards, we tried to analyze the verses in accordance with both the order of the Mushaf and the time course of the event. During this research, we benefited from explanatory verses and hadiths, applied consulted tafsir sources and used of dictionaries for word explanations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of RumeliDE Journal of Language & Literature Research / RumeliDE Dil ve Edebiyat Araştırmaları Dergisi is the property of RumeliDE Uluslararasi Hakemli Dil & Edebiyat Arastirmalari Dergisi 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.)

Parables are rhetorical devices that highlight significant occurrences in peoplecs and communities' lives and act as a mechanism of cultural transmission, making them known to succeeding generations. The Qur'ān contains parables that were ingrained in the Arab culture of the Jahiliyyah period because it was revealed in the Arabic language. Because the Qur'ān was revealed as a source of guidance and direction for all humanity, and because it is an Arabic book, various challenges in comprehending it have arisen, and some efforts have been made to resolve these difficulties in understanding the meaning. While some research have concentrated on its linguistic aspects, others have prioritized its meaning and message. Some interpreters have used parables to help them comprehend certain verses. In reality, parables are among the elements that are considered to share both language and meaning dimensions. When it became difficult to read the Qur'ān outside of Arabic-speaking countries, prominent commentaries began to be translated or commentators began to write in foreign languages. This study is based on Rawd al-Jinān, which is not the first tafsīr written in Persian but the first Persian tafsîr written by a member of the Shi'ite-Imami line and deals with the Arabic parables in this tafsīr. Although the tafsîr is in Persian, the use of Arabic parables serves certain purposes. Through these parables, issues such as the origin of the word, the morphology of the word in terms of etymology/orthography, and the nature and irāb of the word in terms of the science of grammar and the place it occupies in the sentence have been explained. Apart from these, even though it is not directly related to the word mentioned in the verse, it is used either because it is mentioned in it or because it fulfills its meaning. All these purposes will be given and evaluated with examples, analyzed from the books of parables, other issues will be explained separately and the study will be concluded with a conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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