References to the Bible in the Universal Prayer: A Research Reconnaissance
The article presents the results of preliminary research devoted to the transformation of the lexicon of the universal prayer, also known as the prayer of the faithful. The focus is on the use of specific phrasemes from the Bible which appear in five collections of such prayers. Referring to the content of the Bible in the universal prayer serves many functions. It allows maintaining content coherence in the entire liturgy of the Mass, ensures a smooth transition from the Liturgy of the Word to the Liturgy of the Eucharist, and diversifies the style – it serves an aesthetic function. In the texts of the examined genre, there are direct references to the content of the readings and the Gospel for a given day. It is also possible to observe general lexical and conceptual references to the Bible, which are most strongly present in the introduction and conclusion of the prayer. The analysis of selected phrasemes from the Bible shows continuity and change in the lexical resource. The saturation of individual collections with these elements varies, which allows tracking the transformations of style and changes in phraseological connectivity.
Nawiązania do Biblii w modlitwie powszechnej. Rekonesans badawczy
Artykuł przedstawia rekonesans badawczy poświęcony przekształceniom leksyki modlitwy powszechnej. Uwaga koncentruje się na wykorzystywaniu określonych frazemów pochodzących z Biblii, używanych w pięciu zbiorach modlitw powszechnych. Nawiązywanie do treści Biblii w modlitwie powszechnej pełni wiele funkcji. Pozwala utrzymać spójność treściową w całości liturgii mszy św., zapewnia płynne przejście z liturgii słowa do liturgii Eucharystii, urozmaica styl – pełni funkcję estetyczną. W tekstach badanego gatunku pojawiają się bezpośrednie nawiązania do treści czytań i Ewangelii z danego dnia. Poza tym zaobserwować można ogólne leksykalne i pojęciowe nawiązania do Biblii, które najsilniej uobecniają się we wstępie i zakończeniu modlitwy. Badanie wybranych frazemów pochodzących z Biblii ukazuje ciągłość i zmianę w zasobie leksykalnym. Nasycenie nimi poszczególnych zbiorów jest różne, co pozwala śledzić przekształcenia stylu i zmiany łączliwości frazeologicznej.
Philology. Linguistics, Slavic languages. Baltic languages. Albanian languages
The legacies of colonialism on both the colonised and coloniser is one thing that our world cannot escape in contemporary times. In most of the places, colonialism came with its own form of Christianity. This colonial Christianity was based on the idea of exclusion, homogenisation and conquering the other. Thus, the combination of the ideals of colonialism and Christianity brought about a type of nationalism, which was monologic. This monologic nationalism as an ideology not only creates refugees but also generates a monological ‘unity’ among the people in the country of arrival against these refugees. This poses a danger to humanity as a whole. Thus, it is important for scholars of religion and theology to deconstruct ideas on the line of monologic nationalism and embrace a form of nationalism that is dialogical in nature. In this regard, this article using Mikhail Bakhtin’s idea of dialogism as its framework attempts to construct a dialogic theology of missions as a response to the global refugee phenomenon. The article argues that there must be a shift from colonial missions, which are monologic in nature to a dialogic theology of missions grounded in World Christianity.
Contribution: This article attempts to point out a key legacy of colonialism and colonial Christianity: the creation of refugees, which often has not been looked at by many scholars. The problem lies not with ‘Christianity’ as a religion, but the type of Christianity being practised. Addressing this practice demands a shift from colonial Christianity to World Christianity, which is embedded within its solutions to the global refugee crisis that the world is currently facing.
In an era marked by rapid cultural evolution and societal transformation, the challenge for ministry leaders lies in bridging the gap between the timeless teachings of biblical scripture and the complexities of contemporary life. The principles contained within ancient texts are universally acknowledged for their wisdom on human morality, justice, and ethical living. However, the contextualization of these teachings in modern settings requires a nuanced approach that respects both the original intent of scripture and the realities of today's world. This literature review seeks to explore the process of translating biblical principles into actionable frameworks for modern ministry. By examining the distinction between enduring truths and culturally bound practices, as well as considering emerging trends in digital ministry and creative outreach, this article provides an insightful guide for ministry professionals aiming to apply scripture faithfully and effectively in current contexts.
El Concilio Vaticano II marcó un antes y un después en la Historia de la Iglesia, destacándose por la función dialógica, pastoral y propositiva que organizó. El tema de la vocación laical es un contenido que ayuda a comprender la propuesta del Concilio de poner a la Iglesia en diálogo con el mundo. A partir de este enfoque, la investigación pretende reflexionar sobre la colaboración de la vocación de hombres y mujeres laicos en diálogo con el mundo y su misión de testimoniar la fe en las diferentes estructuras en las que viven. Ante esto, la pregunta que surge es ¿qué actitudes se requieren de los cristianos laicos en el contexto de la nueva evangelización? El objetivo es resaltar la dignidad común de todos los creyentes desde el bautismo en adelante. Y también, enumerar y caracterizar el modo de colaboración cristiana entre hombres y mujeres laicos en la comunidad eclesiástica y en la sociedad en general. De carácter documental y bibliográfico, la investigación tiene como tema central la vocación y dignidad bautismal. La renovación eclesiástica puesta de manifiesto con el Concilio Vaticano II implica un compromiso de fidelidad al triple papel ya vivido por Jesucristo y heredado en el bautismo. Los resultados se proponen en términos de aplicación práctica, para la formación permanente de hombres y mujeres laicos, como sujetos en la Iglesia y en el mundo, enumerados en notas pastorales para los responsables del seguimiento de la vocación laical en las comunidades y diócesis.
Translation has often been the primary cultural medium through which history’s greatest visions for society have been communicated and acculturated. But few translations have had as much influence on German religion, politics, culture, and language as Luther’s Bible translation did. This article discusses Luther’s role as a reformer of language and as a Bible translator. Of course these two roles can scarcely be considered independently of each other. The Reformation was deeply marked by his translation choices, and his distinctive way of reading, interpreting, and communicating the Bible’s meaning.
Various approaches to Paul’s relationship with the Roman Empire have come to the fore, including those who see Paul’s discourse as anti-imperial, pro-imperial, ambiguous towards empire and those who argue that Paul’s discourse transcends that of empire. The nature and influence of the Roman Empire are examined, and the various scholarly approaches to Paul’s relationship to empire are considered. Romans 13:1–7 is used as a test case to better understand Paul’s stance towards the Roman Empire or government authorities in general. Although it has been argued that Paul’s stance towards empire was influenced by ‘Jewish apocalyptic’, in this contribution, it is argued that Paul’s eschatology as laid out in his letters rather than ‘Jewish apocalyptic’ as such is key to understanding the seemingly ambiguous statements about the Roman Empire in his letters.
Contribution: This article’s contribution mainly lies in its approach to understand Paul’s relationship to the Roman Empire from the perspective of his own eschatology. Here, traditional understandings of Paul’s relationship to empire is put in a larger perspective, which contributes in solving Paul’s seemingly ambiguous stance towards Roman authority.
Circular Reasoning?: Answering the Problem of Circularity in the Doctrine of Internal Witness of the Holy Spirit.
The doctrine of the internal testimony of the Holy Spirit was used by John Calvin to explain why Christians can believe in the Bible as the word of God. However, this doctrine is not free from problems especially related to the problem of circular reasoning, subjectivism, and is considered to ignore evidence and arguments. This paper tries to answer these problems by first discussing the nature and mechanism of the internal testimony of the Holy Spirit. Secondly, it attempts to answer these problems by using the concept of multilevel knowledge and acknowledging the existence of epistemic circularity. With the help of these concepts, the author will show that these problems can be answered well.
In remembering Vuyani Vellem, this paper delves into his scholarship, a scholarship that admittedly exudes his activism in academia, church and society. Choosing intentionally the marginalised as the primary interlocutors in discourse, Vellem demonstrates that he is situated in the arena of those who are otherwise seen as the wretched of the earth, insisting that Black Theology of Liberation must engage in a praxis that centres the lived experiences of black people and creates for itself legacies that would attest to Black Theology of Liberation as a formidable hermeneutic that recognises the sanctity of black life in a context of the prevalence of white supremacy. It notes however that a history of colonisation and subjugation has wrecked the humanity of black people, and as a result, a contract with black people becomes essential on this path towards the total emancipation of black people in South Africa and the world.
Contribution: The scholarly contribution of this article is its focus on the systematic and practical reflection, within a paradigm in which the intersection of religious studies, social sciences and humanities generate an interdisciplinary contested discourse.
In this article, the author engages with the question ‘what is so theological about theological education?’, which he calls a genealogy of theology. This matter is approached from a very specific vantage point as the author was the former dean of the Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of Pretoria (South Africa) and has engaged in this research project over the past 5 years, as the Faculty was under severe review as to its composition, and ultimately its very future. This article endeavours to bring to the surface the underlying theology of the author and the paradigm he is operating from. It concludes with a definition of theology as he sees it, but with the explicit qualification of it being situated at a research-intensive university competing for a notable position on the ranking indexes of world universities. A new niche is thus opening up for theology (vis-à-vis a seminary or even a Christian university), namely, a ‘scholarly endeavour of believers in the public sphere in order to inquire into a multi-dimensional reality in a manner that matters’.
Warm heart; sharp mind; frail body - black prophet treading where others do not dare….
For almost a decade, Prof. Vuyani Vellem sub-edited a special collection on black liberation theology. This year the focus was on James Hal Cone (05 August 1938–28 April 2018), who was an American theologian, best known for his advocacy of black theology and black liberation theology. However, this collection was the last which Prof. Vellem could supervise. Vuyani Shadrack Vellem passed away on 04 December 2019. His body was frail for a long time, as a result of cancer. However, his courage did not allow him to give up. Vuyani and his family fought until the end.
This article seeks to clarify the concept of “philosophy” as it appeared within popular overviews of South African Old Testament scholarship published in the post-apartheid era. After providing a typology of related research, the discussion proceeds with the identification of the words “philosophy”/“philosophical” in the associated colonialist scholarly discourses. The latter part involves a brief classification, commentary and critique of the meta-philosophical assumptions supervening on the associated intra- and cross-disciplinary contexts.
In the first part of this article, Africanity as a concept within research methodology is exploredin the dialogical spaces between the binaries of racial identity and group identity, indigenousand traditional values, post-colonialism and post-racialism, blackness and African, as well aseliminativist and conservationalist. In the second part, the research carried out in twotownships in the eMakhazeni Local Municipality in Mpumalanga, South Africa’s most easternprovince, is described in terms of parameters and process. The townships involved areSakhelwe in Dullstroom-Emnotweni and Emthonjeni in Machadodorp-eNktokozweni. Theresearch focuses on interviews with young people between the ages of 18 and 24 on thepotential of faith-based organisations to assist them in moving from the ’margins‘ of society topositions of social cohesion. The third and main part of the article, is dedicated to lessonslearnt and experience acquired when research is carried out in a rural area from an Africanityperspective. This entails, inter alia (1) to be sensitive towards power relations in research; (2)respecting indigenous values within group identities; (3) not predefining the youth, usingindigenous (and not European) definitions of ‘agency’ and ‘marginalisation’; (4) to engage inobservation rather than interpretation; and (5) to decolonise the research process whenregarding interpretation as an act of colonisation.
Resumo: este artigo sintetiza um episódio amplamente conhecido entre os estudiosos da religião, descrito por Michel de Certeau: A Possessão de Loudun. Mais que a descrição histórica do episódio, interessam-me as chaves de leitura que este autor aplicou ao estudo do fenômeno. A síntese está, grosso modo, referenciada nas pesquisa de Daniel Bogner sobre a obra de Certeau. Se a Possessão de Loudun exemplifica como a religião perde credibilidade como fundamento do ser no mundo na transição para o mundo moderno, ela também indica chaves de leitura úteis para analisar sua persistência e importância, num mundo em que a verdade religiosa é vencida pelas ciências e pela política. Por isto, o segundo foco desta reflexão volta-se às dinâmicas da vida cotidiana, numa tentativa de diálogo entre Veena Das e Michel de Certeau.
Palavras-chave: Religião. Cristianismo. Cotidiano.
The article is devoted to the functional aspect of biblical imagery in Shakespearean drama. It deals with the functions of imagery in the Bible itself (e. g. nominative, illustrative, descriptive, emotive, emphatic, expressive, explaining, veiling, cognitive, reminiscent, cohesive, integrative, symbolic etc.), as well as the functional peculiarities of biblical images in Shakespeare’s tragedies, comedies and problem plays, where besides the allusive and illustrative functions they also form connotations, subtext, sometimes - the plot and the main ideas. Specifically emphasized is the modeling function of biblical imagery in the consequent texts, where the images from the Bible serve as a model for imagery coinage. The article also covers the role of biblical imagery in creating ambiguity, along with the major situations and motives generating imagery.
Language. Linguistic theory. Comparative grammar, Semantics
Resumo: o objetivo deste artigo é a análise do incêndio ocorrido em 5 de setembro de 2002, na Matriz Nossa Senhora do Rosário, em Pirenópolis, Goiás. Utilizando a metodologia hermenêutica de Gadamer, considerou a tragédia como um evento hermenêutico, pois a mesma revelou os conflitos de representações: a matriz considerada como um templo religioso e a matriz considerada como um monumento histórico.
Palavras-chave: Matriz do Rosário. Catástrofe. Pirenópolis. Patrimônio Histórico. Evento Hermenêutico.