Paganism

Pontifical law and sacred rites are key points in Macrobius' Saturnalia. Macrobius, however, deals with the question as an antiquarian, since the Christianisation of the Roman empire gradually banned any public manifestation of traditional Roman cults. The solution Macrobius suggests to stem the decline of paganism is to crystallise Roman religion into eternally valid truths. This article explores pontifical law in Macrobius' Saturnalia as an expression of the resilience of Roman paganism.

In an op-ed piece published in late 2009 in the New York Times, Ross Douthat claimed that James Cameron’s film Avatar was a piece of pantheist propaganda designed to encourage the worship of nature rather than God. In this essay, I critique Douthat’s claims as a misunderstanding of pantheism and a symptom of conservative Christian fear that environmentalism is crypto-paganism. I offer an alternative reading of Eywa, the film’s planetary intelligence, as a creature, a figure of the Christian goddess Natura; a descendant of literary paganism; and a sign of an incipient Christian environmental ecumene.    En un artículo de opinión publicado a finales de 2009 en el New York Times, Ross Douthat afirmó que la película de James Cameron, Avatar, era un ejemplo de propaganda panteísta diseñada para animar a la adoración de la naturaleza en vez de a Dios. En este ensayo, evalúo las afirmaciones de Douthat, clasificándolas como un malentendido sobre el panteísmo y como un síntoma del temor cri...

Feraferia, 'a love culture for wilderness', is a contemporary Pagan religion that celebrates humans' erotic union with Nature. It was the brainchild of artist, Frederick Adams (1928-2008), who in 1956 had a vision of a universal goddess and subsequently devoted himself to the divine feminine as a 'Maiden Goddess of the Wilderness' called Korê. Formally incorporated in 1967, Feraferia became the second Pagan church in US history, and it is still active today. Herein I examine Feraferia through an ecocritical lens, with a particular focus on the role of trees, the anthropomorphisation of nature envisioned as a young female body, ecosexuality, and the construction of henges; circular structures aligned with local topography, used as seasonal and astronomical calendars wherein ritual magic and 'faerie enchantment' are employed in order to heal and revitalise the natural world. I demonstrate that Feraferia's enchanted approach to the world resonates with contemporary ecological activist thought, particularly ecofeminism and ecosexuality. I conclude that many of Feraferia's ecospiritual concepts have value today because they can heighten conscious awareness of human situatedness within the real physical world, both on our own planet as well as within the wider surrounding space of our part of the universe.

Abstract:

This study combines empirical and theological documentary methodologies to investigate aberrant faith expression and re-examine doctrines of conversion and discipleship in the Central Kenya Conference. Evidence suggests significant aberrant faith mixing traditional beliefs with Christian doctrines, indicating issues with spiritual formation. I argue conversion engenders particular ways of thinking/practising faith, with change as a steady progression rather than an instant event. Theological inquiry shows aberrance is natural when doing theology in Africa, defended by scholars like Nthamburi and Mbiti as African theology, though others like Yorke see it as unavoidable syncretism. I recommend a Charigma-Didache model focused on ongoing transformation rather than instant change into a new creature, emphasizing active regenerating learning processes of divine-human-human cognitive change.

En este artículo situamos nuestro foco de atención en las actuaciones llevadas a cabo por el magister militum Amantius, quien si­guiendo las órdenes del emperador Justiniano, en el año 555 investigó a nume­rosos ciudadanos y dirigentes de la ciudad de Antioquía que resultaron ser ocultaabiertamente paganos y por ello fueron represaliados de una u otra manera. Represalias y ataques que deben entenderse dentro de ese contexto de lucha en defensa de la ortodoxia y que busca acabar de una forma defi­nitiva con este paganismo latente.

Я верю, что практика такого рода отчетности за совершенные Тайны Пресвятого Розария воспитает уважительное отношение к Непорочному Сердцу Марии, осуществит профилактику оскорблений в Ее Адрес и поможет вместе с помощью Священноначалия выявить и раскрыть Призвания от Бога Отца в нашей Святой Католической Церкви.

Poster for the third and final phase of the SFB923 Bedrohte Ordnungen (Threatened Orders), subgroup G01: Platonismus und Christentum in der Spätantike (IPs: Prof. Dr. Imrgard Männlein-Robert & Prof. Dr. Volker Henning Drecoll): Das TP untersucht die literarischen Strategien der Bedrohungskommunikation bei Porphyrios und Eusebios und gewinnt so neue Ergebnisse und Einsichten in deren Prozesslogiken.

The media landscape of the Habsburg Monarchy in the pre-March period was relatively meagre. In Carniola and other Austrian crownlands with a Slovenian population, the opportunities for literary development were limited: this is well evidenced by the ban on the publication of Slavinja in mid-1820 as well as by the many conflicts Krajnska čbelica (‘The Carniolan Bee’) had with censorship in the early 1830s. The modesty of literary activity in Slovenia at this time is often related to the low level of education and literacy among the population, discontinuity in the development of literary culture, and the general underdevelopment of the emerging Slovenian literary and media systems. However, imperial censorship also decisively contributed to this state of affairs. This article therefore outlines the functioning of the pre-March censorship apparatus at the state and local levels, showing how the censorship office in Vienna (headed by the count Josef Sedlnitzky) systematically blocked a...

Magia pasterska, funkcjonująca niegdyś z zastosowaniem różnorodnych roślin, w tym zwłaszcza ziół, przejawiała się w trzech podstawowych, uzupełniających się wzajemnie elementach – w ochronie człowieka i jego dobytku, pomnażaniu majątku oraz lecznictwie. Wybranym gatunkom karpackiej flory przypisywano szczególne właściwości apotropeiczne, wierząc w ich świętą moc ochronną, a nierzadko traktowano jako jedyne i ostateczne antidotum na dolegliwości ludzi i zwierząt. Z tego powodu
bacowie, trudniący się zabiegami natury medycznej i magicznej, często korzystali z zasobów środowiska przyrodniczego. Wiedza z zakresu medycyny ludowej i ziołolecznictwa była przekazywana w ramach wymiany międzypokoleniowej na równi z wiedzą dotyczącą wyrobu serów czy zarządzania wypasem.

This article analyses how pagan Slavic religion and mythology were assembled in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, using the example of folklore research in the Czech lands. It demonstrates how imaginings of the original nature of Slavic religion and mythology, and speculations about the Indo-European past, contributed to Czech nation-building. Reviewing the shift from amateur folklore research to the establishment of institutionalized disciplines, the article argues that Christian theological assumptions enabled the 'discovery' of Slavic religion and gave it a peculiar shape through secularization of the original theological ideas.

In this article, the author focuses on the analysis of Mieczysław Józefczyk’s book: Kościół i społeczeństwo w Prusach krzyżackich. Teksty źródłowe do dziejów chrześcijaństwa w Pomezanii i Pogezanii (Church and Society in Teutonic Order Prussia. The Textual Sources for the History of Christianity in Pomesania and Pogesania), published by the Warmińskie Wydawnictwo Diecezjalne in Elbląg in 2017. A detailed criticism of the author’s methodology of the book is presented, with the correction of many errors related to the historical geography of medieval Prussia, medieval chronology and philology. The book, in which we find Polish translations of 548 documents, has numer�ous mistakes that distort the picture of the settlement in the area of Pomesania, Pogesania and Warmia. This article also highlights numerous errors in the translations from Latin and German. The medieval terminology used in the book is also corrected. There were many errors relating to the methodology of working with a m...

The River Volkhov, connecting Lake Ilmen and Lake Ladoga, used to be atransportation line of utmost importance in northern Russia (Fig. 1). As earlyas the 8th–9th century AD, the water route along the Volkhov was masteredby the Slavs – migrants from the southern shores of the Baltic Sea. During theViking epoch, two major townships of northern Russia appeared at the headand the outfall of the Volkhov: they were Ladoga and the predecessor of Novgorod, Rurik’s Township. And in the second quarter of the 10th centuryNovgorod the Great was founded. For the city’s population, the River Volkhovwas not only the basis of their economic life, but also a sacred natural feature.  

A passagem de um modelo cívico para um modelo cristão das relações sociais tem sido vista por muitos autores como uma das mais cruciais transformações da Antiguidade Tardia. Essa visão não deixa, porém, de ter o inconveniente de apresentar as categorias cívicas como fósseis destinados a desaparecer e o discurso sobre a caridade e a pobreza como uma força transformadora que dá um lugar aos "pobres", mas que não é nunca moldada por eles. O objetivo deste artigo é questionar a pertinência desta abordagem no caso particular das cidades da África do Norte durante os séculos IV e V Ao fazer isso, espero demonstrar como esse novo discurso sobre a caridade e a pobreza podia coexistir e se articular nos meios populares citadinos com as antigas noções de cidadania e de direitos como parte de um mesmo conjunto de estratégias de sobrevivência e de formas de ação coletiva.

Estimo que tenemos razones más que suficientes para expresar, como mínimo, nuestra más sincera gratitud a los antedichos purpurados por su iniciativa, que busca provocar dicho acto pontificio, tan necesario como urgente. Ciertamente, el Señor no abandona a su Iglesia, y, por este motivo, le sigue enviando a sus profetas, en este caso, santa y valientemente «escrupulosos».

V diplomskem delu se ukvarjam s primerjavo Sofoklove tragedije Kralj Ojdip in Evripidove tragedije Bakhe. V primerjavi se osredotočam predvsem na ritualne prvine ter kako se le-te kažejo v obeh tragedijah. Teorija ritualno - herojskega tragedijo razdeli na dva tipa: ritualno, ki zajema prvine stari Sacer ludus (ritualni ples) in se konča s ponovnim vzponom vegetacijskega boga, ter herojsko, ki se osredotoča na junaka kot heroja, kateri že pozna hybris oz. usodno zmoto, kar v sklepnem delu ne more pripeljati do sprave in obuditve. Herojska tragedija se v okviru zgodovinsko razumljenega časa lahko konča le s smrtjo. Obe tragediji ritualno ponazarjata v drugačni obliki, Kralj Ojdip skozi motive, Bakhe pa preko dveh ritualnih shem - ritualne in estetske. Evripid s tem ponazori prehod iz ritualne tragedije v herojsko tragedijo, ki ima že estetske prvine. V vsebino sem vključila tudi teorijo tragedije, kjer poizkušam še bolj natančno opredeliti ritualno in herojsko, ter v nadaljevanju tud...

Bugün bizlerin çoğunlukla adının Arapça versiyonuyla, “İsa” olarak tanıdığımız Hristiyanlığın öncüsü Yeşua’nın yaşamı, din tarihçileri için hayli muğlak bir çalışma sahasını meydana getirir; zira onun sadece yaşamı değil, tarihselliği dahi sürekli bir tartışma konusu olagelmiştir. İsa’nın kutsanmışlığına işaret eden ve “meshedilmiş” anlamına gelen “Mesih” sıfatı, antik metinlerde çoğunlukla Eski Yunanca “Χριστός” ve Latince “Christus” şeklinde karşımıza çıkmakla beraber zaman zaman farklı formlarda kullanımına da rastlanmaktadır. Bunlar arasında en göze çarpan, şüphesiz Romalı tarihçiler Tacitus ve Suetonius’un eserlerindeki “iyi”, “uysal” anlamlarını taşıyan Eski Yunanca “Χρήστος” kökenli “Chrestus” sözcüğü olacaktır. Skolastik çarmıh anlatısını sunduğu bilinen ilk pagan tarihçi olan Tacitus’un, dinsel niteliği nedeniyle Testimonium Taciteum olarak adlandırılan pasajının günümüze ulaşan en erken tarihli Tacitus yazmasını içinde barındıran ve on birinci yüzyılda istinsah edildiği sanılan Codex Mediceus’taki kopyasında, Hristiyanları tanımlamak için başlangıçta Chrestianos yazan müstensihin sonradan “e” harfini silerek “i” ile değiştirdiği tespit edilmiştir. Bu değişiklik, gayet tabii basit bir yazım hatasını düzeltmek amacıyla gerçekleştirilmiş olabileceği gibi, metni tahrip etmek amacıyla gerçekleştirilmiş de olabilir. Nitekim eserini Tacitus’tan ancak birkaç sene sonra kaleme alan Suetonius da imparator Claudius döneminde Chrestus isimli bir adamın, Roma’daki Yahudileri isyana teşvik ettiğini aktarır; çarmıh anlatısı temel alındığında imparator Tiberius döneminde ölmüş olması gereken İsa’nın, Claudius dönemindeki Chrestus ile aynı kişi olması mümkün görünmese de onun, ortaya koyduğu inanç öğretileriyle dolaylı yoldan isyana sebep olduğunu ve bu yüzden Chrestus ile aynı kişi olabileceğini öne süren araştırmacılar da bulunmaktadır. Şu durumda farklı manalara sahip olan Christus ve Chrestus isimlerinin bir arada kullanımının, İsa’nın şahsına yönelik bir karmaşa yarattığı düşünülebilir; acaba Chrestus ile kastedilen İsa mıdır yoksa Claudius dönemi Roma’sında Yahudileri ayaklandıran farklı bir kimse midir? Ya da Hristiyan olarak tanımlanan ilk topluluğu oluşturanlar, Christus’un mu yoksa Chrestus’un mu takipçileridirler? Bizim bu çalışmayı gerçekleştirmekteki birincil gayemiz, Christus-Chrestus ikiliğinden hareketle ortaya çıkan bu ve benzeri sorulara alternatif yanıtlar aramak ve okuyucuya yeni ufuklar kazandırmaktır.

The primary aim of the paper is to explore the relationship between the trauma ‑focused self ‑description of Hungarian history and other factors such as sense of regional betweenness, memory, well ‑being or even the respondent’s personality (sympathy for authoritarian personality traits, political orientation, religiosity). In the current study, network analysis is used to explore the elective affinities between the above ‑mentioned variables. This method – rather than focusing on linear relationships – concentrates on interactions and feedback loops to better understand this social phenomenon. Our results show that the outlined factors form a coherent and highly stable belief system that can only be changed by significant influences.

تعد دراسة تاريخ الأوبئة, لاسيما في مصادر التراث العربي الاسلامي
من الدراسات المهمة وغير التقليدية, لأنها تبين واقع ظروف المجتمع الذي
عايش الوباء وما نتج عنه من متغيرات كان لها الاثر اجتماعيا واقتصاديا
وصحيا ونفسيا عند زوال البلاء, فضلا عن معرفة نوع هذا الاوبئة في العالم
اليوم لما مرت به الامة وتضررت منها سنين عجاف, لاسيما فترة هذا
الدراسة التي امتدت من (6-897ه = 628-1492), اذ كانت مهلكة
للأنسان والدواب والحرث والزرع, كما أن قسما من الاوبئة عرف عن
أعراضه وعلاجه, زسجله العلماء العرب سواء أكانوا من المسلمين ام غير
المسلمين قبل وبعد الاسلام,

Os vikings ficaram conhecidos por sua fama de navegantes, aventureiros, invasores e saqueadores, isso se deveu graças a habilidade naval desenvolvida ao longo de gerações, que possibilitou a criação de diferentes embarcações, principalmente os navios-longos (langskip), os quais se tornaram um ícone da cultura material, virando sinônimo de "navio viking". No entanto, para além dessa embarcação, outras foram feitas para serem utilizadas em atividades como o comércio, a pesca, a travessia em rios e lagos, assim, o presente artigo apresentou os outros tipos de embarcações que existiram durante a Era Viking.

Pop singer Zolita claims herself a witch. How is neopagan witchcraft incorporated in her music? The Wiccan movement in North America raises among young females, who search for an unique identity. A locality of this community can be found in cyberspace.

The prohibition against idolatry is one of the main precepts of Judaism. However, while everyone in the Jewish tradition would agree on condemning idol worship, agreement is far from being reached about what idolatry is and why it is deplorable. 
Considering the theological foundations and aesthetic implications of the ban on idolatry, this lecture explores the reception of the Second Commandment in modern Jewish thought.

The tabernacle of David refers to the tent on Mount Zion, in which the ark was placed as the focal point for worship during David’s reign, and which has been largely overlooked by theologians in comparison with the tabernacle of Moses or Solomon’s temple. This article explores the theological significance of David’s tabernacle for Christian worship by examining the views of authors from ‘Burn 24-7,’ an international worship and prayer organisation founded in 2006. The Burn 24-7 interpretation of key texts is brought into dialogue with the perspective of Reformed theologian Peter Leithart, whose book 'From Silence to Song' is a rare scholarly exploration of this topic. Different hermeneutical models for determining what constitutes ‘Biblical worship’ are also considered with reference to Michael Farley’s paper on the subject. While the Burn 24-7 interpretation of the principal texts is at variance with many evangelical scholars, it finds broad support from Leithart, who makes a strong case for the thesis that Amos 9:11 and Acts 15:16 both refer to David’s worship tabernacle.

Neopaganism (Dievturība) in Latvia has undergone phenomenal transformations which have been driven by socio-political conditions. The history of the Dievturi movement makes it possible to outline the historical change in the movement due to differing political circumstances. In the first period of its development (1925-1940), Neopaganism displayed itself as a form of politicised phenomenon; it became part of prevailing policies of nationalism by offering a Latvian national religion. With Latvia’s occupation by the Soviet forces (1940) Latvian Neopagans, Dievturi, became a disadvantaged group. Persecution and repression faced by Dievturi (1940-1953) were due to the imposition of Communist ideology and restrictions on freedom. Later during the Soviet regime (1953-1986), the Dievturi were not part of an organised religious movement, their teaching and ritual practice were not further developed during this time period. However, it was while in exile that the Dievturi had the opportunity...

Text reaguje na univerzalistické nároky alternativní spirituality. Tím, že se identifikuje jako (jediná a pravá) univerzální spiritualita lidstva a odmítá, že by byla „náboženstvím“, rýsuje zároveň distanci mezi sebou a tradičními systémy. Specificky tím ale zároveň o sobě tvrdí, že nemá „dogmata“, „hierarchie“, ani „autority“. Je to ale skutečně pravda?

Post-sekulární Evropa se se stále větší intenzitou prosycuje motivy, které vyvěrají z hnutí nového věku. Jeho původní podoba vznikla v šedesátých letech, a to především na základech kontrakulturního hnutí propojeného s pozdní podobou evropského esoterismu. Nejpozději v devadesátých letech se však původní název „new age“ (česky „hnutí nového věku) postupně vytrácí a fenomén již zcela ztrácí obrysy hnutí, pokud kdy vůbec jaké měl. V současné době jej jeho příznivci stále častěji označují pojmem „spiritualita“, případně „nová spiritualita“ či „nenáboženská spiritualita“, a od nich tento termín, často poměrně neproblematicky, přejímají vědci. Je však záhodno podívat se pečlivěji na to, jakou implicitní zátěž s sebou
výraz „spiritualita“ doopravdy nese a nakolik je vhodné s ním bez dalšího operovat ve vědeckém diskursu.

This research studier the duration of Elaa and its Judgment in Islamic law. The importance of this research is shown when a man neither wants to marry a woman nor he let her marry another man. He swears not to approach her. He doesn't her as divorced nor married. The purpose behind the Elaa is to do harm to the wife. Even muslims did Elaa too. But God prevented it and gave the husband a duration so that he may think again and not to rush. A Fter that if he thinks that it is better to leaves this harm awm away, he can teave. And if he thinks it is better to devorce, he can devorce. God limited the duration in Four months. So anyone who swears to Elaa for Four months or less, he doesn't need to wait for the end of it. Because the duration of Elaa ends before the time limit or in the time limit. Waiting for four month and ten days should be in the time of Elaa Because only after the duration of Elaa the wife can demand to raise the case to the Judge. If the wife has no right fo...

El estudio de la imagen de los emperadores cristianos es complejo por su indefinición y por la variedad de puntos de vista que ofrece. Esta contribución presenta una serie de preguntas generales que plantean los puntos más conflictivos del análisis del culto imperial y la veneración de imágenes imperiales, dos conceptos que determinan el estudio de la imagen imperial.The study of the Christian imperial image is complex because of its lack of definition and the varity of possible points of view. The present paper shows a row of general questions which raise the most conflictive points of the analysis of imperial cult and the veneration of imperial images, two concepts which determine the study of the imperial image.