Verbum Vitae, 2023, T. 41, nr 2

Stały URI dla kolekcjihttps://theo-logos.pl/handle/123456789/28425

Przeglądaj

Ostatnie zgłoszenia

Teraz wyświetlane 1 - 14 z 14
  • Miniatura
    Pozycja
  • Miniatura
    Pozycja
    Letters as a School of the Christian Exegesis. A Study of the Selected Early Christian Latin Letters of the 4th and 5th Century (Augustine, Jerome, and Paulinus of Nola)
    Wysocki, Marcin (Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II, 2023)
    Letters are often treated as a secondary literary genre, serving only to convey information and maintain relationships between people. But Christianity, which has been called the religion of the book, can also be described as the religion of the letter. In fact, from the very beginning, it was mainly through the letters (e.g., of Paul the Apostle) that the faith and the doctrinal, moral, and disciplinary instructions were transmitted. Of course, the authors of the early Christian letters also referenced biblical themes and the Bible itself. Following the ancient rules of rhetoric, they also implemented the postulate of didacticism (docere) by making the Scriptures and their exegesis more widely known. This article aims to show how this postulate is put into practice in Latin letters written by three great patristic figures: Saint Augustine, Saint Jerome, and Saint Paulinus of Nola, the most important representatives of the golden patristic age. These outstanding early Christian pastors and writers are considered to have created a kind of “virtual school” of biblical exegesis in their letters. This article presents how this “school” functioned, from the invitation to participate, through the methods and the study program, to the praise that good students earned. It can be an excellent model for our current age, marked by online education. This can also be applied to biblical studies and the study of biblical and patristic exegesis.
  • Miniatura
    Pozycja
    The Christian Question in Jamnia Academy at the End of the 1st Century AD? An Attempt to Re- and De-construct the “Myth”
    Rosik, Mariusz (Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II, 2023)
    The author of this article asks whether the Christian question was discussed in Jamnia Academy at the end of the first century. In order to find the answer, an attempt is made to determine, based on the sources, what happened in the Jamnia Academy at that time (1). The literature on this issue indicates that a synod was held at Jamnia, which established the canon of Jewish sacred books, rejected the Septuagint as an inspired book and excluded Christians from the Synagogue. The second part of the article seeks to re- and de-construct the “myth of Jamnia” (2) while its third part provides the answer to the central question asked in the title (3). The conclusion proves that only the thesis that Christians were excluded from the Synagogue is supported by the sources.
  • Miniatura
    Pozycja
    A Priestly Perspective on the Representation of History in the Praise of the Ancestors (Sir 44–49)
    Pudełko, Jolanta Judyta (Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II, 2023)
    The article aims to synthetically present the idea of priesthood in the Praise of the Ancestors (Sir 44–49), a text that contains a theological reflection and description of selected characters in the biblical story from the point of view of a sage living at the turn of the 3rd-2nd centuries BC. First, the successive stages of history depicted by Ben Sira and their possible connections to priesthood are outlined. Then, priesthood as viewed by Ben Sira was presented using specific examples of individuals known from the history of biblical Israel (Aaron, Phinehas, David, Samuel, Joshua son of Jehozadak). However, kings from the Davidic dynasty no longer reigned after the Babylonian exile, even though the sage compares the governor Zerubbabel, who came from the House of David, with the high priest Joshua, son of Jehozadak. The sign of the covenant, however, remained the high priest. Anonymous references to women in the Praise of the Ancestors also feature references to the reality of the cult. Closing the Praise of the Ancestors, Adam is a type of priest that foreshadows the story’s culmination in the description of the high priest Simon II (Sir 50:1–21). The priesthood in Ben Sira’s view is the keystone that connects the past to the present.
  • Miniatura
    Pozycja
    Between Realism and Idealization. Contemporary Controversies Surrounding the Ways of Fulfilling the Didactic Functions of Images of Saints from a Theological and Moral Perspective
    Zadykowicz, Tadeusz; Kumór, Marek (Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II, 2023)
    The purpose of this article is to provoke discussion on the worship of images depicting saints. However, it is not about defending this worship, since this issue has already been definitively settled by the Church. Instead, the article concerns a new problem – the controversies that arose in connection with some modern depictions of saints, mainly in painting. The mildest of these controversies involve paintings, often made on the basis of surviving photographs, showing saints during their ordinary everyday activities, e.g. while working or resting. A much sharper polarization of opinions occurs when the painting reveals the ethos of the saint with all realism, that is including also their imperfections, and even sin. Can such a saint be an object of veneration which, after all, inherently entails following them as role models? Is such veneration not an acceptance and promotion of flaws that contradict biblical morality? Can such images serve a didactic function? Instead, wouldn’t a certain idealization be advisable – the portrayal of a saint as someone perfect, excluding their flaws and weaknesses? The author takes a position on these controversies by formulating criteria for “good” images based on the theological and moral principles of their worship and an analysis of their functions.
  • Miniatura
    Pozycja
    The Significance of Antitrinitarian Translations of the Bible into Polish in the Dialogue between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Eastern and Western Europe
    Pietkiewicz, Rajmund (Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II, 2023)
    The author of this essay poses the question about the significance of antitrinitarian translations of the Bible into Polish for the exchange of ideas and achievements of science between Eastern and Western Europe in the second half of the sixteenth and first half of the seventeenth centuries. In an attempt to systematize various facets of this significance, the author will deal with the bibliographical and bibliological aspects of the editions of the Bible in the Polish language, the dynamics of the development of Polish antitrinitarian biblical translations and biblical editing against the background of the history of the Polish Brethren in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the sources of the translations and the influence they exercised in the territory of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and abroad. The author’s research made it possible to identify two directions of the exchange of ideas. The first direction is the reception in Central and Eastern Europe of the achievements of Western biblical philology and exegesis. The second is related to the Polish Brethren’s contribution to Western Europe’s science and culture. Particularly noteworthy here is the voice of Polish Antitrinitarians in the field of research into the criticism of the biblical text, although this impact was limited due to the language barrier. Of much greater importance were the translations of the Polish Brethren in the East (the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Muscovite lands), where the language barrier was less significant. They also popularized the philological and exegetical achievements of the West among the Karaites and Tatars of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
  • Miniatura
    Pozycja
  • Miniatura
    Pozycja
    The Credibility of the Church Based on Benevolence in the Light of the Works of Marian Rusecki
    Mastej, Jacenty (Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II, 2023)
    The problem addressed in the article is the question of the credibility of the Church based on benevolence in the light of the work of Marian Rusecki. The present issue was addressed and resolved in three stages. In the first stage – invoking the Ecclesia-forming activity of Jesus – the benevolence-based aspects related to the genesis of the Church were pointed out. In the second stage, the benevolent identity of the Ecclesia was presented, for which well-being is an essential part of its life and mission. At the final stage, the matter of recognizing the benevolence-based credibility of the Church was addressed, taking into account Rusecki’s personalistic and sign-based concept of the Church and the signs of its credibility. Elements that are helpful in recognizing the benevolence-based credibility of the Church were also identified. The Church’s benevolence – which is rooted in the life and work of Jesus – is clear in its connection to the entirety of human life. Goodness is the overriding value that man needs in life, especially in illness, suffering or misfortune. The Ecclesia is a clear and credible sign of God’s goodness when, aware of the salvific goods which it has received from Christ, it bestows them on human beings, remaining particularly sensitive to human injustice and evil, and takes the side of the disadvantaged and the suffering, providing them with concrete help, both spiritual and material.
  • Miniatura
    Pozycja
    Hebrew as a Subject of Research and Teaching in Poland from the Early 16th Century to the 20th Century. A Contribution to Further Reflections
    Marcinkowski, Roman (Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II, 2023)
    The paper explores the history of Hebrew studies in Poland from the early 16th century to the 20th century. The beginnings of academic studies and thorough research into biblical Hebrew can be traced back to the 16th century as the first lecturers of classical languages appeared at the Kraków University. They were also the first to write textbooks for learning this language, and some of them translated biblical books from their original languages. Jewish printing houses had a significant impact on the growing interest in Hebrew studies, both in the Jewish and Christian communities. Passion for Hebrew was still observed in Poland in the 17th and 18th centuries. In turn, the late 18th century and the 19th century were the times of the Jewish Enlightenment (Haskalah) and disputes about the shape of Hebrew. At universities theological studies included biblical Hebrew courses. The 20th century saw the emergence of numerous centres for Hebrew studies at leading Polish universities, offering full-time Bachelor and Master’s programmes, conducting interdisciplinary research, developing scholarly publications in the field and establishing organizations aiming to promote research on Jewish history, culture and language.
  • Miniatura
    Pozycja
    A Year in Stanisław Grzepski’s (1524–1570) De multiplici siclo et talento hebraico
    Linke, Waldemar (Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II, 2023)
    The article explores Stanisław Grzepski’s workshop of biblical exegesis and his hermeneutics. By analyzing his analysis of the system of biblical measurements and his views on the concept of the year in the Jewish-biblical world – as derived and reconstructed on the basis of textual comparison of the Hebrew, Greek and Latin versions of the Scripture, along with thorough mathematical calculations – one can perceive Grzepski’s approach to the Bible. His hermeneutics, seen against the background of the presuppositions of medieval and Renaissance exegesis, allow the author of the article to draw certain conclusions concerning the threats that also modern exegesis should be cautious of.
  • Miniatura
    Pozycja
    The Ignatian Way of Discerning God’s Will. The Second Time for Making Election According to St. Ignatius of Loyola
    Królikowski, Wacław (Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II, 2023)
    Man was created to fulfill God’s will by following Jesus Christ. St. Ignatius of Loyola (1591–1556), through his famous Spiritual Exercises, proposes a path of spiritual development in which the retreatant comes to know oneself, comes to deeply know Jesus Christ and desires to love and follow Him more in the given state of one’s life. The Spiritual Exercises contain profoundly deep and effective Rules of Discernment of Spirits and Rules for Making a Good and Reasonable Election, aiding in the discernment of God’s specific will. In the latter, St. Ignatius identifies three times, as if periods, in which a reasonable and good election can be made. The purpose of the article is to scientifically analyze the second time for election. As St. Ignatius states, this occurs “when much light and understanding from the experience of consolations and desolations and from experience in the discernment of different spirits.” In the text, I use an analytical method and demonstrate that receiving much light and understanding from God regarding His will is accomplished by properly discerning spiritual consolations and desolations and by skillfully discerning the actions of different spirits, which is to be helped by an experienced spiritual director. In conclusion, I show that the Ignatian second time of election is immensely practical and helpful for anyone desiring to discern the specific will of God in order to follow Jesus Christ in the best way possible.
  • Miniatura
    Pozycja
    The Angelized Rabbis and the Rabbinized Angels. The Reworked Motif of the Angelic Progeny in the Babylonian Talmud (bShabb 112b)
    Kosior, Wojciech (Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II, 2023)
    The myth of the fallen angels, as it is known from the intertestamental literature, narrates the story of the angels who break the divine law, marry earthly women, and beget malevolent hybrid progeny. The latter element of this narrative can be found in the Babylonian Talmud, where it is invested with new significance: these are the distinguished rabbis who are the heavenly messengers’ offspring. I start this paper by outlining the traces of the rabbis’ familiarity with the myth of the fallen angels and then move on to an analysis of the tradition about the angelic origins of the sages found in bShabb 112b. I offer that this passage should be read as exemplifying the practice of associating rabbis and angels that permeates the whole Babylonian Talmud. I base on two methodological paradigms: cognitive linguistics, which allows for the translation of this problem into two conceptual metaphors (SAGES ARE ANGELS and ANGELS ARE SAGES), and the Elyonim veTachtonim – a system of quantitative and qualitative analysis of the traditions involving supernatural entities, which permits to locate all the Talmudic passages utilizing these metaphors and to interpret their place in the broader conceptual network. The data show that the sages and rabbinized biblical figures are frequently juxtaposed with angels, and the main dimension of comparison is their intellectual proficiency. When it comes to the mapping of specific rabbinic competencies onto the angels, the most popular is the ability to engage in halakhic scrutiny and teaching. In sum, this presentation of the sages as angels can be taken as an expression of the sense of elitism entertained by the Babylonian sages and, as such, sheds additional light on the interpretation of the passage in bShabb 112b.
  • Miniatura
    Pozycja
    The Bibliography of Józef Tadeusz Milik (1922–2006)
    Klukowski, Michał (Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II, 2023)
  • Miniatura
    Pozycja
    Christian Hope as Seen by J. Ratzinger/Benedict XVI
    Gardocki, Dariusz (Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II, 2023)
    One of the most pressing issues today is the need to rediscover hope, which can give meaning to life and history and enables people to walk together. After all, it is that spiritual force that does not allow a person to stop or be satisfied with what they already have and who they are. It provides an opening to the future and paves new paths for human freedom. It gives meaning to human life on earth. Christianity has an important role in this regard, as it is an event that was born out of hope and entered history as a living and profound experience of hope. In doing so, it touched some particularly tender place in the human being, which is precisely hope, without which the human being cannot live. The purpose of this article is to show the magnitude and meaningfulness of Christian hope based on the analysis of selected works of Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI. To answer the question: what, according to him, is Christian hope, what is its basis and what is its specificity? What could it offer to the modern world? It is also an explanation of the thesis put forward by the author, which states that without God and without Christ there is no real hope, i.e. one that corresponds both to who man is and to the aspirations and desires arising from his ontic dignity. The first section addresses the reasoning behind hope from the perspective of anthropology. The second one presents and discusses the theological basis of Christian hope. Meanwhile, in the third section, the originality and specificity of Christian hope is shown.