The paper deals with the different ways in which 20th century Hindi writers introduced the theme of religion into their work. A selection of authors has been made in order to highlight some important issues connected with religion. As may be expected, basically two points of view are to be found, depending on the ideological stand of the writer – either politically committed or committed to man. Thus, whilst religion is deemed by one author to be a factor which divides communities, it is considered by another to be an important tool for exploring the human soul.
In the article “Cheminement d’un humaniste” the author presents the results of her research on a small treatise Kitāb al-isrā’ ilā maqām al-asrā (Nigh Journey). She established a critical edition of the text in Arabic on the basis of a comparison of the limited number of manuscripts available in Dār al-Kutub al Masrīyya in Cairo. She then translated “Kitāb al-isrā’” into Polish. Kitāb al-isrā’ is one of the most important early works, written by Ibn Arabi after his great visionary experience in Fez, in 1198. It describes in rhymed prose his mystical ascension, meeting in the spiritual realities of the prophets in the seven heavens and being brought to the fullest realization of his own reality. Ibn Arabi’s ascension is a dream, a vision of a heart. These divine events determine the way forward for his ultimate role as the perfect man (insān kāmil) or the Seal of Muhammadian Sainthood.
In the contemporary world, characterised as it is by globalisation, the idea of nationalism has been losing its appeal. However, recent Islamic movements have evolved somewhat differently, with Islamic moral and religious fervour initially leading to Muslim "internationalism". During the 1970 and 1980s, radical political Islam became integrated to some extent into "globalising" trends, but gradually it has become more pragmatic and "nation-oriented" leading to the creation of national political movements. Muslim "internationalism" has continued to influence terrorist groups that have abandoned any reference to national roots.
a1_This paper considers the influence of Enlightenment thinking on the pedagogical works of Jan Valerián Jirsík (1798-1883), who earned a place in Czech history as a priest, theologian, active patriot, education campaigner, pedagogue, writer and not least as the fourth Bishop of České Budějovice (Budweis), an office he held from 1851 until his death. Primarily, it draws on and follows up ideas in the writings of the theologian Ctirad Václav Pospíšil and the church historian Kamila Veverková, who both trace the links between Jirsík the theologist and thinkers associated with Bernard Bolzano. Jirsík’s early writings, however, are as much concerned with pedagogy as they are with theology, and the aim of this study is to discover whether his ideas on education were similarly influenced by Enlightenment thinking. It analyses his views on the subject before 1851, i.e. until he became Bishop of Budweis - specifically in the period 1826-1843, when he was much occupied with questions of education and upbringing. In his years as bishop he devoted little time to literary pursuits. The study concludes that the legacy of the Enlightenment era most certainly played an important part in Jirsík’s deliberations on education. There is, however, a certain progression discernible in his thinking. In the early period, of which Sunday School (1826) is a representative text, we see the influence of contemporary Enlightenment clerical pedagogy as he advocates extending human knowledge through reason in order to improve living conditions. Faith and religion are also factors here, especially in his emphasis on the positive role of God the Creator. In the second period under consideration (1836-43), we find closer parallels between Jirsík’s pedagogical and theological thinking., a2_Within ten years of writing Sunday School, his position had shifted from that of a priest attempting to expand or improve education in the spirit of Enlightenment ecclesiastical pedagogy to that of a theologian (and so-called ‘true’ enlightener) who from theological considerations drew conclusions for the educational process. In Jirsík’s view, Christianity and Enlightenment go hand in hand, serving to elevate human life spiritually as well as materially. For him education means the enlightenment of both soul and reason. Nor does he see any contradiction between faith and rationality. It is evident from his thinking that he was convinced of the need to implement the pedagogical ideal of the Enlightenment: to educate virtuous citizens who were also rational., Rudolf Svoboda., and Obsahuje bibliografické odkazy
Reshep is a warlike god that rules over diseases. He is the lord of fire and all heat, including that from the sun and that which can burn inside man, that is, fever. There is, however, no evidence of Reshep´s rule in the netherworld. The only argument in favor of this thesis rests on the identification of Reshep with Nergal. Yet this identification springs from their common rule over disease and not from any connection with the netherworld. This seems particularly obvious when ones takes into account that the West Semites were already acquainted with the cut of Nergal in the form of an association with the cult of Erra, the god of heat, drought, and disease.
This article attempts to reconstruct the heathen cults which existed in Jerusalem, after the destruction of the second temple in 70 CE and especially after the foundation of the Roman colony of Aelia Capitolina on the ruins of the Jewish city, in the first half or the second century CWE. Based on all the currently available literary and archaeological sources, this area of research reveals that the pantheon of Aelia Capitolina was exclusively Graeco-Roman, as was the case with the city of Sebaste/Samaria. Those two religious centers dissociate themselves from the Palestinian paganism, in the Roman era, which was profoundly characterized by the syncretistic merger of the Greek and Roman religions with ancient Phoenician and Syrian cults.