God – RCS

Oscillations of love. Relationship of Law and Gospel in the context of the theology of the process (on the example of the theology of Katherine Keller)

Anton Vladimirovich Tihomirov Doctor in theology, Theological seminary of the Evangelical-Lutheran hurch (derevnya Novosaratovka, 140, Leningradskaya oblast’, Russia, 193149)
tikhomirov@live.com

Tihomirov A. V. Oscillations of love. Relationship of Law and Gospel in the context of the theology of the process (on the example of the theology of Katherine Keller), Religiya. Tserkov’. Obshchestvo. Issledovaniya i publikatsii po teologii i religii [Religion. Church. Society: Research and publications in the field of theology and religious studies], Saint-Petersburg, 2018, vol. 7, pp. 18–43.

doi: 10.24411/2308-0698-2018-00002

Language: Russian

The author examines the basic principles of the modern theology of the process inspired by the philosophy of the process of Alfred Whitehead. It is studied on the example of theology of a prominent representative of this trend, our contemporary Katherine Keller. In process theology, the world and God are understood as being in constant interaction that finally remains open. It openly denies the omnipotence of God. In relations with the world, He can act as a suffering and receiving power. The main focus of Keller’s analysis of creativity is the consideration of the dialectic of Eros, as the inspiring and impelling power of God, and Agape, as God’s saving mercy. At the same time, the author analyzes this pair of concepts in the context of the relationship between Law and Gospel in classical Lutheran theology. The author shows that, although some representatives of the theology of the process understand the relationship of Eros and Agape as a reflection of Luther’s distinction between Law and Gospel, it is still difficult to find a direct correspondence between these pairs of concepts. In Luther’s understanding, Law is opposed to Gospel, while Eros and Agape in the theology of the process complement each other and strive to complete fusion. It is noted, however, that Keller does not openly refer to Luther and does not argue with him, focusing her criticism on the teachings of Jean Calvin. Nevertheless, the author emphasizes that the ideas developed in the framework of the theology of the process can have a consoling character in the face of questions and doubts of a modern man, i.e. under certain conditions, to fulfill a purpose similar to the aime of the Martin Luther’s distinction between Law and Gospel.

Key words: Calvin, Luther, Agape, Eros, Theology, God

URL: http://rcs-almanac.ru/tihomirov-2018-en/

Classical German Philosophy as a theoretical source of modern religious studies

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Grigorenko Andrey Yur’evich, PhD in philosophy, professor, The Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia (Moika Embankment, dom 48, korpus 20a, St. Petersburg, Russia, 191186)
relig-rgpu@yandex.ru

Grigorenko A. Yu. Classical German Philosophy as a theoretical source of modern religious studies, Religiya. Tserkov’. Obshchestvo. Issledovaniya i publikatsii po teologii i religii [Religion. Church. Society: Research and publications in the field of theology and religious studies], Saint-Petersburg, 2012, vol. 1, pp.12–21.

DOI: 10.24411/2308-0698-2012-00013

Language: Russian

The author evaluates the contribution made by Classical German Philosophy to religious studies that became a separate discipline. The case of nature and origin of magic is examined.

Immanuel Kant was the first to draw attention to the specific character of magic. The difference between Christianity and early forms of religious consciousness was viewed by him as mere formal, not a matter of principle. According G. W. F. Hegel, the primitive religious stage was the religion of nature. It should be characterized mostly not by fear but by human self-assurance in absolute dominion over nature. The «spirit» (taken as an instrument) was set above matter. G. W. F. Hegel distinguished the stages of direct and mediate sorcery. Objectivation of the universal was the third stage; further development would have made a man an instrument of a higher being. G. W. F. Hegel anticipated scholars’ conclusions about instrumental theory of magic (20th C.). It was proposed that magic had been used to supply human actions with primitive tools, because the result was not assured and foreseeable. In the article, G. W. F. Hegel is called a founder of «cognitive religious studies.» There is a view that a primitive man understood cause and effect, natural phenomena incorrectly. The philosopher defined sorcery as the first savage form of religion that should not be virtually called as such, since religion does not imply human power and might. L. Feuerbach concurred with this view and defined magic as «nonreligious form of religion» for in religion itself the power was thought to be transferred to something beyond human beings.

Key words: religious studies, magic, sorcery, I. Kant, G. W. F. Hegel, L. Feuerbach, J. Frazer

Permanent link: http://rcs-almanac.ru/grigorenko-a-yu-2012-en/

On the temporal specific of religious ritual

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Prilutskiy Aleksandr Michaylovich, PhD, professor, The Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia (St. Petersburg, Russia), alpril@mail.ru

Prilutskiy A. M. On the temporal specific of religious ritual, Religiya. Tserkov’. Obshchestvo. Issledovaniya i publikatsii po teologii i religii [Religion. Church. Society: Research and publications in the field of theology and religious studies], Saint-Petersburg, 2014, vol. 3, pp. 18–33.

doi: 10.24411/2308-0698-2014-00002

Language: Russian

The article focuses on the study of the category of time in the discourse of ritual. In spite of religious ritual being well-studied, its semiotic structure lacks analyzes. Contemporary study of ritual in terms of ethnography and anthropology should be supplemented with the concepts of theology and philosophy of religion. In order to examine essence of internal time of ritual scholars should use not only ethnographical methods, but ones of theology and semiotics. The author argues that internal time of ritual acts not only as a context in which ritual reveals its important elements, but has an independent value. In the text of ritual, as well as in other types of texts, internal time is transmitted through a variety of methods and generated at different textual levels — grammatical, lexical, philosophical and theological. Symbolic language of ritual is also manifested at different levels and can be expressed through a variety of discursive and over-discursive elements. Category of time in ritual can also be expressed symbolically. So, the author states that internal time of ritual is not a single continuum: both linguistic and ontological time construct internal time of the text, which is the product of their dialectical correlation. Ritual builds a unique time model, where sacred past and sacred future don’t correspond with any ordinary or grammatical time.

Key words: ritual, semiotics, God, religion, literature, text

URL: http://rcs-almanac.ru/prilutskiy-2014-en/

Оn thesis by hieromonk Methodius (Stanislav Anatolyevich Zenkovsky) “Orthodox theology of personality: Origins, Present and Prospects for Development”

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Andrey Yur’evich Grigorenko PhD in philosophy, professor, The Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia(Moika Embankment, dom 48, korpus 20a, St. Petersburg, Russia, 191186), relig-rgpu@yandex.ru

Grigorenko A. Yu. On thesis by hieromonk Methodius (Stanislav Anatolyevich Zenkovsky) “Orthodox theology of personality: Origins, Present and Prospects for Development”, Religiya. Tserkov’. Obshchestvo. Issledovaniya i publikatsii po teologii i religii [Religion. Church. Society: Research and publications in the field of theology and religious studies], Saint-Petersburg, 2015, vol. 4, pp. 337–340.

doi: 10.24411/2308-0698-2015-00019

Language: Russian

The text is a review on the thesis, presented for the degree of Doctor of theology. It is dedicated to an actual theme — the problem of the personality which prototype is God Himself. The study of the priest topics that are quite popular in the academic philosophical community are discussed (for example, questions of apophatic and cataphatic theology, themes of Christian individualismus, and other axiological problems). The reviewer gives an overview of the content of the thesis, shares his critical observations and, in general, assumes the work as of good quality, that could promote mutual enrichment of theology and secular scholarship.

Key words: God, face, person, personality, hypostasis

URL: http://rcs-almanac.ru/grigorenko-2015-en/