Humanism – RCS

Space of meanings of the biblical drama «The Sacrifice of Abraham» by Theodore de Beza

Zinaida Andreevna Lurie PhD in History, assistant lecturer, Institute of foreign modern languages, St. Petersburg State University (Universitetskaia nab., 7/9, Saint-Petersburg, Russia, 199034)
z.lurie@spbu.ru

Lurie Z. A. Space of meanings of the biblical drama «The Sacrifice of Abraham» by Theodore de Beza, 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, 2022, vol. 10, pp. 158–183.

doi: 10.24412/2308-0698-2022-10-158-183

Language: Russian

The article examines the tragedy «The Sacrifice of Abraham» (1550) by Theodore de Beza, the reformer of Lausanne and Geneva, that was one of the first tragedies in French. This text was republished many times and influenced other evangelical Biblical dramas of the 16–17th centuries. Potentially, using the example of the Old Testament patriarch, many moral and social topics can be revealed. However, de Beza focuses on the most important issue in the life of a Christian, i.e. fight against temptation. This spiritual test, the struggle of the Spirit with the Flesh and victory over sin and devil are the signs of a true believer, who has been chosen for Salvation. Thus, the plot about the Old Testament righteous man who decided to violate the Commandment and trampled his natural attachment to his son actualizes the doctrine of predestination. This aspect of the confrontation between the individual and society was very important for de Beza himself. Besides, in the visual layer of tragedy — which we can be reconstructed in parts — the importance of Satan, who has lost part of his comic persona in comparison with the folk theater, the lack of imagery of God and other elements of confessional propaganda can be marked out.

Key words: patriarchs, Biblical drama, humanism, Calvinism, predestination, faith, the Apostle Paul, Isaac, Sarah, urban stage space

URL: //rcs-almanac.ru/en/lurie-2022-en/

On the theological aspect philosophical and educational project of J. A. Comenius: a view from the 21st century

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Svetlana Markovna Marchukova Doctor in Pedagogy, Head of the Comeniology Section Saint-Petersburg Union of Scientists, Vice-Rector of the J. A. Comenius Research Pedagogical center, Gymnasium «Peterschule» (Zanevskiy prospekt, 53/2, Saint-Petersburg, Russia, 195213)
marchukova@bk.ru

Marchukova S.M. On the theological aspect philosophical and educational project of J. A. Comenius: a view from the 21^stcentury, 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, 2019, vol. 8, pp. 116–153.

doi: 10.24411/2308-0698-2020-00014

Language: Russian

The methodological foundation of J. A. Comenius’ philosophicaland educational project often remains uncovered. The educational systemof the last bishop of the community of the Bohemian brothers, is knownfor its pragmatic orientation. It is an educational practice in which training and education are inseparable from religious experience. Man is calledto know the world and maintain order in it with the help of feeling, reasonand Revelation. This basic trichotomy of Comenius is repeatedly formulated and explained in his educational, didactic and methodological books.The early Modern Times period is the eve of the Enlightenment, whenknowledge secularized. The philosophy of Comenius — Christian pansophia, was designed to become «like a sacred ladder to ascent through allvisible things to the invisible summit of everything», seems at that period outdated and it forgotten for a long time. Contemporary researchersexplore the multidimensionality and metaphor of his works, their dialogical orientation in the context of his «biblical humanism». Surprisingly,the «biblical code» of his works helps to reveal the heuristic potentialof the theological aspect of the philosophical and educational project,which is considered today in the unity of pansophia and didactics.
The study was carried out with the financial support of the RussianFoundation for Basic Research within the framework of the scientificproject No. 19-013-00940/19 «Heuristic potential of the philosophicaland educational project of J. A. Comenius».

Key words: pansophia, wisdom, school, humanism, Bible, physics, Melanchthon

URL: //rcs-almanac.ru/marchukova-2020-en/

On the peculiarities of Martin Luther’s exegesis

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Alekaey Vital’evich Kargaltsev PhD in History, senior lecturer, Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia (naberezhnaya reki Moiki, 48/20a, Saint-Petersburg, Russia, 191186)
akargaltsev@herzen.spb.ru

Kargaltsev A.V. On the peculiarities of Martin Luther’s exegesis, 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, 2019, vol. 8, pp. 32–55.

doi: 10.24411/2308-0698-2020-00004

Language: Russian

The article is devoted to the exegetical approaches of Martin Lutherand his contemporaries in the context of Latin patristics and its reception by humanists of the 15–16th centuries. The Latin patristic heritageplayed a huge role in theological debate and reflection in the early 16th century. It was a truly new life-giving stream, which, thanks to the publishing and research work of humanists, gave food to the theological thoughtof the era. The new level of accessibility and relevance of patristic theology was associated with the controversy unfolding between humanistsand scholastics, the general idea of a return to the origins of the earlyChurch. At the same time, the wide availability of new editions of the worksof early Christian writers, the emergence of critical retellings and comments, primarily made by Erasmus, real, and not nominal, acquaintancewith the patristic tradition led to a completely different assessment of it.Luther’s Christ-centered exegesis, in general, much more traditional thanhumanistic exegesis, had its own characteristics: the question arose aboutthe value of the Law, the value of the letter and moralistic edification assuch, declared in the well-known antinomian dispute with Johann Agricola. Augustine and other Latin fathers often make mistakes in their assessment of Luther, too freely handling allegory and abusing it or, on the contrary, deviating into literalism. Luther’s exegesis is based, as he himselfwrote, not some kind of exegetical authority, but Holy Scripture, whichinterprets itself.

Key words: humanism, reformation, exegesis, Erasmus von Rotterdam, Lefevre D’Etaples

URL: //rcs-almanac.ru/kargaltsev-2020-en/(откроется в новой вкладке)

Letters from Sixt Birck to Oswald Miconius of 1532-1536s: introductory article, Russian translation AND commentary

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Zinaida Andreevna Lurie, assistant lecturer, Faculty of foreign languages, St. Petersburg State University (Universitetskaia nab., 7/9, Saint-Petersburg, Russia, 199034)
z.lurie@spbu.ru

Lure Z. A. Letters from Sixt Birck to Oswald Miconius of 1532-1536s: introductory article, Russian translation AND commentary // 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, 2013, vol. 2, pp. 273–294.

DOI: 10.24411/2308-0698-2013-00006

Language: Russian

The author cites the original text and Russian translation of the letters of the German playwright Sixt Birk to the Basel humanist Oswald Miconius written from the collection of the Zurich library. The introductory article introduces the reader to the biography of Birka, which is not well studied. The publication represents three of the four letters of the collection, which date from 1532–1536 (unpublished refers to 1548.). The material of the letters provides an opportunity for extensive generalizations related to the relationship of the intellectual with the urban elite during the confessionalization period. The published correspondence with Oswald Miconius reflects Birk’s attempt to acquire a patron in an intellectual environment. This was especially important for Birk at the beginning of his career, and it became especially relevant due to a personal conflict with one of his students. In 1536, apparently, having failed to completely overcome the conflict, Birk returned to Augsburg, where he probably hoped for a more benevolent attitude.

Key words: Sixt Birck, Oswald Miconius, confessionalisation, Basel, Reformation, theater

Permanent link: //rcs-almanac.ru/lurie-2013-en-2/

Protestant theater of the 16–17th centuries as a historical and cultural phenomenon

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Lurie Zinaida Andreevna, Institute of History, Saint-Petersburg State University (Saint-Petersburg, Russia), zinaidalourie@gmail.com

Lurie Z. A. Protestant theater of the 16–17^th centuries as a historical and cultural phenomenon, 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. 282–297.

doi: 10.24411/2308-0698-2014-00013

Language: Russian

The article discusses the phenomenon of the 16–17^thcenturies Protestant theater as a unique feature of the age. The author discusses the main characteristic of drama and performances and features out several steps of development of the Protestant scene. She makes an attempt to speak about the theater from the angle of its social role and its cultural relevance with same respect to its printed versions (Protestant drama) and visual and scene components. Protestant theater was an original phenomenon only in the first half of the 16^thcentury, later dealing the stage with the Jesuits. Existed mainly as forms of public school theater (teachers were responsible for organization of city performances) both phenomena were invariants of confessional theater based on the humanist tradition. Since the second half of the 16^th century such half-professional institutions were overshadowed by professional English and Italian troupes and Court Theater as well. However, in German lands with their sets of provincial cities school theater was an important social structure for a long time. Relevance of the article is in examination of the theatrical practice from various angels (its content and esthetics, occupation in propaganda, author’s social role and professional level). The researcher tries to avoid generalizations that are inherent to formal or instrumentalist approaches.

Key words: Sixt Birk, Joachim Greff, Cornelius Crocus, Martin Luther, Melanchthon, Reformation, Humanism, theater

URL: //rcs-almanac.ru/lurie-2014-en/