Passion and compassion of god in the old testament

Abstract

The point of departure is the Kitamorian “Pain of God Theology”. However, the present survey is that of exegesis and of biblical theology. We pose the question whether the concept of the “immutability of God” is that of the OT? We believe our focal texts (Hos 11,8; Jer 31,20; Isa 63, 9+15) do challenge that notion. The righteous God of Israel is not presented as a vindictive god, who delights in judgement. Rather, the glimpses of God's “emotions”, read “passions”, suggest a more complex God‐image. The righteousness of God demands judgement, whereas his compassion finds another solution. We find that female and masculine imagery in connection with God's attitude and feelings toward his people, are frequently interchangeable. The all‐embracing motherly love of God may be seen as an expression of God's heart in tension between inevitable judgement and compassionate love. But the same aspect may also be expressed in the father/son relationship. The passion of God in OT is not a static or inherent condition of God's being. Rather, the anthropomorphic (or, anthropopatic) expressions may be glimpses of a rare “I‐You” relationship between God and his people Israel. The passion of God then becomes the most profound expression of God's dynamic response to man's fatal situation.     

Chronology as a structural element in the old testament

In a situation when consensus is hard to reach both concerning agreement between the historical parts of OT with the real history and the process of establishing the biblical books, there is need to seriously consider if new methods and views can contribute towards a growth of knowledge and understanding in these respects. As argued in the paper the OT chronology can serve as a main structural element, considering the solution presented by Stenring of a unified dating within twelve biblical books. Examples are further given of concealed meaning behind the dates. Some conclusions concerning the text history are drawn.     

论埃及托勒密王朝王权与神权的关系

托勒密王朝是古代埃及史上一个重要历史时期。法老埃及的王权与神权之间从来就不是和谐统一的,始终存在矛盾和斗争。但是,在托勒密王朝,二者的关系发生了重大变化,王权有效地控制了神权。这主要是因为托勒密王朝的国王借鉴了法老埃及的经验,采取了有利于王权的政治、经济政策,等级和阶级关系决定了宗教祭司集团不可能干涉世俗政权,文化背景也使托勒密国王从意识深处拒绝给予宗教和祭司各种权力。托勒密王朝王权与神权之间是赤裸裸的利用与被利用的关系,这也正是托勒密王朝逐渐失去本土埃及人支持的重要原因之一。     

历史语境中的王朝中国疆域概念辨析--以天下、四海、中国、疆域、版图为例

作为国家理念的体现,疆域概念产生于具体的历史语境。由于古今中国国家性质不同,王朝中国的疆域概念与现代中国主权、领土不能用简单的继承或对接来解释。在王权泛化或王权至上观念的影响下,王朝中国的疆域话语尽管受到地理知识限制,但仍坚持认为在可知范围内,王朝中国天子有权实行统治。这种深受王朝国家理念影响的疆域话语对古代疆域概念产生了很大影响。以常见的5个古代中国疆域概念为例,“天下”有广狭二义,一是普天之下,一是华夏诸国;“四海”即四方,有时包括四夷,有时不包括;“中国”概念迭加变化整合,各朝“中国”范围不尽相同;“疆域”是一国统治范围的宣示;“版图”则是王朝国家行政地区。本文通过追溯原本词义,认为上述概念原意与后世借用,因语境变化,语义发生差异;进而提出,学术用语与习惯说法应有区别,这不仅是运用概念准确与否的问题,而且也涉及研究价值的取向。     

The construction of tradition: the cult of the God Rama in Rajasthan,North India

In Rajasthan compared to other parts of Northern India such as Bengal or Orissa, the cult of the god Rama is widespread. One of the characteristics of this cult in Rajasthan is the fact that the god Rama has always been linked to royalty. The association of Rama with royalty has reinforced a certain image of Rajputs (former warriors, rulers) as political leaders. The article shows the relation of myths to social practices and how these myths about Rama have been used by former rulers and by politicians today. In the constructions of national and local traditions, beliefs are often more important than historical traditions.     

Possible radioindications of anthropogenic influences on the mesosphere and lower thermosphere

From an analysis of the variations of various ionospheric characteristics influenced by global anthropogenic effects, it is shown that the collision frequency v_en is the parameter that changes most when the ratio between the carbon dioxide plus methane and the other components is changed. Since this collision frequency is directly involved in the formation of ionospheric absorption, the latter is recommended to be regarded as the most sensitive ground-based indicator of the global ‘cooling’ of the near-Earth space. Expressions are obtained for the estimation of man-made influences by absorption measurements. For medium latitudes, we recommend the frequency range from 400 to 800 kHz as a sensitive range for these measurements.     

New challenges for old commons: The role of historical common land in contemporary rural spaces

In Scotland, as elsewhere in Western Europe, many examples of historical common land have endured to the present day, but are under major pressure from the economic restructuring, socio-cultural recomposition and changing policy context that characterise contemporary rural change. For the crofting common grazings of Scotland, two particular challenges have arisen in the form of: (1) the growing difficulty of gaining sufficient livelihood contributions from traditional agriculturally-based activities; and (2) the increasing heterogeneity of rights-holders. This paper elaborates the findings of a recent survey, which sought to identify the main implications of these challenges for common grazings use and governance. An overall decline in levels of use of common grazings was identified, as well as decreasing involvement and investment in associated local institutions. This informs a discussion of the factors shaping the role of historical common land in contemporary rural spaces, an area neglected in the common property literature.     

古代大陆移民与倭王权的形成——以难波津之歌为线索的考察

古代大陆移民凭借其先进的技术与文化在日本列岛内创造了许多重要的物质文明和精神文明,而这些文明成果又为倭王权所利用,推动了日本社会的发展并促进了倭王权走向成熟。难波津工程的建造与难波津之歌的产生就是其中一个例子。在倭王权的统治下,古代大陆移民在创造了大型综合性水利工程——难波津工程的同时,还在劳动过程中创作了“难波津之歌”这首著名的和歌。伴随着古代日本律令国家的形成与倭王权的强大,难波津之歌便成为倭王权用来宣扬其对内外统治的精神工具。     

Aspects of gift giving in Denmark in the sixteenth century and the case of the Rose Flower Cup

The concept of an ancient system of gift exchange gradually being replaced by a market economy during the middle ages and early modern period has been rightly challenged by many recent studies. As it will appear from this essay on gift giving at the Danish court of King Frederik II (1559–88), gifts and favours continued to play an important role in the organisation of power and society. Several examples from sixteenth-century Denmark are discussed, including Frederik II's patronage of the astronomer Tycho Brahe. Special emphasis is put on a gift from the Danish noble couple Hans Skovgaard and Anne Parsberg on the occasion of the baptism in 1577 of their godson, the eldest son of Frederik II. Donations at rites of passage like baptism were a convention at the time, yet the huge gilt silver cup known as the ‘Rose Flower’ was more than that. It was an elegant way of reciprocating an earlier, royal wedding gift. At the same time the cup and its symbolism hinted at the ideal of the generous lord, stressing the hospitality and accessibility expected from the king, an ideal as common to king and nobility at the renaissance court of the sixteenth century as it had been in the previous centuries. The more humble gifts mentioned in private account books of the time point to the fact that people did not necessarily give someone a gift to obtain something in return. Sometimes gifts were simply given to sustain the social order of which the donors were a part.     

Aspects of gift giving in Denmark in the sixteenth century and the case of the Rose Flower Cup

The concept of an ancient system of gift exchange gradually being replaced by a market economy during the middle ages and early modern period has been rightly challenged by many recent studies. As it will appear from this essay on gift giving at the Danish court of King Frederik II (1559-88), gifts and favours continued to play an important role in the organisation of power and society. Several examples from sixteenth-century Denmark are discussed, including Frederik II’s patronage of the astronomer Tycho Brahe. Special emphasis is put on a gift from the Danish noble couple Hans Skovgaard and Anne Parsberg on the occasion of the baptism in 1577 of their godson, the eldest son of Frederik II. Donations at rites of passage like baptism were a convention at the time, yet the huge gilt silver cup known as the ‘Rose Flower’ was more than that. It was an elegant way of reciprocating an earlier, royal wedding gift. At the same time the cup and its symbolism hinted at the ideal of the generous lord, stressing the hospitality and accessibility expected from the king, an ideal as common to king and nobility at the renaissance court of the sixteenth century as it had been in the previous centuries. The more humble gifts mentioned in private account books of the time point to the fact that people did not necessarily give someone a gift to obtain something in return. Sometimes gifts were simply given to sustain the social order of which the donors were a part.     

Identity and Place: the testament of designated heritage in Hong Kong

This paper examines the extent to which the identity of Hong Kong as a place, and of the Hong Kong Chinese as people, is expressed by the official heritage locations (the seventy-five Declared Monuments) designated by Hong Kong's Antiquities and Monuments Office. The discussion takes account of other heritage initiatives, in particular two recent monuments that commemorate the 1997 Handover of Hong Kong to China. Conclusions are that designated heritage in Hong Kong, more by chance than by deliberate strategy, reflects significant elements of the identities of the Hong Kong people and of Hong Kong as a place. However, more important to the Hong Kong Chinese person's sense of identity than built heritage are the bonds of kin and associated social events.     

中原所见三代权杖(头)及相关问题的思考

以往的研究认为,权杖在传入中国的最初阶段,只是游弋于华夏边缘,中原王朝似乎并未接受这一外来文化特质。本文梳理了以往在河南、山西和陕西考古发现的权杖(头),发现这些权杖均出自三代时期王畿内的高等级墓葬,其使用者包括诸侯国国君、国君夫人、高官、军事首领或高等贵族。从而证明,夏、商、周时期部分社会高层已接纳权杖,并将其与中国传统礼仪器具中的斧钺、青铜礼器并列,共同构成象征王权和身份等级的标志物。这一新认识对深化早期东西文化交流的研究具有重要意义。     

Disseminating the policy narrative of ‘Heritage under threat’ in China

ABSTRACT

Originating from within the UNESCO, narratives on ‘heritage under threat’ tell the story of how and why intangible cultural heritage (ICH) practices are valuable, why are they disappearing, and how they can be protected from destruction. Focusing on PR China, this paper conducts a frame analysis to identify narratives on ‘heritage under threat’ as employed by the UNESCO, the Chinese party-state, and academics. The study argues that while policy narratives in any country undergo a process of congruence-building, circulation, and implementation, these processes take distinctive forms in authoritarian countries due to the states’ discursive and political monopoly: While non-state actors are involved, the state primarily steers the appropriation process. Nevertheless, once established, the policy narrative transforms across time and space, enabling local actors to use it to pursue their own interests.     

青海历史文化多元性及地域文化命名

目前学术界就青海地域文化的命名共提出“江河源文化”、“青藏文化”等9种文化命名,本文认为青海地域文化命名多样化产生原因首先是由青海历史文化的多元性造成的,而政区和文化区范围界定的不匹配、青海所处特殊地理环境和地理位置以及历史时期移民活动则是注定青海历史文化多元性产生的主要原因。在借鉴其他省份地域文化命名的规律的基础上,建议把青海地域文化命名为“青海文化”,因为“青海”既是历史地名,又是自然实体名,符合已有地域文化命名的规律。文章最后特别指出一个地方的地域文化命名和历史文化定位是两个不同的问题,地域文化名称如人的姓名,只是一种识别符号,所以不可能也没必要全面反映一个地区的文化特点,后者是历史文化定位的内容。针对青海历史文化多元性,建议以分层的方式来解决青海历史文化定位问题。     

墨西哥人移民美国的历程

墨西哥移民在美国移民史上占有重要的地位,是当今美国最大的移民群体。作为一种历史现象,墨西哥人向美国较大规模的移民开始于20世纪初前后,概而观之,除20世纪30年代因大萧条而短暂中断外,墨西哥移民一直呈现出持续的高水平特征。墨西哥人移民美国的历程大致可以划分为四个阶段,与之对应的是四次移民浪潮：第一次浪潮从19世纪末20世纪初到1929年美国经济大萧条;第二次移民浪潮从1942年美墨双方签署《布拉塞洛计划55301964年该计划终结;第三次浪潮从1965年移民法颁布到20世纪80年代中期,此间大量墨西哥无证件移民流入美国;第四次浪潮从《1986年移民改革与控制法》颁布至今。墨西哥人移民美国源于一系列历史、地理、经济和社会因素,根植于美墨两国总体社会经济背景之下。     

On the origin of certain Lochans in Glen Iorsa,Arran

Although there are problems in dating the Arthasastra precisely, the period it refers to (c.300 B.C.—300 A.D.) is of considerable importance in the settlement history of Southern Asia. The work is usually regarded as a source for political and constitutional history but contains a great deal of significance to the historical geographer, and this paper highlights its contributions on urban planning, rural‐urban relationships, and the spatial organisation of early Indian city‐states. The question is raised of whether it remained simply a plan‐image or can be regarded as a guide to reality.