A Christian Islamist?

Abstract

In this review, the author discusses Volf’s paradigm from an Islamic perspective, and compares and contrasts some of Volf’s assertions with those of his avowed counterpart: the Muslim fundamentalist Syed Qutb. Some interesting questions are raised, and the differences between these two paradigms, it is claimed, is not as great as what might initially appear.     

Christian Manliness for Women?: contradictions of Christian youth organization in early 20th-century Sweden 1

Evangelical revivalism attracted large numbers of young adherents in early 20th-century Sweden. In this article we discuss what happened when Christian youth societies for men and women merged into mixed societies. The decline of the ideal of the single-sex youth society meant that a decidedly female form of religious organization disappeared. We argue, however, that the change also entailed cautious challenges to established notions of gender. First, a discourse was created in which notions of manliness were placed in the centre, and women, to some extent, were seen as embodying masculinity. Secondly, even though central actors had objections towards a direct female leadership of men, female board members were accepted from the start in local societies. The patriarchal gender order remained, but in some ways the mixed Christian youth organization gave way to an exercise in partnership.     

Can Christian Democracy Be America's Next European Import?

The confluence of the Supreme Court's Obergefell decision on gay marriage and the unusual nature of the 2016 U.S. presidential election presents American Christians with significant political questions. Obergefell's elevation of gay marriage to the status of a constitutional civil right put U.S. law and Christian orthdoxy at loggerheads, thereby raising serious issues with regard to the continued ability of religious organizations to participate in the not-for-profit sector and in higher education. At the same time, the nationalistic turn of the the Republican party under Donald Trump generated dissonance with Christian views of human solidarity. The new situation seems to shift the landscape of American politics and raises the possibility of new alternatives. Contributors to this symposium were asked to evaluate the prospects for an Americanized version of European Christian Democracy. While they generated a diversity of opinion about Christian Democracy, the group pragmatically recognized the many obstacles in place. Some argued against the idea because of reservations about associating the Christian faith with the coerciveness of law. Others noted the proven virtues of such parties in Europe. This article interacts with the different responses and makes a case for why Christian Democracy might have a brighter future in the U.S. than many believe. The primary reason is that Christian Democracy emerged in response to aggressive secularism in Europe's past that may only be reaching similar levels in the U.S. today. Therefore, a new political movement with similarities to Christian Democracy might make sense in the American context.     

The deacon and the dove: on some early Christian (?) grave stelae from al‐Maqsha and Shakhura (Bahrain)

Three grave stelae in the Bahrain National Museum are discussed. Their iconography and possible Christian affinities are explored, as well as the earlier, non-Christian background of several symbols attested. Comparisons are made with the situation at Hatra where a broadly Parthian style is encountered on statuary.     

Cities of God? Medieval urban forms and their Christian symbolism

Situated in the context of recent geographical engagements with 'landscape', this paper combines 'morphological' and 'iconographic' landscape interpretations to examine how urban forms were perceived in late medieval Europe. To date, morphological studies have mapped the medieval city either by classifying urban layouts according to particular types, or by analysing plan forms of particular towns and cities to reveal their spatial evolution. This paper outlines a third way, an 'iconographic' approach, which shows how urban forms in the Middle Ages conveyed Christian symbolism. Three such 'mappings' explore this thesis: the first uses textual and visual representations which show that the city was understood as a scaled-down world – a microcosm – linking city and cosmos in the medieval mind; the second 'mapping' develops this theme further and suggests that urban landscapes were inscribed with symbolic form through their layout on the ground; while the third looks at how Christian symbolism of urban forms was performed through the urban landscape in perennial religious processions. Each of these 'mappings' points to the symbolic, mystical significance urban form had in the Middle Ages, based on religious faith, and they thus offer a deepened appreciation of how urban landscapes were represented, constructed and experienced at the time.     

The Christian Socialist Movement in Scotland C. 1850–1930

Abstract

This essay reads Politics and Passion as a philosophical complement to theological projects that see no innate conflict between Christianity and liberalism and considers the significance of Waltzer's "more egalitarian liberalism" from the perspective of one who believes there to be compelling theological, ethical and political grounds for "making common cause" with liberalism. Liberal human rights discourse provides the lens through which this case is argued. This essay endorses the revisions proposed in Politics and Passion and suggests that developments in human rights discourse since the early twentieth century allows one to regard this discourse as a still unfinished version of Waltzer's more egalitarian liberalism. I argue that it is precisely because of the pressures identified by Waltzer that a thicker, more contextually varied conceptualization of rights has been generated. Moreover, when human rights language is understood as a discourse of egalitarian rather than emancipatory liberalism, then the claims that it is irredeemably secular, individualistic and voluntaristic, and that its adoption will result in the marginalization of Christian narrative traditions, are no longer tenable.     

A Christian anarchist? Gregory of Nyssa's criticism of political power

The Cappadocian Church father Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335-395 AD) frequently attacks political power and domination in different forms. He does not present a systematic political philosophy, but there is a range of underlying theological, anthropological and moral philosophical ideas at play in Gregory's criticism. Especially important is Gregory's theological anthropology, and the unity of humankind. In this article it is argued that Gregory's political thinking can be described as “anarchism,” in so far this is defined as the universal rejection of all kinds of domination and the identification of justice with any positive political state of affairs.     

<<史记>><<汉书>>校读札记

《史记》和《汉书？是我国历史上两部重要的史书,但在漫长的流传过程中,两书均出现了一些讹误。本文通过对它们相关部分的比勘,校读出了两书中存在的一些错误,分析了致误的原因,有助于更好的利用这两部书进行古籍研究和整理工作。     

<<春秋>>说例

古人解《春秋》,多以孔子作《春秋》的前提,目的是深入领会圣人垂教后世的褒贬大义,由此归纳出种种所谓义例。但《春秋》是否确曾经孔子改作,无从证实;前提既不可靠,由此得出的义例则更是想当然而已。其实,只须抛开成见,仔细阅读《春秋》,就可看出它就是鲁国历代官史官原始记录的汇编,但其中确实存在着能够贯通全经的记事原则和用字规范,是真正的《春秋》体例。本文仅从七个方面归纳了《春秋》的记事原则和用字规范,并对     

<<韩非子>>校勘商榷

自清末至今,《韩非子》一书了出现了多种校注本,均是以影宋乾道本为底本,用其他版本对其进行校勘,纠正了不少讹误,但也存在着误校的现象。误校的原因有二;一是不知字词古义,二是不明通假。本文对部分误校的字词提出了商榷,做了较为详细的考证。     

<<学林>>点校商榷

王观国《学林》对经史诸书的笺释注疏排比异同,考证得失,颇多胜解,有较高学术价值。笔者经析其文意,查对经史原文,发现中华书局本之点校谬谬误百出。本文对其中尤明显之错误提出数条,并加辨正。     

杜道坚<<老子>>注略论

本文以不同时期有不同的“老子”这一老学发展的共同规律为背景,较为系统地阐述了宋元之际著名的道教学者杜道坚的老学著作《道德玄经原旨》与《玄经原旨发挥》中的主要思想,认为其中的核心内容“皇道帝德”说反映了宋元时期以儒家的政治道德学说解释《老子》已达到了一个新的高度,由此也可以具体真切地看出该时期老孔同归,儒道交融这种思想发展的历史总趋势。     

<<原本玉篇残卷>>引<<说文>>与二徐所异考

本文仅就《原本玉篇残卷》即朝梁陈间顾野王所撰之《玉篇》篇写本的部分原貌中,所征引许慎《说文》的一些例证,来校勘今传世的大小徐本《说文》乖离许氏原书本真之弊,并随文偶尔略作分析,由此说明其价值之重。     

<<搜神记>>校勘札记

《搜神记》向为世人所重,近十几年有多种整理本问世,近十几年有多种新整理本问巨,汪楹校注本以精审著称,成为后出各本的底本、参校本,但汪本可商之处不少,吴金华、张觉及笔者发表了多篇校补性的文章。今又续得若干条,集为一篇。本文虽是讨论《搜神记》整理本中存在的词语考释、校勘、标点等问题,但也约略可见古籍整理工作中普遍存在的一些问题。