Churches and aristocracies in seventh‐century Spain: some thoughts on the debate on Visigothic churches

After a decade of intense debate on the chronology of the so‐called Visigothic churches in Spain the divergent opinions have made little progress owing to the lack of reliable chronologies and the limits of a very stylistic approach. This article aims to present an analysis of the social and economic conditions of the seventh century (particularly the second half) as a background to understanding and defending the existence of church building in late Visigothic Spain. Their physical type (monumental but not enormous), the quality of their construction techniques and decoration, their function (absence of baptisteries and, often, presence of privileged burials) suggest aristocratic patronage of these buildings, an identification widely supported by textual and epigraphical evidence.     

The marbles of two early Christian churches at Latrun (Cyrenaica,Libya)

The provenance of twenty-seven architectural marbles from the two 6th century AD Christian churches of Latrun (Cyrenaica, Libya) has been established by discriminant function analysis of twelve isotopic, EPR and petrographic/morphological variables. Sixteen samples (59%) originate from Proconnesos, while 8 samples (30%) are assigned to the calcitic quarries of Thasos and 1 to the Docimium quarries near Afyon. The last two samples are of uncertain provenance and might be Proconnesian as well. These results demonstrate that the suggestion made long ago by Ward-Perkins that the presence on non-Proconnesian, possibly Thasian, marbles at Latrun was well founded. Particularly interesting is the strong correlation found between provenance and type of the architectural element sampled. Thasian marbles at Latrun were used exclusively for the manufacture of chancel screens. Seven out of nine screens sampled have this provenance, suggesting that the use of different materials is related to issues of work organisation and specialisation in different marble production centres.     

Thomas Hobbes,Christian Thomasius and the seventeenth century debate on the church and state

Along the entire course of that seventeenth century, the great principles of representative government and the rights of conscience were passing through the anguish of conflict and fiery trial (De Quincey).     

Thomas Hobbes,Christian Thomasius and the seventeenth century debate on the church and state

Along the entire course of that seventeenth century, the great principles of representative government and the rights of conscience were passing through the anguish of conflict and fiery trial (De Quincey).     

切支丹时代欧洲人从日本运出白银分析

16世纪40年代,欧洲人(葡萄牙人)首次登陆日本.其后,他们在日本进行长达100年的传教和经商,日本和欧洲史学界称这一时期为"切支丹时代"或"切支丹世纪"①.在双方的贸易中,欧洲人从日本运走大量白银,白银成为日本最主要的输出品,这足以引起学者们的重视.本文从分析日本白银的开采冶炼着手,继而论述日本白银被大量运出的原因,然后统计了日欧白银交易的具体数据,并以此作为研究分析的基础.经研究发现,日本白银不但是日欧贸易中重要而特殊的商品,还是16-17世纪东西方交流交往的集中体现.欧洲人从日本运出白银不但促进了欧亚的经济交流,还推动了世界交通和贸易的发展.     

Analysis of the collapse mechanisms of medieval churches struck by the 2016 Umbrian earthquake

The 2016 Umbrian earthquake caused the collapse of several medieval churches, while it was noted that ordinary buildings only reported moderate or little damage. Researchers and technicians are looking to these religious constructions with the aim of understanding their structural behavior under seismic action. Depending on the direction of the seismic action, the typical collapse mode was the overturning of the side walls or of the church façade. This often produced the collapse of the roof structure. In many situations, the overturning was facilitated by a weak connection between the load-bearing walls. In this article, the collapse modes of three mediaeval churches are investigated. The article goes into some detail about what considerations are relevant when analyzing a historic masonry construction. The churches object of this study are located in Campi, a hamlet of Norcia, Italy. Between 2000 and 2004, a research team from the Technical University of Milan in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Culture carried out an extensive investigation on the historic buildings of Campi, providing interesting data about the maintenance level and a summary of the structural state of the churches. These data were used in this article for a critical analysis of the causes of collapse, performed in combination with numerical simulations of the global behavior and local instability.     

20世纪70年代以来美国新基督教右翼运动探析

新基督教右翼,是指美国宗教,特别是基督教新教中一些积极参与政治事务和社会事务的宗教保守派。20世纪70年代以来美国新基督教右翼组织主要派别有道德多数派、基督教联盟等。美国新基督教右翼势力的主要观点是：在国际问题上,主张强权政治,认为只有通过军事手段才能保证和平;认为以色列国是《新约圣经》启示的体现,美国应全力支持以色列。在意识形态上,坚决反对共产主义。在国内问题上,重视传统家庭价值,反对堕胎合法化,主张教育私有化和地方化;相信美国是一个被上帝“捡选”的国家,认为好政府应建立在《圣经》原则的基础之上。新基督教右翼对当今美国社会各个方面都起着不可忽视的作用。     

Early contributions to the reflex chain hypothesis

The reflex chain hypothesis was developed to explain the observation that successive movements could be linked together into a contiguous sequence. From the established principles of reflex physiology and association psychology, scientists in the last half of the 19th century began to develop the notion that each of a series of movements may be linked through the sensory results of prior movements. In addition, the same basic principles were applied to mental actions, thus providing a credible explanation for all behavior. The wide applicability of this hpothesis made it an important influence on the scientific thought in the early 20th century.     

Recent contributions to the study of ritual trance

Michael S. Laguere. Voodoo Heritage. Foreword by Vera Rubin. Beverly Hills/London, Sage Publications. 229 pp. Glossary, bibliography, index. $24.00.

Richard Katz. Boiling Energy: Community Healing among the Kalahari Jung. Foreword by Richard B. Lee. Cambridge and London, Harvard University Press, 1982. xix + 329 pp. Map, photographs, glossary, bibliography, index. $25.00

Michael Lambeck. Human Spirits: A Cultural Account of Trance in Mayotte. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1981. xx + 219 pp. Tables, figures, stylistic conventions, appendix, notes, bibliography, index. $32.50.     

An eleventh-century exchange of letters between a Christian and a Jew

A determining factor in the relations between Jews and Christians in the middle ages was the attitude adopted by these two groups towards each other's religious beliefs and customs. One of the most important types of sources we have to gain insight into these attitudes is the reports of dispulations held between Christians and Jews. The significance of one such disputation will be examined here: the correspondence between Wecelin, a convert to Judaism, and Henry, a court cleric of Henry II of Germany, contained in the well-known De diversitate temporum of Alpert of Metz. In the course of this examination new ideas will be offered on the method of study necessary for a correct interpretation of Jewish-Christian polemics. An annotated translation of the exchange of letters between Wecelin and Henry follows.     

An eleventh-century exchange of letters between a Christian and a Jew

A determining factor in the relations between Jews and Christians in the middle ages was the attitude adopted by these two groups towards each other's religious beliefs and customs. One of the most important types of sources we have to gain insight into these attitudes is the reports of dispulations held between Christians and Jews. The significance of one such disputation will be examined here: the correspondence between Wecelin, a convert to Judaism, and Henry, a court cleric of Henry II of Germany, contained in the well-known De diversitate temporum of Alpert of Metz. In the course of this examination new ideas will be offered on the method of study necessary for a correct interpretation of Jewish-Christian polemics. An annotated translation of the exchange of letters between Wecelin and Henry follows.     

The legacy of Charles Schmidt to the study of Christian dualism

Charles Schmidt's Histoire et doctrine de la secte des Cathares was published 150 years ago and marked the beginning of the modern scholarly study of Catharism. This article examines, with special reference to recent publications, how well Schmidt's work has stood the test of time. The topic is dealt with under the five broad headings which Schmidt himself used: Cathar origins; The spread of Catharism in Western Europe; The decline of Catharism and the reasons for it; Cathar beliefs; The persecution of Catharism and the papal Inquisition. The article concludes with a brief survey of the mythological approach to Catharism, which has developed since Schmidt wrote.     

略论“隐喻解经法”对早期基督教史学思想的建构

西方古典史学至公元一世纪时已渐趋困顿,新兴的基督教史学则为其召唤了一位拯救者——上帝。而早期基督教的隐喻解经法,正是促成此举的一个关键因素。一、它让古典史学中作者的自我主体,转换为上帝的神意载体,使上帝降临于历史撰述者自身;二、它更促使上帝成为史学撰述的客体与目的,令历史由对人事的再现,转向为对神意的显现。这一过程由斐洛肇创,经保罗、德尔图良、奥利金等转构,最终完成于攸西比乌斯。借助于隐喻解经法,基督教于是建构起了一种全新的史学理论结构。     

太平天国领导人的基督教史观

太平天国领导人的基督教史观指洪秀全、洪仁Gan,李秀成等人关于上帝教与基督教史的一些观点,涉及中国人拜上帝的历史,创世纪与人类始祖,洪透全的宗教使命等。他们认为中国人拜上帝是一个曲折的历史过程;他们倾向于认为,中国传说中的“盘古”就是上帝始造之亚当,中国人来自西方,于“代羲前一二代间”“由川陕入中土”; 透全就是《圣经》中的麦基洗德,洪透全不同于耶稣的宗教使命是扫除偶像,建立地上天国,这些观点显然与正统基督教史观不相符合,究其原因,或出于对基督教史的无知和猜测,或出于对基督教史的误解,或出于对基督教史的“修正”,从主观上说,其出发点只有一个,就是使上帝教与基督教史的阐述和解释适合于他们所领导的太平天国宗教与政治运动的需要。     

试论公元1-7世纪埃及基督教的特性

公元1世纪至7世纪,埃及文化领域中一个最重大的变化就是基督教的传播与发展。埃及基督教建立在独特的传统文化基础之上,并广泛吸收东西方文化的精髓,形成了一些迥异于其他地区的特征,即创造性、相对独立性、虔诚性以及区域性教权至上等特点。埃及成了基督教早期神学体系的诞生之地,还是基督教修道制度的滥觞之所。可见,埃及在早期基督教发展史上曾经起过巨大的作用,一度占有举足轻重的地位。