西域文化对元杂剧影响探微

元杂剧是在前代戏曲艺术的基础上发展而来的一种戏剧样式。笔者从西域宗教戏、西域歌舞以及元代社会状况入手探究元杂剧兴盛的真正原因。     

Maladies et pratiques therapeutiques des femmes dans le Sud‐Tunisien

This article gives an account of a study carried out between 1979 and 1984 in Kebili, an oasis in south Tunisia. The observation and analysis of concrete therapeutic practices and of the discourses on illness show a simultaneous recourse to traditional therapy and modern medicine. But these recourses are ordered and determined by a coherent representation of illness based on a tri‐dimensional system of causes: the “organic disorder”; itself, the magico‐religious cause and sorcery. The therapeutic system rests on a bipolarisation of roles: on the one hand, the strictly feminine therapeutic cell, and on the other, the collected body of healers of both sexes. The system of treatment appears to be a network of investigations into the nature of the illness of which women are the principal animators. The therapeutic system then defines the contours of a space of symbolic representations which imply but go beyond the representation of illness.     

Muhammad Abd al‐Rahman (Phillip) Barker: Bridging Cultural Divides through Fantasy/Science‐Fiction Role‐Playing Games and Fictional Religion

“Muslims” and “Dungeons & Dragons” are rarely discussed in the same sentence. However, one of the earliest fantasy role‐playing games, which left a lasting impact on the industry, was the brainchild of Muhammad Abd al‐Rahman (Phillip) Barker (1929‐2012), a professor of South Asian Studies, an expert in Native American languages, and an American convert to Islam. Like Tolkien, Barker created an enormous fantasy world; however, unlike Tolkien, his world was redolent with Native American and South Asian cultural and religious influences. Through this world, he shared with his fans a nuanced understanding of non‐Western societies, cultures, and beliefs – the facets of the human experience that truly constitute multiculturalism. While fictional religion in role‐playing games has been feared and condemned, fictional religion (and occultism) plays a pivotal role in Barker's work; an exploration of his approach towards fictional religion also sheds more light on the question of why fantasy role‐playing games came across as competitors towards religion. Barker's fantasy world brought people of diverse backgrounds together in a beautiful demonstration of how fantasy and science fiction can bring about intercultural and interreligious tolerance in an otherwise intolerant world. Given the centrality of games such as Dungeons & Dragons to American popular culture, an exploration of Barker's legacy can also be seen in the light of the study of the history and contributions of Muslims in America.