Search Results (135)

This study analyses the theological debates surrounding the Servant Songs in the Book of Isaiah, with particular attention to the fourth song, as interpreted in medieval Jewish literature. These passages, fundamental to both Jewish and Christian tradition, became a central focus of controversial dialogue in medieval Spain. Through a systematic analysis of Hebrew commentaries, the article examines key theological issues that emerge in these debates: the universal mission of Israel, the meaning of suffering, the concept of kenosis in Pauline theology, and the doctrine of original sin. Jewish exegetes such as Rashi, Ibn Ezra, Moses Ha-Kohen of Tordesillas, and Abravanel offered critical responses to Christian claims, often proposing alternative readings based on Hebrew philology and rational anthropology. The study highlights how these exchanges contributed to a deeper understanding of divine justice, human action, and incarnation, while emphasising the importance of precise theological language in interreligious dialogue. Some anthropological and metaphysical questions briefly addressed here point to new lines of research. Ultimately, the Servant Songs reveal themselves as a privileged space for theological reflection and manifest the enduring resonance of prophetic revelation. Full article

The scholastic tradition is often criticized for starting from abstract principles or philosophical definitions. In this way, scholastic theology is frequently contrasted with post-conciliar theology, which is developed on the basis of the Paschal event, understood as the hermeneutical criterion for the whole of theology. Karl Rahner accuses Thomas Aquinas of “isolating” the Trinity from other areas of theology, such as soteriology, anthropology, moral theology, and spirituality. He also criticizes Aquinas for separating Christology from the Trinity, arguing that in the Thomistic account of the Incarnation it is not essential that the Son becomes incarnate, since any divine Person could, in principle, have done so. Rahner contends that this doctrine weakens the connection between God’s inner Trinitarian life and the missions. Consequently, our adoption as children of God would no longer be grounded in the Son’s own sonship, and what God reveals of himself in history would not truly express who he is as the Triune God. The purpose of this article is to show that such criticisms do not accurately represent Thomistic teaching and to present the doctrine of our divine filiation within a Trinitarian Christological framework. It will first examine the relationship between the immanent Trinity and the economic Trinity, then present the Thomistic doctrine of the divine missions and processions. Finally, it will address the role of the Holy Spirit and our adoptive divine filiation, all considered from a Thomistic perspective. Alongside the Summa theologiae, particular attention will be paid to Aquinas’s biblical commentaries, where he focuses on the Trinitarian economy and its implications for salvation, drawn directly from his reading of Scripture. Full article

This article undertakes a cross-cultural comparative inquiry into the motif of “women’s weaving” in medieval Daoism and Christianity. Although the two traditions developed with minimal historical contact, both elevate women’s textile labor into a central metaphor for cosmogenesis, sacred order, and individual salvation. Nevertheless, their hermeneutic trajectories diverge in essential ways. Working within a tripartite analytical framework (intellectual roots, artistic images, ritual practices) to argue that Daoism interprets “women’s weaving” as a proactive technique of transformation and nurture, based on a cosmology of immanent huasheng lun. In this reading, the image is affiliated with the cosmic creativity of nüxian, the inner transformation of their body, and the autonomous pursuit of transcendence. By contrast, within Christianity’s transcendent theological horizon of creatio ex nihilo, “women’s weaving” is configured primarily as an ethical discipline of responsive obedience, closely tied to the mystery of the Incarnation, the imitatio Dei, and communal spiritual exercises and charity under monasticism. The cross-cultural resonance of this motif, I contend, is grounded in the “men’s ploughing and women’s weaving” economic formation, patriarchal gender order, and shared symbolic cognition; its decisive bifurcation arises from contrasting deep cultural structures—namely, cosmology, conceptions of the body, soteriology, and church–state arrangements. Through this micro-case, the article further argues that the sacralization of secular gender roles constitutes an agentic cultural choice, one that indexes distinct civilizational pathways in understanding creation, nature, the body, and freedom. Full article

The need to choose appropriate and meaningful names for the objects of scientific inquiry, in the spirit of Michael Faraday and, on a different level, of the ancient Chinese doctrine of rectification of names (正名, Zhèngmíng), is illustrated here in the case of the so-called Planet Nine. Since before the discovery of Neptune, the fascinating hypothesis of the possible existence of a new, distant planet in the solar system, yet to be discovered, has regularly surfaced in the pages of astronomy journals in various guises. Its most recent incarnations have been tentatively given names such as Planet X, Planet Y, and, most famously, Planet Nine. Such labels are unsatisfactory because they reveal no significant physical or orbital properties of the object which they are attributed to. I propose here the name Telisto, from the ancient Greek word τήλɩστoς for ‘farthest, most remote’ which captures a feature common to all versions of this scenario that seems destined to remain at the forefront of astronomical research for a long time to come: its supposedly great heliocentric distance, estimated at several hundred astronomical units. By exploring the history of astronomy, I also respond to some criticisms that might be leveled at this proposal. Among other things, I also draw a comparison with the naming of the so-called axions, which are hypothetical elementary particles proposed almost fifty years ago and which continue to be an active object of research. Full article

This article—addressed to students, parents, teachers, and administrators alike—argues that the close study of creation is not optional to any authentic form of education, most especially the Catholic Liberal Arts tradition. Such a study, however, must take our incarnational reality, and thus our sensory experience, as normative and primary. Modern secularism has stunted this fundamental mission of education by enforcing a mechanistic and materialistic ontology that has severed the bond between education and the love of wisdom. Drawing on Plato, Aristotle, and Aquinas, as well as twentieth century Catholic authors, the need to recognize the authority of creation in education, and the nature of that authority, is examined. Five lessons of a close study of nature are offered as features of the path from the knowledge and love of creatures to the knowledge and love of God. Ultimately, an authentic education cultivates goodness and love via wonder, contemplation, and self-gift in the teacher and the student, participating in the redemption of the world wrought by Christ through witness to His truth, goodness, and beauty in all things. Full article

This study explores Eastern Orthodox aesthetics through a parallax lens, situating it at the intersection of theology, anthropology, and cultural practice to move beyond the icon-centric discourse. It examines how Orthodox aesthetics, rooted in the theological vision of beauty as divine disclosure, manifests in liturgical ethos, material culture, and secular artistic expression. The analysis draws on Christos Yannaras’ ethos of liturgical art, Chrysostomos Stamoulis’ exercise in philokalic aesthetics, and Timothy Carroll’s ethnographic material ecology of Orthodox Christianity, revealing beauty as an ontological event of communion and transformation. A parallax shift to Dionysis Savvopoulos’ lyrics uncovers an aesthetic eschatology, or an aesthetics of eschatology, where Orthodox themes of resurrection and festivity permeate non-ecclesial Greek culture. Employing a comparative, interdisciplinary methodology, the study integrates theological reflection, ethnographic insights, and cultural analysis. It concludes that Orthodox aesthetics is a dynamic field where beauty, truth, and eschatological hope converge, extending beyond the sanctuary into everyday practices and popular art—“incarnated” in material reality. This transdisciplinary approach reconfigures Orthodox aesthetics as a theological anthropology, offering fresh perspectives on its role in contemporary discourse and its diffusion into the public sphere, while advocating for material culture as a critical lens for future exploration. Full article

The present study interprets the indispensable mediating role of religion within Hegel’s monistic system. This study undertakes a systematic investigation of the development of Hegel’s religious thought in different periods, his logical reconstruction of multiple religions, and the positioning of religion within his system. The central argument posits that religions, particularly Christianity, serve as a pivotal experiential and representational conduit that facilitates Spirit’s ascent from the inherent dualism of consciousness, as inherited from Descartes and solidified by Kant, to the monistic paradigm of the speculative concept (Begriff) or absolute Knowing (absolutes Wissen). Whilst art offers immediate sensuous intuition (Anschauung) of the Absolute, philosophy achieves pure conceptual comprehension (begreifendes Denken). The function of religion can be considered to be twofold. Firstly, it is important to note that religion provides the essential communal form for grasping substantial content. Secondly, the representational form demands inherent necessity, its own sublation (Aufhebung), and elevation to conceptual truth. The rational content of Christianity, found in the Trinity’s logical structure and the Incarnation (Menschwerdung Gottes), demands translation into the self-determining concept (Begriff). “The death of God” is posited by representation as a means to facilitate the subsequent reconstruction of the Concept. Philosophy serves to sublimate religion by preserving its truth-content, negating its inadequate form, and elevating it into pure conceptual truth. Consequently, religion functions as the indispensable “prelude to scientific truth”, and the necessary pathway to absolute knowing, where absolute Spirit achieves complete self-transparency in the speculative Concept. Hegel affirms religion’s vital mediating role not as the endpoint, but as the essential bridge enabling Spirit’s ascent from religious representation (Vorstellung) to conceptual absolute knowing. Finally, in exploring the interplay of truth and meaning, Hegel’s notions of Vorstellung and Begriff offer a speculative framework where religious meaning is embodied in logical and historical contexts, while philosophical truth transforms it into conceptual form, thus enriching both hermeneutics and dialectical understanding. Full article

This article explores the intersection of time and eternity as it is expressed in the liturgical theology and the theology of John’s Prologue. Drawing on a “thesis–thesis” methodology that juxtaposes scriptural and liturgical theologies, the study offers an interdisciplinary dialogue between these disciplines. While biblical scholars such as Bernadetta Jojko and Raymond Brown elucidate the Johannine vision of divine preexistence and Incarnation as a movement from eternity into time, liturgical theologians such as Alexander Schmemann and Odo Casel describe the Mass as a movement from time into eternity. Through a comparative reading of John 1:1–2 and 1:14 alongside classical and modern liturgical sources—including Pseudo-Dionysius, Maximus the Confessor, Casel, and Guardini—the article seeks to identify a mode of eternal–temporal simultaneity that challenges the claims of analytic philosophers like William Lane Craig. Ultimately, the liturgy is shown to be both a sacramental representation of Christ’s temporal sacrifice and a real participation in the eternal heavenly liturgy. Full article

This paper challenges the Western philosophical and theological tradition’s subordination of finitude to the infinite, arguing instead for finitude as the positive ontological foundation of human existence and credible theological discourse. Drawing primarily on Emmanuel Falque’s critique of “the pre-emption of the infinite” and Jan Patočka’s concept of “being shaken,” the study demonstrates how finitude constitutes not a limitation to be overcome but the necessary horizon within which any authentic encounter with transcendence must occur. The argument proceeds through four stages: deconstructing the Cartesian legacy that privileges the infinite over the finite; establishing phenomenological reorientation toward “impassable immanence;” introducing “being shaken” as the existential manifestation of finitude; and addressing critiques of this approach. The paper argues that Christianity’s incarnational logic—particularly Christ’s assumption of human finitude—provides theological validation for this phenomenological insight. The central contribution lies in proposing “credible theology”—theological discourse that derives legitimacy not from abstract rationality but from fidelity to the common human condition of finitude. This approach offers a methodological alternative to traditional fundamental theology by grounding theological reflection in the shared structures of existence. Full article

This article examines the epistemological and homiletical implications of postmodernity for Christian preaching. It addresses the communicative crisis introduced by postmodern skepticism toward metanarratives. It proposes a constructive theological response through the re-articulation of the gospel as a coherent, storied, and transformative metanarrative. Drawing on interdisciplinary scholarship in theology, homiletics, epistemology, and cultural theory, this study argues that a thoughtful engagement with postmodern critique can serve as a catalytic force for ecclesial renewal. The article advocates for a homiletic method that re-engages Scripture’s narrative form while emphasizing relational epistemology, incarnational witness, and contextual sensitivity. By utilizing narrative theology, post-critical epistemologies, and performative models of preaching, this study proposes a recalibrated approach to gospel proclamation, adapted for fragmented and skeptical audiences, while safeguarding theological orthodoxy. Full article

This article argues that truth can be disclosed and found in incarnation and eucharistic repetition in a proportion between things and mind. Truth as a Christian concept is explored in the Gospel of John, and more specifically in the interaction between Jesus and Pilate, where Pilate at Jesus’ trial asks the question: ‘What is truth?’ The work of biblical commentators is examined in relation to truth in John’s Gospel. The importance of the Word made flesh and its eucharistic repetition is seen as central to truth. This is expanded using the concept of non-identical repetition, as discussed by several scholars, including David Ford and Catherine Pickstock, arguing that Jesus Christ in his incarnate form and in eucharistic repetition calls attention to truth as the proportion between things and mind. The implications of an ontological approach, as opposed to an epistemological approach are drawn in relation to eucharistic theology, with reference to signs (things of this world) and reflective processes (mind) in such a way that where there is a proportion between things and mind, truth is disclosed and found in incarnation and eucharistic repetition. Full article

This article offers a theo-phenomenological investigation of the body, exploring the dialogue between contemporary phenomenology—especially its theological turn—and Eastern Orthodox spirituality as found in the Philokalia. Building on the phenomenological distinction between body and flesh and drawing on Orthodox theology’s understanding of the body–soul unity, the article analyzes the intramundanity and finitude of the human body, as well as its transfiguration through ascetic practices and divine grace. The Incarnation of Christ is examined as a central paradigm for rethinking embodiment, revealing the eschatological promise of glorified flesh. Concepts such as ipseity, self-affection, intentionality, and counter-intentionality are employed to articulate a phenomenological vision open to theological transcendence. Ultimately, this interdisciplinary approach affirms the possibility of a body transformed by grace and destined for resurrection. Full article

The subtle Christology of John Duns Scotus has been the focus of intense study and dispute since his death in 1308. Of note are the Scottish theologian’s positions on the predestination of the Incarnation, his definition and metaphysical account of personhood, and his understanding of the status of the existence of Christ’s human nature. Each of these has bearings on his understanding of grace and atonement. This essay provides an introductory and summary overview of Scotus’s characteristic positions on the Incarnation and redemption in the light of his theological context and influences, arguing for the coherency and importance of his distinctive Christology. Full article

St. Maximus the Confessor (580–662) stands out among the Church Fathers as one of the last Christological martyrs. Maximus possessed one of the greatest minds of the Church’s first millennium. The greatest strength of Maximus’s Christology is that he presents a synthesis of all Christological contributions known to him while developing his own Christology of union in distinction. In order to flesh out his system of Christology, this essay works primarily with select works of Maximus’s, namely, the Small Theological and Polemical Works (Opuscula), the Ambigua, the Questions to Thalassius, and the Mystagogy. It will demonstrate that Maximus’s Christology bears the following four predominant signatures: it is patristic, Incarnational, composite, and cosmic. All four features are interrelated, particularly in Maximus’s theory of the λόγοι (logology), and all four hold significant sway over the whole of his doctrine. The essay concludes with a brief consideration of how the Ressourcement movement has benefitted Maximian studies. Full article

This article aims to explain why, in some European representations of the Annunciation, a bundle of rays of light comes from the mouth of God the Father toward the head/ear of the Virgin Mary. In order to find a satisfactory answer to this problem, the author first studies a series of biblical, patristic, theological, and liturgical sources referring to the supernatural human conception of the Word of God in Mary’s immaculate womb. He then analyzes eleven images of the Annunciation that present this peculiarity. Finally, through a comparative analysis between the doctrinal texts and these exceptional images, the author concludes that the latter illustrate as visual metaphors the textual metaphors contained in the writings of some Church Fathers, medieval theologians, and liturgical hymnographers; that is to say, the beam of rays of light emitted by the mouth of the Most High to the Virgin’s head/ear metaphorizes the human conception/incarnation of the Word of God in the virginal womb of Mary. Full article