Search Results (424)

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

This article examines the visual reception of the woman of Endor (1 Sam 28) and her gradual integration into the Western imaginary of the witch. In the first section, it offers a concise overview of the formation of witchcraft in late medieval and early modern visual culture, when iconographic and discursive registers contributed to the consolidation of a demonological and persecutory repertoire associated with the female body. Against this background, the study analyzes how the figure of Endor came to be interpreted and represented through increasingly negative categories—eventually becoming a conventionalized motif in the history of art—despite the fact that the biblical narrative originally presents her as a ritual mediator whose role in Saul’s episode is not constructed as a paradigmatic case of “witchcraft” in a strict sense. Drawing on a methodology of visual exegesis that brings together cultural biblical studies, art history, and gender studies, this article examines a range of artworks depicting the episode in order to show how visual culture negotiates the boundary between the legitimate and the forbidden, and how the later demonization of Endor reveals persistent tensions between orthodoxy and heterodoxy across different historical contexts. Full article

Since the 19th century, Protestant missionaries in Guangdong have extensively engaged in the translation and publication of religious texts, employing localized strategies in the illustration of Christian novels. Within the local cultural context of late Qing Guangdong, missionaries collaborated with local scholars, used Cantonese for writing, and designed novel illustrations to overcome barriers in doctrinal dissemination, thereby facilitating the spread of Christianity. The illustrations in missionary-published novels, such as The Pilgrim’s Progress in Vernacular and The Spiritual Warfare in Vernacular, adopted the stylistic features of Ming and Qing novel woodcuts in terms of lines, composition, character attire, and settings. Furthermore, they skillfully incorporated the Confucian moral framework of loyalty, filial piety, chastity, and righteousness, as represented in the Sacred Edict, into their narrative ethics, while integrating elements such as Buddhist causality and Daoist imagery into a “didactic” system. This localization strategy, combined with a “trinity” reading guidance model comprising images, text, and biblical annotations, visually elucidated the tenets of the Bible and encouraged the public to embrace Christianity. The localized practice of missionary novel illustrations served as a conscious and effective visual strategy aimed at bridging cultural divides and promoting the dissemination of the Gospel. It profoundly reflects the visual agency in modern Sino–Western cultural exchanges and significantly advanced the propagation of Christianity. Full article

Balsam fir is an important specialty horticultural crop in eastern North America and commonly harvested for use as Christmas trees. Postharvest quality is a major challenge for producers, who are particularly concerned about postharvest needle retention. It was hypothesized that pyroligneous acid (PA) would help increase postharvest needle retention in balsam fir when supplied via xylem or foliage. This project first identified foliar spraying as the best application method, then designed a multivariate experiment with two factors. The first factor was foliar treatment (control, water, 1% PA, 2% PA, and 4% PA). The second factor was time, where branches were evaluated for needle abscission at 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks after harvest. The experiment was replicated 5 times and needle abscission, water uptake, chlorophyll, carotenoids, flavonoids, total phenolics, membrane injury, proline, and H₂O₂ production were all measured in response. Postharvest abscission reached 100% over the 8-week experiment and water uptake decreased by over 80%. Chlorophyll, proline, membrane injury, and H₂O₂ production all increased over time. Although PA did not improve needle retention compared to the control under the tested conditions, 4% PA spray increased proline concentration by 40% while decreasing membrane injury by 26%. Ultimately, PA did not consistently improve needle retention but did induce proline accumulation and membrane protection. Full article

The erasure of mobile female-identified bodies amongst both biblical and migration scholars is being redressed, to a certain point. Building upon the work of both disciplines, this article attempts to provide a thorough feminist analysis of the mobility of the Hebrew Bible character Esther. The article begins with a discussion on what feminist migration studies might include, along with a critical look at the framework of forced migrations. Thereafter, the article brings together multiple scholars of the ancient world in conversation, using the work that has rightly labeled her movement by the story world regime as trafficking, along with comparative analysis to captivity studies. The article argues, however, that a feminist hermeneutic of the Bible should not only speak to the world, but also practice and model active reflexivity. Thus, a holistic account of interpreting Esther’s mobility in the Masoretic Text requires an interrogation of both the author of the biblical text and the author of the article itself. Full article

In the context of the BiblIndex project, which is an online index of biblical textual reuses by the Church Fathers, intrabiblical intertextuality must be considered to better understand the underlying basis of the Church Fathers’ thought. This paper examines the reuse of Psalmic texts in the New Testament as a test case for experimenting with a detection tool that uses traditional natural language processing (NLP) methods exclusively. Biblical verses are compared using similarity measures based on various NLP operations, such as tokenization, lemmatization, part-of-speech tagging, stop word filtering and synset assignment. Textometric measures provide a framework for the numerical assessment of grammatical, lexical and semantic similarities between textual units. We demonstrate the efficiency of this reproducible method, which does not involve a ‘black box’ effect, for detecting and characterizing literal quotations and a significant range of echoes. Full article

Benedict XVI, the “Pope of Word,” and Pope Francis, the “Pope of Gestures,” are stylistic contrasts who nonetheless share common ground, notably a poetic sense and a commitment to expressing truth. Benedict XVI’s homilies offered a practical demonstration of rhetorical principles, rich with ideas, metaphors, and sources—from the Bible and Church Fathers to contemporary authors. While Benedict offered theoretical insights, Pope Francis makes these principles explicit and concrete. Francis’s key contribution is emphasizing the addressee (the people), making attention to the receiver central to homiletic discourse. Both Popes advocate for a 21st-century preaching guide based on brevity, clarity, simplicity, cohesive discourse, frequent and poetic images, and a positive, propositional language. Their complementary emphases offer a unified vision for modern Catholic preaching. Full article

This essay argues that a canonical reading of Scripture that is attentive to the experiences it portrays must notice the centrality of the migrant experience throughout both the Old and New Testaments. We begin by tracing patterns of displacement, forced migration, and exile that define the lives of biblical figures such as Adam and Eve, Abraham, Ruth, Jesus, Paul, and the Early Christians. We also explore contemporary uses of the Bible that justify anti-immigrant policies and the dehumanization of immigrants, arguing that such interpretations contradict the text’s narrative. By reading Scripture through the lens of migration, Christians can better identify how the migration experience is both a theological and hermeneutical key to understanding God’s redemptive work in history. Full article

Change detection (CD) with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images remains pivotal for environmental monitoring and disaster management. Deep learning has powerful feature extraction capabilities for CD, but suffers from complex architectures and limited interpretability. While BLSs demonstrate advantages in structural simplicity and interpretability, their feature representation capacity remains constrained. In high-precision CD with SAR images, strong feature representation capability is required, along with an uncomplicated framework and high interpretability. Therefore, a novel paradigm named PC-BiBL is proposed which achieves seamless integration of deep learning and broad learning. On the one hand, it employs a hierarchical cross-convolutional encoding (HCCE) module that uses pseudo-random cross-convolution (PCConv) for hierarchical cross-feature representation, aggregating contextual information. PCConv is an untrained convolution layer, which can utilize specialized pseudo-random kernels to extract features from bitemporal SAR images. On the other hand, since back-propagation algorithms are not required, the features can be directly fed into the bifurcated broad learning (BiBL) module for node expansion and direct parameter computation. BiBL constructs dual-branch nodes and computes their difference nodes, explicitly fusing bitemporal features while highlighting change information—an advancement over traditional BLS. Experiments on five SAR datasets demonstrate the state-of-the-art performance of PC-BiBL, surpassing existing methods in accuracy and robustness. Quantitative metrics and visual analyses confirm its superiority in handling speckle noise and preserving boundary information. Full article

A common trope in Anglicanism is to refer to the Book of Common Prayer as “the Bible rearranged for public service.” This paper unpacks the complex and varied ways in which the 1979 American Book of Common Prayer uses and appropriates Scripture in the text of its liturgies. Relying on an earlier essay in Studia Liturgica where the author proposed a taxonomy to describe the various ways that any liturgical rite can use Scripture as a source within the text of the rite, he applies that taxonomy to the English and American Prayer Book tradition more generally and the current American BCP more specifically. He demonstrates not only that this taxonomy is just as applicable to modern liturgical texts as it is to ancient ones, but also that it provides a means to describe accurately the range of ways in which this particular BCP can rightly be said to be scriptural. Full article

The Aramaic term psḥ(ʾ) and its possible relation to the Hebrew psḥ (recorded in the Hebrew Bible) are associated with “the Passover” feast in Judaism and Samaritanism and, by extension, with Easter in Christianity. This lexeme is exceedingly rare in extra-biblical sources and my goal with the present article is to closely examine the only two unambiguous sources available to us—both of which are found on Aramaic ostraca associated with the Yahwistic community at Elephantine and both share an acute sense of impending trepidation and anxiety. The article is divided into two parts. The first offers a new epigraphic analysis of the two ostraca on which this term appears—building upon a recent publication of one and offering a new publication: reconstruction, translation, and detailed commentary of the other. The second presents a multifaceted analysis—combining etymological and contextual data with insights from social psychology, archeology, and anthropology—supporting the connection of the term psḥ(ʾ) with apotropaic magic rituals tied to the fear of evil-eye, disease, malicious spirits, demons, curses, etc. Finally, insights from these first-hand documents are applied to the ongoing debate regarding the origins and etymology of the term psḥ(ʾ) and its use in the biblical narrative. Full article

John Cassian’s writings reveal an extensive education. In his works, he reflects on his own education, such as a case of mnemotechnical distraction, and also provides education for his readers. But it is also clear that he employs his own rhetorical education by using conscious rhetorical strategies. This third aspect is the focus of this article. In Late Antique higher education, the chreia was one of the basic rhetorical progymnasmata exercises. It could be elaborated through the so-called ergasia exercise. By providing examples from the first conference, it is shown how Cassian employs elaborated chreias presenting his own patterns of ergasia elements. In connection with this, Cassian’s view on the origin of thoughts as drawn from Origen and Evagrius is discussed. Reading model texts, especially the Bible, is seen as a transformative practice that shapes the reader’s heart. Though Cassian rejects classical content, replacing it with spiritual writings, he retains classical form. As a collection of Christian chreic texts, the Conferences could have functioned as model texts for monks and monastic students wanting not only to read, but also to compose their own monastic texts according to the rhetorical structures taught in traditional schools of rhetoric. Cassian thus emerges as a new kind of monastic rhetorician. Full article

Woody plants are integral to the ecological and cultural context of the ancient Near East. Biblical references to trees reflect both their practical uses and their symbolic significance. This is a systematic review focused specifically on botanical affiliation, geographical origin and natural habitat type and the cultivation potential of 97 woody species in temperate urban environments, important to ancient economy, culture and religion and consistently identified by scholars in biblical texts. The study applies a multifaceted methodological framework that integrates i.a. textual analysis, literature review and 20 years of horticultural observations. Moreover, the historical utility of these species was studied based on interpreting Bible quotes and comparative multilingual analysis of biblical texts. Analyzed woody plant species represent 36 botanical families, over 50% native to Ancient Palestine. About 18.6% were cultivated by humans, the rest grew in various habitats. Biblical sources revealed 17 uses, with many species having symbolic, practical, or multiple roles. Further, 32% of the species discussed can be grown directly in the soil in temperate climate, while 52.5% require container cultivation. Additionally, 15.5% of the species are hard to cultivate and thus not recommended for Biblical gardens. The content presented also provides valuable insights that may support the development of Biblical gardens within urban environments worldwide. Full article

Feminist and women religious scholars seek reconciliatory resources beyond the conservative/progressive binary that fuels conflicts, undermines communication and agency, and sustains oppressive structures. Drawing on feminist theology and religious anthropology, this qualitative study investigates how progressive clergywomen in South Korea exercise agency to move beyond this binary. It argues that their agency integrates resistance with measured accommodations of conservative elements, reflecting reconciliatory self-reconfigurations shaped by Korean historical and theological shifts across democratization, an intertwined conservative—progressive landscape, and personal influences, especially family. Central to this shift are (1) anthropological and theological reorientations that emphasize human vulnerability, resilient Christian faith/identity, and a shared foundation of Christian life transcending dichotomies—faith/activism, personal/social salvation, and oppressed minjung/oppressor—and (2) a rediscovery of conservative elements, including biblical centrality and everyday sharing. These reorientations find practical expression in contextual sensitivity, embodied faith, and a gradualist approach. Building on earlier scholarship—especially in Korea—that highlights conservative laywomen’s agency, this study analyzes rare cases of progressive clergywomen pursuing change amid tensions with conservative congregations, identifying feasible and sustainable pastoral resources. Their resistance to binary anthropology and their reconciliation of faith and social engagement contribute to renewing Minjung theology. The study further enriches religious anthropology by illuminating the organic interplay between personal and public motivations. Full article

An increased shift in climate change contributes to accelerated forest dieback around the world. Forest dieback is the process of a forest ecosystem suffering from disease, with mortality rates increasing among trees, potentially leading to the death of the ecosystem. Dieback can be caused through a variety of biotic and abiotic factors such as climate change, land use change, pests, pathogens, and invasive species. Balsam fir trees (Abies balsamea) in eastern North America are particularly vulnerable to dieback. Increased temperatures associated with climate change hinder their tree germination, growth, and competitiveness in an ecosystem. It has been determined that limiting forest dieback damage can be performed by monitoring forest conditions and identifying symptoms such as yellowing of leaves, delayed growth, and reduced stem and twig growth. Diversification was determined to be one of the primary methods of reducing the damage caused by forest dieback. Other methods that were found included decreasing deforestation and limiting the effects of climate change within an ecosystem. These strategies can be applied to balsam fir trees, although the efficacy of mitigation strategies would need to be explored long term. Full article