Search Results (235)

This article advances a method of anthropological contextualization for a Christian theological reading that applies the salvation of all Israel in Rom 11:26 to the present, by comparing Paul’s first-century people categories with those of the modern world. In Rom 9–11 Paul deals with the hardened Israelites of his day—the torah-observant descendants of Jacob who rejected Jesus—distinguishing them from gentiles and from the broader category of Jews which includes proselytes. Paul envisions alternating waves of salvation between Israelites and gentiles, so that some of the hardened Israelites of his day join the remnant Israelites (those who have already believed in Jesus), together constituting all Israel—a synchronic reference to the totality of believing Israelites in Paul’s time. Tracing those first-century Israelites forward, however, is not possible: tribal genealogies were lost and Jewish communities expanded and diversified through intermarriage, conversion, and apostasy. Consequently, equating Paul’s Israelites with modern Jews as a fixed, continuous biological entity is unwarranted. Contextualized today, the expectation of all Israel’s salvation encompasses all nations, including Jews, without reconstituting Israel as a biological or national category distinct from the church. Full article

In many parishes, lay communion from the chalice ceased during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has yet to return. This article summarizes the historical development of practice and theology regarding the chalice and proposes a symbolic and phenomenological account of communion with the blood of Christ. The practice of lay communion from the chalice in Western Christianity has gone through several distinct phases. From early Christianity into the medieval period, lay reception from the chalice was practiced regularly. In the twelfth century, the practice ceased due to increased focus on Christ’s real presence in the consecrated elements and increased fear of dropping or spilling Christ’s body and blood on the ground. The doctrine of concomitance arose to explain that in exceptional circumstances where communion was possible under only one species, communicants still received Christ whole and entire. Later, concomitance was used to support the practice of withholding the chalice from the laity, which lasted from the twelfth century until Vatican II. Without challenging the Council of Trent’s pronouncement that communion under both species is not required for salvation, this article argues that communion under both species maximizes the multivalent symbolism and the phenomenological experience of eucharistic communion for sacramental participants. Full article

Addressing the prevalent issue of “physical preservation but spiritual silence” in the revitalisation of China’s national industrial heritage, this study proposes and empirically validates a “dual-track narrative” design framework that systematically translates cultural values into spatial experiences. The framework integrates a “figure–history” narrative, which crystallises historical lineage and symbolic spirit through spatial sequences, commemorative landmarks, and authentic remains, with a “scene–activity” narrative, which transforms former production spaces into dynamic, culturally vibrant stages through ecological restoration displays, industrial landscape transformation, and flexible activity implantation. Using Nantong Guangsheng Oil Mill as a single-case study, the research employs qualitative methods including archival analysis, field observation, and semi-structured interviews to examine how the dual-track framework operates in practice. The findings reveal that the “figure–history” narrative manifests in a walkable “time corridor” along the north–south axis, where architectural remnants from different eras are organised to materialise Zhang Jian’s industrial salvation ethos and the collective memory of generations of workers. Meanwhile, the “scene–activity” narrative activates underutilised spaces—such as the repurposing of acid treatment ponds into constructed wetlands and paved grounds into public stages—enabling ongoing cultural production, community interaction, and ecological healing. The study demonstrates that the dual-track framework bridges the historical and contemporary dimensions often treated separately in heritage practice, establishing a systematic “translation mechanism” from cultural decoding to design intervention. Theoretically, it contributes to industrial heritage research by integrating narratology, memory studies, heritage interpretation, and situationism into a coherent design methodology. Practically, it offers decision-makers evaluation criteria beyond the preservation-versus-development binary, provides designers with a mode of creative transformation grounded in material authenticity, and suggests to operators a content-driven, event-based model for sustaining heritage spaces. By spatialising and eventising narratives, the dual-track approach enables industrial heritage to function as a catalyst for cultural identity, social vitality, and economic sustainability, offering a transferable paradigm for the adaptive reuse of industrial heritage in contemporary urban contexts. Full article

This article reexamines Paul’s use of athletic imagery in 1 Corinthians 9:24–27 within the broader argument of chapters 8–10. Against readings that treat the passage as a call to individual moral striving or competition for salvation, this study situates Paul’s metaphor within the honor–shame dynamics of Greco-Roman Corinth and his own defense of apostolic self-restraint. Paul’s “race” and “imperishable wreath” do not exhort believers to outperform one another but dramatize the paradox of freedom expressed through voluntary limitation. Drawing on insights from social-scientific and rhetorical criticism, the essay demonstrates that Paul’s imagery functions as the rhetorical climax of the section, translating his ethical argument into the moral grammar of the agon. By reconfiguring the contest from rivalry to service, Paul transforms the competitive ethos of Corinth into a vision of communal flourishing in which believers “compete” for the good of others. The passage thus offers a distinctly Pauline theology of self-control as the discipline of love, turning the agonistic spirit of the games into an image of the gospel itself. Full article

This study analyzes the determinants of marital happiness among 162 religiously married respondents (Catholic and Evangelical) using probit and logit models. Intrinsic religiosity captured by Salvation in God and Faith in God emerges as the strongest predictor of marital satisfaction, with positive and significant effects across specifications. Frequency of prayer has a smaller but positive influence, underscoring the primacy of belief over ritual practice. Household income contributes modestly, while age patterns show younger couples (18–24) report lower happiness, with satisfaction increasing in older age groups. Denominational interactions reveal that evangelicals derive higher marital well-being from intrinsic beliefs, whereas Catholic respondents’ happiness is more tied to income and institutional religious practice. Gender effects also vary: Catholic women benefit more from faith, whereas effects for evangelical women are smaller. Willingness-to-pay (WTP) estimates for marital happiness via prayer highlight these differences: evangelicals exhibit WTP of $4.57 (probit) and $2.05 (logit) per person, compared to Catholics at $0.046 and $0.087, respectively. These findings demonstrate that belief-oriented religiosity, age, and denominational context are primary determinants of marital happiness. Full article

There are four representative commentaries on the Duren jing from the Southern Song and Yuan Dynasties, authored by Qingyuan Zhenren, Xiao Yingsou, Chen Guanwu, and Xue Jizhao. These four commentaries combine both philological interpretation and philosophical interpretation, but each emphasizes one over the other. The Qingyuan and Xue focus on philological interpretation, aiming to reveal the original meaning of the text. The former offers detailed and in-depth philological analysis, occasionally integrating ideas on self-cultivation; the latter provides concise explanations, avoiding speculation and forced analogies. The Xiao and Chen commentaries, on the other hand, emphasize philosophical interpretation. Though grounded in philology, they primarily use the scripture as a medium to construct and develop the theory of internal alchemy. Xiao’s commentary pioneered a systematic approach to internal alchemy, while Chen’s work inherited and further developed this approach. In terms of interpretive strategy, the Qingyuan and Xue commentaries primarily use Taoist texts to support philological mutual verification, while the Xiao and Chen commentaries widely reference Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist resources to conduct philosophical mutual verification. The differences in their interpretive approaches essentially originate from the commentators’ distinctly different pre-understandings. Through textual interpretation, they achieved varying degrees of “fusion of horizons” between the text’s original historical horizon and the contemporary horizon of the Song and Yuan Dynasties. The evolution from “explaining the text based on its original meaning” to “elucidating new philosophical ideas through the scripture” not only reflects a shift in Taoism from external ritual practices to internal alchemical cultivation, but also demonstrates the dialectical relationship between objective explanation and creative understanding, and provides significant intellectual resources for the development of contemporary Chinese hermeneutics. Full article

This article explores how interfaith dialogue, especially involving non-Christian views and interpretations of Jesus, has transformed contemporary understandings of Christology. It also contends how and why such challenges and developments can further reform and expand what is meant by the Church and salvation (ecclesiology and soteriology). To do so, it first highlights three perspectives towards the other that seem most promising for any robust interfaith Christology and why turning to non-Christians for views of Christ can be spiritually and theologically helpful, if not cathartic. To highlight this idea, it then examines some representative Jewish, Muslim, and Buddhist interpretations or critiques of Christology. In doing so, the article ambitiously contends that one main aim of transforming Christology is to transform the Church. Thus, the transformation of Christology through interfaith dialogue will also transform the Church because it will transform how Christians perceive and respond to what is salvific in other faiths and revelations. Advocating for a more expansive Christology, therefore, coincides with developing a more expansive ecclesiology and soteriology. Full article

The publication of Richard Wilhelm’s German translation of the Daodejing in 1911 ignited a “Daoist enthusiasm” in German literary circles, offering spiritual solace to a generation disillusioned by World War I. This article explores the creative reception of Daoist thought by the German writer Klabund (1890–1928), arguing that he reinterpreted Daoism not merely as a philosophy but as a religious response to the spiritual and political crises of post-war Germany. Through a comparative analysis of Klabund’s Laotse. Sprüche and Wilhelm’s source text, this study reveals how Klabund, through the selection, reorganization, and substitution of key terms, constructs a “practicable faith” for his contemporaries. The article further examines how this reconstruction extends into his literary works: Li-Tai-Pe aestheticizes Daoist themes like “softness” and “water”, Dreiklang elevates Laozi to a “divine incarnation” within a syncretic religious framework alongside Christ and Buddha, and The Last Emperor applies Daoist political wisdom to critique imperial power. Klabund’s approach illustrates a unique model of cross-cultural dialogue, where ancient Eastern wisdom is transformed into a “revolution of the heart”, serving as a spiritual antidote to the modern Western crisis of faith. Full article

Peptides from scorpion venom, mainly in species such as Olivierus martensii (formerly Olivierus martensii Karsch, often designated BMK) (BmK) and Tityus serrulatus from the Buthidae family, show real promise as painkillers that skip opioids altogether. They work by hitting specific ion channels and dialing down inflammation. This review gathers information on their molecular setups: disulfide-bridged types and those without, weighing in at 3 to 10 kilodaltons (kDa). Structural features include motifs stabilized by cysteines. In pain signaling, they block voltage-gated sodium channels (NaV) such as NaV1.7 and NaV1.8; take the BmK analgesic–antitumor peptide (BmK-AGAP) for example. Additionally, scorpion venom heat-resistant peptide (SVHRP) reduces microglia activity. Tests on rodents using formalin injections, acetic acid writhing, and chronic constriction injury (CCI) setups reveal pain relief that depends on dose and stacks up to morphine. Pairings like AGAP with lidocaine decrease the effective dose by half. In terms of safety, therapeutic levels have low-toxicity with a median lethal dose (LD50) over 20 mg/kg. Issues crop up with immune responses, unintended targets, and differences in venom batches. Clinical information remains thin, so gaps persist. Engineered versions could change the game for neuropathic pain, inflammatory conditions, and cancer-related discomfort. Standardization plus Phase I studies would help move this forward. Full article

The rising global production of biodiesel has led to a surplus of crude glycerol, a byproduct accounting for about 10% of biodiesel’s weight. Crude glycerol contains various impurities, including unreacted alcohol, soap, free fatty acids, water, and leftover reagents, which are often considered waste. Several methods have been explored to utilise this surplus, such as combustion for energy recovery, composting, animal feed, and purification. However, purification can be expensive and is often not economically viable. While there is growing interest in hydrogen production via the steam reforming of glycerol, there is a significant lack of detailed information and research on simulating this process using ChemCAD 8.1.0 software. This study aimed to simulate glycerol steam reforming (GSR) using ChemCAD, a process that converts crude glycerol from biodiesel into hydrogen. The process operates on a Gibbs free energy reactor, simulating GSR using the UNIFAC thermodynamic model under various conditions: temperatures ranging from 200 °C to 1000 °C, steam-to-glycerol mass ratios from 2:1 to 12:1, and a nickel catalyst maintained at 1 wt.%. The results demonstrate maximum glycerol consumption at temperatures above 600 °C and at a steam-to-glycerol mass ratio of 6:1. The optimum conditions for achieving a hydrogen yield of 65.23% occur at 800 °C and a ratio of 8:1 while minimising the formation of byproducts such as CO₂, CO, and CH₄. These findings provide valuable insights for optimising GSR processes and promoting the sustainable utilisation of renewable energy sources, thereby contributing to the circular economy and supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy). Full article

Lushan 廬山 and Wutaishan 五臺山 have long occupied important positions in East Asian Buddhism as sacred sites. The wuhui nianfo 五会念仏 and Pure Land philosophy initiated by Fazhao 法照 (746–838) on Wutaishan greatly influenced the development of both rituals and the philosophy of Pure Land Buddhism in Japan. In this paper, I examine how Fazhao’s idea of the wuhui nianfo and salvation in Pure Land Buddhism influenced the transformational movement of Japanese Pure Land Buddhism in the 13th century. Hōnen’s 法然 (1133–1212) disciples, Seikaku 聖覚 (1167–1235) and Shinran 親鸞 (1173–1263), among others, wrote works in response to criticisms of Hōnen from Tendai 天台 and Hossō 法相 monks, in which they cited Fazhao’s wuhui nianfo thought to develop arguments in defense of Hōnen’s teachings. I examine how Hōnen, Seikaku, and Shinran were influenced by Fazhao’s Pure Land thought during the Kamakura-era (1185–1333) when the transformational Pure Land movement developed in Japan. Fazhao’s Pure Land thought responded to criticisms against Pure Land Buddhism of his own time. Similarly, Hōnen, Seikaku, and Shinran carried out their role in their own way, guided by Chinese Pure Land masters such as Shandao 善導 (613–681) and Fazhao. Shinran carefully interprets Fazhao’s thought so that it is not misunderstood as insisting on self-indulgence and antinomianism. Shinran intended to make clear that Fazhao’s intention was to reveal the universal working of Amida’s Vow. Furthermore, Shinran developed the ideas of shinjin 信心 and other power 他力 reflecting on it. Fazhao’s passages inspired Shinran’s deep religious awakening about the meaning of Amida’s Vow, shinjin, and other power. Shinran also composed Japanese hymns in the form of Imayō 今様, which were sung with melodies akin to the wuhui nianfo. Full article

Techno-theology is reconsidered from a standpoint beyond modern dualisms (spirit/matter; human/nonhuman), asking how contemporary technologies come to mediate ultimate concern and thereby reconfigure meaning, agency, and moral responsibility. The article argues that techno-theology is not a new religious movement but an analytic lens for tracing the mutual mediation between technological systems and theological imaginaries. It shows, first, how technologies increasingly function as carriers of ultimacy, reorganizing authority, hope, and moral expectation. Second, it diagnoses a recurrent modern impasse: even where crude dualisms are rejected, responsibility is practically redistributed across sociotechnical arrangements in ways that diffuse accountability. Third, it proposes “divine ethics” as a minimal evaluative grammar for distinguishing idolatrous re-enchantment (salvation-by-escalation) from relational re-enchantment (limits, accountability, care). Divine ethics is operationalized through three constraints—capacity–responsibility alignment, precaution under irreversible and intergenerational risk, and future-oriented institutionalization—prioritizing prevention over post hoc blame. 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

Despite being the most popular sutra tableau in Dunhuang, the utter lack of any comprehensive, or chronological academic analysis even in Chinese calls for a thorough research on the Medicine Buddha Sutra iconography at Dunhuang. This paper will explore the Medicine Buddha both in the literary form, the sutras, and the visual form, the sutra tableaux, when they first appeared in China during the Sui Dynasty. First, the relevant sections of the four Medicine Buddha Sutra translated in Chinese will be examined in detail. Then, the earliest four pictorial representations, namely Caves 417, 433, 436, and 394 at Dunhuang, will be scrutinized to establish a firm foundation of this said sutra tableau for later periods. By comparing the deities, and other special attributes presented in these images with what were recorded in the sutras, this paper reveals how the anonymous monastics and artists “re-presented” the Medicine Buddha from literary form to pictorial form, which embodies the intermediallity during the Sui Dynasty in Dunhuang. After analyzing how the textual elements such as the Medicine Buddha, attendant Bodhisattvas, Twelve Demigods, Four Heavenly Kings, and the magical life-prolonging instruments were depicted in the paintings, intermediality between the texts and imagery is brought to light. Two most decisive details, the small sizes of the cartouches for the inscriptions of the Twelve Demigods, and the number of Medicine statues that should be present at the ritual, clearly show the Medicine Buddha Sutra imagery painted during the Sui Dynasty in Dunhuang is based on the earliest Chinese edition, Sutra on the Initiation to Remove Unwholesome Deeds and Attain Salvation from Birth and Death Taught by the Buddha, translated by Śrīmitra. 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