Ivan V. Lalić, a poet who marked the last decades of the 20th century, belongs to the group of highly religious poets of the neo-symbolist movement. In the existing criticism, the biblical subtext of his poetry has been noticed, but some moments have not been given suf-fi-cient attention. And while the motif of Annunciation is much noticed and covered in criticism, some other theophanic aspects have been given little or no attention, even though they are precisely the context for proper understanding of Lalić's understanding of Annunciation. These are Old Testament scenes, primarily related to the forefather Abraham, Jacob, the exodus and the three young men in the fiery furnace. The author of the article devotes himself to these scenes, bringing them into connection with Lalić's understanding of Annunciation as a kind of point of resolution of cosmic, historical and personal tensions.
伊万·v·拉利奇(Ivan V. laliki)是20世纪最后几十年的标志性诗人，他属于新象征主义运动中高度宗教化的诗人群体。在现有的批评中，他诗歌中的圣经潜台词已经被注意到，但有些时刻没有得到足够的关注。尽管《天使报喜》的主题受到了广泛的关注和批评，但其他一些神性方面却很少或根本没有得到关注，尽管它们正是正确理解拉利奇对《天使报喜》的理解的背景。这些都是旧约的场景，主要与祖先亚伯拉罕，雅各，出埃及记和三个年轻人在火炉里有关。这篇文章的作者致力于这些场景，将它们与拉利奇对天使报喜的理解联系起来，作为一种解决宇宙，历史和个人紧张关系的点。
{"title":"Motif of annunciation as biblical subtext in the poetry of Ivan V. Lalić","authors":"J. Blagojević","doi":"10.5937/kultura2379137b","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5937/kultura2379137b","url":null,"abstract":"Ivan V. Lalić, a poet who marked the last decades of the 20th century, belongs to the group of highly religious poets of the neo-symbolist movement. In the existing criticism, the biblical subtext of his poetry has been noticed, but some moments have not been given suf-fi-cient attention. And while the motif of Annunciation is much noticed and covered in criticism, some other theophanic aspects have been given little or no attention, even though they are precisely the context for proper understanding of Lalić's understanding of Annunciation. These are Old Testament scenes, primarily related to the forefather Abraham, Jacob, the exodus and the three young men in the fiery furnace. The author of the article devotes himself to these scenes, bringing them into connection with Lalić's understanding of Annunciation as a kind of point of resolution of cosmic, historical and personal tensions.","PeriodicalId":53322,"journal":{"name":"Kultura Skopje","volume":"56 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"91277165","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The paper deals with the relationship of Orthodox theology and science throughout history and also considers contemporary dialogue of Orthodox theology and science. The foundational principle laid in the thought of Cappadocian Fathers emphasizes theosis as communion of man with God. The next segment deals with the paradox in the search of high knowledge: the highest thing we are looking for is beyond our knowledge, which is the exact reason why Basil of Caesarea has approved of human reasoning and development of human intellect. There is also an important theologian, Gregory Palamas, who has indicated that we cannot come to knowledge of God through secular science but through faith, contemplation and practices of asceticism, from which we are receiving true knowledge. His views are close to the axiom of Gregory the Theologian: Faith is what gives fullness to our reasoning. Then, a contemporary dialogue between Orthodox theology and science is also considered through the lenses of these theologians: Alexei Nesteruk, who represents the phenomenological approach to the relation of Orthodox theology and science; Stoyan Tanev, George Dion Dragas and Kyriacos Markides who represent reconsideration of the relationship between Orthodox theology and science through an anthropic principle; and Christopher Knight who pleads for theological naturalism. We conclude that phenomenological approach of Alexei Nesteruk - who has believed that interference between science and theology is possible by utilization of transcendence and asymmetry between theology and science for better understanding of existential condition of the human person - is close to the patristic view of theology and science.
{"title":"A modern age dialogue between orthodox theology and science","authors":"S. Kostić","doi":"10.5937/kultura2379043k","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5937/kultura2379043k","url":null,"abstract":"The paper deals with the relationship of Orthodox theology and science throughout history and also considers contemporary dialogue of Orthodox theology and science. The foundational principle laid in the thought of Cappadocian Fathers emphasizes theosis as communion of man with God. The next segment deals with the paradox in the search of high knowledge: the highest thing we are looking for is beyond our knowledge, which is the exact reason why Basil of Caesarea has approved of human reasoning and development of human intellect. There is also an important theologian, Gregory Palamas, who has indicated that we cannot come to knowledge of God through secular science but through faith, contemplation and practices of asceticism, from which we are receiving true knowledge. His views are close to the axiom of Gregory the Theologian: Faith is what gives fullness to our reasoning. Then, a contemporary dialogue between Orthodox theology and science is also considered through the lenses of these theologians: Alexei Nesteruk, who represents the phenomenological approach to the relation of Orthodox theology and science; Stoyan Tanev, George Dion Dragas and Kyriacos Markides who represent reconsideration of the relationship between Orthodox theology and science through an anthropic principle; and Christopher Knight who pleads for theological naturalism. We conclude that phenomenological approach of Alexei Nesteruk - who has believed that interference between science and theology is possible by utilization of transcendence and asymmetry between theology and science for better understanding of existential condition of the human person - is close to the patristic view of theology and science.","PeriodicalId":53322,"journal":{"name":"Kultura Skopje","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73812445","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The symbol of the hand appears in the early stages of human culture as a representation and a symbolic resource. Over time, that symbol has taken on different meanings becoming a complex intersection of sociocultural mediation and symbolic interaction. In The Dormition of the Mother of God icon by Srđan Radojković, the hand symbol stands out among other dominant symbols. What meanings does that symbol bear and invoke? In the paper, we point to the originally Christian, biblical, New Testament meaning of that symbol, but also to the broader sociocultural perspective in which its various meanings are constituted. The artist consciously introduced the symbol of the hand into the foreground of his artwork, guided by his intention and idea. Nevertheless, possible meanings are completely open for further symbolic development, as well as for the processes of personal experience and assigning different layers of meaning, independent of the author's intention. In these processes, the symbolism inherent in the early stages of human culture is transmitted and developed, continues to work in contemporary situations and is preserved for future periods of culture, communicating with different cultural contexts. The symbols of the hand and the open palm connect us with the days of Jesus Christ's earthly mission, as well as distant prehistory and mysterious cave paintings, and also with far-Eastern concepts about the connection between the nervature of the hand and the brain processes, confirmed by contemporary neurological research. At the same time, the outlined symbols open the way to philosophical considerations of the phenomenon of human hands, aimed at researching the fundamental concepts of human corporeity, as well as the mental and physical plan of human existence in general.
{"title":"The hand symbol in the icon of The Dormition of the Mother of God by Srđan Radojković","authors":"Aleksandar Milanković","doi":"10.5937/kultura2379081m","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5937/kultura2379081m","url":null,"abstract":"The symbol of the hand appears in the early stages of human culture as a representation and a symbolic resource. Over time, that symbol has taken on different meanings becoming a complex intersection of sociocultural mediation and symbolic interaction. In The Dormition of the Mother of God icon by Srđan Radojković, the hand symbol stands out among other dominant symbols. What meanings does that symbol bear and invoke? In the paper, we point to the originally Christian, biblical, New Testament meaning of that symbol, but also to the broader sociocultural perspective in which its various meanings are constituted. The artist consciously introduced the symbol of the hand into the foreground of his artwork, guided by his intention and idea. Nevertheless, possible meanings are completely open for further symbolic development, as well as for the processes of personal experience and assigning different layers of meaning, independent of the author's intention. In these processes, the symbolism inherent in the early stages of human culture is transmitted and developed, continues to work in contemporary situations and is preserved for future periods of culture, communicating with different cultural contexts. The symbols of the hand and the open palm connect us with the days of Jesus Christ's earthly mission, as well as distant prehistory and mysterious cave paintings, and also with far-Eastern concepts about the connection between the nervature of the hand and the brain processes, confirmed by contemporary neurological research. At the same time, the outlined symbols open the way to philosophical considerations of the phenomenon of human hands, aimed at researching the fundamental concepts of human corporeity, as well as the mental and physical plan of human existence in general.","PeriodicalId":53322,"journal":{"name":"Kultura Skopje","volume":"2015 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87095514","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
From the end of the 1930s when superhero comics formally appeared, until the latest film and television interpretations, we have seen the extraordinary influence of characters and symbols, of which the most famous and certainly the most recognizable is Superman with his striking superhuman powers. In this paper we wanted to shed light on the religious imagination of different authors. This provided a basis for an attempt to reconstruct what we would call a spiritual background of the most famous character in the world comics. Providing knowledge about the history, mythology and especially about the religion of the planet Krypton, we dared to analyse Raoism as an ancient religion, with its cultural, theological, organizational and ritual peculiarities.
{"title":"Theology and/or (pop)culture: The religion of Krypton","authors":"Sergej Beuk","doi":"10.5937/kultura2379209b","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5937/kultura2379209b","url":null,"abstract":"From the end of the 1930s when superhero comics formally appeared, until the latest film and television interpretations, we have seen the extraordinary influence of characters and symbols, of which the most famous and certainly the most recognizable is Superman with his striking superhuman powers. In this paper we wanted to shed light on the religious imagination of different authors. This provided a basis for an attempt to reconstruct what we would call a spiritual background of the most famous character in the world comics. Providing knowledge about the history, mythology and especially about the religion of the planet Krypton, we dared to analyse Raoism as an ancient religion, with its cultural, theological, organizational and ritual peculiarities.","PeriodicalId":53322,"journal":{"name":"Kultura Skopje","volume":"4 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88277784","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Branko Miljković was a poet who built his poetic world in the tradition of (neo)symbolism. He presented his views in his essays where he depicted the "emancipated" poem, a poem which continues its life independently of the poet himself. In this article, we have researched the "life" of the poem after the poet had granted it its autonomy and we have explored the degree of freedom in its interpretation. However, in the analysis we have still been guided by the lines given by the author himself. In the second part of the article we have analysed the symbols that he used in some of his poems that might be interpreted in the context of Christianity. Miljković was a poet of a wide metaphysical scope. He explored the spheres that exist beyond the grasp of physical senses, and his poetic philosophy included the motives such as Heraclitus' fire which carries the possibility of a new life. Balancing on the thin line between nihilism and death, between the Phoenix bird and the "angel on the wall", his poetry continues to inspire with its unique voice.
{"title":"Emancipated poems of Branko Miljković: Metaphysical views and the possibility of interpreting his neosymbolical poetics","authors":"Olga Mihajlović-Blagojević","doi":"10.5937/kultura2379157m","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5937/kultura2379157m","url":null,"abstract":"Branko Miljković was a poet who built his poetic world in the tradition of (neo)symbolism. He presented his views in his essays where he depicted the \"emancipated\" poem, a poem which continues its life independently of the poet himself. In this article, we have researched the \"life\" of the poem after the poet had granted it its autonomy and we have explored the degree of freedom in its interpretation. However, in the analysis we have still been guided by the lines given by the author himself. In the second part of the article we have analysed the symbols that he used in some of his poems that might be interpreted in the context of Christianity. Miljković was a poet of a wide metaphysical scope. He explored the spheres that exist beyond the grasp of physical senses, and his poetic philosophy included the motives such as Heraclitus' fire which carries the possibility of a new life. Balancing on the thin line between nihilism and death, between the Phoenix bird and the \"angel on the wall\", his poetry continues to inspire with its unique voice.","PeriodicalId":53322,"journal":{"name":"Kultura Skopje","volume":"22 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89242361","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The paper explores the possibilities of ontological, epistemological and ethical justification of art from the perspective of Christian understanding and experience of man and the world. Special attention is paid to the communicative aspect of art and the work of art, by which art and artistic creativity are included in the complex dynamics of the relationship between God, man and the world, which has an eschatological dimension.
{"title":"Communication aspect of the justification of art in Christianity","authors":"V. Kolarić","doi":"10.5937/kultura2379063k","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5937/kultura2379063k","url":null,"abstract":"The paper explores the possibilities of ontological, epistemological and ethical justification of art from the perspective of Christian understanding and experience of man and the world. Special attention is paid to the communicative aspect of art and the work of art, by which art and artistic creativity are included in the complex dynamics of the relationship between God, man and the world, which has an eschatological dimension.","PeriodicalId":53322,"journal":{"name":"Kultura Skopje","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75732101","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The paper explores the ways in which the American film Gran Torino (2008) has used and actualised biblical motifs to address important challenges of contemporary American society. After a brief presentation of the plot of the film and basic data on its production and screening, the paper identifies the biblical motifs used. Then, the social dimensions of their cinematic interpretation are observed, contained in the criticism of social formalism, the reconstruction of violent heroism and the promotion of religious universalism.
{"title":"Biblical motifs in the film Gran Torino (2008)","authors":"Vladan Tatalović","doi":"10.5937/kultura2379191t","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5937/kultura2379191t","url":null,"abstract":"The paper explores the ways in which the American film Gran Torino (2008) has used and actualised biblical motifs to address important challenges of contemporary American society. After a brief presentation of the plot of the film and basic data on its production and screening, the paper identifies the biblical motifs used. Then, the social dimensions of their cinematic interpretation are observed, contained in the criticism of social formalism, the reconstruction of violent heroism and the promotion of religious universalism.","PeriodicalId":53322,"journal":{"name":"Kultura Skopje","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85877675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Starting from an anecdotal story connected with St Macarius the Great, the paper offers a review of the theological understanding of the concept of desert monkhood, searching for its relevance in the modern times. The specific relevance of the selected storyline is evident through comparison of the images of hell offered by the story with some other, mostly infernal images of suffering, described from Gilgamesh to Dante. The starting point of the paper was an assumption that the writer's story offered more than the author's initial intention, and that this level of the text would produce most fruit. The author's reading of the selected text is from the perspective of modern hermeneutics which implies both faith and doubt. Such theological landscape refers us to specific personological ontology as an essential expression of Christian faith and an elementary goal of the church ethos. On this plane of understanding, a link is found between the desert (of the past) and the city (of today).
{"title":"Our city and its desert: The Macarian image of hell as an ancient affirmation of the modern theology of love","authors":"V. Jovanovic","doi":"10.5937/kultura2379027j","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5937/kultura2379027j","url":null,"abstract":"Starting from an anecdotal story connected with St Macarius the Great, the paper offers a review of the theological understanding of the concept of desert monkhood, searching for its relevance in the modern times. The specific relevance of the selected storyline is evident through comparison of the images of hell offered by the story with some other, mostly infernal images of suffering, described from Gilgamesh to Dante. The starting point of the paper was an assumption that the writer's story offered more than the author's initial intention, and that this level of the text would produce most fruit. The author's reading of the selected text is from the perspective of modern hermeneutics which implies both faith and doubt. Such theological landscape refers us to specific personological ontology as an essential expression of Christian faith and an elementary goal of the church ethos. On this plane of understanding, a link is found between the desert (of the past) and the city (of today).","PeriodicalId":53322,"journal":{"name":"Kultura Skopje","volume":"108 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86256244","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This paper examines whether Nikolaj Velimirović (Nicholai Velimirovich) considered culture incompatible with Christian beliefs and Christian concepts in general. Some claims that Velimirović rejected culture can be found in literature. These allegations were primarily based on the reading of the book posthumously attributed to Velimirović, published 30 years after his death under the title Govori srpskom narodu kroz tamnički prozor (Words to the Serbian People Through the Dungeon Window), in which the author wrote unusually harshly and vehemently about culture. However, there are other works written by Velimirović, where his authorship is certain and in which the question of culture is approached differently. In this paper, we will focus our attention on Velimirović's original works and we will compare his original views with those that can be found in the above stated book. Interestingly, in his original works we will not find anti-cultural viewpoints but rather evaluation of culture by Christian standards, and consequently, the possibility of existence of a Christian culture. However, through tendentious readings of Velimirović's works and through uncritical reading of the works attributed to him posthumously, he became known as an opponent of culture. For example, although Velimirović, as a cultured man, spoke several world languages, defended two doctoral dissertations at the University of Berne, and published thousands of pages in several languages (not only in Serbian but also in German, English and Russian), it seems that such image of Velimirović has remained in the shadows. In the public discourse, a different image of Bishop Nikolaj Velimirović has prevailed, constructed with or without intention at the end of the last century. That is how Nikolaj, who was a village shepherd that guarded his flock with a flute in the vicinity of Valjevo, has overshadowed Nicholai who was awarded an honorary doctorate at the University of Columbia.
{"title":"Golden calf or worship of god: About Nikolaj Velimirović's understanding of culture","authors":"S. Petrović","doi":"10.5937/kultura2379007p","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5937/kultura2379007p","url":null,"abstract":"This paper examines whether Nikolaj Velimirović (Nicholai Velimirovich) considered culture incompatible with Christian beliefs and Christian concepts in general. Some claims that Velimirović rejected culture can be found in literature. These allegations were primarily based on the reading of the book posthumously attributed to Velimirović, published 30 years after his death under the title Govori srpskom narodu kroz tamnički prozor (Words to the Serbian People Through the Dungeon Window), in which the author wrote unusually harshly and vehemently about culture. However, there are other works written by Velimirović, where his authorship is certain and in which the question of culture is approached differently. In this paper, we will focus our attention on Velimirović's original works and we will compare his original views with those that can be found in the above stated book. Interestingly, in his original works we will not find anti-cultural viewpoints but rather evaluation of culture by Christian standards, and consequently, the possibility of existence of a Christian culture. However, through tendentious readings of Velimirović's works and through uncritical reading of the works attributed to him posthumously, he became known as an opponent of culture. For example, although Velimirović, as a cultured man, spoke several world languages, defended two doctoral dissertations at the University of Berne, and published thousands of pages in several languages (not only in Serbian but also in German, English and Russian), it seems that such image of Velimirović has remained in the shadows. In the public discourse, a different image of Bishop Nikolaj Velimirović has prevailed, constructed with or without intention at the end of the last century. That is how Nikolaj, who was a village shepherd that guarded his flock with a flute in the vicinity of Valjevo, has overshadowed Nicholai who was awarded an honorary doctorate at the University of Columbia.","PeriodicalId":53322,"journal":{"name":"Kultura Skopje","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82582343","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Endo Shusaku's oeuvre is a fascinating literary attempt at reconciliation of (Western) Christianity and Japanese culture. As a Christian and a Japanese, Endo was a living embodiment of this religious and cultural struggle, but he was also a writer and thus in a fitting position to express the agonies of identity crisis that he and his Christian compatriots had to endure for centuries. Endo was, in other words, interested in the mission process known as inculturation, which signifies specific ways in which Christianity becomes a natural part of any given culture. The success of this process depends on the identification of the most important causes of conflict between Christianity and culture, while the solutions usually tend to produce something new. In most cases of successful inculturation, new images of Christ were produced in accordance with the religious mentality of the baptized community. Throughout his writings, Endo has managed to offer several such images. His Christ is a Suffering Servant of God, similar to the one described by Isaiah, a companion figure (dohansha), and a merciful God full of motherly love. While based on the Bible, these images are, at the same time, inspired by Japanese religious traditions, specifically Buddhist notions of merciful buddhas and bodhisattvas. Several controversial details in Endo's novels have aroused suspicions among Catholic clergymen, such as the presumed justification of apostasy in Silence and the pluralist tone of Deep River, but Endo was not trying to justify Asian religious mentality to Westerners. On the contrary, he was trying to present Christianity to the Japanese audience using the religious motifs they were familiar with. Thus, one might interpret Endo's images of Christ as an "experimental" inculturation - theologically imperfect but nevertheless valuable for pointing out the most significant issues in the evangelization of Japan.
{"title":"Endo Shusaku: The writer of inculturation","authors":"Vedran Golijanin","doi":"10.5937/kultura2379171g","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5937/kultura2379171g","url":null,"abstract":"Endo Shusaku's oeuvre is a fascinating literary attempt at reconciliation of (Western) Christianity and Japanese culture. As a Christian and a Japanese, Endo was a living embodiment of this religious and cultural struggle, but he was also a writer and thus in a fitting position to express the agonies of identity crisis that he and his Christian compatriots had to endure for centuries. Endo was, in other words, interested in the mission process known as inculturation, which signifies specific ways in which Christianity becomes a natural part of any given culture. The success of this process depends on the identification of the most important causes of conflict between Christianity and culture, while the solutions usually tend to produce something new. In most cases of successful inculturation, new images of Christ were produced in accordance with the religious mentality of the baptized community. Throughout his writings, Endo has managed to offer several such images. His Christ is a Suffering Servant of God, similar to the one described by Isaiah, a companion figure (dohansha), and a merciful God full of motherly love. While based on the Bible, these images are, at the same time, inspired by Japanese religious traditions, specifically Buddhist notions of merciful buddhas and bodhisattvas. Several controversial details in Endo's novels have aroused suspicions among Catholic clergymen, such as the presumed justification of apostasy in Silence and the pluralist tone of Deep River, but Endo was not trying to justify Asian religious mentality to Westerners. On the contrary, he was trying to present Christianity to the Japanese audience using the religious motifs they were familiar with. Thus, one might interpret Endo's images of Christ as an \"experimental\" inculturation - theologically imperfect but nevertheless valuable for pointing out the most significant issues in the evangelization of Japan.","PeriodicalId":53322,"journal":{"name":"Kultura Skopje","volume":"4 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82455934","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：