St. Paul

The subject of an analysis in this article is the phrase from 2 Peter 3:15: "our beloved brother Paul". The author examines the meaning of the Greek personal pronoun hēmōn ("our") used by Peter, which illustrates how Peter perceived of Paul. Paul is not only called a "beloved brother" in faith but, above all, he is a "brother of office" in the sense of "brother of the apostolic office" held by the college of the Twelve Apostles. An analysis of singular and plural verbs found in 1 and 2 Peter shows that Peter does not use the pronoun hēmōn as pluralis majestaticus but as the real plural, because he speaks on behalf of the Twelve and represents them.

Przedmiotem analiz w tym artykule jest fraza z 2 P 3,15: "Umiłowany nasz brat, Paweł". Autor bada znaczenie użytego przez Piotra zaimka osobowego hēmōn ("nasz"), który mówi o postrzeganiu Pawła przez Piotra. Paweł jest nie tylko "umiłowanym bratem" w wierze, ale przede wszystkim jest "bratem urzędu" w znacze-niu "bratem urzędu apostolskiego", jaki sprawuje kolegium Dwunastu apostołów. Ana-liza czasowników w liczbie pojedynczej i mnogiej, jakie znajdują się w 1-2 P, pokazały, że Piotr nie posługuje się zaimkiem hēmōn jako pluralis majestaticus, ale jako rzeczywistą liczbą mnogą, ponieważ wypowiada się w imieniu Dwunastu i ich reprezentuje..

Abstrak Tinatalakay sa papel na ito ang mga bagay na lumilitaw sa proseso ng pag-uugnay ng " midya noon " at " midya ngayon ". Tinitingnan ang uri ng midya noong panahon ni San Pablo Apostol sa pamamagitan ng kanyang sulat, ang 2 Thess 2:15. Dito ay sinusuri 1) kung anong uri ng pakikipag-ugnayan o komunikasyon ang sinasaad ng teksto, 2) ang ilang uri ng midya, 3) ang hayag na mensahe, at 4) ang mga pahiwatig na nasa likod ng midya at sa likod ng mga tao/lipunan. Pagkatapos, ang mga aral na mapupulot sa 2 Thess 2:15 ay inilapit/inihambing sa mga uri ng midya sa ating panahon—kagaya ng print, radyo, TV, sine, at ang " new media. " Ang pag-uugnay ng " midya noon " at ng " midya ngayon " ay isang paghaharap ng dalawang kuwento na maaaring magsilbing mga " salamin " para sa ating panahon. Ang nananalamin sa gitna ng dalawang " salamin " ay mabibigyan ng pagkakataon na maaninag ang ilang mga bagay sa kanyang harapan at likuran—mga bagay na hindi natin masusulyapan kung wala ang mga " salamin. " Hindi lamang ito gawaing paghahambing; ito ay isang paraan ng pag-dalumat sa mga bagay-bagay noon at ngayon. Ang ganitong pamamaraan ay inaasahang makakapagbigay ng dagdag na kaalaman tungkol sa lipunan, tradisyon, at midya. Abstract This paper discusses some issues raised through the process of correlating the various " then " and " now " media. It does this by ♦ Dr. Ferdinand D. Dagmang is a Professorial Lecturer at Ateneo de Manila University and Maryhill School of Theology. His current researches deal with Basic Ecclesial Communities, popular religion, ethics, sexuality, and the effects of structures/systems on theories and practices. His book/final report on Basic Ecclesial Communities: An Evaluation of the Implementation of PCP II in Ten Parishes, was released in 2015.

This is a book review of Michael Gorman's 2015 work, 'Becoming the Gospel: Paul, Participation and Mission'.  Working at the intersection of Biblical Studies and Missiology, Gorman shows how participation in the life of God is designed to advance the Gospel, as well as being fundamental to interpreting the writings of the Apostle Paul.

This essay is slated to appear in the festschrift for Alan Culpepper in Brill's Biblical Interpretation Series (2018), Anatomies of the Gospels and Beyond, edited by Mikeal Parsons, Elizabeth Stuthers Malbon, and myself. This essay applies Cognitive-Critical Biblical Analysis to the human development of material behind the texts of Paul's writings as a complement to those who have worked on the material in front of biblical texts, as Alan Culpepper has done with Gospel traditions.

The permissibility of actions depends upon facts about the flourishing and separateness of persons. Persons differ from other creatures in having the task of discovering for themselves, by conjecture and refutation, what sort of life will fulfil them. Compulsory slavery impermissibly prevents some persons from pursuing this task. However, many people may conjecture that they are natural slaves. Some of these conjectures may turn out to be correct. In consequence, voluntary slavery, in which one person welcomes the duty to fulfil all the commands of another, is permissible. Life-long voluntary slavery contracts are impermissible because of human fallibility; but fixed-term slavery contracts should be legally enforceable. Each person has the temporarily alienable moral right to direct her own life.

The Church was founded in unity as the unity of the Trinity. We are the members of the Church. Therefore, we are calling to live in unity with Christ who is the head of the Church. In the letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians 4:1-6, he recalled us to live in unity as worthy as we were called to be God’s children. He gave us a great "pep talk" how to live in unity with the Church. His calling has an impact on me very much. It makes me think about how do I respond to live in unity with my community and with the Church.

One of the primary goals of spiritual science is to prepare humanity for what is popularly called the second coming of Christ, which students of spiritual science generally refer to as the return of Christ in the etheric. It is the goal of this lecture to clarify, expand and deepen our understanding and awareness of this event so that people of good will who encounter this message can further participate in the Mystery of Christ’s second coming and the much-needed impulse for renewal that it will bring to humanity.

Spiritual science takes St. Paul’s conversion/initiation experience on the road to Damascus as a template for what occurs when one encounters Christ in the Etheric—which itself may be regarded as an initiation. This would not be true if this experience did not echo initiation as it was practiced in earlier times in mystery centers. This study seeks to show the connection between ancient practices of initiation and their modern counterparts in the teaching of St. Paul in the New Testament from the standpoint of modern spiritual science. In the process we will also seek to clarify popular misunderstandings about the Second Coming of Christ and critique questionable modern evangelical methods used to induce "experiences of salvation," with the goal of making true initiation into the Christ Mystery of our time accessible to those who seek such an experience.

This Master's dissertation studies Cosmana Navarra within the context of patronage in the Maltese Islands, as a female philanthropist and patron during the Baroque period. Her social status enabled her to commission various works of art and architecture for herself and for the community of Rabat. Cosmana Navarra was a determined and strong-willed woman, and throughout her life, mostly in her mature age, she strove to embellish the Church of St Paul, actively participating in its reconstruction and decoration, and acting as a knowledgeable patron of the arts.

During his second apostolic tour, Apostle St. Paul passed from Troas to Neapolis of Eastern Macedonia. This fact was crucial for the subsequent historical course and culture, not only of Greece, but also of Europe. From Neapolis, Paul visited the most important cities in Greece, preaching the Gospel and establishing Christian communities. Historical, religious, etc. knowledge of these cities of the 1st century, enables us to better understand both the epistles of St. Paul and some aspects of the works of the Apostolic Fathers. These cities are the Holy Land within the territory of Greece, in the sense that these are sites and cities that are referred to in the regular books of the New Testament and are related to persons mentioned therein.

A Chapter from 'Godseekers' (2019). A new discussion of the nature of holy foolishness, which goes beyond the stereotype of 'feigned madness'. Chapter V!! of 'Godseekers; Selected Essays on Literature and Spirituality, East and West'. Philip Gorski, The AlphaOmega Press, 2019

This article focuses on the exegesis of two words in 1 Corinthians 6:9- malakoi and arsenkoitai. Often translated as "homosexual" in English versions of the Bible [such as the New International Version], I argue that the terms would be more accurately translated as  "catamite" and "pederast," respectively.

The loose and inaccurate translation of malakoi and arsenkoitai should not be tolerated in the English Bible, any more than it should be used to persecute adult homosexuals who engage in legal and consenting relationships. Serious damage has been done by the careless interpretation of these words, attempting to inject a distinct social agenda into Paul’s actual message, which was to avoid sexual immorality like pederastic relationships, and to strive to remain in fellowship with one another so as to avoid unseemly and improper quibbles.

Since my Christ experience, I looked up with outmost devotion and veneration to St Paul, the Saint Patron and (through Rudolf Steiner's supersensible stream of life) presently irreplaceable source of spiritual inspiration in all matters related to the modern Etheric Christ Experience. I therefore demonstrated, albeit in a strongly condensed manner, how I used this inspiration in my spiritual research, in the 2nd chapter of my basic book, The New Experience of the Supersensible, to which I gave the title: St Paul at the Gates of Damascus

As indicated by its title, this paper aims at understanding the place of Alfred Loisy’s research on the Pagan Mysteries and the Christian Mystery (1911; 1914 [1919]; 1930) in the debates about the origins of Christianity in early 20th century Europe. Initially a strong defender of the historical method strictly applied, Loisy becomes increasingly interested in the comparative method of the German School of the history of religion that he is discovering in the first years of the century. He will be combining the comparative method to the historical method in order to reconstruct the origins of the Christian religion and explain how, in his views, Jesus’ evangelical message, first circumscribed to the Jewish nation, was transformed by Paul into a universal religion of salvation under the influence of the Greek mysteries. Far from being marginal studies of minor significance, the research pursued by Loisy in the 1910s preludes to the historical and exegetical work of the following decade. It will also nurture the debates among historians of religion, Church historians and exegetes in the following decades.

Comme son titre l’indique, cet article a pour but de situer la place des études d’Alfred Loisy sur Les mystères païens et le mystère chrétien (1911; 1914 [1919]; 1930) dans les débats sur les origines du christianisme en Europe au début du XXe siècle. D’abord partisan de la méthode historique stricte, Loisy se laisse progressivement convaincre par la méthode comparative de la religionsgeschichtliche Schule, qu’il découvre au début du siècle et qu’il associe à la méthode historique pour reconstituer les origines de la religion chrétienne et expliquer comment, à ses yeux, le message évangélique de Jésus, d’abord circonscrit à l’espace « national » juif, a été transformé par Paul en une religion de salut universelle au contact des cultes à mystères. Loin de constituer des études marginales ou secondaires, les recherches poursuivies par Loisy dans les années 1910 préludent au travail historique et exégétique de la décennie suivante. Elles alimenteront aussi les débats entre historiens des religions, historiens du christianisme et exégètes aux cours des décennies ultérieures.

Saulo de Tarso fue «escogido» para ser apóstol del evangelio (cf. Rm 1,1; Gal 1,1). Y en su encuentro y experiencia con Cristo fue «conquistado» por su amor, para que él pudiera «conquistar» luego al mayor número de hombre para Cristo (cf. 1Cor 9,19.22). ¿Y cuál fue el motivo de su dedicación apasionada a la misión? «La caridad de Cristo nos apremia, al pensar que uno ha muerto por todos [...] para que los que viven, ya no vivan para sí mismos, sino para aquel que por ellos murió y fue resucitado» (2Cor 5,14s).

This paper takes issue with approaches that relate realist political theology exclusively back to its Schmittian and neo-orthodox roots. While not entirely denying those influences, it argues that realist thought is more accurately described as rooted in thetensions characterizing Augustine’s anti-heretic diatribes rather than taking inspiration from Schmittian political theology or the ‘Gnostic’ tendencies in Protestant neo-orthodox theology. Augustine’s refutation of both the Manichaean Gnostic and the Pelagian solutions to the problem of evil gave rise to a complex understanding of the relationship between human free will and original sin based on a combination of ontological monism and ethical dualism. Building on this heritage, realists can be read as rehearsing Augustine’s ambiguous gesture of overcoming Gnosticism with equally uncertain success.In responding to the modern ‘Gnostic’ challenge in terms that recognized the dialectical tension between ontological monism and ethical dualism, realists such as Morgenthau and Niebuhr should rather be seen as direct heirs of Augustine’s ambivalent orthodoxy rather than Schmitt’s unorthodox, semi-‘Gnostic’ Catholicism. This intellectual legacy may,then, explain their abhorrence of purist positions in politics—be they quietism, pacifism or,their opposite, political messianism—and adherence to an anti-‘Gnostic’ pragmatism grounded in the tensions of Augustinian theology.

El artículo nace del deseo de ayudar a conocer un poco mejor la gran riqueza espiritual y apostólica legada a nosotros a través del apóstol san Pablo. A nosotros cristianos del siglo XXI el apóstol de los gentiles quiere comunicarnos hoy la experiencia personal de su encuentro con Cristo y de la consecuente pasión por Él que alimentó y vivió de una manera tan intensa y personal.

Para llegar a alcanzar un amor apasionado a Cristo, como el de san Pablo, es preciso ante todo conocerlo haciendo una experiencia viva y personal de encuentro con Él. Esa experiencia conlleva una vivencia de ese amor por el cual se da paso a la muerte del hombre viejo, del egoísmo, para vivir sólo para Cristo. Finalmente, a esta experiencia y vivencia del amor a Cristo debe acompañar la pasión por comunicarlo a los demás, por llevar a todos los hombres a hacer esa misma experiencia viva y personal del amor de Cristo.

This is the accepted version. The final version has been published in Theology, Vol 122, Issue 5 (2019).

Abstract: Despite the Catholic–Lutheran Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, justification by faith is a troublesome doctrine to Catholics. Scott Hahn’s Romans is used to illustrate four inadequate ways of explaining (away) Paul’s doctrine of justification.

Shadow projection, as the transference of personal inferiority, and the related concept of ‘sin transference’, lie at the heart of the mystery of evil. Socially corrosive projection neither stems from “misunderstandings” in the micro-social context nor from predatory instincts. It is an archaic method of ego emancipation by which the transgressor’s unconscious suffering is transferred to the victim. It aims at maintaining ego firmness. By reason of their capacity of free thought, intellectuals are often targets of shadow projection. It is really a projection of Promethean guilt, as the intellectual may call into question the established order. An answer to the machinations of evil has been formulated in Christian theology. The ego’s suffering is laid on the shoulders of Christ, who carries the sins of the world. The Christ figure is understood as the inner Self (“life-giver”). This helps to promote spiritual awareness (“Christ lives in me”, Galatians 2). A regress to pre-Christian cultural values implies a rebound of scapegoat psychology, as exemplified by the collective shadow psychology of the Third Reich. Western civilization today undergoes changes which undermine our awareness of the spiritual Self. If our sins aren’t carried by the inner Self anymore, then they must be carried by other human beings, with foreseeable consequences. The article discusses the notion of an instinctual foundation of evil.

Keywords: wickedness, the shadow, Self, sin transference, group narcissism, intellectuals, scapegoatism, Christian love, Orlando massacre.

el asunto de las relaciones de Pablo con el género femenino resulta un tanto desconcertante. Los viajes, la fundación de comunidades, el tejido de colaboradores... ponen delante de nosotros a un apóstol “«gigante de la evangelización », que contó con las mujeres para sus proyectos, concediéndoles las mismas responsabilidades apostólicas que a los hombres. Aunque Pablo no fundó el movimiento misionero cristiano, parece que su modo de hacer propició una participación de la mujer en la extensión y consolidación de las iglesias nacientes, que tuvo que producir
un impacto en su época, que hizo el cristianismo atractivo y que sólo
se explica si supuso una potenciación de miradas positivas hacia la
mujer existentes en el judaísmo. Estas miradas positivas las encontramos no sólo en el talante que había distinguido al movimiento de Jesús de Nazaret como movimiento de renovación en el interior del judaísmo, sino también en la tradición bíblica (recordemos las tradiciones femeninas de la historia deuteronomista, los libros de Rut o Judit e incluso el Cantar de los Cantares).

Nihilism, for Nietzsche, is the nothing that results from the devaluation of the highest values. There is widespread agreement with Nietzsche’s claim that the apostle Paul was the great devaluer of the values of the ancient world, even to the extent of breaking the history of the world in two. Yet the
mode of Paul’s devaluating nihilism is contested. Using Nietzsche’s three types of nihilist, I frame this debate over Paul as giving us, respectively, Paul the reactive nihilist (Nietzsche), Paul the active nihilist (Taubes) and Paul the overman (Badiou). I then read Agamben’s messianic Paul as a way to avoid the problem of nihilism tout court, which the two earlier accounts, despite releasing Paul from Nietzsche’s charge of passive nihilism, do not. I finish by arguing that while Agamben’s construction of the Pauline messianic vocation does indeed break with Nietzsche’s categories of nihilism, nihilism remains necessary to a genealogy of both Paul’s and Agamben’s messianism.

A dead body, a beautiful librarian, an Albanian assassin, and an ancient letter lost for two thousand years, all threaten the stability of Christendom. More murders follow. Captain Panos Akritas finds himself pulled into a case that could shake the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Protestant churches to the core. The hunt for the lost letter exposes Akritas and his partner to dangers they’ve never faced before.The investigation is hindered by the machinations of church officials, politicians, and even his superiors in the Hellenic Police who do not want the lost letter to be made public. Danger lurks everywhere as Akritas doggedly pursues the truth. A compelling narrative, sharply drawn characters, and a careful evocation of the Greek background make Pillar of Faith a novel that will remain in your memory well after you’ve finished reading it.

"Sites of Exposure is one of the best works in phenomenology to cross my desk in years. In this philosophically sophisticated and yet reader-friendly book, Russon examines what it is like to exist as a person. His central thesis is that our experience of ourselves, i. e., our sense of selfhood, is always constituted in being exposed to an outside, and he explores in rich detail how we seek a home for ourselves along with a sense of personal meaning in our encounter with the world—in our personal relationships, art, and politics. Russon is a consummate phenomenologist, and I recommend his book with great enthusiasm!" --Robert Stolorow

"Thoughtful, insightful, interdisciplinary, multifaceted, wide-ranging, and culturally engaging, this book casts a wide net. Russon (philosophy, Univ. of Guelph, Canada) deploys art, literature, and religious traditions to show that philosophy is relevant to living because it raises important fundamental questions about matters that endow life with purpose—matters such as freedom, meaning, cultural diversity, being at home in the world, and the stakes of political life (bios politikos). The author provides a unifed vision of a philosophy of art, history, and culture, and he avoids academic jargon in a successful attempt to make the book accessible to all in different but relevant practical ways. Articulating a philosophy for living life via experience, Russon argues for being at home in the world through family, community, and language to experience freedom: each person—in his or her own social, cultural, political, and geographic context—can experience expanded consciousness navigating life and avoid the risks of indifference, nihilism, and apathy. This is a book for those interested in philosophy and cultural criticism." --Choice

“John Russon draws from a broad range of art and literature to show how philosophy speaks to the most basic and important questions in our everyday lives.  In Sites of Exposure, Russon grapples with personal experiences such as growing up and encountering death and with broader issues such as political oppression, economic exploitation, and the destruction of the natural environment to investigate how to make life meaningful.  His is cutting-edge philosophical work, illuminated by original and rigorous thinking that relies on cross-cultural communication and engagement with the richness of human cultural history.  These probing interpretations of the nature of phenomenology, the philosophy of art, history, and politics, are appropriate for students and scholars of philosophy at all levels.”  --back cover

Mevlâna’s Mesnevî includes many stories. One of them is about a Jewish Sultan who slaughtered Christians because of fanaticism. There have been debates on the identity of this anonymous vizier among the poets. Some argued that it was no other than Saint Pavlus in the tale while others have adopted a neutral position. In this article, it has been discussed whether it was Saint Pavlus who was the vizier in the story or not and the various arguments have been considered as well.

Today both philosophers and theologians make use of the category of ‘event’, though they do not ascribe the same meaning to it. Altizer, Badiou, Tracy, Caputo, and Zizek are only a few among many examples. This paper explores the religious use of this category in David Tracy’s revisionary theology and compares it with its philosophical use in Alain Badiou’s secular reading of St Paul, so as to disclose significant analogies between Tracy’s and Badiou’s interpretations of the Christ-event. In the conclusion, a direction is suggested for a theological appropriation of Badiou, based upon a critique of his philosophical treatment of the category of Christ-event. Uncovering continuities-in-discontinuity between the two approaches - as counterintuitive as they may initially appear – this ‘dialogue’ contributes to an ongoing conversation
concerning a connection between philosophical and theological uses of the category of ‘event’.

This book is about Roger Williams (ca. 1603-83), who was banished from the colony of Massachusetts Bay for advocating freedom of conscience, separation of church and state, Native American rights, and related matters.  He founded the town of Providence in what became Rhode Island on the basis of full liberty of conscience and complete separation of religion and government.  For additional information, see the uploaded PDF and links.

The book is available in paperback and Kindle e-book editions at Amazon websites throughout the world.  The paperback is also available at some other websites and bookstores.

See also my YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOlUZaehYk7WmwW8v9oBMzQ) about Roger Williams, including an interview (https://youtu.be/mGRl5lIbdYY) with me about this book.

For Errata and Supplemental Comments, see the separate document uploaded at https://www.academia.edu/13798228/Errata_and_Supplemental_Comments_to_The_First_American_Founder_Roger_Williams_and_Freedom_of_Conscience.

Alan E. Johnson