Ivana Noble

Economic Crisis: Crisis of an Ideology

Gesa Elsbeth Theissen

Imaging the dogma of the Trinity

Michael Kirwan

Outside the City, between the Cities: René Girard and Radical Evil

Kateřina Bauer

The Psychoanalytical Inspiration of Chauvet's Notion of Symbol

Pavol Bargár

Mythical Motifs in Literary Works: M. Bulgakov's Master and Margarita and G. Orwell's 1984

Tim Noble

'He's not the Messiah!': Two Negative Film Christologies--Life of Brian and The Passion of the Christ

Andrew Dyck

Book review: Ewan B. Howard, The Brazos Introduction to Christian Spirituality

Anca Curpaş

Book review: Robert Hullot-Kentor, Things beyond Resemblance: Collected Essays on Theodor W. Adorno

Author:

Ivana Noble

Cite As:

Noble, Ivana. “Economic Crisis: Crisis of an Ideology.” Communio Viatorum 51, no. 1 (December 31, 2009): 1–3.

Author:

Gesa Elsbeth Theissen

Abstract:

The article traces the history of images of the dogma of the Trinity in art. This spans earliest representations from the sixth century into the twentieth century. The hayday of such images and sculptures is the medieval period with a sharp decline after the Baroque. It explores some major trintarian iconographies, including symbolic, triadic, and societal depictions as well as the Gnadenstuhl (seat of mercy) prevalent in medieval Western art.

Keywords:

Trinity - image - Gnadenstuhl - artist - art - theology - symbolic - triadic - anthropomorphic - Christological - societal.

Cite As:

Thiessen, Gesa Elsbeth. “Imaging the Dogma of the Trinity.” Communio Viatorum 51, no. 1 (December 31, 2009): 4–21.

Author:

Michael Kirwan

Abstract:

This article undertakes an appraisal of the work ofRené Girard with respect to contemporary philosophical discussion of the problem of evil. It notes a convergence between the dissatisfaction of philosophers who are suspicious of postmodern philosophyf s abdication of reason (Rose), or see the problem of evil reduced to a kind of intellectual puzzle (Bernstein, Neiman), and the distinctive account of intellectual history offered by Girard in an essay entitled History and the Paraclete. The journey 'from Lisbon to Auschwitz ' - taking in the supernatural natural, and human dimensions of the problem of evil - is for Susan Neiman the 'alternative ' story of modern philosophy itself. In this story Girard's account of the scapegoating phenomenon makes a contribution, exemplified in the fact that both Girard and Immanuel Kant, reflecting upon the problem of theodicy, find themselves drawn to the Book of Job for answers.

Keywords:

René Girard - Gillian Rose - Immanuel Kant - philosophy of religion - problem of evil - scapegoat theory - theodicy - Book of Job.

Cite As:

Kirwan, Michael. “Outside the City, between the Cities: René Girard and Radical Evil.” Communio Viatorum 51, no. 1 (December 31, 2009): 22–36.

Author:

Kateřina Bauer

Abstract:

This article examines psychoanalytical inspirations in the work of a contemporary French sacramental theologian Louis-Marie Chauvet. First it demonstrates how Jacques Lacan's interpretation of Freud's approach in structuralist linguistic terms is formative for Chauvet's concepts of a symbol and a symbolic order. Then it shows where in Chauvet we encounter the distinction between the symbolic and the imaginary coming out of Lacan's theory of an unconscious structured like a language and his theory of development of a subject.

Keywords:

Psychoanalysis - symbol - symbolic order - sacrament - the imaginary - the symbolic - language - the Other - mediation - subject.

Cite As:

Bauer, Kateřina. “The Psychoanalytical Inspiration of Chauvet’s Notion of Symbol.” Communio Viatorum 51, no. 1 (December 31, 2009): 37–54.

Author:

Pavol Bargár

Abstract:

In the present article, an alternative definition of myth is proposed. Myth is defined as a dialectic junction of a symbolic anda narrative part. Symbols, or mythical motifs, obtain ever new meanings in a changing context provided by the narrative. Such an understanding of myth finds its use in a so called "mythic reading" This strategy trìes to analyze and interpret some pieces of modern literature as myths (symbols and narratives), through concentration on mythical motifs which can be found within them. In this article, it is applied to two famous novels, Bulgakov's Master and Margarita and Orwell's 1984. This way of reading may offer new and challenging interpretations of even well-known and established worL·. Besides "logical" tools of the literary criticism, it employs reader's/interpreter's imagination. Moreover, it has also theological implications because there are certain parallels between the proposed understanding of myth and the biblical message.

Keywords:

Myth - symbol - narrative - imagination - literature.

Cite As:

Bargár, Pavol. “Mythical Motifs in Literary Works: M. Bulgakov’s Master and Margarita and G. Orwell’s 1984.” Communio Viatorum 51, no. 1 (December 31, 2009): 55–88.

Author:

Tim Noble

Abstract:

This article considers the implicit Christologies of two films, Monty Python's Life of Brian and Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ Whilst arguing that neither succeeds in presenting a fully rounded portrait of Jesus, it suggests that Life of Brian in its deliberate refusal to enter into the Christological debate more able to portray the life-affirming aspects of Christian faith. The Passion of the Christ is more intent on the life-denying

Keywords:

Christology - Monty Python's Life of Brian - The Passion of the Christ - life-affirming - life-denying.

Cite As:

Noble, Tim. “‘He’s Not the Messiah!’: Two Negative Film Christologies--Life of Brian and The Passion of the Christ.” Communio Viatorum 51, no. 1 (December 31, 2009): 89–105.

Author:

Andrew Dyck

Abstract:

Review of the book: HOWARD, Ewan B. The Brazos Introduction to Christian Spirituality. Grand Rapids : Brazos Pr, 2008. ISBN: 9781587430381.

Cite As:

Dyck, Andrew. Book review: Ewan B. Howard, “The Brazos Introduction to Christian Spirituality.” Communio Viatorum 51, no. 1 (December 31, 2009): 106–13.

Author:

Anca Curpaş

Abstract:

Review of the book: HULLOT-KENTOR, Robert. Things beyond Resemblance: Collected Essays on Theodor W. Adorno. New York : Columbia University Pr, 2006. ISBN: 9780231136587.

Cite As:

Curpaş, Anca. Book review: Robert Hullot-Kentor, “Things beyond Resemblance: Collected Essays on Theodor W. Adorno.” Communio Viatorum 51, no. 1 (December 31, 2009): 114–21.