This essay addresses challenges that emerged during Advent through recent experience of lecturing at Berkeley Divinity School, the Episcopal Seminary at Yale. For many of my students, Advent 2020 ...presented particular challenges since they found that the recurring utilization of ‘darkness’ as a metaphor for sin and death did not sit easily with their commitment to anti-racist thought and practice. This essay does not attempt to provide a definitive model for how Anglicans might engage fully with Advent themes, but serves as a paper to ‘think with’ in which the author (a) engages with Michael Battle’s work on Anglican spirituality and (b) describes how her own expertise on Gregory of Nyssa was brought to bear on present needs. The Advent focus on darkness and light, I propose, does not need to be circumvented but provides Anglicans who are attentive to the problems of racism with an opportunity to examine further their own approach to ‘darkness’.
Despite extensive musicological writings on J. S. Bach’s sacred cantatas, little space is dedicated to the musical portrayal of the Christian doctrine of parousia (παρουσία)—Christ’s return, or ...second advent. This study considers the parousia concept within eighteenth-century German Lutheranism, contemplating its dichotomous fearful and hopeful interpretations. It also explores its implications for the doctrinal notions of death, judgement, and salvation, among other correlated themes as they appear in Bach’s cantatas BWV 70, 90, and 140. This essay analyzes various renditions of these themes in the cantatas along with their rhetorical and musical rendering, with the intent of distilling Bach’s perspectives of Christ’s second coming.
W artykule omówiono sezonowość małżeństw, poczęć i pierwszych poczęć w społecznościach nowożytnych z terenu obecnej Polski. Poszukiwano w niej wpływu katolickiego kalendarza liturgicznego. Podstawę ...źródłową stanowiły dane opublikowane dotychczas w literaturze. Z analizy wynika, że restrykcje kościelne zmuszały wiernych do zawierania małżeństw w miesiącach bezpośrednio przed Wielkim Postem i adwentem. Skutkowało to wzrostem poślubnej aktywności seksualnej w okresie, w którym zalecana była wstrzemięźliwość. Wniosek ten osłabia przekonanie o kontrolowaniu przez kościół katolicki życia codziennego mieszkańców nowożytnej Polski.
In the article, I discuss the seasonality of marriages, conceptions and first conceptions in early modern communities from the territory of present-day Poland. I looked for the influence of the Catholic liturgical calendar there. The source basis was the data published so far in the literature. The analysis shows that church restrictions forced the faithful to marry in the months immediately before Lent and Advent. This resulted in an increase in post-marital sexual activity during the period when abstinence was recommended. This conclusion weakens the notion that the Catholic Church controlled the daily lives of early modern Polish inhabitants.
The aim of this study was to estimate the spatial variability of organic carbon (Corg) and total nitrogen (Ntot) concentrations, Corg/Ntot ratios, stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen (δ13Corg, ...δ15Ntot) and the proportions of autochthonous and allochtonous organic matter within recently deposited sediments of two Spitsbergen fjords: the Hornsund and the Adventfjord, which are affected to a different degree by the West Spitsbergen Current. Corg concentrations ranged from 1.38% to 1.98% in the Hornsund and from 1.73% to 3.85% in the Adventfjord. In both fjords the highest Corg concentrations were measured at the innermost stations and they decreased towards the mouths of the fjords. This suggests fresh water runoff to be an important source of organic matter (OM) for surface sediments. The results showed that both fjords differ significantly in terms of sedimentary organic matter characteristics. The samples from the Hornsund, except those from the innermost station in the Brepollen, had relatively low Corg/Ntot ratios, all within a narrow range (from 9.7 to 11.3). On the other hand significantly higher Corg/Ntot ratios, varying within a broad range (from 14.6 to 33.0), were measured in the Adventfjord. The samples from the Hornsund were characterized by higher δ13Corg (from −24.90‰ to −23.87‰) and δ15Ntot (from 3.02‰ to 4.93‰) than those from the Adventfjord (−25.94‰ to −24.69‰ and from 0.71‰ to 4.00‰, respectively). This is attributed to a larger proportion of marine organic matter. Using the two end-member approach proportions of terrestrial organic matter were evaluated. Terrestrial OM contribution for the Adventfjord was in the range of 82-83%, while in case of the Hornsund the results were in the range of 69–75%, with the exception of the innermost part of the fjord, where terrestrial organic matter contribution ranged from 80 to 82%. The strong positive correlation between δ13Corg and δ15Ntot was revealed. This was taken as an indicator that fresh, labile organic matter is the base of the trophic pyramid. The conclusion regarding a more complex food web in the Horsund, based on larger δ15Ntot values, is further substantiated by the larger proportion of autochthonous, labile organic matter found in the Hornsund’s sediments.
•Sedimentary organic matter (OM) in two Arctic fjords was measured.•Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope, organic carbon and nitrogen were measured.•Average Corg, Ntot, δ13Corg and δ15Ntot were 1.89%, 0.15%, −24.74‰ and 3.52‰.•Proportion of phytoplankton produced organic matter was 0–31%.•Proportion of marine originated OM was inversely proportional to Corg concentration.
Christian Year Robin Knowles Wallace
St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology,
08/2023
Journal Article
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The Christian, or liturgical, year sets human lives within God’s story of creation and salvation, sanctifying moments, days, years, and lives. Calendar and hourly time become God’s time as the ...Christian year encompasses and intermingles past, present, and future. Following the key themes of this encyclopaedia, this entry will provide an overview of the scriptural roots of the Christian year, along with its historical development in communities within a range of traditions, Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant. Note that the present diversity of theologies and practices of Christian communities throughout the world makes it impossible for one essay, even focused on only one practice, to comprehensively present all understandings. The diversity of humanity is exhibited in the Christian year through a variety of debates arising from the value that a church or tradition might place on observing various holy days; how the Christian calendar is related to other calendars; whether the gospel and the Christian year itself is considered countercultural, assimilated to colonizers’ calendars, or accommodated to Indigenous calendars; and how much society and environment should affect an understanding of the Christian year. The theological implications of this practice of ‘hallowing our days’ through observing the seasons of the year centred around Jesus (Paschal mystery/Easter and incarnation/Christmas) are a constant reminder of God’s presence. The practice of the Christian year and some interactions with science and the natural world will be considered. Ultimately, the Christian year is an ever-deepening cycle which, alongside or in contrast to the seasons of nature, can grow faith in individuals and communities now and into the future.
A 69-year-old woman was admitted our hospital due to acute cerebral infarction. Transthoracic echocardiography showed massive left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy with small ventricles and normal LV ...ejection fraction. Apical 4-chamber and longitudinal images showed mild LV obstruction. After treatment for hypertension, her blood pressure decreased from 208/129 mmHg to 150/68 mmHg. Pulsed Doppler echocardiography revealed new paradoxical flow at the mid-ventricle. Decreased LV pressure following treatment with antihypertensive medications may have contributed to the development of early mid-ventricular obstruction and paradoxical flow in the present case.
In mid-ventricular obstructive cardiomyopathy, apical aneurysm may be present and cause serious complications such as rupture of the apex and sudden death. In the present case, apical aneurysm newly developed after treatment for hypertension was suggested by advent of paradoxical flow. This case suggests that intraventricular hemodynamic change may become a trigger of paradoxical flow and apical aneurysm, becoming a risk of serious complication.
O kom, o kom, Immanuel, one of the oldest hymns included in the Liedboek van die Kerk (2001), is based on a Latin Advent hymn, Veni, veni Emmanuel, which, in turn, is based on five of the seven O ...antiphons that form part of the Roman Catholic liturgy for Advent. In many of the Reformed churches in South Africa, the hymn is not sung, because the time of Advent is not sufficiently observed and Advent hymns are often ignored. This article discusses the origin and meaning of the text and provides the background for the tune. It also presents potential meaningful uses of the hymn, so that it can function effectively in the liturgy. The article aims to promote the active use of the hymn and to foster awareness for the time of Advent. It shows that the hymn connects the current singers with believers in the past and is directed towards the future. It connects people of different times, confessions and churches. It is argued that its popularity, even in circles outside the church, indicates that it could bring church people and people in the public domain together and be a medium through which believers and non-believers, or people who experience doubt, could communicate with each other. The pastoral function of the hymn is thus also emphasised.
This article explores how Christian heritage is engaged with, strengthened, and contested in and through Swedish newspapers and in the annual Swedish Christmas calendar. Although Sweden is perceived ...as highly secular and characterized by an increased distance between the former state church and the Swedish population, ideas about Swedish cultural heritage are still tied to notions of a Christian past. Previous research has highlighted Christmas as particularly salient for Swedes’ understanding of their cultural heritage and national identity, which includes perceptions of Christmas as ‘merely’ a tradition. Using theories of nostalgia and banal religion, this article addresses how Swedishness is constructed in the Christmas calendar, as well as through its framing in Swedish newspapers. While the narrative of the Calendar does not normally include overt references to Christian parables, it frequently uses Christian and folkloric symbolism to effect a backdrop of nostalgia. I argue that the Calendar and its framing in newspapers play on conceptions of Swedishness that are inextricably linked to ideas of ‘secularized’ Christianity, and by extension to constructions of what counts as national belonging in contemporary Sweden.
When plate tectonics began on the Earth has been long debated and here we argue this topic based on the records of Earth-Moon geology and asteroid belt to conclude that the onset of plate tectonics ...was during the middle Hadean (4.37–4.20 Ga). The trigger of the initiation of plate tectonics is the ABEL Bombardment, which delivered oceanic and atmospheric components on a completely dry reductive Earth, originally comprised of enstatite chondrite-like materials. Through the accretion of volatiles, shock metamorphism processed with vaporization of both CI chondrite and supracrustal rocks at the bombarded location, and significant recrystallization went through under wet conditions, caused considerable eclogitization in the primordial continents composed of felsic upper crust of 21 km thick anorthosite, and 50 km or even thicker KREEP lower crust. Eclogitization must have yielded a powerful slab-pull force to initiate plate tectonics in the middle Hadean. Another important factor is the size of the bombardment. By creating Pacific Ocean class crater by 1000 km across impactor, rigid plate operating stagnant lid tectonics since the early Hadean was severely destroyed, and oceanic lithosphere was generated to have bi-modal lithosphere on the Earth to enable the operation of plate tectonics. Considering the importance of the ABEL Bombardment event which initiated plate tectonics including the appearance of ocean and atmosphere, we propose that the Hadean Eon can be subdivided into three periods: (1) early Hadean (4.57–4.37 Ga), (2) middle Hadean (4.37–4.20 Ga), and (3) late Hadean (4.20–4.00 Ga).
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•Presence of water is the most critical factor for plate tectonics.•Bombardment of carbonaceous chondrites delivered water on completely dry Earth.•Eclogitization provided slab-pull force to initiate plate tectonics.•Stagnant lid tectonics shifted to plate tectonics by the ABEL Bombardment.
The article discusses Sergey Zavyalov?s cycle of poems ?Christmas Lent? as a
polyphonic text - evidence of the besieged Leningrad in the context of
philosophical reflections on whether poetry is ...possible after Auschwitz. The
story of the victim, as well as the weather forecast and news report from
the front, become the main document of the tragedy of human existence in
the era of the collapse of humanism.
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