Spiritual Reflections
The Trinary Formula for Spiritual Unification as Illustrated in the Phenomenological Approaches of Father Pavel Florensky and Philosopher Edith Stein
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Sally Stocksdale
In this paper I discuss the Trinary formulae of the great religious philosophers, the Russian polymath, Father Pavel Florensky, and the German-Jewish philosopher of Phenomenology, Edith Stein. Both were deeply religious and wholly believed in mystical Christianity. Although there was no overlap in terms of their influences, I seek to show how Florensky’s theological explanation of transfiguration and Stein’s theory of spiritual community building are both rooted in a deeply spiritual interpretation of life, and that each was contingent upon a triad. In Florensky’s case, this was a trinary formula of "from one, to a dyad, to a triad," which replicated via an irresistibly contagious aspect of a “triad of lovers (as in agapē love), whereby the end result is unity on a cosmic level; where everyone embraces and is embraced by one “Godhuman organism.” Stein applied a trinary formula of “From I, to You, to We” to her definition of and prescription for a perfect, spiritual community. For both, the underlying causation for a community is the urge, the need for, the pursuit of unity, which all individuals possess. Stein's formula is interesting because it is at once both an explication of her formula and an illustration of a classic phenomenological analysis of the process and experience of community. The latter helps us to understand Florinsky's formula. I conclude that we must assume that the coincidence of their triune methodologies is an example of the statement that the existence of this concept is found in the mind of humankind.
A Comparison of the Incidence and Function of Female Prophecy in the Hebrew Bible in Its Ancient Near Eastern Context
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Deborah Gruber
Although the Hebrew Bible devotes a predominance of space and context to male prophets there are nevertheless notable females who emerge in the Bible as exceptional intermediaries who interpreted the word of the Divine, influencing both monarchy and nation. This paper compares and contrasts the status and influence of female prophecy in the Hebrew Bible with female prophecy simultaneously existing throughout the Ancient Near East in a polytheistic environment.
Testimony of Personal Letters - Challenges and Strengths of Renewed Marians: Fostering a Religious Community under Twentieth Century Oppression
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Augustė Žičkytė
The letter is an eloquent document for understanding society. Its features reflect changes in the identity of the individual and different communities. In the published correspondence between Blessed Jurgis Matulaitis, MIC and Pranciškus P. Būčys, MIC one reads of Matulaitis‘ poor health, which is in itself a state of vulnerability. But attention to the wounds of the Church and the desire to work for the good of the Catholics oppressed by Bolsheviks overshadows their individual hardships. I‘m interested in ways a private dialogue between two religious Lithuanians responds to the 20th-century life of renewed Marians. Liz Stanley‘s insights into the referentiality in the letters and the individuals‘ links to the social context through the text raise questions on the boundary experiences represented. My research focuses on the reflected self, cherished Catholic friendship and belonging in times of repression, hostility, abandonment and the threat of death. The purposeful intent and affection following authentic addresses correspond to the difficulties of sending/receiving a letter, bringing people together or meeting in person. The letter‘s truth status and poetics thus overlap textual and extra-textual reality, while uniting them. The quests in the narrative give and receive meaning to a person‘s faith and choices. In such a way, particular letters become unique testimonies of the communal life. It is hypothesized that socialisation through letters affects one‘s religiosity. Is it possible to describe the correspondence between Matulaitis and Būčys as sharing care and providing a strong foundation for vulnerable religious communities?
