bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Linkages between Number Concepts, Spatial Thinking, and Directionality of Writing: The SNARC Effect and the REVERSE SNARC Effect in English and Arabic Monoliterates, Biliterates, and Illiterate Arabic Speakers
Authors: Zebian Samar
Published: June 2005

The current investigations coordinate math cognition and cultural approaches to numeric thinking to examine the linkages between numeric and spatial processes, and how these linkages are modified by the cultural artifact of writing. Previous research in the adult numeric cognition literature has shown that English monoliterates have a spatialised mental number line which is oriented from left-to-right with smaller magnitudes associated with the left side of space and larger magnitudes are associated with the right side of space. These associations between number and space have been termed the Spatial Numeric Association Response Code Effect (SNARC effect, Dehaene, 1992). The current study investigates the spatial orientation of the mental number line in the following groups: English monoliterates, Arabic monoliterates who use only the right-left writing system, Arabic-English biliterates, and illiterate Arabic speakers who only read numerals. Current results indicate, for the first time, a Reverse SNARC effect for Arabic monoliterates, such that the mental number line had a right-to-left directionality. Furthermore, a weakened Reverse SNARC was observed for Arabic-English biliterates, and no effect was observed among Illiterate Arabic speakers. These findings are especially notable since left-right biases are neurologically supported and are observed in pre-literate children regardless of which writing system is used by adults. The broader implications of how cultural artifacts affect basic numeric cognition will be discussed.
"O Lord… You Perceive my Thoughts from Afar": Recursiveness and the Evolution of Supernatural Agency
Authors: Bering Jesse , Johnson Dominic
Published: June 2005

Across religious belief systems, some supernatural agents are nearly always granted privileged epistemic access into the self's thoughts. In addition, the ethnographic literature supports the claim that, across cultures, supernatural agents are envisioned as (1) incapable of being deceived through overt behaviors; (2) preoccupied with behavior in the moral domain; (3) punitive agents who cause general misfortune to those who transgress and; (4) committed to an implicit social contract with believers that is dependent on the rules of reciprocal altruism. The present article examines the possibility that these factors comprise a developmentally based, adaptive information-processing system that increased the net genetic fitness of ancestral human beings living within complex social groups. In particular, the authors argue that fear of supernatural punishment, whether in this life or in the hereafter, encouraged the inhibition of selfish actions that were associated with "real" punishment (and thus real selective impairments) by actual group members.
Cultural Difference in the Application of the Diagnosticity Principle to Schematic Faces
Authors: Zhou Guomei , Fu Xiaolan , Hayward William , Locke Vance , Pellicano Elizabeth
Published: June 2005

Tversky's (1977) diagnosticity principle implies that categorization affects similarity, and that similarity in turn is based on context. However, Nisbett, Peng, Choi, and Norenzayan (2001) suggest that Chinese and Westerners differ in their sensitivity to context and categorization. Because of these differences, it is not clear whether Chinese should follow the diagnosticity principle. To explore these possibilities, we conducted a cross-cultural experiment using participants from Australia and China to repeat the experiment of Tversky (1977) using schematic faces as stimuli. Results showed that Australians, but not Chinese, made similarity judgments in a manner compatible with the diagnosticity principle. We suggest that: 1) the use of the diagnosticity principle depends upon contextual variables for Chinese people; and 2) Chinese participants judged neutral schematic faces as more positive than Western participants did.
A Topical Note on Accessing Scientific Refinement
Authors: Schmidt Colin
Published: June 2005

Intellectual affinities are intertwined with community feeling. In an Era of E-everything, communities as we once knew them have been split up and remade in a virtual manner. With their uses of the Internet for promoting Science, institutions of higher education have pushed reflections about multi-person activities out of the framework of the Information Society and into that of the Knowledge Community – computer-mediated scientific research and distance learning as cult-ural activities. The current study shows that this shift towards another physical support for the same thirst for knowledge necessitates considering the logical and paradoxical aspects of human dialogue for programs that wish to naturalise the culture acquisition process.
Race, Religion, and Caste: Anthropological and Sociological Perspectives
Authors:   Oommen
Published: June 2005

Although race as a biological concept has no validity, racism persists. In spite of the fact that caste is a social construct caste discrimination continues. To understand the reason for this one must trace the career of these concepts. The biological category of race subsequently came to have linguistic/philological, ethnological/cultural and political/national connotations giving birth to Nazism and fascism. Similarly, caste carried a racial connotation in that its social construction can be traced to the Hindu Doctrine of Creation as Varna implied colour. Further, both orientalist scholars and Hindu nationalists used caste and race, race and nation and even religion and race interchangeably. The divide between the fair-skinned upper caste Aryan Hindus and the dark-skinned lower caste Dravidian Hindus also implied racial differences. Therefore, the mechanical insistence on semantic purity of race and caste would adversely affect one's comprehension of the nature of empirical reality in South Asia. While the tendency to equate caste and race in a neat and tidy vein is not sustainable, it is more difficult to eradicate caste discrimination as compared with racism not only because the two share several common characteristics, but also because caste discrimination is sanctioned by religion. Finally, it is important to remember that perceptions people hold about social reality are equally important as social fact, in successfully tackling social problems.
Accelerated Decline of Religious Beliefs in Europe
Authors: Dogan Mattei
Published: June 2005

There is no filiation between the agnosticism of intellectual elites in previous centuries and today's decline of religious beliefs in the populace. The analysis is based on several international mass surveys concerning twenty European countries between 1980 and 2000. Religious beliefs are considered as observable social facts. Seven tables bring empirical evidence. The analysis of survey research are preceded by a review of the current sociological literature, particularly in France, on the "crisis of Catholicism", "dechristianisation", "paganisation", "apostasy", and of the papal encyclics and Episcopal declarations.
The Transition to Capitalism in China and Russia
Authors: Weede Erich
Published: June 2005

At the end of the 1970s the per capita income ratio between the Soviet Union and China was 16 to 1. By now, the gap between Russia and China is closing rapidly. Although the collapse and dissolution of the Soviet Union contributed to this levelling of per capita incomes, domestic factors and improvements in China look more important: decollectivization of Chinese agriculture, the establishment of township village enterprises in China, economic openness and market-preserving federalism in China. In all these respects, even post-Soviet Russia continues to lag. Admittedly, Russia was faster than China in privatizing state owned enterprises but the preferential treatment of insiders and the weakness of the rule of law or functional substitutes for it neutralized this potential Russian advantage.
Post-Colonial Journeys: Historical Roots of Immigration and Integration
Authors: Riley Dylan , Emigh Rebecca Jean
Published: June 2005

The effect of Italian colonialism on migration to Italy differed according to the pre-colonial social structure, a factor previously neglected by immigration theories. In Eritrea, precolonial Christianity, sharp class distinctions, and a strong state promoted interaction between colonizers and colonized. Eritrean nationalism emerged against Ethiopia; thus, no sharp break between Eritreans and Italians emerged. Two outgrowths of colonialism, the Eritrean national movement and religious ties, facilitate immigration and integration. In contrast, in Somalia, there was no strong state, few class differences, the dominant religion was Islam, and nationalists opposed Italian rule. Consequently, Somali developed few institutional ties to colonial authorities and few institutions provided resources to immigrants. Thus, Somali immigrants are few and are not well integrated into Italian society.
"Spheres of Justice" in the Israeli Kibbutz and Urban Sectors: Adolescents' Views
Authors: Dar Yechezkel , Sabbagh Clara
Published: June 2005

The current study suggests that, in order to enhance our understanding of the dynamics of the "local" system of distributive justice in the Israeli kibbutz, we need to examine its links to the broader society and its correspondent conceptions of justice. Following the notion of "spheres of justice" and using data gathered in 1986, prior to the accelerated de-communalization of the kibbutz, these dynamics are examined by comparing the social justice judgments of kibbutz and urban adolescents. This comparison unveiled a shared pattern in justice systems in which both kibbutz and urban adolescents favor differentiation of particularistic resources (prestige and power) more strongly than differentiation of universalistic resources (learning opportunities and money). At the same time, the comparison also highlighted the distinctive features of the kibbutz's local justice system of stronger differentiation of prestige, the most particularistic resource, and of economic equality, the most universalistic resource. The kibbutz's distinctive system of distributive justice can be attributed to its communal structure, which has been often characterized by the coexistence of egalitarian and equitarian distributive mechanisms.
Islamic Culture and Democracy: Testing the 'Clash of Civilizations' Thesis
Authors: Inglehart Ronald , Norris Pippa
Published: June 2005

In seeking to understand the root causes of the events of 9/11 many accounts have turned to Samuel P. Huntington's provocative and controversial thesis of a 'clash of civilizations', arousing strong debate. Evidence from the 1995-2001 waves of the World Values Survey/European Values Survey (WVS/EVS) allows us, for the first time, to examine an extensive body of empirical evidence relating to this debate. Comparative analysis of the beliefs and values of Islamic and non-Islamic publics in 75 societies around the globe, confirms the first claim in Huntington's thesis: culture does matter, and indeed matters a lot, so that religious legacies leave a distinct imprint on contemporary values. But Huntington is mistaken in assuming that the core clash between the West and Islamic worlds concerns democracy. The evidence suggests striking similarities in the political values held in these societies. It is true that Islamic publics differ from Western publics concerning the role of religious leadership in society, but this is not a simple dichotomous clash — many non-Islamic societies side with the Islamic ones on this issue. Moreover the Huntington thesis fails to identify the most basic cultural fault line between the West and Islam, which concerns the issues of gender equality and sexual liberalization. The cultural gulf separating Islam from the West involves Eros far more than Demos.
The Worldviews of Islamic Publics: The Cases of Egypt, Iran, and Jordan
Authors: Azadarmaki Taqhi , Moaddel Mansoor
Published: June 2005

This paper analyzes the religious beliefs, religiosity, national identity, and attitudes toward Western culture, family, and gender relations of the publics of three Islamic countries. It is based on national representative surveys of 3000 Egyptians, 2532 Iranians, and 1222 Jordanians that were carried out in 2000-2001, as part of the World Values Surveys. We first discuss the views of the respondents concerning key indicators of religious beliefs, religiosity, identity, and attitudes toward Western culture. Then, we describe variations in such values as the ideal number of children, attitudes toward marriage and women, family ties, and trusts in major social institutions in these three countries. Next, we present age and educational differences in religious beliefs, trust in mosque, identity, trust in government, attitude toward women and gender relations. We conclude by pointing to the variation in the nature of the regime as an important determinant of the variations in the worldviews among the public in these three Islamic countries.
Gender Equality and Democracy
Authors: Welzel Christian , Norris Pippa , Inglehart Ronald
Published: June 2005

Although democratic institutions existed long before gender equality, at this point in history, growing emphasis on gender equality is a central component of the process of democratization. Support for gender equality is not just a consequence of democratization. It is part of a broad cultural change that is transforming industrialized societies and bringing growing mass demands for increasingly democratic institutions. This article analyzes the role of changing mass attitudes in the spread of democratic institutions, using survey evidence from 70 societies containing 80 percent of the world's population. The evidence supports the conclusion that the process of modernization drives cultural change that encourage both the rise of women in public life, and the development of democratic institutions.
Introduction: Diversity of Elite Configurations and Clusters of Power
Authors: Dogan Mattei
Published: June 2005

Definitions of several concepts: ruling class, elite configuration, apex of power, elite interlock, functional elites, elite cousinhood. In the field of elites one notices a preponderance of contemporary American theories which are not all adequate for understanding elites stratification and roles in other parts of the world. A series of binary comparisons between France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and Japan, underlines differences and similarities.
"Big Men" in Sub-Saharan Africa: How Elites Accumulate Positions and Resources
Authors: Daloz Jean-Pascal
Published: June 2005

In sub-Saharan Africa, the differentiation between political, administrative, and economic elites remains far from being manifest. What is certain is that we are almost never dealing with impermeable groups, huddled up in their respective spheres. Notwithstanding the cohesive and hegemonic picture painted for ideological reasons by many intellectuals, these elites prove to be very divided in most instances. But this lack of unity is much more related to vertical ethno-regional or factional cleavages than to formal roles. Before analysing the particular character of sub-Saharan Africa in this respect by referring to the "Big Man" analytical model, this essay emphasizes the extent to which this question has been addressed in a partial way in available literature whether expressed through the development theories of the 1960s, the neo-Marxist dependency approaches of the 1970s or the so-called "third wave" of African studies from the 1980s.
Is there a Ruling Class in France?
Authors: Dogan Mattei
Published: June 2005

The thesis of a ruling class in France, today or yesterday, is not validated by the empirical evidence. The arguments against such a thesis are the following: the overwhelming proportion of elite positions are not transmitted hereditarily; the elite circulation at the highest level is considerable; the professionalization of political careers, which is widespread, is incompatible with the concept of a ruling class; the recruitment of elites is marked by a shift from notables to a meritocracy; the elite configuration consists in multiple spheres and sector partitioning; the selective schools, based on academic competition, generate new elites at each generation; there is fault line between capitalists and the other elite categories; the number of entrepreneurs who have built themselves their company is enormous; the isolation of the cultural elite is astonishing; the subordination of the military elites is an historical fact; the periodical beheading of the ruling elites marks French history. Nonetheless, at the apex of power, a triad, composed of outstanding polictical leaders, of corporate managers and of highers State administrators — called "mandarins" — operates the wheelwork of the heterogeneous and complex French society and State
The Structure of the German Elites across Regime Changes
Authors: Scheuch Erwin
Published: June 2005

Germany is an especially apt case to analyze the relationship between regime change and elite continuity. Its political history between 1860 and 1960 is marked by an unusual degree of turmoil. While the first level of leadership in politics, and to a lesser degree in business and administration, was affected by the various regime changes, the levels two and three much less so. The notable characteristic of Germany's social structure is the pervasiveness of corporatism, and this is especially pronounced in levels two and three of the leadership. We concentrated on the periods before 1914, the halfway revolution of 1918-1920, the Weimar Republic in its closing days, the ascent to power of the nazi leadership, the post-1945 attempts of denazification, and finally on the composition and the modus operandi of leadership groups in the 1990s. During all these changes the elites in Germany retained their segmentalized character, with the economic leaders, the bureaucrats, and politicians at the center, the politicians deriving their influence from their function as linking agents in a segmentalized structure. There are indications, however, that an establishment may be in the making.
Informal and Formal Networking among Elite Mexican Capitalists and Politicians
Authors: Camp Roderic
Published: June 2005

This essay explores the importance of formal and informal network linkages among Mexico's leading capitalists and politicians from 1970 through 2000. It demonstrates that scholars have been misled in their conclusions about capitalist-politician connections because they have relied on shared, formal positions, rather than on numerous other means of contact. This essay also demonstrates the significant influence exerted by elite mentors, who often provide a bridge between other elites. It suggests that in most countries, a reliance on organizations as a means of measuring networking contacts has led to equally misleading conclusions. Finally, within specific leadership groups, elites share close ties with each other, ties that have impacted on policy issues and ideology.
Transformations in the British Economic Elite
Authors: Scott John
Published: June 2005

The concept of elite must be related to the distribution of authority. Elites are social groups defined by hierarchies of authoritarian power. Such elites can be investigated in the sphere of politics and in the economic sphere. This paper clarifies the general concept of an elite and shows how this can be used to understand the formation of economic elites. This is applied to the British situation, where the restructuring of the British economic elite over the course of the twentieth century is traced. The economic elite is seen as having moved from an entrepreneurial and regional structure to a one whose intercorporate relations embed it, in an increasingly fragmented form, in a global economy.
Prime Ministers, Ministers and Civil Servants in Britain
Authors: Kavanagh Dennis , Richards David
Published: June 2005

This paper examines a variety of recent challenges to the British political system and assesses the impact on the two key political elites in Britain - ministers and civil servants. It analyses their response to these challenges and argues that both ministers and civil servants have been adept at pursuing a public strategy of greater openness, inclusivity and flexibility, while privately remaining a homogenous elite with a tight hold on power. This appears to have continued, despite the 1997 change in government. The British political elites have been successful at ensuring the continuation of plurality without pluralism in the political system.
The Canadian Corporate Network in Comparative Perspective
Authors: Ornstein Michael
Published: June 2005

This paper compares the network of Canadian corporate directorships to the networks of ten rich nations described by Stokman, Ziegler, and Scott. The analysis tests claims about the exceptional weakness and disorganization of the Canadian capitalist class, due to high foreign ownership and dependence on resource extraction. The Canadian network is neither unusually sparse nor fragmented; there is no pronounced cleavage between, or subordination of, non-financial corporations to financial corporations; nor do the foreign-controlled corporations constitute an alternative centre or fragment of the network. It resembles the networks of countries such as Germany and France. The findings are consistent with the managerial and class cohesion models of the network, which emphasize its unity.
Theoretical Interpretations of Elite Change in East Central Europe
Authors: Bozóki András
Published: June 2005

Elite theory enjoyed a remarkable revival in Central and Eastern Europe, and also in international social science research, during the 1990s. Many researchers coming from different schools of thought turned to the analysis of rapid political and social changes and ended up doing centered research. Since democratic transition and elite transformation seemed to be parallel processes, it was understandable that sociologists and political scientists of the region started to use elite theory. The idea of "third wave" of democratization advanced a reduced, more synthetic, "exportable" understanding of democracy in the political science literature. The main focus of social sciences shifted from structures to actors, from path dependency to institutional choices. Transitions, roundtable negotiations, institution-building, constitution-making, compromise-seeking, pactmaking, pact-breaking, strategic choices — all of these underlined the importance of elites and research on them. Elite settlements were seen as alternatives of social revolution. According to a widely shared view democratic institutions came into existence through negotiations and compromises among political elites calculating their own interests and desires. The elite settlement approach was then followed by some important contributions in transitology which described the process of regime change largely as "elite games." By offering a systematic overview of the theoretical interpretations of elite change from New Class theory to recent theorizing of elite change (conversion of capital, reproduction, circulation, political capitalism, technocratic continuity, three elites and the like), the paper also gives an account of the state of the arts in elite studies in different new democracies of Central and Eastern Europe.
Interlocking Elites in Southeast Asia
Authors: Case William
Published: June 2005

Analysts make much of the diversity of Southeast Asia's political regimes. However, the region also displays a mounting preponderance of pseudoand fuller democracies, as well as a common mode of transition where fuller democratization has taken place. This analysis argues that these "intermediate" regime categories can be partly ascribed to common, though countervailing factors of colonial legacies, structural forces, some faint cultural residues, and new globalized influences. Next, it explores the conditions in which changes may take place from pseudo-democracy to more fully democratic outcomes. Analysis turns finally to the ways in which despite this weakening of leadership, elites regain enough vitality that while transitions may go forward, they have been able to collaborate in limiting the quality of the new democracies that have emerged.
Social Capital, Guanxi, and the Road to Democracy in Taiwan
Authors: Marsh Robert
Published: June 2005

Theories from Tocqueville to Putnam have stressed the role of organizational participation, social capital, in the emergence and maintenance of democracy. Taiwan is a strategic location for testing this because in the last two decades it has made the transition from an authoritarian regime to a multi-party democracy. Data from surveys of representative samples of the population of Taiwan in 1992 and 1997 do not support the theory in its original formulation. The mean level of participation in 15 types of formal voluntary organizations was not only much lower than that in the United States and several other societies, but declined significantly between 1992 and 1997, as democracy was advancing. Instead of rejecting the causal influence of social capital on democracy in Taiwan, I explore an alternative hypothesis. Though not a "nation of joiners," people in Taiwan create social capital in culturally distinctive ways, through the guanxi social networks of a society that is more relationship-based than either individualor collectivity-based.
Running Uphill: Political Opportunity in Non-democracies
Authors: Corduneanu-Huci Cristina , Osa Maryjane
Published: June 2005

This study analyzes twenty-four cases of occurrence/non-occurrence of mobilization in non-democratic states to determine conditions of political opportunity in high-risk authoritarian contexts. Ragin's (1987) Boolean method of qualitative comparison (QCA 3.0) is used to identify specific configurations of conditions that constitute political opportunity in non-democracies. We find that political opportunity is sensitive to conditions created by divided elites, changes in repression, media access, influential allies, and social networks. Our analysis identifies four configurations that create an opening for mobilization under authoritarian conditions. The key factors, identified by QCA in the most parsimonious model, are media access and social networks. These two factors are sufficient conditions for producing mobilization in non-democratic states.
Why Nations Arm in the Age of Globalization
Authors: Mehlkop Guido , Graeff Peter
Published: June 2005

What accounts for different levels of military forces between countries and over time? Payne (1989) found in cross country regressions cultural influences to be the most important determinant. In contrast to Payne, we will show that the mechanisms of why nations arm can only be fully discovered by time series analysis and – going beyond Payne's model – we will test the impact of the end of the Cold War and show that the process of globalization has a significantly negative effect on the military efforts of nations. Democracy and the membership in defence alliances or supranational organisations have no impact on the level of armament at all.
Women, Power, and the Eleventh and Twelfth Century Abbasid Court
Authors: Hanne Eric
Published: June 2005

This paper focuses on the actions of a select number of elite women attached to the Abbasid court of the eleventh and twelfth centuries, addressing the differences not only in the actions of Abbasid and Saljùq women, but in the overall coverage by the medieval historians. Elite women of both households played key roles in the events surrounding the Abbasid bid to reenter the political arena as well as the ensuing chaos that followed. The question at the center of this work is how elite women were able to take advantage of the porous nature of the political arena. In the end, this study shows that whereas Saljùq women were successful in this endeavor, their Abbasid counterparts were all but written out of the narrative. An analysis of marriage alliances, attempts to maintain one's status, and succession crises support this contention, and reinforce the argument that we must readdress our notions of power, and strive to incorporate the lives of more women into the larger political narrative for this period.
The French Army and Muslim Women During the Algerian War (1954–62)
Authors: Seferdjeli Ryme
Published: June 2005

This paper examines the itinerant women-only medical and social teams, created by the French army during the Algerian decolonisation war, which sought to instrumentalise and win over women through access to medical and social services. It is argued that the teams were instrumental in two significant events during the Algerian war: the public unveiling of Muslim women in May 1958 and the September 1958 referendum, in which Muslim women voted for the first time. This paper argues, however, that the teams' achievements were short lived and superficial and that the teams themselves faced severe limitations.
The Study of Women in Islam and the West: A Select Bibliography
Authors: Haddad Yvonne
Published: June 2005

This bibliography sets out to explore the topics that Muslim women in the West reflected on and researched as they joined the institutions of higher learning and began to have an input in the creation of knowledge. It also attempts to gather the available information about the experiences of Muslim women and surveys the available literature in English on Muslim women living in the West. While Muslim women have been professionally active in many fields, the bibliography is focused primarily on the production of knowledge by professors in the humanities and the social sciences and their contribution to our understanding of the debates about the women of Islam.
The Islamic Frontier: Islam and Gender Equity in Southeast Asia
Authors: Gonsoulin Margaret
Published: June 2005

The long-lived egalitarian cultural perspective, diversity of ethnic groups and the centrality of egalitarian kinship structures of Southeast Asia are identified as major factors allowing for the persistence of gender egalitarianism despite centuries of Islam. In order to establish a baseline, this paper first examines the development of Islam in ancient Arabia and Islam's impact on gender stratification. Then, it compares the gendered outcome of the adoption of Islam in kinship-based societies of North Africa to Indonesia. I propose that the level of congruence between the ideals of kinship and gender espoused in Islam and the actual kinship and gender lived by those who convert to Islam are important factors in determining gendered outcomes. These conclusions made about Southeast Asia are also confirmed in a South Asian setting.
Poor Kid on the Bloc: The Importance of Being Jordan
Authors: Budeiri Musa
Published: June 2005

I want to relate to you what your King has to put up with in order to provide for the welfare of this country. On our Master's trip to Kuwait, we spent three days there, but the delegation failed to get a single piaster. (...) The Sheikh of Kuwait himself said to our Master: “When do you depart, my brother?” When our Master answered, tomorrow at ten, the Sheikh responded: “Why delay? It is better if you leave earlier.” Think of these words and this attitude ...
Historiographie chrétienne et romanesque: Le De mortibus persecutorum de Lactance (250–325 ap. J.C.)
Authors: Colot Blandine
Published: June 2005

The DMP written by Lactantius and published after the 'Edict of Milan' (313), is an unclassifiable book. It was regarded as the first Christian historiography in latin but recent study has defended that the first was really the H.E. by Eusebius which was translated in latin at the end of the IVth century. We have analysed the romantic character of Lactantius' narration through emotional, existential features and its narrative movement. We have compared the prologues of the two books and managed to show that the DMP is surely a Christian history, authentic in many aspects, but discredited in favour of the « canonic » historiography by Eusebius which, even if it contains features of fiction too, is closer to the historic presuppositions of today's readers.
Divine Infinity in Gregory of Nyssa and Philo of Alexandria
Authors: Geljon Albert-Kees
Published: June 2005

The notion of divine infinity is important in Gregory of Nyssa's theology; it is even argued by Ekkehard Mühlenberg that Gregory was the first to ascribe infinity to God. In this article key texts on divine infinity in Gregory, taken from Contra Eunomiun, De Vita Moysis, and In Canticum Canticorum, are discussed. It appears that Mühlenberg's interpretation has to be nuanced. Furthermore, dealing with divine infinity Gregory was able to link his thought with that of Philo of Alexandria. In the second part of this article, we discuss the question of God's infinity in Philo. Henri Guyot defends the thesis that Philo was the first to put forward the notion of divine infinity. Although Guyot's thesis can be criticised—Philo never calls God infinite—there are starting-points for this view in Philo.
Structure allégorique de Romulea 1: La comparaison Orphée-Felicianus chez Dracontius
Authors: Stoehr-Monjou Annick
Published: June 2005

In all his poems, the Carthaginian Dracontius presents Orpheus only once, in a preface dedicated to his magister Felicianus (Romulea1) and allegorically constructed: as Orpheus charmed animals (vv. 1-11), Felicianus gathers Vandals and Romans (vv. 12-16). Each element of Orpheus's evocation prepares the allegorical – political, religious and cultural – reading of the second part: first, Orpheus charming wild and domestic beasts announces Felicianus who civilized the barbarian Vandals and brought a new Golden Age in Carthage. Secondly, Felicianus, as an Orpheus between Christ and David, brings evangelical Peace to heretical Arian Vandals and Catholic Romans. Finally, Felicianus taught Roman culture. Therefore, Dracontius, under Claudian's and Prudentius's influences, presents an original Orpheus, neither simply pagan, nor really christian.
Basilides's Gospel and Exegetica (Treatises)
Authors: Kelhoffer James
Published: June 2005

The surviving witnesses to Basilides of Alexandria (fl. 120-140 C.E.) reflect considerable variety and confusion concerning his writing(s). Attempts by scholars to present Basilides as an exegete of Christian scripture, and even as the author of a gospel, are based on precious little evidence, which scholars have at times misinterpreted. This article argues that only a limited interest in gospel materials on the part of Basilides can be demonstrated from the surviving portions of his Exegetica (Treatises). Moreover, if Basilides did indeed write a gospel, it was not a narrative or sayings gospel concerned primarily with the life or the teachings of Jesus. Finally, prior to Origen in the mid-third century C.E. the designation (or title) Exegetica did not connote an 'exegetical' commentary. Clement of Alexandria's title for Basilides's work ('Eξηγητικα, Strom. 4.81.1) instead supports the inference that this writing comprised "explanations" of Basilides's theological system.
Holocaust and theology
Authors: Houtepen Anton
Published: June 2005

Holocaust Theology, first developed by Jewish scholars, has had a definite impact on the Christian attitude with regard to Judaism. It made Christianity aware of its Anti-Judaist thinking and acting in the past, one of the root causes of Anti-Semitism and one of the factors that led to the Holocaust in Nazi-Germany during World War II. Similar forms of industrial killing and genocide did happen, however, elsewhere in the world as well. Most important of all was the ' metamorphosis ' of the Christian concept of God: no longer did God's almighty power and benevolent will for his chosen people dominate the theological discourse, but God's compassion for those who suffer and and the Gospel of Peace and human rights. Mission to the Jews was gradually replaced by Christian-Jewish dialogue. Both in mission studies, ecumenism and intercultural theology, theologians seem to have received the fundamental truth of the early patristic saying: There is no violence in God. This makes a new alliance of theology with the humanities possible on the level of academia and enables a critical stand of theology against the political power play causing the actual clash of civilisations.
Christianity and Islam: civilizations or religions? Contemporary indonesian discussions
Authors: Steenbrink Karel
Published: June 2005

This article wants to look at the problem of the relation between Islam and Christianity and their definitions of civilization or religion, from the angles of the Indonesian Muslims and Christians. In the colonial past both Islam and Christianity behaved like complete communities or civilizations. Therefore religious affiliation had always social and political impact and it was and is often not possible to change religion, like people cannot change their ethnic or gender status. During the pastfifty years there has been a tendency towards a pluralist society, not taking religious identity as a major classification mark. The uncertainties after the fall of President Soeharto (May 1998) and the aftermath of increasing Muslim-Christian conflicts, challenge this development.
Religion, hybridity, and the construction of reality in postcolonial Africa
Authors: Kenzo Mabiala Justin-Robert
Published: June 2005

That Africans are incurably religious has been one of the pillars on which current knowledge on Africa and the Africans is built. However, the accuracy of the claim is questionable on a number of fronts. The paper suggests that the real significance of the question is that it raises the issue of cultural determinism and indeterminism. Taking our cue from the postmodern and postcolonial criticism, we argue that cultures (or religions) are not ready-made packages that are passed on from one generation to another. Rather, cultures are transmitted through processes that can be described in terms of interactivity, negotiability, indeterminacy, fragmentation, and conflict. More importantly, humans are active participants in these processes. Based on this view of culture, the paper argues that the religious identity of Africans is a matter of constructed hybridity. Our reading of Ben Okri's Famished Road further demonstrates that Africans are neither incurably religious nor incurably irreligious. Instead, they skillfully and creatively construct their identity borrowing insights from resources that are both endogenous and exogeneous to Africa and their own tribal contexts.
An ecumenical journey in romania: orthodox — protestant relationships since 1989
Authors: Vogelaar Huub
Published: June 2005

: In the years before 1989 there existed a flowering ecumenical movement in Eastern Europe. However, as this movement mostly was initiated and later on was supported by the communist governments of the time, ecumenism became mistrusted and lost its good reputation. In the last 15 years the churches have gone their own ways, often independent from the others. But now there is change. The author of this article relates how the relationship between the Orthodox and the Protestant has developed during the last 15 years and how in recent times a new movement towards greater ecumenism has emerged in Romania.
Towards a New Model of Conversion Careers: the Impact of Personality and Contingency Factors
Authors: Gooren Henri
Published: June 2005

The central question of this article — why people may change their religious affiliation or become disaffiliated — is relevant from both an academic and a practical point of view. The article makes first an inventory of existing literature on religious conversion. Next I sketch the contours of the new conversion careers approach I am currently working on. I make some comparisons with a region that is not usually mentioned in the literature on conversion: Latin America. These comparisons are based on my earlier fieldwork on Roman Catholicism, Pentecostalism, and Mormonism in Costa Rica and Guatemala (H. Gooren, Rich among the Poor: Church, Firm, and Household among Small-scale Entrepreneurs in Guatemala City, Amsterdam: Thela Thesis 1999).
Intercultural Hermeneutics — a Promise for the Future?
Authors: Ariarajah S. Wesley
Published: June 2005

This article investigates the meaning of 'intercultural hermeneutics'. Though not called by this term, intercultural hermeneutics has already existed from the moment Christians came into contact with people of other beliefs and cultures. After a delineation of the meaning of intercultural hermeneutics vis-à-vis Western classical hermeneutics, three examples are given of situations and persons who have attempted to practice what is meant by intercultural hermeneutics. The first example is the dialogue between Buddhists and Christians in Hawaii in the 1980s, the second the ideas of Raimon Panikkar, while the third is the theology of Aloysius Pieris.
Reading the Bible in Context: an Indonesian and a Mexican Commentary on Ecclesiastes: Contextual Interpretations
Authors: Drewes Barend
Published: June 2005

This article discusses first of all a theological commentary on Ecclesiastes, written by the Indonesian biblical scholar E.G. Singgih. The main question thereby is: what is the role of the context in this commentary? Besides the international exegetical discourse, the relationships of power and the situation of the local churches appear to be of influence in his exegesis. God is presented as 'the boss', who rules in an incomprehensible way. All people 'live under the shadow of death' (cf. the title of the commentary). This interpretation is then compared with a commentary of the liberation theologian, Elsa Tamez. She places Ecclesiastes — and herself — in the context of the market and its oppressive capitalism, hoping that finally God shall replace this time of 'vanity' by better times. This article shows that 'context' is not an objective factor, but that, consciously or unconsciously, authors choose a certain context — and this influences their reading of texts.
Afro-surinamese Renaissance and the Rise of Pentecostalism
Authors: Jap-A-Joe Harold
Published: June 2005

During the 1960s, after a long period of suppression, a renaissance of Afro-Surinamese culture started. Around the same time Pentecostalism was introduced with great success. In this article it is being argued that the worldviews of the Afro-Surinamese Winti-religion and of Pentecostalism are interlocking, explaining the attractiveness of the latter to Afro-Surinamese who since their acceptance of Christianity had been confronted with suppression and ridiculization of their worldview as "superstition" in the mainstream missionary churches.
Differences, Do They Still Make a Difference? a Response to Martien Brinkman
Authors: Koffeman Leo
Published: June 2005

This article is a reponse to Martien E. Brinkman's contribution 'A Different Kind of Ecumenism' in: F. L. Bakker (ed.), Rethinking Ecumenism. Strategies for the 21st Century (Zoetermeer: Meinema 2004, 93-104). Brinkman presents a methodological description of ecumenism, which focuses on a hermeneutics of coherence or confidence. In this perspective he sees spiritual ecumenism as 'a different kind of ecumenism'. Is it not rather a different dimension of ecumenism? In a second paragraph some serious questions are presented with regard to the way Brinkman connects this approach with the idea of complementarity. This seems not to do justice to the concept of complementarity as it is developed in science. The last part of this article regards the issue of inter- or cross-cultural theology. Brinkman sees the same hermeneutics as valid in inter-religious dialogue as well. But is complementarity to be expected here? E.g., are Muslims or Hindus complementary parts of a wider religious unity which in fact already exists, but has not yet been formulated adequately?
Hermeneutics from an Inter-religious Perspective?
Authors: Frederiks Martha
Published: June 2005

In the field of inter-religious (and intercultural) hermeneutics there are two different streams of interpretation. There is a group who sees inter-religious hermeneutics as the discipline of looking at the sacred texts in an inter-religious perspective. Some interpret this as the reinterpretation of the Christian scriptures in the perspective of other traditions, whilst others see inter-religious hermeneutics as those methods of hermeneutics which have received support across the religious spectrum. And there is a group who sees inter-religious hermeneutics as a communication theory, the art of communicating across religious (and cultural) boundaries. Both groups however start from the context of shared humanity and demands a radical openness for the other in his/her religious and cultural context. This shared humanity inevitably then also leads to a renewed reflection on and interpretation of the religious texts with the other in mind.
Looking for an Artificial Eye: On the Borderline between Painting and Topography
Authors: Camerota Filippo
Published: June 2005

The use of instruments for drawing from life is documented since the fifteenth century in a variety of books, drawings and actual devices. Almost all of the instruments invented for this purpose belong to the linear perspective tradition, being conceived as mechanical expressions of a geometric principle, namely the intersection of the visual pyramid. On the basis of a close but controversial analysis of some important paintings of the early Renaissance, David Hockney and Charles Falco have concluded to a widespread use of optical devices in painters' workshops, such as concave mirrors, convex lenses and camera obscuras. Devices of this kind were generally used by optics scholars in their experiments with light and the multiplication of species. However, except for some isolated references to the camera obscura and flat mirrors,1 the documentary history of art is completely silent about the use of these optical tools by painters. Written evidence, in this sense, can be found only in the late sixteenth century but related to map-making more than to painting. Moreover, growing interest in such devices is only evident in connection with the invention of the telescope and its interpretation as an "artificial eye."2
The Mirror and Painting in Early Renaissance Texts
Authors: Yiu Yvonne
Published: June 2005

In Italy, notably Florence, the late fourteenth and the fifteenth centuries witnessed the proliferation of texts that discuss the relationship between the mirror and painting. In them, the mirror is closely associated with major innovations of the time such as naturalistic representation and linear perspective. On a technical level, the authors describe the mirror's function in the painting of self-portraits and recommend it be used to draw foreshortened objects more easily and to judge the quality of finished paintings. The technical aspects often lead over to theoretical considerations such as the limitations of perspective, the origins of painting, the analogy between the mirror image and the painted image, and the concept that the mind of the painter resembles a mirror. The fact that these texts do not mention the concave mirror projection method described by Hockney and Falco speaks strongly against its use in the early Renaissance.
Allegory, Realism, and Vermeer's Use of the Camera Obscura
Authors: Steadman Philip
Published: June 2005

Critics of the proposal that the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer used the camera obscura extensively in making his pictures of domestic scenes have argued that this cannot be the case, since his compositions are not 'photographic snapshots' but are very finely judged and balanced; his subject matter draws on the traditional motifs of Dutch genre painting; and the pictures are filled with complex allegorical and symbolic meaning. In this paper it is argued that all these are indeed characteristics of Vermeer's oeuvre, but that the artist produced them through the transcription of optical images of tableaux, set up by arranging real furniture and other 'props' with extreme care, in an actual room in his mother-in-law's house.