Aristotle's On the Soul

Aristotle's On the Soul aims to uncover the principle of life, what Aristotle calls psuchē (soul). For Aristotle, soul is the form which gives life to a body and causes all its living activities, from breathing to thinking. Aristotle develops a general account of all types of living through examining soul's causal powers. The thirteen new essays in this Critical Guide demonstrate the profound influence of Aristotle's inquiry on biology, psychology and philosophy of mind from antiquity to the present. They deepen our understanding of his key concepts, including form, reason, capacity, and activity. This volume situates Aristotle in his intellectual context and draws judiciously from his other works as well as the history of interpretation to shed light on his intricate views. It also highlights ongoing interpretive debates and Aristotle's continuing relevance. It will prove invaluable for researchers in ancient philosophy and the history of science and ideas.

Jeremiah in Lamentations

The prophetic figure of Jeremiah has long been associated with the book of Lamentations. The earliest known attribution of Lamentations to Jeremiah dates to the time of the Septuagint, an attribution that is repeated in other early translations and rabbinic commentary. Since the rise of critical scholarship, however, the authenticity of Jeremiah as author has been questioned, with few contemporary scholars continuing to argue that the prophet was the actual author of the Lamentations. Despite this, the prophet figure/persona continues to be identified within Lamentations, albeit in ways far removed from the direct attribution expressed in earlier periods. This chapter traces the rise and fall of Jeremiah as author of Lamentations, exploring possible reasons why the prophetic figure has been so important in the history of interpretation within Lamentations studies, with a particular focus on the way that Jeremianic authorship has contributed to the theological understanding of the book. The ever-changing understanding of the relationship of Jeremiah with Lamentations has been influenced by the interpretive lenses and needs of successive communities, a trend which will continue into the future as new methods and approaches emerge.

The Blessing of Whiteness in the Curse of Ham: Reading Gen 9:18–29 in the Antebellum South

This essay examines the antebellum history of interpretation surrounding the curse of Ham in Gen 9:18–29. It explores how modern notions of scientific racism were read into the story as a de facto justification for the transatlantic slave trade and the institution of slavery in the antebellum South. However, more than simply being used as a prooftext for racist agendas, the curse of Ham provided a biblical foil for circumscribing a racial hierarchy where whiteness was positioned as superior in the figure of Japheth. By considering key features of the racist antebellum interpretation, I argue that the proslavery rationalization of Christian antebellum writers is rooted in a deracialized whiteness that was biblically produced and blessed with divine authority.

The Question About the Interpretation of the Verse of John 14, 28: «My Father is more than Me» - and his Permission in the Greek Patristic Tradition

В статье рассматривается история толкования отрывка из Евангелия от Иоанна: « Отец Мой более Меня » (Ин. 14, 28). Тема, которой посвящена статья, является частью исследования богословской проблематики Константинопольских Соборов 1166 и 1170 гг. Церковная деятельность византийского императора Мануила I Комнина была противоречивой и не исключала вмешательства латинских богословов. Цель настоящей статьи - показать святоотеческое понимание спорного места для правильной интерпретации решений Константинопольских Соборов 1166 и 1170 гг. и их оценки с православной позиции. Структура статьи имеет традиционную рубрикацию, соотносительную историческим периодам: доникейский, арианские споры IV в., христологические споры V-VII вв., поздневизантийская традиция. Для богословского анализа Ин. 14, 28 мы обращаемся к диахронно-синхронному методу, который заключается в изучении толкований стиха на разных исторических этапах. Метод опирается на анализ фрагментов, полученных при поиске в базе данных греческих текстов (TLG). Наиболее употребительными толкованиями стиха «Отец Мой более Меня» (Ин. 14, 28) являлись триадологическое и христологическое. Первое означало, что Отец больше Сына, как Виновник Его бытия. Второе объяснялось в контексте Домостроительства и включало две стороны, дополняющие друг друга: Спаситель имеет в виду Свою человеческую природу и в то же время подразумевает добровольное уничижение и умаление Своего божества (кеносис). The article examines the history of interpretation of the passage from the Gospel of John: «My Father is greater than Me» (John 14, 28). The topic of the article is part of a study of the theological problems of the Councils of Constantinople in 1166 and 1170. The Church activities of the Byzantine emperor Manuel I Comnenus were contradictory and did not exclude the intervention of latin theologians. The purpose of this article is to show the patristic understanding of the controversial place for the correct interpretation of the decisions of the Councils of Constantinople in 1166 and 1170. and their assessments from an Orthodox perspective. The structure of the article has a traditional rubrication, correlating to historical periods: ante-Nicene, Arian disputes of the 4th century, Christological disputes of the 5-7 centuries, late Byzantine tradition. For theological analysis, Jn. 14, 28 we turn to the diachronous-synchronous method, which consists in studying the interpretations of the verse at different historical stages. The method is based on the analysis of fragments obtained by searching the database of Greek texts (The Thesaurus Linguae Graecae®). The most common interpretations of the verse «My Father is greater than Me» (John 14, 28) were triadological and Christological. The first meant that the Father is greater than the Son, as the Author of His existence. The second was explained in the context of the Economy and included two sides complementary to each other: The Savior means His human nature and at the same time implies the voluntary humiliation and belittling of His deity (kenosis).

Hermeneutics in the constitutional law of Ukraine

Hermeneutics, having emerged due to innovations in philosophy, is currently used by other humanities, including jurisprudence. Hermeneutics (from the Greek eppriveuco (hermeneutikos) - interpreter) - the art of understanding, comprehension, the doctrine of the interpretation of signs and understanding of meanings in the form of theory of the art of understanding, certain rules (methods, techniques) of interpretation, the art of their application, as well as the process of interpretation; organization, process and result of such correct reasoning, which actualizes various interpretive methodologies, adequate for understanding a text. Hermeneutic principles and approaches are harmoniously combined with centuries-old legal traditions - because the history of interpretation of legal texts dates back at least to the Renaissance, reflected in many schools (glossators, commentators (postglossators), etc.). The aim of the article is to demonstrate how the hermeneutics is used in the field of constitutional law based on the self-organized bodies of population's (SOBPs) materials and practice. The use of the term "self-government" is not entirely successful in the name "territorial public self-government bodies". After all, according to modern doctrinal concepts, one of the conditions for the formation of the rule of law in the country is the division of public power into public state and public municipal (self-governing) power. In this case, public state power is exercised by the relevant bodies, which, as a rule, belong to one of the branches of state power in accordance with the requirements of the concept of its division into legislative, executive and judicial. Municipal power is exercised by local governments. Based on this, both public authorities (local governments) and public municipal authorities (local governments) will function at the level of administrative-territorial units. According to the legislation of Ukraine, SOBPs are part of the system of local self-government, but are not bodies of local self-government. Thus, the use of the word "self-government" in the name of the SOBPs will indicate the system to which the house, street, etc. committees belong, but will be confusing because it will facilitate their identification with local governments. In addition, the use of the name "territorial public self-government" will characterize the nature of the dream bodies as mixed (public - public), which, in the author's opinion, is also not true.

Introduction

This chapter discusses the history of interpretation of Luke-Acts as it concerns Luke’s relationship to Judaism. The chapter critically assesses common opinions held in New Testament scholarship regarding the concepts of salvation, eschatology, Christian universalism, Jewish particularism, and nationalism. This critical evaluation of scholarship and key concepts lays the foundation for the rest of the investigation, proposing that Luke’s understanding of the eschatological restoration of Israel can be effectively understood in light of Jewish concepts from Luke’s time. In many ways, Luke’s eschatology corresponds to traditional Jewish expectations. The restoration of Israel remains at the center of Luke’s eschatological universe even if it expands to include the nations of the world.

‘I am not strong to dig and I am afraid to beg’: Social status and status concern in the parable of the Dishonest Steward (Lk 16:1–9)

This article offers a reading of the parable of the Dishonest Steward from the perspective of Greco-Roman status concern. It observes that the parable has a long and complicated history of interpretation. The different approaches in the reading of the parable reveal the unresolved quest in scholarship to establish a reading of the parable that takes into account both the steward’s act of generosity towards his master’s debtors and the praise that follows this action. This article proposes the Greco-Roman status concern as a framework for understanding the meaning of the parable in its original context. Status concern was the spirit of tenacity in maintaining one’s status and honour against all odds characteristic of Greco-Roman honour and shame culture. The article argues that when the parable is read within its literary context, it reveals that at the heart of Jesus’ message in the parable is the theme of persistence as an attribute of authentic discipleship. This understanding of the parable resonates with the entrenched Greco-Roman spirit of status concern. The interpretation would also have been relevant to Luke’s Greco-Roman auditors living on the periphery of the Greco-Roman culture with the constant pressures to conform to the ethos of the larger social context. The steward’s resolve to maintain his status even in the most difficult circumstances provided a paradigm for those Christ-followers to remain steadfast in the faith against all odds.Contribution: The article presents an alternative interpretation of the parable of the Dishonest Steward. By proposing status concern as an interpretative framework, it offers both new insights into the socio-economic and socio-cultural realities of Luke’s world and the continuing evidence of the contribution of Greco-Roman world to the development of the New Testament texts.

The prophet like Moses (Dt 18:15–22): Some trajectories in the history of interpretation

This article traces some of the trajectories of the Deuteronomic announcement of a ‘prophet like Moses’. After examining its meaning in the immediate context, the article first traces references to this figure in early Jewish sources. It then examines how Jesus is portrayed as the prophet of Deuteronomy 18 in the Gospels. What is meant when people ask whether Jesus could be the prophet? Would he himself identify with this figure through word and deed? What implications would such an identification have had for his contemporaries? Why does this designation only appear rarely outside of the Gospels? A further trajectory is the quotation of Deuteronomy 18:15,19 in Acts 3:22–23. What is meant by Peter’s identification of Jesus as the prophet like Moses? What does Peter link with the acceptance and rejection of this prophet? How has Luke altered the text of Deuteronomy in the application of this prediction to Jesus? The article closes with a summary and suggests implications for the understanding of early Christian rhetoric, of Israel’s response and of prophets in today’s church and society.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article is placed within the discipline of biblical studies and Jewish studies (for the reception history in early Judaism). An in-depth study of the reception of the Deuteronomic prophet like Moses in Acts 3, where the prediction is explicitly quoted and declared to be fulfilled in Jesus Christ, reveals how this reference functions for the Christology of Acts, its proclamation of the Gospel and its understanding of Israel. Those revering Moses must now listen to Jesus. To reject Jesus means to forfeit one’s membership in the people of God. This challenges studies which do not pay sufficient attention to this claim.