Projects / Programmes
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 6.11.00 |
Humanities |
Theology |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| H002 |
Humanities |
Theology |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 6.03 |
Humanities |
Philosophy, Ethics and Religion |
The Bible, literature, the word as symbol, translation, semantics, stylistics, rhetorics, folkloris-tics, Augustine on signs, history, homiletics, catechetics
Researchers (10)
Organisations (2)
Abstract
The Bible of the Old and New Testaments presents universal history as an overarching story of the world from Creation to eschatological consummation constituting the basic theological framework embodied in creeds, symbols and liturgies and interpreted in various complementary approaches and methods in science, art and religion. The biblical vision of universal history is based on the crucial place and metaphorical meaning of the word in the Bible and in Judeo-Christian religion and culture, while encompassing cosmological and personal dimensions in intensive interaction. God addresses the earth (Isa 1:2; Hag 1:11; Ps 50:4), speaks to natural entities (Gen 1:22; 3:14; Isa 45:8; Job 37:6; 38:35), and calls them by name (Isa 40:26; Ps 147:4). The cosmic dimension of God’s speech through creation is conspicuously depicted in the poetic descriptions in Ps 19:2-7 and Ps 29. In Ps 4-5 we read: “There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.” In personal relationship, the Word of God is conveyed in dreams, visions, voices out of clouds, as well as directly to the human mind and heart. In the context of Creation, Election and Covenant traditions, an especially great weight is attributed to the role of Jesus of Nazareth as “the centre of time” in the New Testament.
The scientific background of the project is the undisputed recognition of the comparative study of philosophy and theology that the Jewish-Christian concept of the word complements essentially the concept of the word in the general use of language and in the philosophy of language. The semantic and hermeneutic range of the biblical concept of the word determines religious hermeneutics, directions of developing systematic theology and directions of investigation of the history of Church. It adds to religious and humanistic sciences criteria which are not self-evident for the general research in humanities. The history of philosophy of biblical scholarship and of theology paves the way for recognition, under which aspects the Jewish-Christian concept of the word complements the general concept of the word, and consequently of communication and dialogue. One of the important areas of research into the concept of the word in this broader context is the theory and the practice of translation in general and especially of translation of the Bible. Another important area of research is transformation of biblical motifs and symbols in literature of subsequent periods.
The outline of the interdisciplinary project “Word in Dialogue” is based on the central meaning of the concept of the word in our culture and on the fact that in the areas of biblical exegesis and of general literature, systematic theology and in the history of the Church there are very few studies dealing with the concept of the word in a broader cultural, intercultural and interreligious context. The members of the project group from the field of biblical studies, history of literature, systematic theology and history of the Church engage themselves in the task of realizing, on the basis of an appropriate literary analysis of selected areas and concrete examples, how each word – and especially the biblical word – functions in a concrete cultural environment in mediating values, illusions, propaganda, magic and “mystification” of power. The members of the project group are faced with the challenge of a search for real possibilities of a dialogue between individuals, communities, nations, religions and cultures. With this challenge this question is raised: how can theology enter into constructive dialogue with contemporary sciences and arts? It is the uniquely broad range of meanings of the biblical concept of the word that determines the scientific background of the project, and a restrictive selection of documents for a detailed analysis provides an opportunity for its feasibility and originality.
Significance for science
The main concern of the project THE WORD IN DIALOGUE was on the one hand analytical scrutiny of the ways of using vocabulary, metaphors, symbols, personifications and different kinds of contrast in literature, and on the other hand critical evaluations of the views dealing with fundamental questions of the origin and importance of words, metaphors, symbols and personifications in presenting reality on all levels of the universe, society and individual life. Since in general very little attention is paid to these means of communication, the aim of the project was to fill this gap. Imagery, metaphors and allegories found in in the life within the visible world reflect the everyday experience, the actual and visual realities, while manifesting a special resonance in relation to all aspects of expressing reality and truth in dialogue on cosmic, social and personal levels. Literary texts are not reduced to one clear meaning, therefore stories and poems can be perce-ived both on simple and on deepest levels. Semantic and literary means of expression, such as figures of speech and wordplay point in most cases to the incomprehensible depths of the rela-tionship between God and humankind. The basic literal meaning of particular words allows the creative possibility that they be taken out of their common meaning to be used in a context of some other kind. The primacy of literal sense, as opposed to the various allegorical readings, remained the leading principle both of Jewish and of Christian biblical interpretation. The literal and the metaphorical meanings have in common an area of shared meaning, but the metaphorical meaning extends the basic meaning into areas which transcend time and place. Members of the project group took notice of the modern orientation of biblical interpretation which has bridged the division between general literature and biblical literature. The methods of “Narrative Criticism,” “Narrative Theology,” and “New Hermeneutics” in the field of theology are based on the principle of narrative and poetic properties of the Bible. The most fruitful aspect of narrative theology is the increasing interest in understanding the Bible as literature. Appreciation of narratives in such basic genres as history, myth, autobiography, biography, parable or allegory is fully in accordance with the temporal and historical shape of human existence, which is inextricable from memory and anticipation. Biblical stories resonate with common life experience and represent the most effective means in education on all levels. Representations of life in artistic and literary ways of expressing the meaning of life disclose complex psychological and sociological mechanisms and specific life situations that lead to moral strength, failure, delusion, and conflict. Situations of general social distortion, diversity of religious and moral beliefs, practices and convictions, stimulate to moral sensibilities and open new possibilities of a dialogue in openness towards critical critical, comparative and constructive interpretation of dimensions of life. The views on the nature and on the role of words, metaphors and symbols from antiquity to the present reflect different directions of interpreting them. In modern times, these questions are pertinent: How is that that symbols are such strong identity markers, and why are they crucial to our daily lives? In what way does symbolism affect our lives at the personal, interpersonal and societal levels? How can we broaden out theoretical discussions about analysing symbols to encompass anthropological, psychological and social aspects? How can a continuous line be drawn between ancient, distant cultural traditions and those of our world today? How reality on cosmic, social and personal level determines possibilities of dialogue with words and without words in expressing truth and its opposite?
Significance for the country
The history culture and form of communication of humans can be traced through words as symbols and it is through symbols that menaing is associated with interpretation, action, and interaction. The problem of critically assessing the words, concepts and symbols is evident in that each discourse can only explain the concepts and symbols in part, only rationally. This means that a given discourse cannot encompass all factors that determine meaning at the ontological, existential and artistic and creative levels. On the other hand, the problem of analysing literary works lies in the fact that the very process of analysis inevitably restricts the possibilities of a holistic approach in perceiving and judging the essence and the scope of con-tent. According investigations of Irena Avsenik Nabergoj going beyond the sensory world through the use of symbols raises the most current issue of literary and artistic representations of any reality and truth: What is the nature of fiction, which in different literary types and genres represents experience and perception of objective facts under the impression of subjective perception and interpretation in the personal and historical perspective? Fiction is mainly tied to experiencing and interpreting poetic texts that represent greater or minor harmony of life phenomena through reality and truth in imitating and expressing reality, as is shown in the span from the most sublime hints at God and his holiness, as in the Bible, to the gods and demigods in Greco-Roman culture, to the simplest truths in various types of folklore in descriptions of nature or motifs of human characteristics. Through their vivid and holistic images of reality poets mediate reality and truth in a much more attractive and understandable manner than intellectual discourses do. Symbols surround us always and everywhere in both personal and social life. Symbols convey meanings and bring vivid images of the object they represent to our minds immediately. Perhaps the most powerful of all human symbols is language, a system of verbal and sometimes written representations that are culturally specific and convey meaning about the world, our life in society and our identity. Language is an important source of continuity and identity in a culture. Physical and economic health depend on emotional, spiritual and mental health. In the framework of this project we aim at cooperation in strengthening personal and national identity by great care for the role of language for our culture. Since language is one of the most tangible symbols of cultural and group identity, the members of project group make efforts to develop adequate Slovenian terminology in comparison with other languages. The use of symbols in the Bible and in later Jewish-Christian hermeneutics concerns directly and indirectly the issue of morality and ethics. The terms “morality” and “ethics” are in everyday language sometimes used as synonyms for moral beliefs or practices in general. The term “morality” concerns the human sense of discerning between right and wrong in principle and between good and bad persons or characters in life situations. Morality seems to speak to us intuitively through conscience and through an imaginative voice evoking emotions in us that are an essential element in the moral life. Symbols expresses that which cannot be said and mysteriously unite disparities. Since the purpose of all true symbols is to direct the individual away from the superficial concerns of life towards the centre of existence, all symbolic phenomena fall into a few typical categories or poles of existence, around coming into being and passing away, light and darkness, good and evil. The imaginative world leads us beyond the bounds of concrete form towards the meaning of existence in fulness. A symbol has manifold significance and therefore its origin and purpose cannot often be explained satisfactorily.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2013,
2014,
2015,
final report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2013,
2014,
2015,
final report
