Cultural Interactions between Europe and the United States in the Nineteenth and its prospects for today

While in Europe during the second half of the nineteenth century - especially in France - intellectuals as Jules Michelet, Ernest Renan and Hippolyte Rivail Denizard, among many others, produced monumental works that would be studied to this day, North America - still under strong Victorian influence – was looking to build its identity. The United States, a young nation, culturally dependent on Britain, was a predominantly an agrarian State and strongly influenced by Puritan Protestantism. In this context, a frail, black woman, Ellen White wrote over seventy years, one hundred thousand manuscript pages - without the intellectualism of the French - but with remarkable depth on subjects as seemingly disparate as psychology, education, religion and diet. The purpose of this communication is to analyze the broad outlines of the holistic work of Ellen White from the context of a sense of her time and propose relations between the European production (French) for the period and her work, contributing to discussions between various areas of Humanities

HOW SHOULD WE SUFFER? MEDITATING ON CHRISTIAN RESPONSES TO THE PROBLEM OF SUFFERING

Despite the irreducible non-equivalence of individual experiences of suffering, there is a solidarity possible among sufferers especially during times of collective crisis. This essay focuses on the suffering of the disciple Peter in order to formulate a model for suffering that resonates deeply with other, more recent accounts. Peter’s suffering is linked with Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy, as well as the work of certain German political theologians, in order to show how it is our human inability to adequately respond to suffering that gives us the existential vulnerability we need in order to stand in solidarity with others who suffer too—the primal element of Christian love. At a precarious time when so many feel a vulnerability perhaps never felt before, such vulnerability potentially transforms us into more responsible social agents and political actors

The American just war theory in the 21st century: continuity or renewal?

Evaluations of the American war against Iraq are split into two irreconcilable camps among just war theorists. Michael Walzer, on the one hand, is basically critical of the war, saying that the threat of Saddam’s regime did not then constitute the right of self-defense of the U.S. or any other country. Jean Bethke Elshtain, on the other, believes that it is the obligation of the U.S. to defend universal values like freedom and democracy on the world-wide scale, and argues for the justification of the Iraq war. Why and how are such opposite standpoints found in the same idea of "just war"? This paper aims to answer this question by subdividing the kinds and traditions of just war theory. In fact, the doctrine of just war, which goes back more than 1,600 years to the era of St. Augustine, is the gathering of particular ideas that are joined together in their family resemblance yet still different in fundamental ways. Especially, the difference between the modern just war theory and the premodern one is substantial and significant. Historically, the doctrine of just war was born far earlier than the emergence of the modern sovereign state system, and has not always been suitable for it in some crucial respects. In my analysis, Walzer belongs to the modern just war tradition since Grotius, while Elshtain blongs to the premodern one since Augustine. This paper first makes clear in what way the modern and premodern just war traditions are different with a brief, historical overview. Secondly, it develops the distinction further by presenting a detailed analysis of the conflicting evaluations of Walzer and Elshtain over the Iraq war. Finally, this paper points out that the American just war doctrine in this century has been steadily drifting from the former to the latter

Sacrament of holy communion: a real fellowship

Luther turns to the sacraments into to rewrite the contours of a Christian life (and theology). The sacraments and especially the sacrament of Holy Communion, as a place of proclamation, exercise us in faith. In order to highlight this characteristic, Luther works with the metaphor of the happy exchange - a metaphor that has been sidelined or even forgotten by some current of Lutheran theology. Yet, it is in the happy exchange that for Luther the real significant of this sacrament lies: a true fellowship

Eucharist/ Communion/ Lord’s Supper – The utopia of Jesus in our days

The Lord's Supper/Communion/Eucharist is one of the most powerful rituals of the Christian faith. In this chapter, I try to expand the understanding of this precious meal for our time. In order to do that I introduce the meal as an overarching event in the life of the world and consider some communitarian, social conditions, as strong characteristics of this meal. With that information, I go through the New Testament to see what was happening at the beginning of the church. After that I develop some fundamental aspects of the Eucharistic meal for our time considering the possible relations between Eucharist and Socialism, associating this Christian ritual with social visibility and against social humiliation. I finish mentioning Clarice Lispector a Brazilian writer who said that "love is bread shared among strangers." The Lord's Supper/Communion/Eucharist is one of the most powerful rituals of the Christian faith. In this chapter, I try to expand the understanding of this precious meal for our time. In order to do that I introduce the meal as an overarching event in the life of the world and consider some communitarian, social conditions, as strong characteristics of this meal. With that information, I go through the New Testament to see what was happening at the beginning of the church. After that I develop some fundamental aspects of the Eucharistic meal for our time considering the possible relations between Eucharist and Socialism, associating this Christian ritual with social visibility and against social humiliation. I finish mentioning Clarice Lispector a Brazilian writer who said that "love is bread shared among strangers."

Necropolítica e sua lógica sacrificial em tempos de pandemia

En este artículo pretendemos ampliar, desplazar y desplegar el concepto de necropolítica de Achille Mbembe, aplicándolo a un contexto nacional de un gobierno de extrema derecha y relacionándolo con la lógica sacrificial que emerge en medio de la pandemia. Para ello, presentamos primero el concepto de necropolítica, destacando sus elementos estructurales: la creación funcional del enemigo y el estado de excepción. A partir de esto, mostramos cómo la necropolítica tiene una dimensión religiosa, que se puede ver en su lógica sacrificial. En tiempos de pandemia, concluimos que la necropolítica muestra más claramente su rostro racista y antidemocrático, permitiéndonos ver más claramente en el sacrificio expiatorio un rostro de necroregión.post-print21 p

At the banks of the river: the work of Eurodiaconia[Nas margens do rio: o trabalho da Eurodiaconia]

In this article the European network Eurodiaconia is presented. The development of social services in Europe takes place against a backdrop of social and economic change as well as changing relationships between churches, Diaconia and citizens. Diaconal work continues to be shaped in the provision of services but there is also increasing emphasis on advocacy and being prophetic. However, one of the biggest challenges and opportunities for Diaconia in Europe is how to preserve, promote and defi ne our diaconal identity in an increasingly multicultural and multi-religious as well as secular, context. Learning from diaconal work in other parts of the world may contribute to the different possible approaches to these challenges and opportunities and in 2015 Eurodiaconia will start to do this with partners in Brazil.A rede europeia Eurodiaconia é apresentada neste artigo. O desenvolvimento de serviços sociais na Europa acontece diante de um pano de fundo de mudança social e econômica além de mudanças nas relações entre igrejas, diaconia e cidadãos/ãs. O trabalho diaconal continua sendo moldado pela oferta de serviços, mas há uma ênfase crescente na advocacia e em ser profético. Porém o maior desafio e a maior oportunidade da diaconia na Europa é saber como preservar, promover e definir nossa identidade diaconal num contexto crescentemente multicultural e multirreligioso, além de ser secular. Aprender do trabalho diaconal em outras partes do mundo pode contribuir para as diferentes abordagens possíveis a esses desafios e essas oportunidades, e em 2015 a Eurodiaconia irá começar a fazer isso com parceiros no Brasil