Netiv haprišut. Sexualita a askeze v judaismu Kamila Špinarová Abstract Diploma thesis "Netiv haprishut. Sexuality and Asceticism in Judaism" deals with the "Path of Restraint" written by rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel, the MaHaRaL of Prague. The Path of Restraint is sixteenth chapter of Maharal's philosophical and ethical tractate "Netivot olam". The treatise brings in Maharal's recommendations regarding human acts in intimate sphere of life. The submitted work deals with selected texts from the Path of Restraint, especially with the prohibition of men's autoeroticism. The thesis provides coherent view on Maharal's writings and on the meaning of the term "prishut" within the framework of Maharal's writings. The author of this thesis believes, that the term "prishut" has an essential meaning for Maharal's universe. The true "restraint" has the power to emancipate the man from the destructive influence of the matter and to unify the sphere of the matter with the sphere of divinity. The author then focuses on the passage from the Sefer Zohar (1:18a). Maharal cites the passage three times in his entire work - in the Path of Restraint, in Hiddushei Aggadot and in Be'er ha-Golah. The aforementioned text of the Zohar describes the emanation of the divine creative potency through sefiroth. Latter on Maharal...

The letter to the Colossians was written because of a false or heretic doctrine that threatened the absolute reign of Christ and the fullness of his redemptive action; it claimed the necessity of the inclusion of other redemptive practices such as asceticism and participation in ceremonial rites; robbing the believer of his/her freedom in Christ by lessening the fullness of his victory (Col 2:23). In stark contrast to this, Paul accentuates the absolute uniqueness of Christ (Col 1:12-20); assuring the congregation of the fact that they have died with Christ (Col 2:20), and have been resurrected with Him (Col 3:1). With these indicatives, he calls on the believers in Colossi to live new lives of triumph (Col 2:20-4:6). Excepting the introductory paragraph (Col 1:1-12) and the conclusion (Col 4:7-18), the letter is divided into three parts – Colossians 1:13 to 2:5; 2:6-23; and 3:1 to 4:2. The letter can also be divided into a movement in two parts; an indicative or fundamental part, and an imperative or exhortative part. But this division should not become too much of a focus as Paul's Christological declarations are also found in the exhortative part of the letter (Col 3:1-4:6), and ethical imperatives can be identified in the indicative/instructive part of the letter. In the introductory paragraph, the author expresses thanks to God for the faith of the Colossians; and prays that they may do the will of God, whilst growing in faith and the strength to persevere. The author also calls on the congregation to join him in his expression of thanksgiving, as it is God who has enabled them to become heirs of the light and life of his Kingdom. Accordingly, the first part of the letter tells the tale of their coming to faith – through Christ they were ripped from the darkness and placed under His reign. In the Christological confession that follows the precedence of the Son is described – He is the one who has restored peace and has brought about reconciliation between God and man. It is through Christ that the mysteries of God have been revealed; therefore true knowledge of life is to be found only in Christ. This serves as an exhortation for believers to stand firm in their faith, and in this way avoid being misguided by false doctrines. In the second part, believers are requested to live in close connection with Christ, as they died and were resurrected with Him. This identity in Christ should be the decisive factor in their lives, causing them to live a new life with Christ. In the third part, practical examples are given for when living connected to Christ; summed up with the exhortation to say and to do everything in the name of Jesus Christ. Thus, a logical progression can be identified in the letter; beginning with the reality of the Colossians faith and identity in Christ; and leading into a life lived in accordance with this connection to Christ; accentuating the interconnectedness of Christology and ethics. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / New Testament Studies / unrestricted

Masters of Art / study analyses the concept of al-Karāmah al-Sūfīyah (the Sufi Saintly Miracle) in both its religious and literary dimensions. The researcher will shed more light on this genre of narrative literary phenomena by developing its definition and placing it in the social and historical context of the Sufi thought as a whole. Many communities in the Islamic world embrace and practice the Sufi doctrine and also believe in the Ṣūfī Sheikhs’ saintly miracles and its paranormal aspects, which they also consider to be parallel in its sacredness to the miracles of the Prophets. Furthermore, in this study the researcher will not only focus on the religious significance of the saintly miracle but also on their literary approach and aesthetic dimensions. In fact many of the contemporary Arab scholars and Litterateurs categorize this narrative discourse to fall under the cloak of al-Adab al-‘ajāibī (miraculous literature) due to the nature of its narrative style and structure from which it achieves its goals, such as: Myth – Legend – Superstition – Storytelling, etc. The study will be mainly qualitative. It is a content analysis study in the sense that the researcher will analyse the stylistic, formal and rhetorical techniques of the saintly miracles’ discourse with specific reference to extracts taken from al- Sheikh al-Hassan al- Shadili and al-Sheikh Abdelssalam Bin Machich. The study will use an eclectic theoretical and conceptual framework which combines the historical approach with the reception theory.

The purpose of this paper is to determine what can be identified as the mystical element in Soren Kierkegaard’s published texts. Kierkegaard sometimes discusses mysticism on a critical tone, other times he seems to be implying that it is a necessary part of any authentically Christian life. Papers exploring this question have drawn different and conflicting conclusions. Some suggest that Kierkegaard’s spirituality focuses on asceticism and self-denial rather than mysticism, others perceive allusions to a form of a ‘mystical union’ as ever present in his texts. Some claim that in Kierkegaard’s texts there is the implication of different types of mysticism, some forms that he deems acceptable and other forms that he identifies as dangerous or even demonic. This paper proposes that the mystical element in Kierkegaard’s authorship is the presence of an itinerary that is meant to lead his readers through a process of internal transformation. This itinerary resembles those proposed by mystic authors in some ways. It includes practices that have an ascetic element and alludes to something like a resulting mystical union, for example. Kierkegaard places particular emphasis on the notion that one’s spiritual transformation must lead to action and result in the concrete world. The internal transformation has no purpose if it does not result in something like a divinely revealed task. The task is performed in the material world, but the responsibility to complete it feels absolute, as if imposed by eternity. I argue that the mystical element in Kierkegaard’s authorship is the itinerary he proposes that leads to personal transformation. I suggest that he ultimately goes further than mysticism by valuing the material world and insisting that transformed individuals must take action within it. In this sense, he remains true to his Lutheran upbringing and the idea of inner-worldly asceticism. / L’objectif de ce projet est de déterminer ce qui peut être identifié comme l’ élément mystique dans les textes publiés de Soren Kierkegaard. Dans ses œuvres, Kierkegaard traite le sujet de mysticisme parfois sur un ton critique, autre fois il suggère que c’est un élément essentiel pour une vie véritablement chrétienne. Les articles qui ont déjà exploré cette question ont tiré des conclusions différentes et contradictoires. Certains suggèrent que la spiritualité de Kierkegaard se concentre sur l'ascétisme plutôt que sur le mysticisme, d'autres perçoivent des allusions à une forme « d'union mystique » comme toujours présentes dans ses textes. Certains prétendent que dans les textes de Kierkegaard il y a l'implication de différents types de mysticisme, certaines formes qu'il juge acceptables et d'autres formes qu'il identifie implicitement comme dangereuses ou même démoniaques. Cet article propose que l'élément mystique dans les œuvres de Kierkegaard, au début de sa carrière comme à la fin, est la présence d’un itinéraire destiné à conduire ses lecteurs à travers un processus de transformation interne. Cet itinéraire ressemble à certains égards à ceux proposés par des auteurs mystiques. Il comprend des étapes qui impliquent la pratique ascétique et fait allusion à l'union mystique, par exemple. Ce qui ressort de ses textes est la notion que la transformation spirituelle d'une personne doit forcément conduire à une action dans le monde concret. En insistant sur ce point, il demeure fidèle à son éducation luthérienne. Pour Kierkegaard, la transformation intérieure n’a pas de valeur si elle n'aboutit pas à ce qui semble être une tâche divinement révélée. La tâche est accomplie dans le monde matériel, mais la responsabilité de l'accomplir est absolue, comme imposée par l'éternité.

Le champ disciplinaire dans lequel s’inscrit cette recherche est la théologie patristique, et plus précisément la thèse étudie la pensée anthropologique spirituelle et théologique de saint Jean Cassien, telle qu’elle ressort de ses deux ouvrages spirituels, les Institutions cénobitiques et les Conférences. Cela conduit à s'interroger sur la place qu’occupe Cassien par rapport à la tradition monastique orientale antérieure, ainsi que sur l’influence de ses deux ouvrages sur la tradition monastique occidentale postérieure. Notre recherche a pour ambition de comprendre et d’expliquer, à partir d’une lecture analytique approfondie des textes, le fil conducteur de la vision cassinienne de la progression spirituelle de l’homme. Nous esquissons celle-ci en quatre grandes étapes : homo exterior – puritas cordis – homo interior – ignita oratio (contemplatio). Notre insistance dans l’analyse sur les diverses notions du vocabulaire spirituel cassinien vise à mettre en évidence un des aspects originaux de cet auteur pour toute la littérature monastique, à savoir la conversion du vocabulaire ascétique et monastique grec issu de la tradition égyptienne et par là la création et le développement d'une langue spirituelle latine. / The disciplinary field in which this research is conducted is patristic theology. More precisely, the thesis studies the theological and spiritual-anthropological thought of Saint John Cassian, as it emerges from his two spiritual works, Institutes of the Coenobia and Conferences. This leads us to wonder about Cassian's place in relation to the earlier Eastern monastic tradition, as well as about his two works influence on the later western monastic tradition. Our research aims to understand and explain, from an in-depth analytical reading of the texts, the thread of Cassian's vision of the spiritual progression of man. We sketch it in four main stages: homo exterior - puritas cordis - homo interior - ignita oratio (contemplatio). Our insistence in the analysis of the various notions of Cassian's spiritual vocabulary aims to highlight one of the original aspects of this author for all monastic literature, namely the conversion of the Greek ascetic and monastic vocabulary, derived from the Egyptian tradition, and thereby the creation and development of a Latin spiritual language.

As a writer of medical summaries and compendia, Oribasius has often been dismissed as a harbinger of late antique medical decline. This dissertation challenges this long-lived assumption by revaluating the compiler and his writings, and the place of medicine in the cultural and social landscape of late antiquity. Chapter one examines the scholarly biases that surround Oribasius’ career, positing that his Medical Collections were produced in response to the intellectual priorities of the Emperor Julian’s scholarly circle. Moreover, both the medical art and the physician were highly regarded in the fourth century, as chapter two demonstrates. Not only do the Collections reflect the priorities and order of empire, but the idea of the medical encounter granted both emperor and bishop a symbolic language with which to pose and articulate social questions in this period. Chapters three and four outline the ways Oribasius engaged with the medical realities of his day, by retaining in his compilation a sense of personal experience and patient interaction. In his borrowed case histories, female subservience in the face of medical authority is expected; whilst the hierarchy of the elite household is shown to dictate his approach to the patients within it. A messier reality of female agency in their own physical and spiritual care is better captured by Christian writers in the miracle account and sermon, in part because Christians like the Cappadocians and John Chrysostom imbued female choice with new theological meaning. Chapter five sets Oribasius’ approach to the female patient in the broader context of late antique social shifts. The compiler’s careful delineation of responsibility and blame in dealings with vulnerable pubertal and pregnant women reflect an attempt to reaffirm an unwritten social contract with the elite and the paterfamilias; a social priority which is also apparent in the legal compendia of the period. Christian writers, meanwhile, drew metaphorically upon medical discourses of generativity and patrimony to distinguish Christian society from the classical past, as chapter six demonstrates. In the final analysis, Oribasius’ Collections are shown to be intimately and variously in dialogue with the society that produced them, reflecting both the high standing of the art in late antiquity, and its symbolic role in defence of the social world, patriarchy and empire. Christian interactions with medicine are shown to reflect many of these same priorities, and to engage with medical norms in more pervasive ways than has often been noted. But it is only in the Christian text that the medical writers’ woman transcends the determinisms of her traditional generativity and physical inferiority, so central to the writings of Oribasius and his classical predecessors.

Intrigued by a striking resemblance between certain behaviour, characteristics and preoccupations in characters from French literary texts, on the one hand, and in modern-day anorexics on the other, we have undertaken a study of representations of abnegation. In reading female ascetic piety, particularly in an extreme and sterile form known as “scrupulosity,” as it is seen in Madame Gervaisais, by the Goncourt Brothers, and in the representation of adolescence in L’Histoire de ma vie, by George Sand, I aim to explore similarities and differences between these two “conditions.” Next, certain texts by Zola, Vincent van Gogh and Simone de Beauvoir allow me to study a wide range of responses to the same questions as those which motivate anorexia nervosa and scrupulosity: questions of balance between the spiritual and the material, of perfectionism, of excessive obedience, of refusal of pleasure, and of a capacity for self-destruction. Paradoxically, all the “characters” studied here (including those “characters” created by means of autobiography or letter writing) are represented as possessing tendencies which define these two “conditions,” tendencies which are capable of leading either to extraordinary fulfilment, an unheard of creativity, or to self-destruction motivated by a desire for perfect virtue. Reading these texts in the light of anorexia nervosa allows new insights into them, in turn offering a new perspective on anorexia nervosa, suggesting its long involvement in the cultural history of Europe. / RESUME S'anéantir ou s'épanouir : avatars d'ascétisme anorexique dans la littérature française du XIXe au XXIe siècle Intriguée par une ressemblance frappante entre quantité de comportements, caractéristiques et préoccupations chez, d'une part, des personnages des textes littéraires français du XIXe siècle, et d'autre part chez les anorexiques modernes, nous avons entrepris d'examiner des représentations de l'abnégation. En lisant la piété féminine ascétique, surtout dans une forme stérile et extrême nommée « scrupule », telle qu'elle est montrée dans Madame Gervaisais, des frères Goncourt, et dans la représentation de l'adolescence dans L'Histoire de ma vie, de George Sand, je me donne pour but l'exploration des similarités et différences entre ces deux « conditions ». Ensuite, certains textes de Zola, de Vincent van Gogh, et de Simone de Beauvoir me permettent de scruter une variété de réponses aux mêmes questions qui motivent l'anorexie mentale et le scrupule : questions d'équilibre entre le spirituel et le matériel, de perfectionnisme, d'obéissance excessive, de refus du plaisir, et de capacité à s'anéantir. Paradoxalement, tous les « personnages » étudiés ici (y compris les « personnages » créés à travers l'autobiographie ou l'art épistolaire) sont représentés comme possédant des tendances qui définissent ces deux « conditions », tendances qui peuvent mener soit à un épanouissement extraordinaire, une créativité inouïe, soit à l’anéantissement de soi motivé par un désir de vertu parfaite. Lire ces textes en rapport avec l'anorexie mentale, c'est les considérer sous un jour nouveau, ce qui offre à son tour une nouvelle optique sur l'anorexie mentale, suggérant son imbrication de longue date dans l'histoire culturelle de l'Europe.

Intrigued by a striking resemblance between certain behaviour, characteristics and preoccupations in characters from French literary texts, on the one hand, and in modern-day anorexics on the other, we have undertaken a study of representations of abnegation. In reading female ascetic piety, particularly in an extreme and sterile form known as “scrupulosity,” as it is seen in Madame Gervaisais, by the Goncourt Brothers, and in the representation of adolescence in L’Histoire de ma vie, by George Sand, I aim to explore similarities and differences between these two “conditions.” Next, certain texts by Zola, Vincent van Gogh and Simone de Beauvoir allow me to study a wide range of responses to the same questions as those which motivate anorexia nervosa and scrupulosity: questions of balance between the spiritual and the material, of perfectionism, of excessive obedience, of refusal of pleasure, and of a capacity for self-destruction. Paradoxically, all the “characters” studied here (including those “characters” created by means of autobiography or letter writing) are represented as possessing tendencies which define these two “conditions,” tendencies which are capable of leading either to extraordinary fulfilment, an unheard of creativity, or to self-destruction motivated by a desire for perfect virtue. Reading these texts in the light of anorexia nervosa allows new insights into them, in turn offering a new perspective on anorexia nervosa, suggesting its long involvement in the cultural history of Europe. / RESUME S'anéantir ou s'épanouir : avatars d'ascétisme anorexique dans la littérature française du XIXe au XXIe siècle Intriguée par une ressemblance frappante entre quantité de comportements, caractéristiques et préoccupations chez, d'une part, des personnages des textes littéraires français du XIXe siècle, et d'autre part chez les anorexiques modernes, nous avons entrepris d'examiner des représentations de l'abnégation. En lisant la piété féminine ascétique, surtout dans une forme stérile et extrême nommée « scrupule », telle qu'elle est montrée dans Madame Gervaisais, des frères Goncourt, et dans la représentation de l'adolescence dans L'Histoire de ma vie, de George Sand, je me donne pour but l'exploration des similarités et différences entre ces deux « conditions ». Ensuite, certains textes de Zola, de Vincent van Gogh, et de Simone de Beauvoir me permettent de scruter une variété de réponses aux mêmes questions qui motivent l'anorexie mentale et le scrupule : questions d'équilibre entre le spirituel et le matériel, de perfectionnisme, d'obéissance excessive, de refus du plaisir, et de capacité à s'anéantir. Paradoxalement, tous les « personnages » étudiés ici (y compris les « personnages » créés à travers l'autobiographie ou l'art épistolaire) sont représentés comme possédant des tendances qui définissent ces deux « conditions », tendances qui peuvent mener soit à un épanouissement extraordinaire, une créativité inouïe, soit à l’anéantissement de soi motivé par un désir de vertu parfaite. Lire ces textes en rapport avec l'anorexie mentale, c'est les considérer sous un jour nouveau, ce qui offre à son tour une nouvelle optique sur l'anorexie mentale, suggérant son imbrication de longue date dans l'histoire culturelle de l'Europe.

Intrigued by a striking resemblance between certain behaviour, characteristics and preoccupations in characters from French literary texts, on the one hand, and in modern-day anorexics on the other, we have undertaken a study of representations of abnegation. In reading female ascetic piety, particularly in an extreme and sterile form known as “scrupulosity,” as it is seen in Madame Gervaisais, by the Goncourt Brothers, and in the representation of adolescence in L’Histoire de ma vie, by George Sand, I aim to explore similarities and differences between these two “conditions.” Next, certain texts by Zola, Vincent van Gogh and Simone de Beauvoir allow me to study a wide range of responses to the same questions as those which motivate anorexia nervosa and scrupulosity: questions of balance between the spiritual and the material, of perfectionism, of excessive obedience, of refusal of pleasure, and of a capacity for self-destruction. Paradoxically, all the “characters” studied here (including those “characters” created by means of autobiography or letter writing) are represented as possessing tendencies which define these two “conditions,” tendencies which are capable of leading either to extraordinary fulfilment, an unheard of creativity, or to self-destruction motivated by a desire for perfect virtue. Reading these texts in the light of anorexia nervosa allows new insights into them, in turn offering a new perspective on anorexia nervosa, suggesting its long involvement in the cultural history of Europe. / RESUME S'anéantir ou s'épanouir : avatars d'ascétisme anorexique dans la littérature française du XIXe au XXIe siècle Intriguée par une ressemblance frappante entre quantité de comportements, caractéristiques et préoccupations chez, d'une part, des personnages des textes littéraires français du XIXe siècle, et d'autre part chez les anorexiques modernes, nous avons entrepris d'examiner des représentations de l'abnégation. En lisant la piété féminine ascétique, surtout dans une forme stérile et extrême nommée « scrupule », telle qu'elle est montrée dans Madame Gervaisais, des frères Goncourt, et dans la représentation de l'adolescence dans L'Histoire de ma vie, de George Sand, je me donne pour but l'exploration des similarités et différences entre ces deux « conditions ». Ensuite, certains textes de Zola, de Vincent van Gogh, et de Simone de Beauvoir me permettent de scruter une variété de réponses aux mêmes questions qui motivent l'anorexie mentale et le scrupule : questions d'équilibre entre le spirituel et le matériel, de perfectionnisme, d'obéissance excessive, de refus du plaisir, et de capacité à s'anéantir. Paradoxalement, tous les « personnages » étudiés ici (y compris les « personnages » créés à travers l'autobiographie ou l'art épistolaire) sont représentés comme possédant des tendances qui définissent ces deux « conditions », tendances qui peuvent mener soit à un épanouissement extraordinaire, une créativité inouïe, soit à l’anéantissement de soi motivé par un désir de vertu parfaite. Lire ces textes en rapport avec l'anorexie mentale, c'est les considérer sous un jour nouveau, ce qui offre à son tour une nouvelle optique sur l'anorexie mentale, suggérant son imbrication de longue date dans l'histoire culturelle de l'Europe.

Intrigued by a striking resemblance between certain behaviour, characteristics and preoccupations in characters from French literary texts, on the one hand, and in modern-day anorexics on the other, we have undertaken a study of representations of abnegation. In reading female ascetic piety, particularly in an extreme and sterile form known as “scrupulosity,” as it is seen in Madame Gervaisais, by the Goncourt Brothers, and in the representation of adolescence in L’Histoire de ma vie, by George Sand, I aim to explore similarities and differences between these two “conditions.” Next, certain texts by Zola, Vincent van Gogh and Simone de Beauvoir allow me to study a wide range of responses to the same questions as those which motivate anorexia nervosa and scrupulosity: questions of balance between the spiritual and the material, of perfectionism, of excessive obedience, of refusal of pleasure, and of a capacity for self-destruction. Paradoxically, all the “characters” studied here (including those “characters” created by means of autobiography or letter writing) are represented as possessing tendencies which define these two “conditions,” tendencies which are capable of leading either to extraordinary fulfilment, an unheard of creativity, or to self-destruction motivated by a desire for perfect virtue. Reading these texts in the light of anorexia nervosa allows new insights into them, in turn offering a new perspective on anorexia nervosa, suggesting its long involvement in the cultural history of Europe. / RESUME S'anéantir ou s'épanouir : avatars d'ascétisme anorexique dans la littérature française du XIXe au XXIe siècle Intriguée par une ressemblance frappante entre quantité de comportements, caractéristiques et préoccupations chez, d'une part, des personnages des textes littéraires français du XIXe siècle, et d'autre part chez les anorexiques modernes, nous avons entrepris d'examiner des représentations de l'abnégation. En lisant la piété féminine ascétique, surtout dans une forme stérile et extrême nommée « scrupule », telle qu'elle est montrée dans Madame Gervaisais, des frères Goncourt, et dans la représentation de l'adolescence dans L'Histoire de ma vie, de George Sand, je me donne pour but l'exploration des similarités et différences entre ces deux « conditions ». Ensuite, certains textes de Zola, de Vincent van Gogh, et de Simone de Beauvoir me permettent de scruter une variété de réponses aux mêmes questions qui motivent l'anorexie mentale et le scrupule : questions d'équilibre entre le spirituel et le matériel, de perfectionnisme, d'obéissance excessive, de refus du plaisir, et de capacité à s'anéantir. Paradoxalement, tous les « personnages » étudiés ici (y compris les « personnages » créés à travers l'autobiographie ou l'art épistolaire) sont représentés comme possédant des tendances qui définissent ces deux « conditions », tendances qui peuvent mener soit à un épanouissement extraordinaire, une créativité inouïe, soit à l’anéantissement de soi motivé par un désir de vertu parfaite. Lire ces textes en rapport avec l'anorexie mentale, c'est les considérer sous un jour nouveau, ce qui offre à son tour une nouvelle optique sur l'anorexie mentale, suggérant son imbrication de longue date dans l'histoire culturelle de l'Europe.