The Reformed tradition, following Zwingli and especially Calvin, excluded images from the churches. Calvin rejected the sacred images of his day as idolatrous on the grounds that they were treated as making God present, that the necessary distinction between God and God’s material creation was not maintained, and because an image, which rightly was to be mimetic of visible reality, could not truthfully depict God. Calvin approved the Renaissance notion of visual art as mimetic and he understood that artists’ abilities were gifts of God and were to be used rightly. He also had a very keenly developed visual aesthetic sense in relation to nature as the “mirror” of God’s glory. However, the strong human tendency towards idolatry before images, he believed, meant that it was not expedient to place any pictures in the churches. Reinterpretation of key biblical passages, particularly the first and second commandments (Calvin’s numbering), together with changes in the understanding of what constitutes visual art, of the relationships between words and visual images, and of the processes of interpretation and reception not only of texts but of all perceived reality, lead to a re-thinking of the issues. The biblical narrative with its theological insights can be interpreted into a visual language and used by the church as complementary to, but never replacing, biblical preaching and teaching in words. Attention to the visual aesthetic dimensions of the worship space is important to allow for this space to function as an invitation and call to worship. Its form, colour, light and adorning may give aesthetic delight, which leads to praise and thanksgiving, or it may provoke other response which helps people prepare to offer worship to God. The world and its people depicted in visual art/image may inform the praying of the church and the visual representation of the church (the saints) may provide congregations with an awareness of the breadth of the church at worship in heaven and on earth. In the present diversity of views about visual art and the work of the artist there is freedom for the artist to re-think the question of vocation and artists may find new opportunities for understanding and exercising their vocation not only in secular art establishments and the community but also in relation to the worship of the church.

Bibliography: leaves 474-489 / xii, 489 leaves, [1] folded leaf : ill ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of History, 1987

<p>This paper analyses the existence and nature of the sacred landscape Olands härad during the Bronze Age and Iron Age. Olands härad is located in Northern Uppland, onthe way to Östhammar, about 30 km northeast of Uppsala. The interpretations are done with help of place names studies as well as archaeological finds. The results indicate that different types of cult locations can be found in the area.</p>

In this essay the renewal of the modern sacred art has been examined through the creation of three works of art from the art project “Kyrkorummet”. The aim has been to show that renewal of the modern sacred art is best accomplished by the combination of the artist history and Bible knowledge and the open mindness of the beholder towards the new and creative, in order to communicate the gospel in modern time. The large extend of the art project demanded a selection of the art works. Therefore, three were chosen and they show the last supper and the baptism in a renewal way including both symbolism and creativity. To complete and facilitate the analyses, a theme, light and water, have been used as well as relevant theories in art history with Kandinsky as main art critic. Through the art project and it’s teaching, history in combination with present time through visits in different and modern churches, thoughts have been stimulated and the result has been new works of art that speaks of our time. The project has also shown that symbolism is an important aspect in the renewal of sacred art, since it communicates and reveals important truths.

This ethnographic study is on a sacred patrilineage, on the Ulusoy family members who are widely accepted by the Alevi Bektasi communities as the descendants of the eponymous founder of the Bektasi Order, Haci Bektas Veli. In line with the Shi&rsquo / ite tradition, it is claimed that Haci Bektas Veli inherited the batin, the esoteric aspect of the knowledge and the type of spirituality of this knowledge - walaya, by genealogical chain traced back to Ahl-al Bayt, and therefore undertook an initiating and supervisory role over his adherents. As the progeny of Haci Bektas Veli, the &Ccedil / elebis, namely the Ulusoy family, have also become the heirs of his sacred authority which was also inherited by their descendant through blood and transmigration. The Ulusoys have undertaken the role of spiritual guides and leaders of some other sacred dede (sacred guide) lineages called ocaks, as well as of the disciples of those ocaks, to regulate and supervise their life in accordance with the batin, divine knowledge. Thus, the purpose of this dissertation is to explore the maintenance and reproduction of the hereditary sanctity of the Ulusoy family during the Republican period during which, due to the secularization and modernization attempts of the Republic, the sanctity and sacred authority of the family has not been recognized as a social distinct category. To this end, I firstly examine the historical background of the family by situating the family in the Ottoman period. Having found out the continuities and ruptures in exercising of the sacred authority of the family over the disciples after the establishment of the Republic, I focus on the transformation of the sanctity and new forms of it by employing the concepts of space/place / kinship and, gender.

The intention of this essay is to put the light on and to discuss if there is a connection between a pre-Christian creation mythology and naked rocks on prehistoric sacred places in Scandinavia. Archaeological as well as historical materials are studied. The historical material is mostly from Snorre Sturlasons Asasagan with the explanation of the creation of the world. In this story the world was built from the body of a killed and deposited giant named Ymer. Almost the same myth is told in all Indo-European countries. Asasagsan tells about the Gods and the people in the late iron-age. Sanda in Fresna socken and Helgö in Ekerö socken, both in Uppland and both in activity in late iron-age are used as archaeological example of places where naked rocks are used as some kind of altar for rites.

Islamic design is a rich art form with spiritual and meditative meaning expressed through its infinite pattern. The iterative process of creating pattern, unified yet diverse, is an intri-cate geometric path conveying conceptual exploration. Process of form development in Is-lamic patterns defines its growing design, seeking explicit relationships between unity and multiplicity. As the grid expands and patterns unfold, new concepts are introduced for pat-tern exploration and formation. Reoccurring focal points of the Islamic geometries mark significant moments in which these patterns take form. By fusing traditional Islamic design fundamentals with contemporary concepts for interiors, I expand the realm of this rich art form from a two dimensional form to a three dimensional structure.

The aim of this essay is to illustrate a modern phenomenon, the Olympic Games, by applying the ideas of Mircea Eliade concerning space, time and myth. This literature study is mainly divided in two parts, one descriptive and one analytic. In the first part Eliade’s ideas and some criticism, which has been pointed against his theoretical approaches as well as his character, are presented. In the second part an analysis is carried out, based on the previously presented ideas and elements essential for the Olympics; the idea of the Olympics, the place, the ceremonies, the competition and the concept of individual idolism. I have discussed what seems like gnostic tendencies in Eliade’s ideas, in the sense that both Eliade’s ideas and the concept of Gnosticism argue that knowledge is a necessary condition for salvation, as well as the fact that Eliade and his ideas have not always a pro-Christian approach. I have also shown that incoherency exists in his theoretical approach concerning the manifestation of the sacred. I have found that Mircea Eliade’s ideas, with some difficulties, very well can reflect a modern phenomenon such as the Olympic Games. I have also put forth the idea of translating Eliade’s conception of axis mundi into an ideological landscape; the Olympic values become an analogy to axis mundi. Furthermore, I have also shown that modern man in different ways desires to be close to the sacred, and how this fact to some extent may explain people’s devotion to and worship of sport heroes, and thus why not only athletes but also billions of spectators are inclined to attend the Olympics. Finally, I show that, according to Eliade’s ideas, the Olympics might facilitate the process of creating modern myths.

This paper analyses the existence and nature of the sacred landscape Olands härad during the Bronze Age and Iron Age. Olands härad is located in Northern Uppland, onthe way to Östhammar, about 30 km northeast of Uppsala. The interpretations are done with help of place names studies as well as archaeological finds. The results indicate that different types of cult locations can be found in the area.

Melodram für Sprecher und Orgel. Text: Dietrich Mendt, Musik: Matthias Drude