Jiří Dynda Gods and Demons: The Construction of the Slavic Paganism in the Medieval Textual Sources PhD Thesis, Faculty of Arts, Charles University Abstract The thesis focuses on the analysis of ways of discursive construction of Slavic paganism in medieval written sources. Three chapters attempt to answer the basic research question: how are the elements of Slavic paganism (and especially its concept of divinity) described before; shortly after; and long after Christianization. In other words, how paganism was portrayed as an active external enemy, as a defeated enemy, and as an internal enemy of medieval Christianity. The discourses analysis is applied to more than a dozen case studies of specific sources or their groups. These written sources are analysed also in comparison with other textual, archaeological and ethnographic sources. By thorough identification of several discursive strategies (idolatric, demonological, ortho-practical, euhemeristic and Graeco- Roman interpretation) in the sources the thesis is directed towards a detailed knowledge of the specifics of the Christian perspective (interpretatio Christiana) on the Slavic pagan religions. Thus, the thesis contributes to the possibilities of their understanding. In particular, the concept of divinity in functioning pagan societies in comparison...

Thesis advisor: Dayton Haskin / Using methods drawn from literary analysis, theology, and political history, <italic>Loving Liberty</italic> explores the relationship between Milton's thinking about liberty and his practice of scriptural interpretation. It argues that Milton advances a model of a free society ultimately modeled on the charitable relations between the Father and the Son, who in his view differ essentially from one another. This model of liberated unity in difference derives from, and responds to, Milton's encounter with the Reformation ideal of each believer reading the Bible for him or herself, along with the social chaos that accompanied the resulting proliferation of interpretations. Using a complex concept of charity, Milton's writings imagine a society in which all are free to use scripture in highly individualized ways that nevertheless conduce to unity rather than chaos. In the end, the very interpretative practice through which Milton thinks his way toward this model also stands as its shining example, culminating in a rich body of writing that creatively re-imagines scripture and that invites its readers to use these new creations or not, as charity demands and in keeping with their own freely exercised gifts. In contrast to what he calls &ldquo;obstinate literality&rdquo; and &ldquo;alphabetical servility&rdquo in <italic>The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce</italic>, Milton's liberated interpretative method requires the interpreter to generate his or her own Bible, whether by radically reassembling the text (as Milton does in <italic>De Doctrina Christiana</italic>), by prophetically speaking the scripture written on one's heart (as Michael teaches Adam to do in <italic>Paradise Lost</italic>). / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2011. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: English.

Les recherches récentes ont tenté une nouvelle approche du concept de " religions orientales", mis en relief par Franz Cumont dans Les religions orientales dans le paganisme romain. Tout au long de ce processus de déconstruction de l'idée des «religions orientales», on remarque l'absence d'une relecture approfondie des écrits chrétiens. Il est primordial de comprendre l'apport des sources chrétiennes dans l'établissement et l'élaboration de cette nouvelle perspective. La relecture des écrits de Tertullien est d'autant plus nécessaire qu'il a joué un rôle dans les théories établies par Cumont qui définissait le culte mithriaque comme le rival du christianisme. et les "cultes orientaux" deviennent sous sa plume le missing link entre paganisme et christianisme. Tertullien écrit à une époque charnière de l'histoire du christianisme : celle de la construction et de l'expression de l'identité chrétienne. Le polémiste a recours à Cybèle, aux dieux isiaques et à Mithra dans ses traités apologétiques et antihérétiques. Cette étude propose une relecture des lignes "orientales" de l'oeuvre de Tertullien à la lumière du contexte polémique, rhétorique et identitaire de ses traités. Pour mieux appréhender le rôle qu'il attribue à ses divinités, il est nécessaire de dépouiller ces passages, de démonter l'argumentation de Tertullien et de s'imprégner de la dialectique chrétienne pour saisir les rouages de la pensée de l'apologète. La construction binaire et antithétique de ses ouvrages nous permet d'évaluer la vision chrétienne des rapports religieux et de comprendre la place des dieux "orientaux" dans la définition chrétienne de l' "autre", en opposition à la nouvelle religio. / Research attempts to conceptualize a new approach to the "religions orientales" advanced by Franz Cumont in his book Les religions orientales dans le paganisme romain. It is necessary to understand what the contribution of the study of Christian sources to the establishment and development of this new perspective and a redefinition of the so-Called oriental gods is. This re-Reading of Tertullian is necessary due to the role of Cumont's theories : the scholar defined the Mithraic cult as the rival of Christianity. The "oriental religions" in his writings represent the missing link between paganism and Christianity. Tertullian wrote during a turning point in Christian history when the identity of Christianity was being established. The polemicist often uses Cybele, the deities of the gens Isiac and Mithras in his apologetic and anti-Heretical treaties. This study proposes a re-Reading of the "oriental" in the works of the polemicist, taking into consideration the polemic and rhetoric and the concept of identity in his treaties. In order to understand the role reserved by the author for the deities that were so important to Cumont, it is necessary to analyse these passages, collect the controversial issues behind each citation of the Magna Mater, Isis and Mithras, and deconstruct the arguments of Tertullian, in the light of Christian dialectic to comprehend the workings of the apologist's mind. Similarly,the binary and antithetical construction of the works of Tertullian allow us to assess the Christian vision of religious relationship and understand the place of the so-Called Oriental gods in the Christian definition of the "other" in opposition to the new religio.

Text in Afrikaans / Die basiese tese voortspruitend uit hierdie ondersoek is dat wetenskapsbeoefening binne bepaalde terreine van die regswetenskap ondemeem word ooreenkomstig 'n verswee staatlike paradigma wat deurlopend streef na die instandhouding van die politieke status quo. Die territoriale staat is die hoeksteen van die bestaande politieke orde en terselfdertyd die meester-konsep van die staatlike paradigma. Wetenskapsbeoefening volgens hierdie paradigma is gemik op die instandhouding van die territoriale staat en funksioneer dus as 'n defensief-konserwatiewe politieke projek. Uitsluitsel oor welke vrae en antwoorde as wetenskaplik ter sake kwalifiseer, word gegee aan die hand van die behoeftes van die bestaande territoriaalstaatlike orde. Antwoorde kwalifiseer as wetenskaplik houdbaar alleenlik indien dit met die belange van die bestaande territoriale staat vereenselwigbaar is en nie die staatlike status quo sal ontwrig nie. Intellektuele aktiwiteit wat nie die staatlike gebaseerde status quo ter wille is nie en dit moontlik mag ontwrig, haal in terme van hierdie paradigma moeilik die drumpel van wetenskaplikheid. In die ondersoek word die vestiging van die staatlike paradigma histories nagegaan en daama word die hoofmomente van die paradigma blootgele. Die belangrikste produkte van wetenskapsbeoefening kragtens die staatlike paradigma word daama uitgepluis. Benewens die feit dat die produkte deurlopend die staatlike orde onderskraag, vervul dit ook die strategiese funksie om uitdagers van die staatlike orde te domestiseer en in die diens van die staatlike orde te plaas. Die prominentste produkte van wetenskapsbeoefening volgens die staatlike paradigma word ontleed: - staatsbou, dikwels verkeerdelik voorgehou as nasiebou; - demokrasie wat onderhewig aan die dissipline van die staatlike paradigma tot staatlike demokrasie omvorm is; - menseregte wat burgerlike afhanklikheid van die staat bevorder en die staat sodoende teen opposisie vrywaar; - die misdaad, hoogverraad en die intemasionaalregtelike figuur van selfbeskikking wat deur die staatlike paradigma tot 'n staatsdienende staatlike selfbeskikking omvorm is. Die staatlike paradigma word egter onder toenemende spanning geplaas en daar bestaan die moontlikheid van 'n rewolusionere herwaardering van verskeie sleutel-konsepte wat deur die staatlike paradigma gevange gehou en in diens van die bestaande staatlike status quo gedomestiseer is. Die rewolusionere vrystel van hierdie konsepte kan die weg baan na 'n nuwe politokrasie anderkant die staatlike orde. / The basic thesis emanating from this research holds that scientific enterprises within certain fields of the legal science are undertaken in pursuance of a tacit statist paradigm which consistently preserve the political status quo. The territorial state is both the keystone of the existing political order and the master concept of the statist paradigm. Scientific activity according to this paradigm seeks to protect the territorial state and functions as a defensive conservative political project. The scientific relevance of questions and answers is determined by the exigencies of the existing order composed of territorial states. Answers are viewed as scientifically authentic only if they are compatible with the interests of the prevailing territorial state and when they do not pose a threat of disruption to the existing statist status quo. Intellectual activity that does not affirm the statist predicated status quo and which poses the risk of disruption of the this order would seldom qualify as scientific in terms of this paradigm. This study examines the historical establishment of the statist paradigm and debunks the main pillars of the paradigm. The foremost products of scientific activity in accordance with the statist paradigm are then analyzed. These products invariably safeguard the statist order and also succeed in domesticating the challengers of the statist order and placing them in the service of this order. The most outstanding developments of the scientific endeavour in pursuance of the statist paradigm are analyzed, which are: - state building, often inaccurately portrayed as nation building; -democracy which, subjected to the discipline of the statist paradigm, had been transformed into statist democracy; - human rights which cultivate civic dependence upon the state, thus safeguarding the state against opposition; -the crime ofhigh treason and the international law concept of self-determination which was transfigured by the statist paradigm into a state serving statist self-determination. The statist paradigm is however placed under increasing tension and there is a possibility of a revolutionary reappraisal of several key concepts which the statist paradigm has kept in captivity and which have been domesticated and placed in the service of the statist status quo. By releasing these revolutionary concepts, the way to a new politocracy, beyond the statist order, may be paved. / Jurisprudence / LL.D.

Text in Afrikaans / Die basiese tese voortspruitend uit hierdie ondersoek is dat wetenskapsbeoefening binne bepaalde terreine van die regswetenskap ondemeem word ooreenkomstig 'n verswee staatlike paradigma wat deurlopend streef na die instandhouding van die politieke status quo. Die territoriale staat is die hoeksteen van die bestaande politieke orde en terselfdertyd die meester-konsep van die staatlike paradigma. Wetenskapsbeoefening volgens hierdie paradigma is gemik op die instandhouding van die territoriale staat en funksioneer dus as 'n defensief-konserwatiewe politieke projek. Uitsluitsel oor welke vrae en antwoorde as wetenskaplik ter sake kwalifiseer, word gegee aan die hand van die behoeftes van die bestaande territoriaalstaatlike orde. Antwoorde kwalifiseer as wetenskaplik houdbaar alleenlik indien dit met die belange van die bestaande territoriale staat vereenselwigbaar is en nie die staatlike status quo sal ontwrig nie. Intellektuele aktiwiteit wat nie die staatlike gebaseerde status quo ter wille is nie en dit moontlik mag ontwrig, haal in terme van hierdie paradigma moeilik die drumpel van wetenskaplikheid. In die ondersoek word die vestiging van die staatlike paradigma histories nagegaan en daama word die hoofmomente van die paradigma blootgele. Die belangrikste produkte van wetenskapsbeoefening kragtens die staatlike paradigma word daama uitgepluis. Benewens die feit dat die produkte deurlopend die staatlike orde onderskraag, vervul dit ook die strategiese funksie om uitdagers van die staatlike orde te domestiseer en in die diens van die staatlike orde te plaas. Die prominentste produkte van wetenskapsbeoefening volgens die staatlike paradigma word ontleed: - staatsbou, dikwels verkeerdelik voorgehou as nasiebou; - demokrasie wat onderhewig aan die dissipline van die staatlike paradigma tot staatlike demokrasie omvorm is; - menseregte wat burgerlike afhanklikheid van die staat bevorder en die staat sodoende teen opposisie vrywaar; - die misdaad, hoogverraad en die intemasionaalregtelike figuur van selfbeskikking wat deur die staatlike paradigma tot 'n staatsdienende staatlike selfbeskikking omvorm is. Die staatlike paradigma word egter onder toenemende spanning geplaas en daar bestaan die moontlikheid van 'n rewolusionere herwaardering van verskeie sleutel-konsepte wat deur die staatlike paradigma gevange gehou en in diens van die bestaande staatlike status quo gedomestiseer is. Die rewolusionere vrystel van hierdie konsepte kan die weg baan na 'n nuwe politokrasie anderkant die staatlike orde. / The basic thesis emanating from this research holds that scientific enterprises within certain fields of the legal science are undertaken in pursuance of a tacit statist paradigm which consistently preserve the political status quo. The territorial state is both the keystone of the existing political order and the master concept of the statist paradigm. Scientific activity according to this paradigm seeks to protect the territorial state and functions as a defensive conservative political project. The scientific relevance of questions and answers is determined by the exigencies of the existing order composed of territorial states. Answers are viewed as scientifically authentic only if they are compatible with the interests of the prevailing territorial state and when they do not pose a threat of disruption to the existing statist status quo. Intellectual activity that does not affirm the statist predicated status quo and which poses the risk of disruption of the this order would seldom qualify as scientific in terms of this paradigm. This study examines the historical establishment of the statist paradigm and debunks the main pillars of the paradigm. The foremost products of scientific activity in accordance with the statist paradigm are then analyzed. These products invariably safeguard the statist order and also succeed in domesticating the challengers of the statist order and placing them in the service of this order. The most outstanding developments of the scientific endeavour in pursuance of the statist paradigm are analyzed, which are: - state building, often inaccurately portrayed as nation building; -democracy which, subjected to the discipline of the statist paradigm, had been transformed into statist democracy; - human rights which cultivate civic dependence upon the state, thus safeguarding the state against opposition; -the crime ofhigh treason and the international law concept of self-determination which was transfigured by the statist paradigm into a state serving statist self-determination. The statist paradigm is however placed under increasing tension and there is a possibility of a revolutionary reappraisal of several key concepts which the statist paradigm has kept in captivity and which have been domesticated and placed in the service of the statist status quo. By releasing these revolutionary concepts, the way to a new politocracy, beyond the statist order, may be paved. / Jurisprudence / LL.D.