In Khaled Hosseini's novel The Kite Runner (2003) the reader follows the narrator and protagonist Amir’s as he embarks on his journey towards redemption. Amir’s need for redemption is based on the tragic childhood event where Amir’s friend and servant Hassan were assaulted by their nemesis Assef as Amir can, but fails to intervene. This event is central to the plot. The story is told through Amir's memories and contains details about his relationship to the people close to him as well as his nemesis. I will argue that Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner can be interpreted through a character analysis based on the names Hosseini chose for three of his characters and how they correlate to the portrayal of the characters, their personalities and how they mirror the actors in the Afghani civil war. / I Khaled Hosseinis roman The Kite Runner (2003) följer läsaren berättaren och huvudpersonen Amir på hans resan genom livet. Den tragiska händelsen där Amirs vän och tjänare Hassan blev våldtagen av deras plågoande Assef är en central del av handlingen. Handlingen skildras genom Amirs minnen och innehåller detaljer om hans relationer till de personer som står honom nära såväl som detaljer om hans fiende. Jag argumenterar för att Khaled Hosseinis The Kite Runner kan tolkas genom en karaktärsanalys som baseras på de namn som Hosseini valt till sina karaktärer och hur de står i relation till porträtteringen av karaktärerna och deras personligheter samt hur de speglar aktörerna i det afghanska inbördeskriget.

Following the bloody Revolution of 1910-1917, Mexican leaders took a great interest in rebuilding their devastated, war-torn country. In an attempt to further national unity, the post-Revolutionary regime sought to construct a unified, national identity. Many officials, such as José Vasconcelos, Mexico's first Secretario de Educación, viewed education as one of the keys to redeeming the nation. These government officials, empowered by their ideals and their sense of civic duty, worked to extend educational benefits to even the most overlooked segments of Mexican society. This thesis will examine two fictional texts that consider these efforts to transform and unify the nation through education in the post-Revolutionary years. Emilio "El Indio" Fernández's film, Río Escondido (1947), and Rosario Castellanos's novel, Balún Canán (1957), document the results of this federal intervention on behalf of its citizens in frontier towns far from the nation's capital. Nonetheless, Fernández and Castellanos provide very different appraisals of Mexico's post-Revolutionary education agenda. I view Río Escondido as official discourse because it lauds the national government initiatives to extend learning to all Mexicans and suggests that education will redeem the Mexican people. In Balún Canán, on the other hand, those in power utilize the education system to maintain control in society. Thus the novel criticizes failures within federal policies to provide education to less privileged sections of society. Despite their differences, both texts speak to a reality that Mexico dealt with during the mid-twentieth century when it attempted to solve its problems through education.

[pt] O Rio de Janeiro é uma cidade na qual a arquitetura humana e a arquitetura divina convivem lado a lado. Esta realidade se torna mais evidente no alto do Monte Corcovado, onde a natureza, criação de Deus, e a estátua do Cristo Redentor, símbolo da redenção, aparecem harmonicamente, como se o monumento pudesse ser compreendido quase como uma extensão da montanha. O Cristo do Corcovado é esteticamente belo e tão pleno de significado que se mistura àquela famosa visão da natureza pela qual se confirma o título cidade maravilhosa. Concebido originalmente no século XIX, o propósito do monumento era comunicar o cerne da mensagem cristã numa linguagem universal. Após a sua inauguração, em outubro de 1931, o monumento transcendeu o âmbito religioso, representando também a cultura brasileira para o mundo. Em outubro de 2006, o platô do Monte Corcovado foi reconhecido como santuário católico, um lugar de oração e encontro, onde as pessoas podem estar em harmonia com Deus, com a natureza e com o próximo. Esta tese tem o objetivo de traduzir o simbolismo do Santuário Cristo Redentor em linguagem teológica, à luz da encíclica Laudato Si e da ecologia integral para fecundar a cultura, rica nas suas diversas manifestações, dentre as quais se apresenta o próprio monumento do Corcovado, diante dos desafios gerados pela mentalidade globalizante, consumista e de descarte. No primeiro capítulo abordamos a Teologia da História do Santuário Cristo Redentor, buscando haurir, nos 520 anos de história da Igreja no Brasil, as luzes para compreender as origens da crise socioambiental, no período colonial, no Império e na República, chegando até os dias atuais. No segundo capítulo, apresentamos a Cristologia e a Soteriologia da encíclica Laudato Si, abordando a criação, a encarnação e a redenção de forma integral e interdependente. Finalmente, no terceiro capítulo, estudamos a ecoteologia do Santuário Cristo Redentor a partir dos seus eixos simbólicos fundamentais, a Cruz, a Ressurreição, o Sagrado Coração de Jesus, a Eucaristia e Nossa Senhora Aparecida, a fim de buscar as respostas para as nossas proposições. A ecoteologia resultante desta investigação apresenta a criação, a encarnação e a redenção numa legítima e original relação de interdependência, através do simbolismo da montanha e da estátua do Cristo Redentor, demonstrando que todo o ecossistema, e não apenas o ser humano, participa do projeto salvífico divino. / [en] Rio de Janeiro is a city in which human architecture and divine architecture live side by side. This reality becomes more evident at the top of Mount Corcovado, where nature, God s creation, and the statue of Christ the Redeemer, symbol of redemption, appear harmoniously, as if the monument could be understood almost as an extension of the mountain. The Christ of Corcovado is aesthetically beautiful and so full of meaning that it mixes with that famous view of nature by which the title wonderful city is confirmed. Originally conceived in the 19th century, the purpose of the monument was to communicate the heart of the Christian message in a universal language. After its inauguration in October 1931, the monument transcended the religious sphere, also representing the Brazilian culture to the world. In Occtober 2006, Mount Corcovado’s plateau was recognized as a Catholic sanctuary, a place of prayer and encounter, where people can be in harmony with God, with nature and with others. This thesis aims to translate the symbolism of the Sanctuary Christ the Redeemer into theological language, in the light of the encyclical letter Laudato Si and of integral ecology, to evangelize the culture, rich in its diverse manifestations, among which is presented the Corcovado monument itself, in the face of the challenges generated by the globalizing, consumerist and disposal mentality. In the first chapter we approach the Theology of the History of the Sanctuary Christ the Redeemer, seeking to draw, in the 520 years of history of the Church in Brazil, the lights to understand the origins of the social and environmental crisis, in the colonial period, in the Empire and in the Republic, reaching to the present day. In the second chapter, we present the christology and the soteriology of the encyclical letter Laudato Si’ approaching creation, incarnation and redemption in an integral and interdependent way. Finally, in the third chapter, we study the ecotheology of the Sanctuary Christ the Redeemer from its fundamental symbolism, the Cross, the Ressurrection, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Eucharist and Our Lady of Aparecida, in order to seek answers to our propositions. The resulting ecotheology from this research presents creation, incarnation and redemption in a legitimate and original interdependent relationship, through the symbolism of the mountain and of the statue of Christ the Redeemer, demonstrating that the entire ecosystem, and not just the human being, participates in the divine salvific project.

Theodor W. Adorno is both known and criticized for his philosophy of the subject. While his focus on subjectivity by many is deemed an outdated approach, Adorno himself claims that subjectivity must be challenged through the subject itself. What this implies, and how the role of the subject in its transformation can be envisioned, is what I aim to discuss in this paper. My study adresses the subject’s challenge from different angles. The first is an analysis of the subject in relation to its object-part, where I show how the subject can come close to its object, not only through bodily impulses but also, and importantly, through subjectivity itself by self-reflection on its mediation. The second is an investigation of how Adorno uses Freud’s drive theory, and how the drive for self-preservation can be dangerous or utopian depending on the subject’s interaction with it. The third is a comparison of the position of Adorno to those of Jürgen Habermas and Giorgio Agamben, each in their own way sharing Adorno’s diagnosis of subjectivities challenge, but choosing entirely different paths to address it. This comparison shows how Adorno, by insisting on the subject’s role in its own challenge, makes the subject aware of its actual location in the false world, without giving up the idea of its redemption. Habermas and Agamben each try to leave subjectivity behind in ways that for Adorno would not only be false but also dangerous. In doing so, they miss the point that we cannot be anything but subjects, and that the challenge therefore must be addressed from within. My aim with this paper is to show how Adorno’s philosophy of the subject can open critical theory for a bolder utopian thinking than what Habermas’ heritage has accomplished, while at the same time preserving the subject’s power to accomplish change which postmodernists like Agamben seem to have given up upon.

This dissertation focuses on the ‘theo-political’ core of US Christian Zionism and Jewish Religious Zionism. The political militancy characterizing two Millenarian/Messianic movements such as Christian Zionism and Jewish Religious Zionism constitutes a still under-researched and under-theorized aspect that, at present, is paramount to address for its immediate and long terms implications in the highly sensitive and volatile Israeli-Palestinian issue, in the US and Israeli domestic domain, and in the wider international community. Although processes of the ‘sacralisation of politics’ and ‘politicisation of religions’ have already manifested themselves in countless forms over past centuries, Christian Zionism and Jewish Religious Zionism are unprecedented phenomena given their unique hybridized nature, political prominence and outreach, mobilizing appeal amongst believers, organizationalcommunicational skills and degree of institutionalization. / Consortium for Peace Studies at Calgary University

在高科技運用的年代，吾人已習慣與科技共處，新型態的智慧科技逐漸影響現代人的生活，科技愈是進步就愈加速人類摒棄傳統靈光的傳承，使人類養成依賴科技技術完成各項任務的態度，這種現象在當今的教育場域已蔚然成形，使教育現場的風景發生異化與質變，這樣的現象是有助於教育更趨近於理想？抑或是與教育本質越行越遠？本論文從Walter Benjamin面對機械複製時代提出的美學觀出發，因十九世紀複製技術造成市場的流通，導致資本主義的發達，文化工業量化的劣質品充斥，降低人們的生活品味與品質卻不自知。Benjamin採取一種彌賽亞救贖的美學觀試圖消解資本主義與文化工業造成的危機，並企圖在傳統靈光消失的現代化社會中，嘗試尋找適合新時代的靈光。當今社會已邁向人類與科技相互交纏的後人文時代，針對「教育美學蘊義探析：數位科技與教育靈光的靜態辯證」而言，本研究建議面對科技與人界線混淆的後人文境遇，教育可以應用Bejamin強調「否定性」與「星叢思維」之「救贖美學觀」，透過多元觀點的自省與開展，應注重「去標準化作業模式」、「陶養美學人文內涵」、「數位科技作為輔助工具」、「鼓勵創意文化發展」與「合作分享共好共榮」等面向，據此導引教育本質的靈光持存，重塑新時代的靈光。 / Living in the high-tech era, human and technology have been closely intertwined. Emerging Technologies not only gradually change people’s way of life, but also unconsciously influence educational practice. Facing this condition of overdependence on science and technology, the author is curious to ask: will high-tech application make education better? Or worse? This dissertation takes Walter Benjamin’s aesthetics in age of mechanical reproduction as starting point, the author analyses Benjamin’s Messianic redemption aesthetics for replying the crisis which is caused by capitalism and the culture industry, and attempting to seek ”Aura” which is disappeared with the death of tradition. Under post-human context of humanity and science entanglements, this study suggests education can apply Benjamin’s aesthetics of "negativity" and "constellation of thinking" to unfold pluralistic educational horizons, and also can pay attention to "di-standardizing of educational practice "," cultivating humanities "," integrating digital technology as a instructional supplementary tool", " encouraging creativity and cultural development "and "cooperating for sharing common prosperity ", the author anticipates to lead and reshape new “Aura” for the age of digital reproduction.

Thesis (DTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2002 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation examines the relationship of ontology and soteriology - the classic problem of nature and grace. Paul Tillich and Arnold van Ruler have been chosen as the best representatives of the classical tradition of the reformation. It is seen that although there is a significant formal difference between the theologies of these two theologians, there is a material identity. The combination of these two perspectives, Tillich's philosophical theology with Van Ruler's more traditional Calvinistic theology, helps to shed more light on the subject. The first subject to be considered is the ontological background for understanding reality as a whole. This is discussed as the trinitarian-predestinarian-eschatological framework of ontology. Everything finds its possibility in the trinitarian being of God, its reality in the eternal decrees and its purpose in the eschatological will of God. Creation has become (morally, not ontologically) separated from God in the fall and therefore salvation is needed. Christology is a function of soteriology and is to be understood in terms of substitution. This salvation, gained in Christ, is expressed in us by the outpoured Holy Spirit according to the eschatological will of God. Pneumatology is to be related to, and distinguished from christology. We are not replaced by the Spirit, but taken into a relationship with God. This is to be understood in terms of the struggle of the Spirit with the flesh. The presence of the Spirit is kerygmatic, paradoxical, anticipatory and miraculous. There is an ambiguous and fragmentary realization of salvation in the Spirit. Proto logically and eschatologically there is an identity between culture (i.e. creation and history) and the kingdom of God. But in time and space there is a duality (not a dualism). This finds expression in the duality of church and state. The state is the kernel of culture and the church is the representative of the kingdom. The state is essentially the servant of God, and insofar as it orders life it is serving God. But it is separated from God and needs the church to call it back to its proper function. Where there is the duality of church and state in a nation, there is a theocratic situation. This leads to the Bible. That is a state where the Word is proclaimed and the state, because of its essential relationship to God, can understand this proclamation. In a theocracy there is a partial union of creation and salvation. Theocracy is a Spiritual reality. It is kerygmatic and paradoxical. It is not an ideal or an ethical system imposed on life. It has a conservative character as it stands in opposition to the demonic. As the document of God's struggle with the religious nationalism oflsrael, the Old Testament provides the paradigm for a theocracy. In this sense a christianized state is an incidental repetition - mutatis mutandis - of the nation ofIsrael. Eschatologically, the particularity of salvation is completely done away with. The incarnation and the outpouring are undone. Then there is only the triune God and the naked existence of creation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie proefskrif word ondersoek ingestel na die relasie tussen ontologie en soteriologie (respektiewelik: natuur en genade) met behulp van Paul Tillich en Arnold van Ruler as verteenwoordigers van die klassieke Reformatoriese tradisie. Dit blyk dat ten spyte van fonnele verskille tussen die teologiee van hierdie twee teolce, daar materieel groot ooreenstemming bestaan. 'n Kombinasie van Tillich se filosofiese teologie met Van Ruler se meer tradisioneel Calvinistiese benadering, werk verhelderend ten opsigte van die betrokke problematiek. Eers word die ontologiese agtergrond van die werklikheid as sodanig ondersoek. Dit word bestempel as die trinitaries-predestiaans-eskatologiese raamwerk van die ontologie. Die moontlikheid van alle bestaan rus in die trinitariese wese, die werklikheid daarvan in die ewige raad, en die doel daarvan in die eskatologiese wil van God. Die skepping het as gevolg van die val (moreel, nie ontologies nie) verwyder geraak van God en gevolglik is redding noodsaaklik. Christologie is 'n funksie van soteriologie en moet verstaan word in terme van plaasbekleding. Hierdie heil wat Christus bewerk het, kom tot gestalte in ons deur die uitstorting van die Heilige Gees in ooreenstemming met die eskatologiese wil van God. Pneumatologie staan in relasie tot christologie, maar moet terselfdertyd onderskei word van laasgenoemde. Ons word nie deur die Gees vervang nie, maar opgeneem in 'n verhouding met God. Dit moet verstaan word in terme van die stryd van die Gees teen die vlees. Die teenwoordigheid van die Gees is kerugmaties, paradoksaal, antisiperend en wonderbaar. Daar is 'n dubbelsinnige en fragmentariese realisering van die heil in die Gees. Hoewel protologies en eskatologies 'n identiteit bestaan tussen kultuur (d w s skepping en geskiedenis) en die koninkryk van God, vorm dit binne ruimte en tyd 'n dualiteit (nie dualisme nie). Dit kom tot uitdrukking in die dualiteit van kerk en staat. Die staat is die kern van die kultuur en die kerk die verteenwoordiger van die koninkryk. In wese is die staat die dienskneg van God en in soverre dit die lewe orden, staan dit in diens van God. Dit is egter vervreem van God en het die kerk nodig om dit terug te roep tot sy eintlike funksie. Waar daar 'n dualiteit bestaan van kerk en staat in 'n nasie, vind ons 'n teokratiese situasie. Dit is 'n staat met die Bybel, waar die Woord verkondig word en die staat a g v sy wesenlike verbouding tot God, die verkondiging kan verstaan. 'n Teokrasie is 'n Geestelike realiteit waarin daar reeds 'n gedeeltelike vereniging van skepping en heil plaasvind. Dit is kerugmaties en paradoksaal. Dit is nie 'n ideaal of 'n etiese sisteem wat die lewe opgele word nie. Dit het 'n konserverende karakter wat staan in opposisie tot die demoniese. Synde die dokument van God se worsteling met die religieuse nasionalisme van Israel, bied die Ou Testament die paradigma vir 'n teokrasie. In hierdie sin is die gekerstende staat 'n insidentele herhaling - mutatis mutandis - van Israel as nasie. Eskatologies verdwyn die besonderheid van die verlossing. Die inkamasie en die uitstorting van die Gees word ongedaan gemaak. Dan is daar aileen maar die drie-enige God en die naakte eksistensie.

東尼•庫許納的劇本《美國天使》曾經被批評為「宣揚啟蒙主義式的進步觀，即使這種觀點造成的災難正在二十世紀末顯現」。儘管明顯受到華特•班雅明 (Walter Benjamin) 的歷史觀點影響，批評者仍認為庫許納在《美國天使》劇中刻意忽視班雅明對進步的歷史觀發出的警告。然而，事實上庫許納在《美國天使》劇中，藉由劇中角色所刻畫的，即是班雅明對於歷史中進步 (progress) 的觀點，而非啟蒙主義式的進步史觀。造成這種批評觀點上的差異的原因，乃在於《美國天使》的批評者未能真正了解班雅明對於進步的概念，以及此概念在庫許納劇中的重要性。本文欲以班雅明進步的概念為出發，來檢視《美國天使》劇中對於進步與救贖 (redemption)的應用，並在其中闡明庫許納以班雅明的進步與救贖概念為基礎，試圖在劇中發現自我救贖 (self redemption) 之可能的企圖。 《美國天使》分《千禧年近了》和《重建》上下兩部，是庫許納分別在一九九一及九二年完成的劇作。劇中主要描述主角普萊爾華特 (Prior Walter) ，一位男同志愛滋病患，在遭遇愛人的拋棄，以及美國天使 (American Angel) 的啟示之後，努力尋找在千禧年的各種災難與異象的威脅下，人類生存的希望的過程。在劇中，庫許納以美國紐約多元的種族、文化、信仰為背景，探討世紀末的各種問題與困境，並且尋找對於未來的展望。 　　　本文的第一章為總論，將介紹庫許納的生平、《美國天使》的故事情節、批評家與劇評對於該劇的分析、以及班雅明的理論對此劇的影響。根據班雅明的看法，在人類的歷史中真正的進步並非在空洞的時間 (homogeneous, empty time) 之中前進，而是察覺到人類歷史真正的組成分子─辯證影像(dialectical images)，其型態為不斷反覆出現的歷史影像。當人類認知到此種影像的存在時，此認知將使人類從現有的歷史框架中解放，進而認識到徹底改變現有狀態的可能性。這種革命性的 (revolutionary) 認知即是班雅明所謂的進步，這也是第二章的討論範圍。在第三章中，則是以班雅明的救贖理論 (theory of redemption) 解釋庫許納劇中角色的「彌賽亞式的救贖力」(messianic power) 的覺醒 (awakening)。根據班雅明在歷史哲學綱要 (Thesis on the Philosophy of History) 的說法，人類擁有彌賽亞式的救贖力，並且憑藉之發現以「彌賽亞式的視界」(messianic vision) 的形式出現的辯證影像。此即為班雅明定義下的救贖。第四章則以解釋庫許納對於班雅明理論的修正—重建 (restructuring)—為出發點，探討《美國天使》劇中救贖的完成。第五章為結論，以劇中角色的得到救贖為《美國天使》一劇的結尾，同時也是另一個偉大的工作 (The Great Work)—人類在新千禧年的救贖—的展開。 / Tony Kushner’s Angels in America has been accused of its proposing the Enlightenment progress when its disastrous consequence is seen at the end of the 20th century. In spite of the obvious color of Walter Benjamin’s philosophy of history in the play, critics still consider that Kushner ignores Benjamin’s warning of the idea of progress for human history in Angels. Nevertheless, what Kushner describes in the play, through the struggles of the characters, is actually a Benjaminian progress instead of an Enlightenment one. The reason for such a difference of critical viewpoints is: the critics of Angels fail to fully understand Benjamin’s concept of progress and its real significance in the play. Starting from Benjamin’s concept of progress, this thesis aims at examining the application of Benjamin’s concept of progress and redemption in Angels and discovering Kushner’s intention to propose a self-redemption. Angels is comprised of part I: Millennium Approaches (premier in 1991) and part II: Perestroika (1992). It is Kushner’s most celebrated play. The play begins when a gay man, Prior Walter, has found his infection with AIDS. Facing his destined death and deserted by his lover, one day, Prior is visited by an American Angel, who calls him the “prophet” and gives him a gospel of anti-migration to spread. Since then, his life becomes a journey searching for self-awareness and hope in the future. In Angels, Kushner discusses the questions in the United States at the end of the 20th century against the multi-cultural background of New York and America. The prospect of the human race’s future becomes his ultimate concern in the play. This thesis is divided into five chapters. The first chapter, “Introduction,” provides the background information of Angels, including the plot summary, critical history, and my concerns on the critiques of play. In Chapter Two, Benjamin’s theory of progress will be used to analyze the idea of progress in Angels, which means discovering the dialectical images of history that are suppressed in historical time. This concept of progress is “revolutionary” because it will change mankind’s recognition of history and their conception of themselves. Chapter Three begins with Benjamin’s definition of “redemption” of human history, which means the awakening of the “weak messianic power,” the power that a whole generation of human beings is endowed with. This power gives human beings a “messianic vision,” a glimpse of the redemptive world. In Chapter Four, Kushner’s supplement to Benjamin’s theory of redemption, the idea of “restructuring,” will be applied as the key word for the completion of redemption for the characters in Angels. Chapter Five concludes this thesis with the self-redemption of the characters in the play and the beginning of the “Great Work”: the redemption of the entire humanity in the coming Millennium.

本文主要為評價兩個結構型債券，第一個債券是連動多個資產報酬率的股權式連結債券，第二個債券是具有每日計息且息滿可以提前到期的利率連動式債券。評價股權連動式債權時，本文利用最小值選擇權的特性，推導出股權連動式債券價格的封閉解，再推求出該債券的理論價格。評價利率連動債券，本文利用Hull & White利率三元樹建構利率期間結構，並且試著提出路徑函數，記錄債券的計息情況，透過利用條件機率概念所求出來的路徑函數，可以合適地表達每日落入區間的利息，以及提前到期(Target Redemption)的新奇選擇權的概念。 　　利用評價的過程中，發現了連動多資產績效最差報酬率的債券，理論價格就發行成本為低，券商有較大的利潤空間，而利率連動債券則由於計息區間範圍過大，以致理論價格偏高，券商獲利微薄。

Il percorso intellettuale di Italo Mancini può essere considerato sotto l'aspetto del rapporto tra fede e ragione ma anche le tematiche della liberazione, della salvezza e della redenzione sono presenti nei i suoi testi fin dalle origini. L'obiettivo del presente lavoro è stato quello di ripercorrere il percorso intellettuale e culturale di Italo Mancini e mettere in luce come la questione del male, declinata all'interno delle tematiche della salvezza, della liberazione e della riconciliazione, possa essere una chiave di lettura efficace, ovverosia un “filo rosso” in grado di collegare e tenere unite un insieme di opere e di temi che a volte rischiano di sembrare eterogenei. La questione soteriologica messa in luce da Mancini ha valore dal punto di vista della storia della filosofia italiana del novecento ma, a mio avviso, ha ancor più valore dal punto di vista della filosofia teoretica in quanto cerca di prospettare nuove possibilità per il discorso razionale e religioso su Dio. / The intellectual journey of Italo Mancini may be considered under the aspect of the relationship between faith and reason, but also the themes of liberation , salvation and redemption are present in his texts from the very beginning . The objective of this work was to retrace the intellectual and cultural significance of Italo Mancini and shed light on how the question of evil , declined within the themes of salvation, liberation and reconciliation, can be an effective key to understanding the work of the italian philosopher, a "red thread" able to connect and hold together a collection of works and themes that seem mixed at times. The soteriological issue highlighted by Mancini is of grat value from the point of view of the history of Italian philosophy of the twentieth century but, in my opinion, has even more value from the point of view of theoretical philosophy as it tries to envisage new possibilities for religious and rational discourse about God.