The Arts,Midrash, and Biblical Teaching

Abstract. Biblical texts have been handed on to us through a long history of interpretation. Awareness of this rich but complex process is one of the goals of biblical teaching. Since the earliest centuries of the church there has been a parallel history of artistic interaction with the biblical text. These artistic treatments of biblical subjects have had a great cultural impact and have deeply influenced public perceptions and understandings of the Bible. Unfortunately, seldom does this history of artistic interpretation become a part of Bible courses. In this paper, I reflect on learnings from a serious effort to take artistic resources and methodologies into account in teaching Hebrew Bible in a theological school. My most successful efforts have employed the ancient Jewish interpretive method of midrash. Use of midrash opens new, imaginative possibilities that can enliven and extend our usual exegesis of texts. More specifically, midrash provides the ideal category for understanding artistic interactions with biblical texts. Through midrash students can understand artists to be both profound respecters of the power and integrity of biblical texts, while at the same time extending and entering into imaginative encounter with those texts. This article will appear as a chapter in the forthcoming book Arts, Theology, and the Church: New Intersections.     

诠释泰州学派的英雄

本文对泰州学派的英雄风格的形成 ,以及英雄行为的内在动力 ,进行了探讨 ,认为泰州的精神形成有弟子的精神认同 ,也有王艮思想的影响 ,认为泰州学派何心隐与朝廷官僚的斗争实质是话语权的斗争 ,而斗争的动力主要缘于他的权力欲望。并认为士大夫普遍存在的权力欲望是历代清议的动力和基础。     

从父权制英雄的历史演变看后父权制英雄的兴起

19世纪晚期存在主义反英雄的出现是对传统父权制英雄价值观的颠覆.在理性时代,父权制英雄的价值观念走向极致,随着理性时代的结束,传统的父权制英雄正在走向没落,人类正在进入争取个人存在与宇宙存在和谐统一的后父权制英雄时代.     

Seven Paths of the Hero in Lord of the Rings: The Path of Transcendence

Frodo's path transcends that of any other hero in literature. He is seemingly the least, always aware of his own fears, his own limitations, yet he accomplishes more than any of the apparently greater figures such as Elves and Dwarves, Kings and Wizards. When the great quest is complete, and everyone is satisfied at the accomplishment, Frodo alone knows no peace, for he can never again be whole. The Lord of the Rings is wise enough to recognize that there can be no happy ending for Frodo. Like Hamlet, Frodo can find no peace on earth. He has been too damaged in the process and has passed beyond all the normal hopes and desires of our world. At the end he is left to journey away with the Elves to a world that will undoubtedly fit him no better than this one. Beyond that, we presume he must find some new answer unique to Frodo, some way to transcend the limitations of life, as must each of us.     

Seven Paths of the Hero in Lord of the Rings: The Path of Love

Sam's is the simplest yet the most touching of all paths: His simple loyalty and love for Frodo make him the single person who never wavers in his task throughout the book. Though all members of the Fellowship are engaged in momentous events, Sam always remembers that the sun coming up in the morning is a glorious sight, and that hobbits have to eat. When Frodo can no longer even walk, and will not let Sam carry the Ring, Sam carries Frodo. Then, when Gollum joins them, Frodo's kindness has to be balanced by Sam's stern limits. Ultimately Sam's outcome is the happiest of all those on the Quest: He has been able to see the Elves who so fascinate him, able to serve as Frodo's companion on the greatest of all Quests, and now able to return to his blessed Shire, to marry his loving Rosie, have many children and live happily ever after.     

Seven Paths of the Hero in Lord of the Rings: The Path of the Wizard

The test for a wizard, already the wisest of the wise, is to resist arrogance and serve those less wise. If he passes this test, a time will come when he must willingly accept his own death in order to be transformed into something still greater. In Tolkien's great story, Lord of the Rings, the wizard Saruman fails his tests, while Gandalf passes with flying colors. Where once Saruman was the stronger of the two, now Gandalf easily surpasses Saruman's powers. Gandalf the Grey becomes Gandalf the White, taking on Saruman's mantle. When the dwarf Gimli comments that Gandalf is dressed all in white now, Gandalf replies “Yes, I am white now. Indeed I am Saruman, one might almost say. Saruman as he should have been.”     

Rehabilitative Beit Midrash as a means for advancing the community integration of Ultra Orthodox Jewish persons with severe mental illness

ABSTRACT

Religious Jews with severe mental illness often encounter barriers to involvement in religious activities in their community affecting their ability to become integrated into their community. Therefore, a study was conducted in Israel examining the contribution to community integration through a programme providing religious persons with mental illness an opportunity to participate in religious studies. An A-B research design was implemented among 42 Ultra-Orthodox Jewish persons with severe mental illness utilising a culturally-oriented structured instrument. The study showed that the opportunity for involvement in religious studies could advance the participants’ sense of social interaction in their community as well as their sense of psychological integration with other religious people. It also strengthened their confidence in their ability to further get involved in religious studies in the community. Rehabilitation services providing persons with severe mental illness an opportunity for involvement in religious studies can act as a springboard for advancing their community integration.     

Seven Paths of the Hero in Lord of the Rings: The Path of Tragic Failure

Gollum's path might be seen as the modern equivalent of the Greek tragic hero: Though fated to fail personally, he yet serves greater needs. Driven by greed and avarice, Gollum loses his identity and is reduced to little more than desire for his “Precious” ring. Yet, even in failure, even while committing evil, Gollum plays an indispensable part in the Quest. Subdued, almost won over by Frodo's kindness, he leads Frodo and Sam to Mount Doom. There, in Frodo's moment of weakness, it is necessary for Gollum to bite off Frodo's finger in order for Frodo's destiny to be fulfilled. We each have a Gollum within us: Who has never experienced greed and avarice? We each have to treat the Gollum inside with the same kindness displayed by Frodo, the same firmness displayed by Sam.     

The Pantheon of National Hero Prototypes in Educational Texts Understanding Curriculum as a Narrative of National Heroism

This essay explores the relationship between Israeli public and educational discourse and, in particular, how, by implementing various pedagogical strategies aimed at inculcating a typology of national heriosm during the state's first three decades, the state sponsored curriculum “translated” ideological discourse into educational text, integrating the state's ideological value-system into a series of educational messages. The mapping of heroic prototypes in the national curriculum was conducted along the classic time-axis of Jewish history. The earliest prototype was the ancient Hebrew hero of the Bible and the most recent the “soldier as redeemer” of the Six Day War. At the same time, specific values constantly shifted to reflect changing perceptions and definitions of the heroic, including, eventually, the heroism of the Holocaust “survivor.” What remained invariable was the symbolic importance Israeli children living in a society accustomed to wars and continuously threatened violence were taught to attach to the ideal of the national hero and heroism itself. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

荣誉与德性:希腊英雄社会的伦理意蕴

希腊英雄社会的伦理思想是理解当代西方伦理精神的起点与重要的思想资源.在希腊英雄社会中善与德性这些伦理术语与整个社会结构是紧密关联的,荣誉是英雄们追求的终极目标,英雄在追求这一目标的过程中展现出自己的德性.但是英雄们的荣誉观毕竟只是为了一己之善,对于集体和国家来说,终究是靠不住的.