Religious Experience
& Tradition
International interdisciplinar y
s c i e n t i f i c c o n fe r e n c e
May 11-12, 2012
K a u n a s, L i t h u a n i a
Vytautas Magnus University
Vytauto Didžiojo universitetas
Kaunas, 2012
Editor / Sudarytoja
Agnė Budriūnaitė (VMU, Dep. of Philosophy, Lithuania )
Editorial board / Redakcinė kolegija
Živilė Advilonienė (VMU, Faculty of Catholic Theology, Lithuania)
Rūta Brūzgienė (MRU, Dep. of Lithuanian Language, Lithuania)
Vida Daugirdienė (VMU, Faculty of Catholic Theology, Lithuania)
Valdas Mackela (VMU, Faculty of Catholic Theology, Lithuania)
Rimantas Viedrynaitis (VMU, Dep. of Philosophy, Lithuania
Benas Ulevičius (VMU, Faculty of Catholic Theology, Lithuania)
Scientific committee / Mokslinis komitetas
Prof. dr. Algis Mickūnas (chair, Ohio university, USA)
F. Jonas Emanuelis Le Taillandier de Gabory, CSJ (Prior of the Monastery of
St. John the Theologian in Vilnius)
Prof. dr. Romualdas Dulskis (VMU, Faculty of Catholic Theology, Lithuania)
Prof. dr. Merab Ghaghanidze (Free University, Tbilisi, Georgia)
Prof. dr. Peter Jonkers (Tilburg university, Netherlands)
Prof. dr. Rekha Menon (Berkeley College, Boston, USA)
Prof. dr. Tomas Sodeika (KUT, Dep. of Philosophy and Cultural Science, Lithuania)
Prof. dr. Anita Stasulane (Daugavpils University, Latvia)
Assoc prof. dr. Olga Breskaya (University of Brest, Belarus)
Assoc. prof. dr. Janis Priede (University of Latvia, Latvia)
Dr. István Povedák (Bálint Sándor Institute for the Study of Religion, Hungary)
Organizing committee / Organizacinis komitetas
Assoc. prof. dr. Agnė Budriūnaitė (chair, VMU, Dep. of Philosophy, Lithuania)
Assoc. prof. dr. Živilė Advilonienė (VMU, Faculty of Catholic Theology, Lithuania)
Assoc. prof. dr. Povilas Aleksandravičius (MRU, Dep. of Philosophy, Lithuania)
Assoc. prof. dr. Rūta Brūzgienė, (MRU, Dep. of Lithuanian Language, Lithuania)
Assoc. prof. dr. Vida Daugirdienė (VMU, Faculty of Catholic Theology, Lithuania)
Assoc. prof. dr. Benas Ulevičius (VMU, Faculty of Catholic Theology, Lithuania)
Assist. prof. theol. lic. Valdas Mackela (VMU, Faculty of Catholic Theology,
Lithuania)
Assist. prof. Rimantas Viedrynaitis (VMU, Dep. of Philosophy, Lithuania)
Aušra Vasiliauskaitė (s. Gabrielė, VMU, Faculty of Catholic Theology, Lithuania)
Audrius Račkauskas (VMU, Dep. of Philosophy, Lithuania)
Sandra Kratavičiūtė (“Caritas”, Lithuania)
Publication of this book is sponsored by Japan Foundation.
Leidinio rėmėjas – Japonijos fondas.
ISBN 978-9955-12-775-8
e-ISBN 978-9955-12-776-5
© Vytautas Magnus University, 2012
Contents / Turinys
Jean Emmanuel Le Taillandier de Gabory, CSJ,
The Monastery of Saint John the Theologian
Tradition and Religious Experience...................................................................................... 8
Traditions et expérience religieuse....................................................................................... 9
Tradicija ir religinis patyrimas...............................................................................................10
Friday, May 11, 2012
Session I
Christo LOMBAARD
The Word or the word? The Divine Experience as Mediated
or Direct – a Perspective from Biblical Spirituality........................................................11
Peter JONKERS
Tradition, Religious Experience, and Personal Commitment....................................12
Session II – A
Ulrike POPP-BAYER
Religious Experience as Narrative: Reflections on the Advantages
of a Narrative Approach.........................................................................................................13
Timo KOISTINEN
Wittgenstein and Religious Relativism..............................................................................18
Agnė BUDRIŪNAITĖ
Presence of Absolute Oneness as non-Religious non-Experience
in Plotinus and Zhuangzi.......................................................................................................24
Krzysztof CYRAN
Anenaiki by Augustyn Bloch (1979) – a Merger of Traditions in Religious Music....29
Session II – B
Solveiga KRUMINA-KONKOVA
Learning a Foreign Experience: the Beginning of Yoga Movement
in Latvia........................................................................................................................................36
Alar KILP
Detraditionalization of Religion and Religious Symbols of Tradition
in a Modernized Culture.........................................................................................................41
Istvan POVEDÁK
Bricolage Religious Experience............................................................................................42
Regina CHLOPICKA
Eastern and Western Tradition in the Music of Krzysztof Penderecki
as Sources of Inspiration for the Composer and of Metaphysical Religious
Experience for Contemporary Man....................................................................................43
Session II – C
Par Pahimi PATRICE
Foi, intolérance religieuse et déconstruction sociale dans le Nord-Cameroun ....44
Christiane SFEIR
Le paysage sacré au Mont-Liban, entre pratiques sociales et mécanismes
de sacralisation: les exemples d’Annaya et de Hardine...............................................57
Krisztina FRAUHAMMER
Schriftlich formulierte Wünsche und Gebete in realen und virtuellen
Wallfahrtstätten.........................................................................................................................63
Živilė Advilonienė
The Role of Family Tradition in Formation of Personal Faith Experience
and Practice
Die Rolle der Traditionen in der Familie bei der Gestaltung persönlicher
Glaubenserfahrung- und Praxis .........................................................................................65
Session III – A
Emmanuel NATHAN
Of Words and Worlds: The Curious Case of Saint Paul.................................................71
Satoshi KIKUCHI
Repeating Incarnation: Meister Eckhart and the Problem
of Christ’s Historicity................................................................................................................72
Valdas MACKELA
Seeing and Believing in Resurrection Narratives..........................................................77
Anna WIECZOREK
Tradition of the Genre in the Age of Intertextuality.
Wojciech Kilar’s “Te Deum”.....................................................................................................77
Session III – B
Orsolya GYÖNGYÖSSY
Bonds and Memories in the Sacred Space......................................................................87
Gábor BARNA
Via Margaritarum, the Revitalized Cult of St. Margaret of Hungary
and the Spirit of Penance . ....................................................................................................87
Hee Sook LEE-NIINIOJA
Al-Andalus and Java: Still a Sanctuary for Interconnecting
Religions and Traditions?.......................................................................................................88
Renata BOROWIECKA
“Stabat Mater” Sequence in the Works of Italian18th-Century Composers..........95
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Session III – C
Salomėja JASTRUMSKYTĖ
Synaesthetical Theology
“Sinestezinė teologija”.......................................................................................................... 103
Bronė GUDAITYTĖ
“Believe God” or “Believe in God”
„Tikėti Dievą“ ar „tikėti į Dievą“.......................................................................................... 104
Povilas ALEKSANDRAVIČIUS
Martin Heidegger: from Religious Experience to a Hymn to Holiness
Martinas Heideggeris: nuo religinės patirties iki himno šventybei..................... 109
Rimantas VIEDRYNAITIS
Aporia of Verbalization and Textualization of Religious Experience
Religinės patirties verbalizavimo ir tekstualizavimo aporija.................................. 110
Poster presentations ........................................................................... 116
Tetiana RIAZANTSEVA
The Theme of Religion in the British Metaphysical Poetry
of the 20th Century (Poetry of the New Apocalypse, 1939-1941)......................... 116
Berel Dov LERNER
How Did the Prophets Know They Had Received Divine Revelation?................ 116
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Session IV
Marcello NERI
From Experience to Tradition – The Hard Path Backward ...................................... 124
Olga BRESKAYA
Religious Experience without Religious Tradition and vice versa ........................ 125
Session V – A
Tuija HOVI
An Ethnographic Approach to the Psychology of Religion –
Doing Research in the Field of Experience and Tradition........................................ 126
Sandra KRATAVIČIŪTĖ
The Phenomenon of Christian Conversion in the Prison:
Convict’s Convert’s Religious Experiences.................................................................... 127
Milda ALIŠAUSKIENĖ
The Place and Role of the Religious Experience in the Context
of Contemporary Religiosity in Lithuania .................................................................... 134
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Anita STASULANE
From Religious Participation to Political Participation:
The Engagement of Young People in Theosophy...................................................... 135
Session V – B
Agnieszka DRAUS
Music as a Religious Experience According to Karlheinz Stockhausen.............. 136
Vida DAUGIRDIENĖ
Catechesis of the Youth Groups of Liturgical Music.................................................. 141
Kinga POVEDÁK
New Music for New (?) Religious Experiences............................................................. 142
Danutė KALAVINSKAITĖ
Religious Experience Through Music: Contemporary Lithuanian Compositions
Religinė patirtis per muziką: šiuolaikinė lietuvių kūryba......................................... 143
Session V – C
Aušra KAIRAITYTĖ
Expression of Religious Experiences in Lithuanian Folklore Narratives............. 146
Živilė NEDZINSKAITĖ
New Jesuit Saints and their Meaning for the Religiosity
of the 17-18th Century: Context of GLD Poetics and Poetry
Nauji Jėzuitų šventieji ir jų reikšmė XVII–XVIII a. religingumui:
pagal LDK poetikos ir poezijos kontekstą..................................................................... 151
Ilona ČIUŽAUSKAITĖ
Literary Expression of the Sermons of Vaižgantas..................................................... 159
Vaižganto pamokslų literatūrinė raiška.......................................................................... 160
Elena BALIUTYTĖ
Eduardas Mieželaitis’s Meditative Fragments “Laments and Reflections,
with the Medieval Anchorite Grigor Narekatsi, upon the Fate of Man”
and the Poet’s Creative Context
Eduardo Mieželaičio meditaciniai fragmentai „Raudos, apmąsčius
kartu su viduramžių anachoretu Grigoru Narekaci žmogaus likimą“
ir poeto kūrybos kontekstas.............................................................................................. 160
Session VI – A
Stephen M. GARRETT
Hans Urs von Balthasar’s Third Way of Love:
The Spiritual-Corporeal Encounter of Religious Experience ................................. 166
Benas ULEVIČIUS
Native or Christian: Interaction of Traditions in Peyote Religion.......................... 166
6
Irena Eglė LAUMENSKAITĖ
Conversion as a Personal Experience in Relation to the Meaning
of Life Events and Religious Tradition
Atsivertimas kaip asmeniškas patyrimas gyvenimo įvykių ir tradicijos
kontekste (konvertitai skirtingose krikščionių bendruomenėse)......................... 173
Session VI – B
Silvija RAKUTIENĖ
The Spread of the Apocalyptic Feelings in the Lithuanian Poetry
of the Young Generation..................................................................................................... 177
Magdalena CHRENKOFF
Krzysztof Penderecki’s Dies Irae – Artistic Expression of Religious Tradition.... 187
Elena SAKALAUSKAITĖ
Religious Experience as Expressed in Contemporary Visual rt . ........................... 188
Session VI – C
Rūta BRŪZGIENĖ
Religious Poetry of B. Brazdžionis: Rhetoric of Form
B. Brazdžionio religinė poezija: formos retorika......................................................... 189
Paulius Jevsejevas
The Experience of Tradition in the “Giesmė apie pasaulio medį” of S. Geda
Tradicijos išgyvenimas S. Gedos „Giesmėje apie pasaulio medį“.......................... 193
Virginija CIBARAUSKĖ
Sigitas Parulskis’s Poetry: Deconstruction of Underlying Principles
of Being or the Return of the Baroque?
Sigito Parulskio poezija: pamatinių kategorijų dekonstrukcija
ar barokinio pasaulėvaizdžio manifestacija?................................................................ 199
7
Tradition and Religious Experience
Jean Emmanuel Le Taillandier de Gabory, CSJ
The Monastery of Saint John the Theologian
The interaction of religious experience and tradition, from which it depends, becomes a crucial issue today when having doubts about the objectivity of religious
experience. Many philosophers simply reduce it to the subjective dimension.
However, religious experience for the faithful relates to the Reality. In order to express this experience he refers to Aristotle, who states this on his own
experience of reality, which has been based on the judgment that reality does
exist (existential decision) and therefore that the First Being which is called God in
religious traditions can be contemplated. The philosopher contacts with the First
Being only indirectly through his reasoning, arguing from reality while the believer
says that by the faith he or she is directly connected with God.
According to Thomas Aquinas, the intellect under the judgment of faith supports that very divine truth, even if the faith does not fully disclose it. The intellect
even without seeing God approves him with a firm act of willpower, because it has
a perception of entirety obtained or by obvious signs or by analogy. Then the intellect, which seeks to know God (we have a natural desire to know and contemplate
the universal cause for everything), is led by willpower, which subsequently is attracted to everything by God – the Goodness. It is understood that the matters of
faith shall be offered to the intellect, and the latter, whether seeing a miracle or
because of the compelling activity coming from a human inviting to join the faith,
should accept them. It is also required that God in his own grace, should touch
the intellect from its inside, because no one can know God without grace, which
transcends the inherent limitations of human understanding. Then the believer
has a true faith. Because of God’s action this cognition is more real than any other
knowledge. However, in order to ensure the objectivity of this knowledge, it has
to be tested by tradition (the faith of the Church), and does not conflict with the
rational mind (the reason).
8
Traditions et expérience religieuse
Jean Emmanuel Le Taillandier de Gabory, CSJ
The Monastery of Saint John the Theologian
La question de l’interaction entre l’expérience religieuse et la tradition qui en
dépend est cruciale aujourd’hui suite à la remise en cause de l’expérience religieuse comme expérience objective. La plupart des penseurs la réduisent en effet
purement et simplement à sa dimension subjective.
Pourtant pour le croyant, l’expérience religieuse porte bien sur le Réel. Pour le
dire, il s’appuie sur le Philosophe (Aristote) qui affirme en partant de l’expérience
de la réalité, fondée sur le jugement d’existence, par le raisonnement, l’existence
d’un Être Premier que les traditions religieuses appellent Dieu et que l’homme
peut contempler. Cet Être Premier, le philosophe n’en a qu’une expérience médiate à travers le raisonnement, tandis que le croyant en revendiquera l’immédiateté
à travers le jugement de foi qui le met en contact avec Dieu directement.
Pour Saint Thomas, dans le jugement de foi, l’intelligence adhère à la vérité
divine elle-même – sans y être pleinement portée par l’objet mais en s’y attachant
volontairement avec certitude. Elle ne ‘voit’ pas Dieu avec précision mais en général, soit à partir de l’évidence des signes soit à partir de quelque chose d’analogue
(une proposition persuasive). L’intelligence, cherchant à connaître Dieu (il y a en
nous un désir naturel de connaître et de contempler la Cause universelle) est alors
mue par la volonté, elle-même attirée par le Bien universel qui est Dieu. Il faut bien
sûr que les choses à croire lui soient proposées et qu’elle assentisse soit à la vue
d’un miracle soit sous l’action persuasive d’un homme qui exhorte à la foi. Et il faut
pour cela que Dieu la meuve de l’intérieur par la grâce. Car nul ne peut connaître
Dieu qui dépasse les limites de la connaissance naturelle sans la grâce. Le croyant
a alors la certitude de la Foi. Cette connaissance est plus certaine que toute autre
connaissance, à cause de Dieu. Cependant, elle doit être comme vérifiée par la
tradition (la foi de l’Eglise) pour s’assurer de son objectivité et ne doit pas s’opposer à la raison.
9
Tradicija ir religinis patyrimas
Jean Emmanuel Le Taillandier de Gabory, CSJ
Šv. Jono Teologo vienuolynas
Religinio patyrimo ir tradicijos, nuo kurios jis priklauso, sąveika, suabejojus religi
nio patyrimo objektyvumu, šiandien tampa esminiu klausimu. Daugelis mąstytojų
jį paprasčiausiai susiaurina iki subjektyvaus matmens.
Tačiau tikinčiajam religinis patyrimas yra susijęs su Tikrove. Tam, kad galėtų
tą patyrimą išreikšti, jis remiasi Aristoteliu, kuris tvirtina, turėdamas savo tikrovės
patyrimą, grindžiamą egzistenciniu sprendimu, jog Pirmoji Būtis, religinėse tradicijose vadinama Dievu, gali būti kontempliuojama. Filosofas samprotaudamas tik netiesiogiai „prisiliečia“ prie Pirmosios Būties, tuo tarpu tikintysis teigia, jog tikėjimu
jis tiesiogiai susisieja su Dievu.
Anot Tomo Akviniečio, intelektas tikėjimo sprendimu pritaria pačiai dieviškajai
tiesai, net jei tikėjimo dalykas iki galo jos neatskleidžia. Intelektas, nors ir nematydamas Dievo, dieviškajai tiesai pritaria tvirtu valios aktu, nes turi visumos pagavą,
arba remdamasis akivaizdžiais ženklais, arba analogija. Tuomet intelektą, siekiantį
pažinti Dievą (mes turime prigimtinį troškimą pažinti ir kontempliuoti visa ko
Priežastį), veda valia, kurią pačią traukia viso ko Gėris – Dievas. Suprantama, kad
tikėjimo dalykai intelektui turi būti pasiūlyti, o šis – arba išvydęs tam tikrą stebuklą,
arba dėl tikėti raginančio žmogaus įtikinamos veiklos – turėtų jiems pritarti. Tam
taip pat reikia, kad Dievas savo malone intelektą „paliestų“ iš vidaus, nes niekas be
malonės negali pažinti Dievo, pranokstančio žmogaus prigimtinio pažinimo ribas.
Tuomet tikintysis turi tikėjimo tikrumą. Dėl Dievo veikimo šis pažinimas yra tikresnis už bet kokį kitą pažinimą. Vis dėlto tam, kad būtų užtikrintas pažinimo objektyvumas, jis turi būti tradicijos (Bažnyčios tikėjimo) patikrintas ir neturi prieštarauti
racionaliajam protui (reason).
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Friday, May 11, 2012
Session I
The Word or the Word? The Divine Experience as Mediated
or Direct – a Perspective from Biblical Spirituality
Christo LOMBAARD
A bst ra ct
In this paper, a critical analysis is offered of historical and existential parallels between the experience of the divine will in ancient Israel and in modern
Western(ised) societies. Such a broadly phenomenologically-comparative approach, possible within the theoretical parameters of the discipline of Biblical
Spirituality, reveals unexpected correspondencesbetween ancient Israelite, particularly post-exilic, society and Christian experiences in modern and post-modern
Western(ised) societies, specifically related to the ways in which the divine will is
to be discerned. In post-exilic Israel, namely, contestation is found between the
Mosaic law adherents, who would experience the divine will as mediated primarily
by holy texts (the Pentateuch), and prophetic-tradition groups, who would understand the divine will as mandatedprimarily by the personalrevelatory experience
of the founding prophet. Both these groupsexperienced their interaction with the
divine as direct, because of the transformational aspect (albeit vested) inherent
to their religious practices, yet both were experiences mediated by the tradition
to which the respective groups adhered. This dynamic finds unexpected parallels in two of the prominent practiceswithin Christian circles in modern and postmodern Western(ised) societiesrelated to the ways in whichthe divine will is to be
fathomed. This is namely found in the contestation between the Bible-mediated
versus the charismatic experience of the divine. Although both socio-theological
groupings regard their respective practices of experiencing the divine will as the
most legitimate, they are not without mutual influence, which spring from their
spiritual traditions. Not only do these latter-day dynamics parallel the ancient religious practices of experiencing the divine will, but they draw on those too, namely
as constituting a foundational and legitimising part of their traditions.
Christo Lombaard, professor of the Department of Christian Spirituality, University of
South Africa. Area of scientific interest: Biblical spirituality, Pentateuch theory, the mass
media and spirituality, sexuality and spirituality.
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Tradition, Religious Experience, and Personal Commitment
Peter JONKERS
A bst ra ct
In this paper I want to examine the question if the relationship between tradition,
religious experience, and personal commitment is a purely contingent one, based
on education, socialization, attractiveness etc. or that it can be substantiated in a
more reasonable way. My starting point is the observation that in contemporary
society (religious) traditions are becoming more popular, but that the reasons for
this popularity risk depriving these traditions from their substance. Nowadays,
the commitment of many people to traditions is a rather an instrumental one:
people are interested in traditions because they see them as means to generate
all kinds of ‘interesting’ religious experiences, as instruments for their individual
self-fulfilment, as purely contingent life-styles etc. In the central part of my paper I
define the key-concepts of my paper: 1) religious tradition can be understood as a
symbolic system (thereby following Lübbe and De Dijn), 2) religious experience can
be defined as seeing things through the lens of this tradition (following Vergote),
and 3) personal commitment to a tradition is a means of orientating one’s life
(thereby using Kant’s insights). Thereafter I will argue that a traditionalist approach
to explain the relation between tradition, religious experience and personal commitment (as Rorty and Maquard propose) is problematic, because it only is able
to explain this relation on psychological grounds, thereby dismissing the importance of reasonable argument and critique. Finally, by defining religious traditions
as ‘substantial’ ways of life, I try to give a less contingent and more reasonable
explanation and defence of the relation between tradition, religious experience
and personal commitment.
Peter Jonkers, professor of the Faculty of Catholic Theology, Tilburg University. Area of
scientific interest: philosophy of religion, metaphysics, philosophy of culture, and history
of modern philosophy (especially Hegel and his contemporaries).
12
Session II – A
Religious Experience as Narrative:
Reflections on the Advantages of a Narrative Approach
Ulrike POPP-BAYER
Three authors have significantly shaped the social scientific study of religious experiences: William James devised the research agenda for primordial personal religion, Wayne Proudfoot demonstrated the theoretical inadequacy of an unmediated experience and introduced the methodological distinction between descriptive
and explanatory reduction, Ann Taves aimed at conceptual tools in order to bridge
the gap between the natural sciences and the humanities. Relying on the first-person perspective, the adequate conceptual starting point for the study of religious
experience is a formal-hermenteutical concept of experience linked to a narrative
articulation. This approach may lead to a celebration of pluralism in religious studies without favouring any analytical concept from natural sciences, social sciences
or humanities. To demonstrate some (other) advantages of this conceptualization
the ongoing debate about the relationship between religious experience and its
representation will be reframed and the common core debate concerning mystical
experiences will get a hermeneutical solution.
Keywords: religious experience, descriptive reduction, explanatory reduction,
formal-hermeneutical, narrative
Key Publications in the Social Scientific Study of Religious Experiences
In 2011, the sociologist of religion James Spickard identified three books that have
significantly shaped social-scientific study of religious experience: William James, The
Varieties of Religious Experience. A Study in Human Nature (1902), Wayne Proudfoot, Religious Experience (1985), and Ann Taves, Religious Experience Reconsidered:
A Building Block Approach to the Study of Religion and Other Special Things (2009).
William James devised the research agenda, especially for psychology of religion, based on his famous “narrow” view of what religion shall comprise for the
purpose of his study in human nature: “Religion,therefore, as I now ask you arbit
rarily to take it, shall mean for us the feelings, acts, and experiences of individual
men in their solitude, so far as they apprehend themselves to stand in relation
to whatever they may consider the divine” (James 1902/1982: 31). To James, it
was evident that philosophies, theologies and ecclesiastical organizations derived
secondarily from this kind of primordial personal religion he wanted to study by
analysing personal documents- especially from religious geniuses.
More than 80 years later Wayne Proudfoot offered a critical evaluation of the possibilities and pitfalls of a Jamesian research agenda. Tracing the special interest in religion as experience back to the late eighteenth century, to Friedrich Schleiermacher’s
13
On Religion: Speeches to the Cultured Among its Despisers (1799) and its enormous
influence on the ongoing debate about adequate conceptualization of the essential
elements of religion, Proudfoot (1985) highlighted different notions linked to understanding religion as a primordial unmediated experience of the individual, e.g. offering a response to cultural pluralism by distinguishing the common immediate and
unmediated (“raw”) experience and its different cultural interpretations or prohibiting
every kind of (social) scientific or humanistic analysis, because these analyses would
violate the essence of the genuine experience and reduce it to “mundane” elements.
Although Proudfoot (1982) demonstrates the theoretical inadequacy of this understanding of religious experience (every kind of religious experience has to be identified as such in a description containing ample references to concepts and beliefs),
he nevertheless stresses its descriptive accuracy. And this might be the unsurpassed
merit of Proudfoot’s methodological and conceptual contributions to the study of religious experience thus far: he distinguishes descriptive reductionism from explanatory
reductionism, suggesting that the former be avoided and the latter accepted. This
means that a non-reductive social scientific study of religious experience needs to
start by describing religious experience from the subject’s point of view and accepting
the reality of the object of an experience for the experiencer. Relying on attribution
theory, Proudfoot also makes very clear that this perspective often includes specific
explanations of the experience, while excluding others. Researchers need not, how
ever, restrict their scope to this perspective. On the contrary, their task is to offer alternative (etic) analyses, interpretations and explanations that transcend the perspective
of the experiencer. Disregarding whether we want to analyse the experience of God’s
guidance, mystical experiences, the experience of demonic possession or that of prophetic vision, alien abduction or shamanic otherworld journeys, out-of-body or neardeath experiences, we have to start with a description of the respective experience or
experiences from the first person perspective of the experiencer. Otherwise we would
miss the very “object” we want to study. Then we may analyse, interpret or explain
these experiences depending on our preferred analytical concepts or theories which
will not offer the only acceptable understanding of the respective experiences but will
yield alternative (and reasonably justifiable) analyses, interpretations or explanations
of (aspects of) these experiences in a (social) scientific framework.
About 25 years later a scholar aiming to bridge the gap between the humanities and the natural sciences in the field of religious studies wisely reconsiders the
topic of religious exeperience. In her sophisticated analysis of the two components
of “religious experience”, Ann Taves (2009) explicitly seeks conceptual tools that
make it possible to combine historical, philological and literary scholarship with
insights from psychology, the cognitive sciences and brain research. With her terminological shift from “religious experience” to “experiences deemed religious”
Taves (2009) starts (like James and Proudfoot before her) with the experiencers’
perspective reminding us explicitly to avoid the conflation of scholars’ definitions of
“religion”, “religions”, or “religious” with the understanding the research partners
might have of these unstable and contested Western folk concepts which overlap in
some cases and compete in others with a variety of other terms including “sacred”
“spiritual”, “mystical”, “magical” etc. (cf. Taves 2009: 25). Using them as first-order
terms enables Taves to analyse what is “deemed” religious, sacred etc. at individual,
interpersonal, group and intergroup levels and to compare things that are deemed
14
religious to those that are not, in relation to broader processses of meaning making
and valuation in which people deem certain things special (cf. Taves 2009: 12). Concerning the concept of experience, Taves acknowledges that this word may be used
in different ways. In her book, however, she focusses on experience as a “(rough)
synonym for ‘consciousness’”(Taves 2009:57). Consequently, Taves relies on insights from consciousness research and neuroscientific research for her analyses
of different types of experiences deemd religious and the data potentially available
for these analyses. But this conceptual decision is problematic, because it theorizes
the analysis of experiences as the analysis of consciousness, implying a hierarchical
model of the study of religion that starts with the brain or the mind and ends with
the complex composites of religions. Here, rather than building a bridge between
the humanities and the natural sciences, Ann Taves is favoring natural sciences as
offering the foundations on which the humanities must rely. But this model does
not fit our “data” in the first place, neither in the social sciences, nor in the broad
field of religious studies. When we address religious experiences (or experiences
deemed religious) we are in fact dealing with language in the form of texts or human utterances transformed into texts for further analysis, interpretation or explanation. We therefore need a concept of experience which fits this starting point. I
would argue that a formal-hermeneutical concept of experience relying on Dilthey,
Heidegger, Gadamer and Ricoeur would satisfy these requirements.
A Formal-Hermeneutical Concept of Experience
According to Dilthey (1910/1981) experience may be understood as a complex,
first-person relationship with the world in which perceiving, thinking, imagining,
feeling, wanting, remembering etc. disclose the structure of an event in which “I”
am the subject.
Heidegger (1920-21/2004: 7) reminds us that experience (Erfahrung) denotes
the experiencing activity, as well as what is experienced through this activity. He
suggests using the word in this double sense, because it is essential in “factual
life experience” that “the experiencing self and what is experienced are not torn
apart.” Heidegger (2004: 8) describes what is experienced as “world”, not as “object”. Nor does he characterize the “I-self” via consciousness but describes it as
a “self-world”. According to Heidegger (2004:10) “I experience myself in factual life
. . . in that which I perform, suffer, what I encounter, in my conditions of depression
and elevation, and the like. I myself experience not even my ego in separateness,
but I am as such always attached to the surrounding world.“ In any experiencing
activity, I experience the world and myself as part of this world at the same time.
With regard to the process structure of experiencing, Gadamer (1960) points
out that the genuine experience is always negative; it is the disappointment of
an expectation. Every experience has active and passive moments. Without actively addressing the world, without expectations, intentions, and actions, I would
not have any experiences, but in the process of experiencing something happens
to me as well. It is possible to plan activities, but not to plan experiences. And
that is why Gadamer (1960) reminds us of the basic structure of the disappointment of an expectation. Related to my expectations, intentions, and actions, my
experiences are always something more or something other than the fulfilment of
15
my expectations, the satisfaction of my desires, or the enactment of my plans or
scripts. Although I am always already part of the world, my “being-in-the-world”
(Heidegger) is specifically brought to my attention through these kinds of confrontations. They are interruptions in the continuous stream of life, sometimes dramatic “confrontations-with” the world, which ask for interpretation and reflection. The
interpretation and reflection processes are necessary to shape and differentiate
the meaningful whole of what is eventually articulated as an experience.
And that is why Ricoeur (1991: 426) maintains that human experiences have
a narrative structure: articulating this process of experience requires the plotting
structure of stories that will enable the “synthesis of the heterogeneous” by mer
ging multiple possible events into one event, unifying divergent components of
human actions and interactions and transforming a mere chronological succession
of incidents into the configuration of a meaningful temporal unit.
Religious Experience as Narrative
If we could accept this formal-hermeneutical concept of experience linked to a narrative articulation as a basic conceptual tool for the study of religious experiences
(or experiences deemed religious), this conceptualization could serve as a common
ground for relating theological interpretations, philosophical interpretations, humanistic research, social scientific research and natural scientific research to each
other.This conceptualization ties in with the methodological principle to avoid descriptive reductionism and to allow explanatory reductionism (see above). It requires
reconstructing the experiencer’s narratives on the first place (and not the analysis of
different types or levels of conciousness or mental processing), but it does not exclude the topic from these kind of analyses on a second or a third place. And it does
encourage evey kind of literary, historical,sociological, disocurse etc. analysis as well.
This approach may perhaps lead not to “a building-block approach to the study of
religion” (Taves 2009), but to a celebration of pluralism and multivocality and lively
debates in the field of religious studies without privileging any analytical concept
from the natural sciences, the social sciences or from the humanities. .
To demonstrate some (other) advantages of this conceptualization, I shall try to
reframe the ongoing debate about the relation between religious experience and
its representation. The formal-hermeneutical concept of (religious) experience does
not enable a clear- cut distinction between a kind of “raw” experience on the one
hand and its interpretation on the other hand.The process of experiencing always
embodies expectations and intentions necessary for its identification and narrative
articulation as a particular experience. But distinguishing the articulation of an experience from its subsequent interpretations is of course possible. To this end, it might
be helpful to make an ideal-typical distinction between two formal types of “religious experience”: (1) experiences deriving religious meaning from the religiously
structured expectations and intentions of the experiencer; (2) experiences deriving
religious meaning from a religious interpretation by the experiencer. The first type
has the “experiencing-as” structure John Hick (1969) has described. Many accounts
of visions, voices, the sensed presence of God, the answer to a prayer etc. can be understood as examples of this type. Examples fitting the second type can be “special
experiences”, for example having been rescued from a dangerous situation that the
16
experiencer can articulate in the first place without any reference to religion, and
that he/she explicitly interprets religiously, for instance by thinking about that God
might have rescued him/her. A special version of the experience/representation debate between the so-called perennialists and constructivists, known as the common
core debate concerning mystical experiences, can also get a hermeneutical solution.
As, for example, Wolfson (2011) has noted , the study of mysticism has to be res
pectful of the contextualist perspective. But in every kind of comparative approach
notions of sameness are necessary in order to recognize differences and notions of
difference are necessary in order to recognize sameness (cf. Wolfson 2011: 105).
Commonalities and particularities are therefore the results of comparisons; it makes
no sense to postulate them on the level of the “experiences ” being analysed. But
the notion of a common mystical core experience can already belong to the frame of
reference of the experiencer and thus structure the very experience to be studied.
Whereas Sharf (1998: 114) concluded that all attempts at conceptualizing inner
experience are “well-meaning squirms that get us nowwhere” in religious studies,
my impression is that an understanding of religious experience as narrative based
on a formal-hermeneutical conceptualization of experience will yield the adequate
conceptual tool to deal with some of the most intriguing research questions in the
transdisicplinary field of religious studies.
References
Dilthey, W.[1910], 1981. Der Aufbau der geschichtlichen Welt in den Geisteswissenschaften.
Einleitung von Manfred Riedel. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp.
Gadamer, H.-G. 1960. Wahrheit und Methode. Grundzüge einer philosophischen
Hermeneutik. Tübingen: J.C.B. Mohr.
Heidegger, M. [1920-21], 2004. The Phenomenology of Religious Life. Translated by
Matthias Fritsch and Jennifer Anna Gosetti-Ferencei. Bloomington: Indiana University
Press.
Hick, J. 1969. Religious Faith as Experiencing-As. In G.N.A. Vesey (Ed.), Talk of God
(pp. 20-35). London: Macmillan.
James, W. [1902], 1985. The Varieties of Religious Experience. A Study in Human Nature.
Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.
Proudfoot, W. 1985. Religious Experience. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Ricoeur, P. 1991. Life: A Story in Search of a Narrator. In M. J. Valdés (Ed.), A Ricoeur Reader:
Reflection and Imagination (pp. 425-437). New York: Harvester/Wheatsheaf.
Sharf, R. H. 1998. Experience. In M. C. Taylor (Ed.), Critical Terms for Religious Studies
(pp. 94-116). Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Taves, A. 2009. Religious Experience Reconsidered: A Building Block Approach to the Study
of Religion and Other Special Things. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Wolfson, E. R. 2011. Teaching Jewish Mysticism: Concealing the Concealment and
Disclosure of Secrets. In W. B. Parsons (Ed.), Teaching Mysticism (pp.103-117). Oxford:
Oxford University Press.
Ulrike Popp-Baier, associate professor of Psychology of Religion at the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands and Privatdozentin of Psychology at the University of ErlangenNürnberg. Area of scientific interest: psychology of religion, method and theory in the
social scientific study of religion.
17
Wittgenstein and Religious Relativism
Timo KOISTINEN
A bst ra ct
It has been often argued that Wittgenstein and his followers hold that religious
language has its own norms of intelligibility, and therefore those who are not
familiar with the religious language game cannot grasp the meaning of religious
beliefs and practices. According to this fideistic interpretation, Wittgensteinian
philosophy of religion leads to a radical relativism which claims that outsiders can
neither understand nor criticise religious beliefs. In this paper I will deal with Wittgenstein’s own treatment of the nature of religious disagreements in his lectures
on religious belief. In the light of these lectures, the fideistic interpretation of Wittgenstein’s view of religion is obviously too simple. However, Wittgenstein is not an
easy thinker, and his lectures are difficult to interpret for a number of reasons. I will
explore Wittgenstein’s thought by referring to recent studies on these lectures by
Cora Diamond and Martin Kusch, who in different ways both provide illuminating
perspectives on Wittgenstein’s view of religious disagreements.
Keywords: Wittgenstein, belief, faith, disagreement
Wittgenstein’s wrote little about religion. There are fragmentary remarks scattered
throughout his own writings and throughout the material based on the conversations he had with his students and friends. However, in 1938 Wittgenstein gave a
course on belief in Cambridge, and this course included three lectures on religious
belief. These three lectures are published in Lectures and Conversations on Aesthetics, Psychology and Religious Belief (1966) [Hereafter Lectures].
Recently, two well-known scholars, Cora Diamond (2005) and Martin Kusch
(2012), have dealt with these lectures. One central theme in their studies is Wittgenstein’s view on the disagreement between the religious believer and the nonbeliever. The question concerning the nature of religious disagreements is closely
related to the problem of relativism, which has been a prominent theme in the li
terature on the Wittgensteinian philosophy of religion. Critics have often described
Wittgenstein’s view of religion in terms of a distinctive religious language game that
has its own norms of intelligibility. Diamond’s and Kusch’s interpretations of Wittgenstein’s Lectures call into question this “fideistic” interpretation of Wittgenstein’s
thought. Their approaches to the Lectures are somewhat different, but in my view
they both succeed in illuminating some key problems in this difficult text.
In the following I will bring together Diamond’s and Kusch’s insights. I will also
use a formal model that outlines the conceptual questions in Wittgenstein’s discussion about the nature of religious disagreements.
The model of ordinary disagreement
In the Lectures Wittgenstein contrasts religious disagreements with “ordinary disagreements”. The formal model of this doxastic situation can be expressed by using
tools offered by epistemic (or doxastic) logic.
18
The explanation of formal symbols:
“B”
the epistemic operator “believe”
“a” [small font] agent
“p”
some arbitrary proposition
“¬”
“not”/ “it is not the case that”
“&”
“and”
Bap
reads
“a believes p”
Ba¬p
reads
“a believes that not p”
¬Bap
reads
“It is not the case that a believes p”
Here “belief” is regarded as a propositional attitude. The talk about propositional attitudes implies that one can have different attitudes, such as believing,
hoping, fearing, etc. towards the same proposition. Not all attitudes are epistemic
attitudes, and the relation between different kinds of attitudes is a key issue in my
presentation, as we shall see.
Given these preliminaries, “an ordinary disagreement” over the proposition
“There is a Swedish philosopher sitting in the pub” (=p) between two persons
Smith (=a) and Jones (=c) has the form:
(1) Bap & Bc¬p (Smith believes that there is a Swedish philosopher sitting in the
pub, and Jones believes that there is not a Swedish philosopher sitting in the pub.)
In the case of an ordinary disagreement Smith and Jones share a common language:
they both grasp the meaning of proposition p in the same way, but they disagree on its
truth value. In this case, we say that Smith’s and Jones’ beliefs contradict each other.
Wittgenstein holds that the ordinary model of disagreement is more or less
misleading when we consider the nature of disagreements in religious matters.
Examples of the religious belief Wittgenstein often mentions in the Lectures are
the belief in the Last Judgement and the belief in life after death. For example, in
one place Wittgenstein says:
(2) Suppose that someone believed in the Last Judgement, and I don’t, does
this mean that I believe the opposite to him, just that there won’t be such a thing?
I would say: “not at all, or not always”.
Suppose I say that the body will rot, and another says “No. Particles will rejoin
in a thousand years, and there will be a Resurrection of you”.
If someone said: “Wittgenstein, do you believe in this?” I’d say: “No.” “Do you
contradict the man?” I’d say: “No.” (Lectures: 53.)
In the Lectures there are also many other remarks that have to do with the
question whether religious and non-religious persons contradict or oppose one
another, although it appears that they do. (I have omitted other remarks on account of the sake of limits of this presentation.) These remarks show that Wittgenstein is obviously puzzled by these kinds of disagreements, and in many places he
speaks with caution. It is often difficult to see what he intends to say. I will start
from the common fideistic reading of his views.
Fidestic reading
Kai Nielsen was the first to use the label “Wittgensteinian fideism”. In a famous
article published in the late 1960’s he argued that followers of Wittgenstein hold
19
that religious belief is intelligible only to those who participate in a religious form
of life. Religion has its own criteria of intelligibility and rationality, and therefore
outsiders cannot criticize religion. Nielsen, who was and is an atheistic critic of religion, regarded the fideistic stance as inadequate. Since then the label fideism (in
one form or another) has repeatedly associated with the thought of Wittgenstein
and/or his followers like Peter Winch and D. Z. Phillips. (Nielsen incidentally did not
direct his critique at Wittgenstein himself. On the themes and the history of the
debate, see Nielsen & Phillips 2005.)
If one were to characterize Wittgenstein’s thought in terms of the fideistic interpretation, the ordinary model of disagreement in religious matters is in his view
misleading, because believers and non-believers play different language games.
The religious believer and the non-believer do not understand religious propositions in the same way; they do not “speak the same language” and talk past each
other.
Even a cursory look at the Lectures shows that the fideistic reading gives too
simple a picture of Wittgenstein’s thought, and both Diamond and Kusch reject the
fideistic reading of the text, but they do it for different reasons.
Diamond: variety of distances
Cora Diamond (2005) argues that the Lectures should be seen against a conception
of language that is found (in somewhat different forms) in Frege’s thought and in
early Wittgenstein. According to this conception, all speakers of language operate
in the same “logical space”: when language is seen in that way, there are no different kinds of logic, but only one logic. “All thoughts lie in one logically interconnected space”, which means that, in principle, every thought can be understood by
all speakers of language (Diamond 2005: 101). Controversies and disagreements
take place in this common logical space.
According to Diamond, in Lectures Wittgenstein opposes the picture of a common logical space. However, she argues that Wittgenstein does not replace this
picture by a “language game approach”, which says that there are many logical
spaces, i.e., language games, and which also argues that genuine disagreement
between us presupposes that we are in the same game. The language game approach is then closely related to what I have called fideism: it claims that if the
believer and the non-believer are not in the same game, they cannot contradict
and genuinely disagree with each other.
Diamond shows that in the Lectures Wittgenstein is not committed to the view
that there are only these two alternatives: the model of one logical space or the
fideistic model. Instead, the Lectures include a much more complicated picture of
the ways we can disagree and be distant from the thought of others. She draws
attention to three different types of case:
(i) First is the case that I have above described as the ordinary disagreement.
(ii) Second is the case where “you say something which I cannot find it in
myself to move with at all” (Diamond 2005: 105). According to Diamond, this is
Wittgenstein’s own attitude towards the belief in the Last Judgement. As we have
seen in a remark (2) Wittgenstein says that he would say “No” when asked: “Wittgenstein, do you believe in that particles will join, etc.” Nevertheless Wittgenstein
20
holds that he does not contradict the believer. In that case “I don’t believe in this”
means, by using Wittgenstein’s own words, that “I haven’t got these thoughts or
anything that hangs together with them” (Lectures: 55). For Wittgenstein the talk
about the Last Judgement is unintelligible (or rather perhaps we should say: he
cannot make any use of it) but he does not oppose it or say that the believer is
wrong.
(iii) The third case is the difference between an atheist and the assertor of the
Last Judgement (Lectures 58). This case reminds us of the second case, for the assertor and the atheist “do not share a mode of operating with propositions” (Diamond 2005: 105). However, according to Diamond, the atheist mentioned in the
Lectures, unlike Wittgenstein, is denying or “naysaying” what the believers says.
Another example of this third case is the difference between a Christian and a Jew,
who disagree on an understanding of what counts as the fulfilment of Messianic
expectation in the Bible. In this case there is a difference in understanding what
the Bible says, nevertheless the Christian and Jew may say “You are wrong” to each
other (Diamond 2005: 105).
Now, the formal model of ordinary disagreement (1) can be applied only to
the first case, in other cases it is more or less misleading. Wittgenstein’s (=d) own
attitude could perhaps be expressed by
(3) ¬Bdp & ¬Bd¬p
This is to say that Wittgenstein does not believe anything about the matter.
(Note that Wittgenstein’s attitude does not represent epistemological religious
scepticism: the reason for the lack of belief-attitude is not that he does not have
sufficient evidence for p or ¬p.)
Wittgenstein’s atheist case is more complicated. Because the atheist (=e) is
denying (or “naysaying”) p, his attitude looks formally like
(4) Be¬p
However, as far as I see, the formal model is inaccurate for Wittgenstein holds
that is not clear whether an atheist understands p in the same way as the believer
(see Lectures: 55).
The main point of Diamond’s comments on Wittgenstein’s Lectures is that
there is not just these two alternatives: (a) either the believer and the non-believer disagree with each other (and speak the same language), or (b) they do not
disagree at all (and speak different languages). Instead, differences and distances
come in degrees and can take different forms. In some cases the believer and the
non-believer pass each other like ships in the night. In other cases they disagree or
even contradict each other, although they do not “occupy the same logical space”.
Diamond’s lesson to us is that disagreeing, contradicting and believing the opposite have several uses.
Kusch: extraordinary beliefs
Martin Kusch’s (2012) discussion on Wittgenstein’s Lectures goes in a somewhat
different direction. He starts from the two utterances:
(5) I believe that there will be a Last Judgement.
(6) I believe that there won’t be a Last Judgement.
According to Kusch, most of us would probably be inclined to think that if I say
21
(5) and you say (6) , we have a disagreement about the Last Judgement, and our
disagreement is not faultness. Faultness disagreement are, for example, matters
of taste. Obviously, all disagreements are not like this. In many areas of life – in
science, in mathematics, in politics and in ethics – we do not think that all opinions
are as good as each other.
Does Wittgenstein regard religious disagreements as faultness?
Kusch says that we can go in two directions in explaining Wittgenstein’s
thought. Firstly, we can explain the religious disagreement in terms of incommensurability, which is basically the same as what I have called the fideistic reading.
However, Kusch argues that the incommensurability thesis cannot be attributed
to Wittgenstein. Wittgenstein holds, according to Kusch, that the non-believer can
(or can learn to) understand the propositional content of religious belief. Secondly, it is possible that the reason why Wittgenstein does not speak of a contradiction between non-believer and believer is that he does not have the propositional
attitude the believer has. This is the direction which Kusch’s explanation takes.
Kusch distinguished between two senses of “belief”: ordinary and extraordinary belief. He
he finds both of them in the Lectures. Ordinary beliefs are associated with terms
like “opinions” or “hypothesis”. They might be reasonable or unreasonable, they
can be based on and supported by the empirical evidence. Extraordinary beliefs
do not share these features. Wittgenstein notes that we use words like “dogma”
or “faith” in talking about them. They are not confirmed or falsified by evidence.
According to Wittgenstein, religious beliefs are firm, unshakable and they regulate
and guide people’s life. (Lectures: 56-59.)
We can now introduce a new symbol “F” for the operator “faith”, i.e., extraordinary belief. Then, in the light of Kusch’s interpretation the genuine logical form
of the disagreement between the believer (=a) and the non-believer (=c) can be
expressed by the model:
(7) Fap & ¬Fcp (a has faith that p, and it is not the case that c has faith that p)
The use of a new operator stresses the fact that religious disagreements are
independent of ordinary epistemic disagreements. In fact, one could say that they
are not epistemic disagreements at all: Wittgenstein says that evidence is irrelevant in order to accept this attitude (Lectures: 56).
Kusch’s analysis has many interesting consequences: for example, a person’s
(=a) attitude towards “There will be a Last Judgement” (=p) may take the form
(8) Fap & ¬Bap (a has faith that p, and it is not the case that a has ordinary
belief that p)
This might appear a strange formulation, but, as mentioned, Wittgenstein
holds that it is a confusion to treat religious beliefs as ordinary beliefs. Therefore,
in (8) I use the form ¬Bap rather than Ba¬p. Wittgenstein seems to think that treating religious faith as a hypothesis ends up with a view of faith as a kind a pseudoscience, superstition or suchlike (Lectures: 57-59). From this it also follows, e.g.,
that both believer and non-believer may share the same ordinary (epistemic)
belief-attitudes.
If faith, then, is not an epistemic attitude at all, religious disagreements are
unlike ordinary disagreements. According to Kusch, the disagreement expressed in
the form (7) can be called a “non-standard faultless disagreement”. He associates
22
it with “a non-standard form of relativism” that takes the form of “the relativism of
distance” (Bernard Williams). By that notion Kusch refers to a situation where the
view of the other is not a live or real option for me. In this situation, the question of
the acceptance of faith does not arise for the non-believer, as only “only a conversion, and thus reordering of all real or live options, would take [the non-believer]
to the religious stance”.
Kusch’s interpretation coheres well with some parts of the Lectures. However,
many questions remain open. In this context, one question of special interest to us
is: why is extraordinary belief (faith) a real option for someone and not for someone else? How could the distance or disagreement between us be described and
understood in the light of Kusch’s interpretation of Wittgenstein’s thought? This is
a complex question. However, there is some evidence in Wittgenstein’s writings
that he gives an important role to different personal experiences in religious life.
In Culture and Value he writes: “Life can educate one to a belief in God”, and explains that by not referring to “visions and other forms of sense experience” but to
experiences such as “sufferings of various sorts” (86c). This suggests that the “relativism of distance” has to do with differences in the lives we have led. These life
experiences should not be not be treated as comparable to empirical experiences.
The “laboratory of life” does not always produce the same results.
Bibliography
Diamond, C. 2005. Wittgenstein on Religious Belief: The Gulfs Between Us. In D. Z. Phillips
& M. von der Ruhr (Eds.), Religion and Wittgenstein’s Legacy. Aldershot: Ashgate.
Nielsen K. & Phillips, D. Z. 2005. Wittgensteinian Fideism? London: SCM Press.
Kusch, M. (2012). Disagreement and Picture in Wittgenstein’s “Lectures on Religious
Belief”. Retrieved from http://univie.academia.edu/MartinKusch/Papers/928873/
Disagreement_and_Picture_in_Wittgensteins_Lectures_on_Religious_Belief.
Wittgenstein. L. 1966. Lectures and Conversations on Aesthetics, Psychology and Religious
Belief . Compiled from Notes taken by Yorick Smythies, Rush Rhees and James Taylor.
C. Barrett (Ed.). Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press.
Wittgenstein. L. 1980. Culture and Value. Transl. by Peter Winch. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
Timo Koistinen, PhD in Theology, Lecturer in Systematic Theology, Faculty of Theology,
University of Helsinki, Finland. Area of scientific interest: philosophy of religion.
23
Presence of Absolute Oneness as non-Religious non-Experience
in Plotinus and Zhuangzi
Agnė BUDRIŪNAITĖ
The paper analyzes a phenomenon that could be called a ‘presence of absolute Oneness’ from the philosophical point of view. Descriptions of such phenomena may be
found in the writings of the mystics of all major religions. The paper focuses on the
notion of the Absolute and its presence as it is found in the writings of Plotinus and
Zhuangzi. These two philosophers talk about similar state of wakeful though contentless consciousness despite of different intellectual traditions they belong to. It is not
an achieved union between the human and the Divine and not a perception of the
oneness of the world observable from the outside. The paper raises the question:
even though such presence of absolute Oneness is described in terms of a particular
religious and/or philosophical tradition, can it be considered a ‘religious experience?’
Key words: Oneness, Plotinus, Zhuangzi, mystical experience
One of the longest-lasting discussions among contemporary scholars of mysticism is
about the nature of mystical experience. A lot of different opinions were offered after
Steven Katz formulated his constructivist theory. According to it, there are no unmediated experiences (Katz 1983: 4-5); all mystical experiences are a mere ‘product’
of a particular culture and religion (Katz 1978: 56-57). Many scholars of mysticism
noted, that the main and common focus of different mystical traditions is the exaltation of the state which will be named ‘a presence of Absolute Oneness’ in this paper.
Such state is not a simple pre-reflective state of consciousness as a part of everyday
empirical experience. It is neither a total disappearance of consciousness. It is called
wakeful though contentless consciousness (Forman 1990: 8; Stace : 41-51, 86-90;
Wainwright 1981: 1, 5 and many others). According to the constructivist theory,
the similarities describing divine absolute One in Upanishadic and Advaita Vedantic
Hinduism, Sufism, Hasidic Judaism and Christian mysticism are mere coincidences.
There are no mystical experiences; there are just experiences of the mystics. Accor
dingly, the presence of absolute Oneness is impossible. There can be only some kinds
of cultural shaped experiences that are interpreted as the ‘presence of Oneness’.
I see two possible preconceived convictions in the constructivist attitude towards the pure mystical experience or the pure state of Oneness: 1) negation of
the very existence of the Absolute; 2) negation of the possibility and ability of human being to know the Absolute through unmediated experience of Oneness and
without considering it as an object.
In this paper I will discuss notion of the Absolute and the state of the presence
of absolute Oneness as it is found in the writings of Greek philosopher Plotinus and
Chinese sage Zhuangzi, especially in the sixth Ennead ninth tractate named ‘On the
Good, or the One’ and in the second chapter of Zhuangzi named ‘On making things
equal’ (qí wù lùn). These thinkers lived in different ages, different cultures and had
different religious beliefs. Despite of this, we can find similar descriptions of the
notion of Oneness, its incommunicable nature and the general steps in the way of
24
seeking union with Absolute as well as conception of this union as a non-union.
Comparing the texts describing the phenomenon that is called mystical experience
now, we probably could find the alternative to the constructivist theory of Steven
Katz and his colleagues or at least soften its categorical affirmations.
Transcendent and immanent First Principle in Plotinus and Zhuangzi
Precondition of the presence of absolute Oneness is a belief in the ever-existing allembracing Absolute. For Plotinus this is the One and for Zhuangzi – Dao. For both
it is the self-sufficient inexhaustible source of all things that is totally transcendent.
At the same time it is immanent through maintaining Being and all its forms.
Talking about the absolute and transcendent One and its immanence, Plotinus
outspreads it into hypostases giving them different names. He constantly reminds
the listener/reader about the unity of hypostases and their conditional character.
There is just the only and absolute One while hypostases and things are eradiation
of it (Plotinus VI.8.6). Therefore word ‘One’ seems to him an improper name for
the Absolute along with all other names (the Good, the God, the Supreme) because they always suppose opposition (plurality, evil, etc.).
Zhuangzi uses word Dao for the Absolute. This concept is common to all Chinese
culture. Its meaning changes strongly according to the context and interpretation. In
the writings of Zhuangzi, Dao, as the principle of Oneness, is used at least in three
ways: the Great Dao, the Dao of Heaven and the Dao of man. Despite of making a
clear difference between these concepts, (Zhuangzi 11) Zhuangzi constantly emphasizes the oneness of Dao and also states that no name is suitable for it (Zhuangzi 22).
Both authors are concerned with the transcendence of the Absolute. The One
or Dao is not an object of our ordinary experience or perception. “The Way has its
reality and its signs but is without action or form”, as Zhuangzi says (Zhuangzi 6).
That means, there is nothing for our mind or senses to grasp at. Plotinus ‘sustains’
this outlook and eliminates the possibility to even imagine the One: “The Unity is
without shape, even shape Intellectual” (Plotinus VI.9.3).
While being totally transcendent and without losing its transcendence, the
One/Dao is the source and maintaining principle of all things: “Generative of all,
The Unity is none of all; neither thing nor quantity nor quality nor intellect nor
soul” (Plotinus VI.9.3). Consequently, we cannot find the One either by simply
looking at things or ignoring things as unrelated to the One. As we read in the
Zhuangzi, “you must not expect to find the Way in any particular place – there is
no thing that escapes its presence!” (Zhuangzi 22).
The relationship between the One and things in Plotinus can be misunderstood, especially when compared with the Daoist conception, in which the ontological hierarchy is not as strongly emphasized. It seems that for Plotinus the One
is more ‘real’ than things. The One is Supreme and First, it is ‘full’ of Itself. Accordingly, everything else is lower, later, smaller and emptier up to the non-Being. The
question of relationship between the One and Nothingness comparing with that
between Dao and Emptiness requires a separate discussion that would take much
more space than it is intended for a conference paper.
The metaphor of light or sun strengthens this vertical character of relationship.
Despite this, the One is always present in all things (Plotinus V.2.1; III.8.10) and
25
the One in its Oneness cannot be more or less ‘real’ or ‘unreal’. We can reasonably state that differences arise according to the perspective from which one or
another thought is told. The perspective of Oneness as a whole is different from
the perspective of the One as the Supreme source of all Being and different from
the perspective of things.
Both philosophers are talking about central character of the Absolute. First of
all it is a self-center, “its own source, its own root” (Zhuangzi 6). At the same time
it is the center of everything, ‘center of all the centers’ for Plotinus (Plotinus VI.9.8)
and ‘Dao shu’ – the hinge of Dao for Zhuangzi (Zhuangzi 2). They both conclude
that this ‘centre’ is not related to time or space or hierarchical order, but rather to
the equality of all oppositions in respect of oneness and harmony of the whole.
It is obvious that for Plotinus and Zhuangzi the Absolute is the source not only for
all things but for all human beings and all processes as well. Such an aspect of Dei
ty we can find in most major religions. Naturally, religious texts emphasize not only
absoluteness of God but His attributes, especially if we think about the conception
of monotheistic God. Nevertheless, in the texts of Plotinus and Zhuangzi, the words
and conceptions are employed for negation of any definition of the Absolute even if
they talk about it as the One. The very notion of the Absolute suggests that the experience or knowledge of the Absolute is a non-religious state. Should the constructivists consider the question of Absolute, I suspect they would agree with that.
One could not suppose all constructivists to be irreligious people. Rather, they
seem to believe that they can disassociate themselves from their underlying religiosity and investigate the religious experience of other people avoiding their own
subjectivity but preserving the objectivity of the research. The presence of absolute Oneness, however, supposes another precondition: the Absolute should be
found without mediators, i.e. religious symbols and concepts. Negation of such
possibility is the leading argument of Katz (Katz 1983: 51; Katz 1978: 26, 59).
Presence of Absolute Oneness
The immanence of the Absolute as it is described in the texts of Plotinus and
Zhuangzi creates the possibility for everyone to ‘stand’ in the presence of Oneness, or in other words, to become this Oneness. The presence of Oneness is an
‘aim’ of both, Plotinus and Zhuangzi, though both of them understand that human
will and rationality is something to be put aside first and foremost. This is not a real
aim that could be achieved through one’s endeavor. The experience authors are
talking about is hardly an experience at all because both of them suppose that the
‘experiencer’ has to lose oneself and become this Oneness in order to ‘experience’
it. No subject or object is left in the presence of absolute Oneness. To lose oneself
is to lose the subject or the shape of the ‘experiencer’. To become Oneness is to
loose all objects or the possible contents of the experience.
According to Plotinus, man in this state loses his self-consciousness, his I-ness
and any kind of intentional consciousness: “The man is changed, no longer himself
nor self-belonging; he is merged with the Supreme, sunken into it, one with it:
centre coincides with centre, for on this higher plane things that touch at all are
one” (Plotinus VI.9.10). Zhuanzgi expresses similar thoughts talking about the true
man, i.e. somebody who has reached oneness with Dao: “He passes in and out of
26
the boundless, and is ageless as the sun. His face and form blend with the Great
Unity, the Great Unity which is selfless” (Zhuangzi 11). Accordingly, a man seeking
this state has to become selfless, or no-I (wú w�).
Both authors emphasize becoming, not experiencing or understanding: “from
many, we must become one; only so do we attain to knowledge of that which is
Principle and Unity” (Plotinus VI.9.3); “forget you are a thing among other things,
and you may join in Great Unity with the deep and boundless. Undo the mind,
slough off spirit, be blank and soulless, and the ten thousand things one by one
will return to the root” (Zhuangzi 11). Paradoxically, the losing of one’s I-ness concludes in finding one’s true self that is united with the One or Dao. Loosing every
thing one gains everything.
Experience of everything is hardly an imaginable ‘thing’. Therefore the ‘withdrawal’ of rational thinking is an essential condition of pursuing the presence of
Oneness as well as it is its ‘feature’. As Zhuangzi says: “return to the root and not
know why. But if you try to know it, you have already departed from it. Do not
ask what its name is, do not try to observe its form” (Zhuangzi 11). The rational
thinking divides everything and separates the mind from the world. It is the main
obstacle to experience Oneness therefore and “Supreme [...] is to be known only
as one with ourselves.” (Plotinus VI.9.10).
I am not one with the Absolute as long as I am the experiencing or perceiving
person. Only ‘sunken into it’ and lost there I can ‘achieve’ it. According to Plotinus,
“awareness of this Principle comes neither by knowing nor by the Intellection that
discovers the Intellectual Beings but by a presence overpassing all knowledge.”
(Plotinus VI.9.4). Becoming simple and without diversity brings a kind of experiential knowledge. Not even knowledge but the existential and metaphysical steadiness that usually is called ‘pure knowing’ (Plotinus VI.9.10) or ‘knowledge that
doesn’t know’ (Zhuangzi 4).
The presence of absolute Oneness is not an unnatural state for human being,
according to Plotinus and Zhuangzi. They both use similar metaphors of the returning to one’s own root and source (eg. Zhuangzi 13; 11; Plotinus IV.8.4; VI.9.9). The
man who becomes pure and simple like in the very beginning can see not only
himself but also everything and every thing in the true light.
The presence of absolute Oneness does not eliminate the humanity i.e. materia
lity of a man. The man does not become the One fully and finally for he still is a man.
After being in the presence of absolute Oneness, he can look at everything from the
perspective of the One and also from the new, shifted perspective of things. The
Oneness and unmediated contact are indispensable for the state of presence but return back to the rational state of mind and I-ness is indispensable for ‘experiencing’
this state. The ‘experience’ arises only after the disjunction of subject and object.
The presence of absolute Oneness is characterized as fully conscious and even
over-conscious state, though both authors agree that it is indescribable like indescribable the One or Dao is. Trying to understand this non-experiential state ratio
nally, philosophers create distance from themselves and from the Oneness. They
use concepts of their religious and intellectual traditions. Therefore ‘experience’
is always shaped by culture, though culture is neither the source nor the content
of the ‘presence’ that goes before the ‘experience’. Appealing to the texts of Plotinus and Zhuangzi we can agree with constructivist theory that there are mere
27
experiences of the mystics. Equally we can guess, if not affirm, that there is also a
presence of absolute Oneness and it is non-religious non-experience, independent
of all cultural models that are used trying to realize and convey it.
Concluding remarks
The presence of absolute Oneness cannot be called ‘religious’ phenomena because
it is beyond any religious consciousness. It cannot be called even an ‘experience’ or
‘phenomenon’ because in the presence of absolute Oneness there is neither object, nor subject, neither experiencer, nor intentional consciousness left. This nonexperience of the present of absolute Oneness only later becomes an ‘experience’
through self-reflection and reflection of surroundings influenced by culture and
religion. No language is capable to express presence of Oneness even looking at
this state from a distance and both authors are warning against misunderstanding
of their words while talking about the One and Oneness.
Why Plotinus and Zhuangzi are talking about such inexpressible things at all?
Neither argumentation nor persuasion is the aim of their writings. These texts are
just denotements of the possibility and ability of human being to know the Absolute without mediation standing in the presence of absolute Oneness. Plotinus
says very clearly: “to those desiring to see, we point the path; our teaching is of
the road and the travelling; the seeing must be the very act of one that has made
this choice.” (Plotinus VI.9.4).
Bibliography
Forman, R. K. C. 1990. Mysticism, Constructivism, and Forgetting. In Robert K. C. Forman
(ed.) The Problem of Pure Consciousness. Mysticism and Philosophy (pp. 3-49). New
York: Oxford University Press.
Katz, St. 1983. The ‘Conservative’ Character of Mysticism. In St. Katz (ed.), Mysticism and
Religious Traditions (pp. 3-60). New York: Oxford University Press.
Katz, St. 1978. Language, Epistemology and Mysticism. In St. Katz (ed.), Mysticism and
Philosophical Analysis (pp. 22-74). New York: Oxford University Press.
Moeller, H.-G. 2006. Daoism Explained: from the Dream of the Butterfly to the Fishnet
Allegory. Chicago: Open Court.
Plotinus. Enneads. Transl. by St. MacKenna & B. S. Page. Retrieved from http://www.
davemckay.co.uk/philosophy/plotinus/
Stace, W. T. 1960. Mysticism and Philosophy. London: MacMillan.
Wainwright, W. J. 1981. Mysticism: a study of its nature, cognitive value, and moral
implications. The University of Wisconsin Press.
Zhuangzi. Chuang Tzu: Basic Writings. Transl. by B. Watson. New York: Columbia University
Press. 1964. Reprint: 1996. Retrieved from http://terebess.hu/english/chuangtzu.html
Agnė Budriūnaitė, assoc. professor of philosophy at the Vytautas Magnus University,
Kaunas, Lithuania. Area of scientific interest: religious experience, Eastern traditions of
thought (especially Daoism and Chan Buddhism) and religious existentialism.
28
Anenaiki by Augustyn Bloch (1979) – a Merger of Traditions
in Religious Music
Krzysztof CYRAN
A bst ra ct
Among dozens of compositions dedicated to John Paul II, Anenaiki by a Polish
composer Augustyn Bloch definitely stands out. Its uncompromising modernity
of sound, unusual approach to the textual layer and unique setting (16-part nonaccompanied mixed choir) make its specific profile. What’s more, despite clear
historical context, it carries the message far from obvious.
As for the text, Bloch uses two sentences from Latin and from Old Church Slavic
(Orthodox). He also makes a mosaic of a few dozens syllables, connected in many
ways: repeating, interfering, being only a sound object or creating words in diffe
rent languages, all of which are fragments of prayers.
The title itself, Anenaiki, is a Slavic word referring to old Greek melismatic
chant. However, the composition made out of it - traditional Byzantine modal formulas - is considerably rich in harmony, colour and texture. References to Gregorian, Byzantine, Orthodox or Synagogal chant are organically immersed into
modern twelve-tone language. Fundamental also is the way the text works here,
moving from asemantics to allusions and citations to full semantics. Consequently,
the Wort-Ton liaisons not only refer to tradition but also create new expressivesemantic qualities. From that point of view, the piece seems to be a good example
for a real synthesis, avoiding the danger of eclecticism.
The motto, Renovabis faciem terrae (‘and you will renew the face of the Earth’),
draws our attention to a biblical scene of Pentecost. The correspondence with famous John Paul II words: “Let Thy Spirit come and renew the Earth”, is astonishing.
It seems obvious to point out the similarity of the piece’s message – a symbolic
connection between East and West - to the pope’s ecumenical and universal approach to religion as a phenomenon of human life.
Keywords: anenaiki, Bloch, choir, religious, tradition
As the composer himself wrote : “I have entitled my piece Anenaiki for at least two
reasons: firstly – I liked the way this word sounds, secondly – the contemplative or
even prayerful character of chant suggested by the meaning of this word was special to me. The composition is based on apparently meaningless syllables excluding
words ‘Deum de Deo, lumen de lumine’ taken from a Catholic liturgical Credo, and
a few words from Old Church Slavic (Orthodox) liturgy (…). The piece has a contemplative character, being a kind of a prayer to Universal God” (Bloch 1979).
The title itself provides the clue to understand a musical content of the piece.
According to the artist: “Anenaiki is actually a Slavic word referring to old Greek
melismatic chant. In numerous texts of liturgic chants used in Byzantium and la
ter in Russia, (…) there were put byzantine intonation formulas, based on syllables such as ‘ananeanes’, ‘neanes’ (…) etc. According to research, similar manner
existed in Old Hebrew Synagogoue chant, in religious chant of Manicheism as well
as of Tunisian Bedouins” (Bloch 1979).
29
Text
a) texts indicated by the composer:
Deum de Deo, lumen de lumine (Latin) – God of God, Light of Light
Dnes Dewa rażajete Tworeca wiesiemo – (Old Church Slavic) – Today the Virgin
is bearing the Creator of all creatures
Pokazujet zwezda Christa Sołnieca (Old Church Slavic) – The Star shows Christ
the Sun
b) single words in the score
• Haghia (Gr.) – saint
• Sela (Hebr.) – a calling from the Book of Psalms: “with unclear meaning,
probably referring to musical performance” (Biblia Tysiąclecia 2000:
1639)
• Alla (Arab.) – God!
• Misericordia (Lat.) – mercy
• Mose (Hebr.) – Moses
All of them regardless of a confession carry a religious meaning.
c) The main part of the textual layer is a mosaic of syllables (see Tab.1). See
mingly meaningless, they are primarily a sound phenomenon. But their real function becomes clear only in cooperation with the musical layer.
Music
Its complexity requires pursuing for main ordering ideas. As detailed analysis
shows, these ideas are colour and time, whose musical analogue are sphere of
timbre and time organization. From a musical point of view, crucial here are sonic
planes undergoing constant internal and external changes. What has been underlined in purely vocal setting, is also the colour of text articulation – i.e. sonic richness of consonants and vowels.
A full twelve-tone material is used, however undergoing a strict selection in
each part of the piece. The beginning of phase B1 (m.111-132) would serve as an
example: here are first presented and then overlapping the three types of harmony carrying a concrete stylistic connotations: the part of Bassi resembles Old
Church Russian orthodox chant, that of Tenori – Greek Byzantine chant, and that of
female voices – 20th century serialism. Thanks to material selection the composer
successfully creates independent sonic layers whose overlapping makes not only
strictly musical but also stylistic counterpoint.
Time organization makes only “the scenery” for musical events. Time signature
4/4 has a strictly technical meaning, barlines are only visually ordering symbols.
A „neutral” tempo value = 60 is constant throughout the piece, excluding the last
minute (7% of duration) where it slows to = 44.
The use of constant rhythmic unit with different rhythmic values without
a meter makes pulse barely perceptible but subconsciously present, similarly to
Renaissance tactus. As pitch relations are extremely difficult, perception needs
another basis. The composer uses a kind of “perception management” presen
ting textures with different grade of legibility, from clear unisoni and homorhythmic chord shapes to micropolyphonic mosaics where differences are barely – if at
30
all - perceptible. In this situation, it is harmonic saturation1 (Zieliński 2009;19-23)
and contrasts of registers what plays a role of road-sign for perception and consequently particulates the musical form in an auditive aspect.
Relations between music and word
It should be emphasized that three main texts mentioned by the composer: Deum
de deo…, Dnes D’ewa…, Pokazujet… (see Tab.1) were set in different techniques.
A particular space of word perception has been deliberately designed in solely
textual layer - from asemantics to allusions to full semantics. The musical setting
obscures its legibility even more and adds another level of allusions and citations
(see Tomaszewski 1996). This deliberacy is visible in a deep disproportion between
massive bulk of text in the score and bare chances of understanding it by the
listener.
When looking perceptively into the score, it becomes clear that the composer
saying ”The composition is based on a p p a r e n t l y ( highlighted by KC) mea
ningless syllables” gives a secret clue: a few sequences of syllables seem to carry a
hidden meaning as an allusion or citation. This is indicated by the musical setting
and/or often repeating of some sequences.
The first case is (or are) eponymous anenaiki (plural), consisting of a psalm
tone (echos) melodic basis with fixed syllables to help memorizing (Abijski 2011).
“The syllables ane, na, ne, ni and others similar to them (which Russian termed
anenaiki) are known in Byzantine liturgical singing to be intonational formulae,
whose function was to bring the singers into the tuning of a given mode or Tone.
The Greek intonation formulae are as follows:
Tone 1 -
ananeanes
Tone 2 –
neeeanes
Tone 3 –
aneeeanee
Tone 4 –
nanaaaagia
Tone 1 (plagal) aneeane
Tone 2 (plagal) neeanee
Tone barys (7)-
aanee
Tone 4 (plagal) neagie”
(Gardner 1980:283-284)
It turns out that many of them serves (although in hidden way) as a melodic
constructional material in the polyphonic coil of Bloch’s piece.
The second use of “apparently meaningless syllables” in Greek liturgy was kratima: a charismatic chant derived from hesychasm – an ancient mystical monastic
tradtion, called also “chant of angels”. From the musical point of view it was a
melisma filled with syllables containing voiced consonants. The beginning of Kyrie
eleison could look like this:
Kyrie eee eee nenene nenene tororo tororo re ri rem, te ri rem (Abijski 2011)
1
That is a sonic quality of an interval or a chord, placed on a continuous scale from unison (saturation= 0), to euphonic (low saturation) to selective (high saturation). That continuity stands in
opposi tion to an old dichotomy: consonant – dissonant, giving more precise insight into physical
nature of sound, not forgetting its expressive implications.
31
Theological meaning of this technique was to contemplate the word, to stop
time. In non-accompanied choir voiced consonants simply imitated instruments –
forbidden in Orthodox liturgy (Abijski 2011). In Bloch’s piece the “bell-like” segment (m.65-83) introduced by syllables u-lu-lu refers to kratima. Therefore, all
sequences referring to anenaiki or kratima although meaningless, indicate the
relation to Greek Byzantine liturgy.
The next allusion is sequence E-U-O-U-A-E, used in medieval Latin antiphonaria
books as a shortcut for „saeculorum amen”, being itself a part of a doxology formula “Gloria Patri et Filio”. The composer proves familiarity with this abbreviation
by using two similar versions E-U-LO-RU-A-ME and E-U-O-U-A-ME.23
Tabela 1. Augustyn Bloch, Anenaiki – a simplified text setup, form, musical setting
Time
0’00
(approx.)
Measu- 1-40
res
Text
A, NA, NE, A,
NES
3’10
6’10
9’30
12’00
41-74
75-110
111-138
139-153
A, NA, NE, A, NES,
HA-GHIA
A, NA, NE, A, NES, A, NA, NE, A,
HA-GHIA
NES,
HA-GHIA
Y-U-A-Y-AN-ES
DNES DEWA
RAŻAJETE
TWORECA
WIESIEMO
DEUM DE DEO,
WA-HIT-RAS
LUMEN DE LUMO-SE
MINE
MO-HOL-LEL,
KUR-NA-NI-BA
SE-LA
MI-SE-RI-COR
-DIA
E-U-LO-RU-A-ME E-U-O-U-A-E,
E-U-O-U-A-ME
AL.-LA
A-E-U-A
C
B1
• Semantic clarity • Climax of
and legibility:
both one-text
two-choir dialogue heterophonic as
in chord-stack
well as different
texture
texts’ overlap• Semantic cliping
3
max : Deum de
Deo, the only
understandable
segment in the
whole piece
U, LU,
A,E,I,O,U, Ä,Ö,Ü, Y
ON, AN,
E-U-O-U-A-E
Form
The
musical
setting
of the
text
A
• Asemantic
character
• Structural
„birthplace”
of basic
sound cells
B
• Widening of sound:
musically: wider ambitus, new intervals
and chords, textually:
new phones
• Sonic climax2: onomatopeic „Bell-like”
segment built on the
syllables on, an.
POKAZUJETE
ZWEZDA
CHRISTA
SOŁNIECA
A1
• Legibility obscured by splitting into single
syllables and
heterophony
• Integration
on the musical
level: two twelve-tone series:
a vertical and a
horizontal
A particular code is formed by sequence Y-U-A-Y-AN-ES. Excluding Deum de
deo it is the only text set in clear simple chord texture, so one can expect important message here. In fact, this is a musical citation – a beginning of old Polish
Easter song “Chrystus zmartwychwstan jest” (“Christ is risen”), whose vowels create above sequence. The melody clearly legible in the score is hard to recognize
2
3
32
See Tomaszewski 1998: 50-53.
Ibid.
auditively in eight-voice semitone harmonization. The musical setting of the text
Deum de deo is a stylization of Gregorian-like melody with similar harmonization,
putting it also in clear 20th century harmonic context.
One of very rare fortissimo exclamations calls Alla (m.109-111). Although very
discreet, this could be a allusion to Islamic chant, perhaps Bedouins?
It can also be guessed that numerous repetitions of sequence A-E-U-A means
simply “Hallelujah”.
The message – a reconnaissance4
Augustyn Bloch mentions contemplativeness as a main expressive cathegory of his
composition. On a musical level it is witnessed by means such as:
• Time flow - long notes without a meter somehow stop time
• Lack of caesuras - the segments tend to overlap
• Abundance of pedal points (normal, multiple, internal and inverted) and
drones – playing role of local tonal centres
Melic evolution – a meditative “multiple return” to the original thought.
On a textual level the crucial factor is asemantics which in Christian understanding differs a contemplative prayer from a meditative one. Still, rich theological content can be found here: three main texts are clearly christocentric, referring
to Christ as the Light and the Sun, recollecting His double nature (born of God and
of the Virgin).
Besides, there are traces of numerous liturgical traditions;
• Greek – byzantine modal formulas and graces
• Latin – quasi choral melodies, allusion Saeculorum amen
• Polish – a song Chrystus zmartwychwstan jest
• Russian – polyphonic orthodox chant, the register basso profondo
• Hebrew – Sela
• Arabic – Alla
The motto Renovabis faciem terrae forms the next interpretative clue. Its coincidence with the famous words of the Pope John Paul II said in June 1979 in Warsaw can be explained this way: although the premiere took place a month before,
the motto itself appeared only in printed edition, therefore a couple of months
later. How much the artist was inspired by the pope is an open question. What is
undisputable, the fragment of Pentecost liturgy is by no means added ex post, but
it highlights three important semantic fields already present in the piece:
• All mentioned traditions and nations in the composer’s commentary create an area of ancient universum - the Roman Empire, corresponding with
the ‘geography’ of the Pentecost Day. Mediterranean roots remind silently
of deep unity between so understood East and West.
• Huge segments built on sequences of asemantic syllables refer to ancient
Christian charismatic “prayer in languages”5, called glosolalia6.
4
5
6
A term by Mieczysław Tomaszewski.
Nowadays revived in many spiritual Christian groups.
See 1 Corinthians 12-14 with footnotes. This way of prayer with meaningless syllables was also
called “the prayer of languages” and St.Paul probably refers to it on the beginning of the Hymn of
Love calling it “the language of angels” (Biblia Tysiąclecia 2000: 1495-1498).
33
•
Christian Theology of the Pentecost puts an accent to opening the religion
of God of Israel to the whole world, and theology of the Holy Spirit is a
Christian approach to the science of universal God, to whom – according
to the composer – Anenaiki is a prayer (Bloch 1979).
Conclusion
To read the message in the possible broadest context, necessary is referring to
three main levels of meaning:
In a musical sense this is a stylistic synthesis, but absolutely modern: the composer cares for stylistic unity of the whole piece, unlike postmodern polistylistic
tendencies. References to Gregorian, Byzantine, Orthodox or Synagogal chant are
organically immersed into modern twelve-tone language. A contemplative character, named expressis verbis, is accomplished by adequate musical means.
In a literary sense - text selection and setup expresses a theology of universal
God, based on the foundation of Christ and the Holy Spirit – all-renowning Spirit of
unity. Here contemplativeness is underlined by the asemantic factor.
A ritual sense means how both musical and textual layers function in social
context. Reading the piece in that way, one can find references to “official” liturgy
as well as “free”, charismatic prayer. The unity of office and charisma forms a principle of functioning the Church as a social system.
Just for these reasons, despite the artist places the message of his composition
beyond (or above?) a concrete denomination, his oeuvre, still not fitting in any li
turgy, fulfills all requirements of true church music, in which aesthetic values serve
theological message and are rooted in an identifiable spiritual tradition. Highligh
ted by the composer himself, contemplativeness and universalism do not melt a
cultural identity of the piece. It appears as a beautiful example of “open” religious
art, inviting each “man of a good will” to experience sacrum in his personal way,
according to individual sensitivity.
Annex: about the piece
Text fragments of the Latin Credo and Old Church Slavic (orthodox) and a few do
zens of syllables from Greek, Latin, Old Church Slavica, Hebrew, Arabic and from
beyond any language
Setting 16-part non-accompanied mixed choir (SSSSAAAATTTTBBBB)
Year 1979
Dedication Renovabis faciem terrae. Joanne Paulo II Summo Pontifici
Premiere 12.05.1979, Warsaw, a chamber choir „Ars Antiqua”, Maciej Jaśkiewicz
(dir.)
First edition PWM Edition, Kraków 1980
Recorded for the Polish Radio, performed by above, CD “Augustyn Bloch”, Intersound, Munich 1997
Duration 14’(ca)
34
Bibliography
Abijski, M. 2011. Prawosławny śpiew liturgiczny a muzyka cerkiewna. Rozważania nad
formą muzycznej oprawy liturgii bizantyjskiej [paper presented at a national conference for music school teachers], 3 December, Warsaw
Biblia Tysiąclecia 2000. Pismo św. Starego i Nowego Testamentu w przekładzie z języków
oryginalnych. Poznań: Pallottinum.
Bloch, A. 1979. Anenaiki. In Programme book of 23rd Warsaw Autumn Festiwal, Warsaw
Tomaszewski, M. 1996. Muzyka Chopina na nowo odczytana. Studia i interpretacje.
Kraków: Wydawnictwo Akademii Muzycznej
Tomaszewski, M. 1998. Nad pieśniami Karola Szymanowskiego. Cztery studia. Kraków:
Wydawnictwo Akademii Muzycznej
Zieliński, T.A. 2009. Podstawy harmoniki nowoczesnej, Kraków, PWM Edition
Krzysztof Cyran, PhD student, Academy of Music in Kraków. Area of scientific interest:
contemporary music, religious tradition, music and meaning, perception of music.
35
Session II – B
Learning a Foreign Experience: the Beginning of Yoga Movement
in Latvia
Solveiga KRUMINA-KONKOVA
At the turn of 20th – 21st centuries Latvia witnessed the fast development of yoga
movement. Near the so-called fitness yoga now the most popular directions of
yoga are Hatha yoga with such variations as of Ashtanga (dynamic) and Bikram
(hot) yoga, which are formed only in the 20th century; Kriya yoga (focused on
the spiritual practices and requires penance), Kundalini yoga (activates one’s inner
power, the Western world is familiar with this direction only in the 20th century),
Tibetan yoga (practiced in the Buddhist centre in Baltezers), Bhakti yoga (yoga of
devotion and sacrifice); Sahaja yoga (for cosmic force to enter in a particular human being), Tantra yoga (the so-called red yoga, mostly focused on the release of
sexual energy). Today Latvian yoga groups also are both in Reiki and Sufi centres.
Overall, there would be around 100 different yoga centres in Latvia and for such a
small country it is quite an impressive number.
The most of them are close to typical client cults described by sociology of
religion. All centres are united by the fact that a large part of their offer is paid
services for the interested customers. Namely, they form certain social networks
offering their services, and the relationship between the centre’s leaders and followers are similar to the relationship between the doctor and the patient or the
seller of certain goods and the buyer. Selecting a particular service, following the
specific instructions and expecting certain results clients are often not interested
in more information about the teaching of one or another yoga school. More important are evidences that skills of their instructors can ensure the expected results. Thus, compelling personal experience of instructors and good advertising of
this experience are essential, even vital for the success of one or another particular
centre. Because of this narrow practical orientation, contemporary yoga movement can hardly be called a philosophical or even more – a religious movement,
and this orientation also distinguishes the modern interest in yoga from that inte
rest which appeared in Latvia in the beginning of the 20th century. Although at
that time, as this will be seen below, the interest in yoga teachings was largely the
result of a personal desire to extend human capabilities and limitations of spiritual
experience.
The aim of this paper will be to provide insight into the development of yoga
movement in Latvia in the first half of the 20th century. The first data on a variety
of yoga and famous yogis appeared in Latvia already at the end of the19th century,
mainly in the press publications, as well because of people practicing some yoga
techniques, like – Hatha yoga. The broader interest in yoga (at least in Latvian society) we can notice only in the 1920-ties. So, this paper will focus mainly on the
36
archival materials, which reflect the gradual transformation of “The Latvian Socie
ty of Parapsychology”, founded in 1924, into the “Latvian Yoga Society” in 1939.
“The Latvian Society of Parapsychology” was founded in 1924 by Emma Apare,
Fricis Gailis, Olga Vanags and another 2 or 3 persons. According to the 1st paragraph of the Statutes of the Latvian Society of Parapsychology, its main purposes
were to “investigate and clarify various psychological phenomena and learn, and
find out the ancient Eastern metaphysical teachings”1. For this purpose, the Society was able to hold a variety of private and public lectures and readings, to
collect a library and establish reading rooms, to publish and distribute books and
periodicals, as well as to organize different occult experiments. For example, Fricis
Gailis, one of the most active members of the society, organized séances of spiri
tism, which were very popular among other members of society. Emma Apare,
who was the first head of the Society, interested in the questions of person’s
possible spiritual perfection. She knew the Vedanta and other Indian religiousphilosophical teachings, but looked at them mostly from theosophical and anthroposophical point of view. From 1926 up to 1928 Latvian pararapsychologists
published “literary-scientific and philosophically-religious” monthly edition “The
Bells”, edited by Emma Apare. In the Editorial of the 1st issue of this monthly,
she stressed that first and foremost the edition “will deal with Indian philosophy,
given special attention to yoga and Vedanta systems which are still little known
by general public. “The Bells” will deal with everything that is valuable in science,
philosophy and religion, as well as will explore a variety of parapsychological
phenomena”.2 In 1928 Emma Apare left the Society, but some years later, in 1930,
she together with her husband Aleksandrs Balodis established “The Latvian Socie
ty of Spiritual Sciences” and started also publishing of a new “literary-scientific
philosophically-ethical” monthly – “The Crown”. Starting the 1st issue, she poin
ted out that “The Crown” takes place of “The Bells” and that “the Christian esotericism and teachings of Indian yogis are the principal names for our ideological
concepts, as a clear material of our scientific mind which illuminates all the sites
of the Christian doctrine, recently becoming a vanguard of contradictions and creating chaos. Thanks to this light, we can see such values of the Christian doctrine
about which human being of our era is not even able to dream of. [--] We will
present works of Abhedananda, Ramakrishna, Vivekananda, Ramacharaka and
many other famous yogis. We will illuminate them in such a way that the reader
could get not just abstract concepts, but would understand their nature and gain
the wonderful strength of their power. [--] In other words, it will be the union of
religion and science. This, in turn, will create strong, solidary, healthy minded collective that will form from itself the core of a new cultural era. The latter is also
the mystical mission of our nation”3. However, this edition was not successful
and only two issues were published. Gradually interest in yoga was also reduced
among the members of “The Latvian Society of Spiritual Sciences”. Emma AtvareBalodis and Aleksandrs Balodis left the Society in 1933 (they returned in 1935).
Emma Apare helped her husband who, in his turn, in 1930-ties actively engaged in
1
2
3
Statutes of the Latvian Society of Parapsychology // LSHA, F. 2135, D.1, C. Nr.1. – P. 120. In Latvian.
Editorial // The Bells. Riga: E. Apare, 1926. Nr. 1. – P.1. In Latvian.
Editorial// The Crown. Riga: E. Balode, 1930.Nr.1. – P. 2-3. In Latvian.
37
different experiments with aura and read more then 50 lectures mostly in Russian
in the meetings of “The Society of Cosmosophy”4.
Turning to a more serious yoga study took place around 1928 when Harijs
Dīkmanis (born in 1895), which in later years was sometimes referred to as the
only real Latvian yogi, actively involved in the development of “The Latvian Society
of Parapsychology”. Dīkmanis, who daily worked as an expert in customs office and
had a good knowledge of English, became well known for his consistent interest in
yoga, presented in his public lectures and in several serious articles on Hatha yoga
in “the Bells”. Dīkmanis already had skills of Sanskrit and started to learn Hindi. A
few years later, in 1931, in the letter to S’Rimat Kuvalayananda Dīkmanis wrote: “I
have succeeded in rousing on interest in our country to the Yogic philosophy”5. We
can find a few records on the popularity of his lectures and their audience also in
the protocols of the Society. Here is the illustration: “Particularly encouraging is the
fact that among visitors of lectures are people mainly from the intellectuals and
not only the youth, the students, but between them we can see even representatives of the highest military and police departments, people with higher education
and even the most outstanding graduates”6. Such a success could be confirmed
also by the fact that in 1934 the Society of Parapsychology was re-registered under
the name of “The Centre of Yoga Science in Latvia”.
The new name gave a rise to the need for emphasizing yoga not as a philosophi
cal and religious, but rather as a purely scientific teaching. The changed Statutes of
the Society indicated also the new targets:
“1) A harmonious development of body, mind and soul;
2) Scientific techniques of the Self-realization,
3) To study Indian philosophy, given special attention to Yoga, Vedanta and
Samkhya.
4) To study and interpret a variety of psychological phenomena”7.
In the local archives we can find a document, which provides a more comprehensive explanation of the Society’s view on yoga. Most obviously, this explanation
was written by Harijs Dīkmanis. Here are some more extensive passages, making a
clearer picture of what was the real content of previous mentioned targets of “The
Centre of Yoga Science in Latvia”:
„In recent centuries, as a result of a long observation and experiments seve
ral yoga disciplines have been developed, which may be used according to human nature and the level of development of every concrete person. Thus, Hatha
and Kundalini yoga with a variety of body and breathing exercises are taught how
to manage your body, get blooming health and physical force to maintain a long
youth. Karma yoga teaches life activity, unselfish actions and the active serving
to society and humanity, Bhakti yoga – to love God; Raja yoga is the path of the
concentration of mind, which teaches how to manage our senses and mind and
develop a strong will and ability of the concentration. Dnjana yoga or yoga of wisdom, which is based on a philosophical system of Vedanta, teaches people to know
4
5
6
7
38
The exact name of this society was “The Society for the Promotion of Cosmosophy in Latvia”. It was
established in 1933 and was rather popular in German and Russian intellectual circles.
S’Rimat Kuvalayananda. Yoga Mimansa. Kessinger Publishing, 2003. – P.258.
From the Protocol Nr. 5, 15 of May, 1934// LSHA, F. 2135, D.1, C. Nr.2. – P.18. In Latvian.
Statutes of the Centre of Yoga Science in Latvia // LSHA, F. 2135, D.1, C. Nr.1. – P.93.
oneself, that is, our inner “I” and seek a higher truth – a reality on which all the
subjective and objective world is based, it is purely a philosophical method. All
these methods are interrelated, since all they have one common aim, namely: harmonized and comprehensive development and perfection of human body, mind
and abilities of soul.
In recent decades, yoga techniques, especially of Hatha and Raja Yoga, have
been scientifically tested in clinics and laboratories in India, Europe and America.
[--] To get the correct information and materials, the Centre of Yoga Science in
Latvia has established close relations with yoga institutes and other centres in India and America and therefore can provide to its members and the general public
the proper yoga exercises and techniques, without any distortions and exaggerations, that has been so far done in the lectures organized by the Centre”8.
For “the scientific evidence” of the Centre’s view on yoga well serves also
the book “Hatha-Yoga practice. Asanas and pranayama”, published by Dīkmanis
in 1934.
In 1934, H. Dīkmanis established closer ties with the Sri Jogendra’s Yoga Institute
in Bulsara (India) and a little later, in 1935, the Centre of Yoga Science became a representative of this Institute in Latvia, but Dīkmanis had been appointed as the only
representative of this Institute in Europe. Relations with great yoga teacher Swami
Sivananda and his Divine Life Society also were developed at the same time. As a
result, Swami Sivananda kindly allowed translating and publishing in Latvian and
other languages all his works, without any royalties, and such translations had also
been successfully done. Here is a testimony about Dīkmanis and his Centre left by
Sivananda himself: “Mr. Harry Dikman, the Director-Founder of the Yoga Centre in
Riga, Latvia (Europe) is a good specialist in these Yoga-Asanas, Bandhas and Mudras
and his opinion and advice to persons suffering from various kinds of diseases, cu
rable and incurable, are increasingly becoming popular in Europe. I have not heard
of another man either in Europe or in America, who takes such a keen and lively
interest in this subject and is making researches in the same. You will be surprised
to know that Mr. Harry Dikman is essentially a philosopher and a sage”9.
References to the activities of the Centre of Yoga Science in Latvia and, in particular, – to Dīkmanis can be found also in some other books devoted to the movement of Sivananda. One of these books point out: “To take a typical case, the book
“Kundalini Yoga” so impressed Mr. Harry Dickman, by its inestimable practical
worth as a peerless guide to the science of Yoga, that the highly cultured Latvian
gentleman has exhibited a miracle of industry and patience in making a complete
translation of the entire work with all the diagrams, charts and illustrations faithfully reproduced. [--] As a devout offering, Mr. Dickman sent two cyclostyle copies
of this translation to Swamiji and they now lie in the library at Ananda Kutir, silently
testifying to the influence he is wielding in the distant West. It is a salute of the Occident to the Eastern sun. Swamiji takes great pleasure in showing these volumes
to all earnest visitors and to tell them what one’s zeal and enthusiasm for a Divine
Cause should be.
8
9
Explanation of the Society’s objectives and activities // LSHA, F. 2135, D..1., C.Nr. 1. – P. 51.
Sri Swami Sivananda. Practical Lessons in Yoga. 8th edition. India: Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy
Press, 1997. – P.72.-73.
39
Mastering the technique of all the Asanas, Mudras, Bhandhas, Kriyas and Pranayama and drinking deep at the fountain of ancient Vedic culture, Mr. Harry Dickman was working untiringly for the spread of Divine knowledge and Spiritual culture.
Arranging classes, instructing seekers and training workers, his activities have come
as a glad answering echo from the heart of mammon-ridden West to the stirring call
of this dynamic, divine foster-child of the fortunate foot-hills of the Himalayas.
The elite of Latvia animated by a lively and active enthusiasm characteristically
occidental, have taken up the ideas of Sadhana and service in right earnest. Inspired
by the teachings and the influence of Swamiji’s work, the Yoga Society of Latvia has
received a strong impetus towards sustained progress and looked confidently forward to vastly enlarged activities in the near future. Coming into contact with Swamiji’s writings, it has produced a marvellous change for the better in the activities of
the aspirants there so much so, that they are determined upon great achievements,
in the field of self-culture. So greatly have they felt the influence of Swamiji’s work
and its value, that they believe him to have been specially chosen by Providence to
enlighten the West on the subject of Yoga and Adhyatmic Sadhana”10.
The reference to the experiments of Dīkmanis, which were mentioned in the
previous citation, requires some additional explanation. Some information we can
find in the Annual Report of The Divine Life Society of 1937. Thus, there is mentioned that Dīkmanis “taught effective practical methods for the maintenance of
Brahmacharya11. [--] He gave also a demonstration of muscular control – the most
interesting was the intercostals control. He was able at his will to inhabit the functions of either half of the chest while the other half breathed most forcibly. He did
another performance of stopping his heart at his will. In a few minutes he raised
his heart-beat to 132 in a minute, and after a few minutes slowed down to 21 beats
in a minute. He suspended the action of his heart completely for four minutes”.12
Thinking about the various links of Latvian yoga enthusiasts with outstanding
teachers in India and the U.S., question is how this relationship was maintained
and strengthened: just by the exchange of letters, or however by the most direct
contact, such as journeys to India. In archives only one reference to a possible
more direct contact can be found: On April 4, 1940 Robert Legzdinš read a lecture
“Three months with Sri Jogendra”. So, perhaps Legzdinš had been sharing in their
personal impressions.
In 1939, the Centre was renamed into “The Latvian Yoga Society” and under
this name existed till the beginning of Soviet occupation in 1940. In 1939, The
Society had 64 full members, but at the beginning of 1940 – 79 full members.
There were people of different education and of different social groups. Engineers,
civil servants, traders and other professionals, students and housewives – they all
together with a true zeal and great success learned sometimes very complicated
yoga exercises. Their experience and the fact how high they had been evaluated
by the outstanding Indian teachers of yoga is an amazing example of how it is possible to fully learn the experience of other cultures and religions, only by reading
10 Sri Swami Chidananda. Light Fountain. 5th edition. India: The Divine Life Trust Society, 1991. Read
in http://www.dlshq.org/download/light.htm, 06.02.2012.
11 Brahmacharya is the term used for the practice of self-imposed celibacy that is generally considered an essential prerequisite for spiritual practice.
12 The Second Annual Report of the Divine Life Society. India: Rishikesh, 1937. – P.24.
40
books. Perhaps we just do not know anymore how to read something so carefully.
Perhaps yoga movement today simply have not such a charismatic leader as Harijs
Dīkmanis was for other enthusiasts of yoga in 1930-ties. The last protocol of the
Latvian Yoga Society’s Board was written on September 23rd, 1940. In archives
there is no information about what happened to the Society’s members after.
However, the history of the Latvian pre-war yoga movement does not stop
with the last record in the Society’s protocol book. At the end of the Second World
War Dīkmanis arrived in Germany, spent several years in the DP filtration camp,
then moved to England and later – in the beginning of 1970-ties – to the USA,
where he became a well-known spiritual teacher in New York area. He is also author of the books “Siva. His Life and Mission”, published around 1947 – 48 and
„Yoga Chakravarty: Sri Swami Sivananda”, published in 1958. Remembering the
pre-war years, Dīkmanis wrote: Many were cured from ignorance and get faith in
the existence of God and Soul. [--] To the intelligentsia was given ample proof of
the raison-d’tre of the Science of Yoga”13. Becoming a well-known yoga teacher
in the West, Dīkmanis again confirmed the amazing vitality of Latvian yoga movement as well as its unique ability to fully learn rather different spiritual experiences
in a relatively short time.
Solveiga Krumina-Konkova, PhD, leading researcher, Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, University of Latvia. Area of scientific interest: phenomenology of religion, socio
logy of religion, new religious movements.
Detraditionalization of Religion and Religious Symbols
of Tradition in a Modernized Culture
Alar KILP
A bst ra ct
Theoretically, the paper follows Robert Bellah, Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann, by arguing that modernizing social environment – particularly structural
changes in the economic production and means of communication, and the advance of consumer culture and mass society – presents similar set of challenges for
all religious traditions. In late modernity the general sense of transcendence tends
to shrink and the mundane reality is increasingly perceived as the only social reality. The general trends of privatization, individualization and detraditionalization of
religion, however, are paralleled by new patterns of cultural homogenization. Concomitantly, the crucial question is, whether the religious tradition – which itself is
modernizing in its social environment - succeeds in maintaining the connection
to the political culture, because this connection protects it from the processes of
pluralization and commodification, which in other spheres of social life – including
the sphere of religion – undermine its social status.
13 Yogiraj Sri Harry Dikman. Siva. His Life and Mission [without the place and year of issue]. – P.19.
41
Empirically, the paper focuses on two questions. First, what difference did the
experience of Communism make regarding the cultural relevance of religious traditions? Typically, religion in post-communist societies is less detraditionalized, privatized and individualized, the identification with religion is more related to historic
religious traditions than in Western Europe. Second, the increasing visibility of Orthodox, Catholic and Lutheran cultural Christianities during two post-communist
decades is a novel “ideal-typical” pattern of fusion between nation, state and traditional Christianity. In this “ideal-typical” symbiosis, religious traditions function as a
symbol of the community and identity, rituals and norms, which are defined by nation, ethnicity and culture. Empirically, Lutheran cultural Christianity conforms most
to this ‘ideal type’ and Catholic cultural Christianity the least. In all cases, however,
the confessional traditions function as symbols of tradition in a modernized culture.
Alar Kilp, lecturer in Comparative Politics at the Institute of Government and Politics, University of Tartu, Estonia. Area of scientific interest: Church in post-communist countries,
relationship between religion and politics.
Bricolage Religious Experience
Istvan POVEDÁK
A bst ra ct
During the past five years the calendar of Hungarian festivals turned upside down.
Along with the well-known rock festivals for the young (e.g. the ’Sziget’) moving
hundreds of thousands every summer, a new type of cultural festival is gaining tremendous popularity in Hungary. Both the “National Assembly of Hungarians” and
the “Kurultaj” are patriotic/nationalist/religious-like, 3-day-long events moving
all segments of Hungarian population from teenagers to older generations. Both
festivals contain the following significant characters: patriotism, the revitalisation
of Hungarian “folk culture”, anti-globalisation, anti-communism, close-to-nature
ideology, religiosity (certain forms of neopaganism, vernacular Christianity, political religiosity) and a certain anti-church attitude at once.
My paper will investigate the religious expressions, attitudes, experiences and
rituals of these patriotic festivals. Are they really Christian rituals as it is advertised
by the organizers and expressed by the participants or these are something more
complex and complicated new type of “political or national religiosity”? What is the
attitude of Christian Churches towards the festivals? Why participants of the festival
organize pilgrimage to the neighbouring Roman Catholic Church and participate in
pagan-like rituals at once? Why do they hold themselves to be Christian and rejecting
the official Churches (mainly Roman Catholic Church) at once? Is it the re-awakening
of traditional Christian values or anti-religiosity what can be experienced during these
rituals? How these divergent traditions are elevated into transcendent sphere?
István Povedák, PhD, Bálint Sándor Institute for the Study of Religion, Szeged, Hungary.
42
Eastern and Western Tradition in the Music of Krzysztof Penderecki
as Sources of Inspiration for the Composer and of Metaphysical
Religious Experience for Contemporary Man
Regina CHLOPICKA
A bst ra ct
In his works Krzysztof Penderecki has raised grand themes of Christianity for nearly
half a century and considered them from the perspective of contemporary man,
asking dramatic questions and drawing attention of the audience to the world of
universal values.
He started from depicting the history of the passion and death of Christ in the
light of two traditions: Latin liturgical tradition of the West (St Luke Passion) and
Orthodox tradition of the East (Utrenya part 1: Entombment and part 2: Resurrection). In the cantata-oratorio works that followed the composer drew on Polish
religious tradition (Polish Requiem, Credo) as well as on the tradition of German
Protestant chorales (Credo, Kadish), and recently on the tradition of Jewish ritual
mourning (Kadish). These works bring the message of hope and faith in spiritual
values, which are meaningful for every denomination and every nation.
The composer noted: “My art, which has grown from Christian roots, aims at
rebuilding the metaphysical space of human being, shattered by the cataclysms
of the 20th century. The restoring of the sacred dimension of reality is the only
method of saving man.”
In the above-mentioned works a special role is played by the meditative,
prayerful movements which refer to another, sacred reality.
The present paper aims at presenting the repertoire of musical means which
constitute the basis of musical narration and communication with the audience as
well as at specifying individual features of the composer’s music which takes us
into the sacred space and time.
Regina Chłopicka, professor of Musicology in the Academy of Music in Kraków, Poland.
Area of scientific interest: music of K. Penderecki, interaction of religion and music.
43
Session II – C
Foi, intolérance religieuse et déconstruction sociale dans
le Nord-Cameroun
Par Pahimi PATRICE
Introduction
L’expérience de la foi et de la conversion relève du spirituel, donc du transcendant.
Cependant, elle est tout ce qui engage l’homme dans toutes ses dimensions, tant il
est admis que sommeille en chacun la pensée de l’éternité, la recherche de Dieu. Si
depuis près de trois siècles déjà les tenants de la thèse dite de la sécularisation prédisaient la fin de la religion, jamais cependant les humains n’ont cessé de croire au surnaturel, donc à ce qui est qualifié à tort ou à raison d’irrationnel. Aussi l’expression
religieuse ou l’expérience de la foi n’a été aussi dynamique que ces derniers temps.
Car comme l’attestent certaines études, il semblerait même que la religion, mieux
les religions, ne cessent de s’adapter aux nouveaux écosystèmes sociaux. Par conséquent, on parle à juste titre d’une augmentation fulgurante de la théodiversité.
Jour après jour en effet, de nouveaux mouvements religieux se créent, entraînant ipso facto des vagues de conversions. Vrai zèle pour Dieu, simples dérives sectaires ou toute autre raison souterraine, là n’est pas le débat. L’important reste tout
de même le rapport entre la ferveur religieuse actuelle et le clash avec certaines
orthodoxies ou mouvements religieux classiques. Les conversions aux nouvelles
religions sont généralement très mal perçues, et entrainent une sorte de censure
ou de désapprobation sociale. Dans cette perspective, conversion et adhésion, surtout aux nouvelles églises évangéliques ou pentecôtistes, sont indexées comme
étant à la base de la déconstruction sociale, et davantage des ménages, cellules de
base de la société par excellence. En effet, beaucoup redoutent la pentécotisation
de la société et donc ses effets jugés pervers. La conversion ou l’adhésion d’une
personne à ces nouvelles églises qu’on dit mystiques en raison des scènes de prières bruyantes et des pleurs intempestives, provoque son rejet, mieux une sorte de
désapprobation. Les concernés quant à eux parlent de persécution, d’intolérance
religieuse ou de refus de la différence.
De nombreux parents membres des églises classiques (catholique, protestante
ou toute autre anciennement établie) acceptent difficilement de voir leurs enfants
arrachés par les « loups pentecôtistes ». Leur attitude semble relever de la volonté
de protéger leurs progénitures contre ce qu’ils appellent la vague pentecôtiste.
Quoiqu’il en soit, la persévérance des nouveaux convertis, leur fermeté finissent
par arracher la résignation de leurs contempteurs. Car plus ils sont combattus,
plus leur mouvement (le nouvel évangélisme) s’étend, s’amplifie. D’où l’intérêt que
nous portons à la dynamique de la foi, de sa pratique et de son emprise sociale
dans le Nord-Cameroun. En clair, nous voulons montrer en quoi l’expression de
44
la foi religieuse, loin de toujours renforcer l’unité familiale, est plutôt à bien des
égards un facteur de déconstruction sociale au nom de l’intolérance ou de la non
acceptation de la différence. Pour rendre compte de la complexité du phénomène
religieux dans cette partie du pays, nous recueillerons les témoignages des uns et
des autres dans une perspective critique et analytique.
I. Le cadre d’étude : hommes et dieux dans le Nord-Cameroun
Le milieu, les hommes et la religion
L’espace Nord-camerounais dont il est ici question s’étend entre les 6è et 13è
degrés de latitude Nord, soit une superficie globale de 168.144 km² (B. Gonné
&Mbring, 2001: .4). Il constitue une zone dont l’uniformité du relief est quelque
peu compromise par des blocs ou massifs rocheux qui dans l’Histoire, se sont révélées être des sites privilégiés de refuge pour des populations en état de péril face
aux « envahisseurs » (Peuls et Européens).
Le milieu physique est de par sa rigueur et son caractère plus ou moins austère,
donc une zone de défis surtout en terme de sécurité alimentaire. En dépit de ce
défi plutôt majeur, le Nord du Cameroun a été dans l‘histoire un véritable carrefour des peuples et des civilisations. Il est en effet peuplé d’une mosaïque de peuples ou groupes ethniques ayant des formes d’organisation sociale, économique
et politique souvent divergentes. La diversité humaine est de ce fait un important
facteur de disparités. Par ailleurs, il convient d‘indiquer que le Nord-Cameroun
connaît un fort ancrage religieux. Les différentes activités humaines sont en effet
fortement liées aux pratiques religieuses. On parle notamment des rites agraires,
des fêtes de récoltes en célébration des divinités de la fertilité et de la productivité,
ou encore des rites initiatiques.
Dans la littérature ethnologique et anthropologique coloniale, il est généralement fait mention des peuples africains comme des fétichistes, des païens et des totémistes. Ce qui à coup sûr aura eu le mérite de dénigrer outre les pratiques cultuelles, les croyances mêmes de ces peuples, les présentant ni plus ni moins comme des
formes sauvages et irréfléchies d‘expression de la foi (Lire J. Benoist., 2009, édition
numérique, Les Classiques des Sciences sociales). Cependant, seul l‘animisme semble le mieux traduire la dynamique religieuse dans l‘Afrique ancienne. C‘est de là
qu‘intervient la consécration du sacré et de la notion de sacralité, tant pour les africains dits traditionnels, l‘âme de leurs croyances se trouve être les forces de la nature
considérées à tort ou à raison comme étant les lieutenants des divinités puissantes,
généralement difficiles d‘accès sans intermédiaires (voir J. Lestringant, 1964 : 115).
Notre propos dans ce texte est loin d‘être une apologie des pratiques religieuses de “ l‘Afrique traditionnelle“, encore moins un procès contre elles. Il vise plutôt
à apprécier la dynamique religieuse en Afrique en générale et au Cameroun en
particulier, et ceci à la lumière des interférences étrangères, lesquelles participent
du renouveau de la pensée et des pratiques religieuses. Nous nous intéressons
davantage aux contacts non pas sur fond de choc, mais surtout d‘une complémentarité génératrice des syncrétismes divers, et dans une mesure non moindre,
d‘incompréhension, d‘intolérance et de déconstruction sociale.
Comment en effet expliquer l‘infiltration et l‘implantation du christianisme
dans un univers nord-camerounais fortement religieux?
45
L‘univers religieux nord-camerounais précolonial
La spiritualité, le surnaturel, le mysticisme, le merveilleux et les croyances religieuses occupent une place de choix dans l’univers africain en général et nord-camerounais en particulier. Tous traduisent la volonté humaine de percer le mystère
de la vie, de la simplifier, mieux de la dominer. En tant que fait social, la religion
fait partie intégrante du patrimoine culturel commun de l’humanité. Les peuples
ont tous une idée, mieux une conception de Dieu. Ceci se matérialise par divers
rites qui sans aucun doute s’articulaient autour des croyances et autres pratiques
cultuelles. Dans l’ensemble du Nord-Cameroun, de populations ont été qualifiées
à tort de païennes, sans doute en raison de la différence de leurs croyances et
du caractère peu ordinaires de leurs pratiques cultuelles (Lire Lembezat, 1961).
Que ce soit chez les peuples de montagne ou de plaine, le sentiment religieux est
plus renforcé et matérialisé par la pratique de rituels divers. Si comme l’estiment
Émile Durkheim et Rudolf Otto les religions sont l’expérience du sacré et les formes
élémentaires de la vie religieuse comme « un système solidaire de croyance et de
pratiques relatives à des choses sacrées, c’est-à-dire séparées, interdites » (cité par
Douchin, 2009 : 1), il est clair dans le contexte du Nord-Cameroun que l’ancrage
spirituel est assez notoire. Il s’exprime dans la diversité des cultes dits ancestraux,
des rites parfois jugés barbares et irréfléchis.
Ce sont ces différentes croyances peut-être non uniformes mais riches de leurs
diversités qui constituaient néanmoins ce qu’on pourrait à juste titre qualifier de
religions africaines. Dans cette mesure, il est impossible de comprendre les populations locales sans au préalable appréhender le domaine religieux qui en fait
imprčgne profondément la mentalité des individus (Bigo, 2005 :11). De faēon générale, tous les aspects de la vie des populations sont réglés par la religion. Cela
s’observe ą travers les rites de semailles, les fźtes de récoltes et autres conduits
par les prźtres traditionnels connus sous diverses appellations, et ceci d’un peuple
ą un autre.
La pénétration chrétienne et la vague expansionniste musulmane du XIXe sičcle
n’y changera pas grand-chose. Il est vrai que l’Islam est venu impulser une nouvelle
dynamique socio religieuse dans le Nord-Cameroun, mais l’essentiel des populations dites kirdis y opposčrent une réticence quasi légendaire1. C’est par exemple
le cas des Moundang de la Plaine du Diamaré, des Toupouri pour qui l’adhésion
ou la conversion ą cette religion n’est ni plus ni moins qu’une forme d’assimilation,
mieux de perte d’identité (Pahimi, 2010 : 64-66). Et mźme il faut indiquer qu’avec
l’avčnement du christianisme, on ne connaītra pas au début une grande effervescence quant ą l’adhésion des populations.
Plus tard cependant comme l’indique Réné Bureau, « les différences de traditions de caractères tribaux et surtout la variété des expériences passées de la
rencontre avec le Blanc influencèrent la qualité et la forme de la conversion au
christianisme. Après le renversement de l‘opinion (toutefois), se déclencha un
mouvement quasi automatique d‘adhésion à la Mission », (Bureau, 1964 : 97). Le
paļen autrefois taxé de sauvage va ą la faveur des nouvelles recompositions sociales et religieuses progressivement intégrer le christianisme dans ses mœurs.
1
46
Pour une étude plus approfondie du phénomène, lire Kees Schilder, 1994 et Njeuma, Njeuma,
M-Z.,1978, Fulany hegemony in Yola (old Adamawa) 1809-1902, Yaoundé, CEPER
Et pour preuve, on rencontre de nos jours dans nos sociétés, un bel exemple de
syncrétisme, lequel est de loin un garant de la tolérance religieuse. La différence
est quasi inexistante, ce d’autant plus qu’on retrouve de par et d’autre les éléments
du christianisme et des religions traditionnelles africaines.
II. La dynamique religieuse au Cameroun depuis 1990
Contexte social et juridique
Le régime de culte au Cameroun est régi par la loi. Dans un pays multiculturel et
aux grandes diversités ethniques comme celui-ci, la réglementation des pratiques
religieuses est d’une nécessité impérieuse, tant la diversité peut donner lieu à de
graves dérives, voire une profonde déstructuration sociale. Les bases juridico-légales de l’exercice des cultes au Cameroun sont notamment fixées par le décret
du 28 mars 1933 et complété par celui du 13 octobre 1937. Ces textes constituent
pour ce qui est de la période coloniale, les fondements de la liberté de culte, du
moins dans un contexte d’Etat colonial voulu moderne.2 Dans le souci de préserver
l’ordre social et la cohésion entre les populations, des dispositions similaires sont
prises au lendemain des indépendances par le Président Ahmadou Ahidjo. Il s’agit
notamment de la loi n°67/LF/19 du 12 juin 1967. Cette dernière s’inscrit dans une
logique de continuité, question de mieux cadrer les pratiques cultuelles.
Quoiqu’il en soit, des pesanteurs sont observées çà et là, car entre le texte
et son application il ya un gouffre. Selon les témoignages recueillis auprès de
certains chrétiens de la ville de Maroua3, la ville était dans les années 1960 en
état de siège, surtout en ce qui concerne l’exercice de la foi chrétienne. Selon
ces derniers en effet, le contexte de l’époque était alors marqué par la volonté
des fidèles musulmans d’asseoir un régime de prééminence religieuse, et ceci sur
fond d’intolérance. L’exercice du culte chrétien était soumis à un état de psychose
sociale. Des administrateurs civils musulmans trop zélés, ont souvent versé dans
des actes peu recommandables envers les chrétiens. Virtuellement cependant,
tout laissait indiquer que les populations ne faisaient l’objet d’aucune contrainte
ni restriction dans l’exercice de leur foi ou dans l’expression de leurs croyances au
travers des cultes.
Comment alors expliquer le contraste d’une société qui se veut pourtant
ouverte et surtout déterminée à relever le défi de l’intégration nationale par une
cohésion entre les diverses composantes de la société ? Le cas de la ville de Maroua mérite une attention particulière. Dans une large mesure, de nombreux musulmans de l’ère Ahidjo se sentaient en position de force face aux autres groupes
religieux, et entendaient bien en jouir, même au mépris des dispositions légales.
Beaucoup agissaient ni plus ni moins comme des roitelets en quête d’affirmation
et apparemment déterminés à tirer profit soit de la complaisance des autorités
étatiques, soit de ce qu’on pourrait qualifier de tolérance administrative.
2
3
Il faut indiquer que dans le cadre des cultes traditionnels, il n’était pas besoin d’une législation à
caractère restrictif. L’exercice du culte, outre le cadre public, est avant tout une affaire de famille. Il
est dès lors présidé par le chef de famille qui en assure la pérennité au travers des rites et sacrifices
divers.
Pour des raisons de protection de nos informateurs, nous avons voulu taire leur identité.
47
Même s’il est clair que les textes disposaient d’un cadre pour un libre exercice de la liberté d’association et de culte, il ne fait l’ombre d’aucun doute que le
contexte socio politique des 1960-1970 a donné lieu à quelque sursaut d’intolérance, surtout en ce qui concerne la partie septentrionale du pays où on rencontre
une communauté musulmane non négligeable4. C’est sans doute en rapport avec
les réminiscences d’un passé plus ou moins tumultueux ou marqué par la prééminence musulmane que de nombreux chrétiens virent en l’avènement de Paul Biya
(un chrétien originaire du Sud-Cameroun) au pouvoir en 1982, la réalisation d’une
prophétie. Cela fut d’ailleurs assimilé à une véritable renaissance chrétienne5, tant
il devait marquer un tournant décisif dans la dynamique chrétienne au Nord du
Cameroun. Cependant, il a fallu attendre le début des années 1990 pour assister à
un réel boom chrétien au Cameroun.
Nouvelle cartographie religieuse depuis 1990
La loi du 19 décembre 1990 portant liberté d’association au Cameroun constitue
un tremplin à l’expansion chrétienne, surtout en ce qui concerne les mouvements
évangéliques ou pentecôtistes. C’est le lieu de parler en terme de vague pentecôtiste, mieux de début de pentecôtisation de la société camerounaise. Le contexte
des années 1990 mérite une attention particulière. Avec le retour à la démocratie
et la restauration des libertés longtemps confisquées, le peuple bascule malheureusement dans la licence (Voir P. Pahimi, 2010, pp 219-221). Si pour les pouvoirs
publics il était question de créer des conditions d’une meilleure expression des
droits et des libertés, pour les populations au contraire, venait de s’ouvrir l’ère de
l’impunité, d’absence de réglementation, et donc de célébration du principe du « il
est interdit d’interdire ». Dès lors, on assiste même dans le domaine du sacré, au
règne de l’anarchie et de mépris des normes régissant l’implantation et le régime
des églises au Cameroun.
A titre d’illustration, l’univers chrétien au Cameroun est du point de vue légal
une véritable nébuleuse. Il existe certes une kyrielle d’organisations religieuses,
allant de ce qu’on peut appeler les églises classiques (les Missions catholique romaine, baptiste, presbytérienne, évangélique luthérienne, Fraternelle luthérienne,
Adventiste, apostolique, les Témoins de Jéhovah, l’Eglise pentecôtiste chrétienne
du Cameroun) aux « nouvelles églises » ou « églises réveillées », mais très peu
ont reçu un mandat légal pour exercer au Cameroun. Le titre de l’article publié
dans le Journal camerounais La Nouvelle Expression du 08 août 2008, « Ces églises qui défient Marafa6 » est assez évocateur. Selon les révélations de ce Journal,
le ministère camerounais de l’administration territoriale et de la décentralisation
ne reconnaît que 46 églises à existence légale. Et pourtant, l’article 23 de la Loi
N°90/53 du décembre 1990 portant liberté d’association, dispose que « toute association religieuse doit être autorisée. Il en est de même de tout établissement
congrégationniste ».
4
5
6
48
Selon les apparences en effet, il semble que le nombre de fidèles musulmans dépasse de loin celui
des dénominations chrétiennes réunies ; ce qui n’est pas vrai, surtout dans le contexte actuel de
libération de
Entretien avec Hamandjam Samuel, Maroua, 10 Mars 2012.
Marafa Hamidou Yaya est l’ancien ministre camerounais de l’administration territoriale et de la
décentralisation.
En dépit de la volonté de réglementation des pratiques cultuelles, le défi majeur demeure l’impossibilité de cerner le phénomène des migrations religieuses qui
traduisent toute la dynamique et les profondes mutations religieuses en Afrique
subsaharienne en général, et au Cameroun en particulier. La porosité des frontières
et la libre circulation des hommes et des idées constituent dans une large mesure
un amplificateur de la nébuleuse chrétienne au Cameroun. Les églises de réveil
en provenance du Nigéria et dont les méthodes d’évangélisation sont axées sur
la promotion de la théologie de la prospérité et le show évangélique, font en effet
bonne fortune au Cameroun. C’est fort de l’ampleur du phénomène que Norimtsu
onishi a déclaré : « si l’Afrique du sud est le plus gros exportateur africain sur le
plan commercial, le Nigéria est son équivalent sur le plan religieux. Ses églises se
développent dans toute l’Afrique et jusqu’en Europe et aux Etats-unis » (Norimtsu
onishi, 2002: 48).
En clair, comment expliquer le fait que des mouvements religieux censés prêcher par l’exemple en matière de conformité à la réglementation choisissent plutôt
la voie de la clandestinité ? Ceci devrait notamment attirer l’attention sur leurs véritables motivations. Il est cependant avéré que de nombreuses églises d’obédiences diverses sont en compétition au Cameroun, et en cela, la partie septentrionale
du pays n’y échappe pas. En effet, profitant de la vulnérabilité des populations surtout en zone urbaine, les nouveaux mouvements religieux de par leur dynamisme
ou leur rapacité, se déploient assez rapidement dans le Nord-Cameroun, et ceci
généralement sans existence légale (voir Adjia et Ndé Noutack, 2010 : 63). Elles
ont ainsi en deux décennies presque réussi à fragiliser les églises classiques (catholique, protestante en l’occurrence) coupables de statisme ou de mutisme. Les
stratégies mises en valeur passent notamment par la disposition des instruments
musicaux (une source d’attraction pour les jeunes), la promesse d’une prospérité
matérielle, de la guérison, d’un emploi, d’une restauration de la fertilité, bref une
guérison totale par le biais de la prière et des miracles. Sous ce rapport, il est
pratiquement difficile aux populations en quête d’espérance de se dérober à ce
business de la foi.
En dépit de cette menace réelle, les églises classiques, les catholiques et les
évangéliques surtout ont opté pour un renforcement de l’encadrement des jeunes qui sont d’ailleurs considérés comme une proie facile pour les églises dites
réveillées. Aux expériences émouvantes de la foi, l’Eglise catholique semble opposer le mouvement charismatique. Ce dernier peine cependant toujours à gagner
l’adhésion même des fidèles catholiques.
Au total, le paysage chrétien nord-camerounais présente quelques Eglises classiques qui de par l’importance de leur extension sociale, constituent des poids lourds
du mouvement religieux national et régional7. Il s’agit notamment de l’Eglise catholique romaine, l’Eglise Evangélique Luthérienne du Cameroun, de l’Eglise Fraternelle
Luthérienne, l’Eglise Baptiste du Cameroun, l’Eglise Evangélique du Cameroun, l’Eglise presbytérienne, l’Eglise apostolique. Ces deux dernières connaissent une faible
expansion dans le Nord-Cameroun. Les raisons de cette faible représentativité ne
sont malheureusement pas à explorer dans le cadre de cette étude.
7
Ces églises classiques sont en effet de grands propriétaires terriens. Ceci se justifie sans doute par
leurs investissements sans les œuvres sociales telles que les écoles et les centres de santé.
49
A ces églises classiques, sont venues s’ajouter depuis l’ouverture de l’ère de la
liberté d’association, une kyrielle d’églises dites réveillées, encore appelées nouvelles églises. Ce sont notamment la Mission du Plein Evangile, la Vraie Eglise de
Dieu, l’Eglise Frontières globales, l’Eglise Evangélique messianique du Cameroun,
les Témoins de Jéhovah, l’Association Missionnaire internationale, l’Assemblée de
la vérité, la Communauté missionnaire chrétienne internationale, le Centre de Victoire Bethesda, l’Eglise Sion pour Christ, l’Eglise Messianique Evangélique de la
Foi , la Winner’s Chapel, l’Eglise Christ Embassy, etc (Adjia et Ndé Noutack, 2010 :
70-85). Il faut cependant indiquer avec Seignobos et Iyébi-Mandjek que « la représentation cartographique des différentes religions (au Nord-Cameroun) souffre
de ne pouvoir réunir les mźmes types de données pour chacune… Les bastions
« paļens » originels ont été trčs entamés par le prosélytisme de l’islam puis par
l’arrivée des missions protestantes, suivies des catholiques. ». (Seignobos et IyébiMandjek, 2000 : planche 29).
Toutefois, il faudrait relever que les églises chrétiennes, au regard de leur dynamique actuelle, ne sauraient źtre qualifiées de petites colonies de chrétiens qui entretiennent une infinité de petits temples et de lieux de prédication servis par des
évangélistes et des pasteurs locaux. En effet, les zones de plaine autrefois considérées comme des bastions de l’Islam sont de nos jours en pleine reconfiguration.
De nombreuses églises tant classiques que nouvelles y gagnent de plus en plus du
terrain, quoique le nombre de fidčles n’y croīt pas de faēon exponentielle.
Pour tout dire, au regard du contexte actuel, on a l’impression d’assister dans
le Nord-Cameroun à une relecture des phénomènes religieux et de leur représentation sociale et publique de plus en plus accrue. Au delà des clichés et des
représentations que l‘on pourrait se faire de la dynamique religieuse au Nord-Cameroun, il est cependant impératif de faire une véritable autopsie de la cohabitation, mieux de l‘état de la tolérance et de l‘intolérance dans un univers chrétien
pluraliste. Il s‘agit en effet de jeter un regard critique sur le processus d‘intégration,
de construction ou de déconstruction sociale à la lumière des conversions ou des
nouvelles expériences religieuses dans un contexte marqué par la vague pentecôtiste. Comment en effet les gens vivent-ils leur nouvelle foi, leur conversion ou
adhésion aux nouvelles églises? Comment sont-ils perçus par leurs parents, amis
restés fidèles aux églises classiques?
III. Eglises classiques et vague pentecôtiste : entre clash et cohabitation
Vivre sa foi dans un univers religieux pluraliste
L’expérience de la foi et des pratiques religieuses participe au sens global de la
dynamique socioculturelle. Cependant, le contexte de pluralisme religieux camerounais de par sa complexité, exige une lecture nuancée de la question, surtout
dans la perspective d’une meilleure appropriation des notions de tolérance et d’intolérance religieuses. En effet, contrairement ą la tendance qui voudrait que l’intolérance soit caractéristique des rapports entre religions traditionnelles et christianisme au Cameroun en général et au Nord-Cameroun en particulier, on assiste
ą une opposition interne et souterraine entre différentes obédiences chrétiennes.
Ceci est particuličrement le propre des églises dites classiques ą l’égard des églises
50
« réveillées », encore connues sous le nom de nouvelles églises. S’il est admis que
l’intolérance est la négation de la tolérance, et que l’excès de celle-ci pourrait être
jugé également comme intolérable (Makram, 2005 : 326), dans une région à fort
ancrage traditionnel comme le Nord-Cameroun, cette question devrait être des
plus vives. Seulement, les églises classiques, en raison de leur ancienne présence
sociale, ont fini par s’accommoder voire s’imposer comme des locomotives religieuses, mieux des références incontestables dans un contexte pourtant pluraliste.
La consécration du monopole des églises classiques est d’ailleurs confortée par les
gardiens mêmes des religions traditionnelles locales.
En effet, des facteurs non négligeables et pouvant rentrer dans la « stratégie diplomatique » de l’église catholique surtout, ont permis une intégration progressive
des croyances chrétiennes dans les mœurs des populations autrefois fondamentalement animistes. Et pour cause, les églises classiques dans l’ensemble et l’église
catholique en l’occurrence, n’ont marqué aucune volonté brutale de dissolution ou
d’extinction des croyances anciennes. Il est vrai que leur introduction dans un univers animiste et visiblement acquis à l’indépendance d’un point de vue doctrinal a
été cause de mutations socio culturelles. Mais le fait qu’elles ne constituaient pas
une menace directe aura facilité la cohabitation.
Ainsi, il est clair qu’avant l’avènement du christianisme en Afrique, les populations locales pratiquaient des cultes ancestraux, lesquels seront progressivement
inféodés par le christianisme (Messina et Jaap, 2005 : 238), mais cette considération est loin de traduire un élan violent de phagocytose. En effet, il faut indiquer que le phénomène dit de syncrétisme aura sans commune mesure permis la
normalisation, mieux l’apaisement des rapports entre religions traditionnelles et
christianisme dans le Nord du Cameroun. Beaucoup en effet y vivent leurs croyances chrétiennes avec une forte coloration animiste, et donc une dose surprenante
de tolérance. Ceci est sans doute révélateur de la logique paradoxale des religions
dites occidentales et de leur adaptabilité aux réalités locales.
Au regard de cette considération, il apparaît clairement que les religions traditionnelles en général semblent plus garantes de la tolérance même dans un cadre
pluraliste. Car, le plus beau spectacle d’un mariage douloureux est plutôt celui des
relations souvent tendancieuses qu’entretiennent les églises classiques (catholique, protestante), titulaires d’une sorte de chaire ou d’un titre foncier inviolable,
et les nouvelles églises.
Visiblement satisfaites de leurs prestations, à savoir leur palmarès en matière
de ralliement et de réconciliation avec les croyances animistes locales, ces églises anciennes ou classiques ont malheureusement vite plongé dans un sorte de
mutisme qui ne devait avoir pour finalité que de les rendre fades. Bien que continuant de charrier le plus grand nombre de fidèles, les églises classiques connaissent néanmoins une dégringolade somme toute inquiétante du point de vue de
leur cotation sur l’échelle de valeur religieuse. Beaucoup leur reprochent en effet
leur mutisme, leur orthodoxie sans intérêt, et donc leur réticence à s’adapter aux
réalités contemporaines. Aussi, les programmes alléchants, novateurs et porteurs
d’espoir que brandissent les nouvelles églises réussissent-elles à captiver le plus
grand nombre de fidèles, et surtout les jeunes sans doute abandonnés à eux-mêmes faute d’affection, d’attention et de valorisation. « Grande campagne de miracle », « programme spécial de guérison divine », « soirée de délivrance et de
51
prophétie », telles sont les annonces qui continuent d’ébranler un univers religieux
africain tenu des mains de maîtres par les églises classiques depuis la période coloniale. Ce qui sans doute témoigne de la visibilité croissante des manifestations
pentecôtistes en Afrique subsaharienne en général, et au Cameroun en particulier
(Mayrargue, 2008 : 1-4).
C’est dans ce contexte marqué par la compétition lancée par les nouvelles
églises que s’installe une logique conflictuelle qui, à défaut d’être ouverte et officielle, ne suscite pas moins entre les éléments sociaux des tensions ciblées. En
effet, dans la plupart des cas, la conversion ou l’adhésion de certaines personnes
aux nouvelles églises est perçue par la société comme une marque de trahison,
mieux une intolérable hérésie. Dans cette perspective, le principe de « la dignité
humaine » et donc de l’autonomie de l’individu, sa liberté de conscience, le respect des croyances d’autres groupes ou individus et la revendication du droit à
la différence culturelle (Makram, 2005 : 329) tel que souvent invoqué apparaît
comme un simple paravent. Dans l’essentiel des cas en effet, ceux qui adhèrent à
ce que d’aucuns qualifient de nouvelles croyances subissent une sorte de censure
sociale, de désapprobation, même par les membres de leurs familles restés fidèles
aux églises classiques.
A l’issu des enquêtes que nous avons menées dans la ville de Maroua et dans
d’autres localités du Nord-Cameroun, tout laisse indiquer que les églises classiques,
selon leur zone de prédilection, sont véritablement considérées comme étant les
seules églises officielles. Même des parents animistes tolèrent mieux que leurs enfants se convertissent et adhèrent soit à l’église catholique, évangélique luthérienne, presbytérienne ou baptiste par exemple. Leur attitude démontre en effet qu’il
est mieux de s’allier à de vieilles connaissances que de pactiser avec des inconnus.
Par ailleurs, selon de nombreux témoignages recueillis par Ndongué Yannick
auprès des convertis aux tendances du mouvement pentecôtiste, il ressort clairement que tout ce qui se nomme nouvelle église ou église réveillée est officieusement traqué. De là la matérialisation même de l’intolérance. Si dans les textes
légaux la liberté de conscience et la tolérance religieuse sont reconnues, dans la
réalité sociale cependant, elle demeure difficile à intégrer. C’est sans doute dans
cette mesure que de nombreux nouveaux convertis se virent reniés ou désavoués
par leurs familles. Pour ceux encore financièrement dépendants de leurs parents
comme les élèves et les étudiants, ils se virent suspendre les vivres, le paiement de
leur scolarité. On estimait sans doute que la trahison était grave et ne pouvait avoir
pour seule rétribution qu’un tel désaveu. En outre, on crut devoir limiter la vague
pentecôtiste par l’application rigoureuse des mesures dissuasives contre tous ceux
accusés de prostitution ou d’hérésie spirituelle. Quoiqu’il en soit, chrétiens et non
chrétiens continuent de tolérer avec peine la différence religieuse.
Pour justifier cette intolérance qui semble se justifier par l’instinct de survie
dans un contexte de pluralisme et de compétition religieuse, on avance l’idée
selon laquelle « L’Église ne persécute que par amour, et pour faire du bien; les
impies au contraire persécutent par haine, et pour faire du mal; celle-ci pour corriger, ceux-là pour pervertir; celle-ci pour retirer de l’erreur, ceux là pour y jeter. »
(F.Fuente Alcantara, 1996 : 29-30 ). Tout ceci cependant est loin de dédouaner
toute attitude d’intolérance qui ne ferait qu’entretenir la suspicion et donc la déconstruction sociale.
52
Vers une déconstruction sociale
Bien que généralement présentée comme un ciment social et un important facteur de construction identitaire d’une nation (J.Attali, 2010 :7, 9), la religion est
restée dans l’histoire humaine à la base des bouleversements sociaux en termes
de construction et de déconstruction. Dans le Nord-Cameroun en effet, le pluralisme religieux est à la base des jeux de recomposition et de reconfiguration socio
culturelles. Cette région du pays est selon la cartographie religieuse locale à forte
coloration musulmane, du moins en ce qui concerne le déploiement ou les développements actuels favorisés par l’infiltration de nouveaux courants islamiques
visiblement déterminés à étendre les frontières de l’Islam en Afrique noire en
générale, et au Nord-Cameroun en particulier. La vague pentecôtiste qui, à l’observation générale constitue un facteur de révolution religieuse par l’ouverture
d’une réelle compétition, est venue modifier les considérations ou la perception
du religieux.
Selon de nombreux témoignages recueillis auprès de fidèles d’obédiences
pentecôtistes diverses, il peut être clairement établi que depuis déjà deux décennies, on assiste à de nouveaux sursauts d’intolérance ou de difficultés à accepter
la différence. Les pentecôtistes dans l’ensemble sont perçus comme des « fous
de Dieu » dont le zèle et les élans spirituels débordent de vie et d’énergie. Cette
nouvelle pratique religieuse qui se veut novatrice, constitue un défi à la survie des
églises classiques qui ne tarissent de récriminations à leur égard. Aussi les accuse
t-on de nuisance sonore (expression bruyante du culte, chants qualifiés de véritables tintamarres), de perturbation de l’ordre et de la paix sociale (Lindovi Ndjio,
2008). Cette description est relevée par Maud Lasseur et Cédric Mayrargue (2011:
7-8) en ces termes:
Depuis une vingtaine d’années, une présence sonore croissante du religieux
semble encore amplifier cette montée en visibilité : liée ą... l’habitude prise par
certaines églises pentecōtistes d’installer des baffles sur la rue – usage qui culmine
lors des croisades d’évangélisation organisées en plein air, sur des places, des friches urbaines ou dans des stades –, elle contribue ą accroītre la perception d’un
religieux omniprésent dans l’espace public.
Au delą de cette considération, l‘omniprésence du religieux dans la sphčre publique n‘est pas que porteuse de mutations positives. De nombreuses familles sont
de nos jours en profonde dislocation du fait de l‘expression de la liberté de culte et
de conscience dans un contexte laļc et fondamentalement pluriel. Les déclarations
bibliques sont en parfaite adéquation avec les réalités du monde chrétien actuel.
Dans la préparation de ses disciples aux persécutions ą venir, Jésus-Christ leur a
tenu les propos ci-aprčs: « Ne croyez pas que je sois venu apporter la paix sur la
terre; je suis pas venu apporter la paix, mais l‘épée. Car je suis venu apporter mettre la division entre l‘homme et son pčre, entre la fille et sa mčre, entre la belle fille
et sa belle-mčre; et l‘homme aura pour ennemis les gens de sa maison »8. Ces paroles de haute portée prophétique sont de nos jours en plein accomplissement.
La situation est par ailleurs presque insoutenable dans les familles où le pluralisme, loin de garantir le libre choix, est plutôt une cause majeure de discorde
8
La Sainte Bible, (Evangile selon Mathieu, Chapitre 10, versets 34 à 36.
53
et d’incompréhension. Dans l’essentiel des cas, les familles les plus menacées de
dislocation sont celles où il n’existe aucune uniformité religieuse. Le cas de figure ci-après est sans doute évocateur : un père de famille d’obédience fraternelle
luthérienne, une mère de famille catholique, un des enfants musulmans. Ce qui
en fait devrait être une source de richesse du fait de la complémentarité, n’en est
malheureusement pas dans le contexte nord-camerounais. Chacun a en effet pour
ennemi les gens de sa famille. A cela s’ajoute la pression sociale, son jugement plus
ou moins radical et dénué de toute tolérance.
En effet, il est devenu périlleux pour certains sous peine d‘abandon ou de reniement, d‘adhérer aux nouvelles églises, quelle que soit la beauté et la pertinence
du message évangélique présenté. Pour apprécier la dynamique paradoxale du
christianisme et du déploiement redouté des églises pentecōtistes, nous rapportons ą titre d‘exemple, un témoignage sans doute révélateur de la santé des rapports entre églises classiques et églises réveillées:
Je me nomme Mbraogué. Je suis issu d’une famille de longue tradition catholique. Depuis ma tendre enfance, j’ai été enseigné selon les normes et la tradition
catholique, baptisé quelques mois après ma naissance puis confirmé par Mgr…,
évêque de son état, et au regard de l’église, rempli d’une onction divine. De ce
point de vue, j’étais un privilégié, car être baptisé ou confirmé par l’évêque en personne semble conférer un certain prestige spirituel. Cependant, ma vie chrétienne
pendant mes vingt premières années ne fut que suivisme, donc sans véritable expérience personnelle de vie avec Dieu. J’étais engagé dans ce qu’on appelle généralement la foi du charbonnier, laquelle consiste à faire ce qu’on voit les autres faire,
juste par conformisme. Quand j’atteignis l’âge de 22 ans et que j’étais en deuxième
année de faculté, quelques amis du Deeper Life9 m’invitèrent à une croisade qui
allait être un tournant décisif dans mon parcours chrétien. Un jeune pasteur zélé
et visiblement pétrie de la connaissance de Dieu et ayant de par sa posture, une
réelle passion pour les âmes. Il m’éblouit par son sermon et je m’aperçus pour la
première fois que j’avais besoin d’un renouvellement spirituel, d’une reconversion.
Je ne savais pas en allant à cette croisade que ma vie allait basculer.
Avec une ferveur jamais vécue auparavant, je m’engageai dans le Deeper life et
reçus le baptême par immersion déjà contraire aux pratiques de certaines églises
classiques à l’instar de mon église d’origine. J’étais cependant loin d’imaginer les
conséquences de ma conversion qui dans ma famille fut perçue comme une marque
de défiance. On rapporta à mes parents que leur enfant était entrain de sombrer
dans l’hérésie, qu’il avait renié la foi et les principes de la « sainte église catholique
romaine ». Désemparés et courroucés, mes parents ne savaient comment braver
le jugement de la communauté locale. Pour eux en effet, l’adhésion au Deeper Life
était symbole de pacte avec le diable, d’association avec les magiciens, l’église des
pleureurs attitrés. Il leur fallait dans cette mesure me désapprouver par une censure sans complaisance. Je fus mis en quarantaine et vis mes subsides suspendus.
Pendant les deux années qui suivirent, je ne reçus ni mandat, ni frais de scolarité.
En tant que garant de l’intégrité et de l’orthodoxie catholique familiale, mon père
me bannis et m’interdit de franchir le seuil du domicile familial, et ce jusqu’à sa
mort. Pour moi commençait une longue vie de calvaire, de défis. Je m’aperçus de
9
54
Eglise biblique de la vie profonde.
la pertinence des paroles de Jésus-Christ qui affirmait être venu non apporter la
paix mais le trouble. Je suis devenu étranger dans ma propre famille, un véritable
paria pour mes frères et mes amis qui, du fait de mes nouvelles croyances, eurent
dès lors à mon égard que crainte et répugnance. Je venais en fait de réaliser que la
tolérance religieuse n’est qu’une réalité dans les textes10.
Ce témoignage sans doute pathétique traduit le contraste d’une société qui
se veut laïc. Dans l’ensemble, la lecture qu’on peut faire de la réticence des gens
à l’endroit des mouvements pentecôtistes, c’est le sentiment de crainte de l’inconnu. De nombreux parents justifient leur attitude à l’égard de leurs enfants désormais adeptes des églises dites réveillées par un sentiment d’échec. Ils estiment
avoir manqué à leur devoir d’encadrement, de préservation, selon que le déclare
le Livre des Proverbes au chapitre 22, le verset 6 : « instruis l’enfant selon la voie
qu’il doit suivre. Quand il sera grand, il ne s’en détournera pas ». Aussi se laissentils aller à une culpabilité dont ils peinent pendant de nombreuses années encore
à s’en remettre.
Le constat de nos jours est que de nombreuses églises au niveau local ne réussissent plus à capter une masse critique de fidèles suffisante pour leur permettre
de poursuivre leur travail de construction communautaire (C.Mayrargue, 2004 :
102). La compétition religieuse semble sous ce rapport renforcer l’instinct de survie des différentes obédiences. La déconstruction sociale semble plus que jamais
consacrée au Nord-Cameroun depuis le retour à la démocratie et la restauration
des libertés. Ces facteurs qui participent de la dynamique sociale, ont cependant
mis en place une atmosphère trouble. Au nom de Dieu, des frères et sœurs s’excluent de la communauté familiale, se combattent. Tout ceci ne tient certainement
pas à la pluralité de Dieu, mais bien à la divergence des points doctrinaux.
Conclusion
Le Nord-Cameroun est depuis le XIXe siècle un vaste champ de compétition religieuse. Dans cet univers autrefois profondément animiste et pour certains fétichiste, on a assisté à l’infiltration dès le XIXe siècle du christianisme et de l’Islam.
Ces deux dernières religions essentiellement étrangères, introduisirent sans aucun
doute des bouleversements sociaux et culturels importants. Cependant, à défaut
de se laisser phagocyter par le christianisme dont il est principalement question
dans cette étude, les religions dites traditionnelles ou les croyances locales en intégrèrent certaines principes non contradictoires, ou du moins peu nocifs. C’est ce
qu’on a appelé le syncrétisme.
La période coloniale sera sans doute un tournant décisif dans l’expansion du
christianisme dans cette région du Nord-Cameroun où l’Islam venait de s’implanter
à la faveur du jihad ou conquête religieuse. Depuis ces deux dernières décennies
cependant, on a assisté à une véritable reconfiguration de l’univers religieux qui
désormais intègre de nombreuses obédiences pentecôtistes, lesquelles constituent
fondamentalement une menace pour la sphère d’influence, de prestige des églises
dites classiques à l’instar de l’Eglise catholique romaine, des églises luthériennes,
10 Ce témoignage a été recueilli par Ndongué Yannick à Maroua au mois de mars 2012. Par mesure de
protection de la source de l’information, le nom porté est juste indicatif.
55
etc. Ceci a donné lieu à une réelle déconstruction sociale, notamment avec des
mésententes sur fond d’intolérance ou de refus de la différence. Le cadre juridicolégal pour une meilleure expression de foi chrétienne est soumise à dure épreuve
du fait des élans d’intolérance ou des antagonismes entre fidèles des églises classiques et ceux du mouvement pentecôtiste. La société nord-camerounaise est du
fait du pluralisme religieux, devenue une zone de déploiement des controverses. Le
christianisme, au lieu d’être un ciment social est devenu un important facteur de
déconstruction, mieux de perturbation d’un univers religieux autrefois peu agité.
Bibliographie
Ouvrages
Benoist, J., 2009, Kirdi au bord du monde, Classiques des Sciences sociales, édition
numérique,
Bigo, S., Un certain regard sur le cheval et sur le monde. L’homme de l’Afrique Noire,
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Lembezat, B., les populations païennes du Nord Cameroun et de l’Adamaoua, Paris, PUF,
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Messina, J-P, et Jaap, S 2005, Histoire du Christianisme au Cameroun des Origines a nos
jours ; Approche Oecuménique, Paris, Karthala, p .238.)
Schilder, K., 1994, Schilder, K, 1994, Quest for esteem: State, Islam and Mundang ethnicity
in Northern Cameroon, Leiden, ASC.
Njeuma, M-Z.,1978, Fulany hegemony in Yola (old Adamawa) 1809-1902, Yaoundé,
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Attali, J., 2010, « Religions et géopolitique », in The Paris globalist - VOL. IV N°1.
Douchin, E., « Religions, magie, superstitions et sectes », Conférence du 05 février 2009.
Fuente Alcantara (éd.), Cultura de la tolerancia, Fundación Pablo VI BAC Madrid -70
Lindovi Ndjio, « Ambiance : Nuisance sonore “au nom de Dieu », in La Nouvelle Expression
-du 08 aoūt 2008
Makram Abbes, 2005 « La question de la tolérance en Occident ą travers le livre de YvesZarka, C et Fleury, C: difficile tolérance», Astérion, n° 3, (septembre)
Maud, L et Mayrargue, C., «Pluralisation religieuse, entre éclatement et concurrence »,
in Politique africaine 123 - octobre 2011
Mayrargue, C 2008, Les dynamiques paradoxales du pentecôtisme en Afrique
subsaharienne, in Notes de l’IFRI
Mayrargue, C., « Trajectoires et enjeux contemporains du pentecôtisme en Afrique de
l’Ouest », in Critique internationale n°22 - janvier 2004
Par Pahimi Patrice, PhD, Chargé de Cours, Ecole Normale Supérieure de l’université de
Maroua-Cameroun
56
Le paysage sacré au Mont-Liban, entre pratiques sociales et
mécanismes de sacralisation: les exemples d’Annaya et de Hardine
Christiane SFEIR
A bst ra ct
In over less than a century, five saints from the Maronite community in Lebanon
have been recognized by Rome. The events linked to supernatural phenomena
are always related to a site, a monastery, or an edifice and they often express
themselves further than the site itself. The canonization of a saint has social consequences such as the manifestations of individual expressions of faith, divine calls
or messages interpreted by believers. The mobilization of pilgrims is then visible,
with the occupation of public spaces well beyond the sacred location. These dynamics affect the site and are the reason put forward for the geographical readaptation on religious territory. Through a comparative approach between two sites
that have reacted differently to the emergence of a saint, we endeavoured to identify the different social practices and the construction of sacred territories in the
village of Annaya, which witnessed the emergence of Saint Charbel. As a result to
this particular event, the landscape went through a chaotic mode of development
created by pilgrimage movements, while in Hardin, remained in oblivion despite
the presence of Saint Al-Hardini. These comments pose the question of the role of
symbolism in sacred places: What explains the logic of a sacred place and who are
the actors responsible for the subsequent development? Religious institutions and
political movements are both involved: the Maronite Church, present and active
has a leading role and a legitimate power through its organization of special religious events, used to confirm the Christian presence and sense of group solidarity
in a perceived threatened environment composed of a Muslim majority. Local actors, in turn, benefit from the event and provide a master plan for a local development that does not coincide with the spiritual dimension. The geography of the
area is reframed and the borders between secular and sacred spaces are erased.
Key words: territory, pilgrimage, movements, development, saint.
Introduction
Le 22 juin 2008, Beyrouth s’agite pour la béatification d’une nouvelle figure religieuse - une quatrième - le frère Jacques Haddad, qui s’ajoute à la liste des bienheureux ou saints libanais Charbel Makhlouf, Rafqa ar-Rayes et Nimatullah Kassab
Al-Hardini. En juin 2010, le frère Stéphane Nehmeh est béatifié à son tour et en
moins d’un siècle, cinq figures provenant de la communauté maronite sont reconnues par Rome.
Ces canonisations et béatifications de maronites issus du Mont-Liban induisent
des mouvements religieux divers : pèlerinages, évènements organisés par des associations ecclésiastiques, caritatives, des écoles, ou des groupes sociaux. Messes
et processions spectaculaires incitent à des déplacements qui engendrent souvent
des mutations spatiales. Ainsi, tout phénomène religieux est constamment suivi
d’une dynamique qui affecte le lieu concerné, notamment lorsque celui-ci devient
57
lieu de pèlerinage. Le comportement des pèlerins dessine alors une nouvelle géographie du fait religieux qui s’exprime par une transformation du territoire.
Généralement, les lieux de pèlerinage sont soit les lieux où a vécu le fondateur
de la voie spirituelle des pèlerins, soit ceux où l’un de ses disciples a vécu, soit ceux
animés par une présence divine particulière (Deshayes, 2007). Au Liban, les causalités propres à un pèlerinage dépassent ces trois critères et il suffit qu’un fidèle
fasse part d’une vision surnaturelle pour qu’un déplacement de masse ait lieu. La
présence d’un saint provoque également des déplacements soit vers son village
natal, soit vers le couvent où il a vécu, soit également vers le lieu où il est décédé.
Or, si certains sites du Mont-Liban sont touchés par des transformations spatiales majeures à la suite de l’émergence d’un saint, d’autres le sont beaucoup
moins. La métamorphose géographique n’étant en aucune façon uniformément
réparties sur les sites, nous nous interrogeons donc sur les modalités de la sacralisation, et sur la raison pour laquelle certains sites réagissent à l’installation de lieux
saints et d’autres non.
Nous établirons une comparaison entre deux lieux ayant réagi différemment
à une canonisation afin de saisir la nuance entre les pratiques sociales et la sacralisation d’un territoire. Le village d’Annaya, associé à Saint Charbel, a connu un
développement désordonné lorsqu’il est devenu lieu de pèlerinage, tandis qu’un
autre village, Hardine, est resté anonyme malgré la présence du saint Nimatullah
Kassab Al-Hardini.
Les chrétiens du Liban, une minorité menacée ?
Ces regroupement massifs de croyants prennent une toute autre dimension quand
on les rattache aux logiques internes d’une communauté ayant été affectée par une
guerre civile confessionnelle. Il s’agit d’expressions individuelles de foi, d’appel, de
messages divins interprétés par les croyants qui expliquent en partie ce mouvement
collectif vers la foi. Une série de visions, de statues de Vierge qui tournent sur ellesmêmes, de l’huile qui coule d’images de saints, des mains qui saignent… (les exemples sont multiples) sont autant de raisons qui peuvent entraîner des déplacements
massifs de fidèles. Mais quel est le fil conducteur qui explique ces déplacements
de masse ? S’agit-il d’acteurs autonomes dominés par un lien divin vertical et direct
vers Dieu ou bien peut-on l’expliquer par un phénomène de masse, une forme de
« contagion » se transmettant horizontalement d’un pratiquant à un autre ?
Les maronites sont une des composantes de la société confessionnelle libanaise, définie par Dubar comme une juxtaposition de plusieurs unités : lignées
familiales, régions et confessions (Dubar, 1974). Chrétiens originaires de la Syrie
géographique, les maronites ont une histoire ancrée dans la région de l’Antioche
du Ve siècle (Méouchy, 2008). Un groupe de fidèles décide à l’époque de suivre le
moine Maron (un des Pères de l’Église chrétienne) à un moment doctrinal complexe de l’Empire romain d’Orient. Cette petite communauté se forme à partir de
l’année 687 ; ses membres élisent alors leur propre patriarche et s’isolent peu à
peu de Constantinople à cause de l’occupation toute récente de la Syrie par les
musulmans. Persécutés par les Byzantins car accusés de monothéisme, certains
maronites fuient dans les montagnes du Mont-Liban, convertissant puis supplantant les jacobites et les autres communautés chrétiennes locales. Durant la période
58
des Croisades, ils s’allient à Rome, et s’étendent ensuite vers les régions de Kesserwan et du Chouf, l’une à majorité chiite, et l’autre à majorité druze. Mais leur dese
tin prend une direction nouvelle au XIX siècle, quand cette communauté placée
sous la mouvance de l’Église catholique et proche de la France, s’ouvre à l’Occident
et commence à avoir une influence dominante sur ce qui deviendra le Liban. Lorsque ce Liban acquiert, bien plus tard, son indépendance, le « Pacte national » de
1946 garantit une répartition équitable des charges politiques entre les différentes
confessions du pays, tout en laissant à chaque communauté sa juridiction propre.
À ce titre, la communauté maronite dispose de son propre rite et d’une hiérarchie
cléricale autonome sous l’autorité d’un patriarche qui accumule à la fois pouvoirs
spirituel et temporel.
La situation critique des maronites au Liban
Mais dans une région aussi instable que le Proche-Orient, traversée par des conflits politiques à caractère religieux, le Liban est très exposé. Et la minorité chrétienne est certainement la plus menacée, à cause d’enjeux géopolitiques majeurs.
De plus, la prédominance démographique chrétienne a connu une baisse significative après la guerre civile de 1975-1990. Les accords de Taëf (1989) ont réduit la suprématie politique des maronites, en donnant plus de pouvoir aux communautés
chiite et sunnite. À ce fait s’ajoute la forte émigration des chrétiens vers l’Occident
ou vers les pays du Golfe. La communauté maronite se dit maintenant en situation de défense et se trouve confrontée à des enjeux régionaux qui répondent
mal aux intérêts « historiques » des chrétiens du Proche-Orient. Les structures
miliciennes d’auto-défense qui s’étaient constituées pendant la guerre déclinent à
partir de 1996 (Messara, 1996)(Messarra 1996), et cèdent la place à deux groupes
politiques de natures différentes1. La population maronite est actuellement profondément divisée, et le petit clergé s’oppose souvent à sa hiérarchie, autant de
facteurs qui contribuent au désarroi de la communauté.
Annaya : un territoire en mutation
À 54 km de Beyrouth, le village d’Annaya-Kfarbaal auparavant chiite, est devenu chrétien au début du XIXe siècle (Heyberger, 2002)(Heyberger 2002). Ce
village fait partie de sites associés à un saint qui ont subi des transformations
liées à l’éclatement, les déplacements, les pèlerinages, ainsi qu’un fort développement après une béatification. Ils sont « sacrés » pour ceux qui les visitent.
Avec le miracle qui accompagna la mort de saint Charbel, le site devint un lieu
de pèlerinage, visité par des croyants et curieux venus des quatre coins du
monde. Jusqu’à la fin des années 1980, la hiérarchie écclésiastique a réussi à
préserver le caractère spirituel et recueilli du lieu ; mais depuis, ce caractère
disparaît progressivement pour céder la place au religieux commercial.
1
Signalons le Hezbollah, (parti de Dieu), à la structuration solide et soutenu par l’Iran, et le parti du
Futur, représenté par Saad El Hariri. Les chrétiens sont divisés entre les partisans du général Aoun,
alliés au Hezbollah, et les Forces Libanaises, partisans de Samir Geagea, alliées au groupement
« Futur ».
59
Depuis la béatification en 1965, et pendant la période du procès sur la canonisation, le pèlerinage d’Annaya est déjà instauré. Le site dispose de plusieurs édifices
religieux répartis à proximité. Tout le confort matériel est assuré aux visiteurs : distribution gratuite d’huile et d’encens, ventes de souvenirs et de livres, restaurants
et facilités d’accès au parking. Lentement, ces pèlerinages commencent à prendre
une forme plus systématique scandée par des dates régulières (exception faite des
dimanches) : chaque 22 du mois, chaque vendredi soir, les trois dates clés, celle
de la naissance du saint, la fête de saint Pierre et saint Paul, et les jours de commémoration de l’ordination de Charbel. Les prières, encadrées en grande partie
par des personnes qui perçoivent des signes et des appels divins, sont célébrées
publiquement et l’espace approprié pour le culte dépasse la cour du monastère
pour occuper jusqu’àux routes et espaces publics. La dynamique spatiale brouille
les limites entre l’espace sacré et l’espace profane2.
Figure 1 : Annaya - Couvent Saint Maron (Sfeir, 2008)
Hardine: une statique spatiale
Le contre-exemple serait le village de Hardine, qui a connu la canonisation de saint
Hardini en mai 1998. Malgré cela, la commune n’a pas connu de développement
remarquable, la faute étant imputée à plusieurs facteurs politiques, sociologiques,
et économiques.Le Mont-Liban étant découpé en étroits interfluves orientées estouest, le relief contribue à l’isolement de Hardine. A l’écart, sur une colline du
Nord-Liban, le village avait à l’origine des atouts stratégiques qui lui ont valu d’être
la cible des troupes syriennes installées sur une colline adjacente durant la guerre
de 1975-1990 . La municipalité n’a pas pu - ou su - instaurer une réelle politique
pour profiter de l’irruption du sacré et les investisseurs étaient alors réticents à
l’idée de développer des activités touristiques.
2
60
Le site reçoit chaque année plus de quatre millions de visiteurs avec un million deux cent mille
cérémonies de première communion, et neuf cent baptêmes
Figure 2 : la maison du saint transformée en musée et église (Sfeir, 2008)
Une seule tentative individuelle se limita à la construction d’un petit hôtel pour
recevoir les pèlerins. La maison où vécu le saint fut transformée en une petite
église et un modeste musée exposant des objets antiques trouvés sur le site. De
leur côté, les autorités religieuses se sont également désintéressées de ce village
abandonné.
Mais plongé pendant longtemps dans l’oubli, Hardine se réveille le 11 mai 1998
lors de la canonisation de saint Neemetallah Kassab el Hardini. Depuis, tous les
étés, plus de 70 personnes par jour visitent le lieu de naissance du saint, tandis
qu’en fin de semaine, il y a 150 à 200 visiteurs.Ce développement reste très timide
en comparaison avec le site de saint Charbel ou de sainte Rafqa.
Curieusement, un peu plus au nord, la vallée de la Quadicha est connue sous
le nom de « la vallée sainte », sans qu’on y localise le moindre saint3. Une stratégie
visant l’intégration d’une démarche paysagère dans les perspectives de mise en
valeur du territoire a pratiquement accrédité le site d’un tourisme religieux. La
vallée fait maintenant partie du patrimoine de l’UNESCO. Sans doute faut-il voir
ici une sacralisation voulue de l’espace en question, fait à mettre en relation avec
l’histoire particulière des différents groupes chrétiens de la montagne.
Le rôle des politiques publiques et privées
Dans le Mont-Liban d’aujourd’hui, c’est la volonté de l’homme politique local et
le secteur privé qui activent le retour en force des pratiques religieuses par une
véritable frénésie visible de constructions de lieux de culte. D’une part c’est l’Église
maronite, présente et active qui s’approprie un pouvoir légitime de hiérarchisation
en procédant à l’organisation d’évènements religieux particuliers, et d’autre part
les chefs des partis maronites qui à travers leurs discours et positions, associent
3
Des manuscrits maronites du XVIe siècle localisent sainte Marine à proximité du monastère de
Quannûbin, siège du patriarcat ( Heyberger, B., 1998, Sainteté et chemins de la perfection chez les
chrétiens du Proche-Orient: Revue de l’histoire des religions, v. 215,, p. 117-137.
61
religion et politique, afin d’affirmer la présence chrétienne sur l’espace en question. Quand des évènements surnaturels, des déplacements mystérieux, et la fondation spontanée de lieux sacrés sont déclarés conformes à la foi par l’Église, le
marquage du territoire a lieu, et la sacralisation répond à des stratégies menées
soit par un pouvoir politique, soit par le pouvoir ecclésiastique.
Chez les maronites, la fusion des intérêts du religieux et ceux du politique
date de 1904, avant même la création du Grand-Liban, quand, soutenue par la
bourgeoisie maronite et de l’Église, la direction spirituelle et politique de la communauté tout entière fut confiée au Patriarche. L’intention d’installer un monument religieux au sommet d’un relief qui domine la baie de Jounieh, fut incarnée
par l’inauguration de Notre-Dame de Harissa en 1908. Ce lieu de pèlerinage prit
rapidement une signification mondiale symbolique d’un courant politique clair. En
1971 une nouvelle basilique, dont la taille dépasse de loin le sanctuaire primitif,
renforça cette détermination de marquage territorial. Des messes traditionnelles
commémorant les martyrs des Forces libanaises (la milice dominante durant la
guerre civile de 1975 à 1990) sont marquées par une participation impressionnante de fidèles et une importante mobilisation populaire. L’évènement est toujours couronné par des discours politiques à idéologies autonomistes, et les images
géantes de cadres politiques assassinés placées près de l’autel sont généralement
l’occasion de renvoyer des conflits politiques anciens à l’actualité.
Le développement des villages qui ont connu « l’invention » d’un saint, s’avère
être lié à un système d’acteurs public-privé, qui justifient la construction d’un
« sens sacré ». Le système d’acteurs publics ayant à la base une dimension politique, ce sont les acteurs locaux, les maires, et parfois même des zaims (les hommes forts locaux) qui financent les projets instrumentalisant le sentiment religieux
à visées économiques, induisant par là la transformation d’un lieu en un site de
pèlerinage. La route d’Annaya (Saint Charbel) ou le village de Deir El Ahmar où Saydat Béchouat (Notre-Dame de Béchouat) sont des lieux qui ont connu de pareilles
transformations.
VISITES
Nombre de visiteur (s)/68
LIEUX DE PÈLERINAGE
Annaya
Hardine
Harissa
Béchouate
Kfifane
Une fois dans sa vie
7
51
1
32
18
Une fois tous les2-3 ans
13
10
2
15
25
Une fois par an
42
7
51
20
20
Deux fois par an
5
0
10
1
5
Plus que deux fois par an
1
0
4
0
0
Conclusion
Tandis que l’identité de l’Église catholique en Occident court un risque d’effacement
devant la sécularisation d’un côté, et la montée en puissance de l’islam, des
Évangélistes et des sectes de l’autre, une tranche de chrétiens d’Orient, les
62
maronites, tentent de marquer géographiquement leur identité et leur confession.
Soutenus par Rome, des évènements surnaturels sont officialisés par le pouvoir
écclésiastique libanais, mais également par les politiques, et ils sont instrumentalisés pour étayer une stratégie de développement territorial. On assiste donc à
un engagement actif de la part des autorités de l’Église, qui semblent se rallier aux
acteurs politiques pour engager des actions de recomposition territoriales communes. Cependant, leurs objectifs réciproques sont bien distincts : pour les écclésiastiques, l’objectif a clairement un caractère identitaire, tandis que pour les
politiques, la dimension économique prime, sans souci réel d’une identité qui tend
peu à peu à s’effacer.
Bibliographie
Deshayes, L., 2007, Les pèlerinages: Paris, Plon, 125 p.
Dubar, C., 1974, Structure confessionnelle et classes sociales au Liban: Revue française de
sociologie, v. Vol. 15, No. 3 p. 301-328.
Heyberger, B., 1998, Sainteté et chemins de la perfection chez les chrétiens du ProcheOrient: Revue de l’histoire des religions, v. 215,, p. 117-137.
Heyberger, B., 2002, Saint Charbel Makhlouf ou la consécration de l’identité maronite, in
Mayeur-Jaouen, C., ed., Saints et héros du Moyen-Orient contemporain: Paris, Maisonneuve & Larose, p. 139-159.
Méouchy, N., 2008, Les Maronites, de la marginalité au destin historique, Garrigues et
sentiers, Dossier Chrétiens en terre d’islam.
Messara, A., 1996, Les partis politiques au Liban: une expérience arabe pionnière et en
déclin: Revue du monde musulman et de la Méditerranée, v. 81-82, p. 135-151.
Christiane Sfeir, Architecte-Paysagiste, Coordinatrice Générale des Masters- IBA Université Libanaise. Sorbonne- Paris4, UMR 8185 Espaces, Nature et Culture, Géographie historique, politique et culturelle.
Schriftlich formulierte Wünsche und Gebete in realen
und virtuellen Wallfahrtstätten
Krisztina FRAUHAMMER
Wenn ein Gläubiger einen sakralen Ort oder Wallfahrtstätte aufsucht, leitet ihn in
erster Linie die Sehnsucht nach dem Erleben der Transzendenz. Er glaubt daran,
dass diese Weihestätten von der Anwesenheit dieser Transzendenz gekennzeichneten Orte sind, so auch Orte für das Kontakthalten mit ihm sind. Er glaubt daran,
dass er fähig ist, sich in das Leben der Menschen und in die Ereignisse der sie
umgebenden Natur einzumischen und sucht deshalb die Möglichkeit mit ihm in
Kontakt zu treten.
Eine der ältesten, fast in jeder Religion anwesenden Erscheinung dieser Kontaktaufnahme ist das Gebet. Zahlreiche Forscher haben sich schon aus zahlreichen
63
Aspekten mit den Gebeten, hauptsächlich mit den mündlichen oder schriftlichen
Formen derer beschäftigt. In den vergangenen Jahren hat aber die immer beliebter werdende, vollkommen ungebundene, schriftlich erscheinende Art des Betens
das Interesse der Forscher aufgeweckt. Nacheinander erscheinen an unseren
Wallfahrtstätten, Besucherbücher, oder manchmal werden sie auch Gästebuch genannt, mit dem Zweck Bitten, Gebete, Danksagungen festhalten und aufbewahren.
Die Seiten dieser Bücher sind voll mit individuell formulierten Bitten. Das außergewöhnliche an diesen ist aber, dass wir durch sie Zeugen einer ganz besonderen
Kommunikations-Situation, der schriftlichen Repräsentation einer ungebundenen,
nicht formalisierten mündlichen Offenbarung werden können. Das Schreiben oft
objektiviert und ritualisiert sogar diesen speziellen Gebetsakt. Die Gästebücher
der Wallfahrtskapellen und der Kirchen bieten für diese außerordentlichen Anlässe, ein für jeden erreichbares Forum. Eine weitere Besonderheit dieser Bücher ist
die enge Verflechtung der sakralen und profanen Schrifttraditionen und der Verhaltensmuster, was bei dieser modernen Art der schriftlichen Devotion eine sehr
dominante Rolle spielt. In meinem Vortrag möchte ich solche – an ungarischen
Wallfahrtstätten – gesammelten Gästebücher, bzw. die Konklusionen einer komparativen Analyse dieser vorstellen. (Ich untersuchte 5 Wallfahrtstätte und deren
Gästebücher mit über 7000 Einträge in dem ung. Sprachgebiet: darunter waren
ganz kleine, kaum gekannte Orte, wie: Máriakálnok, und Egyházasbást, die bis heute keine kirchliche Anerkennung erworben hat, es wurden natürlich grosse, sehr
berühmte W.Orte auch einbezogen: Máriagyűd, Mátraverebély, und Máriapócs,
der berühmte grichisch-katholische Wallfahrtsort.)
Diese Bücher können wir, als solches Forum betrachten, welches eine Möglichkeit zur Offenbarung an einem heiligen Ort, zur Kommunikation mit dem Transzendenz bietet. Diese Offenbarung ist weder aus inhaltlichen, noch aus stilistischem
Aspekt formalisiert, dies führt zur einzigartigen Mischung von profanen und sakralen Elementen. Diese auf jedem Gebiet erscheinende Ungebundenheit bietet
Möglichkeit neben der Glaubensbekenntnis auch weitere Zwecke zu erfüllen und
eine viel weitere Verwendung möglich zu machen (Verewigen von Pilgern, Wallfahrten, Gebetsmanifestation, Ritual, Autokommunikation, Gewinnen von seelischen Trost, Erwecken von Gemeinschaftsgefühl). Dieser sehr weit interpretierbaren Verwendung ist auch zu verdanken, dass der Kreis derer, die mit der in diesen
Wallfahrtsorten gebotenen Möglichkeit leben und leben können sehr weit ist.
So ist es heutzutage zu beobachten, dass sich mit der Internet-Verbreitung die
realen Grenzen dieser sakralen Kommunikation über sich hinaus wuchsen und
man immer öfter mit virtuellen Kultstätten trifft. Am Ende meinem Vortrag möchte
ich auch solche virtuellen Kultstätten und die hier auch existierender und immer
beliebter modernen Devotionspraktiken unter die Lupe nehmen.
Krisztina Frauhammer, Bálint Sándor Institute for the Study of Religion, Hungary.
64
The Role of Family Tradition in Formation of Personal Faith
Experience and Practice
Die Rolle der Traditionen in der Familie bei der Gestaltung
persönlicher Glaubenserfahrung- und Praxis
Živilė Advilonienė
A bst ra ct
A lot of research has been carried out in Lithuania and foreign countries, analysing
faith experience and practice as a long-term, continuous process influenced by different socio-cultural, psychological, etc factors. Faith experience is understood as
a reality that is subjectively meaningful and significant to a person in a greater or a
lesser degree influencing their social life, behaviour, world outlook, and values. It
is embodied in their faith practice expressed in one way or another. According to
D. Hervieu-Leger, N.Ammerman and others, faith experience and practice become
multidimensional and multi-plane realities, involve syncretism of religious beliefs
and influence personal way of life, people’s behaviour, relation with surrounding
environment, other people and God.
The report presents correlations between previous (formed in parents’ family)
and current personal faith experience and practice, analyzes their factors with refe
rence to insights of Lithuanian and foreign researchers. Exclusive attention is paid to
the links between family traditions and personally professed faith: formation of faith
experience, picked elements of religious practice in female and/or male line, concept
of God, etc. It is noted that faith experience and practice acquired in the family may
change with rise of other factors, e. g. conversion process, non-ordinary religious
experience, deepening of religious awareness, etc. Besides that the report analyses
the concept of faith experience and practice, their expression, types and factors as
well as response of a person to essential changes in faith experience and practice in
their life. Qualitative research (N-30) carried out in Lithuania revealed different types
of conveying / formation of faith experience and practice in context of Catholicism,
namely: spontaneous pick-up of faith experience and practice when a person simply
assimilates religious experience and practice of their parents or other micro-social
environment, and rationally, purposefully planned conveying of religious experience
and practice when it is reduced to formal religiosity, children preparation to receive
sacraments and occasional, irregular practice of professed faith.
Key Words: faith experience, faith practice, religious experience, religious practice,
tradition in the Family.
Einführung
Die pluralistische Gesellschaft bietet den Menschen viele Möglichkeiten, Glück
und Sinn im Leben zu finden, als auch eine attraktive Lebensweise zu führen und
eine persönliche Weltansicht zu bilden. Allerdings muss jeder selbst herausfinden,
was sein Leben sinnvoll macht, was ihm Freude schenkt und eigenen Sinn stiftet. Viele regionale und internationale Forschungen im sozialen, psychologischen,
pastoraltheologischen Bereich zeigen, dass die Menschen Sinn aus verschiedenen
65
Dingen bilden. Es kann Geld, Kariere, Glauben, (Volks)kultur, Religion u.a. sein (vgl.
Grawe, 2002, 2006; Kaufman, 1997). In diesem Artikel und Vortrag handelt es sich
um den Sinn, welchen die Menschen in ihrer Familie der Religion zuwenden. Dies
untersucht man durch die Rolle der Traditionen in der Familie bei der Gestaltung
persönlicher Glaubenserfahrung und Praxis.
Man muss beachten, daß Spiritualität, Religiosität, Gottesvortsellung und damit
verbundene Glaubenserfahrung- und Praxis in Zeit der Postmoderne vielfältige, subjektive und in gewisser Weise beliebige Form annehmen kann. In diesem Artikel und
Vortrag folgt man der Position, daß die Erfahrung und die Praxis des Glaubens ein
lebenslanger Prozess ist, deswegen braucht man verschiedene soziologische Kriterien zur Einordnung und Bewertung religiöser Einstellungen und Praktiken. So findet
man es bei vielen Autoren und in vielen Forschungen, vor allem bei U.Boos-Nunning (1972), J.W.Fowler (1991), Th.Luckmann (1991), P.L.Berger (1994), Ch.Heinrich
(2002), K.Frielingsdorf (2003), D.Hervieu-Leger (2003, 2004), A.Paskus (1998, 2002),
K.A.Trimakas (1998, 2003, 2005), B.Briliute (2005), H.Kohler-Spiegel (2008) u.a.
Der Einfluss der Traditionen in der Familie bei der Gestaltung der Glaubenserfahrung- und Praxis, als auch auf verschiedene Aspekte dieses Bereiches, wurde in
zahlreichen Studien untersucht. Die Ergebnisse der Studien im Ausland lassen sich
aber auf den litauischen Raum nicht zwangsläufig übertragen, da nicht nur heutige, sondern auch weil der frühere soziokulturelle Kontext ganz unterschiedlich war,
vor allem wegen der langen sowjetischen Periode. Neue Unterschiede beeinflußt
auch der Prozess der Globalisierung. Alle diese Prozesse und Herausforderungen
auf der politischen, soziokulturellen und mentaler Ebene haben Einfluss auf den
einzelnen Menschen, sein Leben und seine Weltanschauung. Dies führt dazu, dass
man den Menschen nicht als isoliertes Einzelwesen begreift, sondern auch seine
soziokulturelle Situation berücksichtigt. Gerade dies macht ihn zu dem, wer er ist.
D.h. seine individuelle Lebensweise, Weltanschauung, auch Glaubenserfahrungund Praxis des Menschen ist nicht mehr vom weltweiten Kontext zu trennen. Dies
stellt die Frage nach dem Einfluss der verschiedenen Faktoren auf die Glaubenserfahrung- und Praxis des Kindes, wie auch des erwachsenen Menschen.
Die im Vortrag vorliegende Studie untersucht die Rolle der Traditionen in der Familie im Leben der Befragten, in ihrer Kindheit wie auch heute. Das Ziel des Vortrages
ist die Ergebnisse der qualitativen Forschung über Glaubenserfahrung- und Praxis in
litauischen katholischen Familien vorzustellen. In dieser Forschung wurde die Rolle der Familietraditionen bei der Gestaltung persönlicher Glaubenserfahrung- und
Praxis der Befragten untersucht. In der Forschung nahmen N-20 Informanten teil.
Neben der Frage nach eigener Glaubenserfahrung wurde die Frage über christlichen
Traditionen in der Elternfamilie, auch Merkmale der Glaubenspraxis untersucht.
Beim Sammeln der Information wurde als Forschungsstrategie Grounded Theory
(Straus & Glaser, 1967, 1998), als Forschungsinstrument – narrative Interview gewählt. Diese Auswahl beeinflußte die Bestrebung tiefere Information zu erhalten.
Die gewählte Forschungstrategie gibt den Befragten eine Möglichkeit aus heutiger
Sicht die eigene Glaubensgeschichte zu betrachten, als auch wichtigste Merkmale
der Glaubenspraxis in der Kindheit und heute, auch die wichtigste Faktoren, die es
beeinflußt haben, zum Ausdruck zu bringen. Während der Forschung wurden Interwievs mit N-20 Erwachsenen im Alter zwichen 25 bis 67 Jahre durchgeführt. In der
66
Forschung nahmen N-5 Geistliche, N-6 „aktive“ und N-4 „passive“ Katholiken1, N-5
Indifferenten teil, um zu vergleichen, welche Rolle die Lebensweise und Position zur
Religion, auch die Traditionen in der Elternfamilie der Befragten gespielt haben. Bei
dem Auswahl der Informanten wurde Theoretical Sampling gewählt.
Traditionen in der Familie als Faktor der Glaubenserfahrung- und Praxis
Traditionen, die sich in der Elternfamilie entwickeln, ist nur einer von vielen
Faktoren persönlicher Glaubenserfahrung- und Praxis. H.Kohler-Spiegel nach,
„wenn Erfahrungen des Heiligen und des Unheiligen biografisch sind, dann sind
diese Erfahrungen angebunden an unsere Entwicklung. Dann wird bedeutsam,
was ich als Kind erlebt habe, wie die nächsten Angehörigen mit mir umgeganden sind, wie sich Gefühle in mir entwickelt haben, wie ich gelernt habe, eigenständig zu sein“ (Kohler-Spiegel 2008: 65). Viele Autoren betonen die Rolle dessen, was in der Familie geschieht. Man spricht über übernommenes Verhalten,
Werte, Weltanschauung, Lebensweise, Gottesvorstellung usw. Wie es H.KohlerSpiegel sagt, „was Mensch von früher Kindheit an prägt, gibt auch die Basis,
„Heiligen“ zu erfassen“ (Kohler-Spiegel 2008: 65). Es geht darum, daß anhand
der erlebten Muster die eigene Muster wahrgenommen und verstanden werden. Diese sind normalerweise von anderer Menschen im eigenen Umfeld entdeckt und verstanden. H.Kohler-Spiegel nach, „unsere Art, uns zu binden, gilt im
Blick auf andere Menschen, aber natürlich auch im Blick auf Religiöses. Uns mit
Religiösen auseinanderzusetzen, uns auch im Religiösen zu binden, geschieht
nicht unabhängig von unseren Bindungsmustern“ (Kohler-Spiegel 2008: 68).
Man muss hier bemerken, dass es konstruktive, wie auch destruktive Muster
sein können. Darüber sprach K.Frielingsdorf (2003). Seiner Meinung nach, können strenge Eltern dem Kind die Vorstellung eines bösen, strengen, fordernden
Gottes geben oder, im Gegenteil, die Kinder verstehen den Gott als sorgfältigen
Unterstützer, als liebenden Vater. Andererseits, viele Forschungen begründen
die große Rolle der Mutter bei der Gestaltung der Gottesvorstellungen, Glaubenserfahrung- und Praxis (Frielingsdorf, 2003, Adviloniene, 2008). Alle diese
Muster betonen eine wichtige Rolle der Traditionen und Beziehungen in der Familie auf das Verhalten, der Glaubenserfahrung und das Gottesverständnis des
Kindes. Z.B., nach K.Trimakas (1998, 2003, 2005), B.Grom (1992), K.Frielingsdorf
(2003), H.Kohler-Spiegel (2008) u.a. ist ein Zusammenhang zwischen persönlicher Religiosität, Religionspraxis und Muster in der Familie sehr stark.
Mit der Frage nach der Glaubenspraxis ist eng die Frage nach der Glaubenserfahrung in der Elternfamilie und der hier gebildeten religiösen Traditionen verbunden.
Deswegen war Ziel der vorliegenden qualitativen Studie die Einstellungen der Eltern
zur Religion, ihr religiösen Verhalten und persönlichen Sicht nach Glauben als potentieller Einfluss auf das Verhalten des Kindes im religiösen Bereich zu untersuchen.
1
Unter aktiven Katholiken sind relativ die gemeint, die aktiv und regelmäßig nicht nur ihren Glauben praktizieren, sonder auch an irgendwelcher religiösen Organisation teilnehmen oder aktiv in
der Seelsorge der Pfarrei, Freiwilligenarbeit im Bereich der Religion tätig sind. Im Gegenteil, als
„passive“ Katholiken wurden in dieser Forschung relativ die Katholiken genannt, die ihren Glauben
praktizieren, aber nicht unbedingt regelmäßig, die auch keine Beziehungen mit Aktivitäten in der
Pfarrei, religiösen Organisationen usw. haben.
67
Dieses Thema kann man in interdisziplinären Zusammenhang analisieren, da
in diesem Bereich existiert als immanente, so auch transzendente Ebene, welche
wieder in unterschiedliche Dimensionen aufgeteilt werden kann – Rituale, Symbole, Akzeptanz des Glaubens an Gott, Gottesvorstellung und Beziehung mit ihm
usw. Jede von diesen Dimensionen kann man als getrennt, als auch verbunden betrachten. Deswegen wurden in früher genanten Studie N-20 Erwachsene befragt,
welche christliche und andere Traditionen in ihrer Elternfamilie gebildet wurden,
welche von denen einen tieferen Eindruck auf sie gemacht haben und wie viel diese ihre eigene Glaubenserfahrung- und Praxis beeinflusst haben. Es wurde untersucht, welche Faktoren (signifikante Leute, regelmäßige Glaubenspraxis, Beispiel
von Eltern, Großeltern, Verwandten usw.) spielten hier die wichtigste Rolle.
Die Ergebnisse der Forschung lassen einige Strategien von Weitergabe des Glaubens in der Familie durch Traditionen erfassen: 1) natürliche Weitergabe der Glaubenserfahrung- und Praxis. In diesem Fall „lernen“ (übernehmen) die Kinder automatisch den Glauben und die religiöse Praxis von ihren Eltern und/oder Großeltern.
Sie sehen das Verhalten ihrer Eltern und haben eine Möglichkeit es natürlich zu internalisieren. Es ist bedeutsam, wenn die Eltern oder andere für das Kind wichtige
Personen mit ihm über den Glauben, die Werte und über die Weltanschauungen
reden. So gesehen ist das Beispiel der Eltern echte religiöse Bildung. D.h., Familie
dient als Möglichkeit, sich in eine personale Gemeinschaft zu integrieren, eigene
Werte, Glaubenserfahrung und Praxis zu formieren. In solchen Fällen kann man von
einer „Inklusion der Vollperson“ (M.N.Ebertz, 2005) sprechen. Die Befragten betonten, daß sie gleiche oder ähnliche Strategie auch in eigener Familie benutzen. 2) Die
rationale, gezielt geplante Übergabe der religiösen Erfahrung- und Praxis. In diesem
Fall geht es die Sprache um formalen Religiosität: die Eltern haben ihre Kinder für
Sakramente (Buße, Erstkomunion, Firmung) vorbereitet, Glaubenserfahrung aber
war in solchen Familien nicht wichtig, Glaubenspraxis - lässig und unregelmäßig. Die
Ergebnisse der Forschung haben gezeigt, daß bei der Formierung des Glaubespraxis
in der Kindheit sehr wichtig der Zugang der Familie zur Religion ist.
Neben den genannten Ergebnissen enthüllten sich einige Strategien der Familieposition zur Religion und Praktizieren der religiösen Traditionen. Auf diesem Grund
wurde in der Familie auch das Glaubensvertändnis- und die Erfahrung der Befragten
geformt. Es wurden solche Modelle enthüllt: indifferentisches, traditionell-kulturelles, christlichkulturelles und aktivchristliches (kirchliches). Diese Modelle sind ähnlich wie andere Modelle, die haben einige ausländische Forscher beschrieben (z.B.,
T.Hipp, 1999; P.M.Zulehner, I.Hager und R.Polak, 20012). In dem indifferentischen
Modell nahm die Elternfamilie eine neutrale, gleichgültige Position zur Religion ein.
Der Glaube wurde nicht praktiziert, es wurde aber minimalistisch die religiösen
Feiertage gefeiert. Es ist zu bemerken, daß religiöse Feiertage in solchen Familien
2
68
T.Hipp, basierend auf Kriterienien der Kirchenbindung, Kirchgang und formeller Gottesglaube hat
solche Gruppen der Gläubigen identifiziert – Kulturkirchliche (sie teilnehmen regelmäßig an Gottesdienst, aber glauben nicht an Christus, sodern an irgendwelche höhere Macht oder uberhaupt
die Egzistenz von Gott in Frage stellen), Christlichen (ihr Gottesverständnis ist christlich, aber in die
Kirche gehen sie nur in besoderen Fällen, z.B., im Notfall, Weihnachten, Ostern), Kulturchristlichen
(sie glauben an höhere Macht oder Kraft, am christlichen Feiertagen oder im Notfall gehen sie in die
Kirche), Unchristliche (sie glauben nicht an Gott, auch nehmen nicht an Gottesdienst teil; Hipp 199:
11). P.M.Zulehner, I.Hager, R.Polak (2001: 325-326) haben solche Gruppen der Gläubigen identifiziert:
Kirchliche, Kulturkirchliche, Religiös, Kulturreligiös, Unreligiös (Zulehner, Hager, Polak 2001: 325-326)
traditionell-kulturellen Inhalt haben. Andererseits, vielen Erwachsenen blieben die
religiösen Fragen unbeantwortet, da die Auseinandersetzung mit religiösen Themen kaum je stattgefunden hat oder im Jugendalter abbrach. Dies gilt besonders
bei Erfahrungen der Indifferenten. In dem zweiten, traditionell-kulturellen Modell
hat die Elternfamilie formal die großen christliche Feiertage (Weihnachten, Ostern)
gefeiert, aber ihm wurde traditionell-kultureller Inhalt gegeben. In diesem Modell
wurde auch unregelmäßige christliche Glaubenspraxis praktiziert (z.B., am größten
christlichen Feiertagen, beim Begräbnis, Taufe, Trauung usw.). Die Kinder wurden
minimalistisch christlich erzogen: sie wurden auf die Sakramente vorbereitet, aber
das Glauben wurde unregelmäßig oder fast nicht praktiziert. Manchmal wurde das
christliches Erziehen ignoriert. Im dritten, christlichkulturellen Modell wurden den
Kindern christliche Werte und christliche Weltanschauung formiert. Glaubenspraxis war in solchen Fallen mehr oder weniger regelmäßig, auch wurden christliche
Feiertage gefeiert, die Kinder wurden christlich erzogen und ermutigt das Glauben
zu praktizieren. In dem vierten, aktivchristlichen (kirchlichen) Modell wurde Glaubenspraxis regelmäßig praktiziert. Die Familie war aktiv in religiösen Organisationen,
Seelsorge der Pfarrei oder in der Freiwilligenarbeit im Bereich der Religion tätig. Das
Erziehen der Kinder wurde in diesem Modell tief christlich und kirchlich orientiert,
die Eltern formierten ihren Kindern als ethische und kulturelle, so auch gemeischaftliche und emotionelle Identität mit der Katholischen Kirche.3 Solche Familien waren
kirchlich und sozial aktiv, religiös motiviert und regelmäßig praktizierend.
Die Ergebnisse der Forschung zeigen einen Zusammenhang zwischen regelmäßiger religiöser Praxis und den kirchlichreligiösen Elementen im Alltagsleben der
Elternfamilie. Andererseits, es handelt sich um ein multidimensionales Konstrukt,
das emotionale, mentale, soziale, spirituelle und verhaltensbezogene Komponenten der Glaubenserfahrung- und Praxis (des Handlungsvermögens) aus der subjektiven Sicht der Person beinhaltet.
Schlussfolgerungen
Den Einfluss auf Glaubenserfahrung- und Praxis der Befragten machen verschiedene
soziokulturelle, psychologische und andere Faktoren. Die Personen, die an der Forschung teilgenommen haben, nannten inhaltlich heterogene Traditionen und Elemente der Glaubenspraxis in der Elternfamilie und konnten ihre Erfahrung und
Glaubenspraxis mehr oder weniger eng miteinander verknüpfen. Die Ergebnisse
zeigen, dass Elemente der Traditionen in der Familie verschieden sind. Z.B., es war
regelmäßige religiöse Praxis Eltern und/oder Großeltern (z.B., Gebet, Gottesdienste am Sonntag oder am Wochentagen usw.), gemeinsame Aktivitäten in Pfarrei,
christliches oder traditionellkulturelles Feiern von Feiertagen usw. Auf Grundlage solcher Erfahrungen hat sich die Gottes- und Religionsvortellung, auch die
Glaubenserfahrung- und Praxis der Befragten gebildet.
Aus dem vorliegenden Ergebnissen kann man folgende Schlussfolgerungen ziehen:
Die Werte und Glaubenspraxis sind erlernbar, besonders in den Familien, wo
3
Hier kann man Analogie mit D.Hervieu-Leger finden. Sie unterscheidet solche Identitätsebenen
(Dimensionen) - communal dimension of religious identification, emotional dimension of religious
identification, ethical dimension of religious identification, cultural dimension of religious identification (D.Hervieu-Leger, 2004).
69
Glaubenspraxis intensiv ist. Für die Formierung des Glaubenserfahrung- und Praxis
spielt eine große Rolle mütterliche Linie: die Gottesvorstellung und Glaubenspraxis
von der Mutter. Die Grundlage, die dem Kind seine Glaubenserfahrung- und Praxis
prägt, ist: Traditionen in der Familie, Position der Eltern zur Religion, Muster der
Eltern oder anderen Verwandten, regelmäßige Glaubenspraxis. Die Traditionen,
die in der Elternfamilie geübt wurden, auch Muster, die gesehen wurden, werden
auch in der eigenen Familie weitergegeben.
Die Werte- und Religionorientierte Erziehung des Kindes in der Familie formiert
sein Gottesvertändnis und gibt Elemente der Glaubenspraxis weiter.
Literatur
Berger, P.L. 1994. Sehnsucht nach Sinn. Glauben in einer Zeit der Leichtglaubigkeit. Frankfurt/New York: Campus Verlag
Boos-Nunning, U. 1972 Dimensionen der Religiosität. Zur Operationalizierung und Messung religiöser Einstellungen. München
Briliūtė, B. 2005. Search for spirituality and identity in postcomunist Lithuania. In Roebben,
B., Warren, M. Religinis ugdymas kaip praktinė teologija (pp 61-80). Kaunas: Marijonų
talkininkų centras.
Fowler, J.W. 1991. Stufen des Glaubens. Die Psychologie der menschlichen Entwicklung und
die Suche nach Sinn. Gütersloh.
Frielingsdorf, K. 2003. Demoniški Dievo įvaizdžiai. Vilnius: Katalikų pasaulis
Heinrich, Ch. 2002. Die Konvertiten. Über religiöse und politische Bekehrungen. München:
Carl Hanser Verlag
Hipp, T. 1999. Religiose Identität und Konfession. In Miteinander. Newsletter deutschsprachider
katholischer Gemeinden im Ausland. Katholisches Auslandssekretariät der Deutschen Bischofskonferenz. Ausgabe Marz. (p. 11)
Kohler-Spiegel, H. 2008. Erfahrungen des Heiligen. Religion lernen und lehren. München:
Kösel-Verlag.
Luckmann, Th. 1991. Die unsichtbare Religion. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp
Paškus, A. 1998. Tikėjimo ir netikėjimo sąlytis šiandien. Kaunas: Lietuvos katechetikos centras
Paškus, A. 2002. Žvilgsnis į pasaulėžiūrinę aplinką, šventovę, save. Kaunas: Lietuvos Katechetikos centro leidykla
Richter, A. 2003. Der Einfluss von Religion auf Arbeitsfelder amerikanischer „Jugendhilfe“
und seine Charakterisierung. Dissertation zur Erlangung der Würde eines Doktors der
Philosophie (Dr. phil.) im Fachbereich Erziehungswissenschaft und Soziologie der Universität Dortmund. Dortmund: Iniversität Dortmund
Trimakas, K.A. 2003. Jaunimas apie tėvą ir motiną. Antroji dalis. Santykiai su tėvais. Kaunas:
Marijonų talkininkų centras
Trimakas, K.A. 2005. Motina ir tėvas dukros ir sūnaus patirtyje. Kaunas: Marijonų talkininkų
centras
Trimakas, K.A. 1998. Tikint bręsti. Egzistencinio apsisprendimo psichologija. Kaunas: TKKL
Zulehner, P.M., Hager, I., Polak, R. 2001. Kehrt die Religion wieder? Religion im Leben der
Menschen 1970-2000. Ostfilden: Schwabenverlag
Živilė ADVILONIENĖ, PhD in Social Sciences, assoc. professor at Marijampolė College and
Faculty of Catholic Theology at Vytautas Magnus University. Area of scientific interest:
sociology of religion and culture, methodology of social research, qualitative research.
70
Session III – A
Of Words and Worlds: The Curious Case of Saint Paul
Emmanuel NATHAN
A bst ra ct
Traditional Pauline scholarship has generally refrained from delving too much into
the nature of Paul’s individual religious experience and mostly concerned itself
with the various aspects of his theology. This landscape began to change markedly
in the latter half of the 20th Century, when Pauline studies began to incorporate
insights from the social sciences. Thus it is only of late that the topic of religious experience in early Judaism and Christianity has begun to return to Pauline studies,
this time with insights from as far afield as neuro-biology and neuro-psychology.
On the other hand, there is an established trajectory within Pauline studies
that examines his use, appropriation, and reconfiguration of existing Jewish traditions in his letters. This line of inquiry has always assumed Paul as a hybrid of at
least two worlds, Jewish and Hellenistic, and viewed his use of traditions as a consequence of this synthetic existence.
Both lines of inquiry, whether into Paul’s individual religious experience or his
use of traditions, wrestle with the dialectic of ‘word’ and ‘world’ – language and
experience, the vexing problem of pinpointing the extent to which Paul was cultu
rally conditioned and innovative at the same time. Paul and his writings therefore
offer us a welcome opportunity to examine the interaction of both religious experience and tradition.
In this paper I will concentrate especially on 2 Corinthians 3, a chapter that
can be viewed from both perspectives: (a) whether Paul is referring to individual
religious experience (e.g., the language of glory and transformation); or, (b) relying
on traditions (e.g., new covenant and the glorified Moses) to give expression to
it. I shall suggest a more down-to-earth alternative. The discussion on sufficiency
in ministry in 2 Corinthians 3 was brought on by the conflict situation at Corinth
at the time of writing the epistle. This context provided Paul an opportunity to
present a new understanding of Moses that was informed by reflections on Paul’s
own conversion experience. From this perspective, the Moses in 2 Corinthians 3
has now been turned into a reflection of the ‘pre-Christian’ Paul prior to his own
encounter with the Kyrios, an example of a synthesis between religious experience
and tradition.
Emmanuel Nathan, Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, Catholic University of Leuven. Area of scientific interest: biblical studies, hermeneutics of St. Paul’s writings.
71
Repeating Incarnation: Meister Eckhart and
the Problem of Christ’s Historicity
Satoshi KIKUCHI
A bst ra ct
This paper aims to approach the general theme of the conference ― tradition and
experience ― from the particular viewpoint of the theological thought of the German Dominican Meister Eckhart (ca. 1260-1328). At the later stage of the current
of medieval mysticism, Eckhart pronounced the most radical Christology. He says
that the incarnation of Christ might be meaningless unless it takes place in each one
of us. This existentialistic re-interpretation of Christ’s soteriological role was eventually judged by the Church authorities as undermining the uniqueness of Christ.
However, precisely by his delicate position within the tension between the Church
and mysticism, Eckhart seems to suggest that we reconsider the balance between
the religious tradition and the direct relationship of individuals with the divine.
Keywords: Meister Eckhart, incarnation, human nature, Christology
Background to the topic of the paper
The development of the intense concern for a direct union with God was one of the
characteristics of the broad religious enthusiasm in the later Middle Ages. Within
three centuries, a number of significant mystical authors appeared who were manifesting the theme of the mystical union, such as the 12th century Cistercians, Bernard of Clairvaux and William of Saint-Thierry; the 13th century Beguines, Hadewijch
and Marguerite Porete; the German Dominicans in the 14th century, Meister Eckhart, John Tauler and Henry Suso; and the Brabantse mystic Jan van Ruusbroec, etc.
In the same period, a current of heretical movements was also flourishing. The socalled heresies of Free Spirits and the radical sect of Beguines and Beghards were
insisting radically on the possibility of the human person’s deification without any
kinds of intermediary agents between God and humans, such as virtuous works, the
Church’s doctrine, the Church itself, or even the mediator-ship of Christ.1The Church
authorities had to, therefore, repeatedly announce their rigid opinions on such heretical doctrines through councils, papal bulls and the inquisition.2
The most decisive opinion was announced in 1329, when the papal bull In agro
dominico condemned the twenty-eight statements of the mystic ― and also one of
the most prominent theologians at that time ― Meister Eckhart.3 As a Dominican,
1
2
3
72
The best document of the doctrines of the heresies left for today is the list of ninety-seven statements of the so-called Brothers of Free Spirit made by Albert the Great (see de Guibert 1931:
115-127).
The bull Saepe sanctam Ecclesiam (1296) condemns the statements of the Free Spirit, while the
bull Ad nostrum qui (1312) condemns the doctrines of radical sects of Beguines and Beghards (see
Denzinger & Schönmetzer 1976: n. 866; n. 891-908).
Oliver Davies points out that the condemnation of Eckhart’s doctrine was the only case in the history of Church where the structure of the inquisition was used against Dominicans, which is organized
for counter-heresy campaign, moreover, where the doctrine of a first rank theologian like Eckhart
was condemned by the papal bull (see Davies, O. 1990: 433).
his task was initially to preach the ecclesiastical meaning of the union with God to
those who claimed a similar idea without sufficient religious education and were
thus susceptible to heretical views. Nevertheless, his teaching itself was judged as
heretical or suspected of heresy. Unlike the heretical groups, Eckhart never dared
to object against the Church’s doctrine, although the condemned article includes,
indeed, quite controversial sentences on the deification, such as: “whatever God
the Father gave to His only-begotten Son in human nature, He gave all this to me.
I exclude nothing, neither union, nor sanctity” or “Whatever holy scripture says of
Christ, all that is also true of every good and divine man” (Zimmermann & Sturlese
2006: 598. For English translation, see Colledge & McGinn 1981: 78). In this regard, Eckhart was most delicately situated in the midst of the tension between the
institution of the Church and the mystical movement.
As a matter of fact, Eckhart’s condemned sentences contain several doctrinal
issues. For this conference, we limit our focus to his understanding of the incarnation of Christ and its repetition in each human person. In this particular doctrine,
the issue of the balance between the historicity of Christ and the experience of
individuals is most evidently discussed. In the following, we will examine a number
of texts in his original works in German as well as in Latin.
Equality between Christ and humans in human nature
We begin our examination by taking a look at the following quote, which contains
the aforementioned condemned sentence:
He [a master] says further that in all that the Father ever gave His Son Jesus
Christ in human nature, He meant it more for me, and loved me more, and
gave it to me rather than to him. How is this? He gave it to him for my sake,
for I needed it. Therefore, whatever He gave him, he meant for me and gave it
to me as well as to him. I except nothing, neither union nor the holiness of the
Godhead nor anything else. All that He ever gave him in human nature is no
more alien or distant from me than from him, for God cannot give a little: He
must give either everything or nothing (Quint 1958: 77; English translation:
Walshe 2009: 104).
This passage declares the perfect equality between Christ and “myself” with
regard to human nature. Eckhart even says, more radically than the condemned
article, that God “meant it [= what the Father gave to His Son] more for me, and
loved me more,” that is, than Christ. This can be interpreted as a strong and yet
paradoxical affirmation of God’s will to save human beings who are in need of
salvation. Hereby, the understanding of the concept of “human nature” needs to
be focused.
The identity of the human nature between Christ and the other human beings
has been obviously the most fundamental dogma since early Christianity. At the ecumenical Council of Chalcedon in 451, the common human nature between Christ and
other human beings was officially defined in the creed (See Denzinger & Schönmetzer
1976: n. 301). The Church Fathers, who were playing important roles in creating this
formula, strongly claimed, rejecting docetism and monophysitism, that Christ was, as
human, perfectly equal to us. What motivated the Church Fathers was primarily the
73
soteriological concern for the salvation of the whole of humankind through participation into the unity between the divine and human natures of Christ.
However, when Eckhart says, as shown above, that “I except nothing, neither
union nor the holiness of the Godhead,” he seems to step further than the Church
doctrine. In the following quote he even says: “human nature became God”:
The masters declare that human nature has nothing to do with time, being
wholly unshakable and much more inward and close to a man than he is to
himself. That is why God took on human nature and united it with his own
Person. Then human nature became God, for he put on bare human nature
and not any man. Therefore, if you want to be the same Christ and God, go
out of all that which the eternal Word did not assume (Quint 1958: 420;
Walshe 2009: 450).
By giving such a high status to human nature, Eckhart seems to suggest that
the human being can climb up beyond the creaturely state and come to the same
state of Christ through the way that Christ opened up from above.4 Even if the
approach is different, one can reach (or one should reach) the same place where
Christ is in terms of not only His humanity but also His divinity.
Existentialistic understanding of Christ’s incarnation
The background of Eckhart’s radical understanding of human nature is the existentialistic concern for the transformation of each human person into the divinity.
This is in stark contrast, for instance, to the words of the Greek Church Father, Cyril
of Alexandria: “if He [= Christ] was not consubstantial with human beings, there
would be no profit in His coming to them” (Cyril 1863: 1288. See also Dalmais
1957: 1384. English translation is mine). Nine centuries later, Eckhart states in his
Latin treatise, the Commentary on John’s Gospel, as follows:
. . . note that the first fruit of the Incarnation of the Word, who is the natural
Son of God, is that we should be God’s sons through adoption. It would be
of little value for me that “the Word was made flesh” for man in Christ as a
person distinct from me unless he was also made flesh in me personally (personaliter) so that I too might be God’s son (Zimmermann & Sturlese 1994:
101-102; Colledge & McGinn 1981: 167).
The incarnation of the Word which took place in Christ cannot be meaningful
unless it takes place also in each individual “through adoption,” “personally.” In a
rather paradoxical way, Eckhart tries to maintain the significance of Christ’s incarnation, which happened once and for all in the history, in its continuous repetition.
The following quote reveals such an existentialistic stance of Eckhart more clearly:
People think God only became man there, but that is not true, for God became man here as well as there, and the reason why He became man was
that He might bear you as His only-begotten Son, no less (Quint 1971: 98;
Walshe 2009: 134).
4
74
S. Ueda points out that what Eckhart says about human nature is similar to what he says about God
Himself (see Ueda 1965: 47).
This passage is again in a stark contrast to the well-known expression of another Greek Church Father, Athanasius of Alexandria: “Why He Himself became a
man, that is because we may become God” (Athanasius 1973: 458. English translation is mine).5 In Eckhart, the presence of Jesus Christ now and here in each person
is emphasized more than Christ’s historical role as incarnated at a certain moment
in the past. Remarkably, Eckhart even states here that God became man so that
“He might bear you as His only-begotten Son.” It goes without saying that “the
only-begotten Son” is the title given to Christ in the divine personhood, in which
both the divine nature and human nature consist (See Denzinger & Schönmetzer
1976: n. 302). Although this hypostatic union was traditionally understood as the
foundation for all Christian soteriology, this union as such is not said to take place
in any human being other than Christ. While not explicitly, Eckhart’s statement on
the only-begotten Son seems to imply such a conclusion. In fact, this peculiar understanding of the sonship corresponds to his understanding of the human nature
which is said to “become God.”
Soteriological role of Christ as “a messenger”
Thus, Eckhart’s claim of the perfect equality to Christ leads to the following statement on Christ as “a messenger”:
Now you might ask me, since I have everything in this (human) nature that
Christ can perform according to his humanity, why then do we praise and
magnify Christ as our Lord and our God? That is because he was a messenger
(ein bote) from God to us and has brought our blessedness to us. The blessedness he brought us was our own (Quint 1958: 87; Walshe 2009: 108).
This statement does not intend to underestimate Christ’s deity.6 Rather, this
should be interpreted as an exemplary understanding of Christ’s soteriological
role. Christ’s mediator-ship between God and the human being is indeed meant for
communicating the good news to the whole of humankind; yet each individual is
expected to respond to His message. Christ’s incarnation is not only the historical
event far away from us, but is the living exemplar of our own incarnation. Seen from
another perspective, Eckhart’s statement also implies that the form of “religious
experience” in individuals is actually shaped by the foregoing history. When one
claims to have a direct relationship with God, he or she is in fact following the example that Christ manifested in the past.7 The religious experience of each human
person is not only directed vertically towards God, but also always determined horizontally by history, even if one might forget it at the moment of the “experience.”
5
6
7
Compare also the statement of Eckhart in his German Sermon 29: “Why did God become man? That
I might be born God Himself” (Quint 1971: 84; Walshe 2009, 126). Eckhart clearly bore the word of
Athanasius in his mind.
To describe Christ’s role as a messenger reminds us of the doctrine of the Gnostic heresies. They believe that Christ is one of the angels who came into the world to save our angelic souls imprisoned
in human bodies (Jonas 1992: c. 3). Eckhart’s intention was, however, not to give a position of angel
to Christ, since he presents Christ’s status of a messenger as the very reason why we praise Him “as
our Lord and our God.”
In the Commentary on John’s Gospel, Eckhart states, borrowing words from Beda, that human beings should be able to become “the second Christ” (see Zimmermann & Sturlese 1994: 241). “The
second Christ” presupposes “the first Christ.”
75
Conclusion
A unique feature of Christian faith throughout the centuries’ tradition is that
Christians gave the highest possible position to the man Jesus Christ, namely, the
only-begotten Son of God. Many other religions also have proper crucial figures
in their history (such as Buddha and Mohamed), who all the later generations are
supposed to follow as an example. However, unlike other religions, such as Buddhism, which admits theoretically the existence of countless Buddha’s, Christian
faith claims that the absolute example appeared in Christ once and for all in history. In the period of religious enthusiasm in the later Middle Ages, this Christo
logy seemed to be questioned by those who insisted on the possibility of perfect
equality to Christ. In the midst of this tension, Eckhart was in a way trying to find
a delicate balance between the historicity of Christ, on the one hand, and the direct experience of God, on the other. Although his attempt resulted in the papal
condemnation at that time, he offers an interesting point of discussion for us today
regarding tradition and experience within the Christian faith, and also regarding
how the absolute uniqueness of Christ, which maintains the identity of Christian
faith, can find reconciliation with other religions.
Bibliography
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199. Paris: Cerf.
Cyril. 1863. Cyrillus Alexandrinus: Quod unus sit Christus. In Jacques-Paul Migne (Ed.),
Patrologiae cursus completus. Series Graeca 75: 1254-1362.
Colledge, E., & McGinn, B. (Eds.). 1981. Meister Eckhart: the Essential Sermons,
Commentaries, Treatises, and Defense. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist.
Dalmais, I-H. 1957. Divinisation: II. Patristique Grecque. Dictionaire de spiritualité 3: 13761389.
Davies, O. 1990. Why were Eckhart’s propositions condemned? New Blackfriars
71: 433-445.
De Guibert, J. 1931. Documenta Ecclesiastica Christianae Perfectionis Studium Spectantia.
Rome: Pontificia Universitas Gregoriana.
Denzinger, H., & Schönmetzer, A. (Eds.). 1976. Enchiridion Symbolorum: Definitionum et
declarationum de rebus fidei et morum. 36th ed. Freiburg: Herder.
Jonas, H. 1992. The Gnostic Religion: The Message of the Alien God and the Beginning of
Christianity. 2nd ed. London: Routledge.
Quint, J. (Ed.). 1958. Meister Eckhart: die deutschen Werke, Band 1. Stuttgart:
Kohlhammer.
Quint, J. (Ed.). 1971. Meister Eckhart: die deutschen Werke, Band 2. Stuttgart:
Kohlhammer.
Ueda, S. 1965. Die Gottesgeburt in der Seele und Durchbruch zur Gottheit: Die mystische
Anthropologie Meister Eckharts und ihre Konfrontation mit der Mystik des ZenBuddhismus. Studien zu Religion, Geschichte und Geisteswissenschaft, Band. 3.
Gütersloh: Gerd Mohn.
Walshe, M. O’C. (Ed.). McGinn, B. (Rev.). 2009. The Complete Mystical Works of Meister
Eckhart. Crossroad: New York.
76
Zimmermann, A., & Sturlese, L. (Eds.). 1994. Meister Eckhart: die lateinischen Werke,
Band 3. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer.
Zimmermann, A., & Sturlese, L. (Eds.). 2006. Meister Eckhart: die lateinischen Werke,
Band 5. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer.
Satoshi Kikuchi, Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. Area of scientific interest: medieval mystical literature.
Seeing and Believing in Resurrection Narratives
Valdas MACKELA
A bst ra ct
In resurrection narratives of New Testament disciples after seeing an empty tomb
finally come to belief that Jesus is risen from the dead. Among the resurrection
narratives the episode of doubting Thomas in Gospel of John is very characteristic
in this aspect. The exceptionality of appearance of the risen Jesus to Thomas lies
in the fact that it presents the relation between seeing and believing. More specifically, it shows the significance of believing after, or because of, having seen the
risen Christ, and believing without having seen him. But in apocryphal gospel that
bears his name, Thomas is presented not as doubting or unbelieving, but the one
who understands Jesus and his teaching better than the rest of apostles. Recent
theory presents gospels according to Thomas and John as gospels in conflict advocating respectively “vision mysticism” and “faith mysticism”. In my paper plan to
examine issues of experience and tradition in the way how orthodox tradition of
apostolic witness of risen Jesus Christ is related to heterodox tradition of visio dei
that comes via esoteric understanding of Jesus teaching.
Valdas Mackela, lecturer at the Faculty of Catholic Theology, Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania. Area of scientific interest: gnosticism, Church Fathers.
Tradition of the Genre in the Age of Intertextuality.
Wojciech Kilar’s “Te Deum”
Anna WIECZOREK
A bst ra ct
Various approaches function in the 20th- and 21st-century music to tradition and
to that which is deep-rooted in tradition: genres, types, and assumed patterns.
On one hand we witness a return to tradition, whereas on the other – composers
distance themselves from everything that was written in history as prescribed in
77
advance, genre-specific. Carl Dahlhaus perceives “a decline or weakening of types
and genres” (Dahlhaus 2007: XI) in new music; he observes “a process of emancipation from type” resulting in a composition which has to “rely on itself”, to some
extent, “without a backbone from any pattern that would provide its frames or
support” (Dahlhaus 2007: 110). Herman Danuser also presents the phenomenon
of “musical genre disintegration”, at the same time noticing a reverse tendency,
i.e. “a return to the genre category” (Danuser 1984: 400). In 2008 Wojciech Kilar
composed his Te Deum for solo voices, chorus and orchestra to a Latin text of a
Medieval hymn Te Deum laudamus. The hymn of Te Deum, as a genre, is a poetic
and musical composition intended for group singing, whose primary function is
that of a cult, liturgy. Hymns are presumed to have an eulogic and suppliant nature; thus its dominant expressive category is solemn, ceremonial, dignified, festive, pompous, beseeching and contemplative tone. Kilar’s composition fulfils the
basic objectives of a hymn written in the history of the genre in many respects. The
composer refers to tradition numerous times: by using authentic Medieval Latin
and cantata-oratory performance cast, by archaizing manipulations and the use
of quotes from Polish church songs. However, at the same time the composition
may be included most definitely into the circle of intertextual culture, combining
many centuries of tradition with the 20th-century composer’s technique and a
clear reference to his contemporary composers. Kilar’s Te Deum constitutes a contemporary example of a return to traditional religious music filled with the spirit of
prayer, contemplation and meditation.
Keywords: tradition, genre, hymn, Kilar, Te Deum
True tradition is not a testimony to the past.
It is a living force which invigorates and shapes the present.
Igor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky, a composer who also wrote about music a lot, included in Poetique
musicale his own position towards tradition. In his opinion tradition is the result
of “a conscious and thought-out acceptance” (Stravinsky 1980: 42). He also writes,
that “tradition suggests the reality of what lasts, and is a familiar commodity, a
heritage which you receive providing you render it productive (...). Tradition is referred to in order to create something new. Thus we owe tradition for the continuity of art”. Following Stravinsky’s concept “tradition invigorates and shapes the
present, at the same time allowing an artist to create something new” (Stravinsky
1980: 43).
1. The genre category
Especially in the music of the 20th and 21st centuries, we witness, on one hand, a
return to tradition, whereas on the other – composers distance themselves from
everything that was written in history as prescribed in advance, genre-specific.
Carl Dahlhaus notices “atrophy or remission of types and genres” (Dahlhaus 2007:
XI) in new music; observes “a process of emancipation from type” resulting in a
composition which has to “rely on itself”, to some extent, “without a backbone
78
from any pattern that would provide its frames or support” (Dahlhaus 2007: 110).
Herman Danuser also presents the phenomenon of “musical genre disintegration”, at the same time noticing a reverse tendency, i.e. “a return to the genre
category” (Danuser 1984: 400). In Michał Głowiński’s opinion, “the age and traditionalism of genre make it so obvious, and so deeply rooted into out cultural
consciousness, that it is enough to accept it, that is acknowledge its existence a
priori” (Głowiński 1983: 79). Such an approach allows above all to “correctly classify a composition”, and this in turn guarantees, in Adam Kulawik’s opinion, its
“correct understanding” (Kulawik 1997: 156). There is a conviction in the theory
of literature that “a genre possesses its own inner memory, which allows it to
continuously reform while at the same time maintaining memories of its past”
(Głowiński 1983: 105). Mikhail Bakhtin claims that, “a genre continues to regene
rate and restore itself [...] in each individual composition of a given genre.” Further on he states that “a genre lives in the present but always remembers its past,
its beginning” (Głowiński 1983: 105).
2. Kilar’s Te Deum
Te Deum by Wojciech Kilar (born in 1933) for solo voices, choir and orchestra was
written in 2008 to a Latin text of a medieval hymn, as a composition dedicated to
the composer’s wife, Barbara, who died a year before. The composition is made up
of five parts creating a series-reprise form. The sound material is typical for Kilar’s
work from his recent years: dominated by diatonics, a material both tonal as well
as modal. The general principal of forming sound matter is a concept of repetitiveness: single tones, motifs, phrases. The composition’s tonal frame constitutes of
C-major key. It is maintained in a slow and only slightly moderate tempo and in
loud and very loud dynamics (between mf and ff), with a majority of duple met
re. Amongst the expressive marks there are, among others: maestoso, misterioso,
dolce e cantabile, dolce e sereno.
The hymn of Te Deum laudamus is firmly and strongly rooted in the tradition
of the Christian Church. Its history reaches back to the 14th century. Until this day,
the author of this most famous and popular medieval hymn is unknown1. Te Deum
laudamus is a breviary hymn for Sunday and holiday Lauds. In time it emancipated
from the Liturgy of the Hours and became an independent basis for many monumental compositions written for especially grand church and state ceremonies by
composers of many epochs (Czajkowski 1998: 30, 31). The hymn of Te Deum, as
a genre, is a poetic and musical composition intended for group singing, whose
primary function is that of a liturgy. Hymns are presumed to have an eulogic and
suppliant nature, they are a solemn praise of God. Thus, its dominant expressive
category is solemn, ceremonial, dignified, festive, pompous, beseeching and contemplative tone.
1
Although Saint Ambrose, the Bishop of Milan is considered to be the author of most of the first medieval Latin hymns, it is most probable that Saint Nicetas, the Bishop of Remesiana wrote the hymn
of Te Deum laudamus (Remesiana is the antique name of the present-day Bela Palanka, Serbian
town), and not by Saint Ambrose, as it was thought for centuries. However, this version has not yet
been confirmed.
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3. Tradition of the genre in Kilar’s Te Deum
The reference to tradition of Kilar’s Te Deum may be indicated in at least two aspects: in the sphere of genre references to the characteristic qualities of a medieval
hymn, as well as in the area of a widely understood intertextual dependencies.
3.1
One of the most visible and obvious displays of references to tradition in Kilar’s
composition is the original, Medieval Latin which the composer used not omitting even one word from the 14th-century text of the hymn. Following the manycentury tradition, hymns were intended for group singing performed by the whole
community. Thus, it is no surprise that the composer used the full sound of a
symphonic orchestra, choir and soloists for his 21st-century work. The cantataoratory cast is characteristic after all for many other compositions of this genre
mainly from the 19th and 20th centuries. The composer achieved the solemn, eulogic nature typical for hymns by, inter alia, using appropriate instruments. The
triumphant fanfares of brass instruments and timpani opening the composition
introduce an air of unusual celebration initiating a melody which is then repeated
by choir sopranos. Kettledrums are the only percussion instruments Kilar applied.
They emphasise the solemn mood from the very first bars of Te Deum resounding
tremolo at a forte dynamic; whereas in the further course of the composition, they
support the correct organisation of musical time.
Example 1. W. Kilar, Te Deum, part I, bars 1-8
The work’s eulogic nature is completed by expressive designations entered in
the score, such as maestoso (appearing three times in the compositions), misterioso (four times), dolce e cantabile or dolce e sereno. These designations point
to the most essential qualities of the composition, such as majesty and mystery,
melodiousness and sweetness, brightness and radiance. The tonal frames of the
composition consisting of the C major key also emphasise the characteristic air of
Kilar’s hymn. The author’s application of this key is firmly justified by musical tradition, because the C major key is associated, among others, with grandeur /Hennig
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1897/, religious feelings and innocence /Pauer 1877/, and most of all with power
and majesty /Müller 1830/ (Mianowski 2000: 44).
Apart from the eulogic tone – solemn and festive – suppliant and prayerful
tones are also typical for a hymn. These are favoured by the positioning of accents
on words that are particularly significant in a suppliant prayer, such as for example
the invocation of “Christe”. The composer highlights it with melisma – figure which
is extremely rare in his work – on one hand paying homage to the divine name,
whereas on the other attempting to ensure that the words of his prayer are heard
out. It is distinctive that this invocation to God particularly emphasised in the composition is delegated to the bass solo part, which evokes the liturgical, melodious
prayer of a priest.
Example 2. W. Kilar, Te Deum, part II, bars 1-16
The litany-like Miserere from the last part of the composition is a fragment of
an exceptionally expressive suppliant nature. A regular pulse in an even metre, the
rhythmic ostinato unisono of strings and grand piano and the words of a besee
ching “have mercy upon us” evoke the pace of a funeral procession. Its pleading nature is increased by the sounds of a melancholy, “cruel and dark” /Lavignac
1895/ B minor key, although also associated with peaceful anticipation and patient
hope /Pauer 1877/ (Mianowski 2000: 44). The semantics of this key clearly adds to
the prayer’s sense, while bestowing upon it a tone of deep sorrow, also lending it
hope for being heard out, mercy and salvation.
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Example 3. W. Kilar, Te Deum, part V, bars 20-30
The composer touches many times upon tradition also through references to
idioms characteristic for the music of other periods applying, among others, archaisations as well as using quotations and alluding to church songs. There are
also distinct references to certain qualities of other composers’ styles. The nature
of typical archaisation referring to the style of the old epochs is visible in the first
part: Te gloriosus apostolorus chorus, which is dominated by the sound of perfect
fifths in a six-voice a capella choir texture, associated with medieval organum.
Example 4. W. Kilar, Te Deum, part I, bars 73-79
The beginning of the composition is an example of quoting fragments of other
works in Kilar’s Te Deum. The melody which the composer uses comes from the
Graduale Simplex collection and constitutes a song of “Halleluiah” popular in the
Catholic church and intended for the so-called Ordinary Time. The composer’s deformation of the melody consists of, in fact, keeping only its incipit, that is the first
six notes, while the rhythm and intervals are slightly changed in its further course.
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Example 5. Initial theme of Kilar’s Te Deum
Example 6. Halleluiah from Graduale Simplex
(Ordinary Time Mass I, Verse in Mode VIII c)
Using one of the most popular melodies of Halleluiah, in the face of the composer’s dedication of the composition and the difficult times in Kilar’s life prece
ding the creation of this work (death of his wife), subtly symbolises faith in resurrection and the Christian hope for life after death.
Kilar’s Te Deum contains visible references to stylistic qualities of the music of
other composers, and most distinctly to Henryk Mikołaj Górecki’s (1933-2010) music. Kilar seems to refer to Górecki’s specific composer’s technique and the characteristic manner of developing sound matter. Górecki’s typical technique of chord
manipulation in string quintet parts also appears in Kilar’s Te Deum. It consist of
a major second fluctuation of tetrads known if only from Beatus Vir or Symphony
no. 3 of Sorrowful Songs.
Example 7. W. Kilar, Te Deum, part III, bars 75-83
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Example 8. H. M. Górecki, Symphony no. 3 of Sorrowful Songs, part III
While discussing Górecki’s music, it is worth pointing out another characteristic quality, i.e. a specific role of a grand piano and a harp in his music. For Górecki,
both of these instruments, first of all in connection with strings, played a significant expressive role, for example in Ad Matrem or Symphony no. 3 of Sorrowful
Songs. In Teresa Malecka’s opinion, the grand piano in Górecki’s music is of “key
significance”, and its sound is “an inseparable element of that music, co-creating
its specific sound aura, lending it, one might say, an outright individual brand”
(Malecka 2012: 315). The grand piano and the harp also appear in Kilar’s Te Deum.
The grand piano usually doubles the vocal and instrumental sounds, or fills up the
timbre space in long freely resounding single sounds and chords.
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Example 9. W. Kilar, Te Deum, part II, bars 1-27
Composers’ purposeful references to fragments of other compositions and including them into their own works make Kilar’s Te Deum most definitely a part of
intertextual culture which combines the many centuries of tradition with the 20thcentury composer’s technique. Kilar’s composition fulfils the basic objectives of a
hymn written in the history of the genre in many respects, constituting a modern
example of returning to the traditions of religious music, full of spirit of prayer,
contemplation and meditation. Most definitely, Te Deum is not Wojciech Kilar’s last
word on the subject. As the composer admits himself that “there is nothing else
that would influence art, especially music and painting, than an inspiration from
religion, faith and holy texts. This is the most powerful and most significant area of
music. So many trends have passed, so many forms have died, whereas the inspiration with holy texts is unfailing” (Dowód na istnienie... 2000).
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Bibliography
Czajkowski, S. 1998. Hymn. Od psalmu i hymnu do songu i Liedu. Muzyka i liryka.
Zagadnienia genologiczne: rodzaj – gatunek – utwór. Kraków: Akademia Muzyczna.
Dahlhaus, C. 2007. Estetyka muzyki. Warszawa: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu
Warszawskiego.
Danuser, H. 1984. Die Musik des 20. Jahrhunderts. Neues Handbuch der Musikwissenschaft.
Vol 7. Ed. Carl Dahlhaus. Laaber: Laaber-Verlag.
Dowód na istnienie Boga. O muzyce sakralnej dla “Gościa Niedzielnego” mówi Wojciech
Kilar. 2000. Warszawa: “Gość Niedzielny” no. 47.
Głowiński, M. 1983. Gatunek literacki i problemy poetyki historycznej. Genologia polska.
Wybór tekstów. Warszawa: PWN.
Kulawik, A. 1997. Poetyka. Wstęp do teorii dzieła literackiego. Kraków: Wydawnictwo
Antykwa.
Malecka, T. 2012. On the Peculiar Role of the Piano in the Oevre o Henryk Mikołaj Górecki.
Beethoven (5). Studien und Interpretationen. Natur und Kultur. Kraków: Akademia
Muzyczna.
Mianowski, J. 2000. Semantyka tonacji w niemieckich dziełach operowych XVIII-XIX wieku.
Toruń: Wydawnictwo Adam Marszałek.
Stravinsky, I. 1980. Poetyka muzyczna. Kraków: PWM.
Anna Wieczorek, PhD student of the Academy of Music in Krakow, Poland. Area of scientific interest: contemporary music founded on religious basement.
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Session III – B
Bonds and Memories in the Sacred Space
Orsolya GYÖNGYÖSSY
In theological point of view, church (as a building) is a place where Heaven connects to the Earth, where the important turning points of lifetime became consecrated and socially legitimated, where the sacred dynamism of the year denoted
on every feast and mass. For art historians, non-believers and tourists’ church is
a memento of the bygone past, basically an interesting, mystical spectacle and
historical-aesthetical factum. For local communities the „Church of Ours” is the
source of collective identity, a place what we are proud of. „Church/Churches of
Ours” represents the unbroken chain with the ancestors even for those who are
not the member of the church community but living in the same settlement.
I presume that the holy space, the church inside is not homogene in the individual’s point of view. There are several factors which could shape our subjective
bonds to different altars and sculptures in the church we are attending, such as
aesthetical reasons, memories, beloved cults, saints and so on. This statement is
also valid regarding the seats in the church. Beside these ultra-subjective determinants we also have to count with local and family traditions and other objective
circumstances (e.g. temperature, acoustic).
In my experimental study I attempt to analyze the cognitive maps of the female
members of a Roman Catholic family. This case study emphasizes the more and
more fragmented nature of personal religiosity which reduces the common platform of family bonds and the viability of narrative heritage.
Orsolya Gyöngyössy, scientific assistant, museologist, ethnographer; Museum Directorate of Veszprém County, Veszprém, Hungary.
Via Margaritarum, the Revitalized Cult of St. Margaret of Hungary
and the Spirit of Penance
Gábor BARNA
St. Margaret of Hungary was the 7th child of the Hungarian King Béla IV. During
the Mongolian invasion (1241-1242) she was offered up by her parents as penance
for the eliberation of the Hungarian Kingdom. She became Dominican none and
was living in the Dominican monastery on the Rabit-island of the Danube (today
Margaret-island). She died very early and was buried in the chapel of the monastery, which is now ruined. In the last century there were archeological excavation
here. Her calendar feast is on 18th January.
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She was venerated as Beata (Blessed, 1276) during the centuries. Her canonization process went up very slowly and at least she was sanctified only in 1943,
during the WW II as a result of a nationwide spiritual co-operation of the clergy
and laic people with the Pope Pius XII. The Soviet occupation and communist political turn just after the WWII pressed her veneration back. Societies were dissolved,
journals were banned which served in the previous decades her veneration and
cult. A huge mass movement among Hungarian Catholics rapidly disappeared.
Small sign of the reweakening of her cult is that since 21st of January 1979
there are Holy Masses at the ruins ont he Margaret-island pontificated allways by
the archbishop of Esztergom which collect people mostly from Budapest. There
are also Holy Masses in other places of the country. Interpreting the pilgrimages as tools of penance and atonement, in 2006 a via Margaritarum was opened
between two important places of pilgrimage Mátraverebély-Szentkút (official national shrine in Hungary) and Mariazell (Austria which was functioning practically
as national shrine of Hungarians till the political turn in 1990). Organizers in this
way combine the personal penance of St. Margaret and that of the long distance
pilgrimage, comparing the situation in the 13th century with actual everyday life
of the country, offering troubles to atonement for mistakes and sins of the contemporary Hungarian society.
Gábor Barna, professor, Department of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology, University
of Szeged, Hungary. Area of scientific interest: pilgrimage, religious movements.
Al-Andalus and Java: Still a Sanctuary for Interconnecting
Religions and Traditions?
Hee Sook LEE-NIINIOJA
Al-Andalus refers to a period (711-1492) between the initiation of Umayyad Go
vernors and the Catholic Monarch’s victory. Abd al-Rahman I made Cordoba his
capital as a crowing achievement of Islam, but Christians and Jews adapted themselves to the new situation without major problems, due to the Muslim rulers’
tolerance. This continued under the Christian rule after Alfonso VI’s capture of
Toledo (1085). Muslim artisans constructed sacred buildings, and vegetal motifs
in Santa Maria La Blanca Synagogue (1250) prove how ornamental strategies in
Islamic buildings beautified a Jewish temple beyond ideological boundaries. In
Java, Islam became the dominant religion (16C), but the basic patterns of ancestral, mythical belief and Hindu-Buddhism were integrated within Sufi Islam. Sufi
precept of ‘universal toleration’ could negotiate with pre-Islamic culture to affirm
‘oneness of God’. Sufis believed mosques to be sacred, thus pre-Islamic ornamentation became a means for Islamisation, combining indigenous and Islamic ideas
and forms.
Keywords: Al-Andalus, Java, Hindu-Buddhism and Islam, Intercultural, Traditions
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Intercultural Communication
The term “intercultural” defines ‘between or among people of different cultures’.
Originally referring to comparative studies on statistical compilations of cultural
data, this term began to achieve a sense of cultural interactivity: how people from
dissimilar cultures, religions, and traditions behave, communicate and perceive
the world around them. Intercultural communication was put into practice as old
as mankind, initiated to practical contacts between different tribal cultures when
they met at the first time. History has full stories of peoples’ willing to learn and
understand other languages and cultures through a variety of means such as tra
vel, trade, pilgrimage, colonization, etc. However, it was the latter half of the 20th
century that intercultural communication became a field of systematic study, due
to recognition of cultural diversity as a decisive factor in communication.
The famous anthropologist Clifford Geertz (1973) claims that culture is “a historically transmitted pattern of meaning embodied in symbols, a system of inhe
rited conceptions expressed in symbolic forms by means of which men communicate, perpetuate, and develop their knowledge about and attitudes toward life”.
Culture can be regarded as a set of social rules, supplying a framework that gives
meaning to events, objects, and people. And through these rules, we can make
sense of our environments, decreasing uncertainty of the social circumstance.
Therefore culture is (1) learned, (2) transmitted to inter-generations, (3) symbolic,
(4) dynamic, and (5) ethnocentric. Culture allows us to engage in several forms of
social intercourse needed for constructing and conveying culture (Samovar, Porter
and McDaniel 2009).
La Convivencia of Toledo in Al-Andalus (711-1492)
Toledo is a municipality located in central Spain, 70 km south of Madrid. The city
was declared by UNESCO in 1986 a World Heritage Site as a place of coexistence
of Christian, Jewish and Moorish cultures. Under the Caliphate of Cordoba, Toledo
had a golden age known as La Convivencia (the co-existence of Christians, Jews
and Muslims). It was again the capital of the rich Taifa Muslim kingdoms as a struggling point between the Muslims and Christians.
Three main religious groups existed: Christians, Muslims and Jews. The Muslims, united on the religious level, had several ethnic divisions; the main being the
distinction between the Berbers and the Arabs. Mozarabs were Christians who
lived under the Muslim rule and adopted some Arabic customs, art and words,
keeping their Christian rituals and Romance languages. And due to the tolerance
of Muslim rulers, Christians and Jews adapted themselves to the new situation
without major problems. Each community inhabited distinct neighbourhoods in
the cities, but in the 10th century a massive conversion of Christians took place,
thus muladies (Christians who converted to Islam after the arrival of the Moors)
comprised the majority of the population of al-Andalus by the century’s end.
In 1085, Alfonso VI of Castile conquered Toledo and set up direct personal control. This was the first concrete Reconquest taken by Christian Leon-Castile kingdoms,
and in the 13th century, the city became a major cultural centre under the guidance
of Alfonso X, called “El Sabio” (the Wise) for his love of learning. The program of
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translations began under Archbishop Raymond of Toledo and brought vast know
ledge of academic and philosophical works in Arabic into Latin to Europe.
Moreover large communities of Muslims and Jews built their religious monu
ments, such as Santa Maria la Blanca and El Transito synagogues, Cristo de la
Luz mosque before their expulsion from Spain in 1492. Privileges were offered
to Christians and Jews, but Mudejar architecture was created by Muslim artisans
(“mudejar”) who were working for them in this Christian territory. Particularly, at
Santa Maria la Blanca, Muslim artisans served a vibrant Jewish community accor
ding to its need for a worship place.
Santa Maria la Blanca
Santa Maria La Blanca is originally known as the “Ibn Shushan Synagogue”. As the
congregational synagogue of Toledo, it currently serves as museum. Erected in 1180
and rebuilt in 1350 on the side of an earlier structure, it is disputably the oldest, still
standing synagogue building in Europe. The interior has a basilical structure with five
narrow naves stretching from east to west; the central one being higher than the rest
and separated by arcades with large circular horseshoe arches, hinting a Christian
Mozarabic influence. The arcade is supported on octagonal columns of brick with a
tiled plinth, which is rendered in plaster. It is characteristic of Mudejar building technique, while the ultra-semicircular arcade is another attribute of Mudejar taste.
In fact, the Mudejar style is a symbiosis of techniques and ways of understanding architecture resulting from Islamic and Christian cultures living side by side on
the Iberian Peninsula in the 12th century. As it reinterpreted of Western cultural
styles through Islamic influences, the dominant geometrical character is distinctively Islamic.
Islamic Almohad pine motif in Santa Maria La Blanca (1180)
Noticeably, the capitals using vegetal ornament of Islamic Almohad pine cones
witness how ornamental strategies often seen in Islamic buildings can serve a Jewish temple, in order to add beauty without religious conflicts. Adapting Almohad
architectural tradition to a non-Muslim context, the synagogue represents Mudejar architecture, developed out of the complex interaction between the Islamic,
Christian, and Jewish cultures. The use of the multi-lobular blind arcade shows
how common ornamental elements in Islamic buildings of al-Andalus could be
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incorporated into a Jewish building. The intercultural communications in Toledo is
an outstanding example of interconnecting religions and traditions.
A Regional Approach to Islamic Culture in Java, Indonesia
During the introduction of Islam into the Malay Peninsular around the 13th century, Islam not only changed local cultural landscapes, but also created a unique
regional heritage with areas which they came into contact, to comply with its religious and philosophical ideas. The expression of faith in art and architecture articulated the creed of Islam and produced complexity of regional variations. First,
living in a spirit of tolerance, flexibility, and openness, the Malay people were able
to accept changes through careful selection, reflection, and modification without
discarding their wealthy cultural traditions. They witnessed Hindu-Buddhist, Chinese, Islamic and western cultures through their lifestyle. Second, the appearance
of Islam to the Archipelago coincided with an era of zealous spiritualism in the
Islamic world. Appeared in Persia, Sufi mysticism followed the Mongol seizure of
Baghdad (1258) and rapidly spread through international trade routes. Local ar
tists drew inspiration from a diverse heritage and selected to transform existing
symbolism in accordance with Islam.
Moreover, the close relationship between the rulers and Islam was spatially
symbolized by placing king’s palaces adjacent to the grand mosque and the town’s
centre. In the case of Java, Islam replaced Hinduism and Buddhism by the end of
the 16th century, but the Islamic Mataram kingdom patterned itself after the Hindu Majapahit, and practised mystic animism, Hindu-Buddhism, European pomp,
and Islamic circumstance.
The common heritage in mosques reflects the close political relationship between Muslim rulers in different regions. Until the late 19th century, mosques
were constructed in a vernacular style with a Hindu-Buddhist multi-tiered roof,
using mostly wood to accommodate local conditions. The persistence of indigenous buildings had to take into account the local profusion of natural resources
and variable climates, resulting in exuberant and diverse architectural styles. Elements associated with Islamic architecture, such as the dome and geometric ornament, do not feature in these traditions.
Agung Demak, Demak, Central Java (1479)
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Despite the influence of pre-Islamic beliefs and art forms on the pattern of
life, a bond between Islam and local culture has been firm, because existing forms
encouraged Javanese to accept the Islamic ideologies. The idea of ‘Godliness’ of
their ancestors and the primary aesthetics of cosmological belief in Malay were
penetrated into Islamic cosmology in a form of syncretic culture. The three-tiered
roof of the mosque symbolizes the mystical paths to God as well.
It is known that the avoidance of figurative representation differentiates Islamic
art from Hindu-Buddhist aesthetic style, but here Islamic art needed reconciliation
of the ambivalent relationship between the two religions, caused by the ruler’s
indigenous belief of the magic in art. Accordingly, the depiction of non-Islamic ima
ges, to name a few, the Hindu deity Ganesha or zoomorphic and anthropomorphic
symbols combined by Koranic calligraphy was to be understood in the context of
the earlier animism.
Lotus Buds in Javanese Muslims’ Imagination
Islamic poets describe the flower as a book, where one can study the knowledge
about God. And Hindu-Buddhist lotus is likely to be the most influential in Islamic
buildings. Hindu mythology says that the world consists of atman (the soul) and
maya (illusion), and its creation was symbolized by the growth of lotus. As the primordial lotus grew from the waters of eternity, bringing Brahma, god of creation,
and all other creations, it became a dominant motif in representing creation and
sanctity.
In Hindu-Buddhist temples of Central Java, the lotus in a form of bud or flower
was extensively used for wall decoration, signifying ideal beauty and integrating
natural forms and supernatural power. The identity of the primeval lotus and Dharma (mystical doctrine) is fundamental in Mahayanist (Great Vehicle) Buddhism. As
creator and supporter of the Cosmic Tree, the lotus became the pattern for the
abstract notions of Dharma, preached by the Buddha.
Prambanan Hindu Temple (8-9C), Kalasan Buddhist Temple (9C), Astana Mantingan
Mosque (1559), Menar Kp Melayu Mosque (1820)
Of course, Javanese Muslims wished to continue this motif, proved on the golden lotus bud at Menar Kp Melayu mosque (1820) which reminds of the sacred golden lotus buds in temples. A lotus bud of Hindu Prambanan temple held by a hand
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of a goddess was transferred to an Islamic one at the entrance of Astana Mantingan
mosque (1559). The symbolic life of Hindu-Buddhist lotus buds in Javanese mosques
displayed the continuity with a variety of influence across time and space.
Why so? Are (1) a tolerant attitude between incoming Islam and Javanese’
acceptance of it, and (2) strong conscience of keeping their tradition among the
population?
It is that the ‘sacredness’ of the lotus, rooted deeply in sacred Javanese temples, was extended to mosques by mystic Sufis. As Javanese mosques were sacred
(Isnaeni 1996), any motif in ornamentation became sacred and symbolic too. Javanese Muslims underline the significance of sacred Hindu-Buddhist ornaments, trying to connect them with Islam. A symbolic tree from the Garden of Eden, created
by God, continued as an Islamic concept, and Javanese Muslims linked this with
the Tree of Life of Hindu-Buddhism. Islamic art became an extension, rather than a
change from earlier aesthetic traditions, caused by the inspiration of the Javanese,
creating a regional Islamic culture and identity.
Remarks
Javanese term of ‘Bhinneka Tunggal Ika’ (unity in diversity) stresses the Javanese
identity and culture. Java was the centre where animism, Hindu-Buddhism and Islam coexisted, moving toward a syncretic Islamic religion. Living in peace, tradition
and cultures are the first to be considered than faiths and religions. According to
an interview held in 2005 with Tjandrasasmita, a distinguished Indonesian scholar
in Islamic archaeology, he claimed that Javanese Islam has a few distinct characte
ristics. Javanese Muslims are greatly conscious of continuity of their cultural heri
tage which was created by the local genius across centuries.
Returning to al-Andalus in the Iberian Peninsular, Menocal (2002) argued that
“tolerance was an inherent aspect of Andalusian society”. In her view, the Jewish
and Christian believers living under the Caliphate, despite fewer rights than Muslims, were better than those in other parts of Christian Europe. Jews (5% of the
population) who were emigrated to Al-Andalus were treated with dignity, being a
key centre of Jewish life during the early Middle Ages.
We know that for individuals, religious toleration is the condition of accepting
or permitting others’ religious beliefs and practices which disagree with one’s own.
In this regard, we can link to a comment expressed by the German linguist Karlfried
Knapp (1999): “Intercultural communication can...be defined as the interpersonal
interaction between members of different groups, which differ from each other in
respect of the knowledge shared by their members and in respect of their linguistic forms of symbolic behaviour”.
Based on the investigation of al-Andalus and Java as well as all the arguments,
the both places were once a sanctuary for interconnecting religions and traditions.
A question arises. Is this atmosphere still valid and intact in these areas? Whatever
it is, it seems to me that when there appears intercultural communication on cultural heritages, the idea of tolerance can take place towards any forms of religions
and traditions, either common or uncommon between them, preparing a safe haven for interconnecting them.
93
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Hee Sook Lee-Niinioja, PhD. As a pioneer student in Scandinavia in 1970s, Dr. Hee Sook
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work and teaching, hoping to enhance dialogues between religions. She is engaged with
ICICH-ICOMOS.
94
“Stabat Mater” Sequence in the Works of Italian18th-Century
composers
Renata BOROWIECKA
A bst ra ct
The Stabat Mater poem grew into the liturgy of the Church as a sequence and
a hymn. It has also become one of the universal themes in art. It inspired composers of various epochs and creative centres and it was expressed in many numerous musical interpretations. From among ca 380 compositions which set the
text of the sequence to music, a large proportion are 18th-century works of Italian
provenience.
Musical interpretations of Stabat Mater by Italian composers were usually intended for liturgical or para-liturgical use, although others may also be found that
functioned outside the church liturgy and entered into the mainstream of religious
concert music. The composition’s function repeatedly influenced its final shape,
although it was not always a determining factor.
The music of the Settecento remained in close dependence from social and
cultural life. Popular tastes infiltrated the church walls, the expression of which
was, for example, religious music. In the 18th-century sacral works conservative
elements were combined with a new musical language which resulted from the
role of the church standing at that time particularly close to man and his earthly
problems. Thus, it seems interesting to view Italian musical interpretations of Stabat Mater from the perspective of their performance purpose and to indicate to
what extent it influenced the forces, genre, style or the character of a given work.
The analysis of the issue will allow to isolate aspects limiting the subjective interpretation of artists and to show their cultural and historical community expressed
in references to similar musical solutions and means as well as to emphasise what
is personal, idiolectic.
Keywords: sequence; Stabat Mater; Italy;18th-century composers; sacrum;
profanum
The death of Christ, the very centre of the Christian faith, has been unceasingly
revisited in countless transcendental meditations to rediscover the sense of Redemption. The image of the Saviour dying on the cross has not only shaped the
European spirituality for centuries, but has also taken a unique place in art. The
mystery of the redemptive suffering of Christ is irrevocably mingled with His Mo
ther, who in the hour of death of Her Only-begotten shared His suffering at the
foot of the cross. The worship of Mater dolorosa was particularly vividly expressed
in the medieval poem Stabat Mater dolorosa. The text has grown into the liturgy
of the Church as a sequence and hymn, and has expressively built into the world
of musical arts, giving an incessant inspiration to creativity of composers across
various centres and ages.
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1. Stabat Mater – the word
The genesis of the text
The text of Stabat Mater originated from the late 18th century in Franciscan circles, and Jacopone da Todi (†1306) is most frequently assumed to be the author.
To quote Umberto Eco: “In Middle Ages man lived in a world populated with mea
nings, references, hidden senses, signs from God in things and nature…” (Eco 2006:
75), while by Juan Cirlot the middle ages are considered as one of the epochs,
where “a symbol was lived and loved the most and understood the best” (Cirlot
2006: 23). As Johan Huizinga underlines Christ and the cross completely dominated the medieval mentality (Huizinga 1967: 30).
References to the Holy Bible are clearly traceable in the poem of Stabat Mater.
Words that strongly resonated in the Stabat Mater text can be found in the accounts of the two Evangelists, namely Saint Luke and Saint John, who both wrote
about Simeon’s prophecy and the scene under the cross. Clearly, references to
the symbolism of the Cross as the centre of the world are made there. The quoted
Evangelic lines also reveal that Mary will suffer at the side of the dying Saviour,
and by Her faithful vigil at Her Son’s cross, she would become a member to the
eschatic family of Jesus and the Mother of all people (Adamiak 2003; John Paul
II 1995).
It was, however, the Christian cult of Mary as Mater Dolorosa, reflected so
distinctively in the spirit of the Franciscan school, that directly contributed to the
creation of the text to Stabat Mater. It gained gravity at the end of 11th century,
when the presence of Mary at Golgotha tended to be frequently emphasised and
Her road of anguish was willingly followed (Siudy 2001, no. 3: 124).
Stabat Mater is also rooted in presentations of passions, performed widely
over the 12th and 13th centuries, of which the culminating points were Marian
lamentations. The Liturgical drama presenting the suffering of Christ and the anguish of His Mother under the cross appealed stronger to the recipients due to
clearly human emotions.
Undoubtedly, mystical and repentant nature of religious fervour of late medieval Europe has contributed greatly to the creation of the text as well as to the
degree of its later popularity. Pilgrims wandering in processions sang hymns glorifying the suffering of Christ and His Mother, and over the years the poem Stabat
Mater became the most favourite of texts. Around 1390 it was already well known
all over the continent (Sharp 1978: 17).
The function of the text
Stabat Mater served primarily as a rhymed prayer to say at quiet, private services,
hence many forms of direct reference in the singular first person, are observed.
In the long history of the poem, year 1727 appears to be important, when – as
observed by Paul-Gerhard Nohl – the liturgy has met and accepted the massive
popularity of the text (Nohl 1997: 97). Numerous sources, available today, which
reveal diverse versions of both chorale melodies and verbal variants of the poem,
its supplements, and transformations, as well as imitations with the most widely
known one of Stabat Mater speciosa (Sharp 1978; Faravelli 1983 no. 1), prove how
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widely popular Stabat Mater has become. Interestingly, even the liturgy of the
Lent such as Polish Gorzkie Żale (Gorzkie Żale 2007: 83) bears some resemblance
to the poem (texts composed in 1707).
The structure and content
In the long text of Stabat Mater, a few coherent parts may be identified, two of
which are most distinct. Namely, the lamentation (stanzas 1-8), which depicts human experiences of Mary – a divine person (such an innovative perception that
was popular in Franciscan circles), and the suppliant part (stanzas 9-20), where the
prayer of man acquires an almost ecstatic tone.
The key element of the content is compassio – empathising with Mary’s suffe
ring, although another thought is also articulated here that salvation, which came
through the Cross, may be shared by the faithful by merging in pain with Christ and
Mary. Those who pray, entrust themselves to God selflessly and absolutely.
2. Stabat Mater – the music. 18th-century interpretations by Italian
composers.
The repertoire of musical interpretations of Stabat Mater is quite abundant. It includes approximately 380 compositions (Blume 1992), with the highest number
of works adapting this text (approximately 70) originating from the 18th century
Italian circle.
The following interpreters of Stabat Mater must be named as the most important of the Settecento era: Agostino Steffani (1654–1728), Alessandro Scarlatti (1660–
1725), Antonio Caldara (ca 1670–1736), Antonio Maria Bononcini (1677–1726), Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741), Emanuele d’Astorga (1680–1757), Domenico Scarlatti (16851757), Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710–1736), Antonio Ferradini (?1718–1779), Tommaso Traetta (1727–1779) and Luigi Boccherini (1743–1805). All the selected works
have been marked as significant achievements in the history of polyphonic musical interpretations of the poem, still it shall be noted that Stabat Mater by Pergolesi, played
an extraordinary role; it was famous all over Europe within a few years following the
author’s death, and it has enjoyed the reputation of a unique work ever since.
The function of composition
The 18th-century compositions to the text of the sequence were applied mainly
in liturgy. It is distinct in the ordered works by Vivaldi, as well as A. Scarlatti and
Pergolesi. Interestingly, Vivaldi interpreted only the first 10 stanzas of the text.
Michael Talbot reminds that “these stanzas are to be sang as a hymn at vespers
during two celebrations to the memory of Our Lady of Sorrows (i.e. on 15th September, and on Friday preceding Good Friday)” (Talbot 1988: 184-5). Stabat Mater
by Vivaldi was supposedly sung during the vesper liturgy on the Feast of Our Lady
of the Seven Sorrows during Lent (in 1712 the feast fell on 18th March).
It could be supposed then that also Stabat Mater by D. Scarlatti functioned as a
liturgical work, as it was written when the composer was active in Vatican, and the
casting corresponds to Cappella Giulia. It should be noted, however, that religious
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music also rang at the papal court, so the supposition on applications other than
liturgical cannot be disregarded.
Another musical interpretation by Caldara with the casting increased by trombones, typical for Viennese religious music of requiem nature, belong to the Stabat Mater solemne group, performed regularly on Holy Saturday by the emperor’s
ensemble.
New tendencies towards the so-called sacral music concerts, immensely popular since the middle of the 18th century especially in transalpine countries, were
heralded with Stabat Mater by Steffani. It was composed for a secular institution,
i.e. the London Academy of Vocal Music, which was to be known further as the
Academy of Ancient Music, that promoted performances outside churches. The
interpretations by Boccherini and Ferradini most likely also functioned beyond li
turgy. The first one was ordered by a patron unrelated to church. The second, quite
extensive and full of inter-references to the oratory genre, definitely crossed the
liturgical boundaries.
Forces, genre and style
The function of specific composition did not always govern the forces, genre or
style. On the contrary, with time it remained a secondary matter more often.
Firstly, the choice of both vocals and instruments was determined by the specific centre the composition was ordered for, and thus, by its traditions and forces
capabilities. Secondly, tendencies dominant in theatre music, along with the predilection to solo casting and clear voice timbre, gained significance.
M. Talbot (Talbot 1995: 73) observed that from the end of 17th century,
a “motet” of new type, i.e. for solo voices and a continuo accompaniment or a
group of instruments, had become dominant in the religious music, and it could
be in fact termed as sacred cantata. Such cantata provenience (cantata spirituale) is typical for the highest number of the discussed Stabat Mater compositions,
though some references to the early baroque motet, church concert, or oratorio
bearing already some features of opera sacra are made.
Alike, the style of particular Stabat Mater remains widely diversified. To highlight the religious character of their works, the authors reached for the expression
typical for the Renaissance or the early Baroque. On the other hand though, following the secular spirit of the time, they tend to break the established canons by
introducing, frequently quite innovative, opera elements. Thus, one musical work
was either dominated by, or diffused with diverse styles.
Main content plots versus nodal points of the works
All the composers of Stabat Mater clearly highlighted the important moments of
the scene at the cross. They considered the following to be the nodal points of the
compositions:
- exordium as drafting the dramatic scene and introducing the main expressive
tone for the musical work (stanza 1);
- the moment Christ dies on the cross (stanza 8) as an emphatic closure to a
greater thematic and expressive unit;
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- conclusio (final stanzas) constituting the finale (often of a culminate nature), bringing the memory of death, but also expressing hope for the glory of the
Paradise.
Many artists, such as d’Astorga, Caldara, Bononcini, Traetta, Ferradini, wrote
these parts of their compositions for choirs and with polyphonic structures, such
as a linear counterpoint, or a newer type of fugato or fugue, thus remaining within
the proclaimed rules for sacral music of those times, that required music to be
choral and polyphonic; it is worth remembering here Mattheson’s classification
into theatrical, chamber and sacral style.
Interpretations by Vivaldi and Pergolesi present extraordinary opening gestures of an illustrative and symbolic nature. The composers referred the musical
rhetoric convention, but managed to introduce highly individual solutions within
that convention. In Vivaldi’s composition it is the sign of the cross (imaginatio
crucis) and a ninth interval (saltus duriusculus) introduced in violin parts, and
then transformed in solo vocal parts. In Pergolesi’s work – major second dissonances filled with excruciating pain in the duet for soprano and alto, and further
on – sevenths.
The words describing Christ’s death were usually distinguished with figures
such as descensus or suspiratio. Some composers used major chords within the
cadence, even as distant as e.g. F sharp major triad in a C minor Stabat Mater by
D. Scarlatti (tritone relation!). An original solution was proposed in the work by
A. Steffani, where a solo bass, whose melodic line takes deep low registers nearly
crossing the voice scale, is accompanied by bright sounding strings providing a specific symbol of holiness of Jesus. The musical progression surmounted with a major
chord sounds much like a herald of Resurrection. The closing parts of lamentations
in Stabat Mater by composers of Settecento era seem to carry the message, which
in the 20th century was expressed by Mircea Eliade: “It is through the Cross (=Centre) that it is possible to establish a connection with heaven and thanks to this the
whole World is <redeemed>” (Eliade 2009: 226).
The finales of Stabat Mater are reminiscent of death Quando corpus, but express also hope for the glory of the Paradise - paradisi Gloria. It is here that the
idea of chiaro-scuro is expressed to its fullest. The Opposition between death
and eternal life is showed either by the contrasting tempos (slow-fast) or structure (homophonic-polyphonic). Musical interpretations by D. Scarlatti and A. Steffani provide a fascinating approach towards time and space. The text of quando
corpus morietur has been rendered by the same type of melodic and rhythmic
movement, by maintaining the narrative within the same registers and gradually
expanding or limiting the ambitus of the melody. Such interpretation evokes an
impression of frozen time, of being immersed in contemplation, and may as well
seem to facilitate the evocation and manifestation of sacrum (compare Stróżewski
1989: 23-37).
It has become traditional to finish musical works with polyphonic forms following Amen, and the tradition continued into the following centuries. The finale
of D. Scarlatti’s composition presents an unusual combination of the old and new
musical language. It should be noted here, that the old style prevails over nearly
the entire piece. Nevertheless, stile antico is broken with elements of contemporary composer’s technique. D. Scarlatti liberates the melodics from strict linearism.
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He applies a double fugue in the final phase, interlacing extensive figurations in
vocal parts, which bring to mind a recital technique or solo-tutti arrangements
resembling the concert style or concerti grossi. Such innovative measures, similarly
as in works by Pergolesi dated several years later, suggestively implicate associations to secular music. Profanum has trespassed sacrum.
Musical interpretations of Stabat Mater focus also on the sword piercing
Mary’s soul (including iambic rhythms, altered narrative – recitative blending into
arioso), and on the vision of the final judgment day (iambic rhythms, contrasts, e.g.
solo-tutti, tirata).
At last, prayers and pleas are brought forwards, which vary in their emotional
intensity and are of an individual nature: from a sorrowful plea (i.e. minor Siciliana in Vivaldi’s work), through either gentle or mild, or even serene supplications
(as no. 8 – the serenade-like aria in Stabat Mater by Boccherini), to an ecstatic
prayer, a fervent, sometimes dramatic cry (Pergolesi – Fac ut portem – by means of
all’unisono). It should be stressed that specific imploring emotions are not correlated to a specific stanza, but are solely dependable on the composer’s invention,
which gives their interpretations a subjective perspective.
Pergolesi case
Stabat Mater by Pergolesi was a piece destined for liturgy. Nevertheless, it
contained features typical for secular musical language, such as numerous ornaments, figurations, melismas, lively harmonic progress, or specific rhythmic
formulas. Overall, the interpretation is dominated by aria-like narrative, with instrumental parts gaining significance at places. The manifestations of “earthly”,
secular elements in religious music, and specifically liturgical, raised waves of delight and criticism alike. Selected parts of the composition, like Quae moerebat,
Eia Mater, Inflammatus, were even considered as musically inadequate to the
content of the stanza. The polemic between the defender of the old religious
musical style, Padre Martini and Antonio Eximeno, younger by one generation,
raised on the encyclopaedic culture, made history. While the former reproached
Pergolesi for turning towards opera, which consequently meant prophanising
ecclesiastical music, the latter defended the composer stating that “music does
not make choices between subjects [religious or secular] but stirs passions;
where subjects are sacral, so is the music; where secular aspects are concerned,
the music is secular” (Stefani 1970, no. 3: 479). To quote a 20th-century mono
grapher of the composer, Giuseppe Radiciotti: “Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater cannot
be termed as sacral music under the exact definition. It is unrelated to liturgical singing. It is a lamentation of the Virgin, a mother’s cry; thus, it is inspired
by a profoundly human emotion” (Radiciotti 1910: 188). Although Eximeno and
Radiciotti lived nearly 200 years apart, both focus not so much on the function
of the composition, as on the emotions it evokes. Certainly, the Pergolesi case
is a perfect illustration of the character of 18th-century ecclesiastical music, and
shows how it balances between conventions and individual styles, the religious
and the secular.
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Conclusions
Concluding the deliberations on Stabat Mater interpretations by Italian composers
of the Settecento era, it seems adequate to point to the causes for such blending
of religious music with the atmosphere of secular music. Most certainly, it has
originated from the social life of those times. Michael Talbot reminds that in the
18th century liturgical observance became a mandatory part of everyday life, and
covered all environments, and a popular taste permeated the church walls (Talbot
1995: 82). Adelmo Damerini wrote: “For Italy it was time, when human soul was
unable to immerse in impersonal contemplation, or mystical abstraction, but it
felt the desire to express earthly passions in religious feelings” (Damerini 1934
nr 3: 189). The major music trends of the epoch also had their influence. The authors of Stabat Mater remained under the sway of Italian and foreign towns such
as Venice, Rome, Naples, Vienna, Prague and others, where dynamic development
of vocal and instrumental genres and significant stylistic transformations were observed. Opera seria was the leading genre, where expressive function dominated
the performance. Its dramaturgy principles to follow were: varietà – diversification
and contrast of passions, chiaroscuro – alternating indistinct and distinct passions,
intreccio – tension generated between passions (Strohm 1976: 242-244). Accor
ding to Johannes Mattheson apart from simplicity, candidness and indulgence
(Mattheson 1713), evoking and expressing passions constituted the main value of
the music of the time.
Another one of the other major genres was the cantata, which was, as accurately observed by Carl Dalhaus (Dahlhaus 1985: 84), an experimental ground for
opera and oratorio evolving towards opera and cantata over the 18th century, and
thus frequently termed as opera sacra. All of these genres significantly influenced
the language of sacral music, thus also the forms of the musical interpretations of
Stabat Mater.
To conclude, we need to return to the starting point, to the surprisingly high
number of 18th-century musical interpretations of Stabat Mater. The considerations have led to the following conclusions. The text of the sequence expressed
various shades of sorrows, and in the second part reflected also different prayerful emotions. The opera composers noticed this and therefore they willingly addressed Stabat Mater, attempting to transfer an opera-like style of shaping dramaturgy and the manner of expressing emotions onto the foundation of a religious
composition. The tendency was especially distinct in Naples, the cradle of a new
opera style. Thus, it is not surprising to see that the age of hegemony of the Itali
an opera has resulted in numerous Stabat Mater interpretations in the achievements of composers who cultivated this genre. The centuries-long popularity of
the text, the incessant cult of the Cross and Mater dolorosa, strongly expressed
in the words of the sequence aspect of human compassion and prophanised religiousness, rooted in the spirit of the epoch – all this contributes to the final success of the text. All of these factors “coexisted” together in one place and time and
resulted in so numerous musical interpretations of the medieval poem. All these
aspects are so strongly interrelated that any attempt to separate them or name
the most critical are deemed vain. Undoubtedly, the conglomerate of all of them
has given rise to the 18th-century phenomenon of Stabat Mater.
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Bibliography:
Adamiak, E. 2003. Mariologia. Poznań: UAM.
Blume, J. 1992. Geschichte der mehrstimmigen Stabat-mater-Vertonungen, MünchenSalzburg: Musikverlag Emil Katzbichler.
Caldwell, J., & Boyd, M. 2001. Stabat Mater dolorosa. The New Grove Dictionary of Music
and Musicians, (ed.) Sadie S. & Tyrrell J., second ed., vol. 24. London: Macmillan.
Cirlot, J. E. 2006. Słownik symboli, (translation) Kania, I. Krakow: Wydawnictwo “Znak”.
Damerini, A. 1934. Lo spirito della musica religiosa nel settecento italiano. La Rassegna
Musicale 3: 186-197
Die Musik des 18.Jahrhunderts, (hrsg.) Dahlhaus, C. 1985. Laaber: Laaber-Verlag (= Neues
Handbuch der Musikwissenschaft, Bd. 5).
Eco, U. 2006. Sztuka i piękno w średniowieczu, (translation) Kimula, M.& Olszewski,
M. Krakow: Wydawnictwo “Znak”.
Eliade, M. 2009. Obrazy i symbole, (translation) Rodak M.&P. Warsaw: Wydawnictwo
“Aletheia”.
Faravelli, D. 1983. Stabat Mater: poesia e musica. Rivista Internazionale di Musica Sacra
1: 9-43
Hugh, T. H., & Masiclat, P.-D. (2003). Stabat Mater dolorosa. The Catholic Encyclopedia.
http://www.newadvent.org.
Huizinga, J. 1967. Jesień średniowiecza, (translation) Brzostowski, T. vol. II. Warsaw: PIW.
John Paul II. 1995. Redemptoris Mater. Wrocław: Tum.
Rev. Kałamarz, W. (ed.) 2007. Gorzkie Żale. Krakow: WTKM.
Mattheson, J. 1713. Das Neu-Eröffnete Orchestre. Hamburg.
Mearns, J. 81907. Stabat Mater. A Dictionary of Hymnology, (ed.) Julian, J. London.
Nohl, P.-G. 1997. Das “Stabat Mater”. Musik und Kirche 67: 97-106.
Radiciotti, G. 1910. G.B.Pergolesi. Vita, opere ed influenza su l’arte. Roma: Edizione
Musica.
Schlagen, K-H., & Marx-Weber, M. 1998. Stabat Mater. Die Musik in Geschichte und
Gegenwart (hrsg.) Finscher L., Sachteil, vol. 8. Kassel-Stuttgart: Bärenreiter-Metzler.
Sharp, A.T. 1978. A Descriptive Catalog of Selected, Published Eighteenth- through
Twentieth-Century Stabat Mater Settings for Mixed Voices with a Discussion of the
History of the Text. [Ph.D. Thesis], University of Iowa.
Siudy, T. 2001. Wkład Maryi w ewangelię cierpienia. Salvatoris Mater 3, 121-128.
Stefani, G. 1970. Padre Martini e l’Eximeno: bilancio di una celebra polemica sulla musica
di chiesa. Nuova rivista musicale italiana 3.
Strohm, R. 1976. Italienische Opernarien des frühen Settecento. Analecta Musicologica
16: 242-244.
Stróżewski, W. 1989. O możliwości sacrum w sztuce. (ed.) Cieślińska N. Sacrum i sztuka
(pp. 23-37), Krakow: Wydawnictwo “Znak”.
Talbot, M. 1988. Vivaldi, (translation) Dunicz-Niwińska, H. Krakow: PWM.
Talbot, M. 1995. The Sacred Vocal Music of Antonio Vivaldi. Firenze: Leo S. Olschki.
Renata Borowiecka, Academy of Music in Kraków, Poland. Area of scientific interest:
secular Italian music of the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries (madrigals); religious
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Session III – C
Synaesthetical Theology
“Sinestezinė teologija”
Salomėja JASTRUMSKYTĖ
A bst ra ct
Synesthesia phenomenon occupies a special place in cultural history, aesthetics
and art processes. However, it should be noted that this phenomenon is one of
the most urgent and the most striking manifestations since time immemorial has
recorded a transcendent experience in context. Synesthesia, on a very general
definition of the currently accepted meaning is that of “the transfer of one senses
modalities to the other senses modality”, the phenomenon in the XIX - XX of art
on its flow considered as endemic, comes from an unlikely, but historically and
phenomenologically real intersection of religion, and medicine. Synesthesia is a
physical task, religious practices in one way or the other body systems. The nineteenth century was widely argued, that synaesthesia is a sensory experience of
the highest degree, and so bring it close to the human body and mind to transcen
dence. Surprisingly, however, that the unity of the senses and sensations, which
directs the numinosum and we can detect it not only in almost every religious
law, prophets, teachers tuition, and visions of saints, but also find it reflected and
crystallized out in their texts: scriptures, hermeneutic maze, hagiography, in rigid
theological systems and so on. While this report confines ourselves only to a rather
abstract model of Christian theology, but the basis upon which it is clear that participation in religious experience synesthesia is immediate, pervasive, and so in
some cases it is necessary and legitimized as defined in the religious world view
is. From mortifying the senses (anesthesia) to the synaesthetical vortex which lifts
the divine realm - in all these cases there is a unity of the senses, the indivisibility
of the sensorium, which in one way or another attempt to settle or tilt in favor of
a particular religious practice.
S a nt ra uka
Sinestezijos fenomenas užimą ypatingą vietą kultūros istorijoje, estetikos ir meno
procesuose. Tačiau reikia pastebėti, jog šio fenomeno aktualiausios ir ryškiausios
apraiškos jau nuo neatmenamų laikų yra registruojamos transcendentinio patyrimo plotmėje. Sinestezija, bendriausiu šiuo metu priimtu apibrėžimu reiškianti
„vienos juslės modalumo perkėlimą kitai juslei“, į XIX–XX a. meno srautą kaip
keistas jos endemas, ateina iš neįtikėtinos, bet istoriškai ir fenomenologiškai
apčiuopiamos religijos ir medicinos sankirtos. Sinestezija yra kūno duotis, religinės
praktikos vienaip ar kitaip yra kūno režimai. XIX a. tapo plačiai teigiama, jog sinestezija yra aukščiausias sensorinio patyrimo laipsnis ir todėl jis labiau priartina
žmogaus kūną ir sąmonę prie transcendencijos. Tačiau nuostabiausia, kad juslių ir
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pojūčių vienovę, kreipiančią į numinozinę sritį, galime aptikti ne tik kone kiekvie
noje religinėje praktikoje, pranašų, mokytojų ir šventųjų vizijose, bet taip pat rasti
ją reflektuotą išsikristalizavusiuose jų tekstuose: šventraščiuose, hermeneutiniuo
se labirintuose, hagiografijoje, griežtose teologinėse sistemose ir kt. Nors šiame
pranešime apsiribosime tik gana abstrakčiu krikščioniškosios teologijos pavyzdžiu,
tačiau juo remiantis tampa akivaizdu, kad sinestezijos dalyvavimas religiniame patyrime yra betarpiškas, persmelkiantis, ir todėl atskirais atvejais legitimuojamas
kaip būtina ir apibrėžta religinės pasaulėžiūros dalis. Nuo juslių marinimo (anestezijos) iki jų sinestezinio sūkurio, pakeliančio į dieviškąją plotmę – visais šiais atvejais susiduriama su juslių vienovės, jų nedalumo problema, kurią vienaip ar kitaip
mėginama išspręsti ar palenkti naudai konkrečioje religinėje praktikoje.
Salomėja Jastrumskytė, graduated from the University of Šiauliai, obtained a Master’s
(art history) degree. Vilnius Academy of Arts student. She is a junior research fellow at the
Culture, Philosophy and Art Institute. Vilnius Academy of Arts lecturer. Lithuanian Artists’
Association. Area of scientific interest: philosophy of art, aesthetics, culturology, visual
culture studies, visual anthropology.
“Believe God” or “Believe in God”
„Tikėti Dievą“ ar „tikėti į Dievą“
Bronė GUDAITYTĖ
A bst ra ct
A man gives a sense to his earthly existence in various ways with regard to Buddhist, Islamic or Christian culture. Each religious system containing a certain characteristic ethical and metaphysical structure serves as a common basis for an individual project of existence designed by a man. It is possible to say, although it is not
always a rule, that a man living in Western culture gives a sense to his existence,
or at least he should, with regard to the way which is essentially characteristic to
this culture, in other words, through the perspective of Christian faith. However,
what does the ethical and metaphysical basis of Christian faith perspective consist
of and what does it mean to give a sense to existence through faith?
It was hard to answer these questions during the first ages of Christianity and
it is not so easy to do nowadays, firstly, with regard to difficulties arising from
the complex content of the word “faith”. Western Christian tradition from the first
Church Fathers, such as St. Augustine, to the great medieval theologians, such as
Thomas Aquinas, has constantly been declaring essential difference between the
two forms of faith: “believe God” (credere Deum) and “believe in God” (credere in
Deum). Nowadays this relation reveals a specific posture of a believer with regard
to God: “believe God (Christ) means to acknowledge the fact of God’s existence;
[...] believe in God (Christ) means to turn to God, enter and integrate within Christ,
become a member of his mystic Body and completely accept Christian faith. The
faith is not only an action of mind since it requires a presence of will as well as
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commitment of the whole creation to God”. When a man believes God (credere
Deum), he only theoretically acknowledges God‘s existence while when he believes in God (credere in Deum) he confesses God by his whole life.
A man could know a lot about God and consider himself as a believer. Such
believers are likely to be observed by social surveys. However, who could count
those who are silent in order to listen to a secret heart vibration which teaches
unconditionally trust unseen God who refreshes time of earthly existence by giving
generous gifts. From the first ages Western Christian tradition considered this form
of “believing in God” (credere in Deum) as a basis when through a secret heart vib
ration a man is able to listen to the word of God and devote his whole life to Him.
The secret heart vibration characteristic to this form of faith, referring to Thomas
Merton, could be called “primary intuition”. When a man believes in God, he relies
on his “primary intuition” which is an initial deeper feeling of Pure and Absolute
mystery of being – a basis for human relative and conditional existence. It is not
knowing about Absolute being but a thing about its experience.
The aforementioned faith aspects of “believe God” as a theoretical one and
“believe in God” as a practical one could be distinguished in the statement of unbelief. On one hand, a faithless man could deny God relying on scientific or philosophical arguments, in other words, to solve the question of faith (unbelief) in the
plane of knowing and still live as if God exists. On the other hand, a man could
theoretically acknowledge God but he could deny Him by his human life, in other
words, to solve the question of faith (unbelief) in the plane of life. Contrary to
the pathos of rationalism in Modern Times, nowadays, referring to Girnius, the
question of faith or unbelief “is not expressed in the form of faith and knowing
but rather in the form of conflict between faith and life”. At present unbelief is not
expressed through theoretical denial of God dwelling on logical arguments but
rather through practical denial of God in life itself.
Jean Paul Sartre (1905-1980) and Albert Camus (1913-1960), who are traditionally considered to be representatives of atheist existentialism, in their literary
works (“Nausea’ (1938) and “The Words” (1964) by Sartre, “Stranger” (1942) and
“Plague’ (1947) by Camus, etc.) described the statement of unbelief containing
bigger or smaller deserts of a human heart. The aforementioned thinkers, referring to Herbert Spiegelberg, expressed a mood of despair in French and the whole
European thinking at the time relating their ontological existentialism with phenomenological philosophy. The philosophy rejects theoretical speculations and
provides a description of meditative relation of consciousness with reality of being. Sartre and Camus showed this in their literary works evolving problematicity
of possibility to believe or disbelieve.
Referring to Sartre, it is possible to state as follows: statement of unbelief is an
inner disorder accepted by a man who lives in it as if it is a special order. In other
words, a faithless man lives in the inner disorder and he considers it to be a real
order. Nowadays this special inner disorder provided by the statement of unbelief
is considered to be a natural and undisputed norm of life. A man looking for God is
considered to be an original or a weirdo who does not fit in a size of a frame.
We live in Western Christian culture. However, the majority of people consciously or unconsciously do not relate themselves with Christian tradition. In times
of sensualism, scientism, pragmatism, liberalism, etc. Christian values do not play
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a fatal role in personal, public, political or cultural life. These spheres of life have
obviously become secular. This phenomenon is called by Girnius as a phenomenon
of public “dechristianization”. Referring to the aforementioned philosopher, roots
of the phenomenon should not be searched in outer things but rather in human
hearts, in other words, in their inner remoteness from Christianity. The inner remoteness, which is a certain disorder of a heart vibration, determines forms of
personal and public life in various ways.
In an objective way reality is the same for a believer and a non-believer. However, a believer and a non-believer differently experience a relationship with reali
ty of the world. It divides the same reality into different worlds, in other words,
into a world of meaning and a world of absurdity. Declaring his fiat with love and
faith, a Christian accepts the world as a gift, whereas faithless consciousness does
not accept the world as a gift. The world remains strange for it and it becomes
strange for the world.
All created things reflect their Creator for a believer who attempts to defeat
his unreal and false “self” of the consciousness and in such a way to educate the
inner order. These things become traces of God testifying God’s passing without
showing His Face. This is the sphere of the aforementioned expression “believe
in God” (credere in Deum) as life in presence of living God. A man directing his
existence towards the sphere encounters God as “now and then” Being. His visible
traces (a piece of amber or a face of the loved) do not show but rather hide Him
implying eternity. Human conversion and re-orientation of his consciousness from
false to true “self” and from inactive habits of thinking about God as a center of
united meaning of life happen through this daily reading of God’s traces. Referring
to Merton, in this life a believer is not converted once and forever. He “converts”
many times and this infinite amount of big and small “conversions” eventually
changes him in Christ. In time of absurdity, moral chaos, value relativism, nihilism
and cynicism a man who longs to get back the lost ability to believe, referring to
Frankl, firstly should attempt “to hear ten thousands of laws encoded in ten thousands of situations provided by life”. Then his present life will again become meaningful (meaning full of tasks) and he himself will be immunized against conformism
and totalitarianism since now only awake consciousness allows resisting and living
in faith, hope and love.
S a nt ra uka
Savo žemiškąją egzistenciją žmogus įprasmina įvairiais būdais – vienaip budistinėje,
kitaip islamiškoje, dar kitaip krikščioniškoje kultūroje. Viena ar kita religijos sistema
su jai būdinga etine ir metafizine struktūra yra tas bendras pamatas, ant kurio asmuo
kuria savo individualų egzistencijos projektą. Tad galima sakyti, nors ne visuomet
taip ir yra, kad Vakarų kultūroje gyvenantis žmogus savo egzistenciją įprasmina
ar bent turėtų įprasminti šiai kultūrai esmiškai būdingu būdu, t. y. krikščioniško
tikėjimo perspektyva. Tačiau kas sudaro šios krikščioniškos tikėjimo perspektyvos
etinį metafizinį pagrindą? Ir ką gi reiškia egzistenciją įprasminti tikėjimu?
Kaip ir pirmaisiais krikščionybės amžiais, šiandien atsakyti į šiuos klausimus
nėra lengva. Kaip anuomet, taip ir dabar sunkumų visų pirma kyla dėl žodžio
„tikėjimas” turinio sudėtingumo. Vakarų krikščioniškoji tradicija, pradedant pir
maisiais Bažnyčios Tėvais (šv. Augustinu) iki didžiųjų Viduramžių teologų (Tomo
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Akviniečio), nuolat kalba apie esminį skirtumą tarp dviejų tikėjimo formų – „tikėti
Dievą” (credere Deum) ir „tikėti į Dievą” (credere in Deum). Mūsų dienomis šis
santykis atskleidžia konkrečią tikinčiojo laikyseną Dievo atžvilgiu: „tikėti Dievą
(Kristų) reiškia pripažinti faktą, jog Dievas yra; [...] tikėti į Dievą (Kristų) reiškia visa
būtybe kilti į Dievą, įsijungti į Kristų, tapti jo mistinio Kūno nariu, visa prasme priimti krikščioniškąjį tikėjimą. Toksai tikėjimas nėra vien tik proto veiksmas, bet jis
reikalauja ir valios įsijungimo, viso žmogaus Dievui atsidavimo”. Tikėdamas Dievą
(credere Deum), žmogus tik teoriškai pripažįsta, kad Dievas yra. O tikėdamas į Die
vą (credere in Deum), visu savo gyvenimu Jį išpažįsta.
Žmogus gali būti daug apie Dievą girdėjęs ir laikyti save tikėjimo žmogumi. Tokius
tikinčiuosius, ko gero, ir fiksuoja sociologinės apklausos. Bet kas ir kaip suskaičiuos
tuos, kurie nutilo, idant tyloje klausytųsi slapto širdies virpesio, mokančio besąlygiš
kai pasitikėti neregimuoju Dievu, dosniomis dovanomis gaivinančiu srūvantį
žemiškos egzistencijos laiką. Nuo pat pirmųjų amžių Vakarų krikščioniškoji tradicija
pamatine laikė šią slaptu širdies virpesiu Dievo Žodį išgirstančią ir visu gyvenimu
Jam atsiduodančią „tikėjimo į Dievą” (credere in Deum) formą. Šiai tikėjimo formai esmiškai būdingą slaptą širdies virpesį, sekant Thomu Mertonu, galima pavadinti „pirmine intuicija”. Tikėdamas į Dievą žmogus pasikliauja „pirmine intuicija” — pirmuoju, gilesniu pajautimu Grynos ir Absoliučios būties slėpinio, kuris ir
yra žmogaus santykinės ir sąlygiškos egzistencijos pagrindas. Tai ne žinojimo apie
Absoliučią būtį, o netarpiško jos patyrimo dalykas.
Anksčiau aptartus „tikėti Dievą” kaip teorinį ir „tikėti į Dievą” kaip praktinį
tikėjimo aspektus galima skirti ir netikėjimo nuostatoje. Netikinčiu save laikantis žmogus, viena vertus, gali moksliniais ar filosofiniais argumentais neigti Die
vą, t. y. (ne)tikėjimo klausimą spręsti žinojimo plotmėje, bet gyventi taip, lyg
Dievas būtų. Kita vertus, žmogus gali teoriškai Dievą pripažinti, bet pačiu gyvenimu Jį neigti, t. y. (ne)tikėjimo klausimą išspręsti gyvenimo plotmėje. Kitaip
negu Naujaisiais laikais su jiems būdingo racionalizmo patosu, šiandien, Girniaus
pastebėjimu, tikėjimo ir netikėjimo klausimas „reiškiasi nebe tikėjimo ir žinojimo,
o tikėjimo ir gyvenimo konflikto forma”. Šiandieninis netikėjimas reiškiasi nebe
teoriniu Dievo neigimu loginiais argumentais, o praktiniu Dievo paneigimu
pačiame gyvenime.
Būtent Jeanas Paulis Sartre’as (1905–1980) ir Albert’as Camus (1913–1960),
tradiciškai įvardijami kaip ateistinio egzistencializmo atstovai, savo literatūriniuose
kūriniuose (Sartre’as romanuose „Šleikštulys” (1938), „Žodžiai” (1964), Camus –
„Svetimas” (1942), „Maras” (1947) ir kt.) aprašė netikėjimo nuostatą ir toje nuostatoje atsivėrusias didesnes ar mažesnes žmogaus širdies dykumas. Minėti mąstytojai,
Herberto Spiegelbergo teigimu, išreiškė ne tik to meto prancūzų, bet ir visą europinį
mąstymą apėmusias nevilties nuotaikas, savąjį ontologinį egzistencializmą siedami
su fenomenologiniu filosofavimu. Šis filosofavimas atmeta teorines spekuliacijas
ir imasi meditatyvaus sąmonės netarpiško ryšio su būtiškąja tikrove aprašymo.
Sartre’as ir Camus įtaigiai tai daro savo literatūrine kūryba, į joje apmąstomų temų
ratą įtraukdami ir galimybės tikėti bei netikėti problematiką.
Remiantis Sartre’u, galima teigti: netikėjimo nuostata – tai vidinė netvarka, kurią
pats asmuo priima ir gyvena kaip ypatingą tvarką. Kitaip sakant, netikėjimo žmogus
gyvena ypatingoje vidinėje netvarkoje, kurią mano esant tikra tvarka. Šiandien ši
netikėjimo nuostatos ypatinga vidinė netvarka laikoma savaime suprantama ir
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nediskutuotina gyvenimo norma. Ir priešingai: į Dievo ieškantįjį linkstama žiūrėti
kaip į gyvenimo rėmus netelpantį originalą ar išsišokėlį.
Gyvename krikščioniškoje Vakarų kultūroje, tačiau dauguma dabarties žmonių
sąmoningai ar nesąmoningai savęs nebesieja su krikščioniškąja tradicija. Šiais sensualizmo, scientizmo, pragmatizmo, liberalizmo ir kt. laikais krikščioniškos vertybės
nebevaidina lemiamo vaidmens asmeniniame, visuomeniniame, politiniame ar
kultūriniame gyvenime. Šios gyvenimo sritys yra akivaizdžiai supasaulėjusios. Tai
reiškinys, kurį Girnius įvardija kaip visuotiniu tampantį „dekristianizacijos” reiškinį.
Minėto filosofo teigimu, šio reiškinio šaknų pirmiausia reikėtų ieškoti ne kokiuose
nors išoriniuose dalykuose, o pačių žmonių širdyse, t. y. vidiniame jų nutolime nuo
krikščionybės. Būtent šis vidinis nutolimas – tam tikra širdies virpesių netvarka –
įvairiais būdais lemia ir asmeninio, ir viešojo gyvenimo formas.
Ir tikinčiam, ir netikinčiam žmogui objektyviai tikrovė yra ta pati. Tačiau subjektyviai tikintis ir netikintis žmogus savo ryšį su pasaulio tikrove išgyvena skirtingai.
Tai ir suskaldo tą pačią tikrovę į skirtingus pasaulius – prasmės pasaulį ir absurdo
pasaulį. Tikinčia meile tardamas savąjį fiat, krikščionis pasaulį priima kaip dovaną.
Tuo tarpu netikinti sąmonė pasaulio kaip dovanos nepriima. Pasaulis jai lieka svetimas, kaip ir ji – pasauliui.
Tikinčiam žmogui, siekiančiam įveikti netikrą, melagingą savo sąmonės „Aš”
ir taip ugdyti vidinę tvarką, visi sukurti daiktai atspindi savąjį Kūrėją. Jie tampa
Dievo pėdsakais, liudijančiais, jog Dievas čia praėjo, bet taip ir neparodė savojo
Veido. Tai jau minėto „tikėjimo į Dievą” (credere in Deum) kaip gyvenimo gyvojo
Dievo akivaizdoje sfera. Į šią sferą savo egzistenciją projektuojantis žmogus Dievą
sutinka kaip „čia ir dabar” Esantįjį. Kaip Tą, kurio regimi pėdsakai (žėručio gabalėlis,
jūros ošimas ar mylimo žmogaus veidas) Jo neparodo, bet slepia, leisdami nujausti
amžinybę. Per šį kasdienį Dievo pėdsakų skaitymą ir vyksta žmogaus atsivertimas,
jo sąmonės perorientavimas nuo melagingojo į tikrąjį „Aš”, nuo inertiškų mąstymo
įpročių į Dievą kaip vieningos gyvenimo prasmės centrą. Mertono teigimu, šiame
gyvenime tikėjimo žmogus nėra „atsivertęs” kartą ir visam laikui, bet atsiverčia
daugybę kartų, ir ši begalinė eilė didelių ir mažų „atsivertimų” galiausiai perkeičia jį
Kristuje. Beprasmybės jausmo, moralinio chaoso, vertybinio reliatyvizmo, nihilizmo
ir cinizmo epochoje, kurioje gyvename, norėdamas atgauti prarastą sugebėjimą
tikėti, žmogus, Franklio pastebėjimu, pirmiausia turėtų siekti „išgirsti dešimtis
tūkstančių įsakymų, užkoduotų dešimtyse tūkstančių situacijų, kurias jam pateikia
gyvenimas. Tada ne tik šis jo gyvenimas vėl taps prasmingas (prasmingas –, vadinasi kupinas užduočių), bet ir pats žmogus bus imunizuotas prieš konformizmą ir
totalitarizmą, nes tik budri sąžinė leidžia žmogui atsispirti ir gyventi tikėjimu, viltimi
ir meile jau dabar.
Bronė Gudaitytė, PhD, lecturer in the Departament of Philosophy at the Faculty of Humanities, Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania. Area of scientific interest: philosophy of
religion, mysticism, philosophy of music.
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Martin Heidegger: from Religious Experience to a Hymn to Holiness
Martinas Heideggeris: nuo religinės patirties iki himno šventybei
Povilas ALEKSANDRAVIČIUS
A bst ra ct
The development of Martin Heidegger‘s philosophy, in essence, is related to religious experience. This experience, phenomenologically researched by St. Paul, St.
Augustine, mystics of the Middle Ages and works of Luther, is at the core of the
very first Heidegger‘s lecture, read at the University of Freiburg between 19181923. Upon publication of almost all of the works by Heidegger (Gesamtausgabe)
in the last three decades, it becomes clear to the reader that these lectures are the
key to all of his reasoning. It is precisely there that one discovers what Heidegger
calls facticity (Factizität) which somewhat later becomes Dasein – a notion meaning not only transformations of human existence in the face of death, but also a
mystery with which the philosopher will wrestle for the rest of his life. Such wrest
ling is the question of being, forgotten for centuries and considered only from the
perspective of time. However, it is precisely in the lectures mentioned above that
we encounter a stunning assertion more than on one occasion: “Christian facticity
is time as such”.
The paper aims to reveal the importance of religious experience in the genesis
of Heidegger’s thought as well as the reason due to which one of the most prominent thinkers of our times will adamantly refuse to talk about religious experience
from around 1923. In Being and Time we will not find a slightest hint about the
issue of religion or God. The notion of “religious experience” will be forgotten by
Heidegger for all times as if, having guided to the question of being, it would become inappropriate or even obstructing further journey. Nevertheless, what was
already felt in the notion of facticity from 1930s, drawing inspiration from Hölderlin‘s poetry, will burst open in the philosophy of Heidegger as a “hymn to holiness”,
accompanying his quests till his death. Maybe, pondering upon Heidegger’s reasoning captured as a whole, we can claim today that this experience of holiness is a
pure religious experience, cleansed from unreal thoughts and concepts? Maybe.
S a nt ra uka
Martino Heideggerio filosofijos raida yra iš esmės susijusi su religine patirtimi. Ši
patirtis – fenomenologiškai tiriama švento Pauliaus, švento Augustino, Viduramžių
mistikų ar Liuterio darbuose – yra pačioje pirmųjų Heideggerio paskaitų, skaitytų
Freiburgo universitete nuo 1918 iki 1923 metų, šerdyje. Per pastaruosius tris
dešimtmečius pasirodžius jau beveik visiems Heideggerio tekstams (Gesamtausgabe), jų skaitytojui tampa aišku, kad šios paskaitos yra viso jo mąstymo raktas.
Būtent jose yra atrandama tai, ką Heideggeris pavadino fakticiškumu (Factizität),
kiek vėliau tapusiu Dasein, – sąvoka, reiškianti ne vien laikiškuosius žmogiškojo
buvimo virsmus mirties akivaizdoje, bet ir paslaptį, su kuria filosofas galinėsis visą
savo gyvenimą. Šios imtynės – tai ilgus šimtmečius pamirštas būties klausimas,
svarstomas tik laiko horizonte. O juk būtent minėtose paskaitose ne kartą skaitome
stulbinantį tvirtinimą: „Krikščioniškasis fakticiškumas yra laikas kaip toks“.
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Pranešimas sieks atskleisti religinės patirties svarbą Heideggerio minties gene
zei, kaip ir priežastį, dėl kurios vienas giliausių mūsų laikų mąstytojų maždaug nuo
1923 metų griežtai atsisakys kalbėti apie religinę patirtį. Būtyje ir laike nerasime
nė menkiausios užuominos apie religijos ar Dievo klausimą. „Religinės patirties“
sąvoka Heideggerio bus pamiršta visiems laikams, lyg, privedusi prie būties klausimo, ji būtų tapusi netinkama, netgi trukdžiusi keliauti toliau. Vis dėlto tai, kas buvo
užčiuopta fakticiškume, jau nuo IV dešimtmečio, Holderlyno poezijai įkvėpiant,
Heideggerio filosofijoje prasiverš kaip „himnas šventybei“, lydėjęs jo ieškojimus iki
pat mirties. Galbūt, įsigilinę į Heideggerio mąstymą jo visumoje, šiandien mes gali
me teigti, kad būtent ši šventybės patirtis yra gryna, apvalyta nuo netikrų minčių ir
konceptų, religinė patirtis? Galbūt.
Povilas Aleksandravičius, PhD in humanities (philosophy), an associate professor in the
department of Philosophy of the Humanities Institute at the Mykolas Romeris University.
Area of scientific interest: metaphysics, philosophy of religion, ethics, political philosophy.
Aporia of Verbalization and Textualization of Religious Experience
Religinės patirties verbalizavimo ir tekstualizavimo aporija
Rimantas VIEDRYNAITIS
A bst ra ct
The paper discusses the problems that appear when we try to answer the question
how can we verbalize and textualize religious experience so that it would remain a
meaningful discourse. Although it seems that there is no any essential difference
between verbal explication of religious experience and its textualization, the difference appears if we draw our attention to the person of narrator. A religious
narrative in an oral tradition cannot be separated from the very narrator, and his
religious experience is directly communicated as a witness. It seems that textua
lity release language from its author – the narrator becomes irrelevant. In some
respects, religious text is made inpersonal, and it turns it equal to any other kind of
texts (advertisements, cooking recipes or scientific articles). Religious philosophy
also often manifests itself as a text, which is often close to losing sense (or mea
ning). Despite the fact that a philosophical text is very important for understanding
philosophy, it is obvious that a text as such is not a philosophy. The same goes for
textualization of religious experience – a text offers a riddle, but the answer to the
riddle does not make us any closer to the very religious experience.
Another problem highlighted in this presentation discusses an ambivalence of
religious language as a presentation. On the one hand, an informative aspect of religious language is rather weak. Religious language as telling “informs” only to a such
extent that a participant of this act of speech can recognize or recollect his own
religious experience. On the other hand, religious language tells only that what it
tells – only the understanding is needed for its understanding. Even though religious
texts manifest lots of instances of a seemingly poetic language, they actually do
110
not express anything “poetic” (when observed more carefully). Religious language
functions as a non-informative, but performative narrative, which always strives to
escape his own narrativeness. Such attempts can be successful in so far as it is possible to restore the lost unity of religious experience, narrator and narration.
Keywords: textualization, religious experience, religious language, verbalization.
Ikifilosofinės religinės patirties verbalizacijos praktikos visuomet turėjo gana aiškius tikslus: socialinio saito kūrimas ir išsaugojimas, tradicijos, pamatinių bendruomenės vertybių kristalizavimas ir perdavimas, įvairių draudimų, perspėjimų
pagrindimas. Galima tokiu teiginiu suabejoti, nes, iš pirmo žvilgsnio, minėti tikslai
ir religinė patirtis atrodo visiškai nebendramačiai – Šventybės „pasirodymas“ visuomet yra konkretaus žmogaus gyvenimo įvykis, o socialinių, bendruomeninių
interesų sritis dažnai yra anonimiška, neretai priešiška to konkretaus žmogaus
autonomijos atžvilgiu. Tačiau taip gali pasirodyti tik tada, kai nepaisome vienos
reikšmingos aplinkybės: verbalizacijos procesas iš amorfiškos, bežadės patirties
leidžia kilti ir aktualizuotis bendražmogiškai suvokiamai reikšmei. Religinis naratyvas yra ypač reikšminga, išsaugojimo ir perdavimo kiekvienai ateinančiai žmonių
kartai reikalaujanti, pasaulio pagrindo suvokimo struktūra. Svarbu pastebėti ir tai,
kad ypač buvo stengiamasi išsaugoti pirminę religinio naratyvo formą, nieko nepraleisti ir nieko nepridėti „nuo savęs“. Naratyvo audinys ir kiekvienas to audinio
elementas (žodis) turėjo kuo tiksliau atlikti savo uždavinį – reikšmingai perduoti
tai, kas iš esmės negali būti perduota: pačią religinės patirties esmę, jos „neturiningą turinį“.
Religinio naratyvo griežtumas ir stabilumas atrodytų yra akivaizdi opozicija kasdienės kalbos arbitralumui ir konvencionalumui, bet galbūt šios opozicijos „akivaizdumas“ tėra tik pragmatiška konvencija, leidžianti klasifikuoti, atskirti skirtingus
naratyvus? Tokiai abejonei prieštarauja religinio naratyvo besąlygiškas reikšmingumas, juk kasdienės ištarmės pasirodo ne kaip pačios savaime reikšmingos, bet
yra tik tiek reikšmingos, kiek sugeba atlikti komunikacinę funkciją – perduoti informatyvų pranešimą komunikacijos partneriams. Religinio naratyvo komunikacinė
funkcija yra menkai tesusijusi su informacijos perdavimu, nes religinis naratyvas ne
tiek pasakoja, kiek sutelkia – yra pati tikriausia Komunija. Žodžių sakytojai ir žodžių
klausytojai, būdami ir „sakančiais“, ir „klausančiais“ tuo pačiu metu, aktyviai dalyvauja tokiame bendrume, kuris pats yra įvykis ne iš praeities ir apie praeitį, bet tik
čia ir dabar. Priešingu atveju visi religiniai naratyvai turėtų būti diskvalifikuoti, kaip
labiau arba mažiau tikėtinos pasakos.
Vis dėlto, išlieka klausimas, kodėl apskritai reikalinga Šventybės „pasirodymo“
verbalizacija, juk suprasti ir dalyvauti šventame bendrume gali tik tas, kuriam „atpažįstama“ neverbalinė šio įvykio prigimtis. Trečiame amžiuje gyvenęs filosofas
Plotinas, kurio traktatuose koncentravosi Antikos religinė mintis, o Viduramžiais šie
traktatai tapo vienu iš svarbiausių šaltinių krikščioniškai filosofijai, gana imperatyviai kalba apie būtinybę perduoti religinę patirtį: „Vadinasi, palikdama visus išorės
dalykus, siela turi visiškai atsigręžti į vidų, nekrypti į jokį išorės dalyką, bet nepažįstant nieko, pirma būsenos, o dabar ir pavidalų, nė savęs nebepažįstant, reikia
panirti į jo regėjimą ir, su juo suartėjus ir pakankamai tarsi ‚pabendravus‘, ateiti ir
kitiems, jeigu pajėgtų, paskelbti apie aną suartėjimą.“ (Plotinas, 2011: 5, p. 65).
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Taigi, pirmiausia religinės patirties sąlyga yra sielos sugebėjimas „nusirengti
visus išorybės, pažintinio mąstymo ir refleksijos rūbus“, neįvykdžius šios sąlygos
neįmanoma ir pati religinė patirtis, „suartėjimas“ ir „pabendravimas“. Antrasis
svarbus momentas pateiktoje citatoje – tai priesakas perduoti patirtį kitiems, nebent tas, kuris ją išgyveno, nepajėgia to padaryti. Kitaip tariant, religinės patirties
išgyvenimas nėra pakankama sąlyga tam, kad ši patirtis galėtų būti perduota kitiems. Tad ką gi reiškia Plotino minimas „pajėgumas“? Ar ši galia perteikti religinę
patirtį kitiems yra kalbinės išraiškos galia, ar ji susijusi su retorinio įtaigumo „technikų“ įvaldymu, o gal tai galia, kuri apskritai daro įmanomu patį intersubjektyvios
komunikacijos įvykį?
Jeigu tarsime, kad viskas priklauso nuo kalbinės išraiškos arba retorinės galios,
tuomet verbalizacijos problema galėtų būti nesunkiai išsprendžiama vien retorikos
pratybomis, „psichologiškai paveikios“ kalbos konstrukcijų įsisavinimu. Tačiau, kad
ir kaip patraukliai atrodytų toks paaiškinimas, jis kelia abejonių. Kad ir koks įtaigus
būtų kalbėjimas, jis greičiau sukuria klausančiojo pasitikėjimą kalbančiuoju, bet
nėra supratimo sąlyga, o Plotino minimas pajėgumas ir yra ne kas kita, kaip gebėjimas „komunikuoti supratimą“, gebėjimas dalintis bendrumu per paties išgyvento
religinio bendrumo reaktualizavimą.
Iki šiol buvo kalbama apie verbalinį religinės patirties perdavimą, kai tai, kas
perduodama, turi būti nuolatos prisimenama ir kartojama tol, kol tampa sakytojo
savastimi. Tik tokiu atveju jis yra visiškai atsakingas už savo pasakytus žodžius ir jau
nebėra vien transformatoriaus vaidmenį atliekantis anonimas. Šis persikeitimas yra
lemtingas, nes paprastas istorijų pasakotojas persikeičia ir jau nebepasakoja, bet
liudija savimi, savąja egzistencija. Toks persikeitimas – tai perėjimas iš kontingencijos, arba galimybės, į būtinybės, arba tikrovės sritį.
Kas atsitinka, kai liudijimas virsta tekstu, kai atsiejamas liudytojas nuo liudijimo,
kai užrašytas liudijimas pradeda „savarankišką gyvenimą“, palaidojęs savo autorių? Tekstas – universali kultūrinės, intelektinės raiškos perdavimo, paties žmogaus
kultūrinio buvimo kristalizuota forma. Ši kristalinė forma egzistuoja „suspaustu“
būdu, kaip nuoroda į anapus jos egzistuojančią tikrovę, kaip arbitraliai pasirinkta
tikėtina tikrovės reprezentacija. Užrašytame žodyje randame galimos sinonimikos,
alternatyvių žodžių koncentratą. Hipertekstinis mokslinių tekstų pobūdis ištisus
tekstus suspaudžia į vieno ženklo nuorodą, ir tai parodo paradoksalų pagarbą keliančios tekstinės ekstencijos butaforiškumą, bet tuo pačiu galime pastebėti dar
vieną, ne mažiau šokiruojantį dalyką: tarę, kad anapus teksto, kaip prasmę nešančio audinio, nebėra jokios jį konstituojančios tikrovės, kuri pasirodytų mūsų protui
kaip būtinybės sritis, reikėtų tarti, kad tekstas iš tiesų yra ta tikrovė, neišvengiama
ir būtina kaip pati „tikriausia tikrovė“. Bet ar nėra taip, kad pačioje tekstualumo
prigimtyje atsiskleidžia galėjimas būti, bet ne privalėjimas būti?
Potencialumas visada yra mažų mažiausiai dviprasmiškas: vienu atveju galima
manyti, kad iš galėjimo būti aktualizacijos keliu tveriama pati tikrovė, bet, antra
vertus (o tai atrodo kur kas labiau tikėtina), tekstinė potencijos aktualizacija sunaikina pačią potenciją, tuo pačiu sukurdama negalėjimo būti aklavietę. Tekstas
sukuria kreivų veidrodžių „tikrovę“, kurioje vienintelis „tikrai tikras“ dalykas yra galimybė „pažinti iškreiptų formų įvairovę“, kuri, savo ruožtu, taip pat gali būti gana
įdomaus „empirinio“ tyrinėjimo objektu. Tačiau akivaizdu, kad toks „empirizmas“
nužudo pačią empiriką, kur pati „filosofija tampa įgūdžiu žaisti arba kažkokia kova
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su šešėliais (shadowboxing)“ (Kaufmann, 1978: 3, p. 34). Kad ir kaip būtų, „kova su
šešėliais“ mūsų nepriartina prie religijos supratimo, nepakeičia prasmės ilgesio ir
gyvo rūpesčio. „Dar daugiau – tekstas ne tik negali šio rūpesčio išreikšti, bet dargi
jį užgožia, pakeisdamas konkretų, autentišką gyvo žmogaus rūpestį tekstinio ego
‚rūpesčio‘ abstrakcija.“ (Sodeika, 2010: 7, p. 174). Paaiškėja, kad tekstas visuomet
tik substitutas, neadekvatus pakaitalas, priverčiantis nusigręžti nuo tikrovės, kuri
manimi ir per mane srūva prasmės srautu.
Religijos žmogus, buvodamas tame sraute, buvoja jame sąmoningai, visų pirma
suvokdamas savo atsakomybę, tačiau pabėgimo pagunda, kurią maitina tikrovės
„nesvetingumas“, visada yra didelė, gal net pernelyg didelė, kad būtų galima jai
atsispirti. Tokią žmogaus situaciją Albertas Camus nusako kaip radikaliausią pabėgimo ar nusigręžimo nuo prasmės formą – savižudybę. Tačiau ji nesprendžiama atsitraukus nuo savęs paties, galbūt apskritai jos išspręsti neįmanoma, – įmanomas tik
veiksmas, neišsitenkantis kasdieninėje praktikoje: „Koks gi yra tas neišmatuojamas
jausmas, atimantis proto gyvybei reikalingą miegą? Pasaulis, kurį galima paaiškinti,
tegu ir netikusiais argumentais, yra mums įprastas pasaulis. Ir priešingai, pasaulyje,
kuriame ūmai išsisklaido iliuzijos ir šviesos blyksniai, žmogus pasijunta svetimas.
Toji tremtis – be prieglobsčio, nes joje nėra prarastos tėvynės prisiminimų ar pažadėtosios žemės vilties. Būtent šita nedarna tarp žmogaus ir jo gyvenimo, tarp aktoriaus ir jį supančių dekoracijų ir yra absurdo jausmas. Kadangi visi sveiki žmonės
kada nors yra galvoję apie savižudybę, galima be tolesnių aiškinimų pripažinti, jog
tarp to jausmo ir nebūties siekimo yra tiesioginis ryšys“ (Camus, 1997: 1, p. 11).
Teksto teikiama „prasmė“ visada yra iliuzinė, kaip sapnas, pasirodantis „proto
gyvybei reikalingo miego“ metu. Tikėjimas nepriklauso nuo pastangos jį „turėti“,
todėl jis persunktas įtampos, tikinčiojo „beprotybės“ malda kreiptis į Dievą taip,
kad neliktų nieko anapus šio kreipinio. Kreipinys negali įsitekti tekstualume, net
ir tokiame, kuris, atrodytų, ardo įprasto tekstualumo rėmus. Nepriklausomai nuo
to, kokį verdiktą religijai ir gyvenimui prieis žmogaus protas, vis tiek jo laikysena
išlieka religinė. Apsisprendimas (jeigu tokio apskritai esama) nebūti nėra „nebūties
siekimas“, žmogus negali siekti to, ko nėra, bet jis gali siekti nebūti, siekti to, kas
yra, nebuvimo. Tačiau neatsitiktinai Camus pasinaudoja aktoriaus ir teatro dekoracijų metafora, nes tik tada, kai gyvenimas virsta teatru, o pats žmogus – aktoriumi,
nebelieka jokios galimybės išsilaikyti nors ir netvarioje, bet prasmingoje, anapustekstinėje tikrovėje, tik tada vieninteliu gyvai patiriamu tikrumu lieka absurdas ir
jo sunkiai artikuliuojamas brutalumas. Kita vertus, Camus įvardintas „svetimumas
pasauliui“ atskleidžia pamatinę religijos žmogaus nesaugumo situaciją, subyrėjus
visai tekstualinei, plačiausia prasme, – jo savisaugos gynybinei architektūrai.
Peteris Wustas aptardamas žmogaus akistatą su mirtimi teigia: „galbūt žmogaus
insecuritas situacija pasiekia aukščiausią tašką žmogaus mirties valandą todėl, kad
mirtis jam kaip religinei būtybei yra ir paskutinė ribinė situacija. Kadangi mirtis, kaip
metafizinis religinis reiškinys, žmogaus egzistenciją temdo nuolat, o ne tik tą akimirką, kai ji iš tikrųjų prasideda (juk dažnai mirtis užklumpa žmogų netikėtai), tai kaip tik
mirties – tos nepaliaujamai prie žmogaus artėjančios metafizinės lemties – rizikos
situacija aiškiausiai parodo, kad žmogus būtent kaip religinė būtybė neišvengiamai
yra insecuritas dėsningumo aukščiausiame taške“ (Wust, 2000: 9, p. 124).
Atrodytų, kad Wustas kalba apie mirties artėjimą nejausdamas tos egzistencinės
įtampos, su kuria į mus prabyla Camus, tačiau galiausiai abu jie užsimena apie tą
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patį sukrečiantį ir mus ištinkantį tikrovės nutikrovinimą, tik Wustas neutralizuoja šią
įtampą tekstine „dėsningumo“ figūra. Teisingumo dėlei reikėtų pripažinti, kad paradoksaliai ir Camus „absurdo“ sąvoka atlieka panašią funkciją. Kas gali būti baisiau už
absurdą, kas gali labiau sukrėsti žmogišką protą, pripratusį prie racionalios steigties
saugumo? Tad religinė kalba, atrodytų, visiškai išsitenka įprasto kalbėjimo rėmuose,
net ir žodžiai, kuriais perduodama radikali tikrovės patirtis, niekuo nesiskiria nuo
įprasto ženklų rinkinio. Bet ar nėra taip, kad tokį suvokimą mums diktuoja įsisavintas
ir įvaldytas menas skaityti tekstą taip, tarsi anapus jo jau nieko nebebūtų?
Nesunku įsitikinti, kad net ir pats „baisiausias“ tekstas yra saugi užuovėja protui,
o saugu todėl, kad protas „turi ką veikti“ – gliaudyti grafemų kiaukutuose tūnančias
reikšmes. Tačiau tas pats tekstas gali būti perskaitytas visiškai kitaip – pabudus iš „racionalaus sapno“, kurio niekada neprisimename nubudę. Peteris Donovanas, iškėlęs
sau tikslą filosofiškai suprasti kaip religinė kalba yra naudojama (Donovan, 1976: 2,
p. 1–5), pastebi, kad paprastai ji nėra metaforiška, bet priešingai – ją reikia suprasti
pažodžiui kaip „informatyvią ir siekiančią pažadinti (evocative)“ (Donovan, 1976: 2,
p. 6–14). Kokią informaciją gali perduoti religinis tekstas? Tik tą, kuri plevena ženklų
referencijose. Lemiamas pasikeitimas, kuris nuo tekstinių referencijų mus grąžintų
prie religinio teiginio turinio, įvyksta tik per „nubudimą“, arba, Camus žodžiais, „išsisklaidžius iliuzijoms“. Tik tuomet gali paaiškėti antroji religinių teiginių – „informatyvumo“ – pusė. Religinis tekstas tampa „kažką sakančiu“ tik atitinkamai, adekvačiai
save perkeitus.
Platonas mus įspėja apie tuščių kalbų pavojų, pateikdamas poeto pavyzdį: „žodžiais ir įvairiais posakiais jis perteikia tik vienų ar kitų menų ir amatų atspalvius,
nors pats nieko daugiau nemoka, kaip tik pamėgdžioti, o tokiems pat neišmanėliams žmonėms jo žodžiai sudaro įspūdį, kad tai labai gerai pasakyta – nesvarbu, ar,
pasitelkęs metrą, ritmą ir harmoniją, poetas kalbėtų apie batsiuvio amatą, ar apie
karo žygius, ar dar apie ką nors: tokį didelį įgimtą žavesį turi visos tos puošmenos.
Bet, jeigu iš poetų kūrinių atimsime visas dailiųjų menų spalvas ir paliksime juos be
tų puošmenų, aš manau, tu gali įsivaizduoti, kaip jie atrodys, – be abejo, ir pats esi
tai pastebėjęs“ (Platonas, 1981: 4, p. 346).
Svarbu atkreipti dėmesį į tai, kad svarbus ne pasakymas, jo forma, ar netgi
turinys, svarbus yra tas, kuris kalba. Nėra abejonių, kad neretai religinis tekstas,
paliktas vienas, be savo autoriaus, yra pasmerktas būti skaitomas neadekvačiai,
bet iš esmės situacijos tai nekeičia, nes tuomet svarbus yra tas kuris skaito, o skaitydamas taria tuos žodžius. Žinoma, „informatyvumas“, suprastas žinių kaupimo ir
jų klasifikacijų papildymu, šiuo atveju, atrodytų kaip nesusipratimas, nes tuomet
seniai būtų užaugintas „dieviškas Porfyrijaus medis“, ir visi religijos filosofai galėtų pakankamai saugiai jaustis susisukę lizdus jo šakose. Kadangi taip nėra, tai jau
pakankamas pagrindas manyti, kad turimas galvoje „informatyvumas“ yra visiškai
kito pobūdžio. Religiniame kalbėjime šis pobūdis, kaip jau minėta, talpinamas „liudijimo“ sąvokoje, kuri kaip sąvoka neišsitenka apibrėžtos konstatacijos rėmuose,
bet visuomet nurodo į veiksmą, kitaip tariant, yra performatyvi.
Šis performatyvumas realizuojamas dvejopai: kaip verbalinė išraiška ir kaip
anamnetinis liudijimo klausytojo atsigręžimas į ypatingą transcendencijos, arba
Šventybės, kitoniškumo išgyvenimą. Taigi, galima teigti, kad religinė kalba kaip
sakymas „informuoja“ tik tiek, kiek šios kalbos dalyvis pats sugeba joje atpažinti
arba prisiminti. Sakymas arba liudijimas religine prasme visuomet yra dialogiškas,
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realizuojamas asmens asmeniui jo veido akivaizdoje. Tačiau tokiu atveju religijos
filosofija lieka „nereikalingo trečio“ situacijoje, iš kurios, atrodytų, nėra jokios pozityvios išeities, nes stebėjimas, arba kontempliacija, neišvengiamai yra buvimas
nuošalėje. Sąvokos, kurias taikome sau ir mus supančiam pasauliui, „gali būti taikomos Dievui, tačiau gali būti taikomos tik tada, jei jos taikomos kitaip negu daiktams. Kiekviena Dievui taikoma mūsų sąvoka byloja mums apie Dievą tiek, kiek ji
mums ką nors apie Dievą pasako. Tačiau tuo pačiu pasakymu ji mums nurodo ir
tai, kas Dievas nėra, – mat kiekvienas mūsų pasakymas Dievą apriboja. Todėl bet
koks kalbėjimas apie Dievą yra prieštaringas, jis drauge ir teigia, ir neigia“ (Sodeika,
1997: 6, p. 20). Religinis kalbėjimas ne in-formuoja kalbantį ir jo klausantį, bet greičiau iš-formuoja, išlaisvina nuo sąvokos kontingentiškumo.
Religijos filosofijos kalbėjimas, kitaip negu religinis liudijimas, tarsi turėtų virsti sau pakankama kalbėjimo forma, nereikalaujančia angažuoto dalyvavimo. Nors
filosofinis tekstas pats savaime negali peržengti kalbos gramatikos taisyklių, kurias
„galima vadinti ‚arbitraliomis‘, jeigu tuo reikia pasakyti, kad gramatikos tikslas yra
ne kas kita, o kalbos tikslas“ (Vitgenšteinas, 1995: 8, p. 286), tačiau esmiškai baigtinė religinė sąmonė nuolatos stengiasi save peržengti ir kalbiniai prieštaravimai
atrodo neišvengiami. Visgi gramatikos taisyklės numato ir kreipinį į kitą kaip kalbos tikslą, kuris neįmanomas arbitralaus „objektyvių dalykų“ atspindėjimo atveju.
Kreipinys perkeičia nesuinteresuotą kalbos savaime pakankamumą suinteresuotu
pasižadėjimu atsakyti į kreipinį. Religijos filosofija galima kaip atsakymas į Dievo
kreipinį, priešingu atveju, pasilikdama patenkinta savimi, ji vis dar lieka kalbėjimu,
tačiau tik kalbėjimu apie nieką.
Literatūra
Camus, A. 1997. Szifo mitas. Vilnius: Baltos lankos.
Donovan, P. 1976. Religious Language. New York: Hawthorn Books, INC.
Kaufmann, W. 1978. Critique of Religion and Philosophy. Princeton: Princeton University
Press.
Platonas, 1981. Valstybė. Vinius: Mintis.
Plotinas, 2011. Apie Gėrį arba Vienį. In Plotinas, Apie Gėrį arba Vienį. Apie tai, kas yra blog
air iš kur kyla (pp. 36-83). Vilnius:Aidai.
Sodeika, T. 1997. Dievas paliečia sielą tamsoje. In Merton, T. Gyvenimas ir šventumas
(pp. 5-20). Vilnius: Katalikų pasaulis.
Sodeika, T. 2010. Filosofija ir tekstas. Kaunas: Technologija.
Vitgenšteinas, L. 1995. Filosofiniai tyrinėjimai. In Vitgenšteinas, L. Rinktiniai raštai
(pp. 113-394).Vilnius: Mintis.
Wust, P. 2000. Netikrybė ir rizika. Vilnius: Aidai.
Rimantas Viedrynaitis, a lecturer at the Department of Philosophy at Vytautas Magnus
University. He received BA in Philosophy in 2000, and MA in Practical Philosophy in 2002.
He lectures on Philosophical methodology, History of Lithuanian Philosophy, Sources of
Ancient and Medieval Philosophy, Sources of Modern Philosophy. Area of scientific interest: Russian philosophy, philosophy of religion, Lithuanian philosophy, philosophy of
methodology and postmodern philosophy.
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Poster presentations
The Theme of Religion in the British Metaphysical Poetry
of the 20th Century (Poetry of the New Apocalypse, 1939-1941)
Tetiana RIAZANTSEVA
The paper analyzes the transformation of the themes, poetics and stylistics of
metaphysical poetry in the works of H. Treece, J. F. Hendry, N. Moore, T. Scott
et al. associated with the Apocalyptic Movement in British literature. The material for the analysis is taken from their second anthology, “The White Horseman”,
published in 1941. The poetry of the New Apocalypse is considered in comparison
with the works of British and continental metaphysical poets of the 17th, 19th and
20th centuries (R. Crashaw, F. de Quevedo, G. M. Hopkins, et al).
The main focus is on the theme of religion. The paper aims to demonstrate the
fractal nature of the theme structure of metaphysical poetry. It explains the new
configuration of its traditional key themes (Religion, Death and Time, Love) in the
works of the 20th century poets, and shows new details in their interpretation of
the relations between God and man. The research concentrates on the development of certain motifs such as ‘the death of God’ (a motif known since Victorian
times), and demonstrates several new accents brought to traditional issues within
the theme of religion (e.g. the desolation of human being).
The paper also considers the new developments in the field of traditional poetics and stylistics of metaphysical poetry. The author analyzes the use of gospel
paraphrases, polysemantic words and expressions, examples or wordplay, etc. in
the religious poetry of the Apocalyptic Movement.
Key words: religion; metaphysical poetry; Apocalyptic Movement; fractal structure.
Tetiana M. Riazantseva, Cand. Sc., Senior Research Associate, Department of Comparative Literature, T. Shevchenko Institute of Literature, National Academy of Sciences
of Ukraine. Areas of scientific interest: Comparative Literature, European and Ukrainian
metaphysical poetry, Hispanic studies.
How Did the Prophets Know They Had Received Divine Revelation?
Berel Dov LERNER
Within the Jewish tradition, someone’s knowing whether or not they had received
an authentic divine revelation could be a matter of life and death. Deuteronomy
18:20 states: “But any prophet who presumes to speak in My name an oracle
which I did not commanded him to utter, or who speaks in the name of other gods
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- that prophet shall die.”1 In addition, the Torah offers clear criteria for the determination of the authenticity of prophecy: a prophet advocating idolatry is immediately disqualified (Deut. 13:2-6), while one proclaiming more conventional messages is
required to correctly predict future events (Deut. 18:22). 2 Given the obvious danger
involved in proclaiming prophecy, it is somewhat surprising that the Torah gives no
indication of how the prophet himself (or herself - I will use the male singular for
convenience sake) is to judge the authenticity of his revelation before subjecting
himself to the perils of making it public. How does a prophet gain enough confidence to risk announcing predictions which would entail his death if proved false?
If we assume the universality of Jeremiah’s plight: “But [His word] was like
a raging fire in my heart, shut up in my bones; I could not hold it in, I was helpless.”
(Jeremiah 20:9), the question becomes completely academic. The decision not
to proclaim prophecy would be psychologically unviable. Yet the classic Medieval
Jewish philosophers did believe that the prophets possessed the means to evaluate the validity of their own experience. The study of their views has relevance
to modern philosophical discussions of religious experience, and especially to the
thought of the great twentieth century philosopher, Ludwig Wittgenstein.
Saadia Gaon (882-942) was the first Jewish philosopher to directly confront the
issue under discussion. In his Book of Beliefs and Opinions he writes:
I also considered the question of how the prophet could be sure that the
message he had heard came from God before ascribing it to his Lord in the
presence of his people, and I arrived at the conclusion that this was effected
by means of some sign that would appear to him at the beginning of the
colloquy and remain until its termination. This sign could take the form of a
pillar of fire or a pillar of cloud or a light that did not emanate from ordinary
luminaries. When, then, the prophet saw such a sign, he was certain that the
message came from God.3
In order to buttress the reliability of such a sign, Saadia adds that it was often
visible to others. His description of the people’s reaction to Moses’ prophetic experiences transforms the Children of Israel into a nation of empirical meteorologists:
When he would come back to them, therefore, bringing his message, they
would say: “Thou hast spoken truly. We noticed how clear the atmosphere
was before thy arrival at the scene of the revelation and how the pillar of
cloud made its descent at the time of thy arrival there. Also, the time of its
sojourn corresponds to the time which it took for thee to hear this communication which thou hast delivered unto us. (Ibid)
1
2
3
All biblical quotations are from the New Jewish Publication Society translation.
Jeremiah 28:9 seems to restrict this rule to prophecies regarding God’s future benevolence, while
Jeremiah 18:7-10 allows for the overturning of any divine pronouncement in reaction to changes in
people’s behavior, for better or worse. Traditional commentaries interpret Part II, Chapter Eight of
Maimonides’ Guide of the Perplexed as suggesting the theophany of Ezekiel Chapter I to be astronomically inaccurate. This criticism of the Ma’aseh Merkabah (“Work of the Chariot”), one of the
two esoteric biblical texts central for Jewish mystical thought, would seem to undermine a criterion
of prophetic authenticity requiring the factual truth of prophecy’s discursive content.
Saadia Gaon, The Book of Beliefs and Opinions, trans. Samuel Rosenblatt (New Haven:Yale University Press,1948), p.151, Treatise III, chapter 5. All further references will be cited in the body of the
text according to treatise and chapter.
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Before criticizing Saadia’s account, two points are worth making. Saadia does
succeed in describing a mode of prophecy so open and public in nature that even
hard-headed skeptics would be convinced of its validity. By radically extending the
public nature of prophecy, Saadia essentially dissolves the question he is addres
sing. Often, as in Moses’ case, the prophet need not concern himself about whether his prophecy will pass a later public test of validity. Both the prophet and his
audience become simultaneously convinced of the divine origin of his message.
Saadia’s account suffers on two grounds. Firstly, it is difficult to reconcile with
Scripture. The bible gives no indication that (outside of Moses’ case) revelation was
regularly accompanied by publicly observable divine signs such as pillars of cloud
or fire. Secondly, Moses was unique in receiving prophecy while fully awake. Other
prophets depended on revelatory dreams. Thus, God tells Aaron and Miriam: “When
the Lord speaks through one of you, I make Myself known to him in a vision, I speak
with him in a dream.” (Numbers 12:6) If, on the one hand, the pillar of cloud which
accompanied such a prophetic experience was a genuine meteorological pheno
menon, how was the sleeping prophet to become aware of it? On the other hand,
if the pillar of cloud appeared to the prophet as part of a dream, what was to keep
the prophet’s unconscious from inserting its image into non-prophetic dreams? This
is precisely the problem raised by Hasdai Crescas (d. 1412) in his philosophical magnum opus, Or Adonai. There he describes a person who though graced with the occassional prophetic dream still continues to have dreams of the mundane type:
When the prophet receives prophecy through a dream ... how can the pro
phet come to know he is prophesizing? That is, how can he depend on the
sign that he is prophesizing, who knows, what is to keep the sign from appea
ring in a [normal] dream?4
As a critic of Saadia, Crescas is much to the point. Given that a prophet continues to have normal dreams, and considering the universal human experience that
practically anything can be seen in a dream, what is to keep the prophet from seeing a pillar of cloud or fire even in a non-revelatory dream? If so, Saadiah’s criterion
becomes inapplicable to a wide category of prophetic experience.
Maimonides’ view on our question is the mirror image of Saadia’s. Saadia deva
lues the epistemological value of prophecy relative to that of publicly observable
miracles; publicly observable signs convince the prophet of the authenticity of his
own, private, prophetic experience. Maimonides, in contrast, holds that the authenticity of genuine prophecy is profoundly self-evident to those who experience it. After all, if Abraham had born the slightest doubt as to the authenticity of his revelation, he would never have set off to execute God’s command to sacrifice Isaac:
For if a dream of prophecy had been obscure for the prophets, or if they
had doubts or incertitude concerning what they apprehended in a vision of
prophecy, they would not have hastened to do that which is repugnant to
nature, and [Abraham’s] soul would not have consented to accomplish an act
of so great an importance if there had been a doubt about it.
(Guide of the Perplexed III: 24 pp. 501-2)
4
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Hasdai Crescas, Or Adonai, Treatise II, Rule IV, Chapter 4, as appears in Dov Rapel’s HaNevuah (Pro
phecy) (Jerusalem: Amana Publishers, 1971), p.144. I have translated from the original Hebrew.
The remainder of this paper will treat the theory of prophecy expounded by
the great poet and philosopher, Judah Halevi (circa 1075-1141).
At first glance it appears that Judah Halevi accepts Saadia’s theory of the validation of prophecy while merely extending the list of dependable signs of true
revelation. In Part IV, Section three of his Sefer HaKuzari he writes:
The pick of mankind enters into connection with Him, viewing Him through
intermediaries called Glory, Shekhinah, Dominion, fire, cloud, likeness, form,
appearance of the rainbow, etc., all proving to them that He had spoken to
them.5
Israel Halevi’s (1700 - 1772) Kuzari Commentary Otzar Nehmad relates the
above passage directly to the question at hand:
When revelation came to a prophet he might have thought it merely seemed
so to him in his imagination.... But since he would actually see one of the
aforementioned visions [and since] no proof is greater than seeing, he will
know clearly that God speaks with him.6
To properly appreciate the difference between Saadia and Halevi on this point,
it is necessary to attend briefly to the different roles played by the prophets in their
respective systems. For Saadia prophecy is merely a means of divine communication to mankind. In the chapter of his Book of Beliefs And Opinions dealing with the
purpose of prophecy, he states clearly:
I found there was a considerable need for the dispatch of messengers to God’s
creatures, not merely in order that they might be informed by them about the
revealed [ritual] laws, but also on account of the rational precepts [which
could be arrived at independently by human reason]” (III:3).
While agreeing that prophecy was necessary as a means of ascertaining God’s
commands,7 Halevi adds to it the notion that prophecy marks the pinnacle of human perfection:
His most perfect creatures on earth, the prophets, whose souls are transpa
rent and susceptible to His light, which penetrates them as sunlight penetrates crystal and ruby. These souls take their origin from Adam, as has been
explained before; his pick and heart are transmitted from generation to gene
ration, from age to age; besides it the large mass of mankind is like husks,
leaves, resins, etc. (Kuzari IV:15).
Typically, when Halevi describes the ideal human, he mentions how such a
person might achieve “a degree just below that of prophecy” through their own
5
6
7
My quotations from the Kuzari are derived from an amalgam combining Heinemann’s incomplete
translation appearing in H. Lewy, A. Altman & I. Heinemann, Three Jewish Philosophers (New York:
Atheneum, 1976) and H. Slominsky’s inaccurate The Kuzari, (New York: Schocken Books, 1964), with
my own minor corrections. Quotations from the Kuzari will be cited in the body of the text accor
ding to the traditional divisions of parts and sections.
As appears in the traditional Vilna edition of the Kuzari.
Kuzari III:53: “The approach to God is only possible through the medium of God’s command, and
there is no road to the knowledge of the commands of God except by way of prophecy, but not by
means of speculation and reasoning.”
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efforts (Kuzari III:11). Contrastingly, in the final treatise of Saadia’s Book of Beliefs
And Opinions [“Concerning How It Is Most Proper For Man To Conduct Himself In
This World”], no mention is made of the achievement of prophecy as an indication
of human perfection.
Halevi goes out of his way to stress the unique qualities of the prophet:
…a man who walks into the fire without hurt, or abstains from food for some
time without starving, on whose face a light shines which the eye cannot
bear, who is never ill, nor ages. (Kuzari I:41)
Saadia, in contrast, states openly that “God did not guarantee to the prophets
perpetual health of body or great wealth or posterity” and so on. So too, “did
God not nourish them without food and drink” (Saadia III:4). While Halevi sees
the superhuman qualities of the prophets as proofs of their authenticity, Saadia is
worried that if the prophets were thought to possess exceptional powers, people
might attribute the power to perform miracles to the prophets themselves rather
than directly to God.
The most important superhuman ability ascribed by Halevi to the prophets
involves the “inner eye”. This special faculty allowed the prophets to perceive the
essential nature of objects directly, unlike normal people who must deduce the essences of things from their external “accidental” appearances. More importantly,
it was through the “inner eye” that the prophets experienced the spiritual world.
Although Halevi does not describe the spiritual world in detail, it seems to mainly
consist of the angels, God’s throne, and other elements appearing in biblical theo
phany. Professor Eliezer Schweid goes so far as to claim that for Halevi, earthly
geography follows the “geography” of the spiritual world, each with its own Land
of Israel, Jerusalem, etc.8
Prophecy for Halevi consists of the experience of the spiritual world, (including
meaningful symbolic displays and divine speech) by way of the special prophe
tic faculty or “inner eye.” For Saadia, who insists on the human normalcy of the
prophet, such a doctrine would be unacceptable. Now we can return to Halevi’s
statement that
the pick of mankind enters into communication with Him, viewing through
intermediaries called `Glory, Shekhinah, Dominion, fire, cloud, likeness, form,
appearance of the rainbow ‘, etc., all proving to them that He had spoken to
them. (Kuzari IV:3)
Rather than existing solely for the sake of validating prophecy, as do Saadia’s
pillars of cloud and fire, the items mentioned in Halevi’s list are simply typical
examples of objects belonging to the spiritual world which may be perceived only
in the state of prophecy.9
The situation of the prophet may be compared to that of a tourist visiting Jerusalem. For Saadia, the pillar of cloud is like a sign which reads “Welcome to
Jerusalem.” The cloud itself is not an integral part of the content of revelation,
8
9
120
Eliezer Schweid, Homeland and a Land of Promise (Moledet Ve’Eretz Ye’udah) (Tel Aviv: Am Oved,
1979), p. 62.
The discussion in Kuzari IV:3 about the permanence or impermanence of the objects viewed in
prophecy would seem to weaken my interpretation, but see my footnote 13.
which consists only of discursive messages sent from God to humanity. For Halevi,
the pillar of cloud is like the Tower of David, a prominent element in the cityscape
itself which helps the tourist remember where she is. The cloud is an integral and
typical element in the prophetic experience.
By replacing a rather limited set of valid signs of prophecy with a whole spi
ritual world, Halevi manages to avoid the scripturally based criticism made against
Saadia. Saadia would be hard pressed to make a scriptural case for the presence
of his designated signs of prophecy in even a minority of biblical prophecies. Halevi’s theory of prophecy as the perception of the spiritual world turns every expe
rience of prophetic visual imagery into a demonstration of prophetic validity. It
also makes more reasonable the claim that such visions accompanied prophecies
even when no imagery is mentioned in the biblical account.
One might further ask of Saadia how the prophets come to know of the signs
of prophecy and their validity. For Halevi this becomes the question of how the
prophets came to recognize valid visions of the spiritual world. Halevi’s answer is
included in his argument for the validity of the Israelite prophetic tradition in ge
neral. Dr.Yonah Ben Sasson summarizes Halevi’s position in these words: “There is
a history to revelation; revelation is a fact of historical duration whose factual truth
cannot be questioned.”10 For Halevi the prophet is not alone in his experience of
revelation. Rather, he is part of a vast spiritual enterprise starting with Adam and
continuing to the beginning of the Second Temple period. Out of these accumulated prophetic experiences (and Halevi assumes the existence of thousands of
prophets not mentioned in Scripture),11 a consensus developed regarding the nature and description of the spiritual world. For Halevi the very existence of this
consensus among the prophets is the supreme proof of their validity:
The best proof of its [the inner eye’s] truth is the harmony prevailing among
the whole of this species and those sights. By this I mean the prophets. For
they witnessed things which one described to the others as we do with things
we have seen. (Ibid)12
Paradoxically, the consensus which validates the tradition of prophecy also defines what constitutes prophecy. Not only do all the prophets agree as to the nature and description of the spiritual world, but any vision not coinciding with that
consensus is by definition not prophetic: “We testify to the sweetness of honey
and the bitterness of the coloquinth and if anyone contradicts us we say that he
has abandoned normal perception” (Ibid). Similarly, a valid prophecy must be in
accord with the description of the spiritual world which is the heritage of the prophetic community as a whole.
For Halevi, a prophet’s perplexity over whether he had indeed received pro
phecy would be similar to our tourist asking herself whether she had actually visited
10 Yonah Ben Sasson, “Mishnato HaHistorit Shel RIHaL” (“Judah Halevi’s Historical Doctrine”) in Mishnato HaHagotit Shel Rabbi Yehuda Halevi (Rabbi Judah Halevi’s Philosophical Doctrine) (Jerusalem:
Ministry of Education and Culture, 1978), p. 153.
11 Kuzari I:11: “I believe in the God ... who sent Moses with His law, and subsequently thousands of
prophets, who continued His law ...”
12 Halevi’s insistence on the existence of a consensus among the prophets regarding the content of
their visions would seem to require that the contents of the spiritual world remain more or less
stable.
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Jerusalem. A thousand details of the spiritual world’s “geography” and “populace,”
all well known to the prophet from his previous prophecies and from the historical experience of the community of prophets, would validate his experience. On
the other hand, it may be inferred from Halevi’s theory that anyone living outside
such a prophetic community would find the validation of his revelations practically
impossible.
We are now almost ready to consider how Halevi could deal with Crescas’
problem, but first we must examine Crescas’ own solution. Crescas replaces Saadia’s sign of prophecy with a criterion of vividness. Just as wakeful experience is
more vivid than dreamed experience, so too prophetic dreams are qualitatively
different from normal dreams. Crescas seems to imply that a principal element of
the vividness of a prophetic dream is the clarity of its recollection by the prophet
after he awakens.13
Vividness may serve to distinguish between prophetic and normal dreams.
However, it cannot be used as a sole criterion of prophecy, since vividness is a
quality shared by both normal (wakeful) experience and revelation. The biblical
story of the young Samuel (I Samuel: chapt. 3) offers a case in point.
We are told that Samuel lay sleeping in the tabernacle. Each time God called
upon him, he would run to the High Priest Eli thinking it was he who had called for
him. This story seems to support Crescas. The divine call was in fact so vividly experienced that Samuel mistook it for the physical voice of Eli. While Samuel did not
react to the prophetic call as if it were a mere dream, he was unable to distinguish
it from an event of normal wakeful experience.
At this point Halevi’s theory helps explains the course of events described. The
story of Samuel’s first prophecy begins with the statement: “In those days the word
of the Lord was rare; prophecy was not widespread” (Ibid 3:1). The community of
prophecy was substantially weakened and the particulars of prophetic experience
not widely known. It was only the aged Eli who properly interpreted Samuel’s experience and instructed him in the ways of prophecy.
The ideas of Halevi and Crescas also mesh together well at a deeper level. It will
be recalled that Crescas assigned importance to the clarity of a prophetic dream’s
recollection as an element of its vividness. Surely the prophet who is able to assimilate his experience in terms of a well established frame of reference (such as
Halevi’s spiritual world) will be better equipped to remember his revelation later.
It is exactly those experiences which we cannot grasp in terms of culturally predefined concepts which we tend to find dreamlike, unreal and difficult to remember clearly.
Consider the case of two spectators at a football match. One of them is a
European, well acquainted with the rules and strategy of the game, the other a
member of a newly discovered Amazonian people, who have never heard of team
sports. Who will better recall the course of the day’s play? In a similar fashion, the
Israelite prophet, well versed in the ways of the spiritual world, will better recall
his prophetic visions. Just as natural dreams are marked by a lack of coherence
13 Symcha Bunem Urbach, Amudei HaMachshava Ha Yisraelit:Mishnato Ha Filosofit Shel Rabbi Hasdai Crescas (Pillars of Jewish Thought:Philosophical Teachings of Rabbi Hasdai Crescas) (Jerusalem:
World Zionist Organization, 1961), p. 259 footnote.
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in terms of our experience of the normal wakeful world (noticing that I am flying like a bird, I become aware that I am merely dreaming), normal dreams will
be distinguishable from prophetic dreams thanks to their incoherence in terms of
the community of prophets’ normative experience of the self-consistent spiritual
world. An incoherent normal dream will thus be more difficult to remember than a
coherent prophetic dream. While Crescas’ solution might conceivably be adapted
to a defense of Saadia’s position, it now appears as a quite natural extension of Halevi’s theory of prophecy. Indeed, Halevi’s conceptual framework actually bolsters
Crescas’ solution.
In conclusion, I will briefly make good my promise to relate the above discussion to the philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein. Two well known doctrines of
Wittgenstein’s later philosophy14 insist that both the certainty of our knowledge
as well as our ability to use language are rooted in our participation in established
social practices. Given language’s intrinsically social nature, the idea of a private
language – a language expressing intrinsically personal experiences that can never
be understood by other people – becomes impossible for Wittgenstein. Halevi’s
claim that a well- established prophetic tradition can determine the validity of prophetic experience foreshadows Wittgenstein’s doctrine of certainty. The prophet
can be certain of the authenticity of his prophetic experience insofar as it fulfills
criteria of authenticity rooted in the social practice of Israelite prophecy. As for
the social nature of language, it may be seen to parallel a peculiarity of Israelite
prophecy as a religious experience. While many mystics of the world’s religions
proclaim their visions to be verbally indescribable,15 the Israelite prophet is never
at a loss for words. Even as he relates his most astounding vision (Ezekiel, Chapter
1), the prophet Ezekiel never falters. The communal tradition of Israelite prophecy
insures that the words and expressions needed to describe Ezekiel’s vision have
already been developed and assimilated into the vocabulary of the prophets. The
social practice of prophecy creates a language in which the experience of prophecy
may be shared.
Berel Dov Lerner studied philosophy and the social sciences at Johns Hopkins and the
University of Chicago, and Judaism at Yeshivat Ha-Kibbutz Ha-Dati in Israel. Berel received
his PhD in philosophy from Tel Aviv University, and currently teaches philosophy at the
Western Galilee Academic College. Area of scientific interest: philosophy of the social and
behavioral sciences, philosophy of religion, Jewish thought, and the Hebrew Scriptures.
14 See, especially, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations (G.E.M. Anscombe, trans.)
(New York: MacMillan, 1968) and On Certainty (G.E.M. Anscombe and D. Paul, trans.) (New York:
Harper&Row, 1972).
15 In his essay “Understanding Religious Experience” in Steven Katz’s anthology Mysticism and Philosophical Analysis (New York: Oxford University Press, 1978), p. 17 Ninian Smart states: “Frequently,
perhaps universally, mystics refer to their experiences as ineffable or, at any rate, to the `object’ of
their experiences as ineffable.” His further remarks, however, do not accord with the uniqueness of
Jewish prophetic tradition.
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Saturday, May 12, 2012
Session IV
From Experience to Tradition – The Hard Path Backward
Marcello NERI
A bst ra ct
I would like to deal with the topic of the conference (religious experience and tradition) approaching it under a Christian theological point of view. Behind the complex body of Christian Tradition there are a variety of religious experiences – both
individual and collective – that have been condensed in different forms (Scripture,
dogmatic doctrine, moral teaching, pastoral instructions, and so on) building up
what is called tradition. While experience is generally held as subjective, tradition
is usually understood as objective and regulative. There is something true in this
distinction, but the relationship between experience and tradition in matters of
religion is quite more complex than an easy divide like subjective-objective or exis
tential-regulative. Without the uncertainity of experience there wouldn’t be any
religious tradition in Christian sense; and without a tradition it wouldn’t be possible
both to share our personal experience with other people and to have some criteria
of truth as to faith experience. But once tradition has been shaped, then it tends
to detach itself from experience asserting its role of faith’s rule without regard to
the existential level of the religious experience it is born of. Doing that, tradition
runs the risk of drying out losing every actual impact on the faith’s experience it
want to discipline. In this sense tradition can be able to exercise its function only
if it results into a concrete and personal experience. As Blondel pointed out the
actuality of faith’s experience is the only possible implementation of (dogmatic)
tradition, but the path backward from tradition to experience is a very difficult one
because it has to deal with an innate resistance of tradition to open its certainity
towards the pliability of actual existing. In my paper I would like to address deeper
some of most sensible issue regarding the relationship of experience and tradition
that here I could just outline very shortly.
Marcello Neri, Senior Fellow and Visiting Professor, University of Graz, Austria.
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Religious Experience without Religious Tradition and vice versa
Olga BRESKAYA
A bst ra ct
From the “Varieties” of W. James the theme of personal religion and unique individual religious experience appeared in the Study of Religion somehow contrasting
the issues of organized religious tradition with stable collective forms of worshipping. The work that came 10 years later by E. Durkheim examined that interaction
from the other side. If individual religious experience is not spreading or not “partaken by many” the very religious tradition is weakening and losing its collective
dimension, which supports and enriches the individual experience.
Situation that we observe in modern societies of Western and partly Eastern
Europe – individualization of religious life – approves the consequences, described
by E. Durkheim: faith as a “warmth and life” for the individual doesn’t exist in a
form of personal religion only, but is in need for integration with tradition. Otherwise, we found out the individual religious experience without religious tradition in variety of its modern forms which are complicated to transmit, or that the
process of coming inside the tradition through the individual religious experience
becomes morbid and traumatic.
What happens with the individual who is seeking for the transcendent expe
rience, but has weak relationship with definite religious tradition? Some examples
of individual religious experience in correlation to different levels of belonging to
the religious tradition will be presented in this report, based on historical documents, literary sources and interviews, conducted by the author. These examples
will demonstrate the stages and modes of personal integration/disintegration with
religious tradition, and problematize the concept “staying in tradition”.
Olga Breskaya, assoc. prof. in the Department of Social and Political Sciences, European
Humanities University, Vilnius; University of Brest. Area of scientific interest: sociology of
religion, parish sociology, education in Religious Studies.
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Session V – A
An Ethnographic Approach to the Psychology of Religion –
Doing Research in the Field of Experience and Tradition
Tuija HOVI
A bst ra ct
The mainstream of the psychology of religion is characteristically quantitative. The
most of the empirical studies are based on questionnaires and established interpretative scales using methods that measure quantitative dimensions and correlations of selected variables in religiosity. As results, quantitative studies offer generalizations. Alongside with this trend in the psychology of religion, there is also
the gradually rising qualitative methodology for the study of religious experience.
In addition to the narrative study, the ethnographic approach – widely used in
the anthropology – aims at revealing what religion means to people and how it is
used for personal purposes. However, ethnography is not a mere implementation
of regional fieldwork for “collecting” material. It is also a point of view, a selection
of methods and a process for helping to understand the other social reality than
that of a researcher’s own by cross-reading a variety of different types of material.
Thus, in practice, ethnography functions as cultural contextualization of the narrative interview material.
The larger objective of my present research is focused on the forms and functions of the global trends of Neo-charismatic Christianity in the Nordic context.
Experiential dimensions of religiosity and traditions that emphasise an individual’s
personal experience of the transcendence alongside with conservative teaching,
such as various forms of Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity, have aroused increasing interest both outside and inside the mainline Evangelical-Lutheran church
in Finland. The situation indicates that all Charismatic Christian activities are not
organized conventionally as congregations but also as various practices – prayer
communities, spiritual coaching services and evangelizing associations. Outside
the conventions of the congregational field and within these rather situational
practices mentioned above, the borderlines between communities or membership rates do not seem to mean as much as personal interpretations of tradition
and individualistic pursuit of religious experience in everyday life.
In the proposed paper, I will discuss, in the context of the Healing Rooms
prayer service organization as a case, how ethnographic approach benefits the
study of post-secular religiosity, the field that is mostly investigated by quantitative methods, so far. Nevertheless, the research theme in this study is socialpsychological, concerning the relationship between tradition, collective participation and personal religious experience. This relationship is crucially linked to the
on-going discussion on the questions of believing, belonging, bonding and practi
cing as manifestations of religiosity. The material for this study is partly compiled
126
by ethnographic methods. It includes thematic interviews of the active members
of local HR-communities who take care of the prayer service, as well as notes of
participant observation. Furthermore, the material includes a questionnaire that
was directed to the visitors of the “prayer clinics”, and the Healing Rooms’ and
some other Christian websites and magazines. Cross-reading these different types
of material gives information about the interaction, interpretation, identity and
agency that this particular form of religious practice produces and how it reflects
the needs and motivations of those involved.
Tuija Hovi, PhD, post-doctoral researcher, Academy of Finland/Åbo Akademi University,
Finland. Area of scientific interest: charismatic movements, psychogy of religion.
The Phenomenon of Christian Conversion in the Prison:
Convict’s Convert’s Religious Experiences
Sandra KRATAVIČIŪTĖ
Introduction. The phenomenon of religious conversion is one of the most interesting object of the humane and social science and, undoubtedly one of the most
strongly religious experiences in the human‘s life, especially in the life of impriso
ned person. In this article by using a theoretical literature review method and
empirical qualitative research (Participatory Action Research) method there is a
focus on phenomenon of Christian conversion in the prison by revealing convict’s
convert’s religious experiences.
The objective of this article is to reveal and interpret convict‘s convert‘s religious experiences after the discovery of God and to show the application opportunities of existentialist paradigm in social work with the imprisoned. Moreover, I
aim to reveal the significance of conversion and faith to people who are in prison
as well as to show the relations of discovered faith in God with imprisoned people‘s experiences of hope and the meaning of life. Furthermore, I aim to reveal the
significance of learning about other people‘s success stories and their witnesses
about their personal faith and life for imprisoned people‘s experiences of hope
and the meaning of life and their motivation for reintegration into society.
Methodology of research. The research data has been collected by applying
partially the interview guide focus group approach. The data has been analyzed by
using interpretation phenomenology. The research participants have been chosen
applying criterion sampling. There have been seven prisoners who correspond the
following criteria: convicted, imprisoned in X prison, in 2009 – 2010 they participated in the social rehabilitation project “Alpha course for prisoners”, organized
by Catholic Church, non-government organization LITHUANIA’S CARITAS; convicts
who have experienced Christian conversion and found faith in God.
Qualitative research in the penitentiary: convict’s perspective. In this paper article there is focus on philosophical nature and scientific meaning of a qualitative
research, which is carried out with the convicts in the penitentiary. The qualitative
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research, based on Insider’s View sociological principle (Oyserman, Swim, 2001),
reveals the perspective of a convicted person who experiences social stigma (Goffman, 1963) and allows us to know his subjective experience - personal religious
experience. Therefore, such a research, focused on human religious experience re
cognition, is based on social constructionism and theological essentialism ontology
and phenomenological episthemology. The research object is convict‘s convert‘s
religious experiences after the discovery of God. The research aim is to reveal and
interpret convict‘s convert‘s religious experiences after the discovery of God.
In the article it is talking about the logic of Participatory Action Research, its
scientific value and practical meaning for the convicts in the penitentiary. Participatory Action Research is based on the principles of social involvement, empowerment and change, when the research participants, the convicts themselves, become active characters who solve their own social problems (Kidd, Kral, 2005).
Participatory Action Research, increasing the research participants/convicts’ consciousness, makes an opportunity for them to generate the ideas of social change
in a team and create together the strategy which could improve their situation
(Ruškus, Mažeikis, 2007).
In the qualitative research an informant/convict is perceived as an important
participant of a research process, expressing subjective meanings of a religious experience and social reality; therefore, he is valued as an investigator of social world
phenomena and as the best expert of his own experience and life (Young, 2005).
The qualitative research validity in order to guarantee the reliability of the conclusions has been achieved by using member checking, i.e. involving informants as active participants into the analysis of the obtained data and the process of creating
research results (Bitinas irk t., 2008).
The results of research:
Distinction between non-religious and religious life. Research has found, that
participants of the research before a conversion to Christianity felt an existential
anxiety, God’s desire and spiritual thirst, but they didn’t have a personal relationship
with God or any religious practice. Participants of the research also indicate a strong
qualitative distinction between their life without faith and life with God. Convert’s
prisoner’s clearly separate these two periods of their lives – period of non-religious
life and period of religious life. Religious life is a absolutely different from non-religious, it’s a new life. Research showed, that discovered faith and theistic approach
give prisoner’s a new transcendent or metaphysical perspective of the life.
Prison as an experience of existential crisis and limitary statement of life. An
experience of imprisonment participant’s of the research is defined as existential
and ontological crisis of life. An imprisonment meant the end of all, what was important for person, what he had and what he loved. In other words, an imprisonment meant the end of the whole life (Frankl, 2008). Participant’s of the research
indicate, that prison is time of crisis, and this crisis is inner crisis – a crisis of hope
and the meaning of life.
Moreover, participants of research in prison have experienced much destructive emotions, such a shame, guilt, fear, loneliness (loss of social relationships)
and hopelessness. These negative emotions brought a psychological pain (Gilligan,
2007). This spiritual pain is much deeper than physical, therefore in that difficult
statement as imprisonment for person could help a closeness to God.
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Relationship between conversion to Christianity and imprisonment. All participants of the research discovered faith in God, when they got into prison. Until
imprisonment participants of the research didn’t have any religious experience
or practice and, moreover, they didn’t have any need of God, therefore in prison
experienced conversion to Christianity was absolutely radically. For participants
of the research, the prison became place of first personally meeting with God. An
imprisonment, as experience of existential crisis, prisoner’s motivated to call for
God’s help and to open to transcendence. In this sense, we can see that crisis can
give a new perspective for human’s life. Crisis of imprisonment can be seen as significant factor of person’s and his life transformation, because crisis can lead person to God (Wagner, 2010). When people experience extreme stress and have difficulty coping, they may undergoing a religious conversion. After traumatic events
of life persons become more religious, may feel closer to God or more sure in their
faith (Park, 2005).
Research has found, that prisoner’s conversion to Christianity is related to
other Christian believer’s witnesses of faith: God is experienced and met while
listening to other people’s (ex-prisoner’s, ex-addicted person’s and et al.) success
stories and their witnesses about their personal faith. These witnesses of faith are
authentic motivation for prisoners personally to accept God’s grace and love in
their hearts and lives (Būgaitė, 2004).
Relationship between conversion and penance. Results of the research showed,
that penance is the main characteristic of religious conversion. In other words,
conversion is related with person’s sincerely penance for his personal sins. When
imprisoned person discovers faith and in spiritual way meet God, he clearly realize,
that he is a sinner and he needs God’s forgiveness and mercy. An inner penance is
a radical reorientation of the whole human’s life. A conversion of heart is real just
then, when human turn back on sin and evil (Katalikų Bažnyčio Katekizmas, § 1431,
1996). Therefore, it can’t be conversion without penance for sins.
Prisoner’s senses of faith. The research has found that, in prisoner’s mind faith
is perceived as a grace of God and as a costly value. On the other hand, participants of research faith definite not only as metaphysical God’s action or God’s
initiative, but also as a free and personal human’s response to God’s grace. From
that interaction rise the faith. In other words, convert’s prisoner’s faith is defined
as human’s personal relationship with God. This relationship is a very unique and
subjective human’s experience (Berger, Luckmann, 1999).
For participants of the research a faith in God is much costly value even than
physical freedom, because believed human can feel free in his inside, even if he
is in prison. This correlation between faith and inner freedom is a very significant
and important, because for prisoners the real freedom is God, who gives a spiritual
freedom. This theistic freedom is experienced as a freedom from sin and evil. By
talking about prisoners, Haysom (2007) indicates one of the greatest paradoxes of
Christian faith: God is able transform human’s experience – a prisoner of criminal
justice system can become free in his spirit and, as the apostle Paul stated, to be
a prisoner of Christ.
Research has found also a correlation between faith and happiness. A faith in
God create an experience of happiness. Faith and relationship with God is a fundamental condition to be happy. Also, after conversion to Christianity is noticed
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a radical cognitive change in prisoner’s mind. A conversion have a power to change
human’s mind - it gives a new direction to human’s thinking. A religious conversion
also transforms human’s approach into a many things. A convert perceives newly
the reality: he become able to see life, world, people, his own past, relationships
between humans in a new perspective, in a religious view. A convert starts to see
a world and people positive and he starts to value other things. Research showed,
that after conversion to Christianity prisoners started to value spiritual things more
than material. Therefore, according Dajczer (2010), a religious conversion firstly is
a conversion of the thinking.
Research has found two main senses of the Christian conversion: hope expe
rience and meaning of life experience.
Relationship between faith and hope. Participants of research indicate relationship between religious conversion (or Christian faith) and hope. According convert’s prisoner’s, hope is the result of the conversion, and it is the most strongly
experienced in the context of faith. Without a faith there isn’t hope (Moltmann,
1939). Participants of research talk about religious nature of the hope. Ng & Shek
(2001) researches also confirm this correlation between faith and hope: the res
pondents, who were experienced Christian conversion, showed a decrease in
depressive symptoms and feelings of hopelessness, whereas upon conversion
purpose of life increased; converts became free from depression and discovered
meaning and purpose in life.
Research showed, that convert’s prisoner’s hope is based on God, moreover, a
resource of hope is God. Also, hope is associated with God’s love, mercy, forgiveness and faithfulness. Hope is experienced in Jesus, who walks with human even
when he is going in the wrong direction (the Emmaus story, Luke 24), even when
he go into a far country and squander all (the Prodigal Son story, Luke 15), and
even when he arrange to have someone killed (King David, 2 Sam 11). God is God
of hope in our countless “even when’s” (Pounder, 2008). Christian message is a
message of theistic hope. God in Jesus comes bringing healing and forgiveness to
the sinners, welcome to the marginalized, and give freedom for the oppressed,
because Jesus died for all people, for our sins (Howard, 2009).
Christian hope can be seen on the cross of Christ. Faith-based hope includes redemption from sin on the cross of Christ, God’s unconditional love, forgiveness and
abiding presence. According convert’s prisoner’s, the cross means, that God comes
to me, suffer for me, forgives me, and is with me in my brokenness, guilt, shame,
loneliness, and powerlessness. The cross of Christ tells for prisoners of God’s forgiveness and unconditional love, how they are free from sin and death, and liberated, no
matter what their circumstances, including imprisonment. Christian hope, grounded
firmly in the incarnation, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, is a statement about God believing humankind is worth dying for (Puonder, 2008).
Research reveled two types of hope: transcendental-eschatological hope and
social hope.
Transcendental-eschatological hope. The results of the research reveled, that
participants of the research, who have experienced a conversion to Christianity
and personally discovered faith in God, hope relate with after-death life and eternity. For converts’ prisoner’s a main goal of the life is to be with God after death, it
means, to reach the salvation. In this sense, faith provides the hope, that human’s
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life on the earth is not end. Christian message does not end here; Christian hope
transcends this reality and invites person to live after the death, to live in the
presents of God (Howard, 2009). Hope is related with after-death life, because it
opens human’s life to transcendence (Būgaitė, 2005).
According Moltmann’s (1936), hope is an eschatological experience, and it is
based on belief of God’s promise, of promise of is eternal life. Moltmann’s Theo
logy of Hope indicates an eschatological perspective of hope and always directs human to the future. Research showed, that participants of the research have hope
of the redemption of their souls, because Christ provides forgiveness and salvation
for everyone, who believes in him. According Moltmann’s Theology of hope, faith
in God, witch gives hope, helps to see the world with a new eyes. Although oppression and imprisonment sadly remain, the situation in no longer hopeless. Seeing
the world from the cross of Christ everyone imprisoned person can experience
salvation and hope (Moltmann, 1936). Results of the research showed, that until
an event of Christian conversion, participants of research diidn’t have this conception of transcendental-eschatological hope.
Social hope. Results of research revealed, that in prison discovered faith in God
have strong influence to prisoner’s resocialization and reintegration to the socie
ty. For prisoners faith is like an inner empowerment to feel and to be a part of
society.
Research showed, that an experience of inner and personal faith motivate
prisoner’s to change a criminal behavior to the social responsible lifestyle. Religious conversion for prisoners is has been found as a strong motive in the future to
live a new life according Christian morality. Also, discovered faith those prisoners,
who have addictions, motivates from inside and helps to make a decision to don’t
use alcohol or drug any more and turn the life to the positive direction . In this
sense, research revealed, that faith have a strong motivated power. Theistic hope
for prisoners is related with aspirations of the future, and it can be definite as an
inner motive and stimulation to live a new and responsible life (Miceli & Caltelfranchi, 2010). Research showed, that the effect of a conversion experience has
been found to be positive, bringing about a new direction and helping to motivate
prisoners to live socially (Ng, Shek, 2001).
In addition, research also revealed, that convict’s prisoners identify themselves
with Christ – arrested, suffering, oppressed, humiliated, tried, convicted and exe
cuted God, who became solidary with everyone, who have such a experiences
(Pounder, 2008). Such a social similarity with Christ for prisoners have a possibility
to experience, that God is very close to their lives and he really can to understand
their situation.
Research revealed, that the experience of imprisonment and subsequent existential crisis can become significant factors, which encourage convicts to religious
conversion and motivate them to experience a change in their personal lives, refusing delinquent behaviour and deciding for living according to Christian morality.
It means, that in prison discovered faith in God generates prisoner’s motivation of
reintegration into society.
Relationship between faith and meaning of life. For convert’s prisoner’s the
meaning of life and the primary goal in life is to be happy, but happiness, accor
ding participants of research, is founded just in personal relationship with God.
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It means, that meaning comes from God: God is the one meaning of the life and
the ultimate purpose of the life. Research has found, that convert’s prisoner’s
meaning of life is based on religious faith. The event of Christian conversion has
power to create a human’s experience of the meaning. According Howard (2009),
God invites us into life. We respond by faith. God responds to our response. Meaning is created from that interaction.
Participants of research indicate, that a conversion and discovered faith in God
is related with discovery of purpose of life: convert’s prisoner’s had found purpose
of life in relation to religious conversion. This purpose, firstly, is spiritual – always
to live in relationship with God, to grow in the faith, to evangelize and to help
other people’s to find Jesus (altruistic-missionary aspirations), and, finally, to reach
a salvation of the soul – the Kingdom of God. That is the main convert’s prisoner’s
purpose of life. According Emmons (2005), spiritual striving refer to goals, that are
oriented toward the sacred. They are those personal goals, that are concerned
with ultimate purpose, ethics, commitment to God, and a seeking of the divine
in daily experience. In other words, spiritual striving are strivings, that reflect a
desire to transcendent the self (self-transcendence is one of the main category
of life meaning), that reflect an integration of the individual with larger and more
complex units and relationship with God. Ng & Shek (2001) indicate, that converts
have a higher grade of purpose in life as compared to the non-converts.
Faith - stress and difficulties coping strategy. Results of he research revealed,
that convert’s prisoner’s a faith experienced as a resource of a spiritual power and
a significant help in psychological and social difficult situations, in this a case, by
being in a prison. Research showed, that faith in God helps prisoners to cope with
negative emotions. Hollis et al. (2007) also supports this finding of the research.
According Hollis et al. (2007), spirituality and faith can help person to cope with
destructive emotions. Brink (1993) researches also indicate a strong correlation
between spirituality and stress coping. According Brink (1993), religion can to show
positive aspects of stressful situations and encourage person don’t lose a hope.
Religion has a power to transform the meaning of events. Religious people are able
to see the stressful event as the will of a loving God, even if human don’t understand this God’s will at this time. Also, religious people are able to see the event
as a spiritual opportunity to grow in faith. Religion may be particularly important,
when people confront stressful life experiences, for example, imprisonment (Park,
2005). Nedderman et al. (2010) also indicate, that transcendent spiritual belief is
significant factor of prisoner’s quality of life. Spirituality is a key resource in helping
prisoners cope a negative emotions and find internal strength and hope.
Finally, by talking about results of this research, we can surely to say, that in
prison discovered faith prisoner’s brings new life, new identity, new family, God’s
grace and forgiveness, and radically transforms their hearts and lives.
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Sandra Kratavičiūtė, Lithuanian Caritas, coordinator of rehabilitation project Alpha
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The Place and Role of the Religious Experience in the Context
of Contemporary Religiosity in Lithuania
Milda ALIŠAUSKIENĖ
A bst ra ct
Sociologists of religion usually prescribe to the phenomenon of religion such aspects like religious community, religious belief, religious practices and religious experience. Although first three aspects of religion and their manifestation receive
much attention by scholars of religion, religious experience remains on the margins
of social scientific research of religion. Lithuania is not an exception, thus author
of this presentation raise the question what is the place and role of religious experience within contemporary religiosity in Lithuania. The presentation focuses on
new religious phenomena and research conducted in various new religious groups
like Art of Living, Brahma Kumaris, Sahadza Yoga and among believers in extraordinary powers of Merkinė pyramid.
Basing oneself on the data from in-depth interviews with members of contemporary religious phenomena in Lithuania author of this presentation states that
religious experience is the aspect of religion which is also influenced by changes in
particular social context. The data allows to state that religious experience within
contemporary religious phenomena in Lithuania has particular aspects like the
need of informants to explain it by scientific terms which maybe explained as the
influence of scientism to religion in our society.
S a nt ra uka
Religijos sociologai religijos socialiniam reiškiniui priskiria įvairius aspektus, tokius
kaip religinė bendruomenė, religinis tikėjimas, religinės apeigos ir religinė pa
tirtis. Nors pirmieji trys religijos aspektai ir jų raiška sulaukia pakankamai dėmesio
iš šiuolaikinių religijos tyrėjų, tačiau religinė patirtis dažnai lieka šių tyrimų paribiuose. Kokia religinės patirties vieta ir vaidmuo šiuolaikinio relingumo kontekste
Lietuvoje?
Pranešime, siekiant atsakyti į iškeltą klausimą pasitelkiami jo autorės empiriniai
tyrimai šiuolaikinio religingumo reiškinių ir grupių, tokių kaip Merkinės piramidės
sekėjų sąjūdis, Gyvenimo menas, Brahma Kumaris ir kt. Daroma išvada, jog nepaisant sparčiai kintančio socialinio konteksto, kuris veikia daugelį religijos reiškinio
aspektų, religinė patirtis yra mažiausiai paveikus religijos aspektas. Tačiau empiriniai duomenys leidžia manyti, kad vienas iš religinės patirties sampratos pokyčių
šiuolaikinės visuomenės kontekste atsiskleidžia informantų poreikyje šią patirtį paaiškinti moksliškai. Tokie duomenys leidžia kalbėti apie kintančią religinės patirties
vietą ir vaidmenį šiuolaikinio religingumo kontekste.
Milda Ališauskienė, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Centre for Oriental Studies at Vilnius, assoc. prof. in the Department of Sociology, Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania.
Area of scientific interest: sociology of religion, new religious movements.
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From Religious Participation to Political Participation:
The Engagement of Young People in Theosophy
Anita STASULANE
The proposed paper examines the engagement of young people in Theosophy,
and it is based on the data collected in the EU Seventh Framework Programme
research project “Memory, Youth, Political Legacy and Civic Engagement.”
The historical roots of the political activity of contemporary theosophists
stretch into the political aspirations of Nicholas Roerich who strived to establish
the kingdom of Shambhala on the earth, that would extend from Tibet to South
Siberia comprising the territories governed by China, Mongolia, Tibet and the
USSR. In Latvia, interference of esotericism and politics became apparent already
in the 1930s, when the soviet regime successfully made use of Roerich’s adhe
rents propagating the communist ideology in the independent Republic of Latvia.
With the collapse of the soviet regime, Roerich’s followers in Latvia became legal
in 1988 when the Latvian Roerich Society was restored which soon split up in three
groups: Latvian Roerich Society, Latvian Department of the International Centre of
the Roerichs, and Aivars Garda group. Garda who has fused nationalistic ideas with
Theosophy focuses specifically on young people who are particularly vulnerable to
radical political agendas.
The objective of the presentation is to analyze the interference between religion and politics paying special attention to political participation of young generation theosophists in Latvia. The presentation is aimed (1) at providing an overview
of a growing theosophical network extended in Latvia; (2) at discussing the dyna
mics of religious participation in contemporary Theosophical groups in Latvia; (3) at
examining political involvement of young generation of theosophists in Latvia.
Anita Stasulane, PhD in Theology, professor of history of religions at Daugavpils University, Latvia. Area of scientific interest: history of religions, theosophy.
135
Session V – B
Music as a Religious Experience According
to Karlheinz Stockhausen
Agnieszka DRAUS
A bst ra ct
Karlheinz Stockhausen: a German composer and conductor, a contemporary mo
del of erudition and a philosopher of music, a creator of the most modern musical
hybrids, controversial, praised by some and scorned by others – does he deserve
the title of spectacular genius or greatest swindler of his times? He is certainly a
personality so complex and controversial that it would be difficult to pass him by
indifferently. He seems to be undoubtedly the most outstanding modern German
composer. He is the author of over 360 compositions: minor and monumental,
vocal and instrumental, including all forms and genres. He is mainly associated
with the avant-garde of the Darmstadt school as well as with the experiments in
organizing musical material, sound, formal continuum, and note writing. Recently,
he astonished many by his statements positioning God in the centre, indicating His
influence on men, on a composer, on everything around us... In that context the
last almost 30-hour long stage masterpiece, Licht, finished in 2004, is a monumental apotheosis of the Creator. Since I was able to think, I have been grateful to God
for my life, for His care, my talent, for the example of His nature, the composer
admitted in 1997. During his courses in August 2005 he added: I haven’t changed
much: I always tried to praise God with my compositions. These words as well as
the sacralisation phenomenon of Stockhausen’s life by his own doing inspire to
search for the connections of his work with the mysterious sphere of sacrum.
Keywords: Stockhausen, sacrum, cosmos, contemporary music, theatre
Karlheinz Stockhausen is undoubtedly the most outstanding modern German composer. His achievements include over 360 works, minor and monumental, vocal and
instrumental, covering various forms and genres. He is mainly associated with the
avant-garde of the Darmstadt School, with the experiments in the field of musical
material organization, sound, formal continuum, and notation. However, the most
recent works regarding Stockhausen’s output show it from a different perspective.
They emphasize the significance of these works’ message, their inspiration deri
ving from outside the music, their religious content, the concept of process ritualisation and specific experiences accompanying their performance and reception.
Stockhausen himself often defined his work as spiritual music: geistliche musik,
sharing it in an exceptional way – by mystically co-celebrating it.
Every year between July and August in Kürten near Cologne Stockhausen Music
Summer Courses were organised for composers, theoreticians and performers of his
compositions – all in all about 130 participants. Stockhausen always played a role of an
136
éminence grise in the community of Kürten, which, during the period of the courses,
conformed the life of the town to the ritual of the event. This specific ritual of learning about Stockhausen’s complex personality and work had its strictly defined goal
and motto, for example the one from 2005: Lernen am Werk – learning through work,
studying the work of art – its notation, composer’s ideas and above all its function. The
composer defined this function as follows: “the music of the future, which must be
spiritual music, dedicated to God, that will be a perpetual prayer, but only in the form
of a Catholic mass but also in other forms of worship from all over our planet, thus integrating the religious symbolism of the whole world” (Stockhausen 2005). These words
as well as the phenomenon of sacralisation of Stockhausen’s own life inspire to search
for connections between his work and the mysterious sphere of sacrum.
Sacrum as a phenomenon and not an ontological entity is most often defined
by showing a number of universal qualities of its presence in music; unequivocal and equivocal qualities, of which both the former and the latter are present
in Stockhausen’s music. The following should be listed among the universal unequivocal values:
• religious texts for compositions: liturgical and Biblical
• generally religious subjects in secular texts
• the compositions’ reference to various events of religious life
• hierophanies, i.e. mystical motifs, symbols and significant objects. (Eliade
1996)
The bellow should be named among universal equivocal qualities:
• evoking numinous experiences such as misterium tremendum et fascinorum (Otto 1999)
• affiliation to the category of “otherness” or “strangeness”
• compliance of the aesthetics and a level of a given composition’s complexi
ty with the perceptive capabilities of a listener
Stockhausen’s compositions demonstrating unequivocal qualities of the
presence of sacrum are, most generally speaking, of religious subject-matter belonging to three cultural circles, quite often representing all three simultaneously.
These are: Christian culture, Far East culture and the culture of African tribes and
both Americas. The composer wrote: “Until 1960, I was a man who related to the
cosmos and God through Catholicism, a very particular religion that I chose for
myself almost as a way of opposing the post-war Sartrean nihilistic attitudes of
the established intellectuals. And then I began to float because I got in touch with
many other religions. In Japan I prayed many times to Buddhas just as I’ve prayed
to the Christian God before. And then to the gods of the Mayas and the Aztecs in
Mexico. I lived for short periods in Bali, Ceylon, and India and felt that the religions
were all part of the face of a multifaceted universal spirit, of the total spirit” (Cott
1973). The belief in God of all cultures and religions resulted in compositions referring to ritual forms other than mass and combining the traditions of European
forms of worship with the exotic ones.
The cycle of 12 Indian songs written in 1972 in the style of minimal music titled
Am Himmel wandre ich... (In the sky I am walking...) is a musical equivalent of Indian
tribal situations of both Americas. It contains motifs characteristic for Indian beliefs
such as animalism – attributing souls to animals, plants, phenomena as well as to
inanimate nature and objects, and most of all shamanism. The cycle seems to refer
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to a shaman’s life story from the moment of his spiritual birth to discovering the final
initiation. The next songs, the shaman’s initiation stages, belong to the three spheres
distinguished in Indian worship: the sphere of heaven, the sphere of earth and the
sphere of the underworld. The shaman, following his destiny, oscillates between
the aforementioned spheres. The texts’ authenticity is increased by references to
mythical and historical characters of ancient Indian tribes, such as the Aztec god
Quetzalcoatl – the god of nature and prosperity but also a protector of artists, sculptors and goldsmiths, of the Aztec chief and philosopher Nezahualcoyotl who lived
in the years 1403-1473. Apart from poetry, Stockhausen introduces other elements
referring to the vibrant tradition of tribal cults. He supplements Indian poems with
onomatopoeic sounds of bird song, wind, crying, whispers, with improvised calls and
texts of romantic and fairy-tale subject-matter as well as the sound of finger snapping, clapping and stomping. In the cycle’s sheet music, Stockhausen also introduces
instructions regarding strictly defined postures to be adopted while performing the
songs, postures that clearly refer to the authentic prayer postures of ancient peoples.
“Every movement is exactly notated – from the rhythm of the eyelids to the ecstatic dance”, Stockhausen writes in the introduction to his sheet music (Stockhausen
1992). The texts of poems, improvised additional texts, all kinds of sounds, gestures
and a reduction of musical means to a minimum are there to assist the performers to
enter the role of a shaman and help the audience to experience his story.
A few years later Stockhausen used the tested idea of combining music, words,
acoustic effects and gesture in another composition, a choir opera titled Atmen gibt
das Leben (Breathing Gives Life). This three-part composition has 4 types of texts
of religious content: texts written by the composer himself, Japanese Haiku poetry,
quotes from Socrates and Master Eckhart and a fragment from the apocryphal Gospel
of Thomas. Thus, next to theological motifs there are also plots of Eastern philosophy
and cosmology, next to semantic words – phonemic words, a characteristic language
created Stockhausen inspired by his dreams of other extraterrestrial civilisations and
resembling meditative mantra practices (similar sound effects may be heard in Stimmung written in 1968, whose text, consisting of names of various deities and gods,
becomes a starting point to create sound permutation of particular vowels).
The composer’s two musical prayers are also worth noting here: the exotic
Inori (Japanese word for ‘prayer’) from 1974 and the seemingly “European” Litanei
from 1997. The former one is written for dancer-mimes and orchestra. The text’s
prayer stratum was substituted here by a language of gestures created by Stockhausen. God is identified with a mysterious sound of HU. In his introduction to the
prayer, or the so-called Lecture on HU, the composer writes: „Hu is the most holy
of all sounds; Hu is the hidden spirit of all sounds, words, like a soul in a body. Hu
does not belong to any language, but every language belongs to it. Hu is the name
of the most supreme being, the only true name of God, a name which does not
belong to any religion. Inori is a musical prayer to Hu” (Stockhausen 1974).
The uniqueness of the latter prayer, Litanei, is embedded in its text which is
not liturgical but comes from the composer and is his artistic Credo. Four lines
of the litany is the author’s attempt of auto-presentation and his function in the
God-Man relationship. “I do not make my music, we read between the lines of the
composition, but only relay the vibrations I receive; that I function like a translator,
that I am a radio” (Stockhausen 1999).
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The ritualisation of narration referring to Christian tradition of worship is given
to the composition by the choir cast, a specific layout and movement of perfor
mers on the stage and a responsive form of composing subsequent stanzas (the relation between cantor and choir). The Eastern tradition element is the introduction
of the sound of Japanese rin, signalling the beginning of each phase of the ritual.
Stockhausen’s compositions which possess equivocal qualities of the presence
of sacrum are those that include secular motifs but due to the type of the subjectmatter interpretation refer to symbolic sphere of sanctity. From the point of view
of a topic, two dominant plots may be listed here: a plot of so-called spiritualisation of cosmos, its relation with philosophy and religion and a plot of intuition as
the only possible journey, a journey into oneself.
Composing for me is as if discovering a new planet. A musical composition is
like a small universe containing the spirit of cosmos, the composer admitted. Astrological motif fascinating Stockhausen became the basis of an open-air composition
titled Sternklang (Star Sound) from 1971 written for 5 groups of musicians. It is the
first of his works manifesting the composer’s dreams and longings for other outer
space civilization developing parallel with ours and his faith in the unusual functions
and abilities granted to musicians as a result of comic energy radiation. Robin Maconie (2005) considered Sternklang as an expression of tribute Stockhausen paid to
his master, Igor Stravinsky after his death. A tribute manifesting not in the reference
to The Rite of Spring composer’s technique but in a message his name brings:
IGOR STRAVINSKY
STAR VIGOR IN SKY
In this composition Stockhausen once again uses the phonemic language, incorporating names of individual constellations into it. And thus, star constellations are
represented by sound constellations, similarly to the compositions written in the years
1975-77: Sirius – electronic music accompanies by voices and instruments as well as
the cycle Tierkreis existing in many casting versions although written for music boxes.
Stockhausen used intuition, on the other hand, as the means to create music
in cooperation with performers. “Nothing is written here, the composer wrote,
musicians only have the text I provided them with. It does not describe music; its
purpose is to propel performers into a state in which they are able to concentrate
on a specific number of points. Thus, a certain system of internal infiltrations may
arise between performers”(Skowron 1989). This concept of a creative process became the basis of many compositions classified as the so-called intuitive music:
Alphabet für Liége, Aus dem sieben Tagen, or Für kommende Zeiten.
The above-mentioned examples of Stockhausen’s compositions allow us to distinguish in his work, apart from the universal qualities of the presence of sacrum,
also qualities that are individual and idiomatic for the author of Hymnen. These
qualities from the perspective of contents will be as follows:
• combining religious subjects of various cultural circles
• combining the sphere of the highest values with the sphere of the surrounding macrocosm as well as man’s internal microcosm
• introducing texts in various languages in order to increase message clarity.
From the perspective of music, these qualities are the following:
• vocal casting referring to the ritual practices of singing of all religions and
instrumental casting, often exceeding convention
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•
next to the traditional production of sound, introducing acoustic sounds,
effects referring to meditation practices and invocation, onomatopoeic
sounds, and various noises
• using electronic sounds
The audible layer of text and music is also supplemented with a visual layer: a
system of gestures and stage movements, which may be found in worship manifestations of many religions and beliefs.
The 30-hour opera cycle Licht completed after 25 years of work is a great synthesis
of all enumerated manifestations of sacrum in Karlheinz Stockhausen’s music. The cycle includes 7 parts referring to the 7 days of the week. Every subsequent part has its
own characters, its own subject and content as well as individual attributes, symbols
and colours. An element integrating the parts are the three main, symbolic heroes appearing in every link of the cycle: Michael, the Archangel descending to Earth (his mission similar to that of Christ’s), Eve, symbolising a woman, the loved one, the mother
or the guardian angel and Lucifer, the incarnation of Evil. The three characters are presented in three strata: instrumental (trumpet, trombone, basset horn), vocal (tenor,
bass, soprano) and stage (dancers). There are also allegorical characters present in
the cycle: senses, elements, animals, days of the week, fragrances. In his cycle Licht
Stockhausen uses a concept of forming musical material out of one primary structure,
the so-called super-formula (a combination of three formulas-melodies of the composition’s three heroes). The composer emphasised many times that he perceives his
monumental piece outside any existing genre denominations; as an attempt to combine the distant traditions of the West and the East, both in the subject he selected as
well as the formal solutions in the theatre. One of the opera’s heroes, Michael speaks
characteristic words, which seem to be the author’s introspection:
I became a human
To see myself and God the Father
As a human vision
To bring celestial music to humans
And human music to the celestial beings
So that Man may listen to God
And God may hear His children.
Thus, Stockhausen’s last completed masterpiece also has the most significant
function: it operates as a medium between man and his God, whereas the composer himself would like to pay back his debt to Fate with his service. “From the
moment I was able to think, I am thankful to God for my life, His protection, my ta
lent, for the example of His nature”, the composer admitted in 1997 (Stockhausen
2000). During his courses in August that year he added: „I did not change much, I
have always tried to praise God with my composition”(Stockhausen 2005).
Bibliography
Cott J., Stockhausen. Conversations with the Composer. Simon and Schuster, New York
1973.
Maconie R., Other planets. The Music of Karlheinz Stockhausen. The Scarecrow Press, Inc.,
Lanham, Maryland, Toronto, Oxford, 2005.
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Otto R., Świętość. Elementy irracjonalne w pojęciu bóstwa i stosunek do elementów
racjonalnych. Wydawnictwo KR, Warsaw 1999.
Skowron Z., Teoria i estetyka awangardy muzycznej drugiej połowy XX wieku. Wydawnictwo
Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego, Warsaw 1989.
Stockhausen K., Vortrag über HU, Stockhausen-Verlag Werk Nr .: 38,5, Kürten 1974.
Stockhausen K., Am Himmel wandre ich..., Stockhausen-Verlag CD 20, Kürten 1992.
Stockhausen K., Litanei 97 für Chor und Dirigent 1997, Stockhausen-Verlag Werk
Nr.: 74, Kürten 1999.
Stockhausen K., Litanei 97 Kurzwellen, Stockhausen-Verlag CD 61, Kürten 2000.
Stockhausen K., a statement closing the 8th Summer Courses in Kürten 2005.
Agnieszka Draus, PhD Academy of Music in Krakow, a member of the Division of Musicologists of the Polish Composers’ Union. Area of scientific interest: sacred music, Krzysztof Penderecki, Karlheinz Stockhausen.
Catechesis of the Youth Groups of Liturgical Music
Vida DAUGIRDIENĖ
A bst ra ct
Music, which joins material world with human soul, evokes prayer in the heart and
helps to participate in Christian liturgy. Thus, such music can be called liturgical
music. Liturgical music does not mean a particular musical style, but rather a form
of music suitable for liturgy - a form that can influence the content.
Christian folk music, which is most popular with young people, should be understood as new folk singing which fills the gaps in post-Soviet Lithuanian Church
music. The rise of this style of songs as well as coinage of the term “a worship
group“, characterizing a group of young people singing during the Holy Mass, evidence a certain shift that can be described as a quest of new forms to express faith.
However, it can also denote unreflecting about an appropriate musical repertoire
suitable for the Mystery of the Holy Mass and using genres which make no recko
ning of the meaning of the liturgy, the parts of the rite and the liturgical year. This
is why there is an urge of an appropriate liturgical catechesis of young people.
The results of the Survey on the Status of the Youth Groups of Liturgical Music in Kaunas 1st Deanery maintain that the young people who are singing in the
churches of Kaunas dissociate Holy Mass from other moments as they consider
their chant to be a moment of prayer at the same time sometimes feeling some
need to be silent and quiet. They pay attention to the words of the hymns and their
correspondence to the parts of the Holy Mass. It is important for them to be joined
by the liturgical assembly, and they like being appraised for their singing. Another
significant moment is that they enjoy live music, and they have need of singing
hymns in the native language. However, only less than half of the respondents are
involved in the catechesis of their parishes; most of those who take an active part
in it have already received the holy sacraments or are not preparing for them yet.
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Therefore, even though the liturgical catechesis must be pursued after the initial
coming to believe and conversion, young people should receive this catechesis in
an appropriate manner.
S a nt ra uka
Muzika, jungianti materialų pasaulį su žmogaus siela, gali skatinti maldos nuotaiką
ir padėti dalyvauti krikščioniškoje liturgijoje. Pastaruoju atveju ji gali būti vadinama
liturgine muzika. Liturginė muzika nereiškia muzikinio stiliaus, o daugiau (tinkamą
liturgijai) formą. Tačiau forma gali daryti įtaką turiniui.
Tarp jaunimo labiausiai paplitusi krikščioniška folk muzika suprastina kaip naujasis liaudiškasis giedojimas, užpildo posovietinės Lietuvos bažnytinės muzikos
paveldo spragas. Šio stiliaus giesmių bei „šlovinimo grupės“ termino tarp šv. Mišiose
giedančio jaunimo atsiradimas liudija tam tikrą slinktį, galinčią reikšti tiek naujų
tikėjimo išraiškos formų ieškojimą, tiek ir nesusimąstymą apie šv. Mišių slėpiniui
deramą muzikinį repertuarą bei naudojimą žanrų, neatsižvelgiančių į liturgijos
prasmę, apeigų dalis, liturginius metus. Tinkamos liturginės jaunimo katechezės
užduotis – atliepti į šiuos iššūkius.
Apibendrinant atlikto Kauno I dekanato jaunimo liturginės muzikos grupių
katechezės būklės tyrimo rezultatus, teigiamu reiškiniu galima laikyti, kad Kauno
bažnyčiose giedantis jaunimas atskiria Mišias nuo kitų momentų, kad giedojimą
jose patiria kaip maldos momentą, tuo pačiu kartais jausdami poreikį ir nutilti,
nurimti. Jiems svarbūs giesmių žodžiai ir jų atitikimas šv. Mišių dalims. Taip pat jiems
svarbus ir kitų liturginės asamblėjos narių įsijungimas į giedojimą bei įvertinimas.
Vilties teikia jaunimo mėgstamas gyvas muzikavimas bei jaučiamas gimtosios kal
bos poreikis giedant. Tačiau mažiau negu pusė respondentų yra įtraukti į parapijos
katechezę, o iš įtrauktųjų dauguma greičiausiai jau priėmę sakramentus arba šiuo
metu jiems nesiruošia. Todėl, nors liturginė katechezė turi vykti po pirminio įtikėjimo
ir atsivertimo, jaunimui reikia jiems tinkamu būdu pateiktos šios katechezės.
Vida Daugirdienė, PhD in Education Sciences, assoc. prof. in the Department of Religious Study, Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania. Area of scientific interest: Christianity,
liturgical music, catechesis.
New Music for New (?) Religious Experiences
Kinga POVEDÁK
A bst ra ct
Music is an important if not the most important form of expression in religious
rituals, probably the most expressive and multi-faceted form of artistic expression regarding religious experience. As Gordon Lynch articulates ‘Music has, in the
past, been an important cultural resource and practice for religious communities
[…] music has served a number of functions, such as reinforcing religious identities, establishing a sense of collectivity within religious groups […] and serving as a
focus and stimulus of religious experience and sentiment.’
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With time and modernity religions and musical forms go through a significant
change as well, consequently changing religious expressions. In late modernity we
observe the process of removing centuries old musical traditions and inventing new
religious musical genres integrating popular music with religious texts and traditions.
There are many connections and interrelations of religion and popular culture, which
are all important for the understanding of contemporary religion. The emergence of
popular music in traditional churches has not been the subject of much research and
it gives a wonderful insight into the changing religious expressions and vernacular
religiosity of young believers. Throughout my ethnographic research among young
Catholics in Hungary I tried to find implications why traditional religious musical expressions do not seem to be meaningful for them. Is this novel musical language is
the plausibility structure for younger generations in the 21st century?
In this paper I will discuss why some find older forms of musical traditions not
attractive anymore in their vernacular religiosity. What is the spiritual/religious/
psychological need for the formulation of a significantly distinctive musical language for the expressions of religious experience?
Kinga Povedak, assistant research fellow in the Department of Ethnology and Cultural
Anthropology, University of Szeged, Hungary.
Religious Experience Through Music: Contemporary Lithuanian
Compositions
Religinė patirtis per muziką: šiuolaikinė lietuvių kūryba
Danutė KALAVINSKAITĖ
A bst ra ct
Religious experience can be expressed (as well as perceived) through art too. The words
musica sacra used to name church music specify not only its purpose but also a certain –
sacred – quality. Researchers into religious creation try to discover the peculiarities of the
principles of composition and impact on the listener that determine this sacredness primarily in the early church monody. In the history of Christianity, chant like any other artistic expression has become, with time, part of catechesis as well as the benchmark for
spiritual inspiration. This is an important reason why contemporary composers are urged
to study Gregorian chant as the liturgical singing characteristic of the Roman Catholic
Church. It is not a question of imitating Gregorian chant but rather of ensuring that “new
compositions are imbued with the same spirit that inspired and little by little came to
shape it” (John Paul II, Chirograph on Sacred Music, 2003, § 12). On the other hand, since
old times, theologians have considered beauty as an expression of divinity (Augustine of
Hippo, Thomas Aquinas, M. Luther et al.); they also see this evangelical message in secular compositions (e.g., K. Barth, H. U. von Balthasar, H. Küng about Mozart’s music).
After Lithuania regained independence in 1990, artists as part of the nation
underwent change in religious experience the first stage of which was the enthusiasm for faith and search for artistic expression that exceed the Catholic tradition
impoverished during the Soviet time. It is impossible to determine by analysing
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musical works alone how much of it arise from the composer’s authentic religious
experience and how much of it is the wish to play, stylise, imitate earlier church
music or try something new. Therefore the paper discusses the issue of what religious experience, what image or understanding of God (the Kingdom of God)
contemporary religious music by professional Lithuanian composers can open (or
opens). Firstly the focus is on the genres of church music independently of the
purpose of the compositions (liturgical or concert) because by choosing musical
genres that developed from the requirements for the liturgy and canonical texts
the composers clearly declared that they belong to the Christian tradition.
Famous composers of contemporary religious music assert that their aim is to
discover and disclose in their works “the immeasurable magnificence, simplicity,
and magisterial beauty and power that emanates from God, Who is the Source of
Everything” (J. Tavener, also A. Pärt); to authentically “express the eternal values”
through music as an expression of faith (K. Penderecki), to create an unusual space
and time through which the “good magic” of music is expressed (O. Messiaen), and
so on. “Mystical minimalism” is used, “the collapse of time into the eternity” is attempted, or the composition is formed as a maximally authentic ritual event.
Contemporary Lithuanian composers also employ rather suggestively many means
of expression that were created in the history of church music (e.g., the texture and formation of monody, modes, polyphony, certain euphonies of harmony). Several Lithuanian composers who testify to religious truths with their works can be mentioned
(Jeronimas Kačinskas, Kristina Vasiliauskaitė, Alvidas Remesa, Algirdas Martinaitis).
Most often, their musical language does not shock or disturb and can be understood
not only by professional musicians. However, in contemporary Lithuanian culture with
its language of church music that is still forming successful “musical hierophanies”
(that are more impressive than the quiet music) sparkle: the greatness of merciful
God in Vidmantas Bartulis’ Te Deum; God’s indescribable glory and the presence of his
holiness (as much at the present moment as on Judgement Day) in Viktoras Miniotas’
Messa da camera; the image of the Lamb of God that exceeds the cosmic greatness of
the rocks, flowers, constellations and all saints (i.e., the Triumphant Church) in Onutė
Narbutaitė’s “Vėlinių giedojimas” (Chant to All Souls’ Day: Lapides, flores, nomina et
sidera); the miracle of the (self-)liberation of the musical hero (the transformation of
a hostile attitude to God into tender and trusting) in Feliksas Bajoras’ Missa in musica;
the spilling into a smooth flow of an interrupted as though stuck prayer in Vidmantas
Bartulis’ “Vėrinys Marijai” (String of Beads for the Virgin Mary), etc.
The composers’ experience or insights expressed through musical structures
that are forming the language of contemporary Lithuanian religious music can also
be experienced by the audiences as religious revelations.
S a nt ra uka
Religinė patirtis gali būti išreiškiama (bei išgyvenama) ir per meną. Bažnytinės muzikos
pavadinimas musica sacra nurodo ne tik paskirtį, bet ir tam tikrą „šventą kokybę“ – šį
muzikos „šventumą“ lemiančius muzikos darybos principus bei poveikio klausytojams
ypatumus religinės kūrybos tyrinėtojai pirmiausia bando atrasti senojoje bažnytinėje
monodijoje. Krikščionybės istorijoje giesmė, kaip ir kita meninė raiška, ilgainiui tapo
katechezės dalimi ir dvasinio įkvėpimo etalonu. Antai šiuolaikiniai kompozitoriai yra
raginami pažinti grigališkąjį choralą kaip Romos katalikų Bažnyčiai būdingą liturginį
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giedojimą ne tam, kad jį pamėgdžiotų, bet kad „naujos kompozicijos būtų įkvėptos
tos pačios dvasios, kuri jį įkvėpė ir pamažu suformavo“ (pop. Jono Pauliaus II chirografas minint Tra le sollecitudini šimtmetį, 2003, § 12). Kita vertus, teologai nuo
seno grožį vertina kaip dieviškumo apraišką (Augustinas, Tomas Akvinietis, Liuteris
ir kt.), evangelinę žinią girdi ir pasaulietinėje kūryboje (pvz., K. Barthas, H. U. von
Balthasaras, H. Küngas apie Mozarto muziką).
Lietuviams XX a. pabaigoj iškovojus laisvę ir nepriklausomybę, tiek tauta, tiek
meno kūrėjai (kaip jos nariai) išgyveno religinių potyrių dinamiką, kurios pirmasis
etapas – į sovietmečiu nuskurdintos katalikiškos tradicijos rėmus netelpantys tikėjimo
entuziazmas bei meninės išraiškos ieškojimai. Kiek šie ieškojimai kyla iš autentiškos
religinės patirties, kiek iš noro žaisti, stilizuoti, mėgdžioti bažnytinę praeities kūrybą
ar išbandyti nauja, vien analizuojant kūrinius nustatyti neįmanoma. Todėl pranešime
bus gvildenamas klausimas: kokią religinę patirtį, Dievo (Dangaus karalystės)
vaizdinį arba sampratą klausytojams gali atverti (atveria) šiuolaikinė religinė lietuvių
kompozitorių profesionalų kūryba. Pirmiausia bus remiamasi bažnytiniais žanrais
(nepriklausomai nuo kūrinių paskirties – liturginės, koncertinės), kadangi pasirinkdami muzikos žanrus, išaugusius iš liturgijos poreikių, ir kanoninius tekstus, kompozitoriai nedviprasmiškai deklaravo priklausantys krikščioniškosios tradicijos erdvei.
Žymūs šiuolaikiniai religinės muzikos kūrėjai teigia savo kūryba siekiantys rasti ir
atskleisti „neišmatuojamą didingumą, paprastumą, autoritetingą grožį ir galią, kuri
sklinda iš Dievo, visa ko Šaltinio“ (J. Taveneras, t. p. A. Pärtas), per muziką kaip tikėjimo
išpažinimą autentiškai „išreikšti amžinas vertybes“ (K. Pendereckis), sukurti neįprastą
erdvėlaikį, per kurį pasireikštų muzikos „geroji magija“ (O. Messiaenas) ir pan. Kuriamas „mistinis minimalizmas“, pasiekiamas „laiko kolapsas į amžinybę“ ar kūrinys formuojamas kaip maksimaliai tikras (autentiškas) ritualinis įvykis. Šiuolaikiniai lietuvių
kompozitoriai taip pat daugmaž įtaigiai disponuoja daugeliu bažnytinės muzikos istorijoje susiklosčiusių muzikos išraiškos priemonių (pvz., monodijos faktūra ir daryba,
dermėmis, polifoniškumu, tam tikromis harmonijos eufonijomis). Iš lietuvių autorių
galime išskirti kelis kompozitorius, kurie anapusinę tikrovę liudija savo kūrybos visuma (Jeronimas Kačinskas, Kristina Vasiliauskaitė, Alvidas Remesa, Algirdas Martinaitis) – jų raiška dažniausiai rami, nešokiruojanti, suprantama ne vien muzikams
profesionalams. Tačiau bažnytinės muzikos kalbą tik formuojančioje kultūroje
daug įspūdingiau sublyksi atskiros sėkmingos „muzikinės hierofanijos“, kaip antai
gailestingojo Dievo didybė Vidmanto Bartulio „Te Deum“, neapsakoma Dievo šlovė ir
Jo šventumo akivaizda (dabarties akimirkoj tiek pat, kiek Paskutiniojo Teismo dieną)
Viktoro Minioto „Missa da camera“, kosminę akmenynų, žiedų, žvaigždynų ir visų
šventųjų (Triumfuojančios Bažnyčios) didybę pranokstantis Dievo Avinėlio vaizdinys
Onutės Narbutaitės „Vėlinių vainike“, muzikos herojaus iš(si)laisvinimo stebuklas
(priešiško santykio su Dievu perkeitimas į švelnų, patiklų Felikso Bajoro „Missa in
musica“ ar trūkčiojančios, tarsi „įstrigusios“, maldos išsiliejimas sklandžia tėkme
Vidmanto Bartulio „Vėrinyje Marijai“) ir kt. Šios per muzikos struktūras įgarsintos
kompozitorių patirtys ar įžvalgos, formuojančios šiuolaikinės lietuvių religinės muzikos žodyną, gali būti ir klausytojų išgyvenamos kaip religinis įvykis.
Danutė Kalavinskaitė, PhD, musicologist and church organist, assoc. prof. in the Department of Theory of Music, Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, Lithuania. Area
of scientific interest: works of F. Bajoras, sacred music, contemporary Church music of
Lithuanian composers, the role of music in the Catholic Church, liturgical rites and art.
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Session V – C
Expression of Religious Experiences in Lithuanian
Folklore Narratives
Aušra KAIRAITYTĖ
A bst ra ct
We are intending to discuss the personal religious experiences, stated in the Lithuanian folklore narratives. The main question of the discussion is: in what forms religious experiences are most commonly expressed and what are the key-moments
of the meeting of the human and transcendence in narratives of folklore? For more
detailed analysis narratives that portray the human person and the sacred mee
ting were depicted. In Lithuanian folklore the religious experiences often reveals
in dream stories. Human encounters Jesus Christ, Virgin Mary, and many other
saints. In dreams person is encouraged to return to the faith and the loyalty to the
holy person. The hero of the dream experiences a miraculous cure. Sometimes the
places where the Virgin Mary appeared are dreamed. The storytellers perceive the
dreams as prophetic. It is pointed out that prophetic and other dreams about holy
remain in memory for a lifetime. The content of the dreams in many cases is related
to the strengthening and promoting the Catholic faith. If the person carries out the
will of Mother of God or other holy person he has a great possibility to prevent
the danger, cure illnesses and preserve his own or his family member’s life. Lithuanian folklore narratives of human encounter with the supernatural world reveal
the fundamental religious values. The event of impact of human and Deity radically
changes the religious feelings and the religious beliefs: the godless person becomes
religious, non-believer begins to believe, and the religiousness of doubting person
increases. Religious experiences can be revealed not only in the dream stories, but
also in stories of visions and incurred miracles. The experience of visions and miracles is mysterious, extraordinary and unusual event. Personal contact with the holy
man gives a special status to the personage in the whole community. The oral folk
art of dreams, apparitions and miracles is an area of folk piety, which discloses a
very individual and personal human dialogue with the Divinity. This kind narrative
analysis of religious experience leads us to the better understanding of traditional
folk religion as well as its place in contemporary world.
Keywords: religious experiences, folklore narratives, dreams, visions, miracles.
Įvadas
Pranešime ketinama aptarti asmens religines patirtis, vaizduojamas liaudies žodinėje kūryboje. Tyrimų objektas – lietuvių folkloro naratyvai, kuriose kalbama apie
žmogaus ir Dievybės / šventojo asmens susitikimą. Tikslas – aptarti pagrindines religinių patirčių raiškos formas, aptinkamas lietuvių folkloro naratyvuose. Uždaviniai:
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1) nustatyti, kokio pobūdžio patirtys aplanko žmogų susitikime su transcendencija; 2) išanalizuoti žmogaus ir Dievybės susitikimo turinį, jo vyksmą; 3) atskleisti
pagrindines religines vertybes, išryškėjančias žmogaus bendravime su anapusybe.
Metodai: interpretacijos, aprašomasis, analitinis. Tyrimų šaltiniai: tyrimui naudoti
publikuoti ir nepublikuoti lietuvių folkloro šaltiniai. Didžiausią dėmesį kreipsime į
legendas, religinius ir oneirinės tematikos bei asmens patirties pasakojimus, kitus
naratyvus, kuriuose tos patirtys vaizduojamos.
Sapno patirtis
Sapnų naratyvuose religinės patirtys atsiskleidžia susitikime su šventuoju asmeniu.
Sapnuose gali būti regima Švč. Mergelė Marija, Jėzus Kristus, Dievas, šventieji ar
liaudyje šventaisiais laikomi asmenys, kaip Barbora Umiastauskaitė Žagarietė, palaimintasis Jurgis Matulaitis ir kiti.
Svarbus sapnų motyvas, kuriuose pasirodo šventieji, siejasi su žmogaus stebuk
lingu pagijimu. Sapne paprastai yra nurodoma, kaip reikėtų elgtis, norint pasveikti:
liepiama nuvykti į tam tikrą vietą ir pasimelsti prie Švč. Mergelės Marijos koplytėlės (Lietuvių literatūros ir tautosakos instituto Lietuvių tautosakos rankraštynas,
LTR 850/39); patariama aplankyti konkretų asmenį (Račiūnaitė-Paužuolienė 2008:
151); o nuvykus į tam tikrą vietą – pasižadėti, pavyzdžiui, Švč. Mergelei Marijai (LTR
811/458); uždegti žvakes (Buračas 1996: 114); pastatyti kryžių (Buračas 1930: 485)
arba šv. Elžbietos statulą (Buračas 1996: 115). Sapnų, susijusių su žmogaus pagijimu, siužete yra labai svarbus rezultatas. Paprastai asmuo, padedamas šventojo
ar kito ypatingo asmens, pagyja. Galima pastebėti, kad religinės patirtys, aplankančios žmogų sapnuose, yra susijusios su tam tikru religiniu elgesiu, o religinio
elgesio perteikimo būdas, šiuo atveju sapnų naratyvai, užtikrina religinės tradicijos
tęstinumą.
Sapnai, kuriuose vaizduojamas žmogaus susidūrimas su anapusybe, gali būti
suvokiami kaip pranašiški, o sapno turinys kaip ateitį nusakantis įvykis: moteris
Aušros Vartų Marijos atvaizdą susapnavusi juodame danguje prieš pat Antrąjį
Pasaulinį karą (Vytauto Didžiojo universiteto Etnologijos ir folkloristikos katedros
rankraštynas, VDU ER 2070/50); motina, praradusi dukterį, sapne prašo Marijos
grąžinti ją. Tačiau Marija atsako, kad to negalinti padaryti, bet vietoje mirusios dukters ji duos dar dvi. Taip ir nutinka (VDU ER 2070/55); sapnuose pasirodžiusi nepažįstama moteris įspėja apie tykantį pavojų. Žmogus, klausęs nurodymų, lieka gyvas.
Tik vėliau paaiškėja, kad sapne galėjo būti pasirodžiusi Marija (VDU ER 2070/51).
Pranašiški sapnai aplanko lemtingu gyvenimo momentu tiek moterų, tiek vyrų
(Būgienė 2007: 66–67). Žmonės labai įvairiai linkę interpretuoti neva pranašiško
sapno turinį. Kartais net kreipiamasi į tam tikrus asmenis, prašant sapną paaiškinti
(Ivanauskaitė 2007b: 281). Vitos Ivanauskaitės pastebėjimu, noras pasipasakoti regėtus sapnus yra sąlygotas ne vien tik poreikio išsiaiškinti regėtus vaizdinius, bet ir
tapdavo svarbiu komunikaciniu momentu tradicinės bendruomenės aplinkoje (Ivanauskaitė 2007a: 88). Tuo tarpu sapno interpretacija yra laisvas, kūrybinis žmogaus
veiksmas (Višinskaitė 2006: 188).
Sapno realybėje patirti išgyvenimai, sapno turinys, susitikimas su šventuoju asmeniu palieka itin ryškius, ilgam įsimenamus prisiminimus sapną sapnavusiam asmeniui.
Šį momentą pateikėjai yra linkę akcentuoti (VDU ER 2070/52; 2070/56 ir kt.).
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Religinio turinio sapnai suteikia teigiamų jausmų antplūdį. Moteris, būdama
šešiolikos metų, sapnavusi Jėzų Kristų. Didįjį ketvirtadienį suklaupę žmonės ėjo bučiuoti Kristui rankos: kai tik žmogus prieina – Kristus pakelia ranką į viršų. Moteris
išsigąsta, kad ir jai taip nutiks. Tačiau Kristus leidžia jai pabučiuoti delno vidurį.
Moteris tiek sapno metu, tiek pabudusi pasijunta labai laiminga. Pateikėjos, sapnavusios šį įsimintiną sapną, įsitikinimu, Kristus atleido visas jaunystės nuodėmes ir
lydėjo ją visą gyvenimą (Ivanauskaitė 2007b: 279–280).
Neretai sapnas, kuriame asmuo susitiko su sakralaus pasaulio atstovais, padaro itin didelį poveikį žmogaus religiniam gyvenimui. Oneiriniuose naratyvuose,
kuriuose regima Švč. Mergelė Marija, skatinama grįžti į tikėjimą. Vyras sapnuoja
bažnyčioje atgijusį Marijos paveikslą. Marija ištiesia ranką ir kviečią jį dažniau lankytis joje: „Tu nebijuok ateiti. Nesi nusidiejės. Tu ateik daugiau, tankiau į bažnyčią.
Tau bus geriau“ (Ivanauskaitė 2007b: 281). Pateikėjo komentaras rodo, kad šis
sapnas paveikė jo religinio gyvenimo įpročius: „I dabar aš į bažnyčė kad einu, aš
visumet einu pri Marijas. Puoterius kalbu“ (Ivanauskaitė 2007b: 281).
Sapnas yra svarbus asmens religinės patirties raiškos būdas. Religinio sapno
turinys informuoja kaip reikėtų tinkamai pasielgti norint pasveikti. Tokio pobūdžio
sapnai nurodo tam tikras religinio elgesio taisykles. Kitu atveju religinio turinio
sapnas regimas kritiniu gyvenimo momentu. Tokie sapnai gali tapti pranašiški,
perspėti apie nelaimę. Dievą, Jėzų Kristų, kitus sakralaus pasaulio atstovus susap
navęs žmogus pasijunta ypatingu, iš kitų išsiskiriančiu, kartu formuojama religinė
asmens tapatybė. Sapnai, kuriuose vaizduojamas šio ir anapusinio pasaulio susidūrimas, atlieka savotišką religijos sklaidos funkciją, kuomet žmogaus religinė
patirtis perteikiama kitiems visuomenės nariams, formuojant liaudies religinę
pasaulėžiūrą.
Regėjimo patirtis
Lietuvių folklore religinės asmens patirtys gali būti perteikiamos ne vien tik oneirinės tematikos kūriniais, bet ir pasakojimais ar legendomis apie privačius apsireiškimus, regėjimus. Lietuvių legendose vaizduojamas žmogaus susidūrimas su
ypatingu transcendentinio pasaulio atstovu, šventuoju asmeniu, pasakojami nepaprasti įvykiai, išgyvenimai. Legendose, pasakojimuose apie regėjimuose pasirodo
krikščionių religijos atstovai (Švč. Mergelė Marija, Jėzus Kristus ir kt.). Regėjimuose,
panašiai kaip ir sapno metu, pasirodęs šventasis asmuo perteikia tam tikrus nurodymus, informaciją kaip reikėtų elgtis. Moteris regi Palaimintąjį Jurgį, kuris pataria:
„Mylėk šventą raštą ir vadovaukis juo, ir gyvenk pagal jį, nes tai yra pagrindinė
knyga, pagal kurią gyvenime turi vadovautis“ (VDU ER 2070/25). Pasakojimuose
apie regėjimus susipina žmogaus religinė patirtis ir anapusinio pasaulio atstovų
suteikiama informacija. Regėjimuose, kuriuose pasirodo Švč. Mergelę Mariją, perteikiamas koks nors prašymas, pavyzdžiui, tam tikroje erdvėje pastatyti kryžių, maldos namus, kartu Dievo Motina skatina melstis, skelbti jos žodžius tikintiesiems,
palaiminti žmones (žr. Kairaitytė 2008).
Vyrauja įsitikinimas, kad regėti transcendentinio pasaulio atstovus gali tik šventi asmenys: „Nenusipelniau da tiek, ka ma pasirodytų. Reikia būt šventam, sako, tik
[tada] pasirodo“ (VDU ER 2070/41), o regėjimą mačiusį žmogų liaudis yra linkusi
traktuoti kaip šventąjį (LTR 4551/124).
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Lietuvių folkloro naratyvuose žmogaus ir anapusybės susitikimas gali būti apipintas simboliniais vaizdiniais, pavyzdžiui, viename pasakojime apie nepaprastus
regėjimus moteris išvysta link jos skrendantį balandį (VDU ER 2070/16). Balandis
krikščionių simbolikoje, pirmiausia religiniame mene, suvokiamas kaip Šventosios
Dvasios simbolis (Becker 1995: 33). Lygiai taip ir asmens religinės patirties pasakojime balandis suprantamas kaip simbolinis Šventosios Dvasios vaizdinys, kuris
suteikia dovanas: religinę išmintį, supratimą, o moteris, patyrusi nekasdieninį įvykį,
pajaučia meilę Dievui (VDU ER 2070/16).
Stebuklo patirtis
Legendose, pasakojimuose, kituose folkloro naratyvuose galima aptikti įvykių, kuriuos žmonės traktuoja kaip stebuklus, ar objektų, kuriuos liaudis laiko stebuklingais. Stebuklą liaudis suvokia kaip jam nesuprantamą, neįtikėtiną ar nepaaiškinamą įvykį, kuriam gali būti suteikiama tam tikra religinė prasmė. Religinis stebuklo
kontekstas siejamas su Dievu, šventaisiais, kartais su religiniais simboliais ar kitais
religiniais vaizdiniais.
Folkloro naratyvuose, kuriuose vaizduojami stebuklingi įvykiai, asmuo tikisi
stebuklo. Šiuo atveju yra atliekami tam tikri veiksmai, pavyzdžiui, meldžiama pagalbos. Balio Buračo pateiktame pasakojime apie žemaičių koplytėles šventojo
pagalba, nutikus nelaimei, traktuojama kaip stebuklas: pasibaidžius arkliui, išsigandęs raitelis „meldė šv. Roką pagalbos, kad jam gyvybę išgelbėtų. Stebuklas įvyko.
Pribėgęs akmenis, arklys suklupo, ir raitelis tuo metu išsilaisvino“ (Buračas 1996:
117–118). Stebuklą patyręs žmogus atsidėkoja: „Iš to didelio džiaugsmo žmogelis
padaręs apžadus toje vietoje pastatyti didelį ir gražų mūro kryžių. Tą savo pasižadėjimą netrukus ir ištesėjęs“ (Buračas 1996: 118).
Folkloro naratyvuose gali būti tiesiogiai išsakomas noras pamatyti stebuklą. Legendoje pasakojama apie moterį, kuri nori pamatyti stebuklą Žagarės bažnyčioje.
Pamačiusi stebuklą apsidžiaugia (Lietuvių mokslo draugijos tautosakos rankraščiai
Lietuvių literatūros ir tautosakos instituto Lietuvių tautosakos rankraštyne, LMD I
909/8).
Tiek jau minėtuose pasakojimuose apie sapnus, tiek legendose bei religinio pobūdžio pasakojimuose svarbi tema yra žmogaus pagijimas, kuris, liaudies supratimu, yra suvokiamas kaip stebuklas. Stebuklingi pagijimai dažniausiai siejami su stebuklingomis vietomis bei šventaisiais asmenimis. Veiksmingas būdas pasveikti yra
pasiaukojimas ar pasižadėjimas prie šventų bei stebuklingais pagijimais garsėjančių
Švč. Mergelės Marijos paveikslų, kabančių katalikų bažnyčiose visoje Lietuvoje. Vieni
jų yra pripažinti Bažnyčios, kitus – stebuklingais laiko pati liaudis. Vienoje legendoje
teigiama, kad moteris, melsdamasi Palaimintosios Mergelės atvaizdui, kabančiam
Vilniuje, Jėzuitų kolegijos šv. Jono parapinėje bažnyčioje, prašo išgelbėti mirštantį
vaiką. Motinai besimeldžiant, balsas iš švento Dievo Motinos paveikslo pusės praneša, jog vaikas nemirs, nes pavojaus ir mirties jau yra išvengęs. Moteris, norėdama
parodyti savo dėkingumą, altoriuje pakabina dovaną (Sauka 1997: 241).
Yra siužetų, kuriuose vaizduojamas netinkamas elgesys, o nederamus poelgius
tenka taisyti: „Barboros Žagarietės užtarimu įvykusių stebuklų registracijos knygoje“ 1861 m. gegužės 29 d. užrašytame paliudijime moteris pasiaukoja Palaimintajai Barborai Senojoje Žagarėje ir pusę metų kamavęs sutinimas atslūgsta. Tačiau ji
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„norėjusi atsisakyti atlikti įžadą, – tuoj pat ant kojos išaugusi votis“ (Boruta et al.
2000: 457). Kitame liudijime teigiama: „1865 metų gegužės 12 dieną Domicelė Toliušytė iš Karklėnų filijos, Pašilės parapijos, Raseinių apskrities, Kauno gubernijos,
kentėjo nepakeliamą dantų skausmą. Davus įžadą Palaimintajai Barborai, skausmai
tuoj pat liovėsi. Po to sugalvojo pati įžado neatlikti, bet per kitą asmenį. Vėl pradėjo
skaudėti. Atvykusi atlikti dvigubo įžado“ (Boruta et al. 2000: 459–460). Pateikti įrašai rodo, kad nesilaikant tam tikrų taisyklių galima netekti suteiktos malonės.
Išvados
Religinės patirtys lietuvių folklore aptinkamos pasakojimuose apie sapnus,
regėjimus, patirtus stebuklus (ypač apie stebuklingus išgijimus).
Asmens religinės patirties pasakojimuose atsiskleidžia individualios šios patirties interpretacijos, jos prasmės ir reikšmės, nekasdieninio religinio įvykio refleksijos, o kartu žmogaus religinis identitetas. Religinė patirtis gali tapti svarbia
žmogaus religinio gyvenimo dalimi. Asmens patirties pasakojimuose išryškėja
religinės vertybės, susijusios su tikėjimo stiprinimu, religinių jausmų raiška.
Religinės patirties pasakojimai yra reikšmingi ne tik individui, bet ir bendruomenei, kurioje jis gyvena. Asmuo, patyręs nekasdieniškus religinius įvykius,
siekia šia patirtimi pasidalinti, papasakoti kitiems. Viena iš pagrindinių paskirčių,
išryškėjančių religiniuose patirčių pasakojimuose, yra susijusi su religinio bei
kultūrinio elgesio normomis bei pasaulėžiūra.
Literatūra
Becker, U. 1995. Simbolių žodynas. Vilnius: Vaga.
Boruta, J., Katilienė, I., Katilius, A. 2000. Barboros Žagarietės stebuklų knygą suradus.
LKMA metraštis 16: 443–525.
Būgienė, L. 2007. Pasakojamoji tautosaka skirtingų kartų žemaičių lūpose: kelios pastabos
apie Viekšnių apylinkių pasakojimus. Tautosakos darbai 33: 56–71.
Buračas, B. 1930. Pilies kryžių kalnas. Trimitas 24.
Buračas, B. 1996. Pasakojimai ir padavimai. Vilnius: Mintis.
Ivanauskaitė, V. 2007a. Žemaičių sapnai: tekstų folkloriškumas ir kontekstų reikšmė. Tautosakos darbai 34: 79–96.
Ivanauskaitė, V. 2007b. „Dėdelē graži sapną eso sapnavosi...“. Tautosakos darbai 34:
277–293.
Kairaitytė, A. 2008. Mergelės Marijos apsireiškimų traktuotė lietuvių folklore. Soter 28
(56): 155–165.
Račiūnaitė-Paužuolienė, R. 2008. Religiniai pasakojimai ir legendos apie Barborą
Umiastauskaitę-Žagarietę. Tautosakos darbai 35: 117–133.
Sauka, L. 1997. Lietuviškos legendos. Tautosakos darbai 6–7 (13–14): 238–239.
Višinskaitė, A. 2006. Individualumas ir tradicija pasakojimuose apie sapnus. Tautosakos
darbai 31: 183–189.
Aušra Kairaitytė, PhD. Centre for Cultural Studies, Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania. Area of scientific interest: folk religiosity, folk Christianity, the images of Christian
saints in the folklore.
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New Jesuit Saints and their Meaning for the Religiosity
of the 17-18th Century: Context of GLD Poetics and Poetry
Nauji Jėzuitų šventieji ir jų reikšmė XVII–XVIII a. religingumui:
pagal LDK poetikos ir poezijos kontekstą
Živilė NEDZINSKAITĖ
A bst ra ct
In the epoch of baroque there blossomed new forms of piety. One of the reasons is
reformation movement in Europe and Association of Jesus, established in 1540 as
a balance and opposite to it. The statute of this monkhood declared that its main
objective is piety which can be reached and spread in various ways. One of them
is education. For this purpose, colleges and universities were established. Thus, in
the 17th century, Jesuits created a solid educational system the activity of which was
regulated by the set of provisions Ratio studiorum (1599). The important place here
was given to rhetoric which then became the basis of education. The section about
the duties of the rhetoric professor (Regulae professoris rhetoricae) gives attention
to three main things related to the teaching of rhetoric. First, language rules (praecepta dicendi) should be stated, then, rhetoric style is assimilated and developed,
and finally, knowledge of various natures is provided necessary for revealing a comprehensive talent of the orator. This knowledge is called eruditiones – facts from history, geography, heraldry, law, psychology, archaeology, politics, ethics, soldiership,
biographies, religions, customs, mythology, etc. Later, it was recommended that
a student, after choosing any author he/she likes, should try to write something
similar to the author’s work. Thus, in teaching of rhetoric, as in all Jesuit educational
system, there emerged three main layers: theoretical, practical and expertise.
Especially important in learning rhetoric (in modern terms we could name it as
theory and practice of literature) became the work of the Jesuit Anthony Possevin
Tractatio de poesi et pictura (About poetry and art), in which it is explained how to
connect the image, word and symbol into one allegoric work, how to create Christian poetry by imitating the antique authors. Possevin’s formulated principles were
followed in all scholastic institutions of the Jesuits while reading and interpreting
the texts of antique authors.
One of the most important things in the rhetoric of the 17th century became
the problem of imitation. Although it was interpreted in different ways, most theorists agreed (this is demonstrated by many synonyms of the term “imitate” (imitare): consider (considerare), observe (observare), perceive (intelligere), evaluate
(expendere), restrict (aemulari)), that imitation should be the expression of the
main idea of the imitated work, different, more relevant repetition and depiction
of the most important things represented in the work. It was emphasized that
during the imitation it is necessary to follow two main rules: to understand and
analyze the creation of the followed author, and to write something similar to the
chosen work not following it blindly, but trying to render the wisdom lying in it.
Following the aforementioned principles, in GDL of the 17-18th century, literature in Latin was created. Interestingly, in the 17th century, one can notice the introduction of new Jesuits (Aloysius Gonzaga, Francis Ksaver, Francis Borga, three
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Jesuit monks – Paul Mike, John Got, Jacob Kizaj – martyrs in Japan) into the literary works. For these saints poems were written by well-known poets (Mathew
Kazimieras Sarbievijus), as well as college lecturers and students.
One example, as the epigram of the famous poet, became the imitative example for the student who wrote about the Japanese martyrs. The parody of the epigram of the famous GDL poet, who wrote in Latin, M. K. Sarbievijus “Christ’s on the
cross word: I desire“ (Christi in cruce vox: Sitio) was written by the student of the
course of rhetoric, Jonas Ważyńskis (Joannes Ważynski, Jan Ważyński, 1633–1661),
who later studied theology in Collegium Romanum, worked in Czech province and
taught philosophy in Poznanė. The summary presents only Latin texts written by
both poets, and these texts will be analyzed in detail in the paper. The last lines of
the epigram, written individually by the student, were distinguished.
Epigram of Sarbievijus:
Ah! Sitio, clamas, princeps pulcherrime rerum:
Non habeo pro te dulcia vina: siti.
Tu tamen, Ah, sitio, clamas; dabo pocula, Sponse:
Heu mihi! Sed misto pocula felle dabo.
Haec, mi Sponse, bibe: quaeris cui forte propines?
Ad me pro mundi, Christe, salute bibe.
[Oh! I desire, call, the master of the most beautiful things; / I don’t have any
sweet wine: agonize in thirst. / But you call: oh, I desire; I will give the glass,
Fiancé: / oh dear! But I will give a glass of drink, dilutes with bile. / This, my
Fiancé, drink: do you look for anyone with whom you will drink? / Drink for
me for the saviour of the world, Christ]
Epigram of Jan Ważyński:
Ah sitio clamas, Princeps pulcherrime rerum,
Non habeo pro te, dulcia vina: siti.
Tu tamen ah sitio clamas, sed pocula desunt,
Heu mihi quid faciam, quae dabo vina tibi.
Sed cur tam tristes gemitus de pectore fundo,
Cur longo quaero tempore vina Deo.
In Cruce tres botri pendent, hos carpito Christe
Transfixi telis, absque labore bibes.
[Oh! I desire, call, the master of the most beautiful things; / I haven’t got any
sweet wine for you: agonize in thirst. / But you call: Oh, I desire, but there is
no glass, / oh dear, what will I do, what wine will I give you. / But why do pour
such sad moans from my chest, / why do I look for wine for God so long. /
Three grapes hang on the Cross, stabbed by spears, / take them, Christ, you
will drink readily.]
New Jesuit saints in the 17-18th c. became spiritual and moral examples which
were recommended to follow for not only the one who chose the way of the priest
but also for the one living worldly life.
Key words: Jesuits, religiosity of the 17-18th Century, poetry
152
Jėzuitų ordino svarba LDK edukacijai
Baroko epochoje (Lietuvoje XVII–XVIII a.) suklestėjo naujos pamaldumo formos.
Viena iš jas skatinusių ir inspiravusių priežasčių – reformacijos judėjimas Europoje
ir kaip atsvara bei priešinimasis jam 1540 m. Paryžiuje Ignaco Lojolos (Injigo Lopess
de Onjass i Lojola, 1491–1556) įkurta Jėzaus Draugija. Šios vienuolijos įstatai skelbė,
kad pagrindinis jos tikslas yra pamaldumas, kuris gali būti pasiekiamas ir skleidžiamas
įvairiais būdais. Ordino įkūrėjas rašė: „Žmogus sukurtas šlovinti, garbinti ir tarnauti
Dievui, mūsų Viešpačiui, ir per tai išgelbėti savo sielą; kiti dalykai sukurti dėl žmogaus,
kad jam padėtų siekti tikslo, dėl kurio jis sukurtas. [...] Vadinasi, žmogus tiek jais turi
naudotis, kiek jie padeda siekti jo tikslo, ir tiek jų atsisakyti, kiek jie tam trukdo.“1
Vienu ir bene svarbiausiu iš būdų, padedančiu siekti pamaldumo, jėzuitų laikyta edukacija, kurios gaires taip pat nužymėjo I. Lojola Konstitucijų (Constitutiones
Societatis Iesu: cum earum declarationibus, 1558) IV dalyje. Todėl visoje Europoje imtos steigti kolegijos ir universitetai. 1548 m. pradėjo veikti kolegija Sicilijos
mieste Mesinoje, o 1551 m. Romoje atidaryta svarbiausia Jėzaus Draugijos švietimo įstaiga Collegium Romanum, kuri ir tapo pavyzdžiu kitoms jėzuitų mokykloms.
Pirmasis šios vienuolijos universitetas taip pat atsirado tuojau po jos įsteigimo –
1544 m. jis buvo atidarytas Gandijoje, Ispanijos Valensijos provincijoje. Labai greitai jėzuitų kolegijų ir universitetų tinklas padengė visą Europą, o XVII a. jie jau buvo
sukūrę vientisą edukacinę sistemą, kurios pagrindą sudarė humanistinių disciplinų
mokymas (t. y. klasikinių kalbų – lotynų, graikų ir iš dalies hebrajų – studijos, poetika, retorika, vėliau filisofija ir teologija). Visą edukacinės sistemos veiklą reglamentavo Romoje išleistas nuostatų rinkinys Ratio studiorum (1599 m.), sudarytas
ordino generolo Klaudijaus Acquavivos (Claudio Aquaviva, Acquaviva, 1581–1615).
Nurodymuose išsamiai aptartos visų klasių magistrų teisės, pareigos ir mokymo
metodai, paskaitų tvarka, vadovėliai. Ratio studiorum buvo sudarytas, orientuojantis į kelis pagrindinius dalykus. Akcentuota, kad jėzuitų švietimo tikslas yra dvasinis, padedantis giliau pajusti Dievo meilę ir ugdantis nusiteikimą tarnauti artimui
(christianitas et pietas). Perteikiant žinias ir krikščioniškas dorybes pabrėžiama metodiškumo svarba: siekiama, kad mokiniai pirmiausia įgytų tvirtus pagrindus, tik
po to tam tikra tvarka būtų pateikiama vis sudėtingesnė mokymo medžiaga. Taip
pat rekomenduota ne tik suteikti žinių, bet ir tobulinti mokinių charakterį, lavinti
mąstymo įgūdžius, siekti, kad jie patys aktyviai dalyvautų mokymo procese. Pageidauta, kad bendrą mokytojo ir mokinio pastangų rezultatą vainikuotų eloquentia
perfecta (tobula iškalba), kuri buvo suprantama kaip kritinio mąstymo ir gebėjimo
aiškiai, įtikinamai, laisvai reikšti savo mintis žodžiu ir raštu sintezė.
Todėl labai svarbi vieta čia buvo skirta retorikai. Skyriuje apie retorikos profesoriaus pareigas (Regulae professoris rhetoricae)2 atkreipiamas dėmesys į tris pagrindinius su retorikos mokymu susijusius dalykus. Pirmiausia turėtų būti išdėstomos
iškalbos taisyklės (praecepta dicendi), paskui įsisavinamas ir tobulinamas retorinis
stilius, kurio geriausias pavyzdys yra Ciceronas (stylus [...] ex uno fere Cicerone su-
1
2
Ignacas Lojola, Autobiografija. Dvasinės pratybos, iš ispanų k. vertė kun. Lionginas Virbalas SJ, Vilnius: Aidai, 1998, p. 25.
Ratio atque institutio studiorum Societatis Jesu, Turnoni: Apud Claudium Michaelem Typographum
Universitatis, 1603, p. 133–142.
153
mendus est3), o galiausiai suteikiama įvairaus pobūdžio žinių, reikalingų visapusiam
oratoriaus talentui atskleisti. Šios žinios vadinamos eruditiones – faktai iš istorijos,
geografijos, heraldikos, teisės, psichologijos, archeologijos, politikos, etikos, karybos, biografistikos, religijos, papročių, mitologijos ir pan. Perspėjama, kad tokios žinios būtų pasitelkiamos saikingai (eruditio modice usurpetur). Pagrindiniai retorikos
mokymo bazę sudarantys šaltiniai buvo garsiausi šios srities Antikos kūriniai: Aristotelio Ars rhetorica, nežinomo romėnų autoriaus Rhetorica ad Herennium, Cicerono
veikalai De inventione, Partitiones oratoriae, De oratore, Brutus, Orator, Kvintiliano
Institutio oratoria. Taigi retorikos mokyme, kaip ir visoje jėzuitų edukacijos sistemoje, išryškėjo trys pagrindiniai sluoksniai: teorinis, praktinis ir erudicinis.
Retorikos mokymą sudarė tarsi dvi dalys: Antikos autorių kūrinių skaitymas bei
analizė ir savarankiškas įvairių žanrų kūrinių rašymas imituojant perskaitytus ar pasirinktus kūrinius. Ratio studiorum yra pateikta tokia standartinė bet kokio kūrinio
analizės schema. Pagal ją, mokytojas pirmiausia turėtų išaiškinti kūrinio prasmę ir
pateikti galimus interpretacijos variantus, paskui reikėtų aptarti kūrinio kompoziciją ir meninės išraiškos būdus, taip pat pateikti pavyzdžių, kaip kūrė kiti autoriai,
vartodami panašias menines priemones. Be to, analizuojamo kūrinio idėjas vertėtų
patvirtinti kitų autorių mintimis ir sentencijomis. Paskiausiai rekomenduojama paaiškinti kūrinio realijas, susijusias su istorija, mitologija, geografija ar pan., atkreipti
dėmesį į atskirų žodžių, posakių savitumą. Vėliau turėtų būti nurodytos praktinės
užduotys – parašyti kokio nors žanro kūrinį, imituojant perskaityto autoriaus stilių4.
Aukštesnė pakopa, paprastai praktikuota tik retorikos klasėje, buvo savarankiška
mokinių literatūrinė kūryba, kuri ne tik parodydavo teorinių žinių įsisavinimą, bet
dažnai atskleisdavo ne vieno studento poetinius ar prozinius gabumus.
Jėzuitų kolegijų mokiniams taip pat buvo keliami aukšti reikalavimai. Jie turėdavo
ne tik puikiai išmokti taisykles, bet ir pritaikyti jas savo individualioje kūryboje. Todėl retorikos paskaitose daug dėmesio skirta rašymo įgūdžiams lavinti, parinktam ar
pasirinktam Antikos autoriui imituoti, prozos tekstui perrašyti eilėmis ir atvirkščiai,
poezijos kūriniams duota tema, nurodyta tam tikro žanro taisyklė. Vyravo nuostata,
kad mokinys privalo išmokti parašyti lotyniškai eiliuotą ar prozos tekstą, skirtą bet
kuriai progai ir bet kuria tema. XVII a. mokant poetikos ir retorikos taisyklių, LDK kolegijose jau buvo remiamasi ne tik garsiausiais Antikos autorių kūriniais, bet ir žymiausiais savo krašto rašytojais. Kaip sektini imitavimo pavyzdžiai mokykliniuose paskaitų
konspektuose pateikiami Jono Kochanowskio (Jan Kochanowski, 1530–1584), Motiejaus Kazimiero Sarbievijaus (Mathias Casimirus Sarbievius, 1595–1640), Samuelio
Twardowskio (Samuel Twardowski, 1600–1661) ir kitų autorių kūriniai.
A. Possevino veikalo reikšmė jėzuitų mokymo sistemoje
Ypač reikšmingas jėzuitų edukacijos sistemoje buvo milžiniškas (2 tomai, 18 knygų) jėzuito Antonijaus Possevino veikalas Bibliotheca selecta de ratione studiorum (Rinktinė biblioteka apie studijų metodą), kuris buvo perleistas net tris kartus (Roma, 1593; Venecija, 1603; Kelnas, 1607). Išskirtinio dėmesio šis veikalas
sulaukė todėl, kad būtent jis geriausiai atspindėjo Tridento Bažnyčios Susirinkimo
3
4
154
Ibid., p. 133.
Ibid., p. 141–142.
(1545–1563) nuostatą dėl antikinės literatūros ir meno alegorinio interpretavimo
metodikos. Possevino knyga yra tarsi bibliografinis informatorius ir pagalbininkas
po Antikos pasaulį, tačiau kartu joje pateikiami ir aiškiai suformuluoti praktiniai Antikos autorių alegorinės interpretacijos metodai. Possevino veikalas tapo svarbiu
jėzuitų Ratio studiorum nuostatų papildymu, nurodančiu, kaip mokytojas, jų laikydamasis, vadovaudamasis pamaldumu (pietas) ir atmindamas kontrreformacijos
tikslus, turėtų juos pritaikyti praktikoje5.
Mokantis retorikos (dabartiniais terminais ją galėtume įvardyti kaip literatūros
teoriją ir praktiką), buvo remiamasi viena iš minėto Possevino veikalo dalių Tractatio de poesi et pictura (Apie poeziją ir dailę), kurioje aiškinama, kaip sujungti
vaizdą, žodį ir simbolį į vieną alegorinį kūrinį, kaip imituojant antikinius autorius
kurti krikščionišką poeziją.
Possevinas tvirtino, kad poezijos ir meno tikslas yra padaryti žmogų religingesnį, besilaikantį krikščioniškų moralės normų. Remdamasis šia nuostata, visus meno
ir poezijos kūrinius jis suskirstė į dvi grupes: į moralės normas atitinkančius ir jų
neatitinkančius, vedančius į nuodėmę. Pagal tokią kūrinių skirstymo sistemą beveik
visi Antikos autorių veikalai atsidūrė antroje grupėje. Tačiau Possevinas rado išeitį –
jis pasiūlė būdą, kaip skaityti tokius Antikos autorius: reikėtų eliminuoti iš kūrinio
erotinius fragmentus, vietoje pagoniško romėnų vartojamo dii (dievai) rašyti krikščionišką jo atitikmenį Deus (Dievas), o mitologija paremtus kūrinius aiškinti alegoriškai. Be to, publikuojant Antikos kūrinius, prie jų turėtų būti pridedamos religinio
turinio įžangos (sanctissima prolegomena) ir komentarai, alegoriškai aiškinantys
tekstus. Kai kuriuos Antikos autorių kūrinius Possevinas siūlė skaityti ne ištisus, o
paliekant tik geriausius jų fragmentus ar sentencijas. Vis dėlto iš Antikos autorių
primygtinai buvo siūloma perimti eilėdaros sistemą, žodyną ir topiką6. Possevino
suformuluotų principų buvo laikomasi visose jėzuitų mokymo įstaigose skaitant ir
aiškinant Antikos autorių tekstus.
Imitacijos problema reorikos mokyme
Viena svarbiausių XVII a. retorikoje ir ypač susijusi su personaline kūryba tapo imitacijos problema. Šis terminas apėmė keletą dalykų: puikų tam tikro žanro istorijos
bei raidos išmanymą; darnų kompozicijos elementų perteikimą; sudėtingų poetinių
komponentų panaudojimą; temų, idėjų, siužetų perkūrimą ir pritaikymą tų dienų
aktualijoms. Žymiausių XVI–XVII a. literatūros teoretikų veikaluose, kurie buvo laikomi pagrindiniais studijuojant poetikos ir retorikos mokslus Europos universitetuose,
imitacija aiškinta kaip nuolatinis tobulėjimo procesas, besivystantis pakopomis, o
tikru poetiniu meistriškumu laikytas ne aklas kokio nors autoriaus stiliaus ar leksikos
pamėgdžiojimas, bet idėjos ir kūrinyje atskleistų potyrių originali interpretacija ar
gerokai nuo originalo nutolusi, savarankiška to paties motyvo versija.
Dauguma LDK jėzuitų kolegijų dėstytojų imitaciją siejo ne su pažodiniu pasirinkto autoriaus frazių įkomponavimu į kūrinį, bet su idėjos, išreikštos mėgstamo
5
6
Tadeusz Bieńkowski, „Bibliotheca selecta de ratione studiorum Possevina jako teorityczny fundament kultury kontrreformacji“, in: Wiek XVII. Kontrreformacja. Barok. Prace z historii kultury (Studia
staropolskie, t. XXIX), pod redakcją Janusza Pelca, Wrocław-Warszawa-Kraków: Zakład Narodowy
im. Ossolińskich, 1970, p. 291–294.
Tadeusz Bieńkowski, op. cit., p. 303–305.
155
autoriaus veikale, savita, dažnai nauja interpretacija. Tai rodo ir daugybė termino
imituoti (imitari) sinonimų: apgalvoti (considerare), įrodinėti (observare), suvokti
(intelligere), įvertinti (expendere), varžytis (aemulari). Nežinomas 1734 m. Kražių
kolegijoje poetiką dėstęs profesorius pabrėžė, kad imituoti autorius reiškia „ne visą
jų kūrinį tarsi pavogus sau priskirti, pakeitus vos keletą detalių, bet, remiantis pavyzdiniu kūriniu, viską savaip pavaizduoti“ (imitari authores non est totum illorum
opus furtivo modo sibi adscribere, vix aliquibus mutatis, sed totum proprio Marte
ad instar alterius elucubrare)7. Profesorius Juozapas Rimgaila 1684 m. skaitytame
retorikos kurse aiškino, kad imituojant būtina atsižvelgti į tris dalykus: imitacija turėtų būti nuosaiki ir protinga (ut moderata sit), imitacijai išsirenkamas tikrai puikus
oratorius (ut praestantissimum aliquem nobis oratorem proponamus imitandum),
imituotini tik patys geriausi pasirinkto autoriaus kūrinių momentai (ut minutiora
quaeque non imitemur, sed tantum selectissima et optima)8.
Kartais retorikos dėstytojai, aiškindami imitacijos esmę, pasitelkdavo vaizdžią
analogiją su kita meno sritimi – tapyba. Jie teigė, kad imitacija panaši į nutapytą
paveikslą. Mat dailininkas tarsi atkartoja pasirinktą gyvenimo tikrovės ar gamtos
momentą, tačiau perteikia jį savais potėpiais ir savomis spalvomis. Todėl jo sukurtas atvaizdas ar vaizdas, nors ir panašus į originalą, vis dėlto visiškai jo neatkartoja.
Panašiai nutinką ir su literatūrine imitacija9.
XVII a. LDK profesorių retorikos paskaitų konspektuose imitacija lyginta ir su trimis žmogaus gyvenimo tarpsniais. Imituodamas kokį nors autorių ar kūrinį, poetas
taip pat tarsi pereina tris gyvenimo ir kūrybos etapus: vaikystę, jaunystę, brandą.
Atitinkamai ir imitacija esanti pažodinė, arba vaikiška (incipiens seu puerilis), turinti
savo požiūrį į imituojamus dalykus, arba jaunatviška (crescens), ir tokia, kai išsirenkama sekti tuo, kas geriausia arba brandu (adulta)10.
Taigi nors imitacija buvo aiškinama skirtingai, dauguma teoretikų sutiko, kad
ji turėtų būti imituojamo kūrinio pagrindinės minties išraiška, kitoks, aktualesnis
svarbiausių kūrinyje vaizduojamų dalykų pakartojimas ir atvaizdavimas. Pabrėžta,
kad imituojant būtina laikytis dviejų pagrindinių taisyklių: suprasti bei išanalizuoti
autoriaus, kuriuo norima sekti, kūrybą ir parašyti kažką panašaus į pasirinktą kūrinį
aklai nesekant juo, bet bandant perteikti jame glūdinčią išmintį.
Kūriniai naujiems jėzuitų šventiesiems
Laikantis minėtų principų (jėzuitų edukacinės sistemos ugdomi gebėjimai, Possevino suformuluoti principai, imitacijos supratimas), XVII–XVIII a. LDK buvo kuriama literatūra lotynų kalba. Įdomu, kad XVII a. pastebimas naujų jėzuitų šventųjų
(Aloyzas Gonzaga, Pranciškus Ksaveras, Pranciškus Bordža, trys jėzuitų vienuoliai –
Paulius Mikis, Jonas Gotas, Jokūbas Kizajas – nukankinti Japonijoje) atsiradimas
lotyniškuose literatūros kūriniuose. Šiems šventiesiems eiles kūrė ir pripažinti
poetai (Motiejus Kazimieras Sarbievijus), ir kolegijų dėstytojai bei studentai. Tad
7
8
9
10
156
VUB RS F 3–938, p. 60.
VUB RS F 3–2076, p. 3.
VUB RS F 3–938, p. 60; VUB RS F 3–1392, p. 7.
Eugenija Ulčinaitė, „Sarbiewski w retorykach XVII–XVIII w. na Litwie“, in: Prace historycznoliterackie.
Oświecenie: kultura – myśl, t. 17, pod redakcją Juliana Platta, Gdańsk: Uniwersytet Gdański, 1995,
p. 200.
remdamasi vienu pavyzdžiu parodysiu, kaip pasitelkiant tam tikrą kūrybos modelį,
nauji šventieji buvo įvedami į literatūrinę apyvartą.
Mokykliniuose poetikos ir retorikos kursuose išdėstytos imitacijos taisyklės ir
būdai neliko vien teoriniai aiškinimai, bet įkvėpė jėzuitų kolegijų mokinius savarankiškai kūrybai. Tai rodo rankraščiais likę poezijos rinkiniai, parašyti kokia nors
įsimintina proga ar tiesiog liudijantys pastangas, o gal ir ambicijas pritaikyti teorinę
medžiagą ir išbandyti savo jėgas Apolono bei mūzų valdomoje srityje.
Šiuo požiūriu įdomus 1651 m. rankraštis11, kurį sudaro studentų poezija – įvairiais metrais lotynų bei graikų kalbomis Vilniuje ir Nesvyžiuje parašyti kūriniai. Imitacijos teoriją puikiai iliustruoja šiame rinkinyje esantys sekimai Sarbievijaus epigramomis, vadinami parodijomis12.
Sarbievijaus 110 epigramos „Kristaus ant kryžiaus žodis: trokštu“ (Christi in cruce
vox: Sitio) parodiją parašė tuo metu dar tik retorikos kurso studentas Jonas Ważyńskis (Joannes Ważynski, Jan Ważyński, 1633–1661), vėliau studijavęs teologiją Romos
Collegium Romanum, dirbęs Čekijos provincijoje ir dėstęs filosofiją Poznanėje.
Sarbievijaus epigrama parašyta remiantis Evangelijos pagal Joną pasakojimu
apie Jėzaus mirtį:
Postea sciens Iesus, quia iam omnia consummata sunt, ut consummaretur
scriptura, dixit: Sitio. Vas ergo positum erat aceto penum. Illi autem spongiam plenam aceto, hyssop circumponentes, obtulerunt ori eius. Cum ergo
accepisset Iesus acetum, dixit: Consummatum est, et inclinator capite tradidit
spiritum (Jn 19, 28–30).
[Tada, žinodamas, jog viskas įvykdyta, ir kad išsipildytų Raštas, Jėzus tarė:
„Trokštu!“
Tenai stovėjo indas, pilnas perrūgusio vyno. Jie pakėlė ant yzopo vytelės
kempinę, pamirkytą vyne, ir prinešė prie jo lūpų. Paragavęs to vyno, Jėzus
tarė: „Atlikta!“ Ir nuleidęs galvą atidavė dvasią13.]
Epigramoje šis Šv. Rašto epizodas išplėtojamas ir pateikiama poetinė jo
interpretacija:
Ah! Sitio, clamas, princeps pulcherrime rerum:
Non habeo pro te dulcia vina: siti.
Tu tamen, Ah, sitio, clamas; dabo pocula, Sponse:
Heu mihi! Sed misto pocula felle dabo.
Haec, mi Sponse, bibe: quaeris cui forte propines?
Ad me pro mundi, Christe, salute bibe.
[Ak! Trokštu, šauki, gražiausias dalykų valdove; / neturiu tau saldaus vyno: kankinkis iš troškulio. / Tačiau tu šauki: ak, trokštu; duosiu taurę, Sužadėtini: / o
varge! Bet duosiu taurę gėrimo, atmiešto tulžimi. / Šitą, mano Sužadėtini, gerk:
ieškai, su kuo kartu išgersi? / Į mane už pasaulio išganymą, Kristau, gerk]
11 VUB RS F 3–68.
12 Parodija tuo metu neturėjo dabartinės komiškumo ar pajuokimo prasmės, o buvo tiesiog poetinė
parafrazė kito teksto motyvais.
13 Cituojama iš: Šventasis raštas. Naujasis Testamentas, iš graikų kalbos vertė kun. Česlovas Kavaliauskas, Vilnius: Vaga, 1992, p. 262.
157
Kristaus kančią ant kryžiaus Sarbievijus perteikia pasitelkdamas dialogą. Jis gali
būti suprantamas kaip pokalbis tarp Sužadėtinio – Kristaus ir numanomos Sužadėtinės – epigramos veikiančiojo subjekto, galbūt jėzuito. Kristus prašo atsigerti,
bet jo pašnekovas neturi saldaus vyno, kuris numalšintų kenčiančio troškulį. Vynas
yra tarsi gyvybės eliksyras, nemirtingumo gėrimas, simbolizuojantis išsigelbėjimą,
džiaugsmą ir pilnatvę14. Išgirdęs pakartotinį Kristaus šauksmą: „Trokštu“, antrasis
epigramos veikėjas ryžtasi jam duoti taurę gėrimo, atmiešto tulžimi. Paskutinėse
epigramos eilutėse pateikiama dialogą apibendrinanti mintis: numalšinti Kristaus
troškulį, t. y. išganyti sielas ir išgelbėti pasaulį, galima tik išgėrus kančių taurę, kurią
ir simbolizuoja Kristui prieš mirtį paduota vyno, atmiešto tulžimi, taurė. Būtent iš
šios taurės po Kristaus pasižada gerti ir epigramos veikiantysis subjektas, taip tarsi
norėdamas pasidalyti Kristaus kančią ir prisidėti ne tik prie savosios sielos, bet ir
viso pasaulio išgelbėjimo.
Ważyńskis savo epigramą pavadino Apie palaimintuosius Jėzaus Draugijos kankinius (De B. Martyribus Soc. Iesu) ir Sarbievijaus tekstą interpretavo savaip:
Ah sitio clamas, Princeps pulcherrime rerum,
Non habeo pro te, dulcia vina: siti.
Tu tamen ah sitio clamas, sed pocula desunt,
Heu mihi quid faciam, quae dabo vina tibi.
Sed cur tam tristes gemitus de pectore fundo,
Cur longo quaero tempore vina Deo.
In Cruce tres botri pendent, hos carpito Christe
Transfixi telis, absque labore bibes.
[Ak! Trok tu, šauki, gražiausių dalykų valdove; / neturiu tau saldaus vyno: kankinkis iš troškulio. / Tačiau tu šauki: Ak, trokštu, bet nėra taurės, / o varge, ką
darysiu, kokio vyno tau duosiu. / Bet kodėl tokias liūdnas dejones iš krūtinės
lieju, / kodėl ilgai ieškau vyno Dievui. / Ant Kryžiaus trys vynuogės kabo, persmeigtos ietimis, / jas imk, Kristau, be vargo išgersi.]
Ważyńskio epigrama – 8 eilučių (Sarbievijaus – 6). Kūrinio užuomazga – tiksliai
perrašytos dvi pirmosios Sarbievijaus epigramos eilutės. 3–4 eilutės nedaug nutolusios nuo Sarbievijaus eilėraščio, tačiau pakeičiant kelis žodžius kitaip sudėliojami
prasminiai pasakojimo akcentai. 3 eilutėje vietoje Sarbievijaus žodžių dabo pocula,
Sponse (duosiu taurę, Sužadėtini) Ważyńskis įrašė sed pocula desunt (bet nėra taurės). 4 eilutėje po ekspresyvaus sušukimo Heu mihi (o varge) Sarbievijaus žodžius
Sed misto pocula felle dabo (bet duosiu taurę gėrimo, atmiešto tulžimi) Ważyńskis
pakeitė quid faciam, quae dabo vina tibi (ką darysiu, kokio vyno tau duosiu). 5–6
eilutės pridėtos retorikos studento, o pabaigoje (7–8 eil.) autorius vėl grįžta prie
Sarbievijaus epigramoje nuskambėjusio kančių taurės motyvo, šiek tiek jį modifikuoja priderindamas prie savo pasirinktos temos ir pabaigia epigramą tuo pačiu
kaip Sarbievijus žodžiu (bibe ir bibes).
Ši Ważyńskio epigrama greičiausiai skirta trims jėzuitų misionieriams, kurie po
Pranciškaus Ksavero apaštalavimo Japonijoje tęsė jo pradėtą darbą. Tai 33 metų
brolis Paulius Mikis, rengęsis tapti kunigu ir daug pamokslavęs savo šalyje, 1814 Udo Becker, Simbolių žodynas, Vilnius: Vaga, 1996, p. 306.
158
metis Jonas Gotas ir 64 metų brolis Jokūbas Kizajas (Kizayemon). Imperatoriaus
įsakymu šie trys vienuoliai buvo suimti Meake ir per žiemą vežiojami po Japonijos
miestus. Tačiau ta kelionė tapo ne išniekinimu, bet garbe Kristaus tikėjimui, nes jie
vis dar atvertinėjo žmones į krikščionybę. Galiausiai 1597 m. Nagasakyje visi trys
jėzuitai buvo nukryžiuoti ir perverti ietimis kartu su 23 pranciškonais15. Popiežius
Urbonas VIII paskelbė juos palaimintaisiais, o Pijus IX 1862 m. kanonizavo.
Jaunas jėzuitas tarsi aukoja Kristui savo Draugijos brolių kankinystę, kartu išreikšdamas ir pasiryžimą pats tą kankinystę priimti. Epigramos pabaigoje šie kankiniai simboliškai vaizduojami kaip trys vynuogės. Kryžius yra tarsi medis, Kristus –
aplink jį apsivijęs vynmedis, kurio gyvybingas kamienas palaiko tikinčiuosius – to
vynmedžio šakeles. Vadinasi, ir jėzuitų kankiniai yra tarsi to medžio, ant kurio buvo
nukryžiuotas Kristus, atšakos, taip prisijungiančios prie jo kančios ir aukos už pasaulio išgelbėjimą. Kankiniai kaip ir Kristus yra persmeigiami ietimis, o iš jų žaizdų
tekantis kraujas tarsi pagirdo ir atgaivina Kristų.
Ważyńskis 110 Sarbievijaus epigramą imituoja gana talentingai. 3–4 eilučių prasminiai pakeitimai koreliuoja su naujai įkomponuotų 5–6 eilučių retoriniais klausimais.
Kūrinio pabaiga išsaugo Sarbievijaus epigramoje perteikiamą krikščionybės žinią ir jėzuitišką užsidegimą išganymo darbe. Ważyńskio epigramos konceptą – išradingą priešybių jungtį (concors discordia) – sudaro paskutinės eilutės, kuriose kankinių kraujas
atiduodamas pagirdyti Kristui – per kančią jie prisijungia prie pasaulio išgelbėjimo.
Nauji jėzuitų šventieji XVII–XVIII a. tapo dvasiniais ir moraliniais pavyzdžiais,
kuriais buvo rekomenduojama sekti ne tik dvasiniko kelią pasirinkusiam, bet ir pasaulietuinį gyvenimą gyvenančiam žmogui.
Živilė Nedzinskaitė, PhD, Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore, Mykolas Romeris University. Area of scientific interest: poetics, retorics, Baroque literature.
Literary Expression of the Sermons of Vaižgantas
Vaižganto pamokslų literatūrinė raiška
Ilona ČIUŽAUSKAITĖ
A bst ra ct
Thus far, mostly the so-called literary or occasional sermons of Vaižgantas, which
were read during the burial of any outstanding characters of the Lithuanian culture
or during his participation in celebrations, were published. There were not many
sermons published in which purely religious topics were examined.
After browsing the sermons of Vaižgantas, kept in Maironis’ Lithuanian Lite
rature Museum and in the Department of Manuscripts of the library of Vilnius
University, there are no doubts that they are rather attributed to the so-called
thematic sermons, closer to the worldly literature than to homilies.
15 Encyklopedia katolicka, Lublin: Towarzystwo Naukowe KatolickiegoUniversytetu Lubelskiego, 1973–
2006.
159
In the sermons there predominate the topics of morality and politics, ideals of
positiveness and sociability of the person’s everyday activity are implemented. The
report attempts to take a glance at the literary expression of the unpublished sermons of Vaižgantas, to emphasize beginnings of rhetoric which were invoked and
followed by Vaižgantas, to reveal the possibilities of classical rhetoric and biblical
stylistics (allegorical depiction, parallelism).
S a nt ra uka
Iki šiol daugiausia buvo skelbta vadinamųjų literatūrinių arba proginių Vaižganto
pamokslų, jo sakytų laidojant kurį nors iškilų Lietuvos kultūros veikėją arba jam
dalyvaujant iškilminguose minėjimuose. Pamokslų, kuriuose būtų gvildenamos
grynai religinės temos, publikuota nedaug.
Pavarčius Maironio lietuvių literatūros muziejuje ir Vilniaus universiteto bib
liotekos Rankraščių skyriuje saugomus Vaižganto pamokslus neabejotina, kad jie
veikiau priskiriami vadinamiesiems teminiams pamokslams, artimesniems pasaulietinei literatūrai nei homilijoms.
Juose vyrauja moralės ir politikos klausimai, diegiami žmogaus kasdienės veik
los pozityvumo ir visuomeniškumo idealai. Pranešime siekiama pažvelgti į nepub
likuotų Vaižganto pamokslų literatūrinę raišką, akcentuoti retorikos ištakas, kuriomis rėmėsi ir kurias išpažino Vaižgantas, atskleisti klasikinės retorikos ir biblinės
stilistikos (alegorinio vaizdavimo, paralelizmo) galimybes.
Ilona Čiužauskaitė, PhD, Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore, Mykolas Romeris University, Lithuania. Area of scientific interest: textology, Lituanian literature.
Eduardas Mieželaitis’s Meditative Fragments “Laments and
Reflections, with the Medieval Anchorite Grigor Narekatsi,
upon the Fate of Man” and the Poet’s Creative Context
Eduardo Mieželaičio meditaciniai fragmentai „Raudos, apmąsčius
kartu su viduramžių anachoretu Grigoru Narekaci žmogaus
likimą“ ir poeto kūrybos kontekstas
Elena BALIUTYTĖ
A bst ra ct
Eduardas Mieželaitis’s series of meditative fragments “Laments and Reflections
upon the Fate of Man, Following the Medieval Anchorite Grigor Narekatsi,” published in his 1971 collection Antakalnis Baroque, offers an antipode to the poet’s
atheistic conception as expressed in Man. It is surprising to read such lines in a
book by Mieželaitis, the great defender of materialism and optimistic creator of
a homocentric system. It is also surprising given that they are fragments of a free
translation of the masterpiece of Blessed Grigor Narekatsi, a medieval Armenian
Catholic saint.
160
This review explores why these Christian prayer texts may have appealed to
Mieželaitis.
In both their formal affinity and their absolutely contrary content, these translations of Narekatsi’s prayers to God can be read as the poet’s repentance for his
creative production, or as a deconstruction of his work Man.
Of course, in presenting the “Laments” in the prose essay “Restless Like a Bach
Chorale,” Mieželaitis is cautious. He avoids mentioning God or that these texts are
prayers, stressing instead their essayistic, philosophical nature; though the words
”Being,” “Fate,” and “Universe” are capitalized, we can interpret them as paraphrasing “God.”
It is hard to say whether this was an attempt by Mieželaitis to protect himself
from possible ideological attacks, or his true position. There would probably be
more arguments for the latter, and that makes it all the more surprising to read
these fragments of prayer in the context of Mieželaitis’s oeuvre. Today we have
Sigitas Geda’s full and excellent 1999 translation of the Book of Lamentations.
Keywords: Eduardas Mieželaitis, poetry, essay, Prometheus.
Šio pranešimo pirminis akstinas – nuostaba, aptikus 1971 metais išleistoje Mieželaičio knygoje Antakalnio barokas tekstą „Raudos, apmąsčius kartu su viduramžių
anachoretu Grigoru Narekaci žmogaus likimą“. Šie meditaciniai apmąstymai buvo
paskelbti Žmogaus antikomentaro, kurį sudaro šešios knygos, penktoje dalyje ir
savo dvasia jie buvo visiškai priešingi Mieželaičio knygos Žmogus koncepcijai1. Lenino premiją laimėjusį Žmogų (1961) ir „Raudų...“ fragmentus skiria dešimtmetis,
per kurį daug kas buvo pakitę ir visuomenės, ir poeto sąmonėje. Tą savimonės
pokyčių punktyrą galima nesunkiai pasekti eseistiniuose Mieželaičio tekstuose, bet
kad poeto knygoje konservatyviausiu sovietmečiu atsirastų toks tekstas, radikaliai
priešingas jo materialistinei, antropocentrinei, gamtinio optimizmo pasaulėžiūrai,
lieka beveik nepaaiškinama.
Šio pranešimo tikslas yra, pasitelkus poeto kūrybos kontekstą, bandyti suprasti
ir aiškintis šio teksto atsiradimo galimybę ir aplinkybes.
Skeptiškiau (ar kritiškiau) nusiteikęs klausytojas/skaitytojas galėtų, žinoma,
kiek sumažinti intrigą primindamas, kad tai yra ne paties Mieželaičio tekstas, o
Armėnijos katalikų Palaimintojo Grigoro Narekiečio Viduramžių poezijos šedevro
laisvo vertimo fragmentai. Žinoma, taip, bet kad imtųsi jį operatyviai versti, turėjo
būti ypač paveiktas, sujaudintas; šiai raudai jo sąmonė jau turėjo būti pasiruošusi.
Juk ir teksto antraštė „Raudos, apmąsčius kartu su viduramžių anachoretu Grigoru
Narekaci žmogaus likimą“ pabrėžia, kad tai ne tik objektyvus kito teksto vertimas,
bet kartu ir jo kūrimas, asmeninis jo autorystės prisiėmimas. Ką apie šio teksto
atsiradimą yra rašęs pats poetas? Prieš „Raudas...“ einančioje esė „Neramus tarsi Bacho choralas“ pasakojama susitikimo su šiuo tekstu istorija. Poetui viešint
Armėnijoje (tai turėjo būti 1969 metai), vienas skaitytojas padovanojęs jam nedidelę, kukliai išleistą eilių knygelę. Pradėjęs skaityti, liko be amo. Toji „knygelė“ – tai 1969 metais profesoriaus Levono Mkrtčiano iniciatyva publikuoti, Naumo
1
Plačiau apie tai žr.: Rimantas Kmita, „Eduardo Mieželaičio Žmogus kaip politinės religijos tekstas“,
Literatūra, 49(1), 2007, p. 39-57.
161
Grebniovo išversti į rusų kalbą, penki Grigoro Narekaci „Sielvartingų giedojimų
knygos“ skyriai: 1, 23, 30, 55, 80. Mieželaitis iš jos išvertė 23, 30, 55 skyrių frag
mentus (Sigito Gedos vertime jų yra 95). Mieželaitis esė pradeda nuo nuostabos,
jį ištikusios paskaičius knygelės tekstus: apie tai jis rašo su būdingu savo stiliui
hiperbolizmu, dar patyškintu taikantis prie rytietiškos žodžio ornamentikos. Bet
įkarštis, su kuriuo apie tai rašoma, priverčia patikėti, kad tai ne tik retorika. Jis akcentuoja minties didybę, filosofinį santykio su pasauliu užmojį, asmenybės mastą
ir apibendrina:
Tada, žilojo Ararato papėdėje, atrodė tarsi būčiau patekęs į naują, man nežinomą erdvų ir didelį pasaulį. Į poetinės minties pasaulį, kurio seniai ieškojau ir pagaliau atradau.[...] Pajutau kovojančią, besiblaškančią, kenčiančią žmogaus sielą.
Pajutau dramatišką nerimą, kurį patiria žmogus, norintis aprėpti ir suvokti visą paslaptingą Būtį, Likimą, Visatą. (Mieželaitis 1971: 170).
Poetas, lyg užbėgdamas už akių galimiems oficialiosios kritikos priekaištams,
argumentuoja, kodėl toji viduramžių poezija turi rūpėti šiandieniniam žmogui:
Mes labai klystume, manydami, jog savikritika, kuklumas ir nusižeminimas
prieš Visatos didybę buvo reikalingi viduramžių anachoretui, tamsuoliui, fanatikui ir tapo nebereikalingu anachronizmu naujam žmogui. Gamta, žinoma,
išdavė žmogui stambų vekselį, ir pasaulio statyboje jis gali operuoti stambiomis sumomis [...]. (Mieželaitis 1971: 171).
Įdomu, kaip šios raudos atrodė tuometiniam skaitytojui? Knygos recenzentai
(Vitas Areška, Jūratė Sprindytė) jas išskyrė kaip labiausiai emocionalius ir įtaigius
tekstus. Kaip ir autorius minėtoje esė, taip ir abu recenzentai, tarsi numanydami
galimus priekaištus, panašiai „teisino“ šių tekstų pesimizmą.
Taigi kodėl šie krikščioniškieji maldų tekstai ateistui Mieželaičiui padarė tokį
įspūdį? Pirmiausia, žinoma, jis turėjo būti sukrėstas estetinės jų jėgos. Patetiškajam
Mieželaičiui biblinis, monumentalus raudų stilius turėjo būti itin artimas. Įdomu,
kad Jonas Aistis, užsistodamas išeivijos spaudoje kritikuojamą Mieželaitį (jo kelionės į JAV 1959 metais proga), rašė: „Man keista, kad iki šiol nei vienas nepastebėjo,
jog Mieželaitis yra vienas iš ryškiausių ir ištikimiausių Bernardo Brazdžionio mokinių“ (Aistis 1959.10.31: 3).
Savo ruožtu, kai sovietinėje Lietuvoje buvo pradėta puolimo kampanija prieš
Aistį ir Brazdžionį, Mieželaitis užėmė gynėjo poziciją:
Lėkštais straipsniais čia nelaimėsime nieko. […] Poezijoje vienintelė kovos priemonė – gera poezija. […] Abudu jie didžiai talentingi, tikri poetai. Ir nors ideo
logiją jie išreiškia atsiliekančią nuo dinamiškos dabarties, nuo veržlaus ir toli
nuėjusio mūsų amžiaus žmonijos gyvenimo, skaitytojo akyse jie vis dėlto lieka
poetais…” (Mieželaitis 1966: 28).
Vis dėlto, manytume, kad ne tik monumentalus raudų stilius prikaustė Mieželaičio dėmesį: kelčiau hipotezę, kad Dievo atleidimo prašančio viduramžių vienuolio maldoje poetas galėjo išvysti savo prometėjiškojo žmogaus dvasinį dvynį – tos
pačios vertikalės apverstąjį variantą. Sugretinus abu tekstus (Žmogų ir “Raudas”)
stebina raiškos giminingumas ir absoliuti turinio priešybė – ir tai iki tokių atitikmenų, kad Narekaci maldų į Dievą vertimus skaitai kaip asmenišką poeto atgailą dėl
savo kūrybos, arba kaip prometėjiškojo žmogaus dekonstrukciją.
162
„Besiskubindamas į priekį – įklimpau dar giliau į pelkę. / Besižvalgydamas
didelio – aš praradau mažą. / Beraškydamas žvaigždes – pamiršau žemės
pėdą. / Pasikėlęs į Paukščių Taką – nusiritau į bedugnę. / [...]Dabar mane silp
ną visų / Didžių nuodėmių belaisvį, / Gali tik tu išvaduoti. // Meldžiu, padėk
mano / Myriop pasmerktai sielai. / Amen.“ (Mieželaitis 1971: 180).
Versdamas raudų tekstus Mieželaitis vartojo savo poezijai būdingus įvaizdžius,
frazes, mėgstamą absoliutaus kontrasto poetiką ir tai dar sustiprina abiejų tekstų
tiesioginio dialogo įspūdį. Palyginus Mieželaičio vertimus su Gedos tų pačių frag
mentų vertimais, akivaizdu, kad antruoju atveju dialogo įspūdis būtų silpnesnis.
Meditacijose vyrauja kančia ir atgaila dėl žmogaus nuodėmingumo, silpnumo,
dėl kankinamos abejonių sielos, kūno aistrų, dėl to, kad jo veiklos rezultatai priešingi
ketinimams, tuščiai išpustyti gabumai, plepus liežuvis ir išdiduolės lūpos... Tai tarsi
prometėjiškos dvasios žmogaus, turėjusio pretenzijų tapti gamtos ir visatos valdovu, didinga, biblinio masto antifrazė. Keletas pastebėjimų apie tai, kuo Mieželaičio
prometėjiškasis žmogus skiriasi nuo kitų jo literatūrinių pavidalų. Prometėjo temos
kūriniuose vyksta maištingas dialogas su Dievu, ar su Demonu (Aischilo „Prikaltasis Prometėjas“, Johanno Wolfgango Goethe‘s „Faustas“, odė „Prometėjas“, Adomo
Mickevičiaus „Vėlinės“), daroma didinga nuodėmė, suvokiant savo kaltę ir prisiimant
atsakomybę už maištingą veiksmą vardan kitų. Mieželaičiui Dievas, kaip dialogo narys, neegzistuoja, nors Dievas, kaip moralinė vertybė, jo sąmonėje tebėra - apie tai
galima spręsti kad ir iš tokių imperatyvų: “Poezija turi tapti dievu, o rašomasis stalas
– altorium […]” (Mieželaitis 1966: 94); kitur jis cituoja Franco Kafkos Dienoraščius,
kur šis rašymo procesą yra pavadinęs savotiška „maldos forma“ (Mieželaitis 1966:
148). Mieželaičio maištas yra „vietinės“ reikšmės, nukreiptas prieš konservatyviai
mąstančius savo kolegas, prieš biurokratų dogmatizmą, prieš Stalino kultą ir pan. Jis
iš esmės ir negalėjo rasti būdo, kaip maištauti prieš Dievą jam pakeitusią „Didžiąją
Gamtą“, kurios dalimi buvo pats. Hansas-Georgas Gadameris straipsnyje „Prometėjas ir kultūros tragedija“ rašo, kad naujaisiais laikais Prometėjo mitas tapo ne tik
žmogaus kūrėjo manifestacija, bet ir priešinimu krikščioniškajai sąmonei. Kaip ryškiausias pavyzdys minima Goethe‘s odė „Prometėjas“. Goethe yra vienas dažniausiai Mieželaičio eseistikoje cituojamų autorių, o jo „Prometėją“, pateikęs originalo
kalba, taip komentuoja: „Protestanto pozicija. Jokio absoliuto. Jokio kulto. Viską
savo rankomis. Prometėjas – Olimpo demokratas, revoliucionierius, humanistas. Jis
prieš sustingusią konservatyvią harmoniją.“ (Mieželaitis 1969: 354).
Prometėjo mite Mieželaitis tradiciškai aktualizuoja žmogaus kūrybiškumo temą.
Bet dieviškos kūrybos galios, kurios romantikų buvo priskirtos tik poetams ir kitų sferų menininkams, Mieželaičio suteiktos apskritai žmogui, iškeliant jo kūrybiškumą bet
kurioje meno, mokslo, technikos ir t.t sferoje. Taip dingsta individualus, asmeninis
herojaus išskirtinumas, aukos grožis ir kančia, nuodėmė – visa, kas sudaro prometėjizmo šerdį. Mieželaičio žmogus nebeturi veiksmo programos, save jis suvokia kaip
medžiagą, materijos tąsą, paklūstančią „mes“ kiekybei, o tai iš principo eliminuoja
bet kokį dramatizmą ar dinamizmą. Cikle tą patvirtina ne tik deklaracijos, bet ir žmogaus kūno paralelės su neorganine gamta, tapusios ne vieno eilėraščio struktūros
pagrindu. Apie knygą Žvaigždžių papėdė (1959), kurioje pirmą kartą buvo paskelbta
dauguma būsimo „Žmogaus“ ciklo eilėraščių, rašoma: „Aš pasirinkau eksperimentinį
žmogiškosios medžiagos pažinimo būdą. Ieškau naujų tos medžiagos elementų. Man
163
rūpi pažinti žmogiškosios medžiagos struktūrą.“ (Mieželaitis 1964: 240). Kaip ir buvo
galima tikėtis iš racionaliai sumanyto projekto, ateities žmogus pasirodė primityviai
paprastas, aiškus ir nuobodus. Atrodo, poetas pats tai jautė, be to, ir literatūrinė
bendruomenė (kritika, kolegos rašytojai, skaitytojai) siuntė aiškius signalus, kad tai
tėra ideologinis konstruktas. Pasipylė naujojo žmogaus parodijos, šaržai, kuluariniai
komentarai. Iš pradžių Mieželaitis manė tęsiąs savo žmogaus projektą jo gaivinimo,
sužmoginimo linkme – apie tai jis daug rašė pirmose dviejose Žmogaus antikomentaro knygose (Lyriniuose etiuduose, 1964 ir Naktiniuose drugiuose, 1966):
„[...] ne iš karto ši idėja buvo suprasta. Teko išgirsti net ciniškų pastabų. Aš,
tiesa, pasirinkau tokį būdą: suskaldžiau žmogų į atskiras dalis (gal iš tiesų
panašiai ir darė kubistai). [...] Dabar reikia žengti tolimesnį žingsnį. Norėtųsi išleisti didesnę, stambesnę knygą apie žmogų, kur būtų ne tik skulptūrinis
žmogaus portretas, bet ir vidinis jo portretas, gal ir visa aplinka.“ (Mieželaitis
1966: 184).
Tačiau, kaip galima spręsti iš gausių samprotavimų šia tema, Mieželaitis, atrodo,
nelabai žinojo, ką toliau daryti su tuo sukurtuoju apoloniško kūno monstru ir kaip
pavaizduoti „vidinį žmogų“. Iš pradžių gynęs „naująjį žmogų“, vėliau poetas rezignavo, išsikvėpė, nes keitėsi laiko atmosfera: prometėjiškąją , herojinę savijautą keitė
donkichotiškumo savivaizdis. Tarsi paklusdamas aplinkos spaudimui (7-ojo dešimtmečio lietuvių poezijoje avangardinį stilių keitė „paprastumo“ estetika), Mieželaitis taip pat bandė vaizduoti kasdienybės žmogų, jo eilėse stiprėjo socialinis kriticizmas, atsirado ironijos, satyros tonų, nukreiptų prieš visuomenės miesčionėjimą,
vartotojiškas tendencijas, buitiškumą, idealų stoką ir t.t. Bet, kaip galima spręsti iš
ciklo „Infliacija“, publikuoto paskutinėje, šeštoje, antikomentaro knygoje Iliuzijos
bokštas (1973), romantinei poeto pasaulėjautai, barokiškai ornamentuotam stiliui
tai buvo visiškai svetimas kelias. Dabartis prometėjiškųjų nuostatų žmogui iš principo yra nesvarbi, nes visas jo dėmesys nukreiptas į ateitį, siekiamą idealą. Dėl to
Mieželaičiui priimtinesnis atrodo Immanuelio Kanto ar Pierre’o Teilhardo de Chardino tobulėjančio žmogaus modelis nei marksisto Herberto Marcuse’s sociologinė
žmogaus traktuotė (Mieželaitis 1969: 375).
Eseistikoje vis grįždamas prie prometėjiškosios maišto temos ir šiame kontekste minėdamas Goethe‘s „Faustą“, Heinricho Heinės satyras, George‘o Byrono
„Don Žuaną“, Vladimirą Majakovskį, Mieželaitis jiems priešino savojo laiko poetų
miesčionišką konformizmą. “Labai nusibodo lėkštas optimizmas (visur kur laiminga išeitis ir baigtis)… Jis pakirto ir išvijo psichologinį dramatizmą, gilesnį tragiškos
situacijos pajautimą, herojišką žmogaus kovą su pačiu savim, kovą tarp gėrio ir
blogio…” (Mieželaitis: 1969: 32).
Ir štai atsitiktinai poetui į akis pakliūva Viduramžių vienuolio tekstai, savo bibliniu stiliumi, pasijiniu įsijautimu, filosofiniu minties užmoju turėję jam pasirodyti artimi. Tik raiškos turinys visiškai priešingas – kenčiantis, nelaimingas, atgailaujantis,
nusižeminęs, Dievo gailestingumo meldžiantis, nuodėmingas žmogus. Mieželaičiui
tai galėjo atrodyti kaip apoloniškojo žmogaus papildymas Kaino ir Dioniso dvasia,
sujungiant kančią ir kūrybą, maištą ir nusižeminimą. Vėliau, Atgimimo pradžioje,
parašytoje poemoje Mitai (1986-1987, išspausdinta 1996), kai Mieželaitis sapne
peržiūri visą žmonijos istoriją, jis prieina prie išvados, kad blogis yra neišvengiamas istorijos variklis. Panašiai kaip jo skaitytas ir cituojamas Friedrichas Nietzsche
164
„Tragedijos gimime iš muzikos dvasios“ teigęs, kad dionisiškasis pradas yra pokyčių
šaltinis, būtinas apoloniškųjų epochų palydovas. Racionalaus romantiko Mieželaičio optimistinei pasaulėjautai dramatizmas yra svetimas. Gyvenimo dialektikoje
jis pabrėžia konfliktiškų skirčių sintezę. Ar tai galėtų sujungti viduramžių vienuolio
maldą su XX a. komunisto beatifikacija? Nebent priešinimo ryšiu.
Literatūra
Aistis, Jonas, „Ar ne per daug užsipuolama?“, Draugas, 1959 spalio 31.
Mieželaitis, Eduardas, Lyriniai etiudai, Vilnius: Vaga, 1964.
Mieželaitis, Eduardas, Naktiniai drugiai, Vilnius: Vaga, 1966.
Mieželaitis, Eduardas, Montažai, Vilnius: Vaga, 1969.
Mieželaitis, Eduardas, Antakalnio barokas, Vilnius: Vaga, 1971.
Elena Baliutytė, PhD, Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore, Mykolas Ro
meris University. Area of scientific interest: contemporary Lithuanian literature, Soviet
literature, critique of literature.
165
Session VI – A
Hans Urs von Balthasar’s Third Way of Love:
The Spiritual-Corporeal Encounter of Religious Experience
Stephen M. GARRETT
A bst ra ct
Contemporary renderings of religious experience tend to comport with William
James’s four-fold solipsistic criteria for identifying a “mystical experience” that is
congruent across religious traditions. Contrary to such notions, the prominent 20th
century Swiss Catholic theologian, Hans Urs von Balthasar, roots his understanding
of religious experience in the dialogical, spiritual-corporeal I-Thou-We encounter
with “the other,” particularly in loving one’s neighbor. All such creaturely I-ThouWe encounters ultimately, Balthasar maintains, have their basis in the divine IThou-We as “the Son interprets the Father through the Holy Spirit as divine love.”
This spiritual-corporeal reality, initiated by the triune God, occurs concretely in
the communal life of faith. Religious experience is not an isolated individual expe
rience but rather a tradition dependent one located particularly, for the Christian,
within the context of the Church. Balthasar, therefore, makes a unique contribution as he inextricably includes a corporeal aspect to religious experience that is
mediated through the irreducible spiritual-corporeal encounter found in the interlocution between self and other.
Key Words: Hans Urs von Balthasar, I-Thou-We, corporeal, religious experience,
tradition
Stephen M. Garrett, PhD, Lecturer/Researcher of Public Theology and the Philosophy of
Religion, Social Communications Institute, Lithuania University of Educational Sciences.
Native or Christian: Interaction of Traditions in Peyote Religion
Benas ULEVIČIUS
A bst ra ct
Native American Church is an unique religion, in which Native and Christian contents and forms are combined, yet various researchers do not agree on the extent
and importance of these two doctrinal, ethical and ceremonial layers in Peyote
Religion. To some researchers Christian content in Peyote Religion seems superficial
and accidental (e.g. W. La Barre). Others are convinced that Christian worldview
and ethics can be found at the very core of Peyote Religion, especially in so called
166
“Cross Fire” version of Peyotism (e.g. J. S. Slotkin, O. C. Stewart). So how Christian
Peyote Religion really is? The answer to this question is complex one. It must be
based on the scrutiny of historical facts, social dynamics, and personal testimonies;
it must be free of institutionalized anti-Christian trend, which has been influencing
anthropology till recently (Hann 2007:384); moreover, we cannot hope to answer
this question without consulting the Christian theology, which should be seen as
the provider of initial theoretic criteria for evaluation of anything “Christian”. The
theological inquiry of early conversion experiences, prayers, songs, and doctrines
of peyotists can help us to evaluate the character of interaction of Native and
Christian religious traditions that took place at the end of the 19th century in
formation of unique ceremonial complex called “the Peyote Religion”.
Keywords: Peyote, Christianity, inculturation, Native American Church, religion.
Native American Church (thereinafter – NAC) or “Peyote religion” is a common title
for the fastest growing Native American religion in the United States and Canada.
The uniqueness of NAC is based on usage of small spineless cactus lophophora
williamsii – “peyote” by its adherents. Peyote is ingested as a sacrament during
night long ceremonies. Because of its healing and mild hallucinogenic properties it
is valued as “teacher” and “medicine” in the broadest sense of the word (Shultes
1938).1 NAC ceremonial complex as it is known today, formed in the United States
towards the end of the 19th century. It spread rapidly through the country and
reached Canada in the beginning of 20th century.2 For at least 10 000 years peyote
was used for different purposes (ceremonial and not) by Natives in territory of
Mexico, where most of its natural habitat is found (the rest of peyote growing area
is in Southern Texas) (Stewart 1987:17). Today NAC unites a number of officially
incorporated religious organizations3, and counts up to 300 000 adherents
(Maroukis 2010:5). Use of peyote for ceremonial purposes is allowed for Native
Americans by the US legislature. Various studies had shown that ceremonial use
of peyote does not form the habit, does not impair physical or mental abilities of
peyotists, and is not harmful in any way (Maroukis 2010:6; Halpern et al. 2005).
It is commonly admitted that Native and Christian elements are combined in
NAC beliefs and ceremonies, yet various researchers do not agree on the extent
and importance of these two doctrinal, ethical and ceremonial layers in Peyote Religion. To some researchers Christian content in Peyote Religion seems superficial
and accidental (e.g. W. La Barre). Others are convinced that Christian worldview
and ethics can be found at the very core of Peyote Religion, especially in so called
Cross Fire version of Peyotism (e.g. J. S. Slotkin, O. C. Stewart). It is undeniable
fact that essential elements of NAC ceremony are of Native origin: earthen altar is
constructed on the ground; drum, gourd rattles, feathers, eagle bone whistle are
used in prayers; smudging of sacred objects is done by throwing cedar needles on
hot coals and holding ceremonial objects in the smoke or drawing smoke to the
1
2
3
On the chemistry of peyote: Anderson 1996.
There exist quite few accounts about the spread of Peyote religion (La Barre 1988; Slotkin 1956;
Stewart 1987; Maroukis 2010; Hultkrantz 1997).
The largest NAC organizations are: NAC of North America, NAC of Navajoland, NAC of Oklahoma,
NAC of South Dakota (Anderson 1996:48; Maroukis 2010:208).
167
objects or people, using feathers; sage is used for purification; in many ceremonies
tobacco may be used in prayer; participants sit on the ground; musically hymns
are unmistakably Native; number four is important in ceremonial procedures, and
so on.4 Yet, while comparing “old Mexican peyote complex” with its later United
States development (i.e. NAC), Stewart notices that “the peyote ceremony in Oklahoma was different from earlier Mexican peyote ceremonies. There was no bloodletting; there was almost never any dancing; people sat as in the meeting; there
were no drunken stupors. It was an affair of family and friends, with singing and
praying, and for all its strangeness to outsiders, to its participants it carried a high
moral tone, such as might characterize a mission service. While no Christian symbol, with the possible exception of the cross, can be found in early peyote ceremonies, they might be said to have had a certain Christian ambience” (Stewart 52).
So how Christian Peyote Religion really is? The answer to this question is complex
one. It must be based on the scrutiny of historical facts, social dynamics, and personal
testimonies; it must be free of institutionalized anti-Christian trend, which has been
influencing anthropology till recently (Hann 2007:384); moreover, we cannot hope
to answer this question without consulting the Christian theology, which should be
seen as the provider of initial theoretic criteria for evaluation of anything “Christian”.
The theological inquiry of early conversion experiences, prayers, songs, and doctrines
of peyotists can help us to evaluate the character of interaction of Native and Christian religious traditions that took place at the end of the 19th century in formation of
unique ceremonial complex called “the Peyote Religion”. In this article some initial
remarks which could be of use to those who deal with above mentioned questions in
more detail will be provided. This research is based on the analysis of materials, nonformal interviews, personal correspondence and participant observation.5
It is undeniable fact that many early peyotists were well acquainted with elements of Christian doctrine. With missionaries actively proselytizing on reservations,
Christianity being indispensable part of curricula in governmental and missionary
schools (also in war camps, where many personal friendships and connections
among future peyotists were made), Christian doctrine and visual expressions were
well known by Native American population in the second part of the 19th century.6
This applies even more to active proselytizers of peyotism, who in most cases were
educated, politically or/and religiously engaged members of their communities. This
is definitely the case with two most prominent peyote leaders of the 19th century –
Quanah Parker and John Wilson. Both were of mixed native – white ancestry; both
crystallized and propagated two different versions of peyote ceremony. Quanah
Parker, the great chief of Comanche, was a gifted politician and businessman. Res
pected by tribesmen, white agents and missionaries alike Quanah was attracted by
possibilities “white world” had to offer. His view of Christianity was positive, even
though having three wives according to the tribal customs was one of the reasons he
did not join any of Christian denominations (Stewart 1987:70-72). One of the famous
photographs of the great chief shows him at home sitting by the painting of “Sacred
4
5
6
168
Stewart provides the detailed list of ritual elements and their interpretations in different NAC cere
monies (Stewart 1987:339-375)
More than dozen NAC ceremonies, conducted by Lakota, Dine, Ponca roadmen were attended in
1999 – 2012 by author of this article.
On the importance of boarding schools for the spread of peyotism see: Maroukis 34.
Heart of Jesus” (Swan 1999:7). It seems that the famous saying of Quanah – “the
white man goes into his church and talks about Jesus; the Indian goes into his tipi
and talks with Jesus” reveals his conviction about the methodological differences of
Churches or possibly spiritual deficiency of white Christian churches, yet it does not
play down the importance of Christ or Christianity as such. Similarly John Wilson, religious leader of Caddo tribe, though never involved with worldly politics, was always
on the front lines of religious life on the reservation. Member of Catholic church, active leader of Ghost dance, and prominent peyote leader, Wilson created a version of
peyotism. His ceremony was called “Big Moon” because of an altar shape, which was
different from Quanah‘s “Little Moon” altar (more often called “Half Moon”). In Big
Moon peyotism basic elements of peyote ceremony and modifications introduced
by Wilson were interpreted from strong Christocentric perspective. Doctrines of
death, resurrection and ascension of Christ to heaven were put at the centre of the
ceremonial symbolism (Stewart 1987:86-92). Other most important personalities in
the development of Peyote religion were two Winnebago Indians – John Rave and
Albert Hensley, who adopted and modified Big Moon ceremony into what was called
“Cross Fire” peyotism. Rave and Hensley were well acquainted with Christianity.7 It
was Hensley, who introduced regular Bible reading at the ceremonies and added
Bible to set of ceremonial paraphernalia.8 John Rave was sympathetic to these additions. Being illiterate, he exhorted Bible reading by younger educated members at
the ceremonies (Radin 1990:373).
Sometimes it is claimed that these and other early peyote leaders used Christianity as a shield against governmental and religious bodies that strived to ban
peyotism on reservations. Thus embracing Christianity (or some aspects of it) is
seen as political step, lacking sincerity. Such statement has very little historical
evidence if at all. Surely “Christianess” of peyotism could be used as a proof to
authorities that NAC is just another Christian church. Such policy is possible, yet
it may easily coexist together with sincere love of Christian beliefs and imagery
(Maroukis 2010:125).9 Numerous examples and testimonies reveal attitude of peyotists to Christianity ranging from getting along with to active interest. In the late
19th century Christianity was not new or alien phenomena on reservations. Many
peyotists were raised by families who already were practicing Christians. Others,
like Quanah Parker, developed friendly relationships with missionaries. The situation of one of the most influential Sioux peyote leader Jim Blue Bird is close to
typical. Jim inherited love to Bible from his father who was Episcopal minister.
When Jim became peyotist, his father “did not attempt to dissuade him, recognizing that in the Cross Fire church one prayed to Jesus Christ and preached clean
living” (Stewart 1987:180). Another famous peyote leader – Jonathan Koshiway of
Sac and Fox tribe was “unusually curious about religion”. He went to Bible school,
acquainted himself with Jehovah’s witnesses, became missionary for the Church of
7
8
9
About Hensley‘s positive experiences at Carlisle boarding school and interactions with Episcopalians see: Radin 1990:350.
Also there is a possibility that before introducing peyotism to Winnebago, John Rave saw Bible being used at the Oto peyote ceremonies, which he attended in Oklahoma (Maroukis 38).
Maroukis provides typical example of such reasoning, even though later he admits sincerety as
an important motive for the inclusion of Christian elements into peyote ceremonies (Maroukis
2010:123).
169
Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and later became Presbyterian minister (Stewart
1987:167). Active interest in Christian doctrine by many peyotists is well documented. To give just one example, Sioux Indians Sam Kills Crow Indian and Charles
Spotted Eagle were friends. They studied mail-order Bible course, read Bible and
attended peyote ceremonies together (Stewart 1987:182). Moreover, it was always quite common for peyotists to belong to one or more Christian denominations besides the membership in NAC. There are plenty examples. Some of them
are conspicuous. For instance, Sac and Fox George Butler was peyote “roadman”
(i. e. ceremonial leader) and Baptist minister at the same time. He would conduct peyote ceremonies on Saturday night, and then preside over Baptist prayer
services on Sunday morning, after which he would return and eat together with
peyote community (Stewart 1987:123).10 Alongside these examples there is also
a testimony, provided by art, customs and peyote ceremony itself. Decorations
of ceremonial objects, church buildings and living places with crucifixes, crosses,
images of Jesus and angels, inscriptions with Bible quotes are so abundant in both
Half Moon and Big Moon/Cross Fire traditions, that distrust about sincerity of such
visual confessions seems untenable. The same stands true when we explore Christian jargon, adopted by Peyote religion (e.g. “Heavenly Father”, “church”, “sacrament”, “narrow road”, “everlasting life”, “baptism”, “blessing”, “faith, hope, charity” and the like).11 While some researchers tend to stigmatize such borrowings as
alien additions, most members of NAC seem to use them with pride.12
It has become routine statement in general descriptions of NAC that Half Moon
peyotism is more “native” or “traditional” while Big Moon and/or Cross Fire peyotism is “later Christianized version” of Peyote religion. I am convinced that it is misleading to call one of aforementioned versions of peyotism “more traditional” than
other. Both versions differ significantly from so called “Mexican peyote complex”,
and from the phenomenological viewpoint seem more related to each other than
to their Mexican predecessor.13 Both versions were born within rather insignificant
time interval. Both are considered “traditional” by adherents. More should be said
about Half Moon tradition being “less Christianized” version of peyotism. There
are definitely native elements in Half Moon peyotism, which are absent from Cross
Fire ceremonies, use of tobacco being one of most important. It is also true, that
Bible is not used at Half Moon ceremony, and references to it in prayers and explanations are relatively fewer than in Cross Fire tradition. Still love for biblical idiom
is present in Half Moon tradition and biblical expressions are frequent enough to
put aforesaid statement under suspicion. In reality there were always Half Moon
communities, where biblical interpretation of ceremony was in the prime. Winnebago Jese Clay’s explanation of Half Moon ceremony is an exceptional example
10 There are numerous evidences of peyotists who were members of Christian churches and at the
same time held leadership positions in traditional tribal religious activities. To mention just one
example: “Kills Enemy, a traditional Sioux holy man, was also devout Catholic and a supporter of
the Native American Church” (Maroukis 2004:275).
11 Some of these words are used with meanings that not necessarily coincidence with Christian equivalents. For instance “to baptize himself” may mean an act of touching head or body with ceremonial water or water from ceremonial water drum.
12 For instance, member of Half Moon tradition can explain why he stays with shoes at the home
ceremony: “we stay in shoes because this is a Church meeting”.
13 Of course, basic material elements can be traced to Mexican peyote celebrations.
170
(Radin 1990:367-371). Abundance of Christian visual expressions present at Half
Moon ceremonies was already mentioned. It is also important to notice the frequent invocation of Jesus name in songs and prayers, often with additions “Only
Savior”, “the Only Way”, “the Only One” and so forth.14 We know that even back
in Quanah’s Parker ceremony Jesus was mentioned in prayers and songs (Stewart
1987:77) . It is really hard to believe that all mentioned elements would find their
way into the ceremonies if significant part of early members would express any
uneasiness about them. Moreover, it seems near to impossible to believe that all
these elements were introduced just for being “politically useful” as it is claimed
quite often. Even though biblical idioms in Peyote religion do not necessarily prove
an orthodox Christian worldview being at work, they reveal attitude of comfortable
closeness at least, and loving enthusiasm at most. We also should not ignore the
fact that in case of both Half Moon and Cross Fire traditions, peyotism most often
was understood as “new” religion, which called for discontinuing tribal believes.15
It is interesting to notice, that despite the sharp opposition to peyotism from both
traditional tribal religions and Christianity, it is traditional medicine bundles that
were disposed of (Swan 1998; Radin 1990:349; D’Azevedo 2006).16 More positive
attitude of peyotists to traditional tribal believes (and vice verse) started gradually gaining the ground in the sixties, as a result of rising interest in tribal religions
by white society and promotion of tribal beliefs and traditions. Former suspicions
and hostilities are more and more transforming into mutual encouragement and
exchange. In this mood of tolerance, values and attitudes mingle and understan
ding of dissimilarities seems to be weakened. Aberlee‘s comparison between the
ethics, prayers and spirituality of Navajo traditionalists on one hand, and peyotists
on the other, is very enlighting in this respect (Aberlee 1991: 195-198).
These observations are rather concise. Yet they are enough to question statements about superficiality of layer of Christianity in Peyote religion, and refute
claims about political circumstances being the main and strongest motive for including Christian elements into peyote ceremonies. Of course, the main obstacle
for the task of evaluation to what extent Christian beliefs and ethics were included
into Peyote religion remains the absence of strict uniformity in peyote communities. For this reason it is impossible to indicate precise “percentage of Christian influence” in Peyote religion. Yet it seems clear that there exists another problem,
often neglected by those who seek answers to aforesaid questions. It is impossible
to detect the precise amount of Christian elements in religion, which is transmitted
almost exclusively in a way of oral tradition. In such religion views and values don’t
live on through carefully articulated concepts but through the transmission of vocabularies, attitudes, practices and ethical rules in the ceremonial setting. If Peyote
religion is Christian in any way, its peculiar Christianity is not defined by special
“NAC catechism” or dogmatic treatise. Christianity of peyote religion (any amount
of it) lives in songs, prayers, ceremonies, visual expressions, and ethical attitudes. In
14 This observation is based on more than 100 audio records scrutinized and life meetings observed.
15 On the general view that the elements of traditional tribal religions “should not mix” with peyote
see: Stewart 1987:315.
16 Such actions were related with theological and ethical views. For instance, Winnebago “older shamans” were much opposed to Peyote religion, because peyotists denied the doctrine of reincarnation (Radin 1990:378).
171
the world of “written Christianity”, were doctrines are understood first of all as written definitions, such form of Christianity is classified as “folk piety”, and is usually
seen with slight suspicion. Yet it always exists with its colorful ritual dynamics and
lack of conceptual definition. It seems that this distinction between oral and written
transmission of religious beliefs and ethics helps us to reveal the true meaning of
Quanah’s Parker words: “the white man goes into his church and talks about Jesus;
the Indian man goes into his teepee and talks with Jesus”. Peyote religion can be
viewed as inculturation of Christianity. Yet this inculturation in itself means new life
and adaptation of Christian message.17 It immerses Christian doctrine into different
setting and provides it with new methods. Such Christianity appears too undefined
(and actually unrecognizable) to Western mind that is accustomed to precise definitions which can be written down and explained in conceptual terms.
Bibliography
Aberlee, D. F. 1991. The Peyote Religion Among the Navaho. Norman and London: University of Oklahoma Press.
Anderson, E. F. 1996. Peyote: the Divine Cactus. Tucson: The University of Arizona Press.
D’Azevedo, W. L. 2006. Straight With the Medicine; Narratives of Washoe Followers of the
Tipi Way. Berkeley: Heyday Books.
Halpern, J. H., Sherwood, A. R., Hudson, J. I., Todd D. Y., Pope Jr., H. G. 2005. Psychological
and Cognitive Effects of Long-Term peyote Use Among Native Americans. Biol Psychiatry, 58, pp. 624-631.
Hann, C. 2007. The Anthropology of Christianity per se. European Journal of Sociology,
48/3, pp. 383-410.
Hultkrantz, A. 1997. The Attraction of Peyote: an Inquiry into Basic Conditions for the
Diffusion of the Peyote Religion in North America. Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell
International.
La Barre, W. 1988. The Peyote Cult. Crescent Moon.
Maroukis, T.C. 2004. Peyote and the Yankton Sioux. Norman: University of Oklahoma
Press.
Maroukis, T. C. 2010. The Peyote Road: Religious Freedom and the Native American Church.
Norman: University of Oklahoma Press.
Radin, P. 1990. The Winnebago Tribe. First Bison Book.
Schultes, R. E. 1938. The Appeal of Peyote (Lophophora Williamsii) as a Medicine. American Anthropologist, October-December. New series 40(4/1), pp. 698-715.
Stewart, O. C. 1987. Peyote Religion: a History. Norman and London : University of Oklahoma Press.
wan, D. 1998. Early Osage Peyotism. Plains Anthropologist, 43 (163), pp. 51-71.
Swan, D. C. 1999. Peyote Religious Art: Symbols of Faith and Belief. Jackson: University
Press of Mississippi.
Benas Ulevičius, PhD, assoc. professor at Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania. Area
of scientific interest: liturgical anthropology, liturgical theology, systematic theology, Native American Church.
17 Testimonies of NAC members show us, how selective such adaptation can be (D’Azevedo 2006).
172
Conversion as a Personal Experience in Relation to the Meaning
of Life Events and Religious Tradition
Atsivertimas kaip asmeniškas patyrimas gyvenimo įvykių
ir tradicijos kontekste (konvertitai skirtingose krikščionių
bendruomenėse)
Irena Eglė LAUMENSKAITĖ
A bst rac t
Conversion is a reality of every religion at all times, but in a period of great social
change it becomes a more widespread phenomenon. Converts realize the religious
identity not through traditional belonging to a definite religion or denomination,
but through a personal religious experience, which transforms one’s system of
meaning that has an impact on further life preferences and social activity. What is
a conversion as religious experience? What is it as a reality in Christian experience?
Does this experience and interpretation correspond to the frame of concrete religious tradition and practice? How the personal conversion as experience did happen and how was it perceived personally and accepted by the others? How was it
influenced by the former and the latter social experience? How did the converts’
attitudes, personal and social relations as well social activity change?
The study was based on two different but simultaneously used methods: biographical method (oral history of the religious experience from childhood to the
stage after the conversion) and semi-structured questionnaire on social situation,
circumstances of conversion and its social consequences. The object of study was
young converts in three religious communities – three different Christian denominations (Catholic and two new evangelical Protestant). The study gave the possibi
lity to encompass all four levels of religious experience (J. Paul Williams), including
those which usually are not shared with the others. It also allowed to discover in
what aspect the reflection and value judgment of personal conversion is interconnected with theological interpretation and practice of religious tradition, and in
what it is not. The personal narration of deep religious experience in the context
of successive life events gave the possibility to reassess the accidentals in the personal course of life, and to look into the phenomenon of conversion from different
theoretical perspectives.
Key words: conversion, religious experience, Christian experience, interpretation,
religious tradition
Atsivertimas laikomas kiekvienos religijos ir kiekvieno laikmečio tikrove, bet vykstant radikaliems visuomenės pokyčiams jis tampa platesniu reiškiniu. Atsivertimo
atveju religinė tapatybė kristalizuojasi ne perimant tradicinį priklausymą konkrečiai
religijai ar denominacijai, bet asmeniško religinio patyrimo kaip gyvenimo įvykio
pagrindu. Tai perkeičia asmens vertybines nuostatas ir turi poveikį jo tolesniems
gyvenimo orientyrams bei socialiniams sprendimams.
Kas yra atsivertimas kaip religinis patyrimas ir patirtis? Ar krikščioniškasis atsivertimas skiriasi nuo kitų? Ar krikščionys atsivertimo patirtimi skiriasi ir tarpusavyje?
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Jei taip, kas tuos skirtumus sąlygoja? Kaip vyksta atsivertimas ir kaip jis susietas su
praeities bei tolesnio gyvenimo įvykiais?
Šie klausimai buvo keliami rengiant konvertitų tyrimą tuoj po Nepriklausomybės atkūrimo Lietuvoje, kai atsirado laisvė ne tik asmeniškai praktikuoti, bet ir liudyti tikėjimą. Kiekybinis ir kokybinis tyrimas 1994 m. vyko VU Religijos studijų ir tyrimų centro iniciatyva Vilniaus šv. Jono Krikštytojo ir šv. Jono Evangelisto (katalikų)
bendruomenėje , Tikėjimo Žodžio (Pilnos evangelijos protestantų) bendruomenėje
ir Emanuelio (protestantų nedenominacinėje) bendruomenėje ( dabar – „Vilniaus
Vynuogynas“). Kokybiniam tyrimui taikytas biografinis1 metodas leido atskleisti patį atsivertimą kaip asmeniškai patirtą įvykį, jį galimai parengusias gyvenimo
aplinkybes bei gyvenimo pokyčius, vykusius jau po atsivertimo. Tuo būdu tyrimas
įgalino atpažinti visus keturis J. Paul Williams išskirtus religinio patyrimo lygmenis2,
tame tarpe ir tuos, kuriais kaip intymiais ir mistiniais išgyvenimais paprastai nėra
dalinamasi su kitais. Tyrimo metodas savo ruožtu leido pamatyti atsivertimą ir kaip
kompleksinį reiškinį viso gyvenimo kontekste – kaip religinę patirtį, kuri reškiasi ne
tiesiogiai, bet per kitus gyvenimo įvykius ir ne religinius patyrimus. Tai atskleidė
ir atsivertimo kaip religinio patyrimo, kuris paliečia visą asmenį, dalinių lygmenų
(intelektualinio, emocinio, moralinio ir net socialinio-politinio lygmens) sąsajas3.
Religinis atsivertimas gali būti aptariamas jo kaip tikrovės skirtingais aspektais.
Anglų kalba visais atvejais vartojamam vienam žodžiui “experience” lietuviškai
gali būti naudojami skirtingi trys: potyris, patyrimas ir patirtis. Dėmesys individo
potyriams (išgyvenimams), kas jau tapo šiuolaikinės Vakarų kultūros orientyru, išryškėjo XX amžiaus pradžioje su Rudolfo Otto “Šventybės” pasirodymu. Tuo pat
metu William James išreiškė domėjimąsi ne religiniais ritualais ir net ne idėjomis,
bet paskiro žmogaus jausmais, veiksmais bei potyriais atžvilgiu to, kas vadinama
dievišku4. Jo įtakoje Abraham Maslow individo religinius išgyvenimus jau įvardija
kaip maksimalius, kulminacinius („peak-experiences“), priskirdamas juos bendra
žmogiškosios egzistencijos psichologiniams reiškiniams.5
Tyrimo metu pagrindinis dėmesys buvo skiriamas atsivertimui kaip svarbiam
gyvenimo įvykiui – religiniam patyrimui, kuriam įvardinti reikia atitinkamų sąvokų ir konteksto. Tam filosofinė kalba nėra pakankama, nes Dievas sutinkamas kaip
čia ir dabar Esantysis – kaip asmeniškai kalbinantis, paliečiantis Jėzus Kristus, arba
bent kaip juntamai esanti, veikianti Dievo Dvasia. To susitikimo-įvykio dėka tiriamieji stipriau ar silpniau išgyveno savęs viso perkeitimą ir atsivėrimą Dievui (Metanoia), pirmiausia patirdami tai kaip leidimą Dievui juos atversti, kaip šuolį į tam
tikrą nežinią pasitikint Juo. Dalis jų patyrė ir aiškius savo elgesio pokyčius santykiuose su kitais, su savimi, atsiradusią laisvę nuo juos varginusios priklausomybės
(rūkymo, alkoholio) – tą, kas įvardijama epistrophe, t.y. išoriniais veiksmais regimu
atsivertimu. Beveik visais atvejais šis įvykis reiškė ne tik atsigręžimą į Dievą, bet ir
atsigręžimą į save (con-versio), kas skleidėsi kaip savižina, Dievo žvilgsnyje priimant
save tokį/ tokią koks jis/ ji yra.
1
2
3
4
5
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Kiekvienoje minėtų bendruomenių buvo apklausta po 10 konvertitų; kiekvienas pokalbis truko nuo
vienos iki trijų valandų.
Žr. J.Paul Williams.
Žr. Donald L. Gelpi, Committed Worship: Adult conversion and initiation, Liturgical Press, 1993.
James, W., The Varieties of Religious Experience. 1902 (V, 31)
Religions, Values and Peak-Experiences. Penguin Arkana, 1994.
Buvo aišku, kad konvertitai patyrė ne vien kažkokį ypatingą išgyvenimą, bet
susitikimą su Esančiuoju kaip Asmeniu. Būtent tai šį jų patyrimą apibrėžia kaip
krikščioniškąjį patyrimą ir atsivertimą. Kaip sako Hans Urs von Balthasar, nėra tokio
krikščioniškojo Dievo patyrimo, kuris nebūtų savivalės įveikos ar bent pasiryžimo
tokiai įveikai vaisius. Prie tokios savivalės reikėtų priskirti ir visus savavališkus žmogaus bandymus savo paties iniciatyva ir savo metodais bei priemonėmis sužadinti
religinius patyrimus. Tik atsižadėjus bet kokio dalinio patyrimo mums atsiduoda
būties visetas. Akivaizdu, kad to įvykio suvokimui, o juo labiau komunikavimui ir
įprasminimui būtina ir tam tikra kalba bei sąvokų visuma.
Nors kiekvienas atsivertimo pasakojimas liudijo to įvykio asmeniškumą ir unikalumą, bendra buvo tai, kad tai buvo egzistencinis patyrimas, atsidūrus akivaizdoje To, kas viršija ne ik mūsų pojūčius, bet, kaip sako J.Ratzingeris, ir mus pačius.6
Didžiausią iššūkį kėlė tai, jog būtina buvo priimti ir nepatirties patyrimą, nes tik jis
veda į naują lygmenį. Tačiau šis tyrimas atskleidė ir tai, kad patį atsivertimo kaip
patyrimo įvykį skirtingų krikščionių denominacijų konvertitai įvardijo skirtingai. Ir
tie skirtumai atitiko atsivertimo bei tikėjimo sampratų skirtumus katalikų ir protestantų teologijoje. Jei katalikų požiūriu atsivertimas ontologiškai perkeičia žmogų
Dievo malonės dėka, tai protestantai labiau pabrėžia išorinį malonės suteikimą,
kuris reiškiasi momentiniu, konvertito emociškai stipriai išgyvenamu Dvasios nužengimu. Būtent teologinė atsivertimo samprata galėjo sąlygoti ir atsivertimo kaip
patyrimo interpretaciją: protestantiškų bendruomenių nariai pirmiausia pasakojo apie savo atsivertimą kaip vienkartinį įvykį, o katalikai jį matė labiau kaip kelių
etapų procesą, nepabrėždami to įvykio kaip vienintelio. Tačiau vėliau, pasakodami
apie atsivertimą viso gyvenimo kontekste (apie gyvenimo patirtis, kurios buvo iki
tol ir gyvenimą bei sprendimus po to įsimintino atsivertimo įvykio), protestantiškos
bendruomenės konvertitai patys atpažindavo jo tęstinumą, t.y. tai, jog atsivertimas
vis tik yra procesas, vidinė viso gyvenimo kelionė. Jos įvykiai, tiesa, nėra vienodai
ryškūs ir įsimintini, bet jie vienas kitą sąlygoja ar nukreipia. Kitaip tariant, šiame
tyrime atsivertimas buvo atpažintas ir kaip religinė patirtis.
Religinė patirtis yra netiesioginis patyrimas, kuris atsiskleidžia kitose mūsų patirtyse, su jomis ar po jomis. Tai ne vienas iš daugelio mūsų patyrimų, bet pamatinė
patirtis, esanti visuose patyrimuose, prasiskverbianti ir valdanti visus kitus. Individualūs patyrimai, kurių metu mums atsiveria kažkas daugiau (pvz. ,,staiga” tampa
skaidri visa mano gyvenimo patirtis) yra vadinami atverties situacijomis. Jos gali
būti įvairios, netikėtai ,,akumuliuojančios” ankstesnius patyrimus, kurie vienaip ar
kitaip (netiesiogiai, paradoksaliai) ženklino ilgalaikį Dievo vedimą ir globą. Tos pamatinės patirties subjektu tampa slėpinys, palaikantis šią patirtį. Bet prie Slėpinio
žmogus gali ,,prisiliesti” tik tada, jei Slėpinys pats atsiveria ir leidžiasi būti pažintas.
Jis turi save apreikšti per ženklus, simbolius, signalus, įvykius.
Tačiau remiantis vien patyrimu, o juo labiau potyriu, negalima suvokti atsivertimo prasmės, nes galima daugybė vardų ir interpretacijų būdų (nekrikščioniškų,
teistinių, panteistinių ir pan.). Religinės patirties, dviprasmiško mysterium patyrimo
tikrąją prasmę atveria religinė kalba ir už jos glūdinti religinė tradicija. Religinė patirtis, kaip sako J. Ratzingeris, įprasminama per ją ir joje. Tik taip atsivertimas įprasmina gyvenimą ir nušviečia visą žmogaus egzistenciją. Žinia, visiems patyrimams
6
Plačiau žr. Ratzinger, J. Tikėjimas ir patyrimas. // Naujasis Židinys.
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įvertinti ir įprasminti krikščionybėje atskaitos tašku ir matu yra Šventasis Raštas ir
Bažnyčios Tradicija, su kuo įtikėjęs krikščionis susipažįsta ne iš karto.
Taigi, atsivertimo kaip religinio patyrimo skirtingą interpretaciją katalikų ir protestantų bendruomenėse sąlygoja tai, jog ne šiaip religinis, bet krikščioniškasis
patyrimas, kaip viso gyvenimo pagal tikėjimą patyrimas, užsimezga ir išsiskleidžia
bendruomeninės patirties kasdienybėje, tačiau savo kelyje remiasi istorinio patyrimo erdve ir patyrimo turtais (Bažnyčios tradicija). Kelias į viršijimą to, kas duota, į
savęs viršijimą ir to interpretavimą tampa įmanomas todėl, kad tikėjimo pasaulyje
jau yra įvykęs viršijimas. Todėl krikščioniškasis patyrimas tampa realus ir vaisingas
tik dalyvaujant Bažnyčios gyvenime, kuriame, kaip pastebi J. Ratzingeris, nuo tikėjimo „iš antrų rankų“ (nuo pasitikėjimo įtikinama gyvenimo forma) einama į tikėjimą
iš ,,pirmų rankų”, t.y. į tikėjimą iš asmeniško susitikimo su Viešpačiu ir to liudijimą
kitiems visu savo gyvenimu.
Tačiau savo atsivertimą kaip savęs ir gyvenimo perkeitimą visais lygmenimis
(intelektualiniu, emociniu, moraliniu, o kai kuriais atvejais ir socialiniu-politiniu)
konvertitai atpažino tik įjungdami į to įvykio visumą ir intymųjį (mistinį) atsivertimo
lygmenį – Dievo pneumos patyrimą, kas yra vidinis ir svarbus tikėjimo momentas.
Jis įgalina asmenį patikėti Dievui savo gyvenimą, bet nėra prieinamas analitinei
refleksijai, todėl dėl savo keisto, „nerealaus“ ir emociškai pernelyg stipraus išgyvenimo (potyrio) ar reakcijos tas mistinis patyrimas dažniausiai yra nureikšminamas
ar „nušalinamas“. Padedant jį į „tolimą stalčių“, būdavo tarsi užmiršti ir to pradinio
atsivertimo metu priimti apsisprendimai tam tikroje žmogiškojo patyrimo srityje
(dažniausiai moraliniuose sprendimuose, tarpusavio santykiuose) elgtis atsakingai.
Ilgesnio pokalbio apie atsivertimo įvykį dėka vėl grąžintas ir tuo pačiu vėl įprasmintas to patyrimo metu išgyventas mistinis susitikimas tarsi iš naujo nušviesdavo
konvertito išgyventą atsiliepimą į išlaisvinančią Dievo tikrovę. Ji siejama su morališkai absoliučiais ir galutiniais reikalavimais, kurie reiškia, jog visas gyvenimas,
įskaitant ir atsivertimus, turėtų būti pervertintas tos galutinės tikrovės šviesoje.
Pokalbyje sugrįžus prie tarsi užmiršto ar net nuo savęs pačių slepiamo atsivertimo
išgyvenimo, visi paskesni konvertitų pasirinkimai, drąsūs apsisprendimai ar gyvenimo posūkiai, kurie iki tol atrodydavo atsitiktiniai ar net nesuprantami, įgaudavo
prasmę ir net „logiką“. Būdavo atpažįstama, jog atsivertimo patyrimo šviesoje visi
iki jo ir po jo buvę įvykiai bei sprendimai sudaro prasmingą visumą, kurią galima
įvardinti krikščioniškąją patirtimi.
Religinis atsivertimas yra gilus. Kalbant apie jį kaip procesą, būtina skirti pradinį atsivertimą nuo tebesitęsiančio – kasdienio. Savo ruožtu atpažįstamas ir kitas
atsivertimas – atsivertimas vis iš naujo gilinant krikščionio tikėjimą, kuris vyksta
labiau atsiveriant Dievui ir labiau pažįstant bei priimant save Jo akivaizdoje, t.y. per
kasdienį Dievo Artumo skaitymą atsiveriant asmens perkeitimui Kristuje ir didesnei
gyvenimo pilnatvei.
Irena Eglė Laumenskaitė, PhD in Sociology, assoc. professor at Vilnius University, Faculty of Philosophy, Lithuania. Area of scientific interests: theological anthropology, christian social teaching, sociology of culture, religious studies, sociology and anthropology of
family, gender studies, sociology, anthropology and theology of body.
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Session VI – B
The Spread of the Apocalyptic Feelings in the Lithuanian Poetry
of the Young Generation
Silvija RAKUTIENĖ
A bst ra ct
This study is the attempt to reveal the specifics of the devotional experience and
the spread of the universal truths of the Bible in contemporary Lithuanian literature, researching the texts of the youngest poets’ generation for the symptoms of
the apocalyptic feelings in order to reveal the organic (not intellectually designed)
religious attitude of the modern man to the world.
Apocalyptic world perception is characterized by the author’s position of a prophet;
symbolic numbers and images, taken from the Scriptures; duality of the space and time,
containing the negative perception of the Present and perfect vision of the Future.
The young Lithuanian poets processe distinctive apocalyptic images in the light
of their experienced historical changes but they do not dare to take the open position of the prophet, because of a lack of true trust in God. The space and time is
more abstract than concrete, the world is stagnated in the endless present. The
lack of the meaning of the past and hope for the future makes the people look for
the new paths to salvation, search for the new idols for adoration. The poets see
the crisis of the values of the humanity, but they do not prophesy cataclysms and
avoid an open declaration of faith. Instead of that they manifest the solicitude for
the future of the humanity and using the drastic symbols try to awaken it, force it
to understand the viciousness of the chosen path.
Keywords: Apocalypse, Lithuanian poetry, Scriptural.
Significance of the Scriptural to Lithuanian literature
The Bible is one of the most well-known and most widely read books in the world.
Every reader is free to choose the way to accept it. The Bible can be read as the history of divine revelation, offering hope and approximating human to deity as much
as it is possible. It can become a source of spiritual searching, allowing human being to look for at least some answers into the existential questions. The Bible can
be accepted as a cultural value, literary work, embodying inside some of the most
archaic and universal principles of mankind attitude to the world, as well.
Research on the links of Lithuanian literature and Scripture is one of the most
productive opportunities, because Lithuanian poetry externalizes much of the phi
losophical - religious elements. Lithuanian written language began with the spread
of Christianity, the demand of religious writings in national language was a major
impetus in triggering the formation of the general pattern of Lithuanian written
culture, and creation (or at the beginning - just re-creation) of literary works.
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For a long time folk songs have been the pinnacle of national poetry, based on
the sounds of harmony because of genre tradition. Translation of the Bible fragments into Lithuanian language, which was still “vulgar”, agriculturally concrete
and clear, was the best way of teaching to create the literature. Because of the
increased need for abstractions the Lithuanian lexicon had to be innovated and
expanded. The translation of the religious hymns, anthems and psalms gave rise
to the fundamentals of the Lithuanian poetic language. There were many valuable
literary translations of religious texts (by Mažvydas B. Vilentas, J. Bretkūnas, M.
Daukša, L. Rėza, etc..), based on which Lithuanian poets M. Valančius, A. Strazdas,
A. Baranauskas started the tradition of Lithuanian original hymns and psalms in the
nineteenth century. Metaphysical feeling bursts in the works of many Lithuanian
poets of the first half of the twentieth century (Maironis, M. Gustaitis, M. Vaitkus,
V. Mykolaitis-Putinas, P. Vaičaitis, A. Vienažindis, B. Brazdžionis, etc). In their poetry
balanced Christian worldview becomes a poetic dimension (Čiočytė 1999).
The twentieth century is marked by the intensifying tendencies of the individualism and subjectivism, this leads to the alienation of traditional biblical genres
(prophecies, prayers, hymns, psalms...) from the canon. The transcendental fee
lings revealed with the help of artistic imagination and intuition, and realia reflected in the poems - alienation and unity, death and resurrection, Lost and Recovered
Paradise - encourages to explore the Christian stratum of semantics of Lithuanian
poetry, and to look for answers in the collision points of faith and literature.
Historical periods full of changes always inflame anxiety in the society. These
emotions are particularly felt in literature, and especially - in poetry. It reflects the
emotional state of not only one direct individual, but of the society as a whole
unit as well. The strong flow of frustration, desperation and anxiety about the future which broke through in the literature of the end of the twentieth-century,
even extended in the twenty-first century. In poetry these emotions manifest very
strong spread of the apocalyptic feelings, accentuation of the Doomsday signs, the
change of the values with blistering speed, constant presence in the desperate
state of searching for God, which is often culminated in a new idol-worship.
This study is the attempt to reveal the specifics of the devotional experience and
the spread of the universal truths of the Bible in contemporary Lithuanian literature,
researching the texts of the youngest poets’ generation for the symptoms of the
apocalyptic feelings. The youth poetry, published in three almanacs in 1999-2009,
was chosen deliberately, because it was expected, that it will reveal the organic (not
intellectually designed) religious attitude of the modern man to the world.
Apocalypse as a religious manifestation, and as a literary genre
“The Apocalypse of John” or „The Book of Revelation“ is the final, culminating book
of the Bible, which concentrates as much emotional tension, as it is possible to
understand for the human being. There is declared the prophecy, which connects
the extreme poles of the opposition: embodies the highest human fear and the
hottest hope, describes the completion of God’s intentions in the world. This book
summarizes and concludes prophecies of the Old and New Testaments, combines
the dimensions of the Past and the Future, embodying in the Present the plan of
the God power’s entrenchment to every creature.
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„The Book of Revelation“ was written not only to encourage those, who are
already suffering, but also to awaken the complacent Christian, in order to excite their strength for the testimony of God, and to strengthen their hearts facing
the possible hardships and persecutions because of the faithful belief (Bauckham
2001). “Apocalypse” was written relating images and symbols to the situation of
the first readers, but its relevance to the subsequent text perceivers lies in its universality - heavenly perspective for the future has the power to be associated with
each situation in which the perfect world structure, conceived by God, seems to be
demolished by Evil forces, perceived and conveyed in different ways. This book of
the Bible is the most obscure and the most threatening, a large part of the text perceivers focus on the described horrors and forget the aim of all that - the destruction of the old world, using its foundations to build the eternal God’s Kingdom.
In general, „The Apocalypse of John“ was not the only apocalyptic book of that
time, but it was the only, which was added to the New Testament. The genre of
Jewish apocalypse was quite popular, the apocalypses were written in the heavy
times of crisis. The main point of the apocalypses was to look through the evolution
of human development in the historical perspective and to compare the real image
to the ideal - the end of the world, when the Kingdom of God will bring peace and
justice into the world (Alexander P.& Alexander D. 2001). The emotional power
emitted by this duality was so powerful that a large number of Western writers
of later times were trying to convey it in their works, taking the position of the
prophet, and consciously or instinctively trying to repeat the genre of apocalypse.
Their texts embodied the apocalyptic perception of the world, and tried to excite
the imagination insights, using stylistics of the visions and symbolic imagery.
After the research on different insights about the „The Book of Revelation“ (Alexander D. & Alexander P., R. Bauckham, Rub ys A.), there were distinguished the
features that are characteristic to apocalyptic world perception:
1. the position of the prophet / the visionary, which is held by the author;
2. the junction of the concreteness and the abstraction, which unfolds through
the symbolism of the images;
3. the symbolism of the numbers;
4. the duality of the space-time: on the one hand, it is the author’s local living
space and concrete time, but on the other hand – it is the whole world
and all human civilization history. The space-time is imparting the following
features:
• negative perception of the Present, especially emphasizing the
alienation of the modern world from God;
• visions of the Future – they are inspired by the Lord, and reveal the
embodying of the magnificent final God’s intention;
• accent of necessity - the collapse of the modern world is logical and
necessary, because on these foundations will be built the new perfect world, the Kingdom of God;
5. the new approach to the fragments of the Scripture, making them nearer
to the present.
Of course, it is hard to believe that the Lithuanian poets of the youngest generation will fully disclose the genre of apocalypse genre in their work. It is impossible
not only for the reason that the authors have limited intellectual and emotional
179
experience (they are very young individuals, the students), but much more due to
the fact that these authors did not intend to write an apocalypse, their poems were
written in a critical time of the historic turning point, when being in the highly unstable world consciously and subconsciously forces to take the universal archetypes
as a support. Young Lithuanian poets use the same layer of the archetypal images,
like the old creators of apocalypses, in addition to that, the culture influences creation / re-creation of the post-modern texts, so some symbols can occur in the texts
unwillingly, and can be perceived very differently. The extensive network of interpretations emerges during the time, and all points of the perception, belonging to
the knowledge, insights and aims of the perceiver, are actualized in it.
The apocalyptic perception of the world in the Lithuanian poetry
of the young generation
In the texts of the young Lithuanian poets there are many separate images and
motifs, which refer to the stratum of Christian semantics (the thorn; gold, incense
and myrrh; fish, the Ark of the Covenant, Saint Grail, forbidden fruit, etc.). Furthermore, some of the poets take the separate fragments of the Bible and rewrite
them, adapting them to the perception formed by the modern times. There you
can read a new understanding of Adam and Eve or world creation story, a new interpretation of the innocent conception. This literary courage gives the reason to
the researcher to look for the aspects of the Christianity in their poetry.
The young Lithuanian poets in their poems do not dare to take the open position of the prophet – they look from a distance into the fussing world, but, unlike
the biblical prophets, they do not feel calm and ensure about the future because of
lack of believing and trust in God, lack of certainty of His faith and care. On the one
hand they would like to see the collapse of an alienated, philistine, sinful world,
but on the other hand they aware their own mortality and feel the lack of belie
ving in revival. Not God’s revival but revival of Human. This is the strange and ironic
situation of the modern Christian, who is thinking and doubting - the word of God
is known, however, there is a lack of faith. The poems reflect the idea expressed by
Pope Benedict XVI, while he still was a cardinal, that modern man feels as if he is
tied to a cross, somehow hanging over the abyss (Ratzinger 1991).
According to the philosopher T. de Boer, the separation between faith and
knowledge in Christian culture is rather specific, because the knowledge of the
believing is based on revelation, heavenly nature, and therefore faith has always
the transcendental specifics (de Boer 2006). That’s why faith has a priority accor
ding to the knowledge in the religious conscious, which should be natural to the
Homo credens1. But nowadays the society looks at the believing man a little bit
indulgently, faith is understood as the denying of thinking. Trying to avoid a direct
intersection with public opinion or a way of life promoted by the media, modern
Christians are reluctant to express true faith, so they gradually recede from God.
This tendency can be seen in the texts of young Lithuanian poets, where the ima
ges of wings, angels, birds express a longing for sincere faith, but there is often
emphasized that they are lost in the mist:
1
180
(lot.) Believing man
Above my bed
Vir mano guolio
the face of the angel
angelo veidas
hair of the color of the sea
jūros spalvomis
falling
krintantys plaukai
through
pro
the curtains
užuolaidas
so significantly
taip prasmingai
light up the cigarette
užsidega cigaretę
(third time quit smoking)
(jau trečiąkart metąs rūkyti)
the face
į miglas įsisupęs
of the angel
angelo
wrapped in the mist
veidas
before-waking-up3
nu-bun-dant
(Janušaitė K. „[virš mano guolio...]“, 2: 22)2 .
The2modern3lyricists live in the impaired world, which can hardly obey to the
divine order. They are extremely sensitive to the unconscious fluids of all humani
ty, so they see people, who are so far away from the divinity, they are loosing their
flight, and don’t understand God’s mission any more. These people soak themselves into the sin of pride, spiritual dirt, their souls are divided, tortured by their
own fault perception. The word “sin” is used so often, that it is not dramatized any
more, it remains an empty concept without internal content. The young poets are
looking for another ways of expression, trying to awake the dozing conscience of
the society using expressive symbolic images (e.g.: the fire-eyed Serpent, poiso
ning the water of the whole world):
Galite ketvirčiuoti linčiuoti
You can quarter or lynch him
Užmušti –
Kill him –
gyvą užmušti –
kill him alive –
išsineria jis iš odos
he sloughs off
ir pasprunka
and mizzles
Karalius
the King
Žalčių
of the Serpents
ugninėm akim
with the eyes of fire
nuodinga širdim
and poisonous heart
nuodijančia
which empoisons
viso pasaulio vandenis –
the water of the whole world –
Ir vėl
Once more
lenkiuosi
I bow down
svaigdama
drunk
lenkiuos
I bow down
Atsigerti –
To drink –
(Guobytė E. „[Galite ketvirčiuoti...]“, 2: 27).
Disbelief and distrust in anything (government, society, strangers, loved ones,
selves, even God) make people query the idea of humanity itself and search for
new definitions of human existence in the world. Human dualism is refuted, but
2
3
These numbers indicate the number of the source and the page.
The translations of the Lithuanian poems into English are made by the author of the article.
181
not for the reason that postmodern man is able to perceive himself as undivided
unity. Conversely, the opposition of body and soul gets additional third dimension.
The unity of the human being disintegrates into triad: body - emotions - mind.
Various manifestations of emotions and feelings are monitored, recorded and
analyzed in the poems. Pain and suffering are intertwined with each other and,
opposing them to insensibility and alienation of the humanity, it becomes the only
way to exist. Even a negative emotional experience is better than complete absence of feeling. In some texts the dimension of corporeality is treated as absolute,
that it becomes the youthfully arrogant pose, which justifies even the drastic secularization of the eternal values
Sninga plunksnomis,
It is snowing with feathers,
Nesusiformavusiais gemalais.
With unformed embryos,
Sninga angelų spermatozoidais.
It is snowing with spermatozoids of the angels.
Sninga įstrižai stogų viršūnių,
It is snowing sidelong the peaks of the roots,
Vertikaliai plieniniams dangčiams. Upright the steel lids.
Užkliūna už pravertų balkonų,
Pakimba ant užuolaidų kraštų.
It scrapes against open balconies,
Snags the borders of curtains.
Žmonės myli ir kenčia.
People love and suffer
Patys nebesugeba daugintis.
They are not able to reproduce their kind.
(Razumaitė J. „[Sninga plunksnomis...]“,
2: 53).
In extreme situations Homo sapiens4 separates from Homo sensibilis5, and the
ratio (mind) in cold blood watches the flusters of the body, torn by windstorms of
senses and feelings. It becomes difficult to find place in the world for Homo credens and even for Homo humanus6. The young Lithuanian poets offer some solutions - individual has to focus on his inner life, to create a world in himself:
The jazzing rhythm
Džiazuojantis vėjo
ritmas
of the wind
And my discontinuous
Ir mano trūkčiojantis
rimas –
rhyme –
diagrama
the diagram
viso
of all
pasaulio
world
visų
of all
melodies
melodijų
of all
visų
vidurnakčio dūžių –
strokes of the midnight –
in one –
viename –
manyje.
in me.
(Biliūnaitė A. „[Džiazuojantis...]“, 2: 12)
4
5
6
182
(lot.) Wise man
(lot.) Sensitive man
(lot.) Humane man
Or he has to try to escape from the closed circle of the chaos. The true Christians
should prefer the second option because it enables to respond to the voice of God.
According to Scripture scholar A. Rub ys, the only path to the victory is firm
loyalty to God, and the aim of the apocalyptic writings is waking those, who are
asleep, warning those, who are hesitative, encouraging trust and witnessing true
faith (Rub ys 1997). The texts of young Lithuanian poets revealed the deep perception of the crisis and common sense, which stimulate the action – showing the
drastic images they are trying to liven up the indifferent, materialistic society.
The modern humanity understands how far it is departed from the original
Christian values, so it is struggling to find a substitute for God, because it seems
easier not to return to the true way, but to search for new paths to salvation. Into
the place of God people put the Apocalypse Beast, who can symbolize very diffe
rent things - it may be a person, organization, tangibles, anything what is deified.
The searching for God gets the form of mixing together sacral ideas of various religions, because of the desperate attempt to find an object of adoration:
<...>
<...>
Saulei aukoti maisto atliekas,
To sacrifice the wastes of the food
Ra ir Perkūnui.
to the Sun,
To Ra and Perkūnas.
Saulei aukoti lašišos ašakas,
Višnui ir Budai.
To sacrifice the bones of the salmon
to the Sun,
To Vishnu and Buda.
O Alache,
Ko nevalgai lazdelėmis persmeigtos
žuvies,
pomidorų padažu užpiltos,
o Krišna.
Oh, Allah,
Why don’t you eat the fish,
pierced with sticks,
Poured with the tomato sauce,
Oh, Krishna.
Jėzuli Jėzuli,
žuvis iš Nidos,
tik ištiesk ranką
ir pasiimk.
(Pečiulytė L. „Lašišos valgymas I“, 2: 20)
Sweet Jesus, sweet Jesus,
the fish is from Nida
just reach the hand
and take it.
Surprised and scared young Lithuanian poets state the fact that there is not
a simple change of the values, but real revolution: “Yesterday a terrible idea
visited me, / after some time the Spirituality / may become a crime.” (Rastenytė B.
„Dienoraštis“, 2: 61). God do not even need to send plagues to the world - degenerate humanity becomes a penance for itself. The young Lithuanian poets do not
prophesy cataclysms, the view of the sinful world is enough to understand - end of
the world has already begun.
The texts reveal a confrontation of faith and religion – the church has to give
the solace and the people desire not the cold anonymous ritual, but the pure, sincere faith, which is embodied by the picture of an old lady, praying in the ultimate
stool of the church:
183
Ir žvakė virpteli tyloj sučiaupuslūpas
senutė pakabinta angelų
Viena. Mažutė. Susisukus klūpo
Su džiaugsmo mazgeliu
The candle trembles in the silence
the thin-lipped old lady hanged
by the angels
Knells alone. Small. Shrunken
With the knot of joy
Sustingusi. Ryški. Sekundė. Mirus
Benumbed. Bright. Dead. Second
Atsikvepia judėjiškuos klavyruos
Respires in the Judaic clavier.
(Striogaitė E. „Bažnyčioje paprastą
valandą“, 2: 17).)
This painting is created with the kind of indulgent youthful derision, but the
admiration and even envy bursts through it - an old man is able to believe without
hesitation, without fear, without receiving anything in return. The ability to believe
with no questions is accepted as a true beatitude, because it is an ideal of the real,
inspired and faithful believer:
todėl diena ir naktis
that‘s why day and night
vaivorykštės spalvos
the colors of the rainbow
todėl balta ir juoda
that’s why black and white
net pilka
even grey
kai traukinys vakare
when the train in the evening
lekia pro Kulūpėnus
is moving through Kulūpėnai
todėl rožės
that’s why roses
raudonos geltonos
red yellow
ir tulpės
and tulips
todėl rudenį Kalniškiuos
that’s why in autumn in Kalniškiai
krenta lapai
leaves are falling
todėl sniegas audra
that’s why snow, storm
šaltis ir karštis
freeze and heat
todėl Dievas ir velnias
that’s why God and devil
Šėtonas
Satan
todėl tu
that’s why you
todėl ir tavo tėvai
that’s why your parents
todėl
in order you
kad neklaustum
not asking.
(Sobeckis D. „Todėl“, 2: 44).
“The Apocalypse of John” was written as an invitation to be such a Christian,
as an attempt to save the eschatological hope in the soul of the believers, but the
modern man is able to see only the medieval “Dies irae”7, because he forgets the
joyous anticipation of first Christians’, looking for the world’s refinement.
There are very few poems which show us the view of the harmonious, pure,
perfect world. It is interesting, that pessimistic view of the modern times force the
young Lithuanian poets to look for the harmony not in the future, as it was done
by the writers of the Jewish apocalyptic texts, but in the past. Childhood memories
7
184
(lot.) Doomsday
of homeland gets the dimension of the Lost Paradise, love and prayer are named
as the harmonizing force that can overcome chaotic collapse of the world which is
sometimes perceived rather childish. However, the reality is still not out of a chaos,
it’s just the saved memories, helping the person to survive:
Ar girdi, kaip tėvas malkas skaldo?
Do you hear your father axing the wood?
Sesytė krykščia motinos skreite?
Your sister crowing in your mothers hands?
O tu toks basas, murzinas ir alkanas,
And you so barefoot, dirty and hungry,
But happy – you are in your yard.
Bet ir laimingas – esi savam kieme.
Old toys, broken legs of the dolls,
Seni žaislai, išsukinėtos lėlių kojos,
Tasty apple from the neighbor’s garden
Gardus kaimyno sodo obuolys
And the silently praying ploughman –
Ir tyliai maldą šnabždantis artojas –
Tai toks prisiminimų vėrinys...
That’s the collar of my memories.
(Tautkutė I. „[Ar girdi, kaip tėvas malkas
skaldo?]“, 1: 20).)
In “The Apocalypse of John” the crisis of the end of the century is compared
to the labor pain – hope and perfect love come to the world through this pain.
Apocalypse in the modern world is very painful because of the disappearance of
the second component - inveterate doubt makes trust in God difficult for the mo
dern man. He is stuck in the present, unconscious of past lessons and future glory
is invisible for him. There is no understanding of the purpose, so the potentially
meaningless suffering gets its priority. Probably this is one of the main reasons why
the poetry of the young people is full of disorder and desperation - the process is
going on, but there is no understanding of its meaning.
The only poem from all studied texts revealed the understanding of necessity:
arke ant suolelio
in the park on the bench
sėdim
we are sitting
ir laukiam
and waiting
prometėjo
for the Prometheus
atėjo nuėjo
came went off
pamestas o gal
dropped or may be
pasiklydęs saulės
lost
spindulys
sunbeam
rūsys pilnas
the basement is full
prašviesėjusių galvų
of the clear minds
apdujusiom akim
they watch
stebi virtualios realybės
with stupefied eyes
iracionalią erdvę
the irrational space
sklidiną spalvų garsų
of the virtual reality
vizijų
full of colors sounds
parke ant suolelio
visions
sėdim
in the park on the bench we sit
ir laukiam
and wait for the
papreiškimo
revelation
rimo nurimo
the pulse of life
gyvybės tvinksniai
calmed down
185
gyslose
prasideda kraujo
kūnelių kristalizacija
po to ląstelių
atrofija degeneracija
ir mes
parke ant suolelio
sėdim
ir laukiam
susiliejimo
su kūrėju
(Juška L. „[parke ant suolelio]“, 2: 55).
in the veins
starts the kristalisation
of the blood cells
and then the atrophy degeneration
of the cells
and we
in the park on the bench
are sitting
and waiting
for the reunion
with the creator.
The text of a young person send out an absolute certainty, the moment of
the world transformation is extremely simple, it even looks like the vision of the
drugged person. It was some kind of shock and surprise for the researcher. Perhaps the most dramatic in the text is a symbol of blood, which is so popular in
the apocalyptic texts for its dualistic meaning. This symbol combines two opposite
images - on the one hand, it is the redeeming, purifying blood of Christ’s cruci
fixion, on the other hand – it’s the blood of His enemies, embodying the meaning
of destruction, court and justice. Life and death, triumph and defeat, visions and
the reality are taken with the equally meaningful “Let there be”, which can mean
the full commitment to the Lord’s will.
Conclusions
The young Lithuanian poets processed distinctive apocalyptic images in the light
of their experienced historical changes, the apocalyptic perception of the world
emerges in their works as the natural moment caused by intersection of the
centuries.
Foreboding of the inexorable approximation of the Apocalypse occurs in the
poetry of the young generation with the symbolism of the images – the texts are
full of visible and audible signs which, on the one hand, enhance anxiety and a
need for any support, but on the other hand – reveals the societies alienation and
indifferent approach to everybody and everything. Sometimes the young poets
perceive the world’s chaos a bit childish, but the emotional maturity of their poems is often equal to the poetry of the senior poets.
The young poets see the crisis of the values of the humanity, but they do not
prophesy cataclysms and avoid an open declaration of faith. Instead of that they
manifest the solicitude for the future of the humanity and using the drastic symbols try to awaken it, force it to understand the viciousness of the chosen path.
The space and time is more abstract than concrete, the world is stagnated in
the endless present, in the poems there is the lack of the meaning of the past and
hope for the future.
The texts, filled with the details of the post-modern world, create original and fancy images, recreate reality many times, and make it a kind of virtual dimension where
everything is at the same time realistic and ridiculous, durable and ephemeral.
186
Sources
Jaunas vėjas: Administravimo fakulteto Jaunųjų žurnalistų klubo narių kūrybos almanachas. 1999. Kaunas: Technologija.
Ligoninės priimamasis. Lietuvos aukštųjų mokyklų studentų kūrybos almanachas. 2002.
Vilnius: Vilniaus universitetas.
Žosmė: Studentų kūrybos almanachas. 2009. Vilnius: Vilniaus pedagoginis universitetas.
Literature
Alexander, P.& Alexander, D. 2001. Apreiškimas Jonui. In Biblijos žinynas (pp. 763-775).
Vilnius: Alma littera.
Bauckham, R. 2001. Kaip suprasti Apreiškimą Jonui. In Biblijos žinynas (pp. 771). Vilnius:
Alma littera.
Čiočytė, D. 1999. Biblija lietuvių literatūroje. Vilnius: Lietuvių literatūros ir tautosakos
institutas.
de Boer, T. 2006. Filosofų Dievas ir Paskalio Dievas. Vilnius: Aidai.
Ratzinger, J. card. 1991. Krikščionybės įvadas. Vilnius: Katalikų pasaulis.
Rubšys, A. 1997. Raktas į Naująjį Testamentą. II dalis. Vilnius: Katalikų pasaulis.
Silvija Rakutienė, PhD, the Department of Languages and Education, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. Area of scientific interest: the modern Lithuanian literature, the
links between Scriptural and literature.
Krzysztof Penderecki’s Dies Irae – Artistic Expression
of Religious Tradition
Magdalena CHRENKOFF
A bst ra ct
The “Dies irae” motive appears in many works of Krzysztof Penderecki, but the
vision of ultimate doom that the composer evokes is shown from different perspectives and in different contexts. In Auschwitz oratorio Dies Irae the phrase
“Dies irae” (incipit of the sequence text) was used as a significant title. Composer
invokes the tradition of missa pro defunctis, somewhat suggesting that the oratorio can constitute one part of a funeral mass, but neither text nor melody of the
sequence can be found in the work. However, the second movement of the work
(Apocalypsis) brings an apocalyptical vision of evil: Penderecki applies all possible
musical means in order to create a terrifying image of hell - they are used to depict chaos and destruction. But finally, in the third movement (Apotheosis), comes
hope (“absorbta est mors in Victoria”), what seems to be the most important for
the message of the work.
By writing a work intended to be performed during at the unveiling ceremony
of the International Monument to the Victims of Fascism in Auschwitz-Bierkenau
187
(Dies Irae), the composer attempted an artistic interpretation of the theme of historical experience of doom.
As Penderecki said: Art should be a source of difficult hope.
Magdalena Chrenkoff, Academy of Music in Kraków, Poland.
Religious Experience as Expressed in Contemporary Visual Art
Elena SAKALAUSKAITĖ
A bst ra ct
Contemporary visual art is filled with various topics, all too often - controversial
ones. There hadn’t been any taboos about questioning all, what is happening
around, and no boundary in expressing things. Undoubtedly, religion had been one
of premiere objects of questioning and decomposition in visual art. Having lost its
leading position, religion had become more marginal aspect of society. Therefore
my paper aims at researching how religious experience is being shown in contemporary visual art for Lithuania of recent years. What artists are choosing such topic,
how are they dealing with it, what is usually their approach and from what side of
the viewer or the believer it’s being shown. How could the viewer percept it, what
aspects of religion is being brought to light and what forms its gets into.
Elena Sakalauskaitė, University of Vilnius, Lithuania.
188
Session VI – C
Religious Poetry of B. Brazdžionis: Rhetoric of Form
B. Brazdžionio religinė poezija: formos retorika
Rūta BRŪZGIENĖ
A bst ra ct
In poems of a Lithuanian poet Bernardas Brazdžionis (1907-2002) there is plenty of
church liturgy and other religious music images, also there are quite many motifs
of classical music and musical folklore origin. The poet’s creation is distinguished
by a rare musicality, which is usually based on syntactic structures, but also there
are some poems of a more free form. Musical experience is one of the most inward and at the same time it is the deepest religious experience, opening the sensations of the sacral cosmic being through the structures of sound and semantic
dynamics. Ontological principles of musical forms, their transformations, suggesti
bility of sound formation, sound structures, influence of rhythmic models, poetic
rhetoric, archetypes of musical models and their analogues in poetry are not only
one of the most important criteria of aesthetic value of the work, but also one of
the depth formants of text sacrality. The aim of the article would be to analyze
the nature of musicality of some religious poems of B. Brazdžionis, to grope the
most important features of their form, stylistics, aesthetic expression, to emphasize musical peculiarity of religious poems in general contexts of his creation. The
concepts of Werner Wolf, Hermann Erpf, Vladimir Karbusitsky, Viktor Bobrowsky,
Eero Tarasti, and others, will be used in the article and it will be referred to a comparative methodology.
Key words: Lithuanian poetry, Bernardas Brazdžionis, religion experience, music,
form, genre, archetypes
Introduction. Bernardas Brazdžionis (1907-2002) – a poet, editor, public character,
at the same time one of the brightest creators of the Lithuanian religious poetry.
His most important collections are – Amžinas žydas [The Eternal Jew], Krintančios
žvaigždės [Shooting Stars], Ženklai ir stebuklai [Signs and Wonders], Kunigaikščių
miestas [The Town of The Dukes]. Their topics vary from biblical, liturgical symbo
lism to folklore, landscape or urban motifs. In these collections, one can notice also
an authentic relation with being, based on religious experiences, there is also quite
much declaration of religious truths; they are also characteristic of the variety of
style and structural models. Collections of poems called Šaukiu aš tautą [Calling
the Nation], Iš sudužusio laivo [From the shipwreck], published during the World
War II, are characteristic of severe experience of the nation’s destiny/survival. Their
stylistic structures of melodious dynamics are mostly based on syntactic parallelism. Poetics of the post-war verses collections Svetimi kalnai [Alien Mountains],
189
Šiaurės pašvaistė [The Northern Lights], Didžioji kryžkelė [The Great Crossroad],
Vidudienio sodai [The Midday Gardens], Po aukštaisiais skliautais [Under the High
Domes], that were written during the years of emigration, are characterized as
being declarative, filled with pathos and pathetics, and focusing on motives of love
for the homeland, nostalgia and other feelings. Aiming to highlight the topic of discussion, this paper is based on pre-war poem collections that demonstrate a more
explicit form and originality of expressions of religion experience with perceptible
models of dynamical - musical structures.
Features of Brazdžionis musical biography. In his childhood he loved to sing
and play harmonica, and being a student he played the national Lithuanian musical instrument – Panflute. Living in exile in the USA, he used to go to opera performances, cultivated close relationship with the composers Darius Lapinskas, and
Bronius Budriūnas, with singers and other artists, and collected Lithuanian music
and other musical records. His verses were set to music more often than the verses
of any other poet, by both Lithuanian-American composers in emigration, and by
composers living in Lithuania (the National Library holds about 180 musical items
that used poet’s texts). Songs composed after his verses Šaukiu aš tautą [Calling
the Nation], Aš čia – gyva [I’m here – alive] and performed by the famous singer
Vytautas Kernagis, became musical anthems of the years of Lithuanian rebirth,
which was named as The Singing Revolution (1988-1992). Such a large number of
compositions most likely appeared because the poems contained not only syntactic structures convenient for singing, but also spacious semantics of words acting
as dimensions of sacramental space. According to literature-researcher Juozapas
Girdzijauskas, it incorporates everything that ever was, is or may be divine; God
reveals himself as the Cosmos, infinite space, and the incessant flow of time, the
whole of human history and culture, as well as the blowing of the wind, the blossom of daisy, and the scent of caraway (Girdzijauskas 2006). Cosmic consciousness
created/opened by the sound paths sent by shamans/oracles is one of the cornerstones of Algis Mickūnas philosophical statements (Mickūnas 2010).
Musicality of literary text. In general musicality of literary text based on the
concept of intermediality reveals itself in a number of levels (Wolf 1999, 2002;
Brūzgienė 2004). The first level is thematization, storytelling, use of musical ima
gery (textual, contextual, paratextual), the second is word music, the third – analogues of musical forms and structures (micro and macro forms) – become analogues of musical content). However, musicality of the text can be felt as a form
and its transformation, as a feeling, which is consciously formed in discourse by
linguistic, compositional, structural and other means. In this case a sense of the
presence of music in the text is created, which becomes a common or specific
designation, a real or imaginary reference.
Thematization. Analysis of Brazdžionis’s poems in musical thematization level
reveals that the musical images can be set into several groups (Brazdžionis 1989).
One is the nature based folklore images (rauda [lament], aušrinė išgiedojo [the
morning star has sung its song], dainuos žvaigždės [stars will sing], piemenėlių
dainos [shepherds songs], etc.). Another group is based on classical music or everyday music (madrigalas [madrigal], valsas [waltz], romansas [romance], kantilena
[cantilena], stygos [strings], gama [gamut], Strausso muzika [Strauss’ music],
rockenrollas, [rock&roll], etc.). The third group will hold the images of Church and
190
liturgical music (psalmė [Psalm], Osanna [Hosanna], Gloria, Kyrie Eleison, Dies irae,
Sanctus, etc.). Analysis of the works of Brazdžionis shows that the number of motives of church music and folklore can compete between themselves but very few
images of classical and everyday music can be found. Such interaction of the motives draws the dominants in poet’s understanding of the world alongside reflecting the harmony of the pantheistic worldview of the old agrarian Baltic culture and
Christianity so typical of Lithuanian culture.
Word music. So-called word music – phonics, rhythm, and rhyme creates a
deeper impression than textual images or a paratextual musical level. A number of
researchers mention a special musicality of Brazdžionis. According to Vytautas Kubilius his verses continue the tradition of melodic intonation with repeated words
and loud rhythmic gradation of sounds, subjected to tension raised by contrasting
rhetorical pathos (Kubilius 1995). Juozapas Girdzijauskas, Tomas Venclova emphasizes repetition, variability of expansion, abundance of internal rhymes, alliteration, and organic rhythmics (Girdzijauskas 2006, Venclova 1995). Sometimes it is
referred to his melody being monotonous, that sounds like repetitive polyphonic
meditation or recurs in the style of rondo. Repetition and variance have been
accepted as the basis for his main form creation.
Analogues of form. In this paper it will be discuss the methodological research
premises: the interaction between the ontological principles forms of music (according to Karbusitsky concept) and their analogues in literary text with the archetypal musical models and describe the principles of various modern forms creation. The interaction among passion, archetypal dynamics and archetypal models
is also relevant. Religious musical genres has a long history of common development (ex.: psalm, hymn), therefore the rhetorical features of their forms should
contain certain specific features.
Dynamic nature of archetypes. When speaking about archetypes, narrativity,
and text structure, it is important to consider not only their visual symbolic content but rather their dynamic-energetic nature based on intonation and rhythmic
archetypical structures. They are perceived as symbols of images, as deep textual
energy, as formants of textual dynamics and structure; major types of creators
proposed in Carl Gustav Jung’s conception are briefly discussed as the types that
influence stylistic strategies of musical composition (Jung 1981). In Jung’s view,
the relations between the consciousness and the subconscious are bound up with
process relations [my underlining—R.B.] Thus, an archetype is not merely a passive form, but rather a specific energy. The psychodynamics of archetype is the link
relating collective and individual subconscious with its musical expression. Jung’s
understanding of mental, creative energy, which is treated as value intensity, is
especially important and is made relevant in music.
Archetypes and passion. Passion, according to psychoanalysts, is a deep layer of
psychic energy related to the presence of life energy, Love (Eros), and its lack, Death
(Tanathos). In sacral works, passion is obviously expressed and is related to the most
archetypical religious images: the manifestations of God and Demonism. Jung assesses the types of artists doubly, as psychological and visionary. The first is restric
ted by the phenomena existing in the surface life understood by consciousness. The
visionary type of an artist penetrates through the surface layer of the conscious and
touches upon the depths of the collective subconscious. Generally speaking, the tune
191
expression of the essential passions in classical European music might be perceived
as major and minor, while in a literary work — as pathos, euphoria, and dysphoria.
Emotional colors in this type of music are defined by tonality. In a literary text, we
could also metaphorically treat emotions as tonalities or moods.
Thus, following Jung’s understanding of the process of creative life (creative inspiration as fundamental archetypical energy), we can explain the phenomenon of
music much more essentially, as well as understand the deep-layered musical movements of a literary work and the musical basis of an archetypical (and at the same
time, literary) model formed by that movement (rondo, variations, one-part, twopart, three-part, sonata). The school of semiotics divides the passions according to
another level, analyzing them from the object aspiration viewpoint; usually this is human emotional level; but sometimes they express the divine level when one breaks
the divine laws (e.g., Antanas Vienuolis’s legend_Užkeiktieji vienuoliai [Damned
Monks]. Namely, when analyzing the level of existence of passion and emotions in a
literary work and their movement, we can perceive the aesthetic value of a work, its
sounding-musical form, the religion experience and philosophical depth.
Ontological principles of musical form. The School of Semiotics classifies Passions at a different level, analyzing them according to their strivings for the object;
usually it is expressed at the human emotional level, but sometimes they express
the divine dimension, when a break of the divine laws happens (ex.: in Antanas
Vienuolis Užkeiktieji vienuoliai [Cursed Monks]). Musical semiotic Vladimir Karbusitsky presents six existential musical modes which correspond to 6 archetypical
universal principles of form formation (Karbusitsky 1997). The first one is silence,
chaos, shapeless state. The second (I form) is and endless flow of time (variations,
repetition and trance are formed); the third (II form) is a tectonic row of sound
(imitation, heterophony, canon, fugue, fugato). The fourth principle (III form) is
rotation by consistently coming back (moving in a circle; orgiastic dance; a ballad and rondo form in a cultural epoch). The basis of the fifth principle (IV form):
baseline - mixing - return. This is ABA1 symmetry (thesis – antithesis - synthesis).
In cultural epoch, there formed Lied (ABA1 form), sonata form. The sixth principle
(V form) is based on mythological quadruple which, according to Jung, is modified
on the existential level. The first part expresses the present, the situation is ontologized and projected in dialectic plot. The second part meditates concern, pain, the
past. In the third part the powers are given to the struggle with the present, and
the last part reveals the beginning of the Utopian end - glowing future. In cultural
evolution such structure was called the cycle of sonata.
Thus, the correlations between religious experience and its music expression
in creation of Brazdžionis should be analyze in some aspects. First, to musical religious images are mentioned in the poems of Brazdžionis, second, the spectrum of
passions, third – reflections of liturgical genres, fourth – peculiarities of archetypical musical models and analogues of other musical forms.
Bibliography
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ir tautosakos institutas.
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institutas, p. 582.
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Vol. 9, Part 1. Princeton, N.Y.: Bollingen.
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Karbusitsky, V. 1997. Antropologinės ir gamtinės universalijos muzikoje. Baltos lankos, Nr. 9.
Vilnius: Baltos lankos.
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Paskaita, skaityta Mykolo Romerio universitete m. 2010 spalio 7 d.
Venclova, T. 1995. Bernardas Brazdžionis. In: Lietuvių egzodo literatūra 1945-1990. Vilnius:
Vaga, p. 86.
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Amsterdam – Atlanta: Rodopi.
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the Context of General Typology of Intermediality. In: Suzanne M. Lodato, Suzanne
Aspden, Walter Bernhard (eds.), Word and Music Studies, Vol. 4: Essays in Honor of
Steven Paul Scher and on Cultural Identity and the Musical Stage. 13–34. Amsterdam,
New York: Rodopi.
Rūta Brūzgienė, PhD, assoc. professor at the Institute of Humanities, Mykolas Romeris
University, Lithuania. Areas of scientific interest: comparative literature, relation between
literature and music, theory of literature, religion, rhetoric.
The Experience of Tradition in the “Giesmė apie pasaulio medį”
of S. Geda
Tradicijos išgyvenimas S. Gedos „Giesmėje apie pasaulio medį“
Paulius Jevsejevas
A bst ra ct
This paper is an attempt at a semiotic analysis of the poem “Giesmė apie pasaulio
medį” (“Hymn of the World Tree”) by the Lithuanian poet Sigitas Geda. As a poet,
Geda seems to be an exception to the rule of thumb that contemporary poetry
has distanced itself from “traditional” religious experiences and is intended as a
“religious language” on it‘s own right. This goes for the poem analysed as well,
which, on the surface level, is made evident already by it’s name. The analysis is
intended to unravel the general segmentation of the text via uttering-utterance
and enunciator-enunciatee relations. This is firstly done by analyzing the abundant
deixes that are described as certain pivots, regulating the passages between different parts and levels of the text. This is supported by further semantic analysis.
As a result, a general structure is revealed, that comprises shifts between an
introductory narration of a singular experience, a parenthetical account of ancestral traditional life, a junction of the two via a medium-like conversation
with the great cultural representatives of the tradition aspired to, and finally
193
a return to the speaking situation with a transition to a cosmologic vision and
an incitement of a hopeful reunion of “the people” in themselves and the holy
heights. Finally, several points of interrogation are identified: the appearance of
religious experience as a singular event establishing a new knowledge; the relation
of such events to tradition and transfering of what is traditional; the role of intersubjectivity in religious experience and tradition; the role of cosmology in conveying religious experience, tradition and their relation.
Kay words: Sigitas Geda, tradition, expression of tradition, religious experience,
intersubjectivity.
Įžanga
Skaitant S. Gedos „Giesmę apie pasaulio medį“, iš pirmo žvilgsnio akivaizdus eilėraščio ryšys su tuo, kas religiška – tai parodo jau pavadinimas. Giesmė lietuvių kalbos žodyne (LKŽ 2005) apibrėžiama ir kaip „giedojimas, giedamas dalykas, daina“,
„iškilminga daina“, „poezijos kūrinys“, ir kaip esanti „bažnytinio, religinio turinio“
(beje, įdomu pastebėti, kad dabartinės lietuvių kalbos žodyne paskutiniosios apibrėžties nėra – laikantis prielaidos apie kūrinio religiškumą, sociokritiniu požiūriu
tokį žodžio parinkimą jau galima laikyti strategišku). Pasaulio medis savo ruožtu yra
gerai žinomas mitologinis-religinis įvaizdis: stokodami mitologinių žinių ir vietos, į
platesnį jo aptarimą nesileisime, tik priminsime, kad paprastai jis laikomas visatos
sandaros provaizdžiu.
Vis dėlto šios apibrėžtys – tai tik akivaizdybės persakymas; tuo tarpu kaip eilėraščio pavadinimas „Giesmė apie pasaulio medį“ aprėpia ir įvardija 11 po juo
išdėstytų posmų, kurie savo ruožtu laikytini jo išsklaida, t. y. taip pat tam tikra
apibrėžtimi. Dar galima pastebėti, kad žodžiai „giesmė“ ir „pasaulio medis“ tekste daugiau niekur neminimi. Tad kol kas visai neakivaizdu nei koks yra minėtas
kūrinio ryšys su religiškumu, nei kaip jame išskleidžiamos pavadinimui parinktos
leksemos.
Teksto sandara ir deiksės
Pereinant prie paties teksto ir mėginant apibūdinti jį kaip vientisą darinį religinės
patirties ir tradicijos santykių atžvilgiu, tinkamiausia atrodo aptarti visuminę jo
sandarą. Iš pirmo žvilgsnio giesmė pasirodo kaip sakytojo patirto išgyvenimo atpasakojimas, pereinantis į pokalbį, aukojimo, regėjimo bei raginimo vaizdinius.
Todėl sandaros aptarimo pagrindu šiuo atveju laikytina, kalbant semiotiniais terminais, sakytojo-skaitytojo bei sakymo-pasakymo (pastarieji daugmaž atitinka
„pasakojimo veiksmą“ ir „pasakojamus įvykius“; plačiau apie vartojamas sąvokas
žr. Greimas, Courtés, 1993) santykių raiška. Taip pat iš anksto pažymėsime, kad
vienas iš pagrindinių šio santykių konstravimo dėmenų bent šiuo atveju yra deiktinės nuorodos.
Tokiu pagrindu iš karto galima nuo kitų atskirti pirmąjį posmą, kuriame kalbama apie tai, ką galėtume pavadinti „ypatingu įvykiu“, ir kuris tampa įžanga į tolesnę
eigą. Tai, kad jis atsiskiria nuo kitų, lemia reikšminė struktūra, nustatanti savitą
laiko, erdvės ir juose esančių veikėjų raišką. Pirmasis posmas (o tuo pačiu ir visa
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giesmė) prasideda deiktine nuoroda „Tą vakarą“. Ji laikytina ir atjungimu, ir įjungimu (glaustai atjungimą ir įjungimą galima apibūdinti kaip sakytojo projektuojamos
plotmės ir jo buvimo plotmės nesutapimą ar sutapimą; plačiau žr. Greimas, Courtés, 1993). Kaip atjungimas, ši deiksė įveda atskaitinę laikinę ašį /tada/:
/tas/ vs /šis/
/tada/ vs /dabar/
Taigi „tas vakaras“ – tai už sakymo instancijos (pasakotojo) projektuojamas laikas, nesutampantis su pasakojimo laiku. Tačiau šią nuorodą taip pat galima vertinti
ir kaip įjungimą. /Tas/ vs /šis/) nuorodo „vakarą“ kaip nutolusį laiko-erdvės atžvilgiu
ir yra įjungimas veikėjų plotmėje: nutolimas numato žiūros tašką ir tokiu būdu veikia kaip sakymo pėdsakas – „tas“ nurodo ir vakarą, ir rodantįjį, pasakotoją, kuris yra
tame pačiame lygmenyje kaip adresatas. Taip giesmė nuo pat pradžių tampa pokalbiu, /dabar/ vykstančiu pasakojimu apie /tada/. Dar galima pastebėti, jog „tas“ turi
ir trečią – išskirtinumo semą:
/tas, šis/ vs /bet kuris/
/išskirtinis/ vs /įprastas/,
kuri išreiškia vieną iš narių kategorijoje /pertrūkis/ vs /tolydumas/. Taigi jau
pirmąja fraze išreiškiamas pasakojamojo /tada/ ypatingumas, nurodantis pertrūkį
įprastos kasdienybės sraute. Visos šios pastabos reikalingos norint nusakyti būdą,
kuriuo steigiamas pasakotojo ir pasakojimo santykis. Jei tikėsime A. J. Greimu, tai
pasakojimo /dabar/ pavertimas atskaitos ašimi yra subjektyvizavimo priemonė. Tą
matome ir čia: projektuodamas įvykių laiką sakytojas nurodo jų nuotolį nuo pasakojimo eigos ir taip kuria tarpsubjektinio santykio prasminį efektą. Taip nepasakojami neutralūs įvykiai, bet dalinamasi asmenine jų patirtimi.
Tą patvirtina ir likusi posmo dalis. Galima sakyti, kad visu šiuo posmu atpasakojamas patirties įvykis, įsteigiantis kalbantį subjektą kaip to įvykio dalyvį ir taip patvirtinantis jo dvilypumą tarp /dabar/ ir /tada/. Pradžioje subjektas apibūdinamas
per /neveikimą/ („besėdint“) ir jo matomas bei girdimas erdvės figūras – kopas,
bangas, vėją. Nors gali pasirodyti, kad erdvės figūros yra veikėjai (kopa „slenka“,
bangos „siūbuoja“, vėjas „ūkia“), visos šios veiksmažodinės konstrukcijos veikiau
apibūdina tam tikrą subjektą apgaubiančios (jis sėdi /ant/ kopos, /po/ vėju, /priešais/ marias) erdvės būklę. Ją galima apibūdinti kaip visuminį judėjimą: slinkimas
vyksta /tiesiai/, siūbavimas – /į šonus/. Vėjo „ūkimas“ savo ruožtu yra „pratisas
garsas“, „aidėjimas“, kurį skleidžia „oro srovė“ (DLKŽ, 2011), taigi jį galima laikyti
savotiška figūrine nematomojo erdvės tūrio judėjimo išraiška. Toks erdvės judrumas – tai išoriškos „daiktų tvarkos“ nepastovumas, vedantis į kognityvinio pažinimo negalimumą („kažko“) ir – per savą kūną („širdis susopo“) – į proprioceptyvų
santykį su pasauliu („pasijutau“). Taip paneigiama kasdienybės tvarka („kaip niekad“) ir steigiamas nauju žinojimu apie savo santykį su pasauliu pagrįstas subjektas – „žmogus iš Lietuvos“ (toks jo savitumas pabrėžiamas ir padidintais tarpais
tarp raidžių). Prieš einant toliau, čia galima iškelti bendrą klausimą, – kiek toks
keliais bruožais apmestas „naujo subjekto“ steigimas bendras tam, ką vadiname
„religiniu išgyvenimu“ apskritai, ir kiek jis savitas S. Gedos atveju. Taip pat galima
prisiminti, kad panašaus pobūdžio, tik daugiau estetinius, „lūžius kasdienybėje“ yra
aprašęs Greimas (Greimas, 2004).
Kalbant apie antrą posmą, pradžioje reikia pažymėti, kad juo pradedamas trečiojo asmens pasakojimas apie „protėvius“, kuris tęsiasi iki aštunto posmo. Paviršinės
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teksto sandaros atžvilgiu šis junginys – tai intarpas, kuriame vystomas sąlyginai autonomiškas pasakojimas. Tai, žinoma, atjungimo padarinys. Kaip ir pirmasis, antras
posmas pradedamas deiktinine (tik šįkart erdvine) nuoroda – „Čia“. Tačiau, priešingai nei ankstesniu atveju, šįkart deiksė liudija sutapimą su atskaitos tašku:
/čia/ vs /ten/
/ten pat/ vs /kitur/
/sutapimas/ vs /skirtumas/,
bet jis yra erdvinis ir nepanaikina ankstesniojo atjungimo. Taigi šis atjungimas
yra kitokio pobūdžio. Jei pirmuoju atveju atjungimą galima laikyti loginiu (jis grįstas
pasakojimo ir pasakotojo laiko atskyrimu), tai šiuo atveju jis veikiau semantinis.
Juo pereinama nuo subjekyvizuotos „žinojimo“ patirties prie objektyvizuojančio jo
išplėtimo: „Lietuva“ paverčiama erdviniu įvardijimu, o santykinai abstraktus „žmogus“ pakeičiamas įvairiomis veikėjų figūromis. Taip pat įvedamas ir naujas pasakojimo laikas – pereinama prie dar vieno, antrinio /tada/, kurį, remdamiesi semantiniu
„protėvių“ krūviu, galėtume pavadinti „senove“. Taip steigiamas erdvės, veikėjų ir
laiko požiūriu autonomiškas pasakojimas. Vis dėlto „Čia“ taip pat yra ir įjungimas.
Kaip minėjome, ši deiktinė nuoroda liudija sutapimą: tik sutampa čia ne pasakotojo /dabar/ ir pasakojamų įvykių /tada/, ir ne sakytojo bei adresato padėtis, bet viso
autonominio pasakojimo ir pasakotojo erdvė. Taip „senovė“ per erdvės tapatumą
perkeliama į sakymo vietą, kuri, kaip matėme, yra ir tarpsubjektinio santykio vieta.
Taigi „senovė“, o ne anksčiau aptartas „ypatingas išgyvenimas“, tampa ta tikrąja
patirtimi, kuria su adresatu dalinasi sakytojas. Tai savotiškai patvirtina ir paskutinė posmo eilutė, kurioje per erdvinę deiksę „Tenai“ parodoma sakytojo priklausomybė „senovės“ erdvei, o per beveik tapatų pakartojimą „žmogum iš Lietuvos“
semantiškai sutvirtinamas naujo subjekto steigimo kaip formos ir „senovės“ kaip
turinio ryšys – taip užbaigiamas perėjimas iš nepastovios pirmo posmo erdvės į
pastovų intarpo erdvėlaikį.
Intarpo autonominis pasakojimas, kaip minėjome, plėtojamas iki septintojo
posmo. Atsižvelgiant į tai, kas mus čia domina labiausiai, kaip pagrindinius struktūrinius šio pasakojimo bruožus reikia išskirti dvejopus pakartojimus, kuriuos įvardysime semantiniais ir sintaksiniais. Pirmaisiais vadiname savitas semantines struktūras – buvimo pasakymus (tokiais vadiname pasakymus, perteikiančius semantinį
krūvį, bet ne jo pasikeitimą), išreikštus veikimo figūromis: tai tokie pasakymai kaip
„protėviai klajojo“, „žemę arė“, „moterys žiūrėjo“, „kariūnai pilis ant kalno rentė“,
„melsdavosi girių gaudimui“, „į jūras plaukė“, „linguodavo keliai“ ir t. t. Pavyzdžiui,
pasakymą „protėviai klajojo“, galima perrašyti taip:
Veikėjas (protėviai): Funkcija (klajoti)
Funkcija (klajoti): Funkcija (keisti buvimo vietą: V1->V2->Vn)
Veikėjas (protėviai) Funkcija (klajoti): Funkcija (keisti buvimo vietą: V1->V2->Vn)
Matyti, kad „klajojimas“ yra ne kokią nors būseną kita pakeičiantis veiksmas,
bet tam tikras buvimas, susidarantis iš pakartotinio veikimo. Panašiai yra ir kitų
pasakymų atveju, tik dar reikia pažymėti, kad didelėje jų dalyje tokio efekto pasiekiama derinant vienaskaitos ir daugiskaitos formas (t. y. „jie žemę arė“, „jie išjodavo į šventę“, „jie į jūras plaukė“ ir kt.). Visais šiais atvejais daugybinis veikimas
sudaro vieną būklę arba atvirkščiai, – tam tikra būklė palaikoma ir sudaroma per
pakartotinį veikimą. Toks „buvimas veikime“ bent iš dalies gana aiškiai atitinka tai,
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ką įprasta vadinti „tradicija“, kurią DLKŽ apibrėžia kaip „papročių, apeigų, vaizdinių,
idėjų, simbolių išlaikymą“ ir „tai, kas išlaikoma“ (DLKŽ, 2011). Taigi atrodo galima
teigti, jog intarpas, kurį įvardijome „senove“, iš tikrųjų skirtas ne tiek istoriškai laike
nutolusiems įvykiams, kiek tradicijai kaip „iš kartos į kartą perduodamam“ buvimo
būdui.
Kita pakartojimų rūšis – posmų užbaigos (įvairūs pasakymai, pasibaigiantys
žodžiu „Lietuvos“). Pirmąjį jų jau glaustai aptarėme, bet kalbant apie jų kartojimą įterptiniame pasakojime, taip pat ir už jo ribų, svarbu atkreipti dėmesį į tam
tikrus to kartojimo eigoje vykstančius semantinius pokyčius. Pirmuoju pasakymu
įtvirtinama sakytojo priklausomybė tam, ką jau įvardijome tradicija, o tolesni pasakymai kaito priklausomybės semantiką atitinkamai su pasakojimo eiga. Matyti,
kad trečiajame posme priklausomybė per menamąja kalba reiškiamą „žinojimą“
priskiriama „jiems“, „protėviams“; ketvirtajame, jau be menamosios kalbos (ir dargi prieš tai paneigus šnekėjimą – „jie nekartojo“), ji per „srūvantį kraują“ perkeliama į kūnišką vidujybę, o šeštajame priklausomybė jau reiškiama tiesiogine „jų“
kalba. Toks perėjimas atrodo stulbinančiai panašus į tai, ką matėme pirmajame
posme: nuo išoriško priklausomybės reiškimo per „skaudų“ jos įvidujinimą pereinama prie kalbėjimo. To atodairoje atrodo galima įvertinti ir tai, jog tokios užbaigos
nėra penktajame posme. Šis posmas įterptinio pasakojimo lygmenyje atkartoja to,
kas įprasta, griuvimą, nepastovumą, per proprioceptyvinį suvokimą (sakytojo „pojūtį“ čia, atrodo, atitinka nuo pražūties apsaugančios žemės „turėjimas“) vedantį į
naujos kokybės sąmoningumą. Žinoma, toks aprašymas pernelyg skubotas ir neišsamus, kad būtų galima siūlyti galutines išvadas, bet toks atitikimas atrodo mažų
mažiausiai tikėtinas, juolab kad septintajame posme jis savotiškai patvirtinamas
aiškiai išreikštu sakytojo ir tradicijos susitikimu.
Šis susitikimas („Ir aš buvau atėjęs“) – tai perėjimas iš neveiklios priklausomybės tradicijai (plg. ankstesnį „Tenai esu aš buvęs“) į veiklų santykį. Šiuo atveju
veikimas – tai klausymas tų, kuriuos pavadintumėme istorinėmis asmenybėmis
(Donelaičiu ir Baranausku). Tačiau „istoriškumas“ čia, galima sakyti, ir neigiamas:
Donelaitis ir Baranauskas yra ne istorijos, o tradicijos atstovai. Todėl jie, gyvenę
skirtingais šimtmečiais, gali kartu dalyvauti viename pokalbyje, kuriame adresatas
yra sakytojas. Tokio efekto pasiekiama sukryžiavimu:
(aš) girdėjau Donelaitį
man Baranauskas sakė,
kuris atliekamas ir su vardais, ir semantiškai, kai per sakytojo dalyvavimą („aš“,
„man“) apjungiamas aktyvus („girdėjau“) ir pasyvus („man sakė“) audityvumas.
Taip sakytojas tampa ne kokio nors vieno ar kito asmens, o tradicijos perdavėjų
apskritai adresatu. Dėl to negalima jokiam konkrečiam asmeniui priskirti ir po to
einančios tiesioginės kalbos: tai veikiau įtarpinimas, nuo kurio, galima sakyti, ir prasideda tikroji giesmė (pažymėtinas ir „progiesmis“, kurio pokalbiškumą, intymumą
sutvirtina laipsniškumas, įvedamas dalelyte „vos vos“).
Nuo šio įtarpinimo grįžtama į pradinę tarpsubjektinio santykio situaciją. Nuo
tiesioginės kalbos aštuntame posme pereinama prie liepiamosios nuosakos. Tai
galima vertinti kaip minėto „visuotinio pokalbio“ pratęsimą bei grįžimo iš įterptinio
pasakojimo užbaigimą – pasakojimas tampa kreipimusi, galutinai pasikeičia laikas,
erdvė („čia“) ir veikėjai („mes“); sudaromos sąlygos pereiti prie tiesioginio sakytojo kreipimosi į skaitytoją: pastarasis įtraukiamas į prieš tai pradėtą transistorinį
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daugiaasmeninį pokalbį ir į „aukojimą“, kuris savotiškai jau ir skaitytoją perkelia į
pirmajame posme matytą susidūrimą su pasaulio judrumu. Dešimtame posme tas
judrumas perkeliamas į išoriškos visatos ir vidujiškų universalijų (dangus ir žemė,
viršus ir apačia) plotmę. Taip pasakojimas apie „ypatingą įvykį“ tampa pasakojimu
apie visatą, savotišką pasaulio „įvykimą“. Galiausiai pereinama prie „skaidraus“
(kas, atrodo, atitinka anksčiau minėtą naują žinojimą) regėjimo, kuriame pasirodo
nauja „daiktų tvarka“ – medis, sujungiantis prieš tai susiliejusius dangų ir žemę.
Visa tai tampa geidžiamąja nuosaka išsakomu raginimu „žmonėms“ (kurie apima
pradžioje buvusį „žmogų“ ir užbaigiant įterptinį pasakojimą įtvirtintus „mus“) siekti
aukštybės. Aiškėja – kas prasidėjo kaip pasakojimas apie nepaprastą įvykį, galiausiai tampa regėjimu ir kvietimu dalyvauti aistoriniame Lietuvos kaip priklausomybės erdvės ir priklausančiųjų bendrijos gyvenime.
Išvados
Akivaizdu, kad tokio glausto aptarimo nepakanka norint patenkinamai išskleisti
aptarto kūrinio reikšminę sandarą. Kaip minėjome, šiuo atveju svarbiausiu tos sandaros dėmeniu laikome sakytojo-adresato ir sakymo-pasakymo raišką. Nagrinėjant
šias struktūras matyti, kad „Giesmėje apie pasaulio medį“ pirmiausia kalbama apie
įprastą pasaulio tvarką griaunantį asmeninį savo priklausomybės tradicijai išgyvenimą ir tarpasmeninį jos perdavimą, giesmę paverčiant ne „daina“, o kreipimusi,
raginimo bei geidimo išraiška. Bendrai kalbant apie religinės patirties ir tradicijos
santykį S. Gedos kūryboje ir apskritai, galima išskirti tokius klausimus kaip pastebėjimus ir gaires tolesniems tyrimams:
• Kokiu laipsniu ir kokiu būdu skirtinguose tekstuose religinis išgyvenimas
pasirodo kaip ypatingas įvykis, kuris griauna įprastą „daiktų tvarką“ ir steigia naują žinojimą?
• Kaip toks naujas žinojimas skirtinguose tekstuose siejamas su tradicija, jos
perteikimu, ir kokias tradicijos sampratas išreiškia skirtingas šio santykio
vaizdavimas?
• Koks yra tarpsubjektyvumo vaidmuo religiniame išgyvenime ir tradicijoje?
• Koks skirtinguose tekstuose yra kosmologijos vaidmuo perteikiant religinį
išgyvenimą, tradiciją ir jų santykį?
Bibliografija
Dabartinės lietuvių kalbos žodynas (2011). Žiūrėta 2012 balandžio 25 d., http://dz.lki.lt.
Greimas, A. J. 2004. Apie netobulumą. Vilnius: Baltos lankos.
Greimas, A.J. ir Courtés, J. 1993. Sémiotique: dictionnaire raisonné de la théorie du
langage. Paris: Hachette.
Lietuvių kalbos žodynas (2005). Žiūrėta 2012 balandžio 25 d., www.lkz.lt.
Paulius Jevsejevas, PhD student in the A. J. Greimas Centre of Semiotics and Literary
Theory, Faculty of Philology, Vilnius University. Area of scientific interest: semiotics, poetics, socio-semiotics, creation of S. Geda.
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Sigitas Parulskis’s Poetry: Deconstruction of Underlying Principles
of Being or the Return of the Baroque?
Sigito Parulskio poezija: pamatinių kategorijų dekonstrukcija ar
barokinio pasaulėvaizdžio manifestacija?
Virginija CIBARAUSKĖ
A bst ra ct
The aim of my paper is to discuss forms of religious experience in the poetry of
a Lithuanian writer Sigitas Parulskis (b. 1965). Parulskis is one of the most prominent voices of his generation, acclaimed by both literary critics (National Award,
2004) and readers. Literary critics claim that Parulskis’s poetry marks exhaustion
or, according to some, deconstruction of traditional poetical forms and expe
riences. This is achieved by exhibiting controversies, carnivalisation and aesthetics
of decay. Another important device is intertextuality, actualized as multiple layers
of quotations, allusions to other texts and especially to religious texts such as the
Bible, the lives of saints, religious paintings etc.
Religious experience and symbols are manifested in a non-conventional way.
The borderline between sacrum and profanum is negated. For example, in the
poem “The Process”, which main intertext is “The Sacrifice” by Matthias Grünewald, the sacrifice of Christ, that is – of The Son, is compared to slaughtering of
a pig, committed by The Father.
Usually these aspects of Parulskis’s poetry are related to postmodernism. I propose to take another point of view. The architectonics of Parulskis’s poems, which
consists of intertextuality, contrasts and controversies, carnivalisation, sensualization
and aesthetics of decay, mark traces of the tradition of baroque. The relations between baroque and modernism as well as postmodernism have been conceptualized
by Michel Foucault, Yuri Lotman, Gilles Deleuze, Gregg Lambert et al. Heinrich Wölfflin
was the first to identify baroque as a universal stylistic category that appears in every
epoch as a sign of exhaustion and a cry for renewal. According to Lambert (Wölfflin as
well), the baroque returns every time when a tradition exhausts its own possibilities.
Yuri Lotman’s concept of cultural memory is based on the idea that the return
of baroque (or any other aesthetical dialect related to historical epoch) is purely
impossible. Yet, it is possible to reconstruct whatever was located in the cultural
memory by the act of translation and interpretation. The need for reconstruction
is related to changes in the sociocultural context. In the years of soviet occupation
the baroque texts of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (and studies of its history in
general) were suspended, but once Lithuania reestablished independence, inte
rest in the texts of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and history rose.
For Parulskis, interpreting the rhetoric of baroque enables the deconstruction of
wornout, lifeless symbols and experiences, and transforms them into controversial
metaphors. Still, the idea of transcendence remains constant. This leads to nostalgia;
living without experiencing the transcendence turns into an endless mundane dying.
Key words: Sigitas Parulskis, cultural memory, Baroque, postmodernism,
intertextualism.
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Sigitas Parulskis (g. 1965) debiutuoja bei sarbiausius poezijos rinkinius – Mirusiųjų (Parulskis 1994) ir Mortui sepulti sint (Parulskis 1998) – parašo XX a.
10 dešimtmečiu.
XX a. pabaiga Lietuvoje neretai vadinama lūžio tašku. Amžiaus pabaiga sutampa su konkretaus istorinio periodo – penkiasdešimt metų trukusios sovietų okupacijos – pabaiga, Nepriklausomybės atkūrimu ir persitvarkymo suirute. Šie faktai
siejami su, pasak vienų, iki tol pamatinemis laikytų vertybių degradacija ar, pasak
kitų, neišvengiama revizija – perfrazuojant Vytautą Kubilių, lūžio periodu žmogus,
ištrauktas iš istorijos rėmų, stovėjo sumišęs (Kubilius 1997: 236).
XX a. pab. Lietuvoje rašytoje poezijoje pastebima iki tol dominavusių kultūrinių
kodų – krikščionybės, mito logika grindžiamos agrarinės pasaulėžiūros bei orientacijos į „aukštąjį“ modernistinį meną kaip autentiškos kūrybos galimybę – dekonstrukcija. Parulskis neretai vadinamas vienu pagrindinių jaunesniosios kartos
dekonstruktorių. Teigiama, kad Parulskio poezija provokatyvi, santykis su tradicija
(vienas pagrindinių jos dėmenų – religinė patirtis) ambivalentiškas, vyrauja pabaigos, ribos patirtys, „bjaurumo estetika“. Rinkiniuose Mirusiųjų ir Mortui sepulti sint
ištrinama (ar suprobleminama) skirtis tarp sacrum ir profanum sferų. Namai, mitiniame pasaulėvaizdyje reprezentuojantys pasaulio centrą, tampa išviete; vietoj
įprasto lietuvių poezijoje žemės darbų, žemės apskritai sakralizavimo steigiamas
antimitas; atgimimo-prisikėlimo paradigmą keičia mirties kaip pasaulį vienijančio
veiksnio įtvirtinimas (Speičytė 2003: 185).
Aptariant Parulskio eilėraščių architektoniką svarbus, tačiau menkai tyrinėtas
aspektas – intertekstualumas. Prasmė kuriama per tiesiogines arba paslėptas nuorodas į kitus (nebūtinai literatūros) tekstus, meninius dialektus. Tarp dažniausiai
cituojamų – vėlyvųjų viduramžių stilistikai artimi ar ją imituojantys dailės kūriniai
(Hieronymus Boschas, Matthias Grünewaldas, Petras Repšys, Šarūnas Sauka), LDK
baroko, antikos literatūra. Pavyzdžiui, sąsajos su vėlyvojo LDK baroko poeto Juozapo Bakos poetiniu pasaulėvaizdžiu, kurias galima atpažinti struktūros, motyvų,
poetinės sintaksės lygmenyse, yra aktualizuojamos trečiajame rinkinio Mortui sepulti sint skyriuje (Parulskis 1998: 53–67). Tame pat rinkinyje publikuotas eilėraštis
„Išnara“ (Parulskis 1998: 59) yra Motiejaus Kazimiero Sarbievijaus odės „Ilgisi dangiškosios tėvynės“ antifrazė.
Vyrauja specifinė krikščioniškos simbolikos traktuotė. Poetinė Naujojo Testamento citatų, krikščioniškų figūrų (Šv. Šeima, Kristaus auka), ritualų (Šv. Komunijos,
Šv. Mišių) interpretacija orientuota į juslinį suvokimą: kalbama natūralistinį atspalvį
turinčiais vaizdais, poetiniais paveikslais (ekfrazėmis), o ne abstrakčiomis sąvokomis. Eilėraščių veiksmas dažniausiai vyksta kasdienybės plotmėje, atpažįstamos
lietuviško kaimo realijos. Kita vertus, čia gausu aliuzijų į sacrum sferą: profaniški darbai (burokų rovimas, malkų pjovimas) struktūruojami pagal religinių ritualų
principą, pagrindiniai veikiantieji asmenys (tėvas, motina, sūnus) turi atitikmenis
Šv. Trejybės koncepcijoje.
Lietuvių poezijos kontekste tokia strategija – religinę simboliką naudoti vaizduojant žemdirbio, kaimo žmogaus kasdienybę – nėra nauja: vyresniosios kartos
poetų (Bernardo Brazdžionio, Justino Marcinkevičiaus, Marcelijaus Martinaičio)
kūryboje krikščioniškoji ir žemdirbiškoji simbolika neretai sudaro vienį. Parulskis
skiriasi tuo, kad akcentuojamas ne vienio, o prieštaros, kontrasto principas, neretai
įvedami grotesko elementai.
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Pavyzdžiui, eilėraštyje „Procesas“ (Parulskis 1994: 35–41), savo struktūra primenančiame stacijas (eilėraštį sudaro 18 nuoseklia seka išdėstytų poetinių paveikslėlių), Kristaus aukos ant kryžiaus etapai pinasi su kiaulės skerdimo, kurį atlieka
Tėvas, etapais. Tėvo vaizdinys konstruojamas pasitelkus realistinį ir krikščioniškąjį
kodus: tėvas prilyginamas kunigui šv. Mišių metu, Izaoką aukoti besirengiančiam
Abraomui, šv. Jurgiui. Tokios traktuotės galimybė legitimuojama nurodant į Grünewaldo paveikslą „Nukryžiavimas“ (1515), jo specifinę vaizdavimo manierą: paveiksle, skirtingai nei įprasta Renesanso dailėje, Nukryžiuotojo kūnas vaizduojamas
mirties suniokotas, nagai primena nagas – „Kūnas.../pajuodusiu veidu//...nulaupyti Grünewaldo/Kristaus nagus“. Eilėraštyje „Žemė švari“ (Parulskis 1994: 13−14)
burokų rovimas sinchronizuojamas su šv. Mišių eiga: „pašėręs širmąją palaimino/
tėvas, klaupkim//klupom suklupom, burokų/krūvos...//žalias geltonas dega/altorius, tirpsta kaip/žvakės burokų krūvos“. Malkų pjovimo scena „Ledo laike“ (Parulskis 1994: 50) aprašoma nurodant į Lietuvoje populiarių šventųjų – šv. Antano ir šv.
Onos – ikonografiją. Pagrindiniai šv. Antano atributai yra knyga, Kūdikėlis Jėzus ir
lelija (Lanzi & Lanzi 2003: 156), su knyga rankose paprastai vaizduojama ir šv. Ona,
Mergelės Marijos motina bei mokytoja (Lanzi & Lanzi 2003: 37). „Ledo laike“ dėdė-šv. Antanas pjauna nugriauto tvarto lentas, kurios metaforiškai virsta knygomis
(„pjovėme malkas, lentos nugriauto/tvarto, rąstai, storos kaladžių/knygos, lapas
po lapo/rievė po rievės, dėdė prie pjūklo/šventas antanas“), mama-šv. Ona šias
malkas-knygas renka prakūrom („atėjo mama, šventa ona/iš dangaus nusileido,
sakė/paimsiu pagalį kokį, prakūrom“).
Tokią religinių simbolių traktuotę, suponuojančią ribos tarp sacrum ir profanum,
šventenybės ir kasdienybės skirčių niveliaciją lietuvių kritika linkusi vadinti postmodernėjimo ar postmodernizmo ženklais. Pasirinkus šį žiūros tašką, Parulskio poetinis pasaulėvaizdis gali būti nusakomas citata iš paties parašyto eilėraščio – tai buvimas „be Apvaizdos“ (Parulskis 1994: 136-137). Kita vertus, egzistencinis nerimas,
kančios semantika, (tobulõs formos) ilgesys („kad galėčiau, o kad galėčiau/visa tai,
ką patyręs, išlieti į amžinas/formas, nors akimirksnio nušvitimą, kad galėčiau/negaliu... (Parulskis 1998: 67)) Parulskio postmodernizmą atitolina nuo „klasikinio“
vakarietiško postmodernizmo, džiugiai postulavusio didžiojo naratyvo mirtį, žaidybiškumą, nostalgijos nebuvimą. Taigi kyla klausimas: jei lietuviškasis postmodernizmas (konkrečiai – Parulskio atvejis) ženkliai skiriasi nuo to, ką postmodernizmu
vadina vakariečiai, ar sąvoka šiuo atveju vartojama tikslingai?
Siūlau kitokią Parulskio poetinio pasaulėvaizdžio interpretaciją. Kontrastų prisodrinta, „aštri“ Parulskio retorika, kurios centrinės ašys – sensualizmas, šokiruojanti religinių įvaizdžių traktuotė, polinkis į vizualumą, emblemiškumą, bjaurumo
estetika (kūno-pūvančios mėsos, lašinių kalėjimo, kūno-kirmėlių buveinės vaizdiniai), pranašiškos intonacijos ir lyrizmo jungtis leidžia mąstyti apie sąsajas su barokiniu pasaulėvaizdžiu (ir, be abejo, retorika). Ši interpretacija nėra visiškai nauja:
literatūrologė Brigita Speičytė Parulskio eilėraščių architektoniką lygina su Bakos
tekstais, teigia, kad Parulskio poezija yra „paskutinis baroko pasaulėjautos proveržis XX a. antrojoje pusėje“ (Speičytė 2005: 233).
Barokas – paradoksali epocha, žyminti paskutinį mėginimą susigrąžinti prarastą ar beprarandamą vienovę, sujungti tai, kas nutolę, – kūno ir dvasios plotmes,
scientistines nuostatas ir transcendenciją. Barokinė architektonika – kontrastų
architektonika, kurioje dera ironija, groteskas, teatrališkumas ir pamaldumas,
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sensualizmas ir intensyvi religinė jausena. Baroko metafora, baroko konceptas − tai
ne teksto puošybos ar žaidybos elementai, o žmogaus ir Dievo sąmonės principas,
kurio pagrindą sudaro aštrus, sąmojingas mąstymas, besiremiantis nepanašių dalykų suartinimu, nesujungiamų sujungimu (Lotman 2004: 179).
Menotyrininkas Heinrichas Wölfflinas (XX a. pr.), užbaigdamas ir apibendrindamas ne vieną amžių trukusius svarstymus apie baroko kaip savarankiškos epochos
(ne)egzistavimą, baroką siūlo traktuoti ne vien kaip konkrečią istorinę epochą,
bet ir kaip universalią mąstymo paradigmą, kurios opozicija – klasicizmas (Wölfflin 2000). Wölfflino liniją tęsia (ir sava linkme kreipia) mąstytojai postmodernistai
Gilles’is Deleuze’as, Greggas Lambertas: baroką siūloma suvokti kaip vyraujančios
tradicijos išsekimo manifestaciją, t. y. postmodernų reiškinį (Deleuze 1998; Lambert 2004). Panašią traktuotę suponuoja ir Dariaus Kuolio siūlymas apmąstyti paraleles tarp baroko ir postmodernių laikų (Dariaus Kuolio knygos... 1995: 12).
Kita vertus, mąstant apie postmodernizmo ir baroko santykį kyla nemažai klausimų. Visų pirma – baroko ribų klausimas. Nei Deleuze’as, nei Lambertas neatsako į
klausimą, kas tiksliai yra ir, svarbiausia, kas tikrai nėra barokas. Baroko-klostės, barokinės emblemos konceptai leidžia „barokiškumą“ identifikuoti kone bet kur. Istorinės
baroko epochos teoretikų darbuose pagrindinis barokinės retorikos ypatumas – kontrastų poetika: aštrus stilius, pasak Sarbievijaus, pasižymi tuo, kad iš pažiūros priešingi elementai pasirodo turintys bendrą tašką. Tuo tarpu postmoderni architektonika
remiasi prieštara: kaip teigia Linda Hutcheon – paradoksalia, visus lygmenis apimančia prieštara (Hutcheon 1988: 4), kurią grindžia centro nebuvimo idėja.
Mažiau spekuliatyvi yra Jurijaus Lotmano kultūrinės atminties koncepcija. Barokinės (ar bet kurios kitos) retorikos, o per ją – ir pasaulėvaizdžio, kaip tam tikro
istorinio-kultūrinio kodo aktualizavimas reiškia ne ilgą laiką kultūrinėje periferijoje
slypėjusių struktūrų „atgimimą“ ar „grįžimą“, o interpretaciją-vertimą, t. y. naujo
kodo kūrimą naudojantis senojo (ar – senųjų) artefaktais.
Tokio vertimo galimybė ir poreikis atsiranda, susidarius palankiam sociokultūriniam kontekstui. XX a. 10 dešimtmečiu – XXI a. pr. itin aktualios tampa savo šaknų,
lietuviškojo identiteto paieškos, tad susidomėjimas LDK istorija (barokas – ilgiausiai
LDK trukęs periodas) ir literatūra itin išauga. Į lietuvių kalbą verčiami Sarbievijaus,
kiek vėliau – Bakos tekstai, jėzuitų dramos, publikuojami kultūrologiniai straipsniai,
LDK studijos etc. XX a. pabaigoje Lietuvoje barokiškumas interpretuojamas kaip
rezignaciją ir nihilizmą postuluojantis mąstymo (ir rašymo) būdas, išplinta tiek, kad
mėnraštyje Metai pasirodo literatūrologo Mindaugo Kvietkausko straipsnis-manifestas „Nenoriu neobaroko“ (Kvietkauskas 2001: 111−114).
Verta pasvarstyti, ką barokinės retorikos elementai, barokinis religinis pasaulėvaizdis, kurio interpretacija sudaro Parulskio eilėraščių architektonikos branduolį,
suteikia Parulskio poezijai. Visų pirma, tai galimybė įveikti sustabarėjusį, poetinėmis klišėmis virtusį neoromantizmą ir sovietmečiu steigtą optimistinį „didžiojo
žmogaus“, savo nuožiūra sprendžiančio pasaulio likimą, mitą. Abstraktų, nuo gyvybės apnašų apvalytą simbolį keičiant gyva, vidinį prieštaringumą išlaikančia metafora, amžinojo atgimimo mitui priešinant subjektyvią individo, kurio individualumas atsiskleidžia tik suvokus savo pažeidžiamumą, būtį, siekiama poetinės kalbos
ir pasaulėvaizdžio (taip pat ir religinio pasaulėvaizdžio) atnaujinimo.
Devintuoju dešimtmečiu religingumas Lietuvoje įgavo specifinį pobūdį: pastebimas krikšto bumas, „kultinių“ kunigų, vienuolynų lankymas fiksuojamas ir
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grožinėje literatūroje. Pavyzdžiui, Jurgos Ivanauskaitės XX a. pab. – XXI a. pr. parašytuose romanuose „Rojaus sodai“, „Sapnų nublokšti“, „Ragana ir lietus“ ir kt. religinė patirtis, šventumas fetišizuojami tikrąja šio žodžio prasme. Šiame kontekste
Parulskio poezija gali būti suvokiama kaip reakcija: dekonstruojamos ne pamatinės kategorijos, o paviršinis religinio pasaulėvaizdžio lygmuo, išardomos mąstymo ir rašymo apie religines patirtis klišės. Vienijančio centro idėjos neatsisakoma:
transcendencija išlieka siekiamybė, buvimas „be Apvaizdos“ nėra natūrali ir sau
pakankama, tuo labiau – žaisminga būtis. Beformiškumas arba formos perteklius,
„daugiaformiškumas“, radikalus sensualizmas, ironija postuluojami kaip (poetinė)
realybė, tuo tarpu siekiamybė – tik tariamąja nuosaka įmanoma amžinoji forma.
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Virginija Cibarauskė, PhD student in the A. J. Greimas Centre of Semiotics and Literary
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203
Religious Experience & Tradition. Conference Proceedings. Kaunas: Vytautas
Magnus University, 2012, p. 204
ISBN 978-9955-12-775-8
e-ISBN 978-9955-12-776-5
This volume presents a collection of articles and materials from international
interdisciplinary conference “Religious Experience and Tradition” held on
11-12th of May in 2012. The articles of this volume present the investigations
on religion, religious tradition and religious experience in more than thirteen
countries of the world and represent a wide variety of disciplines.
The publication of this book is sponsored by the Japan Foundation.
Šiame leidinyje pristatoma tarptautinės tarpdalykinės mokslinės konferencijos „Religinė patirtis ir tradicija“ medžiaga. Konferencija vyko 2012 metų
gegužės 11–12 dienomis Kaune, Vytauto Didžiojo universitete. Straipsniuose
ir straipsnių santraukose daugelio skirtingų disciplinų atstovai iš daugiau nei
trylikos pasaulio šalių pristato religijos ir religinės patirties tyrinėjimus.
Leidinio rėmėjas Japonijas Fondas.
Religious Experience & Tradition
Conference Proceedings
Lithuanian language editor / Lietuvių kalbos redaktorius Robertas Keturakis
Layout designer / Maketuotoja Irena Sabaliauskaitė
Cover designer / Viršelio autorius Audrius Račkauskas
Publisher: Vytauto Didžiojo universiteto leidykla
S. Daukanto g. 27, LT-44246 Kaunas
Printer: “Morkūnas ir Ko”
Draugystės g. 17, LT-51229 Kaunas
2012 05 07. Issuance by Order No. K12-046