Suchergebnisse

The image of the European culture is given by the association of the concepts people – culture – history – territory, which provides certain local features. From this relation, we identify a cultural area with local, regional and national features beyond a certain European culture. Thus, we identify at least two cultural identity constructions on the European level: a culture of cultures, that is a cultural area with a particular, local, regional and national strong identity, or a cultural archipelago, that is a common yet disrupted cultural area. Whatever the perspective, the existence of a European cultural area cannot be denied, although one may speak of diversity or of "disrupted continuity".
The paper is a survey on the European cultural space in two aspects: 1. Europe with internal cultural border areas; 2. Europe as external cultural-identity border area. From a methodological point of view, we have to point out that despite the two-levelled approach the two conceptual constructions do not exclude each other: the concept of "culture of cultures" designs both a particular and a general identity area. The specific of the European culture is provided precisely by diversity and multiculturalism as means of expression on local, regional, or national levels. Consequently, the European cultural area is an area with a strong identity on both particular and general levels.

Discusses how criteria for historical certainty & apologetics merged in response to the issues raised by rational Cartesian epistemology & Pascalian irrationalism. The relations between Pascal's La Logique ou l'art de penser (Logic or the Art of Thought), commentaries by Arnaud & Nicole in La Perpetuite de la foy de l'eglise catholique touchant l'eucharistie deffendue contre le livre du sieur Claude ([The Perpetuity of the Faith of the Catholic Church about the Eucharist, Defended against the Book of Monsieur Claude] 1669), & the work of Claude are developed. Other topics discussed include the doctrine of testimonialism & veridical, fact-based theological arguments. Pierre Bayle asserts that a relative confidence in the verifiability of historical truth should replace the historical Pyrrhonism, but with the understanding that verifiability can only be expressed as a rejection of the testimonials to the truth of faith. J. Sadler

Discusses how criteria for historical certainty & apologetics merged in response to the issues raised by rational Cartesian epistemology & Pascalian irrationalism. The relations between Pascal's La Logique ou l'art de penser (Logic or the Art of Thought), commentaries by Arnaud & Nicole in La Perpetuite de la foy de l'eglise catholique touchant l'eucharistie deffendue contre le livre du sieur Claude ([The Perpetuity of the Faith of the Catholic Church about the Eucharist, Defended against the Book of Monsieur Claude] 1669), & the work of Claude are developed. Other topics discussed include the doctrine of testimonialism & veridical, fact-based theological arguments. Pierre Bayle asserts that a relative confidence in the verifiability of historical truth should replace the historical Pyrrhonism, but with the understanding that verifiability can only be expressed as a rejection of the testimonials to the truth of faith. J. Sadler

Discusses the debate between John Locke & the Remonstrants, especially Dutch theologians Philippus van Limborch, Jacobus Arminius, & Simon Episcopius, in the 17th century. The Remonstrants' concepts of indifference & the freedom of indifference are presented, & implications on theological & political ideals as found in the work of Ugo Grozio, Cornelius de Witt, & Adriaan van Paets are identified. Despite their strong friendship & intellectual affinities, Locke & van Limborch were sharply divided on the issues of indifference in relation to the will & free judgment of man. An appendix reproduces the English text of Pelagius redivivus, or Pelagius Raked Out of the Ashes by Arminius & His Schollers (1626), written originally in Latin by English clerics supportive of Augustinianism, & drawing parallels between Remonstrant (Arminian) doctrines & those of Pelagius. Accusations of heterodoxy against Remonstrant doctrine were nourished by this work that proposed the Remonstrants' polemical assimilation of the heresy of Pelagius. 1 Appendix. J. Sadler