نشریه ادیان و عرفان
سال پنجاه و سوم شماره 2 (پاییز و زمستان 1399)

What are some ways to apply "comparative study" in the field of "spirituality"? The present essay examines this issue and relies on a new “post-Eliadean”  approach to comparative studies. In this new approach, "spirituality" is not a single and universal thing, but every spirituality is a unique reality. By avoiding the imposition of an artificial homogeneity, attention should be paid to the diversity of the cultural context of each spirituality and hermeneutic inevitability. In this paper, methods for avoiding bias, overcoming apparent similarities, creating a fit between scale and matching problem, and the like are discussed. Also, by presenting the theory of “parallel cuing”, an attempt has been made to find a theoretical justification for the researcher's understanding of inexperienced spirituality. Among the adaptation styles, the "enlightening style" seems to be the most reliable.

By turning his energy to a phenomenon and observing it within, man achieves a presence that is the essence of consciousness; but when he breaks his oneness with the mind and watches it, he attains a higher level, called transcendent consciousness. Achieving this awareness is very important in Eastern mysticism for peace of mind. This study seeks to investigate the process of achieving this superior awareness in the school of yoga and Zen in an analytical-descriptive manner. In the school of yoga, wayfarer, by using the techniques presented, will stop the mental flows and ultimately achieve superior internal truth and achieve liberation in the light of transcendental consciousness. In Zen school, illumination, along with the perception of the truth of existence, is achieved through concentration and permanent presence, which is meaningful with inner intuition. What is common in these two schools, despite differences in methodology and foundations, is to achieve this consciousness.

In this article, the religious attitude of Josiah Royce (1855-1916) is examined and analyzed based on some major contemporary theological currents such as the philosophy of analytic religion, analytic theology, systematic theology and postmodern theology. It seems that the Pragmatism, derived from Kant's philosophy, is the common historical source between Royce's thought and that of contemporary philosophers of religion. He uses Christian beliefs as a prelude to his arguments, and for this reason his approach is comparable to analytical theologians. According to a system of theological beliefs inspired by personal idealism, his thought is considered as a kind of systematic theology. On the other hand Royce maintained that the subject or Self is constructed by social and cultural factors and this approach is in the direction of postmodern philosophers, and also offers a new interpretation of Christian theology in response to the needs of the time. Despite all these Similarities, Royce’s thought in due to metaphysical intuition - as a reliable source of knowledge and reality - differs from the analytical tradition and postmodernism.

One of the religious and scientific approaches in the seminary of Qom is the mystical approach that has existed since the establishment of the new seminary of this city at the beginning of the current century. Opponents of this approach in this period have always been serious critics of this approach. The origins of the mystical approach of Qom are the two schools of jurisprudence of Tehran and the ethicists of Najaf. The supporters of this approach in adhering to the mystical heritage of Islam and criticizing the monastic aspects of Sufism and adapting the teachings of Sufism to the words of Shiite Imams Their predecessors have acted and these things have caused them to distance themselves from pure Sufism and as a result have been freed from the accusation of being Sufis.They are also influenced by the pressure of their opponents and are very cautious in quoting Sufi words and always emphasize their differences with Sufism. The third path in the midst of the conflict between the proponents and the opponents and affected by this conflict has emerged in recent decades, which claims to be the transition from existing mysticism to pure, true, true and unshakable mysticism. The epistemological efforts of this group have played an effective role in preserving and surviving the mystical discourse and also acquainting the opponents of mysticism with this discourse. Mysticism speaks of the search for pure mysticism, with titles such as revelatory and Ahl al-Bayt mysticism.

Simone Weil and Dorothee Soelle, two Christian theologians, each renders new interpretations of Christian theology. Comparison between the two reveals important similarities and differences. In this article it is tried to study their thoughts by an analytic-comparative method. It is demonstrated that both have critical approaches to institutionalized Christianity and its doctrines, but their spiritual and mystical thoughts seek for existential relation to God. Their theology, due to their messy times, go beyond the traditional issues and are concerned with social and political problems and practical commitment. This attention, among others, leads to a perfect revision in theoretical theodicy. Their intensive attention to spirituality and mysticism is the attractive aspect of their theologies that on one hand balances their critical view to the official Christian doctrines, and on the other hand functions as a spiritual support for activism in political-social sphere. Eventually, one of their main differences lies in their different spiritual and mystical emphases. Weil’s stress on spiritual feature is more than Soelle’s and Soelle’s stress on political issues is more than Weil’s.

Given the importance of Christians in the Sassanid era, examining their situation at that time will help to better understand the history of Christianity and the Sassanid rule. The time of Khosro Parviz should be considered as one of the important periods in the history of Sassanid and Christian Iran. One of the most important Christian figures in the time of Khosrow Parviz was Sabrisho’, who became the patriarch of the Nestorian Church and played an important political-religious role. The findings of this study show that Sabrisho’ by the direct order of Khosro Parviz and without the consent of the leaders of the Nestorian Church in 596 AD. He became a patriarch, and Khosrow Parviz used him to win the favorable opinion of Nestorian Christians towards him, to gain more control over them, and to have political relations with the emperor Maurice. Sabrisho’ also tried to resolve the internal disputes of the church with the support of Khosro Parviz and accompanied Khosro Parviz and the Sassanid armies as the representative of the Nestorian Christians at the beginning of the Khosro Parviz and Byzantine wars.

Positivism - though not exactly in the sense of the positivism of the Enlightenment and modernity - is the dominant approach in Iranian academic Islamic studies. The positivistic approach in Islamic studies of Iran is closely related to logical positivism and analytic philosophy. Of course, these similarities are general similarities that mean the similarity of how knowledge is obtained through proof, and at the same time there are some differences that should not be ignored. The dominance of positivism over Islamic studies in Iran has led to the neglect of capacities that can be activated based on interpretive-comprehension and historical approaches arising from the continental tradition; Capacities such as landscape, study at the socio-cultural level and religious practices, respecting differences and giving importance to creativity, paying attention to knowledge based on suspicious results such as history, anthropology, etc. are among these cases.

relying on the theoretical approach of the two theoretical frameworks of feminism and existentialism in the field of political philosophy, this article intends to suggest aspects of the transition from traditional to modern society in Western Europe on a new reading of the position of women in Christianity (emphasis on the Old Testament and the New Testament) and explore the process of demythologizing and de-enchanting - which is characteristic of the Enlightenment - of women in the Modern West. In this field, first the feminist view of people like Simone de Beauvoir has been studied and then Schleiermacher's phenomenological view as well as Bultmann's existential and liberal view has been studied. In the final point, it can be seen that the feminist movement, in line with the Enlightenment, has disenchanted the traditional concept of woman, while the late Western existentialist philosophers have revisited this demythologizing reading with a phenomenological and empathetic view of the traditional view of woman.

According to Jewish mysticism and Islamic mysticism, God Almighty has placed a mediator between himself and his creatures, who have common names in the sacred texts of both religions. One of them is "Wisdom". In this article, based on the comparative method, the concept of "wisdom" in Jewish mysticism and Islam is analyzed. The most important innovation of this research is to prove the hypothesis that although in Judaism "hesed" and love are the life-giving principles and in Islamic mysticism the movement of love has the same role, but in both mysticisms, before the divine love that has manifested manifestations. Wisdom has played a role. Therefore, the theological doubt that if God is always loving and at the same time capable, then he should have creation from eternity, is answered in Qabalah mysticism and Islamic mysticism in such a way that God, prior to intrinsic love, is wise and is His wisdom. Which pours out his love.

In Plotinus' philosophical system, the only possible happiness for man is oneness with One with consciousness and epistemological enlightenment. This paper, using a descriptive-analytical method, studies the way, requirements, realization and the limit of Ascension of the Soul. One of the findings of the study is that the only path to the ascension of the soul in Plotinus' view is a rational dialectic that transcends from partial thoughts to pure ideas; And components such as guidance, the acquisition of moral virtues, and the perception of beauty contribute to this process. In the process of carnal ascension, the realization of each level of knowledge for the soul is equivalent to the lifting of the soul to the level of existence of that level of epistemology. The ultimate possible knowledge at the end of the rational course of the soul is the necessary unity with the whole intellect, which is considered as the power to realize the inherent foundation of man. Oneness with one is inexplicable, unpredictable, and subject to an infinite will.In Plotinus' philosophical system, the only possible happiness for man is oneness with One with consciousness and epistemological enlightenment. This paper, using a descriptive-analytical method, studies the way, requirements, realization and the limit of Ascension of the Soul. One of the findings of the study is that the only path to the ascension of the soul in Plotinus' view is a rational dialectic that transcends from partial thoughts to pure ideas; And components such as guidance, the acquisition of moral virtues, and the perception of beauty contribute to this process. In the process of carnal ascension, the realization of each level of knowledge for the soul is equivalent to the lifting of the soul to the level of existence of that level of epistemology. The ultimate possible knowledge at the end of the rational course of the soul is the necessary unity with the whole intellect, which is considered as the power to realize the inherent foundation of man. Oneness with one is inexplicable, unpredictable, and subject to an infinite will.

Some scholars believe that mystical monism, by denying human distinctions, leaves no room for the formation of the concepts of "self" and "other" and the "I-you" relationship, which is essential for moral thinking. Therefore, the subject of this article is how to develop the concepts of "self" and "The Other" based on the ontology of Ibn Arabi's unity of existence  and tried to show by the analytical method based on the mystical principles of "unity in plurality", "Names manifestation", "multiplicity of directions" and the principle of "No repetition in theophany" that in Ibn Arabi's theory of unity of existence, human distinctions are not eliminated and we can speak of a relationship based on "I-you" under the concepts of "self" and "other", which thus provides the condition for the possibility of morality. The monistic mystic also sees both the "self" before the "other" and finds the "other" within himself without reducing the other to himself and questioning his originality and otherness. At the same time, it is argued that the belief to the fundamental unity of human beings not only does not make morality impossible, but is one of its essential conditions.

In the view of mystics, repentance at its highest level leads to the transition from all multiplicities and veils, in other words, to repentance from everything but God. It should not be assumed that this view of mystics is baseless and arises from mystical feelings and tastes. This research seeks to study those accepted principles in the science of mysticism through documentary and analytical methods that can be used in analyzing and explaining the words of mystics. The mystical rule of the "spirit of meaning" on the one hand opens the way for the consecutive levels of repentance, and on the other hand the principle of " Presence of lower stages in higher behavioral stages " requires that repentance at all higher levels, including rank. Fana, who is the transient of us, should also be present. Also, the principle of " annihilation in conduct" has caused the final stages of repentance to have the color and face of annihilation. In addition to all this, there is evidence that the accepted standards in the science of practical mysticism - that is, the degree of Shari'a, the degree of intellect and the degree of elders - also confirm our repentance from God as the final stage of repentance.