Ideas and Ideals

A prominent Melkite writer Theodore Abu Qurrah, Bishop of Harran (c. 750 – c. 830) was the first Orthodox Christian author who used Arabic for his treatises. He was generally reputed both as a theologian, and a scholar well versed in philosophy. Nevertheless, the philosophical premises of his Trinitarian doctrine and Christology still remain unexplored. The article discusses two kinds of philosophical premises of Theodore’s theology: logical and ontological. Theodore divides all scientific terms and academic concepts into two groups: 1) philosophical and 2) logical names. Names of the general type such as “living being”, “human”, “horse”, and particular nonlogical ones (proper names as Paul, Jacob, John) are defined as philosophical, while such terms as “kind”, “type”, “nature”, “hypostasis”, etc. are specified as logical. According to Theodore, the crucial difference between these two types resides in the following: for philosophical type of names, the properties and definitions of more general names (concepts) are inherited by particular names; which is not true for logical names. In terms of logic, Abu Qurrah believes that the category of quantity is applicable only to logical names. Striving for the utmost accuracy of statements, he defended the theory of reference, which occurs only in one of the authors who preceded Theodore, St. Gregory of Nyssa. In terms of ontology, Theodore proceeds from the belief that the general is completely, without division and multiplication, presented in a particular (individual). Here, bringing out the conceptual differences between the hypostasis and the nature, he, meanwhile, denies that accidental attributes are origins of the hypostasis. Furthermore, the existence of particular substances (natures) seems to Theodore both logically and ontologically impossible. The ontology of the hypostasis, the fundamental principle of Theodore Abu Qurrah’s theology, seems similar to Byzantine diphysite tradition of 4^th – 8^th centuries (St. Leontius of Byzantium, St. Maximus the Confessor, St. John of Damascus).

The article deals with the problem of studying the functioning of new religious movements in modern society.Traditionally, the functions of new religious movements were identified with the functions of religions and, depending on the methodological approach, their essential features were revealed. A significant influence on the study of the functions of the new religious movements was provided by the anti-cult approach which viewed them as destructive influence on society. The author notes that in modern society the functionality of the new religious movements has other essential features than in traditional religions. Comparing the functionality of the new religious movements and religions, their main essential differences are distinguished and new options for NRM are offered. It is noted that the new functions are derived from the existing functions of religions. Four main functions of the new religious movements were distinguished. The function of the pseudo-scientific adaptation of ideas marks the tendency in the teachings of new religious movements to synthesize with scientific ideas. The ideas received in the course of this synthesis in new religious movements by scientists are often treated as pseudo-scientific or quasi-scientific. In the teachings of the new religious movements the function of affirmation marks the intention to redirect the life of an individual (success, health, wealth) from the inner (meaning of life, spirituality) to external aspects through a variety of spiritual techniques often borrowed from various Indian religions and adapted to a modern man. The holistic function implies to overcome existing cultural, religious, social boundaries and to unite states and nations on the basis of the ideas of universalism and syncretism.The culturally adaptive function reveals the mechanism for adapting alien cultural and religious code (for example, oriental religio-philosophical ideas) in modern society. It is noted that these functions of the new religious movements are the result of the correlation of the socio-cultural environment of society and new religious movements.As a result of this correlation in modern society there is a mixture of the most diverse religious, scientific, cultural and other elements.