SOTER: Journal of Religious Science / SOTER: religijos mokslo žurnalas
eISSN 2335–8785, ISSN 1392–7450, DOI 10.7220/2335-8785 First Published: 1924–1939, 1999– Frequency: Quarterly Languages: Lithuanian, English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Spanish Subjects: Studies of Religion, Theology, Religious Sciences Fees: No Publication Fees Open Access: CC BY 4.0
Origin and formation peculiarities of new religious names
In this article there are reviewed the origin and formation of new religious names, which are not researched yet, which are registered of the scientists of the institute of Lithuanian language in the online Database of Lithuanian Neologisms (hereinafter – ND) which is made and constantly filling since 2011. It is estimated, that the majority of neologisms, which are registered in ND, are not Lithuanian origin – even 75,4 %. It can be explained, that these new religious names define such religions and things, which are inherent to foreign countries, so it is difficult to find Lithuanian analogue and it is even beside of purpose frequently. Under fifth of neologisms are made using the formation implements of Lithuanian language or giving the new meaning for Lithuanian words. The minority of neologisms are with composite origin – 9,2 %. The coming of new religious names is a natural occurrence, which reflects changing language.
Copyright (c) 2026 Aušra Rimkutė-Ganusauskienė https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Musical interpretation of Jacob‘s death and burial in Johann Kuhnau‘s Biblical Sonata
For his final sonata in the series of “Musikalische Vorstellung einiger biblischer Historien” (Musical Representation of Several Biblical Stories), popularly known as Biblical Sonatas, titled “Jacobs Tod und Begräbniß” (Jacob’s Death and Burial), Johann Kuhnau chose the story that concludes and, in a way, sums up the Book of Genesis (Gen. 49‒50). This episode opens the new chapter in the Old Testament, which describes how Israel has grown and transformed from just one family into the nation of twelve tribes, founded by the sons of Jacob. The new stage in the genesis of the Jewish nation and this particular episode represented in Kuhnau’s sonata are related to the series of Biblical Sonatas in two ways. First, the idea of Jacob’s death and an inevitable end of all bodily existence is represented here metaphorically as the conclusion of a musical work – the entire series of sonatas. Second, the composer employs some recognisable means of musical expression (and so-called “rhetorical figures”), which he had already used in his earlier sonatas, and musical fragments to sum up the method of rhetorical composition applied to the whole series and to create the new narrative at the same time.
Copyright (c) 2026 Aleksandra Pister https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Violent crimes in the cases between clergy and monks of the Catholic Church in the 18th century according to the books of Vilnius County Castle and Land Court
The article, based on the data of Vilnius County Castle and Land Court books, examines the problem of participation of Catholic clergy and monks in violent crimes in Vilnius County in the 18th century (1717–1773). Such cases existed in the rural and urban spaces of Vilnius County, but were quite rare. A total of 20 such proceedings were found, in which about 39 criminal facts were recorded. Of the monasteries, the basilians, Dominicans, Jesuits, as well as the Carmelites, Franciscans, Bonifratres, and the canonical canons of Mikailiškės were the most frequent and plaintiffs; of the women mentioned barefoot Carmelite, Bernardine and visiting. The plaintiffs and defendants were the chapter, bishops, deans and pastors. Some secular nobles were also involved in some of these cases. There have been cases where conflicts have persisted for decades (e. g., the basilion and the Jesuit novice). The most common cases of information about violent quarrels, beatings, assaults were recorded, there were fewer accusations of domestic assaults in the city, robbery and robbery, and illegal detention crimes. Most crimes were committed in rural areas, with slightly more than a third in Vilnius. Only five cases are known for the direct involvement of clergy in violence. In other cases, subordinates of clergy and monks were involved in this type of crime. Many of the trends were in line with the general trends in noble crime in the 18th century. In Vilnius county. Clergy and monks had different interests and fought for their own goals, often even using force. Many clergy and monks fought for the aspirations of their clan or group. The clergy and monks lived and behaved as permitted by the norms of society at that time.
Copyright (c) 2026 Domininkas Burba https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The transcendence of sovereignty and the dialectic of friend–enemy in Giuseppe Mazzini’s (1805–1872) political thought
The article reconstructs Giuseppe Mazzini’s conception of the idea of sovereignty in political thought through a theoretical approach to the history of ideas (intellectual history). The ontology and metaphysical significance of sovereignty for the modern state and society is analyzed. It shows how divine sovereignty is shared with people, what is the purpose and meaning of these divisions. The article explains what God’s moral law is and how it should affect the community. The issue of power and the conflict that arises in order to regain the right to sovereignty are discussed. The conflict in question manifests itself through the dialectic and revolution of the “friend” and the “enemy”. The presented notion of Mazzini’s sovereignty is especially relevant today, both in the context of the nation’s sovereignty and the ongoing revolutions, and in the context of the proclaimed united and sovereign Europe. It is concluded that in Mazzini’s conception of sovereignty, it belongs to God and only His will is transmitted to the people. God maintains “auctoritas”, and “potestas” is given to people. Also, for Mazzini’s, national communities are the derivatives of the transition phase to the United States of Europe. They are necessary, but not eternal. The revolutionary idea was that the people must free themselves from the power of the monarchs and to regain sovereignty. The goal of popular sovereignty creates a dialectic of “friend” and “enemy”. The Mazzini Revolution is a duty. Duty to God and humanity. Mazzini’s theism prevents the revolution from arising out of a free will. It must act on moral principles and the law of God.
Copyright (c) 2026 Aistė Deimantaitė https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Announcement of Kaunas Cathedral as Small Basilica in 1921
The article discusses the emergence of the first small basilica in the territory of Lithuania as well as the circumstances of the awarding of this title to the Samogitian (Kaunas) Cathedral of Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul in 1921. It was found out that the initiative to award the title originated in the Samogitian chapter, it was supported by the then Samogitian bishop Pranciškus Karevičius. The Lithuanian Apostolic Nuncio to the Holy See, dr. Jurgis Narjauskas contributed a lot to the implementation of this initiative. The awarding of the title of the Small Basilica in honor of the 500th anniversary of the Samogitian diocese in 1921 is perceived as the exclusive attention of Pope Benedict XV to the young state of Lithuania and to its main shrine the Samogitian (Kaunas) Cathedral.
Copyright (c) 2026 Vaida Kamuntavičienė https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Problem of possibility of sex change in terms of metaphysical structure of human being
Problem of possibility of sex change is analysed in the article based on two models of metaphysical structure of human being – Thomistic and Personalist, and seeking their coherence. Thomas Aquinas’ no­tion of sex as inseparable accident is related with personalist conception of person and his/her freedom. Having ascribed sex to level of nature, relation between person and nature is discussed together with the relationship between person’s freedom and nature. Conclusion is drawn that analysis of metaphysical structure of human being does not provide arguments for substantiating the possibility of sex change.
Copyright (c) 2026 Lina Šulcienė https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Creation and kenosis: Antanas Maceina’s philosophy of religion
The article examines the relationship between creation and kenosis in the philosophy of religion of Antanas Maceina. The article attempts to show that divine creation is possible only when God limits His omnipotence and greatness. When God limits Himself, there is an opportunity to exist for a contingent being that is free and independent. Maceina considers any action of God in relation to the world to be a kenotic action, and therefore the divine creation itself is a kenotic one. In creating the world, God limits Himself by establishing Nothing next to Himself, and this Nothing becomes the “substance” of creation. If God does not limit Himself, He cannot enter into a relationship with creation, for a direct encounter with the Creator would be disastrous for man. When God revealsHimself to a creature at the time of revelation, this action is also kenotic, thus increasing the mystery of God’s essence.
Copyright (c) 2026 Ramūnas Boleslovas Malcius https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The article aims to rehabilitate the use of humor in the Christian mission. It is done, first, by uncovering the communicative nature of the mission of the Church and explaining the significance of apologetics for it. It is also shown that love for God and love for neighbor is expressed not only in deeds but also with words. That is, by proclaiming the Good News and convincingly inviting others to participate in the life of the three personal God, who is love. Later, apologies (defenses) for apologetics and humor are provided, substantiating the claim that employing humor in the proclamation of the Gospel is not only compatible with the Christian attitude toward the other but can also serve as an appropriate way to love God and neighbor.
Copyright (c) 2026 Laurynas Jacevičius https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Anthropological challenges of postmodern societies conception of personal love for young people at the beginning of XXI century
A particular historical situation in Lithuania had a great impact on the formation of youth values. Prior to this situation, an integral person’s education was inextricably linked with spiritual values. Today in our society different processes can be observed. Our understanding of values is based on the criteria of economical world – “useful means good”, where person chooses to meet only those needs that are pleasant to him. The consequences of education under the communist regime caused various negative phenomenon such as the lack of responsibility, mistrust and fear in the personal as well as in the social life. Due to this education experience a great number of young people encounter divorces in their families. The lack of strong moral values influences an early beginning of sexual life and positive attitude towards relationships de facto. An experience of instability in the area of love and self giving causes deprivation of guidelines and basis regarding the conception of love. In spite of these negative facts, positive signs can be noticed. Questions what it means to be a person, what is love, meaning of the life, God and faith are newly raised. These questions are discussed in this article.
Copyright (c) 2026 Violeta Slepikaitė, Rimas Skinkaitis https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The experience and practice of faith as a precondition for overcoming suffering in disease
The article analyses experiences and practices of faith as precondition for acceptance, cohabitation and overcoming of suffering which comes from a disease. On a theoretical level, reactions to disease according to stage and trajectorial models and their interactions with the way of responding to trials traced in the book of Job are discussed. Illness and suffering it brings, as well as its interaction with faith, examining it from empirical level through direct informants experience is analysed. In parallel the most characteristic emotions and actions of stage and trajectorial models reaction to shocks (illness, loss) are touched.
Copyright (c) 2026 Živilė Advilonienė https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
How the Divine Liturgy became an object of philosophical reflection in Greek Patristic liturgical commentaries
The Divine Liturgy is an unusual object both for the contemporary philosophy and for the history of philosophy. This paper discusses how it became an important object of philosophical reflection in Greek Patristic writings. It presents the context and history of emergence of the genre of liturgical commentary and analyses the philosophical nature of some of the commentaries. The unusual nature of those texts is explained by two circumstances: 1) that many people who worked with liturgical texts were themselves philosophers. They lead a philosophical way of life which was an important idea in Ancient philosophy. 2) they were practitioners of Alexandrian method of biblical exegesis which they applied in their liturgical commentary. It allowed them to introduce philosophy into interpretation of the Divine Liturgy. The paper analyzes examples from Patristic commentaries.
Copyright (c) 2026 Gintaras Sungaila https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Western Christian attitude toward Eastern martial arts: problems of negative approach
The Christian world is diverse, with differing views and expressions of theological thought. Approaches to the same phenomena are often ambivalent. One such area is Oriental religions and traditions. Some Christians see everything that comes from the East as manifestations of demonism or occultism. Other part of Christians seek dialogue and do not consider Oriental traditional practices to be bad, moreover, sometimes successfully integrating some elements into their faith system. The article is about the martial arts of the East. Christians tend to view them as idolatry and practices incompatible with Christianity. The teaching of the Roman Catholic Church does not say anything specific about the martial arts of the East, but there is a rather positive position on the question of Eastern religions and philosophy. Of course, there are individual groups that assess the martial arts negatively or even demonize them in the Roman Catholic Church itself. These groups fight against the martial arts of the East, in opposition to theological inferences that often do not coincide with either the biblical view or what the Eastern martial arts and orientalist philosophical thought, traditions, and etiquette really are.
Copyright (c) 2026 Gabrielius Edvinas Klimenka https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Chastity as personalization of the generative power
Etymological and semantical analysis of key words used in the definition of chastity in the Catechism of the Catholic Church – „chastity means the successful integration of sexuality within the person (...)“ – helps to deepen the understanding of this virtue. The term “sexuality” is estimated critically as it was not used in the Catholic tradition before the second part of the XX century, and even now is employed rarely. Given the utilitarian connotation of the words “sex” and “sexuality” in contemporary culture, the traditional term “generative” instead of “sexual” power, can help to overcome the contemporary illusion that “sex is ‘naturally’ infertile”. Moreover, the word “generative” reflects the power of fertility in man more adequately than “sexual.” In Lithuanian language, the usual word for “sex” is “lytis”; the synonym of this word, “gimtis” is proposed for wider usage as it is etymologically related to the process of generation of the new life. As the term “person” reflects what is most noble in man, integrating the generative power within the person means that it ought to be expressed through loving but not through using another person. Such understanding of chastity touches on the idealistic tendency in the psyche of young persons. The word “chaste” in Lithuanian language has, besides the denotation of virtue, ten other meanings, mainly describing the qualities of light and radiance. Thus the word itself automatically implies the beauty of chastity. According to the principle of the convertibility of the transcendentals, chastity thus makes person the person beautiful, good and truthful – attractive ideals to be presented in the pastoral care of youth and also of marriage.
Copyright (c) 2026 Gintautas Vaitoška https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Attitudes towards teaching about sexuality in Lithuanian society
In Lithuania, as everywhere in the world, for decades there has been a discussion on which paradigm of sexual education should be implemented, choosing between a sex education that is aimed towards protection from unwanted consequences of sexual activity, thus treating fertility as a threat, and a sexual education that seeks to promote the notion of linking sexual activity with long-term commitments, perceiving fertility as a potentiality. At its state level, Lithuania still hasn’t been able to choose either of these paradigms, and to coherently implement it in the national system of education. Because of this, the absence of sexual education has created a vacuum, which non-governmental organizations, representative of either paradigm, are continuously trying to fill. The Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania establishes, that „parents and guardians shall, without restrictions, take care of the religious and moral education of their children and wards according to their own convictions“ (article 26). Teaching about sexuality falls under the domain of moral education. However, there are no researches of public opinion on the given topic. This work aims to determine, which paradigm’s of sexual education underlying principles are in accord with the majority of Lithuanian citizens.
Copyright (c) 2026 Vytautas Sinica https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Needs and opportunities for faith practice of the ill: their experiences and challenges of spiritual assistance
The article analyses spiritual practices needs’ and opportunities of those who suffer from serious diseases during treatment in a health care institution. On empirical and theorical levels article also examines the assumptions and interference that arise for those who wish to practice their faith; difficulties for pastoral attendants working with them. Based on the results of an empirical qualitative study (five patients treated in a nursing hospital were selected for the study on a targeted basis and were interviewed through in-depth interviews), the diversity of patients’ spiritual practices, their needs and opportunities for putting them in practice while being treated in a nursing hospital are discussed. Obstacles of practicing patients’ religion which arise from subjective (related to the patients, their peculiarities of character, physical and other individual characteristics) and/or objective circumstances (lack of real opportunities to practice their faith in a hospital, lack of specialists, etc.) are discussed. The results of the research revealed that the sick want to practice their religion in various forms (attend religious services, receive sacraments, practice various forms of prayer, deepen their knowledge of the faith, have spiritual conversations about faith, etc.), but due to subjective and / or objective reasons they only sometimes have the appropriate conditions and facilities for it. Theorical and empirical research revealed that in order to fulfill the faith needs of the sick hospitals lack required accommodations, technical equipment, personnel and shortage of regular religious services. In addition, spiritual needs are often difficult to meet due to patients’ health status, their psychosocial peculiarities, insecurities, distrust and similar feelings. This requires authentic pastoral approach to a particular patient in order to provide them with individual spiritual assistance that meets their personal needs.
Kenosis of the Logos as a key for God’s (re)cognition in philosophy of Antanas Maceina
The article examines the importance of kenosis to the knowledge of God in the context of Antanas Maceina’s philosophy. Based on A. Maceina’s philosophy of religion, it is hypothesized that to truly know God, the kenosis of God, in this case, the kenosis of Logos, is necessary. The kenosis of the Logos is a necessary condition for knowing God because only a self-limited God can be known to man, since divine things are unknown to man in principle. During kenosis, God leaves the plane of transcendence and moves into a realm of immanence in which certain logic and principles of cognition operate. In the time of kenosis, God assumes all the laws and orders in force in the plane of immanence, so through Christ man can understand God.
Sacral aspects and iconographic analysis of the art treasures of the Šunskai Church of St. Mary Magdalene
This article discusses ecclesiastical art in a time perspective. Its task in the course of history is to present to the faithful not only the narrative of the Scripture but to convey the reality of the otherworldly reality, to inspire a desire to follow Christian truths, and to quote modern ecclesiastical documents. As a practical basis for discussing these topics, we take a look at the Church of St. Magdalene in Šunskai, its exterior and interior solutions. We overview the historical development of this town, the former house of prayer in the parish, and go deeper into the works of art in it. The three main altars of this church and the paintings in them are analysed in detail, from an artistic, historical and theological point of view. By analysing the individual parts of the altars and the paintings in them, the aim is to trace their original location, looking for connections with the former chapel that was there in the second half of the 18th century and the church that was built in 1795 which did not survive to this day. The text emphasizes the importance of preserving historical artistic values in churches, restoring the authentic environment of the house of worship as an important part of the identity of the local community with which it can identify.
Copyright (c) 2026 Kęstutis Žemaitis, Violeta Kasperavičiūtė https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Tracing the intellectual activity of the Jesuit Fr. Franciszek Ksawery Michał Bohusz (1746–1820): the Warsaw Society of Friends of Science
The Warsaw Society of Friends of Science (Pol. Warszawskie Towarzystwo Warszawskie Przyjacioł Nauk), which operated in Warsaw from 1800 to 1832, was one of the earliest scientific societies in the territory of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the early of 19th century. It brought together scientists from various fields as well as the public, and aimed to educate society through spreading scientific knowledge. Citizens of the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania, such as professors of Vilnius University and representatives of the Roman Catholic Church clergy, were drawn into the Society’s activities or participated at their own initiative. Based on archival sources and the available literature on this subject, the article presents an analysis of certain aspects of the role this Society played on the biography of the Roman Catholic Church clergyman from the Vilnius Diocese, the Jesuit Franciszek Ksawery Michał Bohusz (Lit. Pranciškus Ksaveras Mykolas Bohušas, 1746–1820). F. K. M. Bohusz’s membership in this Society covers the last years of his life, namely, the period 1804–1820, which he spent in Warszaw. It was found, that F. K. M. Bohusz was one of the most active and productive members of the Society during the first decades of its existence. F. K. M. Bohusz’s generous funding of the Society’s activities earned him the title of patron and contributed to the exceptional respect shown to him by his colleagues. The study suggests that the Society played an inspiring role in F. K. M. Bohusz’s creative biography. The works he prepared and published in the first decades of the 19th century (15 publications, three of which are reprints) are inspired by the intellectual environment nurtured at the Society.
Copyright (c) 2026 Aldona Prašmantaitė https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The concept of family in Lithuanian legislation
The concept of the family is of paramount importance both at the legislative level and in society. There are different definitions of family in the laws of the Republic of Lithuania. The traditional concept of the family, resulting from the historical development of different legal traditions, is based on the institution of marriage. Regardless of the religious tradition that exists in the state, marriage, as the institution that establishes the family, has historically been perceived as a union between a man and a woman. It is argued that the development of modern legal systems in this area is undergoing two important changes. First, the institution of marriage is no longer the only exclusive basis on which the recognition of the family as a legal person is based in the legal system. Second, the very concept of marriage is changing and evolving to include a union of two people of the same sex. The aim of this article will be to reveal the normative concept of the family and to investigate how it is disclosed in the legal acts of the Republic of Lithuania.
Copyright (c) 2026 Martynas Vasiliauskas, Violeta Vasiliauskienė https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Basics of monastic life according St. Teresa of Avila (St. Teresa of Jesus)
The article presents St. Jesus Teresa’s monastic life basis and their sources. They are presented not only in the legislative sense, but they are studied in St. Teresa’s life, works and mission. St. Teresa’s reformation, establishment of monasteries gave the Church a new form of contemplative and apostolic life that brought and continues to bear much fruit. The construction of a good building also depends on a good foundation. The concepts and interaction of monastic life and charisma, the dynamics of the formation of the basics of monastic life are revealed. The article highlights the main characteristics of the founder and the communities necessary to create a good monastic foundation which help to serve the Church in the service of Christ, the profound conversion of the individual and the community, the reconciliation of being and action, and so on. The basis of monastic life are not only legal documents and tradition, but also the fruit of the founder’s charisma, life, scriptures and apostolate, adaptation to one’s age, knowledge of the Spirit of God and signs of the age. The community needs to diagnose the life of its own time, to look at community life: what has been sworn and how does it live? Another basis for the community is to respond to God’s call to listen to what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
Copyright (c) 2026 Vidas Labanauskas https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Catholics from Lithuania in Siberia: Sources, Historiography, and Research Perspectives
The article reviews the statements of Lithuanian, Polish and Russian historians who took part in the discussion on Lithuanian Catholics who voluntarily or forcibly ended up in Siberia. The participants of the virtual round table identified the source base of the topic, described the degree of its research, and outlined the prospects for further research. As far as the sources are concerned, it was noted that a considerable part of them is stored in the Siberian archives. These include individual documents or files in the fonds of churches, resettlement commissions, police, land surveyors, district administrations, village societies, political parties, educational establishments, national societies, census commissions, religious commissars, exiles and repatriates. Valuable material is also available in the central historical archives of Lithuania, Russia, Belarus, the Vatican and the archives of the monastic orders. The manuscripts of several Lithuanian priests who served in Siberia can be found in Vilnius research libraries. Among the published sources, the participants of the discussion paid special attention to the publication of memoirs, documents and newspaper articles. Personal letters, photographs and epitaphs were also mentioned as additional sources. The historiography on the Siberian Catholic Church is dominated by studies of a general or pro-polish nature, where Catholics from Lithuania are usually not singled out as a separate category or not mentioned at all. Special studies on Lithuanian Catholics are rare. Such a small number of studies and a large number of sources open up great perspectives for research, including collective, international and interdisciplinary. The objects of the research could be the everyday life of Lithuanian Catholics, biographies of prominent personalities, cultural and religious life. It is also noted as a very important and scholarly publication of selected sources. The article includes a critical apparatus and a list of studies on the subject of the remote conference.
Copyright (c) 2026 Viktor Bilotas, Kęstutis Žemaitis https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Preparation for the Sacrament of Marriage as a factor in the change of worldviews of the fiancés
The article analyses the preparation for the Sacrament of Matrimony as a factor of change in the worldview of fiancés. It is based on Church documents (an overview of the importance given to marriage and preparation for it in the Church’s teaching), statistical data (an analysis of the dynamics of marriages and divorces in Lithuania between 1993 and 2021), and the experiences of fiancés who are preparing for a Church marriage. The paper presents the results of a study which sought to find out the changes in young people’s attitudes towards family, marriage, sexuality and faith during engagement courses and additional programmes (weekend retreats, catechesis, seminars). The study revealed that the changes in young people’s attitudes towards marriage, sexuality and family planning, as well as in their relationship with their faith and the Church, and in their religious practices, are influenced by the information they receive in the marriage preparation courses, the discussions with the course leaders and invited guests (medical doctors, clergy, teachers of natural family planning, married couples), as well as the additional programmes for engaged couples, such as weekend retreats, catecheses, seminars, etc.
Ludwik Adam Jucewicz’s principles of scientific publicistic works formating
Ludwik Adam Jucewicz (1813–1846), a protagonist of the Samogitian Lithuanian movement of the first half of the 19th century, a pupil of the Vilnius Spiritual Academy, later vicar of Švenčionys and Svėdasai, after his conversion to Orthodoxy – a teacher at the noble school in Lepel town, was a romantic poet, translator, historian, folklorist and ethnographer and prolific creator. During his short life, he published dozens of articles and books on various topics. His first books, published in the 1830s, did not have much success. But in 1840–1846 the following books were published: “Lithuanian Folk Proverbs” (1840), “Features of the Samogitia” (1840), “Memories of the Samogitian Land” (1842), “Lithuanian Songs” (1844), “Lithuania, Its Ancient Monuments, Households and Customs” (1846) and had the greatest success. During the research, it became clear that some of the books prepared by the author, especially in the first years of scientific activity, were written immediately and completely. However, his later and most famous works were printed by combining and often expanding and improving the texts published earlier in the periodical press of that time, primarily in the pages of “Tygodnik Petersburski”, a Polish-language weekly newspaper loyal to the government of the Russian Empire, and other editions. The texts of L. A. Jucewicz gained popularity, they were reprinted in Polish-language periodicals in the territories of Russia, Prussia and Austria, and were translated into Russian and even German. During the Romantic era, topics about the ethnography, folklore, and customs of various peoples were quite popular throughout Europe. The apolitical texts of L. A. Jucewicz on the topics of mythology, folklore, ethnography, and history were acceptable to the editors of the magazines at the time, not only because they were relatively mature and did not pose a greater threat of conflicts with the authorities, but also because there was a lack of works of talented authors in Polish-language periodicals at that time.
The significance of God’s (non)existence to human existence according to W. L. Craig
This article, following the reasoning of an American philosopher and theologian William Lane Craig, seeks to expound upon and argue for the idea that if there is no God human existence is absurd. It seems that atheistic existentialists would be in agreement. Many of them suggest different methods to overcome this tragic human predicament. However, they, upon inspection, show themselves to be inadequate and self-contradictory. On the other hand, the Christian worldview has the tools necessary to explain why humans keep resisting and are not willing to resign when faced with the absurdity of life, even though they have no good reason theoretical reason, as well as to argue for God’s existence as the foundation for meaning, value, and purpose of human existence.
Prayer from the psychological perspective: a review of the literature
The aim of this article is to show that the prayer can be (and actually is) the topic of psychological researches. First of all, the article tries to characterize the prayer and then the understanding of scientific definition from a psychological perspective is given. Further the scientific researches on prayer are reviewed, starting with the study of F. Galton in 1872 up to the 21st century’s modern empirical researches on the psychology of prayer, spotlighting the controversial investigations area on the efficacy of prayer. In addition, the relationship between prayer and health is discussed, the importance of prayer in family relationships is revealed and prayer experiences at different stages of development are considered. Finally, the problems and limitations of researches on the psychology of prayer are referred.
Copyright (c) 2026 Dmitrijus Škulis https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Apologetics and didactics in the sermons of Archbishop Mečislovas Reinys, the Servant of God
Archbishop Mečislovas Reinys had a great influence on interwar Lithuanian society. He tirelessly preached the truths of faith both as the coadjutor bishop of Vilaviškis and as the archbishop of Vilnius. He tried to convey the teachings of the Church through sermons. While leading Lenten retreats or visiting parishes, he delivered long, problematic, but at the same time simple didactic sermons. The article highlights the themes of Archbishop Mečislovas Reinys’ sermons, analyzes their apologetic and didactic nature.
Copyright (c) 2026 Nerijus Pipiras https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
A view of W. Pannenberg’s misery and dignity of humanity
This discussion on W. Pannenberg focuses on humanity as it relates to destiny of fellowship and how the love for one another influences the recognition of dignity. His idea dwells on the Biblical account of human creation in the image and likeness of God with a mandate to live in dominion (Gen 1: 26–28) alongside Paul’s idea of our redemption in Christ. The divine likeness of God is the destiny of fellowship which keeps us from the misery of sin so that we can conform to the image of Christ. Divine fellowship with God helps us to live in dominion as His earthly reagent which helps our understanding of the love for one another helps our understanding of our God-given human dignity.
Copyright (c) 2026 Alexander Kokobili https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
A critique of the palaeovisitological hypothesis of Jesus Christ’s alien origin
The pseudoscientific palaeocontact hypothesis suggests that aliens from other planets visited Earth in ancient times. Palaeovisitologists believe that ancient people encountering advanced space technology found it miraculous and therefore deified aliens from space, which is why the deities of all ancient religions are considered to be descended from alien prototypes. The principle here is similar to that of cargo cults. While such a juxtaposition may seem rational, the absence of serious historical sources and data that would allow us to consider the ideas of palaeovisitology as having a real basis in fact means that we cannot consider them as factual evidence. The conclusions drawn by palaeovisitologists are based on distorted or falsified facts and assumptions and have no historical validity, so that the existence of Jesus Christ as an alien from outer space is an unreliable hypothesis that finds support only in fictitiously fabricated stories. This means that the image of Jesus as an alien from outer space can be dismissed as pseudo-scientific. From the perspective of divinity, we can assume that people interested in palaeovisitology are on a path of divinity in which images of God are projected onto imaginary aliens from outer space. Belief in aliens who visited Earth in ancient times and created man is implicitly an attempt to change God and make him more earthly. This also allows us to simplify religion itself. On the other hand, the mere search for a god is not sufficient for rational faith, so the paleovisitology hypothesis itself is rejected, but in order to guide people towards rational faith, attempts can be made to create new pastoral forms that help people to discover the grain of true faith, rejecting the pseudo-scientific delusions.
An approach to Jonathan Magonet and Desmond Tutu on global ethic for humanity
This article focuses on the ideas of Jonathan Magonet and Desmond Tutu in promoting religious ethics of social harmony, love, and the peaceful coexistence of humanity. The problem of religious intolerance across the world has resulted in the need to propose ethics that will support the rights to freedom and dignity of humankind. J. Magonet and D. Tutu’s ideas seek to bring to the limelight religious ethics to promote respect for humanity through a Judeo-Christian path. While J. Magonet dwells on the foundations of Judaism in relation to the Torah and Talmud, D. Tutu emphasizes the influence of Christianity with respect to human rights in relation to a global ethic.
Involvement of the Orthodox Church in the ecumenical movement in the context of the Orthodox participation in the World Council of Churches
The main concern of the ecumenical movement is to overcome the problem connected with the schism and division among Christians. The position of the Orthodox Church is very important in this process, because of historical and other reasons. Orthodox Churches have participated in the ecumenical movement from the very beginning. The purpose of this article is to review the historical context and to examine the main difficulties that exist in the modern ecumenical movement in relation to the Orthodox Churches. As far as the structure of the Orthodox Church differs from that of the Roman Catholic Church, it should be mentioned that the documents and the encyclicals on which the article is based are from autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Churches. Autocephalous means that there are seventeen self-governing Eastern Orthodox Churches that recognize each other as canonical Churches. The highest-ranking bishop is called a patriarch, archbishop, or metropolitan. These seventeen Orthodox Churches share a eucharistic communion, they recognize common dogmas and common ecclesiastical traditions. Therefore, when the article attempts to express the position of the Orthodox Church, it refers to the official documents of the Orthodox Churches announced at inter-Orthodox gatherings or as the encyclicals. The article examines when and why the Orthodox Churches became involved in the ecumenical movement and what challenges the Orthodox Church faces in modern ecumenical organizations.
Copyright (c) 2026 Salome Esebua, Malkhaz Songhulashvili https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0