One Word, One Body, One Voice : Studies in Apophatic Theology and Christocentric Anthropology in Gregory of Nyssa

The thesis consists of five international congress papers and a summary with an introduction. The overarching aim of the studies and the summary is to examine the inner coherency of the theological and anthropological thinking of Gregory of Nyssa (331-395). To the issue is applied an "apophatic approach" with a "Christological focus". It is suggested that the coherency is to be found from the Christological concept of unity between "true God" and "true man" in the one person of Jesus Christ. Gregory is among the first to make a full recognition of two natures of Christ, and to use this recognition systematically in his writings. The aim of the studies is pursued by the method of "identification", a combination of the modern critical "problematic method" and Gregory's own aphairetic method of "following" (akolouthia). The preoccupation with issues relating to the so-called Hellenization of Christianity in the patristic era was strong in the twentieth-century Gregory scholarship. The most discussed questions have been the Greek influence in his thought and his philosophical sources. In the five articles of the thesis it is examined how Gregory's thinking stands in its own right. The manifestly apophatic character of his theological thinking is made a part of the method of examining his thought according to the principles of his own method of following. The basic issue concerning the relation of theology and anthropology is discussed in the contexts of his central Trinitarian, anhtropological, Christological and eschatological sources. In the summary the Christocentric integration of Gregory's thinking is discussed also in relation to the issue of the alledged Hellenization. The main conclusion of the thesis concerns the concept of theology in Gregory. It is not indebted to the classical concept of theology as metaphysics or human speculation of God. Instead, it is founded to the traditional Judeo-Christian idea of God who speaks with his people face to face. In Gregory, theologia connotes the oikonomia of God's self-revelation. It may be regarded as the state of constant expression of love between the Creator and his created image. In theology, the human person becomes an image of the Word by which the Father expresses his love to "man" whom he loves as his own Son. Eventually the whole humankind, as one, gives the divine Word a physical - audible and sensible - Body. Humankind then becomes what theology is. The whole humanity expresses divine love by manifesting Christ in words and deeds, singing in one voice to the glory of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

On the principles of Japanese forest policy since 1950.

XVIII IUFRO World Congress, Ljubljana 1986.

Politiikan polut ja hyvinvointivaltion muutos

Suomalaisen hyvinvointivaltion uudistaminen on historian sitomaa pienten askelten politiikkaa. Sosiaalipoliittiset järjestelmät ovat liikkeissään kuin elefantteja: muutos on usein hidas, vähittäinen ja kenties kömpelö - vanhalta polulta ei ole helppoa siirtyä uudelle, vaikka vaihtoehtoisia polkuja olisikin näkyvissä. Tässä kirjassa keskitytään uudelle polulle siirtymisen - järjestelmien muutoksia ja uudistuksia - mahdollistaviin tekijöihin. Monivaiheisten politiikkaprosessien ratkaiseva rooli vaikuttaa merkittävästi sosiaalipoliittisten järjestelmien uudistusten (epä)onnistumiseen. Mikä on politiikkaprosessi? Miten muutosprosesseja tutkitaan? Miten Sata-komitean työ vaikutti Suomen sosiaalipoliittisiin järjestelmiin? Miten innovaatiot leviävät politiikassa? Miksi Suomessa ei enää ole tulopolitiikkaa? Tulisiko toimeentulotuen maksatus siirtää kunnilta Kelaan? Millaiset prosessit johtivat kunta- ja palvelurakenneuudistukseen, perhevapaita koskeviin uudistuksiin, työmarkkinatukiuudistukseen tai lääkkeiden viitehintajärjestelmään? Muun muassa näitä kysymyksiä valottavat tämän kirjan artikkelit vähimmäisturvan, sosiaalivakuutuksen ja hyvinvointipalvelujen järjestämisen - niin laajojen kuin yksittäistenkin - uudistusten näkökulmasta.