Students of Willy Marckwald working in laboratory; Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitaet Berlin Institutions; Universities

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Portrait of Friedrich Brandes; Employee of Mendelssohn Bank, Berlin Portraits Men

"25.7.1891 Friedrich Brandes geb. 11.4.1867 pens. 31.12.1927"

Leo Baeck with New York Mayor William O'Dwyer and Union of American Hebrew Congregations President Maurice N. Eisendrath, Oscar M. Lazrus and Rabbi Daniel L. Davis Portraits; Groups; Men

Page 12 of the "American Jewish Cavalcade" scrapbook of Leo Baeck in New York found in ROS 10 Folder 3

The Gift of a Sage. Life and Wisdom of Rabbi Dr. Friedrich Hillel 1892- 1974

Manuscript by Erwin Tramer: "The Gift of a Sage. Life and Wisdom of Rabbi Dr. Friedrich Hillel". Biography of an orthodox rabbi (1865-1928), born in Wisnitz, Austrian Galicia, and who served in Leipnik, Czechoslovakia.

Seixas family papers, undated, 1746-1911, 1926, 1939.

The collection contains items relating to individual members of the family as well as the Seixas family in general. Included are papers of the following persons: Isaac Mendes Seixas (1708/9-1780/1), a copy of A voyage to Hudson's--Bay, by Henry Ellis, inscribed with his name on the title page, along with additional inscriptions on the end papers (1748); and a daily prayer book printed in Amsterdam (title page missing), with an inscription on the first page indicating that the book was owned by Seixas in 1758/9, and subsequently by his grandson, Theodore J. Seixas, in 1816/17.

Letter from Daniel I.M. Peixotto

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Daniel VII:25 explained fixing time for Messiah, found among papers of Gershom Mendes Seixas

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Confronting Confucian Understandings of the Christian Doctrine of Salvation : A systematic theological analysis of the basic problems in the Confucian-Christian dialogue

The aim of the present study is to analyze Confucian understandings of the Christian doctrine of salvation in order to find the basic problems in the Confucian-Christian dialogue. I will approach the task via a systematic theological analysis of four issues in order to limit the thesis to an appropriate size. They are analyzed in three chapters as follows: 1. The Confucian concept concerning the existence of God. Here I discuss mainly the issue of assimilation of the Christian concept of God to the concepts of Sovereign on High (Shangdi) and Heaven (Tian) in Confucianism. 2. The Confucian understanding of the object of salvation and its status in Christianity. 3. The Confucian understanding of the means of salvation in Christianity. Before beginning this analysis it is necessary to clarify the vast variety of controversies, arguments, ideas, opinions and comments expressed in the name of Confucianism; thus, clear distinctions among different schools of Confucianism are given in chapter 2. In the last chapter I will discuss the results of my research in this study by pointing out the basic problems that will appear in the analysis. The results of the present study provide conclusions in three related areas: the tacit differences in the ways of thinking between Confucians and Christians, the basic problems of the Confucian-Christian dialogue, and the affirmative elements in the dialogue. In addition to a summary, a bibliography and an index, there are also eight appendices, where I have introduced important background information for readers to understand the present study.

Letter to Rodriques Pacheco and Daniel Gomez

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Christian-Muslim Dialogue : Perspectives of Four Lebanese Thinkers

This study describes and analyses two Lebanese Muslims and two Lebanese Christians ideas about Christian-Muslim dialogue, its nature, aims, and methods and its different dimensions, which include doctrinal, ethical, and social dimensions. On the basis of the analysis, the four thinkers contributions for promoting constructive dialogue are evaluated. The persons studied are two religious authorities, the Shiite Great Ayatollah Muhammad Husayn Fadlallah (b. 1935) and the Eastern Orthodox Metropolitan of Mount Lebanon, Georges Khodr (b. 1923), and two academic scholars, Doctor Mahmoud Ayoub (b. 1935) and Doctor, Father Mouchir Aoun (b. 1964), from the Shiite and Greek Catholic communities, respectively. The method of the study is systematic analysis. The sources consist of the four thinkers writings on Christian-Muslim relations, the most of which have been published in Lebanon in the 1990s and 2000s in the Arabic language. In their general guidelines for Christian-Muslim dialogue, the four authors do not offer any novel or unusual insights. However, their dialogue visions are multi-faceted, motivating interreligious encounter both on religious and practical grounds and clarifying the theological grounds and socio-political conditions of this endeavour. The major challenge appears to be the tension between loyalty to one s own convictions and taking into account the particular self-understanding of the other. While this tension may be ultimately unsolvable, it is obvious that linking dialogue tightly to missionary motivations or certain theological agenda imposed on the others is not conducive for better mutual understanding. As for how diverse theologies of religions affect interreligious dialogue, narrow exclusivism hardly promotes mutual knowledge and appreciation, but also inclusive and pluralistic positions have their particular dilemmas. In the end, dialogue is possible from diverse positions on theology of religions. All the authors discuss the theological themes of divine revelation, concept of God, and human condition and ultimate destiny. The two religions particular views on these issues cannot be reconciled, but the authors offer diverse means to facilitate mutual understanding on them, such as increasing mutual knowledge, questioning certain traditional condemnations, showing theological parallels between the two religions, and transcending doctrinal disagreements by stressing common religious experience or ethical concerns. Among the theological themes, especially the concept of God seems to offer possibilities for better understanding than has traditionally been the case. Significantly, all the four authors maintain that Christians and Muslims share the faith in the one God, irrespective of their disagreements about the nature of his oneness. Basic ethical principles are not discussed as widely by the four authors as might be expected, which may reflect the shared cultural background and common ethical values of the Lebanese Muslims and Christians. On this level, Christians alienation from the Islamic law appears as the most significant challenge to mutual understanding, while neighbourly love and the golden rule of ethics offer a fruitful basis for further dialogue. As for the issue of political power-sharing in Lebanon, it is clear that the proposal of an Islamic state is problematic in a country with a sizable Christian minority and a heterogeneous Muslim population. Some form of democracy seems more viable for a multireligious country, but the question remains how to retain religion as a vital force in society, which is felt to be important by all the four Lebanese authors.

Christianity and Christian Identity in the Gospel of Philip (NHC II,3)

Previous scholarship has often maintained that the Gospel of Philip is a collection of Valentinian teachings. In the present study, however, the text is read as a whole and placed into a broader context by searching for parallels from other early Christian texts. Although the Valentinian Christian identity of the Gospel of Philip is not questioned, it is read alongside those texts traditionally labelled as "mainstream Christian". It is obvious from the account of Irenaeus that the boundaries between the Valentinians and other Christians were not as clear or fixed as he probably would have hoped. This study analyzes the Valentinian Christian Gospel of Philip from two points of view: how the text constructs the Christian identity and what kind of Christianity it exemplifies. Firstly, it is observed how the author of the Gospel of Philip places himself and his Christian readers among the early Christianities of the period by emphasizing the common history and Christian features but building especially on particular texts and traditions. Secondly, it is noted how the Christian nature of an individual develops according to the Gospel of Philip. The identity of an individual is built and strengthened through rituals, experiences and teaching. Thirdly, the categorizations, attributes, beliefs and behaviour associated on the one hand with the "insiders", the true Christians, and, on the other, with outsiders in the Gospel of Philip, are analyzed using social identity theory the insiders and outsiders are described through stereotyping in the text. Overall, the study implies that the Gospel of Philip strongly emphasizes spiritual progress and transformation. Rather than depicting the Valentinians as the perfect Christians, it underlines their need for constant change and improvement. Although the author seeks to clearly distinguish the insiders from the outsiders, the boundaries of the categories are in fact fluid in the Gospel of Philip. Outsiders can become insiders and the insiders are also in danger of falling out again.

Schutzbrief and marriage permit for Bonuit Hayum, granted by Friedrich August, Herzog zu Nassau, Wiesbaden

Schutzbrief and marriage permit for Bonuit Hayum, granted by Friedrich August, Herzog zu Nassau, Wiesbaden, manuscript and seal; includes English translation

What is a “Christian” jurisprudence?

The term ‘jurisprudence’ is derived etymologically from the Latin juris, meaning law, and prudentia, meaning wisdom. So jurisprudence simply means the wisdom of the law, or, as it has come to mean in scholarly legal circles these days, the theory of law. It asks fundamental questions regarding the nature and definition of law. And so, the question I wish to pose to us today is what does a truly “Christian” theory of law look like? One that is faithful to, as taken from the conference brochure, the “historic Christian faith” in its “principles and practice”. To contextualise this question, I must give you a deceptively brief and superficial overview of prevailing theories of law – and for those of you who know more about the topic, I apologise for the crass nature of my summary – time prevents me from doing any more...

Paluu paratiisiin : Polkuja hyvän ja pahan tuolle puolen Martti Lutherin ja Friedrich Nietzschen perinteissä

Tutkimukseni tarkoitus on paikallistaa polkuja hyvän ja pahan tuolle puolen. Tutkimukseni termit hyvä ja paha määrittyvät moraalisesti. Täten tutkimusaiheeni on ihmisen ja moraalin välinen suhde. Tutkin ihmisen moraalista olotilaa, siinä tapahtuvaa muutosta ja tämän muutoksen ehtoja. Tutkimuksellani on kaksi pääkysymystä: kuinka on mahdollista päästä hyvän ja pahan tuolle puolen ja miksi meidän tulisi siirtyä hyvän ja pahan tuolle puolen. Polut hyvän ja pahan tuolle puolen vievät myös etiikan tuolle puolen. Tutkimukseni pyrkii selvittämään mitä vikaa etiikassa on ja kuinka on mahdollista perustella toimintaa ilman etiikkaa. Tutkimukseni metodi on systemaattinen analyysi. Johdanto-osassa käsittelen yleisesti moraalia, sen vaikutuspiiriä ja niitä syitä, joiden vuoksi se täytyy hylätä. Tarkastelen myös etiikkaa ja selvitän sitä laajempaa kontekstia mihin se liittyy. Ensimmäisessä luvussa käsittelen Martti Lutherin teologiaa. Lutherilla moraalia edustaa Jumalan laki, jonka alaisuudesta kristitty pääsee vapaaksi kun Jeesus ottaa ristinkuolemassaan ihmisten synnin itselleen ja kärsii Jumalan lain mukaisen kuolemanrangaistuksen. Uskon yhteydessä Kristukseen kristitty kohoaa lain ulkopuolelle tekemään rakkauden tekoja. Toinen luku on omistettu Søren Kierkegaardin kristilliselle eksistentialismille. Kierkegaardin eksistenssitasojen filosofiassa uskonnollinen olemisen taso paljastuu korkeammaksi kuin eettinen. Tässä nousee tärkeäksi Kierkegaardin kirja Pelko ja vavistus. Kierkegaard tutkii Raamatun kertomusta Aabrahamista, jolle Jumala antaa käskyn uhrata oma poikansa Iisak. Kierkegaardille tarina on esimerkki eettistä korkeammasta ja sitä tilapäisesti vastustavasta olemisen tavasta. Kolmannessa luvussa käsittelen Dietrich Bonhoefferin teologiaa. Bonhoefferin mukaan Jeesus kutsuu ihmisiä seuraamaan häntä. Tämä on kutsu hyvän ja pahan tuolle puolen paratiisin viattomuuteen, joka rikkoo eettisyyden ihmisen ja Jeesuksen välillä. Neljännessä luvussa tarkastelen Friedrich Nietzschen filosofiaa ja pyrin ymmärtämään mitä hänen ohjelmansa hyvän ja pahan tuolle puolen tarkoittaa. Nietzschen vallantahdon filosofiassa moraali on heikkojen keino alistaa vahvat. Tarkastelen Nietzschen käsitystä moraalin synnystä ja sen haitallisuudesta ja pyrin selvittämään kuinka herrat elävät hyvän ja pahan tuolla puolen. Viidennessä luvussa tutkin Jaques Derridan grammatologiaa. Derridan mukaan teksti on suljettu tila, jonka ulkopuolelle on mahdoton päästä. Derrida sanoittaa kuitenkin sanoittamatonta tilattomuutta tekstin tuolla puolen. Tästä ei-paikasta käsin hypereettinen dekonstruktio purkaa perinteistä etiikkaa. Kuudennessa luvussa tarkastelen Mark C. Taylorin epä/teologiaa. Taylorille olotilan muutosta kuvaa termi harhautuminen , joka vie ihmisen lainsuojattomuuteen hyvän ja pahan tuolle puolen. Selvitän mitä harhautuminen tarkoittaa ja miten se liittyy Taylorin Jumalan kuoleman epä/teologiaan. Johtopäätösluvussa tuon esiin tutkimustuloksia, nostan esille joitain pääluvuissa esiintyviä teemoja ja vertaan tutkimuskohteitteni näkemyksiä toisiinsa. Lutherin ja Nietzschen perinteissä on paljon yhteistä, mutta pohjimmiltaan ne sotivat toisiaan vastaan. Hyvän ja pahan tuolle puolen johtaa kaksi polkua. Toinen niistä vie paratiisiin, toinen tuhoon.