Christian dogmatics : A text-book for academical instruction and private study /

Bibliographies interspersed.

Eru Ilúvatar : Jumala J.R.R. Tolkienin legendariumissa

The purpose of my research is to inquire into the essence and activity of God in the legendarium of the English philologist and writer J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973). The legendarium, composed of Tolkien’s writings related to Middle-earth, was begun when he created two Elvish languages, Quenya based on Finnish, Sindarin based on Welsh. Tolkien developed his mythology inspired by Germanic myths and The Kalevala. It is a fictional ancient history set in our world. The legendarium is monotheistic: God is called Eru ‘The One’ and Ilúvatar ‘Father of All’. Eru is the same as the Christian God, for Tolkien wanted to keep his tales consistent with his faith. He said his works were Christian by nature, with the religious element absorbed into the story and the symbolism. In The Silmarillion, set in the primeval ages of Middle-earth, the theological aspects are more conspicuous, while in The Lord of the Rings, which brings the stories to an end, they are mostly limited to symbolic references. The legendarium is unified by its realistic outlook on creaturely abilities and hope expressing itself as humbly defiant resistance. ”The possibility of complexity or of distinctions in the nature of Eru” is a part of the legendarium. Eru Ilúvatar is Trinitarian, as per Tolkien’s faith. Without contextual qualifiers, Eru seems to refer to God the Father, like God in the Bible. Being the creator who dwells outside the world is attributed to Him. The Holy Spirit is the only Person of the Trinity bestown with names: the Flame Imperishable and the Secret Fire. When Eru creates the material world with His word, He sends the Flame Imperishable to burn at the heart of the world. The Secret Fire signifies the Creative Power that belongs to God alone, and is a part of Him. The Son, the Word, is not directly mentioned, but according to one writing Eru must step inside the world in order to save it from corruption, yet remain outside it at the same time. The inner structure of the legendarium refers to the need for a future salvation. The creative word of Eru, “Eä! Let these things Be!”, probably has a connection with the Logos in Christianity. Thus we can find three “distinctions” in Eru: a Creator who dwells outside the world, a Sustainer who dwells inside it and a Redeemer who shall step inside it. Some studies of Tolkien have claimed that Eru is distant and remote. This seems to hold water only partially. Ilúvatar, the Father of All, has a special relation with the Eruhíni, His Children, the immortal Elves and the mortal Men. He communicates with them directly only through the Valar, who resemble archangels. Nevertheless, only the Children of Eru can fight against evil, because their tragic fortunes turn evil into good. Even though religious activities are scarce among them, the fundamental faith and ultimate hope of the “Free Peoples” is directed towards Eru. He is present in the drama of history as the “Author of the Story”, who at times also interferes with its course through catastrophes and eucatastrophes, ‘good catastrophes’. Eru brings about a catastrophe when evil would otherwise bring good to an end, and He brings about a eucatasrophe when creaturely strength is not sufficent for victory. Victory over corruption is especially connected with mortal Men, of whom the most (or least) insignificant people are the Hobbits. However, because of the “primeval disaster” (that is, fall) of Mankind, ultimate salvation can only remain open, a hope for the far future.

Luonnollisen lain sisältö Herbert Olssonin Luther-tulkinnassa

Tutkielmassa selvitetään Herbert Olssonin käsitystä luonnollisen lain sisällöstä, sen suhteesta rakkauden vaatimukseen ja kultaiseen sääntöön. Lähteinä ovat Olssonin kaikki Lutheria käsittelevät tekstit, keskeisimpinä hänen väitöskirjansa Grundproblemet i Luthers socialetik sekä pääteoksensa Schöpfung, Vernunft und Gesetz in Luthers Theologie . Tutkielma jakaantuu johdannon jälkeen taustalukuun, kolmeen analyysilukuun ja loppukatsaukseen, jossa esitellään tutkimuksen tulokset. Taustaluvussa tehdään katsaus luonnollisen lain tulkintahistoriaan aikaisemmassa Luther-tutkimuksessa. Luvussa tulevat ilmi erot pohjoismaisen ja mannereurooppalaisen Luther-tutkimuksen välillä, edellisen painottaessa vahvasti luonnollista lakia, sen identtisyyttä ilmoitetun lain ja rakkauden lain kanssa sekä sen universaalisuutta kaiken moraalisen toiminnan ohjaajana. Tämän jälkeen, luvussa kolme tutkitaan systemaattisen analyysin avulla Olssonin tulkintaa Lutherin luonnonoikeuskäsityksistä sekä luonnollisen käsitteestä ja luodaan pohjaa seuraaville tutkimusluvuille. Luvuissa neljä ja viisi käsitellään luonnollista lakia sinällään, ensin Olssonin väitöskirjasta ja sen jälkeen hänen myöhemmästä tuotannostaan välittyvän kuvan kautta. Jo alusta asti Olssonin tulkintaa leimaa käsitys siitä, että luonnollinen laki kuuluu kaikille ihmisille, se on sisällöltään identtinen dekalogin ja muun ilmoitetun lain kanssa, ja että sen vaatimus voidaan tiivistää rakkauden vaatimukseksi, ts. kultaiseksi säännöksi. Kultainen sääntö koskee Olssonilla sekä suhdetta lähimmäiseen että Jumalaan, kun sen aiemmin ajateltiin liittyvän vain lähimmäissuhteeseen. Olsson ei kuitenkaan vedä kovin monia johtopäätöksiä siitä, kuinka kultainen sääntö suhteessa Jumalaan pitäisi ymmärtää. Ensisijaisesti luonnollisen lain mukaan eläminen vaikuttaa olevan Olssonin tulkinnassa samaa kuin Jumalan tahdon mukaan eläminen. Tästä seuraa kysymys, millainen on Jumalan tahto ja sitä kautta Jumalan luonto, johon luonnollisen lain oletetaan viittaavan. Tutkimuksessa tullaan siihen tulokseen, että Olsson ei oleta Jumalan luonnon olevan lahjoittava rakkaus. Myöskään luonnollinen laki ei vaadi ihmistä luopumaan hyvän tavoittelusta, vaan se juuri vaatii suuntautumista kohti hyvää. Näin ollen Olssonin tulkinnan taustalla ei ole lahjoittavan rakkauden malli luomakunnan järjestyksenä, vaan Augustinukselta ja skolastikoilta tuttu ordo caritatis -malli. Ihmisessä reaalisesti läsnä oleva, pyyteettömästi palveleva Kristus ei tästä syystä sovi Olssonin tulkintaan lainkaan, ja näin ollen hänen käsityksensä vanhurskaudesta on oltava lähinnä forenssinen, ei efektiivinen. Ylipäätään Jumalan ja ihmisen suhteessa on hänellä kyse tahdon suhteesta, ei ontologisesta Kristuksen ja ihmisen yhdistymisestä. Lahjoittavan rakkauden ja Jumala-suhteen ontologisen ulottuvuuden puuttumisen takia siis Olssonin Luther-kuva muodostuu voluntaristiseksi, Jumalan absoluuttista tahtoa korostavaksi. Toisaalta hänen tulkintansa saa myös skolastisia painotuksia, johtuen juuri hyvään suuntautuvan rakkauden korostamisesta. Kultainen sääntö vaikuttaa olevan enemmän vastavuoroisuuden sääntö kuin pyyteettömän rakkauden sääntö. Summa summarum: mainituista syistä johtuen luonnollisen lain, rakkauden vaatimuksen ja kultaisen säännön sisällöllinen ykseys jää Olssonilla hänen tavoitteistaan huolimatta saavuttamatta.

Clemens Aleksandrialaisen kristillinen filosofia Paedagogus-teoksessa

Clemens Aleksandrialainen oli sivistynyt varhaiskristillinen kirjoittaja. Tämän tutkielman päälähteenä on hänen Paedagogus-teoksensa, jota analysoimalla vastataan kysymykseen,millainen kristillisen elämän opas se on, ja mitä kirjoittaja opettaa siinä kristillisestä elämästä. Metodina on systemaattinen analyysi. Koska Clemens-tutkimuksessa on usein keskitytty hänen oletettuun pääteokseensa Stromateis, avaa Paedagogus-teoksen opetukseen tutustuminen sekä Clemensin ajattelusta että varhaiskristillisestä elämästä uusia puolia. Kirjoittajan opetusta kristillisestä käytännön elämästä (kr. praksis) on tutkittu hyvin vähän. Clemens on tärkeä varhaisen kirkon opettaja, joka kehitti ratkaisevalla tavalla ihmisen jumalallistumiseen (kr. theosis) liittyvää terminologiaa. Tutkielmassa keskitytään näiden kahden osa-alueen suhteeseen, jossa Clemensin tunneteorialla on keskeinen merkitys.

Evidence in European Asylum Procedures

This thesis explores the particular framework of evidentiary assessment of three selected appellate national asylum procedures in Europe and discusses the relationship between these procedures, on the one hand, and between these procedures and other legal systems, including the EU legal order and international law, on the other. A theme running throughout the thesis is the EU strivings towards approximation of national asylum procedures and my study analyses the evidentiary assessment of national procedures with the aim of pinpointing similarities and differences, and the influences which affect these distinctions. The thesis first explores the frames construed for national evidentiary solutions by studying the object of decision-making and the impact of legal systems outside the national. Second, the study analyses the factual evidentiary assessment of three national procedures - German, Finnish and English. Thirdly, the study explores the interrelationship between these procedures and the legal systems influencing them and poses questions in relation to the strivings of EU and methods of convergence. The thesis begins by stating the framework and starting points for the research. It moves on to establish keys of comparison concerning four elements of evidentiary assessment that are of importance to any appellate asylum procedure, and that can be compared between national procedures, on the one hand, and between international, regional and national frameworks, on the other. Four keys of comparison are established: the burden of proof, demands for evidentiary robustness, the standard of proof and requirements for the methods of evidentiary assessment. These keys of comparison are then identified in three national appellate asylum procedures, and in order to come to conclusions on the evidentiary standards of the appellate asylum procedures, relevant elements of the asylum procedures in general are presented. Further, institutional, formal and procedural matters which have an impact on the evidentiary standards in the national appellate procedures are analysed. From there, the thesis moves on to establish the relationship between national evidentiary standards and the legal systems which affect them, and gives reasons for similarities and divergences. Further, the thesis studies the impact of the national frameworks on the regional and international level. Lastly, the dissertation makes a de lege ferenda survey of the relationship between EU developments, the goal of harmonization in relation to national asylum procedures and the particular feature of evidentiary standards in national appellate asylum procedures. Methodology The thesis follows legal dogmatic methods. The aim is to analyse legal norms and legal constructions and give them content and context. My study takes as its outset an understanding of the purposes for legal research also regarding evidence and asylum to determine the contents of valid law through analysis and systematization. However, as evidentiary issues traditionally are normatively vaguely defined, a strict traditional normative dogmatic approach is not applied. For the same reason a traditionalist and strict legal positivism is not applied. The dogmatics applied to the analysis of the study is supported by practical analysis. The aim is not only to reach conclusions concerning the contents of legal norms and the requirements of law, but also to study the use and practical functioning of these norms, giving them a practcial context. Further, the study relies on a comparative method. A functionalist comparative method is employed and keys of comparison are found in evidentiary standards of three selected national appellate asylum procedures. The functioning equivalences of German, Finnish and English evidentiary standards of appellate asylum procedures are compared, and they are positioned in an European and international legal setting. Research Results The thesis provides results regarding the use of evidence in national appellate asylum procedures. It is established that evidentiary solutions do indeed impact on the asylum procedure and that the results of the procedure are dependent on the evidentiary solutions made in the procedures. Variations in, amongst other things, the interpretation of the burden of proof, the applied standard of proof and the method for determining evidentiary value, are analysed. It is established that national impacts play an important role in the adaptation of national appellate procedures to external requirements. Further, it is established that the impact of national procedures on as well the international framework as on EU law varies between the studied countries, partly depending on the position of the Member State in legislative advances at the EU level. In this comparative study it is, further, established that the impact of EU requirements concerning evidentiary issues may be have positive as well as negative effects with regard to the desired harmonization. It is also concluded that harmonization using means of convergence that primaly target legal frameworks may not in all instances be optimal in relation to evidentiary standards, and that more varied and pragmatic means of convergence must be introduced in order to secure harmonization also in terms of evidence. To date, legal culture and traditions seem to prevail over direct efforts at procedural harmonization.

Moment of stasis: the successful failure of a constitution for Europe

The 2005 French and Dutch negative votes on the Constitution open up a space of conceptualisation, not only of Europe's relation to its demos, but significantly to its failures. Through a critical analysis of mainly Niklas Luhmann's systems theory, the article proposes taking a distance from traditional constitutional dogmatics that are no longer capable of dealing with the paradox of contemporary society, and more specifically with the eventual resurgence of the European project as one of absence and stasis: the two terms are used to explain the need, on the one hand, to maintain the 'absent community' of Europe, and, on the other, to start realising that any conceptualisation of the European project will now have to take place in that space of instability and contingency revealed by the constitutional failure. The relation between law and politics, the location of a constitution, the distinction between social and normative legitimacy, the connection between European identity and demos, and the concept of continuity between constitutional text and context are revisited in an attempt to trace the constitutional failure as the constitutional moment par excellence.

Eutanásia ativa

Euthanasia, especially the active one, has always been an extremely discussed subject, which goes further pure dogmatics and transcends the strictly legal field. A reflection about such issue makes us re-think on what it implies for all the involved without ever loosing sight of the fact that admitting a legalization is, in a legal system as ours, to admit the lack of punishment of an homicide act or an assistance to suicide. However, burying in mind the foreign experiences, isn’t there a possibility of working on a path that respects both the basis of our legal system and the rest of the interests involved? And what interests would those be? How to admit such a path? Based on what assumptions? The present study proposes a discovery of paths and not the search for dead ends, creating definitive answers. The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the existing structure of the Portuguese legal system on these matters, in a path that is until now mostly in favour of punishment, based on homicide or assisted suicide crimes. Along with the Portuguese dynamic, we want to analyse legal systems that opted by decriminalization and, based on those experiences, shared with our legal culture, scan the viability of a decriminalization procedure. What paths would be viable for such a decriminalization in Portuguese criminal territory? The scope is only to open the eyes of who always wanted to keep them shut, or to who just never tried to open them, because at the end of the day it will always be a discussion that we want to keep light up, since that what we are here discussing is life. We want discussion, not imposition.

Análisis constitucional. Una introducción : cómo hacer cosas con la Constitución

La Corte Constitucional colombiana, a través de la interpretación del texto de la carta política, ha hecho invaluables aportes al desarrollo del derecho en nuestro país. Sin embargo, este proceso de definir las palabras de la Constitución requiere la utilización de preferencias valorativas y esto, como es natural, implica un grave riesgo para la seguridad jurídica: ¿hasta dónde puede llegar el intérprete, ¿cuáles son los límites que debe respetar?. Este riesgo incrementa si tenemos en cuenta que buena parte de la doctrina constitucional colombiana contemporánea, llamada por algunos neoconstitucionalismo, ha creado una nueva jerga erudita impenetrable llena de metáforas sofisticadas, razonamientos abstrusos, argumentos con una gran carga emotiva y citas herméticas que, en cierta medida, le han permitido encubrir sus ideas y valoraciones y, de este modo, evitar que sean sensatamente escudriñadas. En un sistema como el colombiano, erigido sobre el principio de frenos y contrapesos entre los distintos poderes del Estado, si el poder político se ejerce a través de la justicia constitucional, en un lenguaje incomprensible y presentado como un argumento de última instancia, todo el equilibrio se viene abajo y, muy pronto, el derecho se convierte en el principal instrumento del despotismo., de Daniel Mendonca, es un libro perfectamente honesto que presenta sus ideas con absoluta claridad y ayuda a trazar los límites entre la discrecionalidad y la arbitrariedad de la interpretación constitucional.

Punitive damages in Brazilian law and the boundaries between criminal and civil liabilities

This article demonstrates the existence of civil responsibility with punitive purposes in Brazilian Law, explaining how it was introduced by jurisdictional activity in cases involving moral damages. Next, it points out main problems this situation represents to Brazilian Law from the standpoint of our juridical dogmatics and public policies. Additionally, it proposes the execution of an empirical research for comprehension of the structure and fundamentals of jurisprudence on the punitive character of civil responsibility for moral damages and establishes criteria for use in this research based on theories of punishment. Finally, it positions the problem of punitive function of civil responsibility in the broader ambit of relationships and boundaries between civil and criminal responsibility.

A envergadura constitucional da posse qualificada na desapropriação privada

The constitutionalisation of private relations is the central theme of this work. Approached him overcome the dichotomy between public and private, through functionalization to the constitutionalization of civil law. Research on the effectiveness of horizontal rights. Constitutional under the lens, we analyzed the tense relationship between possession and ownership desfuncionalizada functionalized. We realize that having qualified and gained autonomy, and mechanism of access to goods, in view of the status sheet minimum, and of accomplishment, materializing human dignity. Then, we investigated the expropriation of private ownership qualified as legislative intervention that ensures the enforcement of fundamental rights through the state-court. We face the legal, the constitutionality and the burden of this institute. Also operability that it gives the judge, the process of exercise, the object, issues related to the burden and assessment of damages, as well as the nature, timing and costs of transferring property. At the end, we point to the scarcity palace, as well as the need to repair lege ferenda. The methodological approach has been championed by legal dogmatics in its analytical aspect, as we explore concepts and correlate with our planning. In empirical connotation, we evaluated the normativity and applicability of our law courts. For the ultimate in normative vision, answers to the problems faced and perform the necessary propositions, based on the results from the conceptual and empirical analysis

Cláusulas restritivas de direitos fundamentais e o ônus argumentativo delas decorrente: o recurso ao sopesamento na dogmática de Alexy

As cláusulas restritivas de direitos fundamentais pertencem à perspectiva da norma, ao contrário das restrições que pertencem à perspectiva do direito. É comum nos depararmos no controle judicial de constitucionalidade das leis com o fenômeno das cláusulas restritivas, sobretudo, em casos versando sobre colisões de direitos fundamentais. Por se tratar de uma característica presente em muitas normas jurídicas, tanto no nível constitucional como no nível infraconstitucional, o recurso ao sopesamento, diante da carência argumentativa de outros métodos para lidar com essa problemática, tem se mostrado uma ferramenta eficaz. O objetivo deste trabalho é descobrir o quão eficaz é essa ferramenta e se a interpretação e aplicação dos direitos fundamentais só têm a ganhar em desenvoltura argumentativa quando ela é adotada em detrimento de outras alternativas. Para isso, é preciso saber como o sopesamento opera na justificação constitucional de normas de direito fundamental, especificamente em situações nas quais uma cláusula restritiva com a estrutura de princípio é inserida na formulação de uma norma com estrutura de regra ou vice-versa. Essa circunstância revela o duplo caráter das normas de direitos fundamentais, um fenômeno normativo pouco explorado, porém muito comum, cuja argumentação jurídica traz consigo uma série de dificuldades de congruência teórica. Explorar tais dificuldades constitui a essência do objeto desta pesquisa, pois compreendê-las é imprescindível à adequada satisfação do ônus argumentativo decorrente das cláusulas restritivas de direitos fundamentais. O argumento que pretendo defender, aqui, é o de que a prática argumentativa baseada isoladamente no raciocínio do sopesamento é incapaz de produzir uma resposta adequada a esse ônus argumentativo. No entanto, quando combinada com o raciocínio da subsunção, ela tem à sua disposição uma racionalidade jurídica que permite uma leitura correta das cláusulas restritivas de direitos fundamentais na formulação de normas de estrutura dúplice.

O direito administrativo na sociedade : a dimensão societal do direito administrativo entre a autopoiese dos sistemas sociais e a função intersistémica do sistema jurídico

Tese de doutoramento, Direito (Ciências Jurídico-Políticas, vertente de Direito Administrativo), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Direito, 2016

A não cumulatividade do IPI na exportação de mercadorias nacionais sob a perspectiva da análise jurídica da política econômica : neutralidade da incidência tributária e efetiviade do creditamento

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Direito, Programa de Pós-Graduação Stricto Sensu em Direito, 2016.