Naoki Kamimura | Tokyo Gakugei University (original) (raw)
Papers by Naoki Kamimura
espanolEn el articulo, el autor presenta la doble intencion de Agustin en la explicacion de la ex... more espanolEn el articulo, el autor presenta la doble intencion de Agustin en la explicacion de la exegesis literal en sus obras. Posteriormente explica la manera de exponer de Agustin en "Gn.litt. imp.", para destacar la importancia de esta primera interpretacion literal de Agustin. EnglishIn this article the author first examines Augustine's bilateral commitment to the explanation of a literal exegesis in his works. Next he explores Augustine's way of exposition in "Gn.litt. imp.", finally arguing the significance of his first literal interpretation
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The tradition of the spiritual training in late antiquity has received frequent scholarly attenti... more The tradition of the spiritual training in late antiquity has received frequent scholarly attention. Pierre Hadot, a French classical scholar, defines it as a ＂metamorphosis of our personality.＂ While taking into consideration of the purely intellectual training of the mind, Hadot examines spiritual discipline in its more holistic manifestation: the purgation of the soul by exercising all facets of human behaviour and thought. It is interesting to note that the spiritual training in question varied according to the circumstances of the Greco-Roman tradition. Justin Martyr maintained that philosophical investigation could guide Christians to the understanding of divine truth. Tertullian understood Christian martyr acts as an indispensable vehicle for the articulation of the Christian identity. After the rapid expansion of Christianity in North Africa during the second century, the issue of spiritual training appears to be a guiding thread of the making of the Christian identity of No...
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This is an unformatted, pre-publication. All citations from this paper should be made from its pu... more This is an unformatted, pre-publication. All citations from this paper should be made from its published version. In contributing to the debate on changes of the Christian world in late antiquity, some scholars have claimed that the boundaries between religious groups were blurred with shifting, in that, for instance, the identity of Christians in the society was not characterised by clear indications of religious belief, observance, and practice. After a significant contribution to the discussion of the Christian identity, more recent and detailed surveys have shown that the difference between Christians and pagans can be seen as part of a discursive binary. While the North African evidence allows us to consider the question of what it means to be a Christian, it is interesting to note that there is a comprehensive framework for the understanding of human behaviour and thought: the spiritual training in the Greco-Roman tradition. What did Augustine think of this training? This question has received frequent attention in Augustinian scholarship, particularly in Pierre Hadot’s work, where he illustrates a complex set of modes of the ‘spiritual exercises’ and defines it as a ‘metamorphosis of our personality’. It has been regarded by some scholars as the purely intellectual training of the intelligence or mind. Primary attention should be given to it. All the same, the simplistic approach merits careful deliberation. Hadot emphasises the need to investigate the wider diversity of exercises and the purgation of the soul within the very context of involving all facets of human thought and behaviour. Although the training in question varied according to the circumstances of Greco-Roman thought, a modification appeared in late antiquity, more specifically, from the mid-fourth century in more detail than before. A crucial stage of the development seems to be prepared by Augustine. It seems to be legitimate to revisit the subject in his works. The intention of this paper is, therefore, to focus on the evidence for the multiplicity of Christian and/or pagan identities in Augustine’s Sermones ad populum, thereby coming to some understanding of the horizons on which he made use of the aspect and goal in speaking about spiritual training. I shall first examine how he explained his idea of the Christian code of behaviour to his congregation; then I shall ask what Augustine understood by the spiritual training. Finally, I shall consider the principal feature of spiritual training from the viewpoint of its significance and limit for the constructive guidance necessary to form the Christian identity that Augustine hoped for.
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Theological Studies, 2016
Language in a More-Than-Human World (1996), as well as to the theological triad of cosmos–eros–lo... more Language in a More-Than-Human World (1996), as well as to the theological triad of cosmos–eros–logos in Martin Buber’s classic, I and Thou (1916), S. fuses his grounding in traditional Jewish texts with fluency in the physical sciences, to propose a new understanding of tselem elohim as the “more-than-human image” that has the capacity to restore monotheistic religions to their sensual vibrancy. S.’s ecotheology of tselem avoids getting trapped in the fallenness of stewardship that emerges in exile from Eden (Gen 1:28; 2:15), which is prescient in suggesting the potential shortcomings of Laudato si’’s opening reinterpretation of “tilling and tending” as stewardship rather than “dominion” (67, 116, 117, 220, 222). S. warns about the limitations of his own proposed eco-theology as part of his extended conclusions in “Beyond Stewardship (Again)” (343–47), namely, that the further one extends this theologomenon of imago Dei, the further human culture extends into nature, limiting a more-than-human world, ultimately failing to regain the wild within the human (343). S. brings a bold eco-theology of the more-than-human world of nature that seeks to “be directed toward the future” (5), one that must “not only push us to evolve theology, but also to illuminate for us, in critical ways, the meaning of ancient texts and ideas, and the history of those ideas and texts” (7). While Laudato si’ should be captivating our theological attention, S.’s theology contributes to the emergence of eco-theologies that reach beyond stewardship into a robust, devotional engagement with a more Gaian spiritual activism emerging from Jewish mystical sources.
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Christians Shaping Identity from the Roman Empire to Byzantium, 2015
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Theological Studies, 2015
This volume is part of a very useful series on Jesuit topics. Fédou, professor of patristics and ... more This volume is part of a very useful series on Jesuit topics. Fédou, professor of patristics and systematic theology at the Centre Sèvres in Paris, offers a nuanced answer to the question of uniformity, or the lack of it, in the work of Jesuit theologians. He distinguishes four eras: the first generations from the companions of Ignatius of Loyola to ca. 1620; the 17th and 18th centuries, including conflicts between Jesuits and Jansenists regarding grace and human freedom, moral theology, and sacramental practice; the restored Society of Jesus from 1815 to the 1950s, with both reactionary currents of thought as well as the nouvelle théologie of Henri de Lubac and the “supernatural existential” of Karl Rahner; Vatican II to the present, with a truly global Society of Jesus, whose theologians work not only in Europe and North America but also in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. F. argues that while there is a great variety of theological methods and approaches among Jesuits, there are certain recurring characteristics of Jesuit theology. Jesuit theologians seek to explain and teach the faith in ways consonant with a given time and place, in the context of a specific culture, with its language, traditions, imagination. Jesuit theology is closely related to spirituality centered on the human person in relation to God, and on the vocation of the person to live a life in response to God’s gracious call. Informed by the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, Jesuit theology is Christocentric and articulated from within the Church and for the Church. At the same time, Jesuit theology is open to the experience of God in other religious traditions, an openness not always appreciated in Rome. This work is well worth reading, even if at times it attends too much to theologians working in France and Germany and too little to those working elsewhere.
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Augustinian Studies, 2005
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AVGVSTINVS, 2019
In E. A. Eguiarte (ed.), AVGVSTINVS: Revista Publicada por los Agustinos Recoletos. San Agustín ... more In E. A. Eguiarte (ed.), AVGVSTINVS: Revista Publicada por los Agustinos Recoletos. San Agustín en Oxford (10) XVIII Congreso Internacional de Estudios Patrísticos, Vol. I (Madrid, 2019), 153-172.
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Memories of Utopia: The Revision of Histories and Landscapes in Late Antiquity, 2019
This is an unformatted, pre-publication. All citations from this paper should be made from its p... more This is an unformatted, pre-publication. All citations from this paper should be made from its published version.
Available as OA: Read online or downloaded via https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429448508
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Contribution of Women to Con-viviality: In/Ad Spiration to Convivials, 2019
This is an unformatted, pre-publication. All citations from this paper should be made from its p... more This is an unformatted, pre-publication. All citations from this paper should be made from its published version.
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Praedicatio Patrum. Studies on Preaching in Late Antique North Africa, 2017
This is an unformatted, pre-publication. All citations from this paper should be made from its p... more This is an unformatted, pre-publication. All citations from this paper should be made from its published version.
In contributing to the debate on changes of the Christian world in late antiquity, some scholars have claimed that the boundaries between religious groups were blurred with shifting, in that, for instance, the identity of Christians in the society was not characterised by clear indications of religious belief, observance, and practice. After a significant contribution to the discussion of the Christian identity, more recent and detailed surveys have shown that the difference between Christians and pagans can be seen as part of a discursive binary. While the North African evidence allows us to consider the question of what it means to be a Christian, it is interesting to note that there is a comprehensive framework for the understanding of human behaviour and thought: the spiritual training in the Greco-Roman tradition. What did Augustine think of this training? This question has received frequent attention in Augustinian scholarship, particularly in Pierre Hadot’s work, where he illustrates a complex set of modes of the ‘spiritual exercises’ and defines it as a ‘metamorphosis of our personality’. It has been regarded by some scholars as the purely intellectual training of the intelligence or mind. Primary attention should be given to it. All the same, the simplistic approach merits careful deliberation. Hadot emphasises the need to investigate the wider diversity of exercises and the purgation of the soul within the very context of involving all facets of human thought and behaviour. Although the training in question varied according to the circumstances of Greco-Roman thought, a modification appeared in late antiquity, more specifically, from the mid-fourth century in more detail than before. A crucial stage of the development seems to be prepared by Augustine. It seems to be legitimate to revisit the subject in his works. The intention of this paper is, therefore, to focus on the evidence for the multiplicity of Christian and/or pagan identities in Augustine’s Sermones ad populum, thereby coming to some understanding of the horizons on which he made use of the aspect and goal in speaking about spiritual training. I shall first examine how he explained his idea of the Christian code of behaviour to his congregation; then I shall ask what Augustine understood by the spiritual training. Finally, I shall consider the principal feature of spiritual training from the viewpoint of its significance and limit for the constructive guidance necessary to form the Christian identity that Augustine hoped for.
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Studia Patristica, 2017
This is an unformatted, pre-publication. All citations from this paper should be made from its p... more This is an unformatted, pre-publication. All citations from this paper should be made from its published version.
In contributing to the debate on the transformation of late Roman world, some scholars have claimed that the boundaries between religious groups were fluid with external and internal factors. Christian identity was not characterised by clear indications of religious belief, observance, and practice. Some intriguing surveys have shown that the difference between Christians and pagans can be seen as part of a discursive binary. While the North African evidence of their identity allows us to consider the question of what it means to be a Christian, it is noteworthy that there is a comprehensive framework for the understanding of human behaviour and thought: the 'spiritual exercises' in the Greco-Roman tradition. In the fourth-and fifth centuries, Christian thinkers began to pursue the matter in a more detailed way. A crucial stage of the development seems to be prepared by Augustine. Provided with some illuminating studies which consider the spiritual training in question as being linked with the context of his concern for Chris-tianness in late antique North Africa, the correlation still remains in question. In this article, therefore, first I examine how he referred to the Christian code of behaviour in his letters. In particular, focusing my attention on epistolary correspondence of Augustine with two seemingly 'pagans', I show how he tried to impose his idea of the Christian norms of behaviour on his correspondents – with Dioscorus (Ep. 117 and 118) and with Volusianus (Ep. 132, 135, and 137). Then I ask what Augustine understood by spiritual training. For the sake of clarity, I have divided the letters along thematic lines into three groups – the intellectual and therapeutic (Ep. 26, 37, 56, 102, 162, 193, 202A, and 2*), the religious and eschatological (Ep. 92, 130, 131, 137, and 157), and the exegetical aspect (Ep. 28, 137, 149, 199, and 213). In each group I consider them chronologically as far as possible. Finally, I consider the principal feature of spiritual training, thereby coming to the enhancement of spiritual affinities and mutual relationships of which he made use in speaking about Christian identity.
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The tradition of the spiritual training in late antiquity has received frequent scholarly attenti... more The tradition of the spiritual training in late antiquity has received frequent scholarly attention. Pierre Hadot, a French classical scholar, defines it as a " metamorphosis of our personality. " While taking into consideration of the purely intellectual training of the mind, Hadot examines spiritual discipline in its more holistic manifestation: the purgation of the soul by exercising all facets of human behaviour and thought. It is interesting to note that the spiritual training in question varied according to the circumstances of the Greco-Roman tradition. Justin Martyr maintained that philosophical investigation could guide Christians to the understanding of divine truth. Tertullian understood Christian martyr acts as an indispensable vehicle for the articulation of the Christian identity. After the rapid expansion of Christianity in North Africa during the second century, the issue of spiritual training appears to be a guiding thread of the making of the Christian identity of North Africans. How did Tertullian and his successors express the significance of the spiritual discipline in the community of faith? In this paper, I shall ask how Tertullian, Cyprian, and Lactantius understood the concept of spiritual training. I shall consider it from the viewpoint of its significance and limits in constructing the Christian identity, thereby exploring it as part of a Christian programme of self-cultivation in its ascetic, intellectual, and exegetical aspect.
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In: Geoffrey D. Dunn and Wendy Mayer (eds.), Christians Shaping Identity from the Roman Empire to Byzantium: Studies inspired by Pauline Allen, Supplements to Vigiliae Christianae 132, Leiden: Brill, 2015, 225-247., 2015
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'Scriptural Narratives and Divine Providence: Spiritual Training in Augustine’s City of God', Patristica supplementary volume 4 (2014) 43-58, 2014
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The Theory and Practice of the Scriptural Exegesis in Augustine, Research Report Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) 23520098 (2014): 63–72, Mar 2014
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The Theory and Practice of the Scriptural Exegesis in Augustine, Research Report Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) 23520098 (2014): 53–62, Mar 2014
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The Theory and Practice of the Scriptural Exegesis in Augustine, Research Report Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) 23520098 (2014): 41–52, Mar 2014
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The Theory and Practice of the Scriptural Exegesis in Augustine, Research Report Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) 23520098 (2014): 13-24, Mar 2014
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espanolEn el articulo, el autor presenta la doble intencion de Agustin en la explicacion de la ex... more espanolEn el articulo, el autor presenta la doble intencion de Agustin en la explicacion de la exegesis literal en sus obras. Posteriormente explica la manera de exponer de Agustin en "Gn.litt. imp.", para destacar la importancia de esta primera interpretacion literal de Agustin. EnglishIn this article the author first examines Augustine's bilateral commitment to the explanation of a literal exegesis in his works. Next he explores Augustine's way of exposition in "Gn.litt. imp.", finally arguing the significance of his first literal interpretation
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The tradition of the spiritual training in late antiquity has received frequent scholarly attenti... more The tradition of the spiritual training in late antiquity has received frequent scholarly attention. Pierre Hadot, a French classical scholar, defines it as a ＂metamorphosis of our personality.＂ While taking into consideration of the purely intellectual training of the mind, Hadot examines spiritual discipline in its more holistic manifestation: the purgation of the soul by exercising all facets of human behaviour and thought. It is interesting to note that the spiritual training in question varied according to the circumstances of the Greco-Roman tradition. Justin Martyr maintained that philosophical investigation could guide Christians to the understanding of divine truth. Tertullian understood Christian martyr acts as an indispensable vehicle for the articulation of the Christian identity. After the rapid expansion of Christianity in North Africa during the second century, the issue of spiritual training appears to be a guiding thread of the making of the Christian identity of No...
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This is an unformatted, pre-publication. All citations from this paper should be made from its pu... more This is an unformatted, pre-publication. All citations from this paper should be made from its published version. In contributing to the debate on changes of the Christian world in late antiquity, some scholars have claimed that the boundaries between religious groups were blurred with shifting, in that, for instance, the identity of Christians in the society was not characterised by clear indications of religious belief, observance, and practice. After a significant contribution to the discussion of the Christian identity, more recent and detailed surveys have shown that the difference between Christians and pagans can be seen as part of a discursive binary. While the North African evidence allows us to consider the question of what it means to be a Christian, it is interesting to note that there is a comprehensive framework for the understanding of human behaviour and thought: the spiritual training in the Greco-Roman tradition. What did Augustine think of this training? This question has received frequent attention in Augustinian scholarship, particularly in Pierre Hadot’s work, where he illustrates a complex set of modes of the ‘spiritual exercises’ and defines it as a ‘metamorphosis of our personality’. It has been regarded by some scholars as the purely intellectual training of the intelligence or mind. Primary attention should be given to it. All the same, the simplistic approach merits careful deliberation. Hadot emphasises the need to investigate the wider diversity of exercises and the purgation of the soul within the very context of involving all facets of human thought and behaviour. Although the training in question varied according to the circumstances of Greco-Roman thought, a modification appeared in late antiquity, more specifically, from the mid-fourth century in more detail than before. A crucial stage of the development seems to be prepared by Augustine. It seems to be legitimate to revisit the subject in his works. The intention of this paper is, therefore, to focus on the evidence for the multiplicity of Christian and/or pagan identities in Augustine’s Sermones ad populum, thereby coming to some understanding of the horizons on which he made use of the aspect and goal in speaking about spiritual training. I shall first examine how he explained his idea of the Christian code of behaviour to his congregation; then I shall ask what Augustine understood by the spiritual training. Finally, I shall consider the principal feature of spiritual training from the viewpoint of its significance and limit for the constructive guidance necessary to form the Christian identity that Augustine hoped for.
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Theological Studies, 2016
Language in a More-Than-Human World (1996), as well as to the theological triad of cosmos–eros–lo... more Language in a More-Than-Human World (1996), as well as to the theological triad of cosmos–eros–logos in Martin Buber’s classic, I and Thou (1916), S. fuses his grounding in traditional Jewish texts with fluency in the physical sciences, to propose a new understanding of tselem elohim as the “more-than-human image” that has the capacity to restore monotheistic religions to their sensual vibrancy. S.’s ecotheology of tselem avoids getting trapped in the fallenness of stewardship that emerges in exile from Eden (Gen 1:28; 2:15), which is prescient in suggesting the potential shortcomings of Laudato si’’s opening reinterpretation of “tilling and tending” as stewardship rather than “dominion” (67, 116, 117, 220, 222). S. warns about the limitations of his own proposed eco-theology as part of his extended conclusions in “Beyond Stewardship (Again)” (343–47), namely, that the further one extends this theologomenon of imago Dei, the further human culture extends into nature, limiting a more-than-human world, ultimately failing to regain the wild within the human (343). S. brings a bold eco-theology of the more-than-human world of nature that seeks to “be directed toward the future” (5), one that must “not only push us to evolve theology, but also to illuminate for us, in critical ways, the meaning of ancient texts and ideas, and the history of those ideas and texts” (7). While Laudato si’ should be captivating our theological attention, S.’s theology contributes to the emergence of eco-theologies that reach beyond stewardship into a robust, devotional engagement with a more Gaian spiritual activism emerging from Jewish mystical sources.
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Christians Shaping Identity from the Roman Empire to Byzantium, 2015
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Theological Studies, 2015
This volume is part of a very useful series on Jesuit topics. Fédou, professor of patristics and ... more This volume is part of a very useful series on Jesuit topics. Fédou, professor of patristics and systematic theology at the Centre Sèvres in Paris, offers a nuanced answer to the question of uniformity, or the lack of it, in the work of Jesuit theologians. He distinguishes four eras: the first generations from the companions of Ignatius of Loyola to ca. 1620; the 17th and 18th centuries, including conflicts between Jesuits and Jansenists regarding grace and human freedom, moral theology, and sacramental practice; the restored Society of Jesus from 1815 to the 1950s, with both reactionary currents of thought as well as the nouvelle théologie of Henri de Lubac and the “supernatural existential” of Karl Rahner; Vatican II to the present, with a truly global Society of Jesus, whose theologians work not only in Europe and North America but also in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. F. argues that while there is a great variety of theological methods and approaches among Jesuits, there are certain recurring characteristics of Jesuit theology. Jesuit theologians seek to explain and teach the faith in ways consonant with a given time and place, in the context of a specific culture, with its language, traditions, imagination. Jesuit theology is closely related to spirituality centered on the human person in relation to God, and on the vocation of the person to live a life in response to God’s gracious call. Informed by the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, Jesuit theology is Christocentric and articulated from within the Church and for the Church. At the same time, Jesuit theology is open to the experience of God in other religious traditions, an openness not always appreciated in Rome. This work is well worth reading, even if at times it attends too much to theologians working in France and Germany and too little to those working elsewhere.
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Augustinian Studies, 2005
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AVGVSTINVS, 2019
In E. A. Eguiarte (ed.), AVGVSTINVS: Revista Publicada por los Agustinos Recoletos. San Agustín ... more In E. A. Eguiarte (ed.), AVGVSTINVS: Revista Publicada por los Agustinos Recoletos. San Agustín en Oxford (10) XVIII Congreso Internacional de Estudios Patrísticos, Vol. I (Madrid, 2019), 153-172.
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Memories of Utopia: The Revision of Histories and Landscapes in Late Antiquity, 2019
This is an unformatted, pre-publication. All citations from this paper should be made from its p... more This is an unformatted, pre-publication. All citations from this paper should be made from its published version.
Available as OA: Read online or downloaded via https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429448508
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Contribution of Women to Con-viviality: In/Ad Spiration to Convivials, 2019
This is an unformatted, pre-publication. All citations from this paper should be made from its p... more This is an unformatted, pre-publication. All citations from this paper should be made from its published version.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Praedicatio Patrum. Studies on Preaching in Late Antique North Africa, 2017
This is an unformatted, pre-publication. All citations from this paper should be made from its p... more This is an unformatted, pre-publication. All citations from this paper should be made from its published version.
In contributing to the debate on changes of the Christian world in late antiquity, some scholars have claimed that the boundaries between religious groups were blurred with shifting, in that, for instance, the identity of Christians in the society was not characterised by clear indications of religious belief, observance, and practice. After a significant contribution to the discussion of the Christian identity, more recent and detailed surveys have shown that the difference between Christians and pagans can be seen as part of a discursive binary. While the North African evidence allows us to consider the question of what it means to be a Christian, it is interesting to note that there is a comprehensive framework for the understanding of human behaviour and thought: the spiritual training in the Greco-Roman tradition. What did Augustine think of this training? This question has received frequent attention in Augustinian scholarship, particularly in Pierre Hadot’s work, where he illustrates a complex set of modes of the ‘spiritual exercises’ and defines it as a ‘metamorphosis of our personality’. It has been regarded by some scholars as the purely intellectual training of the intelligence or mind. Primary attention should be given to it. All the same, the simplistic approach merits careful deliberation. Hadot emphasises the need to investigate the wider diversity of exercises and the purgation of the soul within the very context of involving all facets of human thought and behaviour. Although the training in question varied according to the circumstances of Greco-Roman thought, a modification appeared in late antiquity, more specifically, from the mid-fourth century in more detail than before. A crucial stage of the development seems to be prepared by Augustine. It seems to be legitimate to revisit the subject in his works. The intention of this paper is, therefore, to focus on the evidence for the multiplicity of Christian and/or pagan identities in Augustine’s Sermones ad populum, thereby coming to some understanding of the horizons on which he made use of the aspect and goal in speaking about spiritual training. I shall first examine how he explained his idea of the Christian code of behaviour to his congregation; then I shall ask what Augustine understood by the spiritual training. Finally, I shall consider the principal feature of spiritual training from the viewpoint of its significance and limit for the constructive guidance necessary to form the Christian identity that Augustine hoped for.
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Studia Patristica, 2017
This is an unformatted, pre-publication. All citations from this paper should be made from its p... more This is an unformatted, pre-publication. All citations from this paper should be made from its published version.
In contributing to the debate on the transformation of late Roman world, some scholars have claimed that the boundaries between religious groups were fluid with external and internal factors. Christian identity was not characterised by clear indications of religious belief, observance, and practice. Some intriguing surveys have shown that the difference between Christians and pagans can be seen as part of a discursive binary. While the North African evidence of their identity allows us to consider the question of what it means to be a Christian, it is noteworthy that there is a comprehensive framework for the understanding of human behaviour and thought: the 'spiritual exercises' in the Greco-Roman tradition. In the fourth-and fifth centuries, Christian thinkers began to pursue the matter in a more detailed way. A crucial stage of the development seems to be prepared by Augustine. Provided with some illuminating studies which consider the spiritual training in question as being linked with the context of his concern for Chris-tianness in late antique North Africa, the correlation still remains in question. In this article, therefore, first I examine how he referred to the Christian code of behaviour in his letters. In particular, focusing my attention on epistolary correspondence of Augustine with two seemingly 'pagans', I show how he tried to impose his idea of the Christian norms of behaviour on his correspondents – with Dioscorus (Ep. 117 and 118) and with Volusianus (Ep. 132, 135, and 137). Then I ask what Augustine understood by spiritual training. For the sake of clarity, I have divided the letters along thematic lines into three groups – the intellectual and therapeutic (Ep. 26, 37, 56, 102, 162, 193, 202A, and 2*), the religious and eschatological (Ep. 92, 130, 131, 137, and 157), and the exegetical aspect (Ep. 28, 137, 149, 199, and 213). In each group I consider them chronologically as far as possible. Finally, I consider the principal feature of spiritual training, thereby coming to the enhancement of spiritual affinities and mutual relationships of which he made use in speaking about Christian identity.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
The tradition of the spiritual training in late antiquity has received frequent scholarly attenti... more The tradition of the spiritual training in late antiquity has received frequent scholarly attention. Pierre Hadot, a French classical scholar, defines it as a " metamorphosis of our personality. " While taking into consideration of the purely intellectual training of the mind, Hadot examines spiritual discipline in its more holistic manifestation: the purgation of the soul by exercising all facets of human behaviour and thought. It is interesting to note that the spiritual training in question varied according to the circumstances of the Greco-Roman tradition. Justin Martyr maintained that philosophical investigation could guide Christians to the understanding of divine truth. Tertullian understood Christian martyr acts as an indispensable vehicle for the articulation of the Christian identity. After the rapid expansion of Christianity in North Africa during the second century, the issue of spiritual training appears to be a guiding thread of the making of the Christian identity of North Africans. How did Tertullian and his successors express the significance of the spiritual discipline in the community of faith? In this paper, I shall ask how Tertullian, Cyprian, and Lactantius understood the concept of spiritual training. I shall consider it from the viewpoint of its significance and limits in constructing the Christian identity, thereby exploring it as part of a Christian programme of self-cultivation in its ascetic, intellectual, and exegetical aspect.
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In: Geoffrey D. Dunn and Wendy Mayer (eds.), Christians Shaping Identity from the Roman Empire to Byzantium: Studies inspired by Pauline Allen, Supplements to Vigiliae Christianae 132, Leiden: Brill, 2015, 225-247., 2015
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
'Scriptural Narratives and Divine Providence: Spiritual Training in Augustine’s City of God', Patristica supplementary volume 4 (2014) 43-58, 2014
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
The Theory and Practice of the Scriptural Exegesis in Augustine, Research Report Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) 23520098 (2014): 63–72, Mar 2014
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
The Theory and Practice of the Scriptural Exegesis in Augustine, Research Report Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) 23520098 (2014): 53–62, Mar 2014
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The Theory and Practice of the Scriptural Exegesis in Augustine, Research Report Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) 23520098 (2014): 41–52, Mar 2014
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The Theory and Practice of the Scriptural Exegesis in Augustine, Research Report Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) 23520098 (2014): 13-24, Mar 2014
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In: Patristica, supplementary vol. 5 (Japanese Society for Patristic Studies, 2016) 37–40.
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In N. Kamimura (ed.), Patristica, supplementary vol. 4 (Japanese Society for Patristic Studies, 2... more In N. Kamimura (ed.), Patristica, supplementary vol. 4 (Japanese Society for Patristic Studies, 2014) 59–62.
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If you hope to get a copy of this research report, do not hesitate to contact me (kmmrnk@gmail.co... more If you hope to get a copy of this research report, do not hesitate to contact me (kmmrnk@gmail.com) by email. Since its publication is supported by the JSPS (Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science) grant, you are able to receive it by free.
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Kamimura, N. (ed.), Research Report Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) 23520098, Mar 2014
- Acknowledgements vii - Abbreviations ix - N. Kamimura, ‘Introduction’, 1-11 - N. Kamimura, ‘... more - Acknowledgements vii
- Abbreviations ix
- N. Kamimura, ‘Introduction’, 1-11
- N. Kamimura, ‘The Exegesis of Genesis in the Early Works of Augustine’, 13-24
- M. Sato, ‘The Role of Eve in Salvation in Augustine’s Interpretation of Genesis’, 25-32
- M. Sato, ‘The Word and Our Words: Augustine’s View of Words Based on John 1:3’, 33-39
- N. Kamimura, ‘Augustine’s Quest for Perfection and the Encounter with the Vita Antonii’, 41-52
- N. Kamimura, ‘The Interpretation of a Passage from Romans in the Early Works of Augustine’, 53-62
- N. Kamimura, ‘Augustine’s Evolving Commentaries on the Pauline Epistles’, 63-72
- Bibliography 75
- Index locorum 85
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Research Report Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) 21520084, Feb 2012
- Abbreviations, p. VII - Kazuhiko Demura, ‘Preface’ (in Japanese), pp. 1–10 - Kazuhiko Demura,... more - Abbreviations, p. VII
- Kazuhiko Demura, ‘Preface’ (in Japanese), pp. 1–10
- Kazuhiko Demura, ‘Augustine’s Committment to the Poverty and the Cor’ (in Japanese), pp. 11–24
- Naoki Kamimura, ‘Rhetorical Approach to the Poor and Poverty: A Case Study of Augustine’s Enarrationes in Psalmos’, pp. 25–40
- Naoki Kamimura, ‘Poor and Poverty in the Earthly City: A Case Study of Augustine’s De ciuitate dei’, pp. 41–52
- Naoki Kamimura, ‘Augustine’s Spiritualisation of the Poor in an Era of Crisis’, pp. 53–63
- Kazuhiko Demura, ‘Christian Ethics of St. Augustine on Poverty’, pp. 65–73
-Index locorum, pp. 75–79
Supplement:
Translation of the following book chapter: Pauline Allen and Edward Morgarn, chap. 4: ‘Augustine on Poverty’, in: Pauline Allen, Bronwen Neil, and Wendy Mayer (eds), Preaching Poverty in Late Antiquity: Perceptions and Realities, Arbeiten zur Kirchen- und Theologiegeschichte 28 (Leipzig: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt, 2009) 119–170.
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The art of guiding the soul through words had been long established within the classical paideia,... more The art of guiding the soul through words had been long established within the classical paideia, but along with the processes of its transmission and change in Late Antiquity, served as the way in which Christian preachers provided divine pedagogy to the congregation, as does, ultimately, God instruct them. In recent years there has been considerable discussion about the psychagogic system, with its impact on how Christianity and pagan culture viewed the construction of a unified religious identity. What we will do in this lecture is to discuss how Augustine brings together in a holistic way theology and pedagogy, the act of reading and interpreting scriptures, and the psychagogic discourse of pastoral care, with the difficulties of reconciling the status quo of the society with the Christian way of life. For Augustine, the cura animarum is part of a coherent programme towards a heavenly way of life in union with Christ.
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Paper given at the APECSS 12th Annual Conference “Health, Well-Being, and Old Age in Early Christ... more Paper given at the APECSS 12th Annual Conference “Health, Well-Being, and Old Age in Early Christianity,” Okayama University, Okayama, Japan, 13–15 September 2018.
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Paper given at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society of Patristic Studies, University of Reg... more Paper given at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society of Patristic Studies, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, 27–29 May 2018.
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Paper given at the North American Patristic Society 2018 Annual Meeting, Hyatt Regency Chicago, C... more Paper given at the North American Patristic Society 2018 Annual Meeting, Hyatt Regency Chicago, Chicago, IL, 24–26 May 2018.
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Paper given at an interdisciplinary 4-day workshop on the theme Augustine’s De Ordine: Philosophi... more Paper given at an interdisciplinary 4-day workshop on the theme Augustine’s De Ordine: Philosophical, Historical and Theological Perspectives,” organised by Dr Anna Marmodoro, The Throne, Weobley, Herefordshire, England, uk, 26–29 March 2018.
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Jerome’s conflict with church leaders and the Christian communities in Rome and Jerusalem affecte... more Jerome’s conflict with church leaders and the Christian communities in Rome and Jerusalem affected the development of his interest in the sacred geography and the religious significance of pilgrimage to holy places. Since both cities had functioned as centres of liturgical, spiritual and pastoral life in the Mediterranean world, Jerome was not reluctant to voice his criticism of local ecclesiastical leaders. His enthusiasm for shaping a new Christian landscape of sacred sites is not only indicative of his concern for the pilgrimage to the Holy Land, but also of his search for a new religious identity that was based on a putative, primitive early Christian (and by corollary, Jewish) creation of utopia. It is interesting to note that in the two well-known Letters 46 (386) and 58 (395), Jerome gave mutually contradictory stances; varying from firm support for pilgrimage to the biblical sites, to his denunciation of pilgrimage. This change raises the question as to how Jerome sought to prove his position, and refine the identity and behaviour of fourth- and fifth-century Christians in the Middle East. In this paper, I demonstrate that an examination of both the interest in a new identity and the importance of pilgrimage produce a more holistic view of Jerome’s perception of religious images in his corpus.
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With the continued expansion of Christianity in Roman North Africa, violence and harassment affec... more With the continued expansion of Christianity in Roman North Africa, violence and harassment affected the Christian community. Tertullian of Carthage referred both to the reality of Christian groups in Roman provinces of Africa Proconsularis and to these times of persecution. He considered the struggles and conflicts between Christians and non-Christians as a stimulus for believers of the Christian God to distance themselves from defenders of the traditional gods of Rome and Africa, in particular, idolaters. It is noteworthy that the eager for distinction enables us to perceive significant changes of a spatial sensibility from the late second century. While this desire for differentiation is often evident in the case of martyrdom in the writings of Tertullian, his description of Christian worship suggests a new mapping of sacred places to be productive for Christian identification. Tertullian designated certain tombs and places of assembly as Christian. He connected the ecclesia with a physical place. In this paper, I shall deal with some treatises of Tertullian and consider the way in which both internal and external affiliation of Christians were formed, together with conceptions of sacred place. In the process, I shall pay particular attention to the environment that could provide the framework of religious places in the North African landscape.
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Drawing on the scholarship of the metaphysics of light in the ancient world, there has been no co... more Drawing on the scholarship of the metaphysics of light in the ancient world, there has been no comprehensive analysis of the recurring use of light imagery in the tradition of North African Christianity. Viewed in this light, it is not remarkable that no major work has focused on the examination of light-based images in the corpus of Tertullian. But in fact, an overarching theological and ethical formulation of imagery of light emerged in different contexts of Tertullian’s writings. In Apologeticum Tertullian gives a significant meaning to the formula of “Lumen ex lumine.” In Aduersus Praxeam he interprets the passage “Fiat lux” and shows the distinctiveness within the transcendental unity of the divine nature. Another point to note is that in De baptismo Tertullian ascribes the common title, that is, “illumination” to baptism, since it confirms the triune God in its “illuminative” act. In this paper I shall draw out how together both his favoured for light-imagery and apologetic motif are producing a more holistic view of the metaphysics of light in the ante-nicene period. In the process I shall pay particular attention to an approach embraced by Tertullian that is in continuity with the ancient philosophical tradition.
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In a substantial body of scholarship on the ancient history of medicine and healthcare, Tertullia... more In a substantial body of scholarship on the ancient history of medicine and healthcare, Tertullian of Carthage has been considered as one who attacked pagan physicians and urged his fellow Christians to regard disease as a test from God (V. Nutton, “From Galen, to Alexander: Aspects of Medicine and Medical Practice in Late Antiquity,” Dumbarton Oaks Paper 38 (1984) 1–14). Relying on single passages from his corpus, some scholars boldly claim that Tertullian had scant respect for medical science and rejected it. On the other hand, some have suggested that, given his hostility to paganism, astrology, and philosophical investigation, Tertullian showed a deep knowledge of medicine and favoured it (T. Heyne, “Tertullian and Medicine,” Studia Patristica 50 (2011) 131–174). Provided several possible approaches to his thoughts on the effectiveness of medical treatment, a further interesting point to note is that his discourse is closely connected with his creativity with medical analogy and metaphor. Tertullian’s interest in psychagogy (that is, guidance of the soul) seems to have increased with time. In the tradition of North African Christianity the image of Christ as a physician (Christus medicus) was a recurrent metaphor (P.R. Kolbet, Augustine and the Cure of Souls: Revising a Classical Ideal, Notre Dame 2010). In this paper we will draw out how together both the concern for medicine and therapeutic language are producing a more holistic view of Tertullian’s own perception of the role of medico-religious concepts. In the process I shall pay particular attention to his early (197-200) and middle (200-207) works and to the intersections of the way of approaching to the health of the human soul that is consistent with medico-philosophical literature in late antiquity.
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Japan’s first encounter with Christianity and Western culture took place at the middle of the 16t... more Japan’s first encounter with Christianity and Western culture took place at the middle of the 16th century. In 1549, Francis Xavier, one of the founding members of the Society of Jesus, arrived at Kyushu Island (southern part of Japan) conveying the message of Christianity. In the country devastated by civil wars and corruption from the middle of the 15th century, the rapid growth in popularity of Christianity among the people had promoted the activity of Christian missionaries, predominantly Jesuits. In 1581, they founded the institution for higher education, Collegio, in the province of Kyushu. In 1590, they brought a printing press from Europe and engaged in publishing activities in a seminary. Yet, despite the rise and successful diffusion of Christianity in a relatively short period, its end came quickly with the strict governmental decrees in 1614 and 1639. Japanese Christians and all missionaries were expelled, martyred, and almost swept away from this island country. During these years designated as the “Christian century” by a historian, around 100 books and documents written in Latin, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, or Japanese were published and circulated (of which about half are extant) among congregations and general readers. In this paper, I shall deal with some treatises and their translations (theological, philosophical, and ascetic writings) and consider the way in which the missionaries approached the intellectual and spiritual interest of Japanese converted to Christianity. In particular, I will argue how the references to patristic literature could shed light on not only the intellectual history from entirely different cultural background but also the intention of missionary activities that expressed the theological and philosophical aspect of the contemporary European thought.
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If you hope to receive the latest issue of APECSS Newsletter, contact me kmmrnk@gmail.com and joi... more If you hope to receive the latest issue of APECSS Newsletter, contact me kmmrnk@gmail.com and join our ML. The APECSS—Asia-Pacific Early Christian Studies Society—Newsletter December 2019. APECSS is an international body of New Testament and early Christian scholars in the Asia-Pacific hemisphere interested in early Christianity from its foundations until the end of the Patristic age.
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If you hope to receive the latest issue of APECSS Newsletter, contact me kmmrnk@gmail.com and joi... more If you hope to receive the latest issue of APECSS Newsletter, contact me kmmrnk@gmail.com and join our ML. The APECSS—Asia-Pacific Early Christian Studies Society—Newsletter January 2019. APECSS is an international body of New Testament and early Christian scholars in the Asia-Pacific hemisphere interested in early Christianity from its foundations until the end of the Patristic age.
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If you hope to receive the latest issue of APECSS Newsletter, contact me kmmrnk@gmail.com and j... more If you hope to receive the latest issue of APECSS Newsletter, contact me <kmmrnk@gmail.com> and join our ML. The APECSS—Asia-Pacific Early Christian Studies Society—Newsletter April 2018 additional. APECSS was formerly called WPRPS—Western Pacific Rim Patristics Society. In 2003, it was proposed of creating a region society for scholars in early Christian and late antique studies.
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If you hope to receive the latest issue of APECSS Newsletter, contact me kmmrnk@gmail.com and j... more If you hope to receive the latest issue of APECSS Newsletter, contact me <kmmrnk@gmail.com> and join our ML. The APECSS—Asia-Pacific Early Christian Studies Society—Newsletter February 2018. APECSS was formerly called WPRPS—Western Pacific Rim Patristics Society. In 2003, it was proposed of creating a region society for scholars in early Christian and late antique studies.
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The APECSS—Asia-Pacific Early Christian Studies Society—Newsletter April 2016. APECSS was formerly called WPRPS—Western Pacific Rim Patristics Society. In 2003, it was proposed of creating a regional society for scholars in early Christian and late antique studies.
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The APECSS—Asia-Pacific Early Christian Studies Society—Newsletter July 2014. APECSS was formerly called WPRPS—Western Pacific Rim Patristics Society. In 2003, it was proposed of creating a regional society for scholars in early Christian and late antique studies.
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The APECSS—Asia-Pacific Early Christian Studies Society—Newsletter July 2014. APECSS was formerly called WPRPS—Western Pacific Rim Patristics Society. In 2003, it was proposed of creating a regional society for scholars in early Christian and late antique studies.
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