Vid Snoj

Before I begin to discuss my theme, I would like to make two remarks. The first concerns the title of the symposium, Antiquity and Christianity: A Conflict or a Conciliation. In English as well as in Slovene, we hear two words “conflict—conciliation” as a sound figure, an alliteration. Let me repeat: “conflict—conciliation,” or in Slovene, “spor—sprava”. As you have heard (or at least I hope you have), the first two consonants are in accord with one another. In this accordance of sound, where “conflict” alliterates with “conciliation,” I do catch the hint that one is in accord with the other, and that one cannot...

Pavle Rak

Some years ago there was talk of building a new church in the centre of Athens to alleviate the problems of the Metropolitan Church, which became too small for the growing needs. But where could an appropriate space be found in the town centre? Some very orthodox Christians said there was a good space, but unfortunately it was occupied by a temple dedicated to demons. The idea was to destroy the Parthenon and convert this land, that had been dedicated to Satan for more than two thousand years, into a temple of God.Almost at the same time, I was present when one of the...

Gorazd Kocijančič

One of the authors that is mentioned most often and is also brilliantly commented upon by Sergei Averintsev in his “Poetics of the Early Byzantine Literature” is Dionysius Areopagite. This is no coincidence. Dionysius, or better Pseudo-Dionysius, as he is called by the Russian philologist in accordance with the contemporary scholarly convention, has influenced profoundly the spirituality, theology and philosophy in the East and the West, and still represents an intriguing challenge to them.  On this occasion I would like to present a new, philosophical approach to the question of Denys’s identity and – let me divulge in...

Milica Kač

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be part of this symposium also by presenting this contribution. It will be far from those clear-cut philosophical approaches we enjoyed yesterday. It will lack much of the scientific apparatus, which was so skilfully applied to many relevant texts. It will sure be narrowed, but will this help me to make it radical? I will try my best to make the synthesis between the antiquity and Christianity work, but will I succeed to make it a non questionable synthesis? On the other hand, I was yesterday also encouraged by the ...

Matjaž Črnivec

In my short contribution to the debate on the relationship between Antiquity and Christianity, I want to present an intentionally radicalized view about some key differences between the two subjects under discussion. This further evolves into a criticism of their reconciliation that we find in theology from the patristic times onwards. For the purpose of this presentation, the term ‘Christianity’ will be taken to mean the time and the world view of the early church, as expressed in the New Testament and other early Christian documents, which still maintain its initial Jewish characteristics. With ‘Christendom’, I will designate the...

KUD Logos

Pavle RakI would like to underline one question which was touched in two contributions during this afternoon and that is: what is /the/ faith and what does the almighty God want from us? Sometimes I have the strong impression that Shestov and maybe God with him want too much from us and that this /it/ is something that almost nobody can accomplish. This sort of absolute faith – sometimes I have the impression that if we demand that from ourselves – that then we are in a helpless position.Matjaž ČrnivecWell, in my opinion Shestov is a very radical ...