L. Minnema

Play and (Post)Modern Culture An Essay on Changes in the Scientific Interest in the Phenomenon of Play

This essay presupposes that the recent Western scientific interest in play as a phenomenon and as a metaphor is characteristic of the way in which contemporary (post)modern culture sees itself: as a game without an overall aim, as play without a transcendent destination but not without the practical necessity of rules agreed upon and of (inter)subjective imagination; as a complex of games each one having its own framework, its own rules, risks, chances, and charms. The essay tries to demonstrate from a socio-cultural point of view how this recent self-image of (post)modern culture can be interpreted as the outcome of a long development. It does so in order to reconstruct and clarify, against this background, the historically changing scientific interest in, and the gradual formation of, the concept of play as a phenomenon and as a metaphor.

Spatial imagery as key to two mystical experiences of transformation: a comparison between Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross

The mystical writings of Teresa of Avila and those of John of the Cross can be compared in many ways. The comparative approaches discussed in this paper focus on the use of spatial imagery. Both mystical authors express their transformative experiences in a variety of metaphors. Their choice of these metaphors is not arbitrary. On the contrary, it is very revealing. Several core metaphors display spatial patterns which will be compared and understood in terms of their cultural commonalities and psychological differences. Cultural-historical (von Balthasar), Jungian (Welch, Maas as opposed to Howe), Freudian (Erikson, Riemann), self-psychological (Julian, Frohlich) and object-relational (Barron) explanations will be discussed. It will be argued that psychological differences between the two mystics explain their different use of spatial imagery. Several models, by focusing on the use of spatial imagery, can shed light on the crucial differences between these two mystics, their mystical writings and their mystical experiences even though some models may seem more encompassing than other ones in explaining the specific psychological differences. Attention will also be drawn to the observation that the dynamics of these mystical experiences (as processes of transformation) are reflected in the ways their use of spatial imagery develops.

The Complex Nature of Religious Sacrifice in the Mahabharata, in the Bhagavadgita, and in general: A Cross-cultural Comparison between Indian and Western Theories of Religious Sacrifice

SUMMARY A discussion of Western notions of ‘sacrifice’ can benefit from descriptions of non-Western understandings of ‘sacrifice’, in the sense that non-Western understandings of ‘sacrifice’ introduce aspects and dimensions into the debate that may not have been fully taken into account so far. In order to find out whether the Indian (Brahminical) case confirms Western scholarly theories of religious sacrifice, ideas and practices regarding sacrifice in the Mahābhārata epic and in the Bhagavadgītā will be confronted with several of these theories, in particular some current in cultural anthropology and religious studies which focus on gift exchange, self-sacrifice or violence. A conjectural conclusion as to why human beings sacrifice in general will be drawn at the very end of this essay in comparative religion. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Vergleichend-religionswissenschaftliche Beschreibungen von nicht-westlichen Vorstellungen von »Opfer« können einer religionsphilosophischen Debatte über westliche Vorstellungen von »Opfer« dadurch dienlich sein, dass nicht-westliche Opfer-Vorstellungen Aspekte und Dimensionen einbringen, die bisher vielleicht noch nicht genügend beachtet wurden. Daher soll in diesem Artikel geprüft werden, ob das indische Beispiel die westlichen Opfer-Theorien bestätigt. Dazu werden kulturanthropologische, religionswissenschaftliche und andere Theorien des Westens, die sich auf das Opfer als Austausch von Geschenken, als Selbstaufopferung oder als Gewaltsausübung konzentrieren, den Opfer-Vorstellungen und Opfer-Praktiken im Mahābhārata Epos und im Bhagavadgītā gegenübergestellt. Am Ende wird nicht nur auf die Frage, wozu es Opfer gibt, kurz eingegangen, sondern auch eine vorläufige Antwort auf die anthropologische Frage gegeben, warum der Mensch überhaupt opfert.