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Melita Theologica Journal of the Faculty of Theology MelIta Theologica Journal of the Faculty of Theology Measuring Divinity: Pavel Florenskij’s Integral Vision of the Finite and the Infinite Proceedings of an Inter-Faculty Colloquium Organized by the Department of Moral Theology Faculty of Theology, University of Malta 6-7 December 2017 Editors Martin Micallef and Glen Attard ISSN: 1012-9588 Copyright Melita Theologica Press: Best Print, Qrendi, Malta Melita Theologicais a peer-reviewed journal of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Malta. The journal has been published biannually since 1947, initially by the then Royal University Students Theological Association (RUSTA) and, since 1980, as a joint venture between the Theology Students Assocation and the Faculty of Theology. As from 2012 Melita Theologica is being published jointly by the Faculty of Theology at the University of Malta, the Theology Students Association, and the Foundation for Theological Studies. MELITA THEOLOGICA Volume 69 – Number 1 2019 Editor-in-Chief: Contents Martin Micallef 1 Inter-Faculty Colloquium Editorial Board: Preface Martin Micallef, chairperson; John Berry; 5 Glen Attard Carl M. Sultana; Jonathan Farrugia; Measuring Divinity: Pavel Florenskij’s Integral Jean-Paul De Lucca; Raymond Zammit; Vision of the Finite and the Infinite Paul Sciberras; Nikki Felice. 11 Josef Lauri Administrative Board: Florenskij and Georg Cantor: Naming Infinity Alda Anastasi; Martin Micallef; 17 Vincent Riolo Jonathan Farrugia; Jean-Paul De Lucca; Pavel Florensky, The Symbols of the Infinite Jesmond Schembri; Brenda Prato. 23 Sandro Lanfranco Advisory Board: Pavel Florensky, and the Uniqueness of Man Francesco Asti (Pontificia Facoltà Teologica Ray Zammit dell’Italia Meridionale, Naples); Maurizio Barba 35 Physics, Technology, and Theology (Pontificio Ateneo S. Anselmo, Rome); Johannes in Pavel Florensky Beutler (Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome); Michael T. Buchanan (Australian Catholic 47 Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci University); Lisa Sowle Cahill (Boston College); Inverse, Reverse Perspective as Subversive Peter De Mey (KU Leuven); Gerard Hughes Perspective in Florensky’s Silent Mutiny: (University of Oxford); Mathijs Lamberigts (KU A Debate Leuven); Augustin Mendonça (St Paul University, Michael Zammit Ottowa); Elzbieta Osewska (Cardinal Stefan 69 Volentem ducunt: Wyszynski, University, Warsaw); Josef Stala Guiding the Willing Out of a Tunnel (Pontifical University of John Paul II, Cracow); Anthony Francis-Vincent (Pontificia Università 81 Ranier Fsadni Salesiana, Rome); Robert Wicks (Loyola Florensky and the Personalisation of the Word University, Maryland). 91 Charlò Camilleri Published jointly by: Pavel Aleksandrovič Florenskij The Faculty of Theology, Lectures on the Christian Worldview University of Malta; 99 Hector Scerri Theology Students Association; Pavel Florenskij’s The Concept of the Church in Foundation for Theological Studies Sacred Scripture: The Reaction and Response of a Systematic Theologian Editorial Office & Subscriptions: 107 Paul Sciberras Melita Theologica The Church as Body of Christ: Pavel Florenskij’s, Faculty of Theology The Concept of Church in Sacred Scripture University of Malta 117 Vladimir Fedorov Msida MSD 2080 Beauty, Goodness, and Truth in Pavel Malta Florensky’s The Pillar and Ground of the Truth [email protected] 127 Guidelines For Contributors Yearly subcription for two issues: Malta: €12.00 Europe: €25.00 Other Countries: €30.00 MELITA THEOLOGICA Journal of the Faculty of Theology University of Malta 69/1 (2019): 1-4 Inter-Faculty Colloquium Preface etween the 6th and the 7th December 2017, the Faculty of Theology Bcommemorated the eightieth anniversary of the untimely death of one of Russia’s great polymath thinkers of the twentieth century, Pavel A. Florensky (1882-1937). While introducing this thinker to the academic and student community at the University of Malta, the Inter-Faculty Colloquium sought to celebrate Florensky’s interest in bringing together different streams of thought and research in view of a wider, more integrated form of knowledge. True knowledge, he would say, must serve the purpose to open us to new horizons, to overcome one-sided worldviews, to engage us in dialogue with the intrinsic and organic diversity of the world, and to let this same diversity shape the very fabric of our life and thought. As society becomes, even in academic circles, more fragmented and specialist, Florensky’s polyvalent heritage resounds today ever more conspicuously. He worked tirelessly to reform the Church spiritually, internally, at a time when most clerics sought institutional remedies to solve the problems that the Orthodox Church was facing. At the time of the Soviet anti-ecclesiastical rule, he also cooperated with the Government in areas of engineering, chemistry, and applied physics, teaching and researching in many governmental institutions and bringing forward many important projects as well as ground-breaking discoveries. He was also a man of the arts, an admirer of marionette theatres, a critic of iconographic art, an avid reader of world literature – like Shakespeare and Goethe –, and, being a pianist himself, was great friends with musicians like Aleksandr Skrjabin and Marija Judina. He was also a Symbolist; he believed that in the visible world is incarnated or manifested another spiritual world that is distinct but not separate from the physical world we see around us. If one looked closely at the visible world, tears, as it were, could be perceived unto the invisible 1 2 MELITA THEOLOGICA world. Florensky was also a man of many friendships. His letters reveal a character of extreme intensity and approachability, gentleness, respect and love for others, be they work colleagues, childhood friends, devotees seeking direction, or close family members asking how he and his wife and children are doing. The Inter-Faculty Colloquium, in fact, sought to celebrate one of the core elements of Florensky’s life project, namely, integrity and interdisciplinarity. With this dialogical spirit in view, the Colloquium brought together lecturers and students from eight Departments of the University of Malta: the Department of Mathematics and the Department of Biology (from the Faculty of Science), the Department of Philosophy, the Department of Art and Art History and the Department of Anthropological Studies (from the Faculty of Arts), and the Department of Moral Theology, the Department of Sacred Scripture, Hebrew, and Greek, and the Department of Fundamental and Dogmatic Theology (from the Faculty of Theology). The programme itself also sought to enhance this dialogical spirit between the three Faculties. Five of Florensky’s papers were chosen, and five pairs of speakers were then given the task of reacting to these papers, each speaker from their own perspective. These five papers were chosen to reflect the vast array of Florensky’s academic interests. The present volume contains all the proceedings that were presented at this Colloquium, following this same programme. The five themes and Florensky’s papers that were discussed were the following: 1. Philosophical Mathematics Examined papers: On the Symbols of Infinity (1904); On Types of Growth (1905) Speaker 1: Prof. Josef Lauri (Department of Mathematics) Speaker 2: Mr Vincent Riolo (Department of Philosophy) 2. Physics, Technology, and Theology Examined paper: Incarnation of the Form: Action and Tools (1922-24) Speaker 1: Dr Sandro Lanfranco (Department of Biology) Speaker 2: Rev. Dr Ray Zammit (Department of Moral Theology) 3. Perspective in Art Examined paper: Reverse Perspective (1920) Speaker 1: Prof. Giuseppe Schembri-Bonaci (Department of Art and Art History) Speaker 2: Prof. Michael Zammit (Department of Philosophy) Preface - Glen Attard 3 4. Culture and Christianity Examined paper: The Cultural-Historical Place and Perspective of the Christian World Understanding (1921) Speaker 1: Mr Ranier Fsadni (Department of Anthropological Studies) Speaker 2: Rev. Dr Charlò Camilleri (Department of Moral Theology) 5. The Idea of Church Examined paper: The Concept of Church in the Sacred Scriptures (1906) Speaker 1: Rev. Prof. Hector Scerri (Department of Fundamental and Dogmatic Theology) Speaker 2: Rev. Dr Paul Sciberras (Department of Sacred Scripture, Hebrew, and Greek) Delivering the Keynote Address at the end of the two-day Inter-Faculty Colloquium was our distinguished guest, Russian Orthodox Archpriest Professor Vladimir Fedorov of the Department of Theology and Religious Pedagogy from the Russian Christian Humanitarian Academy, St Petersburg, Russia. His speech was entitled: Beauty, Goodness, and Truth in Pavel Florensky’s ‘The Pillar and Ground of the Truth’ (1914). Born on the 8th March 1945, Rev. Prof. Fedorov graduated from the Faculty of Mathematics and Mechanics of Leningrad State University, after which he worked at the Faculty of Psychology of the same University. In 1977, he graduated from the Orthodox Theological Academy with a degree in Theology. In 1978, he was then ordained deacon and priest in the Russian Orthodox Church. Between 1977 and 2001, he taught at the St Petersburg Theological Academy. Between 1998 and 2001, he was a Visiting Professor at the Universities of Munich, Munster, and Hamburg. He was also a member of the Synodal Theological Commission. From 2002 to 2007, he was a consultant for the World Council of Church Commission for Theological Education in Central and Eastern Europe. Currently, he is Head of Department of Theology and Religious Pedagogy at the Russian
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