ICCS-2015
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Item The Christian Notion of the fall of the Human Being in Relation to Buddhism(University of Kelaniya, 2015) Atapattu, D.The Bible holds a distinctive view of what has gone wrong with the human being. The story of the fall of Adam and Eve in the third chapter of Genesis is used to express the basic malady as it is experienced by both Christians and non-Christians. The Genesis story of the fall of human beings is a narrative which reveals the reason for death and the mystery of the human situation. There is a similar narration known as the Agganna Sutta in the Digha Nikaya of the Major Buddhist text the Tripitaka. It is several times longer than the Genesis story. The Genesis story as well as Agganna Sutta are myths. The term myth is not used in the sense of a fable, a figment of the imagination, but in the sense of a "literary form which describes other worldly matters in this worldly concepts". When thus considered, we see striking similarities in both stories, especially in regard to three fundamental matters (1) the fact of the fall, (2) the cause of the fall, and (3) the consequences of the fall. We do intend to trace how both Christianity and the teaching of the Buddha had dealt with the fall of human being under the above mentioned main three factors. It is an interesting fact to illustrate both stories which seek to account for the evil state in which the human being is, and point to a state of prior blessedness. Both stories also say that the human being has also fallen from that state of blessedness. In the Buddhist story beings lose their luster and descend from the Abassara world to dwell on earth where their bodies are solid and subject to mortality. In the other narrative of Genesis, the image of the human being is distorted and the human being is driven out of the garden. As systematic theologian Paul Tillich says, this is not an event that occurs in space and time, but, bears a trans-historical quality of all events in space and time. Apart from that we have identified that Christian teaching and Buddhism have taken desire or "Tanha" as the cardinal cause of the fall of human being. We analyze in detail how this common cause called "Tanha" (desire) causes the degeneration of a human being’s purity and blessedness into decay. This research is totally based on textual references from the Christian Scripture and Tripitaka. We have also included the studies of Lynn Alton de Silva to figure out the fundamental parallels in both Genesis story and the Tripitaka.Item The Contextual Significance of the “Less Popular Saints” of the Archdiocese of Colombo(University of Kelaniya, 2015) Jayatunge, M.The paper is a study of the contextual significance of the “less popular saints” venerated by the Roman Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Colombo, Sri Lanka. While many churches have been dedicated to the so called popular saints such as St. Mary, the Mother of Jesus, St. Anne, the Grand Mother of Jesus, St. Joseph, the Foster Father of Jesus, St. Anthony of Padua and St. Sebastian, it is observed that only a very few churches have been dedicated to saints such as St. Isidore, St. Augustine, St. Mary Magdalene, St. Martin de Porres, St. Barbara, St. Cecilia, St. Maximillian Kolbe, St. Gerard Majella, and St. Blaise. This study inquires into the historical, social and cultural significance of each of these saints to the respective faith communities. Patron Saints of churches have a deep significance for the worshipping communities and the present research studies this phenomenon in detail.Item The Diverse Musical Traditions of Sri Lankan Passion Plays(University of Kelaniya, 2015) Samarakoon, K.The primary objective of this study is to present an analysis on the different genres of music that is embedded in Sri Lankan Passion Plays. Sri Lankan Passion Play music is influenced by musical disciplines of several countries such as Portugal, India, and Sri Lanka. The Sri Lanka Passion Play tradition can be traced as far back as 1602 with the arrival of the Franciscans (1553) and then the Jesuit missionaries (1602). When the Passion Plays were enacted in different parts of Sri Lanka they were accompanied by different regional musical traditions. Thus through the Sri Lankan Passion Plays one can trace European, South Indian as well as Sri Lankan musical elements with regional cultural and linguistic differences. To achieve my objective I have selected three Sri Lankan Passion Plays, namely, Pesalai (1907), Boralessa (1924) and Duwa (1939).Item A Redaction-Critical Study of Petavatthu(University of Kelaniya, 2015) Gamage, A.K.Applying the methods of Biblical criticism particularly Redaction criticism this paper presents a redaction-critical study of Petavatthu-pāḷi (the seventh book of Khuddakanikāya in the Pāli canon). While doctrinal, chronological and philological aspects of the Petavatthu have been studied so far, the method of Redaction Criticism has not been employed in studying this text. This paper attempts to fill that lacuna. Redaction Criticism is meant to detect the redactor’s or editor’s intervention in an author’s original work. The two terms ‘editor’ and ‘redactor’ are used synonymously in this paper while the term ‘author’ refers to the creator of the original work. The redactor intends to facilitate the reader’s comprehension of the text by ‘filling in the blanks’ or adding material that would allegedly interconnect disparate statements in the original text. As specialists in Redaction Criticism assert, such seams or stitches, though meant to clarify the original text, might end up interrupting its flow. Modelling on John 3 and Mark 16, the interventions of the redactors (saṅgītikārā) in the Petavatthu-pāḷi, is examined. The commentary on the Petavatthu is also consulted as a possible aid to detect the editorial interventions.Item A Study of the Traditional Lenten Pasan Singing(University of Kelaniya, 2015) Weerakkody, I.S.The paper is a research on the Pasan chants of the Catholic communities in Doowa, Pitipana and Wahakotte in Sri Lanka. The Catholic Church has organized its worship into five different phases spread throughout the year, namely Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter and Ordinary Time. Pasan is sung during Lent. In commemorating the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Catholics observe numerous rituals. From Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday there is a 40 day period during which the Catholics (besides other religious rituals and practices) use prose and verse chants and prayers to deepen the Lenten spirit in homes and in churches. One of these special chants is the singing of Pasan songs by small groups of persons. It is believed that Sri Lankan Catholics inherited this tradition after the arrival of the Portuguese. At present the Catholics in Sri Lanka follow the Pasan tradition established by Jacome Gonsalves, transmitted from one generation to another orally over four centuries. In the present ethnographic research, many Pasan singing styles practiced by the Sri Lankan Catholics have been identified. There are many versions varying according to regional differences. During the Lenten season there are many prose Pasan styles and verse Pasan styles. The present research is a comparative study of the singing styles and other related variations in the Pasan singing of the Doowa (Negombo), Pitipana (Negombo) and Wahakotte (Matale) regions. Both primary and secondary sources were used in accumulating the data. The methods used were intensive field studies, indepth interviews and participant observation.Item Old Age and Well-Being in Christian Thought(University of Kelaniya, 2015) Lee, K.H.Today, population ageing is taking place in nearly all the countries of the world. Consequently, how to cope with ageing has become a major issue in modern society. A predominant view in our society is that people become gradually more religious as they age and that there is an inevitable turning toward religion in later life. Every society from the earliest known times has had some system of religious beliefs and practices. The Church has been providing a variety of services and programs for seniors as well as widows, orphans and other minority groups. This paper has two objectives: 1) to review how old age has been associated with religion through literature, and 2) to examine relationships between religious activities and well-being amongst older people within Christianity. For the purpose of the study, the research is mostly a textual study and mainly depends on primary and secondary sources on the subject. According to records, old age has characteristically been associated with religion in many primitive societies. Some studies show that belief in God is stronger among the elderly than in other agegroups. According to Bahr (1970), there are two types of religious activities: organizational and non-organizational. Many studies have shown positive relationships between religious activities and the well-being among older persons. Blazer and Palmore (1976) found that for the elderly, happiness, a sense of usefulness, and personal adjustment are significantly related to religious activities and attitudes. At the individual level, religion may perform certain psychological functions during the later years. Similarly, at the social level, the church can help to reduce isolation of the elderly by affording them education, counsel and social services.Item Edifices in Dark Days: Origin, Types and Development of Oratorian Missionary Churches in Sri Lanka(University of Kelaniya, 2015) Jayasinghe, S.The early 19th century Catholic churches in Sri Lanka built by the Goan Oratorian missionaries mainly follow the unique Indo-Portuguese architectural concepts which were adapted to the political and economic demands of Sri Lanka as well as to certain aspects of the local climate and culture. However, the distinctive architectural model of missionary architecture of Sri Lanka has not been identified in-depth in available historical references and in modern research. First, during the Dutch occupation and the period of persecution of Catholics and later, with the advent of the British, the members of the Oratorian order have played a crucial role in the restoration and reconstruction of a territorial network of Catholic churches to its former stronghold. This study intends (i) to discuss the origin and the development process of the network of Oratorian churches in Sri Lanka and (ii) to analyse the impact of Indo-Portuguese architecture on those churches built by the Oratorian mission in the Island during the 18th and 19th centuries.Item The Discovery and Affirmation of the Concept of ‘Human Person’ in Christian Philosophy(University of Kelaniya, 2015) Rohan, P.The concept of the ‘Human Person’ has a long history and has become the subject matter for many branches of study. Human beings are characterized as ‘Persons’ apart from all other kinds of entities. ‘Person’ is a comprehensive name which expresses the entire nature of the human being. The term person in English is derived from the Latin persona which is also traceable to the Greek prosopon (πρόσωπον). The direct meaning of prosopon is face which was originally used in the Greek theatre to denote the made-up faces or the masks worn by an actor. For Romans, persona had a juridical sense which expressed a kind of dignity, recognized by the law. For them only a Roman citizen was persona. With the advent of Christianity a new world vision was opened. This vision influenced the outlook on the human being as well. Human beings were considered unique because of their special place in nature and their superiority over other creatures. According to the Christian metaphysical tradition, human being is unique because of the endowment of the immortal rational soul and being created in the image of God. Severinus Boethius, a Christian philosopher of early 6th century, defined the concept of ‘Person’ for the first time. This was considered a classical definition which provided a firm theoretical base to a new humanism, that is, to view all the human beings as persons who have equal rights and dignity. Thus, Christian Philosophy pioneered to discover and affirm the concept of ‘Human Person’ in an innovative way, discarding the previous oppressive and narrow perspectives. My research focuses on this aspect in order to declare once more the value and dignity of each individual as a ‘Human Person’. There is a serious need for it in the contemporary society, to provide a theoretical forum to affirm the personhood of all individuals, so that all may become ‘persons’ and allow others to be ‘persons’ and construct a society based human values.Item Thomistic Influence on Natural Law(University of Kelaniya, 2015) Amarasinghe, P.St. Thomas Aquinas stands as an ivory tower in the world of western jurisprudence. Ecclesiastical works he compiled inspired later generations of jurists to reinterpret the form of natural law. During the dark period between the decline of classical civilization and the birth of medieval order the church fathers like Augustine and Ambrose preserved the notion of natural law. But they always kept the state under the authority of the church. For them the church was given absolute supremacy over the state, which only exists to protect peace on earth. This dogmatic theological concept on the state reached its very end by the new scholastic system of St.Thomas Aquinas. In his magnum opus "Summa Thiologica" Aquinas defines law as "an ordinance of reason for the common good made by him who has the care of the community and promulgated". He accepts the fact the divine law is supreme and whole community of universe is governed by divine reason. But it is not accessible for mortal humans. Such part of it as is intelligible to the human being reveals itself through the eternal law as the incorporation of divine wisdom, which gives direction to all actions and movements. However as a result of Aristotelian influence Aquinas did not adopt an antagonist view towards the state like Augustine. According to Aquinas, the state is a natural institute, born from elementary social needs of the human being. The argued state is a fundamental necessity to make the social life of the human being secured though it is evil. He categorizes natural law under the thread of divine law, that part which reveals itself in natural reason. It is from the elements of eternal law, as revealed in natural law, that all human laws derive from it. It is a considerable fact that Thomistic influence has made its profound contribution to the modern idea of natural law. Most importantly St. Thomas Aquinas justified the public commotions against tyrannical rule. He simply suggested that laws of tyrants are not laws, but rather kind of a perversion of laws. When such a law becomes harmful to the society, one can resist it. But this whole process should be confined within certain limits. Aquinas points out that resistance cannot contravene one's private right and it should be based on self defence. My research paper would illustrate how the natural law received its foundation nourishment from the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas.Item The Emergence of Israelite Monarchy: Political or Theological(University of Kelaniya, 2015) Gunasekera, S.I.A.The monarchical form of government in Israel was established roughly around the year 1000 BCE. Thereafter, the people of Israel lived under monarchical rule until the Babylonian exile in 587/6 BCE. However, the exercise of monarchical power created a very strong negative impact on the life of the people in many ways. The political blunders, thirst for power, and religious infidelity on the part of several kings led the entire nation to ruin. The oppressive measures of certain kings created division within a nation which boasted about its unity as the ideal. The prophetic literature abounds in condemning the oppression of the monarchical institution. The text which is being subjected to the present research, namely 1Sam 8 has given rise to centurieslong discussions on the emergence of Israelite monarchy. When dealing with these issues, in the first place one could see that 1Samuel 8 has different compositional layers among which the most visible being the antimonarchical layer. The need for a standing army in the wake of invasions from the neighbouring kingdoms would have been an existential necessity. Hence the ancient Israelite demand for a king around 1000 BEC was probably historical. Hence 1Samuel 8 could be considered as a response to a political crisis in ancient Israel.