This article develops a constructive theological account of sequential knowledge as a valid mode of Christian revelation by bringing African numerological traditions into dialogue with Valentinian Christianity. Focusing on Alexandria as an African center of Christian thought within the Greater Middle East, the study argues that both traditions share an understanding of revelation as ordered, knowledge as formative, and salvation as a process that unfolds through stages rather than as a single act of belief. The work does not claim historical transmission or direct influence between African numerological systems and Valentinian theology. Instead, it employs a comparative theological approach that examines how each tradition answers similar questions about how divine truth is known and how human beings are shaped by that knowledge. African numerological traditions are treated as structured ways of knowing in which number communicates divine order, learning requires moral preparation, and access to deeper truth depends on initiation and growth. When read alongside these traditions, Valentinianism appears not simply as a rejected movement but as an African Christian attempt to express salvation through order, pattern, and graded instruction within the Alexandrian school. The article places these findings within the history of African Christianity, paying attention to theological schools, debates over heresy, and the formation of Christian communities. It also addresses present concerns, including rapid growth, mission, theological education, and relations between different Christian groups. The study concludes by proposing a Christian theology of sacred sequence that supports deeper formation and sustained faith amid expanding and diverse Christian contexts.

Keywords: African Christianity, African theology, theological epistemology, sequential knowledge, Valentinianism, Alexandria, heresy in Africa.

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Gansinger M.A.M. Sequential Knowledge in Valentinian Gnosis and African Numerological Epistemology. Theology: Theory and Practice, 2026, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 5–25. https://doi.org/10.65324/ttp017

This article continues a series of studies devoted to a 1691 topographic map from Count Luigi Ferdinando Marsigli's collection of oriental manuscripts, housed in the library archives of the University of Bologna. Previous publications, published in 2025 in the scholarly journal "Theology: Theory and Practice," characterized the source under consideration, analyzed and interpreted data regarding the status of the Ganjasar Catholicosate during the Safavid reign in the South Caucasus, identified and described the episcopal sees of the Caucasian Albanian Church, and deciphered directions regarding pilgrimage routes and the most important Christian shrines in the region. In this publication, we examine information related to monastic communities and sketes, and also touch upon the related topic of the monastic traditions of the Caucasian Albanian Church. It should be noted that the origins, spread, and functioning of monastic institutions in the South Caucasus have not yet been addressed by any research. Therefore, this article can be considered the first attempt to present the history of the monastic movement in the region, to characterize it, and to list those centers of monastic life in the 17th century that the Constantinople intellectual, diplomat, and explorer Jeremiah Çelebi deemed necessary to mark on his map. Undoubtedly, this article also touches upon issues related to the preconditions for the emergence of monasticism in the East, its forms, characteristics, rules for the formation of communities, and their internal life. Issues concerning liturgical practices and the canons regulating internal life are also addressed.

Keywords: Church of Caucasian Albania, Ganjasar Catholicosate, Christianity under the Safavids, Christianity in Azerbaijan, South Caucasus, monasticism, monasteries, church history.

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Nikonorov A.V. Monasteries, Sketes, and Monastic Traditions of the Ganjasar Catholicosate Leading up to the 17th Century. Theology: Theory and Practice, 2026, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 26–52. https://doi.org/10.65324/ttp018

The article examines the philosophical-theological and methodological foundations of the Jewish hermeneutical tradition of the Second Temple period and its applicability to the interpretation of the Nativity prologue in the Gospel of Matthew. The study argues that Jewish hermeneutics represents a historically formed system of interpretive techniques that includes divination, creative philology, and adaptation. These elements enable the identification of multiple layers of meaning that extend beyond the literal sense of the text. Drawing on comparative studies of ancient Near Eastern religious systems, the article demonstrates structural parallels between Jewish interpretive practices and traditional forms of mantics used to discern the divine will. The article reconstructs the epistemological foundations of three approaches to biblical interpretation — premodern, modern, and postmodern — that shape the scholarly status of Jewish hermeneutics in the history of research. It is shown that the modern historical-critical method restricts the use of Jewish interpretive techniques by requiring a single literal meaning. In contrast, the postmodern paradigm, which affirms methodological pluralism and textual multivalence, provides the conceptual conditions for restoring the scholarly legitimacy of Jewish hermeneutics. A comparison of the retelling of Judges 13 in Josephus’ Jewish Antiquities and Matthew 1:1–25 reveals the employment of analogous interpretive strategies aimed at constructing apologetic and theological meanings. The study proposes a three-stage analysis based on a five-step methodology that enables the identification of implicit interpretive layers arising from the use of Jewish hermeneutical techniques. The findings demonstrate the significance of Jewish hermeneutics as a methodological instrument for historical-theological research on the New Testament and its relevance for analysing the theological argumentation of the Nativity in the Gospel of Matthew.

Keywords: Jewish hermeneutics, Second Temple, creative philology, theology, postmodern paradigm, Tanakh, Nativity of Christ, Gospel of Matthew, Josephus.

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Trupbergenov A.M. Foundations and Forms of Applying Jewish Hermeneutics in Matthew’s Interpretation of the Nativity. Theology: Theory and Practice, 2026, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 53–78. https://doi.org/10.65324/ttp019

This article examines the global phenomenon of mind-body practices like Tai Chi Chih as contemporary expressions of enduring religious impulses in a secular age. Challenging the classical secularization thesis, it argues that modernity has not eliminated religiosity but transformed it, relocating the sacred from institutional settings to embodied, personal experience. Through the theoretical frameworks of the “spiritual revolution” (Heelas & Woodhead) and “implicit religion” (Bailey), the analysis demonstrates how practices such as Tai Chi, yoga, and mindfulness function as de-institutionalised spirituality, fulfilling traditional religious needs for meaning, transcendence, and connection through physical cultivation. The article explores the “theological residues” (Asad) within supposedly secular wellness activities, revealing their roots in Daoist, Buddhist, and Hindu traditions. Using Tai Chi Chih as a case study, it traces the continuity of spiritual experience from ancient cosmological systems to modern adaptations, examining how concepts like Chi represent both theological and anthropological frameworks for understanding human wholeness. The study further investigates the complex relationship between these practices and institutional religions, noting both tension and potential enrichment. By analyzing the work of Hieromonk Damascene, it models constructive theological engagement across traditions, proposing complementary rather than contradictory paradigms. Ultimately, the article concludes that the wellness culture represents not the disappearance of the sacred but its reconfiguration — a migration of transcendence into immanent, embodied forms that maintain spiritual continuity while adapting to contemporary sensibilities and needs.

Keywords: theology, embodied spirituality, secularization, tai chi, implicit religion, theological mutation, religious transformation, wellness culture, Taoist theology.

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Narinskaya E. Modern Spirituality and the Quest for Wholeness: Tai Chi Chih as a Contemporary Expression of the Religious Experience in a ‘Secular’ Age. Theology: Theory and Practice, 2026, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 79–111. https://doi.org/10.65324/ttp020

The Church of Caucasian Albania constitutes a distinctive yet often overlooked element within the broader narrative of Eastern Christianity, positioned at the intersection of cultural and geopolitical dynamics in the South Caucasus (Hewsen 2001). This investigation posits that the Albanian Church functioned as an autonomous ecclesiastical institution, cultivating a singular Christian identity by integrating indigenous Caucasian customs and doctrinal influences from prominent regional Christian centers (Dasxuranci 1961; Aleksidze and Mahe 2008). In terms of its material-cultural legacy, architectural ensembles such as the monasteries of Gandzasar and Amaras stand out, differentiated from analogous Georgian and Armenian structures by unique planimetric configurations, structural innovations, and the incorporation of pre-Christian architectural motifs (Akhundov 1986; Aliev and Mamedzade 1997). The assertion of the Albanian Church’s distinctive material and religious heritage is bolstered by its long-standing autocephaly, formally established at the Council of Aghuen in the fifth century, following the adoption of Christianity as the state religion (Dasxuranci 1961). This autocephalous status was underpinned by the political sovereignty of the Albanian polity and embodied a pursuit of canonical independence (Dasxuranci 1961; Guseinov 2017). Nevertheless, evolving geopolitical circumstances, notably the Arab conquest, precipitated the erosion of Albania’s political autonomy circa 705 CE (Dasxuranci 1961; Hewsen 2001). As a result, the Albanian ecclesiastical hierarchy became subsumed under the Armenian Church, eventually manifesting as the Catholicosate of Aghvank (Dasxuranci 1961; Hewsen 2001). This trajectory culminated in 1836, when the Russian Empire formally dissolved the Catholicosate, reallocating its assets and ecclesiastical oversight to the Armenian Apostolic Church (Guseinov 2017). In contemporary scholarship, the historical and cultural patrimony of Caucasian Albania remains embroiled in contentious historiographical discourses, often marred by allegations of distortion and leveraged to underpin modern political and territorial assertions in the South Caucasus (Mamedova 1977; Hewsen 2001). Against this backdrop, the resurgence of Albanian heritage and the establishment of Albanology — the study of Caucasian Albania — as an autonomous academic discipline, predicated on objective, evidence-based, and apolitical methodologies, assume heightened importance (Niyazievich 2024). This inquiry seeks to offer a judicious reassessment of Albanian heritage, framing it not as a peripheral footnote but as an essential and autonomous facet of the Caucasus’s religious and linguistic milieu (Schulze 2005; Gippert 2015). The examination delineates the Albanian Church’s historical evolution, encompassing its apostolic foundations and era of institutional autonomy (fifth to sixth centuries), through the progressive diminution of its autocephaly and its ultimate dissolution in the nineteenth century (Dasxuranci 1961; Guseinov 2017). This analysis underscores the intricate historiographical terrain surrounding this heritage, wherein empirical evidence is frequently co-opted for contemporary geopolitical agendas (Mamedova 1977; Guseinov 2017). Accordingly, the present work contests oversimplified narratives from diverse perspectives, advocating recognition of the Albanian Church’s independent identity, forged through a multifaceted amalgamation of endogenous traditions and exogenous theological paradigms (Aleksidze and Mahe 2008; Schulze 2005).

Keywords: Catholicosate of Albania, Azerbaijan, Albano-Udi Church, Shurtvats, Udis, Falsification.

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Gulu-Zada A. The Christian Heritage of Caucasian Albania: History, Identity, and Legacy. Theology: Theory and Practice, 2026, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 112–121. https://doi.org/10.65324/ttp021

‘F’ words do not fancy a fascinating narrative. Stephen Adly Guirgis’ existential play, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, captures the reader’s attention not because of its impressive re-visitation of the biblical narrative of Judas Iscariot’s penitent death, but rather because of its abundant use of swear words. The storyline is built on black humor, justifying the use of a derogatory style. As a counter-narrative based on the Bible, his craftsmanship in chiseling the language to convey black humor includes wordplay, pranks, craftiness, and subtle twists of the truth. This research aims to employ Discourse Analysis to dismantle the syntax of the play in terms of literariness and linguistic decency. It also seeks to establish a balance between literariness and sublimity that is desired in creative writing by avoiding linguistic profanity. Such perspicacity results from the authors’ responsibility and freedom of choice in employing several literary techniques, rather than using swear words, within their fictitious boundaries. As swear words belittle the author’s image, replacing them with more appropriate descriptive words would undoubtedly attract a larger reading community.

Keywords: Black humor, Discourse analysis, English literature, Indecent language, Religious narrative, theology.

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Rachel S. Restoring Literary Sublimity from Linguistic Profanity: A Narratological Discourse Analysis of Stephen Adly Guirgis’ The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. Theology: Theory and Practice, 2026, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 122–132. https://doi.org/10.65324/ttp022

This article provides an in-depth analysis of the concept of madhab, its historical context, and its fundamental significance for Muslim practice. Madhab, as a system of legal and theological views, plays a crucial role in shaping the Islamic worldview and practice, ensuring unity and consensus among the followers of Islam. Special attention is given to the importance of adhering to a specific madhab, even if one has their own personal understanding of the Quran and sunnah. The article emphasizes that individual interpretation of the texts of the holy scriptures without proper preparation and understanding can lead to a distortion of the true meaning of Islam. In addition, it provides historical examples of how following the madhhab has contributed to the preservation of harmony and stability in Muslim societies. The article also addresses the contemporary challenges faced by Muslims in the context of globalization and access to information, emphasizing the importance of consulting authoritative sources and scholars for a proper understanding of religious norms. In conclusion, the article calls for respect for the traditions and authority of the madhhabs as a necessary condition for preserving the integrity and unity of the Islamic community. It is argued that religious matters should be addressed exclusively through qualified scholars who possess deep knowledge and experience in Islamic law and theology. Refusing to accept their authoritative opinions is seen as a potential threat to the unity of the Muslim community (Ummah) and could lead to disagreements and misunderstandings among Muslims.

Keywords: madhhab, Quran, sunnah, scholar, imam, mujtahid, islam, islamic law, source, hadith, Imam Shafi’i, Abu Hanifa, sharia.

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Salmanov M.S., Akhmedova D.S. The Role of Mazhabs in Preserving the Unity of the Muslim Legal Tradition. Theology: Theory and Practice, 2026, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 133–146. https://doi.org/10.65324/ttp023

This study investigates the digital afterlife as a set of tools and practices that reconfigure how the dead are remembered and how personhood is understood. The aim is to construct a theological-ethical framework that distinguishes admissible forms of digital memory from impermissible simulations of personal presence. Hypothesis: if posthumous digital services are evaluated through Orthodox theological discernment—especially the distinction between hypostatic personhood and liturgical commemoration — only archival and memorial uses with transparent data governance can be considered permissible, whereas generative «voices» inevitably manufacture a false sense of presence and intensify spiritual and ethical risks. Methodologically, the study combines a comparative reading of contemporary literature in digital ethics and law with a theological-anthropological reconstruction of key concepts and a case-based analysis of representative, literature-documented religious and social practices. The contribution lies in integrating a liturgical perspective with post-mortem data governance regimes and deriving testable rules for service design and deployment. The study’s relevance follows from the rapid institutionalization of the death-tech industry and the growing demand for pastoral and legal guidance. The analysis shows that archival formats and memorial platforms may serve as ancillary instruments under conditions of informed consent, algorithmic transparency, and time-limited operation. By contrast, simulated agents (griefbots, post-mortem avatars) do not extend personal identity and are incompatible with Christian hope in the resurrection; they produce only a statistically plausible voice. Minimum safeguards are proposed: the family’s right to terminate a service and erase data, a publicly available accountability framework, and a ban on presenting imitation as a person’s own speech. The findings support ecclesial practice, expert evaluation, and interdisciplinary research by demarcating cultural remembrance from pseudo-eschatological projects and indicating directions for further empirical validation.

Keywords: digital afterlife, personality, hypostasis, ontology, anthropology, theology, ethics, immortality, resurrection, longevity, technoimmortalism, transhumanism.

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Popov A.P., Popova L.A. «A Voice Without Hypostasis»: An Eastern Orthodox Assessment of Posthumous Digital Simulations. Theology: Theory and Practice, 2026, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 147–163. https://doi.org/10.65324/ttp024

In this article, the author explores the similarities and differences between the biblical story of St. Joseph and Potiphar’s wife and drama by Euripides “Hippolytus.” The author compares these ancient texts with the modern interpretation of this plot in M. Tsvetaeva’s tragedy “Phaedra.” By comparing them, the author compares the specifics of the conflict and the imagery in these works. The author notes that the character of Potiphar’s wife is closer in wholeness and motivation to the archetype of the temptress seducing the righteous man than Euripides or Tsvetaeva’s Phaedra, and has undergone the least changes. This character lacks the dynamics of moral change, reflection, or repentance. The Bible paints a portrait of a woman motivated only by his passions. The author in his investigation suggests that even in ancient times Euripides had to “deepen” the character of Phaedra to meet the requirements of Greek tragedy and arouse sympathy. Thus, the character of the “temptress” became ethically motivated by feelings such as shame, duty, and honor, and their conflict with the passion induced by the vengeful Aphrodite led to a tragic final. The author concludes that M. Tsvetaeva modernized the conflict and system of images in her drama “Phaedra,” removing the epicness from the conflict and making it an intimate collision of personalities rather than political forces or city-states patronized by the gods. M. Tsvetaeva weakens the religious line of conflict between the cults of Artemis and Aphrodite, which is central to the myth, and the love conflict of her drama, the “tragedy of separations,” is based on the biography of the poet, who was acutely experiencing separation from loved ones at the time of writing this work.

Keywords: Old Testament, biblical studies, the story of Joseph, Euripides drama «Hippolytus», conflict, system of images, comparative literature, Tsvetaeva and classical antiquity, literary archetypes.

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Nadezhkin A.M. The reception of the biblical legend of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife and Euripides drama «Hippolytus» in M. Tsvetaeva’s tragedy «Phaedra». Theology: Theory and Practice, 2026, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 164–191. https://doi.org/10.65324/ttp025

This article proposes an original interpretation of early Christian Christology, grounded in an analysis of the apocalyptic image of the Ancient of Days (Dan 7), the concept of the transcendent Sabbath, and the model of delegating historicity to the Son of Man. Methodologically, the study employs a historical-hermeneutical approach developed within contemporary debates on early Christology, particularly those represented in the collective volume Two Powers in Heaven: Traditions and Early Christology, edited by T. Garcia-Huidobro, SJ, and A. A. Orlov, where the language of the “two powers” is treated as a theological-narrative phenomenon rather than an ontological dualism. Within this framework, the figure of the Ancient of Days is interpreted as a metaphor for God who has completed the phase of direct historical intervention and freely delegates the fullness of authority, judgment, and historical initiative to the Son of Man, while Himself abiding in Sabbath rest. This logic can be traced through the Adamic, Mosaic, and Enochic trajectories and finds further development in early Christian Christology. Special attention is given to the New Testament narratives of the Nativity and the Passion, in which the Son of Man is presented as a figure called to actualise delegated authority within historical and bodily existence. It is shown that Johannine Christology involves a radical reconfiguration of apocalyptic language: the cross functions as the equivalent of heavenly visions and as the moment of the enthronement of the Son of Man. Further analysis of the narrative reveals the formation of a distinctive Logos-centred worldview, grounded in the full “recollection” of the Logos’ pre-eternal experience. Jesus’ self-understanding is shaped not only by earthly history but by an integral knowledge of his origin and mission, which accounts for his confident and royal comportment in the face of suffering and death. The article concludes that the proposed understanding of the transcendent Sabbath as a mode of divine action, together with the interpretation of the Logos-centred worldview as the recovery of pre-eternal experience, allows early Christian Christology to be re-envisioned as a dynamic continuation of Jewish apocalyptic tradition.

Keywords: Ancient of Days, transcendent Sabbath, Son of Man, early Christian Christology, apocalypticism, Nativity of Christ, Christianity, Bible, Sabbath.

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Trupbergenov A.M. The Transcendent Sabbath of the Ancient of Days: The Delegation of Historicity to the Son of Man in Early Christian Christology. Theology: Theory and Practice, 2026, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 192–205. https://doi.org/10.65324/ttp026