The Henad Concept in Plotinus’ Philosophy 

This paper presents the way Plotinus proved God’s absolute transcendence, the One and His non-complexity and singularity. Despite his support for apophatic theology, he was forced to also use notions of cataphatic theology. He called God by the names of Good, Beauty, Truth, Life and Might. He had much to say about Him, although at the same time he declared that the One cannot be described in a human language. It is therefore impossible to practise a consistent aphophatic theology if one wishes to lead people to God. Plotinus, however, tried to do so in his works.

Possession and exorcism in the light of anthropological and neurological research

The aim of this study is to present the phenomena of possession and related exorcism rituals in the light of anthropological (analysis of the possessed people) and neurological research (systematic investigation of people with disorders that are similar to possession states such as epilepsy, dissociative identity disorder, meditation and mystical experiences). The research studies show that we have two different forms of possession: positive (controlled, enriching the life of the individual, i.e. shaman, exorcist) and negative (uncontrolled, diminishing the life of the individual). Women, male homosexuals, epilepsy patients, and people with dissociative identity disorder, heightened religiosity, experienced in meditation and with mystical experiences, are more likely to become possessed. The neurological mechanism which appears to be primarily responsible for spirit-possession phenomena is reduced asymmetry of brain activity (hemispheric synchronisation increases risk for possession). The implications for diagnosis and treatment of “possessed” people are presented (exorcists and deliverance ministers often succeed where psychiatry fails, but faith healers should be discouraged from exercising violent attempts at exorcism, because misconceptions such as possession by demons are still believed to be a cause of mental illness).

Mythical Time in Superhero Comic Book Narratives

This article focuses on both cyclical and linear qualities of time in superhero-themed comic books, and confronts them with various theories of myth, stressing some major similarities and some interesting differences. It also gives a brief insight into the history and evolution of superhero narratives and explains their cultural impact and influence on consecutive generations of readers. The article aims to establish and validate a new position of superhero narratives as a modern myth material and a complete cosmology.

Catholics of the Armenian Rite in Soviet Armenia and Georgia (1920–1936)

On the eve of sovietisation, Armenian Catholics were a visible and active minority in the South Caucasus. However, the socio-political situation changed rapidly after the implementation of Soviet authority in Tbilisi and Yerevan. The Armenian Catholic Church as institution and its clergy became allegedly one of the main enemies of the Communists’ policy of secularisation and collectivisation. On this political background Catholics in Armenia were very often attacked by Soviet antireligious propaganda (newspapers: “Anastvats”, “Bezbozhnik Gruzii”) and were strongly supervised and persecuted by the Soviet secret police. In the 1930s, the Catholic Church of the Armenian rite was declared illegal and damaged.