The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (852 page)

BOOK: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions
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Gilson, Étienne
(1884–1978).
French Roman Catholic philosopher and historian. His special interest was the philosophy of Thomas
Aquinas
, particularly the influence of
Aristotle
on his thought. Though he was later to be criticized for underestimating the strength of
Platonism
in the Middle Ages, his interpretation of the scholastics had a great impact upon modern RC philosophers.
He held, with
Augustine
, that ‘the universe is a kind of unfolding, a
distensio
, which imitates in its flowing forth the eternal present and total simultaneity of the life of God’. Such a view of order and providence cannot be concerned with a more dispassionate estimate of the actual history of the Church and its restrictive attitude to the quest for truth.
Ginsberg, Asher Hirsh
(Jewish Zionist leader)
:
Ginzberg, Louis
(1873–1953).
Talmudic
scholar, an important figure in the Conservative movement. His major work was the 7-vol.
Legends of the Jews
(1909–38) in which he collected and combined hundreds of legends into a continuous narrative; and he was also the rabbinics editor for the
Jewish Encyclopaedia
.
Giotto di Bondone
(1266/7–1337).
Italian fresco painter, often regarded as ‘the founder of modern art’. His stature was recognized especially by his attention to perspective, and by making recognizable human figures and landscapes the bearers of Christian meaning. His most famous (undisputed) work is in the Arena Chapel in Padua. The better-known frescos on the life of St Francis in Assisi may not be by him.
Giralda
(Muslim dynasty in N. Africa and Spain)
:
Girdle
:

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