
Fra Angelico’s ‘The Last Judgment’ and the caròla of the saints
☛ The Last Judgment (detail: “Paradise”) by Fra Angelico, tempera on panel, 1425–1430, San Marco, Florence. Large format retrieved from imgkid.com The representation is faithful to artistic tradition. In the highest part the Saviour calls the elect to Him with His right hand, while with His left He motions away the reprobate: around Him are […]

The world is a business: the messianic capitalism of Arthur Jensen
☛ Network directed by Sidney Lumet, written by Paddy Chayefsky, United-States, 1976, excerpt at 1:34:27. In the script version from January 14, 1976, pp. 125-127. IMDb. [UPDATE–Oct. 8th, 2014] This essay was translated into Persian for the Zamaneh Tribune, hosted by Radio Zamaneh: see “جهان یک تجارت است: سرمایهداریِ مسیحائیِ آرتور جِنسِن”. Founded in 2005, […]

Don DeLillo, Jean-Luc Nancy, the missing community
The Latin mass had an odd glamour—all that mystery and tradition. Religion has not been a major element in my work, and for some years now I think the true American religion has been “the American People.” The term quickly developed an aura of sanctity and inviolability. First used mainly by politicians at nominating conventions […]
The ideal of community: belief without proof (Arendt, 1929)
Though this equality is only implicit in the earthly city it permits us to understand interdependence, which essentially defines social life in the worldly community. This interdependence shows in the mutual give and take in which people live together.12 The attitude of individuals toward each other is characterized here by belief (crederer), as distinguished from […]