https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/332 2026-10-13T11:11:21Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/149888 Title: Stoking the fire : Jesus’ provocation of the Mosaic Law and its revelation of its true meaning Authors: Sciberras, Paul Abstract: Theology, at its core, is a discipline that wrestles with change: shifting cultural landscapes, evolving hermeneutical methods, and the perennial demand to interpret God's Word afresh. Nowhere is this task more vividly displayed than in the ministry of Jesus, who both unsettled and fulfìlled the religious tradition of Israel. His words about the Torah-at once reverent and confrontational - continue to provoke theological inquiry. "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish but to fulfìl" (Matt 5: 17) encapsulates a paradox at the heart of Christian reflection: the Law is neither discarded nor simply preserved, but transfìgured in the light of Christ. Jesus' apparent provocation of the Mosaic Law was in fact a revelatory act, one that exposes the Law's inner telos and confronts its misuses. By "stoking the fìre" of the Law rather than extinguishing it, Jesus discloses a theological horizon that remains urgent far our present moment: how divine revelation disrupts, clarifìes, and ultimately fulfìls human understanding of God's commands. [excerpt] 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/149884 Title: Ġesù bħala profeta – anzi xi ħaġa aktar minn profeta Authors: Micallef, Martin Abstract: Fit-Tradizzjoni Nisranija li ssib l-għeruq tagħha fil-paġni tat-Testment il-Ġdid, Ġesù ta’ Nazaret huwa muri b’tant titli, fosthom dak ta’ profeta li ġie fid-dinja biex jurina r-rieda tal-Missier. Fil-kuntest Lhudi tal-ewwel seklu, il-profeta ma kienx sempliċiment xi ħadd li jħabbar il-futur, daqskemm xi ħadd li l-missjoni tiegħu kienet li jsejjaħ għall-fedeltà lejn il-Patt. Personaġġi bħal Isaija, Ġeremija u Għamos sfidaw strutturi ta’ inġustizzji filwaqt li ikkundannaw l-ipokrisija ta’ żmienhom, u wissew lill-poplu dwar il-ġudizzju ta’ Alla fuqhom. It-tagħlim ta’ Ġesù joqrob ħafna lejn din it-tradizzjoni. L-enfasi fuq l-indiema, l-imġiba etika, u l-wasla tas-Saltna ta’ Alla jidwu s-sejħat ta’ profeti oħra li ġew qablu. Bħalhom, Ġesù għamel użu minn parabboli u azzjonijiet simboliċi sabiex jikkomunika veritajiet spiritwali aktar profondi, b’mod li pprovoka riflessjoni u oppożizzjoni. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/149883 Title: Il-Furjana : knejjes, kult u tradizzjonijiet Authors: Micallef, Martin Abstract: F’dan il-ktieb l-awtur jiffoka fuq l-istorja, il-kultura, it-tradizzjonijiet u l-qima lejn San Publiju li jsawru l-identità tal-Furjaniżi. B’reqqa kbira huwa jagħti stampa dettaljata tal-karattru u s-sehem tal-Furjana fl-istorja ta’ Malta, inkluż il-preżenza tal-patrijiet Kapuċċini. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/149701 Title: Resurrection, recognition, and discipleship in John 20 Authors: Micallef, Martin Abstract: This study examines John 20 as the theological climax of the Gospel of John, focusing on Mary Magdalene’s encounter with the risen Christ as a model of authentic discipleship and faith. It argues that the Evangelist intentionally parallels Mary’s resurrection experience with the call narratives of John 1, especially through the recurring motif of “seeking” Jesus. Mary’s journey from grief, misunderstanding, and searching to recognition, belief, and witness illustrates the Johannine process of faith, which emerg es through divine revelation rather than empirical evidence alone. The study highlights how themes such as seeing and believing, absence and presence, and discipleship and witness converge in John 20, presenting the resurrection not merely as Jesus’ vindication but as the inauguration of a new creation and a transformed relationship between Christ and believers. Ultimately, Mary Magdalene is portrayed as a paradigmatic disciple whose encounter with the risen Lord culminates in mission and testimony, inviting readers to follow the same path from seeking to faith. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z