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This article strives to convey the correlation between philosophy and theology, reason and faith in the work of Joaquim Cerqueira Gonçalves, who rejected the modern enlightened and positivist division of associating faith and religion to the irrational and to superstition to the contrary of philosophy and science identified as rational and true. Philosophy emerged in Greece through the appropriation of problems previously raised by mythical and religious cultural manifestations and with religion developing in the West through the appropriation of the Greco-Roman philosophic categories. However, this author put forward a new religious rationality that conceives of the world as a gift under development and not as a degraded reality subject to restoration. In opposition to the Greek metaphysics of degradation and reintegration into the One and in opposition to the Christmas gnostic metaphysics of the fall and redemption, the Franciscan thinker, in dialogue not only with the medieval thinking of Duns Escoto and Saint Bonaventure but also with the contemporary phenomenology of E. Lévinas and Michel Henry, proposed a metaphysics of creation and manifestation founded on the differentiated Unity of God, a triune that fosters the values of ecology and religious ecumenism.

Philosophy, as much as theology, can induce categorically to a privileged relation with God. Still, neither one nor the other easily escape the accusation of thematizing the Absolute Other and, therefore, break its radical otherness. Besides, this thematization is intermundane, so it may not do justice to divine reality. It is precisely with the radical assumption of such challenge, through a rortian perspective , that one intends to finally find a supported prediction on God, as blindfolded as possible to the relativize criticisms. To achieve it, we must ultimately leave a linguistic onto-epistemological order to reach a praxis-loving order.

The relationship between Biblical Sciences and Theology is a key issue for comprehension and practice of both exegesis and theological work. The answer one gives to this question brings along significant methodological repercussions for these two fields of study. As a contribution to the reflection on this theme, the present study focuses on a chapter within the work “Introduction to Christianity” by J. Ratzinger, seeking to unravel the methodological path taken.

The article aims at identifying some keys that may provide an understanding of the Coimbra Jesuit Commentary beyond the usual commonplace of it being a mere exercise in Aristotelian philosophy. The four following subjects, it is claimed, allow one to capture the spiritual dimension of the Commentary: the service philosophy provides to theology, Salamanca epistemological turn, the Ignatian imprint, and the methodological commitement to the so-called middle knowledge.

The paper shows how a racional ethics began as an autonomous discourse in the portughese university, together with the moral theology, from XVI until XVIII century. After the Pombal reformation, rational etics follows two ways: the first separates etics from theology; the second, maintains ethical discouse openess to theology and religious faith. That is the case of Amorim Viana and Newton de Macedo philosophical work.

The main purpose of this article was to expose the fundamental content of an unpublished manuscript by the oratorian João Baptista, in which controversial theological issues are exposed, regarding the middle science, a conception that was defended by Luís de Molina in his work Concordia. The thought of Father João Baptista has been little studied. On the philosophical plane, the most renowned work is that which, using Aristotelian logic and physics, develops a doctrine that opens up to modernity. The theological work that is the object of this study, on the other hand, evaluates the problem of ‘middle science’ by articulating it with grace and divine providence. We tried to investigate Father Baptista's ideas regarding the validity of this midle science and the repercussions it had in the 18th century, to justify the importance of the Oratorian for the progress of portuguese theological science.

The text presents results of theological research on aspects of the situation generated by the effects of the pandemic caused by COVID-19 in Brazil and worldwide. Methodologically, the analysis was structured in three moments that describe, in summary, the results of the research. The first indicates the reflexes of the pandemic within the context of necropolitics that intensify the implications of the pandemic for the poorest and most vulnerable sectors of society. The second shows how religious experiences enhance the simultaneous presence of obscurantist forms and others that, on the contrary, are characterized by dialogue with the sciences and by the maturity of social responsibility. The third moment is related to aspects of human fragility and the delicate tasks of facing them, with the possibility of spontaneous, creative and plural forms of spirituality that favor perspectives of hope. The fourth, briefly describes the understanding about the expressions of spirituality in relation to aspects that mark alterity in the context of the pandemic.

This work is divided into three parts. In the first, a historical-philosophical study on the medieval concept of “book of nature” is presented, relating this topic to analogical and religious hermeneutics developed by key authors such as Saint Augustine, Saint Isidore of Seville and Hugh of Saint Victor. To find the root of this allegorical-symbolic view of the natural world, older sources of Greco-Roman and Patristic culture are identified. In the second part, we study the presence and scope of naturalistic analogies in the Sermons of Saint Anthony of Lisbon. He who can very well be considered one of the most accomplished medieval cultists of this interpretative method, bringing to the text what for his Franciscan brothers was a daily experience. Few as Doctor Evangelicus knew how to match the symbolism of nature in such a fruitful and skilful way with theological reflection. In the third part, we examine the prevalence of the same concept in Father António Vieira's Sermonary. Baroque man and already deeply marked by the scientific revolution underway in his time, which will lead to the emancipation of the study of nature and the break with the theological discourse, the Jesuit preacher still maintains a foot well established in medieval tradition and in naturalistic analogical thought, in a final attempt to reconcile science and religious belief.

This article is intended to bring faith, hope, and charity as forces of life and resurrection in a pandemic world. The Covid-19 pandemic brought us challenges and new situations that deserve to be addressed and dealt with specifically. This situation brings us new questions for our society, for humanity and these new questions also challenge us theologically. Therefore, we aim to offer a reflection that points out horizons and brings theological and practical implications. Methodologically, we will continue with the speeches of Pope Francis, who draws attention to the gravity of this moment and insists that this is a favorable time to rethink our way of life and our relationships. We will follow the approach of theologians who help us to understand this problem and in a dialectical way, we will bring the questions that challenge us in this context. The work is divided into three parts: first, the questions that come to us from this pandemic world. In the sequence, we will make a theological development on faith, hope, and charity, updating and bringing reflection to our context. Finally, we will approach the theme of the resurrection, as a proposal for life and the possibility of transformation.

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In the present paper we will explore the different levels of deregulation and expression of suffering induced by a somatic illness or by a disease in individual subjectivity. These levels are part of a singular functional and organizational structure of the self and personality.

The use of auxiliary diagnostic means in psychiatry is an old problematic issue, mainly because the nature of the process of becoming mentally ill, together with the conceptual approach that has being used to explain it. The recent technological advances, mainly in the neuroimage techniques, have come to increase the hope of using the knowledge acquired by those studies in the psychiatric clinical practice. However, that hope vanished quickly. In this paper, the author analyzes the putative reasons to explain that failure, proposing at the same time the reasons and the evidence that sustain the clinical use of another technology – the quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) – using several clinical cases to illustrate the use of qEEG in different clinical situations.

The scope of psychopathology as a discipline, its method and targets are important to understand mental disorder as well as define what is to be assessed in the mental state examination. For more than a century the request of objectivity and reliability for research, strict insurance policies and the increase of clinical workload have enforced categorization and operationalization of psychopathological phenomena. This move was blamed to have led psychopathology into a dead end, undermining present research and clinical diagnosis. By revisiting the some of the missteps of xxI century psychopathology we find assorted phenomenological and ontological predicates that might have contributed to such damage. They include changes in the nature of the approach necessary to access and collect psychopathological phenomena as well as a reductionism in the dimension of meaning that is relevant for psychopathology. This essay suggests that the foundational stones of the Person-centred Approach (PCA) are a relevant training by addressing most the previous qualms. It is our belief that psychopathologists trained in PCA could improve their relational framework and acquire the ontological precepts to correctly access and assess a wider range of mental phenomena.

Background: Patients with schizophrenia often present sleep complaints which have been related to poor patient quality of life. Physiologic sleep, compatible with work routines is necessary, and may translate into better social functioning, engagement in rehabilitation strategies, and satisfaction with life. Methods: In this cross-sectional, non-interventional study, 811 adult outpatients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia were divided into two groups according to the presence (or absence) of sleep disturbances, and assessed using measures of symptom severity, quality and patterns of sleep (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index - PSQI), personal and social functioning, and satisfaction with life. Results: Patients with sleep disturbances were significantly more symptomatic, and revealed worse quality of sleep on all componentes of the PSQI (p

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Abstract: Background: There is insufficient evidence regarding the impact of compulsory outpatient treatment (COT). Aims: We evaluated the impact of COT over one year on symptoms, personal and social functioning, insight and cognition. Methods: Naturalistic, longitudinal analysis, at baseline and one-year follow-up, of 15 patients followed in a specialized COT clinic. Patients underwent a standardized evaluation with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Personal and Social Performance Scale (PSP), Berrios-Markova insight scale and Scale to Assess Unawareness in Mental Disorder (SUMD), Trails A and B, Digit Span, and the Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWA). Results: At follow-up there was significant improvement in personal and social functioning (baseline total PSP: mean=46.9; follow-up: mean=59.3), and specifically in socially useful activities including work and study (p=0.012), and personal and social relationships (p=0.033). Three patients (20%) scored =>69 on the PSP, a good level of functioning. However, we found no significant improvements in symptoms (PANSS=56.8), subjective or objective insight (Berrios- Markova=10.0 and SUMD=11.0), or cognitive performance. Conclusions: At one-year follow-up, patients on COT showed significant improvement in personal and social functioning, specifically in socially useful activities including work and study and in personal and social relationships, but no improvement in symptoms, insight and cognitive functioning.

Abstract: Objective: to conduct a systematic review of the literature regarding the impact of family psychoeducation on the treatment of bipolar disorder. Methodology: PubMed, Lilacs, Web of A search was conducted in Science, Science Direct and Scopus using the descriptors: family psychoeducation and bipolar disorder. The last 13 years were considered. Results: 542 articles were found and after considering inclusion and exclusion criteria, 29 were selected for the study. Three other articles nominated by specialist were also used. Overall, patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder should be treated with drug therapy combined with psychotherapy. Most studies showed that the conventional treatment associated with psychoeducation reduced relapse rates and hospitalizations and that long-term programs generated better results. A comparison between supportive psychotherapy and family psychotherapy showed that it was only effective in patients who received the latter. Conclusion: although the role of pharmacological treatment is well established for the patient, (OU “ESTABLISHED IN LITERATURE”?) almost all articles consulted claim that if family psychoeducation is associated with medication, it can help with the early detection of warning signs of a crisis, reduce hospitalization rates and help reduce the number of drugs taken.

Abstract: The incidence of brain tumours has increased in recent years. They represent the second most common cause of death attributable to neurological conditions. Although expansive brain lesions often lead to observation by Neurology or Neurosurgery, it is not uncommon for psychiatric symptoms to be the reason for initial contact with medical care. Brain tumours may present as symptomatology similar to the so-called primary, or functional, psychiatric disorders. However, in contrast to psychiatric disease in other types of cancer, where adjustment disorders predominate, organic syndromes are the most frequent diagnosis in patients with CNS tumours. Anatomic location represents one of several factors that contribute to the nature and severity of psychiatric conditions. Tumours of the frontal lobe are more frequently associated with changes in executive function, amotivational syndrome and personality changes. Temporal tumours can trigger psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions. The treatment of the symptomatology will essentially involve removal of the lesion whenever possible. Nevertheless, symptomatic treatment of psychiatric manifestations should always take place. Psychopharmacology, psychotherapy and psychoeducation of caregivers are the best modes of treatment.

Abstract: Introduction: Evaluating adherence to treatment with antipsychotic agents in patients with schizophrenia is a challenge for any psychiatric doctor, given its inherent subjectivity. Despite this, nonadherence to treatment is prejudicial to the clinical course of the disease, resulting in a greater risk of acute exacerbations of illness and hospital admissions. The aim of this study is to review the current literature on factors that influence adherence to antipsychotic treatment in patients with schizophrenia. Methods: The literature, written in English between 2006 and 2016 and available in full in PubMed/MEDLINE, evaluating potential risk factors for treatment compliance in adult patients (over 18 years of age) with schizophrenia, was reviewed by searching on the keywords: adherence, nonadherence, compliance, noncompliance, schizophrenia, psychosis, antipsychotic, neuroleptic. Results: Thirty-nine studies were included in the final review. The average level of treatment adherence was 32%. The following risk factors for nonadherence to treatment were identified: young age, substance abuse, psychotic psychopathology present, absence of insight into the disorder and the need for treatment, negative attitudes to treatment, poor doctor-patient relationship and lack of social and family support. Conclusions: Interventions aimed at improving treatment adherence must be individualised for each patient, on the basis of a full clinical history, so that all the individual aspects contributing to this variable can be appropriately assessed.