Religions

21 pages, 312 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Christianity and Boxing: A Review Essay and Position Statement

by J. Stuart Weir

Religions 2024, 15(10), 1286; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101286 (registering DOI) - 19 Oct 2024

The sport of boxing has existed since ancient times, with fights sometimes ending in death. In the modern world, with our greater medical knowledge, the risks of brain and other life-changing injuries have called into question whether boxing has a place in contemporary [...] Read more.

The sport of boxing has existed since ancient times, with fights sometimes ending in death. In the modern world, with our greater medical knowledge, the risks of brain and other life-changing injuries have called into question whether boxing has a place in contemporary society. In fact, professional boxing has been banned in some European countries. There are also questions about whether it is appropriate to encourage spectators to watch two individuals attempting to punch each other into oblivion and about the effect this can have on those watching. The fact that, in recent years, we have seen the development of women’s boxing both in the Olympics and at the professional level raises further questions. The particular emphasis of this paper is to note the number of committed Christians involved in boxing from grassroots to the elite level and to consider whether involvement in such a violent sport can be reconciled with the teaching of Jesus Christ. The main source of data is published biographies and autobiographies of Christian boxers and some interviews. There is very little published material at an academic level on the topic that we are considering. The conclusion is that despite the sincerity of the Christian boxers involved in the sport, it is difficult to justify boxing as a sport in relation to Christian teaching. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sport and Religion: Continuities, Connections, Concerns)

12 pages, 1535 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Meaning of the Patriarch’s Coming from the West: A Study of Triptych of Three Zen Masters: Linji, Bodhidharma, and Deshan

by Yuyu Zhang

Religions 2024, 15(10), 1285; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101285 (registering DOI) - 19 Oct 2024

Abstract

In the mid-seventeenth century, Chinese Chan master Yinyuan Longqi 隱元隆琦 (Jp. Ingen Ryūki, 1592–1673), accompanied by several disciples, traveled to Japan and established Ōbaku Zen, a new sect of Zen Buddhism in Tokugawa Japan. Ōbaku art, particularly portrait paintings of Ōbaku abbots and [...] Read more.

In the mid-seventeenth century, Chinese Chan master Yinyuan Longqi 隱元隆琦 (Jp. Ingen Ryūki, 1592–1673), accompanied by several disciples, traveled to Japan and established Ōbaku Zen, a new sect of Zen Buddhism in Tokugawa Japan. Ōbaku art, particularly portrait paintings of Ōbaku abbots and their spiritual predecessors, became critical representations of the sect and greatly influenced later Japanese Buddhist art. While much of the existing scholarship focuses on the artistic and stylistic aspects of Ōbaku portraiture, this paper emphasizes its religious context and doctrinal dimensions. Building on Elizabeth Horton Sharf’s inquiry into the “meaning and function” of Ōbaku portrait painting, the paper investigates how Ōbaku doctrine is expressed through these images. Using the Triptych of Three Zen Masters: Linji, Bodhidharma, and Deshan as a case study, this paper explores the role of portraiture in visually conveying Ōbaku teachings and the religious aspirations of those Chinese immigrant monks. By examining the integration of image, inscription, and seal as a unified “pictorial trinity”, the paper argues that Ōbaku portraiture embodies the sect’s distinct doctrine, rooted in Ming-era Chan practices such as beating, shouting, and strict dharma transmission. Moreover, the prominence of Bodhidharma in Ōbaku portraits, as illustrated in the triptych, reflects these Chinese immigrant monks’ desire to emulate Bodhidharma in spreading the dharma and expanding their sect’s influence in a new land. Full article

► Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 352 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Chinese Christian Community in Modern Singapore: The Case of the Jubilee Church, 1883–1942

by Qing Zhu and Yuanlin Wang

Religions 2024, 15(10), 1284; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101284 (registering DOI) - 18 Oct 2024

Viewed by 153

Abstract

The Chinese Christian community occupies an essential position in the pluralistic religious landscape of modern Singapore, which is known as a multicultural and multiracial immigrant society. Despite being a minority compared with Buddhists and Taoists in Singapore, the historical formation and contemporary existence [...] Read more.

The Chinese Christian community occupies an essential position in the pluralistic religious landscape of modern Singapore, which is known as a multicultural and multiracial immigrant society. Despite being a minority compared with Buddhists and Taoists in Singapore, the historical formation and contemporary existence of the Chinese Christian community in Singapore not only embodies religious diversity, but also contributes significantly to Singapore’s social development. This paper zooms into the founding and evolution of the Jubilee Church to see how Chinese Christians contributed to the revolutionary cause, took part in the anti-opium movement, and advanced educational activities in Singapore. Particularly, by establishing the Singapore Reading Room, participating in the founding of the Anti-Opium Society and the Chinese Kindergarten, the Jubilee Church played an important role in Singapore’s history, contributing to the modernization of Singapore in terms of advancing ideas, improving social order, and promoting education. We aim to shed light on how Chinese Christians were engaged in social activities, taking up significant roles in the transformation of the Chinese diaspora in Singapore. More importantly, we argue that these varied social engagements significantly impacted the development of Christianity. Through a detailed historical case study on the Jubilee Church, this paper proposes that social functions and religious evangelization are mutually constitutive, thus complicating our understanding of the entangled relationship among Chinese diaspora, Christianity, and motherland China. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religious Pluralism in the Chinese Diaspora of Southeast Asia)

13 pages, 252 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Values in Narratives: Religious Education as an Exercise in Emotional Rationality

by Ivan Dodlek

Religions 2024, 15(10), 1283; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101283 (registering DOI) - 18 Oct 2024

Viewed by 136

Abstract

The domain of education deals with the issue of the possibility of a person’s development so that the person would learn to become more human through the educational process. An integral part of a person’s development is first and foremost the dimension of [...] Read more.

The domain of education deals with the issue of the possibility of a person’s development so that the person would learn to become more human through the educational process. An integral part of a person’s development is first and foremost the dimension of an individual’s integration into society. Education for values plays an indispensable role in education. The technical aspect of education—as John Macmurray described it—has its foundation in instrumental rationality, aiming at the realization of utilitarian values in order to achieve the necessary social cooperation for the purpose of an easier coexistence. That so-called instrumental conception of life has given birth to a special type of the contemporary human being, homo faber. If, however, we strive to achieve the complete development of a human being through education, which is more fully realized only in the communion of people in the forms of friendship, fellowship and love, this instrumental conception requires enrichment through a communitarian conception of life, aimed at the realization of intrinsic values. In that sense, this article explores the contemplative and relational aspects of education from the perspective of religious education, which, according to John Macmurray, are based on the emotional level of rationality which results in the acquisition and adoption of intrinsic individual and inter-individual values. The aim of this article is to show that when it comes to education, these values are best conveyed through narratives. The article also attempts to shed light on the way students internalize and personalize intrinsic values through their emotional familiarity with the narratives, and especially with the value of reciprocity, which is key to authentic religious practice, and thus also to ethical awareness, which is important for the formation of moral awareness and character of a human being. Furthermore, the article explores the extent to which narratives as a form of religious knowledge are important in religious education, and in which they contribute to the formation of students’ opinions, attitudes and identities as transmitters of religious truths. Narratives notably carry a strong potential for the spiritual transformation of one’s personal and social life in such a way that they can motivate students to accept and realize certain religious and moral practices through experiential touching of values. Examples of narratives used in religious education textbooks in secondary schools in Croatia reveal how much they actually contribute to the goals of religious education in terms of education for intrinsic individual and inter-individual values. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contemporary Practices and Issues in Religious Education)

14 pages, 304 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Contesting ‘Truth’: A Late Ottoman Response to Protestant Missionary Writings

by Zeynep Yücedoğru

Religions 2024, 15(10), 1282; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101282 - 18 Oct 2024

Viewed by 215

Abstract

This study delves into the polemical exchange between the 19th-century Ottoman scholar Harputlu İshak Hoca (d. 1892) and the protestant missionary Karl Gottlieb Pfander (d. 1865). By examining the historical context surrounding their controversy, this research sheds light on the interaction between the [...] Read more.

This study delves into the polemical exchange between the 19th-century Ottoman scholar Harputlu İshak Hoca (d. 1892) and the protestant missionary Karl Gottlieb Pfander (d. 1865). By examining the historical context surrounding their controversy, this research sheds light on the interaction between the Ottoman state and British and American missionaries, particularly during the expansion of missionary activities in Anatolia. This paper also explores the responses of the Ottoman authorities to the missionary printing activities and the impact of the Church Missionary Society’s work on societal and governmental levels. Furthermore, it provides an analysis of Pfander’s Mizan ul-haqq (The Balance of Truth) and Harputlu’s Şemsü’l-hakîkat (The Sun of Truth) and Ziyâü’l-kulûb (The Light of Hearts), portraying them as not only engaging in interreligious polemics but also as creators of textual products that reflect the complex historical realities of their time. This research underscores the Ottoman scholars’ close attention and prompt responses to missionary literature. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Religions and Theologies)

10 pages, 226 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Using Catholic Social Thought and the Normativity of the Future in Responding to the Super Wicked Problem of Climate Change

by Stephanie Ann Puen

Religions 2024, 15(10), 1281; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101281 - 18 Oct 2024

Viewed by 225

Abstract

The climate crisis has been dubbed a “super wicked problem”—one where there is a sense of urgency, complicity in the problem by those who wish to solve it, and difficulty in sacrificing the short term for the long term. To respond to the [...] Read more.

The climate crisis has been dubbed a “super wicked problem”—one where there is a sense of urgency, complicity in the problem by those who wish to solve it, and difficulty in sacrificing the short term for the long term. To respond to the difficulty of long-term thinking in addressing super wicked problems as part of SDG 13 (Climate Action), there is a need to pay attention to the narratives, norms, and values at work, and how we employ these categories in climate action. This paper discusses how Catholic social thought and the concept of the normativity of the future can be an approach to understanding the SDGs and the alternative future they offer in order to energize communities toward responding to the climate crisis, especially in response to current dominant narratives that make climate action difficult, as well as a way to make sense of the tensions found within the SDGs themselves. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development: The Normative Contribution of Theology)

21 pages, 420 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Pursuit for Cosmic Wisdom and ‘Promethean’ Leadership in the Pythagorean and Al-Fārābīan Political Philosophy

by Michail Theodosiadis and Elias Vavouras

Religions 2024, 15(10), 1280; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101280 - 18 Oct 2024

Viewed by 298

Abstract

This study reflects on aspects of the Pythagorean political philosophy and compares them to those of Abu Nasr Muhammad al-Fārābī’s thought. Both share a key assumption: excellent rulers must be political scientists who seek divine guidance to ensure the prevalence of reason over [...] Read more.

This study reflects on aspects of the Pythagorean political philosophy and compares them to those of Abu Nasr Muhammad al-Fārābī’s thought. Both share a key assumption: excellent rulers must be political scientists who seek divine guidance to ensure the prevalence of reason over passions in public life while reconciling society with the harmony and wisdom of the cosmos. By imitating God’s perfection and incorporating divine wisdom into governance, virtuous rulers promote felicity, prosperity and peace within a city. We highlight al-Fārābī’s emphasis on the role of religion in enabling citizens to internalize the wisdom of the cosmos, thereby minimising the need for coercion in the pursuit of order and social concord. In addition, the populace leverages the superior knowledge of each governor while observing their behaviour. Thus, the people have a share in the exercise of political power. This insistence on the involvement of the populace in politics aligns with the concept of ‘political Prometheism’. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Religions and Humanities/Philosophies)

19 pages, 264 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Myth, Religion, Imagination, and (Virtual) Realities

by Daniel Boscaljon

Religions 2024, 15(10), 1279; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101279 - 18 Oct 2024

Viewed by 198

Abstract

This article provides a way to think through the division between religious and secular approaches to contemporary society through the use of rival myths. Myths are narrative structures that invite the interplay of language and the imagination, resulting in the creation of virtual [...] Read more.

This article provides a way to think through the division between religious and secular approaches to contemporary society through the use of rival myths. Myths are narrative structures that invite the interplay of language and the imagination, resulting in the creation of virtual realities and social imaginaries. Strong virtual realities were once premised on myths that guided the imagination to embrace an openness to mystery and the unknowable; however, current technological culture is predicated on a closed imagination that has led to worldwide despair. Religion was originally grounded in the virtual reality inspired by language and the capacity of language to distill and extract the “virtual” from the real. The ability of language to create a virtual reality created the capacity to think of a soul, as well as destinations for the soul. In the twentieth century, Freud found that the notion of “God” that was created had become problematic for humans and so created a modern myth that would provide a secular substitute. After providing a close reading of Freud’s governing myth for modern culture, showing how it inspires the imagination and the ways in which it falls short, this article concludes with an alternative myth—that of the Invisible City—proposed to inspire faith, hope, and love in our modern world. My approach relies on a depth psychological framework, which was formed to interrogate the nature of reality (relative to individuals and culture) at the intersection of myth, religion, language, and imagination. Throughout, I use a hermeneutic methodology, which is consistent with the initial mode of depth psychological exploration as well as the central role language plays in revealing the truth of a reality. This orientation enables an exploration of a deeper sense of virtual realities than what is deployed through current technology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Religions and Humanities/Philosophies)

19 pages, 345 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Literature and Mysticism in the Wake of Silvano Panunzio: From The Divine Comedy to the European Literature of the Twentieth Century

by Piero Latino

Religions 2024, 15(10), 1278; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101278 - 18 Oct 2024

Viewed by 268

Abstract

This article introduces one of the forgotten figures of religious and literary studies: the Italian scholar, philosopher, metaphysician, poet and writer Silvano Panunzio (1918–2010). His contribution has so far been relegated to the margins of academic debate, and, currently, there are no academic [...] Read more.

This article introduces one of the forgotten figures of religious and literary studies: the Italian scholar, philosopher, metaphysician, poet and writer Silvano Panunzio (1918–2010). His contribution has so far been relegated to the margins of academic debate, and, currently, there are no academic studies on his work, in which mysticism plays a pivotal role. Panunzio believed that the transcendental and mystical dimension is fundamental for fully understanding the social, cultural, historical and political events of humanity. Another relevant aspect of his work is the importance he gave to literature and its relationship with mysticism, as in the case of Dante’s Divine Comedy or other European and Eastern writers and poets, such as Goethe, Shakespeare, Ibn Arabi and Dostoevsky. Significantly, Panunzio saved from oblivion the work of a forgotten man of letters of the nineteenth century, Gabriele Rossetti (1783–1854), who proposed the first symbolic and esoteric interpretation of Dante’s literary production and of European medieval love literature. Raising awareness of the intellectual amnesia around the figure of Silvano Panunzio may be a useful contribution to future research, both in the field of religious and literary studies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mysticism Reloaded: Innovative Approaches, Methods, and Theories to Study Mysticism)

13 pages, 245 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Employment Rights of Teachers in Faith Schools: Maximising the Religious Rights of Schools and Staff

by Lucy Vickers

Religions 2024, 15(10), 1277; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101277 - 17 Oct 2024

Viewed by 309

Abstract

This paper considers the legacy of the historic contribution of faith communities to education for the employment rights of teachers in schools with a religious character. The contribution of faith communities to state education was originally reflected in a settlement by which staffing [...] Read more.

This paper considers the legacy of the historic contribution of faith communities to education for the employment rights of teachers in schools with a religious character. The contribution of faith communities to state education was originally reflected in a settlement by which staffing could reflect the religious foundations of the school. This paper traces the development of the legal framework covering employment by religious ethos employers, in particular the introduction of more generous protection for religious equality at work. As a result, the position of teachers in faith schools in England has diverged significantly from that of staff employed by other religious ethos organisations. The anomalous position of teachers in faith schools arises because the legal position is dependent on the historical foundations of the school rather than on the current religious practice of the school. This situation is at odds with the wider legal framework in which protection against religious discrimination and the protection for freedom of religion must be justified with reference to the genuine and current religious needs of the organisation. The paper concludes with proposals for reform that maximise the rights of both teachers and communities of faith, without unduly restricting the rights of either. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Faith and Education: Contemporary and Global Issues in Historical Perspective)

22 pages, 356 KiB

Open AccessArticle

“The Battle for Men’s Minds”: Subliminal Message as Conspiracy Theory in Seventh-Day Adventist Discourse

by Allan Novaes

Religions 2024, 15(10), 1276; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101276 - 17 Oct 2024

Viewed by 313

Abstract

This article describes the presence of a subliminal thesis—with conspiratorial and apocalyptic content—in the discourse of the Seventh-day Adventist tradition based on a documentary analysis of Adventist publications from the 1900s to the 1990s. The history of the development of this thesis is [...] Read more.

This article describes the presence of a subliminal thesis—with conspiratorial and apocalyptic content—in the discourse of the Seventh-day Adventist tradition based on a documentary analysis of Adventist publications from the 1900s to the 1990s. The history of the development of this thesis is classified into three periods: (1) Proto-Adventist Subliminal Thesis, from 1900s to 1940s, with a discourse of anti-spiritualist emphasis; (2) Adventist Subliminal Thesis’ First Wave, from 1950s to 1960s, with a discourse of anti-media emphasis in the context of James Vicary’s experiments in the 1950s; and (3) Adventist Subliminal Thesis’ Second Wave, from 1970s to 1990s, with a discourse of conspiratorial emphasis in the context of the satanic panic of the 1980s and 1990s. The Adventist subliminal thesis is configured in a way of thinking that considers (1) the human being as a “mass-man” and culture as “mass culture”; (2) the media as having the power of manipulation and mental control; (3) adherence to moral panic phenomena as reactions to media threats to traditional values; and (4) the cosmic narrative of the Great Controversy as a worldview for understanding media messages and products as part of a satanic conspiracy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contemporary Religion, Media and Popular Culture)

19 pages, 409 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rubicon Crossings: Working at the Margins of Ecotheology and Ecophenomenology

by Piero Carreras

Religions 2024, 15(10), 1275; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101275 - 17 Oct 2024

Viewed by 285

Abstract

Trying to answer the challenges proposed by the Laudato si’ encyclical letter and its proposed “integral ecology,” this essay deals with the possible interactions between ecotheology, ecophenomenology, and cultural anthropology, outlining an interdisciplinary approach to Incarnation. In the first part, the core ideas [...] Read more.

Trying to answer the challenges proposed by the Laudato si’ encyclical letter and its proposed “integral ecology,” this essay deals with the possible interactions between ecotheology, ecophenomenology, and cultural anthropology, outlining an interdisciplinary approach to Incarnation. In the first part, the core ideas of the aforementioned encyclical are discussed. In the second part, ecotheology is discussed as an answer to the critiques that see in Christianism a hindrance against a deeper ecological thought. The third part discusses ecophenomenology, while proposing to integrate within the debate some new theoretical proposals. The fourth part discusses how to “cross the Rubicon” between ecotheology and ecophenomenology, while also describing both limits and opportunities for such crossings. In the conclusions, some ideas for further research are proposed, in the sense of a layered theory of Incarnation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religious Experience and the Phenomenology of Nature)

12 pages, 259 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Johannes Trithemius and Witches: Between Religion and Superstition

by Giulia Lovison

Religions 2024, 15(10), 1274; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101274 - 17 Oct 2024

Viewed by 247

Abstract

This contribution reconstructs the reflection on witches of Johannes Trithemius (1462–1516), a German Benedictine who took up the pen on several occasions to declare against the spread of witchcraft and the need to solve this problem. The method adopted is to understand Trithemius’ [...] Read more.

This contribution reconstructs the reflection on witches of Johannes Trithemius (1462–1516), a German Benedictine who took up the pen on several occasions to declare against the spread of witchcraft and the need to solve this problem. The method adopted is to understand Trithemius’ thought from the analysis of his own works, specifically the Antipalus maleficiorum (1505–1508), the Liber octo quaestionum (1515) and what can be known of the De daemonibus (1507–1514). What will emerge will be an articulate reflection, which re-proposes the doctrine of the Malleus maleficarum (1486) enriched with original elements often drawn from popular superstitions. Thus, Trithemius proposes artifices to be immune from witches (e.g., apotropaic amulets) and provides specific indications on how to cure evil spells (exorcism), extending the dissertation to broader issues, such as the gender question, the relationship between witches and children (e.g., sacrifices, proselytes, victims) and developments in exorcism practice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecclesiastical Tribunals and “Superstition” in Early Modern Europe (Fifteenth–Nineteenth Centuries))

17 pages, 310 KiB

Open AccessArticle

From Unorthodox Sufism to Muslim Anarchism: The Disobedient Case of Islam-Based Political Thought in Turkey

by Kadir Can Çelik

Religions 2024, 15(10), 1273; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101273 - 17 Oct 2024

Viewed by 295

Abstract

This paper examines Muslim anarchists in Turkey who developed an Islam-based anarchist theory opposing private property, the state, capitalism, and all forms of authority. By analyzing their online periodical itaatsiz (disobedient), published since 2013, and earlier works by Muslim anarchist writers, this study [...] Read more.

This paper examines Muslim anarchists in Turkey who developed an Islam-based anarchist theory opposing private property, the state, capitalism, and all forms of authority. By analyzing their online periodical itaatsiz (disobedient), published since 2013, and earlier works by Muslim anarchist writers, this study explores their perspectives on the West, Islam, the Qur’an, and Sufism. Muslim anarchists stand out for their opposition to the hegemony of Enlightenment-based, anti-theist, and positivist thought in anarchist movements in Turkey and for their encouragement to re-examine concepts such as authority, private property, capitalism, and the state within the framework of Islam-based political thought. Studying how Muslim anarchists construct a social movement in today’s Turkey is essential to understanding Islam-based conceptualizations of politics in Turkey and unpacking the relationship between Islam and anarchism. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reassessing Religion and Social Movements: From Rebellious Clergy to Counter-Hegemonic Theology and Praxis)

9 pages, 179 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Can Preachers Use Luther in a Decolonial Multicultural Context?

by Timothy Leitzke

Religions 2024, 15(10), 1272; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101272 - 17 Oct 2024

Viewed by 182

Abstract

This article seeks a way for preachers to use Martin Luther’s theology today without succumbing to Luther’s anti-Semitism. Its place in the discipline of homiletics is of hermeneutics and general sermon direction. I argue that Luther’s anti-Semitism is theological, and that in order [...] Read more.

This article seeks a way for preachers to use Martin Luther’s theology today without succumbing to Luther’s anti-Semitism. Its place in the discipline of homiletics is of hermeneutics and general sermon direction. I argue that Luther’s anti-Semitism is theological, and that in order to avoid anti-Semitism, Luther’s theology must be changed. I also argue that the concept of decoloniality offers a way forward, specifically in hybridizing Luther’s theology in today’s world. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preaching in Multicultural Contexts)

26 pages, 366 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

The State of the Art in Philippians Scholarship: Past, Present, and Future

by Isaac Douglas Blois and Gregory E. Lamb

Religions 2024, 15(10), 1271; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101271 - 17 Oct 2024

Viewed by 213

Abstract

This current volume reflects recent research from a wide spectrum of varying perspectives and approaches to Philippians from senior and early career Pauline scholars across the globe [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Trends in Pauline Research: Philippians)

16 pages, 256 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Real Union in Leibniz’s Political Thought: The Role and Value of the Mystical Body in Civil Bodies

by Fiorenza Manzo

Religions 2024, 15(10), 1270; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101270 - 17 Oct 2024

Viewed by 314

Abstract

This paper explores the idea, occasionally discernible in Leibniz’s writings, that civil bodies can achieve a real or substantial union through the ’mystical body’ of the Church. The starting question is: can the ‘person’ of the state attain real internal union even if [...] Read more.

This paper explores the idea, occasionally discernible in Leibniz’s writings, that civil bodies can achieve a real or substantial union through the ’mystical body’ of the Church. The starting question is: can the ‘person’ of the state attain real internal union even if it is not a natural person? This theme is examined in light of Leibniz’s interest in the ontology of complex aggregates (including civil ‘bodies’ or ‘persons’), the miracle of the Eucharist, the mystery of transubstantiation, and the unity of the Church. Since his very early Demonstrationes Catholicae, he had strived to demonstrate that the body of the Church, despite being—so to speak—‘scattered’, can be regarded as a Respublica with a strong internal degree of unity, primarily due to the communion that the faithful share through the Eucharist. This article thus analyses both early and mature texts in which Leibniz discusses the bond established among the faithful by the presence of Christ in the Eucharist, arguing that he experimented with the idea that the spiritual union possible within the Church’s ‘mystical body’ and its aggregative capacity could transform European Christian states not only politically but also substantially. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring Leibniz’s Religion and Philosophy of Religion: Essays in Honour of Maria Rosa Antognazza (1964–2023))

20 pages, 819 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Building Bridges: The Influence of the Islamic Religious Community on North Macedonia’s Interfaith and Socio-Political Dynamics

by Muhamed Ali, Mesut Idriz, AbdelRahman Ahmed AbdelRahman, Islam Islami and Kazi Fahmida Farzana

Religions 2024, 15(10), 1269; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101269 - 17 Oct 2024

Viewed by 398

Abstract

This article critically examines the Islamic Religious Community (IRC) in North Macedonia, focusing on its significant role in influencing religious practices, socio-political dynamics, and interfaith relations within the country. Since its inception following the dissolution of Yugoslavia, the IRC has been central to [...] Read more.

This article critically examines the Islamic Religious Community (IRC) in North Macedonia, focusing on its significant role in influencing religious practices, socio-political dynamics, and interfaith relations within the country. Since its inception following the dissolution of Yugoslavia, the IRC has been central to redefining the public role of Islam, advocating for religious freedoms, and supporting the development of democratic values. Through a mixed-methods approach, this research traces the historical evolution of the IRC, analyzes its constitutional and legal framework, and assesses its impact on North Macedonia’s multi-ethnic and multi-religious society. While the IRC’s contributions to promoting interfaith understanding and national stability are highlighted, the study also critically engages with the institution’s shortcomings, particularly the controversies related to its leadership and the challenges posed by its political entanglements. These issues have, at times, compromised the IRC’s efforts in fostering social cohesion and interfaith harmony. The findings provide valuable insights into the complex role of religious institutions in enhancing social stability and democratic governance in diverse societies, positioning the IRC as a significant case study with implications for similar contexts globally. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Building Religious Solidarity in the Wake of the Increased Global Migration)

12 pages, 228 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Religious Pilgrimage as a Tourist Attraction: The Case of Adriatic Maritime Pilgrimages in Nin and Perast

by Mario Katić and Tomislav Klarin

Religions 2024, 15(10), 1268; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101268 - 17 Oct 2024

Viewed by 259

Abstract

Focusing on maritime pilgrimages to the Madonna of the Reef in Perast (Montenegro) and the Madonna of Zečevo in Nin (Croatia), the authors explore how tourism—which has become the primary economic driver for local populations—has impacted these centuries-old and deeply religious sites and [...] Read more.

Focusing on maritime pilgrimages to the Madonna of the Reef in Perast (Montenegro) and the Madonna of Zečevo in Nin (Croatia), the authors explore how tourism—which has become the primary economic driver for local populations—has impacted these centuries-old and deeply religious sites and practices. Local religious and cultural heritage, which has evolved into a tourist attraction, is deeply integrated into the local way of life, particularly within maritime and fishing communities. The shift in the dynamics of everyday life and the evolution of these sites and communities—now framed predominantly within the realm of tourism as the primary economic driver—has resulted in religious practices and pilgrimage sites transforming into tourist attractions. The research is divided into two segments. The initial phase, conducted between 2021 and 2023, involved group interviews using a consistent methodology and research instrument, engaging pertinent stakeholders from the respective local communities. The second segment involves a content analysis of websites promoting maritime pilgrimages and categorising them into two distinct groups: (1) websites of national, regional, and local tourist organisations responsible for promoting tourism in Croatia and Montenegro, and (2) Tripadvisor. The research and analysis indicate that local stakeholders lack the intention to promote and utilise maritime religious pilgrimage as a tourist attraction. While both maritime pilgrimages have undergone transformations and incorporated new elements, these changes are not primarily driven by tourism. Instead, they result from general shifts in everyday life. Full article

11 pages, 325 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Wonders and Politics of the Chosŏn Dynasty: Reflections on the Unexplored Side of the Chosŏn Neo-Confucian System

by Jonghyun Na

Religions 2024, 15(10), 1267; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101267 - 17 Oct 2024

Viewed by 265

Abstract

Wonder was deeply rooted in the Chosŏn Neo-Confucian system. Through this wonder, we can see various layers of consciousness of Neo-Confucian scholars. Exploring the use of the element of wonder in political and scholarly areas requires more than just looking at aspects that [...] Read more.

Wonder was deeply rooted in the Chosŏn Neo-Confucian system. Through this wonder, we can see various layers of consciousness of Neo-Confucian scholars. Exploring the use of the element of wonder in political and scholarly areas requires more than just looking at aspects that have been neglected. This task is meaningful in that it shows the multi-layers of Neo-Confucianism in the Chosŏn era. It also provides an opportunity to examine how Confucianism intersected with other religions of the time. This allowed Neo-Confucianism to be more closely aligned with the general views of Chosŏn society. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religious Wonder in Pre-Modern Korea: Its Social, Cultural, Political Aspects)

11 pages, 259 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Theology of Play in Omar Khayyam: Unacknowledged Parallels Between Hinduism, Persian Sufism, and Khayyam’s Quatrains

by Ali Yansori

Religions 2024, 15(10), 1266; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101266 - 16 Oct 2024

Viewed by 343

Abstract

This paper examines the motif of divine play in Omar Khayyam’s quatrains within the broader context of Persian Sufi poetry. Given the strong association of “divine play” with Hinduism, a comparative approach is employed; to keep the focus on the main subject, this [...] Read more.

This paper examines the motif of divine play in Omar Khayyam’s quatrains within the broader context of Persian Sufi poetry. Given the strong association of “divine play” with Hinduism, a comparative approach is employed; to keep the focus on the main subject, this comparison is kept minimal. The comparison reveals three major themes common to both Sufism and Hinduism: God as the Player, God as the Playful Designer, and God as the Playful Dancer. To illustrate these themes, previously untranslated verses have been translated into English for the first time in this paper, highlighting a neglected aspect of Persian mysticism that scholars have often overlooked. Full article

11 pages, 364 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Jewish Elements in the Ancient Chinese Christian Manuscript Yishen Lun (Discourse on God)

by David Tam

Religions 2024, 15(10), 1265; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101265 - 16 Oct 2024

Viewed by 343

Abstract

This article identifies and analyzes four passages in the ancient Chinese Christian manuscript Yishen Lun (YSL) that exhibit distinct Jewish characteristics. The phrase “yizhong zuo shenghua” (lines 356–358) mirrors the Book of Acts’ theme of “sanctification of the Gentiles,” rooted in [...] Read more.

This article identifies and analyzes four passages in the ancient Chinese Christian manuscript Yishen Lun (YSL) that exhibit distinct Jewish characteristics. The phrase “yizhong zuo shenghua” (lines 356–358) mirrors the Book of Acts’ theme of “sanctification of the Gentiles,” rooted in the Jewish dichotomous worldview, placing Jews, or Shihu Ren, at the center. The author’s use of this phrase distinguishes him from yizhong ren (Gentiles) and aligns him with Shihu Ren. In lines 256–263, YSL directly attributes messianic declarations to Jesus, a central issue in Jewish accusations of false Messiahship. In contrast, the Gospel accounts avoid making such direct accusations, as Jesus did not openly declare himself the Messiah. This distinction highlights YSL’s closer alignment with Jewish polemical traditions and legal concerns. Additionally, the use of “City of Judah” in lines 345–347 as an archaic designation for Jerusalem, predominantly found in Jewish traditions, contrasts with the more common “City of David” in other biblical texts. A philological analysis of lines 279–281 reveals imagery analogous to the synagogue parochet covering the Ark of the Scrolls. These four Jewish elements complement the one analyzed in the author’s earlier 2024 article, “The Parable of Wise and Foolish Builders in Yishen Lun and Rabbinic Literature.” That study concludes that the parable of wise and foolish builders in lines 146–156 of YSL aligns more closely with Jewish rabbinic traditions than the Gospel version. These new hermeneutical insights should provide interesting and fresh data for ongoing research into YSL. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Religions and Humanities/Philosophies)

12 pages, 278 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Critical Analysis of Cremation Burials Within Some of the South African Tribes: A Contextual Practical Theological View

by Rabson Hove, Magezi Elijah Baloyi and Phalatsi-Shilubana Mmamajoro

Religions 2024, 15(10), 1264; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101264 - 16 Oct 2024

Viewed by 333

Abstract

The colonial erosion of African traditional and cultural practices continues to dislocate the African identity in different ways. The changes and shifts made to burial practices have simply paved a way for the colonial agenda to bring about more Western ways of doing [...] Read more.

The colonial erosion of African traditional and cultural practices continues to dislocate the African identity in different ways. The changes and shifts made to burial practices have simply paved a way for the colonial agenda to bring about more Western ways of doing things, burial rites included. It is important to note that cremation, as another way of burying the dead, is slowly becoming a norm for black people. This paper intends to not only unveil the causes and contestations around cremation burials, but to also seek an African theological response as a way to guide black African culture moving forward. Full article

18 pages, 458 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Can Mindful Politics Be Meaningful Politics? Socially Engaged Buddhism as a Political Project within a Liberal Political Order

by Cory Sukala

Religions 2024, 15(10), 1263; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101263 - 16 Oct 2024

Viewed by 311

Abstract

Throughout the Western political world, and particularly in the United States, contemporary Buddhist political thought has largely become synonymous with the movement of mindful politics, also known as Socially Engaged Buddhism. Focusing primarily on issues of social, economic, and environmental justice, mindful politics [...] Read more.

Throughout the Western political world, and particularly in the United States, contemporary Buddhist political thought has largely become synonymous with the movement of mindful politics, also known as Socially Engaged Buddhism. Focusing primarily on issues of social, economic, and environmental justice, mindful politics has found a natural ally in Western left-wing and progressive movements to the degree that Buddhist political thought in the United States is now seemingly indistinguishable from these Western political positions as a practical matter. While the practical alliance of Socially Engaged Buddhism and progressivism is well established, what is less clear is what the movement of mindful politics brings to this relationship beyond its Buddhist veneer. By basing its political project on the secularization of Buddhist compassion (karuṇā), mindful politics fails in creating a political project which can be compelling to those outside of the confines of Buddhist religious belief and practice. While the mindful politics movement and contemporary liberal progressivism share an overlap in policy commitments, the religious roots of Buddhist mindful politics ultimately preclude it from properly aligning with the pluralistic requirements of the prevailing liberal political order. This article will examine the foundations of Socially Engaged Buddhism and explore the standing of the possibility of Socially Engaged Buddhism as the foundation for a political project within the confines of a liberal political order. Full article

16 pages, 1265 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Changing Muslim World: Energy, Extraction, and the Racialization of Islam in Protestant Missions

by Matthew J. Smith

Religions 2024, 15(10), 1262; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101262 - 16 Oct 2024

Viewed by 390

Abstract

This essay examines the role of Anglo Protestant missions in the Persian Gulf in racializing “the Moslem world” for the emergent white world order at the beginning of the 20th century. More specifically, I consider the way Protestant missionaries extracted knowledge about Islam, [...] Read more.

This essay examines the role of Anglo Protestant missions in the Persian Gulf in racializing “the Moslem world” for the emergent white world order at the beginning of the 20th century. More specifically, I consider the way Protestant missionaries extracted knowledge about Islam, racializing “the Moslem world” as a civilizational “unit” devoid of energetic life—and therefore incompatible with the modern world—even as they simultaneously mediated the rise of oil extraction along the Persian Gulf in that same period. Extraction was not only evident in the material relations of empire, but also in the way Protestant missionary discourse shaped “the Muslim world” into a racial unit in need of management and optimization. I consider two energetic grammars used by Protestant missionaries to signify the changes occurring in “the Moslem World”, namely, Samuel Zwemer’s use of “disintegration” and Basil Mathews use of “ferment”. I argue that it was in these material and discursive entanglements of oil extraction where knowledge about Islam became an important tool of European colonial governance, and where energetic grammars of religion became critical to the biopolitical production and management of racialized Muslim populations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion in Extractive Zones)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 317 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Religion, Extraction, and Just Transition in Appalachia

by Joseph D. Witt

Religions 2024, 15(10), 1261; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101261 - 16 Oct 2024

Viewed by 217

Abstract

This paper employs approaches from religious studies and Appalachian studies to examine the history, influence, and future of a multifaceted ethos of extraction, particularly as it influences the coal industry, in the Appalachian region of the United States. While many studies of extraction [...] Read more.

This paper employs approaches from religious studies and Appalachian studies to examine the history, influence, and future of a multifaceted ethos of extraction, particularly as it influences the coal industry, in the Appalachian region of the United States. While many studies of extraction and the coal industry focus on their economic and political dimensions, by examining a broader ethos of extraction, this paper highlights multiple religious influences, including the entanglements between religious communities and extraction-based industries, the powerful moral narratives that serve to interpret and justify extraction, and the dynamics involved in shaping local identities and perceptions of place that enable this ethos to influence post-coal transition efforts. The result is a broad survey of the influences and impacts of resource extraction in Appalachia that challenges many of the longstanding stereotypes that can still be commonly found deployed about the region. In examining these influences, the paper also describes how academic interpreters have helped to shape popular conceptions of the Appalachian region that ultimately support ongoing extractive practices. Building upon insights from grassroots, anti-extractive activist communities in the region, the paper concludes by suggesting some ways that academics might adopt restorative ethics and practices in their work to address the entanglements between extractive scholarship and exploitation and devise alternative paths for just futures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion in Extractive Zones)

21 pages, 382 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Presocratics on the Origin of Evil

by Viktor Ilievski

Religions 2024, 15(10), 1260; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101260 - 16 Oct 2024

Viewed by 256

Abstract

This paper argues that reflections on evil and its origin formed part of philosophical inquiry already in the times of the Presocratics. It considers only those thinkers whose contribution to the issue may be characterised as noteworthy: Anaximander, the Pythagoreans, Heraclitus, Parmenides, Empedocles, [...] Read more.

This paper argues that reflections on evil and its origin formed part of philosophical inquiry already in the times of the Presocratics. It considers only those thinkers whose contribution to the issue may be characterised as noteworthy: Anaximander, the Pythagoreans, Heraclitus, Parmenides, Empedocles, and the Atomists. It is undeniable that none of the Presocratics presented an articulate theory of evil or a theodicy; therefore, the suggestions presented here are bound to remain conjectural. Still, it is my conviction that their fragments contain significant ideas related to evil’s origins. Insofar as they turned their attention to the problem of evil, the Presocratics displayed the following tendencies: (a) they declined to ascribe the existence of evil to the will of the gods. Instead, (b) the emergence of badness was seen as instigated by the disruption of the primeval harmony (Anaximander), or (c) coeval opposed principles in constant struggle for dominance were posited, one of which was the cause of good, the other of evil (Pythagoreans and Empedocles). (d) Attempts were made to make good’s existence dependent on the existence of evil or to declare the latter illusory (Heraclitus and Parmenides). (e) Emphasis was placed on the moral agents’ personal responsibility for badness (Democritus). Full article

11 pages, 241 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Decolonizing the Academic Study of Science and Religion? Engaging Wynter’s Epistemic Disobedience

by Blessing T. Emmanuel

Religions 2024, 15(10), 1259; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101259 - 16 Oct 2024

Viewed by 315

Abstract

With roots in the early 1960s, decoloniality as a sub-sect of postcolonial studies made successful attempts at redefining and unearthing essentially Western conceptualizations of knowledge and knowledge formation across different fields of endeavor. Many academic disciplines have benefited from decolonial studies’ self-reflective theories [...] Read more.

With roots in the early 1960s, decoloniality as a sub-sect of postcolonial studies made successful attempts at redefining and unearthing essentially Western conceptualizations of knowledge and knowledge formation across different fields of endeavor. Many academic disciplines have benefited from decolonial studies’ self-reflective theories and deconstructive approaches, and religion and science should not be an exception. Within religion and science as an academic field, Western and European intellectual frames have been overwhelmingly presented as definitive of globalized perspectives and knowledge, especially the definition of “religion” and “science” within the academic field. The subtle but evident impact of adopting Western epistemology as ‘the’ definitive reference frame for all peoples and cultures is the transposition of colonial and overtly Eurocentric conceptualizations and definitions of what religion and science mean as perfunctory for what religion and science should mean within non-Western frames as well as a disregard for the latter. This has led to the presentation (or overrepresentation, according to Sylvia Wynter) of a single homogenized perspective for meaning-making and interpretation of topics and themes within the field, a decision which has not only significantly impacted the field, in terms of ongoing dialectics about the relationship between religion and science, but which has also seen the exclusion of other forms of beneficial epistemic reference frames, which have been viewed as subaltern. Drawing from Wynter’s epistemic disobedience, this paper highlights decolonial approaches for engaging in the academic study of science and religion, and which will advance the path towards delinking the field from Euro-Western conceptualizations. This will unravel the rich epistemic formation within non-Western knowledge frames and the inclusion of which will greatly enrich and redefine the academic study of religion and science in the days ahead. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Undisciplining Religion and Science: Science, Religion and Nature)

14 pages, 348 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Εντροπη: Shame and Identity Formation in the Letters of Ignatius of Antioch

by Yi-Sang Patrick Chan

Religions 2024, 15(10), 1258; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101258 - 16 Oct 2024

Viewed by 517

Abstract

Since the 1980s, biblical scholars have started to employ the framework of “honor and shame” to study the culture of the ancient Mediterranean region. However, this application of the social–scientific honor–shame model has led to “massive generalizations of ‘honor’ and ‘shame’”. In particular, [...] Read more.

Since the 1980s, biblical scholars have started to employ the framework of “honor and shame” to study the culture of the ancient Mediterranean region. However, this application of the social–scientific honor–shame model has led to “massive generalizations of ‘honor’ and ‘shame’”. In particular, when focusing on the concept of honor/shame rather than its lexemes, the social–scientific school ignores the nuanced nature of each Greek word group related to shame. By studying classical Greek literature, Douglas Cairns further points out a puzzling situation that the word group αἰδώς contains polarized meanings of both “to shame” and “to respect”. In this paper, we examine the puzzling double meanings of “to shame/to respect” by focusing on the use of the word group ἐντροπή in the letters of Ignatius of Antioch. This paper argues that the word group ἐντροπὴ serves a rhetorical purpose of protecting the church’s identity by rejecting beliefs/customs that are unacceptable to Christianity and promoting unity in the churches through obedience to church authorities. This paper also explores the fundamental epistemological issue of understanding emotion words in its ancient context. It provides a provisional definition for ἐντροπή, that it is a self-inhibitory emotion of sensitivity to one’s proper place in social interaction to protect one’s self-image. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Religions and Theologies)

14 pages, 279 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Morocco’s Distinctive Islam at a Crossroads: The State’s Support for Sufism

by Mouad Faitour

Religions 2024, 15(10), 1257; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101257 - 16 Oct 2024

Viewed by 356

Abstract

In the aftermath of the 2003 Casablanca bombings, the Moroccan state emphasized, through official public discourse, the components that constitute “official Moroccan Islam” to combat extremist ideologies. These religious elements include Mālikism in jurisprudence, Ashʿarism in theology, and the Sufism of Imam Al-Junayd [...] Read more.

In the aftermath of the 2003 Casablanca bombings, the Moroccan state emphasized, through official public discourse, the components that constitute “official Moroccan Islam” to combat extremist ideologies. These religious elements include Mālikism in jurisprudence, Ashʿarism in theology, and the Sufism of Imam Al-Junayd (d. 298/910), all balanced by the pledge of allegiance to King Mohammed VI (a descendant of the Sharifian lineage), the constitutionally designated Commander of the Faithful and sole religious leader. Since the reform policy initiated in 2004, the Moroccan state has constructed a narrative on the distinctiveness of Moroccan Islam—moderate and tolerant—and promoted it among its own citizens and beyond its borders. However, while the Moroccan state claims to have a unique form of Islam, controversial arguments have been raised questioning the nature of the state’s purported Islam. Other criticisms include investigating the state’s endorsement of Sufism and its broader policy of institutionalization. Yet, this article argues that the state supports any form of Islam, not necessarily Sufism, that aligns with its religious and political leadership. Like other Arab and Muslim states, Morocco’s religious policy is impacted by the global context, where Salafism is now perceived as a threat to established worldviews. In addition, this article argues that Morocco’s support for Sufi Islam is based not merely on its perceived political passivity, but because it complements the state’s policies and gains advantages from this support. It concludes that the official narrative of Moroccan Islam, which emphasizes a Sufi-oriented approach to counter extremism, is open to question, particularly given that Salafism was the state’s preferred form of Islam in post-colonial Morocco. This highlights the complex and often conflicting relationship between political actors and religious leaders in shaping Morocco’s religious discourse. Full article

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Religions, Volume 15, Issue 10 (October 2024) – 138 articles

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI