Religions

4 pages, 145 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

“Kierkegaard, Virtues and Vices”: Editorial Introduction

by John Lippitt and C. Stephen Evans

Religions 2024, 15(6), 754; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060754 - 20 Jun 2024

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In recent years, scholars have been divided on what to make of Kierkegaard’s relation to what some have called the virtues tradition [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Kierkegaard, Virtues and Vices)

17 pages, 298 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ways to Get and End Marriage: Relationships between Marriage and Divorce Rituals during the Coronavirus

by Judit Flóra Balatonyi

Religions 2024, 15(6), 753; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060753 - 20 Jun 2024

Viewed by 370

Abstract

During the pandemic, Hungary was the only country in the world where the number of marriages not only decreased but also increased. Parallel to this, in the five years prior to the pandemic there were not as many divorces in Hungary as afterwards. [...] Read more.

During the pandemic, Hungary was the only country in the world where the number of marriages not only decreased but also increased. Parallel to this, in the five years prior to the pandemic there were not as many divorces in Hungary as afterwards. Every year since late socialism, there were at least 10,000 fewer new marriages than marriages ending in divorce or death; a trend that was broken in 2019 when the government introduced new loans for married people at a favorable interest rate, representing a quasi-money injection to support people officially getting married (instead of merely cohabiting). Based on my digital anthropological research, I focus on the complex relationship between getting married and the end-of-marriage rituals. I found that the changes in the meanings of marriage influenced not only getting married but also the eventual end-of-marriage rituals. All these factors, as well as the specific reasons for divorce and separation (e.g., the desire to remarry), are related to the way in which end-of-marriage rituals are scripted and interpreted. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Divorce Rituals: From a Cultural and Religious Perspective)

12 pages, 800 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Thinking about Feelings: The Study of Emotions in the New Testament Writings

by Nils Neumann

Religions 2024, 15(6), 752; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060752 - 20 Jun 2024

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Abstract

Growing attention has been directed towards affects and emotions in the New Testament texts within recent scholarship over the course of the past two decades. Although biblical exegesis of the 20th century suspected psychological interpretations of New Testament texts of being highly subjective [...] Read more.

Growing attention has been directed towards affects and emotions in the New Testament texts within recent scholarship over the course of the past two decades. Although biblical exegesis of the 20th century suspected psychological interpretations of New Testament texts of being highly subjective and hence frail, recent research has developed a number of approaches that allow for addressing the subject in a methodologically controlled way. The aim of the present article is to review important monographs from the field of New Testament emotion research with special attention to their particular focuses and research methods. Despite some degree of overlap between these perspectives, six major areas of scholarly work can be identified: (1) “text psychology” that explains New Testament findings against the backdrop of modern psychological theories; (2) historical psychology that explores ancient notions of the affects; (3) narratology that observes recurring a narrative pattern in ancient descriptions of the affects; (4) rhetorical criticism that traces the rhetorical presentation of affects as well as the capability of rhetorical language to evoke affects in the addressees; (5) philosophy of the body that examines the bodily aspects of psychological dynamics; and finally (6) social history that identifies social functions of collective affects, e.g., in the formation and stabilization of social groups. After introducing each of these approaches briefly, the affect of desire (gr. ἐπιθυμία) will serve as a test case to demonstrate the possibilities and usefulness that the different perspectives offer. This way, it becomes clear that affects are by no means a by-product of theological teaching in the New Testament, but in fact indicators of true relevance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Testament Studies - Current Trends and Criticisms)

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18 pages, 13606 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Linguistic Contributions of Protestant Missionaries in South China: An Overview of Cantonese Religious and Pedagogical Publications (1828–1939)

by Shin Kataoka and Yin Ping Lee

Religions 2024, 15(6), 751; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060751 - 20 Jun 2024

Viewed by 504

Abstract

Robert Morrison 馬禮遜, the first Protestant missionary to China, came to Guangdong as an employee of the East India Company and with the support of the London Missionary Society in 1807. Amongst his path-breaking translation work, he published the first Chinese Bible ( [...] Read more.

Robert Morrison 馬禮遜, the first Protestant missionary to China, came to Guangdong as an employee of the East India Company and with the support of the London Missionary Society in 1807. Amongst his path-breaking translation work, he published the first Chinese Bible (Shen Tian Shengshu 神天聖書) in 1823. As many foreigners in Guangdong could not speak Cantonese, Morrison compiled a three-volume Cantonese learning aid, A Vocabulary of the Canton Dialect (1828), using specifically Cantonese Chinese characters and his Cantonese romanization system. In consequence, missionaries translated Christian literature and the Bible into Cantonese, for they realized that proficiency in Cantonese was essential for proselytization among ordinary people. Over the past twenty years, we have collected and identified around 260 Cantonese works written and translated by Western Protestant missionaries, and these Cantonese writings can be categorized as follows: 1. dictionaries; 2. textbooks; 3. Christian literature; 4. Bibles; and 5. miscellanea. In the study of the Western Protestant missions, their linguistic contribution is relatively under-represented. Through analyzing the phonological, lexical, and grammatical features of early Cantonese expressions in these selected missionary works, we strive to highlight the missionaries’ contributions to the diachronic study of the Cantonese language in modern southern China. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Expressions of Chinese Christianity in Texts and Contexts)

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15 pages, 406 KiB

Open AccessArticle

From Criticism and Rejection to Sino-Western Communication: The Evolution of Zheng Guanying’s Understanding of the Spread of Christianity in China

by Di Li

Religions 2024, 15(6), 750; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060750 - 19 Jun 2024

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Abstract

Zheng Guanying paid close attention to the issue of the spread of Christianity in China since his youth. Over a period of more than three decades, he produced five monographs specifically addressing Christianity, from unequivocally opposing the spread of Christianity in China in [...] Read more.

Zheng Guanying paid close attention to the issue of the spread of Christianity in China since his youth. Over a period of more than three decades, he produced five monographs specifically addressing Christianity, from unequivocally opposing the spread of Christianity in China in the mid-to-late 1870s, to advocating for the adoption of the preaching form of the Christian “gatherings every seven days” to disseminate the village covenants and sacred edicts among the Chinese people in the 1890s. He proposed that the Chinese people should hold the right to spread Christianity. In 1906, he advocated for the establishment of a “common religion” and proposed “one religion for all nations” to eliminate wars around the world. In his later years, he proposed the “Five great wishes” to integrate and govern the various religions of the world with Taoism as the core, attempting to reconstruct global order from the perspective of religious unity. He envisioned the establishment of a sacred Taoist monastery, the dissemination of religious concepts, and the cultivation of talents, which drew on the organizational structure and missionary methods of Christianity, reflecting the thinking and efforts of modern Chinese intellectuals to bridge the Chinese and Western civilizations, seek solutions for modern China, reconcile conflicts between China and the West, and pursue global unity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Interreligious Dialogue: Philosophical Perspectives)

20 pages, 534 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Teaching Asian Religions through the Internet—How Online Representations Interact with Dynamics of Eurocentrism, Orientalism, and Confessionalism in the Case of Italian Teaching of Catholic Religion

by Giovanni Lapis

Religions 2024, 15(6), 749; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060749 - 19 Jun 2024

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Abstract

The religions of South and East Asia resist Eurocentric interpretations, such as the so-called World Religion Paradigm. However, they are subjected in various ways to hetero- and auto-orientalist representations that respond to Western ideals and expectations. This article analyzes how Italian Catholic teachers [...] Read more.

The religions of South and East Asia resist Eurocentric interpretations, such as the so-called World Religion Paradigm. However, they are subjected in various ways to hetero- and auto-orientalist representations that respond to Western ideals and expectations. This article analyzes how Italian Catholic teachers use online representations of East Asian religions in their lessons to teach these traditions. The aim is to shed light on the interplay, facilitated by online environments, between contemporary processes of Eurocentric and Orientalist interpretation and the educational and confessional motivations of confessional religious education teachers. The result of the analysis indicates that these factors concur to reinforce misleading representations, which contradicts the intercultural aims proclaimed by teachers and other Teaching of Catholic Religion stakeholders. Nevertheless, this article also individuates those elements that could be fruitfully framed in an academic study-of-religions perspective and suggests a modality of cooperation between Catholic Religion teachers and scholars of religions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Religions and Health/Psychology/Social Sciences)

16 pages, 11943 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Re-Examination of Pelliot Tibétain 1257: A Workbook for Chinese Learning Tibetan?

by Changchun Pei

Religions 2024, 15(6), 748; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060748 - 19 Jun 2024

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Abstract

Pelliot tibétain 1257, a manuscript discovered in Dunhuang and now housed in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, contains a Bilingual Tibetan–Chinese glossary that compiles some of the most fundamental Buddhist terminology and vocabulary excerpted from the Saṃdhi-nirmocana-sūtra. The Tibetan terms within this [...] Read more.

Pelliot tibétain 1257, a manuscript discovered in Dunhuang and now housed in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, contains a Bilingual Tibetan–Chinese glossary that compiles some of the most fundamental Buddhist terminology and vocabulary excerpted from the Saṃdhi-nirmocana-sūtra. The Tibetan terms within this glossary were initially completed by one person, while the Chinese terms were subsequently filled in by three individuals. This vocabulary list may have served as a workbook prepared by a Tibetan teacher for Chinese students learning Tibetan vocabulary. The workbook, with Chinese vocabulary filled in by Chinese students, remained in their possession and use thereafter. The learning of Tibetan by these Chinese individuals in Dunhuang was likely closely related to the Buddhist sutra-copying project initiated by the Tibetan king at that time. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Localization, Globalization and Glocalization: Paradigm Shifts in the Study of Transmission and Transformation of Buddhism in Asia and Beyond)

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12 pages, 254 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rewriting the Torah: The Response of the Deuteronomists and Returnees to the Disasters

by Shuai Zhang

Religions 2024, 15(6), 747; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060747 - 19 Jun 2024

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Abstract

The Documentary Hypothesis proposed by Julius Wellhausen has sparked discussions for over a century. The core of this debate revolves around the perspective through which the creation of the Torah should be viewed. Previous studies have often neglected the focus on “people”. The [...] Read more.

The Documentary Hypothesis proposed by Julius Wellhausen has sparked discussions for over a century. The core of this debate revolves around the perspective through which the creation of the Torah should be viewed. Previous studies have often neglected the focus on “people”. The Torah was created by individuals and was profoundly influenced by the era in which they lived. In this specific study, instead of concentrating on the texts or historical background, we should focus on the “authors” or “redactors”, exploring how they processed and created the texts under the influence of their times. In Jewish history, the destruction of the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom played a crucial role in the creation of the Torah. After the fall of the Northern Kingdom, the Deuteronomists, reflecting on historical lessons, formulated a set of legal norms for theology and society, which established theological standards for further interpreting and writing ancient Jewish history. Following the destruction of the Southern Kingdom, Diaspora group and Returnees, centered on reflecting on their catastrophes and responding to contemporary crises, further created and integrated texts of ancestral traditions and the Promised Land, embedding the historical memory of ancestors-land for the Jewish people. Full article

13 pages, 326 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Re-Discovery of the Bulletin of Chinese Studies and the Development of Traditional Chinese Studies at Christian Universities in Huaxiba

by Kai Zhang and Nianye Liu

Religions 2024, 15(6), 746; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060746 - 19 Jun 2024

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Abstract

During the Second World War, the integration of science and humanities, as well as the integration of Guoxue (Traditional Chinese Studies) and Western learning, became a central issue in academia in China. With the support of the Harvard–Yenching Institute, Christian universities such as [...] Read more.

During the Second World War, the integration of science and humanities, as well as the integration of Guoxue (Traditional Chinese Studies) and Western learning, became a central issue in academia in China. With the support of the Harvard–Yenching Institute, Christian universities such as Cheeloo University, Ginling College, Nanking University, West China Union University, and Yenching University, which had gathered in Huaxiba in Chengdu during the war, were committed to bridging the gap between science and Guoxue. They founded the “East-West Cultural Studies Society” with the aim of attracting scholars from both domestic and international backgrounds, facilitating dialogue and the convergence of Chinese and Western academic traditions. Pioneering a novel approach that infused traditional Guoxue with scientific inquiry, they established the Bulletin of Chinese Studies, which swiftly rose to a distinguished position within Guoxue research amid the tumultuous wartime milieu. This article endeavors to, within the diverse context of the modern evolution of the origins of and changes in Guoxue research, undertake a comprehensive examination of the objectives and scope of the Bulletin of Chinese Studies through a nuanced perspective that fuses globalization and localization. The overarching goal is to delve into the profound significance of Guoxue research within Christian universities, with a central focus on propelling substantial progress in the potential fusion of Chinese and Western academic disciplines. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reconceptualizing the History of Christianity in Late Qing and Republican China)

11 pages, 205 KiB

Open AccessArticle

University Student’s Perceptions on Interfaith Marriage in Indonesia: Openness, Idealism, and Reality

by Fransiska Widyawati

Religions 2024, 15(6), 745; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060745 - 19 Jun 2024

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Abstract

This study investigates Indonesian students’ viewpoints on interfaith marriages in East Nusa Tenggara. A total of 819 students from 52 universities and colleges participated in the poll, and their answers were improved through focus groups and interviews with various student and non-student groups. [...] Read more.

This study investigates Indonesian students’ viewpoints on interfaith marriages in East Nusa Tenggara. A total of 819 students from 52 universities and colleges participated in the poll, and their answers were improved through focus groups and interviews with various student and non-student groups. The findings show that the students are quite open to interfaith relationships and exhibit reasonable reasoning. Interfaith dating is common in academic environments, which encourage acceptance of interfaith unions. In an effort to foster tolerance, students are advocating for legislative changes that would facilitate interfaith marriages. However, there are several challenges on the path to interfaith marriages. The rigid restrictions of family, culture, and religion that dictate marriage decisions regularly clash with the idealism of students. Decisions about marriage are not just driven by personal preferences, but they are heavily influenced by religious, cultural, familial, and customary norms. Religious differences are still thought to be potential triggers for family conflicts, effects on social status, inheritance issues, and challenges in passing along knowledge to future generations. As a result, many students believe that religious conversion is a better option than interfaith marriage. Students’ views on interfaith dating and marriage may seem idealistic in light of the current social, cultural, religious, and political circumstances. Full article

20 pages, 1994 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church as Religious Other in Contemporary Ethiopia: Discursive Practices of Three Selected Religious Authorities

by Sileshie Semahagne Kumlachew

Religions 2024, 15(6), 744; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060744 - 19 Jun 2024

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Abstract

Through critical discourse analysis of widely circulated and debated video speeches by three selected religious authorities in Ethiopia—representing the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC), Islam, and Protestantism—this paper examines how religious authority and social media complimentarily help to reach geographically and religiously diverse [...] Read more.

Through critical discourse analysis of widely circulated and debated video speeches by three selected religious authorities in Ethiopia—representing the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC), Islam, and Protestantism—this paper examines how religious authority and social media complimentarily help to reach geographically and religiously diverse audiences and to draw politico-religious boundaries. It shows how the politicisation of religion, mainly by a supportive Protestant and calculative Muslim groups, with different intentions, on the one hand and a religiously motivated and repressive government on the other have created a “religious other” (i.e., the EOTC). Perceived discourse of historical marginalisation is used to justify both supportive and calculative tendencies of continued religious repression in the reconstructed new Ethiopia. On the other hand, a struggle for justice to curb this development is religiously justified by the EOTC, which elevates tensions to the level of a holy war against the religious other. Full article

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12 pages, 325 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Neither Eastern nor Western: Jia Yuming’s Support of Independent Churches in the Anti-Christian Movement

by Junhui Qin

Religions 2024, 15(6), 743; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060743 - 19 Jun 2024

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Abstract

The Chinese Christian church was accused of colluding with Western imperialism, and this led to the anti-Christian movement. The Chinese church responded by accelerating a movement of church independence. Discussions of this movement have often been incorporated into a discourse of aggression and [...] Read more.

The Chinese Christian church was accused of colluding with Western imperialism, and this led to the anti-Christian movement. The Chinese church responded by accelerating a movement of church independence. Discussions of this movement have often been incorporated into a discourse of aggression and resistance between East and West. Such discussions obscure the differences between individuals and the plurality of thought in the Chinese church. Based on the textual analysis of his writings, the article aims to reveal previously overlooked details within Jia Yuming’s justification of the independence movement by. On the one hand, Jia responded to nationalism by pointing out the ethnic and national identities and obligations of Christians. On the other hand, he avoided conflict with the Western missions in the process of independence, thus taking the church’s independence out of the context of East–West confrontation. Finally, he reconciled the conflict between national identity and the Western image with the ecumenical values of Christ and the Christian reformation of society, unifying both sides with ultimate spirituality. His justification draws attention to an attuned theological path of thought in the process of indigenization of the Chinese church. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Expressions of Chinese Christianity in Texts and Contexts)

11 pages, 277 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multilayered Faith and Interreligious Dialogue: A Case of Religious Hybridity in Korea and Its Implications for Formation

by Joung Chul Lee

Religions 2024, 15(6), 742; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060742 - 18 Jun 2024

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Abstract

Comprehending and discussing Koreans’ experiences of inter-religious dialogue requires a precise understanding of their religious hybridity. To this end, this article first delves into South Korea’s multireligious and syncretic landscape. Subsequently, it focuses on the concept of chungch’ŭng-sinang, or multilayered faith, highlighting [...] Read more.

Comprehending and discussing Koreans’ experiences of inter-religious dialogue requires a precise understanding of their religious hybridity. To this end, this article first delves into South Korea’s multireligious and syncretic landscape. Subsequently, it focuses on the concept of chungch’ŭng-sinang, or multilayered faith, highlighting how Koreans have constructed their own religiously multilayered and open internal structures based on their historical encounters with various religions. Finally, building on this understanding, this article examines how an in-depth understanding of Korean religious hybridity transforms our understanding of their experiences in inter-religious dialogue. Acknowledging their hybridity facilitates an understanding of experiences that go beyond mere acquisition of knowledge about others and a deepening sense of their identities—involving the discovery of internal otherness. While this approach may weaken the logic of religion, it can foster dialogue that is more liberating, formative, and humanizing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Religions and Theologies)

16 pages, 18072 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Medieval Holy Sepulchre Chapels: Experience and Memory of Jerusalem

by Cecily Hennessy

Religions 2024, 15(6), 741; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060741 - 18 Jun 2024

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Abstract

This paper explores the rituals enacted in or connected with two medieval churches, one walrus ivory cross and a central topic of medieval devotion, Christ’s passion. During Easter Week these memorialised the site in Jerusalem dedicated to the burial of Christ, the holiest [...] Read more.

This paper explores the rituals enacted in or connected with two medieval churches, one walrus ivory cross and a central topic of medieval devotion, Christ’s passion. During Easter Week these memorialised the site in Jerusalem dedicated to the burial of Christ, the holiest place in Christendom. It focuses on the physical elements, the spaces, the paintings and sculpture, the ceremonial objects and relics and the performative nature of rituals associated with them. The Regularis Concordia, composed in Winchester at the end of the 10th century for the use of Benedictine monasteries included sung liturgical enactments based on the gospel accounts of Christ’s burial and resurrection. At the same time, in Saxony, the Abbey at Gernrode was founded for the use of women, secular canonesses, with a space in the south aisle that seems to have represented Christ’s place of burial and was later incorporated into two chambers evoking the Holy Sepulchre Chapel in Jerusalem. In the 12th century in Winchester Cathedral, a Holy Sepulchre Chapel was decorated with wall paintings depicting Christ’s death and resurrection. Around this time, the walrus ivory cross known as the Cloisters Cross was created and appears to have been designed for use in the increasingly elaborate liturgical enactments. The paintings at Winchester Cathedral, the sculpture at Gernrode and the Cloisters Cross each evidence the significance of evoking Christ’s passion and how liturgical space and objects served to bring it to life. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Devotion Practice and Performative Expression in the Religious Art of Medieval Europe)

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12 pages, 2428 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ngytarma and Ngamteru: Concepts of the Dead and (Non)Interactions with Them in Northern Siberia

by Olga B. Khristoforova

Religions 2024, 15(6), 740; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060740 - 18 Jun 2024

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Abstract

This article examines some features of the mythological beliefs and funeral rites of Siberia’s two related Uralic peoples—the Nenets and the Nganasans. The afterlife fate in the mythology of Nenets and Nganasans is similar—the souls of the dead go to the Lower World, [...] Read more.

This article examines some features of the mythological beliefs and funeral rites of Siberia’s two related Uralic peoples—the Nenets and the Nganasans. The afterlife fate in the mythology of Nenets and Nganasans is similar—the souls of the dead go to the Lower World, where they continue to live as they lived on Earth. However, the two cultures’ attitudes towards the dead have intriguing differences. A comparison of Nenets and Nganasan beliefs and rituals reveals significant correspondences between the ideas about the benevolence of the dead (the Nenets) or their harmfulness (the Nganasans), on the one hand, and the presence of the practices of substitutional incarnation (images of the dead) (the Nenets) or the absence of such images (the Nganasans) on the other. The differences between the Nenets and the Nganasans, as I suggest, are due to the origin and history of the peoples: the Nenets’ customs reflect the traditions of the Uralic tribes who came to the far north from Southern Siberia in ancient times. At the same time, the Nganasans’ ideas are probably rooted in typical concepts of the Palaeo-Siberian population assimilated by the Uralic tribes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Communication with the Dead)

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15 pages, 245 KiB

Open AccessArticle

God, Philosophers and Theologians in Africa

by Patrick O. Aleke

Religions 2024, 15(6), 739; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060739 - 18 Jun 2024

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Abstract

There is renewed interest in philosophical and theological investigations about God, religions and the implications of religious beliefs among philosophers and theologians in Africa. This development is itself profitable because the question or the problem of God is a relevant discourse in Africa [...] Read more.

There is renewed interest in philosophical and theological investigations about God, religions and the implications of religious beliefs among philosophers and theologians in Africa. This development is itself profitable because the question or the problem of God is a relevant discourse in Africa where the majority of people are theists. However, unlike the exploration of the first-generation African scholars—philosophers and theologians—whose primary objective was to show the symmetry between Christianity and African Traditional Religions (ATR), contemporary discourses arise within the clamour for decoloniality. The investigations, with varied emphasis, advocate the decolonisation of the concept of God, epistemic decolonisation, decolonisation of Christianity and African Christian theology, etc. In this essay, I critically examine the contemporary decolonial discourse about God, divine attributes, religious belief, and the relationship between African Christian theology and ATR. I argue that most of the contemporary literature is entangled in conceptual convolution and as such, there is a lack of clarity about what needs to be decolonised. Put differently, most works do not clearly distinguish between reality (the person or phenomenon “God”), thought (the concept “God”), and conceptions of God (language, that is, the terms and images used in making assertions about God). Further, I argue that when conceptual clarifications are adequately attended to, there is no need for decolonisation of discourses about God, divine nature, divine attributes, and the relationship between Christianity and ATR. Full article

25 pages, 409 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fulfillment, Salvation, and Mission: The Neo-Conservative Catholic Theology of Jewish–Christian Relations after Nostra Aetate

by Yitzhak Mor

Religions 2024, 15(6), 738; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060738 - 18 Jun 2024

Viewed by 388

Abstract

The neo-conservative Catholic movement, led by prominent figures like Richard John Neuhaus and Michael Novak, played a significant role in shaping Jewish–Christian relations in the United States following the Second Vatican Council. This article analyzes their theological understanding of Jews and Judaism, which [...] Read more.

The neo-conservative Catholic movement, led by prominent figures like Richard John Neuhaus and Michael Novak, played a significant role in shaping Jewish–Christian relations in the United States following the Second Vatican Council. This article analyzes their theological understanding of Jews and Judaism, which combined an adoption of the Council’s conciliatory rhetoric with a relatively narrow interpretation of its teachings. By examining their views on key concepts such as “fulfillment”, salvation, and mission, the article highlights the complexities and tensions within the neo-conservative Catholic approach to interfaith dialogue and its relation to their broader goal of promoting religion in the American public sphere. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Post-Holocaust Theologies of Jews and Judaism)

17 pages, 3290 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Deciphering the Interaction between Daoism and Buddhism in the Wei-Jin Period Tale of “The Golden Pot of Futi”

by Jingxuan Wang

Religions 2024, 15(6), 737; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060737 - 17 Jun 2024

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Abstract

The story of Futijinhu 浮提金壺 (“Golden Pot of Futi”) in Shiyiji 拾遺記 (Record of Gleanings), whose authorship is traditionally attributed to Wang Jia (王嘉) from the Eastern Jin Dynasty, appears to be a Daoist rendition at first glance, reimagining the legend of Laozi’s [...] Read more.

The story of Futijinhu 浮提金壺 (“Golden Pot of Futi”) in Shiyiji 拾遺記 (Record of Gleanings), whose authorship is traditionally attributed to Wang Jia (王嘉) from the Eastern Jin Dynasty, appears to be a Daoist rendition at first glance, reimagining the legend of Laozi’s Daodejing. However, upon closer examination of the depiction of “Golden Pot of Futi”, the characters with “Shentong Shanshu” (神通善書, supranormal cognition and exceptional writing ability) and the narrative of writing and its outcomes, it becomes evident that this tale harbors a multifaceted Buddhist essence. In the tale, one can observe the changes and diversity in the early methods of translating Buddhist scriptures into Chinese, the references and adaptations of Buddhist imagery and narratives by Daoists, the understanding and imagination of materials used for writing Buddhist scriptures and early iconographic forms, and even the author’s insights and responses to the evolving religious landscape of their era. When placed in a broader historical context, exploring the Buddhist elements in this tale further aids in understanding the dynamic interactions between Buddhism and Daoism during the Wei and Jin periods. Full article

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

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12 pages, 260 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Plea to Thomists: Will the Real Darwinian Please Stand Up? On Some Recent Defenses of the Fifth Way

by Amerigo Barzaghi

Religions 2024, 15(6), 736; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060736 - 17 Jun 2024

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Abstract

In this paper, we discuss with some contemporary Thomists the possibility of re-actualizing Thomas’s fifth way to God in the science–theology dialogue. We start with a reference to Spinoza’s critique of teleology in light of some recent Spinoza studies, and after summarizing several [...] Read more.

In this paper, we discuss with some contemporary Thomists the possibility of re-actualizing Thomas’s fifth way to God in the science–theology dialogue. We start with a reference to Spinoza’s critique of teleology in light of some recent Spinoza studies, and after summarizing several Thomistic defenses of Aquinas’s teleological argument, we interpret that critique as targeting the fifth way as well. We then focus on Darwin’s impact on biological design arguments. We argue that his naturalistic explanation of biological teleology also affects the fifth way. The distinction between internal-Aristotelian and external-Platonic conceptions of teleology does not seem to be able to protect the teleological argument from a Darwinian critique. We conclude by stressing the importance and fruitfulness of Thomas’s thought for contemporary interdisciplinary dialogue, provided that Darwin’s impact on the biological version of the fifth way is taken into due account. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquinas and the Sciences: Exploring the Past, Present, and Future)

24 pages, 405 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Whoever I Am: On the Quality of Life

by Nicola Masciandaro

Religions 2024, 15(6), 735; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060735 - 17 Jun 2024

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Abstract

What is the relation between quantification and the mysterious question of identity? What order of quality is proper to the inexplicable fact that one is oneself? Starting with an examination of the ontological blind spots of counting, this essay investigates the priority of [...] Read more.

What is the relation between quantification and the mysterious question of identity? What order of quality is proper to the inexplicable fact that one is oneself? Starting with an examination of the ontological blind spots of counting, this essay investigates the priority of quality over quantity, in connection with the spiritual nature of life understood as the spontaneous and infinitely evolving question of itself. It argues, in face of the forces of quantophrenia and numerocracy, for the importance of recognizing the essentially serial and apophatic structure of identity, the existential sense that all entities are the living question of themselves. As such, no individual may be considered as merely a part of reality. Each is, no less, the totality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Minds as Creaturely and Divine)

15 pages, 3602 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Defending the “Backward Civilization”: The Resurrection of a Forgotten 17th Century Text in 20th Century Intellectual Discourse on Islam

by Mahmut Cihat İzgi and Enes Ensar Erbay

Religions 2024, 15(6), 734; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060734 - 16 Jun 2024

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Abstract

It is an irony of history that since texts transcend the intentions and purposes of their authors, their meaning and significance are often contested anew as they enter new historical contexts; even historical texts are thus subject to reading and criticism over time. [...] Read more.

It is an irony of history that since texts transcend the intentions and purposes of their authors, their meaning and significance are often contested anew as they enter new historical contexts; even historical texts are thus subject to reading and criticism over time. This article discusses the posthumous fate of Henry Stubbe’s own text on Islamic history, The Rise and Progress of Mahometanism—seen by some to represent a Copernican revolution in the study of Islam. The fate of this work is a clear example of the critical contingencies and fluctuating fortunes experienced by a corpus of texts. The continuing existence of a text as an object open to reconfiguration and re-evaluation is termed its after-history (Nachgeschichte) or afterlife (Nachleben). This notion of the afterlife of an object as a period of critical appreciation and political appropriation aptly defines the fate and fame of The Rise and Progress of Mahometanism. The present study seeks to explore the narrative surrounding a publication authored by Stubbe in the 17th century and finally published by Hafiz Mahmud Khan Shairani, with the critical support of Ottoman intellectual Halil Halid Bey, nearly two centuries later. Its objective is to investigate how the life and contributions of a figure whose work has transcended generations was resurrected within the political backdrop of the 20th century, as evidenced in the columns of Ottoman newspapers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Islam and the West)

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10 pages, 414 KiB

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Mindful Encounters: A Buddhist Revisitation of Daniel J. Siegel’s Mind Definition

by Chien-Te Lin

Religions 2024, 15(6), 733; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060733 - 15 Jun 2024

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Abstract

The mind holds crucial significance in Buddhism that encompasses a distinct understanding. While Daniel Siegel defines the “mind” as an embodied and relational process responsible for regulating energy and information flow, this article evaluates it from the Buddhist perspective. Here, I conduct a [...] Read more.

The mind holds crucial significance in Buddhism that encompasses a distinct understanding. While Daniel Siegel defines the “mind” as an embodied and relational process responsible for regulating energy and information flow, this article evaluates it from the Buddhist perspective. Here, I conduct a succinct analysis of this definition, suggesting potential modifications from a Buddhist perspective. Though Buddhism may recognize the mind’s role in regulating the flow of energy and information during dynamic interactions between individuals and their natural and social surroundings, as proposed by Siegel, it also acknowledges the intricate process of forming karmic imprints. Within this framework, I propose revisiting Siegel’s definition through the lens of Buddhist karma theory and steering towards a middle way of comprehending our mind, concluding that this revision not only enhances completeness but also practicality for mindfulness exercises. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Buddhist Psychology: An Interdisciplinary Exploration of Buddhist Theories of Mind)

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30 pages, 10155 KiB

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“The Gates of Eternal Life”: Metamorphosis and Performativity in Middle to Late Byzantine Sculpted Church Doors (with a Case Study of a Wallachian Wooden Door)

by Elisabeta Negrău

Religions 2024, 15(6), 732; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060732 - 15 Jun 2024

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Abstract

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in analyzing the manufacturing techniques of Byzantine church doors in laboratory settings. However, the connection between the iconography and significance of the décor of church doors and their liturgical performativity, as well as their [...] Read more.

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in analyzing the manufacturing techniques of Byzantine church doors in laboratory settings. However, the connection between the iconography and significance of the décor of church doors and their liturgical performativity, as well as their parallels with iconostases in Byzantium, remained a relatively underexplored area of study. This article seeks to delve deeper into these intersections. By focusing on the relationship between the iconography of church doors in Middle to Late Byzantium and their connection to the sacred space and liturgical practices, I aim to shed light on how these artworks played a crucial role in the sacred experience of the Byzantines. This exploration will not highlight only the aesthetic evolution of church door artwork but also emphasize the communal and embodied nature of the religious experience during the Byzantine era. Their intricate designs were not merely decorative elements but served as portals to the divine, enriching the salvation journey of worshippers as they crossed the threshold into the liturgical spaces. By conducting an examination of the development of door iconography and their symbolism throughout the empire’s history, the transformation of narrative depictions from the Middle Byzantine era to the Palaiologan period, culminating in a convergence of symbolic meanings within the sacred space of the church, is delineated. This transformation is further exemplified by a sculpted church door from the Principality of Wallachia. By bridging the gap between art history and religious studies, this article aims to rekindle interest in the profound symbolism and significance of Byzantine church doors and their relation to sacred liturgical space, offering a broader perspective on an important aspect of Byzantine heritage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Devotion Practice and Performative Expression in the Religious Art of Medieval Europe)

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15 pages, 257 KiB

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Barth’s “Alternative” Follower: Stanley Hauerwas and the Traditions of 20th-Century North American Theology and Ethics

by Renzhong Cui and Siyi Han

Religions 2024, 15(6), 731; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060731 - 14 Jun 2024

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Abstract

This paper explores Stanley Hauerwas’s unique perspective on the traditions of 20th-century North American theology and ethics, particularly his similarity to Karl Barth in viewing theology and ethics as inseparable. Although deeply influenced by Barth, Hauerwas defends this view in the American context [...] Read more.

This paper explores Stanley Hauerwas’s unique perspective on the traditions of 20th-century North American theology and ethics, particularly his similarity to Karl Barth in viewing theology and ethics as inseparable. Although deeply influenced by Barth, Hauerwas defends this view in the American context in a manner distinct from Barth‘s theological approach. Additionally, Hauerwas critiques Barth’s ecclesiology, which leads him to attempt to transcend some limitations of Barthian theology by developing a theological ethics “system” that emphasizes the practicality of the church. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Issues in Christian Ethics)

18 pages, 286 KiB

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Mashhadis and Immigration: Redemptive Narratives and Practical Challenges

by Hilda Nissimi

Religions 2024, 15(6), 730; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060730 - 14 Jun 2024

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Abstract

This paper analyzes redemptive narratives constructed by Mashhadi Jewish immigrants through oral histories, memoirs, and life stories collected across generations. It examines how conceptions of religion, community, and family shaped their meaning-making around migration challenges. The first case study examines Malka Aharonoff’s lamentation [...] Read more.

This paper analyzes redemptive narratives constructed by Mashhadi Jewish immigrants through oral histories, memoirs, and life stories collected across generations. It examines how conceptions of religion, community, and family shaped their meaning-making around migration challenges. The first case study examines Malka Aharonoff’s lamentation reconstructed from religious redemption across generations into a Zionist narrative. The second analyzes Esther Amini’s published memoir, which reconciles her story with that of her immigrant parents through narrative, demonstrating its role across generations with gender as the focal point. The later cases of Aharon Namdar and Mehran Bassal present individual oral histories, capturing major migration waves from Iran, playing out the differing import and expression given to Zionism and to religion by different immigrants. The study explores how selective appropriation and cultural translation occurred between generations. It sheds light on ideological and cultural frameworks underlying immigrant perspective. By comparing narratives emphasizing collective redemption versus individual experiences, it offers insights into identity formation and the role of memory in immigrant communities dispersing over time. By demonstrating narrative’s therapeutic role in processing dislocation across generations, the study sheds light on cultural transmission and identity formation within dispersed immigrant communities. It offers a fresh perspective on their migration experiences. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion and Immigration)

11 pages, 236 KiB

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“Relief of Man’s Estate”: The Theological Origins of the Modern Biomedical Project

by Todd T. W. Daly

Religions 2024, 15(6), 729; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060729 - 14 Jun 2024

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Abstract

In recent years, medicine has been increasingly described as “Baconian”, in reference to the scientific methodology laid out by Francis Bacon (1561–1626), who, in criticizing Aristotle’s natural philosophy, called for cultivating useful knowledge in order to eradicate disease and extend human life by [...] Read more.

In recent years, medicine has been increasingly described as “Baconian”, in reference to the scientific methodology laid out by Francis Bacon (1561–1626), who, in criticizing Aristotle’s natural philosophy, called for cultivating useful knowledge in order to eradicate disease and extend human life by attenuating aging. Contemporary medicine is often described as “Baconian” insofar as it is devoted to the relief of suffering and the expansion of choice. These two features continue to exert pressure on medicine to expand understandings of both suffering and wellness. Recent attempts to reclassify human aging as a disease, for instance, bear witness to the Baconian impulse. In this article, I discuss and critique the religious origins of Bacon’s call for a new kind of practical rationality in service of improving humanity, showing that they were deeply theological and considerably informed by events recorded in the biblical book of Genesis. I will also argue that the theological nature of Bacon’s program, while theocentric in nature, suffers from inattention to Christology, which challenges Bacon’s theology and the Baconian Project. Attending to Christological concerns modifies Bacon’s approach to bioethics, which recognizes both the fallenness of creation and the power of medicine to address the human condition, especially human aging. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Theology and Science: Loving Science, Discovering the Divine)

14 pages, 329 KiB

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Transitions in Patristic Cosmology: From Cosmophobia to Universe-(Re)Making

by Doru Costache

Religions 2024, 15(6), 728; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060728 - 14 Jun 2024

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Abstract

The field of Patristics, or early Christian and Mediaeval Studies, traditionally works along the lines of historical and literary criticism. But this method is not always useful, especially when it comes to complex objects and circumstances. No wonder the current trend of replacing [...] Read more.

The field of Patristics, or early Christian and Mediaeval Studies, traditionally works along the lines of historical and literary criticism. But this method is not always useful, especially when it comes to complex objects and circumstances. No wonder the current trend of replacing it, more often than not, by interdisciplinary frameworks. The article begins accordingly by reviewing three interdisciplinary frameworks, namely, the “socio-historical method”, “Deep Time”, and archaeological theorist Roland Fletcher’s “transitions”, highlighting their suitability for a comprehensive approach to Patristic cosmology. Here, cosmology should not be taken in the narrow sense of contemporary science. It means both a way of representing reality—a worldview—and a way of inhabiting the world. The present article analyses the evolution of the early Christian and mediaeval perception of the environment and the cosmos in Greek sources, pointing to successive transitions from apprehension (cosmophobia) to a keen interest in understanding nature to the thought that holiness represents a universe-(re)making agency. It addresses relevant historical and social circumstances, but proposes that the above transitions were triggered by internal or existential factors as well, and not only external, thus complementing Fletcher’s outline, which focuses upon external catalysts, such as economy and technology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Patristics: Essays from Australia)

16 pages, 418 KiB

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Theōria as Cure for Impiety and Atheism in Plato’s Laws and Clement of Alexandria

by Eva Anagnostou-Laoutides

Religions 2024, 15(6), 727; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060727 - 14 Jun 2024

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Abstract

The article examines the impact of Plato’s views on atheism and impiety, relayed in the Laws, on Clement of Alexandria. Clement employed the adjectives godless (atheos) and impious (asebēs) often in his writings as accusations against pagan philosophers [...] Read more.

The article examines the impact of Plato’s views on atheism and impiety, relayed in the Laws, on Clement of Alexandria. Clement employed the adjectives godless (atheos) and impious (asebēs) often in his writings as accusations against pagan philosophers and/or heretics, but also in his defence of Christians against the very charge of atheism on account of their rejection of pagan gods (Stromata 7.1; cf. Tertullian’s Apologia 10). I argue that Clement, perceptive of Plato’s defence of philosophical contemplation (theōria) and its civic benefits in the Laws, reworked the latter’s association of disbelief with excessive confidence in fleshly pleasures (Leges 888A) in tandem with his stipulation of virtue as the civic goal of his ideal colonists of Magnesia who ought to attune to the divine principles of the cosmos. Thus, Clement promoted the concept of citizenship in the Heavenly kingdom, secured through contemplation and its ensuing impassibility. For Plato and Clement, atheism was the opposite of genuine engagement with divine truth and had no place in the ideal state. Although Clement associated the Church with peace, his views were adapted by Firmicus Maternus to sanction violent rhetoric against the pagans in the fourth century when Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Patristics: Essays from Australia)

21 pages, 1367 KiB

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Religious and Spiritual Diversity in Multiple Modernities: A Decolonial Perspective Focusing on Peripheral Religious Expressions

by Cristián Parker

Religions 2024, 15(6), 726; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060726 - 14 Jun 2024

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Abstract

This paper challenges the World Religion Paradigm (WRP) dominating religious studies, advocating for a decolonial approach that focuses on diverse and often marginalized religious expressions. The approach that prioritizes world religions over the rich diversity of religious expressions in multiple modernities turns out [...] Read more.

This paper challenges the World Religion Paradigm (WRP) dominating religious studies, advocating for a decolonial approach that focuses on diverse and often marginalized religious expressions. The approach that prioritizes world religions over the rich diversity of religious expressions in multiple modernities turns out to be insufficient and biased. Through theoretical research, this paper explores the implications of multiple modernities for the religious landscape. Drawing on Eisenstadt’s theory of multiple modernities, the analysis critiques linear notions of modernization and secularization, and it highlights the complex interplay between religious centers and peripheries. It develops a critical examination of how the theory of the Axial Age, by prioritizing elites and centers in the historical genesis of world religions, generates a preconception that overlooks the religious and spiritual productivity of the peripheries, which persists within current interpretative frameworks. To emphasize the dynamic between center and periphery as a key factor in understanding religious diversity, the text proposes some theoretical theses. By embracing a diversity paradigm and decolonizing frameworks, this paper offers a more inclusive understanding of religious phenomena, contributing to a broader discourse on religion and spirituality beyond Eurocentric perspectives. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Religions in Multiple Modern Societies: The Global South)

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10 pages, 198 KiB

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Secular Religiosity: Heretical Imperative, Jewish Imponderables

by Paul Robert Mendes-Flohr

Religions 2024, 15(6), 725; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060725 - 13 Jun 2024

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Abstract

The article develops a concept of “secular religiosity” to characterize “post-traditional” Jewish affiliation as an individual and private matter, which the sociologist Peter Berger casts as a “heretical imperative” to make autonomous, individual choices. The waning of the heteronomous authority of rabbinic Judaism, [...] Read more.

The article develops a concept of “secular religiosity” to characterize “post-traditional” Jewish affiliation as an individual and private matter, which the sociologist Peter Berger casts as a “heretical imperative” to make autonomous, individual choices. The waning of the heteronomous authority of rabbinic Judaism, yielded theological and hermeneutic strategies to address the “secular religiosity” of individuals who sought to affirm distinctive Jewish spiritual and devotional practices. The article concludes by adumbrating two contrasting paradigmatic strategies exemplified by Franz Rosenzweig and Martin Buber respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heretical Religiosity)

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Religions, Volume 15, Issue 6 (June 2024) – 125 articles

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