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Religions, Volume 15, Issue 7 (July 2024) – 40 articles

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31 pages, 458 KiB  
Article
What Kind of God Does Buber’s “I-Thou” Offer to the World: An Introduction to Buber’s Religious Thought
by Admiel Kosman
Religions 2024, 15(7), 794; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070794 (registering DOI) - 29 Jun 2024
Abstract
This article has three main goals: (1) To explain in a clear and comprehensible way the difficult basic-word “I-Thou”, which is the basis of Buber’s concept of dialogue, and in fact is the core of his entire teaching (even though it eventually spread [...] Read more.
This article has three main goals: (1) To explain in a clear and comprehensible way the difficult basic-word “I-Thou”, which is the basis of Buber’s concept of dialogue, and in fact is the core of his entire teaching (even though it eventually spread over many fields). My main argument in this article is that “I-Thou” is not the “dialogue” that is often spoken of in the name of Buber (not only on the popular level but also in academic circles, and even commonly among those who deal directly with Buber’s teaching) but, rather, that “I-Thou” is a pointing-toward-word—pointing the way for the one whose heart is willing to direct his life to the path of devotion to God—a life whose practical meaning according to Buber is the effort to make room for the presence of the divine (“Shekhinah”) within the stream of earthly normal life, the flow of physical, instinctive life, the flow of life as they are, within “This-World” as it is. (2) This article attempts to follow the sources in Buber’s writings to clearly explain Buber’s faith (which Buber saw as the core of the movement of Hasidism that preceded him). Who is the God that Buber clings to? Why did Buber try to replace the common appellation “God” with a new term of his own: “The Eternal Thou”? (3) It aims to show how the researchers who tried to present Buber as a social or political thinker and removed from his teaching the centrality of his faith entirely distorted his teaching and displaced from it the core of the foundation on which all of Buber’s teaching rests. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Theism in the Language of Humanism: Reincarnations of the Transcendent God in the Secular Subject)
16 pages, 5774 KiB  
Article
Christian Perfection in Basilian Monastic Hospitals from the Fourth to Sixth Centuries
by Sung Hyun Nam
Religions 2024, 15(7), 793; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070793 (registering DOI) - 29 Jun 2024
Abstract
The purpose of Byzantine hospitals—whether primarily curative facilities or caring hospices—has long intrigued scholars. This paper proposes a third perspective on Byzantine hospitals, suggesting that the Basilian monastic hospitals of the fourth to sixth centuries were not merely philanthropic facilities for the sick [...] Read more.
The purpose of Byzantine hospitals—whether primarily curative facilities or caring hospices—has long intrigued scholars. This paper proposes a third perspective on Byzantine hospitals, suggesting that the Basilian monastic hospitals of the fourth to sixth centuries were not merely philanthropic facilities for the sick and destitute but also centers for ascetics’ spiritual growth. Basil of Caesarea incorporated charitable actions by ascetics as essential to achieving Christian perfection within the coenobitic community, developing a theology of compassion that advocated for the purification of harmful passions like anger and pride through the virtue of compassion. In the fifth and sixth centuries, Theodosius the Cenobiarch, who founded a coenobium and hospitals in the Judean Desert, upheld Basil’s idea of the purification of the soul through compassion for the sick. Additionally, the nosokomeion (hospital) of the sixth-century Monastery of Seridos in Gaza emphasized the healing of spiritual diseases through compassion for the sick, as reflected in various epistles. Thus, Basil of Caesarea’s theology of compassion in pursuit of Christian perfection was a foundational element in the emergence and development of hospital spirituality in Christian Late Antiquity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Early Church Fathers: Their Contributions and Legacy in Christian Thought)
31 pages, 390 KiB  
Article
From Medieval Religious Pageantry to Contemporary Social Messaging: The Medieval Cycle Plays in Honduras’ Teatro La Fragua
by Elena M. De Costa
Religions 2024, 15(7), 792; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070792 (registering DOI) - 29 Jun 2024
Abstract
Using medieval religious drama as a model, Honduras’ Teatro La Fragua has developed a Gospel dramatization program that both reflects the practices of medieval theater in style and expresses the issues of a modern-day world in message. Their vernacular cycle plays are performed [...] Read more.
Using medieval religious drama as a model, Honduras’ Teatro La Fragua has developed a Gospel dramatization program that both reflects the practices of medieval theater in style and expresses the issues of a modern-day world in message. Their vernacular cycle plays are performed in public spaces by local people, written by and for the community, and staged in the streets and public spaces for ordinary people in both urban and remote rural areas. Medieval vernacular drama thus maintains an enduring stylistic presence in a modern-day counterpart as it underscores the Gospel’s message of inclusion, equity, and diversity while incorporating elements of agency and native culture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religions in Ritual, Spectacle, and Drama in the Medieval & Early Modern World)
9 pages, 253 KiB  
Article
Religious and Spiritual Communities Must Adapt or Die: Surviving and Thriving during Challenging Contemporary Times
by Thomas G. Plante
Religions 2024, 15(7), 791; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070791 (registering DOI) - 28 Jun 2024
Viewed by 74
Abstract
Current trends within both religious and secular communities suggest that contemporary times mean that people spend more time alone than with others. Community engagement in general has been declining, while religious and spiritual community engagement in particular has dropped off significantly in recent [...] Read more.
Current trends within both religious and secular communities suggest that contemporary times mean that people spend more time alone than with others. Community engagement in general has been declining, while religious and spiritual community engagement in particular has dropped off significantly in recent decades, and most especially following the COVID-19 global pandemic. Although humans are social beings and benefit from community engagement, we tend to avoid or minimize our affiliations and associations, including our religious and spiritual ones today. Religious and spiritual communities must adapt to changing times or risk becoming irrelevant, diminishing further, and losing their sustainability to continue with their activities and services. Religious communities might wish to consider the best state-of-the-art evidence-based practices to engage their members, as well as appeal to those who might be interested in joining with them. There are many mental and physical health benefits to active engagement with spiritual religious practices and communities. The world could use more rather than less community engagement, including religious and spiritual engagement, during our challenging contemporary times. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spirituality for Community in a Time of Fragmentation)
15 pages, 258 KiB  
Article
Early Biblical Fundamentalism’s Xenophobic Rejection of the Subject in European Philosophy: How Rejecting the Knowing Subject Formed Fundamentalism’s Way of Thinking
by Matthew C. Ogilvie
Religions 2024, 15(7), 790; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070790 (registering DOI) - 28 Jun 2024
Viewed by 104
Abstract
This article is part of a wider project that addresses gaps in the scholarly knowledge of the philosophical and theological foundations of the Biblical Fundamentalism that originated in North America. Through exploring the relevant literature, including primary sources from within Fundamentalism, the article [...] Read more.
This article is part of a wider project that addresses gaps in the scholarly knowledge of the philosophical and theological foundations of the Biblical Fundamentalism that originated in North America. Through exploring the relevant literature, including primary sources from within Fundamentalism, the article examines the anti-European sentiment in early Fundamentalism and how this sentiment led to a rejection of philosophical values associated with Europe, especially with Germany. The article will show that anti-European, especially anti-German, sentiment bolstered Fundamentalism’s rejection of subjectivity in thinking, and even its rejection of human subjects themselves. In the place of subjectivity associated with European philosophy, Fundamentalism embraced an extreme objectivity that claimed the heritage of Reid and Bacon but eliminated subjectivity from the Fundamentalist horizon. This article thus shows how Fundamentalism radically opposes God and human beings, and faith and philosophy, with the resulting way of thinking that can be characterised as “naïve realism”, an approach to thinking that excludes the active thinking subject and does not allow for critical judgement or personal understanding. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Continental Philosophy and Christian Beliefs)
17 pages, 304 KiB  
Article
Towards Effective Pastoral Caregiving within Contemporary Post-Colonial Praxis in Africa: A Discernment of Care Needs for ‘Now’ and ‘Intervention’ Propositions
by Vhumani Magezi
Religions 2024, 15(7), 789; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070789 (registering DOI) - 28 Jun 2024
Viewed by 95
Abstract
Post-colonial Africa and its attendant challenges, including disillusionment during democratic dispensation and racial tensions among black and white people, constitute a problem that calls for interventions from all social actors. Theology, especially pastoral care, is challenged to broaden its vision and focus on [...] Read more.
Post-colonial Africa and its attendant challenges, including disillusionment during democratic dispensation and racial tensions among black and white people, constitute a problem that calls for interventions from all social actors. Theology, especially pastoral care, is challenged to broaden its vision and focus on health, healing, and human flourishing by adopting a public dimension. Thus, public pastoral care can emerge as a critical approach through which to make a meaningful contribution to fostering holistic personal care. This assumption prompts an examination of the place and role of pastoral care as a science and art of fostering social health and well-being. Public pastoral care practices are used to encourage, promote, and foster ‘coexistence’ and ‘being with’ other people in the same geographical spaces where tension and disillusionment exist. Using the South African lens, this article aims to pastorally address challenges emerging from post-colonial African public contexts by developing a public pastoral care approach. Pastoral care principles of empowerment care, prevention care, conversational care, and care by being with the other in shared spaces of coexistence are proposed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Religions and Theologies)
13 pages, 288 KiB  
Article
Re-Imagining Catholic Ethics: Beyond ‘Justification’ of Violence and toward Accompaniment
by Eli McCarthy
Religions 2024, 15(7), 788; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070788 - 28 Jun 2024
Viewed by 157
Abstract
This paper will focus on one way of re-imagining Catholic ethics through the praxis of accompaniment, especially in situations that lend themselves to moral dilemmas and potential justifications of significant harm. The growing integration and shared discourse of scholars from the global south [...] Read more.
This paper will focus on one way of re-imagining Catholic ethics through the praxis of accompaniment, especially in situations that lend themselves to moral dilemmas and potential justifications of significant harm. The growing integration and shared discourse of scholars from the global south with those from the global north has given rise to deeper ethical insight about the praxis of accompaniment. In turn, I analyze some predominant ways of wrestling with justifications of significant harm or violence, particularly recent contributions by Lisa Sowle Cahill and Kate Jackson-Meyer on moral dilemmas. I build on their contributions by critically reflecting on the praxis of accompaniment in particularly difficult moral situations. I argue that accompaniment offers a way forward that is consistent with and illuminates our dignity as well as the Love of Christ. This approach may better meet needs, break cycles of violence, and lean us into a more sustainable just peace. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reimagining Catholic Ethics Today)
17 pages, 335 KiB  
Article
The Non-Dual Path of Negation
by Alexandre Couture-Mingheras
Religions 2024, 15(7), 787; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070787 - 28 Jun 2024
Viewed by 141
Abstract
The non-dual path—which runs through the undercurrent of all the great traditions and religions at their esoteric and initiatory level—is underpinned by the doctrine of Unity, namely the fact that the ultimate Reality is one. In this respect, negation is neither local [...] Read more.
The non-dual path—which runs through the undercurrent of all the great traditions and religions at their esoteric and initiatory level—is underpinned by the doctrine of Unity, namely the fact that the ultimate Reality is one. In this respect, negation is neither local nor tied to a positive content (simple negation), nor does it affirm elsewhere the existence of what it denies (presuppositional negation), but it presents itself, in a more original way, as the neutralization of all determination and dualism, i.e., of false assumptions on what there is that prevent us from accessing to that which, being unqualifiable, really is. In order to grasp the meaning of the via negativa as a path of deconstruction and disidentification (Neti-Neti) and of the apparent obscurity of non-knowledge (Agnosia), which is expressed in the lexicon proper to negative theology (silence, abyss, inexpressible, unrepresentable, non-manifest), the questioning about the Being-in-itself must not be separated from that about one’s own Self. This original negativity, which proceeds from the metaphysical ignorance of the truth of the self and the truth of what is (Avidyā), once lifted, opens the way to the subjective apprehension of Reality, i.e., the perspective of transcendental interiority: the Supreme Identity between the Being-in-itself and Oneself. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mystical Theology: Negation and Desolation)
11 pages, 326 KiB  
Article
Natural Cycle, Sacred Existence, the Source of Power: A Study on the Mo Religion’s View of Time
by Weipeng Ya
Religions 2024, 15(7), 786; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070786 - 28 Jun 2024
Viewed by 163
Abstract
The Zhuang people, a significant ethnic minority in China, practise a unique Mo religion that profoundly shapes their spiritual and daily lives. Although the theology and rituals of the Mo religion have been extensively studied, its temporal perspectives still need to be explored. [...] Read more.
The Zhuang people, a significant ethnic minority in China, practise a unique Mo religion that profoundly shapes their spiritual and daily lives. Although the theology and rituals of the Mo religion have been extensively studied, its temporal perspectives still need to be explored. This study addresses this gap by comprehensively analyzing how the Mo religion integrates natural, cultural, calendar, and theological elements to create a sacred temporal framework central to the Zhuang people’s social life and material production. Drawing from primary sources such as religious texts, a rigorous text-based research approach is employed to gain a profound understanding of the Mo religion’s temporal perspectives. The significance of this study lies in its contribution to enriching our knowledge of the Mo religion’s sacred temporal frameworks, providing valuable insights for interdisciplinary research, and fostering mutual respect and appreciation among diverse cultures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Interplay between Religion and Culture)
14 pages, 542 KiB  
Review
Reconceptualizing Houses of Worship to Advance Comparisons across Religious Traditions
by Danielle N. Lussier
Religions 2024, 15(7), 785; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070785 - 27 Jun 2024
Viewed by 239
Abstract
The study of religion and politics has struggled to find concepts, methods, and approaches that advance productive comparisons of phenomena across different religious practices and traditions. Consequently, scholars who seek to understand the impact of religious practice on political outcomes across religious traditions [...] Read more.
The study of religion and politics has struggled to find concepts, methods, and approaches that advance productive comparisons of phenomena across different religious practices and traditions. Consequently, scholars who seek to understand the impact of religious practice on political outcomes across religious traditions encounter challenges in aggregating findings and advancing scholarly inquiry. A reconsideration of the role of houses of worship as an intermediary variable connecting religious practice to political outcomes yields a potentially fruitful avenue for comparative investigation. While social processes that take place within worship spaces are frequently presumed in the mechanisms linking religious variables to political outcomes, these worship spaces are generally undertheorized and overlooked within the study of religion and politics. A body of scholarship has substantiated the significance of congregational variation within the study of Christianity, yet the most commonly cited quantitative literature on religion and political participation omits discussion of this level of variation. Drawing on the shared conceptual space across worship domains from several religious traditions, this article examines houses of worship as an organizational concept that can be employed productively for theoretical and empirical analyses of religion and politics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion and Politics: Historical Developments and Contemporary Transformations)
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12 pages, 229 KiB  
Article
When the Integral Meets African Ethics: Contextualizing Laudato SI’
by Isaiah Aduojo Negedu and Ameh Pius Faruna
Religions 2024, 15(7), 784; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070784 - 27 Jun 2024
Viewed by 327
Abstract
The concept of the integral speaks to the holistic nature of the globe. It is predicated on the claim that everything/everyone is related, and the destruction of one is the destruction of the whole. As such, it places a moral burden on each [...] Read more.
The concept of the integral speaks to the holistic nature of the globe. It is predicated on the claim that everything/everyone is related, and the destruction of one is the destruction of the whole. As such, it places a moral burden on each part to work towards the preservation and dignity of the whole. This ethics of union is aptly captured in Laudato Si’ (On Care for Our Common Home), a papal encyclical of Pope Francis. African moral theory perfectly captures this ethic: I am because we are. What this communal ethic does is constantly maintain the view that humans are interconnected to one another. We interrogate how this communalistic approach of the African is implicated and vindicated in integral ecology and the special place Laudato Si’ holds in the world. The end is to justify both the African and ecclesiastical approaches as decolonial ecology and then see how the uniqueness of both approaches can birth a universal approach. However, to achieve our aim, we employ the method of conversation that comes from the African place. We choose conversation because we believe that Laudato Si’ promotes a ‘theology from the borders’. If our statement is true, then we will best be able to project our argument using a method that comes from the borders but is universally possible in its application. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reimagining Catholic Ethics Today)
14 pages, 242 KiB  
Article
Markers and Tools to Facilitate Decolonisation of Theological Education in Africa
by Khamadi Joseph Pali
Religions 2024, 15(7), 783; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070783 - 27 Jun 2024
Viewed by 223
Abstract
This article discusses the decolonisation of (theological) education in Africa, with special emphasis on South Africa. Colonialism is a complex power system that subjugated space, human beings and the minds of the colonised. Decolonisation has a responsibility to remove colonial governance, liberate the [...] Read more.
This article discusses the decolonisation of (theological) education in Africa, with special emphasis on South Africa. Colonialism is a complex power system that subjugated space, human beings and the minds of the colonised. Decolonisation has a responsibility to remove colonial governance, liberate the colonised being and decentre the colonial knowledge and recentre the indigenous knowledge of the native people. Furthermore, the most difficult form of decolonisation is the decolonisation of the mind because colonialism in this context tends to manifest itself into other forms of social structure. This study suggests that there is a need to relearn the meaning of decolonisation and its implications, as there are some students and academics who still do not know much about decolonisation, and this hinders the process. Furthermore, theological education needs to use engaged scholarship and community-based practical research (CBPR) methods as tools to facilitate decolonisation of theological education, as present studies indicate that the Christian religion is failing to make an impact in many African communities. Lastly, this article highlights markers of decolonised (theological) education in Africa. This article has two objectives. The first objective is to highlight markers of decolonised theological education. The second objective is to give special emphasis to the role of engaged scholarship and CBPR in the decolonisation of theological education. This article will use a literature review approach and highlight examples of the decolonisation of (theological) education. The decolonisation theory will underpin this literature review. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Decolonization of Theological Education in the African Context)
18 pages, 340 KiB  
Article
The Augustinian Concept of Love: From Hannah Arendt’s Interpretation to Impartial Love of Mozi
by Shufeng Tian
Religions 2024, 15(7), 782; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070782 - 27 Jun 2024
Viewed by 203
Abstract
Augustine and Mozi are doubtlessly two of the most important theorists about love in the Western and Chinese traditions. Augustine has made a sharp distinction between caritas and cupiditas, whereas Mozi proposes the theory of impartial love (jian’ai 兼爱). Hannah Arendt [...] Read more.
Augustine and Mozi are doubtlessly two of the most important theorists about love in the Western and Chinese traditions. Augustine has made a sharp distinction between caritas and cupiditas, whereas Mozi proposes the theory of impartial love (jian’ai 兼爱). Hannah Arendt has made her irreplaceable contribution to the understanding of the Augustinian concept of caritas in her work with the title Der Liebesbegriff bei Augustin, Versuch einer Philosophischen Interpretation (1929). She treats the central question of whether for Augustine love towards neighbors has an independent value. In the Chinese tradition, Mozi proposes the theory of impartial love as a remedy for disposing of the disorders of society on the one hand, but on the other hand to love others impartially comes ultimately from the divine command of tian or Heaven, and tian seems to be the final authority or standard for being morally good and righteousness. It needs explanation or clarification if Mozi commits an inconsistency by holding two different ethical principles. In this article, I will first concentrate on discovering the fundamental characteristics of caritas and cupiditas, and then turn to dealing with the problem of the instrumentalization of the others in the love towards neighbors if they are used as tools to ascend to God’s love. In the last part, I will discuss the impartial love of Mozi and compare it with that of Augustine to see their distinctions and similarities. We will see that through the comparison we can obtain a better understanding of the concept of love in different traditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Augustine and East Asian Thoughts)
18 pages, 241 KiB  
Article
An Ethics without God That Is Compatible with Darwinian Evolution
by James P. Sterba
Religions 2024, 15(7), 781; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070781 - 27 Jun 2024
Viewed by 202
Abstract
Building on my recent argument that an all-good, all-powerful God is logically incompatible with all the evil in the world, I explore what grounding ethics can have without the God of traditional theism. While theists have argued that ethics is grounded either in [...] Read more.
Building on my recent argument that an all-good, all-powerful God is logically incompatible with all the evil in the world, I explore what grounding ethics can have without the God of traditional theism. While theists have argued that ethics is grounded either in God’s commands and/or in his nature, I show that no such adequate grounding exists, even if my argument—showing that the God of traditional theism is logically incompatible with all the evil in the world—were shown to be unsuccessful, and I further show that such a grounding is impossible, given that my argument is successful. I then go on to provide an account of the norms on which an ethics without God can be appropriately grounded and show how an ethics, so grounded, can be appropriately related to our biological and cultural past, present, and future, as understood through Darwinian evolutionary theory. In this way, I hope to undercut a recent attempt to use Darwinian evolutionary theory to debunk ethics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Religions and Humanities/Philosophies)
11 pages, 299 KiB  
Article
Rethinking Asceticism in Nietzsche with Zhuangzi: A Physio-Psychological Perspective
by Manhua Li
Religions 2024, 15(7), 780; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070780 - 27 Jun 2024
Viewed by 175
Abstract
This article proposes a reconsideration of the physio-psychological dimension of the notion of asceticism in Nietzsche in the light of classical Daoist philosophy. Nietzsche famously criticises the nihilistic ascetic ideal for negating the body-self (Leib-Selbst) in the Christian religion as well as in [...] Read more.
This article proposes a reconsideration of the physio-psychological dimension of the notion of asceticism in Nietzsche in the light of classical Daoist philosophy. Nietzsche famously criticises the nihilistic ascetic ideal for negating the body-self (Leib-Selbst) in the Christian religion as well as in Socratic metaphysics. Nietzsche critiques the metaphysical language that presupposes an opposition between the good (as the useful) and the evil (as the useless). However, the Nietzschean ascetic person who says yes to life remains mostly conceptual within the philosophical framework where physio-psychology stands as the superior form of thinking. To contrast such asceticism that bears traces of Greek Stoicism and Epicureanism, I argue that Zhuangzi’s self-cultivating practices such as mind-fasting (xinzhai 心齋) can be incorporated into the Nietzschean physio-psychological notion of asceticism that goes beyond askesis with Stoic and Epicurean therapeutic connotations, given that both Zhuangzi and Nietzsche are more concerned with cultivating a lived body rather than purifying souls. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religiosity and Spirituality in Philosophical Practice: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives)
17 pages, 409 KiB  
Article
From Monks to Educators: Venerable Zongyue and Buddhist Charitable Educational Activities in Early Twentieth-Century Beijing
by Wei Wu
Religions 2024, 15(7), 779; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070779 - 27 Jun 2024
Viewed by 201
Abstract
This article explores the charitable activities of Chinese Buddhists in Beijing in the first decades of the twentieth century, with a focus on Buddhists’ efforts in building schools and promoting modern education. Specifically, the activities led by Venerable Zongyue 宗月 (1880–1941) are examined, [...] Read more.
This article explores the charitable activities of Chinese Buddhists in Beijing in the first decades of the twentieth century, with a focus on Buddhists’ efforts in building schools and promoting modern education. Specifically, the activities led by Venerable Zongyue 宗月 (1880–1941) are examined, in his role spearheading various Buddhist charitable activities in Beijing, including building several schools for commoners (pingmin xuexiao 平民學校) in the 1920s. Zongyue also established a library and a Buddhist newspaper called Fobao Xunkan 佛寶旬刊 to promote ideas about philanthropy. In the late 1920s, inspired by Zongyue’s example, as well as under pressure from the government during the anti-superstition campaigns, many other temples in Beijing began building schools to offer educational opportunities to students. This article investigates the interactions between Buddhism, education, and the government. By examining the initiatives started by Zongyue and the role of Chinese Buddhists in promoting charitable educational activities and social change, this article sheds light on the broader impact of Buddhism on Chinese society in the early twentieth century. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Engaged Buddhism for an Engulfed World: New Perspectives on Humanistic Buddhism)
2 pages, 122 KiB  
Correction
Correction: Borowski, Michael. 2023. Doctrine and Change in Western Dogmatics: The Examples of Michael Seewald and Kevin J. Vanhoozer. Religions 14: 524
by Michael Borowski
Religions 2024, 15(7), 778; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070778 - 27 Jun 2024
Viewed by 73
Abstract
Following the request of the Academic Editor, the title should be corrected to the following:Doctrine and Change in Western Dogmatics: The Examples of Michael Seewald and Kevin J [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion and Change)
90 pages, 78589 KiB  
Article
Griby i Mukhi: A Historical Contextualization of the Esoteric Mushroom Religion of Moscow Conceptualism: Fungal Erotic Imagery of Entheogens and Insects
by Dennis Ioffe
Religions 2024, 15(7), 777; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070777 - 27 Jun 2024
Viewed by 381
Abstract
This paper aims to observe, contextualize, and analyze the multifaceted religious fungal foundations of Moscow Conceptualism within the context of Slavic and European esoteric mythological praxis. By unveiling the thematic basis of their transgressive spiritual endeavors, this study seeks to enhance our comprehension [...] Read more.
This paper aims to observe, contextualize, and analyze the multifaceted religious fungal foundations of Moscow Conceptualism within the context of Slavic and European esoteric mythological praxis. By unveiling the thematic basis of their transgressive spiritual endeavors, this study seeks to enhance our comprehension of this artistic and literary movement in the Western world. Besides exploring the erotic aesthetics associated with mushrooms, significant attention is devoted to various flies, as the biological vitality of the mukhomor (‘fly agaric’ or amanita muscaria) is inconceivable without them. Moscow Conceptualist visionaries, including Andrey Monastyrsky, Ilia Kabakov, Elagina and Makarevich, and the Mukhomor Moscow collectives, along with their no less famous colleague from Leningrad, Sergey Kuriokhin, emerge not only as artists but also as literary innovators. They seamlessly integrate advancements from the realm of art, giving rise to a novel form of religiously symbiotic semiosis. Consequently, the traditional boundaries between diverse art forms become blurred, marking a distinctive characteristic that aligns with international contemporary avant-garde aesthetics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Slavic Paganism(s): Past and Present)
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12 pages, 254 KiB  
Article
The Intersection of Gender-Based Violence and Vulnerance in Pastoral Care
by Ute Leimgruber
Religions 2024, 15(7), 776; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070776 - 26 Jun 2024
Viewed by 187
Abstract
This paper examines several aspects of vulnerability, vulnerance, and resilience in pastoral care, with a focus on women in the Roman Catholic Church. It critiques gendered ideologies and the intersection of gender-based violence and systemic risks in pastoral care settings. Through doctrinal analysis [...] Read more.
This paper examines several aspects of vulnerability, vulnerance, and resilience in pastoral care, with a focus on women in the Roman Catholic Church. It critiques gendered ideologies and the intersection of gender-based violence and systemic risks in pastoral care settings. Through doctrinal analysis and lived experiences, it argues pastoral care settings with their systemic vulnerances and asymmetries enable abuse, often by clerics. The concept of “vulnerance” sheds light on power dynamics, emphasizing the importance of trauma-sensitive pastoral care with high professional standards to foster resilience among victims. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vulnerability in Theology, the Humanities and Social Sciences)
18 pages, 325 KiB  
Article
The Dissolution of the Monasteries in Sweden during the Reformation
by Martin Berntson
Religions 2024, 15(7), 775; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070775 - 26 Jun 2024
Viewed by 163
Abstract
This article discusses the dissolution of the monasteries in 16th century Sweden. The approximately fifty monasteries and friar’s convents that existed in Sweden in the early 16th century were all dissolved over a period of about eighty years. Decisive for this development were [...] Read more.
This article discusses the dissolution of the monasteries in 16th century Sweden. The approximately fifty monasteries and friar’s convents that existed in Sweden in the early 16th century were all dissolved over a period of about eighty years. Decisive for this development were decisions during the Diet in Västerås 1527, which decreed that monasteries that depended on tax from their estates should be subordinated under a nobleman, and that the mendicant friars should not be allowed to travel outside their convents more than ten weeks each year. Whilst most of the monasteries inhabited by monks or brothers had been dissolved before the 1560s, four female houses were still in existence at this time. These remaining nunneries were supported financially by the state, possibly to safeguard the nuns’ social welfare. However, the monastic institutions were to meet a short-lived revival through the reign of King Johan III (rule 1568–1592), who not only supported them economically but also renovated a few of them and allowed Catholic priests to encourage Catholicism in Vadstena Abbey. Through this process of re-catholicizing, any prospects of creating successful Evangelical communities in Sweden were lost. The last remaining nunnery, Vadstena Abbey, was a vibrant Catholic institution when it was forced to close in 1595. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dissolutions of Monasteries)
20 pages, 305 KiB  
Article
Patristics Confined in a Cocoon: Where Did We Go Wrong?
by Dimitri Kepreotes
Religions 2024, 15(7), 774; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070774 - 26 Jun 2024
Viewed by 144
Abstract
This article is a personal reflection on the current state of Patristics in Australia, focusing on its debatable effectiveness in both Church and society. It discusses the manner in which the subject of Patristics functions as a specialized subset of knowledge within theological [...] Read more.
This article is a personal reflection on the current state of Patristics in Australia, focusing on its debatable effectiveness in both Church and society. It discusses the manner in which the subject of Patristics functions as a specialized subset of knowledge within theological colleges and in a very limited number of universities, meaning that its accessibility is almost exclusively via formal educational providers. The more specialized the mode of delivery becomes, however, the more the role and relevance of Patristics appears to be diminishing over time. While that is not an Australian characteristic alone, the author argues that the purely tertiary nature of Patristic learning today is a feature of the local landscape that ought to be surveyed. As it currently stands, the subject is disconnected from preceding levels of education and indeed from other possible means of popularizing the subject for a broader audience who, otherwise, are not likely to encounter the Church Fathers in any meaningful way. This implies a fundamental question about how such a situation arose in the first place and became part of the status quo. The discussion is broadened through a presentation of certain key features of Patristics in the Eastern tradition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Patristics: Essays from Australia)
14 pages, 1036 KiB  
Article
Treatment Alliance: A Bridge over the Religiosity Gap?
by Joke C. van Nieuw Amerongen-Meeuse, Anke I. Liefbroer, Hanneke Schaap-Jonker and Arjan W. Braam
Religions 2024, 15(7), 773; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070773 - 26 Jun 2024
Viewed by 134
Abstract
Many mental health care patients, regardless of their religious beliefs, prefer a similar outlook on life with their professional caregivers. Patients experience greater openness to discuss religion and spirituality (R/S), mutual understanding, less fear of disapproval and report a higher treatment alliance. The [...] Read more.
Many mental health care patients, regardless of their religious beliefs, prefer a similar outlook on life with their professional caregivers. Patients experience greater openness to discuss religion and spirituality (R/S), mutual understanding, less fear of disapproval and report a higher treatment alliance. The question is whether the core problem of a so-called ‘religiosity gap’ (RG) lies in (a) an objective difference in outlook on life, (b) a perceived difference in outlook on life or (c) in unmet R/S care needs. We explored this by matching data of 55 patients with their respective caregivers for a quantitative analysis. An actual (objective) RG, when patients were religious and caregivers not, was not associated with a lower treatment alliance but a difference in intrinsic religiosity, especially when caregivers scored higher than patients, was related to a lower treatment alliance. A subjective RG, perceived by patients, and a higher level of unmet R/S care needs were also significantly associated with a lower treatment alliance as rated by patients. These results emphasize that sensitivity, respect and openness regarding R/S and secular views are essential elements in treatment and might benefit the treatment relationship. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion, Spirituality and Psychotherapy)
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12 pages, 223 KiB  
Article
The Contribution of Muslim Women Australia in the Domestic and Family Violence Space: Victim-Survivor Perspectives from the COVID-19 Pandemic
by Amira Aftab, Balawyn Jones and Ghena Krayem
Religions 2024, 15(7), 772; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070772 - 26 Jun 2024
Viewed by 201
Abstract
This article examines the way faith and Islamic values underpin the agency and work of Muslim women in providing domestic and family violence (DFV) support services. Focusing on the role and impact of Muslim Women Australia within the DFV space in the Australian [...] Read more.
This article examines the way faith and Islamic values underpin the agency and work of Muslim women in providing domestic and family violence (DFV) support services. Focusing on the role and impact of Muslim Women Australia within the DFV space in the Australian context, this article demonstrates the way Muslim Women Australia utilises faith as a tool for empowerment. It illustrates the way that—despite governmental reforms that required transition from specialised to generalist DFV services—Muslim Women Australia, via their DFV service Linking Hearts, has maintained a strong commitment to providing culturally and religiously appropriate support. Drawing on fieldwork, this article explores the intersection of Muslim women’s agency, faith, and role as DFV service providers, to demonstrate the importance of culturally competent DFV support services within diverse communities. Through interviews with clients (victim-survivors) who accessed Linking Hearts services during the COVID-19 lockdowns, this article highlights the way the Islamic values of advocacy, agency, and dignity underscore the Linking Hearts model to effectively provide culturally and religiously competent support to all clients regardless of their personal beliefs and values. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Muslim Women in the 21st Century: Agency, Influence, and Lived Experience)
13 pages, 1428 KiB  
Article
The Dissolution of the Monastic Houses in Iceland
by Steinunn Kristjánsdóttir
Religions 2024, 15(7), 771; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070771 - 26 Jun 2024
Viewed by 174
Abstract
The founding of the fourteen monasteries that operated for varying lengths of time in Iceland are in most cases known, but their dissolution differs. It is, however, known that none of them were closed due to plagues, natural disasters, or economic crises but [...] Read more.
The founding of the fourteen monasteries that operated for varying lengths of time in Iceland are in most cases known, but their dissolution differs. It is, however, known that none of them were closed due to plagues, natural disasters, or economic crises but rather because of administrative reasons. Five of the monasteries perished within a few decades; however, most of them perished because of political disputes between secular and ecclesiastical powers in Iceland during the thirteenth century. On the other hand, nine of them became highly prosperous but were dissolved following the Lutheran Reformation in the mid-sixteenth century. The truth is that monasticism vanished in Iceland with the closure of the last one in 1551, and their previous occupation was thereby discontinued. Here, an attempt will be made to obtain an overview of their dissolution, but their growth and development were in all cases dependent on the country’s authorities at any given time, ecclesiastical and royal. Still, the circumstances of their dissolutions varied nonetheless between monasteries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dissolutions of Monasteries)
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11 pages, 326 KiB  
Article
The Challenge of Synodality
by Joe Inguanez and Bryan Froehle
Religions 2024, 15(7), 770; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070770 - 26 Jun 2024
Viewed by 218
Abstract
While the Synod on Synodality (2023–2024) called by Pope Francis is meant to develop deeper unity within the Catholic Church, it has nonetheless provided an occasion to deepen tensions between the Church. While synodality has deep theological roots, its practical implications involve more [...] Read more.
While the Synod on Synodality (2023–2024) called by Pope Francis is meant to develop deeper unity within the Catholic Church, it has nonetheless provided an occasion to deepen tensions between the Church. While synodality has deep theological roots, its practical implications involve more than theology. Though the self-understanding of the Catholic Church and the meaning of synodality are naturally theological, they are expressed in historically embedded, socially constructed ways. The tensions experienced in the preparation and reception of the Synod on Synodality stem from implied structural changes. Conflict is normal when social change is involved, particularly when questions of power and meaning-making are involved, and all the more so when there is no certainty as to the outcome. Practical theology offers a means of understanding the Synod and the ways in which synodality may or may not be expressed within the contemporary Catholic Church. Such an approach brings theology and social science into dialogue for deeper ecclesiological understanding. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Catholicism)
26 pages, 2248 KiB  
Article
Religious Nones and Spirituality: A Comparison between Italian and Uruguayan Youth
by Olga Breskaya and Valentina Pereira Arena
Religions 2024, 15(7), 769; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070769 - 25 Jun 2024
Viewed by 486
Abstract
Who are the religious Nones, given their representation as both a minority and a majority group within the religious landscape? This article presents findings from a comparative study of Italian and Uruguayan youth (n = 2047, with 844 Nones), focusing on sociodemographic profiles [...] Read more.
Who are the religious Nones, given their representation as both a minority and a majority group within the religious landscape? This article presents findings from a comparative study of Italian and Uruguayan youth (n = 2047, with 844 Nones), focusing on sociodemographic profiles of “Nones”, their spirituality, religious belief, practice, and atheist and agnostic identities. The findings suggest that regardless of cultural context—whether in predominantly Catholic Italy or more secular Uruguay—young “Nones” tend to be males, hold beliefs, and engage in religious practices, albeit with varying degrees. Among participants in this study, those originating from Uruguay exhibit a stronger degree of belief and slightly more pronounced engagement in private prayer and attendance of religious services compared to their counterparts from Italy. Additionally, the endorsement of spiritual identity is notably stronger among religious Nones in the Uruguayan sample than in the Italian one. Instead, atheism is more prevalent among Italian Nones, whereas agnosticism constitutes a larger proportion within the Uruguayan sample. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Concept of Spirituality and Its Place in Contemporary Societies)
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2 pages, 131 KiB  
Correction
Correction: Schaser, Nicholas J. 2021. Israel and the Individual in Matthew and Midrash: Reassessing “True Israel”. Religions 12: 425
by Nicholas J. Schaser
Religions 2024, 15(7), 768; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070768 - 25 Jun 2024
Viewed by 100
Abstract
There was an error in the original publication (Schaser 2021) [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Christian Theologies of Jews and Judaism)
15 pages, 292 KiB  
Article
Petition, Prostration, and Tears: Painting and Prayer in Roman Catacombs
by Dale Kinney
Religions 2024, 15(7), 767; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070767 - 24 Jun 2024
Viewed by 306
Abstract
This article examines the evidence for performative prayer in early Roman catacomb painting from the perspective of an art historian. Praying (orant) figures are a dominant theme of third-century painting. Although the orant pose is generally regarded as symbolic, strong evidence connects at [...] Read more.
This article examines the evidence for performative prayer in early Roman catacomb painting from the perspective of an art historian. Praying (orant) figures are a dominant theme of third-century painting. Although the orant pose is generally regarded as symbolic, strong evidence connects at least one of the figures with the intercessory prayers offered by the order of widows. Following the “Constantinian turn” in the fourth century, a different form of performative prayer prevailed at the tombs of martyrs, with worshippers lying in prostration (proskynesis) pouring out copious tears. Two much-discussed poems by Prudentius (Peristephanon IX and XI) describe this form of prayer in conjunction with paintings of the gruesome martyrdoms of St. Cassian of Imola and St. Hippolytus. Arguments that the paintings inspired the weeping are incompatible with the nature of catacomb painting at the time, and with testimonies to the power of the tomb itself to compel such displays. The more fruitful suggestion that the ekphrasis in Peristephanon XI reflects a painting of the death of the mythical Hippolytus leads to a grove in the Temple of Diana at Nemi and the legend that the hero was resurrected by Aesculapius. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Devotion Practice and Performative Expression in the Religious Art of Medieval Europe)
20 pages, 313 KiB  
Article
Reframing Vulnerability through an Embodied Theological Lens: Towards Ethical Engagement in a Globalized Context
by Carolina Montero Orphanopoulos
Religions 2024, 15(7), 766; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070766 - 24 Jun 2024
Viewed by 284
Abstract
This study examines the evolving concept of human vulnerability within the context of globalization and contemporary societal complexities. Its aim is to provide a comprehensive understanding of vulnerability’s proposed definition and its ethical relevance, particularly through an embodied ethical–theological lens. The research argues [...] Read more.
This study examines the evolving concept of human vulnerability within the context of globalization and contemporary societal complexities. Its aim is to provide a comprehensive understanding of vulnerability’s proposed definition and its ethical relevance, particularly through an embodied ethical–theological lens. The research argues that this anthropological category when approached from an interdisciplinary perspective, reveals nuanced ethical dimensions essential for addressing contemporary challenges. Through the synthesis of insights from various disciplines, the study delineates the intricate interplay between corporeal experiences, affective states, and ethical considerations in understanding vulnerability. Interdisciplinary research methods were employed, drawing from theology, psychology, sociology, and philosophy. Grounding the inquiry in human experience and dialogues within different disciplinary narratives, the study explores vulnerability’s multifaceted nature and its implications for ethical engagement. The conclusions underscore the imperative role of theology in fostering ethical responses to contemporary dilemmas. By reframing vulnerability within an interdisciplinary and embodied framework, the research enriches ethical reflection and praxis, promoting human flourishing in a globalized world. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vulnerability in Theology, the Humanities and Social Sciences)
14 pages, 606 KiB  
Article
Endogamy in Iran between Tradition, Religion, and Modernity
by Ronen A. Cohen and Tamar Julian-Cohen
Religions 2024, 15(7), 765; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070765 - 24 Jun 2024
Viewed by 270
Abstract
The family, which is one of the oldest and most established institutions in human history, has not always just been a reasonable arrangement for achieving biological continuance as well as sexual, emotional, and material support, it has also been one of the basic [...] Read more.
The family, which is one of the oldest and most established institutions in human history, has not always just been a reasonable arrangement for achieving biological continuance as well as sexual, emotional, and material support, it has also been one of the basic components for the creation of civilization, culture, and society. There are various types of families, one of which is the endogamous family formed by the custom of consanguineous marriage within a very defined and distinct group. Our article concentrates on the question of how modernity and prosperity have influenced endogamy in modern Iran and whether this will change historical patterns and traditions or, perhaps, only broaden them within Iran’s newly developed and modern society. Our conclusion is that, in Iran’s uncertain environment, tradition may actually be strengthened. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Religions and Humanities/Philosophies)
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