Religions

16 pages, 5274 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multiple Materialities of the Offering in Egypt: The Case of mnpḥ

by Dimitri Meeks

Religions 2024, 15(8), 1023; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15081023 - 22 Aug 2024

Viewed by 586

Egyptian temples are profusely decorated with scenes showing the pharaoh performing animal sacrifices, offering food, or presenting various objects with symbolic value. In this last case, the image of what is offered is usually easy to identify, but the image alone is not [...] Read more.

Egyptian temples are profusely decorated with scenes showing the pharaoh performing animal sacrifices, offering food, or presenting various objects with symbolic value. In this last case, the image of what is offered is usually easy to identify, but the image alone is not sufficient to explain the purpose of the offering. Texts accompanying the offering scene explain the role of the pharaoh and gods involved, the nature of the offering, and its role based on mythological events and their theological interpretation. Some lists of materia sacra, unfortunately, almost all from the Hellenistic or Roman period, give information of this kind but in a very laconic form. In some cases, the offered object is not immediately recognisable. Discovering its identity as a real object, then as a symbolic one, leads to revealing its apparent multiplicity of roles and even materialities. The example of the object called mnpḥ is particularly illustrative in this respect. It is an oryx skin, but it was also regarded as a cloth and as a part of boats belonging to different gods. This article aims at explaining the logic that links these different roles. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Materia sacra: The Materiality of Religion in Ancient Egypt from the Dynastic to the Byzantine Period)

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9 pages, 3838 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Inter-Religious Architecture for Wedding Spaces

by Mariateresa Giammetti

Religions 2024, 15(8), 1022; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15081022 - 22 Aug 2024

Viewed by 610

Abstract

Culture and media transform each other through mediatization. Mediatization interacts between culture and media through artifacts of material and visual culture to convey its messages to as many people as possible. Religion is an important component of culture, so it may be interesting [...] Read more.

Culture and media transform each other through mediatization. Mediatization interacts between culture and media through artifacts of material and visual culture to convey its messages to as many people as possible. Religion is an important component of culture, so it may be interesting to analyze the influence of mediatization on specific religious practices such as rites, particularly the rite of marriage. The processes of mediatization in marriage rites act performatively on physical and cultural space, and they are reshaping religious values and norms. Starting from the relationship between the ritual form of marriage and the physical shape of the architecture designed to host them, this article analyzes the relationship between mediatization and interfaith marriage rites. The objective is to show how the condition of inter-religiousness can demonstrate the presence of invariants in the structure of marriage rites and the architectural characterof the spaces where they take place. This article aims to demonstrate that the performative dimension of the space of marriage rites is based on these invariants, which are becoming one of the main tools through which mediatization is acting. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Promising Images of Love: Religion, Norms, and the Mediatisation of Weddings)

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7 pages, 192 KiB

Open AccessArticle

There Is Worse: The Serpent’s Curse Compared to That of Eve. For a New Order

by Orietta Ombrosi

Religions 2024, 15(8), 1021; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15081021 - 22 Aug 2024

Viewed by 677

Abstract

By interpreting both the account of Creation found in Genesis 3 and the related exegetical interpretations of the text, this article aims to focus on the figure of the serpent, which has always been laden with a negative, even ruthless, symbolic meaning traditionally [...] Read more.

By interpreting both the account of Creation found in Genesis 3 and the related exegetical interpretations of the text, this article aims to focus on the figure of the serpent, which has always been laden with a negative, even ruthless, symbolic meaning traditionally approached as almost entirely irrevocable. Taking ‘original nakedness’ as the key perspective, this brief study seeks to bring out and highlight the moment or condition preceding the curse, in which the serpent is revealed to be at once extremely similar to and radically different from humans, an animal as well but profoundly different from other animals: ill-placed. Sharing its solitude and alienation in this slippery and uncomfortable boundary position, participating in its desire, its temptation to encounter the other and to change places, to blur the boundaries of creation, this article listens to the serpent’s call to another story and follows it/him in an attempt to reimagine and rewrite another genesis, this time from its/his point of view, to displace and mix-up the established order and to find, in the end, a new dignity for itself/himself and for other animals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eve’s Curse: Redemptive Readings of Genesis 3:16)

17 pages, 343 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Unintended Outcomes of Spreading the Gospel: Community Split, False Unanimity, Secular Blaming

by Marc Aberle

Religions 2024, 15(8), 1020; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15081020 - 21 Aug 2024

Viewed by 649

Abstract

Zwingli never considered it likely for the old Confederacy to endure being split between two confessional camps. Therefore, his sermons were a powerful impetus for mobilizing the cantonal governments in favor of a conversion of the entire alliance to the reformed Gospel. However, [...] Read more.

Zwingli never considered it likely for the old Confederacy to endure being split between two confessional camps. Therefore, his sermons were a powerful impetus for mobilizing the cantonal governments in favor of a conversion of the entire alliance to the reformed Gospel. However, facing fierce reluctance, he tried to bypass the Diet by rallying local support among parishioners, thus bringing the whole Confederacy on his side. This purpose, allegedly uttered with the intent of securing peace, underpinned the use of symbolic violence and coercion. With the Christian Civic Union between Bern and Zurich, the local parishes found themselves at the core of these efforts, relying on majority votes. Preachers would certainly try to explain how the community would temporarily be divided before achieving a superficial unanimity by voting to abolish the Mass. While Zwingli’s death marked an end to these ventures, French-speaking preachers translated these views and beliefs into Western and then French communities and the accusations of sedition and political disruption the protestants faced since years suddenly bloomed again. The transposition of those concepts to less republican contexts than those of Ancient Switzerland created one of the first manifestations of a link between Calvinism and Democracy, although in a controversial way. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Swiss Reformation 1525–2025: New Directions)

16 pages, 361 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Religious Practices on Shaping Cultural Habits: The Case of Child Sacrifice among the Pre-Islāmic Arabs from the Qur’ānic Perspective

by Soner Aksoy

Religions 2024, 15(8), 1019; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15081019 - 21 Aug 2024

Viewed by 967

Abstract

One of the traditions observed in pre-Islāmic Arab society (Jāhiliyya) was the practice of child sacrifice. This practice drew strong condemnation and opposition in various passages of the Qur’ān. The underlying impetus behind the Jāhiliyya Arabs (pre-Islāmic Arabs) to engage in [...] Read more.

One of the traditions observed in pre-Islāmic Arab society (Jāhiliyya) was the practice of child sacrifice. This practice drew strong condemnation and opposition in various passages of the Qur’ān. The underlying impetus behind the Jāhiliyya Arabs (pre-Islāmic Arabs) to engage in such acts, especially the sacrifice of their daughters, finds its explanation in the phrase khashya imlāq, “fear of poverty,” as stated in the applicable passages. Nonetheless, a careful examination of the narrations (riwāyāts) and passages pertaining to the subject reveals a fundamental relationship between the Arabs’ custom of child sacrifice and their votive rituals. This paper aims to scrutinize this intricate relationship. It commences with the identification of the riwāyāts linked to the Jāhiliyya society’s custom of presenting children as offerings to their deities. Subsequently, a comprehensive analysis will be presented on interpretations put forth by Muslim exegetes (mufassirūn) regarding Qur’ānic passages addressing the theme of child sacrifice. This paper argues that while the ostensible motivation for child sacrifice, particularly that of daughters, is often attributed to peniaphobia, an examination of the relevant passages, riwāyāts, and the exegetical interpretations leads to the conclusion that this practice is intertwined with the votive beliefs once held by the Jāhiliyya Arabs. Accordingly, it can be concluded that belief strongly influences the formation of customs and practices at the social and individual levels, even when forgotten over time. Thus, a notable example illustrates a close relationship between religion and culture. Moreover, the influence of religious motivation and beliefs in legitimizing brutal practices, such as the killing of a child, is highlighted. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Interplay between Religion and Culture)

14 pages, 382 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Interreligious Concordance and Christianity in Nicholas of Cusa’s De Pace Fidei

by Francesco Bossoletti

Religions 2024, 15(8), 1018; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15081018 - 21 Aug 2024

Viewed by 519

Abstract

In the months following the Turkish capture of Constantinople in 1453, Nicholas of Cusa composed his De Pace Fidei, a text with which he defended and highlighted the value of interreligious dialogue and peace. Beginning with a textual analysis of its central [...] Read more.

In the months following the Turkish capture of Constantinople in 1453, Nicholas of Cusa composed his De Pace Fidei, a text with which he defended and highlighted the value of interreligious dialogue and peace. Beginning with a textual analysis of its central formula (“una religio in rituum varietate”), I analyze the role that Christianity occupies in the text: I exclude its possible reduction to the una religio or to one of the multiple world religions. I then identify through a literal analysis its role as a mediator between the plurality of historical religions and that religio founded on the fides orthodoxa on which the cardinal rests his argument. In addressing this matter, I also establish how the German cardinal makes the heavenly representatives of Christianity consciously use philosophical and not only theological arguments to avoid the reduction of his position to any kind of historical one. I, hence, argue for the possible transposition of the De Pace Fidei’s method to a contemporary philosophy of interreligious dialogue. Full article

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

14 pages, 418 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Religion, Age, and Sexuality: An Empirical Approach to the Regulation of Female Sexuality through Dress among Indonesian Muslims

by Jiwon Shin

Religions 2024, 15(8), 1017; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15081017 - 21 Aug 2024

Viewed by 903

Abstract

This study investigated how religious factors exert social pressure to discipline female bodies through hijab practices in Indonesia. This study identified relationships among factors, such as religiosity, individuals’ involvement with religious communities, subjective norms regarding the hijab practice, and the regulation of sexuality. [...] Read more.

This study investigated how religious factors exert social pressure to discipline female bodies through hijab practices in Indonesia. This study identified relationships among factors, such as religiosity, individuals’ involvement with religious communities, subjective norms regarding the hijab practice, and the regulation of sexuality. This study found that religious factors positively influence subjective norms which reinforce the regulation of sexuality. Although recent studies have underscored the role of the hijab as a tool for expressing Muslim identity and as a means for Muslim women to construct modernity, the results of this study reveal that the disciplinary function of the hijab still seems to have a greater impact. A group analysis reveals differences in the influence of religious factors on subjective norms. While religiosity has a larger impact among adolescents than their involvement with religious communities, this impact is insignificant in the age group of 20s and 30s. The varying effects of religious factors among different age groups imply that religious values rather than involvement with religious communities have a much greater impact on the construction of subjective norms among adolescents while the role of religion in socialization might be enhanced as individuals get older. Full article

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

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15 pages, 306 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Religious Publishing in 17th-Century Geneva

by Hadrien Dami

Religions 2024, 15(8), 1016; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15081016 - 20 Aug 2024

Viewed by 764

Abstract

The objective of this article is to shed light on the history of the Reformation in 17th-century Geneva. The lens through which this study is conducted is that of religious publishing activity, which was significantly managed by the Company of Pastors and Professors. [...] Read more.

The objective of this article is to shed light on the history of the Reformation in 17th-century Geneva. The lens through which this study is conducted is that of religious publishing activity, which was significantly managed by the Company of Pastors and Professors. The role of the Company in religious publishing is inextricably linked to the unique status of the Church of Geneva within the broader context of the Reformation. The Company’s institutional archives offer insight into the issues at stake in the printed book matters. This article focuses on the role of the Company in local censorship, which diminished over the period under study. The Company’s censorship function enabled it to exert concrete influence on the global scale of Reformed publishing. This influence was the consequence of the Company’s ecclesiastical and theological authority. This authority derived from the status of the Church of Geneva as the principal church and birthplace of the Reformation in the 16th century. An analysis of the metaphors signifying and symbolizing this role in the printed books themselves underlines the pre-eminence of the Church of Geneva in 17th-century Reformation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Swiss Reformation 1525–2025: New Directions)

15 pages, 265 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Negative Way: Dionysian Apophaticism and the Experiential

by Maria Exall

Religions 2024, 15(8), 1015; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15081015 - 20 Aug 2024

Viewed by 791

Abstract

The experiential bias in modern understandings of spirituality has led to readings of the pre-modern texts of Pseudo-Dionysius as referring to “negative experiences” of faith. Denys Turner, Bernard McGinn, and others have outlined the mistaken “spiritual positivism” of such readings and their contrast [...] Read more.

The experiential bias in modern understandings of spirituality has led to readings of the pre-modern texts of Pseudo-Dionysius as referring to “negative experiences” of faith. Denys Turner, Bernard McGinn, and others have outlined the mistaken “spiritual positivism” of such readings and their contrast with the negative dialectics of the classical apophatic tradition. Indeed, the philosophical parameters of the Christian mysticism of the Dionysian tradition would deny “mystical experience” to be “experience” as such. Nevertheless, several modern theologians have attempted to integrate interpretations of the experiential in Christian mysticism into their theology. These include Sara Coakley in the idea of spiritual sense in her theology of the body, Karl Rahner in the conception of spiritual touch within his theology of grace, and Louis Dupré’s view that there is religious significance in the experience of “emptiness” in modern-day atheism. I shall contrast these attempted integrations with the critique of “mystical experience” within classical understandings of apophaticism. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mystical Theology: Negation and Desolation)

20 pages, 309 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rewilding as Re-Enchantment

by Linde De Vroey

Religions 2024, 15(8), 1014; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15081014 - 20 Aug 2024

Viewed by 705

Abstract

Rewilding is regularly connected to re-enchantment. In some rewilding projects, ecological restoration merges with narratives of wonder, enchantment and spirituality. While rewilding’s association with re-enchantment appears as part of its appeal, it is also criticised as anthropocentric, escapist or naive. This article aims [...] Read more.

Rewilding is regularly connected to re-enchantment. In some rewilding projects, ecological restoration merges with narratives of wonder, enchantment and spirituality. While rewilding’s association with re-enchantment appears as part of its appeal, it is also criticised as anthropocentric, escapist or naive. This article aims to formulate a thorough conceptual understanding of rewilding as re-enchantment by situating it within the critical framework of (dis)enchantment developed in the early 20th century by Weber and Horkheimer and Adorno. Connecting this framework to contemporary, phenomenologically inspired accounts of enchantment and critiques on the mechanisation of nature, this article aims towards a new perspective on rewilding as a critical discursive practice of re-enchantment. Rewilding, like re-enchantment, can be seen as a valuable attempt to formulate alternatives to the modern paradigm and programme of disenchantment. Situating rewilding within a broader cultural context and historical perspective, this approach allows for assessing rewilding as part of modern (counter-)culture at large. Moreover, through a detailed account of (re-)enchantment in rewilding on a phenomenological, theoretical and relational level, this article gradually develops a conceptual understanding of re-enchantment as a valuable concept for ecological restoration and cultural transformation. Full article

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

16 pages, 282 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sikh Diasporic Approaches in Anti-Caste Activism

by Jasleen Singh

Religions 2024, 15(8), 1013; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15081013 - 20 Aug 2024

Viewed by 680

Abstract

This article looks at how Sikh ethical principles are informing how Sikh diasporic activists approach contemporary social justice issues around caste abolition. The article is divided into three different sections that look at the history of castes within Punjab and the North American [...] Read more.

This article looks at how Sikh ethical principles are informing how Sikh diasporic activists approach contemporary social justice issues around caste abolition. The article is divided into three different sections that look at the history of castes within Punjab and the North American Sikh diaspora, especially in the late 19th c. but with some reference to contemporary history. Later, I utilized my interviews with Sikh activists who have supported recent legislation in Seattle and California around caste discrimination. Finally, the article discusses the work of a Sikh queer collective, a group I have worked with over a period of two years, to examine how notions of queerness and anti-caste politics within Sikh principles might be a path forward towards caste abolition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sikhi, Sikhs and Caste: Lived Experiences in a Global Context)

8 pages, 197 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Divine Simplicity and the Boundaries of Orthodoxy

by Adam Harwood

Religions 2024, 15(8), 1012; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15081012 - 20 Aug 2024

Viewed by 634

Abstract

This paper explores whether the classical view of Divine Simplicity (DS) is required to remain in the bounds of Christian orthodoxy. After defining key terms, a method is proposed and employed for identifying the boundaries of orthodoxy: searching the statements of the four [...] Read more.

This paper explores whether the classical view of Divine Simplicity (DS) is required to remain in the bounds of Christian orthodoxy. After defining key terms, a method is proposed and employed for identifying the boundaries of orthodoxy: searching the statements of the four ecumenical councils for explicit affirmations of DS. In addition, three historic confessions and a significant contemporary statement of faith are examined for affirmations of the classical view of DS. The conclusion is that an affirmation of the classical view of DS is orthodox, but not required for orthodoxy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Concept of God: The Intersection of Classical Theism and Relational Theism)

16 pages, 4712 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Visual Representations of Weddings in the Middle Ages: Reflections of Legal, Religious, and Cultural Aspects

by Jörg Wettlaufer

Religions 2024, 15(8), 1011; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15081011 - 19 Aug 2024

Viewed by 842

Abstract

Wedding rituals and ceremonies have been depicted in various forms of literature, art, and illuminated manuscripts in medieval times. These representations offer valuable insights into the cultural, religious, and social aspects of weddings during that period. This article considers the state of research [...] Read more.

Wedding rituals and ceremonies have been depicted in various forms of literature, art, and illuminated manuscripts in medieval times. These representations offer valuable insights into the cultural, religious, and social aspects of weddings during that period. This article considers the state of research on visual representations of the wedding ceremony in the Middle Ages and how these pictures reflect legal, religious, and cultural/social aspects of medieval life in Europe. Using examples from various religious, literary, and legal texts, several questions will be addressed: In which contexts were the pictures of wedding ceremonies created? What is depicted and what is not? Which legal, religious, and cultural aspects are reflected in the medieval visualizations of the wedding ritual and how do the visualizations correspond to the religious, legal, and cultural setting of the wedding ritual in the Middle Ages? Illuminated legal manuscripts, particularly the Liber Extra, the Decretals of Pope Gregory IX, reveal much about the rituals that signified the essence of the medieval wedding ceremony: the exchange of consent, the joining of the right hands (dextrarum iunctio), and the blessing of the union by a priest. Since the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215, marriage was considered a sacrament by the Church, making the ritual a fulcrum of religious life. However, only the consummation of a marriage was able to bring the property-related effects of marriage into effect, and some pictures from a secular context refer to this part of the wedding ceremony. The primary function of these visual representations of marriage was the illustration of the text, in both canon law manuscripts and medieval literature. Therefore, they are, besides the textual transmission, valuable sources and crucial interpretive keys for understanding the legal and socio-cultural dimensions that shaped the institution of marriage in medieval Europe. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Promising Images of Love: Religion, Norms, and the Mediatisation of Weddings)

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17 pages, 335 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Historicizing Secular Subjectivities: Conceptual Erasures and Subjective Multi-Hybridizations

by Edgar Zavala-Pelayo

Religions 2024, 15(8), 1010; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15081010 - 19 Aug 2024

Viewed by 636

Abstract

The “multiple secularities” framework may be regarded as a recent ambitious contribution to the comparative analysis of secularisms across Western and non-Western societies. While I argue in this article for the “historicization” of secularities as proposed by the framework, I also point out [...] Read more.

The “multiple secularities” framework may be regarded as a recent ambitious contribution to the comparative analysis of secularisms across Western and non-Western societies. While I argue in this article for the “historicization” of secularities as proposed by the framework, I also point out the latter’s lack of empirical attention to the subjective dimension of historical secularities. More specifically, the article attempts to show the theoretical relevance of analyzing historical secularities in post-colonial societies from the perspective of the subjects and their complex selves. Through a genealogical analysis of the subjectivities of three influential positivist intellectuals in 19th-century Mexico, I argue that the analytical axes of the multiple secularities framework may be refined and broadened. I discuss how the framework’s search for local forms of “conceptual distinctions” should be complemented by the search for conceptual erasures and how the analysis of “semantic hybridity” should be broadened and include the analysis of experiential and emotional forms of hybridizations. I also argue that the analyses of historical secularities should account for “sacred-secular” hybrids, as well as more specific hybridizations, such as ecclesiological–secular and theological–secular transpositions. Full article

10 pages, 175 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Homiletical Theory as a Pedagogical Paradigm

by Nicole Danielle McDonald

Religions 2024, 15(8), 1009; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15081009 - 18 Aug 2024

Viewed by 888

Abstract

Every preacher has a unique homiletical theory evident in their preaching, regardless of whether it is understood through scholarly examination. Homiletical theory is the academic examination of disciplines in the understanding of the methodological functionality in preaching. Historically, theology and rhetoric constitute frames [...] Read more.

Every preacher has a unique homiletical theory evident in their preaching, regardless of whether it is understood through scholarly examination. Homiletical theory is the academic examination of disciplines in the understanding of the methodological functionality in preaching. Historically, theology and rhetoric constitute frames of reference in homiletical theory. However, as the field evolves, other frames of reference emerge, including pastoral care. In this paper, I argue that homiletical theory is a pedagogical paradigm in which the lead partner, either rhetoric or theology, determines the point of departure for teaching, with emphasis on the rhetorical situation or the theological implications. Therefore, understanding one’s homiletical theory can lead to a pedagogical experience that translates to more effective preaching by developing a coherent delineation from theory to praxis. As a case study, I use my approach to teaching students how to preach funerals with a rhetorical point of departure that focuses on answering the existential question: how then shall we live now that our loved one has died? Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preaching as a Theological Practice in Postmodernity)

6 pages, 146 KiB

Open AccessEssay

A Narrowing Place: Responsive Spirituality

by Christopher P. Turner

Religions 2024, 15(8), 1008; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15081008 - 18 Aug 2024

Viewed by 732

Abstract

Among the many distinct experiences of cancer is the experience of the parent who watches their child become pale and drained of energy in the weeks preceding diagnosis. The journey from there to the oncology ward is one that can be adequately described [...] Read more.

Among the many distinct experiences of cancer is the experience of the parent who watches their child become pale and drained of energy in the weeks preceding diagnosis. The journey from there to the oncology ward is one that can be adequately described as increasingly claustrophobic. It is all one-way traffic from flourishing life to the abyss. Perhaps being a parent makes one even more prone to the universal human tendency to find fault with oneself where there is only the blind force of nature at work. Whatever dark alleyway that self-destructive sentiment emerges from to ambush the optimist, it is certainly an effective hiding place from which to cause them to stumble. The child slips inexorably out of the parent’s grasp. The notion of parental protection is no haven. Yet the blindness of nature unwittingly tips the scales. In the narrowest of narrow places, the human organism responds with homeostatic resilience. Whether death is near or far in this place is unknown. In the moment of constriction, however, the child and its parent respond with that most irreducible of passions, the will to live. The human spirit emerges. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cancer and Theology: Personal and Pastoral Perspectives)

17 pages, 779 KiB

Open AccessArticle

From Sacred Doctrine to Confucian Moral Practice: Giulio Aleni’s Cross-Cultural Interpretation of “Goodness and Evil of Human Nature”

by Xiangqian Che

Religions 2024, 15(8), 1007; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15081007 - 18 Aug 2024

Viewed by 860

Abstract

This paper explores the cross-cultural interpretation of “the goodness and evil of human nature” by Jesuit missionary Giulio Aleni in the late Ming Dynasty, and it examines the intersections and complementarity between Catholicism and Confucianism in moral ethics based on Aleni’s integration. The [...] Read more.

This paper explores the cross-cultural interpretation of “the goodness and evil of human nature” by Jesuit missionary Giulio Aleni in the late Ming Dynasty, and it examines the intersections and complementarity between Catholicism and Confucianism in moral ethics based on Aleni’s integration. The study finds that Aleni, while basically adhering to the Catholic “original sin”, connected the “spirituality” endowed to humans at the beginning of God’s creation with the Confucian ontological concepts such as “ultimate good” (zhishan 至善); centering on “self-mastery” (zizhuan 自專), “sharpening” (dili 砥礪), and “overcoming nature” (kexing 克性), he actively guided the goodness–evil debate towards a Confucian practical morality, and sacred doctrines are served as an impetus of moral practices. The redemption, together with reward and punishment of God, further intensifies the ultimate concern and the way of transcendence. Aleni’s bridging and synthesizing of the two traditions is highly significant: concerning both sanctity and practicality of ethics can to some extent overcome the risks brought by the instrumentalization of ethics or the illusory issues of existence. This has important implications for the self-development and integration of Christian and Confucian morality. Full article

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21 pages, 281 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Separation of Church and State as an Imperial Project in the Philippines during the Early American Colonial Period

by Yiwei Xiao and Yuanlin Wang

Religions 2024, 15(8), 1006; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15081006 - 18 Aug 2024

Viewed by 2155

Abstract

This paper examines the separation of church and state in the Philippines during the early American colonial period, contextualizing it within the process of American overseas expansion and considering it as one of the projects of imperial hegemony construction. After the Spanish–American War, [...] Read more.

This paper examines the separation of church and state in the Philippines during the early American colonial period, contextualizing it within the process of American overseas expansion and considering it as one of the projects of imperial hegemony construction. After the Spanish–American War, the United States substituted Spain as the new colonial ruler of the Philippines, legitimizing its regime as the spread of ‘civilization’ to the Filipinos. On this basis, the Americans enacted laws guaranteeing religious freedom and introduced an American-style institution dealing with church–state relations. Beyond the legal and administrative initiatives, the new regime also constructed an official narrative of the transformation of political–religious relations in the Philippine that emphasized the absolute ‘difference’ between the American human rights principle, which guaranteed freedom of worship, and the Spanish theocracy, which was dedicated to the consolidation of privileges. By legislating the separation of church and state, buying up church properties, recognizing the equality of denominations, and constructing the official imperial narrative of church–state relations, the Americans hoped to ‘teach’ Filipinos that the ‘true’ belief was rooted in the inner convictions of individual Christians, not in the authority and coercion of the hierarchical church. By disciplining the construction of ‘difference’ under tutelary colonialism, the separation of church and state movement initiated by the American colonial government in the Philippines became an important source of imperial self-endowed legitimacy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Sociological Study of Religion)

11 pages, 195 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bringing Back God: Goldenberg and the Vestigial State in American Religion

by Cole Brent Cloyd

Religions 2024, 15(8), 999; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15080999 - 17 Aug 2024

Viewed by 615

Abstract

Naomi Goldenberg’s model of religion as a “vestigial state” is an excellent interrogation of how religion interacts with the state. To Goldenberg, religions traditionally functioned in the same manner as nation-states before being conquered and delineated as semi-autonomous institutions under the larger secular [...] Read more.

Naomi Goldenberg’s model of religion as a “vestigial state” is an excellent interrogation of how religion interacts with the state. To Goldenberg, religions traditionally functioned in the same manner as nation-states before being conquered and delineated as semi-autonomous institutions under the larger secular apparatus. However, I argue in this paper that Goldenberg’s “vestigial state” fails to account for the dynamism that religions have in their relationships to the state. I propose seeing religions as “alternative authorities”, which can be subordinate, cooperative, or hostile to the secular state. These perspectives as an alternative authority are seen best in the evolution of American fundamentalism and Christian nationalism, whose adherents have historically distinguished themselves from the state while simultaneously engaging in the effort to reshape it. In looking at how these movements develop, we understand that religions are constantly evolving in how to achieve and maintain power. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion and Politics: Interactions and Boundaries)

16 pages, 260 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of a Monk-Led Elderly Mental Health Counseling Program in Thai Buddhist Communities

by Saowalak Langgapin, Waraporn Boonchieng, Sineenart Chautrakarn, Narong Maneeton and Sunisa Senawan

Religions 2024, 15(8), 998; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15080998 - 17 Aug 2024

Viewed by 1072

Abstract

The increasing mental health challenges among elders demand specialized interventions, especially within Thai communities where resources are limited and stigma persists. While monks offer spiritual support, there is a gap in addressing complex mental health needs. This research aims to develop a monk-led [...] Read more.

The increasing mental health challenges among elders demand specialized interventions, especially within Thai communities where resources are limited and stigma persists. While monks offer spiritual support, there is a gap in addressing complex mental health needs. This research aims to develop a monk-led elderly mental health counseling program in Thai Buddhist communities. From January 2023 to March 2024, this study underwent four phases. Initially, qualitative interviews with thirty-six monk and elder participants elucidated requirements. The program development integrated findings from the requirement study, the Solution-Focused Brief Therapy process, and Buddhist mindfulness principles to create a prototype. The quality assessment involved expert content validation, feasibility examination by stakeholders, and a small-scale pilot testing with five monks. Finally, the feasibility of the program was assessed with thirty-two monks. The study reveals three key components of the monk-led elderly counseling program focused on mental health: the counseling process known as MPS-MAV-PI (an Introduction to Mindfulness, Identifying Problems, Assessing the Severity, Mindfully Observing Thoughts and Emotions, Acceptance, Visualizing Success, Planning Strategies for Problem-solving, and Implementation and Subsequent Monitoring), the C-TIME strategy (Collaboration, Training Manual, Implementation, the Monitoring, and Evaluation), and the program manual. Moreover, feasibility assessments among monks show the high feasibility of the program for implementation. The monk-led counseling program holds promise in addressing these challenges, with high feasibility indicating potential effectiveness and scalability. Future research will prioritize evaluating its cost-effectiveness and overall effectiveness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Religion in the Public Sphere)

10 pages, 169 KiB

Open AccessArticle

“Taken, Blessed, Broken, Given”: Lukan Table Practices in the Faith Formation of Christian Communities

by Timothy R. Gaines

Religions 2024, 15(8), 997; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15080997 - 17 Aug 2024

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Abstract

Luke’s Eucharistic pattern not only serves as a Christological marker, but formative pattern for Christian faith communities. In this article, I appeal to Luke’s Eucharistic pattern to advance the claim that hospitable Eucharistic table practices are not only consistent with Luke’s Christology but [...] Read more.

Luke’s Eucharistic pattern not only serves as a Christological marker, but formative pattern for Christian faith communities. In this article, I appeal to Luke’s Eucharistic pattern to advance the claim that hospitable Eucharistic table practices are not only consistent with Luke’s Christology but also form faith that is capable of confronting and dismantling psychological disgust responses to outsiders. This motif is expanded in Luke–Acts, where acts of table fellowship become the places where socio-moral barriers are transgressed, signaling the good news of the gospel, especially for Gentiles. Drawing from biblical scholarship as well as recent work in psychology, I will advance the claim that hospitable Eucharistic practices not only expose disgust psychology in the faith formation of persons but also act as a potential balm, forming persons according to the good news proclaimed in Luke–Acts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Worship and Faith Formation)

15 pages, 248 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Silence of God and the Witness of the Christian Soldier through Kenosis

by Marc V. Rugani

Religions 2024, 15(8), 1005; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15081005 - 17 Aug 2024

Viewed by 756

Abstract

The moral status of soldiers as agent-instruments of polities has been long debated among Christians. Recognizing soldiers’ moral vulnerability, Stanley Hauerwas has argued for a pastoral rather than a missiological shape of what Oliver O’Donovan has called evangelical counter-praxis through a Christian’s participation [...] Read more.

The moral status of soldiers as agent-instruments of polities has been long debated among Christians. Recognizing soldiers’ moral vulnerability, Stanley Hauerwas has argued for a pastoral rather than a missiological shape of what Oliver O’Donovan has called evangelical counter-praxis through a Christian’s participation in war. To reframe the complications of this dilemma, this essay argues that the Christian soldier has the potential to actively witness the love of Jesus Christ through a kenotic repudiation of one’s unwillingness to kill. Through an interpretation of Shusaku Endo’s novel Silence, a correspondence between the Christian soldier and the apostate-cum-martyr Fr. Rodrigues is arguable through an act of paradoxical faith in Jesus, where killing the enemy becomes an imitation of his self-emptying on the cross for the sake of others. Christian soldiers may find self-understanding, healing, and forgiveness by naming their acts truthfully with the intention to move through confession to gratitude and a deeper love for God and neighbor. Full article

13 pages, 253 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Toleration of What Is above Reason: The Impact of Leibniz’s View on Religious Belief on Experiential Matters

by Sarah Tropper

Religions 2024, 15(8), 1004; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15081004 - 17 Aug 2024

Viewed by 879

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to show how the understanding of Leibniz’s notion of toleration in matters of faith should be considered not merely as a pragmatic, but also as an epistemologically and metaphysically relevant concept. Following Maria Rosa Antognazza’s account, I [...] Read more.

The aim of this paper is to show how the understanding of Leibniz’s notion of toleration in matters of faith should be considered not merely as a pragmatic, but also as an epistemologically and metaphysically relevant concept. Following Maria Rosa Antognazza’s account, I will argue that Leibniz’s view on the belief of mysteries is ‘above reason’ and the relation between faith and experience plays an important role in his discussion of transubstantiation with Des Bosses, but also that Leibniz allows for presumptions based on faith to enter metaphysical discussions. Doing so, despite the fact that we cannot achieve certainty in these matters and have to accept a variety of different beliefs regarding the same objects, enriches our understanding of the world and of God—and also gives us reason to take seriously Leibniz’s engagement with corporeal substances, albeit only as presumptions rather than as necessary consequences of his basic metaphysical system. Finally, I will illustrate this point by showing how it is also in play in Leibniz’s response to Tournemine regarding the mind-body-union. Full article

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

25 pages, 42137 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Kucha and Termez—Caves for Mindful Pacing and Seated Meditation

by Giuseppe Vignato and Xiaonan Li

Religions 2024, 15(8), 1003; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15081003 - 17 Aug 2024

Viewed by 746

Abstract

In this paper, by comparing the archaeological remains of meditation caves in Kucha and Termez and by referring to Buddhist literature, we aim at gaining a better understanding of how meditation was practiced in both regions. In Kucha and Termez the arid climate [...] Read more.

In this paper, by comparing the archaeological remains of meditation caves in Kucha and Termez and by referring to Buddhist literature, we aim at gaining a better understanding of how meditation was practiced in both regions. In Kucha and Termez the arid climate shifted between extreme summer heat and extreme winter cold, making the caves ideal choices for meditation. In Kucha, various types of meditation caves have been recorded. These include small cells for seated meditation, single corridors, and corridors that intersect to form a cross or an inverted U plan. The latter type is associated with a residence and a courtyard, which show many similarities with the complexes located in the mounds south and west of the monastery of Kara Tepe. Two possible uses of the corridor-shaped caves have been proposed based on various factors, such as the distance of the caves from the surface monastery, the similarity of the type, the presence of a courtyard in front of the caves, and the existence of a cell where a person could repose. Buddhist accounts remark on the importance of mindful pacing (Skt. caṅkrama; Chi. jingxing 經行) along with sitting meditation in the daily practice of bhikṣus. According to descriptions in the vinaya, we can infer the possibility of having several types of pathways for mindful pacing, besides the most common straight path. Note also that various ancient records of Buddhist monks mention monuments associated with mindful pacing. Drawing on both architectural remains of the investigated areas and textual evidence, we suggest that the carved corridors, both single and intersecting, might have been specifically designed for mindful pacing. In the better-preserved complexes, the length of the courtyard’s sides corresponds with that of the corridors. While the courtyard could have been utilized for various activities, the similarity in size between corridors and the courtyard hints at its potential use for mindful pacing in mild weather. Furthermore, because the Kara Tepe monastery could accommodate less than fifteen monks, the presence of several meditation complexes, each consisting of four intersecting corridors and a small cell, implies that these units were intended for a monk to live in seclusion for a period. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Buddhist Meditation in Central Asia)

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13 pages, 215 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Epistemic Goods, Epistemic Norms, and Evangelization

by Walter Scott Stepanenko

Religions 2024, 15(8), 1002; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15081002 - 17 Aug 2024

Viewed by 1222

Abstract

A missionary religious tradition such as Christianity is distinguished from some other traditions by a commitment to the goal of converting others. However, the very nature of this goal and the norms that govern the successful realization of this goal are not often [...] Read more.

A missionary religious tradition such as Christianity is distinguished from some other traditions by a commitment to the goal of converting others. However, the very nature of this goal and the norms that govern the successful realization of this goal are not often explored. In this article, I argue that evangelization can be undertaken for several distinct reasons, including epistemic reasons, particularly in cases in which evangelizers are aiming at the multivalent goal of fellowship. I argue that this account illuminates several possible models of mission, that it can provide resources for further evaluation and modeling of evangelical efforts, and that it might signify the need for theologically informed positions in the contemporary meta-epistemological debate about epistemic reasons. Full article

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

20 pages, 10641 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fading Landscapes of Rural Cemeteries around Wooden Churches on the Polish–Czech Border in Lower Silesia (Poland)

by Anna Dzikowska, Alicja Edyta Krzemińska, Anna Danuta Zaręba and Kamil Pawłowski

Religions 2024, 15(8), 1001; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15081001 - 17 Aug 2024

Viewed by 770

Abstract

The aim of the article was to compare the landscape and cultural value of cemeteries located around wooden churches on the Polish–Czech border in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. Research regarding the history of the villages was undertaken, describing their development and the construction [...] Read more.

The aim of the article was to compare the landscape and cultural value of cemeteries located around wooden churches on the Polish–Czech border in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. Research regarding the history of the villages was undertaken, describing their development and the construction of the churches and the cemeteries so as to compare changes in cemetery spatial layout, architecture, and landscape. The villages involved were Grzmiąca, Kamieńczyk, Międzygórze, Nowa Bystrzyca, Rybnica Leśna, and Zalesie. The following analyses were conducted: assessment of the visual aspects of the landscape, evaluation of the architectural value, and assessment of land use. In the landscape of Lower Silesia, churchyard cemeteries, which bear witness to the rich past of this region, are gradually but remorselessly deteriorating. Adverse changes are occurring to their spatial layout, to church buildings, as well as in architecture and greenery. The article presents a new approach to the subject of sacred sites through multi-faceted research aimed at protecting the fragile and changing religious landscape. Full article

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22 pages, 4526 KiB

Open AccessArticle

From Shared RE to a Shared Digital RE Strategy: Navigating the Post-Digital Transformation of RE Organizations—Results of a Swiss Participatory Research Project

by Jasmine Suhner

Religions 2024, 15(8), 1000; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15081000 - 17 Aug 2024

Viewed by 790

Abstract

Religious adult education, characterized as non-formal religious education (RE) that has often been established over many decades, is frequently marked by patterns of institutional separation, local conditions and denominational divisions. This is also the case in Switzerland, where in each canton various church [...] Read more.

Religious adult education, characterized as non-formal religious education (RE) that has often been established over many decades, is frequently marked by patterns of institutional separation, local conditions and denominational divisions. This is also the case in Switzerland, where in each canton various church academies and RE organizations generally offer their respective programs along both denominational and cantonal lines. The increasing digitalization of society, and consequently of education, alters the original situation for these actors, both on an individual and organizational level. This article discusses the challenges of religious adult education in navigating the post-digital pivot. It addresses the issues of changing forms of teaching and learning, dealing with shifts in authority, and the growing need for collaboration and shared strategies among RE organizations in post-digital society. A participatory research project involving nearly 60 Swiss RE organizations investigated how these organizations are dealing with digitalization, analyzing the perspectives of the organizational leaders, the teachers, and learners through mixed methods. The findings provide insights into factors influencing the intent to offer or use digital RE courses, as well as factors contributing to the readiness to cooperate in the digital educational field. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shared Religious Education)

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11 pages, 2136 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Prophet Elijah as a Weather God in Church Slavonic Apocryphal Works

by Enrique Santos Marinas

Religions 2024, 15(8), 996; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15080996 - 16 Aug 2024

Viewed by 868

Abstract

The prophet Elijah took over the role of the Slavic pre-Christian god Perun as a weather god among the East and South Slavs in the period of syncretism just after the Christianization. We can find several examples of this in the twelfth-century Primary [...] Read more.

The prophet Elijah took over the role of the Slavic pre-Christian god Perun as a weather god among the East and South Slavs in the period of syncretism just after the Christianization. We can find several examples of this in the twelfth-century Primary Chronicle or Tale of Bygone Years. However, unlike other characters from the Old Testament, Elijah was not honored with extensive translations of full apocryphal works, except for a group of Church Slavonic apocryphal fragments. Nonetheless, some original works devoted to the prophet Elijah were composed, such as the encomium attributed to St. Clement of Ohrid (9th–10th c.) or the Chants from the Orthodox Soul devoted to the Apocalyptic role of the prophet (15th c.). Along these lines, we will compare the latter with the extant apocryphal fragments in order to establish the possible influence of the apocryphal works, as well as identify original Slavic motifs that could date back to the pre-Christian period. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Divine Encounters: Exploring Religious Themes in Literature)

18 pages, 271 KiB

Open AccessArticle

“The Voice of the Universe”: Cosmic Immanence in John Elof Boodin’s Process Thought, What It Is and Why It Matters

by Michael A. Flannery

Religions 2024, 15(8), 995; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15080995 - 16 Aug 2024

Viewed by 957

Abstract

For most, the way to process thought has been through mathematician-turned-philosopher Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947). However, his contemporary, Swedish–American philosopher John Elof Boodin (1869–1950), offers another path. While both clearly exposit a process-based philosophy/theology, there are important differences. The main purpose of this [...] Read more.

For most, the way to process thought has been through mathematician-turned-philosopher Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947). However, his contemporary, Swedish–American philosopher John Elof Boodin (1869–1950), offers another path. While both clearly exposit a process-based philosophy/theology, there are important differences. The main purpose of this essay is to delineate those differences and highlight Boodin’s concept of cosmic immanence (CI) as a key feature separating him from Whitehead’s metaphysic. It is argued that CI can provide the heavy lifting for developing a coherent and satisfying process theology without the baggage attached to Whitehead’s difficult intricate interconnections and enigmatic neologisms. In other words, Boodin’s criticisms of Whitehead (of which there were several) do not amount to an abandonment of process-based thinking or even Whitehead’s larger project of developing a coherent process theology. However, the addition of a new synthesis—merging Boodin’s CI with Joseph A. Bracken’s trinitarian God/world thesis and Ludwig von Bertalanffy’s general systems theory (GST)—is necessary for completion. This new CI synthesis suggests that the same process-based destination can be arrived at by an easier and clearer route. Full article

12 pages, 248 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Scotus, Aquinas, & Radical Orthodoxy: Using the Law of Non-Contradiction to Reframe the Univocalist Debate

by Jonathan David Lyonhart

Religions 2024, 15(8), 994; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15080994 - 16 Aug 2024

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Abstract

In this paper, I shall argue that the law of non-contradiction can be used to constructively reframe the univocalist debate. Duns Scotus argued famously that a term is univocal in two statements if its unity is sufficient for a contradiction. This logical definition [...] Read more.

In this paper, I shall argue that the law of non-contradiction can be used to constructively reframe the univocalist debate. Duns Scotus argued famously that a term is univocal in two statements if its unity is sufficient for a contradiction. This logical definition was woven into his arguments against Henry of Ghent’s (and indirectly Thomas Aquinas’) view of analogy, arguing that all successful analogies must be built upon a univocal core. As early as the 1960s, this Scotist univocity had been singled out by French scholars and, by the turn of the century, had become the cherished whipping boy of Radical Orthodoxy, which claims that Scotus was the progenitor of modern onto-theology, nihilism, and secular immanence. While the genealogical critique in its fullness is beyond this paper’s scope, it illustrates the gravity of the question. If the doctrine of analogy is coherent—i.e., if Scotus turned to univocity without cause—then perhaps his condemnation is justified. However—in line with the principle quod est necessarium est licitum (that which is necessary is permissible)—if univocity is necessary for successful theological reference, then perhaps the doctrine of univocity can be defended regardless of its historical usage. This paper will argue that univocity is latent in all successful analogies, commencing with a fairly standard analysis of Scotus’ Ordinatio, then moving beyond Scotus to more constructively suggest that an expanded version of the argument from non-contradiction can help reframe the univocalist debate for today. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Religions and Theologies)

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Religions, Volume 15, Issue 8 (August 2024) – 143 articles

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