Religions

14 pages, 384 KB

Open AccessArticle

Man as Mediator: The Transfiguration of Human Community and the Earth

by Miguel Escobar Torres

Religions 2025, 16(9), 1184; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091184 (registering DOI) - 14 Sep 2025

Based on the imago Dei theory, this essay attempts to establish a correspondence between the union of natures in Christ and the relationship between man and creation, focusing attention on the communication of idioms and reciprocal indwelling. It compares the dominion that man [...] Read more.

Based on the imago Dei theory, this essay attempts to establish a correspondence between the union of natures in Christ and the relationship between man and creation, focusing attention on the communication of idioms and reciprocal indwelling. It compares the dominion that man is called to exercise over nature by divine vocation as an image of the hypostatic union, with the despotic dominion, so widespread in modern times, that reflects the fall and is characterized by conflict and not by harmony. Finally, it is maintained that the form of dominion inspired by the application of the Christological doctrine inserts man in necessity and the cosmic rhythms, favoring the development of a human community aligned with the liturgical cycle and founded on peace. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systematic Theology and Social Ethics: On the Unity of Theory and Praxis)

19 pages, 749 KB

Open AccessArticle

Saintly Subversions: The Role of Speech in the Polemics Between the Judas Kyriakos Legends and Toledot Yeshu’s Rabbi Yehuda

by Loraine Schneider Enlow

Religions 2025, 16(9), 1183; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091183 (registering DOI) - 14 Sep 2025

Abstract

In hagiographic accounts, the fictitious Christian saint Judas Kyriakos is made to speak Hebrew-like words. In both his inventio and passio narratives, Judas Kyriakos’ voice is made to transverse the fraught landscape of Jewish conversion, and highlights his indelible Jewishness even long after [...] Read more.

In hagiographic accounts, the fictitious Christian saint Judas Kyriakos is made to speak Hebrew-like words. In both his inventio and passio narratives, Judas Kyriakos’ voice is made to transverse the fraught landscape of Jewish conversion, and highlights his indelible Jewishness even long after his conversion to Christianity. Despite not being actual Hebrew, his pseudo-Hebrew gibberish has been labelled as Hebrew across sources for a millennium. The present essay examines how Judas Kyriakos’ speech is challenged and subverted by a parallel figure, Rabbi Yehuda, composed as his foil in the Jewish Toledot Yeshu tradition; and the ways in which doctrine, magic, polemic, and identity are all entangled within saintly speech in both legends. Specific case studies of Judas Kyriakos’ cult in the medieval trade cities of Provins and Ancona are analyzed to illustrate how his public veneration posed direct polemical threats to local Jewish communities, further necessitating the counter-narrative. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Saintly Voices: Sounding the Supernatural in Medieval Hagiography)

14 pages, 234 KB

Open AccessArticle

Investing in Resilience: A Comparative Study of Black Church Survival in Underserved Detroit

by Charles Edward Williams II

Religions 2025, 16(9), 1182; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091182 (registering DOI) - 14 Sep 2025

Abstract

This study examines how theological orientation and institutional culture shape the viability of two historically Black churches in Detroit: Historic King Solomon Baptist Church and Greater King Solomon Baptist Church. Against the backdrop of accelerating church closures in underserved Black communities, the research [...] Read more.

This study examines how theological orientation and institutional culture shape the viability of two historically Black churches in Detroit: Historic King Solomon Baptist Church and Greater King Solomon Baptist Church. Against the backdrop of accelerating church closures in underserved Black communities, the research investigates the factors that contribute to a congregation’s continued relevance and vitality. In doing so, it also provides insight into which churches are best positioned to sustain and scale health and interventions, support community development, and offer enduring spiritual leadership. Using a comparative case study approach grounded in W.E.B. Du Bois’s framework of the Black church as a site of “refuge and protest” and Max Weber’s theory of religious institutionalization, the research combines qualitative interviews with pastors, members, and community residents, alongside sermon content analysis from Easter and Christmas services in 2023 and 2024. Findings reveal stark differences: Historic King Solomon exemplifies an outward-facing, justice-centered model rooted in social memory and public service; Greater King Solomon reflects a more inward-facing, survivalist ethic shaped by individual piety and institutional maintenance. These distinctions impact each church’s resilience, as well as its readiness for public health partnerships and social investment. The study concludes that Black churches that are outwardly facing are likely to survive socioeconomic environmental challenges. Concurrently, both churches portray the Black church as two distinct entities culturally and theologically, which suggests an enhanced selection rubric for identifying congregations best positioned to advance social and health community outcomes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Breath of Life: Black Spirituality in Everyday Life)

22 pages, 1093 KB

Open AccessArticle

Composite Female Figurines and the Religion of Place: Figurines as Evidence of Commonality or Singularity in Iron IIB-C Southern Levantine Religion?

by Erin Darby

Religions 2025, 16(9), 1181; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091181 (registering DOI) - 13 Sep 2025

Abstract

Much attention has been paid to female, pillar-based figurines from Iron II Judah, and the veneration of a major goddess in that territory. Similarly, female figurines throughout the Levant have largely been treated as evidence of goddess-worship, writ large. While the focus on [...] Read more.

Much attention has been paid to female, pillar-based figurines from Iron II Judah, and the veneration of a major goddess in that territory. Similarly, female figurines throughout the Levant have largely been treated as evidence of goddess-worship, writ large. While the focus on goddesses and fertility has been critiqued by contemporary scholarship, the prevalence of female terracotta figurines remains a productive ground for critical inquiry. There is still no consensus explaining the dissemination of female figurines throughout Levantine states during the Iron IIB-C and how to interpret the similarities and differences among these corpora. Do the similarities that distinguish the Levantine figurines from those of other regions indicate a widespread diffusion of similar praxis across Levantine religion? Do the unique features of figurine design, technology, and deposition that demarcate the corpora of one Levantine state from another provide evidence for a “religion of place” on a more local scale? How should scholars approach iconographic similarities when interpreting the use and function of figurines in different locales? In an attempt to address these questions, this paper uses Levantine composite female terracotta figurines as a test case to explore the way archaeological data both support and impede a geographically contextualized approach to religious praxis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ancient Cult and Modern Methods: Unearthing the Religions of Ancient Israel and the Surrounding Cultures)

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31 pages, 8753 KB

Open AccessArticle

Mediatrix of All Graces: The Shrine Madonna and the Marian Gaze

by Katharine D. Scherff

Religions 2025, 16(9), 1180; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091180 (registering DOI) - 12 Sep 2025

Abstract

The Shrine Madonna is a unique form of cult statuary within the wider Madonna and Child tradition, linked to broader Marian iconography. Building on previous scholarship, this article focuses on the visual relationship between the Virgin and the worshiper, giving primacy to the [...] Read more.

The Shrine Madonna is a unique form of cult statuary within the wider Madonna and Child tradition, linked to broader Marian iconography. Building on previous scholarship, this article focuses on the visual relationship between the Virgin and the worshiper, giving primacy to the Shrine Madonna’s gaze. Analyzing three key examples: the Boubon, Rhineland, and Morlaix, Shrine Madonnas reveal how these objects function as mediators of sacred presence, theology, and compassion. Theoretical frameworks surrounding gaze theory and medieval concepts of vision and visuality buttress a discussion of three distinct gazes—direct, mutual, and averted—that facilitate a compassionate response and establish divine hierarchy. This work argues for a shift from viewing Shrine Madonnas as static devotional objects toward recognizing their dynamic role in mediating affective spiritual exchange. Shrine Madonnas are active subjects who command theological space and engage viewers through a reciprocal gaze that alters perception. Rather than passively being observed, they watch back, reflecting and redirecting the viewer’s desire, thereby implicating and transforming them. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Materiality and Gender Constructs in Hagiography: Saints and Sacred Space)

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17 pages, 313 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Friend and the Enemy: Carl Schmitt, Katechon, and the Theological Foundations of the Political

by Gaoxiang Li and Lingyu Jing

Religions 2025, 16(9), 1179; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091179 - 12 Sep 2025

Abstract

This paper explores Carl Schmitt’s concepts of the friend and the enemy through the lens of Katechon. Contemporary scholarship often treats Schmitt’s friend–enemy distinction as an occasional decision driven by political contingency. This paper refutes such a purely political reading and instead argues [...] Read more.

This paper explores Carl Schmitt’s concepts of the friend and the enemy through the lens of Katechon. Contemporary scholarship often treats Schmitt’s friend–enemy distinction as an occasional decision driven by political contingency. This paper refutes such a purely political reading and instead argues Schmitt’s political enemies have a deeper theological origin—Gnosticism. The Gnostics, emerging from a mistaken rejection of theodicy, developed a cosmological dualism and apocalypticism that, in the 20th century, manifested politically in the forms of liberal universalism and social pluralism. To illuminate the theological depth of Schmitt’s thought, this paper investigates a recurring yet underexplored concept—Katechon, the restrainer who holds back the end times. By linking Katechon to Schmitt’s political projects—the nomos of the earth and the decisionist state—this paper reveals the theological foundation underlying his understanding of the political: enmity is not contingent but theologically predestined by human fallenness and God’s redemptive plan. However, Schmitt’s project of political theology ends in paradox: Katechon, meant to restrain chaos, turns into its opposite owing to its intrinsic logical flaw. Full article

30 pages, 5772 KB

Open AccessArticle

Texts, Architecture, and Ritual in the Iron II Levant

by Timothy Hogue

Religions 2025, 16(9), 1178; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091178 - 12 Sep 2025

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Abstract

Studies of ancient Israelite religion have long assumed that texts played some role in its public expression. This role is often reconstructed using depictions in the Hebrew Bible and ritual texts from neighboring regions or the Bronze Age Levant. However, no such ritual [...] Read more.

Studies of ancient Israelite religion have long assumed that texts played some role in its public expression. This role is often reconstructed using depictions in the Hebrew Bible and ritual texts from neighboring regions or the Bronze Age Levant. However, no such ritual texts have been uncovered in the Iron Age Levant. Nevertheless, an analysis of architecturally embedded texts alongside their associated assemblages makes it possible to reconstruct ancient Levantine ritual practices and the roles of texts within them. As components of built environments, texts drew attention to particular areas, directing traffic along particular routes and halting it at waypoints. Texts of various genres occasionally prescribe specific ritual actions to carry out at these waypoints. Even texts lacking prescriptions were often accompanied by iconography depicting ritual practices or functional artifacts implying them. Analyzing architectural, textual, iconographic, and artifactual evidence together allows us to reconstruct ritual sequences performed in ancient built environments. This article demonstrates this method using case studies derived from four Iron Age Levantine sites: Karatepe, Karkemish, Kuntillet ʿAjrud, and Deir ʿAlla. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ancient Cult and Modern Methods: Unearthing the Religions of Ancient Israel and the Surrounding Cultures)

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16 pages, 408 KB

Open AccessArticle

Classical Echoes in Gregory of Nyssa’s Εἰς Πουλχερίαν: Literary Parallels and Rhetorical Strategies

by Mattia C. Chiriatti and Lorenzo Maria Ciolfi

Religions 2025, 16(9), 1177; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091177 - 12 Sep 2025

Viewed by 39

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze the reception and rephrasing of illustrious Classical literary quotes and five references in Gregory of Nyssa’s παραμυθητικὸς λόγος for the Princess Pulcheria (Pulch. 461.3–472.18). Composed specifically for the firstborn daughter of the Roman Emperor Theodosius the [...] Read more.

This paper aims to analyze the reception and rephrasing of illustrious Classical literary quotes and five references in Gregory of Nyssa’s παραμυθητικὸς λόγος for the Princess Pulcheria (Pulch. 461.3–472.18). Composed specifically for the firstborn daughter of the Roman Emperor Theodosius the Great, this speech represents a significant case study, as it offers the opportunity to investigate how the Cappadocian bishop, in the rhetorical construction of this oratio consolatoria, incorporated nine passages from Classical literature to enhance both his theological content and political message. Since this is the first study of this kind on Gregory’s Εἰς Πουλχερίαν, it will go through a philological analysis and a careful examination of intertextual references, casting light upon literary allusions and rhetorical strategies within the text, which reveal Gregory’s familiarity with Classical authors, both Latin (e.g., Catullus, Ovid, Seneca) and Greek (e.g., Herodotus, Thucydides). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Interaction of Early Christianity with Classical Literature)

17 pages, 321 KB

Open AccessArticle

Tracing the Body–Soul Dichotomy in Greek Religion: From Orphism to Plato’s Psychology

by Liangxin Sun and Zhimeng Lin

Religions 2025, 16(9), 1176; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091176 - 12 Sep 2025

Viewed by 24

Abstract

The body–soul relationship serves as a crucial entry point for exploring the intersection of Plato’s dialogues with ancient Greek religious thought, particular Orphic doctrines. In critically inheriting and reconstructing core elements of Orphism, Plato initiates a paradigm shift from mythos to logos—transitioning [...] Read more.

The body–soul relationship serves as a crucial entry point for exploring the intersection of Plato’s dialogues with ancient Greek religious thought, particular Orphic doctrines. In critically inheriting and reconstructing core elements of Orphism, Plato initiates a paradigm shift from mythos to logos—transitioning from mythic narrative to philosophical reasoning. In the context of Greek religious history, Orphism was the first to articulate a dualism between soul and body, depicting the body as a “prison” that confines the divine soul. While Plato frequently references this framework in his dialogues, he simultaneously exposes its inherent contradictions. By distinguishing between the soul’s pure and embodied states, Plato rejects the Orphic notion of bodily impurity. Instead, he reinterprets the body’s negativity not as religious “original sin,” but as the interference of sensory experience and desire in rational life. He affirms that the soul maintains its rational autonomy even in embodiment, with desire and thymos (spirit) emerging naturally from this process, thereby disclosing the soul’s intrinsic structure. In place of a strict dualism, Plato introduces a tripartite model of the soul, positioning thymos as the mediating force between reason and desire. The ambiguity of thymos functions as a self-regulating mechanism that enables the soul to maintain dynamic balance. In this moral psychology, virtue is no longer defined as the soul’s rejection of the body, but as the soul’s harmonious order and natural growth within it. Plato thus adopts a complex and cautious stance toward Orphism, ultimately transcending its passive ethical outlook and transforming a mythical doctrine into a rational philosophical system. Full article

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

14 pages, 264 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Volition on the Capacity to Express Matrimonial Consent: A Cross-Disciplinary Issue

by Grzegorz Marcin Bzdyrak, Dorota Kuncewicz, Dariusz Kuncewicz and Tomasz Lisiecki

Religions 2025, 16(9), 1175; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091175 - 11 Sep 2025

Viewed by 127

Abstract

This article inaugurates a series of scholarly inquiries undertaken by academics from the disciplines of canon law, psychology, and theology, which makes it inherently interdisciplinary. Recognizing the foundations of marital indissolubility, the authors seek to analyze the role of discernment and volition in [...] Read more.

This article inaugurates a series of scholarly inquiries undertaken by academics from the disciplines of canon law, psychology, and theology, which makes it inherently interdisciplinary. Recognizing the foundations of marital indissolubility, the authors seek to analyze the role of discernment and volition in the formulation of matrimonial consent by nupturients. Each person enjoys the innate right to contract matrimony. This right may be circumscribed by (i) an incapacity to formulate an act of will (give matrimonial consent), (ii) a substantial defect in its formulation, (iii) lack of ability to execute it, or (iv) a prohibition derived from divine law—whether natural or positive—or from man-made law. Accordingly, the authors examine matters pertaining to processes to declare the nullity of marriage, with a focus on the evidentiary role of expert testimony, typically provided by psychologists. Given the interdisciplinary nature of their inquiry, the authors have drawn extensively on the literature from the fields of canon law, psychology, and theological studies. Mindful of its theoretical orientation, the authors regard this article as a prologue to subsequent research on selected matrimonial nullity cases processed by ecclesiastical tribunals, with emphasis on the analysis of opinions issued by tribunal-appointed expert psychologists. Full article

16 pages, 250 KB

Open AccessArticle

Emptiness Is to Womanism as Purple Is to Lavender: Buddhist Womanism Revisited in Alice Walker’s Taking the Arrow Out of the Heart

by Zhi Huang and Zier Zhuang

Religions 2025, 16(9), 1174; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091174 - 11 Sep 2025

Viewed by 69

Abstract

This paper argues that the philosophy of Buddhist emptiness not only finds expression in Alice Walker’s Taking the Arrow Out of the Heart with its two most salient manifestationsdependent origination and impermanence, but is applied to alleviate suffering in the poetry, and the [...] Read more.

This paper argues that the philosophy of Buddhist emptiness not only finds expression in Alice Walker’s Taking the Arrow Out of the Heart with its two most salient manifestationsdependent origination and impermanence, but is applied to alleviate suffering in the poetry, and the two approaches the poetry collection are (1) to recognize emptiness in times of crisis and (2) to cultivate bodhicitta through using emptiness to extend loving kindness to all beings. Furthermore, it is argued that emptiness enriches Buddhist womanism by strengthening its theoretical underpinnings, redirecting the focus from practice to cognitive transformation, and harmonizing the priorities of individual and communal wellbeing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion, Gender and Social Development)

17 pages, 289 KB

Open AccessArticle

In Absentia: Politics of Religious Life in Maria Carafa’s Vita by Francesco Maggio (1670)

by Clara Stella

Religions 2025, 16(9), 1173; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091173 - 11 Sep 2025

Viewed by 86

Abstract

This essay examines the interplay between politics and religion through the lens of correspondence between the future Pope Paul IV and his sister Maria Carafa, largely published in 1670 in Francesco Maria Maggio’s Life of the Venerable Maria Carafa. The analysis reveals [...] Read more.

This essay examines the interplay between politics and religion through the lens of correspondence between the future Pope Paul IV and his sister Maria Carafa, largely published in 1670 in Francesco Maria Maggio’s Life of the Venerable Maria Carafa. The analysis reveals how Carafa strategically used this epistolary relationship to shape his public image and religious–political agenda. The letters serve as a carefully crafted narrative tool. Carafa’s portrayal of himself as a leader seeking spiritual guidance from his saintly sister can be interpreted as a calculated political move to legitimize his religious authority and reform initiatives. This correspondence thus becomes a nexus where personal piety and public policy intersect. Maria Carafa’s writings, reconstructed in absentia, offer a perspective on the religious–political landscape of the time. Her role as both sister and spiritual mother to the future pope challenges traditional gender hierarchies within the Church, while also serving Carafa’s narrative of divine guidance for his actions. Full article

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

24 pages, 326 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Mediatization of Religion: How Digital-Age Film and Television Reshape Interfaith Experiences

by Yidan Ding, Yichen Xiao, Yumei Jiang and Anhua Zhou

Religions 2025, 16(9), 1172; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091172 - 11 Sep 2025

Viewed by 149

Abstract

This article employs the theoretical framework of religious mediatization and a philosophical–anthropological lens to examine how various religious traditions utilize audiovisual media in the digital age to disseminate their faith and transform the religious experience. By comparing representative film and television cases from [...] Read more.

This article employs the theoretical framework of religious mediatization and a philosophical–anthropological lens to examine how various religious traditions utilize audiovisual media in the digital age to disseminate their faith and transform the religious experience. By comparing representative film and television cases from Christianity, Islam, and Eastern religions, the study analyzes how digital media reconstruct religious narratives, ritual practices, and identity, and facilitate cross-cultural faith exchange in online spaces. The findings indicate that audiovisual media have become a key arena for contemporary religious practice: they reinforce believers’ identity within their tradition while enabling different faith communities to encounter each other’s narratives, generating new understanding and spiritual experiences. Meanwhile, digital media have fostered virtual religious communities and a fan culture reminiscent of “implicit religion” (secular activities imbued with religious-like devotion), challenging traditional religious authority. Finally, from an interdisciplinary perspective, this article reflects on the opportunities and challenges of religious mediatization in the digital era, highlighting how media shape humanity’s quest for meaning and transcendence in a “liquid modernity” context. It also calls for deeper research into interreligious digital communication. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion, Culture and Spirituality in a Digital World)

18 pages, 1312 KB

Open AccessSystematic Review

At the Boundary of Sound and Faith: A Systematic Review of Religious Music Education in Multicultural Settings

by Yuetong Dong, Yan Zhang and Qian Cheng

Religions 2025, 16(9), 1171; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091171 - 11 Sep 2025

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Abstract

Cultural and religious diversity has become a defining feature of societies worldwide. Although religious music serves as a powerful medium for fostering intercultural understanding, it remains underexamined in educational research. This systematic review analyzes studies published between 2016 and 2025, identified through comprehensive [...] Read more.

Cultural and religious diversity has become a defining feature of societies worldwide. Although religious music serves as a powerful medium for fostering intercultural understanding, it remains underexamined in educational research. This systematic review analyzes studies published between 2016 and 2025, identified through comprehensive searches of SCOPUS, Web of Science, and ERIC databases. Eleven peer-reviewed studies meeting thematic criteria were selected for in-depth analysis. Findings revealed persistent challenges in religious music education, including policy ambiguity, teacher identity constraints, and limited resources. The review identifies a shift from traditional knowledge transmission to experiential pedagogies, leading to outcomes such as emotional resonance, intercultural understanding, moral self-regulation, and student agency. It also highlights structural gaps in longitudinal research and a significant underrepresentation of religious music traditions from Eastern Europe and other non-Anglophone regions. A practice–outcome heatmap developed in this study uncovered unexplored links, particularly regarding student agency. Future research should investigate these underexplored pedagogical–outcome pathways and address current geographic and cultural imbalances by incorporating regional traditions—such as Eastern European choral and sacred music—into global academic discourse. Full article

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14 pages, 214 KB

Open AccessArticle

How to Measure the Firmness of a Belief?

by Niklas Forsberg

Religions 2025, 16(9), 1170; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091170 - 11 Sep 2025

Viewed by 197

Abstract

One of the more well-known of Wittgenstein’s thoughts about the nature of religious beliefs is that we go wrong if we try to vindicate or refute religious beliefs in the same way as we do in the sciences. This may make it seem [...] Read more.

One of the more well-known of Wittgenstein’s thoughts about the nature of religious beliefs is that we go wrong if we try to vindicate or refute religious beliefs in the same way as we do in the sciences. This may make it seem as if Wittgenstein held a view where the world can be divided into two separate spheres, one hard, objective, world of facts where beliefs are held because we have proof for them, and another subjective, softer, vaguer, where our beliefs cannot be proven and are held for completely different reasons. Religious beliefs would thus fall into the second category. In this text, I will argue (1) that even though it is true that Wittgenstein did not think that religious beliefs were on a par with scientific beliefs (held for similar reasons, vindicated in similar ways), he nevertheless did not divide the world into two (in the above mentioned way); and (2) that Wittgenstein’s reflections on the nature of religious beliefs tells us something important about what it means to hold a belief (in general) that challenges several predominant theoretical views about beliefs. I will, with some help from C.S. Lewis, try to show that thinking about the differences in beliefs according to the predominant model—where the “beliefs” are fundamentally different in a scientific and a religious idioms, which leads us to think that one of them has to be endorsing the right, true, belief; or that they are incommensurable—is a model that misrepresents the “conflict.” The matter may not be as intellectual as one may be prone to think—given that the concept of “belief” is at the center—but may rather be best understood (and, hence, the difficulties most efficiently overcome) if we learn to exercise other features of our experience. In particular, we need to learn how to listen and look at things that sound and look strange. A self-critical training of one’s ears is what is needed. (And for these reasons, the article starts in a different register than one might expect.) Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Work on Wittgenstein's Philosophy of Religion)

13 pages, 255 KB

Open AccessArticle

Singing in Heaven and Shouting on Earth: Ritual Prayer and the Mystical Voice in the Life of Pirona the Recluse

by Laura Moncion

Religions 2025, 16(9), 1169; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091169 - 11 Sep 2025

Viewed by 162

Abstract

This paper explores the role of voice in the fifteenth-century hagiography of the recluse Pirona, who lived a religious life while voluntarily enclosed in a dwelling attached to the church of St. Nicholas outside the city walls of Mechelen. Her hagiographer-confessor describes Pirona’s [...] Read more.

This paper explores the role of voice in the fifteenth-century hagiography of the recluse Pirona, who lived a religious life while voluntarily enclosed in a dwelling attached to the church of St. Nicholas outside the city walls of Mechelen. Her hagiographer-confessor describes Pirona’s voice and foregrounds her speech throughout the text. His representations of her words and the quality of her voice illustrate Pirona’s mystical proximity to the divine and underline her connection to himself and his fellow friars. In scenes that include ritual prayers or liturgical chants, Pirona’s voice transforms her mind and body, testing the limits of her humanity and bringing her closer to the divine. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Saintly Voices: Sounding the Supernatural in Medieval Hagiography)

24 pages, 3823 KB

Open AccessArticle

Revisiting Qusayr Amra: A New Perspective on Female Imagery

by Inbal Kol

Religions 2025, 16(9), 1168; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091168 - 10 Sep 2025

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Abstract

This essay argues that female representations at Qusayr Amra reflect a deliberate adaptation of pre-Islamic artistic traditions, expressing evolving Umayyad ideas of beauty, gender, and hierarchy. By analyzing the interplay between visual imagery and written texts, including the Qur’an, it reevaluates the significance [...] Read more.

This essay argues that female representations at Qusayr Amra reflect a deliberate adaptation of pre-Islamic artistic traditions, expressing evolving Umayyad ideas of beauty, gender, and hierarchy. By analyzing the interplay between visual imagery and written texts, including the Qur’an, it reevaluates the significance of female figures and the representational choices made in 8th-century Umayyad palaces in Bilad al-Sham. Drawing on scholars such as Garth Fowden and Nadia Ali, and informed by contemporary gender studies, this essay foregrounds how artistic choices regarding female imagery negotiate social ideals of belief, gender, and power. The analysis begins by examining the development of figurative imagery in early Islam and its cultural context. It then offers a close reading of a key fresco challenging assumptions about modesty and figural representation. Through comparative analysis with another Umayyad site, this study highlights the complexities and meanings of female depictions, revealing diverse interpretations across contexts. While Patron Walid II was not the sole author of these choices, his patronage was crucial in enabling a bold engagement with Islamic visual culture. In doing so, this essay offers new insights into the complexities of early Islamic visual culture and its negotiation of social values. Full article

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

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17 pages, 259 KB

Open AccessArticle

Reading in Two Voices of an Educational Experience of Interreligious Jewish-Christian Dialogue

by Silvia Guetta and Andrea Porcarelli

Religions 2025, 16(9), 1167; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091167 - 10 Sep 2025

Viewed by 194

Abstract

This article explores an interreligious educational initiative jointly developed by the Union of Italian Jewish Communities (UCEI) and the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI), the “Sixteen Sheets on Judaism,” created to support Catholic religious education in Italian schools. Using a dialogical-hermeneutic methodology within a [...] Read more.

This article explores an interreligious educational initiative jointly developed by the Union of Italian Jewish Communities (UCEI) and the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI), the “Sixteen Sheets on Judaism,” created to support Catholic religious education in Italian schools. Using a dialogical-hermeneutic methodology within a constructivist qualitative framework, the study applies Hermeneutic Content Analysis to thematically code and interpret the corpus. The analysis shows how the sheets seek to dismantle long-standing stereotypes and theological distortions about Judaism—often still present in educational settings—and to prevent forms of antisemitism by fostering accurate knowledge and mutual respect. Key themes include the Hebrew Scriptures, the Written and Oral Torah, and the Jewish identity of Jesus and Paul. The materials promote mutual recognition and religious literacy through dialogical engagement and the affirmation of Judaism as a living and autonomous tradition. By enabling Jewish self-representation and encouraging theological reciprocity, the sheets exemplify a model of transformative non-formal education. The article positions this case within broader debates on interreligious pedagogy and presents it as a valuable tool for inclusive curriculum design and intercultural citizenship. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Governance of Interreligious Dialogue and Freedom of/from Religion)

15 pages, 349 KB

Open AccessArticle

Tibet as Method: Reimagining Marginalized Narratives and Religious Representations in Ma Yuan’s Fiction

by Yi He

Religions 2025, 16(9), 1166; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091166 - 10 Sep 2025

Viewed by 167

Abstract

Tibet occupies a central place in the avant-garde narratives of Ma Yuan (b. 1953), whose works significantly advanced the thought liberation movements of the 1980s in the People’s Republic of China. As global interest in the intersection of religion, literature, and cultural identity [...] Read more.

Tibet occupies a central place in the avant-garde narratives of Ma Yuan (b. 1953), whose works significantly advanced the thought liberation movements of the 1980s in the People’s Republic of China. As global interest in the intersection of religion, literature, and cultural identity grows, Ma Yuan’s experimental writings offer a unique lens into the reconfiguration of religious and marginalized narratives in modern Chinese literature. While previous research has focused on his formal and stylistic innovations, this study uncovers how Ma Yuan transforms Buddhist rituals, myths, and customs within Tibetan culture to reexamine the spiritual dimensions of trauma and identity among marginalized groups. By engaging with Tibet as both a cultural reality and a mythological allegory, his narratives explore the interplay between body and soul, sacred and secular, and center and periphery within the late twentieth-century Chinese artistic landscape. This interdisciplinary study highlights how modernist literature reinterprets sacred practices and bridges Tibetan cultural heritage with China’s socio-historical modernization, contributing to broader understandings of cultural and intellectual transformations in the study of religion. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Divine Narratives: Exploring the Intersection of Poetry, Myth, and the Spiritual in Literature and Theatre)

28 pages, 1010 KB

Open AccessArticle

Figurative Imagery and Religious Discourse in Al-Mufaḍḍaliyyāt

by Ula Aweida

Religions 2025, 16(9), 1165; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091165 - 10 Sep 2025

Viewed by 239

Abstract

This study examines al-Mufaḍḍaliyyāt anthology as a foundational corpus wherein pre-Islamic and early Islamic Arabic poetry emerged not only as a cultural artifact but as a generative locus for theological reflection. Through a close reading of selected poems and nuanced engagement with the [...] Read more.

This study examines al-Mufaḍḍaliyyāt anthology as a foundational corpus wherein pre-Islamic and early Islamic Arabic poetry emerged not only as a cultural artifact but as a generative locus for theological reflection. Through a close reading of selected poems and nuanced engagement with the figurative language specifically metaphor, personification, and symbolic narrative, the research situates poetry as a mode of epistemic inquiry that articulates religious meaning alongside Qurʾānic revelation. Drawing on ʿAbd al-Qāhir al-Jurjānī’s theory of semantic structure and metaphor, in dialogue with Paul Ricoeur’s conception of metaphor as imaginative cognition, the study proposes that poetic discourse operates as a site of “imaginative theology”, i.e., a space wherein the abstract is rendered sensorially legible and metaphysical concepts are dramatized in affective and embodied terms. The analysis reveals how key Qurʾānic themes including divine will, mortality, ethical restraint are anticipated, echoed, and reconfigured through poetic imagery. Thus, al-Mufaḍḍaliyyāt is not merely a literary corpus vis-à-vis Islamic scripture but also functions as an active interlocutor in the formation of early Islamic moral and theological imagination. This interdisciplinary inquiry contributes to broader discussions on the interpenetration of poetics and theology as well as on the cognitive capacities of literature to shape religious consciousness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Classical Arabic Texts and the Pre-Modern Islamic Rhetorical Tradition: Rethinking the Qur’an and Early Arabic Poetry as Cultural Foundations)

24 pages, 304 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Invitation to Become: A Phenomenological Analysis of a Master–Disciple Relationship

by Michelle Rebidoux

Religions 2025, 16(9), 1164; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091164 - 9 Sep 2025

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Abstract

The contribution of this paper lies in its extension of the phenomenological insights of Martin Buber and Jean-Luc Marion—in particular, Buber’s philosophy of dialogue and the I–thou relation, and Marion’s articulation of saturated phenomenality—to the unique context of the relation between a spiritual [...] Read more.

The contribution of this paper lies in its extension of the phenomenological insights of Martin Buber and Jean-Luc Marion—in particular, Buber’s philosophy of dialogue and the I–thou relation, and Marion’s articulation of saturated phenomenality—to the unique context of the relation between a spiritual Master and a disciple. The author of this paper is the disciple in question, such that a certain autobiographical dimension to the analysis is inevitable and even necessary. From this it follows that the analysis presented in no way aspires to apply universally to all Master–disciple relationships, though some generality may be possible to the extent that both Buber’s and Marion’s phenomenological insights may be generalizable to some degree. At heart, what is hoped is that the thick phenomenological descriptions contained in the analysis, expressions of a sustained application of the work of Buber and Marion to a unique context, will be of interest to the reader. Full article

11 pages, 222 KB

Open AccessArticle

A Constructive, Christian, Ethical Response to Brain–Computer Interfaces like Neuralink’s and AI

by Myriam Renaud

Religions 2025, 16(9), 1163; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091163 - 9 Sep 2025

Viewed by 164

Abstract

Advances in AI and Brain–Computer Interfaces (BCIs) like Neuralink’s invite constructive Christian ethical responses that capitalize on these increasingly powerful technologies. This paper offers such a response. Its thought experiment partly draws on Immanuel Kant’s work Religion Within the Boundaries of Mere Reason [...] Read more.

Advances in AI and Brain–Computer Interfaces (BCIs) like Neuralink’s invite constructive Christian ethical responses that capitalize on these increasingly powerful technologies. This paper offers such a response. Its thought experiment partly draws on Immanuel Kant’s work Religion Within the Boundaries of Mere Reason in which he argues that the Son of God is the prototype of the perfectly good person and, as such, serves as the ideal model for anyone seeking to lead a moral life. Working within this Kantian framework, the anticipated capabilities of BCIs and AI could assist humans make moral progress and support their efforts to imitate the Son of God. These two technologies, coupled with a computer science approach to AI ethics known as Conditional Preference Networks, or CP-nets, offer a path forward. A case study in which a medical doctor with access to only one donor kidney must choose between two patients illustrates how BCIs and AI can help. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion and/of the Future)

15 pages, 246 KB

Open AccessArticle

Fraternity: A Missing Element in Huntington’s The Clash of Civilizations

by Benson Ohihon Igboin

Religions 2025, 16(9), 1162; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091162 - 9 Sep 2025

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Abstract

For the past three decades, Samuel Huntington’s The Clash of Civilizations has maintained some critical relevance in analysing cultural or religious conflict in the international sphere. An avalanche of criticism and praise has placed Huntington’s thoughts on the central political arguments, policies and [...] Read more.

For the past three decades, Samuel Huntington’s The Clash of Civilizations has maintained some critical relevance in analysing cultural or religious conflict in the international sphere. An avalanche of criticism and praise has placed Huntington’s thoughts on the central political arguments, policies and fundamental questions about the future of cultural influence onto the international scene. Although one of the pivotal arguments is that the future conflict would be based on cultural or religious, rather than ideological, difference, Huntington foregrounds it on the principles of equality and freedom, neglecting fraternity as the third face of the coin of Western political philosophy. By recognising fraternity as an overlooked and connecting rod between equality and freedom, the article argues that the apocalypses would have been better managed if fraternity was not neglected. Consequently, this article argues that Huntington’s thesis overlooks the critical role of fraternity in future conflict by focusing almost exclusively on conflict that is prompted by the struggle for equality and freedom at global and local levels. It concludes that fraternity theoretically suits the African relationship to the civilisational clash. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancing the Study of Religion and International Relations: Thirty Years After Samuel Huntington's "Clash of Civilizations" (1993, 1996)—A Critical Evaluation and Appraisal of the Current State of Art)

17 pages, 644 KB

Open AccessArticle

Paul Within Ioudaismos: The Shifting Focus of Paul’s Zeal in Galatians

by Jordan Lavender

Religions 2025, 16(9), 1161; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091161 - 9 Sep 2025

Viewed by 191

Abstract

This study analyzes the term ioudaismos in Second Temple literature and proposes differentiation in how this term was used in Palestine and the Diaspora, with the latter being characterized by the following: (1) seize the land; (2) persecute barbarians; (3) retain the temple; [...] Read more.

This study analyzes the term ioudaismos in Second Temple literature and proposes differentiation in how this term was used in Palestine and the Diaspora, with the latter being characterized by the following: (1) seize the land; (2) persecute barbarians; (3) retain the temple; (4) liberate Jerusalem; (5) reestablish Torah. In the Diaspora, ioudaismos was modified to refer to: (1) persecuting pagans; (2) concern for the Temple; and (3) observing ancestral customs devoutly. It then analyzes how Paul’s use of the term fits within these usages of other literature of the time and how the term was later used by early Christian authors of the second century in a different manner. Paul understood his role as a messianic emissary as fitting with ioudaismos by modifying the formula slightly to attract the nations to worship Israel’s god and by refocusing the ancestral customs of the Jews upon Jesus, who Paul believed to be the messiah. Full article

17 pages, 878 KB

Open AccessArticle

Shaping Youth Ministry: Exploring Influences on Youth Pastors’ Approaches to Programme Design

by Timothy A. Mullen and Trudi Cooper

Religions 2025, 16(9), 1160; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091160 - 9 Sep 2025

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Abstract

The literature on youth ministry practices is mostly anecdotal, and empirical research into the practices, goals, and meanings of youth ministry to youth pastors is rare, especially in Australia. In this study, 20 youth pastors in Perth, Western Australia, were interviewed about their [...] Read more.

The literature on youth ministry practices is mostly anecdotal, and empirical research into the practices, goals, and meanings of youth ministry to youth pastors is rare, especially in Australia. In this study, 20 youth pastors in Perth, Western Australia, were interviewed about their goals, priorities, practices, training, and what influenced them. This study forms part of a larger doctoral research project. The interview data were analysed utilising a phenomenological approach, drawing upon Goffman’s framing analysis to examine the link between ‘meaning making’ and explicit and tacit motivations for youth ministry practice. The research found that youth pastors were most often motivated by their personal experiences, influenced by mentors and peers, and sometimes their formal studies. Goffman’s framing was useful for explaining how motivations, influences, and goals shape ‘what’ is happening. The research contributes to knowledge about cross-denominational youth ministry practices with young people and has implications for youth ministry training and the need to support youth pastors’ informal learning through their networks. Full article

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16 pages, 401 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Symposium of Methodius of Olympus and the Critique of Fatalism

by Davide Tomaselli

Religions 2025, 16(9), 1159; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091159 - 9 Sep 2025

Viewed by 193

Abstract

This study examines a specific section of the Symposium by Methodius of Olympus, a Church Father of the late 3rd and early 4th centuries, focusing on the critique of astrological fatalism. In Methodius’s Symposium, the virgin Thecla offers a series of rational [...] Read more.

This study examines a specific section of the Symposium by Methodius of Olympus, a Church Father of the late 3rd and early 4th centuries, focusing on the critique of astrological fatalism. In Methodius’s Symposium, the virgin Thecla offers a series of rational arguments against the notion of an inescapable fate governing human events, emphasizing the primacy of human free will and responsibility. Notably, Thecla’s refutation of fatalism relies almost entirely on classical philosophical reasoning—citing Homer and echoing Platonic thought—rather than on Scripture, thereby engaging pagan cultural ideas on common ground. The paper highlights how Thecla’s excursus on fate, unique within the dialogue, underscores the centrality of human freedom in Methodius’s theology. Furthermore, a comparison with Methodius’s dialogue On Free Will suggests that the Symposium’s anti-fatalistic arguments are consistent with his broader defence of free will as God’s greatest gift to humanity, which requires the synergistic participation of human freedom alongside divine grace. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fate in Ancient Greek Philosophy and Religion)

19 pages, 306 KB

Open AccessArticle

Faith at the Edge of Life: A Mixed-Methods Study of Near-Death Experiences and Spiritual Transformation in the Philippines

by Fides A. del Castillo, Gregory S. Ching, Clarence Darro del Castillo and Stefan Huber

Religions 2025, 16(9), 1158; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091158 - 9 Sep 2025

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Abstract

Near-death experiences (NDEs) encompass transformative existential experiences that lead to religious change. Although most previous research focused primarily on Western contexts, there remains less understanding of individuals’ interpretations of NDEs in pluralistic societies such as the Philippines. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study [...] Read more.

Near-death experiences (NDEs) encompass transformative existential experiences that lead to religious change. Although most previous research focused primarily on Western contexts, there remains less understanding of individuals’ interpretations of NDEs in pluralistic societies such as the Philippines. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study examined the relationship between NDEs and spiritual transformation in a sample of 683 Filipino adults who acknowledged having NDEs. Quantitative data were assessed in terms of levels of religiosity, NDE occurrence, and perceived spiritual change according to different demographics. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and logistic regression. For the qualitative analysis, narrative responses on the reason why their spirituality increased, stayed the same, or decreased were thematically classified. Six focused phenomenological narratives are noted: altruism and helping others, challenges to spirituality, increased and strengthened religious practices, no changes or decreased faith, reflection and growth, and validation of divine presence. In addition, while the majority reported increased or unchanged spirituality following their NDE, only age emerged as a significant predictor of perceived spiritual change. Overall, findings highlight how personal experience, identity, and cultural beliefs shape religious meaning-making after NDEs. This study offers a culturally grounded understanding of spiritual change and highlights the value of a mixed-methods approach in religious studies. Full article

13 pages, 543 KB

Open AccessArticle

Spiritual Aspirations of American College Students

by Gulden Esat and Samantha K. Enriquez

Religions 2025, 16(9), 1157; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091157 - 8 Sep 2025

Viewed by 250

Abstract

During the transition to adulthood, college students undergo profound personal growth and identity exploration. Spirituality, which is defined as the individual pursuit of meaning, purpose, and connection with others, oneself, and the sacred or transcendent, plays a significant role in shaping well-being, relationships, [...] Read more.

During the transition to adulthood, college students undergo profound personal growth and identity exploration. Spirituality, which is defined as the individual pursuit of meaning, purpose, and connection with others, oneself, and the sacred or transcendent, plays a significant role in shaping well-being, relationships, and academic engagement, independent of organized religion. This qualitative study explores the spiritual aspirations of college students, offering insights into their diverse experiences and values. Participants included 113 ethnically and religiously diverse students from a southern United States urban university who completed an anonymous, open-ended questionnaire focused on spirituality in interpersonal relationships, education, and broader life domains. A thematic analysis identified recurring themes, including “peaceful or less stressed,” “sharing spiritual experiences,” and “being focused.” The findings suggest that the majority of students view spirituality as central to their lives, highlighting its role in their search for meaning, personal development, and a sense of connectedness. These results underscore spirituality as a pervasive influence on student well-being and identity, with implications for their academic and relational experiences. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functions of Religion Among Young People: Diverse Religious, Spiritual and Non-Religious Worldviews)

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18 pages, 727 KB

Open AccessArticle

Evangelism in Translation: A Critical Study of Missionary-Scholar Walter Henry Medhurst’s Rendering of Chinese Agricultural Classic Nongzheng Quanshu

by Yanmeng Wang

Religions 2025, 16(9), 1156; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091156 - 8 Sep 2025

Viewed by 291

Abstract

In 1807, a group of Protestant missionaries driven by evangelistic ideals arrived in China, dedicated to “winning China for Christ.” Walter Henry Medhurst of the London Missionary Society was among them. In addition to his preaching and study of Chinese orthodox classics, he [...] Read more.

In 1807, a group of Protestant missionaries driven by evangelistic ideals arrived in China, dedicated to “winning China for Christ.” Walter Henry Medhurst of the London Missionary Society was among them. In addition to his preaching and study of Chinese orthodox classics, he translated the agricultural work Nongzheng Quanshu by Xu Guangqi, the very influential scholar-official of the late Ming dynasty, into English. This study explores how Medhurst’s unwavering missionary convictions influenced his secular translation praxis by examining his translational motivation, methodology and quality. He aimed to dispel Western misconceptions regarding Chinese silk-weaving techniques and then secure institutional patronage and integrate Chinese civilization under the auspices of Christian culture. Driven by the missionary mandate to convey the real China, he meticulously selected the Chinese version; and adopted a bilingual juxtaposition methodology for translating agricultural terms, thus inspiring prospective missionary students to acquire Chinese. Moreover, his scheduled missionary priority, assigned by the affiliated mission, constrained his engagement with the “amateur issues,” resulting in the translated language being less semantically equivalent, which in turn provides a pragmatic justification for the need to “civilize” China. Medhurst’s translation not only advanced his missionary enterprise, but also boosted Britain’s silk-weaving industry during the Industrial Revolution and prepared the way for the Western understanding of Chinese agricultural science from the late 19th century to the present. To this end, this analysis clearly revealed that translation was inextricably linked to the propagation of Christianity in religious communication. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chinese Christianity and Knowledge Development)

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12 pages, 237 KB

Open AccessArticle

Psychosocial Stress Among Siblings of Individuals with Disabilities: The Interplay of Religiosity, Gender, and Cultural Background

by Raaya Alon

Religions 2025, 16(9), 1155; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16091155 - 8 Sep 2025

Viewed by 326

Abstract

Siblings of individuals with developmental disabilities frequently assume central emotional and caregiving roles within their families, often facing ongoing and unique stressors. This quantitative study assessed perceived psychosocial stress among 465 emerging adult siblings (aged 18–28) of individuals diagnosed with autism, Down Syndrome [...] Read more.

Siblings of individuals with developmental disabilities frequently assume central emotional and caregiving roles within their families, often facing ongoing and unique stressors. This quantitative study assessed perceived psychosocial stress among 465 emerging adult siblings (aged 18–28) of individuals diagnosed with autism, Down Syndrome (DS), or cerebral palsy (CP), focusing on the gender of the typically developing sibling, type of diagnosis, and religious-cultural sector. Within the Jewish-Israeli population, three main religious-cultural sectors—secular, religious-national, and ultra-Orthodox—differ in their engagement with broader society and adherence to traditional lifestyles. Results indicated significant main effects for all variables: Brothers reported higher stress than sisters, and siblings of individuals with autism or CP experienced greater stress than those with siblings with DS. Religious-cultural sector further interacted with stress: ultra-Orthodox siblings of individuals with autism reported the highest stress, while secular siblings of individuals with CP also exhibited elevated stress. Secular brothers reported higher stress than sisters, while gender differences were not evident in the religious-national or ultra-Orthodox groups. These findings emphasize the need for culturally and religiosity-sensitive interventions that address gender norms and the distinct challenges of various developmental disabilities, to support and improve the well-being and adaptive functioning of siblings during emerging adulthood. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Family Health and Its Threats in the Physical, Mental, Religious–Moral, and Social Dimensions)

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Religions, Volume 16, Issue 9 (September 2025) – 99 articles

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