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Singing in Heaven and Shouting on Earth: Ritual Prayer and the Mystical Voice in the Life of Pirona the Recluse
Does the Biblical Injunction Against Marriage with “Outsiders” (Ezra 9:1–2) Still Bind Catholics Today?
Reading in Two Voices of an Educational Experience of Interreligious Jewish-Christian Dialogue
“Bury Me with My Ancestors:” Posthumous Repatriation in the Biblical Story of Jacob

Journal Description

Religions

Religions is an international, interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed, open access journal on religions and theology, published monthly online by MDPI.

Open Access— free for readers, with article processing charges (APC) paid by authors or their institutions.
High Visibility: indexed within Scopus, AHCI (Web of Science), ATLA Religion Database, Religious and Theological Abstracts, and other databases.
Journal Rank: CiteScore - Q1 (Religious Studies)
Rapid Publication: manuscripts are peer-reviewed and a first decision is provided to authors approximately 25.4 days after submission; acceptance to publication is undertaken in 4.5 days (median values for papers published in this journal in the first half of 2025).
Recognition of Reviewers: reviewers who provide timely, thorough peer-review reports receive vouchers entitling them to a discount on the APC of their next publication in any MDPI journal, in appreciation of the work done.

Impact Factor: 0.6 (2024)

Imprint Information Journal Flyer Open Access ISSN: 2077-1444

Latest Articles

15 pages, 272 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Middle Path of Rational Faith: Jaspers and Kant

by Ondřej Sikora

Religions 2025, 16(10), 1275; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16101275 - 6 Oct 2025

The philosophy of both Immanuel Kant and Karl Jaspers culminates in the motif of faith (the pure practical rational faith and the philosophical faith), but this similarity has received relatively little attention. The paper examines it with specific focus on three questions: First, [...] Read more.

The philosophy of both Immanuel Kant and Karl Jaspers culminates in the motif of faith (the pure practical rational faith and the philosophical faith), but this similarity has received relatively little attention. The paper examines it with specific focus on three questions: First, can it be said that Kant advocates a narrower, morally bound conception of rational faith, while Jaspers holds a broader, existential conception? If so, what is the root of this “narrower”–“wider” distinction? Second, can we take Jaspers as “Kantian existentialist” with regard to his motif of philosophical faith? Third, what do these concepts imply in relation to Christianity? To what extent can philosophical standpoint co-exist with Christian belief? As for the first question, the interpretation shows that rather than narrower–wider, it is more appropriate to use the stricter (Kant)–looser (Jaspers) distinction in the concept of rational faith, that, (second), has in both cases different grounding. Third, contrary to seeming opposition, where Kantian faith tends to overlap with Christian belief while for Jaspers a philosopher cannot be a believer in traditional sense, both get to a “sibling proximity” on the one hand and tension to traditional religion on the other. Full article

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

32 pages, 508 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Reflections of Raa Haqi Cosmology in Dersim Folk Tales

by Ahmet Kerim Gültekin

Religions 2025, 16(10), 1274; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16101274 - 6 Oct 2025

This article illuminates the cosmology of Raa Haqi (often called Dersim Alevism or Kurdish Alevism), a rarely examined strand within Alevi Studies. Existing scholarship’s emphasis on identity politics and sparse ethnography has left Raa Haqi’s mythological and cosmological dimensions underexplored. This paper approaches [...] Read more.

This article illuminates the cosmology of Raa Haqi (often called Dersim Alevism or Kurdish Alevism), a rarely examined strand within Alevi Studies. Existing scholarship’s emphasis on identity politics and sparse ethnography has left Raa Haqi’s mythological and cosmological dimensions underexplored. This paper approaches Raa Haqi through a dual authority framework: (1) Ocak lineages and Ocak–talip relations—sustained by kinship institutions like kirvelik, musahiplik, and communal rites such as the cem—and (2) jiares, non-human agents from the Batın realm that manifest in Zahir as sacred places, objects, and animals. Methodologically, I conduct a close, motif-based reading of folktales compiled by Caner Canerik (2019, Dersim Masalları I), treating them as ethnographic windows into living theology. The analysis shows that tales encode core principles—rızalık (mutual consent), ikrar (vow), sır (the secret knowledge), fasting and calendrical rites, ritual kinship, and moral economies involving humans, animals, and Batın beings. Dreams, metamorphosis, and jiare-centered orientations structure time–space, ethics, and authority beyond the Ocak, including in individual re-sacralizations of objects and sites. I conclude that these narratives do not merely reflect belief; they actively transmit, test, and renew Raa Haqi’s cosmological order, offering Alevi Studies a theory-grounded, source-proximate account of Kurdish Alevi mythic thought. Full article

16 pages, 244 KB

Open AccessArticle

A Legal Analysis of Austria’s Cooperation Model for Interreligious and Religious Education in the School Context

by Michael Kramer

Religions 2025, 16(10), 1273; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16101273 - 5 Oct 2025

This article examines the legal and practical dimensions of religious education (RE) in Austria with a particular focus on interreligious education as an emerging pedagogical and societal response to increasing religious and cultural diversity. It begins by situating the discussion within Austria’s historical [...] Read more.

This article examines the legal and practical dimensions of religious education (RE) in Austria with a particular focus on interreligious education as an emerging pedagogical and societal response to increasing religious and cultural diversity. It begins by situating the discussion within Austria’s historical and constitutional framework, in which RE is governed as a res mixta—a joint responsibility shared between the state and legally recognized churches and religious societies (CRSs). The analysis highlights how this model of power-sharing is enshrined in both constitutional and ordinary legislation, granting CRSs extensive autonomy in the organization, content, and supervision of denominational RE. Despite the absence of explicit legal provisions for interreligious education, the article demonstrates that interreligious teaching practices can be implemented through cooperative arrangements between CRSs, particularly when aligned with national educational goals and international commitments to tolerance, religious freedom, and other human rights. It further analyses curricular references to interreligiosity across various denominational RE programs and discusses the institutional potential for integrating interreligious competencies into teacher training and school practice. Drawing on the example of the project Integration through Interreligious Education at the University Graz, a cooperative initiative between the Catholic Church and the Islamic Religious Society in Austria (IGGÖ) from 2017 to 2023, the article outlines how interreligious education was legally contextualized and contractually formalized. The article concludes that interreligious education, though legally unregulated, is both feasible and desirable within Austria’s current legal and educational framework. It calls for greater normative clarity and policy support to ensure the sustainability and broader implementation of such models, which foster mutual understanding and peaceful coexistence in a pluralistic society. Full article

23 pages, 4898 KB

Open AccessArticle

Ritual Kitchens and Communal Feasting: Excavating the Southeastern Sector of the Ataruz Temple Courtyard, Jordan

by Chang-Ho Ji, Choong-Ryeol Lee and Vy Cao

Religions 2025, 16(10), 1272; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16101272 - 5 Oct 2025

This paper presents the results of the 2010–23 excavations of the southeastern sector of the Iron II temple at Khirbat Ataruz, Jordan, revealing a purpose-built kitchen complex and a rock-cut libation and animal slaughter feature. Abundant animal bones were collected from the eastern [...] Read more.

This paper presents the results of the 2010–23 excavations of the southeastern sector of the Iron II temple at Khirbat Ataruz, Jordan, revealing a purpose-built kitchen complex and a rock-cut libation and animal slaughter feature. Abundant animal bones were collected from the eastern section of the area. Zooarchaeological analysis reveals that faunal remains are dominated by sheep and goats—species central to sacrificial rites—with smaller yet consistent contributions from deer and cattle, and a notable absence of pig bones. Together, these exceptionally well-preserved remains provide rare evidence of integrated cultic architecture, encompassing culinary, sacrificial, and communal feasting, and shed new light on the design of sacred space, religious practices, and temple meals in the southern Levant during the 9th–8th centuries BCE. 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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14 pages, 239 KB

Open AccessArticle

Seeing the Beauty of the Lord: Mystics on Nature as Theophany

by Bernard Mcginn

Religions 2025, 16(10), 1271; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16101271 - 4 Oct 2025

Mystics are often thought to have little interest in the natural world, given their concern with the inner self. Many mystics, however, have had a profound sense of the beauty of creation. Their interest is not in nature as such, but in the [...] Read more.

Mystics are often thought to have little interest in the natural world, given their concern with the inner self. Many mystics, however, have had a profound sense of the beauty of creation. Their interest is not in nature as such, but in the world as a manifestation (theophania), a veil in which and through which God reveals and conceals Godself. This essay will sketch the line of “theophanic mysticism” in three figures. In several texts (e.g., Confessions 9.10; City of God 22.24), Augustine meditates on natural beauty as revealing God. In his “Canticum Solis” (Hymn of Brother Sun), Francis of Assisi presents a distinctive view of the natural and human worlds as praising God in a “familial chorus.” John of the Cross, who at times seems to reject the world, insists that when the soul is emptied of all false attachments, it will finally be able to see and love the beauty of creation. The essay concludes with a look at Pope Francis’s “Laudato Si’” as a contemporary revival of theophanic mysticism and an important ethical option in the midst of the current ecological crisis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mysticism and Ethics: Bridging Transcendence and Action in Religious Experience)

22 pages, 335 KB

Open AccessArticle

Right-Wing Populism, Religion, and Civilizational Identity

by Anthony Albanese

Religions 2025, 16(10), 1270; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16101270 - 3 Oct 2025

In recent years, Christian language and symbols have played an increasingly prominent role in right-wing populist rhetoric across many western countries. The form of religious expression in right-wing populist rhetoric corresponds to the kind of religiousness that characterizes the contextual factors under which [...] Read more.

In recent years, Christian language and symbols have played an increasingly prominent role in right-wing populist rhetoric across many western countries. The form of religious expression in right-wing populist rhetoric corresponds to the kind of religiousness that characterizes the contextual factors under which rhetorical communication occurs. In making this case, this article analyzes salient themes found in speeches, interviews, and manifesto content to uncover dynamic similarities and dissimilarities between right-wing populist parties in two religiously different contexts: the Alternative für Deutschland (“Alternative for Germany”) and Fratelli d’Italia (“Brothers of Italy”). First, I discuss how the vertical and horizontal tensions within the populist framework combine with notions of civilizational identity and show the extent to which positive references to Christianity are combined with negative references to Islam. Next, I demonstrate how these parties differ in their treatment of the transcendent and doctrinal qualities of religious commitment. Lastly, I show the ways in which religion is used to help brighten symbolic boundaries, as well as the functions served by the dramatic and emotional elements that are embedded in the process of boundary formation. In light of the respective contextual factors that mediate the nature of religious expression, I discuss how understanding the social logic of this rhetoric can grant valuable insight into what has become such a critical feature of populism’s social character. Full article

26 pages, 455 KB

Open AccessArticle

Evangelicals and the Creationist God: An Examination of Brazilian Creationism as an Educational and Political Problem

by Henrique Mata de Vasconcelos

Religions 2025, 16(10), 1269; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16101269 - 3 Oct 2025

Creationism is not only a pseudoscience present in Brazil but also a political problem. In reality, creationism as a pseudoscience and as a political issue are entangled in this Latin American country. Thus, this article has a double objective: to show how Brazilian [...] Read more.

Creationism is not only a pseudoscience present in Brazil but also a political problem. In reality, creationism as a pseudoscience and as a political issue are entangled in this Latin American country. Thus, this article has a double objective: to show how Brazilian creationism arises as a danger to both education/science and democracy in Brazil, and to discuss how its epistemological misconceptions and its dependence on Evidentialism portray a divinity that stands in contrast with the Christian understanding of the Trinitarian God. The first section will address how creationism is present in the Brazilian political arena, with special attention to its presence during Jair Bolsonaro’s government and how it constitutes an ongoing danger to Brazil’s education system and democracy due to the rapid growth of the number of Evangelicals in the country and of the Evangelical Parliamentary Front of the National Congress. The second will discuss examples of creationist arguments presented by the two major proponents of the movement in Brazil, the Presbyterians Adauto Lourenço and Marcos Eberlin, that show their standard procedure in dealing with scientific data and drawing religious conclusions from it. The third will analyze how Creationism relies on Evidentialism and portrays a divinity which diverges from the Trinitarian Christian God. I argue that creationism is not based on or an expression of a Christian understanding of the relationship between God, creation, and creatures, but is instead based on epistemological misconceptions, manipulation of data, and religious conclusions drawn from it. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Science and Christian Theology: Past, Present, and Future)

14 pages, 230 KB

Open AccessArticle

A Kantian Approach to Objective Morality and God’s Existence

by Anne Jeffrey and Kelsey Maglio

Religions 2025, 16(10), 1268; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16101268 - 3 Oct 2025

In this article, we explain how Kant upends the terms of the debate concerning the relationship between God’s existence and an objective morality by looking at his moral-teleological argument for God’s existence in the third Critique. We explain Kant’s rejection of external sources [...] Read more.

In this article, we explain how Kant upends the terms of the debate concerning the relationship between God’s existence and an objective morality by looking at his moral-teleological argument for God’s existence in the third Critique. We explain Kant’s rejection of external sources of moral normativity and his method of grounding moral authority in the normativity of practical reason. We then turn to Kant’s argument justifying a practical belief in God as the moral author of nature. Kant’s claims about how we must conceptualize organisms teleologically and, as a result, how reason seeks an unconditioned end of nature, brings together our moral purpose with a conception of nature as an organized whole. Since our teleological concepts of organisms seem to require that human beings serve as the final, unconditioned end of nature, but morality and nature might be incompatible and divergent, we must also believe in a moral author of nature. This belief guards against demoralization and creates a unified view of the human moral agent and the world she inhabits, which Kant thinks of as indispensable for our practical lives. Kant notoriously blurs the lines between theology and ethics in nonstandard ways. Although he rejects many traditional approaches to grounding ethics in a conception of divine commands or eternal law, he still devotes a considerable amount of time to discussing the role of religion as a bulwark of the moral life. The goal of this paper is to defend Kant’s relevance to a discussion of the relationship between an objective ethics and the existence of God; his contribution deserves our notice precisely for the ways in which it promises to shift the terms of the contemporary debate and complicate possible answers to the question of whether there can be an objective morality without God. In contemporary philosophical literature, Kant’s argument contending that we must hope in God from a practical point of view on pain of irrationality of acting from duty has enjoyed substantial discussion. Here, however, we focus on a lesser-known suite of arguments that in order to so much as cognize ourselves and other species as the sorts of natural beings they are, we must believe in a supersensible moral author of these natures. This set of arguments ultimately dovetail with the more well-known argument for theistic hope and operate in much the same way. But they touch on facets of Kant’s whole philosophical system, such as his account of teleological judgment and the unity and final end of all of nature. Our goal is to explicate these arguments and illuminate their relevance of these Kantian arguments to the debate about the relevance of God to objective morality. We will argue that while an objective ethics is possible without God due to the active role of practical reason in rational agents, belief in God’s existence strengthens the claims of morality, both for psychological reasons but also by providing a more unified conception of moral and natural reality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Is an Ethics without God Possible?)

25 pages, 1745 KB

Open AccessArticle

On the Practical Philosophy of the Nuns’ Buddhist Academy at Mount Wutai Through “One-Week Intensive Buddha Retreats”

by Yong Li, Yi Zhang and Jing Wang

Religions 2025, 16(10), 1267; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16101267 - 3 Oct 2025

The educational philosophy of the Nuns’ Buddhist Academy at Pushou Monastery, Mount Wutai, is based on the principles of “Hua Yan as the foundation, precepts as the practice, and Pure Land as the destination.” This philosophy draws upon Buddhist scriptures, integrating descriptions of [...] Read more.

The educational philosophy of the Nuns’ Buddhist Academy at Pushou Monastery, Mount Wutai, is based on the principles of “Hua Yan as the foundation, precepts as the practice, and Pure Land as the destination.” This philosophy draws upon Buddhist scriptures, integrating descriptions of the Pure Land practice found in the Avatamsaka Sūtra and the Amitābha Sūtra. This approach translates the textual teachings of Buddhist classics into real-life practice, expressing the concept of “the non-obstruction of principle and phenomenon” in the tangible activities of practitioners. It also allows for the experiential understanding of the spiritual realms revealed in the scriptures during theoretical learning and practice. The philosophy of the Nuns’ Academy embodies the practical emphasis of Chinese Buddhism, guiding all aspects of learning and practice. This paper argues that the pure land practice is living. In order to understand pure land practice, there should be a comprehensive viewpoint. It is needed to explore this way of practice through the analysis of textual analysis, figuring its root in Buddhis sūtra, as well as a sociological method to investigate its manifestation at the present society. Moreover, the spiritual dimension should not be neglected for a full-scale study. In this sense, the pure land school is living at present. Full article

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16 pages, 348 KB

Open AccessArticle

Memory and Therapy: A Study of the Function of the Hexi Baojuan in Local Society

by Shichang Zhao

Religions 2025, 16(10), 1266; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16101266 - 2 Oct 2025

The Precious Scrolls of Hexi (Hexi Baojuan) embody the “collective memory” of the people in the Hexi region. The “Creation memory” and “Traumatic memory” are two key types of collective memory. Through the continuous recording and (re)creation of memories, the Baojuan [...] Read more.

The Precious Scrolls of Hexi (Hexi Baojuan) embody the “collective memory” of the people in the Hexi region. The “Creation memory” and “Traumatic memory” are two key types of collective memory. Through the continuous recording and (re)creation of memories, the Baojuan exerts a therapeutic effect on people’s inner confusion and physical or mental pain. By studying the representative works of the ritual and secular Baojuan of the Hexi Baojuan, the Longhua Baojing (龙华宝经), and the Precious Scroll of Kalpa Survival (Jiujie Baojuan救劫宝卷), this paper examines the creation memory and traumatic memory of the Hexi people, thereby revealing the hidden tension between memory and healing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Arts, Spirituality, and Religion)

13 pages, 248 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Determination of Halal Food Perceptions Among University Students Receiving Islamic Theology Education: The Case of Istanbul, Berlin, and Kuala Lumpur

by Tolga Çetinkaya

Religions 2025, 16(10), 1265; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16101265 - 2 Oct 2025

This study investigates the perceptions of halal food among theology students from three culturally diverse cities: Istanbul, Berlin, and Kuala Lumpur. As individuals receiving formal religious education, theology students are expected to exhibit strong awareness of Islamic dietary principles. Utilizing a quantitative research [...] Read more.

This study investigates the perceptions of halal food among theology students from three culturally diverse cities: Istanbul, Berlin, and Kuala Lumpur. As individuals receiving formal religious education, theology students are expected to exhibit strong awareness of Islamic dietary principles. Utilizing a quantitative research design, data were collected from 210 participants via online surveys using validated Likert-type scales measuring halal awareness, halal literacy, religious commitment, social influence, perceived behavioral control, price value, hedonic motivation, and consumption habits. One-way ANOVA and post hoc Tukey tests revealed significant differences between cities in nearly all variables. Students in Kuala Lumpur consistently demonstrated higher scores, indicating a stronger alignment with institutionalized halal systems and collectivist cultural norms. Berlin participants reported lower awareness and influence levels, likely reflecting a more secular and individualistic environment. Istanbul students fell between the two, showing strong religious motivation but less structural support. The findings highlight how halal food perceptions are shaped not only by individual religiosity but also by cultural, political, and economic contexts. This study contributes to the literature by offering a cross-cultural perspective on halal consumption and underscores the importance of integrating structural and cultural factors into religious food behavior research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Islamic Practical Theology)

25 pages, 3771 KB

Open AccessArticle

Computational Stylometrics and the Pauline Corpus: Limits in Authorship Attribution

by Anthony Rosa

Religions 2025, 16(10), 1264; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16101264 - 1 Oct 2025

The computer age has transformed Pauline stylometric analyses by enabling quick, repeatable studies. However, studies continue to produce conflicting results. This paper highlights the core limitations of computational stylometric analyses in contributing to Pauline authorial-attribution questions. Without secularly verifiable, authentic texts, there is [...] Read more.

The computer age has transformed Pauline stylometric analyses by enabling quick, repeatable studies. However, studies continue to produce conflicting results. This paper highlights the core limitations of computational stylometric analyses in contributing to Pauline authorial-attribution questions. Without secularly verifiable, authentic texts, there is no referential Pauline stylome and thus the proper mathematical model to evaluate authorship cannot be deciphered. The theoretical objections presented are supported by an NLP-study of the New Testament texts and letters from the Roman emperor Julian that produces characteristically incoherent, and malleable, results. These findings suggest researchers should proceed with caution when applying quantitative methods to fundamentally epistemological problems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Computational Approaches to Ancient Jewish and Christian Texts)

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14 pages, 275 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Creation of Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era: “Textbook” of the Bahá’í Faith

by Robert Weinberg

Religions 2025, 16(10), 1263; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16101263 - 1 Oct 2025

This article examines the creation of Dr. John E. Esslemont’s seminal work Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era (1923), the first comprehensive introductory book in English on the Bahá’í Faith. Drawing particularly on the extensive correspondence between Esslemont and Luṭfu’lláh Ḥakím, the article traces [...] Read more.

This article examines the creation of Dr. John E. Esslemont’s seminal work Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era (1923), the first comprehensive introductory book in English on the Bahá’í Faith. Drawing particularly on the extensive correspondence between Esslemont and Luṭfu’lláh Ḥakím, the article traces Esslemont’s journey from his initial encounter with the Bahá’í teachings in 1914 to the book’s publication and subsequent global impact. The unique involvement of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi in reviewing and correcting the manuscript is highlighted, along with Esslemont’s collaboration with prominent early Bahá’ís. Rather than specifically addressing the book’s content, this paper examines its preparation and publication, its rapid translation and worldwide dissemination in multiple languages. Finally, Esslemont’s legacy is considered, both through his book and his personal example as a pioneering Western adherent of the Bahá’í Faith. Esslemont’s original spelling of Bahá’í names and terminology in his correspondence has been maintained. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Bahá’í Faith: Doctrinal and Historical Explorations—Part 2)

28 pages, 557 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Ethical Examination of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Extraction Technology from the Perspective of Classical Confucianism’s Benevolence Toward People 仁民 (renmin) and Love for Things 愛物 (aiwu)

by Yan Tang

Religions 2025, 16(10), 1262; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16101262 - 30 Sep 2025

The medical application of human embryonic stem cell technology has sparked ethical controversies, with the core issue being whether human embryos possess the same right to life as humans. According to classical Confucianism, humans are born from the essential Qi 精氣 (jingqi [...] Read more.

The medical application of human embryonic stem cell technology has sparked ethical controversies, with the core issue being whether human embryos possess the same right to life as humans. According to classical Confucianism, humans are born from the essential Qi 精氣 (jingqi) of heaven and earth, making them the noblest beings in the world. Human embryos are the simple form of human life in its early stages, and as living human beings, they should therefore possess the legitimacy and justification to life. Confucianism advocates benevolence toward people 仁民 (renmin) and love for things 愛物 (aiwu) distinguishing between benevolence and love: benevolence toward people is benevolence, while love for all things is love. How people treat one another is how they should treat human embryos. Things exist to serve humanity; humans may utilise things but must not be treated as tools. Embryo life must not be harmed or sacrificed for the sake of saving human life. One should show benevolence to people and love to things. Therefore, the attitude toward human embryos should be “benevolence.” Human embryos inherently possess the potential to become human beings and do not require medical intervention to demonstrate their value. However, when humans extract and utilise stem cells from human embryos for their own benefit, this is tantamount to treating the embryos as things and reducing them to the status of things, thereby blurring the ethical boundaries between humans and things and disrupting the distinction between the recipients of benevolence and love. The extraction of human embryonic stem cells is ultimately an artificial technological achievement. Humans are not superior beings to heaven, and such practices must be confined within the moral framework of technological ethics and bioethics. Notwithstanding the technological advancements that have furnished humans with contemporary instruments, the necessity for a sense of awe for the heaven remains. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Multiple Images and Forms of Classical Confucian and Daoist Ethics for Living)

13 pages, 262 KB

Open AccessArticle

Does Religion Suppress Internet Addiction? An Instrumental Variable Approach Using Data from China

by Lanxin Jiang, Wenlong Mu, Mengyuan Shu and Sheng Zeng

Religions 2025, 16(10), 1261; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16101261 - 30 Sep 2025

Internet addiction has become a significant concern due to its detrimental effects on individual well-being, leading to emotional, psychological, and social challenges. Scholars have long explored various strategies to mitigate the risk of internet addiction. Recently, scholars have argued that religion is a [...] Read more.

Internet addiction has become a significant concern due to its detrimental effects on individual well-being, leading to emotional, psychological, and social challenges. Scholars have long explored various strategies to mitigate the risk of internet addiction. Recently, scholars have argued that religion is a protective factor against internet addiction. However, empirical research has reported a mix of negative and nonsignificant main effects. In this study, we used an instrumental variable quantile analysis to re-estimate the impact of religion (religious belief and religiosity) on internet addiction (generalized internet addiction and short video addiction) based on data from a nationally representative survey and (N = 2337; M_age = 42.03, SD = 14.15, range = 18 to 86) an online survey (N = 441, M_age = 28.98, SD = 7.59, range = 18 to 59). The results indicated that religious belief could suppress generalized internet addiction and short video addiction when endogeneity was not considered. However, when endogeneity was taken into account, the impacts of religious belief on generalized internet addiction and short video addiction were not significant. In addition, the impact of religiosity on short video addiction changed from significant to nonsignificant when endogeneity was considered. Our findings revealed that the protective effect of religion on internet addiction was very limited. Our study also provides a possible explanation for the existing mixed conclusions about religion and internet addiction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion, Spirituality, Well-Being and Positive Psychology)

18 pages, 3555 KB

Open AccessArticle

Turks in the Teleri? Interpreting Earrings, Stripes, and Veils in Carpaccio’s Narrative Cycles

by Clare Wilde

Religions 2025, 16(10), 1260; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16101260 - 30 Sep 2025

The first monographic exhibition dedicated to Vittore Carpaccio (ca. 1460–1525) in the US, and the first outside of Italy, was hosted at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, from 20 Nov 2022 to 23 February 2023 (from where it went to [...] Read more.

The first monographic exhibition dedicated to Vittore Carpaccio (ca. 1460–1525) in the US, and the first outside of Italy, was hosted at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, from 20 Nov 2022 to 23 February 2023 (from where it went to Venice). Building on the research of art historians and experts on Venice and the larger Mediterranean region in the early modern period, this paper examines Carpaccio’s depiction of various “Turks” in some of the large narrative painting cycles (teleri) commissioned by the devotional confraternities (scuole) in Renaissance Venice. While Carpaccio’s and the larger Venetian familiarity with Islam, including Turks, has been studied, this paper compares various female figures in the St. Stephen cycle with those in his St. George cycle, situating them in the larger historical context of the commissioning scuole (Scuola di Santo Stefano and Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni, respectively). While attempting to uncover the significance, if not the identities, of a few individuals who stand out from the crowd, this paper urges caution when attempting to discern social history from a painting, much as we take literary texts (particularly those written well before our own times) with a grain of salt. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue University of Konstanz, International Conference (25 October, 31 October, 8 November 2024): Emerging Historical Perspectives on Christian-Muslim Interactions in and Around the Mediterranean (c. 630–1614))

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26 pages, 14683 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Angel, the Demon, and the Priest: Performing the Eucharist in Late Medieval Moldavian Monastic Written and Visual Cultures

by Vlad Bedros and Mihail-George Hâncu

Religions 2025, 16(10), 1259; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16101259 - 30 Sep 2025

Manuscript 50 (46) from the library of the monastery of Putna contains a text entitled “Discourse on the appropriate manner of standing in the church.” The first part explains the Eucharistic liturgy, from the vesting of the priest to the moment before the [...] Read more.

Manuscript 50 (46) from the library of the monastery of Putna contains a text entitled “Discourse on the appropriate manner of standing in the church.” The first part explains the Eucharistic liturgy, from the vesting of the priest to the moment before the epiclesis. The service is dramatized as an interaction between the priest and an angel of God, who later enters a battle with a demon that distracts the congregation. The second part of the text consists of the vision of the monk who lost his faith in the Eucharist. At the prayers of the community, he receives a revelation of the reality of the liturgical mystery, in which he is shown a child slaughtered on the altar table. The visionary text in the first section is part of a tradition attested in the Slavonic environment of the Balkans, which later became popular in the Russian world. These Slavonic versions are based on a similar visionary text attested in Greek manuscripts, but the similarities are only partial. The present study places the text from the Putna manuscript in relation to the iconography of the liturgical space and highlights the relevance of this type of literature for understanding the local monastic culture. Full article

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

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20 pages, 287 KB

Open AccessArticle

Critique and Transformation: On the Evolution of Kant’s Conception of God and Its Internal Roots

by Jun Wen and Jing Lan

Religions 2025, 16(10), 1258; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16101258 - 30 Sep 2025

Generally speaking, the conception of God serves as the theoretical focal point and central concern of Kant’s philosophy of religion. Its content is multidimensional, covering many aspects, such as proof of God’s existence, the image of God, and God’s status and functions. The [...] Read more.

Generally speaking, the conception of God serves as the theoretical focal point and central concern of Kant’s philosophy of religion. Its content is multidimensional, covering many aspects, such as proof of God’s existence, the image of God, and God’s status and functions. The purpose of this paper is to examine the evolution of the concept of God in Kant’s philosophy of religion in three different philosophical periods—the pre-critical period, the period of the critical philosophy and the post-critical period—to analyze the evolution of the internal contradictions in Kant’s philosophy of religion and the course of its systematic construction, and, on this basis, to reveal the three pivotal systemic transformations achieved by Kant’s philosophy of religion—the deconstruction of traditional theology, the reconstruction of rational theology and the construction of moral religion. Finally, this paper elucidates four internal roots which drive these pivotal transformations: (1) methodological foundation: the development of critical philosophy; (2) systematic goal: the establishment of scientific metaphysics; (3) axiological orientation: the secularization of theology into anthropological theology; and (4) practical culmination: the extension of pure moral philosophy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Kant’s Critique of Rational Theology and His Project of Moral Religion)

23 pages, 5054 KB

Open AccessArticle

Singing to St. Nicholas at Sea: Listening to the Medieval and Modern Voices of Sailors

by Mary Channen Caldwell

Religions 2025, 16(10), 1257; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16101257 - 30 Sep 2025

This article explores the voices of sailors across time, focusing on how song and prayer animate the nautical cult of St. Nicholas of Myra from the Middle Ages to the present. Drawing on hagiography, poetry, and music, it examines how medieval sources portray [...] Read more.

This article explores the voices of sailors across time, focusing on how song and prayer animate the nautical cult of St. Nicholas of Myra from the Middle Ages to the present. Drawing on hagiography, poetry, and music, it examines how medieval sources portray sailors’ cries to St. Nicholas during storms at sea, often depicting univocal, affective pleas that provoke divine response. These representations—especially in Latin sequences such as Congaudentes exultemus—highlight the cultural weight of the literal and metaphorical voice within miracle narratives. The article then bridges medieval and modern devotional soundscapes through nineteenth- and twentieth-century ethnographic collections from Apulia, Italy, particularly through the work of folklorists Saverio La Sorsa and Alfredo Giovine. Their records of Barese sailors’ songs and prayers to St. Nicholas—still sung today—provide embodied counterpoints to the mediated voices of medieval texts. Through this transhistorical lens, I argue that voice operates as connective tissue in the devotional lives of seafarers: an expression of fear, faith, and communal identity. By amplifying sailors’ voices in text, song, and performance, both medieval and modern traditions construct a vivid aural archive that affirms the enduring relationship between St. Nicholas and those who navigate the dangers of the sea. Full article

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

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28 pages, 314 KB

Open AccessArticle

Spinoza on the Nature of God: Participating in Collective Empowerment

by John Robert Bagby

Religions 2025, 16(10), 1256; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16101256 - 30 Sep 2025

God plays a central role in Spinoza’s philosophy, directly shaping his views of ethics and politics. His theology is examined in light of contemporary perspectives in process philosophy. Analysis of the claim that “The more we understand singular things the more we understand [...] Read more.

God plays a central role in Spinoza’s philosophy, directly shaping his views of ethics and politics. His theology is examined in light of contemporary perspectives in process philosophy. Analysis of the claim that “The more we understand singular things the more we understand God” (E5p24), shows that Spinoza advances a participatory theology that prioritizes a developmental process that fosters loving-kindness and intellectual generosity. Religion is the virtue enabling our participation in divine power. The key characteristics of participation in divine power are that these powers are (1) non-scarce/open-source/sharable, (2) regenerative, (3) propagate from one context to another, and (4) potentiate novel, unforeseeable discovery and invention. It is through community with other singular beings and via social affects that we understand divinity: by participating in powers that are sharable and continue to intensify and evolve when made openly accessible. His ideas can inspire our current problematic in beneficial ways. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Divine Creativity and Participatory Cosmologies: Theological Perspectives on Science, Technology, and the Future of Humanity)

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