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 22.8 days after submission; acceptance to publication is undertaken in 4.6 days (median values for papers published in this journal in the first half of 2024).
- 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:
0.7 (2023)
Latest Articles
Camping with Jesus: Theologically Reflecting on Evangelical Christian Festivals
Religions 2024, 15(11), 1318; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15111318 (registering DOI) - 29 Oct 2024
Abstract
Attending a Christian summer camp or festival is a regular feature of many evangelical church calendars within the UK. This article uses a practical theology approach to explore definitions and distinctives of evangelical camping, both within the literature on evangelical camping and through
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Attending a Christian summer camp or festival is a regular feature of many evangelical church calendars within the UK. This article uses a practical theology approach to explore definitions and distinctives of evangelical camping, both within the literature on evangelical camping and through examining the websites and publicity materials of three specific camps—New Wine, Big Church Festival and Newday Generation. The analysis highlights the significance placed upon the location, size, rhythms and purposes of gathering in the festivals’ self-understandings. This leads into a theological reflection upon the biblical festival of Sukkot to examine the ways in which God’s work might be disclosed through the practice of evangelical camping. Three pairs of themes emerge from the comparison: located and temporal, secular and religious, and rejoicing and re-examining. These themes are drawn upon to propose ways in which God might be at work in the social world disrupting a sense of permanence, blurring the boundaries between faith and the world, and calling people into radical solidarity with creation and with the marginalized. Finally, suggested actions are proposed as to how evangelical festivals may better respond to God’s disclosure.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Disclosing God in Action: Contemporary British Evangelical Practices)
Open AccessArticle
Modes of Mindfulness in Post-Catholic Ireland
by
Thomas Carroll
Religions 2024, 15(11), 1317; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15111317 (registering DOI) - 29 Oct 2024
Abstract
The Republic of Ireland has undergone a seismic religious and social transformation in recent decades. Through the processes of secularization and detraditionalization, as well as several major scandals within the Irish Catholic Church, irreligiosity has become an increasing reality in terms of the
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The Republic of Ireland has undergone a seismic religious and social transformation in recent decades. Through the processes of secularization and detraditionalization, as well as several major scandals within the Irish Catholic Church, irreligiosity has become an increasing reality in terms of the hitherto overwhelmingly Catholic population. At a time of spiritual climate change in this post-Catholic Ireland, the contemporary phenomenon of mindfulness has exploded in popularity across various elements of society. Against this backdrop, three distinctive modes or strands of mindfulness are proposed as being operative in the Irish context, each catering to the needs of different practitioners. The proposed modes include psychological and clinical mindfulness and commodified and post-secular spirituality. Within the lacuna created by the receding of Catholic belief and practice, the emergence of mindfulness in the Irish context is explored, mapping how this originally Buddhist practice has gained such a foothold in contemporary spiritual discourse.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Whither Spirituality?)
Open AccessEditorial
Editorial Introduction, Religions Special Issue, Peace, Politics, and Religion: Volume II
by
Jeffrey Haynes
Religions 2024, 15(11), 1316; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15111316 (registering DOI) - 29 Oct 2024
Abstract
In recent years, a burgeoning body of literature on the relationship between peace, politics and religion has emerged [...]
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Peace, Politics, and Religion: Volume II)
Open AccessArticle
Did the Buddha Teach to Be Called ‘Buddha’?―Focusing on the Meaning of Brāhmaṇa and How Buddhist Authors (re)Formulated His Words to Praise Him―
by
Efraín Villamor Herrero
Religions 2024, 15(11), 1315; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15111315 (registering DOI) - 28 Oct 2024
Abstract
The attainment of enlightenment by Gautama Buddha is the very beginning of Buddhism as a religious phenomenon. Because of his attainment of enlightenment, he has been remembered as Buddha for centuries, even though it is uncertain whether buddha was the preferred title to
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The attainment of enlightenment by Gautama Buddha is the very beginning of Buddhism as a religious phenomenon. Because of his attainment of enlightenment, he has been remembered as Buddha for centuries, even though it is uncertain whether buddha was the preferred title to remember him by from the earliest times. Previous scholarship has demonstrated that the term buddha was a common noun in the Indian religious context, and it was also employed to refer to his higher disciples. The verses of the Suttanipāta represent a complex corpus rich in many fundamental concepts common to Jain religious thought. Many epithets were introduced by Buddhists to praise their monastic founder as Jains do. Among them, buddha does not seem to be the preferred one among them. Contrarily, by redefining brāhmaṇa, Buddhists participate in the ascetic discourse of praising their master as the one who deserves to be regarded as that ideal. This paper argues that Buddhists advocated their master as a brāhmaṇa, a title that is not only consistent with the teachings of Jains but also one that may have preceded the popularity of Buddha as his most memorable title.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Old Texts, New Insights: Exploring Buddhist Manuscripts)
Open AccessArticle
Mindfulness in Action: Buddhist Environmental Activism of Earth Holder Berlin
by
Hanyi Zhang and Ruotong Shi
Religions 2024, 15(11), 1314; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15111314 - 28 Oct 2024
Abstract
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This study explores the intersection of mindfulness practice and environmental activism within the Earth Holder Berlin (EHB) group, a part of the Order of Interbeing (O of I) inspired by Thich Nhat Hanh. EHB, established in 2020, integrates the principles of engaged Buddhism
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This study explores the intersection of mindfulness practice and environmental activism within the Earth Holder Berlin (EHB) group, a part of the Order of Interbeing (O of I) inspired by Thich Nhat Hanh. EHB, established in 2020, integrates the principles of engaged Buddhism and endeavors to advance social and ecological justice through mindful actions. Using a qualitative methodology, this research employs semi-structured interviews and participant observation to investigate the experiences of EHB members. The findings demonstrate the transformative potential of Buddhism in ecological discourse, illustrating how EHB members embody epistemic entanglement, intertwining their Buddhist backgrounds with climate knowledge. This integration not only enhances personal transformation but also serves as a catalyst for social and ecological justice, enriching our understanding of engaged Buddhism in contemporary environmental movements.
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Open AccessArticle
Illuminating Causality: The Role of Light in Thomas Aquinas’s Metaphysics of Being
by
Jorge Eduardo Arbeláez and María Jesús Soto-Bruna
Religions 2024, 15(11), 1313; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15111313 - 28 Oct 2024
Abstract
In this article, we hold a strong thesis, i.e., that light is the conceptual resource that best explains the creative act in Thomas Aquinas’s metaphysics. Thus, inasmuch as being is the luminous act of the Uncreated Being, it bears resemblance to the Uncreated
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In this article, we hold a strong thesis, i.e., that light is the conceptual resource that best explains the creative act in Thomas Aquinas’s metaphysics. Thus, inasmuch as being is the luminous act of the Uncreated Being, it bears resemblance to the Uncreated Being in its very principle. In this sense, we seek to present the role of light, in its meaning as manifestation, as an act that belongs to being. Indeed, in contrast with some contemporary interpretations, which place light within the order of formal causality, we argue that light, in its belonging to Aquinas’s participatory metaphysics, pertains to the order of efficient causality. Therefore, we hold that light has strong explanatory pretensions in Aquinas’ thought. Accordingly, after an introduction (1), this article is divided into the following sections: (2) The Meaning of Divine Causality; (3) Being as Light; (4) The Manifestative Character of Light; (5) Light Images: Analogies and Metaphors; and (6) Conclusions.
Full article
Open AccessArticle
Christian Communities During Russia’s War Against Ukraine: Perception of the Churches’ Aid Involvement Through the Eyes of Poles from Lviv—A Pilot Study
by
Cezary Smuniewski, Błażej Bado and Marcin Składanowski
Religions 2024, 15(11), 1312; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15111312 - 28 Oct 2024
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to present the perceptions of Poles from Lviv regarding the aid involvement of Christian churches during Russia’s war against Ukraine. Christian churches appear privileged and effective sites of aid delivery in the narratives of respondents. However, this
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The purpose of this study is to present the perceptions of Poles from Lviv regarding the aid involvement of Christian churches during Russia’s war against Ukraine. Christian churches appear privileged and effective sites of aid delivery in the narratives of respondents. However, this does not mean that they have a monopoly on aid activities. The foundation that underpins these activities is particularly evident in the categories highlighted in this article: the role of clergy in local communities (leaders), personal knowledge of society, church infrastructure, and the churches’ experience gained during the USSR’s persecution of religion. The assistance identified by respondents boils down to material and emotional support, experiencing religious practices, and involvement in direct activity on the war front. The research was based on individual in-depth interviews (IDIs), conducted in December 2023.
Full article
Open AccessArticle
The Test of Sports and Folk Narratives with the Notion of Haram: Citing the Example of the Branch of Wrestling
by
Ünsal Yılmaz Yeşildal, Doğukan Batur Alp Gülşen and Cihat Burak Korkmaz
Religions 2024, 15(11), 1311; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15111311 - 26 Oct 2024
Abstract
Culture consists of material and spiritual values and tools that a nation has accumulated in the historical process. In addition to the most basic contexts such as language and religion, contexts such as sporting activities, art, public medicine, and the public calendar are
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Culture consists of material and spiritual values and tools that a nation has accumulated in the historical process. In addition to the most basic contexts such as language and religion, contexts such as sporting activities, art, public medicine, and the public calendar are also important environments that reveal their own cultural elements. Among these contexts, religion is very effective in shaping the daily life of the individual and, thus, society through the rules it enjoins. Religion does not dominate only the world of belief of the individual. Through the world of belief, it also directs their relations with the social institutions they are involved in. Sport is one of the most important activities and social institutions that stand out with various functions in daily life, with wrestling being one of the branches of sports that have emerged as a result of the imitation of the struggle of human beings with nature and other creatures with which they share nature. In particular, those involved in the nomadic way of life had to hunt in order not to starve and fight in order to survive. Wrestling, which emerged as a result of these obligations, held an important place among all Turks in the world for a period of time, especially in the transition periods of life, such as birth, marriage, and death. One of the conditions set forth by women as a condition of marriage was that their suitor defeated them in wrestling. Examples of this condition are also observed in literary texts belonging to different periods when Turks were not yet acquainted with Islam and the concepts of halal and haram, which entered their lives together with Islam. According to the provisions of the Holy Qur’an, right/unprohibited thoughts and actions are associated with the words good and halal, while wrong/prohibited thoughts and actions are associated with the words sin and haram. In this study, the social and cultural phases of wrestling as a sports branch among Turks in the historical process will be evaluated on the basis of the history of religions and religious references, in addition to the literary texts belonging to historical periods when Turks were members of different religions, in the context of two events that have been experienced and reported in the news. The study was carried out using the method of document analysis, a method of qualitative research, and the data obtained by this method were evaluated using content analysis. The narratives of Alıp Manaş, Alpamış, Alpamıs, Alıpmenşen, and Bamsı Beyrek, which are evaluated in this context, belong to the periods when the Turks had not been introduced to Islam or had only recently been introduced to it. Alıp Manaş was collated from different Turkic tribes such as the Altais, Alpamış from the Uzbeks, Alpamıs the Kazakhs/Karakalpaks, Alıpmenşen the Bashkirs/Tatars, and Bamsı Beyrek the Oghuz Turks. The narratives of Kirmanshah, Köse Kenan-Dânâ Hanım, Bey Böyrek, Shah Ismail, and Yaralı Mahmut, which are evaluated in the study, belong to the periods when the Turks became Muslim en masse, and are related only among the Oghuz Turks. These narratives are included in the study because they are similar to Alıp Manaş, Alpamış, Alpamıs, Alıpmenşen, and Bamsı Beyrek and they belong to the period when Islam was largely established among the Turkish masses in Anatolia. The effect of the new religion on wrestling, which is a branch of sport, will be revealed through these narratives belonging to different tribes and religious periods. Once more, an event that occurred in recent history, and was the subject of the news, was subjected to document analysis, and content analysis was carried out through the text of the news and evaluated in the context of the study. This study aims to explain the effect of religious rules on sports branches with theological, folkloric, and sociological references based on ancient literary texts belonging to the Turks and two incidents which were experienced.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sport and Religion: Continuities, Connections, Concerns)
Open AccessArticle
A Gladdening Vision of a Dancing Christ: Findings of a Ritual Ethnography of Intercultural Icons
by
Sebeesh Jacob
Religions 2024, 15(11), 1310; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15111310 - 26 Oct 2024
Abstract
The cultural renaissance in 20th-century India has fostered an aesthetic integration of contemplative mysticism with popular religious practices, influencing various artistic and theological movements. This paper examines Christian artist Joy Elamkunnapuzha’s use of Indian classical and mythical elements in his religious artworks, particularly
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The cultural renaissance in 20th-century India has fostered an aesthetic integration of contemplative mysticism with popular religious practices, influencing various artistic and theological movements. This paper examines Christian artist Joy Elamkunnapuzha’s use of Indian classical and mythical elements in his religious artworks, particularly in two North Indian churches. These intercultural icons, which incorporate symbols from Hindu traditions like mandalas and mudras, have been central to the worship practices of local Catholic communities for over three decades. Through ritual ethnography, the study reveals how these visual representations mediate ritual affectivity and communal imagination, impacting identity formation and spiritual engagement in a multi-religious context. Respondents—including worshippers, ministers, and religious students—attest to the transformative impact of these images, as they negotiate between Christian metaphors and Hindu aesthetic traditions. The research is grounded in practical theology, liturgical theology, and ritual studies, contributing to the works of Indian Christian cultural activists like Jyoti Sahi. By exploring the creative dynamics of visual approach, visual appeal, and visual affinity within worship spaces, the study elucidates the complex processes of meaning making through symbolic mediation in interreligious environments.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mysticism Reloaded: Innovative Approaches, Methods, and Theories to Study Mysticism)
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Open AccessArticle
Transcending Individual Traditions: Zhang Taiyan’s Interpretation of Zhuangzi’s Notion of Chengxin
by
Cheng Wang
Religions 2024, 15(11), 1309; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15111309 - 26 Oct 2024
Abstract
This article examines the nuanced interpretations of chengxin 成心 in the Zhuangzi 莊子, a foundational Daoist text, across different philosophical traditions. Historically, Daoist thinkers like Guo Xiang 郭象 and Cheng Xuanying 成玄英, along with Neo-Confucian scholars such as Lü Huiqing 吕惠卿 and Lin
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This article examines the nuanced interpretations of chengxin 成心 in the Zhuangzi 莊子, a foundational Daoist text, across different philosophical traditions. Historically, Daoist thinkers like Guo Xiang 郭象 and Cheng Xuanying 成玄英, along with Neo-Confucian scholars such as Lü Huiqing 吕惠卿 and Lin Xiyi 林希逸, have provided differing perspectives on the notion of chengxin. They regard it as either a source of subjective bias or an expression of heavenly principle. The core focus of this study is Zhang Taiyan’s 章太炎 innovative interpretation of chengxin as seeds (bijas) within ālaya-vijñāna (storehouse consciousness), integrating Yogācāra Buddhist concepts with traditional Daoist philosophy. The study conducts a textual analysis of Zhang’s Qiwulun Shi 齊物論釋, comparing his interpretation with earlier commentaries on the Zhuangzi. It is argued that Zhang’s approach is profoundly influenced by the Buddhist doctrine of non-duality, which underscores the interconnectedness of all phenomena. While Zhang’s interpretation has faced criticism from contemporaries and later philosophers for misunderstandings of Yogācāra theory and Kantian philosophy, it employs the method of geyi 格義 (matching concepts), not to impose one tradition over another, but to foster a dialogical process where the insights from each tradition mutually inform and transform one another. This article highlights the interpretative openness of the Zhuangzi, which invites diverse interpretations, and demonstrates how Zhang’s approach enriches this tradition by synthesizing various philosophical and religious frameworks. Zhang’s methodology remains relevant, fostering cross-cultural and inclusive philosophical dialog.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chinese Religious Cultures: Historical Traditions and Modern Interpretations)
Open AccessArticle
Is God a Woman? Female Faces of God in Contemporary Cinema
by
Irena Sever Globan
Religions 2024, 15(11), 1308; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15111308 - 26 Oct 2024
Abstract
Film, as a medium, serves not only as a significant source of entertainment but also as a powerful instrument in shaping attitudes, beliefs, behaviours, social norms, and identities. Since its inception, cinematic art has been closely intertwined with religious themes, with many film
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Film, as a medium, serves not only as a significant source of entertainment but also as a powerful instrument in shaping attitudes, beliefs, behaviours, social norms, and identities. Since its inception, cinematic art has been closely intertwined with religious themes, with many film narratives drawing implicitly or explicitly from biblical texts and religious traditions. Consequently, theologians and ecclesiastical authorities were quick to identify film as a potential locus theologicus. Given film’s ability to spark debates on deeply ingrained views and beliefs, feminist theology, which critically reflects on gender power relations within religious communities and theological texts, finds it intriguing to explore how cinematic narratives can challenge the millennia-old depiction of God as a man. This article aims to examine how the art of cinema contributes to theological reflections on the female metaphors of God, particularly through female Christ-figures and God-figures, which occasionally appear in films such as Chocolat, All That Jazz, Always, Dogma, and The Shack. These characters defy traditional religious language, which often employs masculine imagery and metaphors for God, portraying female God as an independent chocolatier, a single mother, an elegant hairdresser, a beautiful young seductress, a curvaceous African American bread maker, and a witty, clownish girl. In these cinematic depictions, female God is compassionate, empathetic, kind, witty, forgiving, and profoundly in love with her human creations. At the same time, all of these female characters are powerful, assertive, strong, and self-confident.
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Open AccessArticle
Decolonizing Forest: The Myth of Panjurli and Guliga in Kantara (2022)
by
Anandita Saraswat and Aratrika Das
Religions 2024, 15(11), 1307; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15111307 - 25 Oct 2024
Abstract
Colonial ideologies reduce nature to a repository of extractable resources and portray the Indigenous communities’ religious understanding of nature as primitive and unscientific. Decolonization foregrounds the silenced Indigenous epistemes that critique exceptional human paradigms of colonial modernity. This paper examines how traditional religious
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Colonial ideologies reduce nature to a repository of extractable resources and portray the Indigenous communities’ religious understanding of nature as primitive and unscientific. Decolonization foregrounds the silenced Indigenous epistemes that critique exceptional human paradigms of colonial modernity. This paper examines how traditional religious rituals function as a method of decolonization and discusses their exclusion from Western academia. It focuses on Kantara’s cinematic representation of the Indigenous ritual of Bhoota Kola and the worship of forest deities, Panjurli and Guliga, in the coastal areas of southern Karnataka and Kerala. These rituals emphasize the agency of the environment, where the forest, humans, and deities are porous and permeable. This non-anthropocentric understanding of humans questions the dominance of the secular narratives of posthuman theories in Western academia. Rituals foster ecological behaviours and highlight multispecies relationality, providing alternatives for sustainable futures. In emphasizing Indigenous religious practices, the paper undisciplines the Eurocentric study of religion and questions the disciplinary boundaries between scientific thought and Indigenous knowledge. Thus, this paper argues for the inclusion of regional cinemas from the Global South in Western academia to foreground Indigenous epistemes that undiscipline the study of religion and science.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Undisciplining Religion and Science: Science, Religion and Nature)
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A Comparative Perspective of “Engaged Buddhism” and “Renjian Fojiao” (“Humanistic Buddhism”) in Chinese Speaking Discourse: Exclusivism, Inclusivism, or Pragmatism?
by
Carsten Krause
Religions 2024, 15(11), 1306; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15111306 - 25 Oct 2024
Abstract
The two modern concepts, “Engaged Buddhism” and renjian fojiao 人間佛教, with the variety of its English translations (such as “Humanistic Buddhism”), were developed and discussed with and without reference to each other over several decades. This article raises the question of how “Engaged
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The two modern concepts, “Engaged Buddhism” and renjian fojiao 人間佛教, with the variety of its English translations (such as “Humanistic Buddhism”), were developed and discussed with and without reference to each other over several decades. This article raises the question of how “Engaged Buddhism” has been portrayed in the Chinese-speaking world. It therefore reflects on a hybrid conceptual history and distinguishes between “concept-unaffected” and “concept-affected” (“concept-affirming”, “concept-negating”, and “concept-corresponding”) positionings in the Buddhist world, as well as a “concept-distancing” and “concept-processing” scholarship of Buddhist studies. The concept of “Engaged Buddhism” has been rendered with various Chinese terms in mainland China and Taiwan, e.g., “rushi fojiao” 入世佛教 (Buddhism that Enters the World), “canyu fojiao” 參與佛教 (Participatory Buddhism), and “zuoyi fojiao” 左翼佛教 (Left-Wing Buddhism). As can be seen from a rich body of sources, its discussion among Chinese-speaking Buddhists and scholars increased over the past twenty years and has been strongly characterized by comparisons with “renjian fojiao”, which can lead to different currents, such as exclusivism, inclusivism, and pragmatism.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Engaged Buddhism for an Engulfed World: New Perspectives on Humanistic Buddhism)
Open AccessArticle
Korean Buddhism in the Era of ‘Spiritual, but Not Religious’: Adapting to Contemporary Society
by
Brian D. Somers
Religions 2024, 15(11), 1305; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15111305 - 24 Oct 2024
Abstract
The shift toward modernity has come with many changes that affect religion. This article investigates some of those changes with the aim of showing how Korean Buddhism is adjusting to contemporary spirituality. The article begins with a consideration of the term ‘spiritual, but
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The shift toward modernity has come with many changes that affect religion. This article investigates some of those changes with the aim of showing how Korean Buddhism is adjusting to contemporary spirituality. The article begins with a consideration of the term ‘spiritual, but not religious’ (SBNR), a relatively new designation that indicates the shift a growing number of people are taking away from organized religious institutes towards beliefs and practices that they find more relevant and meaningful. To better understand SBNRs, the research of Mercadante is emphasized. The second half of this article aims to consider Korean Buddhism in the context of modern spirituality. Using Mercadante’s framework, which distinguishes between five types of SBNRs (dissenters, causals, explorers, seekers, and immigrants), an inquiry is carried out into each of these categories to show some of the ways in which Korean Buddhism is engaging with the spiritual and emotional concerns of modern, secular society. Thus, this work aims to show the direction Korean Buddhism is headed in and how it is relevant to modern, spiritual inclinations.
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Open AccessArticle
Dialogue Between Theology and Science: Present Challenges and Future Perspectives
by
Giuseppe Tanzella-Nitti
Religions 2024, 15(11), 1304; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15111304 - 24 Oct 2024
Abstract
In order to consider the natural sciences as a contemporary locus theologicus, I here examine the meaning and implications of the “dialogue between theology and the sciences”. Although widely used, this expression has different meanings. I try to clarify who the interlocutors of
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In order to consider the natural sciences as a contemporary locus theologicus, I here examine the meaning and implications of the “dialogue between theology and the sciences”. Although widely used, this expression has different meanings. I try to clarify who the interlocutors of the dialogue are, where the dialogue takes place, and what the goals of the dialogue itself are. A coherent agenda to encourage the use of the sciences in theological work should include (a) the design and implementation of interdisciplinary curricula to help those scholars who are seriously interested to be trained in this field; (b) an emphasis on the role of philosophy and philosophical sources in the study of the sciences and theology; (c) going beyond the epistemological level and developing the dialogue also at the anthropological level; (d) the identification of a number of key issues for theological and religious studies that are expected to become more urgent in the coming years. Finally, the use of the sciences as a locus theologicus is expected to bear two main fruits: first, to offer a positive, speculative insight to the work of theologians and, second, to contribute to a responsible development of the dogmatic teachings of the Church.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Sciences as a Contemporary Locus Theologicus)
Open AccessArticle
Divine Medicine: Healing and Charity Through Spirit-Writing in China
by
Qijun Zheng
Religions 2024, 15(11), 1303; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15111303 - 24 Oct 2024
Abstract
This study traces the evolution of religious healing practices associated with divine presence in China, from pre-modern traditions to the modern use of spirit-writing for obtaining divine prescriptions. It examines the continuity and transformation of these practices from the late imperial period to
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This study traces the evolution of religious healing practices associated with divine presence in China, from pre-modern traditions to the modern use of spirit-writing for obtaining divine prescriptions. It examines the continuity and transformation of these practices from the late imperial period to contemporary times. It argues that healing through divine prescriptions obtained via spirit-writing challenges the perceived dichotomy between religion and science, demonstrating that they have complementary roles, rather than being strictly opposing categories. For members of Jishenghui 濟生會, a lay Buddhist charity devoted to the Buddhist god Jigong 濟公 in Republican China, religion and scientific medical practice were integrated as complementary elements of daily life, combining doctrinal beliefs, ritual practices, and moral self-cultivation. This study examines how Jishenghui used spirit-writing to obtain and distribute divine prescriptions and medicines, demonstrating that the organization’s philanthropic activities and social standing were enhanced by the integration of religious beliefs with medical and charitable practices during the Republican period. This study bridges existing research on the histories of spirit-writing and Chinese medicine, and the distinctions made between “Buddhist medicine” and “Daoist medicine”. The article contends that, for ordinary people, no strict distinction existed between Buddhist and Daoist healing practices; instead, a shared religious culture regarding illness and healing was predominant. By contextualizing key analytical concepts such as “divine medicine”, especially “divine prescriptions” (jifang 乩方 and xianfang 仙方) within the broader history of Chinese medicine and religious practices, this article demonstrates the social significance of spirit-writing as a ritual technique to provide healing and charity by lay Buddhists in Republican China, and its enduring relevance in contemporary Chinese societies.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Buddhism, Science and Technology: Challenges to Religions from a Digitalized World)
Open AccessArticle
Defending a Legacy: Heinrich Bullinger’s Preface to Zwingli’s Opus articulorum (1535)
by
Pierrick Hildebrand
Religions 2024, 15(11), 1302; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15111302 - 24 Oct 2024
Abstract
This article presents the first English translation of Heinrich Bullinger’s preface to Huldrych Zwingli’s Opus articulorum of 1535. This source, which has received little attention in previous scholarship; is placed in the context of efforts to bring Luther and the Swiss Reformed closer
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This article presents the first English translation of Heinrich Bullinger’s preface to Huldrych Zwingli’s Opus articulorum of 1535. This source, which has received little attention in previous scholarship; is placed in the context of efforts to bring Luther and the Swiss Reformed closer together after the death of the Zurich Reformed on the question of the Lord’s Supper. Bullinger’s preface is an apologetic manifesto in favor of Zwingli’s orthodoxy and continuity with the Church Fathers. It is argued that Bullinger’s strong commitment should be interpreted as a signal sent to Wittenberg that a rapprochement with Luther was not to be achieved at the expense of Zwingli’s theological legacy.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Swiss Reformation 1525–2025: New Directions)
Open AccessArticle
Qurʾānic Exegesis and the Reshaping of Early Islamic History: A Case Study of Sura Q 107
by
Yassine Yahyaoui
Religions 2024, 15(11), 1301; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15111301 - 24 Oct 2024
Abstract
This study examines the historiography of early Islam by assessing the reliability of Qurʾānic exegeses as sources documenting the early history of Islam and the biography of the Prophet Muḥammad in Mecca. Focusing on Qurʾānic exegetical practices from late antiquity to the medieval
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This study examines the historiography of early Islam by assessing the reliability of Qurʾānic exegeses as sources documenting the early history of Islam and the biography of the Prophet Muḥammad in Mecca. Focusing on Qurʾānic exegetical practices from late antiquity to the medieval period, this article argues that there is a significant discontinuity in how Qurʾānic exegeses align with the historical context of the Qur’an, especially in relation to Meccan sūras such as Q 107. Significantly, this challenges the continuity of tradition, the fundamental concept upon which the “Islamic sciences” are based. This discontinuity is herein revealed through a historical–critical analysis of the exegesis of Q 107:4 that demonstrates how Qurʾānic exegetical practices have reinterpreted and reshaped early Islamic history in response to the pressures of new identity formation and made Qurʾānic exegeses more reflective of the social and political contexts of the exegetes than of the historical milieu of the Qurʾān itself. This analysis contributes to the ongoing discussion of the role exegesis played in reshaping the history of Islam. Indeed, it emphasises the importance of critically evaluating these sources in order to uncover a more nuanced historical narrative of early Islam.
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(This article belongs to the Section Religions and Theologies)
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Ethics of Artificial Intelligence a Purposeful and Foundational Study in Light of the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad
by
Abdel Aziz Shaker Hamdan Al Kubaisi
Religions 2024, 15(11), 1300; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15111300 - 24 Oct 2024
Abstract
This study represents an attempt to establish the ethics of artificial intelligence in light of the second legislative source in Islam: the Sunnah of the Prophet. This study adopted the descriptive, analytical, and deductive approach through content analysis based on inferences from the
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This study represents an attempt to establish the ethics of artificial intelligence in light of the second legislative source in Islam: the Sunnah of the Prophet. This study adopted the descriptive, analytical, and deductive approach through content analysis based on inferences from the Prophet’s hadiths with the aim of clarifying the underlying approach to these ethics in light of this. It concluded with a set of ethics related to artificial intelligence, which were rooted in the light of the Prophet’s Sunnah in a way that ensures its correct and disciplined use and achieves the integrity of the desired means and goals. These ethics were represented in the legitimacy of design and function; neutrality and impartiality; safety, control, and responsibility; respect for privacy; setting codified systems and regulations; environmental sustainability; respect for individual, institutional, and intellectual property; consideration of humanity; and achieving balance. The research established its roots in the honorable Sunnah of the Prophet and in light of the objectives of Islamic law.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Religion in the World of Technologically Transformed Human Consciousness)
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The Rising Tide of Hindu Nationalism: Threats and Opportunities for Peace
by
Karie Cross Riddle
Religions 2024, 15(11), 1299; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15111299 - 24 Oct 2024
Abstract
Observers of Indian politics have noted rising acts of violence against Muslims in an atmosphere of increasing Hindu nationalism during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure. Hinduism, however, like all religions, also contains many resources for peace. Looking to both theory and practice, this
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Observers of Indian politics have noted rising acts of violence against Muslims in an atmosphere of increasing Hindu nationalism during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure. Hinduism, however, like all religions, also contains many resources for peace. Looking to both theory and practice, this piece examines how we can theorize Hinduism and religion in general as a source of protection for peace and human rights. It also looks for peaceful practices that may be of use in the contemporary climate of violence. I conclude that we can only get to peace through the acknowledgement of religious motivations within politics and a renewed commitment to the truth.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Global Urgency of Interreligious Studies)
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