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In Xingxue cushu, Aleni devotes himself to elucidating Aristotle's theory of perception as presented in De Anima and Parva Naturalia. The challenge in this endeavor lies in understanding the essence of Aristotle's perception, with physicalism and spiritualism holding opposite positions. To reconcile this contradiction, some scholars approach it from the perspective of dualism and the impurity principle. Nevertheless, these interpretations fail to resolve the inherent dilemma of perception. This article employs the pattern of combination and separation to propose that Aleni's interpretation of this dilemma is effective and clarifies the controversy. Perception encompasses both psychological and physical dimensions, and the two are based on each other in the process of actualization. Nonetheless, psychological and physical activities are separated in the definition. Influenced by Confucianism, Aleni associates human perception with morality, further emphasizing the necessity of definitional separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the reconfiguration of religious identity in the Druze community in Minas Gerais, south-eastern Brazil, which was formed by the arrival of immigrants from Lebanon in the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries. The immigrants created ethnic and religious institutions destined to maintain Druze identity and its Islamic character. However, the transmission of religious knowledge to the generations born in Brazil was fragmentary and imperfect. Nevertheless, Druze identity was maintained by many and completely recreated in the religious context of Catholicism and Spiritism, while the connection to Islam faded away. The analysis focuses on how religious authorities and the belief in reincarnation were the main elements that allowed continuity in religious identity together with the transformation of tradition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ritualised commemoration of the deceased belongs to the most common forms of communication with the dead. The meaning that people ascribe to a religious commemoration ritual is determined by a concrete religious doctrine, although it can be influenced by a broader cultural tradition. However, in the context of alternative spiritual currents, there can be many possible interpretations of communication with the dead, as there is no "official" doctrine supported by established institutions. In addition, alternative spirituality is marked by the emphasis on individuality, which results in the predominance of solitary practice. Yet, in various contexts, the tension between individuality and community can be manifested in different forms of ritualised behaviour, ranging from strictly private performances to prescribed group rituals. The paper addresses different levels of individual and collective practice in the context of alternative spirituality in Slovakia, a post-socialist country with a predominantly Christian, mostly Catholic, population. It makes use of the theoretical tools of Mary Douglas' theory relating to the connection between cosmological beliefs and particular forms of social life. Rituals and ritualised behaviour are considered in the case of the triduum of All Saints' Eve, All Saints' Day, and All Souls' Day. The results of ethnographic research on spiritual circles operating in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, have shown that these holidays are perceived and practiced differently by people with different religious or spiritual affiliation. The individual interpretation and the degree of associated ritualised behaviour depend on personal background, as well as the social organisation of a circle to which a practitioner belongs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last fifty years a plethora of new spiritual practices has emerged in the Church of Sweden. Many fall within a category of holistic practices, aimed at engaging body, soul, and spirit. Among these, two categories are dominant: meditations and movement-based bodily practices. Some of these practices are contested by other Christians on a theological basis. The article asks: Who are the new ritual specialists teaching these practices? Why do they teach these practices? Why in the church? By using a bottom-up perspective and studying practices which lie outside the traditional Christian religious rites, which has been the focus in research on the Church of Sweden, we find that the holistic practices are framed in a culture of care, focusing on bodily and spiritual wellbeing. We suggest that the predominance of women in body-movement practices should be understood as a generational feature rather than as an expression of the feminization of the church. Many of the leaders are women who were part of new spiritual movements as well as body-mind practices and various forms of dance in gyms and yoga studios in the 1990s and early 2000s, finding an openness to bringing their knowledge into the church. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bantu African divination is firmly established in South Africa in the context of modernity and is protected, endorsed and regulated by law. It is received in the therapeutic field. Important explorations were performed in the early 20th century by psychiatrists and psychoanalysts of Jungian orientation. Their cultural, philosophical, spiritual, and academic backgrounds are relevant to this reception. Jungian thought, Spiritual Spiritism, and traditions of European philosophy of divination resonated with the experience, observation, and understanding of Bantu divination. ('Bantu' designates the cultural and linguistic realm from Cameroon and Kenya southwards). Religious-philosophical traditions, as well as the conceptualisations of 'divination' by Plutarch and Iamblichus, are preserved. The reception and appreciation of Bantu divination in South Africa emerged from it, and resonated with these European traditions of religious-philosophical thought. Out of this development a distinct 'South African modernity' emerges. A parallel reception process developed in Brazil, in the belief systems of Umbanda and Kardecism. These developments are illustrated at present in the literatures of South Africa and Brazil, specifically in Afrikaans literature, black South African poetry and its poetics, and Magic Realism in Brazilian literature. Lastly, a perspective is offered of modernity's reception by black scholars and diviners, continually interacting with Jungian psychoanalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fredrik Barth called attention to two ways ritually transmitted knowledge gains value: knowledge he associated with the figure of the 'Guru' valued for being widely shared versus knowledge associated with the figure of the 'conjurer' or 'initiator' valued for the opposite reason. In this article, I argue that there is another kind of ritual knowledge-transmitter who holds an appropriately 'in-between' position: the spirit medium. During 'demonstrations', mediums in the Spiritualist tradition offer signs from the spirit world for their audiences to recognise in relation to their deceased loved ones. Whereas Gurus (in Barth's typology) are likely to be storytellers and conjurers are not, mediums are distinct for telling what I call 'protonarratives'. Protonarratives are character sketches joined with allusions to events or signs that suggest stories. They are not narrative in form, but can evoke stories that live in listeners' memories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to explore the notion of environmental citizenship in the work of nineteenth-century spiritualist women. By examining female occultist participation in vegetarianism, anti-vivisection, and antiindustrial communalism, it is possible to observe an eco-spiritualist line in women's writing, one which facilitated a more holistic and respectful approach to non-human subjectivities. Such texts therefore offer useful evidence of how spiritualist beliefs allowed women to influence public policies regarding the human-nature relationship in the long nineteenth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article will look at the ideology of veganism in the AHIJ. Since the early 1970s their diet has been a core part of their ideology and of their message to the world. Acknowledging that a black/Jewish meat-free diet is far from the exclusive property of the group, let alone a new development on their part, I will argue that it is an expression of the syncretic "bricoleur" nature of Black Israelite thought (Dorman 2013), reflecting, drawing on, and transforming traditions existing in both African American and Jewish thought in and before the twentieth century – principally articulated as a concern for health in the former and a messianic return to the peaceful Edenic existence in the latter. However, Ben Ammi skillfully intertwines it into their theology by arguing that a return to the veganism of the Garden of Eden is part of the community's redemption of humanity from primordial sin and ultimate overcoming of the curse of death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adorno and Benjamin's common intellectual project has been labeled, by Adorno, an Inverse Theology. This re-translation of theology into it's metaphysical truth contents can be only fully comprehended by taking into account their position towards the work of art. In this article, I locate the place where the categorical framework of "inverse theology" is displayed in a most complete manner in the discussion of Kafka's prose and extrapolate the outline of an Inverse theology from Adorno and Benjamin's readings of some of his most famous texts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The English writer John Michell (1933–2009) occupied a significant position within British alternative religion. Michell's manifold books revolve around his life-long aim to re-enchant the English landscape and launch a new golden age. Michell was a devoted Traditionalist and is widely considered the founding father of the vast field of British Earth Mysteries. Associated groups embrace speculative theories of the earth, claiming the existence of telluric (dragon) energies. As Michell's impact on such groups is widely acknowledged, within the context of Earth Mysteries, this article centers on cerealogy and the Dragon Environmental Network as examples in exploring Michell's discursive and enduring influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In feminist research on religion, women and gender, the concepts of "lived religion" as well as "agency as doing religion" take a prominent place. Both include an intersubjective and mostly partial perspective. However, against the background of current developments concerning a global religious right, the paper argues for the inclusion of a critical perspective through the methodology of a double critique that includes both an analysis of power relations that marginalize women in religious groups and an analysis of women's reproduction of gendered as well as racialized power relations. This argument is embedded in the complexity of post-secular feminist research including research on women, gender and religion, feminist critiques of secularism (and of anti-Muslim discourses), feminist, queer and trans theologies, and research on the religious right and their anti-feminist politics. The paper suggests to take feminist theologies and feminist spiritualities/religious practices as reference point for such an analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theoretical framework presented in this article makes it possible to understand religions as constantly changing networks of actors and infrastructures that incorporate, modify, discard, and reformulate numerous "elements" in terms of specific conceptualizations often rooted in concrete contexts of application, and "structures," i.e., larger conceptual contexts such as evolution, cosmogonies, or anthropological views of humanity, in a necessary ongoing creative process. Such a process, and the usefulness of the tool, will be illustrated in this article through discussion of the work of Robert T. Browne, particularly his book The Mystery of Space. To date, research has assumed that Browne derives all of his theory from Theosophy. By applying the above theoretical framework and situating Browne's work within a broader network of discourses, the article challenges this conclusion and is able to paint a more complete picture. This illustrates the usefulness of the analytical tool presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This contribution aims to explore the historical predecessors of the Five Percenter model of self-realization, as popularized by Hip Hop artists such as Supreme Team, Rakim Allah, Brand Nubian, Wu-Tang Clan, or Sunz of Man. As compared to frequent considerations of the phenomenon as a creative mythological background for a socio-political struggle, Five Percenter teachings shall be discussed as contemporary interpretations of historical models of self-realization in various philosophical, religious, and esoteric systems. By putting the coded system of the tenfold Supreme Mathematics as one of its core teachings in context with the Pythagorean Tetractys, an arrangement of ten points in four lines, the commonalities between the sequence and concepts attributed to the respective numbers will be demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mexican city of Catemaco is famous for its diversity of African-American religious traditions. Although Santería was originally shaped in Cuba, the local Mexican versions show not only a variety of references regarding their origins and influences, ranging from West Africa and Cuba to local indigenous traditions, but also (re)interpretations of historically and geographically diverse contents. Based on interview data gathered during field research in 2017, this article outlines the different hybrid (re)configurations of African-Mexican Santería in Catemaco by tracing the changes made by the practitioners in order to adapt existing traditions. The corresponding adaptation processes include beliefs, practices, lore and material assets. Under a critical perspective, concepts of transnationalism, syncretism and glocalization are discussed, focussing on the dynamics between local and global aspects of Santería in Catemaco and shedding light on the processes of inclusion, exclusion and the shift of boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statues of the Virgin Mary have been embarking on various types of movement and migration for centuries. They are the fixed points around which religious activities are carried out in communities in Spain and Latin America and play significant roles in the personal and social lives of their devotees. Until recently, however, scholarship has largely overlooked the potential richness of what religious material cultures can tell us about religious transformation in Latin America. This paper therefore offers a theoretical and methodological advance by way of a ground-up, 'material' approach to understanding religious change through the religious statues themselves. It utilises the statue of the Virgen de la Regla in Chipiona, Spain as a node on a map from which to trace the lines of movement from Spain into Cuba where a replica of the same Virgin, another nodal point, is worshipped as both Virgin Mary and Santeria Orisha Yemayá. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the question of how religious knowledge of the Umbanda religion is transferred from Brazil to German-speaking Europe in an interreligious network. Since the personalization of the Umbandistic spirits is not familiar in the cultural context in Europe, an emotional archive through the body becomes significant. In understanding the different aspects of religion in Africa, Brazil and Europe in relation to kinship, regionality, personality and nature, which are reflected in the sacred dimension, the focus is laid on the ontological understanding of the spiritual world and its understanding of nature and human beings. The argument of a shift of attention in the Umbanda religion to a stronger focus on nature in Central Europe is based on an observation of a change of the entanglements and borders of the religious field of Umbanda in German-speaking Europe integrating a great part of psychological aspects, especially a newly-founded therapy of nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focusing on the Brazilian spirit-incorporation religion of Umbanda, this article proposes a theoretical shift in conceptions of hybridity: a move from asking "what ingredients mix in what manner to produce what result?" to asking "how do we interpret religious innovation?" This approach sees meaning as simply the result of interpretation (not in terms of a representational relation between words and world). It also underlines the centrality of discursive claims of hybridity and purity, as opposed to historical issues of origins – a point clarified by comparing "hybridity" to "tradition." Comparison of Umbanda and Candomblé leads to the conclusion that each can be considered both "Afro-Brazilian" and "hybrid" in different ways. Candomblé exhibits semantic polarity (all groups accept that a certain sub-type is more authentic and hybridity marks divergence from that norm). Umbanda exhibits semantic plurality (wide variation between groups is not subject to such a normative judgment). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this volume, we bring together research on African derived Religions in Latin America and African American Religions in the USA. Theoretically, the concepts of hybridity and syncretism are discussed, in the introduction as well as in the papers included. The papers featured deal with Brazilian Umbanda, Cuban Santería, US African Black Hebrew Israelites, the Five Percenter movement (an offspring of the Nation of Islam), and one single person, Robert T. Browne, an activist in the Black Nationalist movement. In the religions covered – that are an outcome of the historical circumstances of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade – elements taken from West and Central African traditions, European Christianity, and Kardecian Spiritism blend to new forms of religious movements. This being the "fundamental" transformation of religion addressed here, some essays in the volume also look at the further transformation of those traditions in a "glocalized" world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article endeavours to provide a cross-cultural juxtaposition between Kierkegaard and Zhuangzi, two thinkers of significant stature in the history of Eastern and Western philosophy, to unveil a profound congruity between Christian and Daoist thoughts. Specifically, by examining the works of Kierkegaard, particularly his concept of irony and 'transparent self', and exploring the similar key themes present in Zhuangzi's writings, we endeavour to highlight the similarities between Kierkegaard and Zhuangzi. Both of the intellectuals enter the discussion on the process of individual spiritual practice through 'irony' and set their goals on 'salvation', emphasising the importance of the process of spiritual practice, which provides possibilities for dialogues between Christian and Daoist thoughts. Contribution: Previous research frequently underscores the profound differences between Kierkegaard and Zhuangzi. Based on the discussion of certain concepts, this article argues that, analysing the consistency between the two at the level of spiritual practice can help us understand the possibility of dialogue between Christian and Daoist thoughts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article examines the overlapping political, social and rhetorical functions of the category of “mother” in various contexts related to the January 2013 Boate Kiss fire in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Supported by theories of social suffering and ethnographies of violence, as well as poststructuralist notions of identity and gender, the analysis focuses on the medium-transcribed letters, newspaper articles, journalistic nonfiction, and social media posts related to two social movements that would coalesce among the affected in the tragedy’s aftermath: collectives for justice and groups ascribing to Kardecist Spiritism, both inscribed within the regional and national history of mothers in movements. Attending to gender also highlights the long-term political import of then-president Dilma Rousseff's emblematic visit to Santa Maria on the day of the tragedy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ambiguous relationship between the Veda and Hinduism has attracted considerable scholarship. So have recent cases of revival and redesigning of Vedic ritualism. Much less has been written on the concepts, forms and actual practices of the coexistence of temple ritual and the Veda within the territory of the Hindu temple. This relationship, by no means homogenous and not easy to articulate, must often have been problematic while engaging issues of identity, eligibility, agency, economy and power. It remains relevant to contemporary national Hinduism and political scene. From the early years of temple Hinduism, the presence of the Veda in the Hindu temple depended on a dynamic process of inclusion and exclusion with prestige game, status aspiration and competition among ritual agents. To make sense of this relationship, the essay proposes a historically informed perspective set against a background of regional patterns of patronage and temple economy while addressing a variety of such relationships from historical Malabar (today's Kerala) with a focus on the temple ritual of vāraṃ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article employed a methodology grounded in the textual analysis of articles published in the 1926 edition of the O Jornal newspaper. The primary objective of this article lies in the meticulous investigation of the discourse propagated by the ultramontane intellectual, Carlos de Laet, whose influence was widely disseminated through the pages of the Rio de Janeiro-based newspaper. The research is centered on understanding the perspective of Spiritualism through the lens of the Catholic faction that vehemently opposed the inherent changes of modernity. Furthermore, this study aims to deepen the comprehension of the various ways in which practices related to Spiritualism, or what was categorized as such at the time, were labeled as superstitious manifestations. Through the analysis of five specific publications, it is possible to identify that Carlos de Laet employed a diverse range of distinct adjectives to characterize Spiritualism, thereby creating fertile ground for the development of debates and the vehement contestation of these practices through his eloquent rhetoric. The core of this study focuses on the in-depth investigation of the perceptions and arguments utilized by the author to criticize and refute Spiritualism. The emphasis is on how the phenomenon was perceived from the perspective of ultramontane Catholicism, a faction that displayed remarkable resilience in the face of the profound social and cultural changes that marked the era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In scientific literature, mediumship and its different expressions were not always considered cultural and religious categories, with positions associated them with psychic illness predominating. In this sense, developmental psychology can contribute to the emergence of positions that no longer promote stigmatization and intolerance towards people who manifest mediumship. This investigation aims to highlight the main contributions of the bioecological theory of development to studies on mediumship in Brazil. 61 mediums were interviewed from different religious centers of Umbanda, Candomblé, and Kardecista Spiritualism, located in three cities in the inland of São Paulo and Minas Gerais States. Bioecological theory elements were identified in the mediums' narratives - person, process, context, and time - as discussed, the notions of ecological transition to understand life trajectories and ecological insertion to reflect on the role of the researcher in this research context. The data from this study reveal the need for revisions and improvements to the framework, especially in terms of ecological insertion, to allow access to the field and interlocutors in a systemic exploration of the phenomenon of mediumship. The person dimension can also be revised to encompass not only the demands, resources, and dispositions of the medium but also the entities/orixás incorporated by them during the possession trance, elements that are embedded in the description of who this medium is in terms of its bioecological characteristics. In addition to these recommendations, it is noteworthy that bioecological theory has contributed to an investigation of mediumship from a developmental point of view, focusing on processes of change and allowing the emergence of intelligibility committed to the comparison of this phenomenon in response to racist positions, prejudiced and intolerant that have traditionally marked the study of mediumship in the Brazilian context and also the care given to these mediums. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Filibeli Ahmed Hilmi’s A‘mâk-ı Hayâl, Tahir Harîmî Balcıoğlu’s Mezâmîr-i Felsefeden İnsaniyete Veche Veren Büyük Ruhlar, and Cafer Ergin’s Rü’ya have clear traces of the thoughts of Allan Kardec, the founder of modern spiritualism. The influence of spiritualism has resulted in the use of a common narrative style in these three works, which is centered around the communication of great spirits through dreams. The most important feature of this style of expression is that the spirits themselves tell the spirit and the religious and philosophical content of the concept of spirit. A’mâk-ı Hayâl, which is the most well-known among such works, is based on the spiritual experiences of Filibeli Ahmed Hilmi, was initially hesitant about the existence of the soul, but eventually became convinced through his experiences. Likewise, Tahir Harîmî wrote his work based on a spiritual experience told to him. In this study, firstly, the spiritual events experienced by Filibeli Ahmed Hilmi and Tahir Harîmî before they wrote their books are included and the relationship of both authors with spiritualism is tried to be shown. The change of Filibeli Ahmed Hilmi’s thoughts on the soul is revealed by utilizing his memoirs published in Şehbal magazine titled “Eski Fikirler, Yeni Şekiller: Ulûm-ı Garîbe ve İspitirizma”, a memoir published in Şehbal magazine. Later, the effect of The Spirits Books, written by Allan Kardec, on three works mentioned was examined. This effect is examined under the titles of the purpose of writing, spirit, dream and Prophet Muhammad emphasis and examples taken from the works about these titles are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beginning in the late 18th century and continuing through to the mid-20th century, a movement was undertaken by psychology’s pioneers to establish a mathematical basis for research modeled after the physical sciences. It is argued that this movement arose through sociopolitical pressures to legitimize psychology as an independent discipline; demarcate its disciplinary boundaries within academia; and distinguish psychology from philosophy and spiritualism. It is argued that an ahistorical view of how the quantitative paradigm gained ascendancy leaves it largely unquestioned and unchallenged within mainstream psychology. Because of this, qualitative research has endured a long and continuing struggle to gain disciplinary recognition and epistemological parity. It is proposed that despite being sidelined by decades of quantitative hegemony, qualitative research has a long history in psychology and in the last 40 years has continued to prove itself as a necessary and valuable contributor to research in psychology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Competency-oriented medical education has become a global trend. However, most current studies focus on the independent effects of various competencies and lack an examination of the combined effects. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the competency configurations of excellent pediatric residents and general pediatric residents and to provide a scientific reference for the talent training and career development of pediatric residents. Methods: Behavioral event interviews were conducted with 23 pediatric residents at a children's hospital in Beijing in July and August 2019. Two researchers coded the interview data to summarize the competency of pediatric residents. The research group scored the performance of 23 pediatric residents in various aspects of competency and used the crisp-set qualitative comparative analysis method to explore the competency configurations of excellent pediatric residents and general pediatric residents. Results: This study concludes that pediatric residents should have six core competencies: professional spirit, clinical skills, communication ability, learning ability, mental capacity and research ability. There are 4 combinations of competencies for becoming an excellent pediatric resident: the clinical type, scientific research type, all-around development type and high emotional intelligence type. In addition, there are 3 combinations of competencies for becoming a general pediatric resident: the comprehensive ability deficiency type, lack of professionalism and mental capacity type, lack of communication ability type. Conclusions: There are differences in competence between excellent and general pediatric residents. Excellent pediatric residents do not need to possess all competencies but should specialize in clinical practice, scientific research or communication skills. This study suggests that training in mental capacity, professional spirit and communication ability should be strengthened during pediatric resident training. Pediatric residents should make career development plans according to their actual situation, and hospitals should arrange suitable positions according to the characteristics of pediatric residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to understand how the Umbanda movement of the beginning of the 20th century, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, anchored in the announcement of Umbanda by the Caboclo das Sete Encruzilhadas, on November 15, 1908, outlined a religious ethos with a clear racist outline. This is a qualitative research with an exploratory approach and discourse analysis. Based on the analysis of the discursive construction of the I Congress of Umbanda Spiritism (1941), we sought to elucidate concepts that could relate the construction of the religious ethos to the process of whitening the religion. The results of the research indicated that the de-Africanization of religion was an intentional strategy of "cleansing" of religion articulated by the white middle class to amalgamate the process of legitimating religion in urban society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to identify decolonial aspects in the exercises of religious leaders Santa Dica and Tia Neiva. Both carried out their activities in a common environment: the central Brazilian plateau of the 20th century. Our reading explores, from the literature review, the religious phenomena that constituted the Republic of Angels and the Vale do Amanhecer, and rereads the leaders of such religious movements in the light of decolonial theories. The research questions two commonplace aspects with regard to Eurocentric coloniality, namely: the social role of women and the hegemony of Catholicism. The results found point towards more fluid gender relations, in which some subaltern women exercised unique leaderships. Furthermore, they identify, in addition to popular Catholicism, holistic and markedly hybrid religious expressions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By reaching perfection and closeness to God and reaching the source of the light of existence, man can benefit from his endless mercy. Almighty God is absolute perfection, and nearness to absolute perfection is the main goal of creation. Considering that those who are not God do not have anything of their own, and whatever perfection God's servants have is originally from God and belongs to him, the closer people get to God, the more they will benefit from God's mercy. Therefore, in the work environment, this perfection appears in the form of spiritual intelligence and spiritual health based on Islamic teachings and affects organisational variables such as occupational stress. Today, the role of spiritual intelligence is considered an important issue in improving spiritual health, reducing occupational stress and effective social functioning, especially in an Islamic environment, which leads to a better understanding of employees about their job. Therefore, the present study aims to evaluate the effect of spiritual intelligence of Muslim managers on the spiritual health and occupational stress of employees in Islamic organisations in Iraq. The statistical population includes 3422 Muslim managers and employees of 50 service organisations (including finance, education and tourism) in Iraq in 2022. The results of the hypothesis test in Linear Structural Relations (LISREL) shows, spiritual intelligence has a significant effect on spiritual health (P = 0.885; T = 11.058). On the other hand, spiritual intelligence has a negative and significant effect on occupational stress (P = -0.763; T = -7.854). Finally, spiritual health also has a negative and significant effect on occupational stress (P = -0.912; T = -10.134). Contribution: The findings of the research indicate that spiritual intelligence leads to the improvement of spiritual health and as a result reduces occupational stress, especially in an Islamic environment. Therefore, it should be taken into consideration by the managers of the organisations in order to achieve the maximum benefit in light of Islamic teachings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article closely examines the content of an important passage in Maximos the Confessor's Ad Thalassium 42, in which we can identify a ternary soteriological structure (Adam-Christ-us) recurring in the work of the Byzantine theologian. The main focus of the article is to highlight and analyse the relationship that he evokes, but does not detail, between human nature and the exercise of will - in the case of Adam, as the protological and lapsarian exemplar of humanity; in the case of Christ, as its teleological and soteriological exemplar; and in the case of us, as natural descendants of the former and possible spiritual followers of the latter. Contribution: This article highlights a general soteriological structure and the circular dynamics between nature and will as the central anthropological mechanism of this structure, both of which are relevant to Maximos the Confessor's entire work in general and to his moral psychology, including his concept of the passions, in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of the changes and challenges of the 21st century, the main focus of education, especially religious education, is to prepare students to live purposeful and meaningful lives with well-developed analytic, emotional and spiritual abilities to assist them in achieving a life perspective that allows them to face the larger world with greater self-confidence and self-awareness. Therefore, the main objectives of the study are: to bring forward the concepts of religious education, emotional intelligence and spiritual intelligence; to discuss the importance of emotional and spiritual literacy in children's education; and to discuss the main strategies to enhance the educational process through emotional and spiritual intelligence. This article is a conceptual framework based on a theoretical review. The author reviews literature from books, scientific journals and research reports to develop relevant concepts. Contribution: This study provides information about two important intelligence in Christian Orthodox religious education. Recognising emotional and spiritual intelligence has allowed teachers to engage with students and help them perform at their best. Emotional intelligence and spiritual intelligence promote self-efficacy, self-awareness, selfregulation, motivation, empathy and social skills, which help students perform management tasks in their future occupations but also help them to improve relationships with parents, colleagues and God. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]