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Decolonial scholars endeavour to evade the construction of another singularity by rejecting the allure to universalise a single definition of decoloniality and difference, which may claim narratives and praxis that would liberate all peoples but would re-enact other forms of irreflexive violence. For this rationale, we draw on our loci of enunciation to argue for ‘Islamic Emancipation’ as a decentring ‘Maarifa’ that resonates with the logics of a substantial number of people (2 billion Muslims as of 2023) to whom Islamic philosophies are legitimate epistemologies for navigating social realities. Islamic Emancipation is an onto-epistemological compass through which we generate novel epistemic readings of religious texts into the debates on decoloniality in education. The applied modalities of Islamic Emancipation within education can be unpacked through three main approaches. First, by orienting students to process colonial organisation as the oppressive imposition of unequal systems, some assumptions about those who had/have been subject to subtle workings of colonial structures are undermined. Second, educators are epistemic and activist subjects who are entitled to intellectual freedom but with a comparable level of responsibility to act, challenge and intervene. Third, critique and re-interpretation are essential cognitive skills promoted by Islamic Emancipation to be prioritised in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, Steven Engler and Mark Q. Gardiner propose a new way of classifying esotericism using a taxonomy borrowed from biology. They define esotericism based on a set of properties that are ranked according to their significance and how they relate to each other. The authors aim to synthesize existing definitions of esotericism into a consensual meta-definition, using scholarly consensus as the criterion for validity. However, the authors' approach reflects a conventional understanding of semantic meaning analysis and perpetuates a Western Eurocentric perspective. They also fail to address the issue of Eurocentrism and overlook recent attempts to move beyond it. [Extracted from the article]

This article is a commentary on a previous article by Steven Engler and Mark Q. Gardiner about the definition of "esotericism." The author, Bernd-Christian Otto, offers their perspective as a member of the Center for Advanced Studies 'Alternative Rationalities and Esoteric Practices from a Global Perspective' (CAS-E) and as a co-author of its initial application. They discuss the different types of definitions and argue for a fluid and anti-realist approach. They also critique Engler and Gardiner's definition of "esotericism" as being too broad and essentialist. The author then presents CAS-E's working definition, which focuses on practices related to identifying and influencing life events, specialized knowledge, ritual efficacy, and contested nature. They emphasize that both definitions serve different purposes and hope that Engler and Gardiner's definition will spark a versatile debate. [Extracted from the article]

Pulp Fiction (1994) prompts its viewer to consider the possibility of divine intervention and to explore the issue of divine justice to which that possibility gives rise. The anachronic plot presentation allows the audience to ponder Vincent and Jules' dispute about whether they experienced a miracle with the knowledge that Vincent will later be killed by Butch. This then prompts a review and reevaluation of Butch's character in relation to the gold watch for which he risks his life. Thus, the audience experiences an increasing capacity to make sense of the theological details that construct the characters, scenes, and dialogue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professor Weil's thesis seems largely correct with respect to the United States, whose law on religious establishment I regularly teach. Funding is central to American debates over religious establishment. The fight over religious establishments in Virginia, which inspired both James Madison's "Memorial and Remonstrance against Religious Assessments" and Thomas Jefferson's "An Act for Establishing Religious Freedom," was over whether persons could be forced to pay taxes to support religious instruction. Financial concerns were at the root of church-state debates in the nineteenth century, when Protestants repeatedly rebuffed Catholics who wanted funding for Catholic private schools. Many state constitutions still have what are known as mini-Blaine Amendments that forbid public funding for religious institutions. Whether proponents of a strong separation between church and state in the United States are fighting the same battles as proponents of a strong separation of church and state in France is nevertheless problematic. The French revolutionaries had to subordinate a reactionary church. The American revolutionaries merely had to negotiate peace treaties among the different sects that supported the Declaration of Independence. Separation of church and state in the United States is best conceptualized as a division of labor among liberal institutions rather than a means for purging anti-liberal religion from the liberal public sphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nebil Husayn's book, "Opposing the Imam: The Legacy of the Nawāṣib in Islamic Literature," explores the different attitudes towards ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib in medieval Muslim communities. It examines the anti-ʿAlid sentiment found in Islamic literature from the 8th to the 14th century CE, and how it has shaped the discourse surrounding ʿAlī. The book provides a taxonomical analysis of the various positions on ʿAlī and includes translations of key texts. It also discusses the complexities of defining heresy and orthodoxy within the Sunnī context. Overall, this book offers valuable insights into the formation of orthodoxy and the use of historiography in Muslim sects. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Bulletin of Ablai Khan KazUIRandWL: Series 'Philological sciences' is the property of Kazakh Ablai Khan University of International Relations & World Languages and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Eve Tignol's book, "Grief and the Shaping of Muslim Communities in North India, c. 1857–1940s," explores the emergence of new social solidarities among Muslims in north India during the final century of colonial rule. Tignol focuses on the emotion of grief and its role in creating a shared cultural experience and a sense of belonging. She analyzes poetry, newspapers, colonial records, pamphlets, and fiction to understand the shifting forms and vocabulary of grief over time. Tignol's study highlights the importance of grief as a spur to reform, political critique, and collective action among Indian Muslims. [Extracted from the article]

Mary M. Keys's book, "Pride, Politics, and Humility in Augustine's City of God," fills a gap in the understanding of St. Augustine's political thought. Keys argues that Augustine's treatment of pride and humility is a strength rather than a weakness, showing how humility contributes to political and human flourishing. She presents pride and humility as a red thread that runs through the entire City of God, examining their effects on different types of human beings. Keys also suggests that the examination of the visible effects of pride and humility in human affairs could be a promising starting point for dialogue with Augustine's critics. [Extracted from the article]

The passage of marriage equality via the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Act 2017 ushered in a new era for religion and politics in Australia. The polarised public debate that was provoked in the lead-up to the legislation continued and only served to entrench the perceived incompatibility of religious freedom and LGBTIQ+ rights. The articles in this Symposium responding to these developments were first presented as works-in-progress at a Macquarie University workshop on 'Religion and Politics after Marriage Equality'. In the Introduction to this Symposium, we briefly outline the history and context of the religious freedom debate that crystalised after 2017 to introduce the three interdisciplinary articles that follow, each offering a unique perspective on the public, political, and highly personal controversies that accompanied this momentous change. Together these articles seek to enhance our understanding of how the discourse of religious freedom is being wielded for political gain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indonesia’s cultural acculturation and Christianity left behind by Islam are undeniable social realities that could be harmonised through puppetry. However, the propagator of Islam has used wayang (puppet) as a national symbol and original face. It has raised a polemic that involved serious conversations and sharp debates between religious and customary communities and invited the struggle of religious-cultural groups. Efforts to acculturate Christianity and culture in Java have not received serious attention. However, various opportunities could be used as media or objects of encounter such as wayang. Christian inculturation with a wayang perspective could contribute to the contextualisation of mission in Java, promoting smooth conversations with the community. This study aims to capture the potential that contributes to wayang for the mission and contextualisation of Christianity. A qualitative method with an analytical-descriptive approach was used to examine the past mission of Islam as well as wayang and model contextualisation in church traditions. The findings show that wayang is an opportunity for Christianity to take root and grow together with its culture. It must be an aim in the contextualisation mission to civilise Christianity in society [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay explores the theories of interfaith dialogue proposed by Yeshayahu Leibowitz and Marcel Dubois. It begins by examining their individual interpretations of Judaism, Christianity, and the feasibility of engaging in dialogue. Leibowitz's emphasis on "difference" and the perceived impossibility of dialogue echoes Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik's influential essay, "Confrontation." However, while Soloveitchik prohibited interfaith dialogue and abstained from public discourse, Leibowitz actively engaged in public inter-faith dialogue with his friend Marcel Dubois. Through a detailed analysis of a series of filmed debates between Dubois and Leibowitz, this essay argues that Leibowitz's actions implicitly endorsed a "dialogue of difference." Progress in this context involves a deeper understanding of the significant divide between Judaism and Christianity, coupled with fostering genuine appreciation and mutual respect for individuals of different faiths. This exchange between Leibowitz and Dubois highlights the gap between theory and practice, shedding light on the concept of difference in interfaith engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between the end of World War I and the Mecca World Muslim Congress of 1926, Soviet officials and Indian Muslim thinkers imagined the possibilities of a post-imperial world through the Hijaz. The All-India Khilafat Committee (AIKC; established 1919), an organization led by prominent Indian Muslim thinkers, and the Soviet Union promoted competing projects to protect the Hijaz, home to some of Islam's holiest shrines, against European imperialism. Yet, far from limiting themselves to the question of who should rule the Hijaz, the AIKC and the Soviet state engaged in broader debates about religious and social difference, sovereignty, and minority rights. Whereas the AIKC imagined the Hijaz as an international Muslim republic and a place of refuge for Muslims worldwide, Soviet officials contended that the political future of Muslims should only be settled within the framework of ethno-territorial nation-states. Ironically, the programs of both the AIKC and the Soviet state denied the right of self-determination to Hijazis themselves, leaving the region's inhabitants to choose between two forms of external oversight: a Soviet-supported Saudi ethno-territorialism or limited domestic autonomy under the management and inspection of an international Muslim Council. With very few exceptions, past scholarship on the Hijaz in this period has analyzed the region's political fortunes through Saudi statecraft or European colonial influence. However, Soviet and Indian Muslim experimental engagement with the Hijaz ultimately proved just as crucial to the consolidation of Saudi governance over the region. The article arrives at these novel insights by bringing rare Soviet archival documents together with the Urdu proceedings of the AIKC's delegation to the Hijaz, as well as Arabic sources from the period in question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the topic of Sufi intellectual resistance through some emblematic case studies of Sufi authors in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. First, it analyses Fitna al-Wahhabiyya, a treatise that was written by Aḥmad Zaynī Daḥlān (1817-1886) in 1878, which proved to be a seminal work for later Sufi authors, and shows that some of the issues addressed in this text are recurrent ones in anti-Wahhabi polemics. Indeed, the cultural resistance of Sufism from the 19th century to the present day has been primarily directed against the doctrines of Wahhabism, the first current of Islamic thought to be structurally anti-Sufi. The fact that Aḥmad Zaynī Daḥlān was the Mufti of Mecca and a recognised scholar shows that these polemics were fully integrated into the scholarly religious debate of official Islam, in which Sufism and its doctrines occupied a prominent position. Furthermore, some Sufi masters set themselves the goal of refuting the theories of materialism and rationalism that were in vogue in the Islamic world in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The work of the Egyptian Sufi master Sīdī Salāma ar-Rāḍī (1866-1939) entitled al-Insāniyya, published in 1938, is a polemical treatise against materialism, atheism and spiritualism that probably reflects the influence of René Guénon. The third case study examined is that of the Sudanese master Muḥammad ʿUṯmān ʿAbduhu al-Burhānī (1904-1983). The latter is an exemplary case of Sufi resistance in the second half of the 20th century, both in the face of censorship and in the face of the attempt to bring Sufi brotherhoods under government control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lewis Carroll: Formed By Faith by Charlie Lovett is a new biography that sheds light on the religious aspects of Lewis Carroll's life, which have often been overlooked by previous biographers. Lovett argues that Carroll's religious faith and practices were a significant part of his life and influenced his writing and actions more than his children's books, mathematical work, or photography. Lovett provides a detailed context of Carroll's beliefs and the religious controversies of the Victorian Era to help readers understand the importance of Carroll's faith. The biography also explores Carroll's decision to abandon his plans for priesthood and his later return to preaching. Lovett's research provides valuable insights into Carroll's life and will be a valuable resource for those studying Lewis Carroll. [Extracted from the article]

The article is a book review of "Joseph Smith's Gold Plates: A Cultural History" by Richard Lyman Bushman. The book explores the significance and reception of the gold plates that Joseph Smith claimed to have discovered and translated, which became the basis for the Book of Mormon. The author examines both believers' and skeptics' reactions to the plates, situating Mormon origins within the context of 19th-century popular beliefs and religious doubts. The book also delves into the cultural history of the gold plates, including their portrayal in poetry, painting, sculpture, and fiction. The reviewer praises the book for its synthesis of various perspectives but notes its brevity and occasional lack of critical commentary. The second part of the article is a book review of "Lightning in the Age of Benjamin Franklin: Facts and Fictions in Science, Religion, and Art" by Jan Wim Buisman. The book explores the changing perception of thunderstorms and lightning in the Western world during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Buisman focuses on the invention of the lightning rod by Benjamin Franklin and its impact on scientific, religious, and artistic discussions. The book provides a comprehensive overview of the cultural and societal aspects related to thunderstorms, including scientific debates, religious beliefs, and artistic developments. The reviewer highlights the book's contextualization of thunderstorms within the late Enlightenment and Romanticism periods and its thorough examination of various perspectives. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses the religious innatism debate in early modern Britain, specifically focusing on the intellectual change beyond John Locke's influence. The author argues that the decline in interest in religious innatism was not solely due to Locke's Essay concerning Human Understanding, but rather a complex shift in religious and philosophical thought. The debate about innatism was motivated by the fear of atheism and the need to establish the naturalness of religious belief. Over time, the focus shifted from innatism to deism, and the role of tradition and revelation became more prominent. The author emphasizes that the decline of innatism was not solely attributed to Locke and that there is more to understanding his impact on philosophical and religious culture. [Extracted from the article]

"Making Place for Muslims in Contemporary India" by Kalyani Devaki Menon is a research work that explores the placemaking practices of Muslims in the context of exclusionary nationalism in India. The author focuses on the Muslim residents of Old Delhi and their negotiation of identity. The book emphasizes the historical circumstances that enable solidarities and the cultural commons formed by traditions and narratives. It offers a nuanced account of Muslim residents in a particular area, highlighting narratives, religious practices, rituals, and women's labor. The research is contextualized in the backdrop of events such as the Gujarat pogrom of 2002 and the surge in anti-Muslim violence. Despite marginalization, Muslims continue to build community and engage in acts of placemaking in India. [Extracted from the article]

This document is an introduction to a collection of ten essays that were presented at a conference on the theme of 'Contesting the Church in England c.1640-c.1670'. The essays cover various topics related to religious debates and developments during this time period. Some of the key themes explored in the essays include the challenges faced by presbyterians, the role of the parochial clergy, the contribution of the laity, and the European context of English protestantism. The essays provide new insights and draw attention to under-used source material. The document also highlights the importance of understanding the perspectives of different religious groups and the impact of these years on their contributions to Restoration politics. [Extracted from the article]

This article examines the concept of integrity in scholarly debate on religious accommodation. There is a scholarly consensus on the value of integrity as manifesting one's commitments ('MM integrity') as a way of approaching accommodation disputes, but the article argues that MM integrity is often at stake on both sides of a legal dispute. It defends a divergent view of integrity where it consists in a person's responsible exercise of her moral and epistemic capacities in seeking to arrive at well-founded commitments ('MR integrity'). It's argued that MR integrity is in--sometimes productive--tension with MM integrity. These claims are illustrated by examining two recent Supreme Court cases, from the US and the UK, both of which involve bakeries accused of discriminating against gay customers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The post-Yugoslav context has experienced major instances of intolerance, suggesting that the success of initiatives dedicated to interreligious dialogue and lasting peaceful coexistence has been limited. While being aware of what is expected of them, political elites and religious leaders have approached each other as an asset useful to legitimize their rule, which has directly restrained prospects for a prejudice-free dialogue in the fragile societies. This article sees interreligious dialogue and tolerance as an imperative prerequisite for multiconfessional reconciliation in the area of the former Yugoslavia, so that religion is not used as a means for social and political agendas. Accordingly, religious dialogue and debates concerning tolerance should be treated as a sort of incomplete conversation, which should also welcome contributions from a wide range of civic actors in charge of monitoring pursued processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between the years 1823-1833, after the War of Independence, Chile had an intensive debate related to the issue of religious toleration, which was conducted in various pamphlets and newspapers, with two major political groups clashing over the subject: Conservatives and Liberals. While the former thought that Chile should not even recognize these practices because it was essentially a Catholic country, the latter wanted to grant a certain recognition to the Protestant practices brought to the country by the Americans and British. Following François-Xavier Guerra, the central thesis of this article states this debate expresses a major conflict among two conceptions of modernity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to European diplomatic and military cooperation, the Great Turkish War, lasting from 1683 to 1699, resulted in the nearly complete recapture of Hungary from Ottoman rule. Only Banat remained in Ottoman hands until 1718. Although the events of the long war are known in detail, little research has been dedicated to what hardships and conflicts the recaptured territories encountered during the organisation of the military and financial, followed by the civil and ecclesiastical administration. The present study aims to focus on these issues by synthesising the research results of the past decades. It presents the challenges of the reconstruction that began during the war, as well as the conflicts among the military, financial, and civil authorities. During the Great Turkish War, the fate of Hungary was determined primarily by the interests of the Habsburg standing army, the Aulic Chamber (Hofkammer), and the Viennese court. This was also reflected by the fact that Leopold I convened the Hungarian diet only once, at the end of 1687. During the war, the Hungarian political elite, therefore, had very little say in the shaping of events and the new administration of the country. For this reason, the revival of civil and ecclesiastical institutions could only commence very slowly and in the face of great difficulties in the liberated areas, which were under close control from military and financial aspects. Consequently, a part of the country's population often regarded the liberation as occupation by the imperial generals, war commissioners, and chamber officials, and even as a series of devastations caused by the Habsburg forces. The recapture of the historical state of Hungary was, therefore, not without fierce political, social, and religious debates. Paradoxically enough, the Great Turkish War fundamentally contributed to the outbreak of the first independence movement in the history of Hungary, the War of Independence (1703-1711) led by Francis II RAkkzi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article offers a brief examination of various uses and senses of the term taḥqīq (ascertaining the truth; investigation; verification) in Mughal intellectual circles in the sixteenth-eighteenth centuries. Often contrasted with another term, taqlīd (copying; imitation), taḥqīq could signify different kinds of epistemological commitments – and therefore different kinds of truth-claims – depending on the context in which it was being deployed. Here we examine the ways in which the notion of taḥqīq figured prominently in Mughal debates about religious toleration, in Mughal scholarly culture, and even in Mughal notions of kingship, justice, and statecraft. Along the way, we will also use Mughal ideas about taḥqīq as an opportunity to intervene in larger debates about the nature of global early modernity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The view of women has long been questioned and debated in religious circles. Four main views have been recognized and labeled as traditionalism, complementarianism, egalitarianism, and feminism. These four views accuse their opposing counterpoints of prejudice while maintaining their view is biblical and balanced in favor of both genders. The question is asked, does each view preach and teach the positive value and worth of both men and women? While generally categorized according to philosophical ideals, the application of roles and responsibilities by each of these gender views suggests a corresponding affect on the biased view on men versus women. Whether the view is extreme patriarchy or matriarchy, the circular spectrum demonstrates a shifting value of which gender is more positively favored and which is negatively cast. To support awareness that gender views prejudice interpersonal interaction between genders, a survey was conducted with participants from each gender view to determine if their individual theological conviction about the roles of men and women in the church influenced their general sentiment of all actions of men and women. The goal of the survey was to corroborate the observation that one's gender ideology unduly distorts their general attitude about men and women. The survey requested first impressions of various biblical characters and then asked participants to rank them according to morality or godliness. The results confirm the stereotypes held by each group. The challenge is given to the religious community to recognize and confront the underlying implications in their gender teachings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After reviewing the non-dual 'Saiva perspectives on a technical issue - the willpower of insentient objects (or lack thereof) - Reich shows how Mahimabha a critiques Abhinavagupta's tradition by going back to the views of Somananda. James D. Reich, I To Savor the Meaning: The Theology of Literary Emotions in Medieval Kashmir i . To Savor the Meaning: The Theology of Literary Emotions in Medieval Kashmir, by James D. Reich Reich focuses on two authors: Abhinavagupta (fl. 975-1025) and Mahimabha a (ca. 1025 CE). [Extracted from the article]

"The Religion-Supported State: Piety and Politics in Early National New England" by Nathan S. Rives explores the shift from a state-supported religion to a religion-supported state in New England during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Rives argues that the commonly accepted narrative of religious debates in the early republic as a binary choice between government involvement in spiritual matters is a false dichotomy. Instead, he suggests that the issue for lawmakers was discerning whose version of the "truth" was correct. The author examines the role of moral reform societies in shaping public opinion, political party platforms, and public policy, and highlights the influence of theology in organizing and guiding these societies. [Extracted from the article]

The article focuses on the diverse topics covered in the July 2024 issue of The Heythrop Journal, which explores various theological and philosophical issues. Topics include the theories of metaphor in religious discourse, the influence of John Henry Newman on philosophy, and the exploration of Christian postmodern ethics.

The book "Nehru: the debates that defined India" by Adeel Hussain and Tripurdaman Singh explores the changing perception of Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister. The book examines Nehru's post-independence politics and his dominance in Indian politics. It features four debates between Nehru and other political figures, including Muhammad Iqbal, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Sardar Patel, and Syama Prasad Mookerjee, which shaped modern Indian historiography. The authors present a nuanced and lively portrayal of Nehru, highlighting his ideas and his interactions with opponents. The book also delves into the complexities of religious and political debates in India and Pakistan. [Extracted from the article]

"Religion and Worldviews—The Triumph of the Secular in Religious Education" is a book that addresses the current debates surrounding Religious Education (RE) in England and Wales. The book consists of nine chapters that critique the marginalization of faith in RE and the exclusion of faith communities in discussions about the future of the subject. The authors express concerns about the declining popularity of RE, the lack of support for the subject in schools, and the need for RE to adapt to contemporary forms of religiosity. The book also examines the proposals made by The Commission on RE (CoRE) to reform RE, including introducing a national entitlement to RE and changing the name of the subject to Religion and Worldviews Education (RWE). The authors raise reservations about these proposed changes, arguing that they may diminish what RE currently offers and over-intellectualize the subject. They also question the philosophical and pedagogical assumptions behind the concept of worldviews in RE. While the book presents criticisms and challenges to the proposed changes, it emphasizes the need for conversations and debates about the future of RE that consider new ways of positioning faith in education and engaging students in the study of religion. [Extracted from the article]

The importance of the Reformation to the political, social and cultural history of the Low Countries in the sixteenth century certainly justifies the appearance of Kooi's book, which is the first English-language synthesis of its kind. Kooi demonstrates that before the onset of the Reformation, the Low Countries was a distinctly devout region, and not one necessarily more disturbed by calls for religious renewal than elsewhere in Europe. As Christine Kooi points out in her admirable new synthesis of religious change in the sixteenth-century Low Countries, the early Netherlandish Reformation was marked by violent state repression. [Extracted from the article]

Salafi I "ulama" i in Egypt dedicate sermons, lectures, religious rulings and publications to undermining Al-Azhar's religious credibility and commitment to what the Salafis consider to be "authentic" Islam. Al-Azhar's religious authority extends beyond Egypt to many parts of the Sunni world. This article finds that the Salafi-Azhari contestation revolves around three overlapping issues: Salafi disdain for Sufism, the I Ahl al- adith i -Ash'ari creedal divide, and socio-political contestation in modern Egypt. The perceived rise of Salafi popularity through Salafi satellite channels in the early 2000s, and the relentless criticism by Salafi clerics of the Azharis, contributed to an intense anti-Salafi counter-attack from al-Azhar. [Extracted from the article]

In the seventh and final chapter, "A God Who Responds", Luhrmann concludes her study by asking 'what happens when faith practices kindle a god or spirit into feeling real? Thus, Luhrmann argues that "prayer's most powerful and consequential feature" (154) is its capacity to make God feel real and sustain a believer's relationship with an invisible other. What Luhrmann is interested in is the appearance of reality to religious practitioners, and Luhrmann would argue that, even if gods and spirits I are i real, they still must appear I as i real to individuals in order to make a difference. [Extracted from the article]

Research methods and concepts in religious studies are conventionally understood as procedures and rules for representing religious and social worlds. However, religious and social worlds are simultaneously messy, lively and elusive, and arguably transreligious ones are especially so. In this essay I reflect on Panagiotopoulos and Roussou's concept of "transreligiosity" as a means for re-thinking classical and contemporary methodological debates in religious studies, and for reflecting on methods as social practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing literature has long debated on religious beliefs and democracy. However, the implications of religious institutions, which shall internally interpret faith and socialize followers and externally decide its political positions with authorities, have yet to be comprehensively explored. By adopting an inter-religious comparison in Hong Kong, this article argues that religious institutions decided to take different positions in response to democratization: Eastern religious organizations, including Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, act as "state defenders" to legitimate government decisions at critical political moments. However, Christian organizations, including Catholicism and Protestantism, act as "state critics" to promote political justice. The Anglican Church is located at "in-between status" with pro-regime leaders but with pro-democracy followers. Consequently, Eastern religious institutions maintain close relations with the authorities, Christian leaders face criticisms from pro-regime associations, and intra-religious tensions within the Anglican Church are intensified. Theoretically, this article moves beyond that, from a "belief-based" perspective on how faith facilitates/hinders democratization to an "organization-based" perspective on how religious institutions choose their political positions in a sub-national hybrid regime. Empirically, this study examines how historical development in the pre-handover era contributed to different religion–state interactions in the post-handover period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the exclusivism–inclusivism debate about religious reasons in law within a justificatory liberal framework. The question of whether religious reasons have justificatory capacity for attaining public justification has increasingly been seen as a matter of how public justification is understood between two rival models: the consensus model being aligned with exclusivism, the convergence model with inclusivism. More recently, however, that alignment has been challenged with attempts to show that consensus can reach an equivalent degree of inclusivism as convergence. Against this, I contend that the purported equivalence is misplaced. First, I identify a crucial ambiguity about public justification and two corresponding domains. Upon demonstrating these to be mutually independent and severable, I conclude that the moves to equalize the models are confined within the more narrow domain while, in the more fundamental domain, the choice of model continues to prove determinative as to the exclusivist or inclusivist valence of justificatory liberalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

He sides with Marwan Rashed's revisionist interpretation of Razi as a moderate critic of religious extremism, but he appends this account with a perspicacious explanation of why our central source for Razi's critique of religion, Abu atim al-Razi, portrayed our Abu Bakr as an explicit denier of all prophethood, including that of Mu ammad. Having dealt with the foundation of Razi's metaphysics, Adamson turns in Chapter 6 to discuss the inflammatory question of Razi's critique of religion. Abu Bakr al-Razi (d. 313/925) is commonly recognized as a rather exceptional thinker among other major figures of the formative period of Islamic philosophy. [Extracted from the article]

The issue of al-mujarrabat is one of the khilafiah issues which is hotly debated among religious scholars in Malaysia particularly. There are issues that are often disputed by some Muslim groups such as the issue of zikr which is not done by the Prophet Muhammad; for instance, zikr with the pronouncement of Allah with certain number, the issue of blowing on water after reciting a verse of al-Quran and others. This dispute or contention stems from total abuse. Qiyas al-Shabah is among the instruments in fiqh motion debate which is important in helping to elicit ‘illah from certain issues and nas. When certain issues are separated and studied, there will be a lack in each qiyas made by certain religious scholars. Each of the responded issues by the certain religious scholars will usually involve the process of qiyas indirectly. So, this Qiyas al-Shabah will organize, and correct the issues that had been evaluated by them, by putting on more accurate issues to be evaluated. This research is a qualitative study as it relates to the debate of a theory that will involve the study of data in the references of classical and contemporary books and subsequently implemented in an issue and case. As a result of the implementation of Qiyas al-Shabah into this issue, it is found that the point of view of those who reject it is due to a literal understanding of a hadith or athar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Anuario Turismo y Sociedad is the property of Universidad Externado de Colombia, Facultad de Empresas Turísticas y Hoteleras and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Cultura y Religión is the property of Miguel Angel Mansilla Aguero and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The difference between PC and Reformed epistemology appears to be that religious seemings (the I sensus divinitatis i ) are experiences which provide prima facie justification but also tend to be formalizable - and even ought to eventually be formalized - into arguments for theism. I will not here summarize every chapter but will focus on the aspects of the book that seem most relevant to instructors and to the state of the debate in religious epistemology. [Extracted from the article]

Indonesian Buddhism has many sects such as Theravada, Mahayana, Buddhayana, Tantrayana, Maitreya, Tridharma, Kasogatan, Nichiren and so on. These sects historically come from the same source, the Buddha’s teachings, but now they have differences in terms of doctrines and practices. This article analyses the differences with regard to their doctrines and beliefs in relation to the concept of God as required by the Indonesian Constitution. The discussion focuses on the debate among three sects, namely, Buddhayana, Theravada and Mahayana, about the name and nature of God and sources of doctrines on which they rely. The research was conducted in Jakarta and Bogor which focused mainly on the organisation of Nichiren Shoshu Indonesia (NSI). The data were collected through book and document study, observations and interviews with NSI followers. Additional data was performed in Bandung in 2019 by interviewing Buddhayana and Theravada adherents. The research finds that Buddhayana was successful in formulating the concept of God based on an old manuscript, Sang Hyang Kamahayanikan, so that Buddhism has met constitutional requirements and eventually has been accommodated as one of the official religions. However, it has been challenged by both Theravada and Nichiren, which rely on other sources of doctrines. Contribution: This article contributes to the theological discourse among Buddhist sects, which are rarely discussed by Buddhist scholars. Buddhist adherents in Indonesia not only have political responsibility as required by the Constitution, but also have a socio-ethical responsibility in terms of religious tolerance both within and outside other religions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]