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As emerging adult college students ponder their religious/spiritual beliefs and identities, those in religiously diverse countries (e.g. the USA) often encounter beliefs different from their own. These encounters can prompt new perspectives on their own beliefs and elicit responses from rejection to incorporation of the diverging belief, thus shaping students' beliefs and identities going forwards. But do undergraduates in religiously homogeneous countries like Morocco have similar experiences of encounter and response? Here, 213 American and 78 Moroccan English-language university students wrote descriptions of encounters with, and responses to, others' dissimilar religious views. Comparisons revealed expected differences (more self-chosen identities among those in the diverse context; older age at the encounter in the homogeneous context) and striking similarities (frequency of encounters with atheism; interpersonal relationships as the most common encounter setting). Across both samples, 'incorporating others' belief' was the rarest response to encountering a difference, and women were more open to learning about divergent beliefs than men were. The roles of local and global contexts in exposure and response to religious diversity are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although a diversity of religions exists in South Korea, with Buddhism and Christianity (Protestantism and Catholicism) being the two main faiths, Korean beliefs are deeply rooted in Confucianism. Despite the notion that the Confucian norm of filial piety discourages body donation to medical science, there has been a mindset shift in favor of body donation, driven by a heightened awareness of the body bequest programs and the care and dignity accorded to the altruistic body donors, together with the institution of commemorative services to honor them. As spirituality and religion are known to be factors that influence body donation, how religious‐ and non‐religious‐based memorial services are held to honor the donors as exemplified by two Korean medical schools—from a public university with no religious affiliation and from a Protestant‐based university—are described here. The key concept of expressing gratitude and respect for the donors and their family members has positively impacted body bequest programs in this multi‐religious society. Commemorative services held to pay tribute to the altruistic body donors may play an important role in inspiring a humanistic spirit in students, regardless of religious or non‐religious beliefs, as exemplified by the two Korean medical schools. The takeaway here is that the elevation of spirituality in memorial services effectively resonates with society, thereby demonstrating the impact of spiritual principles independent of religious influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accommodating new religious communities has become a central issue in Western Europe. However, the role of religious identification in shaping intergroup relations still needs to be better understood. This study addresses this gap by analyzing the factors influencing public support for the accommodation of religious diversity, drawing on two statistically representative surveys conducted in Catalonia, Spain. The results revealed that religious identification moderates the relationship between the perception that religions other than Catholicism threaten society's way of life and the level of support for accommodating religious diversity. Contrary to initial assumptions, practicing Catholics were more supportive of religious accommodation than nonpracticing Catholics and nonbelievers, regardless of the level of threat they perceived. Moreover, cross‐group friendships mitigated the negative impact of perceived threat on support for religious accommodation, particularly among nonbelievers. Overall, the findings underscore the importance of cross‐group friendships in fostering more inclusive societies and provide valuable insights for religious governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extent and mechanisms through which religion intertwines with decision-making processes in family firms remain inadequately understood. Family firm owners, driven by their commitment to ethical business practices and the safeguarding of their socioemotional wealth, actively seek cues to inform their decision-making processes. This research demonstrates that, among these guiding cues, top-level executives' perceived religiosity emerges as a relevant factor. Building upon the socioemotional wealth perspective and conducting a longitudinal analysis based on listed family firms between 2009 and 2018, our findings reveal a positive association between family voting rights and the presence of board members perceived to be religious. Furthermore, this relationship is less pronounced if family firms operate in industries with high research and development intensity. Our study confirms that boards with high shares of religiously perceived directors are positively associated with the appointment of chief executive officers perceived to be religious during succession events. We thereby present a unique perspective that acknowledges perceived religiosity as a micro-level constituent shaping board membership and successor selection. This investigation captures the intricate interplay between religion and family firms under a socioemotional wealth umbrella, offering important insights to the family business ethics discourse. Our research also offers practical implications for board and leadership diversity management in family firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Religious moderation is a concept that seeks to promote values of tolerance, affection, and inclusion among different believers in a society. This article aims to explain important aspects of modern society, as it encourages tolerance, respects diversity, and creates an environment that recognizes and respects religious diversity and provides equal opportunities for all individuals without any discrimination based on religion. The method used is the study of literature on the key topics of "religious moderation," "inclusive society," and "reliance freedom." From regular studies, it has been found that inclusive societies, governments, religious institutions, educational institutions, and individuals have a responsibility to participate in efforts to promote religious moderation and build inclusive society. One of the steps that can be taken to form an inclusive society is the implementation of inclusive education approaches, interfaith dialogue, and cross-religious collaborative activities, which can help create societies that respect religious diversity, give equal opportunities to all individuals, and create a prosperous social order. In conclusion, the article emphasizes the need for cooperation to strengthen religious moderation and create an inclusive society based on the principles of solidarity, understanding, and mutual respect in order to disseminate moderate religious education by blending religious principles with universal human values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese Christian community occupies an essential position in the pluralistic religious landscape of modern Singapore, which is known as a multicultural and multiracial immigrant society. Despite being a minority compared with Buddhists and Taoists in Singapore, the historical formation and contemporary existence of the Chinese Christian community in Singapore not only embodies religious diversity, but also contributes significantly to Singapore's social development. This paper zooms into the founding and evolution of the Jubilee Church to see how Chinese Christians contributed to the revolutionary cause, took part in the anti-opium movement, and advanced educational activities in Singapore. Particularly, by establishing the Singapore Reading Room, participating in the founding of the Anti-Opium Society and the Chinese Kindergarten, the Jubilee Church played an important role in Singapore's history, contributing to the modernization of Singapore in terms of advancing ideas, improving social order, and promoting education. We aim to shed light on how Chinese Christians were engaged in social activities, taking up significant roles in the transformation of the Chinese diaspora in Singapore. More importantly, we argue that these varied social engagements significantly impacted the development of Christianity. Through a detailed historical case study on the Jubilee Church, this paper proposes that social functions and religious evangelization are mutually constitutive, thus complicating our understanding of the entangled relationship among Chinese diaspora, Christianity, and motherland China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The renewed growth of immersive "faith-unit" programs operating inside U.S. maximum-security prisons has brought with it a heightened emphasis on the practice of religion in correctional settings. Modeled from a prototype Christian seminary planted inside Louisiana State Penitentiary Angola, newer programs utilize outside religious educators for the credentialing of inmates into work assignments on behalf of prisons. As resource-challenged wardens deploy religiously credentialed inmates for leading new forms of prison ministry inside state facilities, research has not kept pace with the rapid growth of programs. Based on previous research, this article offers a retrospective account of the establishment of "offender ministries" at the Angola prison seminary planted at Louisiana State Penitentiary in 1994. While correctional leaders are obliged to accommodate the diverse religious identities of prisoners, private sponsors of immersive religious programs must balance doctrinal fealty with religious pluralism. Drawing from fieldnotes and on-site interviews in previous research, lessons from the history of Angola's ecumenical prison seminary and "inmate ministry" programs are discussed while strengths and weaknesses are also highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As conflict dynamics become complex and escalate globally, especially identity-based conflicts, we are witnessing an unprecedented shift in the Conflict Analysis and Resolution and Peacebuilding field toward contextually innovative and effective community-led approaches. The inadequacies of liberal and neoliberal paradigms and the increase in identity-based conflicts, religious pluralism, and differences in communities have motivated evidence-based inter-religious community-level engagements over the past two decades. These interventions rely on the theoretical frameworks of emancipatory peacebuilding and compassionate reasoning, and reflect an in-depth sense of spirituality, longing, and the essence of human relationship building and practice. This study gathers data from primary sources (which include findings from hybrid interviews) through a semi-participatory and empirical qualitative explorative research process in order to critique the underlying philosophies of traditional paradigms and explore emerging alternatives. It also posits that inter-religious community-led interventions are founded on the emancipatory elicitive religious peacebuilding (EERPb) framework. They are adaptive to non-linear (and sometimes non-scientific) approaches and are less focused on international standards. The framework fundamentally embraces phenomenological, metaphysical, and ethical realities in peacebuilding, operationalizes the concept of just peace, and acknowledges a global approach to peace that offers the opportunity to resolve the difficulties encountered by the various CAR and peacebuilding theoretical schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harold A. Netland's book on religious experience delves into the evidential force of divine encounters, focusing on theistic experiences and the interpretation of religious experiences as evidence for God. The book covers various topics such as the critical-trust approach, the role of the Holy Spirit in religious knowledge, and challenges to constructivist theories of mystical experiences. Netland acknowledges the diversity of religious experiences and suggests examining background beliefs to evaluate conflicting claims based on religious experiences. Overall, the book offers a comprehensive exploration of religious experience and philosophy of religion, though it primarily addresses literature within the Protestant tradition. [Extracted from the article]

Informed by a social constructionist approach, this study examines the relationship between religion, institutional religious climate, and students' sense of belonging in a university in South Africa. Data were gathered and analysed from a sample of 2026 students who completed a survey that included an open-ended section. The results revealed that students' perceptions of institutional religious climate are directly associated with their sense of belonging, supportive campus environment, and cross-cultural interaction. Also, while the religious beliefs of students are strengthened by their interaction with colleagues and staff from diverse cultures, they also develop a sense of belonging when they freely practice their religious beliefs in an institution that promotes religious diversity. The study concludes that a positive institutional religious climate could enhance students' religious experiences, encourage religious freedom, and create students' sense of belonging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Arab Law Quarterly has published a special issue on the topic of Islamic constitutionalism. The articles in this issue challenge existing paradigms and emphasize the importance of local context and national politics in shaping debates over the role of Islam in legal systems and constitutions. The authors argue against monolithic thinking and decontextualized analysis in the field of Islamic constitutionalism. They provide examples from Pakistan to illustrate their points and highlight the need for a more nuanced understanding of the role of Islam in constitutional structures. The authors also question the use of the term "Islamic constitutionalism" without considering the diverse interpretations and practices of Islam in different Muslim-majority countries. Overall, this special issue offers a fresh perspective on Islamic constitutionalism and invites readers to explore the complexities and nuances of the topic. [Extracted from the article]

In this paper, we, members of a dharmic* scholars collective, share the outcomes of our discussions over the last three years centered on the question: what shifts in research and practice are necessary to enable higher education to address the concerns of dharmic* (Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, and Hindu) students in the US? Topics we have focused on in our discussions relate to (1) the pervasiveness of Christian hegemony, normativity, and privilege in US higher education that leads to a general misunderstanding of dharmic* traditions and the students from them; (2) systemic and institutionalized challenges to affecting change; and (3) racial, ethnic, and political tensions that shape the experiences and concerns of dharmic* students. In the end, we describe our hopes for the future and invite others – dharmic* scholar-practitioners and aspiring allies alike – to join us in working toward greater understanding, appreciation, and care for dharmic* and all religiously minoritized students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the midst of the rising issues of intolerance and radicalism occurring in various regions of Indonesia, Balun Village in Turi District, Lamongan Regency, stands out as one of the cities with a high tolerance index in East Java. This village is even known as the Pancasila Village due to the strong interfaith tolerance. The focus of this research is to examine the patterns of social interaction among different religious communities in building harmony and peaceful coexistence within the multicultural society of Balun Village, Lamongan Regency. It also aims to capture the portrait of religious moderation based on local wisdom in Balun Village to maintain interfaith harmony. The research uses qualitative fieldwork methods to clearly depict the social interactions between religious groups in fostering harmony at the research location. The approach used in this study is phenomenology to empirically understand how the residents of Balun Village, Lamongan Regency, perceive, express, and practice religious moderation based on local wisdom to maintain interfaith harmony. Data for this study were collected using two techniques: interviews and observations. Data analysis is conducted using the analytical methods of Miles, Huberman, and Saldana (2014), which include three steps: data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing and verification. Social interactions between Muslims and non-Muslims in Balun Village, Lamongan Regency, are characterized by associative processes such as cooperation, accommodation, and acculturation. The empirical portrait of how the residents of Balun Village understand, express, and practice religious moderation based on local wisdom includes various activities such as wedding celebrations (kenduri), death rituals, communal work, arts performances, Nyadran rituals, Tunduan, and mutual cooperation in religious rituals and major religious holidays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: A critical area of study of the federal courts includes those who serve on the nation's highest tribunals. While most studies of judicial diversity address the crucial issues of race or gender, we examine the cross‐time dynamics of religious affiliations within the federal courts in the United States to more broadly encompass the concept of diversity. Methods: We analyze over two centuries of data on the religious affiliations of judges on the District Courts and Courts of Appeals, as well as that of justices on the Supreme Court, by employing descriptive data derived from public sources and our own survey instrument, and multivariate time‐series models. Results: Our mixed‐method analyses show that the federal courts, traditionally the near‐exclusive province of Protestants, have grown more religiously diverse over time. We illustrate that specific, salient political events, including President Wilson's appointment of Supreme Court Justice Brandeis in 1916 and the elections of Presidents Kennedy in 1960 and Carter in 1976, directly influenced the dynamics of religious affiliations in the federal courts. Conclusions: The ascent of religious diversity in the federal courts was neither smooth nor inevitable. By incorporating the notion of belonging as a measure of religious identity and affiliation, we exhibit that a multifaceted process over time transformed religious diversity in the federal courts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the thinking behind the Religious Toleration and Peace (RETOPEA) project, and specifically the construction of a digital archive of sources concerning religious diversity in Europe and beyond, past and present. It argues that European young people tend to accept Enlightenment assumptions about the past and 'religious conflict' and that their views of religious history are shaped by 'presentism'. The article explores RETOPEA's approach to selecting, preparing, and curating a digital archive which presents to young people a fuller picture of both religious intolerance and tolerance in the past, and which enables them to think 'with' history rather than assume simplistic lessons from the past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Perilous Intimacies: Debating Hindu–Muslim Friendship After Empire" by SherAli Tareen is a comprehensive study that explores Islamic perspectives on Hindu-Muslim friendship in modern South Asia. The book examines various aspects such as the translation of Hinduism by a Sufi master, debates between different religious groups, theological and legal contestations, and Muslim attitudes towards other religions. Tareen's research highlights the political dynamics of religious difference and the challenges faced by religious minorities in South Asia. The text also discusses the influence of theologian Aḥmad Rażā Khān on contemporary Indian Muslims and the colonialist demand for cultural assimilation. It suggests that traditionalism should be valued and used as a critique of state power, and emphasizes the need for dialogue between Muslim and Hindu scholars. [Extracted from the article]

In this paper I focus on designations of 'our culture and heritage' that defend practices and symbols of religious majorities. I consider the entanglement of nationalist narratives, secularity and the 'us' in the claims of social actors and public discussions about culture and heritage. What is understood as being religious and what is culture/heritage is dependent on the social actors involved, their position in society and the interpretive frameworks available to them. I consider the following questions: How are culture and heritage used in legal and public discourse to justify the continued presence of such symbols and practices in Christian majority countries in the West? What are the religious histories implicated in this process? Who is imagined to be included when crosses and prayers are staked out as 'our culture and heritage'? What is the relationship between culture and heritage and national imaginaries? Ultimately, as religious majorities see their numbers dwindle and power relations shift, the attempt to imbricate religious practices and beliefs in public spaces and rituals is quite possibly a translation of the religious to the secular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, I would like to suggest that the anthropological proposal of Nicolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig, the famous nineteenth-century Danish author, offers a model that maintains and affirms religious diversity, recognizing its place in the life of the community, but without having to resort to the separation of the religious and the public, the typical response of liberalism that has been generally adopted in the modern world. Grundtvig's proposal - an ordained pastor of the Danish Church, but deeply influenced by English liberal ideas - represents an intriguing middle ground between secularization and pluralism. He understood that, in the new modern world, it was necessary to recognize not only the members of the official Church, but also the practitioners of other religions and even non-believers. The voice of the Church was just one among many. However, he also resisted excluding religion from public life, as is the case in traditional secularism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Dinbilimleri Journal is the property of Dinbilimleri Journal 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 article "Religious Diversity at School: Educating for New Pluralistic Contexts" by Ednan Aslan and Marcia Hermansen, published in the Journal of Education in Muslim Societies, explores the challenges and opportunities faced by educators in navigating religious pluralism in multicultural societies. The book emphasizes the importance of comprehensive educator training programs to foster mutual understanding and counter extremism. Through case studies spanning Europe, Turkey, and the United States, the authors advocate for inclusive educational approaches that promote understanding and harmony amid cultural and religious diversity. The article highlights the need for schools to serve as catalysts for nurturing critical thinking and fostering intercultural dialogue to contribute to a more inclusive and harmonious society. [Extracted from the article]

In a world where rivalry, jealousy, hatred, and competition among religions are taking root in the heart of our society, the Church needs to look for a new trajectory to bring together the people of God. Therefore, The suggestion of the new paradigm inter gentes, defined as mission among the nations, would contribute to a peaceful interreligious dialogue. This paradigm involves understanding and respect, building bridges between different faiths, and fostering a warm and inclusive atmosphere among religions. This article presents missio inter gentes as a CICM's pastoral response to doing mission in today's pluralistic world. The CICM (Congragatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae) is an international religious missionary dedicated to the Incarnate Word under the name and patronage of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It is a missionary Congregation founded to participate in the mission Jesus entrusted to the Church. As the world evolves, the Church also evolves and, therefore, seeks new ways to relate with others. CICM missionaries play a vital role as agents of reconciliation for interreligious dialogue as the Church faces pluralism of religions. They facilitate dialogue among the leaders of other religious denominations by promoting respect and harmony for peaceful coexistence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Asian Studies is the property of University of Ljubljana, Faculty of the Arts 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.)

A notion that has arisen from historical-critical analysis – that the Gospels are primarily 'theological' rather than straightforwardly 'historical' documents – is explored in terms of the aspect of patristic thinking that has been described as 'mystical theology'. Here, the ancient concept of the mental faculty called the nous becomes relevant because it was often seen in the patristic writings as essentially intuitive in its operation. It was therefore related primarily to a noetic, contemplative apprehension of reality, rather than to discursive rationality. This concept is relevant not only to understanding the Gospels but also to a pluralistic understanding of the world's faith traditions, so that there is a potential link between our way of reading the Gospels and our way of assessing religious pluralism. Both may therefore be seen, in a new way, as aspects of a post-critical spirituality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is a review of the book Social Identification of New Religious Movements in the Republic of Belarus (Minsk, 2024. 664 p.) by V.A. Martinovich. This book presents a littlestudied aspect of culture - diverse new religious movements (NRM), peculiarities of their attitudes to society and public reactions to their activities. Based on the examples from the history of sociology of religion, the author argues that there is a gap between the typology of religious movements and the analysis of the diverse confessional space, including the empirical testing of its methods: identification of religious organizations with some types of religious movements is often replaced by the study of religiosity in its various dimensions and influences. Martinovich created a specialized archive with more than 600,000 units and developed an information-analytical mechanism for the data description, systematization and analysis - register of religious organizations, which allowed to identify information sources, differentiate them by the developed indicators, taking into account all representatives of the confessional space, and introduce the systematized data about NRM into scientific circulation. Thus, the quantitative indicators of actors in the confessional space and the degree of relevance of the content of NRM became an object of social construction. The study of the social identification of religious organizations shows considerable heuristic potential, making a substantial contribution to the conceptual apparatus of public discourse regarding NRM - their development and transformation, stigmatization, and moral and ethical problems associated with their activities.

The paper aims to demonstrate characteristics of interaction between governmental efforts to maintain national security and the situation with freedom of religion in Ukraine. To answer the questions of how political decisions have influenced the religious sphere in Ukraine over the past five years including wartime and whether there is a balance between national interests and freedom of religion we apply event impact assessment comparing trends of transitions of parishes and people attitudes towards different Orthodox churches before and after political actions and governmental decisions during 2018–2023. The paper confirms that although religion was repeatedly brought into the political sphere religious pluralism persists in Ukraine on the territories that are under government control. We demonstrate that establishing the Orthodox church that was independent of Russia bolstered freedom of religion and full-scale Russia invasion caused a steep increase in many religious transfers from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UPC MP) to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). Despite an increased role of the state and issues of national security due to Russian aggression, the religious sphere was quite autonomous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the continued conundrums of racial and religious diversity in education. While social diversity is steadily increasing in Global North countries, there is little evidence of meaningful conviviality. Conversely, despite decades of dedicated multiculturalist policymaking, there is ample evidence of persisting educational disparities affecting pupils from minority backgrounds, as well as de facto segregation inside classrooms. This paper examines two reasons for the ongoing situation. Firstly, we explore the history of ‘intercultural’ approaches to education and demonstrate that they are too detached from the unequal dynamics of social and political life in diverse contexts. Secondly, we employ the concept of ‘museumification’ to show that diversity is often performed and curated, which ultimately keeps dominant structures intact. We conducted multi‐stakeholder participatory research in Birmingham, UK. The research involved several stages and outcomes, including collecting stories from Birmingham denizens with a refugee/immigrant background, working with a celebrated photographer to produce portraits of participants and using these materials to co‐produce educational resources for primary and secondary schools. Our findings suggest that ‘diversity’ must be approached, taught and learned as a lived/living reality, which will account for its highly complex, iterative and dis/located dynamics at the level of individual and communal identities. We articulate this through the concept of ‘living diversity’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymath and ‘poet-emperor’ Rabindranath Tagore, the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize (1913), experienced a unique blend of vilification and acclaim throughout his life. However, some critics profess that all controversies surrounding the poet ceased in his native Bengal after his death, where he is now lionised as a demigod and cherished ubiquitously and unequivocally. In this article, I first refute this assertion by illustrating how Tagore has come under attack from several conservative Muslim critics and internet trolls since his death, accusing him of Hindu chauvinism and hostility towards Muslims. I then respond to these attacks by arguing with examples from Tagore’s poems, fiction, essays, interviews, letters, and lectures that he was not a sectarian writer but a proponent of cultural and religious pluralism and a cosmopolitan who believed not just in Hindu–Muslim unity but in the solidarity and harmony of all human races, nations, and religions, in the spirit of mutual goodwill, empathy, fellowship, and fraternity. Finally, I argue why Tagore rejected political and economic forms of cosmopolitanism in favour of a spiritual and cultural one, and how his outlook could be an antidote to the proliferating racially charged, turbulent, ‘tribal’, populist politics, and various forms of virulent nationalisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractIn the United States, hate crimes that are motivated by religious bias disproportionately impact minoritized religious groups. This study investigates religious ecological predictors of hate crimes against Jews and Muslims in the US, drawing on theories of religion and intergroup offending. Measures of areal religious composition and change are drawn from two waves of the US Religion Census. Multilevel logistic regression models predict incidence of anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim hate crimes across county-years (2010–2018), adjusting for law enforcement agency coverage, hate crime reporting, and social and political factors. Christian adherence and overall religious diversity are associated with lower incidence of anti-Jewish hate crime. Jewish and Muslim adherence are positively associated with anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim hate crime, respectively, and counties undergoing relatively large increases in Muslim adherence have heightened incidence of anti-Muslim hate crime. Implications for theory and policy, as well as opportunities for future research, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore the millennials attitudes towards Muslims and their root causes. Phenomenological approach was used to analyze the experiences of millennials towards Muslims and the root causes of their negative attitudes and perceptions. The participants in this study were the millennials. The study was conducted in Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat located along the mountainous coastal part of the province of Sultan Kudarat. Eligible roles may include but are not limited to school teachers and staff, out of school youth, registered business owner establishments, registered farmers and fishermen, livelihood program beneficiaries of Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and Local Government Unit employees. A total of ten (10) millennial participants voluntarily consented to participate in this study. The researchers used open-ended questions through an in-depth interview to effectively get the primary data. The study highlights themes such as trust and unpleasant experiences with a sub-theme of mistrust of differences, encounter with a Muslim, and injustice; stereotyping and terrorism perception with a sub-theme of terrorist act on media and Muslims practice terrorism; peace building with a sub-theme of no equal representation, and leader’s attitude; Muslim attributes with a sub-theme of traitor, unwelcoming, and audacious. These finding suggest that respondents' negative sentiments and attitudes towards Muslims stem from a variety of factors. First, there's an underlying theme of mistrust and differences, indicating a lack of understanding or acceptance of cultural or religious diversity. Additionally, negative encounters with Muslims, characterized as "sad encounters," seem to have contributed to the negative perceptions. Furthermore, perceptions of injustice perpetrated by Muslims, possibly in personal or societal contexts, have influenced attitudes. Media portrayal linking Muslims and Islam to terrorist acts appears to have played a significant role in shaping negative perceptions, reinforcing stereotypes and biases. Moreover, the association of Muslims with specific terrorist groups has likely fueled fear and prejudice. Lack of equal representation in elected positions suggests a systemic issue of underrepresentation, which can exacerbate feelings of marginalization or discrimination. The attitudes and behaviors of Muslim leaders also seem to have impacted respondents' perceptions, possibly indicating a lack of positive role models or leadership. Terms like "traitor," "unwelcoming," and "audacious" further highlight the negative connotations associated with Muslims, suggesting perceived betrayal, hostility, or arrogance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article conducts a thorough examination of the demographic structure, naming conventions, and anthropometric characteristics of the Muslim and Christian communities in Bilecik in 1843. The study utilizes qualitative content analysis methods, employing population registers from the Ottoman Archives and other contemporary documents. The findings reveal that Muslims predominantly opted for names of Arabic origin, while Armenian and Greek Christian communities enhanced regional diversity through names reflecting their religious and cultural identities. Anthropometric analyses demonstrate that both communities exhibited similar average heights. Furthermore, the use of beards and mustaches reflects cultural differences; among Muslim men, these features were significant symbols of religious identity and social status, whereas among Christian men, they signified age-related esthetic choices and cultural diversity. Ultimately, this research illuminates the social and cultural framework of 19th-century Anatolia, providing detailed documentation of Bilecik's religious and ethnic diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beyond the once dominant secularization thesis that anticipated the decline of religion in the modern era, the academic study of religion has in recent decades revisited secular as one of the factors that shape religion and religions in the globalized world. Against this theoretical backdrop, in this article, I use the case of South Korea to explore how secular and religion interact in contemporary global society. It focuses on describing the postcolonial reformulation of secularity and the corresponding transformation of religious diversity in Cold War South Korea. The Japanese colonial secularism rigidly banning the public and political engagement of religion was replaced by the flexible secular-religious divide after liberation of 1945. The porous mode of secularity extensively admitted religious entities to affect processes of postcolonial nation-building. Religious values, interests, and resources have been applied in motivating, pushing, and justifying South Koreans to devote themselves to developing the national community as a whole. Such a form of secularity became a critical condition that caused South Korea's religious landscape to be reorganized in a vertical and unequal way. On the one hand, Buddhist and Christian populations grew remarkably in the liberated field of religion, while freedom of religion was recognized as a key ideological principle of the anticommunist country. On the other hand, folk beliefs and minority religious groups were often considered "superstitions", "pseudo religions", "heretics", or even "evil religions". With the pliable secularity at work, religious diversity was reconfigured hierarchically in the postcolonial society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between December 2020 and January 2021, we conducted an online mixed-methods survey to explore racism in the province of Manitoba, Canada. The survey was completed by exactly 500 residents of the province and was largely representative of the demographics of the province. The survey measured views on racism, multiculturalism, religious diversity, assimilation and linguistic diversity, and also explored lived experiences with racism. In this article, we report respondents' views on multiculturalism, religious diversity, assimilation and racism. The strong majority of Manitobans recognized that racism is a problem in their area of the province, and yet views towards assimilation and support for religious diversity remain mixed. These findings show contradictions between overall support for broad themes like diversity or multiculturalism yet high levels of continuing discrimination and racism in the province. Our findings emphasize the impacts of whiteness, with the intersectional complexities further emphasized by the qualitative stories shared by participants, giving accounts of racism at work, in stores, healthcare, justice and in different demographic groups. Specifically, incidents of racism against Indigenous Peoples were the most commonly experienced and witnessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco 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 Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco 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.)

This article explores the intricate relationship of influence and interaction between Moroccan Islam and African Islam by surveying the major historical narratives, knowledge production, and spiritual connections that continually shape this complex relationship. In contrast to the conventional understanding that consistently underlines Moroccan Islam's static, one-way hegemonic endeavour over African Islam, empirical evidence shows that this endeavour evolves as a complex curve grounded in affinities, inclusiveness, and transculturation. Unlike other transnational Islam's ventures in Africa, most often seen as 'imported' and 'transgressive,' the Mohammed VI Foundation for African 'Ulama puts forward a religious model built upon a pan-African narrative that vouches for local traditions, religious diversity, and shared spiritual-security interests. In doing so, Morocco's religious model is likely on the way to gaining further recognition and appeal throughout many sub-Saharan African countries. Nevertheless, broadening Moroccan Islam's outreach beyond West Africa, Morocco's traditional fief of influence, would conversely challenge the centric orthodoxy of Moroccan Islam reshaped in the wake of the 2003 Casablanca attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the passing of same-sex marriage legislation in 2017, religious freedom has become a prominent feature of Australian public debate. Overwhelmingly, such debates are conducted within a human rights framework where principles such as individual autonomy and protection from discrimination are prioritized over the communal and associational elements of religious life. This in turn tends to augment the power of the state vis-à-vis religious communities and institutions. In important respects, the dominance of human rights represents a new manifestation of the kind of "liberal-statism"—a public philosophy of liberal individualism that accepts the primacy of the state in the management of cultural and religious diversity—that has been a central feature of Australian religion–state relations over time. After some historical discussion of Australian church–state practice, this article argues for a reconsideration of a largely overlooked approach deriving from the English pluralists of the early twentieth century, which promoted greater degrees of group autonomy in relation to a rapidly growing state. It is argued that this tradition has greater potential in responding to the religious diversity of our time than does the current human rights approach with its tendency to reinforce an individualistic or privatized conception of religion, diminish associational life, and thereby reinforce state power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Baha'i faith is a relatively new religion that has quickly gained popularity over the past century. Its main theological concepts include progressive revelation and religious unity, and perhaps its most important goal is unity among all humans, which takes the form of a single religion and eventually leads to a single peaceful society. Such a destination would first require interreligious dialogue and the acceptance of truth in many world religions at present, according to Baha'i teachings. Ideas of religious diversity have already spread among some Theocentric theologians, which leads us to question if such views are compatible with Baha'i doctrine on religious unity. This study investigates how the Baha'i faith promotes concepts of religious diversity in order to achieve its eventual goal of religious and societal unity, and whether Baha'i teachings are truly compatible with pluralism. The conclusions of this study reveal that while Baha'is promote the concept of religious diversity today, their eventual goal is not compatible with pluralism. Because pluralism implies the existence of multiple religions that share truth, its outcome is different from a single, worldwide religion. Theocentric ideas encourage diversity, but do not specify a formal outcome, which means that interreligious dialogue and acceptance of truth in many faiths could lead to pluralism or unity. Therefore, Theocentric theology does not necessarily disagree with Baha'i goals or the concept of pluralism due to a lack of specificity. This study is significant as our societies become more globalized, such that the coexistence of religions is becoming more critical. The Baha'i faith's strong focus on religious unity sets it apart from religions that are traditionally exclusive. An analysis of such a religion that emphasizes interreligious dialogue and encourages cultural fusion is therefore essential for our understanding of interactions between religions in a multicultural society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study, based on the Interfaith Diversity Experiences and Attitudes Longitudinal Survey (IDEALS), examined pathways to pluralism orientation among more than 5,700 students who attended 118 U.S. colleges and universities between 2015 and 2019. Grounded in Critical Religious Pluralism Theory (CRPT), the analysis elevated the role of identities and contexts in pluralism progression, maintenance, and decline, illuminating the importance of climate, culture, support, and interfaith engagement in college students' pluralism development. Implications are discussed to guide educators committed to advancing justice, equity, and social change in higher education and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the relationship between religiosity and economic growth as an indicator of modernization. It also examines the relationship between religiosity and various dimensions of development such as educational attainment, mortality rate, and urbanization. To this end, average country-level data from 6 different survey waves of the World Values Survey, spanning the period 1989-2022, and various data sources, including the World Christian Encyclopedia, Religion and State Project, Penn World Table, World Development Indicators are utilized. The analyses include a maximum of 108 countries. The ongoing secularization paradigm is experienced differently in each society, depending on the predominance of religious belief and societal characteristics, including the degree of cultural and social diversity. The Seemingly Unrelated Regression method is employed to address the potential problem of correlation between the error terms of the regressions utilizing different religiosity indicators. Estimates indicate that religiosity is negatively associated with economic growth, the presence of a state religion and religious pluralism, while it is positively associated with state regulation of the religious market. Education, which is one of the most fundamental indicators of development, is positively correlated with religiosity. Nevertheless, the most characteristic indicator of modernization and development, urbanization, is negatively related to religiosity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Papua, Indonesia, is a region of cultural and religious diversity. However, in facing social challenges, the development of youth character has become a critical issue. The Research and Development Centre for Religion, Ministry of Religious Affairs, Republic of Indonesia, conducted a survey of secondary schools. In 2021, the high school student index in Papua Province was below the national average. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship and level of correlation between religiosity and integrity among youth in Papua. We employed Christian biblical figures as models to illustrate their methods of developing and maintaining moral and ethical attributes. The method used is a quantitative approach with descriptive and correlational techniques. The findings indicate a significant positive correlation (0.629) between the religious dimension and the integrity dimension. This demonstrates a strong relationship between these two dimensions. The conclusion of this study essentially implies that there is a beneficial and strong relationship between religious discipline and integrity. This suggests that the two dimensions work together to shape and develop the personality of the younger generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues that the Catholic Church in Nigeria needs to move beyond interreligious dialogue that dwells more on Councils' interactions and discourses to develop a dialogical ethical framework that engages religious multiplicity in a more active capacity. Although Nigeria's religious diversity necessitates interreligious dialogue, that alone is insufficient for constructing concrete ethics of dialogue. The article thus argued for an ethical framework tagged one family, many flavours. The theological sense of the proposal is rooted in Catholic social teachings but open to engagement with other religious traditions for mutual respect and social justice. The religious scope of the article is on Roman Catholicism and the Nigeria Muslim Ummah. The article addressed related ethical challenges confronting Nigeria's interreligious landscape as a diverse religious community. Primary and secondary sources were used in gathering information for the article; thus, scriptural texts and traditions in Islam, as well as sources in Roman Catholicism, were theologically engaged. The suggested model acknowledges the importance of retaining one's religious identity while also recognising the importance of interreligious dialogue and the right of the religious other in ethical matters. The article is envisioned to promote conversations about translating dialogical frameworks into practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores religious diversity in Romania and how the trends of indices of religious fractionalization and polarization manifest at the county level in a post-communist period. The county level was selected as the relevant level for analysis due to its more clearly visible spatial dynamics with regard to religions. Recent studies have revealed that the erosion of diversity is an important aspect for any country and needs to be considered as an important aspect of democracy. This paper highlights how digital mapping of religious polarization and fractionalization in Romania has been generally maintained, although the regions of Transylvania, Banat, Dobrogea and Western Moldova remain areas in which there are different religions. Other than the general aspect of religious diversity depending on ethnic trends, there has been a rise of Pentecostals and Baptists at the county level. This aspect has further implications for our study, which calls for creating new institutions for dialogue between majority Orthodox communities and Protestants, not only so that potential conflicts do not appear between Orthodox and emerging religious communities but also to ensure objective, cultural, religious coherence. Our maps revealed the distribution patterns and the temporal evolution of religious denominations for the 1992–2011 period. The major line of originality in our research rests in the findings that after conducting a bivariate spatial autocorrelation analysis of religious fractionalization and polarization, we were able to identify two distinct clusters with spatial overlap over historical provinces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the efforts of the Hungarian Reformed Church in the first half of the 20th century to achieve uniformity and refinement in its worship practices. The desire for a unified Hungarian Reformed worship service had been a hallmark of previous centuries, leading to a long journey of development in the 20th century. The standardization of the liturgical praxis aimed to create a sense of shared identity and eliminate historical variations in regional worship practices and customs. The movement for liturgical unity had been ongoing for centuries, with earlier attempts including church district agendas published in the 19th century. The publication of the Liturgical Book [Istentiszteleti Rendtartás] in 1930, which is the first official Agenda for the whole Reformed Church in Hungary, marked a culmination of efforts towards liturgical unity. The paper highlights the tension between achieving uniformity and preserving diversity within a religious tradition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal for Religion in Education / Religionspädagogische Beiträge is the property of Arbeitsgemeinschaft Katholische Religionspadagogik & Katechetik (AKRK) 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 Journal for Religion in Education / Religionspädagogische Beiträge is the property of Arbeitsgemeinschaft Katholische Religionspadagogik & Katechetik (AKRK) 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 Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco 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 article discusses the documentary film "Spiritual Audacity: The Abraham Joshua Heschel Story," which explores the life and work of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. Heschel was known for his book on the ancient Hebrew prophets and his prophetic activism. The film focuses on Heschel's involvement in the Civil Rights Movement, particularly his participation in the Selma to Montgomery march led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It also highlights Heschel's background as the descendant of rabbis and his contributions to Jewish ethics and mysticism. Overall, Heschel is recognized as an important figure in both the Jewish and Christian communities for his religious writings and activism. [Extracted from the article]