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Combining trends in style and form with religious considerations, modest fashion has grown worldwide despite a series of intense controversies in Western countries from the mid-2010s. Building on the sociology of scandal, we identify three rhetorical strategies that structure nontarget majority consumers' responses to modest fashion, i.e. the place of religion in modern society, the defence of freedom, and the search for a harmonious society. Interestingly, the strategies of both the detractors and promoters of modest fashion appear to be built upon common values and norms, though at a collective vs. an individual level, respectively. This discursive dynamic allows the former to moralise their attack while neutralising the defence of the latter, thereby setting the public agenda, and leading to Muslims' marketplace exclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT This article argues that three dimensions of relevance can be identified for the academic study of religion as it is taught at the university: (1) Foundations; (2) General Education; and (3) Application. The analytical distinction of these dimensions also reveals that they are inextricably linked and co‐dependent. This model may help to sort out the tasks and opportunities of a secular, comparative study of religion in academia and society. Importantly, for each dimension, the comparative method has a crucial role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper comments on Richard Bourke's Hegel and World Revolutions, focusing on its analysis of Hegel's relevance for debates on revolution, freedom, and the Enlightenment. While agreeing with Bourke's call for critically engaging with Hegel's ideas rather than dismissing them outright, the paper raises some questions concerning Bourke's reconstruction of Hegel's interpretation of Kant, his account of the French Revolution, and the impact of Hegel's work on contemporary debates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractWhile accounts of near-death experiences (NDEs) are found around the world and throughout history, descriptions of the phenomenon vary widely. Whether arguing for or against the survival hypothesis, most scholarly and scientific discussions of NDEs are predicated on seeing them as either a universal human phenomenon or as an entirely culturally-constructed one. This article will discuss the implications for the survival hypothesis of historical and cross-cultural NDEs, in all their diversity and similarity. On the scientific level, it will consider how the apparent universality of NDEs can be been enlisted to support both survival and materialist hypotheses. On the metaphysical level, this chapter will explore what kind of afterlife might be philosophically conceivable if we were to accept NDE narratives as reflecting genuine afterlife experiences—particularly given all their diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This email interview with graphic artist Zara Slattery features discussions on the potential of graphic testimonies to document personal afflictions and educate empathetic readers with particular reference to her text Coma (2021). Slattery describes the process of creation and the thoughts, matter and material that went into creating Coma. Slattery reflects on her decision to share her story, artistic influences, the choice of the visual palette, the inclusion of multiple voices to delineate the collectiveness of the illness experience, myth and animal imagery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the article, mainly based on the reference to the entries in the diary of Th. Dobzhansky, a geneticist and one of the founders of the "synthetic theory of evolution", examines how Dobzhansky tried to combine science, primarily evolutionary theory, and religion. It is argued that although Dobxzhansky was a believer during whole his life, he became a peculiar believer who revised for himself and for others the former, primarily religious answers to the "ultimate questions" of existence, and posed these questions in a new, evolutionary way. Even more, he tried to substantiate and justify religion and his belief in God through the evolutionary theory, to demonstrate that science and religion are not incompatible, and to offer his believe in the usefulness of science and religion to each other. This Dobzhansky's attempt was perceived and evaluated ambiguously by both scientists and religious figures. In addition, Dobzhansky owing to his search for these answers, made a number of world outlook and general cultural conclusions for himself and presented these conclusions in articles and books written not only for colleagues in the scientific community, but also for other people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pilgrimage is a common phenomenon in all the major religions. Earlier studies showed that the pilgrimage sector has high resilience to crises. However, COVID-19 has affected and continues to have adverse impacts on pilgrimage tourism. Recognising the dearth of research addressing this developing crisis and its impact on pilgrimage tourism, this research note aims to explore the challenges and opportunities pilgrims face due to COVID-19. Hundred and fifty media articles from thirty countries are thematically analysed to address the aim of this research. The results indicate nine challenges and five opportunities for pilgrims due to COVID-19, which have varied implications for the pilgrimage sector as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractEast Asian countries, including Northeast Asian countries such as China, Japan and Korea, and Southeast Asian countries such as the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, have endeavored to enhance their maritime domain awareness (MDA) capabilities at either the state or regional level to mitigate, prevent or respond to maritime threats. Vibrant, dynamic East Asia comprises a huge diversity of cultures, religions, political systems, and security regimes, and their perceptions of and approaches to MDA are significantly varied. The regional states need to recognize the importance and value of MDA in ensuring maritime safety and security and to allocate more resources to build up their MDA capacities accordingly. In addition, closer collaboration between Northeast and Southeast Asian countries is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article delves into the impact of anti-modern convictions on the doctrinal evolutions of Shi‘ism among Italian converts, employing a synergy between history and sociology. To illustrate this impact, the digital and paper publications of select converts have been analysed. Editorial initiatives serve as primary channels through which converts express their intellectual inclinations and impart a new cultural dimension to Shi‘ism. This new cultural dimension is shaped by the motivations that have driven converts toward religious mobility. In this framework, Shi‘a tenets and its relations with other religions have been redefined based on converts’ socio-psychological needs. As a result, Italian Shi‘ism, with its anti-modern substructure, has acquired certain traits that align it with the pre-political manifestations of the religion. Notably, converts exhibit a preference for metaphysical perspectives over juridical and sociological developments within Shi‘ism, delineating a distinct trajectory in their engagement with the faith. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Introducing students to the similarities and connections among the Hebrew Bible, New Testament, and Qur'an is a means to introduce students to a shared source of humanity, beauty, wisdom, and solace. This article outlines a literature class that uses comparatist strategies to introduce these three foundational religious texts as literary works. Figural and thematic strategies reveal the development of stories, characters, ideas, and values. Cultural studies strategies demonstrate the profound effects that the texts have had on our notions about our relationships and responsibilities to ourselves, our families, and our world. Students report a better understanding of their own spiritualties, a greater acceptance of their own identities, and an increased appreciation of the diversity of their communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research aims to: determine the meaning of symbols and symbolism both linguistically and terminologically, understand the value of symbols among Jews, clarify the meanings of numbers and their significance for Jews, highlight the exaggeration of Jews in their reliance on interpretation to explain the ambiguities in the altered texts, open the door for many researchers and scholars to explore topics related to comparative religions, and enrich the library of theology and comparative religion, which focuses on aspects of Jewish studies and their history. Research Methodology: the inductive method and the deductive method. Jews rely on symbolism to understand their sacred texts, and through this, rabbis integrate this religion, opening the door widely to the alterations that have affected this religion. Among the most prominent findings of the research: A symbol linguistically is a gesture or indication using the eyes, eyebrows, lips, and mouth. The definitions of a symbol have varied according to the science or art in which the term is used. A symbol is a sign that refers to a meaning that exists independently, representing it and replacing it. A symbol in the Old Testament is an expression or indication of what will happen in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of this research is due to: the importance of the debate between people of religions, by highlighting the role of scholars in it, “including Al-Baji,” and it aims to answer the following questions: Who is Abu Al-Walid Al-Baji? What is the subject of his message? And the reason for it? What is the etiquette of events included in Al-Baji’s message? What lesson did Al-Baji learn? In his response to the rehab of France?, it includes demands, the most important of which are: The biography of Abu al-Walid al-Baji,: Al-Baji’s message to the rehab of France and its subject, the divinity of Jesus and the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, al-Baji’s approach to criticizing the divinity of Jesus and his restriction of the Trinity among the Christians. The research concluded with results, the most important of which are: - There is a nationMuhammad - may God bless him and grant him peace - is goodness that does not cease with the lengthening of time and the passing of days. The clear one is the best nation of nine people, and it is the last of the United Nations, and these proposals were dependent on what it does in enjoining good and forbidding evil . Christianity is a religion that God revealed to Jesus - peace be upon him - and it is a monotheistic religion like the rest of the religions that the messengers brought from God, Blessed and Most High . -The message of the jurist Al-Baji is the epitome of Islamic goodness, stemming from the duty of defending the neighborhood of the Islamic religion . Al-Baji’s message was distinguished as evidence of the accuracy and superiority of scholars in defining the science of religions. -Recognition that using scientific lessons and employing them in responses gives them durability and strength of argument- and proof. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Teaching a course on religions of the world is challenging, especially considering the cogent critiques of that paradigm and the history of its construction. In our courses and text, we have employed a strategy comparing different representations of a single religion to help students develop analytical and critical thinking skills. Within this approach, we employ a functionalist methodology that addresses how each representation of a religion empowers particular groups as well as how the practices and ideas within each religion function. Organizing a course and textbook in this fashion coordinates with assignments that ask students to compare the construction and functions of different representations of the same religion, thus reinforcing to students that no single description of a religion is complete or free from individual and group interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT In this article, I make a case for bridging what I see as the competing demands faced by teacher‐scholars in higher education: our institutional orientations, our students' motivations, and our aspirations as scholars and educators. I contend that teaching about religion, broadly understood, regardless of theoretical and methodological orientation (be it within religious studies, for example, or theology, or philosophy of religion, or ethics, etc.) can be an impactful experience in the practice and cultivation of engaged global citizenship. Drawing from my own courses, and my use of the Reacting to the Past (RTTP) roleplay pedagogy, I show how a critically self‐aware practice is foundational to this goal, and how an integrated cross‐cultural comparative and collaborative method provides a powerful tool to accomplish this in dynamic and equitable ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the intricate interactions between heritage and religion in modern China, as well as the broader social and political implications of these interactions in relation to national heritage policies and local developmental practices. By conducting a longitudinal analysis of the social history of Baosheng Temple, this research traces its transformations over the past hundred years from a historically religious site to a local built heritage dedicated to preserving and displaying religious relics. This transformation highlights a shift in the role of religious relics from carriers of practice and thought to focal points for heritage preservation, aimed at supporting nation-building and, more recently, promoting local development through the tourism industry. These changes reflect continuous local responses to broader social transformations towards a modern nation-state as well as the influence of Western ideas and practices. The findings of this research illuminate the evolving values associated with religious heritage and the corresponding implications for Chinese modernity within a secular state context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theoretical framework of "religion" is problematic, especially in studying non-Western realities. In the field, I often encountered its Indonesian and Toraja most common equivalents—agama and aluk. There were also categories assigned to the realm of "culture" rather than "religion". Toraja funeral ceremonies, which originated from the indigenous religion and became predominantly Christianized, are defined in religious and/or cultural categories. How do these related categories manifest in the utterances of the ritual actors of Toraja funerals? This article is based primarily on interviews; it refers to statements from 34 purposively chosen research participants. The attitudes towards the Toraja funeral tradition vary based on religious affiliation. The lines between different perspectives and categorization characteristics of Christianities and the minority indigenous religion are blurred but distinguishable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In popular discourse, it is not uncommon to highlight the distinctiveness of systems of "Eastern thought" (e.g., Daoism) in contrast to so-called "Western" systems. However, there is an interesting congruence between Daoism and Meister Eckhart's mystical theology, particularly in regard to the concepts of the Dao and the Godhead. Like the Dao, the Godhead is the "ground" of all being, simultaneously radically transcendent and immanent, considered as distinct from all things and yet the enfolded totality of them. Both these concepts are also dynamic principles, continually manifesting in the flux of the ever-changing universe. In both systems, nature at its fundamental level is characterized by namelessness, emptiness, encompassment, and dynamism. Nature as "ground" is also a religio-ethical concept. Humans are called to align with this ground and enter into a state of wandering joy, called wuwei (non-action) in Daoism and the "wayless way" for Eckhart. Through reverting to their indeterminate source, the person is able to become detached from rigid teleological norms. Thus is laid the foundation for an ethics of non-attachment, wherein individuals dwell in an existential flow and are attuned to all yet anchored unquestionably to none. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on one part of a larger longitudinal empirical study (2021–2023) that responds to the call for Religious Education (RE) to address religious plurality in the context of senior Catholic schooling within an Australian Archdiocese where students represent multiple faith traditions or no traditions. The research focuses on the level of satisfaction by students across Topics, Pedagogies, and Outcomes within a new and innovative senior school curriculum, Religion Meaning and Life (RML) based on national RE guidelines. Participants included 276 students across 17 schools who completed an online survey with 32 of these students participating in focus group interviews. Data analysis of quantitative data was both descriptive and inferential, and qualitative data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Topics of most interest were Ethics and Other World Religions; pedagogies entailing dialogue and use of media and technologies were rated highly; and learning outcomes entailed awareness of school mission, the religious dimension of the school, and pastoral care. Inferential statistical analyses confirm four core topics, pedagogies, and outcomes as significant to levels of satisfaction and in combination accounted for 42% of the variance of satisfaction with RML. Theoretical propositions for what matters most in senior secondary RE were advanced through four integrating principles (educational, formative, social, communitarian) and practice implications that preference Catholic tradition, and reference religious plurality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When European writers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries wrote about utopia or their vision of the best possible way to live, they usually included reflections on religion. Religion as it was known in their day was not perfect and had been criticized for causing numerous abuses. If a perfect or near-perfect society were to be imagined, it would have to include a perfect or near-perfect understanding of religion. This could range from atheism to a minimal religion which avoided all the institutional factors, to one in which detailed regulations governed all facets of religion and life. This article reviews and interprets the treatment of religion in a wide range of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century utopias. It concludes that some utopian writers set high goals for change, some settled for lesser reforms, and some left religion as it was while changing other parts of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study applies the rational choice perspective to government religion policy in Turkey. We argue that a rational choice analysis can provide a new perspective on how the pro-Islamist Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi – AKP) transformed Turkey's religion policy from one that was constitutionally secular to one which strongly supports Islam. We also further develop the rational choice approach arguing that radical transitions in religion policy are often incremental and require support from political allies. Also, while the motivation for transitioning from a secular regime to a religious monopoly may be due to a desire for religious legitimacy, the nature and timing of this transition may be influenced by the rise or decline of other bases for legitimacy. Overall, this study demonstrates the utility of applying the rational choice theory of religion to Muslim-majority countries and the mechanisms through which countries change their religion policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores contentious state-religion relations in Azerbaijan. In recent years, the Azerbaijani government has adopted new regulations in religious affairs aiming at two goals: on the one hand, the government tries to keep religious groups/individuals under control, prevent the politicisation of the religious environment, and prevent foreign countries from expanding their influence in the country. On the other hand, the government aims to promote a positive image of the state in the international community through hosting and funding interreligious dialogue platforms and highlighting the multicultural environment in Azerbaijan. The study examines the evolution of state-religion relations in the country and highlights that in recent years its political regime has applied more restrictive policies towards independent religious communities in legal and extra-legal forms and simultaneously established institutions and co-opted regime-friendly groups through instrumentalising religion to keep the religious environment under control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When we encounter a disagreeing interlocutor in the weighty domains of religion, philosophy, and politics, what is the rational response to the disagreement? I argue that the rational response is to proportion the degree to which you give weight to the opinion of a disagreeing interlocutor to the degree to which you and your interlocutor share relevant beliefs. I begin with Richard Fumerton's three conditions under which we can rationally give no weight to the opinions of a disagreeing peer. I argue that his conditions are incomplete; I propose a fourth condition that maintains that disagreeing interlocutors (whether they are peers or not) need not give weight to each other's opinions when the interlocutors do not share rationally held relevant beliefs. By contrast, when rationally held relevant beliefs are shared, rationality demands that we re-evaluate and even moderate or change beliefs in the face of disagreement. I then defend my condition against two objections. First, I argue that the condition does not entail a coherence theory of justification. Second, I consider the charge that my condition recommends operating within an epistemic bubble. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to Carolyne Larrington, legends of the past 'offer particular kinds of answers – beautiful and mysterious answers... – to very large questions through a kind of metaphorical thinking... which, in their stripped-down clarity, show us what's really important in an unfamiliar light'. The claim that 'what is really important [is disclosed] by casting it in an unfamiliar light' I take into a philosophical engagement with the figure of the ghost. Far from being of dubious interest for the philosopher of religion, the continuing fascination with ghosts and hauntings offers promising ground for the discussion of religion, for the study of ghosts holds out the possibility of engaging with the wonder and terror of the human condition. The figure of something that is dead yet alive is a creative representation of the fact that we who are alive are also mortal, destined to die. The resulting confrontation with death arouses anxiety, but also has the potential to enrich life. The wisdom of the ghost thus enables the possibility of returning philosophy of religion to the great themes of human existence – birth, suffering, loss, and death – which provide rich resources for understanding religion and its relation to the experience of being human. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How and under what conditions do religious factors explain the militarization of interstate territorial disputes? We argue that inconclusive findings in previous studies stem from inadequate consideration of the interaction between challenger state religiosity and the domestic constituencies actually invested in religiously salient territorial claims. To address this gap, this article differentiates between secular regimes, which provide minimal support to their state's dominant religion and religious regimes, which strongly support their dominant religion. It also considers narrowly salient coreligionist populations, which appeal almost exclusively to religious audiences, versus broadly salient contested sacred sites, which appeal to much broader constituencies. We argue that the interaction between these two factors produces very different patterns of interstate conflict behavior. Secular regimes avoid escalation over narrowly salient religious claims because they do not depend upon religious constituents for support. However, they lack the necessary religious legitimacy to manage outbidding challenges that frequently arise over more broadly salient claims. Religious regimes, by contrast, enjoy high domestic religious legitimacy, enabling more peaceful engagement with broadly salient religious claims. Yet their political dependence upon religious constituencies incentivizes conflict when disputes involve narrowly salient religious claims. We test these propositions utilizing original data on the religious salience of interstate territorial disputes in the post-Cold War era, from 1990 to 2010. Analyses, using both dichotomous and continuous measures of regime religiosity, confirm these inferences and contribute to highly nuanced understandings of how state-religion policy and religious salience interact to influence patterns of interstate violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zhihar, a form of divorce from pre-Islamic Arab society, was abolished during the Islamic period through the Qur'an and the sunnah of the prophet. This article undertakes a reexamination of zhihar in a modern context, with a particular focus on the maqasid Shari'ah approach. This approach, which underscores the fundamental objectives of Islamic law, including the safeguarding of religion, soul, intellect, heredity, property, and self-esteem, plays a crucial role in reinterpreting the concept of zhihar to serve the benefit of the ummah in the contemporary era. By conducting a textual and contextual study of the Qur'an, the sunnah of the Prophet, and the opinions of scholars, this article concludes that zhihar in the modern context should be viewed as a means of protecting family honor and preserving the harmony of the marital relationship. The study utilizes a descriptive-analytical method, guided by the maqasid Shari'ah approach, to assess the relevance and application of zhihar in the context of Muslim life today, thereby providing a comprehensive understanding of the topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay explores how George Herbert's poetry frames apocalypticism in terms of personal mortality to strengthen individual practices of obedience and passivity in one's daily habits. By bringing together the science of daily devotion in the ars moriendi tradition and the imaginative resources of poetry and rhetoric, Herbert's verses locate the site of politics in the management and maintenance of practical, everyday affects. These intersections between early modern poetry and religion render habits of self-discipline in service of political passivity and quiescence, encouraging readers to practice obeying forces larger than oneself—even upon the destabilizing extremities of existential finitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

De Cruz and Levy, in their commentaries on Religion as make‐believe, present distinct questions that can be addressed by clarifying one core idea. De Cruz asks whether one can rationally assess the mental state of religious credence that I theorize. Levy asks why we should not explain the data on religious "belief" merely by positing factual beliefs with religious contents, which happen to be rationally acquired through testimony. To both, I say that having religious credences is p‐irrational: a purposeful departure from rational thought and behavior, where the purpose in question is maintaining a group identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a commentary on Neil Van Leeuwen's Religion as make‐believe focusing on the normative aspects of this book. According to Van Leeuwen, religious credences are not factual beliefs, and they are held to different standards of rationality than factual beliefs. Hence, religious believers are able to track and represent those states of affairs that govern their practical lives while also holding views that deviate significantly from it, such as divine omnipotence. Here, I examine whether this reasonable compartmentalization in religious believers holds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How effective was Soviet secularization and what is its long-term legacy? This paper investigates the lasting effects of Khrushchev's Virgin Lands Campaign (1950s) on the current level of Orthodox religiosity in eastern Russia using an original district (raion)-level dataset that combines historical and contemporary evidence. By employing various matching techniques and an instrumental variable approach, I identify significant effects of the Virgin Lands cultivation on diminishing the role of religion even 60 years later. Moreover, I demonstrate that the resettlement of Communist Youth League (Komsomol) members and the destruction of traditional social relations may have worked as key mechanisms that contributed to the legacy effects. This study offers one of the first micro-level empirical investigations into the impact of Communism-driven secularization, and contributes to the emerging inquiry into the historical legacy of communism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the preceding Part 1 of this two-part paper, I set out the background necessary for an understanding of the current status of the debate surrounding the relationship between science and religion. In this second part, I will outline Ian Barbour's influential four-fold typology of the possible relations, compare it with other similar taxonomies, and justify its choice as the basis for further detailed discussion. Arguments are then given for and against each of Barbour's four models: conflict, independence, integration and dialogue. In contradiction of the recent trend to dismiss the conflict model as overly "simplistic", I conclude that it is the clear front-runner. Critical examination reveals that theology (the academic face of religion) typically proceeds by first affirming belief in God and then seeking rationalisations that protect this belief against contrary evidence. As this is the very antithesis of scientific endeavour, the two disciplines are in unavoidable and irreconcilable conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite religion's deep historical roots, adults in modern societies express greater confidence in the existence of unobservable scientific entities, like oxygen, as compared to unobservable religious entities, like God. Challenging conventional explanations, we argue that testimony-based input, rather than direct experience, is the primary determinant of individuals' ontological beliefs in both science and religion. Disparities in ontological beliefs between the domains of science and religion, within each domain, and across diverse cultures are poorly explained by variation in direct experience. From early childhood, humans rely heavily on testimony to form and calibrate their beliefs. The credibility of testimony emerges as a key factor in understanding the nuanced dynamics of ontological beliefs in both scientific and religious domains. Understanding why individuals are more confident of the existence of invisible scientific phenomena (e.g., oxygen) than invisible religious phenomena (e.g., God) remains a puzzle. Departing from conventional explanations linking ontological beliefs to direct experience, we introduce a model positing that testimony predominantly shapes beliefs in both scientific and religious domains. Distinguishing direct experience (personal observation) from cultural input (testimony-based evidence), we argue that even apparently direct experiences often stem from others' testimony. Our analysis indicates that variability in direct experience cannot explain belief disparities between science and religion, within each domain, or across cultures. Instead, variability in testimony is the primary driver of ontological beliefs. We present developmental evidence for testimony-based beliefs and elucidate the mechanisms underlying their impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Folk religions are reviving in contemporary China. They are distinctive from institutionalized religions and share many qualities with the emerging religious phenomena in the West. Despite their significance, however, the lack of concise frameworks and causal analysis methods has hindered a deeper understanding of these religions. By integrating psychological and sociocultural perspectives, this study concentrates on subjective well-being and tailors a micro model applicable to analyzing Chinese folk religions, along with a novel instrumental variable for causal identification. Empirical evidence suggests that folk religions have negative effects on subjective well-being, resulting in a 17.3 percent decrease in subjective well-being compared to the sample mean. This is primarily due to believers seeing folk religions as mere means for achieving earthly targets, therefore suffering from strengthened negative senses and motivated radical behaviors. Nevertheless, investing in folk religions to a high degree might transform believers' attitudes from seeing folk religions as means to seeing them as ends, thereby alleviating the negativity. This alleviation is mainly derived from positive senses, self-regulation, and inclusive attitudes towards society. Hence, taking religions more seriously and not utilitarianly, or fulfilling unmet targets more effectively, are two paths to eliminate the negative effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Al-Adab / Al-ādāb is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) 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 examines how recent scholarship on religion and Reconstruction has highlighted the central role of churches in the post-emancipation South, emphasizing their impact on racial identity, gender roles, and political engagement. It also discusses the evolution of scholarly focus from civil rights-era studies of enslaved religion to contemporary analyses of Black religious institutions, their political strategies, and the intricate intersections of race, religion, and politics.

Vasiṣṭha claims both that all four āśramas are equal and that the householder is the best of the four āśramas. This apparent contradiction would be resolved if either of these claims could be dismissed. Vasiṣṭha's claim that the four āśramas are equal seems entailed, however, by his endorsement of the original formulation of the āśrama system. His claim that the householder is superior, in turn, seems supported by the surplus of arguments that he offers in favor of the householder. Patrick Olivelle takes Vasiṣṭha to advance this surplus of arguments for the householder only to bolster the more modest claim that the householder is equal—and therefore not inferior—to the celibate āśramas. If this right, then Vasiṣṭha's claim that the householder is superior might be understood in the same way. If the balance of evidence weighs in favor of one claim or the other, however, it seems to weigh in favor of the superiority of the householder, rather than the equality of the āśramas. An alternative interpretation takes Vasiṣṭha to evaluate the householder in relation to two distinct metrics. The four āśramas are equal, he says, in their ability to attain the highest heaven. The householder is superior to the other three āśramas, however, in his unmatched contributions to the general welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on Sāṃkhya-Yoga and Buddhist Abhidharma ontologies and their engagement. A close reading of two hitherto uncompared passages from Pātañjalayogaśāstra 2.13 and Vasubandhu's Abhidharmakośabhāṣya 4.94 suggests that they are intertextual or interdiscursive. A mirrored argument form in the texts explains ethical causality (karma) in relation to rebirth (punarjanman). The arguments in both texts are similar in form, sequence, and even conclusion, although not in terms of the doctrinal basis of reasoning. On first examination, both arguments analyse how action (karma) sustains patterns of moral repercussion across life and beyond death in terms of singular and plural causes and effects. But a close reading shows that the level of conceptual engagement on this issue is more nuanced – centred on 'projecting' and 'completing' mechanisms of karmic retribution (ākṣepaka karman and paripūraka karman) as well as determinate or indeterminate (niyata and aniyata) maturation of karmic effects. The paper suggests that the function of Patañjali's passage was to serve as a structured engagement with Buddhist Sarvāstivāda karma theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While domestic violence (DV) has been understood as a form of gendered violence linked to patriarchal power, postcolonial and indigenous feminist criminologies have underscored that DV needs to be understood also in relation to the interactions and entanglements between colonialism, class, race, nation, gender and religion. Moreover, such interventions require questioning Western and secular assumptions and reductions of culture, tradition and nonmodern (read 'non-Western') epistemologies and faith as reserves of mainly patriarchal power. This paper reflects within three practitioner spaces on efforts against DV in Fiji and Tuvalu and how these critiques and interventions are mobilised in practice and with community interactions. We draw on the varied experiences of the three of us (educator, counsellor and police officer) to explore how we are embedded in various forms of translation and bordercrossing work, especially in relation to assumptions, practices and knowledge linked to culture, religion and rights in relation to DV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Semiotica is the property of De Gruyter 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.)

Religious differences are often portrayed as a source of conflict and tension in development work. Such portrayals imply that faith-based organizations (FBOs) struggle to bridge religious divides and construct co-ownership when engaging in multi-religious contexts. This article nuances this view through a study of how Christian FBOs are working with antitrafficking programs in Buddhist South-East Asia. Drawing on interviews and observations in Thailand and Cambodia, the analysis demonstrates that differences in religion need not present an obstacle to the construction of co-ownership. In contrast, a shared religious ontology between FBOs and local stakeholders and beneficiaries facilitates a shared understanding of the problem of human trafficking and the solutions to address it. This indicates that religion can be a resource, rather than a problem, in establishing co-ownership with local actors in the antitrafficking work of the FBOs. However, in interactions with secular antitrafficking actors, finding common ground is more challenging: the secular-religious divide seems wider than the Christian–Buddhist divide. The article thus provides important insights for scholars, policymakers and practitioners by nuancing assumptions about the role of religion in development in multi-religious contexts. Western secularism may in fact present a more significant obstacle than an explicit religious identity when seeking to construct co-ownership with local communities in Buddhist South-East Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is a book review of "Naming God: Addressing the Divine in Philosophy, Theology, and Scripture" by Janet Soskice. The book explores the treatment of divine names in Scripture and in key thinkers such as Philo, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and others. The author argues that naming God is not simply about delineating attributes, but rather about the existential response to a call from God. The book offers fresh readings of Scripture and a doxologically shaped philosophical theology, challenging readers to reconsider the relationship between language, calling, and the transcendent. [Extracted from the article]

Most people practice a religion, often multiple times daily. Among the most visible aspects of these practices are body postures, which according to embodiment theories, likely shape the psychological experience of religion. In a preregistered study, we test this idea among Christians, Muslims, and Hindus in the United States, Turkey, and India (N = 2,458). In a repeated-measures experimental design, participants imagined praying in various typical postures, then reported their affective experiences, perceived relationship with deity, and prayer content for each posture. Compared to downward and constrictive postures, expansive and upward postures led to more positive emotions, dominance, and praise-focused prayers, yet fewer introspective or intercessory prayers. Interestingly, these effects varied based on religious context (e.g., many Hindus found upward and expansive postures offensive, causing no positive affect). We further explored whether these effects varied based on posture familiarity, religiosity, interoceptive sensibility, and personality traits. This research provides unique data on embodied processes shaping affect and cognition in religious practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Objective of this research: Giving an overview of the religions, sects, and ideologies and an overview of its history so that the reader understands how the religious situation in Maldives has evolved, throughout its history since accepting Islam till the present era. The Research Consists of an introduction, a preface which consists of an introduction to the Maldives and definition of religions, sects and ideologies, section one: consists of its religions and sections two: consists of sects and ideologies that have spread therein, and a conclusion. Research Methodology: Descriptive and Inductive Approach Conclusions: The Maldives was practicing Buddhism before they entered to the fold of Islam in 548 A.H, they were influenced by several sects including Mysticism, Asharites, Dawoodi Bohra and now they are all extinct except Asharites. The Portugal and British colonizers tried to convert them to Christianity, but they failed. Contemporary Sects and Ideologies which exists in Maldives include Modern Kharijites, The Sect of Rashad Khalifa, Secularism, Atheism and Feminist Movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of transnational engagements on emigrant villages has attracted noticeable scholarly attention, however, the religious dimension of the link between migration and remittances remains largely unexplored. Providing an ethnographic study exploring the dynamics and meanings involved in the growth of cemevis in villages, this paper aims to contribute to an understanding of this phenomenon, something that has received less attention in studies of migration and transnationalism. Drawing on a multi-sited ethnography of the British Alevi community in London and their villages in the Afşin-Elbistan region in Maraş province in Turkey, the paper discovers how and to what extent these transnational interactions shape places and social and religious spaces in the villages. The paper describes rural cemevis built by migrants as "remittance cemevis' that form a channel between the diaspora and homeland and allow migrant Alevis to expand their role in the village community and influence social and cultural life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The burgeoning field of religion and development has continued to gain scholarly attention globally, especially recently. The article explores and reviews the study of religion and development in Africa by drawing on multiple literature and theoretical approaches. Structured around the history and survey of the current status of the study of religion and development in Africa, the article maps and projects its potential future. Religion, a significant tool for (de)development in Africa, holds immense potential to bring about positive social transformation for the common good. Being a complex process that focuses on improving both the material and immaterial aspects of human life, development can pivot on religion to create a better future for Africa. There is a need for robust and nuanced discourses on the academic study of religion and development that interrogate development theories and practice and their relevance to the African context. In the long run, this will address contemporary contentions and contestations on the role of religion and development, especially in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On Sunday 3 May 1444, the London Common Council issued a law that prohibited certain professions from selling their goods on Sundays. While there were numerous laws created during the middle ages that prohibited commerce and work on holy days, the 1444 London law is unique in that it was stricter than the canon law of the church. This article analyses the 1444 London law in order to gain a better insight into mid fifteenth-century London and late medieval religion. It suggests that the 1444 law was created as a response to ideas originally found in canon law and confessors' manuals. These orthodox sources allowed certain activities that were, seemingly, objectionable to some in 1440s London. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to examine the models of confrontation between science and religion from the perspectives of Ted Peters and Mehdi Golshani. In this study, the issues raised in the models mentioned by Peters and Golshani are studied so that the differences and similarities of views can be examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]