Church Goers Research Articles

An Evaluation of Cultural Concepts in Swahili Translated Texts: An Example of Walioteuliwa by White.

This paper evaluated the cultural religious translated concepts in Walioteuliwa This book is read and studied among the SDA believers and interpreted differently among the same believers of same denomination. The objective of the study was to evaluate the difficulties in translating cultural concepts from English into Kiswahili. The study was qualitative and quantitative. Therefore, following cultural concepts were analyzed: ecological, material culture, religious concepts, linguistic concepts, figures of speech and proverbs. Seven SDA churches were purposefully selected to take part in the study. The respondents filled questionnaires and the leaders were interviewed. The actual sample size was 140 participants. Thus, 42 church leaders and 98 church goers were involved. Participants who read and write in Kiswahili only participated in the study. The skopos theory guided this research. It states that the process of translation is determined by the function of its product. Thus, that function is specified by the addressee. The results of this study showed that the strategies used by the translator posed problems in translated cultural concepts among the readers of the selected text. Therefore, this study contributed to the understanding and interpreting of cultural concepts in religious texts.

An analysis of COVID-19 information sources

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has brought new situations that require the effective delivery of health information across the world and it’s important to offer clear, consistent, and credible information on the pandemic to mitigate and control the outbreak.AimTo assess COVID-19 information source, need and trust among the rural community of southwest Ethiopia.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study design was conducted among 634 rural communities of southwest Ethiopia. The data were collected by interviewing individuals from selected households and analyzed by SPSS version 26. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to assess factors affecting information needs.ResultsRadio 484 (76.3%) was mostly used as a source of information for COVID-19, and government 404 (63.7%) and health professionals 345 (57.7%) were trusted. However, only 10 (1.6%) of the participants acquired information from health professionals. Around 395 (62.3%) of the participants needed additional information on COVID-19. Around 230 (58.2%) and 186 (47.1%) of the participants required additional information on cause and sign and symptoms, respectively. Age of < 45 years old (AOR: 2.11, 95% CI: 1.43, 3.12, P < 0.001), and absence of formal education (AOR: 2.00, 95% CI: 1.35, 2.95, P: 0.001) were factors positively affecting the information needs of the participants on COVID-19. Church goers (AOR: 3.24; 95% CI: 2.03, 5.19; P < 0.001), television (AOR: 2.39; 95% CI: 1.63, 3.49; P < 0.001) and social media users (AOR: 4.52; 95% CI: 2.26, 9.04; P < 0.001) as source of information required additional information on COVID-19, and the participants that trusted social media (AOR: 2.52; 95% CI: 1.64, 3.87; P < 0.001) and friends/relatives (AOR: 2.95: 95% CI: 1.51, 5.76; P < 0.001) were also required additional information on COVID-19.ConclusionsThe popular sources of COVID-19-related information were radio and television. The participants trusted the government and health professionals on COVID-19. However, less than 2% of the participants had information from health professionals. The majority of the participants wanted to learn more about COVID-19. The areas the participants required additional information include cause and signs and symptoms. Age, educational status, trust in social media, trust in friends, using the church, television and social media as a source were factors associated with information needs.

Roman Catholic Church Goers' Perception of Mass Gatherings during the Pandemic

Roman Catholic Church Goers' Perception of Mass Gatherings during the Pandemic

DASAR MISI ALLAH DALAM KEJADIAN 1-11

This writing contains the basis of God’s revelation to man as it is found in Genesis 1-11. All Scriptures (66 books) are God’s word without exception. Critical studies are insufficient to applied to God’s word, for He is our Creator and Judge, to whom we all are in charge. By understanding God in the Old Testament according to His work of creation, we - then - come to conclusion that God’s mission to all people / nations is mostly needed. Man will surely die without God. God’s heart and mission are clearly seen in Genesis 1-11. The teachings revealed in these chapters are still relevant for the believers now. This writing is recommended to pastors to comprehend mission based on the bible and to teach them to the church goers.&#x0D;

Thermal Comfort in Places of Worship within a Mediterranean Climate

This paper investigates the relationship between the actual thermal comfort levels measured according to EN 16798-1 standard and the expected thermal comfort of attendees in five parish churches throughout 2018. This is carried out through statistical analysis of qualitative research based on questionnaire responses from church goers and quantitative research based on indoor measured data. This investigation includes the gathering of scientific data relating to temperature and relative humidity together with statistical data through thermal sensation surveys (TSSs). Thus, this study provides first-hand information about occupants’ diversities of thermal sensations and dynamic behaviour adaptations to the intricate environment within churches. Results determine that a significant correlation exists between the actual thermal comfort levels measured according to EN 16798-1 standard and the expected thermal comfort perceived by the church attendees in most of the parish churches under review. Analysis of the sources of discomfort and suggestions made by the occupants revealed that passive design measures contribute towards improved indoor thermal conditions, reduced energy demand and lower carbon emissions. This information provides assurance for optimised decision-making methods, used to generate accurate solutions for policy-makers, architects and engineers, with an understanding of practical applications of passive measures for places of worship. Moreover, the paper provides insight on indoor comfort levels in places of worship within a Mediterranean context, which is insufficiently addressed by scholars at a global level.

Orthodox samizdat in Chuvashia in the 1960s–1980s

The article is devoted to the phenomenon of Orthodox church samizdat in the second half of the 20th century. The term Orthodox samizdat used in this article refers to a set of texts reproduced in an artisanal way and distributed in church goers circle without the sanction of the church or secular authorities. In the conditions of Soviet reality, the church circles were a deep periphery of public life and was formed from the marginalized or those pushed out by the Soviet authorities to the social margins. The specific position of church people in the USSR determined the repertoire of samizdat texts and their ideological orientation. The source base for this article was formed by a large library of church samizdat left after the death of Elizabeth Feodorovna Zakharova, an active parishioner of the Vvedensky Cathedral in Cheboksary. Zakharova was a typical representative of the church goers. The article reviews the genres of works that were available as the samizdat in Zakharova’s library: liturgical texts, artisan copies of pre-revolutionary publications, spiritual verses, thematic collections, folklore, apologetic literature, eschatologicaland conspiralogical texts, etc. One of the peculiarities of the existence of Orthodox samizdat in Chuvashia was that many texts circulated in translations into the Chuvash language. Among the features of Cheboksary samizdat is the replication of the prosaic translation of John Milton’s poems “Paradise Lost” and “Paradise Regained”. Church samizdat performed a number of important functions in church circles: it solved the problem of demand for liturgical and doctrinal literature in deficit conditions, shared uncensored texts, rallied church people and could besource of additional income. In general, church samizdat was an important part of the culture of the church circle during the Soviet era. The spelling and punctuation features of the original unpublished sources are preserved in the article when cited.

Sabbath

Photo entitled “Sabbath” featuring an elegantly dressed church goer as she makes her way to church along the beach, reflective and unhurried, amidst the fishing boats, with a describing statement from the artist.

SACRALIZING THE CHURCH INSIDE A MALL: REDEFINING RELIGIOUS TOURISM IN THE PHILIPPINES

The potential for drawing tourists to the Philippines may be facilitated through religious tourism, the type of tourism that involves pilgrimage to sacred sites as act of worship. As the only largely Christian nation in Asia, the Philippine government hopes to increase tourist arrivals, particularly among Catholics worldwide to visit the multitudes of magnificent churches all through-out the islands and to marvel at the vibrancy of Filipino Catholicism. The present paper however argues that visiting these churches may show how deep-seated religiosity is among Filipinos but does not show the complete picture because some churches that Filipinos that frequent are inside malls, which traditionally do not pass as pilgrimage sites. The study intends to describe the experiences of Catholic Filipinos who attend mass and other church services in a mall church to ultimately delve on the possibility of considering these mall churches as part of pilgrimage in the Philippines. Using key informant interviews and survey, several findings are notable. First, church goers in a mallchurch believe that a space can be made sacred, and hence, the place where mass is celebrated does not matter so much. Second, there is ambivalence as to the notion of considering mall church as a pilgrimage destination because mall churches are devoid of religio-historical significance which regular churches have, but with the Filipinos‘ penchant for malling, church attendance is high in these mall churches. Third, despite the secularizing effect of globalization, church attendance among Filipinos remains high because churches are established where people flock such as the malls. The study concludes that it might be an oversight to simply dismiss mall churches as pitiable alternatives to the typical churchbecause Filipinos patronize it. It is recommended that future studies on religious tourism include a more thorough investigation of mall church-going to gain a more nuanced grasp of the uniqueness of Filipino religiosity.

Reintegrative shaming, redemption, and acceptance: A survey of Christian church goers in eastern North Carolina

ABSTRACTObjectives: Using Braithwaite's (1989) notions of crime, shame, and reintegration as theoretical underpinning, we identify factors associated with acceptance of a variety of offenders accused or convicted of various criminal behaviors among Christian church goers in a North Carolina county. Using a convenience sample method, surveys were administered to 365 church goers, with an effort to include a mixture of respondents that reflected the population of the county being sampled, in terms of race, gender, age, education level, and denominational affiliation. The survey included numerous vignettes, identifying crimes ranging in seriousness from underage drinking to murder, and from a variety of offenders including teenagers, young adults, middle aged women and middle aged men. Bivariate and multivariate techniques were employed to analyze the data. Acceptance was greatest for young adult and teenaged offenders for a variety of minor offenses, but also for young men that had been convicted of burglary and released into the community. Respondents were least accepting of sex offenders and people that had stolen money from the church. Race was one of the key variables, with African Americans being consistently most accepting of almost all categories of offense and offender. Acceptance was also associated with denomination, with Unitarian Universalists being the most accepting, and Roman Catholics being the least accepting. Acceptance was also positively associated with age and amount of formal education. Our results may reinforce Chiricos, Welch, & Gertz's (2004) ideas of racial typification of crime, and that crime and the “criminal” label revolve to a great degree around race. Concerns of safety and liability of church members continue to plague church ministers and staff. The church as an agent of reintegration and acceptance of offenders should continue to receive attention from scholars, the public and policy makers. Churches may serve as vehicles for effecting restorative justice programs.

Efficacy of a Church-Based, Culturally Tailored Program to Promote Completion of Advance Directives Among Asian Americans.

Having an Advance Directive (AD) can help to guide medical decision-making. Asian Americans (AA) are less likely than White Americans to complete an AD. This pilot study investigated the feasibility and efficacy of a church-based intervention to increase knowledge and behavior change related to AD among Chinese and Vietnamese Americans. This study utilized a single group pre- and post-intervention design with 174 participants from 4 churches. Domain assessed: demographics; AD-related knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and intentions; AD completion; and conversations with a healthcare proxy. Data were analyzed using Chi square and multiple logistic regression techniques. We observed significant increases in participants' AD-related knowledge, intentions, and a gain in supportive beliefs and attitudes about AD, resulting in 71.8% AD completion, and 25.0% having had a proxy conversation. Providing culturally-tailored intervention and step-by-step guidance can help to achieve significant changes in AD related knowledge and behavior in AA church goers.

IMIGRAN DAN PERANTAU YANG “GAGAL” DAN PULANG KAMPUNG: Sebuah Firman yang Membangkitkan dari Kitab Rut

This essay details how an “intuitive reading” of the Book of Ruth by a group of HIV carriers from Flores island, Indonesia, renewed their faith. The men caught the virus as economic migrants and then proceeded to give it to their wives on returning home sick. Rejected by family and by many members of the clergy, they have formed their own support group. Coming from the interior, most were not regular church goers before contacting the virus. Some years ago they began reading the Scriptures regularly once a month. They easily identified with Naomi and Ruth, with their failed migration, and with the tactics they were forced to use in order to survive on returning to Bethlehem. Members of the HIV support group, largely unsupported by the institutional Church or by their extended families, have discovered in reading the Bible together a liberating Word that has rekindled a deep personal faith in the God of compassion.&#x0D; &#x0D; Kata-kata kunci: HIV, perantau, migran, ODHA, Support Group, Syering, Kitab Suci, Rut.

&lt;i&gt;In good times and in bad&lt;/i&gt;: Die stormagtige verhouding tussen kerk en die orrel � is egskeiding onafwendbaar?

In good times and in bad: The tumultuous relationship between the church and the organ - is divorce inevitable? Through the ages, a delicate relationship has existed between the church and the pipe organ. Since the 10th century, the organ established itself as a unique instrument in service of worship. This relationship was not always a steady one, and this article investigates the tumultuous affair between the two parties. In part one of the article, which is a historic perspective, the relationship is discussed by looking at different cultures and uses of the organ in the worship service. This gives a sense of when and how the relationship came into being and developed or deteriorated. In part two, the current situation in the Afrikaans Reformed service is explored by conducting several unstructured interviews with key role players in the theological and musical world of South Africa. In part three, the study ventures into speculating about the future of the organ in the worship service by briefly looking at the attitude of the organist and spirituality of the postmodern church goer. In essence, this article reflects on whether the marriage between church and music instrument is solid or on its way to the divorce court.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The relationship between organ and church has to be reconsidered. The use of the organ in the worship service has to be taken under scrutiny, and a new relationship agreement between the two partners has to be formulated.

Perceived benefits and church participation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between perceived benefits and church participation among regular and irregular church goers (ICG). Design/methodology/approach – The research incorporates a descriptive research design. In total, 564 questionnaires were completed by active and relapsed members of churches in Australia. Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between constructs. Findings – This study provides empirical evidence that perceived spiritual and social benefits have a positive and significant relationship with church participation in both regular and ICG sample group. Perceived purpose-in-life (PIL) benefits are not related to church participation in both sample groups. Practical implications – The findings may guide leaders of religious organisations to understand the importance of spiritual and social benefits in attracting prospective church members. The marketing message of religious organisation should therefore focus on spiritual and social appeals. Originality/value – Past researchers have not looked into the dynamic relationships between perceived benefits and church participation among regular and irregular church members, particularly in Australia, hence research is to be called for in this area. The study provides a further empirical support for the importance of social benefits within the church settings.

Drivers of Donations: Does Religiosity Make a Difference?

The topic of donations is one of high relevance and widely covered in the marketing literature today, being of interest to theoreticians and practitioners alike, particularly due to its implicit links to fundraising research and activities. The reality of what makes a donor ultimately part with his money and give it away to a not for profit organization is a hot contemporary topic. This study looks into religiosity and its moderating impact on the intention for donating to a nonprofit organization. It also compares and contrasts three types of donors: religious, religious but non church goer and secular, highlighting their differences and similarities insofar as donations are concerned. The results show unequivocally that religiosity has the potential to influence donating behavior. Moreover, this study predicts that volunteerism and religious affiliation remain important drivers of donations. The findings are useful for marketers who want to attract and retain donors.

Understanding the Changing Landscape of Contemporary Spirituality.: A useful starting point for reviewing Catholic school religious education

Pope John Paul II, following in the steps of his predecessors, strongly advocated the critical appraisal of the influence of culture on people’s spirituality. This article responds to his directive by seeking to develop an interpretation of how and why contemporary spirituality has changed that will better inform the work of religious educators in Catholic schools. A number of constructs like secularisation, privatisation of religion etc. have been used to describe the significant change in spirituality of many of the young people in Australian Catholic schools over the last 50 years from a more traditional religious spirituality to something that is more secular, eclectic and individualistic. To some extent, this change has been acknowledged; but the religion curricula in Catholic schools still give the impression that all of the students are, or should be, regular church goers – as if Sunday mass attendance was to be the end point of their education in spirituality. An interpretation of change in spirituality in terms of change in cultural meanings has been developed for the purpose of understanding contemporary spiritualities in other than a deficit model. Such an interpretation may be more persuasive in getting Catholic education authorities and religious educators firstly to accept, rather than condemn or ignore, the significant change in contemporary spiritualty; and then secondly, to take steps to address this change positively and constructively in the Catholic school religion curriculum. This article is concerned with the first step – understanding contemporary spirituality; it is intended that the second question will be considered in a follow up article.

Explaining Seemingly Paradoxical Consumer Experiences: Conjoining Weekly Road Rage and Church Attendance

The purposes of the current study are threefold: Provide evidence that an extreme paradoxical group exists-people frequently attending church and exhibiting road rage, profile this group, and frame possible explanations for the seemingly paradoxical behaviors. This study employs data from a national (USA) lifestyle survey conducted by Market Facts with 3,350 American respondents. The major questions asked about church participation and road-rage behavior ("giving a finger" and "flashing headlights"). Nomologically, relevant activities include 3 items for church goers and 3 items for road-rage givers. Additionally, 14 items profiled the lifestyles of the unique paradoxical behavior segment. Utilizing cross-tabulation tables, property space analyses identify the double extreme (XX) group (18 people) and other 6 groups with a significant chi-square test, confirming the extreme group exists. Analyses of variance test results show that comparing nomologically relevant activities among the seven groups is all statistically significant, indicating the nomological validity is met. Overall, the XX group tends to have more males, be younger, and have a higher proportion of people working in sales. The profile of lifestyle analyses shows the XX group members have both high ambitions and expectations, might be very frustrated individuals, and equip with the adventurous and masculine traits related to aggression. The XX behavior group's demographic and psychographic characteristics portray similar lifestyles that differ from other groups. Case-based analyses provide further contextual information of nuances to XX segment individuals. The limited energy theory, the Eagleman's theory of unconscious mind, and justification theory help to explain why people conjointly go to church and commit road rage. Addressing chronic paradoxical behaviors provides implications for social de-marketing to reduce aggressive anti-social behavior such as road rage. Frequent church attendance may help make people more sensitive to their wrongdoings and gradually revise the anti-social behavior.

How great thy brand: the impact of church branding on perceived benefits

There are mixed opinions in the literature in regards of the appropriateness, relevance and significance of church branding in the context of church participation. This pilot study applied the ‘perceived brand orientation’ (PBO) construct in church context and examines its impact on perceived benefits among regular church goers of one Pentecostal denomination and non‐regular church goers. The results indicate that PBO is significantly related to perceived spiritual, social and purpose‐in‐life benefits in both sample groups. A multigroup analysis also found that PBO has a stronger effect on perceived benefits among non‐regular church goers. This study highlights the importance of being brand‐oriented to attract members' participation. Relevant implications for church leaders and managers of nonprofit organizations are also identified. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Religie: hoeksteen of steen des aanstoots?

The Netherlands is a religious tolerant country; the Dutch are not very inclined to pay attention to the belief of politicians, and increasingly they prefer politics and religion to be separated. The picture of the developments in the past decades is mixed: clearly increased doubts about unlimited freedom of religion, a small drop in support for religion as a guide to political action, and a virtually unchanged support for denominational education. These findings suggest a growing awareness of potential negative aspects of religion, a declining role of religion in peoples own lives, and a stable positive attitude towards pluralism. The Netherlands is not a country that is only populated by descendants of Calvin and Voltaire. Among the population there are believers and unbelievers in all shapes and sizes. Between the non church members and church members there are in many points clear differences, but these also exist, outside the churches, between philosophical not interested unbelievers, the adherents of holistic spirituality and solo-religious people, and in church circles between nominal members and regular church goers.

Differences in Delay Discounting of Some Commodities as a Function of Church Attendance

Recent research has suggested that the positive benefits of religiousness that are reported in the literature may be related to “self-control.” The present study attempted to determine whether religiousness, as measured by self reporting of regularly attending church services, would be related to how participants discount delayed outcomes. Three hundred one university students completed a delay-discounting task involving five commodities ($1,000, $100,000, annual retirement income, federal education legislation, and medical treatment). Participants who reported regularly attending church services discounted both monetary amounts significantly more than did participants who reported not regularly attending church services, indicating that church goers placed less value on those commodities than non-church goers. Rates of delay discounting did not differ between groups for the other commodities. These results suggest that religiousness alters how people frame certain decisions involving delayed outcomes, but not others.

Relationship between body mass index and perceived body size among African American churchgoers in Baltimore City

Perceptions of body image vary between different ethnic groups. We explored the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and body image among African‐American churchgoers. Participants included 139 adult respondents, 32% males and 68% females from 6 African‐American churches in Baltimore. The data was collected as part of the Healthy Bodies Healthy Souls study, a program aimed at preventing diabetes by improving diet and exercise among African‐American church goers in Baltimore City. Body self image, preferred body type, and healthy body type were assessed at baseline using a 9‐item scale of figure drawings intended for urban African‐Americans. We calculated discrepancy between the individual's assessment of his/her own body type to what he/she considered ideal and healthy. For participants with higher BMIs there was a larger discrepancy between his/her perceived body size to preferred body type (R =0.56, p &lt;0.001) as supposed to those with lower BMIs. Higher BMI was also associated with large discrepancies between perceived body size and healthy body size (R =0.64, p &lt;0.001). African‐American congregants with higher BMIs had a larger discrepancy between their perceived body self‐image and the body type they consider desirable and healthy, implying that such individuals may be motivated to adopt health behaviors to lower BMI.Grant Funding Source: American Diabetes Association