Church And State Research Articles

Recycling Through Comminution: Characterization, Separation and Recycling Barriers of Metal Coated Polymers and Metallized Polymer Foams

The increasing global demand for raw materials underscores the importance of lightweight construction and sustainable material use, drawing attention to composite techniques like galvanic coating of plastics. To support recycling efforts, the development of efficient separation and material recovery processes is critical, particularly for end-of-life products containing metal-plated polymers. This study investigates the recyclability of metallized polymer foams and coated polymers through comminution, focusing on the potential for effective separation of metal and polymer components. Cu-ABS samples showed 27% of the products in the 8–10 mm fraction and 48% in the 10–16 mm fraction during primary comminution, while Cu-PUR achieved a more even distribution. Microscopic analyses revealed decoating rates of up to 95% for Cu-ABS compared to 19% for Cu-PUR. The comminution energy required for Cu-PUR was three times higher, with a fivefold lower decoating rate than solid materials. Particles larger than 200 µm exhibited interlocking, complicating the separation process. These findings highlight the need for optimized recycling processes to enable efficient raw material recovery and support a circular economy.

Is Anglicanism a Religion? Empire, Establishmentarianism, and Thomas Macaulay's Critique of William Gladstone

Abstract: The noun "Anglicanism," coined in the 1830s, indexed the emergence of a Victorian formation of the secular wherein the Church of England would be simply one religion among others—reframed by the modern concept of religion and thus also by empire. This article explores this pivotal moment by revisiting Thomas Macaulay's damning review of William Gladstone's The State in its Relations with the Church (1838). Unlike Gladstone (the future prime minister), Macaulay (the colonial ideologue) was able to develop a theoretically coherent account of Church-State relations for the 1830s. His transcolonial secularism, born in Bengal, was in the process of boomeranging back to Britain. I further argue that, for both Gladstone and Macaulay, secularism was inseparable from intimately raced and gendered family histories.

Концептуальна модель державно-церковних відносин в сучасній Україні

The article summarizes and analyzes the basic concepts related to state-church relations, the models of these relations, and proposes the author's conceptual model of state-church relations for modern Ukraine. The relevance of the study is due to the fact that in Ukraine the share of citizens who declare themselves believers is more than 70%, the church is a public institution with a high level of trust from society, and the presence of 35,778 religious communities in Ukraine. However, the insufficient conceptual justification of the model of relations that would be effective in modern conditions is noted. First of all, it is noted that although the concept of "state-church relations" is often used in scientific discourse, it is not enshrined in either international or domestic legislation. The analysis of regulatory documents and scientific sources allowed us to establish that these relations concern the relations between public authorities and religious organizations. The main regulatory legal acts that regulate the issues of state-church relations are summarized. It has been established that although religious organizations have separate state regulation, they can use all the rights provided for by law for public associations. This opens up great opportunities for socially beneficial initiatives of religious organizations. The following models of state-church relations are summarized: 1) antagonistic: ignoring the state's hostile attitude towards the church; 2) separation of the church from the state: the state does not identify itself with any of the religions (churches); 3) state church: legally enshrined privileged position of one of the religions (churches); 4) cooperative: the church and the state are separated, but interact; 5) partnership: the church and the state interact on a partnership basis; 6) subordination of the church to the state; 7) primacy of the church: dominance of the church in all spheres of public life; 8) separation: the state does not create special legislation regulating state-church relations; 9) syncretic: assumes the possible existence of a state church; 10) theocracy: political power in the state belongs to the clergy or the leadership of the church; 11) caesaropapism: the head of state is simultaneously the head of the church. In Ukraine, the model of autonomy in state-church relations is legally enshrined. However, in practice, a partnership model is already being implemented: after all, memoranda are concluded between state and religious organizations, advisory bodies are created, cooperation is carried out in the social sphere, etc. Taking into account this trend, it is proposed to implement in practice a partnership model of state-church interaction. This model combines the principles of separation of the church from the state with elements of cooperation and partnership in specific areas of public life. The model provides for state support for the initiatives of religious organizations, if they do not contradict the legislation. Within the framework of the model, a set of principles is proposed that allow state-church relations to acquire a modern meaning and bring more social benefit to the society of Ukraine

Fe-N Co-Doped BiVO4 Photoanode with Record Photocurrent for Water Oxidation.

Bismuth vanadate (BVO) ranks among the most promising photoanodes for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. Nonetheless, slow charge separation and transport, besides the sluggish water oxidation kinetics, are key barriers to its photoefficiency. Here, we present a co-doping strategy that significantly improves the charge separation performance of BVO photoanodes. We found that, under standard one sun illumination, the Fe-N co-doped BVO photoanode (Fe-N-BVO) by N-coordinated Fe precursor reaches a record photocurrent density of 7.01 mA cm-2 at 1.23 V vs RHE after modified a surface co-catalyst (FeNiOOH), and exhibits an outstanding stability. By contrast, much lower photocurrent density is obtained for the N-doped, Fe-doped and Fe/N-doped BVO photoanode with separated N and Fe precursors. The detailed experimental characterizations show that the high activity of the Fe-N co-doped BVO photoanode is attributed to the enhanced photo-induced bulk charge separation, as well as the accelerated surface water oxidation kinetics. XPS, EXAFS and DFT calculations clearly show that, instead of formation of deep trapping state in the individually doped BVO, the co-doping of Fe-N into BVO generates Fe-based electronic states just below the bottom of conduction band and N-derived states just above the top of valence band. Such modulations in electronic structure enable the efficient trap of the electrons and holes to enhance the separation of photo-induced carriers, but hinder the charge recombination originated from the deep trapping sites.

A reflection on making ‘Religion’ in China: The Genealogy of Zongjiao through cultural exchange

The term Zongjiao [宗教] originally referring to the teachings of Buddhism and Chinese ancestral worship was not considered the equivalent for the English term ‘religion’ until the late 19th century when Japanese translated religion as shūkyō [宗教]. The later introduction of the concept of Zongjiao into China via Japan triggered a deep exploration of the differences between religion and Jiao among Chinese intellectuals like Liang Qichao, Kang Youwei and Peng Guangyu, representing Chinese scholars’ conceptualisation and reflections of Chinese traditional religious belief, practices and phenomena within the context of Western religious culture. Rather than a simple lexical selection, the translation of ‘religion’ essentially was a process of making the notion of ‘religion’ in China, which had provided valuable insight into the nature of Chinese Confucianism culture and was closely related to the understanding of the state–church relationship in China. With continuous cultural exchanges and integration, reflecting on this translation process will provide a more inclusive perspective on the complexity and diversity of religions and facilitate mutual learning.Contribution: This article briefly reviews the process of accepting Zongjiao [宗教] as the equivalent for the Western term ‘religion’ in China, in order to shed light on how such translation has influenced people’s understanding of religion and the inclusiveness contained in the study of religion.

The Role of the International Community in Stopping the Zionist Aggression on the Gaza Strip

On October 7, 2023, Hamas began its military operation, dubbed the "Al-Aqsa Flood," which consisted of a massive and intensive missile attack that included the launch of 5,000 rockets that Iron Dome failed to confront. It targeted Israeli settlements from Dimona in the south to Hod Hasharon in the north and Jerusalem in the east. In conjunction with the missile attack, it bypassed the Palestinian youth resistance, which is divided into 14 attacking groups by means of vehicles, bicycles and gliders on settlements and military sites of the Zionist occupation in the vicinity of 40 km in the Gaza envelope, thus bypassing the separation wall, which former Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz described as "the smart defense marvel." Israel responded to the military operation with a devastating aerial bombardment to start its devastating war against Gaza.

Hierarchical Equations of Motion for Quantum Chemical Dynamics: Recent Methodology Developments and Applications.

ConspectusQuantum effects are critical to understanding many chemical dynamical processes in condensed phases, where interactions between molecules and their environment are usually strong and non-Markovian. In this Account, we review recent progress from our group in development and application of the hierarchical equations of motion (HEOM) method, highlighting its ability to address some challenging problems in quantum chemical dynamics.In the HEOM method, the bath degrees of freedom are represented using effective modes from exponential decomposition of the bath correlation function. Complex spectral densities and low temperature simulations often require a larger number of modes, making the simulations very expensive. Recent advances, such as the barycentric spectral decomposition (BSD) technique, can significantly reduce the number of effective modes, allowing to handle complex spectral densities and enabling simulations at very low temperatures, including near-zero temperature dynamics.Another key improvement in the computational efficiency is the use of tensor network methods like matrix product states and hierarchical tensor networks. These techniques allow for efficient HEOM propagation with thousands of effective modes, crucial for simulating large molecular systems interacting with multiple baths. This combination enables simulations of excitation energy transfer (EET) in systems like the Fenna-Matthews-Olson (FMO) complex and even larger systems with experimentally determined spectral densities.The versatility of the HEOM method is demonstrated through applications to a wide range of chemical dynamics problems. Simulations of EET and related ultrafast spectroscopy are first briefly covered. Applications of the HEOM to quantum tunneling effects in proton transfer reactions are then presented. Early works have studied the non-Kramers dependence of the rate constant as a function of bath friction due to deep tunneling and revealed vibrationally nonadiabatic dynamics within the so-called nontraditional view of proton transfer reactions. A recent work on the large kinetic isotope effects in soybean lipoxygenase also indicated that many quantum correction approximations to classical transition-state theory may fall short in describing deep tunneling effects.Charge transport and separation dynamics in organic semiconductors are another area where the HEOM method has been instrumental. We first demonstrate that the HEOM provides a unified description of both band-like and thermally assisted charge carrier transport in organic materials. The effect of non-nearest neighbor transitions is then investigated by combining generalized master equations with exact memory kernels. The HEOM method also enables simulation of charge separation in organic photovoltaics (OPVs) and reveals how factors such as external electric fields, entropy, and charge delocalization influence the charge separation barrier and dynamics.Moreover, HEOM has been applied to investigate hydrogen atom scattering on the Au(111) surface and vibrational energy relaxation at molecule-metal interfaces. These studies provide deeper insights into how electron-hole pair excitations and temporary charge transfer states influence the nuclear motion, offering a new framework for simulating nonadiabatic dynamics on metal surfaces.In summary, the HEOM method has developed into a robust tool for simulating quantum effects in condensed phases. Future developments in algorithm efficiency and computational power will likely expand its applicability to even more complex systems.

Walking in Parallel: Roman Catholicism and Protestant Christianity in Korea, 1899–1945

In the early twentieth century, Korean Catholic and Protestant Churches found themselves in a period of significant power transition, from a neo-Confucian dynasty to a colonial regime. Imperial Japan and Christianity thus posed a mutual challenge: church leaders worked to sustain and increase their Evangelical mission field within Korea's new socio-political environment, while, simultaneously, the Japanese depended on the cooperation of the Korean Christian communities to fulfil their colonial project. In this dynamic of State-Church relations, Catholics and Protestants constantly vied for ascendancy. This article examines how the two Christian denominations engaged with each other and with Korea's coloniser, as imperial Japan's policies varied and its international status fluctuated.

Flexible compliance: utility and legitimacy in Jerusalem

ABSTRACT Disadvantaged residents in contested cities often mistrust and resist official authorities due to historical deprivation. However, their urgent needs compel them to approach municipal bodies, both formally and informally, exhibiting ‘flexible compliance’. Through interviews with Palestinians and a public opinion survey in Jerusalem, we analysed the preferences of Jewish-Israeli and Palestinian residents for public goods provision. Results indicate that Palestinian residents prefer unofficial institutions, but this varies by location. Inner-city and outer-city East Jerusalem residents prefer the municipal government, while those beyond the separation wall favour the community councils. We elucidate flexible compliance and propose municipal tools to address it.

How churches make education policy: the churchification of Hungarian education and the social question under religious populism

ABSTRACT Since 2010, Hungary’s authoritarian populist government has radically redefined church-state relations, promoting the governance narrative of building an ‘old-style Christian democracy’. Public education has been reconceptualised within a religious framework and outsourced to religious actors. This article explores how key religious organisations engage with the government’s religious populism and govern their expanding school networks. Given the immanent tension between nativist Christian-conservative identity politics and Christian teachings about the church’s social mission, I focus on how Christian church elites have engaged with the education of underprivileged communities. Four characteristic types of strategic involvement are identified based on church education policies and their legitimacy discourses concerning their (lack of) engagement with the social question. Despite using different approaches to navigate political pressures, both the nativist illiberal and inclusive liberal visions of religion and their corresponding policies have reinforced the structures of segregated education and legitimised the government’s education policy.

Transformation of the Model of State-Confessional Relations in Belarus at the End of the 19th Century – 1917

Introduction. The article describes the process of transformation of state-confessional relations in the Belarusian lands as part of the Russian Empire from the end of the 19th century to 1917. Methods and materials. To obtain verified results, the study is based on the analysis of administrative and regulatory materials, office documents of the Mogilev diocese, and domestic and foreign historiography. The study was conducted using an interdisciplinary methodology: historical-typological and historical-comparative methods, formal-legal, and the method of interpretation of legal norms were used. In addition, to identify the features of the socio-political discourse on the issue of changes in state-church relations, discourse analysis was used. Analysis. The historically established model of a religious state with the dominance of the Orthodox Church in the Russian Empire was established in the 19th century on Belarusian lands with a different confessional structure and traditions of state-church relations. The author noted a tendency to transition from the model of a religious state to the model of a secular state – in the period March – October 1917, the Provisional Government tried to establish an identification model of a secular state. This model corresponded to the religious system of Belarusian society with the dominance of the Orthodox Church and the expectations of socio-political actors and also ensured the implementation of religious rights and freedoms of adherents of other religions but was not fully implemented due to the transfer of power to the Bolshevik Party in October 1917. Results. Transformational processes in state-confessional relations in the Belarusian provinces took place in the direction from the model of a religious state to the model of a secular state as accompanying changes in the political system of the Russian Empire. Internal factors in the development of the state-confessional system of the Russian Empire, as well as the peculiarities of the confessional environment of the Belarusian provinces (diversification of the religious structure of Belarusian society, limitation of the rights of traditional actors rooted in the Belarusian religious environment, confessional dualism “Orthodoxy-Catholicism”), did not play a significant role in the transformation processes.

Chortkiv Deanery of the Stanislaviv Greek Catholic Eparchy in 1939-1946

The purpose of the article is an objective study of the historical development of the Chortkiv Deanery of the Stanislaviv Diocese of the Galician Metropolis of the Greek Catholic Church during the Second World War of 1939-1945 and the establishment of Soviet power in Galicia in 1945-1946, which led to the forced liquidation of the UGCC and its transformation into a “catacomb” church. Research methodology: the basic methods are microhistorical, biographical and prosopographic. The scientific novelty is that for the first time the peculiarities of the historical development of the Chortkiv Deanery of the Stanislaviv Eparchy of the UGCC during the Second World War and the “second Sovietization” of Galicia (1939-1946) are analyzed. Conclusions: The authors show the specifics of church-state relations, the mutual influence of political and ecclesiastical administrative-territorial divisions in the process of liquidation of the UGCC, and the role of individual priests in the events of this time.

Seismic Behavior of Cluster-Connected Prefabricated Shear Walls under Different Axial Compression Ratios

This study analyzes the nonlinear seismic behavior of cluster-connected prefabricated shear walls under varying axial compression ratios. The investigation focuses on the connectivity of shear wall segments assembled using cluster connections rather than separate walls connected by beams. Using the finite element software ABAQUS, this study simulates monotonic horizontal displacement loading to evaluate the yield strength, peak strength, and deformation capacity of the shear walls. The results demonstrate that the horizontal load-bearing capacity of the shear wall significantly improves with an increase in axial compression ratio, while the axial compression ratio also influences ductility. The numerical simulations are validated against experimental data, confirming the accuracy of the model. These findings provide essential insights for optimizing the seismic design of precast shear walls.

Haptic tourism: Touch and fear at the Separation Wall and its checkpoints in the Palestinian West Bank

Is tourism out of touch with touch? Have tourism researchers forgotten ‘touch’? Drawing on socio-spatial theories of haptics, I argue that through the sense of touch we critically understand co-constructions of affective tourist subjectivities. Specifically, touch and fear are part of a sensuous hapticality, intimately connected and happening within and around places and bodies – of tourists, local guides and soldiers – in areas of ongoing socio-political conflict. Interviews were undertaken with local tourism stakeholders and international tourists during fieldworks in the Palestinian West Bank in 2010, and 2017–2018. The Separation Wall and its checkpoints have become tourist attractions, pervasive and ever present in the landscape, enticing most tourists in the area to engage haptically in such places.

The Separation of Church and State as an Imperial Project in the Philippines during the Early American Colonial Period

This paper examines the separation of church and state in the Philippines during the early American colonial period, contextualizing it within the process of American overseas expansion and considering it as one of the projects of imperial hegemony construction. After the Spanish–American War, the United States substituted Spain as the new colonial ruler of the Philippines, legitimizing its regime as the spread of ‘civilization’ to the Filipinos. On this basis, the Americans enacted laws guaranteeing religious freedom and introduced an American-style institution dealing with church–state relations. Beyond the legal and administrative initiatives, the new regime also constructed an official narrative of the transformation of political–religious relations in the Philippine that emphasized the absolute ‘difference’ between the American human rights principle, which guaranteed freedom of worship, and the Spanish theocracy, which was dedicated to the consolidation of privileges. By legislating the separation of church and state, buying up church properties, recognizing the equality of denominations, and constructing the official imperial narrative of church–state relations, the Americans hoped to ‘teach’ Filipinos that the ‘true’ belief was rooted in the inner convictions of individual Christians, not in the authority and coercion of the hierarchical church. By disciplining the construction of ‘difference’ under tutelary colonialism, the separation of church and state movement initiated by the American colonial government in the Philippines became an important source of imperial self-endowed legitimacy.

Evolución del régimen fiscal de las confesiones religiosas. Especial referencia a las últimas modificaciones legislativas

The economic and fiscal regime of religious confessions is characterized by their submission to regulations that are not valid indefinitely, because in most cases they are enacted either for a specific period of time, or for specific situations that occur. Subsequently its extinction, or even depend on the political and economic situations of each country, and in this case on Church-State relations. Throughout this study, the aim is to analyze the recent legislative developments produced around the alleged normative equality between the Catholic Church, the confessions with a cooperation agreement and those that have recognized the well-known roots, and the application to all of them of the tax regime provided for non-profit entities.

Hysteresis performance and damage mode of self-centering frame with masonry infill wall: Experimental study assisted with DIC technique

A series of studies on self-centering frame structures initiated since the 1990s have thoroughly validated the effectiveness of this system in controlling the damage of structural components. However, these studies primarily focused on controlling the damage to structural components, with limited analyses on the response of non-structural infill walls in self-centering structures. This limitation has to some extent hindered the engineering application of self-centering structures. To investigate the seismic performance and damage evolution of autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) block infill walls in a self-centering frame structure, and verify the effectiveness of separation method in mitigating the wall damage, a single-story single-span self-centering frame was established as the platform for conducting quasi-static tests. The digital image correlation (DIC) technique was employed to detect the damage development of the wall. The test results demonstrated that the fully infilled wall was subject to overall lateral compression from the adjacent columns and the damage concentrated at the contact regions. The self-centering frame with a fully infilled AAC block wall showed improved performance in terms of strength, stiffness and energy dissipation, whereas the wall damage was severe. Moreover, it was verified that the self-centering design helped to suppress the development of residual displacement caused by the damaged infill wall and achieve a repairable-level residual displacement response. The adoption of a separation layer between the infill wall and the structural members could effectively mitigate the damage to the infill wall and the separated infill wall barely affected the hysteresis performance of the structure.

Exploring the impact of separation wall characteristics on Pt particle sintering inhibition: A theoretical study

The performance of supported metal catalysts often diminishes significantly due to the sintering of metal particles. This study investigates the impact of separation wall characteristics on the sintering behavior of TiO2-supported Pt particles, aiming to enhance catalyst stability. We developed a machine learning potential for the Pt-TiO2 system, achieving computational accuracy comparable to first-principles. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we explored how the height, width, and length of separation walls influence Pt particle sintering. Our results show that increasing the height and width of separation walls effectively inhibits sintering through distinct mechanisms. Increased height primarily acts as a physical barrier, while increased width creates an energy “valley” that anchors Pt particles, indirectly increasing inter-particle distances and thus reducing sintering. Additionally, we examined the impact of Pt particle diameter, finding that a wall height-to-diameter ratio between 0.36 and 0.57 effectively mitigates sintering. We also observed that excessively tall walls may overly attract Pt particles, altering their shape, whereas wider walls do not have this effect. This study provides theoretical insights and design guidelines for optimizing the anti-sintering performance of supported metal catalysts, crucial for improving their catalytic efficiency and longevity.

COOPERATION OF THE STATE AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH TO COUNTERACT SOCIAL PATHOLOGIES

ABSTRACT: Aim: The main purpose of the article is to determine the scope of cooperation between the Catholic Church and the state in counteracting social pathologies on the basis of selected social problems. Methods: The work mainly uses the dogmatic-legal method. Additionally, an analysis of the literature on the subject and case law was carried out. Results: The Catholic Church undertakes a number of activities to counteract social pathologies in various areas. For this purpose, activities are undertaken both independently and as a co-participant in combating pathology together with the state. Conclusion: Due to their source, both entities are obliged to act actively in counteracting all forms of social pathologies. There is no exhaustive catalog of spheres of activity of cooperation between the state and the Church. Originality: The scope of cooperation between the state and churches and other religious associations has been analyzed many times in the literature on the subject. However, the constant evolution of social problems, as well as the implementation of new solutions by the state, which also affect the reactions of the Catholic Church, require a return to the topic in order to verify the applicable legal status. Keywords: social pathologies; mission of the Catholic Church; cooperation between the state and the Catholic Church; assistance of the Catholic Church to the state; common good; counteracting sexual crime; principle of cooperation; state-church relations

The Tradition of Russian Independent Theological Thought: A Complex Interplay between Believers, the Orthodox Church and the State in the Case of the Conflict in Ukraine

The construction of the Russian state has been closely linked with the development of the autocephalous Russian Orthodox Church. Russian identity is deeply rooted in Orthodoxy: Russian literature, music, architecture and philosophy all bear a strong religious mark. The birth of the Russian state is also tied to the concept of Moscow as the Third Rome. Over time, the head of the Russian state has been invested with this mission to preserve orthodoxy embodied in Russian statehood. The attempts of the state to politicise religious institutions or to use religious teachings for political gains are not a new phenomenon and are certainly apparent to Russian Orthodoxy, including in the context of the conflict in Ukraine. The disturbing absence of distance displayed by the Church authorities towards the use of force has isolated the Patriarch, but has also triggered discontent within the ranks of the clergy. Dissonant voices have spoken regardless of the pressure exerted to silence them. In the complex history of State—Church relations, the symphony between the temporal and spiritual powers has fluctuated from complete subjugation of the Church under the authority of the State to a more autonomous and independent Church. On the margins of this volatile relationship, Orthodox believers and movements have always emerged to challenge both. This article pays tribute to the long tradition of dissonant Russian Orthodox voices and attempts to demonstrate the continuity of this tradition in the context of the conflict in Ukraine.