Christian Community Research Articles

EKSISTENSI MINORITAS MUSLIM TOBA DI KOTA BALIGE

This study discusses the existence of the Toba Muslim Minority in Balige City. Basically, the existence of society is one form of creating a set of components in an area. Similarly, every component of society will adjust to the surrounding environment. The potential for the formation of a typology of people in Balige City is grouped based on the religion adhered to. In general, the majority group is embraced by the Christian community while the minority group is embraced by the Muslim community. This research uses 2 theories reviewed from sociology and social philosophy. in the sociological review, this research is studied with Parsons' theory and its AGIL scheme, while in the review of social philosophy, this research uses Will Kymlicka's minority rights theory. This research uses qualitative methods with the type of field research (field research). Data collection techniques such as observation, interviews, and documentation. The result of this study is the existence of the Toba Muslim minority in Balige City into an interpretation of Islam in Batak Toba. The existence of Islam in Balige City can survive so far so that it has experienced developments such as the increasing number of worshippers. This will require improving the facilities of houses of worship for Muslims in worship. The government of the Ministry of Religious Affairs of Balige City tried to overcome this by facilitating the establishment of mosques and arranging the certification of the status of the land to avoid land disputes. Similarly, the views of the majority community towards minority communities are still relatively good. However, there are still obstacles found in interacting such as there are still some minority communities who have not been able to socialize. So they hope that minorities can blend into the majority society with each other. The conclusion of the study is that Islam can maintain its existence and is well accepted in Balige City. However, limitations as a minority community does not close will cause its slowness in developing. Such as facilities for houses of worship that have not been fulfilled adequately and so on.

Pertempuran Rusia-Uthmaniyah 1877-1878 dan Impaknya terhadap Muslim Bulgaria The Battle of Russo-Ottoman 1877-1878 and Its Impact on Muslims in Bulgaria

The fierce battle that broke out in history between Russia and Ottoman in 1877–1878 was an attempt to solve the problems faced by the Ottoman administration in the Balkans. This is mainly related to accusations that the Ottoman government cannot protect Christians in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Ironically, Russia's victory did not lead to the resolution of the conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Instead, it negatively impacted Muslims in the Balkans, especially in Bulgaria. This article will analyse the social effects of the war on Bulgaria's Muslim minority. This article uses a qualitative method called content analysis to evaluate British official documents and records collected from the British National Archives and the University of London, specifically from the School of Slavonic and East European Studies. The result shows that the Russo-Ottoman War of 1877 was not intended to give justice to the Christian community under the Ottoman empire; on the contrary, it was a strategy used by Russia and the Bulgarian government to eliminate the Muslim minority in Bulgaria.

Guidance from Unexpected Places after COVID-19: Learning from Jesus and the Early Christian Communities in Responding to Trauma

The COVID-19 pandemic proved challenging and traumatic for many, with its effects still being felt four years later. This article contends that the witness of Jesus of Nazareth and the early Christian communities can serve as guides for navigating post-pandemic life. This article will do so by examining the historical context of first-century Jewish Palestine with attention given to the Roman Empire’s brutality and traumatizing impact. It will then provide an analysis of the Matthean Jesus’ call to love one’s enemies and the Markan Jesus’ emphasis on bearing the cross as constructive responses to the trauma Matthew and Mark’s communities went through. Lastly, it will show how Jesus and the early Christian communities reveal that pain and trauma can be healthily transcended for better ways and behaviors. Thus, what has happened to us, however painful, can bear the seeds of a healthy purpose and meaning that can lead to us and our world becoming more humanized. The research methodology in this article is interdisciplinary, employing biblical theological, historical, and psychological methodologies.

UNDERSTANDING THEORY OF DETACHMENT AND MYSTICISM IN CONTEXT OF BHAGAVAD GITA

Mysticism had been used as a term in 3rd century specially in christian community for Biblical aspects. The term usually means at that time ‘spiritual marriage’ between supreme soul and human being. God was one and omnipresence in ancient times, at that time humans can easily get one with God by simply performing prayers and chanting, no specific mystic performance or experiences have been given much attention. In ancient times lower casts and women were not allowed to perform mystical activities, they hardly given permission to listen those chanting. Today time has changed every entity has been given equal rights to perform religious activities according to their own choices. Religion is playing a vital role in social and communal relations.In today’s life mysticism mainly focuses on the belief, that leads union with the absolute or becoming one with god, which is the central idea of Bhagavad Gita also. Gita has been considered as highly religious scripture in present scenario, which is likely to be written in 1st and 2nd Century, as an episode in Indian Sanskrit epic Mahabharata, in form of a conversation between Arjuna (living entity) and Lord Krishna (supreme soul). Bhagavad Gita explains the concept that every living entity is a part and parcel of supreme soul, who is Lord Krishna himself. There is a hidden meaning in life and each life should be unite with God. It is related to intuitive understanding of human existence and revealing the truths of life, which tries to solve the problems of present day life. This book have the power to bring light in the darkest ignorance.This paper is an attempt to contextualize the role of mystic experiences in human transformation, socially and individually. My focus will be to point out the changes, in religious activities and performances from time to time and reasons behind those changes. And also to find out the role of mysticism and spirituality in solving day to day life problems.

Contact-Induced Change in the Jewish Neo-Aramaic Dialects

Abstract In this article, I present an introductory overview of the Jewish Neo-Aramaic dialects, followed by a study of various aspects of contact-induced change that are exhibited by these dialects. Neo-Aramaic dialects were also spoken by Christian communities in the same region. The Jewish and Christian dialects differ from one another, even where the two communities lived in the same geographical area. I show that contact-induced change was generally more advanced in Jewish NENA dialects than in neighboring Christian dialects. I also demonstrate that a study of contact-induced changes provides evidence of the migration history of the communities. I present two case studies of differing degrees of convergence with contact languages and evidence of different migration patterns. These are (i) the Jewish and Christian NENA dialects of Urmi (northwestern Iran) and (ii) the Jewish and Christian NENA dialects of Sanandaj (western Iran).

Membangun Masyarakat Digital Yang Beretika: Mengintegrasikan Nilai-Nilai Kristen Di Era Teknologi Digital 5.0

The rapid development of digital technology 5.0 presents major challenges for Christians and creates conflict between Christian values ​​and rapidly developing technological practices. This research aims to analyze the relevance of Christian values ​​in the context of Technology 5.0 and discuss integration strategies in digital society. Increased use of technology leads to increased human and social awareness and rational responses, which creates uncertainty that needs to be addressed. Using qualitative methods, this research will explain how Christian values ​​such as honesty, justice, and love are still present in the dynamics of an interconnected digital society. In addition, this research discusses integration strategies that can be carried out by individuals, groups, churches, and Christian organizations so that these values ​​are not only recognized but also applied in everyday life. This study focuses on a deeper understanding of the impact of technology on Christian values, providing concrete solutions to overcome ethical and moral challenges in a digital society. Through collaboration between church leaders, technology experts, and Christian community members, this research aims to lay the foundation for digital social change, creating an environment that demonstrates Christian ethical and moral obligations in the era of Digital Technology 5.0.

Familial and religious ethnic-racial socialization in promoting activism among Asian American Christians.

The adversity faced by Asian Americans (AAs) due to discrimination is a testament to the ongoing fight for human rights. At the crux of social activism, familial and religious ethnic-racial socialization (ERS) instills cultural values, ethnic identity, belonging to one's racial group, and a meaningful outlook, navigating generations through these challenges. This study examined the role of family and religion in amplifying social advocacy among AAs by assessing the relationship between race-related stress and social activism, as well as the mediating role of familial and religious ERS via a parallel mediation. Our research, utilizing a cross-sectional, nonexperimental design, involved 254 AA emerging adults identifying as Christian (Mage = 29.06, SDage = 7.55), sourced from Prolific (n = 203) and community sampling (n = 51). Linear regression findings revealed significant positive associations between familial ERS and social action (β = .226, p < .001), as well as religious ERS and social action (β = .085, p = .033). Nevertheless, parallel mediation analysis through bootstrapping demonstrated that neither familial nor religious ERS fully mediated the effects of race-related stress on social activism. These results underscore the significance of applying culturally imbued insights from different contexts to address discrimination within the AA Christian community. Scrutinizing these pathways can safeguard AA Christians, while promoting the amalgamation of Christian theology and psychological science. Future research should address the spectrum of beliefs and practices within Christianity that intersect with AA families and culture, unraveling the foundations of the call for social action. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

LGBTQ+ Christians in Australia

This article argues that the focus on the harm and stigma experienced by LGBTQ+ Christians misrepresents the complexity of the experience of many LGBTQ+ Christians, many of whom report affirmation and self-acceptance. A national representative survey indicates 5.5% of all Australians, 2.9% of Christians, and 8.4% of those with no religion identify their sexuality as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or ‘other’. LGB+ Christians appear to be distributed through all large Christian denominations. A second non-random national online survey indicates that many LGBTQ+ Christians report both self-acceptance and acceptance in their Christian community. While many LGBTQ+ Christians experience significant discrimination in Christian contexts, the often reported incompatibility of Christianity with LGBTQ+ sexual and gender identities is only one part of the story. There are significant sectors of Australian Christianity that are welcoming of LGBTQ+ people. Furthermore, LGBTQ+ people who remain Christians are often deeply committed to their faith.

The upper Frontier of Al-Andalus: Dietary practises in Medieval Catalonia (Northeast Iberia)

During the Middle Ages, the Islamic-ruled area of Iberia was known as Al-Andalus. Present day Catalonia (NE Iberia) included one of the stable borders of Al-Andalus, the Upper Frontier, where Christian and Muslim communities lived together, bringing us the perfect opportunity to address lifestyle changes in form of diet modifications during this period. Human skeletons found in Balaguer (n = 13), an urban Islamic necropolis, and Santa Coloma d’Àger (SCA, n = 16), a rural Christian necropolis under Islamic rule (Mozarabs), are studied for isotopic composition of bone collagen together with three animal samples in order to reconstruct diet (δ13Ccol δ15N), and preliminarily address mobility (δ34S). No differences regarding sex or age have been found. δ13Ccol suggests a diet mainly based on C3 plants food chain. Significative differences between both sites regarding δ15N seem to indicate a preferential access to meat, eggs and/or dairy in the studied individuals from Balaguer in contrast to SCA. Despite their geographical proximity, the humans from Balaguer, tend to show slightly higher δ34S values than those from SCA. The homogeneity observed intra-site suggests that the individuals were local, but Balaguer could be more connected to the sea due to consumption of food imported from the coast, or transhumant animals; a fact that is coherent with the higher δ34S in the two analysed caprines found in Balaguer. However, more analyses are needed to address mobility. The comparison of dietary proxies with other Christian and Islamic sites reveals that the rural/urban character of the site was probably more key in dietary preferences than the predominant religion; in this sense urban communities seem to present a higher access to animal protein than rural sites. Despite being under Islamic rule, the Christian community of SCA has similar isotopic values than other Christian rural sites, a fact that does not support any kind of marginalisation on the former.

The Appearance and Spread of Christianity in Antioch

This study explores the origins and expansion of Christianity in Antioch, a major metropolis of the Roman Empire known for its cultural and religious diversity. The paper examines the initial introduction of Christianity by Judeo-Christians during the diaspora, highlighting the significant role of key figures such as the Holy Apostles Peter, Paul, and Barnabas. It delves into the establishment of the first Christian community in Antioch, the successful integration of Gentile converts, and the city's role as a pivotal center for the spread of Christianity to the Gentile world. The study also discusses the Council of Jerusalem's decisions on the inclusion of Gentiles and their implications for the Christian mission. Antioch is portrayed as a melting pot where new religious ideas, including Christianity, thrived, contributing to the city's transformation into a hub for the dissemination of the Christian faith.

My Friend the Cross: Cross-Directed Prayer in Seventh-Century Monastic Communities and New Media Studies

While scholars have long recognized the central importance of the cross within Syriac-speaking Christian communities in late antique Mesopotamia, the question of how physical crosses functioned as aids for prayer has only recently begun to be explored. The present article addresses this question with respect to East Syrian monastic communities in seventh-century Mesopotamia, focusing on the context of the monastic cell. Bringing together accounts of cross-directed prayer in Syriac monastic literature with archaeological evidence for crosses from the region, the article concludes that physical crosses played an important role as mediating devices of divine presence that were both always at hand and the frequent objects of monastics’ sensorial attention. These conclusions are subsequently discussed through the lens of recent research from the field of new media studies toward the goal of understanding how cross-directed prayer may have served to bridge monastic spirituality and sociality in Mesopotamia.

North and South in Medieval Iberia: A historical and environmental estimate through isotopic analyses.

The Middle Ages in the Iberian Peninsula is a period of special interest for studying the relationship of climate change with historical and socioeconomic processes. Between the 8th and 15th centuries AD, the Peninsula was characterized not only by complex political, cultural, and social transitions but also by major variations in the climate. The objective of this study was to examine differences in diet and mobility between distinct populations of the Peninsula and explore the possible relationship of diet, mobility, and culture with environmental variables and geographical settings. For this purpose, we obtained stable isotopic ratios of carbon and oxygen (δ13C and δ18O) from the enamel apatite of first upper incisors from 145 individuals at eight archeological sites that represent both Christian and Islamic communities and both rural and urban social settings. Results revealed a dietary difference between Christian and Islamic populations, observing a greater contribution of C4 plants, possibly sorghum, in the diet of the latter, especially in a rural setting. The disparity in oxygen isotopic ratios between populations from the North and South of the Peninsula is consistent with modern climatic differences between these regions. In this line, intraregional variability in oxygen isotopic ratios may hint at diachronic occupation phases under varying climatic conditions. The few isotopic outliers in our sample suggest overall low mobility levels.

Islamophobia beyond Explicit Hate Speech: Analyzing the Coverage of Muslims in Slovenia’s Public Broadcasting

Religion in Europe has been undergoing two fundamental changes in the past four decades. As a side effect of secularization, religious fields have been pluralizing. On the other hand, religions themselves have taken a qualitative shift towards lived, material characteristics. Focusing exclusively on the diversification of European religious fields, we are interested in the concept of religious literacy as a tool for competent engagement in contemporary religious plural societies. To better understand the role of public media in fostering religious literacy, we offer an analysis of the public broadcaster’s coverage of smaller religious communities in Slovenia. Focusing particularly on Muslims as the largest religious minority in Slovenia, we provide an analysis of 245 episodes, consisting of 540 items, in the 2015–2020 period. We show that the coverage given to smaller religious communities is unevenly spread amongst the communities, with disproportional airtime given to Christian churches and communities. Furthermore, we pinpoint the key qualitative difference in portrayals of Slovenian Muslims and non-Catholic Christians, explaining how the process of racialized Islamophobia may continue beyond explicit hate speech. In conclusion we set out limitations of our study and provide guidelines for future research.

Digitisasi arsip dan doktrin religius pada komunitas Kristen Mormon

Introduction. This research examines two questions: first, what is the relationship between archive digitalization and religious doctrines within the Mormon Christian Community? Second, how do these implications affect the interpretation of archival spirituality? The Mormon Christian Community has developed archival institutions as one of the early organizational units and established the world's largest digital genealogical archive site. This site is open and accessible to anyone. However, studies on the connection between archive digitalization and Mormon religious doctrines are still relatively scarce. Data Collection Methods. The research used a qualitative method based on archival research and was conducted in Indonesia from July to October 2022. Data Analysis. The researchers used technical data analysis techniques such as selection, reduction, categorization, and conceptualization. Results and Discussion. The familysearch.org site is a digital genealogical archive portal developed by the Mormon Christian Community. This portal evidences that archival spirituality within this community encompasses the comprehensive management of archives legitimized and oriented toward religious doctrines. Conclusion. Archive digitalization is a part of sacred practices. In this context, archival spirituality occurs as archive management receives legitimacy and orientation from religious doctrines. Therefore, religious communities can advance archive digitalization by employing religious doctrines as a basis.

Book Review: The Contextualized Psalms (Punjabi Zabur): A Precious Heritage of the Global Punjabi Christian Community

Book Review: The Contextualized Psalms (Punjabi Zabur): A Precious Heritage of the Global Punjabi Christian Community

Taiwanese Churches in Diaspora and Ethnic Identity Formation

This article examines Taiwanese ethnic identity formation in the United States and its endurance in the Taiwanese Christian community. It is argued that the drivers of peak migration (1960s–1980s) have a time-capsule effect on immigrants, an effect that continues to influence present-day immigrant social relations. From the 1960s into the 1980s, Taiwanese immigrants infused their foundational ethnicity-based organizations, such as churches, with the spirit of Cold War-era democracy, self-determination, and anti-communism. For Taiwanese churches, this meant religious freedom is entwined with political freedom of expression. Today, we see the persistence of the time-capsule effect in existing Taiwanese churches. Ethnic boundaries that defined the Taiwanese community during the martial law period continue to shape contemporary social relations in church.

Fenomena Krismuha (Kristen-Muhammadiyah) dalam Pandangan Abdul Mu’ti: Perspektif Hermeneutika Jorge J. E. Gracia

This article delves into the phenomenon known as “Krismuha” (Kristen-Muhammadiyah), which refers to the dynamic interaction and relationship between Christian and Muhammadiyah communities, as discussed in Abdul Mu’ti’s work, Kristen Muhammadiyah. The study focuses on such interactions within predominantly non-Muslim regions, employing Jorge Gracia’s hermeneutic theory as an analytical framework. The primary questions explored are: (1) how Abdul Mu’ti conceptualizes the Krismuha phenomenon in Kristen Muhammadiyah, and (2) how this phenomenon can be interpreted through the lens of Jorge Gracia’s hermeneutics. The research utilizes a qualitative methodology, relying on library-based research techniques. The findings indicate that Abdul Mu’ti was motivated to write Kristen Muhammadiyah due to the naturally evolving relationship between Christians and Muhammadiyah members, characterized by voluntary association, mutual comfort, and openness, while still maintaining distinct identities. This unity exemplifies how peaceful coexistence amid diversity—anchored in mutual respect—can foster harmony and well-being within communities. The book further demonstrates that Muhammadiyah, as an Islamic movement, upholds values of pluralism and inclusivity, extending openness to non-Muslim groups.

Converts, Bible Women, and Girl Graduates: Emerging Visions of Indian Christian Womanhood in Krupabai Satthianadhan’s Saguna (1889–1890)

ABSTRACT: Krupabai Satthianadhan’s Saguna (1889–1890) is an autobiographical novel by one of the first Indian women to attend medical school in Madras. Saguna is a New Woman narrative of spiritual and social development for both its protagonist and the emerging Indian Christian community. Written in English, it was serialized in the Madras Christian College Magazine , a periodical reaching British, Anglo-Indian, and Western-educated Indian readerships regionally, nationally, and in Christian missionary networks throughout the Empire. Satthianadhan investigates the origins of Indian Christian womanhood in Indian Christian conversion narratives and professional work, especially the mission-sponsored Bible Woman. Critiquing the ways in which female converts and Bible Women retain limited personal agency or occupy lowly positions in the community, Satthianadhan presents her protagonist as a New Woman who draws on the Bible Woman’s example of bold preaching and her own liberal education to ground her beliefs about society and religion in independent, rational thought. Satthianadhan promotes Indian women’s education reform as a movement to be embraced by the Indian Christian community and as a means through which its women can join theological conversations and champion social reform efforts in the larger, male-dominated, Indian public sphere.

Shaping Christianity in Calagurris: Prudentius’s renouatio of Ambrose in Peristephanon 1

Abstract: At the close of the fourth century, the ideal shape of Christianity was hotly contested. The veneration of saints and their relics, the significance of celibacy and asceticism, the nature of Christ, and many other aspects of faith and spirituality were disputed. A profusion of literary works, extant and not, explicitly addressed the intricate web of debated topics; Prudentius’s Peristephanon 1, however, has been understood in isolation from this cultural and ideological contest. This article identifies Ambrose’s Hymn . 10 as a significant source for Peri . 1; the former provided Prudentius with a framework upon which he built a narrative of martial martyrdom and of saintly identity for the unstoried relics in his hometown of Calagurris. Peri. 1 repurposes Hymn. 10’s vocabulary, concepts, classical allusions, and a dynamic of envy ( inuidia ) directed by the historical persecutor against the contemporary audience. The purpose of the poet’s renouatio , however, is more than hagiographical expansion; Prudentius replicates Ambrosian tropes to define his local Christian community in relation to its patronal martyrs. Peri . 8 builds on the foundation of Peri . 1, portraying the martyrs of Calagurris as not only patrons but also imitable models for the city’s residents. Emeterius and Chelidonius become the exemplars of both historical and contemporary Calagurran Christianity. Thus, Prudentius uses an Ambrosian exemplar to provide a localized response to the discourse of the day, deliberated throughout the empire.

Converts, Bible Women, and Girl Graduates: Emerging Visions of Indian Christian Womanhood in Krupabai Satthianadhan’s Saguna (1889–1890)

ABSTRACT: Krupabai Satthianadhan’s Saguna (1889–1890) is an autobiographical novel by one of the first Indian women to attend medical school in Madras. Saguna is a New Woman narrative of spiritual and social development for both its protagonist and the emerging Indian Christian community. Written in English, it was serialized in the Madras Christian College Magazine , a periodical reaching British, Anglo-Indian, and Western-educated Indian readerships regionally, nationally, and in Christian missionary networks throughout the Empire. Satthianadhan investigates the origins of Indian Christian womanhood in Indian Christian conversion narratives and professional work, especially the mission-sponsored Bible Woman. Critiquing the ways in which female converts and Bible Women retain limited personal agency or occupy lowly positions in the community, Satthianadhan presents her protagonist as a New Woman who draws on the Bible Woman’s example of bold preaching and her own liberal education to ground her beliefs about society and religion in independent, rational thought. Satthianadhan promotes Indian women’s education reform as a movement to be embraced by the Indian Christian community and as a means through which its women can join theological conversations and champion social reform efforts in the larger, male-dominated, Indian public sphere.