Influence Of Christianity Research Articles

The Nature off Traditional Minahasan Marriage in the Perspective of Protestant Christianity

This study examines the nature of Minahasa traditional marriage in the perspective of Protestant Christian beliefs, describing the acculturation process between local traditions and religious teachings. The study shows that Minahasa traditional marriage has undergone significant transformation with the inclusion of Protestant Christian influences, creating a unique synthesis between traditional and spiritual values. The role of family and community in marriage remains significant but has undergone reinterpretation, encompassing aspects of spiritual and material support. Traditional concepts such as 'mapalus' (gotong royong) took on a new dimension in the church context. The responsibilities of husband and wife have also shifted towards a more egalitarian direction, although some traditional aspects remain.In conclusion, Minahasa traditional marriage in a Protestant Christian perspective reflects the harmonization between cultural heritage and religious beliefs, showing how tradition and modernity can go hand in hand. This study provides valuable insights into the dynamics of culture and religion in Indonesia, and highlights the importance of an ongoing dialogue between customary traditions and religious teachings in the context of social change.

A. A. Smirnov and the Christian point in Old Irish narrative tradition: a case of "nativism" in Early Russian Celtic Studies?

The article is devoted to the concepts contributed by Alexander Smirnov about the Irish Church and the role of Christian culture to the Old Irish narrative tradition in general. Archival records shows that so-called "Christian element" was entirely accepted by him and was emphasized in an initially neutral formula; later, however, passages about the ‘undoubted Christian influence’ related to some motifs were replaced by such markers as "late interpolations" or "artificial insertions". The turn from a comprehensive approach to an intensive search for the archaic "Celtic basis" has affected all aspects of Smirnov’s discourse: from the interpretation of particular motifs to the characteristics of Christianization and Irish Church organization in general. Due to these observations, we suppose to depict such Smirnov’s conceptions as the truly ‘nativist’ position.The author gives special gratitude to the National Library of Russia, the Institute of Russian Literature (Pushkin House) of the Russian Academy of Sciences for an opportunity to work and consult with their founds and record series.

Pengaruh Misi Abad XVII terhadap Perspektif Misi CM di Madagaskar

The focus of this study explores the influence of the Church's mission perspective on the Congregatio Missionis (CM) mission perspective in Madagascar in 1648. The mission of the Church in the context of that time had a negative meaning. The motivation for the proclamation of faith overlapped with the political motivation of Western imperialism. The process of colonization of countries in the Asian, American and African continents is difficult to separate from the influence of Christianity in them. The mission of the Church coupled with the practice of colonization and Western imperialism influenced the perspective of mission and spirituality of the congregation at that time. Every congregation has a constitution and basis for its ministry. This foundation has a distinctive charismatic character. The signs of the times and the pressing needs of the Church affect the spirituality and charismatic character of a congregation. This study wants to examine the extent to which the missionary state of the Church at that time affected the charism of the Congregatio Missionis (CM). The method used in this study is the qualitative-comparative method. The letter of St. Vincent to the Congregatio Missionis missionaries in Madagascar in 1648 is analyzed and assessed in the perspective of the mission of the Church in the XVII century. The study found that the mission perspective of the XVII century emphasized the spread of the faith, the conversion of unbelievers, the expansion of the reign of God, and the establishment of new churches. In particular, the study found that the mission perspectives of the XVII century Church were similar to those of the Congregatio Missionis (CM) in Madagascar based on St. Vincent's letter to his missionaries. If traced further, the seeds of the Church's current mission perspective and the principle of inculturation in the understanding of mission according to St. Vincent are also found.

A Survey of American Synagogue Stained Glass

Abstract This article addresses the lacuna of scholarship on Jewish-American stained glass by presenting a historical overview of this prevalent synagogue art form (1845 to the present). Analysis of key trends reveals Jewish congregations’ engagement with Christian influences by imitating the work of church stained glass in some ways while differentiating in other ways. Jewish artists and congregational leaders have also been in conversation with each other, sharing thematic and design ideas to formulate a loosely shared aesthetic and religious approach towards creating windows for their houses of worship. In accordance with the Second Commandment’s prohibition against creating “graven images,” God in figural form does not appear in synagogue space. Instead, a Jewish technique for eliciting a sense of Divine in the sanctuary has included a repertoire of light-filled images—including torches, lamps, fire, and celestial bodies—to convey a spiritual presence, enhanced by actual light from the sun itself as refracted through the windows.

Catholic Ethics of War: On the Plausibility of Christian Pacifism

This article proposes three responses to the anti-war statements made recently by Pope Francis. The first one recapitulates the very foundations of the prevalent legal and ethical approaches to the issue of war—laid by the most influential Christian thinkers of all times, revisited on several occasions by their followers, and ultimately confirmed in the fairly recent documents articulating Catholic war ethics. The second discusses the specific mode of Francis's apparent repudiation of the doctrine of just war, implying the essential equalisation of the moral status of either warring party—even in the case of conflicts initiated and sustained by undeniable and unprovoked acts of aggression. The third examines the reasonableness and moral soundness of the Pope's implied belief in the impermissibility of an attacked political community's (unintendedly) exposing its members to the enemy's violence without having a substantiated prospect of (relatively swift) military success of its defensive undertaking.

Christian Universities in the Caribbean: A First Glance

Despite the region’s strong historic connection to Christianity, little research exists on Christian universities in the Caribbean. To complicate matters, the Caribbean is also little studied in higher education literature generally. Thus, this study examines how Christian universities in this region operationalize their faith identities in their administrative decisions. Examining 15 institutions, this article presents the national higher education trends for the five Caribbean countries or territories with Christian universities: the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Following an overview of Christian influences and the state of higher education in the Caribbean in general, Christian higher education is examined within each country specifically. Regional trends point to the prominence of Seventh-day Adventist universities, even on traditionally Catholic-dominant islands. Furthermore, using the Operationalizing Christian Identity Guide, Seventh-day Adventist institutions operationalize their faith identity the most visibly in comparison with Catholic and other Protestant institutions. Finally, as a general trend, these universities appear to merge a model of private higher education designed to meet excess demand with their Christian identities, distinguishing them from their secular peers.

“Under the Law and Customs of War”: Treaties and Prisoners of War

The law of war in the Middle Ages extended beyond the considerations of when to initiate a war (the concept of ius belli), the treatment of prisoners, and the permissibility of plunder and destruction. These dimensions were shaped by the contributions of medieval jurists and, significantly, by the influence of Christianity. Despite the concerted efforts to regulate warfare, certain practices persisted, such as the capture of peasants, women, and children – the non-combatants. The expansion of Christianity to the East, particularly to the Baltic Sea region, saw these principles advancing hand in hand, especially through the Teutonic Order and Western nobility. This article endeavors to analyze, primarily drawing from normative sources, the criteria for becoming a prisoner of war during the conflicts involving the Teutonic Order, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Kingdom of Poland in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. It explores the process of prisoner distribution and examines the prevailing customs and rules outlined in treaties. Notably, the peace treaties of Salynas (1398), Thorn (1411), Melno (1422), and Brest (1435) highlight evolving formulations in the quest to define who qualified as a “prisoner of war,” the conditions for regaining freedom, and the challenges surrounding the effectiveness of international treaties on the matter of captives.

Some historical and legal aspects of bringing to legal responsibility for issuing and executing criminal orders and orders

From the analysis of historical and legal sources, it can be seen that the legal responsibility for issuing and executing criminal orders and orders went through certain stages of formation, which are directly related to the processes of emergence and development depending on the historical type of the state and its legal instruments. It is noted that the first states that at the legislative level established legal responsibility, that is, punishment, including for giving and executing criminal orders and orders, were the states of the Ancient East, in particular, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Babylon and Ancient India, where at the legislative level legal responsibility was introduced not only for ordinary people, but also for representatives of the authorities for criminal actions against the state that encroached on the established state order. In most cases, the punishment for such acts was the death penalty. It is argued that the idea of legal responsibility for issuing and executing criminal orders and orders dates back to biblical times, where it is inextricably linked to the doctrine of the origin and separation of powers. Therefore, in view of the significant influence of Christianity on the formation of the Western legal tradition, in particular the texts of the Bible, which in fact became the civilization foundation on which the legal norms designed to regulate social relations between people and government institutions were based and will continue to be based, including the scope revealed which is assigned to man for his dominion and the limits where such dominion ends. And in the event that not only representatives of the authorities, but also anyone violates the commandments established by the Creator, including not only by issuing, but also by executing orders or orders, then such actions are subject to condemnation, and the person himself is subject to punishment.

A decolonial analysis of religious medicalisation of same-sex practices in South African Pentecostalism

Same-sex practices are commonly medicalised in various global spaces. Some societies view same-sex practices as some form of disease that needs to be cured. In Africa, the influence of Christianity has prompted many communities to conclude that there are spiritual forces behind same-sex orientations and practices. Therefore, same-sex practices are demonised, and those identifying with these sexualities and gender identities are viewed as sick, or as having some form of mental illness. As a fast-growing and influential movement in South Africa, Christianity plays a critical role in this narrative. Against this backdrop, this article examined how some Pentecostal pastors in South Africa use God-talk to propel the narrative that medicalises same-sex practices and how these pastors claim to have miraculous powers to heal these practices. Consequently, the gender and sexuality commonly accepted within African religiosity and spirituality are pushed to the peripheries. Therefore, it is argued in this article that the colonial-missionary discourses regarding African sexualities and genders are at play within the religious medicalisation of same-sex narratives. Thus, there is a need to problematise and transform this narrative. This act can contribute to delinking African genders and sexualities from Western repressions and subjugation agendas. The discussion moved from the premise of decoloniality while adopting a multidisciplinary approach that incorporated theology, gender and sexuality studies, psychology, health, and socio-political sciences. Again, the article used secondary literature analysis to examine this phenomenon and to gain a thorough understanding of how African Pentecostalism continues to use God-talk to medicalise same-sex practices in contemporary South Africa and the repercussions thereof.Contribution: The study contributed to the existing knowledge that addresses religious challenges faced by people identifying with non-normative sexualities and genders in Africa. This can contribute to the transformation of religious medicalisation of same-sex practices in South Africa, and elsewhere.

The First Time I Called Myself a ‘Witch’ Was the Most Magical Moment of My Life: Unmasking the Influence of Christianity in the Persecution of Witches Through Cultural Hegemony

Whereas Christianity and biblical narratives continue to constructively form human, theological, spiritual, and social existence, it cannot be downplayed that these two central components sometimes lead to destructive perceptions, actions, and behaviours. This is because Christianity and the Bible have continually influenced the comprehension of humanity and spirituality for centuries. With particular reference to witchcraft, particularly in the South African context, this article aims to unmask and scrutinise the influence of Christianity in the persecution of witches. To do this, this article elicits three biblical pieces of textual evidence from the Bible as one of the historical Christian narratives. To unmask and address the phenomenon of interest, cultural hegemony as a theoretical framework is applied to these three biblical pieces of textual evidence. As a result of this endeavour, this article makes three notable findings. First, as Christianity could be appreciated for constructively shaping social perceptions, actions, and behaviours, it should be implicated in certain immoralities. Second, some of the historical injustices, such as witch-hunts and the killing of witches, have, in large part, been propagated by Christian and biblical ideologies. Third (last), Christianity, as a dominant culture of its time, ought to be unmasked within the contemporary contexts for the very reason that it continues to (re)shape contemporary societies, and it is undoubtedly patent that it may continue to (re)shape future generational societies. This article’s recommendations and closing remarks underscore the necessity to examine Christianity alongside its biblical voices recurrently.

Representation of freedom in the chivalric biographies “Bruce” by John Barbour and “The Book of Good Jean” by Guillaume de Saint-André

The medieval communities of Western Europe, due to the unique historical and cultural development of each of them, had different ideas about what the concept of “freedom” includes. The article compares two chivalric biographies “Bruce” by John Barbour and “The Book of Good Jean” by Guillaume de Saint-André, the authors of which paid special attention to this phenomenon. Literary monuments were composed in the form of chanson de geste in the last third of the 14th century. Although the sources of the article were written in different European regions (Scotland and Brittany), the circumstances of the poetic works creation are very similar: both works were composed by the authors at a time when the inhabitants of the two countries suffered from attempts by other states to influence their domestic politics. To study how the Scots and Bretons understood the concept of "freedom", standard methods of historical research were used (historical-genetic and historical-comparative methods). It is concluded that the ideas about freedom in the two poems concern the worldview not only of a certain class or religious group, but demonstrate the peculiarities of self-identification of the Scots and Bretons as a whole. To emphasize the need to fight the enemy, both John Barbour and Guillaume de Saint-André describe in detail the oppression from "strangers" experienced by absolutely everyone living in their countries. The influence of Christian and ancient traditions on the compilers of gesture texts is examined in detail, and the influence of the law of each individual region is traced. It is noted that the compilers of the works, telling about the desire of each community to defend the independence of their native place, turn to popular stories in the late Middle Ages about the Maccabean War (166-142 BC) from the Old Testament.

The Coherence of the Belief in the Existence of Evil in Traditional Yorùbá Theology: A Process-Relational Analysis

Abstract Due to its domineering Western and Christian influence, philosophy of religion, as a discipline, is hesitant or reluctant to entertain arguments on similar subjects from non-Western and non-Christian traditions even when these traditions may have answers to problems or issues in the discipline. Of these problems, the present research will limit its scope to theodicy. Whereas the problem continues to encounter endless debates and attempts to reconciling a loving, powerful and knowledgeable Deity with the existence of natural and moral evils in the world, the lack of coherence in that tradition of thought cannot be said for “Yorùbá theology”. Through the method of philosophical and hermeneutical analyses, the effort of this research is to unpack the process underpinning of “Yorùbá theology” which helps in formulating a coherent understanding of the reality of evil in the presence of a good, loving and wise “Olódùmaré” that is void of Satan/Devil. On this note, this research submits, having used Yorùbá process theology as paradigm, that the debate over the problem of evil in mainstream tradition of philosophy of religion may be resolved if non-Western and non-Christian traditions are invited into the discourse.

Breastfeeding Attitudes and Social Support Among Christian African Americans.

Purpose: To describe the breastfeeding attitudes and subjective norms of breastfeeding among African American Christians from the New England region. Study Design and Methods: A study was conducted using an online survey. Participants were recruited from four Christian churches in the New England region during the summer of 2021. Responses from direct questions about exclusive breastfeeding histories were tabulated. Open-ended question responses were analyzed using thematic analysis. Two results were merged to make the conclusions. Results: Participants (n = 101) aged 18-44 years (62.3%), college graduates (72.3%), and Catholics (71.4%) responded. Participants were willing to recommend six months of exclusive breastfeeding practice to relatives (89.9%) and friends/peers (87.9%) and support relatives (94.0%) and friends/peers (94.8%) to practice exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months. Breastfeeding attitude themes included beneficial and natural and receiving breastfeeding support. Subjective norms of breastfeeding themes included receiving support for breastfeeding; Christian leadership, teachings, and communal engagements; and gaps in Christian influence. Conclusion: The African American Christian community may be an emergent agent of breastfeeding social support for African American Christian women who chose to breastfeed. Health professionals should collaborate with African American Christian leadership to initiate programs to promote breastfeeding among African American Christian women in the United States.

"Get Her for Me, for She Pleases Me Well:" Interpreting the Samson Marriage Narrative in Judges 14 in Light of Parental Role in Mate Selection in Nigeria

Judges 14 speaks to the Nigerian context on the role of parents in the marriage process. Unlike in the traditional African society where the choice of spouses was determined by parents and the family, in Nigeria today, parents have little involvement in their children's choice of marriage partner. Applying narrative reading and the descriptive approach, the article examines this text in light of the significance of parents' role in choosing marriage partners among Nigerian Christians. The study finds that due to the influence of Christianity and modernisation, Nigerian parents now play little role in the choice of their children's marriage partners and that this is one of the factors responsible for the rampant marriage failures in society. It concludes that to curb the high rate of marriage instability among Nigerian Christians, the church in Nigeria should review its marriage theology to emphasise the role of parents in mate selection, using the Samson story as a literary instrument.

Christian Ethical Foundations of Modern Nursing in China.

The influence of Western Christian missionary nurses has been recorded in the history and development of nursing in China. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of Christianity on Chinese nursing ethics. This documentary research used content analysis to investigate Christian value trends over 13 years (1920-1932) as reflected in a major bilingual Chinese nursing journal.

Demons in San Francisco Bay

In 1967, street minister Kent Philpott began outreach to lesbian, gay, and bisexual hippies in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco. Over the next decade, he counseled those who purportedly wanted out of what he referred to as “the gay lifestyle,” combining charismatic religious beliefs in demons, divine healing, and glossolalia with psychological theories on gender and child development. This article examines Philpott’s efforts to provide the nascent “ex-gay movement” with cultural, social, and intellectual foundations. This article specifically documents how sexual liberation, hippie culture, and conservative religion converged in San Francisco and spawned the “ex-gay movement.” Philpott, swept up by the Jesus People Movement, incorporated religious and psychological beliefs prominent in the Bay Area and infused charismatic Christian influences and traditional understandings of masculinity and femininity into the “ex-gay movement.”

The Attitude of The Chinese and Vietnamese Ruling Class Towards Western Astronomy From the 16th to the 18th Centuries

From the 16th century to the 18th century, in order to realize the goal of promoting its propaganda and strengthening the influence of Christianity in China and Vietnam, Western missionaries, especially Jesuit missionaries, applied the method of “missionary academic” and “missionary bibliography” thoroughly, effectively and creatively. As a result, Western science and technology in general, and astronomy in particular, were gradually introduced into these two countries. The ruling class in China and Vietnam still had a few critical and negative reactions to such moves, but in general openness to and active acceptance of Western astronomical achievements were always the dominant attitudes of emperors, kings and mandarins in these two countries.On the basis of taking advantage of the original historical data sources and research achievements of Chinese, Vietnamese and international scholars, and at the same time combining the application of the research method of historical science along with other approaches, especially the comparative research method, this article will thoroughly analyse the attitude of the ruling class of China and Vietnam in receiving Western astronomy. This article also clarifies the main cause for the difference in the reception of Western astronomy by emperors, kings and mandarins in these two countries, thereby making a contribution to the study of the history of East-West cultural exchanges in China and Vietnam in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.

Buddhism, Aryan Discourse, Racism, and the Influence of Christianity in Colonial Ceylon

abstract: Evidence from the Pali texts suggests that the Buddha opposed judging people on the grounds of their place of birth, their ethnic identity, or their skin color. In practice, however, Buddhist traditions have not been and are not free of such judgments. This article illustrates this through a case study of Buddhism in colonial and postcolonial Ceylon, with particular reference to the Aryan theory. It argues that the language of race and nation that emerged among Buddhists in this context was influenced by three factors: the academic work of European linguists and ethnographers; Christian missionary representations of Buddhism; and readings of Pali texts that attributed the term ariya (noble, good, pure) to Buddhist communities. The article first examines the concept of ariya (Pali; Sanskrit: ārya ) in the Theravada Buddhist tradition. It then surveys the discourse in colonial Ceylon on the term "Aryan," including the involvement of Christian leaders and the Buddhist internalization of the discourse in the context of Christian missionary activity, as seen particularly in the writings of the Anagārika Dharmapāla (1864–1933). Another strand in the discourse is then isolated, namely the "othering" of the minority, "Dravidian" Tamils in colonial Ceylon, and the consequences of this in the postcolonial period. Finally, the article asks whether this case study can offer insights into the fault lines within Buddhist cultures, and indeed, Christian cultures, that could give rise to racism.

Formation of the Cultural Sovereignty of Russia in the Format of Orthodox Culture

The Creator of the universe sent Jesus Christ to announce the New Testament to humanity. Jesus Christ directed the priesthood to teach all nations the spiritual life. Christ convinced the persecutor of the church, Saul, to preach the New Testament and teach spiritual life, showing the priesthood that it was possible to convince opponents of the church and Christianity. Voltaire said that scientific technological progress would weaken the influence of Christianity on humanity. His warning became prophetic. Priests do not sufficiently broadly and deeply and highly convince various segments of the population about the need to form an Orthodox worldview and lead a spiritual life, judging by the spiritual state of society and the culture of the world. The basis of spiritual life is Orthodox culture. Orthodox culture is a peaceful unifying force for all peoples. Orthodox culture should become a moral format for the worldview, behavior and attitude of citizens, as well as a form of unification of peoples and various segments of the population. This should be the goal of the priesthood and power in the formation of the cultural sovereignty of Russia and the culture of the world.

Exploring the Influence of Christianity on Political Behavior in Contemporary Society: A Comparative Study

Exploring the Influence of Christianity on Political Behavior in Contemporary Society: A Comparative Study