Issues Of Religion Research Articles

Engaging with the Bible in Visual Culture

Abstract Increasingly articulate contemporary art practices are engaging with biblical representation, revealing new relationships with religion through the availability of the word in image. Taking as exemplary the photographic publication of Adam Broomberg and Oliver Chanarin’s Holy Bible (2013), this essay considers the evidence for their hermeneutics between image and word that is characterized by open awareness of and expansive participation in the (rereading of the) Bible. Discussing this engagement, I explore imagistic readings of the Bible through the artists’ strategies of interpolation and repetition, as well as examining their chosen theme—catastrophe—for its revelatory power. Through the artists’ self-reflexive hermeneutics of indeterminacy, I argue that the discussion of the return of religion in art needs attuning to this kind of specific practitioner experience: a hermeneutical circle of imaginative, dialogical, and dynamic interpretative positions in which the notion of indeterminacy is persuasive for interpretative grist, historical accountability, and theological horizon.

Sport, Spirituality, and Religion: New Intersections

Sport, religion, and spirituality intersect in diverse ways. As the body of interdisciplinary scholarly work addressing these intersections increases, more questions and insights are being generated, as evidenced in this collection. Five themes that arise in this Special Issue of Religions are identified and explored. Examples from each article are used to develop these themes. To whet the reader’s appetite, thought-provoking reflections are offered in this introduction to “Sport, Spirituality, and Religion: New Intersections and Global Challenges.”

UNDERSTANDING PAKISTAN THROUGH LITERATURE: AN APPRAISAL OF SOME RECENT WORKS

Pakistan, the second most populous Muslim country after Indonesia, came into existence on 14th August, 1947, after the division of ‘British ruled’ India (into India and Pakistan). From its inception to present, Pakistan covers a tumultuous history of over seven decades (1947-2019). Among the South Asian countries, no quantum of scholarship has been produced on any country—its history, religion (and religious ideology), politics, society, economy, and other inter-related issue—than Pakistan. This has continued in the last as well as present century. From 2010 onwards, numerous works have been published on religion, politics, military, and other aspects of Pakistan. This review essay, in this framework, presents an assessment of three (3) important works, published in between 2012 and 2014, so that to get clues of the various aspects of Pakistan. Following a descriptive-cum-comparative methodological approach, the books assessed and examined are: Ian Talbot, Pakistan: A New History (2012); Faisal Devji, Muslim Zion: Pakistan as a Political Idea (2013); and Aqil Shah, The Army and Democracy: Military Politics in Pakistan (2014). This assessment helps us in understanding the diverse scholarly approaches adopted (by different scholars) in studying Pakistan. The major argument put forth is that such an appraisal helps us not only in understanding the history of Pakistan, but in analyzing the issues and challenges Pakistan has faced, and is facing—be they religious, political, or related to military and security, etc.

Religion in the Conflict Flows

This research analyzes the issue of religion in understanding multiple realities. So it needs to be explained how religion can be one of the triggers of the problem and eventually become tyrants of other religions or beliefs. The problem that is limited in this study is that it relates to religion which is limited to the reality of conflicts that occur, as long as the conflict is published; both through research and through mass media. Furthermore, this research tries to look at the background of the understanding of diversity that occurs in society, so that it can be explained how it exists in interreligious relations in order to be in line. Religious expression among religious followers can influence patterns of integration and conflict. It will increase and become a trigger for conflict when it relates to the factors of economic and political inequality both locally, nationally, and even the constellation that is originally reasonable in the community, then strengthens and becomes clear, especially in society so that conflicts arise. Social integration can be a conflict resolution if maintained through bonds among citizens and social organizations that cross primordial boundaries.

The Politics of Religion in Sisworo Gautama Putra’s and Joko Anwar’s Pengabdi Setan

This research compares two films, the original Pengabdi Setan and its remake, in the context of politics of religion to show how the two films depict the issue of religion at two different eras based on the released years of the two films. The display of religion in the two films is viewed as an allegorical representation as well as critical responses to the socio-political situation of the two eras. Separated by almost four decades, Joko Anwar’s nostalgic remake and the original film subtly converse with each other, share distinctive similarities yet also polarized differences that underlie their endeavor to allegorically bring back and relive public memory of certain national trauma; that is repression during the New Order regime and marginalization of the minority in contemporary Indonesia. By focusing on the films’ cinematography and mise-en-scene, this research attempts to locate those allegorical moments within the depiction of religious practice that challenge, criticize or accentuate the dominant ideology of their respective eras.
 
 Keywords: allegorical moment, religion, national trauma, politicization

INSTANTE Y ETERNIDAD. ENZO PACI SOBRE LA TEMPORALIDAD DE LA VIDA RELIGIOSA

The notion of phenomenological epoché has been often compared by Husserl himself to a sort of religious conversion. This comparison, however, has been usually regarded as nothing more than a mere accidental statement. On the contrary, the Italian philosopher Enzo Paci particularly highlighted this meaning of epoché. He stressed its importance in Husserl’s phenomenology since the end of the 1950s, and it is worth noting that he drew great attention to such notion right in the framework of the issue of religion. Such issue concerns the contradictory tension between the becoming structure of experience and life (both human and natural in general) and the Allzeitlichkeit to which the religious belief refers. Husserl himself raises the same problem in one of his E manuscripts. According to Paci, the notion of epoché proves useful to mark out the sense of religious experience as a constant renewal practice, avoiding any substantial definition of the domain of faith.

TO THE PROBLEM OF “NEW RELIGIOuS MOVEMENTS" PHENOMENON INTERPRETATION

The article is concerned with the up-to-date problem of the “new religious movements” phenomenon and their frequently negative perception in modern society and scientific circles. The author reviews the whole range of paradoxical moments connected with “new religiosity” phenomenon, offers a brief analysis of existing approaches to this problem given by some researchers. The author justifies the ideas of a thoughtful approach to the problem and adequacy of response to certain types of religious activity. The overview of some societal responses to the new religious movements’ activity is given, and the evaluation of their legitimacy and effectiveness is presented. Conclusions are made on the dimensions of new religious movements hidden threats as well as on the irreversibility of their appearance, and the importance of broad discussions of the issues of religion, on the whole, is claimed.

THE CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF YOUTH RESTIVENESS, TERRORISM AND MILITANCY IN THE NIGER DELTA REGION OF NIGERIA AS PERCEIVED BY THE NIGER DELTA UNIVERSITY, BAYELSA STATE'S UNDERGRADUATES: IMPLICATION FOR COUNSELLING

The focus of this research paper is on the causes and effects of Youth Restiveness and Militancy in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria, as perceived by the Niger Delta University undergraduates in Bayelsa State of Nigeria: Implication for counselling. The design adopted for the study is the descriptive survey design. One thousand Six hundred and ninety (1690) undergraduate students of Niger Delta University formed the population of the study. While the sample size comprised 338 undergraduates selected through random sampling technique from the education faculty of the university. The researchers developed the Youth Restiveness and Militancy (YRM) Questionnaire with 21 items and used it for the study. Three research questions and two hypotheses were formulated for this study. For the two hypotheses, there were no significant differences on the basis of gender in the perceived factors responsible for youth restiveness and militancy in the Niger Delta Region and the perceived causes of youth restiveness and militancy on religion issues. The major issues shown on the results include slow or casual approach of government, corruption, unemployment, poverty and bad governance which are causal issues of the cankerworms. Furthermore, from the results, there were evidence that youth restiveness and militancy may culminate in economic stagnation, fear and suspicions, political instability, terrorism, et-cetera. Remediations to the canker worms include creation of employment for the youths, provision of counselling services in schools and communities, poverty eradication by government and so on. The following recommendations were made as fallouts from the study which included peace education at all levels of education, job creation for all youths and the provision of counselling services in the universities, secondary schools and the communities.

A Survey of Families in a Charter Hybrid Homeschool

ABSTRACT“Hybrid homeschools” generally operate as formal schools 2–3 days per week. The rest of the week students are homeschooled. These entities therefore share some aspects of conventional schooling along with some aspects of homeschooling and are classified in a variety of ways by their states, local districts, and even their own administrations. Most hybrid homeschools around the nation tend to be private and religiously affiliated, though some public models have emerged. The purpose of this study was to better understand parents’ stated preferences for choosing to enroll their children in a charter school that is organized as a hybrid homeschool network in southern California. An electronic survey was sent through the network’s CEO to all enrolled families asking questions regarding demographics, stated values, and desired sources of information. The results of this survey find that these hybrid homeschool families are on average slightly more ethnically diverse, less wealthy, and less educated compared to private, religious hybrid homeschoolers, but are also more ethnically diverse, more wealthy, and more educated compared to their sponsoring school district. These families tend to place more value on individualized attention and the learning environment than on religion, safety, or formal academic issues when choosing a hybrid homeschool compared to their private, religious counterparts.

Introduction to “Religious Experience in the Hindu Tradition”

This special issue of Religions brings together a talented group of international scholars who have studied and written on the Hindu tradition. The topic of religious experience is much debated in the field of Religious Studies, and here we present studies of Hindu religious experience explored from a variety of regions and perspectives. They are intended to show that religious experience has long been an important part of Hinduism, and we consider them to be important and relevant. As a body of scholarship, these articles refine our understanding of the range and variety of religious experience in Hinduism. In addition to their substantive contributions, the authors also show important new directions in the study of the third-largest religion in the world, with over one billion followers. This introduction will discuss some relevant issues in the field of Indology, some problems of language, and the difficulties faced in the study of religious experience. It will also give a brief sketch of the religious experiences described by our authors in some major types of Hinduism.

The Johannine Renaissance in Early Modern English Literature and Theology. Paul Cefalu. Oxford University Press, 2017. Pp. viii+352.

<i>The Johannine Renaissance in Early Modern English Literature and Theology</i>. Paul Cefalu. Oxford University Press, 2017. Pp. viii+352.

Introduction to the Special Issue of Religions—“Religion and Family Life”

Family and religion are inherently intertwined social institutions [...]

Irresponsibility and the Eternal Return of Religion

Irresponsibility and the Eternal Return of Religion

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION DURING THE FIRST CYCLE OF PRIMARY EDUCATION IN SERBIA

Religious education as part of the modern society in Serbia is a subject of numerous interdisciplinary scientific studies. Modern education systems in countries where major socio-economic and political changes take place are undergoing major transformations and reforms. Their goal is to make changes to the education process and integrate it into the developmental trends of society, as well as to succeed in the affirmation of cultural and national values. Therefore, the relationship between religion and education, as a form of human consciousness and the need for a successful and fulfilled life in a given society, is very important. Transition processes in Europe have actualized the issue of religion and religious education as an integral part of the teaching process, and have contributed to a more intensive study of these topics. Christianity is the predominant religion in Serbia, or Orthodoxy, to be more accurate. However, there are other religious communities as well, such as: Islamic, Roman Catholic, Jewish, Protestant, etc. In primary and secondary schools in Serbia, religious education is being taught as an optional subject (students are given a choice between civic education and religious education), which is assessed descriptively and not included in the final grade. During the first cycle of primary education, subjects that teach about a particular religion are the following: Orthodox catechism (religious education), Islamic religious education, Catholic religious education, Evangelical Lutheran religious education of the Slovak Evangelical Church, Religious Education of the Christian Reformed Church, Jewish religious education. In addition to religious education, subjects containing religious topics are also: Serbian language, Nature and Society, Music Education, Visual Arts, Folk Tradition. The correlation and the link among the above-mentioned objects will make religious education more meaningful and more interesting for children. The main goal of teaching religion as an integral part of school subjects during the first cycle of primary education in Serbia is the preservation of religion. Religion is a very old social phenomenon which has not lost its significance and topicality to this day; on the contrary, it is becoming more and more present in people’s lives, and it represents a system of ideas, beliefs and practices, a specific type of behavior towards the world, society, man, nature. As such, it is equally significant as art, science, philosophy, etc. Besides the preservation of religion, another goal of religious education is to familiarize children with a certain religion, to teach them the basic characteristics of that religion, to teach them prayers, the significance of liturgy, and the customs of the religion children are learning about. It is important to emphasize that religious teaching should be in a form of an open and tolerant dialogue, while respecting other people’s religious beliefs, in order for it to be meaningful and worthwhile.

MENGUKUR INDEKS KEMASLAHATAN BPRS AMANAH UMMAH BOGOR

Islamic financial institutions, especially Islamic banking, should, not only be assessed from the high and low value of profitability such as conventional banking. LKS can also provide reasonable benefits or a real benefit index to the surrounding public. So, assessing the performance of Islamic banking cannot be equated with conventional banking considering that both have different goals and views. Islamic Maqashid, namely the realization of benefit - in safeguarding religion, soul, mind, descent, and property - should be considered in measuring the performance of a Sharia financial institution. The purpose of this study pioneered an effort to measure the welfare index of BPRS Amanah Umat by approaching the issue of religion, soul, mind, lineage, and wealth in the BPRS Amanah Ummah. This study uses a combination of qualitative descriptive research and quantitative analysis with research subjects from two parties, internal parties (employees) and external parties (customers) BPRS mandate Ummah. The object of research from this study is the five elements of the approach to maslahah dharuriyah. The method of data collection consists of methods of observation, questionnaires, documentation, and literature. The data validity technique uses qualitative descriptive testing, enriched with statistically processed data with analysis comparing the mean with the independent test sample t-test. The results of the study concluded that the highest value of the welfare index of the BPRS Amanah Ummah is the reason with an average value of 4.3 and the lowest value of maslahah is the maslahah descent with an average value of 3.9. Based on quantitative analysis, the overall index of the five elements of maslahah is 0.8364 (83.64%), with reason in the first place and maslahah descendants in fifth place. The quantative analysis shows that there are significant differences between the perceptions of internal and external parties. Differences in perceptions of the value of benefit are influenced by factors in the number of dependents, differences in age, gender, and level of education.

The state‒religion issue in Israel: is the consociational model still alive?

ABSTRACTThis article seeks to determine the accuracy of predictions made by researchers of Israeli politics regarding the disappearance of the consociational model in state‒religion relations, to be replaced by the emergence of a crisis model, which threatens the stability of Israeli democracy. Using a unique methodological tool, based on the relative importance assigned to the issue in the platforms of the parties, we followed the positioning of the issue on the agenda over the years, and investigated whether it was becoming more prominent since the 1990s as an indication of the crumbling of the consociational model. The findings revealed, indeed, that in the late 1990s the tension around religion‒state relations reached its peak and was reflected in a higher rank order on the agenda. However, during the twenty-first century, the tension has not been rising, while the 2015 elections show a dramatic decline in the issue’s positioning on the agenda, which refutes the researchers’ forecast.

Facilitating scientific engagement through a science-art festival

ABSTRACTThe recent discovery and ongoing detection of Einstein's predicted gravitational waves offers an exciting opportunity for engaging the general public in science. In order to reach a wide range of people with different science-art identities, levels of physics expertise, age, and gender, the Celebrating Einstein festival merges science, dance, and music. Festival components include: (1) a danced lecture with choreography inspired by representations of black holes and gravitational waves, and (2) live interviews with physicists that address issues of science, philosophy, religion, art, and education. We assessed the impact of this festival by deploying a pre- and post-event survey at three Celebrating Einstein festivals hosted in different sites in the United States (Northern, Southern, and Central), and by interviewing a subset of attendees at one location. This study focuses on participants’ knowledge gain, interest in science, and emotional reactions towards this science-art event. We explored how knowledge gain varies by participant demographics, how it correlates with an increased interest in science and intention to attend future science-art events, and how participants engaged emotionally. Results indicate that the science-art format effectively reached a wide range of demographic groups, significantly increased participants’ knowledge, interest in science and science-art events, and broadened their perception of scientists.

Thinking Spirituality Differently: Michel Foucault on Spiritual Self-Practices, Counter-Conducts, and Power-Knowledge Constellations

In contemporary debates on the so-called “return of religion” in new forms and practices of spirituality, the spiritual practices are often seen as emerging on the ruins of a fragmented and outdated religious tradition. In this article an attempt is made to conceptualize spirituality beyond the religion-secularization divide. An alternative perspective on spirituality is developed through a reading of Michel Foucault’s writings and lectures on spiritual practices in antique philosophy and in Christianity. In this perspective the modalities of individual spiritual practices are largely dependent on interactions with dominant power-knowledge regimes and problematizations of individual lives. This article argues that this perspective on the spiritual practices in the West has the potential of making a valuable contribution to interpretations of present-day spirituality and lived religiosity.

Prohibition of Intera Religion Marriage in Indonesia

As a country with Pancasila as the philosophy, the first pillar is believing in God the One, therefore marriage is closely related to the issue of religion. Law number 1 in 1974 on Marriage stated that a marriage should be done by two people with the same religion and beliefs. Inter-religion marriage between Indonesian citizens in foreign states violate the regulations found in article 2 paragraph (1) and article 56 paragraph (1) of Law number 1 in 1974 on Marriage. The problems analyzed in this paper are: first, the legal status of inter-religion marriage in law system of Indonesia; and second, inter-religion marriage performed by Indonesian citizens in foreign countries. The research of this paper shown that Indonesia prohibits inter-religion marriage since it violates the principle of “the belief in the one and only God,” which expects marriage to be performed only by a couple who share the same religious belief.Keywords: Indonesia, Inter-religion Marriage, Legitimate Marriage, Marriage Law, Religion

The European Research Project ReDi: Religion and Dialogue in Modern Societies. An Overview

This article gives an overview of the Religion and Dialogue in Modern Societies (ReDi) project. The article sketches the main questions of the research, it’s interdisciplinary composition, the metropolitan areas in Europe involved, the different levels of research and some of the main results. The overall research approach of ReDi is explained, and the focus is directed to particular elements of ReDi such as dialogical theology and urban interreligious practice. This could serve as background for the educational research, which will not be dealt with in the present article, as it forms the focus of the other articles presented in this special issue of Religion & Education.