Monotheism Research Articles

Constructing and deconstructing the sacred geography of Hebron: Movement and pilgrimage in and around the Tomb of the Patriarchs

The Tomb of the Patriarchs in the divided city of Hebron is a major site of pilgrimage for all three monotheistic religions, a space of contention, and an epicenter of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. This article examines the mobility of pilgrims and tourists of various religious traditions within and around the site and their efforts to construct and deconstruct overlapping and often conflicting narratives of sacred space. Thus, Moslem foreign pilgrims from the Middle East and South Asia are motivated by their wish to pray within the site, viewing the political reality of division as an uncomfortable barrier to the experience of sacredness. In contrast, Christians, mostly Protestant tourists, occupy a liminal position expressed and sometimes overcome through the bodily practice of performance of several varieties. Finally, Palestinian solidarity groups attempt to deconstruct Hebron’s sacred geography, by focusing solely on the city’s violent and contested present as a site of immobility and emptiness.

Neither saintly nor psychotic: a narrative systematic review of the evolving Western perception of voice hearing.

We present a social-historical perspective on the evolution of the voice-hearing phenomenon in Western society. Based upon a systematic search from a selection of nine databases, we trace the way hearing voices has been understood throughout the ages. Originally, hearing voices was considered a gifted talent for accessing the divine, but the progressive influence of monotheistic religion gradually condemned the practice to social marginalization. Later, the medical and psychiatric professions of secular society were instrumental in attaching stigma to both voice hearers and the phenomenon itself, thereby reinforcing social exclusion. More recently, the re-integration of voice hearers into the community by health authorities in various countries appears to have provided a new, socially acceptable setting for the phenomenon.

Ethical Evidence in the Heavenly Books

ABSTRACT Monotheistic religions prioritize ethical conduct and virtuous morals as the foundation for constructing powerful human societies that foster justice, tolerance, love, and cooperation. The Torah, Bible, and Holy Qur'an contain numerous legal texts, verses, and rulings that emphasize virtuous morals. It is imperative to take action and prohibit indecent conduct and immoral values that can lead to the breakdown of societies, the spread of corruption and crime, and the infringement of human rights and freedoms. The concept involves adhering to virtuous morals while avoiding negative ones to promote societal development, disseminating principles of truth, justice, and equality, and upholding people's rights and needs.

Allah, God, YHWH, Gott*: Language-Aware Perspectives on References to God in Religious and Worldview Education. A Comparative Study of Finnish and German School Textbooks

Abstract Language awareness is part of religious and worldview education. In this study, we understand religious and worldview education as language-sensitive and argue that it is necessary to investigate the perspectives on religious language in language-aware school pedagogy. In our view, religious language can be an identity marker which navigates and reflects one’s position. We analysed the language used in Finnish and German secondary school textbooks for the Lutheran religion, the Roman Catholic religion and for Islam as well as for the subject culture, worldview and ethics (Finland) and practical philosophy (Germany). Using discourse analysis, we examined the representations of God in the textbooks’ chapters about Judaism, Christianity and Islam, which are characterized as monotheistic religions. According to the findings in this study, representations of God in the textbooks refer to the self-understanding of the studied religion in RE. This study also shows that the use of the name of God in textbooks illustrates similarities and differences in Abrahamic religions. We argue that inter-worldview learning in the context of religious and worldview education enables participation, dialogue and encounter, and that language awareness is part of inter-worldview learning.

Средневековье (от Рождества Христова к XIII столетию). Восток и Запад

The essay provides a summary overview of the main phenomena of artistic culture during the Middle Ages in the West and the East (from the Birth of Christ to the 13th century). The paper covers the global art culture of the medieval period both from the point of view of the general historical process and in the consideration of individual types of art (sculpture, architecture, painting, literature, music). The author examines the achievements of medieval authors in these types of creativity: the increasing trends towards simplification in depiction of man and mythological creatures in Western art, the progressive development of art in the East (the rise of architecture and urban planning, the development of fine art). There is a turn towards the acquisition of civilizational forms of existence in Western art under the influence of feudalism and monotheistic religion. Special attention is paid to understanding the category of the universe in the medieval period, the construction of fortifications as reflections of the militant mood of the Middle Ages, manifestations of lyrical imagery in the artistic culture of the West and the East. As a result, the author concludes that medieval art represents a huge, richest layer of the artistic culture of mankind, the most important stage for the creation of artistic classics in the East and later in Russia.

Islamic Social and Cultural System of Donggo Society amidst Religious Pluralism

n a society that is predominantly Muslim, Donggo is a model of diversity because there are various monotheistic religions and different cultures that have developed in the region. This research aims to determine the social and cultural practices and systems of Islamic society in Donggo by using descriptive qualitative research which emphasizes the interview approach as the main basis for data collection. The methods include deductive and inductive methods as a comparison material, and then conclusions can be drawn. The research results show that the social system of the Donggo community is built on the basis of joint deliberation in the development of Islamic culture, both physical development and massive Islamic preaching carried out in the area. The Islamic social and cultural principles of the Donggo community amidst multiculture are carried out together to resolve existing problems.

اسلام اور عیسائیت کے قوانین میراث کے مشترکات و مختلفات کا تحقیقی و تقابلی جائزہ

Being the last Book, the Holy Qur'an is complete and perfect in all aspects, including its laws regarding inheritance. Islamic law of inheritance is well defined in religious texts and they fulfil the needs of all times to come. On the other hand, other Divine Books as the Bible, dealt with only a particular nation or the group of people it was revealed to and do not have a thorough description of the issue of inheritance. There are several similarities and differences between Islamic and Christian laws of inheritance. The evolution occurring in Christianity requires continuous comparative studies for the academic and historical record. This paper aims to do a comparative analysis of laws of Inheritance in both of the monotheistic religions. In this research qualitative historical research method is used to present a comparison.

القتل الرحيم دراسة مقارنة بين القانون الوضعي والتشريع الإلهي Euthanasia: A Comparative Study between Positive Law and Divine Legislation

This study aimed to identify the provisions of euthanasia in positive law and divine legislation, and also aimed to identify the provisions of positive or negative euthanasia, both legally and religiously, the study used the analytical method, and the comparative method, The study reached a number of results, most notably, the convergence of comparative legislation on euthanasia, some of which permitted it, especially Western legislation, and some of it criminalized, especially Islamic legislation. Whether positive or negative, they considered it a crime of intentional killing, just as the three monotheistic religions unanimously agreed on the prohibition of euthanasia and considered it a crime of unlawfully killing a human being, The jurists unanimously agreed on the prohibition of positive euthanasia, just as the jurists differed on the prohibition of passive euthanasia.

القتل الرحيم دراسة مقارنة بين القانون الوضعي والتشريع الإلهي Euthanasia: A Comparative Study between Positive Law and Divine Legislation

This study aimed to identify the provisions of euthanasia in positive law and divine legislation, and also aimed to identify the provisions of positive or negative euthanasia, both legally and religiously, the study used the analytical method, and the comparative method, The study reached a number of results, most notably, the convergence of comparative legislation on euthanasia, some of which permitted it, especially Western legislation, and some of it criminalized, especially Islamic legislation. Whether positive or negative, they considered it a crime of intentional killing, just as the three monotheistic religions unanimously agreed on the prohibition of euthanasia and considered it a crime of unlawfully killing a human being, The jurists unanimously agreed on the prohibition of positive euthanasia, just as the jurists differed on the prohibition of passive euthanasia.

Christian and Muslim Faith in the Same God after the Second Vatican Council

This article engages in a discussion about whether Christians and Muslims believe in the same God. It first presents the opinions of the authors who take a negative view, then the opinions of those who take a positive view. It also gives one Muslim viewpoint on the subject. In the next part, based on the letter of Pope Gregory VII, the Second Vatican Council, the address of Paul VI, the address of John Paul II, the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, the address by Pope Francis at an interreligious meeting in Ur, and concluded by the Prayer of the Children of Abraham, it claims that Christians and Muslims believe in the same God. The author does not address the issue of every religion believing in the same God differently. In objecting to the view of the common belief of both monotheistic religions in the same God with the fact that Muslims do not recognize the Most Holy Trinity, the author points out that even Jews do not believe in it and no one disputes that Jews and Christians believe in the same God.

Konsep Fitrah Manusia Persperktif Al-Qur’an dan Hadits serta Implikasinya dalam Pendidikan Islam

The concept of fitrah developed by experts today refers more to the purity of a person's soul when born, meaning that it has not been impacted by the ideologies that develop in this life. However, this concept is apparently not in line with the Islamic education concept that fitrah is actually a universal concept of divinity within a person, namely recognizing the monotheism of Allah SWT. Even since the baby was in the womb, every individual has testified to this Unity, regardless of Muslim or non-Muslim families. The concept of fitrah based on the Qur'an was later developed in Islamic education. This research aims to describe the concept of human nature from the perspective of the Al-Qur'an and Hadith and its implications for Islamic education. The research method used is library research. The research results obtained are that the definition of fitrah according to the Qur'an illustrates that humans were actually created by Allah with religious instincts, namely the religion of monotheism. Therefore, humans who do not have monotheistic religion are a form of deviation from their nature. The implication of nature in Islamic education means educating people to deepen their understanding of the Islamic religion, to know Allah, and to know themselves. Thus, fitrah in Islamic education can be interpreted as the command to study the Islamic religion, the command to know Allah, and the command to know oneself, which humans undertake through the process of Islamic education.

Isolating the Roles of Religion, Ethnicity, and Political Ideology in Mass Atrocities, 1800–2020

Religion, ethnicity, and political ideology all lend themselves to the perpetration of mass atrocities by creating a sense of identity that sets up an Us/Them dichotomy. Atrocities are modelled here as arising from the motive of acquiring territory but augmented by other-regarding preferences that capture the role of identity. My empirical results using data for the period 1800–2020 confirm that all these identity-driven motivators are associated with mass atrocities, with religion being more powerful than ethnicity. Monotheistic religions (with the strong exception of Judaism) are seen to be associated with more mass atrocity deaths than (polytheistic) Hinduism, lending partial credibility to Hume’s (1757/2010) view on the intolerance of monotheism. While democracies are associated with fewer mass atrocities than autocracies, Christian liberal democracies are not. My statistical analysis rejects the popular presumption that Islam is more violent than Christianity. In fact, in the post-World War II (WWII) era, among the major religions Christianity has been associated with the most mass atrocity deaths. The results also show that mass deaths were higher in atrocities that took place in settler colonies, especially in the post-WWII period of decolonisation. Using mass atrocities as the metric of violence, the correlations found in the empirical work of this paper offer many new and surprising findings.

Filantropi Dakwah dalam Pandangan Moralitas Agama dan Keadilan di Kalangan Masyarakat

History shows that the development of the monotheistic religion can continue to spread because of the continuous efforts of preaching carried out by the prophets and continued by the missionaries until today. The gap between the reality of the condition of Muslims and the ideals expected in Islamic teachings is a major problem that must be resolved immediately. The purpose of this study is to find the relationship between preaching and philanthropy and to develop philanthropy-based preaching. Philanthropic preaching is every effort made to fight for human welfare in terms of economy, education, and social. The method used is qualitative descriptive analysis. The results of this study found the fact of the relationship between preaching and philanthropy in society.

The view of the three monotheistic religions toward xenotransplantation.

Xenotransplantation, transplanting animal organs into humans, may offer a solution to the shortage of organs for transplantation. This would increase the chances for scheduled, elective transplantation, even for patients currently ineligible for receiving a human organ. However, xenotransplantation raises specific ethical and philosophical issues, that is, a personal identification of the body parts with the soul and spirit, the relationships between humans and animals, and challenges related to issues of medical and social ethics. The three monotheistic religions have laws and perspectives pertaining to xenotransplantation. This scholarly review examines the theology and viewpoints of the three monotheistic religions and their concerns regarding xenotransplantation (interspecies) in terms of religious-legal rulings, the ethical considerations related to the procedure, through religious scriptures and rulings of scholars of the three faith communities. This review should be viewed as a continuation of an extensive investigation of these issues, as the field of transplantation advances toward clinical trials. It was found that there are no fundamental religious reasons presented by any of the three religions to prohibit the use of animal organs as a means of treating severe and life-threatening conditions. However, there are certain limitations prescribed by each religion relating to the treatment of the animals and the choice of organs to be transplanted.

The Gardener-Architect

The spiritual essence and symbolic significance of gardens of paradise (i.e. formal Islamic gardens) have often been overshadowed by modern observations focusing on their physical attributes. But these gardens are not merely earthly landscapes but profound reflections of the divine. Drawing upon Plato's theory of forms, we find that our world is filled with symbols, and human interactions reflect what our souls once comprehended in a previous existence. Gardens, with their unmistakable spiritual nature, are tangible reminders and impressions of paradise on earth. This article considers the garden’s symbolic significance across all major monotheistic religions, and the garden as the original sanctuary, from the time God created humankind. It recalls the earliest recorded imitations of paradise from the era of Cyrus the Great and examines the various iterations of paradise gardens through the age of Islam, all of which seek to manifest the promised paradise recurrently mentioned in the Quran. These gardens hold the key to unveiling deeper spiritual truths and serve as a bridge between the visible and invisible realms.

Monoteisticheskie religii: sravnitel'no-istoricheskij analiz

This article aims to introduce and compare the three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In our research, we used various reliable international articles and researches.

Comparative Analysis of Prophetic Inheritance Systems and Legal Frameworks in Monotheistic Religions

This study aims to provide a comprehensive comparative analysis of inheritance systems within the Abrahamic monotheistic religions: Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Employing a qualitative approach and descriptive-analytical methodology, the research reveals key insights. Firstly, all three religions incorporate fundamental principles into their inheritance laws, reflecting ideals of equity, familial care, and religious commitment. Secondly, while variations exist in the execution of inheritance regulations, commonalities prevail, including recognition of inheritance rights for specific heirs such as children and spouses. Thirdly, significant differences emerge in the intricate details and implementation of inheritance rules. Islam features highly detailed and structured provisions, while Judaism allows more flexibility, and Christianity exhibits denominational variations. Lastly, religious authorities play a substantial role in resolving inheritance disputes across these religions. This study offers valuable insights for shaping fair and sustainable inheritance frameworks in diverse, multicultural societies

God’s characteristics as reported by near-death experiencers

The aim of this study is to replicate Long & Perry’s (2016) God study using a more updated database and different inclusion criteria. The descriptions of God’s and Jesus’ characteristics as observed by 303 Near-death or Near-death-like experiencers were analyzed for their frequency both in the whole sample and divided by the participants’ religious experience. Both in the whole sample and in the religious experience subgroups, the main observed characteristics (approximately 70%) were a special Light and Unconditional Love, associated with other characteristics such as Oneness and Nonjudgmental, very similar to the descriptions reported following spiritual and mystical experiences. Only 13.9% of the descriptions reported God or Jesus assuming human form, as represented in popular religious images. These characteristics are not commonly reported descriptions of God’s in the texts of the main monotheistic religions. These first-person accounts of God’s characteristics complement what has been reported in association with spiritual/mystical experiences, offering a great resource for the scientific investigation of God’s nature.

Penerapan Moderasi Beragama di Masyarakat Desa Lingga Kecamatan Simpang Empat

Lingga Village is one of the villages located in Simpang Empat District, Karo Regency with a Karo ethnic community. This ethnicity consists of various adherents of monotheistic religions such as Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, and Pentecostalism. Religion plays an important role in social life to regulate human life and direct it to goodness in the world. This research aims to obtain an understanding and description of religious moderation and religious harmony in Lingga Village. The research methods used in this research are field observation research methods, interviews, and case studies. The results of the research show that religious moderation in Lingga Village is not too low. Some local people know the concept and dynamics of religious moderation and if we look at inter-religious harmony, the people of Lingga Village really uphold harmony where mutual respect and respect for differences.
 Keywords: Religious Moderation, Community, Harmony, Lingga Village.

Oryantalist Kur'an Araştırmaları Bir Müslüman İçin Ne İfade Eder?

The history of the Qur'an has been one of the most important and most studied areas of ori-entalist Islamic studies for the last two hundred years. Since it is the main source of Islam, the Qur'an has always attracted the attention of orientalists and they have conducted many studies on the Qur'an from various perspectives. Therefore, orientalists became the founders of the history of the Qur'an as a branch of science in its modern sense, and they were the first to determine the main research topics and methods of this field. In terms of their basic paradigms, they do not accept that the Qur'an is a divine revelation sent down to the Prophet Muhammad. The orientalists, who act with the presupposition that Muhammad wrote the Qur’an, or had it dictated, have researched the writing of the Qur'an from the beginning of Muhammad's prophethood to the present day and the stages it has gone through after being a Mushaf. In this direction, first, led by Abraham Geiger (d. 1874), they tried to determine the origin of the Islam and Qur'an, and sought the origin of Islam in the surrounding religions and cultures, especially in the monotheistic religions. Almost simultaneous-ly, by following the path opened by Theodor Nöldeke (d. 1930), who was accepted as the founder of the Qur'anic history in the modern period, they tried to reach the most authentic text and a critical Qur'anic text through studies on the Qur'an manuscripts. In addition to the history of the Qur'anic text, they were also interested in the inner structure of the Qur'an, and they also worked on the rela-tionship between the surahs and verses, in other words, the unity of the text, as well as the order of the surahs and verses. Muslims, on the other hand, entered the history of the Qur'an in its modern sense, after the orientalists, and generally wrote studies aimed at answering their claims. In this study, firstly, Western Qur'anic history literature is presented by considering the historical stages, studies, schools, names, works, basic claims and methods that the history of the Qur'an has gone through from the time it emerged in the modern period to the present day. After presenting the orientalist tradition and accumulation in this way, what all these means for Muslim researchers is discussed. While discussion this, the presuppositions and paradigm differences between the two worlds were taken into consideration.