Multi-faith Society Research Articles

A Study of Sculptures Reveals Hindu-Buddhist Religious Harmony in Nepal

In a multi-religious country like Nepal, religious harmony is essential for sustaining peace and calmness. Religious discord in society may result if religious concord is not addressed. Even though Nepal is a secular country with a Hindu majority, Buddhists remain crucial and inseparable elements of Nepalese society. They have lived in religious harmony in Nepal. During the period, there were no religious riots or tensions between Hindus and Buddhists. According to the Principle of Religious concord, when two cultures meet and interact, religious ideas will be exchanged, with the dominant culture prevailing. Harmony in cultures and customs evolved in Nepal for a variety of reasons. Because of their social acceptance and respect in society, Buddhists have become a vital part of it. Buddhism is seen as a component of Hindu philosophy by Hindus, and vice versa. In recent years, however, they have sought to differentiate themselves by religiously violating decades of peace and harmony. Nepal, a country with diverse religious traditions, has faced occasional tensions between different groups, including Hindu-Muslim, Buddhist-Hindu relations, Christian minorities, indigenous beliefs, and political dimensions. These tensions are often linked to socio-political issues, competition over religious sites, and accusations of proselytization or conversion activities. Recently in Nepalganj, Muslims disturbed Hindus during Deepawali and Hindu disturbed in tajia procession. The purpose of this research is to examine the critical factors that contribute to religious harmony in a multi-faith society, as well as the reflection of religious harmony in Nepali sculptures. An in-depth interview and library research technique are used to investigate the topic of religious harmony. The goal of this article is to examine the underlying factors that lead to religious harmony in a multi-religious community, as well as its reflection in Nepali sculptures. This study also looks at the elements that influence harmony in the setting of Nepali sculptures. As a result, the conversation strives to foster long-term religious harmony between Nepal's Hindu and Buddhist religious communities. The findings may motivate them to keep strong connections.

Old Testament hospitality as reciprocity, Adam Smith and business ethics

This article aims to underscore the progression of Old Testament hospitality as reciprocity for moral guidance and, specifically, business ethics in contemporary society. The study follows a comparative analysis of Old Testament hospitality and reciprocity in the work of Adam Smith that emphasises the role of mutual relations and voluntary exchange. It will be argued that reciprocity associated with hospitality in the Old Testament is an important principle that further developed in classic economics and provides ethical principles for contemporary large-scale, multi-cultural and multi-faith societies, although different from the small-scale societies of the Old Testament world. The interface of mutual relations and voluntary exchange in Old Testament hospitality and reciprocity in Smith unveils important ethical principles for contemporary business ethics regarding responsibility and accountability.Contribution: The comparative analysis of Old Testament hospitality and reciprocity in Adam Smith’s work provides ethical principles based on mutual relations and voluntary exchange for contemporary, multi-cultural and multi-faith society, specifically in business ethics.

From empire to nation: Management of religious pluralism in the Ottoman Empire and Turkey

The transition from empire to nation-state poses challenges in managing religious and ethnic pluralism. Empires, characterized by hierarchical structures and diversity, contrast with nation-states, which aim for uniformity and unity. As empires modernize administratively, they grapple with different approaches to pluralism. While Habsburgs were more in favor of a federal plurality, the Romanovs pushed for centralization and assimilation. Throughout the nineteenth century, the Ottomans vacillated between these two alternative paths. This vacillation is most evident in their approach to millet system which simultaneously followed the contradictory policies of undermining millet boundaries in order to promote a sense of unity across the multi-faith society and policies of promoting and safeguarding the privileges and group-specific rights of non-Muslim communities. Ottoman nationalism eventually shifted towards a homogenizing model, akin to the Romanov approach, leading to the exclusion of religious minorities. This process of homogenization continued in the nationalist policies of modern Turkey and resulted in the secular Turkish Republic being less tolerant towards non-Muslims than the Islamic Ottoman Empire.

Organizing and the Revitalization of American Catholicism

American Catholicism today struggles to sustain its longtime character as a truly “public religion”—that is, a religious tradition with a vital presence within the public sphere in the US. Reinvigorating Catholicism in the US will require both internal renewal and new approaches to public life, both of which will require continuity with the deep tradition and significant reorientation of ecclesial dynamics. This paper argues that specific, faith-based community organizing practices can help renew the public voice of Catholicism. In adopting such practices and inflecting them through Catholic commitment to theologically coherent processes of leadership formation, American Catholicism can reinvigorate parish life and play a crucial role in reconstructing democracy in the US for a multiracial and multifaith society in the twenty-first century and beyond.

The Coronation Oath

Over the past thirty years questions have been raised, and still remain, as to the proper scope of the sovereign's title, Defender of the Faith, in a multi-faith society. Such questions are not only politically important but are legally important, especially as they raise questions affecting the Church of England. Those questions need to be addressed before any suggested changes are actually implemented. These questions are different from those that arise in relation to the Coronation Oath Act 1688, but nonetheless are important. In spite of the uncompromising wording of that Act, changes to the oath taken by new sovereigns have historically taken place at subsequent coronations. This has led to both denials and affirmations of the legality of such changes. As similar changes are likely to take place in the future, it is important to consider whether the courts (civil or ecclesiastical) have jurisdiction to entertain challenges to the legality of the coronation itself, to the oath and to the actions of the relevant participants.

Engaging Faith-Based Organizations for Promoting the Uptake of COVID-19 Vaccine in India: A Case Study of a Multi-Faith Society.

Mass vaccination, currently the most promising solution to contain communicable diseases, including COVID-19 requires collaboration between a variety of partners to improve the supply and demand and alleviate vaccine inequity. Vaccine hesitancy features in WHO's list of top 10 threats to global health, and there is plethora of disinformation instigating conflict between COVID-19 vaccination drive and religious sentiments. Negotiating public health partnerships with FBOs (Faith Based Organizations) has always been challenging. A handful of faith leaders have always shown resistance to ideas such as child immunization, and family planning. Many others have been supportive on other fronts like helping people with food, shelter, and medical aid in the times of public health crisis. Religion is an important part of life for the majority of the Indian population. People confide in faith-based leaders in the times of difficulty. This article presents experiences from the strategic engagement with FBOs (entities dedicated to specific religious identities, often including a social or moral component) to promote uptake of COVID-19 vaccination, especially among the vulnerable and marginalized communities. The project team collaborated with 18 FBOs and more than 400 religious institutions to promote COVID-19 vaccination and build confidence for the vaccination program. As a result, a sustainable network of sensitized FBOs from diverse faiths was created. The FBOs mobilized and facilitated vaccination of 0.41 million beneficiaries under the project.

Garbage Care as a Way for Eco-Spiritual Care in a Multifaith Society in Indonesia

This article will explain how garbage care can be a way of realizing eco-spiritual care in the multifaith context of Indonesia. In Indonesia, the environment is a common concern, and waste is also a common problem. With a qualitative reflective method, the activities in garbage care are reflected in an eco-spiritual care perspective. Eco-spiritual care is an effort to assist human beings to find themselves in their environment. This reflection concludes that with a phenomenological approach, garbage care will make people find their ‘oneness’. This will underlie the renewal of attitudes toward their lives in a deeper, more positive way. In addition, this reflection on the eco-spiritual will broaden the understanding of pastoral care that has existed so far, because eco-spiritual care is not only for people who are sick, but those who want to find their natural selves. This also means that the meaning of eco-spiritual care is much broader than pastoral care because it means giving ‘good food’, not just shepherding and merely giving spiritual food. Indeed, it must be a good and healthy spiritual food to let people grow better spiritually.

Christians in secular youth work : Harmony and tension in the expression of faith

ABSTRACT The youth sector in Australia has secularized considerably over the past five decades, yet many active Christians choose to work within it. Despite Australia’s increasingly multi-faith society, little Australian youth work research exists that would explain how these Christians understand the relationship between their personal faith and their professional role, nor how they integrate the two in practice. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 29 Christian youth workers, this article seeks to remedy this gap. It asks: (1) How do Christians in the secular youth work sector understand the place of their faith within their professional role?; and (2) how do they practice “care” and “dialogical evangelism” as practical expressions of their faith? The article finds that Christians in secular youth work tend to view the nexus between faith and youth work through the theological motif of imago Dei. They see the practical expression of their faith, first, as one of “care” which flows from their theological belief of imago Dei. Second, they value conversation about faith with young people, but place the agency of young people at the center of these discussions, in a practice of “dialogical evangelism.” The article concludes by discussing the implications for educators and academics.

Study of Nepali Sculptures Reveals Hindu-Buddhist Religious Harmony in Nepal

In a multi-religious country like Nepal, religious harmony is essential for sustaining peace and calmness. Religious discord in society may result if religious concord is not addressed. Despite the fact that Nepal is a secular country with a Hindu majority, Buddhists remain crucial and inseparable elements of Nepalese society. They have lived in religious harmony in Nepal. At the period, there were no religious riots or tensions between Hindus and Buddhists. According to the Principle of Religious concord, when two cultures meet and interact, religious ideas will be exchanged, with the dominant culture prevailing. Harmony in cultures and customs evolved in Nepal for a variety of reasons. Because of their social acceptance and respect in society, Buddhists have become a vital part of it. Buddhism is seen as a component of Hindu philosophy by Hindus, and vice versa. In recent years, however, they have sought to differentiate themselves by religiously violating decades of peace and harmony. The purpose of this research is to examine the critical factors that contribute to religious harmony in a multi-faith society, as well as the reflection of religious harmony in Nepali sculptures. An in-depth interview and library research technique are used to investigate the topic of religious harmony. The goal of this article is to examine the underlying factors that lead to religious harmony in a multi-religious community, as well as its reflection in Nepali sculptures. This study also looks at the elements that influence harmony in the setting of Nepali sculptures. As a result, the conversation strives to foster long-term religious harmony between Nepal's Hindu and Buddhist religious communities. The findings may motivate them to keep strong connections.

The Practice and Politics of Establishment

The following words were spoken in the House of Commons 23 years ago: Many people in this country think that it is wrong to have an established Church and that it would be helpful if England followed the example of Scotland and Wales and disestablished its Church, recognising that we are a multicultural, multi-faith society and that no religion or Church should be given pre-eminence over others. Would it not be prudent for the Church Commissioners to do their sums now so that when that democratic day dawns, it will not be such a shock for them? Well, what can one say about that other than, ‘O, Jeremy Corbyn!’? For it was indeed the then maverick Labour backbencher who made those remarks during Church Commissioners’ questions in the House of Commons.

Safeguarding Places of Worship during the Prophetic Era: Assessment of Early Islamic Covenants and Their Impacts on Early Muslim Polities

Treaties and covenants have been the most important instruments of international relations in both ancient and modem times, playing a significant role in the promotion of religious freedom, peaceful coexistence, and interfaith harmony. The rapid spread and broad appeal of early Islam brought matters of international relations and cosmopolitan state governance to a cadre of Muslim leaders whose main political experience had been with parochial Arabian tribalism. The foremost issue was the position, rights, and responsibilities of non-Muslim religious communities within the Arab-Islamic empire. Consequently, numerous covenants and treaties were devised with subjects and with foreign states during the expansion of the Muslim world. This study examines the protection of non-Muslim places of worship under the rule of the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ and his successors, including future caliphs and generals. It explores the practical application of the covenants by the successors of the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ during early Islamic history, exploring the extent to which these covenants and treaties were effective in maintaining peaceful co-existence in a multi-faith society. In sum, for the sake of concision, only specific segments of the covenants and treaties are examined, which were devised with the non-Muslims for the protection of their worship places during the early Muslim Conquests.

Perception of Death among Young Adults in Multicultural Peninsular West Malaysia: The Abrahamics and Dharmics

The topic of death perception is often a matter related to older people. As there is a paucity of studies with the young population, insights into their views would be helpful to healthcare professionals who may be confronted by events of death and dying. This study is aimed at exploring the perception of death among young adults of different religions in a multi-cultural and multi-faith society as in Malaysia. A total of 32 participants representing the main religious groups, i.e., Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism were recruited from the Klang Valley area of Peninsular Malaysia. Focus group discussions were undertaken with participants grouped according to their religious identifications. Five themes emerged from the data: (a) Belief in Afterlife, (b) Fear of Own Death, (c) Fear of Others’ Death, (d) Preparation towards Death and Afterlife, and (e) Way of Living. In a diverse and polarised society such as in conservative Malaysia, insights into death perceptions of different main groups of people can play a significant role in the provision of health care.

Neighbors: Christians and Muslims Building Community, by Deanna Ferree Womack.

Neighbors: Christians and Muslims Building Community comes at a pivotal moment as the year 2021 marks the twentieth anniversary of the tragedy that took place on September 11, 2001. Since those devastating attacks, anti-Muslim hate crime has continued to burgeon, and tensions between Christians and Muslims have escalated to new heights. This has led Islamophobia to dictate and distort American Christians’ views in misunderstanding and mistreating their Muslim neighbors. As author Deanna Ferree Womack puts it, “lives are at stake” (2). She calls to Christians in the United States that now is the time “to be the neighbors Christ called us to be, to start building Christian–Muslim community” (xi).As such, Womack presents a guidebook for American Christians of diverse backgrounds who desire to learn more about their Muslim neighbors in the local, national, and global community. Neighbors is an intricate combination of historical, theological, and practical approaches that reflect on the story of how Christians and Muslims have related to one another in the past, confront the ongoing struggles in the present, and envision a better future for Christian–Muslim relations. Not only does her work aim to provide book knowledge on Islam, but also her pedagogy encourages readers to be proactive by approaching religions as living faiths, to be self-reflective, and to take steps in supporting Muslim neighbors. Womack undertakes this task in three sections: “When Our Neighbors Have a Different Religion,” “Christian–Muslim Encounters,” and “From Neighborly Commitment to Working Together.”The first section begins by providing a reality check about the growing multifaith society of the United States, which is projected to grow dramatically by 2050. “American Christians,” Womack writes, “should expect more opportunities to meet people of other faiths” (13). In addressing this pluralistic reality, Womack proposes that Christians should reflect on the notion of being Christ’s “witness” in pursuing meaningful interfaith engagements, as doing so indicates someone who “points to what they understand to be the truth” (24). Womack also highlights three models of interreligious engagements and argues that in today’s context interreligious dialogue prioritizes differences and pursues deeper intellectual engagement than just simply emphasizing commonalities.The second section explores the history of Christian–Muslim relations in the Middle East and takes a deep dive into understanding Islam in America. Womack problematizes the common stereotype that Christians and Muslims have always been in conflict by highlighting Christian–Muslim collaborations throughout history, for example, how Christian, Muslim, and Jewish intellectuals “worked interreligiously to spur social development within the wider Syrian community” (62) during the Arab Renaissance. In retracing the history of Islam in America, Womack argues that Islam is not a recent phenomenon, but rather it is an American religion that has been present since before the Civil War and has also evolved as a platform in voicing the racist injustices of African Americans. Consequently, the growing diversity among Muslims has also led to different ways of being Muslim in the United States, from the “social activists” who envision Islam as a source of addressing social inequalities to the “homeland homesick” who form small ethnic Muslim communities.Section 3 emphasizes the participatory praxis of interreligious dialogue through cultivating interfaith awareness. Womack utilizes an ethnographic approach in examining the lived experiences of Muslims today and the challenges that negative media representations of Islam and misconceptions about Muslim women have had on Christian–Muslim relations. In this section, Womack’s model of interreligious awareness is noteworthy, as it can be used as a framework for reflexivity to identify how one responds to religious differences and to “move toward higher stages of interreligious awareness and away from confrontational responses” (120). The closing chapter offers resources, such as the “Dos and Don’ts” in Christian–Muslim dialogue, and steps for fostering positive interfaith relations.Neighbors offers a compelling vision for dialogue and promising partnership between Christian and Muslim communities. The afterword by Roshan Iqbal, a female Muslim scholar, speaks volumes as she writes that this book is not only relevant for Christians, but “important to me personally and to my whole community as well” (146). Womack, with her extensive knowledge and expertise in Christian–Muslim initiatives, has created a guide jampacked with a wealth of information and the right tools for interfaith communication. Along with the reflection questions at the beginning of each chapter, readers should utilize the resourceful group discussion guide at the end. With this book as their guide, readers—whether they are a church layperson, pastor, and other Christian—will be better equipped to engage in deeper interfaith reflections and meaningful interreligious dialogue with their Muslim neighbors.

Debate on Status of Existing Non-Muslim’s Worship Places in Multi-faith Society

Islamic Law (Shariah) has granted fundamental human rights to Muslims and non-Muslims and safeguards their life and property by providing equal social justice. The significant feature of Shariah is to provide non-Muslims the freedom to exercise their religion in an Islamic state. The paper discusses non-Muslim’s worship places that are established in an Islamic society. The objective of this research is to remove misunderstandings created by International media on current issues against Islamic teachings, Muslim jurists debate on Shariah perspective regarding the status of construction or erection of worship places. This present paper divided the debate on three major issues which are addressed by the Muslim jurist in today’s conflicting scenario. Firstly, Religious freedom to exercise non-Muslim’s faith in an Islamic state, secondly rulings for non-Muslim’s worship places on Islamic Lands, and lastly rebuilding and construction of non-Muslim’s worship places in a multi-faith society. A descriptive and analytical approach has been adopted for juristic opinions. The paper examines these debates by Muslim jurists of the Sunni school of thought and concludes that Shariah has granted non-Muslim’s right to construct or upright their worship places in their majority ruler area. A Muslim ruler may protect worship places of non-muslims and on the circumstantial requirement, he authorized to convert these places where necessary under the principles of Mashlaha Aama defined by the principles of Shariah.

Komunikasi Antarpribadi Masyarakat Beda Agama di Surakarta:

This study aims to analyse the interpersonal communication within multi-religious society in Gendingan village, Surakarta. Using a descriptive qualitative method and symbolic interactionalism approach, the findings indicate that a harmony produced by interpersonal communication amongst people in Gendingan is a reflection of one's obedience to the religion and the result of the understanding to his/her religious. In addition, based on symbolic interaction perspective, it is found that, first, the communicator's response to communicants within multi-faith society affected by the environment. Second, the tolerance is allowed but it has remained limited, regardless reducing the meaning of tolerance. Third, there are changes of religious symbolic meaning that affect interpersonal communication actions within multi-religious communities.

New insights into early medieval Islamic cuisine: Organic residue analysis of pottery from rural and urban Sicily.

Sicily, during the 9th-12th century AD, thrived politically, economically, and culturally under Islamic political rule and the capital of Palermo stood as a cultural and political centre in the Mediterranean Islamic world. However, to what extent the lifeways of the people that experienced these regimes were impacted during this time is not well understood, particularly those from lesser studied rural contexts. This paper presents the first organic residue analysis of 134 cooking pots and other domestic containers dating to the 9th -12th century in order to gain new insights into the culinary practices during this significant period. Ceramics from three sites in the urban capital of Palermo and from the rural town of Casale San Pietro were analysed and compared. The multi-faceted organic residue analysis identified a range of commodities including animal products, vegetables, beeswax, pine and fruit products in the ceramics, with a complex mixing of resources observed in many cases, across all four sites and ceramic forms. Alongside the identification of commodities and how they were combined, new light has been shed on the patterning of resource use between these sites. The identification of dairy products in calcite wares from the rural site of Casale San Pietro and the absence of dairy in ceramics from the urban centre of Palermo presents interesting questions regarding the role of rural sites in food consumption and production in Islamic Sicily. This is the first time organic residue analysis of ceramics has been used to explore foodways in a medieval multi-faith society and offers new pathways to the understanding of pottery use and resources that were prepared, consumed and combined, reflecting cuisine in different socio-economic environments within the pluralistic population of medieval Sicily.

Strategic Faith in Russia: Cultural DNA and Managed Pluralism

Russia’s multi-faith society has formed over 1,000 years of geopolitical and cultural evolution. This heritage is key to understanding modern Russia and assessing prospects for “covenantal pluralism.” The Russian government has always managed religious diversity strategically—for national security, domestic stability, and international relations. Covenantal pluralism envisions more—a mutually-reinforcing combination of state-protected equality and societal cross-faith support. This article explains religious plurality as part of Russia’s cultural DNA and analyzes the ensuing contemporary state and societal dynamics of religious freedoms, including in cases of Russian relations with Crimea, Constantinople, Turkey, the U.S., and France, as well as legislation, attitudes, and cyber security. Strategic uses of religion and cultural narratives leverage the dual meaning of “faith in Russia”—religious and patriotic.

The Religion Faith of the Kyrgyzs

Kyrgyzstan is a multi-ethnic and multi-faith society. This study highlights the role of religion in the development of Kyrgyz society in the XXth Century and the revival of it in the XXIst Century. In former USSR (Soviet Union) countries, these periods called “pre-Soviet era”, “Soviet-era” and “post-Soviet era”. The whole period during which the Kyrgyzs was exposed to Islam and adopted the faith divided into the following stages: i) from 9th to 14th centuries, ii) from 15th century to the second half of the 18th century, iii) from the end of the 18th century to the beginning of the 20th century, iv) from 1918 to 1991 (Soviet-era, atheism period), v) from 31 August 1991 (the date of the Independence Day and the collapse of the Soviet Era) to 2000, vi) from 2000 to present (Revival of Islam and other sects). The study discusses the development of islam in Kyrgyzstan at the above periods. Also, the development of post-Soviet democratic reforms in the Kyrgyz Republic has enabled the provision of many Islamic literatures, basic human rights, including the right to religious freedom. A democratic and open atmosphere in post-Soviet time had increased faith of true believers, however, is also attracted all kinds of non-traditional religious sects and groups. Thus, religion policy is used for various strategic and ideological dimensions and the role of religion in politics and in the life of society must be considered as one of the most important topic.

Legal Implications of Conversion to Islam on Civil Marriage: Narrative of Converts in Malaysia

Due to a complex legal system in Malaysia, Muslim converts were left with no other option but to negotiate with their spouse to convert or file a petition for divorce in court. This study intends to explore the legal discourse and narratives of Muslim converts on the legal implications of their conversion to Islam, particularly in the cases of dissolution of civil marriage. To obtain the narratives of Muslim converts whom experienced this issue, this study employed in-depth semi-structured interviews with 9 participants (7 Indians, 1 Chinese, and 1 Bumiputera) whom are high-profile Muslim converts in urban Malaysia. This research has found that some participants in this study shared their narratives on how Malaysian law, both civil and Islamic law, has significant implications that affects converts’ marital lives and family dynamics. This study can become the foundation for an urgent call to revise the relevant laws, especially relating to the definition of People of the Book (Kitabiyyah), the period allocated for the non-Muslim spouse to convert to Islam, and the abolition of legal process of civil marriage dissolution in Shariah court. Beyond Malaysia, this study is important to depict how religious conversion impacts individuals, family dynamics and relations within a multi-ethnic and multi-faith society.

Religious World Views, Diverse Classrooms and Curriculum

This article explores religious literacy, curriculum and teacher preparedness in the Australian State of Victoria. I consider aspects of the historical and socio-cultural context for religious learning in Australian schools and indicate the diversity of opinion and belief across and within Christian denominations and other major religious tradition about matters of personal morality, diversity and secular authority. I argue that this diversity of world views in Australian multi-faith and multicultural society adds a significant complexity to the role of teachers in their attempts to enact Government mandated curriculum documents.