Reading Religious Texts Research Articles

Religion and Suicide in Black Emerging Adults: Examining Pathways Through Hope and Meaning in Life.

While suicide persists as a leading cause of death for Black emerging adults in the U.S., few studies identify specific positive psychological mechanisms that can be leveraged to reduce future risk. The current study, therefore, explores whether religion is related to suicidal ideation via hope and meaning in life among a sample of n = 375 Black emerging adults ages 18-25-years-old (M = 20.79, SD = 2.22). Structural equation modeling techniques were used to measure direct and indirect associations. Primary results indicate that non-organizational religiosity (e.g., reading religious texts, listening to religious music, prayer) was positively associated with hope, presence of meaning in life, and search for meaning in life. Presence of meaning in life was the strongest contributor to decreased suicidal ideation. Further, non-organizational religiosity was indirectly associated with less suicidal ideation via hope and presence of meaning in life. Personal forms of religious involvement, and not service attendance, appear to be the most salient aspects of religion to consider when exploring pathways between religion and suicidality during this particular developmental stage.

Changing Status of Immigrant Women in Bharati Mukherjee’s Jasmine

Women have higher social, economic, political, and overall status than they had in ancient times and the Middle Ages. They were perceived as the only way to satiate men’s physical cravings and ensure their progeny. In the social sphere, they observed purdah, were never permitted to choose their partners, and had limited freedom for education. Women were completely denied access to education; husbands were given the status of god for women; polygyny was accepted; and women were prohibited from making sacrifices, praying, and reading religious texts. At the moment, women have significantly more social and legal rights, as well as greater independence, voice and participation in public life. However, it is also true that they are still subjected to exploitation, harassment, humiliation, and discrimination. Ignoring all these, nowadays women are stepping forward and often becoming prominent in the fields of politics, literature, education, and religion, and they are shining in the world.

Rereading Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd’s method of interpreting religious texts

The contemporary Qur’anic studies have been marked by amazing development. Various methods and approaches to understand the Qur’an are offered by the scholars. One of the prominent figures in this field is Nashr Hamid Abu Zayd. Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd (1943–2010 M) is a highly controversial contemporary thinker. He is an Egyptian scholar who is accused of being apostate, because of his theory of qur’anic hermeneutic (the textual of Qur’an). This is reflected in his stances towards contemporary religious discourse and the approach to reading religious texts, especially the Quran, which requires reading according to a hermeneutic mechanism. His books ‘Naqd al-Khitab al-Dini (Criticism of Religious Discourse)’ and ‘Al-Takfir fi Zaman al-Takfir (Thinking in the Time of Atonement)’ caused a great uproar in the early nineties of the last century. Abu Zayd was accused of criticising atheists because of their stances on the text. Therefore, this study aimed to discuss Abu Zayd’s position on contemporary religious discourse and his new approach to reading religious texts, and also aims to discuss why Abu Zayd’s theory has been string up Islamic world and ending by his expulsive from his native country. To deal with this problem, this article discusses Abd Zayd’s biography and some cultural framework of his people. The methodology of Qur’anic hermeneutic is the least his. Having examined the topic, the author finds that Abu Zayd believes that modem literary theory and criticism denote the way to understand and interpret the Qur’an ‘objectively’. The contribution of this research is discussing Abu Zayd’s contemporary religious discourse and his new approach to reading religious texts.Contribution: The contribution of this research is discussing Abu Zayd’s contemporary religious discourse and his new approach to reading religious texts.

The Discourse on Sexuality in Islamic Bioethics Perspective Ingrid Mattson

Recently, the issue of sexuality in Islamic bioethics has often led to discrimination on gender issues, especially against women. The model for reading religious texts influenced by patriarchal culture and the massive development of health technology are allegedly the two reasons for this problem. This article examines sexuality in the discourse of Islamic bioethics developed by Ingrid Mattson. This article is included in qualitative research with the type of literature study. The discourse on sexuality in Islamic bioethics developed by Ingrid Mattson is a material object in this research. At the same time, the formal object of this research is discourse theory. The three points described in this study include; what is the form of discourse reading religious texts about sexuality in Islamic bioethics from the perspective of Ingrid Mattson, what are the background factors, and what are the implications. As a result, Ingrid Mattson's reading of religious texts must present the historicity of each verse and consider a gender balance. The factor that causes this discourse to exist is discrimination, verses that defend women in sexuality. This discourse's implications can unravel the discrimination problem that often befalls women and children.

Relevansi Penguasaan Nahwu dan Sharf dengan Kemampuan Membaca Teks-Teks Keagamaan Teungku Dayah Aceh

This research is important to discuss based on the phenomenon of teungku dayah errors in reading religious texts in Aceh. This study aims to determine the relevance between mastery of Nahwu and Sharf with the ability to read religious texts owned by tengku dayah and examine the causal factors from the perspective of Nahwu and Sharf. Dayah Darussalam, Labuhan Haji, South Aceh District, was chosen as the research location because it is one of the oldest in Aceh. This study uses field research methods with a qualitative approach. The data were obtained from in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation of the curriculum applied at the dayah. All the data obtained were analyzed descriptively and qualitatively. The study results show that learning Nahwu and Sharf in the Acehnese dayah is generally carried out in two types of learning programs: regular and extracurricular. Teungku Dayah's ability to read religious texts in Aceh could be much higher. This is indicated by the many mistakes they made when reading religious texts, both in terms of Nahwu and Sharf. Among the contributing factors is the absence of a dayah curriculum related to active Arabic practice and tahsin al-Qur'an.

DEMENTIA CAREGIVERS: THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL DISTANCING ON RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL PRACTICE AND BEHAVIORAL SYMPTOMS

Abstract Prevalent among older adults with Alzheimer’s disease related dementia (ADRD), behavioral symptoms can cause adverse consequences for those with ADRD and their caregivers. Prompting earlier institutionalization and increased rapid cognitive decline, behavioral disturbances are difficult to manage. Social isolation prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic limited social and religious activities utilized by caregivers and older adults with ADRD for coping and may have affected behavioral symptoms and overall well-being. This qualitative study aimed to explore the impact of the pandemic on behavioral symptoms, religious and spiritual (R/S) utilization for coping, and well-being in caregivers and older adults with ADRD. A purposive sample of 7 home family caregivers and 7 nursing home caregivers (4 indirect family caregivers, 3 nurse practitioners) actively caring for an older adult with ADRD participated in semi-structured telephone interviews. Directed content analysis was used to analyze data. While behavioral symptoms increased overall for older adults with ADRD and social R/S practice abruptly declined, they still utilized individual R/S resources for coping such as prayers, reading religious texts, and holding a prayer book which provided a calming effect, decreased their anxiety, and prompted memories. Caregivers participated in R/S virtual groups which calmed them, connected them with others, helped them transition to sleep, and prompted mindfulness. Resources and interventions utilizing social and individual R/S for coping are warranted as they have the potential to promote cognitive stimulation, connection with others, decrease neuropsychiatric symptoms, and decrease stress.

Islamic discourse and the problematic of its reading in the light of religious texts

Speech is an important means of communication with humans, individuals and groups, in addition to its importance in shaping the mental environment and mental formation of the human being, guiding individuals and changing the reality of societies from one case to another. From this point of view, the discourse was characterized as moving and changing with specific goals and objectives. As for the concept of religious discourse, it refers to the understanding of religion in the light of the data of the age, stipulating the existence of a person who is reconciled and aware of his time, who participates in it efficiently and who relies on a religious authority in addressing it, its rulings and its statements. This paper deals with the problem of reading religious texts (Islamic as a model), a new reading that keeps pace with developments in light of religious and sectarian pluralism, a reading that is a reason to move the receiver’s horizon, and legislate the horizon of interpretation, and aims to achieve peaceful coexistence between different individuals with different religious and sectarian orientations.

Religious Involvement and Sleep Among Older African Americans.

Objective: This study sought to determine whether religious involvement is associated with sleep quality in a nationally representative sample of older African Americans. Methods: The analytic sample included African American respondents aged 55+ from the National Survey of American Life-Reinterview (N = 459). Religious involvement variables included service attendance, reading religious texts, watching religious television programs, listening to religious radio programs, prayer, and subjective religiosity. Sleep outcomes were restless sleep and sleep satisfaction. Multiple linear regression analysis was used. Results: Watching religious television programs was associated with more restless sleep. Respondents who attended religious services less than once a year, at least once a week, or nearly every day reported greater sleep satisfaction than respondents who never attended religious services. Subjective religiosity was associated with lower sleep satisfaction. Discussion: The findings demonstrate the importance of examining a variety of religious involvement domains, which could point to different explanatory pathways between religious involvement and sleep.

Individuals’ Use of Religion in Response to the COVID‐19 Pandemic as Complementary to Their Use of Medically Recommended Responses

Many individuals have engaged in behaviors to cope with and mitigate the COVID‐19 pandemic, including mask wearing and physical distancing. This study considers the extent to which individuals have also engaged in religious behaviors in response to the pandemic and how those responses are associated with behaviors like mask wearing. Using data from a probability survey of U.S. adults, our analysis finds that over half of the respondents have engaged in pandemic‐related prayer and about one‐fifth have taken other religious steps in response to the pandemic, such as reading religious texts or carrying religious items for protection. All else being equal, Republicans are significantly less likely to have undertaken religious steps in response to the pandemic relative to Democrats, suggesting that the politicized nature of the pandemic influences religious responses as well. The analysis also finds that religious responses to the pandemic—especially prayer—are positively associated with mask wearing and physical distancing. These findings suggest that religious responses to the pandemic are not inherently opposed to undertaking responses recommended by scientific and medical authorities.

Why does your pain never get better? Stigma and coping mechanism in people with sickle cell disease.

to analyze the characteristics of stigma in the interactions of people with pain and sickle cell disease and the coping strategies adopted. qualitative study, conducted in Bahia's reference units between January and July 2018. In-depth interviews were applied to 25 adults, followed by content analysis and interpretation in light of the Sociological Theory of Stigma. four categories emerged from the data: Stigma in interactions with family members; Stigma in interactions with people in the general public; Stigma in interactions with health workers; and Strategies for coping with stigma. in the participants' interactions, stigma produced discrediting pain reports, labeling and stereotyping, blaming patients for not improving their health, discrimination, racism, inadequate pain assessment, and delay in care. Coping included silencing, covering up, aggressive behavior, exposure to risk, reading religious texts and praises, and church attendance.

Woman-Initiated Divorce and Feminist Fiqh in Indonesia: Narrating Male Acts of Nushūz in Marriage

This article examines the issue of woman-initiated divorce (cerai gugat) for the controversial reason in Indonesian Islam known as nushūz suami or a husband’s disobedience in marriage. In contrast to the Indonesian Compilation of Islamic Law which applies nushūz (disobedience) to wives only, our arguments draw on feminist jurisprudence (fiqh) to show how nushūz also applies to husbands who do not fulfill marital obligations. A husband’s nushūz is overlooked by classical scholars and Indonesian Islamic Law alike, yet when understood in a Qur’anic feminist context, it gives a depth of understanding about women’s choice to divorce as part of a wider gender justice process and the ‘gendering’ of divorce. Based on women’s post-divorce narratives about nushūz, we propose a feminist fiqh understanding of gender equality situated in tawḥīd as a concept with the potential to form egalitarian-inspired persons (muslimah reformis) and ‘essential’ and ‘true’ justice (keadilan hakiki), through reading religious texts and producing knowledge and policies that include women’s experiences and voices along with those of men’s (mubādalah).

JUDEUS, CATÓLICOS E PROTESTANTES NA TERRA DO AÇUCAR: AFINIDADES E DIVERGÊNCIAS

A Igreja Católica era hegemônica no período colonial, porém outras confissões religiosas também constituíam o campo religioso, a exemplo do Judaísmo, o Protestantismo, as Religiões Xamânicas Indígenas e as Religiões de Matrizes Africanas, condenadas como heresias, feitiçarias, passíveis de perseguição pela Inquisição. A Igreja Católica era o inimigo comum de judeus e protestantes, os quais mantinham afinidades e redes de sociabilidade, que contemplavam negócios e a leitura de textos sagrados. Com a dominação holandesa no Nordeste, especialmente no período de Nassau, houve uma certa tolerância religiosa, vigiada pelos clérigos calvinistas, ciosos de suas doutrinas

HERMENEUTIKA KHALED M. ABOU EL FADL TENTANG KONSEP OTORITARIANISME DALAM HUKUM ISLAM

Khaled M. Abou el-Fadl is one of the contemporary Islamic thinkers who offers a model of reading religious texts which he considers authoritative. The phenomenon of authoritarianism or self-determination in the name of religion and God in Islamic thought, according to Khaled M. Abou el-Fadl, happens a lot as evidenced in his research which focuses on the study of Islamic law that has been carried out by Wahabi puritans in the CRLO fatwa institutions that provide many fatwas which is considered to be very gender biased. Khaled M. Abou el-Fadl offers authoritative hermeneutics as a criticism as well as a methodological tool for dissecting and interpreting Islamic texts, specifically in the realm of Islamic law, namely by paying attention to three things, First, relating to competence (authenticity test); second, related to accuracy; third, with regard to representation in Islam

The Determination of Spiritual Needs in Elderly, Hospitalised and Muslim Patients

Background: Spiritual concerns are especially important for older people and those faced with their own mortality. This study was conducted to determine the spiritual needs and level of satisfaction of hospitalised patients aged ＞ 75 years. Methods: This descriptive study included patients aged ＞ 75 years who were hospitalised in eastern cities of Turkey. Data including socio-demographic variables and spiritual needs were collected on questionnaires. The results were presented as frequency and standard deviation. Results: The patients comprised 53.8% females and 46.2% males with a mean age of 79.5 ± 0.3 years, and 81.2% were illiterate. In respect of daily living activities, 18.8% were interdependent for bathing, and the interdependent rate was high for instrumental activities. The spiritual needs of the patients were defined as praying (96.3%), reading religious texts (96.3%), attending religious services (95.0%) and being together with family (91.3%). The rate of spiritual needs was determined to be high. Conclusion: When it is considered that spirituality has a positive effect on the life hope of patients, spiritual care is more valuable than many medical interventions for elderly and terminally ill patients. Education and awareness of health professionals is important. Arrangements should be made in hospitals for the spiritual needs of patients to be met. Finally, more comprehensive studies are needed to examine spiritual care and effects.

Faith and Reason: an Alternative Gandhian Understanding

Liberal theory and practice rests upon, and constantly re-affirms, a division between the secular/rational and the religious/faithful aspects of individual life. This paper will explore the philosophical implications of an alternative Gandhian understanding of the role of faith and reason in individual life. The paper will argue that M K Gandhi thought of moral life differently from both the religious traditionalist and the liberal. The distinctiveness of Gandhi’s vision came from the manner in which he could reconcile two very different ways of thinking about the good human life. These could be simply put as the religious insight (which is well articulated in the Aristotelian position) into the good life as an essentially integrated life and the alternative liberal insight that morality was better connected with the idea of universalizability/reciprocity. The first section of this paper entitled “An alternative Gandhian understanding of faith, reason, and the integrity of the good life” philosophically unpacks Gandhi’s arguments about the integrity between faith and reason in reading religious texts with a view to living a good life. The second section is entitled “On religious belief: Gandhi and liberalism”. It brings out the differences between Gandhi and liberals on faith, reason, and the truth of religious belief. Both Gandhi and the liberals agree that religious beliefs should be held with modesty. However, the liberal argument for modesty comes from an avowed skepticism about the truth of religious belief. It is such skepticism that philosophically grounds the liberal division between faith and reason. In this section, there will be an attempt to bring out Gandhi’s reasons for being modest about religious beliefs held with certitude. The paper ends with the thought that though one cannot say which of these positions on faith and reason—Gandhian or liberal—is more coherent, there is some reason for exploring the Gandhian position if only because religious persons can act on Gandhi’s arguments quite consistently with their faith.

Pembacaan Lintas Tekstual: Tantangan Ber-Hermeneutik Alkitab Asia (2)

This article (part two) evaluates the examples given from the works of Asian theologians (in part one) by considering their hermeneutical positions in the inter-scriptural discussion through the insights of the theology of religions and interreligious hospitality. Herewith, the insights of theology of religion as a critical lens. The next step is an elaboration of the examples through this lens. Afterwards, the historical developments behind the cross-textual reading are also briefl y searched. The following discussions include Archie Lee’s approach which emphasizes (a) the relation between text and the context of readers within their Asian hybrid set of locations as well as (b) the process of interrelating the two texts with each other. Some critical remarks as well as constructive contributions to the post-colonial bible reading and Indonesian contextual reading are raised. At last, this article offers a hermeneutical standpoint by elaborating how a cross-textual reading of sacred texts can function as an important instrument within the field of interreligious dialogue.

PERGESERAN PARADIGMA TAFSIR ALA LINGUIS (Studi atas Kitab “Qira’ah Mu’ashirah” Karya Muhammad Syahrur)

This article attempts to explore one perspective of the knowledge of the Qur'an and interpretation. Muhammad Shahrur ad-Dayyub, a linguist with civil engineering background, offers a new approach to understanding the Qur'an. Syahrur's concept about Qur'an which published in "Al-Kitab wa al-Qur'an: Qira'ah Mu’ashirah" has been offered as the most ideal contemporary reading method in accordance with the present social dynamics. In this case, Shahrur wanted the Qur'an to be placed in a position as if it had just been revealed. The offer has been deconstructed as well as the scientific reconstruction of the Qur'an and interpretations that have been "considered" to be accepted. Some view Syahur concept as novelty that needs to be positively appreciated in the creative discourse of reading religious texts. But not a few also respond to his thoughts with criticism and even blasphemy.

Caring and thriving: An international qualitative study of caregivers of orphaned and vulnerable children and strategies to sustain positive mental health

BackgroundChild well-being is associated with caregiver mental health. Research has focused on the absence or presence of mental health problems, such as depression, in caregivers. However, positive mental health – defined as the presence of positive emotions, psychological functioning, and social functioning – likely prevents depression and in caregivers may benefit children more than the mere absence of mental health problems. Little attention has been given to how caregivers sustain positive mental health, particularly when doing challenging work in impoverished settings. ObjectiveThe study's objective was to determine what successful caregivers of orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) in diverse countries do to sustain their positive mental health. MethodsUsing a mixed-methods, cross-sectional study design, trained local interviewers recruited a convenience sample of OVC caregivers through residential care institutions from five geographic regions (Kenya; Ethiopia; Cambodia; Hyderabad, India; and Nagaland, India). Participants completed surveys and in-depth interviews about strategies used to sustain their mental health over time or improve it during challenging times. ResultsSixty-nine OVC caregivers from 28 residential care institutions participated. Positive mental health survey scores were high. We organized the strategies named into six categories ordered from most to least frequently named: Religious Practices; Engaging in Caregiving; Social Support; Pleasurable Activities; Emotion Regulation; and Removing Oneself from Work. Prayer and reading religious texts arose as common strategies. Participants reported promoting positive emotions by focusing on their work's meaning and playing with children. The similar findings across diverse regions were striking. Some differences included more emphasis on emotion control in Ethiopia; listening to music/singing in Kenya and Hyderabad; and involving children in the tasks the participants enjoyed less (e.g., cleaning) in Cambodia. ConclusionsUnder real-world conditions, small daily activities appeared to help sustain positive mental health. In addition, fostering structures that allow caregivers to engage regularly in rewarding caregiving tasks may be an affordable and scalable idea which could potentially benefit caregivers, children, and employers.

Who Wears the Hijab? Predictors of Veiling in Greater Jakarta

Indonesia is home to the world's largest Muslim population. In contrast to much of the Middle East, veiling in Indonesia is neither a deeply rooted cultural practice, nor it is universally practised among Muslim women. Just 30 years ago it was rare to see an Indonesian woman wearing a hijab or veil. Today, veiling has become a relatively common practice, particularly among middle-class Muslim women living in urban areas. Although statistics on the prevalence of veiling are scant, the fact of growing use of headscarves is widely accepted in the literature. This paper examines sociodemographic correlates of veiling among young women in the capital region of Indonesia. We analyse a representative sample of 1443 Muslim women aged 20–34 in Greater Jakarta in 2010. About 26% of the women surveyed wore the veil. We found a moderately strong association between veiling and other measures of religiosity, including self-reported subjective religiosity and frequency of reading religious texts. Our multivariate analysis suggests a positive association between educational attainment and the likelihood of veiling among young Muslim women. In discussing these findings, we draw upon the qualitative component of our study and the literature on Islam, gender, and modernity in Indonesia. The paper highlights the difficulty encountered examining the practice of veiling as a binary choice, and as a measure of religiosity.

Pembacaan Lintas Tekstual: Tantangan Ber-Hermeneutik Alkitab Asia (1)

In the present article I offer a discussion of Asian Biblical Hermeneutics and its relationship to postcolonial biblical criticism, which partly implicated to a multi-faith hermeneutical method. It included the examination of several issues such as the location of the application of the method, methodical options, critical appraisal to the method, as well as its significance for contextual Bible study within my Asian and Indonesian contexts. I put forward as well a critical discussion of several examples of the way Asian hermeneuticians and theologians using the method. I conclude it with my own hermeneutical standpoint through the elaboration on a cross-textual reading of sacred texts and its function as an important instrument within the field of interreligious dialogue.