Religion In Contemporary Society Research Articles

“Wenn es nur einmal so ganz stille wäre...”

This article is a revised version of the inaugural lecture delivered on 5 October2023, on the occasion of the author's appointment as Professor of History of Religions at Lund University. It opens by depicting fundamental changes in the study of the history of religions in the twentieth century, followed by biographical notes, including her research on lay Buddhism in urban Taiwan, the emphasis on sensual dimensions of religious practice and the aesthetics of religion, and international academic networking in the analysis of practices of prognostication between Asia and Europe. Three areas are outlined that are central to the author's current research. It is pointed out that a focus on religion in contemporary society certainly includes a healthy awareness of current developments in the politics of religion, particularly in East Asia. In addition, the article addresses two fields of research that the author is currently engaged in: (1) The emergence of "Life Education" as a school subject in Greater China and the pedagogical shift that goes along with it. Particularly in Taiwan, this new subject is tailored to create a space for juveniles to develop self-reflection and life orientation in a success-oriented society while a new trust in religious organizations leads to the organizations' active engagement in these developments. The author is especially interested in how the transforming relationship between religion and public education gains special relevance in a comparative perspective between Asia and Europe. (2) Religious change in East Asia is evident in Buddhist ritual practices that are impacted by a consumer society that moulds emotionally profound experiences into marketable and distinct units that Eva Illouz has termed "emodities". Religious practices are subject to change in our contemporary world as they are reshaped by a growing global digitalized consumer culture. Tracing these changes leads to a deeper understanding of the underlying forces that distinctly reshape contemporary religious life.

Religion after Critique

Abstract In the last few decades, religion and its terms have shown to be implicated in projects of colonial modernity. While this critique of religion is now generally accepted, the term continues to be used in the field with little regard to its history and its colonial construction. This essay aims to bring greater attention to the continuing relevance of religion in contemporary society as articulated in postcolonial scholarship. It proposes closer attention to the critique of religion in the work of David Chidester, Talal Asad and Charles Long. Two distinct dimensions of religion are identified in their work. The first is a construction of religion in colonial modernity, while the second suggests ways of studying religions in light of this construction. I show in this essay that their work points to multiple complementary ways of studying religions in the contemporary. Their work suggests that the field of religious studies cannot ignore its discursive history and construction.

“Value-Conditioned Interest”: Secularity, Institutional Support, and the Sociology of Religion in Graduate Departments

ABSTRACT Although religion once played a central role in sociological inquiry, today it has fallen from prominence and now occupies a marginal space in the field. Sociologists of religion suggest that this neglect can be explained by the unusual irreligiosity of academia. However, some are hopeful that changes to graduate training and other institutional interventions can overcome this propensity and encourage more sociological engagement with religion, one of the most influential forces in contemporary society. Drawing on a new dataset of 473 sociology graduate students in the top 25 departments in the United States, we assess how personal secularity and departmental support for religious inquiry predict sociological engagement with religion. Personal secularity is a strong predictor of the decision to study religion and of the overall perception of the relevance of religion in contemporary society. Coming from a department where religion is discussed and faculty pursue research on religion predicts the perception of religion’s relevance for the secular majority. Our findings contribute to the understanding of sociological knowledge creation and how individual and institutional proclivities – together – shape what we deem important enough to study.

Dogmatic Criticism towards the Need of Religion: An Islamic Response

This analytical study delves into the subject of dogmatic criticism concerning the necessity of religion, focusing specifically on Islam's response. It aims to explore the various dimensions of dogmatic criticism and its impact on religious belief systems, particularly within the context of Islam. The study also seeks to examine Islam's multifaceted responses to these critiques. By analyzing the interplay between dogmatic criticism and Islam's response, this study aims to shed light on the complexities surrounding the need for religion in contemporary society.

THE METAMORPHOSIS OF RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY

The article analyzes the metamorphoses of religious faith in contemporary society and especially the influence of the process of globalization and secularization on religion. The specific hypothesis of the study is related to the fact that at the global level, one aspect of the recent religious changes is the scale taken by the religious movements, aiming at both the revival of tradition and the global and local manifestation of new religious movements. The main purpose of the research is to study religious movements that are conceived as responses to globalization. It gives us the opportunity to analyze the New Age movement and the discourse of spirituality in the universalist way. Based on the purpose, the following objectives were developed: identifying the role of religion in contemporary society; description of the paradox of modernity with the emergence of new religious movements; projecting religious mutations on today’s multicultural society. The main study methods used are the method of direct observation, the method of content analysis and the method of social documentation. By means of these methods it was identified about the cultural manifestations of religious and spiritual metamorphoses as basic elements of the global society through which cultural identity and religious identity are affirmed. This research results in several findings: the crisis of traditional values leads to the permanent search for new cultural and religious models, the differentiation of contemporary society in multicultural and multi-religious terms has created individual variants of perception of conceptions about life, group identity leads to the change of personal identity.

РОЛЬ РУССКОЙ ПРАВОСЛАВНОЙ ЦЕРКВИ КАК ИНСТИТУТА ГРАЖДАНСКОГО ОБЩЕСТВА В СОВРЕМЕННОЙ РОССИИ

The role of religion in contemporary societies is analyzed. The article substantiates the thesis that the Russian Orthodox Church plays an important role in solving the problems facing the Russian state, but its potential has not been exhausted. Based on this, measures are proposed aimed at improving the effectiveness of interaction between state and church authorities.

Images of the urban religious landscape: Gen Z seek out the sacred in the city

ABSTRACT In spite of growing attention among geographers to the diversity of religious spaces, young adults’ perceptions of such sites and their relevance in contemporary society remain relatively under-researched. In response, this article focuses on Generation Z undergraduates’ conceptualizations of religious space and engagement with broader questions pertaining to the sacralization of urban sites. The students identified a wide range of urban sites beyond places of worship as religious—including murals, storefronts, sidewalk decorations and tattoos – and in the process revealed the pervasiveness of religion and religious spaces, thereby uncovering some new possible directions for geographical inquiry. Moreover, they shared their attitudes regarding contested issues like gentrification and the commodification of religious symbols, and in relation the place of religion in contemporary society. By gaining such a glimpse into the worldviews of Generation Z, we may develop a better understanding of the ways that they perceive religious space and its relevance to urban life.

Archetypal Motherhood and the National Agenda: The Case of the Indian Muslim Women

The grand narratives of Mother India posit women’s emancipation as the central concern, insisting on her public participation in the educational and economic sectors. The relegation of the archetypal motherhood to the national periphery is strictly rooted in the Hindu traditional culture. The schisms of caste, class, and religion in contemporary society are normalised whilst the gendered undercurrents of domestic violence, chauvinism and religious sensibilities are ignored. Such polished idealisms are, in fact, far from the living reality of most women and girls across all spheres in the country. By reviewing notable texts from past and present, this research problematises the position of Muslim women in India, specifically during the nationalistic discourse and post-independent era. The national freedom struggle movement assured a democratic constitution, which primed Mother India as the figurative Indian woman encrypting ideologies from socio-religious discourses. The grand narratives often become instrumental in politicising the vested interest of the hegemonic class. The struggles of Muslim women were foregrounded not only in the gendered disparity of the religious domain but also in the socio-cultural disparities which excluded them from the domain of Indian womanhood. Mainstream history, literature and even women development organisations deliberately typified Muslim women along with the religious discourse. Briefly, in this paper, we infer that Muslim women were rendered invisible in the limelight of the archetypal Mother India, denying their social, political, cultural and literary participation. They were thus subjected to constitutional othering by the mainstream socio-political entities (who subjected them) at the onset of nationalism, which continues to exist in post-colonial discourses where women are expected to constantly negotiate their religious identity over their national identity.

Gender in Theology and Religion: A Success Story?! Report from a Conference

In January 2011 some fifty scholars from different parts of Europe met in Groningen, the Netherlands for an expert meeting entitled Gender in theology and religion: a success story?! to analyze the factors that contribute to the successful mainstreaming of gender in a theological discipline and to reflect on the future of gender studies in theology and religious studies. Different speakers highlighted the many successes of gender studies in theology and religious studies: its power to 'trouble' the disciplines and their heuristic categories; its contribution to the development of other disciplines such as queer studies and postcolonial studies; the many PhD studies produced; the number of significant publications that had appeared over the last years. All indicate that gender studies in theology and religious studies have matured. But the participants also pointed towards the ambiguity of the success of gender studies in the academy: the indeterminacy of the institutional position and positions of gender studies in the theological disciplines in seminaries, departments faculties and universities; the lack of male scholars’ engagement in gender studies, which is expressed by their absence in these studies and/or the low reception of gender studies publications in their disciplines. Both ambiguities represent a danger for the future of gender studies, according to the participants in the meeting. In order to further the success of gender in theology and religion they formulated the following recommendations: to analyze the position of these studies in their institutions from the perspective of the implied audience (church, academy, ordinary theologians); engage men in gender studies; embrace the cultural turn in religious studies; develop interdisciplinary cooperations with gender studies in the humanities; engage creatively with the changing role of religion in contemporary society; analyze whose perspective one follows and authorizes in the perception of theology, religious studies and gender studies themselves; record the history of women’s and gender studies in theology and religion, and honor and celebrate the successes.

Persuasion without Words: Confucian Persuasion and the Supernatural

This article revisits the nonverbal rhetorical tradition in Confucianism and examines how Confucianism actualized the tradition through its careful consideration of supernatural forces. In Confucianism, genuine persuasion produces actual change and transformation of one’s course of action, not merely verbal conviction. Speech only is not enough to genuinely persuade others. A speaker must transform others by his exemplary acts in the rites and holy ceremonies where supernatural forces and the notion of the afterlife hold a significant place. While Confucius was not interested in discussing the existence of demons and ghosts or their actual function in society, he recognized that their supposed and assumed existence in holy rites would provide society with an opportunity for genuine persuasion, which leads people to actual changes and reforms in their political and moral life. Discussing the nonverbal mode of persuasion in Confucianism may enhance contemporary democracy in two aspects. First, nonverbal persuasion recognizes those who may have difficulty in actively participating in verbal communication, such as the disabled, immigrants, foreigners, and politically and socially marginalized people, in political discourses. Second, the positive role of civic religion in contemporary societies may be discovered.

Redefining the Role of Religion in Contemporary Society: Pope Francis and Sheikh Ahmad Muhammad al-Tayyeb

This paper discusses the position of religion in contemporary society by examining the religious thoughts of two prominent religious leaders: Pope Francis from the Catholic Church and Sheikh Ahmad Muhammad al-Tayyeb from Al-Azhar University, Egypt. The meeting between Pope Francis and Sheikh Ahmad Muhammad al-Tayyeb in Abu Dhabi (February 2019) is a starting point for understanding the process by which the two religious leaders redefined the role of religion in society. Moreover, their responses to contemporary social issues such as terrorism, ecological crisis, war, and social injustices also show how they redefined the role of religion. While each religious leader formulates theological account into its religious tradition, it is obvious that the role of religion for social transformation and humanity is shown to be the central concern of the two religious’ leaders. The two religious traditions go further to put religion as a fundamental agent for society transformation.

Conundrum of religious mafia and legislation in South Africa: When does religion become a national threat? Reference to the Seven Angels Ministry

In this theoretical article, I analyse the hearing of the Seven Angels Ministry before the Commission for Religious and Linguistic Rights, and subsequent events that led to the killing of police and army officers at the Ngcobo Police Station. Informed by critical emancipatory research theory, I unpack the emerging nexus of the state, gender, legislation, religious freedom and human rights in the context of religious mafia. I answer two questions in relation to the Seven Angels Ministry and the Ngcobo killings: ‘What are the tenets of a mafiarised religion?’ and ‘What can be done to mitigate the challenge?’ I argue that a philosophical understanding of the constitution, education, gender and politics as practiced by the Seven Angels Ministry presents a trajectory of religion in contemporary society that must be problematised, unearthed and challenged to produce a world order that is responsive to societal needs and devoid of oppression and coloniality. I also argue that while religious freedom is a human right, it is important that legislation protects citizens from religious mafias, particularly when religious discourses negate schooling, promote gender inequality and emphasise constitutional delinquency. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The article is interdisciplinary in the sense that it addresses the issues of education, constitutionalism, gender, child abuse and a need for a theology that challenges religious mafia exhibited by some religious movements. It calls for a change in legislation, and a different approach to theology as well as in curricula to address lived realities.

Minjung Theology in Contemporary Korea: Liberation Theology and a Reconsideration of Secularization Theory

The Sewol Ferry tragedy in April 2014 has drawn a renewed attention to the role of religion in South Korea. Theologians and religiously-motivated NGOs in Korea at the time and thereafter have called for the need for religion, and religious organizations, to become more actively involved with societal needs, especially after disasters, to help alleviate their pain by providing relief aid and counselling. Such calls for the greater involvement of religion in relief efforts have coincided with Pope Francis’ repeated calls for the Catholic Church’s greater involvement in social affairs on behalf of the poor and the underprivileged. This paper contends that these developments in and outside of Korea provide an opportune time to renew discussion on oft-misunderstood liberation theology. This is because the latter’s advocacy of an interpretation of the teachings of Jesus Christ from the perspective of the poor and the marginalized for the purpose of alleviating unjust economic, social, or political conditions is as compelling today as it was some 60 years ago when it first arose. The paper offers a reassessment of the role of religion in light of liberation theology, arguing that religion can make itself more relevant to people’s lives today by engaging more actively with social issues. The paper will pay special attention to liberation theology in the Korean context, namely minjungshinhak or “people’s theology.” The paper also discusses the implications of liberation theology for secularization theory, arguing, among others, that the former refutes the “decline of religion” thesis of the latter, since liberation theology manifests a different role of religion in contemporary society rather than its diminishing significance.

Sacred Places and Sustainable Development

Religious beliefs are not only profound, some of them are also pervasive, persistent and persuasive. It follows that the cultural and religious experiences of communities often play a central role in determining their worldviews and the ways in which they understand their own circumstances. These worldviews, it follows, can thereby assist in providing narratives for community development in places that have particular meaning to these communities and individuals within them, and thereby enhance the long-term success of such initiatives. One often-overlooked aspect in research up until recently is the role that these often sacred places can play in sustainable development. This paper undertakes a study of development spaces situated in sacred places, in this case of a women’s Buddhist monastery on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand, devoted to gender equity. It begins with an overview of research pertaining to religion and development, religion in contemporary societies, and sacred places, and concludes with an analysis of the case study data that recognizes the need to consider the significance of sacred places, and narratives attached to them, in sustainable community development.

Creating Otherness

This article contributes to the ongoing theoretical and empirical discussions within the studies of media and religion on the interaction of these social institutions in contemporary society. Firstly, we locate our research questions within the recent theoretical debates on relations between media and religion in contemporary society, the US, Western Europe and, particularly, postcommunist countries. Secondly, we discuss the representations of minority religions in Lithuanian media grounding on the empirical research of Lithuanian media in 2000-2012. Results of the empirical research showed that minority religions in Lithuanian media were represented mostly in a negative and scandalous context. The majority of articles contained various rhetorical strategies which strengthened the proposed viewpoints. Opinions of the members of minority religions, experts and society were the most common information source dealt with in the analysed articles.

Used Sources of Spiritual Growth for Spanish University Students

Although some research has suggested means of promoting spiritual development in higher education, no systematic studies or literature reviews have been conducted to know what sources are most used for the spiritual growth of university students. This aspect was studied in a sample of 309 Spanish university students (Mean age = 21.40, range 18–25). The used sources were (in descending order) as follows: the practice of a virtuous behavior, cognitive-reflexive, nature-based, cultural, and religious sources. Women showed a higher use of cognitive-reflective and virtuous behavior-based sources. Age was related only and negatively to the use of religious sources. These results are consistent with previous studies indicating a greater religiosity in women and a lesser importance of religion in contemporary society and, particularly, in the life of young adults. However, taken as a whole, they indicate the importance of sociological and cultural aspects, in particular of the movement from traditional religiosity to religious indifference and dissatisfaction with institutional religion and/or toward spiritual movements linked to humanistic religions and spiritualities of life. It also points out the need to use a variety of strategies to foster the spiritual development of students.

Religion, Resistance, and Contentious Politics in China (中国的宗教、抵抗与抗争政治)

In this essay, I present the concepts of religious resistance and contentious politics, in which religions represent a source of inspiration, before moving to the issue of how these concepts apply to China. I note that there is little literature on this particular subject, which is always politically sensitive. As the Communist Party of China has increasingly recognized the relevance of religion in contemporary society, it has tried to keep it in check and thereby ensure that independent associations with a religious background will not become involved in contentious politics. This article then briefly introduces the four case studies in this special issue on the theme of religion and contentious politics in China: two cases of persecution of Christians and Catholics during the period of Mao, and two articles about Buddhism, which has a more complex relationship with the state.本文首先阐述了宗教抵抗与抗争政治的概念—其中宗教发挥了启发鼓舞的作用而后将之用于分析中国经验。由于政治敏感性，有关此议题的文献很少。因为逐渐意识到宗教在当代社会中的重要性，中国共产党试图管控宗教防止具有宗教背景的独立团体参与抗争政治。本文最后介绍本期中有关中国宗教与抗争政治的四篇个案研究：两篇文章讨论毛泽东时期对基督徒和天主教徒的压迫，另外两篇是关于佛教及其与国家的复杂关系。

インドのカトリック教会の社会貢献活動(現代社会における宗教の社会貢献-海外における宗教の社会参加-,パネル, 第六十七回学術大会紀要)

インドのカトリック教会の社会貢献活動(現代社会における宗教の社会貢献-海外における宗教の社会参加-,パネル, 第六十七回学術大会紀要)

タイの華人系慈善団体の社会貢献活動(現代社会における宗教の社会貢献-海外における宗教の社会参加-,パネル, 第六十七回学術大会紀要)

タイの華人系慈善団体の社会貢献活動(現代社会における宗教の社会貢献-海外における宗教の社会参加-,パネル, 第六十七回学術大会紀要)

アメリカの宗教に基づく社会福祉サービス(現代社会における宗教の社会貢献-海外における宗教の社会参加-,パネル, 第六十七回学術大会紀要)

アメリカの宗教に基づく社会福祉サービス(現代社会における宗教の社会貢献-海外における宗教の社会参加-,パネル, 第六十七回学術大会紀要)