Religious Actors Research Articles

KH. Ahmad Dahlan and KH. Imam Zarkasyi about Islamic Education

At the beginning of the 20 th century, muslim people thought that they would be considered infidels if their children were sent to dutch east indies gofernment schools which used the western system, namely wearing trousers, suits, ties and so on. This assumption has a major influence on the muslim economy, resulting in muslim communities not having access to government sectors and private companies. To improve the educational conditions of muslims in indonesia, especially muslims, one of the reform figures, namely KH Ahmad Dahlan, founder of the muhammadiyah organisation in 1912, who came from kauman yogyakarta, was also famous as asocial and religious activist, offering a new education system by collaborating religious knouledge and general acience. According to him, only through education like this, the condition of muslims in indonesia can develop better in terms of economics and economic education. Then KH. Imam zarkasyi also reformed islamic education which was divided into four groups. These include, in the fields of educational methods and systems, islamic boarding school structure and management, islamic boarding school curriculum as well as islamic boarding school mindset and freedom.

God’s Influencers: How Social Media Users Shape Religion and Pious Self-Fashioning

Abstract Drawing on the contributions presented in the special issue “God’s Influencers: How Social Media Users Shape Religion and Pious Self-Fashioning”, this introduction explores resonances and dissonances between the six articles: First, I reconsider the online/offline connection in relation to the religious actors examined. Then, I articulate a post techno-utopian vision of religion online, identifying digital media as a social space where inequalities, prejudices and power structures offline can be both reinforced and challenged. Third, I shed light on the subjective turn in the way online religious actors understand and impart “authenticity”, a heatedly debated concept in the context of both religion and social media. Fourth, I present some of the communicative strategies that the religious social media users examined in this special issue employ. And, finally, I conclude by sketching future research directions in the study of how social media users shape religion and pious self-fashioning.

The Black Queer Experience Within Abrahamic Religion

This paper uses a sociological perspective to examine recent religious activism for reformist narratives about racism, sexism, dualism of gender, and prejudice against transgender in the United States as signs of identity politics. Analytically, it explores how identities like race, age, class, religion, gender, and sexuality work within religious discourses, specifically regarding racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and misogyny. This question leads to a consideration of America’s Original Sin, which presents the interdependency of power structures and dominance with the suppression of vindictive minorities, especially the black queer. This work aims to explore various forms of oppression intertwined in religious structures so that this study will help expose the complexity of systemic prejudice and its effects on minority populations. They emphasize the need for more discussion and representation of these topics in religious spheres and activism, calling for their recognition, acceptance, and equity. In this regard, this study seeks the following objectives: The study aims to contribute to the thematic understanding of identity, power, and oppression within contemporary religious contexts in America.

Heritage Diplomacy, Neo-Ottomanism, and a Local Quest for a New Place of Worship: The Politics of Mosque Building in Batumi, Georgia

ABSTRACT Over the past few decades, Turkey has funded numerous construction and building rehabilitation initiatives in foreign countries. Amidst such efforts, this article scrutinises the implications of Turkey’s heritage diplomacy tied to Ottoman architecture and how it has the potential to overshadow the desires of local populations. It points to one such case in Batumi, Georgia, where a replica of the 1868 Aziziye Mosque was proposed as a part of Georgia-Turkey cross-border heritage exchanges in the 2010s. Here, Turkey’s fostering of the project exacerbated local Muslim Georgian efforts to construct a mosque of their own in the city. The case demonstrates how heritage diplomacy can land poorly, shining light on a range of broader domestic impacts to urban planning and national identity, electoral politics and community social cohesion. Instead of seeing local Muslims as passive bystanders, the article demonstrates how they asserted their rights, building a temporary open-air mosque and redirecting the focus back towards their particular needs. The findings are based on a long-term study of the politics of urban development in Batumi using qualitative methods. They contribute to a growing body of scholarship in critical heritage studies, highlighting connections to public policy, diplomatic relations, and religious activism.

Navigating the Secular Landscape: Religious Discourse on Transgender Rights in the United Kingdom

Transgender people face high rates of discrimination and health problems yet supportive policy measures are often opposed, especially by religious organisations adhering to cis-normative theologies. Scholars exploring the links between religion and transgender issues have examined a number of themes, but the way religious actors discursively frame transgender issues remains under-researched. This article contributes to work in this area by using the concept of political opportunity structures to examine the discourse of religious groups on the 2022 Scottish Gender Recognition Reform Bill. The study shows that arguments were typically framed in secular terms, drawing on the epistemic authority of science and a language of individual rights. Supporting groups used arguments designed to highlight the difficulties that transgender people face. Oppositional groups used themes based on biological essentialism, concern for the well-being of trans people, the risks to cisgendered women and warnings about the negative impact on society and religious freedoms.

Salafism Between Purism and Politicking: Chieftaincy Struggles, Party Competition, and the Anbariya Movement in Dagbon, Northern Ghana

Abstract The dynamics of Salafi activism in African settings have gained attention in recent years. In the light of the regional spread of jihadist militancy, Salafi-jihadist groups such as Boko Haram and al-Shabaab have made international headlines. At the same time, Salafi groups and activists across the region have not shied away from ‘playing politics’ and engaging with secular elites and political parties. What explains this Salafi involvement in secular party politics? This article addresses this question based on a case study of the Ghanaian Anbariya movement, an influential Islamic group that was created by the eminent cleric Afa Ajura in Dagbon in the 1950s and gradually evolved into a major pillar of homegrown Ghanaian Salafism. Identifying the Anbariya as a reformist group in the sphere of political Salafism, we contend that the movement’s sustained involvement in the political process has been inextricably linked with a protracted chieftaincy rivalry pitting against each other the Abudu and Andani royal gates of Dagbon. As we explore the Anbariya’s involvement in this conflict and in Ghanaian party politics, we highlight the potential of communal cleavages for shaping the political preferences of religious actors.

Preaching the pandemic: COVID-19 specific theodicies among Iranian evangelical Christians in the diaspora

ABSTRACT Given its roots in Christian theology, the usage of theodicy as an analytical tool in the study of religions can easily become controversial. This notwithstanding, several scholars in the field have instructively drawn upon the term to conceptually frame reactions to human suffering among religious actors in diverse contexts. This article aligns with this strand of scholarship and studies Persian-language sermons delivered in Iranian evangelical exile churches during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. It discusses four major theodicic interpretations advanced by Iranian evangelical pastors, who viewed the pandemic either as divine retribution, a ‘wake-up call’ for humankind, an opportunity for spiritual growth, or a theological lesson. Arguing that theodicies are shaped by the immediate context they emerge in, rather than by static theological paradigms, this article highlights the ex-Muslim identity and the exilic status of Iranian evangelicals in the diaspora as key factors shaping theodicy-making among them.

How churches make education policy: the churchification of Hungarian education and the social question under religious populism

ABSTRACT Since 2010, Hungary’s authoritarian populist government has radically redefined church-state relations, promoting the governance narrative of building an ‘old-style Christian democracy’. Public education has been reconceptualised within a religious framework and outsourced to religious actors. This article explores how key religious organisations engage with the government’s religious populism and govern their expanding school networks. Given the immanent tension between nativist Christian-conservative identity politics and Christian teachings about the church’s social mission, I focus on how Christian church elites have engaged with the education of underprivileged communities. Four characteristic types of strategic involvement are identified based on church education policies and their legitimacy discourses concerning their (lack of) engagement with the social question. Despite using different approaches to navigate political pressures, both the nativist illiberal and inclusive liberal visions of religion and their corresponding policies have reinforced the structures of segregated education and legitimised the government’s education policy.

Challenging Identity Conflict: How Queer, Trans, and Nonbinary Muslim Organizations Incite Activism

Abstract This article synthesizes new directions taken in the sociology of religion and social movement studies and examines Queer, Trans, and Nonbinary (QTN) Muslim activism in Toronto, Canada. The author argues that Queer Trans and Nonbinary Muslim Organizations (QTNMOs) do more than help reconcile their members’ conflicting identities. Instead, QTNMOs use intersectional frameworks to help QTN Muslims resist intracommunity marginalization in mainstream queer and religious organizations. Findings show that QTNMOs can be considered Social Movement Organizations in three ways: these groups defy culturally embedded institutional norms that are harmful to QTN Muslims, they aim to foster oppositional consciousness, and they incite collective action from their constituents. The article provides a case study of multi-institutional LGBTQ religious activism. The intersectional perspectives of QTN Muslims allow interested sociology of religion and social movements scholars to strengthen the insights gained from each of these fields.

Personhood Begins at Birth: The Rational Foundation for Abortion Policyin a Secular State.

The struggle over legal abortion access in the United States is a religious controversy, not a scientific debate. Religious activists who believe that meaningful individual life (i.e., "personhood") begins at a specific "moment-of-conception" are attempting to pass laws that force this view upon all pregnant persons, irrespective of their medical circumstances, individual preferences, or personal religious beliefs. This paper argues that such actions promote a constitutionally prohibited "establishment of religion." Abortion policy in a secular state must be based upon scientifically accurate biology, not unprovable theological presuppositions. The scientific facts regarding human pregnancy do not support the position that personhood begins with fertilization-at which point a pregnancy does not yet even exist. Abortion policy should regard the embryo/fetus as part of the pregnant individual's body until delivery. We argue that individual "personhood" only begins when the latent potentialities of the fetal nervous system are actualized in the newborn after delivery. The paper argues that instantiating non-scientific beliefs concerning embryonic/fetal "personhood" into the law as the basis for abortion policy establishes a state-sponsored religion. The protection of religious liberty requires that abortion be decriminalized. Abortion should be treated like any other medical procedure and regulated similarly. To protect both religious freedom and sound medical practice, individual legal personhood should be recognized as beginning only at birth.

Secular Framings

Abstract The secular Ghanaian state frames and governs ‘African Traditional Religion’ (‘ATR’) in three main ways. As culture and heritage, aspects of ‘ATR’ are integrated into public performances and national narratives, displaying the African identity of the Ghanaian nation. As providers of traditional forms of therapy, traditional shrines are administered as health facilities and supervised by the Ministry of Health. As religion, ‘ATR’ is counted as one of the country’s religions. This article discusses these framings and their social dynamics drawing on framing theories and secularity studies. Devising secular framings and eclectically appropriating traditional religious presences, the Ghanaian state seeks to govern ‘ATR’ and integrate it into its nation-building politics. Traditional religious actors have reappropriated these framings, carving out spaces of their own. The relations between ‘ATR’ and the Ghanaian state are subject to constant negotiations that impact both.

Exclusion-politicization: Salafism, democracy, and counterpublic politics in the UK

ABSTRACT This article examines the politicization of Salafism in the UK over the past two decades – shedding light on why and how some Salafi actors, particularly those belonging to Haitham al-Haddad’s network, are increasingly engaging in formal and informal political activities rather than da’wa (missionary work). It is based on more than 70 interviews with British Salafis and 20 months of participant observation within Salafi communities in London between 2017 and 2020, as well as content analysis of Salafi websites and social media. It argues that owing to increased exclusion and marginalization of British Muslims within the British public sphere, some Salafis have begun to organize protests, vote in UK elections, campaign, wage legal battles, and contest the marginalization of British Muslims through the production of counterhegemonic discourses. It draws on counterpublic theory to explain how exclusion from the public sphere can lead to greater political activity by highlighting how counterpublics enable marginalized communities to regroup and train for agitational activities. This article contributes to our understanding of the causes and consequences of the politicization of Salafi actors in European Muslim-minority contexts, as well as to our understanding of the politicization of religious actors more generally.

Kriege kommen und gehen, die internationale Gesellschaft ändert sich und Religionen überdauern: Narrative religiöser Akteure zum Ukraine-Krieg

AbstractIn the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, reactions by religious leaders have differed greatly, with the Shia Ayatollah blaming the United States for the war, the Catholic Pope calling the United Nations “impotent,” and the Dalai Lama stating that “war is outdated.” But has there been a change in any of these religious narratives when it comes to war? Does the Ukraine war signify a turning point, or can we observe more of the same? Embedded in an English School framework, this article conducts a narrative analysis to better understand whether and how the primary institutions of war and international law are being (re)interpreted. The article analyses these three religious actors’ narratives on the Ukraine war and compares them to their respective past war narratives. The article examines how these narratives reflect a strengthening and even an expansion or an undermining and thus weakening of international society, with a particular emphasis on the primary institutions of war and international law as well as the secondary institution of the United Nations. The article argues that at least for religious actors in international politics, the Ukraine war does not pose a formative event in global security policy. Instead, these actors may have missed a critical juncture for strengthening or even upholding international law.

Implementation of the Grant Policy for Mass Organizations/Religious Institutions in DKI Jakarta

In 2022, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government will allocate grant funds of more than 350 billion rupiah for 131 mass organizations/religious institutions. The aim of the grant funding policy is to strengthen institutions, activity programs and incentives for religious activists so that the mental and spiritual development of Jakarta residents can be realized to support regional government. This research analyzes the implementation of grant funding policies using qualitative methods with a descriptive analytical approach. The results of the research are; Implementation of grant funding policies is carried out in accordance with provisions. Grant funds help operations and activity programs that are beneficial to the community, the recommended amount of grant funds goes through the Evaluation Team's discussion process, intervention from various parties provides convenience, delivery of the LPJ is timely. Outcomes of the grant funding policy has had a positive impact on improving the spiritual mentality of Jakarta residents

Religion on the island of Ireland during the Covid-19 pandemic: piety in the public sphere?

ABSTRACT This article examines how religious institutions and religious media on the island of Ireland framed religion’s place in the public sphere during Covid-19. Through qualitative analysis of Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, and Humanist organisations’ public documents and religious media, it finds religious institutions supported government restrictions and adopted secular reasoning to justify their actions. The major churches also avoided claiming special status or religious freedom protections. This reveals a constrained religious input to public debates, reflecting a realistic assessment by religious leaders that they lack policy influence due to long-term declines in church power. The pandemic provides evidence of a reformulation of the relationships between religion, state, and society on the island, albeit with religion retaining more influence in Northern Ireland. Religious media outlets largely reproduced institutional discourses, with the exception of a weekly newspaper, the Irish Catholic. The Irish Catholic argued that stringent restrictions in the Republic of Ireland violated religious freedom, and made a case for the value of piety in the public sphere. But while religious actors still seek to contribute to public debates, there is little consensus or vision about religions’ distinctive contributions, even around existential questions posed by the pandemic.

‘God is an equal opportunities employer- pity about the Church’: humour and the campaign for women’s ordination in the Church of England, 1978–1994

ABSTRACT This article seeks to untangle the relationship between religion, humour, and feminism by analysing the humour which underscored the campaign for women’s ordination in the Church of England. By examining the wordplay, the cartoons, and the physical objects through which humour was expressed, this article highlights the creativity which underscored the activism of these lesser-known activists. Through centring the experiences of these religious activists, this article extends existing scholarly conversations which seek to diversify understandings of who and what should be considered part of the ‘women’s movement’.

Eastern Orthodox War Justification and Ecclesial Dilemmas Arising from the War in Ukraine

The escalation of ecclesial and religio-political conflicts since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has further complicated the convoluted ecclesial situation in Ukraine and has been addressed in a series of sermons, formal statements and documents issued by senior Russian and Ukrainian ecclesiastical figures. Their ideological and theological rhetoric demonstrates the active participation of senior Russian Orthodox clerics in the justification of the Russian military effort which represents some radical ruptures in Eastern Orthodox ecclesial involvement in war-making and mobilisation. The Moscow Patriarchate’s war-legitimisation stances and policies have major repercussions for the current debates on and reconceptions of the Christian just-war tradition in the frameworks of just peace, peacebuilding and reconciliation, as well as the potential key role of Christian religious actors in these processes.

Politicization of international aid: Religious responses to criminalizing female genital mutilation in Sudan

International aid to protect women and girls against religiously sanctioned violence in predominantly Muslim countries is prone to politicization and opposition by conservative religious actors. In Sudan religious leaders had varied responses to an internationally funded campaign to criminalize female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in 2009. In the capital Khartoum, this campaign provoked politicization of aid and counter- mobilization by national conservative religious leaders, while in the eastern town of Gedarif local religious leaders supported criminalization. Based on fieldwork conducted from 2008 to 2018, the study suggests that the power based of religious leaders and their inclusion in, or exclusion from, anti- FGM/C efforts accounted for this differential response. Even when successful, the inclusion of religious leaders as “agents of change” strengthened their power and the role of religion in state and society to levels that may endanger the rights of women and girls.

The New World Order: Geopolitical Shifts in the Post-Cold War Era

The end of the Cold War marked a pivotal moment in global history, widely seen as the commencement of the "New World Order." The new world order in the post-cold war witnesses the decrease in the powers of classical states and their inter-states matters for restoring international peace, and emerging of other threats like religious militancy, ethnic conflicts, unfair economic competition, north-south conflict, terrorism, etc. This research presents a comprehensive analysis of the challenges, dynamics and potential of the post-Cold War era. This research aims to explore the complexities of “New World Order” in post-Cold War era in international relations through an examination of global political, economic, and socio-cultural transformations, to analyze the geopolitical landscape by focusing on the increasing involvement of non-state players during the post-Cold War era in reshaping economies, society, and conflict dynamics. The study utilizes qualitative research approach to conduct this study.

Perspectives on religious denominations and social crises in Romania

The relationship between social crises and religious cults in Romania is a topic neglected by the specialized literature. In this paper, we propose a series of analyses regarding how social crises have influenced religious life in Romania and the mechanisms by which religious cults have played a role in solving or amplifying them. We will refer to the Romanian Orthodox Church, the majority religious denomination, and some of its positions on events/stages of these social phenomena between 1990 and 2023. This text does not propose a thorough examination of these relationships but attempts to sketch perspectives of analysis in response to the following research questions: What do Romanians think about the Church's involvement in the life of society and implicitly in social crises? Why is it important to understand the position of religious actors on the evolution of social crises? How have religious denominations influenced the improvement/aggravation of some dimensions of social crises? Official stances of Religious Cults during different social crises were examined, alongside instances of informal religious practices aimed at enhancing societal conditions. In Romania, religious cults have been essential partners of the State in reducing social crises, providing support through their rich infrastructure and human resources or their symbolic position in society. However, there have also been cases in which religious cults have generated conflictual social states and tension, producing or aggravating social crises.