Religious Change Research Articles

Māori atheism: a decolonising project?

ABSTRACT New Zealand census data points to a pattern of religious change – a growing sector of the Māori community are disaffiliating from Christianity at roughly the same rate as the ‘no religion’ category is expanding. Drawing on 16 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with Māori who do not believe in god(s), we explore the contours of atheism and how it is experienced and articulated in their specific cultural location. Our analysis shows that Māori atheism is plural and often politically charged. Religion is commonly viewed as a colonial tool for the oppression of Māori people/culture, against which atheism stands as a decolonising project. Aside from this, the participants’ operationalisation of intellectual doubt and other moral criticisms, including religious hypocrisy, religious exclusivism and religious bigotry, were found to be consistent with the narratives of atheists elsewhere.

Syncretism and Cultural Resilience: The Coexistence and Evolution of Traditional Itolimin and Christian Burial Practices in Esanland, Nigeria

Purpose of the Study: This research aims to uncover how traditional second burial rites coexist with and have adapted to Christian funeral norms, reflecting the socio-religious negotiation in a postcolonial context. Methodology: Employing a qualitative ethnographic approach, the study gathered data through semi-structured interviews with local chiefs, elders, and adults, alongside observations and an extensive review of related literature. Participants were selected based on their deep knowledge of Esan customs and involvement in the Itolimin practice. Main Findings: The study revealed that Itolimin, while embracing certain Christian elements, remains a vital cultural practice that reinforces the community's moral and social order. The rite's evolution showcases the Esan people's ability to blend traditional and Christian values, thereby preserving their cultural identity amidst religious changes. This syncretism illustrates the community's broader cultural resilience and adaptation approach in a rapidly changing religious landscape. Applications of this Study: Insights from this study apply to the broader discourse on funeral practices in postcolonial societies, providing a framework for cultural preservation amidst religious transformation. It is relevant for policymakers and public health officials regarding community health and burial practices. The findings also offer a basis for developing contextual theological education that respects indigenous beliefs within Christian teachings. Novelty/Originality: This study provides a unique contribution to the understanding of funeral rituals within African postcolonial societies by documenting the living tradition of Itolimin. It highlights how syncretism acts as a dynamic cultural force, shaping the way communities like the Esan negotiate identity and religious practice in a contemporary Christian-dominated context.

Epiphenomenal suasion: Jehovah's Witnesses and the politics of preaching against the state

AbstractThe individual is the conventional way religious change is figured when considering ‘conversion’. This essay argues this is rooted in the soteriological focus of Christian evangelism and shifts what are typically taken to be the objects of change to view them as agents of change. As an example of this, the essay compares two ethnographic examples of Jehovah's Witnesses’ evangelism: the ways that Witnesses preach with mobile literature carts; and the way three Witnesses ‘preached’ at an academic conference in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. In order to make sense of these examples, it is necessary to unpack the theopolitical context underlying the common suasive strategy, and doing so is revealing in both instances of different objects and agents of evangelism, allowing for a comparison that explores how causality and agency are distributed in Witness preaching work. This leads to a consideration of the ways Witnesses’ public evangelism subtly preaches against the state as a process of ‘vindicating the name of God’.

Family in Medieval Society: A Bioarchaeological Perspective

One of the periods with the greatest social, cultural, and religious changes was, without a doubt, the European medieval period. The concept of “Family” was one of the fields that gradually evolved, from individuals who shared the same biological lineage, to members of the same “House”. One of the ways to study the concept of “Family” in ancient periods is through a bioarchaeological perspective, where both anthropology and genetics have proven to be essential disciplines for studying “Families”. Through burial rituals, observing whether the graves were single or multiple, as is carried out in the study of human remains, we discuss the profound contribution of anthropology to the “Family” investigation, through mobility studies, the investigation of biological sex, observing certain congenital anomalies or, even, the study of certain ancient infectious diseases. Concerning genetics, the study of bones or teeth allows us to determine whether individuals were from the same close family or if they belonged to the same lineage through the maternal and paternal sides, being one of the only scientific ways of proposing social relationships between individuals, such as that created through adoption.

Socioeconomic Advantage or Community Attachment? A Register‐Based Study on the Difference in National Lutheran Church Affiliation Between Finnish and Swedish Speakers in Finland

AbstractSecularization theory has been challenged by research showing religious persistence and upswing in contexts across the world. In Europe, particularly in highly secular and historically religiously homogeneous Nordic settings, there has been little research, and representative data for minority groups are rare. We offer a pioneering study using national register data to study religious changes over the past five decades in Finland, where the two native ethnolinguistic groups—Finnish and Swedish speakers—offer a unique study context. We use register data with yearly information on every individual's religious affiliation to compare the two groups, exploring the mechanisms behind any differentials. Swedish speakers are found to be consistently more affiliated with the National Lutheran Church than Finnish speakers. This finding contradicts the expectation of modernization theory because the Swedish‐speaking population is, in some aspects, socioeconomically advantaged in Finnish society. The higher affiliation level of Swedish speakers can be partly explained by lower levels of internal migration, which is possibly driven by stronger community attachment. Our results suggest that community cohesion may help preserve the religious tradition of a minority group, even in the absence of socioeconomic disadvantages or threats from the majority.

Hegelian Dialectic Model of Change: Catalyst for Socio- Religious Change in Nigeria

This paper titled Hegelian Dialectic Model of Change: Catalyst for Religious Change in Nigeria submitted that religious change in Nigeria is real and there are several examples of change in persons and societies made possible by religion. These changes are not limited to one religion but several religions because Nigeria is a multi-religious nation. It is argued in this paper that among the several models of change that are available; the Hegelian model is more suitable and ideal for religious change in Nigeria. The paper explored in detail what Religious change entails and as well as indicators of change. Similarly, the paper explained what is meant by Hegelian dialectic model of change and reasons for considering it as ideal model for religious change in Nigeria. The paper advance ways of utilising Hegelian dialectic model of change without constituting threat to peace and harmony in Nigeria. The paper is theoretical in nature and the method adopted in writing the paper is the historical survey method. Needful recommendations are given in the paper on strengthening religious change without violence and assault.

Evolution of water extraction technology (spring tunnels) in the Southern Levant during the last three millennia

AbstractA spring tunnel is an ancient water installation used to artificially increase the water yield of a spring through a subterranean tunnel. We have developed a database of 216 spring tunnels documented in the central region of the Southern Levant (present‐day Israel), constructed between Iron Age II and the modern era. The study focuses on the evolution of this water installation over a period of 2500 years, examining these constructions from technological, typological, spatial, and cultural perspectives. Within the larger database, 132 spring tunnels have been mapped, from which we present 36 examples selected to outline the typology and chronology of this type of water installation. The findings of the study indicate a diachronic correlation between the distribution of settlement in the mountain region and the number and geographical distribution of spring tunnels. Ethnic and religious changes, and the complexity of the mountain region's population, are also reflected in the use of these water installations. The comprehensive water structure database presented in this article, from a peripheral, yet strategically located region in relation both to the Far East and to West Mediterranean Empires, is used for initial consideration of local initiatives versus the knowledge‐transfer process.

Lukas G. Grzybowski, The Christianization of Scandinavia in the Viking Era. Religious Change in Adam of Bremen’s Historical Work. York , ARC Humanities Press 2021

Lukas G. Grzybowski, The Christianization of Scandinavia in the Viking Era. Religious Change in Adam of Bremen’s Historical Work. York , ARC Humanities Press 2021

Understanding Competition in Social Space: Religious Congregations in Manhattan, 1949 to 1999

Competition between social units has long been central to sociological theories of change. Understanding it has become particularly important in the sociology of religion with the theory of religious economies, a market model of religious change. Existing empirical tests of the theory are limited by (1) ambiguity regarding which religious groups are expected to compete with which other groups, and/or (2) a neglect of the local level (competition among congregations). Using an original compilation of the life histories of religious congregations in Manhattan from 1949 to 1999, I conduct event-history analyses that avoid those limitations. The chief results are the following: (1) the more congregations there were near a given congregation that were theologically dissimilar to that congregation, the less likely that congregation was to advertise; (2) when there was an increase over time in the number of nearby congregations that were theologically similar to the focal congregation, that congregation became more likely to advertise; and (3) when there was an increase over time in the number of nearby congregations that were theologically dissimilar to the focal congregation, that congregation became less likely to advertise. Implications for the study of religion include modifications of religious-economies theory; broader implications speak to understanding the social units that compete and what drives competition.

Do Catholic Religious Practices Attenuate the Deconversion of Emerging Adults in Poland? The Mediating Role of Transcendent Indebtedness

Emerging adulthood is a time of strong religious change that often leads to deconversion, understood as the abandonment of faith. In the present study, we aimed to verify the role of Catholic religious practices in the deconversion process and the mediating nature of transcendent indebtedness in emerging adults from Poland. In this study, we used the Catholic Religious Practices Questionnaire (CRPQ), the Transcendent Indebtedness to God scale (T-ITG), and the Adolescents’ Deconversion Processes Scale (ADS). Two hundred and fifty-four emerging adults, 135 women (53.1%) and 119 men (46.9%), participated in a study conducted in Southern and Northern Poland between September 2022 and May 2023. Our study results revealed that those involved in both official religiosity and folk practices exhibit lower levels of deconversion, and this relationship is mediated by transcendent indebtedness. The presented research indicates that the belief and sense of obligation to repay a favor or debt to God is a buffering factor in the tendency to withdraw from the religious community and abandon faith.

Toward a Mutual Change of Religion and Urban Space: A Comparative Perspective

From a historical perspective, cities have served as more than mere locations where religious practices are observed; they have consistently exhibited an elevated level of historical documentation. The claim advanced here is that the interrelationship between religious change and urban development necessitates thorough analysis. It is imperative to critically examine the significant developments in local and trans-local religions, particularly emphasising their distinct urban contextual factors. At the same time, such urban conditions, the practices, and discourse that shape the understanding of these conditions as urban are not independent variables in the study of religious change. Rather, they are influenced by religious practices and individuals, thereby forming a reciprocal relationship. The choice of areas is an assumption that the pertinent aspect in establishing a connection is the spatial character of religious practices and ideas and their material manifestation in physical space. The article concisely examines various aspects related to the transformation of urban spaces and religious practices. These include the process of monumentalising urban areas and gods, the public display and the articulation of communication with God and gods, the imaginative and widespread utilisation of scripture in religious activities and thought, the increasing division of labour and professionalisation, the emergence of individual urban actors who are not solely defined by their ancestral lineage, the formation of religious groups, the religious organisation of time and the influence of temporal concepts on religious ideas and practices, and lastly, the conceptualisation of alternatives to urban life through the religious exaggeration of rural and natural environments. Such a cursory review of religious changes in urban settings and their impact on urbanism does not yield any definitive assertions on these developments. However, the collective evidence confirms the effectiveness of the presented approach.

‘Re-enchantment’ and religious change in former socialist Europe

ABSTRACT This essay presents the concept of ‘re-enchantment’ as a useful heuristic tool to identify, analyse, and explain new forms of religious change in contemporary Central-Eastern and Eastern Europe. It seeks to understand new religious and ‘spiritual’ configurations in an area and in a period known as ‘post-socialist’. It also attempts to map out the historical conditions structuring both patterns of religious change and scholarly output on the subject, which continue to be particular and at times unique in this region. In so doing, this essay also raises questions about the persistence of the East/West divide, problematising it and seeking to go beyond this binary. Some of the new religious phenomena studied in this essay as well as in the entire thematic issue seem to emerge independently from the once typical state-church dynamics and seem to be more related to the both specific local and general global trends. We argue that the concept of ‘re-enchantment’ and a typology of the re-enchanted practices it encompasses allows to account for, analyse, and understand these dynamics and transformations.

African Agency in Mission: Apolo Kivebulaya and Religious Change in East Africa

Critical Book Review Essay of: Wild-Wood, Emma. The Mission of Apolo Kivebulaya: Religious Change and Social Change in the Great Lakes c. 1865–1935. Eastern Africa Series 47. London: James Currey, 2020. Pp. xxvii + 317; maps; photographs. £85.00, USD $125 (hardback), £24.99, USD $29.95 (ebook). Reprint edition: Nairobi: Twaweza Communications, 2022. Ksh 1,500/= (paperback).

Islamic modernism in India in the second half of the 19th century and Sayit Ahmed Khan

In the 19th century, when the industrial revolution was taking place in Europe, and the major powers were colonizing the world continent, there were religious changes in the Indian subcontinent. These processes are closely related to the above two factors. Because in 1857, India officially came under British rule. During this period, the Muslims, who were a minority in the Indian subcontinent, were under the pressure of the Christianization of the British authorities on the one hand, and the Indian missionaries on the other hand. Muslims lost their political power in the Indian country, which they had ruled for centuries, and the Islamic education system collapsed. Indian Muslims sought a way out of this difficult situation from religious traditionalism, religious fundamentalism, and also religious modernism. It is the latter that interests us in this article. Modernists sought to reform religious dogmas on the basis of rationality and reason. They believed that the way out of the deadlock was to return to the basic, that is, to the Qur'an. Modernists divided the Qur'anic rulings into two types: permanent, which must be fulfilled, and transitory, which is not considered mandatory. Indian modernists criticized medieval Muslim scholars and encouraged the Muslim community to benefit from Western science and technology. And in political matters, they often supported the British government or took a passive position. The article comprehensively covers the innovative ideas of 19th-century Indian modernists on religion, Islamic law, and Islamic history, including the views of Sayyid Ahmed Khan, considered the leader of Islamic modernists in India. We will also focus on the critical views of groups such as Deobandism and Hadithism, which were against the modernist direction.

Baptizing Burma: Religious Change in the Last Buddhist Kingdom by Alexandra Kaloyanides (review)

Baptizing Burma: Religious Change in the Last Buddhist Kingdom by Alexandra Kaloyanides (review)

Church Services and Religious Change in Burundi

Church Services and Religious Change in Burundi

A Study on the Formative Background and Influence of the Love Songs of Tsangyang Gyatso

The reincarnation system of living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism, as a special selection and succession mechanism based on the reincarnation theory in Buddhism, has gradually been accepted in the complex religious changes. However, in the early stage of the formation of the inheritance system, the process was not smooth due to the complicated situation. Over the centuries, there have been many victims of this system, and Tsangyang Gyatso, the sixth Dalai Lama, is one of them. Tsangyang Gyatso is known to us as a genius of writing. His poems are romantic, sincere, bold and realistic, and people often focus on the literary value of his poems. However, as Tsangyang Gyatso, whose main identity is the reincarnation of a living Buddha, his works reflect more of his perception of Buddha rather than his feelings. Most of the time, what we needs to understand is the truth in his poems rather than the depth of his love. Since the original text is in Tibetan and mixed with many Buddhist texts, many times people may like the Chinese translation of a certain text rather than the meaning of the original text. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze Tsangyang Gyatso’s historical status and the profound meaning of his writings from the perspectives of Buddhist historical background, social structure, religious belief and literary tradition.

Baptizing Burma: Religious Change in the Last Buddhist Kingdom by Alexandra Kaloyanides (review)

Baptizing Burma: Religious Change in the Last Buddhist Kingdom by Alexandra Kaloyanides (review)

АННА БОЛЕЙН – РЕФОРМАТОРКА ЧИ ПОЛІТИЧНА ГРАВЧИНЯ?

English society of the first half of the 16th century underwent many changes in political, cultural and, most importantly, in religious life. The reign of Henry VIII was marked by a decline in the popularity of the papacy among ordinary citizens, which led to a crisis and a break with Rome. From the moment Anne Boleyn arrived at the royal palace of Henry VIII in 1522, she began to play a key role in religious change in England. Some sources confirm her active involvement of the king in reading controversial works that would shake his attitude towards the Pope and the Catholic Church. Different researchers trace different motives for her activity, debating whether it was a religious or rather a political move. The purpose of the article is to understand and determine the level of activity of Anne Boleyn in the religious sphere of life, to trace her role and motives in the formation of a new religious belief in England. Accordingly, the following main tasks arise. Firstly, to analyze the source base of Anne’s contemporaries and scientific works, which reveal the research achievements of our time. Secondly, to investigate the dynamics of the development of the reformation movement in England, to determine the reasons and prerequisites for the church reform in order to understand the level of influence of Anne Boleyn in the decision-making by the king.

Follow the New Way: American Refugee Resettlement Policy and Hmong Religious Change by Melissa May Borja (review)

Follow the New Way: American Refugee Resettlement Policy and Hmong Religious Change by Melissa May Borja (review)