Religious Communities Research Articles

Cathedrals as Instruments of Influence on Public Consciousness in Medieval Western Europe (10th-16th Centuries)

This study explores the functional impact of Christian cathedrals in Western Europe on medieval public consciousness. Utilizing a systemic analysis method and a values-based approach, cathedrals are examined as structural elements within the framework of religious communication, serving as key instruments for shaping public consciousness during the Middle Ages. Through these edifices, the core tenets of Christianity were disseminated to the masses. Special attention is given to the art of stone calendars, which are considered a significant factor in the formation of a Christian worldview during this period. The study identifies the value-laden, symbolic, and functional characteristics of medieval cathedrals as tools of religious communication. It outlines the overarching principles of architectural organization in Catholic churches in relation to their roles in influencing public consciousness. The influence of Romanesque cathedrals on the trajectory of public consciousness in medieval Western Europe is also examined. The author concludes that Christian cathedrals, as instruments of influence on medieval public conscious-ness, possessed a pronounced managerial and motivational effect, fulfilling a wide range of sociocultural functions that contributed to the stabilization and spiritual-moral development of medieval Western European society.

Is God a Woman? Female Faces of God in Contemporary Cinema

Film, as a medium, serves not only as a significant source of entertainment but also as a powerful instrument in shaping attitudes, beliefs, behaviours, social norms, and identities. Since its inception, cinematic art has been closely intertwined with religious themes, with many film narratives drawing implicitly or explicitly from biblical texts and religious traditions. Consequently, theologians and ecclesiastical authorities were quick to identify film as a potential locus theologicus. Given film’s ability to spark debates on deeply ingrained views and beliefs, feminist theology, which critically reflects on gender power relations within religious communities and theological texts, finds it intriguing to explore how cinematic narratives can challenge the millennia-old depiction of God as a man. This article aims to examine how the art of cinema contributes to theological reflections on the female metaphors of God, particularly through female Christ-figures and God-figures, which occasionally appear in films such as Chocolat, All That Jazz, Always, Dogma, and The Shack. These characters defy traditional religious language, which often employs masculine imagery and metaphors for God, portraying female God as an independent chocolatier, a single mother, an elegant hairdresser, a beautiful young seductress, a curvaceous African American bread maker, and a witty, clownish girl. In these cinematic depictions, female God is compassionate, empathetic, kind, witty, forgiving, and profoundly in love with her human creations. At the same time, all of these female characters are powerful, assertive, strong, and self-confident.

Women’s religious communities and patronage in the UK

This paper discusses women as architectural clients through an examination of Roman Catholic nuns as patrons, designers and in some cases builders of religious architecture. The paper offers two case studies to explore the roles that women assumed in religious communities: the first, a chapel commissioned and built by a community of Carmelite nuns in Wales during the 1950s and the second, a recently completed abbey in the North of England. The examples highlight the evolution of female agency in the built environment and how this has been impacted by the professionalisation of architecture.

Fostering Multicultural Community Harmony to Enhance Peace and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s)

Purpose: This service aims to foster harmony in a multicultural community in the city of Solo as a concrete step to increase peace and support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Theoretical Framework: This study uses a cultural integration thinking framework and a participatory approach to building social harmony. The focus is on developing an understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity, as well as increasing positive interactions between ethnicities and religions to create an inclusive environment. Methods: This service uses a participatory approach involving a variety of local stakeholders, including ethnic and religious communities, local governments, and community institutions. Activities include organizing intercultural dialogue workshops, cultural diversity training, and public campaigns to promote tolerance and peace. Results and Conclusion: The results of this service show an increased awareness of cultural diversity and appreciation for differences among the people of Solo. Inter-ethnic and religious interactions are increasing, creating a stronger foundation for social harmony. In conclusion, participatory and integrative approaches are effective in building harmony in multicultural societies to support peace and sustainable development. Implications: This service has a positive impact by increasing tolerance, reducing social conflicts, and strengthening social cohesion in the city of Solo. The impact is also seen in increasing community participation in local development activities and achieving related SDGs targets. Originality/value: Its uniqueness lies in its participatory approach that actively involves all relevant parties, as well as focusing on cultural integration as the main foundation for the development of sustainable social harmony in a multicultural environment such as the city of Solo.

Menyama Braya dalam Masyarakat Bali (Perspektif Pendidikan Agama Hindu)

Hindu religious education must be taught to become a guide to life that contains many values ​​and norms that will help people live in all things, including their relationship with Sang Hyang Widhi, fellow humans, and their environment. Menyama braya, meaning "brother", is a well-known social value system in Hindu Bali. The concept of equaling braya is a strong foundation in building harmony and implementing respect between religious communities. This research uses a purposive technique, which means that subjects are selected based on research objectives so that informants can provide the necessary information and aim to obtain the necessary and valid information. Data collection in this research refers to the principle that the researcher is the main tool for conducting research which is used objectively and in accordance with the research objectives. Researchers will also collect data through interviews, observation and documentation with appropriate methods, researchers can obtain accurate results and can help in decision making or policy making in the future. In this research, to analyze Menyama Braya in Balinese Society, perfect Hindu Religious Education in its analysis discusses Menyama Braya in the Balinese Community, namely building social harmony and togetherness between fellow citizens in society. There are many religious and cultural values ​​contained in this tradition, especially in relation to Hindu religious education. The function of Hindu religious education is in the menyama braya tradition in the Balinese community which emphasizes building togetherness, developing local culture and traditions, fostering harmony. The Value of Hindu Religious Education in Embracing Braya in the Balinese Community. The value of Hindu religious education plays an important role in preserving and strengthening the concept of Menyama Braya in Balinese society. These religious values ​​emphasize the importance of unlimited brotherhood, helping each other and maintaining balance, respect, and commitment to environmental cleanliness.

Public Support for the Accommodation of Religious Diversity: The Interplay Between Religious Identification, Threat Perception, and Cross‐Group Friendships

AbstractAccommodating new religious communities has become a central issue in Western Europe. However, the role of religious identification in shaping intergroup relations still needs to be better understood. This study addresses this gap by analyzing the factors influencing public support for the accommodation of religious diversity, drawing on two statistically representative surveys conducted in Catalonia, Spain. The results revealed that religious identification moderates the relationship between the perception that religions other than Catholicism threaten society's way of life and the level of support for accommodating religious diversity. Contrary to initial assumptions, practicing Catholics were more supportive of religious accommodation than nonpracticing Catholics and nonbelievers, regardless of the level of threat they perceived. Moreover, cross‐group friendships mitigated the negative impact of perceived threat on support for religious accommodation, particularly among nonbelievers. Overall, the findings underscore the importance of cross‐group friendships in fostering more inclusive societies and provide valuable insights for religious governance.

Whose city is it anyway? Place, community and the fractured urban

ABSTRACT This paper examines the everyday processes of othering and exclusion of particular religious communities in expanding urbanscapes. It maps how deliberate contests are produced over cities’ histories, politico-cultural legacies and spatial arrangements, to isolate and displace communities. Specifically, it addresses how exclusion of Muslim residents is constructed in social and spatial terms in contemporary urban India. Focussing on the middle-sized central Indian city of Bhopal, I explore the emergent tensions that have steadily consolidated invisible, yet often impermeable, mental borders within that setting. In doing so, I highlight the disturbing implications of these processes of boundary making and solidification. I discuss what they mean for the everyday existence of people and communities, and how they produce fractured urbanisms. Drawing upon a mixed approach, I piece together archival records, press reports and a wide selection of other literature, as well as on-field conversations and observations, to examine how the city of Bhopal is sought to be reimaged as Hindu, and its socio-spatial character reconfigured, isolating and disenfranchising its Muslim residents. Finally, I reflect on the manner in which such shifts frame the exclusion of specific communities and produce a contested urban.

Readiness of Religious Communities to Live Today and Tomorrow. Do Consecrated Persons Take Seriously Contemporary Theological, Social and Environmental Challenges?

Readiness of Religious Communities to Live Today and Tomorrow. Do Consecrated Persons Take Seriously Contemporary Theological, Social and Environmental Challenges?

Religion, Extraction, and Just Transition in Appalachia

This paper employs approaches from religious studies and Appalachian studies to examine the history, influence, and future of a multifaceted ethos of extraction, particularly as it influences the coal industry, in the Appalachian region of the United States. While many studies of extraction and the coal industry focus on their economic and political dimensions, by examining a broader ethos of extraction, this paper highlights multiple religious influences, including the entanglements between religious communities and extraction-based industries, the powerful moral narratives that serve to interpret and justify extraction, and the dynamics involved in shaping local identities and perceptions of place that enable this ethos to influence post-coal transition efforts. The result is a broad survey of the influences and impacts of resource extraction in Appalachia that challenges many of the longstanding stereotypes that can still be commonly found deployed about the region. In examining these influences, the paper also describes how academic interpreters have helped to shape popular conceptions of the Appalachian region that ultimately support ongoing extractive practices. Building upon insights from grassroots, anti-extractive activist communities in the region, the paper concludes by suggesting some ways that academics might adopt restorative ethics and practices in their work to address the entanglements between extractive scholarship and exploitation and devise alternative paths for just futures.

Etika Pengobatan/Rekayasa Genetik dalam Islam sebagai Implikasi untuk Terapi Gen dan Teknologi DNA serta Tantangan Kontemporer

Gene therapy offers the potential for treating genetic diseases and improving quality of life, but it also raises significant ethical challenges, including issues of genetic manipulation and eugenics. By identifying fundamental principles of Islamic ethics, this study explores how genetic technology can be integrated within an appropriate moral context. Through literature analysis and scholarly perspectives, this article highlights the need for dialogue among scientists, medical practitioners, and religious communities to establish guidelines for the use of this technology. The findings indicate that a balance between technological innovation and the preservation of Islamic ethical values is essential to ensure that scientific advancements provide benefits without violating moral principles. The article also recommends further research to explore the practical applications of gene therapy within the framework of Islamic ethics.

The Biblical Discourse of Disability and Implications for Religious Communities in Uganda: A Hermeneutical Review

This hermeneutical review of biblical discourse of disability seeks to promote inclusive religious participation. Although the Bible is a religious book among Ugandans, there is limited discussion on how it can enhance social and religious participation of persons with disabilities. The review revealed that disability representation, human dignity and essence, divine human integrity and social empowerment dominate biblical discussion of disability. So, the article asserts that disability interpretation and representation shapes the construction of social identities and enhances inclusive participation for persons with disability. Therefore, an African disability hermeneutics is recommended to transform religious teachings and theological interpretations of disability.

Forbidding the Permitted, Permitting the Forbidden-on Drives and Prohibitions in Psychotherapy in The Ultra-Orthodox Religious Community

The ultra-orthodox (Haredi) Jewish community in Israel adheres to strict observance of religious commandments with regard to separation between the sexes, and demands maximum personal modesty and discretion in all areas related to sexuality. Consequently, many young people find themselves facing a difficult conflict between their natural urges or drives and the restrictions imposed by the religious law (Halacha). In this article, I open a window onto this subject in the hope that the wider therapeutic community will attain a deeper understanding of the suffering and the complex emotional struggles experienced by these young people.

Accepting or criticizing religion in the process of globalization

Religion, a belief system closely linked to social life, is the subject of research analyzing religious tolerance and criticism in the struggle for human rights. The issue of religious tolerance and criticism will be clarified based on human rights and religious rights. In addition, the relationship between personal ethics and religious ethics is also different, in which the method of combining humanistic philosophy and social philosophy is used to clarify the complex relationships between religion, people, and society, especially the power and role of individuals in religious communities. Research shows that religion influences behavior and shapes people's value systems and rules of life. However, these value systems sometimes lead to discrimination and conflict. From there, the article concludes that religion is a product of human beings, and its existence can be both a positive and an opposing force in society, depending on specific historical conditions. Studying religious tolerance or criticism is essential to building a harmonious society. People must respect the diversity of beliefs and seek common values in reclaiming human rights in globalization.

A Topic Modeling Approach Towards Understanding the Discourse between Religion and Videogames on Reddit

Today's videogames are often intertwined with profound religious narratives, content, characters, and artifacts - but how do player communities understand the role of religion in games, and what is the impression of believers on the use, portrayal, and representation of the religion they practice? This paper dives deep into this confluence by rigorously analyzing discussions from religion and videogame subreddits that often depict the most popular communication channel for their communities. Following topic modeling, we cluster posts and comments from the three major religious groups and the most popular related videogame subreddits, bringing forth representative cultural sentiments and patterns of players and religious stakeholders. Through this, we discovered 22 distinct sub-themes, further categorized into the three overarching themes of (a) Blasphemous Elements of Videogames, (b) Religion as a Design Space for Videogames, and (c) Videogames for Religious Education and Community Forming.

Legal Review of the Granting of Mining Business Licenses to Religious Organizations

The government, through Government Regulation of the Republic of Indonesia Number 25 of 2014 concerning amendments to Government Regulation Number 96 of 2021 concerning the Implementation of Mineral and Coal Mining Business Activities, provides special rights for Religious Organizations to obtain mineral and coal IUPs without having to go through an auction process. This research aims to examine and analyze legal reviews regarding the granting of mining business permits to religious community organizations. The problem formulation in this research consists of: 1). What are the dynamics and problems of granting mining business permits to religious organizations? 2). How is the use of mining business permits in accordance with the principles of justice and equality? The research method used in this research is doctrinal legal research. The results of this research conclude that: 1). The dynamics and problems of granting mining business permits to Religious Organizations are: First, the potential for silencing public supervision. Second, the low level of experience and competence of Religious Organizations in managing mineral and coal mining. Third, the auction process is set aside by eliminating the auction obligation for Religious Mass Organizations in receiving IUPs. 2). Utilization of mining business permits in accordance with the principles of justice and equality consists of: First, the concept of implementing affirmative action for specific IUPs must be given to vulnerable communities. Second, the use of CSR should be an alternative for the Government to provide financial assistance to Religious Organizations rather than providing IUPs which have no rational reason to be handed over to Religious Organizations.

På höjderna och i stadens utkant. Gravfält och gravgårdar i det äldsta Sigtuna

This article discusses late Viking Age mortuary practices in the town of Sigtuna during the early urban phase (c. 980–1100 AD) with focus on the so-called graveyards (Sw. gravgårdar): cemeteries where the dead were inhumed mainly in accordance with Christian customs, but that lacked churches. It aims to trace cultural, social, or religious communities among the early town dwellers based on an analysis of their burial rituals, in combination with results of osteological and bioarcheological studies of their physical remains. The paper shows that burial customs varied within the early townscape: the dead were laid to rest under visible grave constructions in exposed topographical locations, as well as on flat-ground cemeteries in lower terrain close to the settlement area or at early churchyards. Moreover, diversity in mortuary customs, sex and age distribution, gender division, and diet can be detected between individual cemeteries, indicating that they were used by different urban groups that to some extent parted from their dead in different ways. The results of bioarcheological analyses indicate a heterogenous early urban population, comprising people from the Mälaren area, and also from distant regions. The burial customs reflect this specific urban situation, bearing witness to both long-distance contacts and roots in local mortuary traditions.

A Study on Factors for Religious Faith of Muslim Youth in China

This study investigates the factors influencing the religious faith of Hui Muslim youth in China, focusing on internal and external elements. The study used a mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews done in multiple mosques in Shanghai. Examined include external elements such as social integration, governmental policies, and educational environments, as well as internal factors such as personal beliefs, family influence, and community support. The results show that among young Hui Muslims, self-interest and family support are strongly associated with stronger religious faith. Moreover, the employment of digital media and virtual communities has emerged as a crucial component in fostering religious engagement, offering new avenues for religious education and community building. This study provides insights for policymakers, educators, and religious leaders to better support the religious and cultural needs of Hui Muslim youth in China.

Religious Inequalities and Human Rights: Implications for International Development

: This article explores the impact of inequalities linked to religious identity on development strategies and outcomes. Religious prejudice and differential treatment among communities affect development practice and outcomes, undermining social harmony and cohesion and deflecting development strategies. Development actors, however, often fail to take these issues fully into account. Unequal treatments range from discriminatory exclusion and persecution to preferential treatment, creating or accentuating inequalities among communities. Human rights violations are often involved. By various measures, problematic situations are increasing across countries, sparking social tensions that can undermine social compacts. Assessments of inequality and policies to address inequality should take more clearly into account religious identities and communities.

Religious Moderation and Transnational Islamic Ideology: Phenomena and Implications in Indonesia

This research analyzes Islamic transnational movements, especially the Salafi in South Sulawesi, their internalization, and implications for religious moderation. By applying qualitative methods and a phenomenological approach, this research was carried out in several key locations in South Sulawesi, namely in Makassar, Gowa, and Parepare, including Islamic boarding schools and several strategic mosques. The research reveal that the Salafi da'wah approach, which is effective and responsive to social dynamics, has gained a place in society. However, this puritanical approach faces challenges internalizing religious moderation, especially in interreligious tolerance and adaptation to local culture. Religious moderation offers a solution to create more inclusive and adaptive religious behavior, supporting harmony between religious communities in Indonesia.

Sacred Meets Synthetic: A Multi-Method Study on the First AI Church Service

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming society, including religious practices and experiences of religious communities. The first large-scale AI church service took place in 2023 in Germany as a Protestant Christian worship event within a biannual religious celebration. Studying this religious service illustrates how AI was developed as a religious agent and provides insights into the experiences of attendees. This research note presents data from a quantitative survey and two qualitative questionnaires of participants conducted at the AI worship service. Findings show diversity of opinion and a range of attendee experiences. By presenting the results of qualitative and quantitative analysis, this research note highlights the possibilities and limitations of incorporating AI into the religious sphere. While most of the responses were skeptical, participants also reported having spiritual experiences. Nevertheless, attendees also reported conflicting feelings regarding experiences of community within an artificial setting. The main concerns were technological limitations, fear of replacing humans, biases in the theology of the underlying large language model, and lack of personality and emotion. Age-based differences include younger attendees finding the AI service more attractive while older attendees found the AI service more stimulating. Implications are drawn for practical theology and AI implementation within religious settings.