Religious Communities Research Articles

Peran Modal Sosial dalam Pengembangan Pariwisata Budaya pada Tradisi Perang Topat di Pura Lingsar, Lombok Barat

One of the interesting forms of cultural tourism in West Lombok is the tradition of Perang Topat at Lingsar Temple, which symbolizes interfaith harmony. This tradition brings together Hindus and Muslims in a joint ritual, where they throw ketupat at each other as a form of gratitude and prayer for fertility. Social capital, including social networks, norms and trust within the community, plays an important role in the implementation of the Topat War tradition as well as the development of cultural tourism in Pura Lingsar. The existence of strong social capital allows for harmonious cooperation between religious communities, attracts tourists, and supports cultural preservation and tourism sustainability. This research aims to provide a more holistic understanding of how social capital plays a role in the development of topat war cultural tourism in Pura Lingsar. This research method uses qualitative with a case study approach. The results of this study show that the uniqueness of Pura Lingsar which combines Hindu and Islamic culture is an attraction for tourists. Strong social capital, established through trust, networks, and norms, is an important foundation in the management of Pura Lingsar. The interfaith cooperation and tolerance embedded in Pura Lingsar is a clear example of how diversity can be a strength. Pura Lingsar is not only a place of worship, but also a symbol of harmony and tolerance in Lombok, inspiring other tourism managers in Indonesia to build inclusive and harmonious tourist destinations.

Reexamining the Relationships of Religious Communities and the Public University: A Call-Back to Two Previous Scholars’ Responses With New Lenses

Higher education in the 2020s remains deeply divided on the role of religion, or what the Council on the Advancement of Standards (CAS) in 2023 describes as “religious, secular, and spiritual identities.” In two previous articles in this Journal, one 2010 article by the late Peter Magolda and one in 2014 by Perry Glanzer, detail the ways in which students and the student groups themselves should be considered in relationship with their institutions. However, ten years after those arguments, questions of how religious leadership should relate to and interact with the institution still remain. The ways in which institutions are utilizing critical religious pluralism theory are at the forefront of three relationship-minded considerations the authors wish to highlight. Initially, understanding the relationships requires reexamination of the ways interpretations of the First Amendment affect public and the private university settings for religious life. This article explores the relevance of professionalizing the relationship between religious leaders and the institution, the ways in which such a relationship can support stability of the religious communities themselves, and the importance of progressive Christian groups as a part of a more religiously diverse campus’s pluralistic religious and spiritual ethos. The gaps in Magolda and Glanzer’s arguments, plus the emergence of critical religious pluralism theory, offers new opportunities to consider higher education policies and practices related to “religious, secular, and spiritual” identities.

“Everyone has their own problems and realities so the religious community cannot judge someone.” Contraception motivations and perceived consequences among young contraceptive users who practice a religion in Burkina Faso

BackgroundNumerous factors at the individual, interpersonal, and societal levels are related to contraceptive use (or non-use) among adolescents and youth. Little is known about the role of religion as an individual and community-level influencer of contraceptive use among young women.MethodsUsing in-depth interviews with 24 young contraceptive users ages 18–24 who practice their Catholic, Protestant or Muslim religion in two cities in Burkina Faso, this study examines motivations and perceived consequences of contraceptive use. By including users of modern contraception who were both single and married, a range of perspectives are provided.ResultsGenerally, the young women interviewed who practice their religion and use contraception perceived that their religion was not supportive of contraceptive use. A few exceptions were provided, including perceived acceptance of use of some methods for married women for spacing purposes; this was specifically identified as acceptable among Muslim respondents. Sexual activity and contraceptive use were not acceptable by any of the religions for unmarried young women. That said, young women, both married and unmarried, reported their motivations for use that often related to their and their children’s health and the realities of life. Contraceptive use was considered a private matter which meant that the religious community would not find out about women’s use.ConclusionsRecognizing that some women are willing and able to use contraception even without the perceived support of their religious communities might help to push social norms to change and be more accepting of contraceptive use that meets young women’s and families’ circumstances.

Is religion beneficial for mental health? A 9-year longitudinal study

Background/ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the within-person and between-person effects of religious variables on mental health and vice versa. MethodUsing a large sample of adults residing in Germany from the GESIS Panel study (N = 8146), the random intercept cross-lagged panel model was used. Data on six dimensions of religion (i.e., membership in a religious community; attendance at a place of worship; frequency of prayers; importance of religion in life; and participation in a religious organization) and three indicators of mental health (i.e., depression symptoms, happiness, and life satisfaction) were collected. ResultsThe findings revealed that there is almost no evidence of lagged effects of religion on mental health and limited evidence regarding the role of mental health in influencing the dimensions of religion. Moreover, at the between-person level, there was some evidence of significant covariance between the trait-like components, indicating stable, trait-like differences between persons on religion and mental health. ConclusionsThe beneficial effect of religion on mental health may have been exaggerated in previous research.

Attitude of Jordanians towards a new enactment for an opt-out organ donation system: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundOrgan donation entails saving or transforming lives through the provision of organs, either from living donors or deceased individuals. In Jordan, low donation rates are attributed to religious misconceptions, limited...

Voicing Religious Tolerance Through Qur'anic Interpretation: An Analysis of Kim Knott’s Thought

This article aims to explore the concept of religious tolerance through the interpretation of the Qur'an by analyzing Kim Knott's thoughts about insider/outsider. This is motivated by a social fact that is being polemic and viral regarding the request of one Christian to the Indonesian Ministry of Religion to reform the interpretation of the Qur'an. By using qualitative methods and content analysis techniques as well as Kim Knott's insider/outsider perspective approach, this article concludes that the insider/outsider perspective on the open letter of Christians sent to the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs to reform the interpretation of the Qur’an, is seen as dividing religious communities in Indonesia. Although it received support from the majority of Christians (outsiders) and claimed that its request to the Ministry of Religious Affairs specifically to revise the interpretation of QS. al-A’raf [7]: 157 is an act of tolerance, in fact what he did was an act of intolerance that could damage harmony between Muslims and Christians. In the insider's perspective, the request is seen as too interfering with Islamic teachings and ignoring one of the indicators of religious moderation promoted by the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs, namely tolerance. Some posts uploaded related to the request to reform the interpretation of the Qur’an on social media have indirectly become an embryo of intolerance of interfaith harmony, especially between Muslims and Christians.

The House of God as the House of Salvation for All People

This paper explores the existence of eunuchs in ancient Israel and the Israelites’ reception of them in the postexilic period. Using a postcolonial approach, this paper analyzes the ambiguity of the identities of foreigners and eunuchs, the liminal position they occupy in the Israelite community, the stereotypes they receive, and God’s actions to create a third space for them. The postcolonial reading of Isaiah 56:1-8 shows that there is an opportunity for foreigners and eunuchs who promise to keep the Sabbath and obey God’s covenant to live and become part of the Israelite community. Furthermore, Isaiah 56:1-8 also creates a third space for eunuchs where their dignity will be restored and their names will be immortalized forever. When connected to the Indonesian context, God’s initiative to bring marginalized and rejected eunuchs into the third space—a space of transformation that breaks down all oppressive binaries— becomes news of hope for sexual minority groups in Indonesia who have also experienced trauma and suffering. This interpretation calls for religious communities, including their leaders, to create a warm and loving home for others who are also part of God's family.

The Dynamics between the Orthodox Tewahedo Church and Polity in Modern Ethiopia and Its Role in Establishing Peace in the Country

The interaction between the Orthodox Church and the state in Ethiopia has undergone various phases throughout the country's history. Emperor Haile Selassie, who came to power in 1930, sought to modernise Ethiopia by adopting Western educational and administrative systems. This included restructuring the Church administration to establish a centralised hierarchy for easier control. The military regime that seized power in 1974, inspired by Marxist and Leninist ideologies, showed strong hostility towards religion. When this regime took over the Patriarchate in Addis Ababa, Church administration shifted back to influential monasteries in rural Ethiopia, leading to a period of reduced activity, often termed hibernation. Communist propaganda which aimed at secularising the urban youth population gained some traction until the regime's overthrow in 1991 following the collapse of the USSR. The quasi-democratic regime of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, which took power in 1991–92, liberated all religious communities from political suppression. They introduced an ethnic federalism system, dividing the country into states based on ethnicity. However, this regime later faced accusations of favouring a single ethnic group, leading to the rise of the current oligarchical government in 2017. Consequently, the Orthodox Church saw a decline in its political influence. This paper examines these historical and political developments in relation to Church history to understand the Ethiopian Orthodox Church's role in past, present and future peace restoration efforts, particularly following recent conflicts in northern Ethiopia.

Kasiyana as Religious Communication among the Kankanaeys in the Philippines

Indigenous cultures have their belief systems, including the recognition of a supreme being, and with such recognition comes their moral systems, which guide how they live their lives. As for the Kankanaeys in the Cordillera Region of the Philippines, Kasiyana is one of the practices that portrays their belief in the divine and serves as a moral guide in their relationship with other people and the environment. The pervasiveness of Kasiyana in the Kankanaey cultures makes it a viable source of reflection in religious communication. Thus, the paper aims to make explicit how Kasiyana expressions and manifestations are forms of religious communication. The paper started by extracting how the COVID-19 survivor participants perceived, expressed, and manifested the Kasiyana. With the participants’ extracted manifestations of Kasiyana, the paper discussed how the Kankanaey concept of Kasiyana qualifies in some pertinent areas of religious communication. The paper also presented how Kasiyana is intertwined with Christian teachings, making it more sensible to discuss as religious communication. Keywords: Indigenous, cultural identity, cultural preservation, Kankanaey spirituality, Cordillera

ORTHODOXY IN THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE FORMATION OF COMPLIANCE WITH LEGAL, JOURNALISTIC, SCIENTIFIC-HISTORICAL AND ARTISTIC SOCIAL SUBCULTURES IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF THE 19TH CENTURY (ACCORDING TO NATIONAL CORPUS OF THE RUSSIAN LANGUAGE)

The second quarter of the XIX century became the era of the reign of Nicholas the First, when the number of texts with the lexeme “Orthodoxy,” according to the materials of the linguistic academic resource “National Corpus of the Russian Language,” exceeded their volume for the entire XVIII century. We can say about continuation of the formation of an academic tradition of objective description of confessional, ethnic, ethno-confessional and religious communities in a multi-confessional country of the Enlightenment, combined with the formation of the so-called “protective” direction in politics. In search of compensation (consent) between the court, legal, journalistic, church and scientific elites, new denotations and connotations are formed (for example, “Orthodoxy of the Greek-Russian Church”, “Christian Orthodox Catholic Faith of the Eastern Confession”, etc. in the texts of laws), a romantic understanding of “Orthodoxy” is developing as “the unanimity of the people” (I.V. Kireevsky), normative requirements for the work of writers called upon to create literary works “in the spirit of autocracy, Orthodoxy and nationality” are being constructed (N.A. Polevoy). Along with this, the importance of “inner Christian life” is recognized (V.A. Zhukovsky). The article sets out the position of social philosophy with an orientation towards the approaches of modern philosophical religious studies.

DAMPAK SOSIAL PASCA KONFLIK 2016 DI KOTA TANJUNGBALAI

This research aims to determine the social impact caused by the 2016 conflict in Tanjungbalai City. This caonflict occurred against the background of a protest from an ethnic Chinese woman who lived in front of the Al Maksum Mosque on Jalan Karya, Tanjungbalai City I District, South Tanjungbalai District, south Tanjungbalai District and protested about the volume of the call to prayer by statting that her voice was too loud. The Formulation of the problem in this research is the Social Impact that occurred after the 2016 conflict in the city Tanjungbalai. this research uses qualitative methods with research data collection techniques carried out by interviews, participation and documentation. The theory in this research is Dahrendorf’s theory which states that there are two groups in society depending on who controls the reins of power. The informants inn this study were 12 people consisting of 5 main informants and 7 addutional informants. The results of this research show that the conflict that occurred in 2016 occurred spontaneously and suddenly and was unexpected by the community meanwhile, the social impact caused by the 2016 conflict in Tanjungbalai was the destruction of places of worship, relations between residents felt increasingly starined at the time, each group was wary of each other and suspicion arose between fellow enrich groups after the incident, than the impact of economic activities after the incident. In this case, the city government gtogether with religious and community laders as well as the TNI-POLRI have succeeded in controlling this situation in the not too distantfuture so that life in Tanjungbalai is running normally as usual. The city of Tanjungbalai was designated the city of intorelan as a result of the 2016 conflict but is now no longer the city of Intorelan due to difficulties in achieving harmony between religious communities. This was created because the city government together with religious and community leaders as well as the TNI-POLRI carried out regular communication, mettings and dialogue between religious and ultimately gave rise to a consensus for the parties concerned to maintain balance and national city.

ISLAMIC APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE AND EXTREMISM: CONTEXTUAL READING OF HADITHS ON THE MAHDI WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO SRI LANKA

Like any other religious community, the apocalyptic literature in Muslim society has become a source of pessimism instead of optimism. The extremists who conducted a series of suicide attacks on religious places and hotels in Sri Lanka in 2019 justified their violent activities, referring to apocalyptic literature that prophesied the advance of Mahdi. These extremists misunderstood the hadiths on the Mahdi and intended to create instability in the world to accelerate his coming to resolve the present issues of Muslims. This research studied the relevant hadiths quoted by the extremists to kill innocent people and explored their meaning. The contextual analysis method has been employed to extract the meaning of these hadiths. This research shows that the extremists have misinterpreted these hadiths and used the Islamic apocalyptic literature out of context. The socio-political context of the usage of these hadiths further elaborates the change that has taken place in the understanding of their purpose throughout history. Therefore, this research recommends that Muslim religious and social leaders review interpretation traditions and educate young people to adopt socio-political and historical contexts to understand Islamic apocalyptic literature, mainly hadiths, to protect young people from extremism and radicalism.

Contextualizing Muhammad Abduh’s Thought on Religious Tolerance in Indonesia

Indonesia, characterized by its rich religious diversity, inevitably experiences variations in religious principles. Engaging in religious practices can sometimes lead to excessive fanaticism, resulting in conflicts and divisions within religious communities. To mitigate such challenges, fostering religious tolerance becomes crucial for promoting harmony. This qualitative research employs a library research method, analyzing secondary data sources to explore the concept of tolerance as interpreted by Muhammad Abduh, an Islamic theologian and reformist, in his work “Tafsir al-Manar.” Abduh’s interpretation aligns with Surah Al-Baqarah verse 256 from the Qur’an, emphasizing the importance of mutual respect and the freedom of belief without coercion. Given Indonesia’s context, where Islam is known for its openness, inclusivity, and problem-solving capabilities, studying and embracing the concept of tolerance from “Tafsir al-Manar” is highly relevant. The study concludes that Abduh’s perspectives on religious tolerance can significantly contribute to national harmony and the advancement of humanitarian values in Indonesia.

The Dynamics of the Islamic Education System in Shaping Character

<p><em>This research was written to describe the dynamics of the Islamic education system in shaping national character and its philosophical values in realizing harmony among religious communities. The type of research used is qualitative descriptive research employing Systematic Library Review (SLR) literature sources from several journals, books, and proceedings related to the topic of discussion. The stages of literature mapping gone through in this research were identification, screening, feasibility, and inclusion. Meanwhile, the references used in this research were limited only to reputable international journals. Based on the results of data analysis, it was uncovered that character education is a basic principle that every individual must possess because the character is the main determinant of the good and bad of a person's attitudes, behaviors, and speech. The findings that can be contributed to this research are strengthening character as a projection for the 21st century to become one of the pillars of changing times, which is the main representation of educational success, including moral character and performance character. Moral character is related to faith, honesty, piety, humility and compassion. In addition, the performance characters are hardworking, tenacious, tough, not giving up easily, thorough, and have high loyalty. In the national context, character education is crucial, as the nation's generation is directed to have personality values, which include national values, religious values, integrity values, independence values, and mutual cooperation values.</em></p>

TEOLOGI KERUKUNAN: BUYA SYAKUR DAN GAGASAN PENANGGULANGAN RADIKALISME BERAGAMA

Religious radicalism is a serious problem because it can trigger conflicts between believers. This problem comes from certain religious groups that claim their beliefs are the most correct, such as radical Muslims. Negative behaviors such as the phenomena of blaming others, violence, and even terrorism, occur due to religious radicalism. This research discusses the thoughts of a Muslim scholar named Buya Syakur about the theology of harmony as an effort to overcome religious radicalism. This type of research is a document research with descriptive-analytical method. The primary sources are two videos of Buya Syakur's lectures, Moderasi Beragama Merajut Nasionalisme & Toleransi Beragama and Dialog Kerukunan Islam–Buddha, as well as two of his works entitled Merawat Pluralitas and Berbagi Kebahagiaan: Mengenal Maqom-Maqom Tasawuf. The research findings showed that the concept of theology of harmony perspective of Buya Syakur is divided into three aspects, reviewing the concept of kafir and taqwa, looking critically through the life history of the Prophet Muhammad, and the importance of maintaining plurality and cooperation between religious communities.

Harmonization of Tradition and Islam: Mediating Culture and Religious Beliefs in Maccera Tasi Ritual in Luwu, South Sulawesi

This study explores the Maccera Tasi tradition in Bonepute Village, Luwu Regency, South Sulawesi, examining its intersection with Islam and local culture. Recently, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) of South Sulawesi deemed this long-standing tradition as shirk, or polytheistic, asserting that it contradicts Islamic law. This declaration was made by the MUI’s fatwa commission following public reports about rituals involving offerings of livestock heads, such as cows, buffalo, or goats, or other food into the ocean. In response to these reports, the Regional MUI team conducted a field research whose findings were reported to the South Sulawesi MUI. This report served as the basis for the aforementioned announcement. While some perceive the Maccera Tasi practice as an expression of gratitude for the harvest, others label it as shirk (polytheism). The present study employed field research, utilizing qualitative descriptive analysis. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation. The research participants included religious leaders, traditional leaders, community leaders and local government representatives from Bonepute. The findings of this research suggest that religion and local traditions can coexist, fostering social cohesion without infringing upon Islamic law. This harmonious coexistence encourages the Bonepute community, particularly fishermen, to express gratitude for the blessings bestowed by Allah SWT. This gratitude is manifested through prayer, the release of seeds, and marine fish food, which are interpreted as forms of environmental stewardship. Therefore, this study contends that the perception of the Maccera Tasi practice as polytheistic is inaccurate. Instead, this practice represents an Islamic expression of preserving local culture through a process of religious and cultural assimilation.

Bhag-Rembhag Sabhala’an as a Method of Resolving Religious Conflicts in the Madura Legal Tradition

Religion-based conflicts often occur in various regions, including Madura. However, there is an interesting conflict resolution, namely through the bhag-rembhag sabhala'an tradition. This research aims to determine the mechanism for resolving religious-based conflicts based on local wisdom through bhag-rembhag sabhala'an which is practiced in Madura. This research uses empirical legal research methods with socio-legal and anthropo-legal approaches, which result in the discussion that: First, the resolution of religious conflicts in the context of national law only focuses on efforts to give verdicts of heresy and guilt to parties who, by the religious majority community, are considered contrary to the understanding of the majority of religious believers, not on efforts to open dialogue and find ways of peace between conflicting communities. Second, the resolution of religious conflicts with the bhag-rembhag sabhala'an emphasises efforts to open dialogue between conflicting adherents by utilising local village figures to find a peaceful way and find a variety of similarities amid striking differences caused by the outbreak of religious conflict. Bhag-rembhag Sabhala'an has long been practised in Madura in the event of differences in understanding and religious conflicts, where humanist and peaceful approaches are preferred over violent ways of resolving conflicts. The real contribution of this research is that the mechanism for resolving religious conflicts based on local wisdom can be the primary choice for parties in resolving religious conflicts. This method prioritises peaceful solutions and respect for religious differences.

Model pemberdayaan kelompok wanita tani (KWT) melalui modal sosial untuk menjaga kohesivitas kelompok

This research aims to analyze elements of social capital to maintain groups cohesiveness and designing an empowerment model for Women Farmer Groups (KWT). The research method used is explanatory sequential mixed methods design, a two-stage research process, quantitative descriptive analysis and qualitative analysis. Data collection used census techniques for 30 informants, namely all members of KWT Karya Tani , Katel Klawu Hamlet, Pengalusan Village, Mrebet District, Purbalingga Regency and conducted in-depth interviews with 7 key informants and the KWT chairman and management through Focus Group Discussion (FGD). The research results show that the elements of social capital consisting of strong networks; trust; compliance with norms; cooperation and social awareness for group members as well as involvement in group activities. are in the high category. The empowerment strategy at KWT Karya Tani to maintain cohesiveness is by integrating closed social capital and open social capital that accommodates the complex, heterogeneous social dynamics of society within the ties of social entities attached to KWT Karya Tani. The majority of KWT Karya Tani members are devout Christians and are bound by the religious norms and community organizations. Each member of KWT Karya Tani is a member of the Jamaat Women's Group as well as the wife of a member of the Karya Tani farmer group. This uniqueness presents empirical findings in the study of the empowerment model that will be implemented at KWT Karya Tani, namely a collaborative all aspect of empowerment model through a holistic, community-based approach.

A research review of the religious and social services of the governor of Wadi Balochistan, Hazrat Sinan bin Salma (RA)

This research review delves into the multifaceted religious and social services rendered by Governor Hazrat Sinan bin Salma (RA) in the historical context of Wadi Balochistan. The study aims to shed light on the significant impact of Hazrat Sinan bin Salma's leadership, particularly in the realms of religion and community welfare. It encompasses a comprehensive analysis of his life and accomplishments, offering insights into the dynamic interplay between religious devotion and societal betterment. Hazrat Sinan bin Salma (RA) emerged as a prominent figure in the annals of Islamic history, revered for his unwavering commitment to Islamic values and his tireless efforts to uplift the people of Wadi Baluchistan. His religious services encompassed the establishment of mosques, religious schools, and the dissemination of Islamic teachings. These initiatives not only fortified the spiritual fabric of the region but also nurtured a sense of unity and belonging among the populace. Furthermore, Hazrat Sinan bin Salma's (RA) social services extended beyond the confines of religion. He championed causes related to education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation. His administration implemented policies that promoted economic prosperity and social justice, resulting in a significant improvement in the quality of life for the residents of Wadi Balochistan. This research review utilizes historical texts, accounts, and scholarly analyses to construct a comprehensive narrative of Hazrat Sinan bin Salma's (RA) life and contributions. It highlights his enduring legacy, which continues to influence the region's religious and social landscape to this day. Hazrat Sinan bin Salma (RA) stands as a beacon of inspiration, exemplifying the harmonious coexistence of religious devotion and community service. This research review offers a glimpse into his remarkable life, emphasizing the profound impact he had on the religious and social milieu of Wadi Balochistan.

Integrating Qur'anic Recitation in Local Traditions: A Study of the Kenduri Opat Pekara in Bahgie Bertona Village, Gayo-Aceh

This study aims to explore the application of Surah Al-Mu'awwidzatain within the kenduri opat pekara tradition in Bahagie Bertona Village, Aceh, to understand its ceremonial practices and spiritual significance. The research investigates how the Surah is integrated into local customs, highlighting its role in providing protection and blessings during community rituals. The study employs a qualitative descriptive methodology with a phenomenological approach, focusing on field research. Data were collected through direct observation, in-depth interviews with religious leaders and community members, and document analysis. Triangulation was used to enhance the validity and reliability of the findings. Results indicate that the kenduri opat pekara tradition involves specific preparations believed to appease ancestral spirits, coupled with the recitation of Surah Al-Mu'awwidzatain to invoke divine protection and blessings. The community exhibits diverse interpretations of the Surah's significance, reflecting a complex interplay between Islamic teachings and local cultural practices. The conclusion suggests that the tradition goes beyond the normative use of the Qur'an, integrating it into local customs to strengthen social cohesion and cultural heritage within the Gayo community.