Religious Confessions Research Articles

Abiding Traditions of the Heroic Ukrainian Spirit

430 years ago, at the turn of 1591–1592, there broke out the very first Cossack uprising in the whole series of Cossack uprisings of the end of the 16th-first half of the 17th century. Being the result of half of a century relentless Cossack struggle, they transformed into the war of 1648-1654 under the leadership of Khmelnytsky and eventually led to the re-establishment of Ukrainian statehood in the mid-17th century. The article historiographically elucidates social and national origins of Kryshtof Kosynsky, the leader of the uprising, as well as his religious confession, reasons behind his coming to Zaporizhzhia, first mentionings of him, and the beginnings of his service in protecting the Commonwealth’s borders. Kosynky’s contacts and relationships with high-ranking government officials, in particular Janush Zamoski and members of the Ostrogski and Wiśniowecki magnate princely families are clarified as well as his matrimonial ties with the Rużyński princely family. The article elaborates on the state of the Cossacks, their recruitment and how they were treated by the government, causes of their discontent and the specific motive for the uprising. The article also shows how the insurrectionary events unfolded, in particular near Bila Tserkva, Trypillia, and Piatka. The circumstances of Kosynsky’s death and the myths around him are described.This anniversary has given an opportunity to recall commitment and heroic deeds of Cossacks who defended not only the rights and freedoms of their own estate, but also ignited other strata of society with the holy spirit of freedom. In this article, which was written before the Russian-Ukrainian war unleashed by Russia on February 24, 2022, the author traces similarities between the courage of Cossack knights and heroic deeds which are currently being manifested en masse by the soldiers of the Armed Forces and civilians of Ukraine. Thus, nowadays the descendants of the Cossack knights courageously defend not only the borders, independence and freedom of Ukraine as it has long been the case in our national history, but without exaggeration also European democratic values and Western civilization as such. This massive heroism and courage of Ukrainians testifies that the freedom-loving traditions of the Ukrainian nation are invincible.

Perfil das adolescentes grávidas atendidas no Centro de Saúde Materno-Infantil da Mineira (Huambo, Angola)

Aim: The research aimed to describe the profile of pregnant adolescents assisted at the Mineira Maternal and Child Health Center (Huambo, Angola). Method: This was a descriptive study, where the data was submitted to a univariate analysis. A total of 170 pregnant adolescents between 14 and 19 years old were randomly surveyed in one of the largest maternal and child care centres in Huambo in Angola from July to December 2019. Results: The average age of the adolescents was 17.53 years old (SD = 1.28); most were single (85%), had completed the first cycle of primary education (59.0%), did not work (92.4%), lived (50.6%) and grew up (56.5%) with their parents, with the majority having the Catholicism as their religious confession (47.1%). The obstetric data reported that most of the adolescents were nulliparous (84.1%), had had no complications from childbirth (84.7%), and had no previous abortion (91.2%). The majority of the adolescents had their first sexual intercourse between 16–19 years (68.2%) with their boyfriend (77.1%), and it was consensual (91.2%). The majority of the partners were aged between 20–22 years, were working (57.0%) and had assumed paternity (89.0%). Conclusion: The results indicated the presence of multiple factors that may influence adolescent pregnancy and showed a need for a profound rethinking of public health policies regarding adolescence.

On Condemning Whom We Do Not Know: Confession of Sins, Plea Bargains and Apophatic Anthropology

ABSTRACT This essay claims that the American plea bargain, figured as an inheritor of Christian confession practices, constructs racialized criminal subjects. It further argues that an apophatic anthropology confounds this legal practice and enables new forms of confession to be imagined. The first section utilizes Michel Foucault’s genealogies of confession in order to show that shifts in European religious and legal confession practices contributed to the emergence of the modern self-possessed subject. The second section utilizes Nicole Gonzalez Van Cleve’s sociological account of the courthouse to highlight the role of the plea bargain in constructing racialized criminal subjects. The third section challenges the underlying anthropological assumptions of the plea bargaining. Drawing on Judith Butler, Catherine Keller, and Critical Race Theorists, it insists that an apophatic anthropology prevents the construction of racialized criminal subjects through plea bargains. The final section mobilizes this apophatic anthropology to envision new confession practices in abolitionist settings.

Proportional Representation in Lebanese Cabinets: An Unconstitutional Confessional Hierarchy?

Abstract The confessional power-sharing mentality that governs the functioning of the Lebanese State apparatus has succeeded in imposing, over the years, many unwavering practices relating to the appointment of senior public officers. At the level of executive power, these confessional ‘constitutional conventions’ exacerbate the inequality between the different religious sects, where a de facto monopolisation within the so-called ‘Sovereign Ministries’ continues to be seen, ever since the Taif Agreement and reinforced by the Doha Accord. Furthermore, Lebanese parliamentary blocs fight to obtain ‘service ministries’, which are often an integral part of the machinery of clientelism, for the purpose of providing more ‘favours’ to their political clients. In fact, the political representation of the different religious confessions within the state institutions of deeply divided societies such as Lebanon, is ensured and guaranteed by the adoption of the principle of political proportionality. Following this logic, preserving the religious balance within the Lebanese Cabinet is one of the key prerequisites of the political system’s stability, which is essential to the functioning of the Council of Ministers. Prerogatives of the executive power are no longer concentrated in the hands of a single person belonging to a given religious confession, but are exercised through a collegial cabinet, which includes the main various Lebanese communities. Nevertheless, this proportionality, which sought a better representation of the religious segments, is mitigated by a hierarchy within the cabinet due to several unconstitutional practices.

Религиозный фактор в годы Гражданской войны в России (на примере процессов в Омской и Павлодарской епархии)

Based on the example of the Omsk and Pavlodar Diocese, the article analyzes the influence of religion on the events of the Russian Revolution and the Civil War in Russia is analyzed. The religious factor is understood as the processes of the influence of religion on the beginning, course and outcome of the Civil War, on the activities of the opposing forces, political institutions and public opinion. The main thesis of this article is that in the Russian Revolution and the Civil War in Russia, for the majority of the population, religion did not play a consolidating pacifying role, but, on the contrary, became a factor in the disintegration of society and the escalation of civil confrontation. To confirm the main thesis, the author considers three aspects of the influence of the religion on the escalation of the Civil War in Russia. The first is the ideological conflict between the forces of the revolution and religious confessions, which naturally led the Church to the anti-Bolshevik camp. The second is conflicts between representatives of the clergy, caused by ideologically different views religious and political topics and support of socialist revolution by part of the clergy. The third is the decline in the authority of the Russian Orthodox Church as a social cultural institution among a significant part of the Orthodox population and among the non-Orthodox, which opened the way for the spread of varied ideologies of nationalism and socialism.

Религиозное правосознание в условиях цифрового мира и европейский консерватизм

The article proposes to change the view on modern Western Europe, which is predicted crisis and death in the future in connection with its rejection of traditional values. The authors of the article, using the example of legal consciousness and human rights values, try to show that, in fact, digital globalization and the digital transformation of society cause a conservative reaction from religious confessions. The religious consciousness of traditional European confessions is recognized in the article as the most conservative. The authors are convinced that the reaction of the legal consciousness of representatives of both the Roman Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church in relation to artificial intelligence and digital technologies is due to the protection of human rights and dignity of the individual in the new digital era. The article uses the methods of philosophy of law, legal ethnology, legal anthropology, and sociology of law to consider the processes of transformation of legal consciousness. The work, based on anthropological studies of culturologists and sociologists, shows the erroneousness of the forecast regarding the unification and standardization of legal value-normative systems in the process of digital transformation of society and the state. The authors prove that digitalization, in its own way, has “sharpened” the long-standing disputes about the philosophical and legal nature of the categories “dignity of the individual”, “nation state”, “human rights”, “respect for the person”, “legal mentality”, “legal culture”, etc. An important conclusion in the work is the following: practically all Christian traditional confessions negatively assess the synthesis of artificial intelligence technologies and the ideas of digital capitalism. There is also a conflict between the conservative religious consciousness and the views of representatives of the fashionable philosophy of transhumanism. The article emphasizes that representatives of Christian communities pay special attention to threats and risks to children's rights, protection of juvenile rights and freedoms. The authors come to another conclusion: in general, European Christian conservatism adheres to a moderate assessment of new information technologies from the point of view of protecting the dignity of the individual and human rights. These processes provoke protest, since the conflict of values is very dangerous and can lead to a deep civilizational split. At the same time, the loss of the religious and moral foundations of the legal consciousness and legal culture of the inhabitants of the EU countries leads to anarchy and unrest. Rationalism and technocracy of the modern technological order do not unambiguously lead to unconditional acceptance by representatives of the countries that created this order.

ВЗАИМОДЕЙСТВИЕ РОССИЙСКОГО ГОСУДАРСТВА И ТРАДИЦИОННЫХ РЕЛИГИОЗНЫХ КОНФЕССИЙ: ИСТОРИЯ И СОВРЕМЕННОСТЬ

The purpose of the article is to identify features in the interaction of the Russian state and traditional religious denominations in different historical peri-ods. The author analyzes the main models of church-state relations developed between the state and traditional religious denominations throughout the history of our country. The role of Orthodox Christianity and other traditional religions of the Russian and other peoples of Russia is character-ized. As a result, the author proposed mechanisms to optimize interaction between state authorities and traditional religious confessions in order to solve the problems facing the Russian Federation and to strengthen the unity of its multinational people in the face of geopolitical threats.

Религиозный фактор в системе политико-правового состояния общества: на примере Республики Северная Осетия-Алания

The religious factor, including the confessional history of the peoples of our country, are of particular relevance in conditions when the so-called collective West has announced political and economic sanctions against our state and society. At this time, the desire of certain forces both inside and outside our state to shake the civil peace and national harmony of the peoples of the country is clearly manifested. It has long been formed thanks to the state-forming mission of the Russian people and the Russian Orthodox Church, which was before the well-known decree of the Soviet government in 1918 a single whole with the Russian state. Subsequently, all traditional religious confessions of the country are guaranteed equal rights. In 2022, the 1160th anniversary of Russian statehood and the 1100th anniversary of the baptism of Ossetia-Alania are celebrated. The article, based on the analysis of the materials of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, substantiates the author's vision of the role and significance of the religious factor, in particular Orthodoxy, in the Caucasus in the domestic policy of our state on the example of one of its subjects. Attention is drawn to such a recent social phenomenon as apostasy and its impact on civil peace and interethnic harmony. The article emphasizes the historical continuity of the humanistic policy of the central Russian authorities in the national regions of the country in relation to religious relations.

Religion as a protective factor against adolescent smoking habits: evidence from Spain

Background: There are a wide number of assessments suggesting that being a member of a religious community inhibits adolescents’ risky behaviours and, consequently, can act as a protective factor against the consumption of smoking substances. Methods: We have analysed a structured questionnaire answered by 1935 adolescents from Tarragona (Spain). Results: We have found that variables linked to family were the principal explanatory factors of adolescents’ smoking habits. Living with two parents was a protective factor against tobacco and cannabis use since its Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR) was clearly below 1 (p<0.01). So, whereas living with one parent showed an IRR>1 (p<0.05), adolescents that live without parents presented an IRR close 2 (p<0.05 for tobacco and p<0.01 for cannabis). However, having a religious confession also influence smoking substance use in adolescents (IRR close to 0.85 with p<0.01). Conclusion: We found a clear preventive effect in belonging to a religious community. Moreover, this protective effect was less intense, but not statistically significant, for Catholics than for members of other confessions.

ЎЗБЕКИСТОНДА ВИЖДОН ВА ЭЪТИҚОД ЭРКИНЛИГИ ДИНИЙ ОБЪЕКТЛАР ВА ЗИЁРАТГОҲЛАР ФАОЛИЯТИ МИСОЛИДА

Abstract: The article provides a scientific analysis of religious conflicts in the world and their resolution, as well as measures for constructive dialogue and peaceful coexistence and interfaith relations in the Republic of Uzbekistan.Today, about 94-95% of the population of Uzbekistan believe the religion of Islam. Based on this, educational centers and a place of pilgrimage of the religion of Islam function in all regions of the country.And also, the article examines the conditions created for believers of non-Islamic religions and their religious beliefs,who make up 5-6% of the population of Uzbekistan, the activities of religious confessions and the tolerance shown to them by the Uzbek people

Tatars in the Worldview of the Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language

The year 2021 was declared the year of the Tatar language and culture in Lithuania. This fact has inspired the authors to take a closer look and examine lexicographic material related to this nation. The image of the Lithuanian Tatars in the eyes of local Lithuanians has been scrutinized by ethnologists, folklorists, historians, linguists. However, their studies in that regard have so far omitted the largest linguistic tract, the Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language, which can be approached as some kind of a chronicle covering different material from our first writings dated 1547 until 2001. This article firstly aims to take a closer look at the image and relationship between those two ethnic groups, living in the close neighborhood for around 700 years, on the basis of available material recorded in the Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language. Illustrations provided in the dictionary cover written texts of different scope and types, various dialects across the country, and a broad variety of historical periods.A semantic analysis of roughly 120 illustrative examples associated with the Tatar has revealed an image of how Lithuanians have looked at Tatars – basically the warriors and mostly enemies. Even in peaceful times with no major battles around the Tartars were looked upon as strangers. People different in appearance, clothing, using the language strange to the locals, practicing different traditions, and religious confession. Sometimes local girls, though not too willingly, would get married to Tartars, fearing life could get worse and family links with their relatives will be lost.It is worth mentioning that a considerable number of plants and two animals are etymologically related to Tartars.

ЯНГИ ЎЗБЕКИСТОНДА ДИНИЙ БАҒРИКЕНГЛИК МАСАЛАЛАРИ

The article discusses issues of consistent state policy and its importance in ensuring religious tolerance in the new Uzbekistan, wide opportunities for all nationalities and peoples, and ensuring religious tolerance. It describes the importance of the country's religious confessions, national centers, language, customs and beliefs of all peoples living in the country, the preservation, opportunities and comprehensive development of their national culture, traditions and customs. The article highlights the successive reforms in the field of preserving national and religious values, studying the priceless heritage of our ancestors who made a great contribution to the development of world science and culture

Aspects of the Christian Missionary in Nationalist China: Mrs. Jiang Jieshi and the Missions

The present essay, beginning with Catholic press and various authors known in the sector of Missiology, underlines a connection between Song Meiling and Mission in general, particularly the Catholic ones. This work aims at adding a further piece to complete the already well-known Song Meiling’s career, after her marriage to Chiang Kai-shek. Further on, it will be clearly underlined the way she managed to established relationships with representatives of Missions, both Catholic and Protestant, thanks to the reform movement “New Life”, which brought Chinese people closer to Christian values. All this was possible by starting from the family dimension, thus enhancing the link between civil and religious society. Song Meiling’s strong point was the way she promoted social inclusion of the religious confessions, especially of the Catholic Missions, through solidarity initiatives, considering the religious community on the same level as the social community. This was a factor of potential development for the Church in China.

Trends in the development of the religious situation in post-secular society in Kazakhstan over the years of independence

Religion is considered as a source of human values in any society. Humanity would have neither history nor culture without religion. After the collapse of Soviet power, the law on religious beliefs and religious associations in independent Kazakhstan gave freedom to religious activity, promotion of religious teachings, distribution of religious literature, and worship. Thus, the years of independence of Kazakhstan are characterized not only by the creation of a civil society and a market economy, but also by the passage of a religious breakthrough. Kazakhstan become a home to representatives of many nationalities and different religious confessions. Today, the current religious situation in multi-religious Kazakhstan is multiconfessional, complex and progressive. The state policy of Kazakhstan in the field of interreligious relations is aimed at developing of interreligious dialogue, strengthening tolerance and compliance with the requirements of the law in the religious sphere. Kazakhstan has all the conditions for further strengthening of interreligious harmony and stability. Maintaining interethnic and interreligious harmony, security, and stability of international relations is one of the main directions of Kazakhstan's future development. Traditional religions, such as Islam and Christianity play a significant role in the formation of the spiritual values of Kazakhstani society. It should be noted that religions have a very important humanistic peacekeeping approach and have a positive impact on the life of society in Kazakhstan. The development of relations between traditional religions within the framework of a constructive dialogue contributes to interreligious and interethnic harmony in Kazakhstani society. It is a noteworthy factor in its stability and security as well. Key words: Kazakhstan, independence, law, post-secular society, religious situation

CORRELATION BETWEEN PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AND LEVEL OF RELIGIOSITY MANIFESTATION AT DIFFERENT AGES

The influence of modern society non-stability due to different reasons (political, economic, epidemiological etc.) on people’s well-being, mood and health is obvious. The objective of the study is the correlation between psychological well-being and religiosity manifestation of people at different ages. In our research we set the aim of studying and revealing the dynamics of correlation between these two categories while aging. Hypothesis of our research is that there is a dynamic of correlation associations while aging and there is strong positive association between psychological well-being and religiosity manifestation at second part of middle age and old age. We take religiosity as a deep personal structure, existential attitude which cannot be limited by definite religious confession but can be measured by manifestation factors. We conducted our research on the basis of Samara Methodist Church in 2018-2020. The sample includes 85 people, among them 22 at the age of 20-24(early adulthood), 20 at the age of 25-50(first part of middle age), 21 at the age of 51-64(second part of middle age, preretirement period), 18 at the age of 65-85 (old age). Study methods: observation, conversation, “Psychological well-being scales by Carol Ryff”, authors’ “questionnaire on religiosity manifestation”, methods of mathematical statistics (Spearman's correlation coefficient). Analyzing the dynamics of the correlation between level of religiosity manifestation and psychological well-being we revealed that while aging there are quite different correlation data. There is no statistically significant association between General Index of Psychological well-being and level of religiosity manifestation at the ages of early adulthood and first part of middle age, but in the groups of participants of second part of the middle age and old age there is strong positive correlation.

Jewish branch of cultural text of the Crimean ethnic ornament

The subject of this research is the continuum of ethnic symbols of the ornament of the Crimean Jews. The object is the traditional decorative and applied art of the peoples of Crimea following Judaism: Ashkenazi Jews, Karaite and Krymchaks. The symbolism of ethnic art is viewed based on the analysis of traditional decor. The article employs the methods of comparative analysis, analysis of previous research, method of synthesis in conclusions pertinent to connotations of symbols. The author explores the morphology and semantics of visual symbols in decorative and applied art of the aforementioned people, as well as connotations of symbols. Special attention is given to aspects that characterize polyethnic cultural landscape of Crimea in the context of phylogenesis. The main conclusions are as follows:   1. Crimea is a polyethnic region with various cultural processes – from reception to inculturation and integration of ethnoses, which ultimately formed the Crimean cultural landscape. Its peculiarities are represented by ethnic ornament, such as decorated household items and ritual attributes   2. Symbolism of the elements of traditional art of Ashkenazi Crimean Jews, Karaite and Krymchaks has common connotations due to the Torah that underlies the religious confession of all three ethnoses, as well as similar morphology. The art of Karaite and Krymchaks are more identical to each other than to Jewish. The author’s special contribution lies in systematization of the morphology of visual symbols in the art of the three ethnoses. The scientific novelty consists in carrying out a comparative analysis of the art of three Crimean ethnoses, revealing foundations of the genesis and continuum of its elements, their similarities and differences.

Religion-state relations as a source of modern terrorism

The article is concerned with the impact of religion-state relations on the formation and development of terrorism. The authors have revealed tendencies making representatives of various religious confessions resort to terrorism for the freedom of religion and its protection from external threats, as well manifestations of state violence against different religious groups that damage their religious identity in the 21st century.

LITHUANIAN PATERNAL HEALTH BEHAVIOR: ALCOHOL AND RELIGION

This paper explores the relationship between paternal religious affiliation, practice, and health behavior, namely consumption of alcohol. This research models alcohol consumption as an aggregate sum of weekly glasses of wine, 50 ml vodka shots, half-liter bottles of beer, and cocktails. The model includes religious confession among other independent variables including self-reported health status. In confessional comparison, the largest fraction, Catholic, is the reference category opposite Orthodox, Protestant, Other non-affiliated believers and Atheist. Significantly, Other believers and Lithuanian Protestants consumed significantly more alcohol than Catholic respondents. A unit increase in prayer or religious reading did not significantly predict a change in alcohol consumption. However a unit increase in weekly work hours significantly decreases alcohol consumption in contrast to a unit increase in time spent with children. Higher consumption is associated with lower self-reported health status.

The Fustat al-‘adala: a Unique Manuscript on the Religious Landscape of Medieval Anatolia

The particularities in the political development of medieval Anatolia after the arrival of the Seljuq Turks in the eleventh century resulted in a singular scenario in which a long but steady process of Islamization transformed medieval Anatolia with the majority Christian population into a mostly Muslim territory by the end of the fifteenth century. However, this process of conflict and accommodation affected not only the different religions present in the peninsula but also those confessions that coexisted and competed with each another within each of these religions. The religious diversity of the 13thto 15thcent. Anatolia has also reflected its textual production. Several significant works onkalamandfiqh, in addition to a variety of Sufi texts, were produced during this period. These works often deal with dogma, practices or traditions of their religious confession. But, generally, they do not offer much information on other religious confessions. The manuscript held at the Bibliothèque National de France (Supplément Turc 1120) contains a work which has been identified by Osman Turan as theFustat al-‘adalaand attributed to a certain Muhammad b. Muhammad al-Khatib. The uniqueness of this work is that a part of it is occupied with describing the different ‘heresies’ that were present in Anatolia at the time when the author lived, which appears to be during the lifetime of the last Seljuq Sultan of Rum, Ghiyath al-din Mas‘ud (d. 1308 AD). This introduction will look at this manuscript from both a codicological and thematic perspective. On the one hand, I will discuss certain aspects related to the production of the codex, its authorship and potential patronage. While on the other, the section on heresies contained in the text will be examined to explore what this work can tell us about the religious environment of medieval Anatolia.

Los delitos contra la libertad sexual de menores cometidos por miembros de confesiones religiosas

Estudiamos la responsabilidad que surge de la comisión de delitos contra la libertad sexual, en especial de menores, por miembros de Confesiones religiosas, tanto en el ordenamiento del Estado como en el ordenamiento confesional –centrándonos en el canónico–, que es el que tiene un marco jurídico completamente definido, poniendo de manifiesto los límites a la autonomía de las confesiones religiosas a la hora de poder llegar a depurar las responsabilidades, tanto canónicas, como seculares, por los actos ilícitos cometidos por los clérigos o similares, de modo que se impida que esa autonomía de las confesiones religiosas se pervierta y se constituya en un obstáculo al castigo de los culpables. Para ello es necesario profundizar en la colaboración entre los ordenamientos seculares y los confesionales.