Religious Contact Research Articles

Religious Conversion as Religious Contact—the “statement conversion”

Religious Conversion as Religious Contact—the “statement conversion”

Religious Conversion as a Form of Religious Contact

Religious Conversion as a Form of Religious Contact

Halle – Stockholm – Tobolsk and Back, Stronger Than Ever.

The article examines Curt Friedrich von Wreech’s book Wahrhafftige und umständliche Historie (1725/28) as a document of a particular situation of religious contact that is inaugurated by military conflict. It analyzes the repercussing dynamics displayed by Pietist ideas being imported to Russian Siberia by Swedish Prisoners of War during the Great Nordic War (1700–1721), and being brought back to Sweden after the release of the prisoners in 1721. Pietism in Siberia consolidated by contact with Orthodox Christians, Muslim Tartars and ‘pagan’ religious traditions as practiced by the Khanty. Via a long-distance transmission of religious ideas and practices, Pietism in Sweden gained momentum that evoked severe countermeasures by the Orthodox Lutheran church. The case of Carolean Pietism also shows that a predominant religious tradition (in this case the Lutheran Orthodoxy of Sweden’s state religion) might provide its heterodox counterpart with formal structures that might subversively be used as means of surviving, consolidation and even spreading.

The relationship between visitors’ motivations and satisfaction about a Brazilian sacred complex

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse the relationship between the motivation and satisfaction of visitors, both tourists and residents, of a sacred urban complex located in Santa Catarina, Brazil.Design/methodology/approachThis descriptive research uses quantitative and survey methods to collect the data. The sample of this study consists of 400 visitors, comprising tourists and residents who were in Vale das Graças, Santa Catarina, Brazil, between August and September 2019. Descriptive statistics and linear regression analysis were used to analyse the data.FindingsThe results of this study showed people who visit the site for reasons of religious belief, cultural pleasure and mental relaxation feel satisfied and emotionally touched by the religious atmosphere. It was also perceived that all dimensions of satisfaction significantly influenced the motivation to visit the Vale da Graça; that is, tourists and residents tend to feel more motivated to visit the Sacred Complex when they are satisfied with the contact with faith provoked by the visit.Originality/valueThis research provides theoretical and managerial contributions. Initially, this study contributes to research related to urban religious tourism and the perception of residents and tourists (visitors) in relation to a sacred complex. In general, this research on the subject investigated only the tourist's perspective. In addition, this study also brings management contributions for the destination administrators by understanding the behaviour of visitors to religious tourist sites located in the urban area of municipalities and giving their opinions on the satisfaction and motivation of aspects related to religious contact to visit such sites, thus helping in the management process of the attraction and surroundings.

"[…] only a single cadence of a few notes […]"?—Johann Georg Hamann’s Religious Contact With the Baltic Region

"[…] only a single cadence of a few notes […]"?—Johann Georg Hamann’s Religious Contact With the Baltic Region

Hegemonic Confessions at the Baltic Periphery—Religious Contact in the Early Modern Baltic Region

Hegemonic Confessions at the Baltic Periphery—Religious Contact in the Early Modern Baltic Region

Australian Objects in the Religious Studies Collection at the University of Münster: The “Pater Worms Collection” as a Case of Inter-Religious Contact

The paper discusses the Australian artefacts in the collection of the Institute for the Study of Religion at the University of Münster. The collection was established in the 1950s with the intention to exemplify, for students of Catholic theology, the wide variety of material expressions developed by different religious traditions in the world. The collection also highlights zones of missionary contact and their inclusion in theological thinking about non-Christian traditions. The Australian objects were given to the collection in the second half of the 1950s by the Pallottine missionary Ernest Worms. It is not the goal of this paper to attempt a thorough ethnological analysis of the objects; instead, we discuss how these objects from indigenous Australian cultures were included in a collection of religious artefacts owned by the Faculty of Catholic Theology of the University of Münster and to what extent the founder of the collection, Anton Antweiler, considered these objects expressions of the religions and religious history of Australia. To this end, the correspondence between Worms and Antweiler has been analysed, particularly where Worms discusses these objects extensively from both a missionary perspective and from his point of view as a scholar researching Australian cultures. In addition, his German treatise on the religions of Australia (*Die Religionen der Südsee und Australiens*) was consulted. Based on these sources, Worms’ perception of the religions and cultures of Australia and how it informed his collecting activities can be reconstructed at least partially. At the same time, the paper attempts to direct the focus at the objects themselves as bearers of information. The material artefacts that were collected, described and finally sent to Münster to be exhibited tell their own stories about cultural and religious contact, in Australia as well as in Germany, where they were shown to students of Catholic Theology and are accessible for students and staff members until today.

Whose Presence, Whose Absences? Decolonising Russian National Culture and History: Observations Through the Prism of Religious Contact

In the introduction to this special issue, the editors are concerned with how the Russian state defines its national culture and history mainly with reference to Slavic civilisation, Orthodox Christianity and imperial glory. This post-Soviet discourse of nation-building may be understood as an attempt to cope with a sense of loss in the wake of the Soviet Union’s collapse. That discourse also affects how nationalist-minded observers interpret space as naturally Russian and as part of the empire of the past (or the present). Regrettably, little consideration is being paid to Russia’s ethnic and religious minority cultures, which hardly seem to contribute to Russian history and culture and sometimes do not even feature in representations thereof. Critically engaging with the ideas of presence and absence—the presence of one culture or tradition to the detriment of others—, the editors suggest, can potentially help to decolonise accounts and illustrations of Russian culture and heritage. In the best case, the outcome of such an exercise would be a more adequate involvement of minority representatives in the process of negotiating Russian national culture.

The Discovery of Words. Linguistic Situations of Religious Contact during the Early Phase of European Colonization

The special issue The Discovery of Words is devoted to situations of religious contact resulting from the encounter of European discoverers with indigenous populations. The discovery of a new world challenged the former framework of religious thinking. Here, the European explorers did not only discover new worlds but also new words, notions and concepts that resulted from communicative contact. Finding a suitable common means of communication became a salient task for the religious experts of the time although they could only imagine the other as a subject of mission. However, religious contacts in a context of discovery and early colonialism are not expressions of a mere one-way street of impact, as a reflection on one’s own language and conceptual framework became necessary for the Europeans. The meta-communicative ideas developed in colonial settings all over the world are an integral and important part of the dynamics of the history of religion between Asia and Europe.

A Theologian’s Answer to the Challenge of Colonization. Francisco de Vitoria on the Meta-Communicative Aspects of Religious Contact in a Colonial Setting

In Francisco de Vitoria’s (1483?-1546) texts, one may witness a significant object-language attempt to contemplate on and to establish the conditions for successful communication between traditions. It is an attempt on meta-communicative issues involved in the situation of religious contact between Spanish conquerors and missionaries and the indigenous population of the New World. The Dominican professor bases his considerations on the analysis of language as the preeminent element of human communities. Criticizing former missionary practices, Vitoria aims at establishing the notions of reason and purity of conduct as tertia comparationis that allow the connection of Christian discourse to the mindset of the indigenous. Therefore, to Vitoria, the main meta-communicative goal of a missionizing Christian speaker in facing a non-Christian audience is to establish a situation that allows hearing reason being communicated.

THE LEXICAL CHANGE IN THE PERSONAL NAME IN ACHEBE’S NOVELS

Language change is a process by which change occurs in the distribution of linguistic variants across sounds, words or constructions of a language. The change can be as a result of the following factors: contact, region, level of education, gender, age and so on. In the light of this, the research investigates the lexical change in the personal names that occur in the following novels of Chinua Achebe: Things fall apart, No longer at ease and Arrow of God. From the findings, this study portrays that contact is the major factor that brings about the lexical change in the personal names used in these novels. Furthermore, this contact is classified under religious contact, culture contact and education contact. Finally, Holmes (2013) opines that for there to be a language change, there must be language variation. In the case of language change in the personal names that occur in the aforementioned novels, there are no variations before the lexical change in the personal names. Eckert & McConnel- Ginet‟s (1992) proposition that no single variable can be held responsible for language change is visible also because inasmuch as the reason for the language change is stemmed to contact with the white men but it further spilled to other factors like education, religion and culture. Key words: Novel, language, Lexical Change

Bridging the Gap of the Afri-Eurocentric Worldview Divide in a Postcolonial South Africa.

Background: This paper is an attempt to bridge the gap between Africentric and Eurocentric worldviews through the lens of positive psychology’s second wave of attaining pathways to well-being. Methods: The overcoming of existential suffering with indigenous understandings has been addressed through photo-elicitation in retrospective timelines with students Lihile+, Tanaka+, and Diana+, +Pseudonyms to protect identity Thematic analysis with semi-structured virtual interviews has also been utilized to gain insights into Africentric and Eurocentric worldviews. All students come from different contexts of cultural complexity. Lihile was raised by her maternal Xhosa family, with a traditional Sotho father. Tanaka is Shona, born and schooled in Zimbabwe, studying in South Africa. Diana was born in England and is now living in rural KwaZulu-Natal. Findings: Students’ worldviews were shaped by their primary caregivers’ multicultural influences, as well as their exposure to educational and religious contact zones. Despite having to survive the traumatic legacy of social injustices, the students managed to pursue positive goals and transcend challenges and achieve well-being. Conclusions: This study attempted to transcend the divide of Afri–Eurocentric worldviews towards a shared responsibility to develop an improved social science in Africa. Positive psychology offered a space to accommodate well-being as a healing process, not only for the oppressed but also the oppressors of past social injustices.

ХРИСТИАНСКИЙ ЭЛЕМЕНТ В ЛЕГЕНДАХ О КОРОЛЕ АРТУРЕ И РЫЦАРЯХ КРУГЛОГО СТОЛА

The article deals with the actual problem of cultural contact for modern historical knowledge on the example of the origin and development of the legends about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. The main purpose of the research is to reflect the understanding of historically important images and symbols of European society through the subjective ideas, thoughts and intentions of a person of the Middle Ages. The main method of research is the socio-cultural approach, focused on the relations of people of the time, characterized by cultural diversity. Christianity in the Arthurian legends of the Middle Ages was one of the elements that had a significant impact on their formation and further development. This was influenced by the early and peaceful Christianization of the British Isles, as well as the cultural and religious contact of the Celtic settlers with the population of Armorica. This article examines two branches of the development of Arthurianism, the Christian origins of the legend of the Holy Grail, as well as the influence of Christian morality and homiletics on the plot-forming motifs of the medieval chivalric novel. In the course of the study, it is traced what influence on the development of the Arthurian cycle, in addition to the ancient Celto-Welsh tradition, was exerted by the early Christianization of the British Isles and how the combination of these factors turned Arthurian into a significant cultural tradition of European civilization.

Factors Associated with Transphobia: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

ABSTRACT Our study examined factors associated with transphobia with a particular focus on the interrelations between religious fundamentalism and contact to impact transphobia. We used an online sample of U.S. adults (Mean age = 38.91 years, SD = 12.58 years; n = 400) to conduct a partially latent variable SEM analysis and tested the direct effects of religious fundamentalism, contact, and gender on transphobia and the indirect effects of religious fundamentalism on transphobia through contact. We additionally tested for gender differences in the structural relations of the variables through a multi-group analysis. Results showed a statistically significant effect of religious fundamentalism, contact, and gender on transphobia. Religious fundamentalism also had a statistically significant indirect effect on transphobia through contact. Gender differences were also found for the effects of religious fundamentalism on contact and on transphobia. We conclude with implications for research and practice.

“It’s a tricky one” – development practitioners’ attitudes towards religion

ABSTRACT Situated within post-colonial development critique, this article explores prevalent attitudes of development practitioners towards religion and their potential policy and practice impacts. The discussion draws on evidence from interviews and document analyses of government aid agencies, their recipient organisations, and local activists. The findings suggest that a lack of religious literacy, interest, and contact with religion has fostered an Orientalist mindset that essentialises religion as backwards, risky, and a unique feature of the “developing world”. Contrary to global policy pushes, addressing religion in practice continues to be largely left to individual discretion and practitioners show an overwhelming reluctance to engage.

Guestbooks in multifaith spaces as (inter-)religious media

ABSTRACT In recent years, various forms of multifaith spaces have been emerging in Germany which include so-called Rooms of Silence in hospitals or educational institutions as well as Gardens of Religions. So far, empirical research on these spaces has focused on their establishment or their functions within the surrounding organisations. In this article we will put a focus on the ‘user experience’ of multifaith spaces based on an analysis of guestbooks. These books are a unique source of data for a qualitative in-depth analysis as they offer an opportunity for visitors for commentary including religious references and speech acts. Drawing on two case studies from a Room of Silence within a hospital and a Garden of Religions, we investigate how users experience and appropriate multifaith spaces and how guestbooks may become media of (inter-) religious contact.

'Religion' in Late Antique Zoroastrianism and Manichaeism: Developing a Term in Counterpoint

This article evaluates the development of a generic term for ‘religion’ in late antique Manichaeism and Zoroastrianism. It examines linguistic indications of the use of dēn/δēn as a generic term in the Manichaean Middle Iranian corpora, i.e. Middle Persian, Parthian, and Sogdian, as well as in the corpus of Zoroastrian Middle Persian. The paper considers declination in the plural, the attribution of universal quantifiers or demonstrative adjectives, comparison, and selection, as they occur in the above corpora, to be indicators of generic concepts. Acknowledging that third-century Manichaeism shaped the term for ‘religion’ in the Persian Empire, the paper scrutinizes the reflections of this formative process in Sasanian and also early Islamic Zoroastrianism. The resulting analysis of the linguistic evidence indicates that the newly coined Manichaean concept of ‘religion’ did not find considerable echoes in late antique Zoroastrianism. Furthermore, an investigation of the term daēnā- in the Avestan sources provides earlier evidence for the formation of the term ‘religion’ in pre-Sasanian Zoroastrianism. Finally, the paper highlights the significance of religious contact for the formation of a generic concept of religion.

Experience with discrimination, perceptions of difference, and the importance of gender conformity on support for transgender rights

ABSTRACT Analyzing data from the Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel (N = 4573; August–September 2017), the study considers the influence of experience with gender discrimination, perceptions of gender differences between men and women, and the personal importance of gender conformity on support for transgender identity and societal acceptance of transgender individuals. While controlling for demographics, political and religious predispositions, values, and social contact, the results suggest that those who have experienced gender discrimination are more likely to support transgender identity and the argument that society has not gone far enough in terms of transgender acceptance. These individuals exhibit group empathy and express solidarity and a shared experience with their transgender counterparts. In contrast, those who perceive that men and women are significantly different with respect to gender and those who indicate that gender conformity is personally important to them are less likely to accept transgender identity and also less likely to support further acceptance of transgender individuals in society. The implications of these findings and the importance of strategic messaging are discussed in light of the increasingly polarized political climate surrounding transgender rights and issues.

Memory and Alterity in Zar: Religious Contact and Change in the Sudan

Drawing on long-term ethnographic research in the Blue Nile town of Sennar, supported by archival and historical documentation, this article explores the history of Zar spirit possession in Sudan, and the light this throws on the interplay of religions over the past 150 years. Life history data supports the argument that contemporary Zar is grounded in forms and rituals derived from the ranks of the ninteenth-century Ottoman army, and these remain the basis of ritual events, even as they accommodate ongoing changes in this part of Africa. Many of these changes are linked to the dynamic interplay of Zar with forms of Islam, on the one hand, and Christianity, on the other. In the former colonial periods, political power resided with the British, and Khawaja (European) Christian Zar spirits are remembered as far more important. Today that authority in Zar has shifted to spirits of foreign Muslims and local holy men, on the one hand, and to subaltern Blacks, on the other. These speak to concerns of new generations of adepts even as changes in the larger political and religious landscapes continue to transform the context of Zar.

Modifiable elements of ICU supportive care and communication are associated with surrogates' PTSD symptoms.

To identify specific components of ICU clinician supportive care and communication that are associated with increased post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms for surrogate decision makers of patients with chronic critical illness (CCI). We conducted a secondary analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial of palliative care-led meetings to provide information and support for CCI surrogates. The primary outcome for this secondary analysis was PTSD symptoms at 90days, measured by the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R). Caregiver perceptions of clinician support and communication were assessed using a version of the After-Death Bereaved Family Member Interview (ADBFMI) instrument modified for use in non-bereaved in addition to bereaved caregivers. The association between ADBFMI items and IES-R score was analyzed using multiple linear regression. Ninety-day follow up was complete for 306 surrogates corresponding to 224 patients. Seventy-one percent of surrogateswere female, and the mean age was 51years. Of the domains, negative perception of the patient's physical comfort and emotional support was associated with the greatest increase in surrogate PTSD symptoms (beta coefficient 1.74, 95% CI 0.82-2.65). The three specific preselected items associated with increased surrogate PTSD symptoms were surrogate perception that clinicians did not listen to concerns (beta coefficient 10.7, 95% CI 3.6-17.9), failure of the physician to explain how the patient's pain would be treated (beta coefficient 12.1, 95% CI 4.9-19.3), and lack of sufficient religious contact (beta coefficient 11.7, 95% CI 2-21.3). Modifiable deficits in ICU clinician support and communication were associated with increased PTSD symptoms among CCI surrogates.