Religious Identity Development Research Articles

Arabic Language Implementation Viewed from A Social and Cultural Perspective at Maitreechit Withayattan School Bangkok

This research explores the implementation of Arabic language learning at the Maitreechit Withayattan School in Bangkok, Thailand. With a population dominated by a Muslim minority, this research aims to understand the challenges and potential for developing Arabic language education in this context. The research background reflects Thailand's uniqueness as an ASEAN country with a Muslim minority that is recognized and regulated by national law. The focus of the research is on issues of student interest, teaching methods, hidden learning goals, and the role of teachers in the learning process. The research method uses modern ethnographic studies at Maitrechit Wittaayathan School Bangkok. Research findings show that students' low interest is influenced by less innovative teaching methods and a need for more variety in learning. Hidden learning goals, which include students' political aspirations to support the position of Muslims in government, become a complex dynamic in Arabic language learning. The importance of Arabic in the government context was a significant finding, with students being taught that Arabic language skills can provide a competitive advantage in careers in the government sector. Despite challenges regarding student interest, school administrators' high enthusiasm for Arabic creates the potential for solid collaboration between education and religious identity development. Implications for Arabic language education management include the need for more exciting learning strategies, teacher training, and collaboration with external parties to increase the relevance of learning to careers. This research provides in-depth insight into the complex dynamics of Arabic language education in Muslim minority school environments in Thailand. However, it should be acknowledged that the research findings are limited to one school in Bangkok, and generalization of the findings must be done cautiously.

The relationship between the strength of religious faith and spirituality in relation to post-traumatic growth among nurses caring for COVID-19 patients in eastern Poland: a cross-sectional study.

The COVID-19 pandemic had forced intensive care unit (ICU) nurses to adapt to extreme conditions in a short period of time. This resulted in them experiencing extremely stressful situations. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between post-traumatic growth (PTG) and religiosity and spirituality (R/S) among nurses caring for COVID-19 patients in intensive care during the pandemic. 120 nurses working in Lublin, eastern Poland, participated in the cross-sectional study. The questionnaire was made up of three standardised tools: The Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory, The Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire, The Spiritual Attitude and Involvement List. In terms of spirituality, the study group of nurses achieved the highest score in the Connectedness with Nature subscale (4.37 ± 1.07), while the strength of religious beliefs had a positive correlation with post-traumatic growth only in the Spiritual changes subscale (r = 0.422, p < 0.001). The following dimensions of spirituality were significantly correlated with post-traumatic growth in the multi-factor model that included religiosity and spirituality: Transcendent experiences, Spiritual activities, Meaningfulness, Acceptance, and Trust. We saw that increase in the assessment of the Transcendent experiences, Meaningfulness and Trust subscales significantly mirrors increase in post-traumatic growth, while increase in the assessment of the Spiritual activities and Acceptance subscales significantly mirrors decrease in post-traumatic growth. The above variables explained up to 44% of the dependent variable. Both religiosity and spirituality were significantly associated with post-traumatic growth in the group of ICU nurses, but spirituality appears to have played a larger role. Our findings support the value and significance of the development of spiritual and religious identity as a means of enhancing positive psychological changes in the face of traumatic events.

State ethnonational policy as a factor in guaranteeing the right of citizens to security

The article focuses on the function of the authorities which is supposed to comprehensively promote the normative regulation of the ethno-national development of the state, develop and implement optimal models of interethnic understanding, prevent and eliminate conflict situations caused by interethnic frictions, and at the same time ensure the right of every citizen to security in the context of self-realisation and manifestation of identity (including national identity). In particular, this study demonstrates the dependence of the security environment of society on the ethno-national policy of the state, which, in turn, determines the means of guaranteeing the right of citizens to personal security.The authors summaries that the ethno-national policy of the state should provide for the coherence of a number of concepts and theories, including ethnic and cultural heterogeneity, multicultural state, acculturation, «ethnicist position» and others. At the same time, one of the main criteria for assessing the quality of such a policy should be the level of guarantee of the right to personal security for citizens, combined with the possibility of free development of ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious identity, i.e. self-realisation and self-identification. And in the context of the rapid development of globalization of the modern world, this aspect must necessarily be accompanied by the formation of an international system for the protection of the rights of ethnic and religious minorities, taking into account legal, socio-economic, socio-political and humanitarian factors.

THE CONCEPT AND PECULIARITIES OF ACTIVITY OF PUBLIC ASSOCIATIONS OF NATIONAL MINORITIES (COMMUNITIES) OF UKRAINE

The article is devoted to the study of the concept of «public association of a national minority (community) of Ukraine». The relevance of the study is due to the process of reforming the legislation on national minorities of Ukraine, which is one of the conditions for granting Ukraine the status of a candidate for accession to the European Union. It is noted that public associations of national minorities (communities) are a means of realizing the collective rights of national minorities (communities) of Ukraine, as well as an external form of exercising individual rights to the development of ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious identity by persons belonging to national minorities (communities) of Ukraine. The author suggests that the public association of the national minority (community) of Ukraine is a voluntary non-profit association of persons who belong to the relevant national minority (community) of Ukraine and/or relevant legal entities under private law, the main purpose of which, according to the charter, is to implement and protect the rights and freedoms of a certain national minority (community) of Ukraine, satisfy its public needs and interests, integrate into Ukrainian society. The Law of Ukraine «On National Minorities (Communities) of Ukraine» has certain shortcomings with regard to public associations of national minorities (communities). The Law does not contain a definition of the concept of “public association of the national minority (community) of Ukraine”, i.e. the formal legal features of such a public association are not defined. The Law does not define the types of public associations of national minorities (communities) that can be formed and carry out their activities in Ukraine. The Law does not give any idea about the procedure for the formation of public associations of national minorities (communities) of Ukraine. The author analyses the rights of public associations of national minorities (communities) defined by the Law and describes some of them, in particular «ceremonial». Taking into account various aspects of the activities of public associations of national minorities (communities), the author proposes criteria by which the effectiveness of such public associations and their reputation can be assessed. The author concludes that the Law of Ukraine «On National Minorities (Communities) of Ukraine» has brought the protection of the rights and freedoms of national minorities (communities) of Ukraine to a new level, and has become another step towards bringing Ukraine’s national legislation in line with international human rights standards, but shortcomings such as legal uncertainty necessitate the improvement of the Law by introducing certain amendments to it.

Peningkatan Religiusitas Santri Melalui Pembelajaran Fiqih di Pondok Pesantren Miftahul Huda

Islamic education in boarding schools plays an important role in the creation and development of students' religious identity. One of the subjects in Islamic boarding schools is fiqh which discusses the understanding and application of Islamic law in everyday life. This study aims to determine the role of fiqh teaching in improving the religiosity of students at Miftahul Huda Islamic boarding school. This research method uses qualitative methods and observation or direct observation and data analysis. The respondents in this study were administrators and students of Miftahul Huda Islamic boarding school. The data obtained were analyzed using data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The results showed that fiqh learning at Miftahul Huda Islamic Boarding School had a significant impact in increasing the religious awareness of the students. The fiqh teaching provides a deep understanding of Islamic teachings and procedures for worship. The students must be able to apply this fiqh knowledge in their daily lives, both in social interactions and in their worship to Allah SWT. In addition, fiqh teaching also helps students understand the importance of social responsibility, morals, ethics and morality in Islam. This encourages them to be responsible individuals, care for others, and behave well in society. Overall, the teaching of fiqh at Miftahul Huda Islamic Boarding School plays an important role in increasing the religious awareness of the santri. Therefore, the boarding school needs to continue to improve the quality of fiqh teaching in order to produce students who have strong faith and religious deeds.

Queer in the Latter Days: An Integrated Model of Sexual and Religious Identity Development Among Former Mormon Sexual Minority Adults

ABSTRACT Sexual minority individuals often have complicated relationships with conservative religion, including conflicts between their sexual and religious identities. Sexual minority members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (CJCLDS) experience unique struggles, given the policies and doctrine of the CJCLDS and its commitment to heteronormative family structures and gender roles. A better understanding of the identity development trajectory for sexual minority individuals formerly involved in the church can deepens our understanding of sexual identity development in constrained contexts and help promote successful identity integration within this subpopulation. Transcripts from semi-structured interviews with thirty-four sexual minority individuals who identified as former members of the CJCLDS were analyzed using an inductive thematic approach, followed by a deductive theory-building process in which Cass’s Homosexual Identity Formation Model and Genia’s Religious Identity Development Model were overlaid on themes. We present a model that captures the trajectory of sexual and religious identity development that captures the experiences of sexual minority adults within the constraints of the CJCLDS, a non-affirming religious denomination.

Exploring the Value of Special Religious Education in Multifaith Australia among Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews and Baha’i

This article analyses the value of religious education in Australian government schools, including the contribution of the combination of Special Religious Education/Instruction (SRE/RI) and General Religious Education (GRE) to contemporary society. It is based on qualitative, grounded research with 58 interviews representing the six major faith groups in Australia—Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, and Baha’i, as well as drawing on McCrindle’s quantitative and qualitative data in an unpublished report co-written with the authors. The findings show that SRE contributes to values education, religious identity development and health and wellbeing. The SRE classes multiculturalise the schools and provide support to students who experience religious bullying in schools.

Role of education in the education of religious identity in the 21st-Century Russian Society

The study addresses the directions and priorities of scientific research into the peculiarities of the religious identity of Russian citizens and how it has changed over the past decades. The paper identifies and characterizes the objects of scholarly interest in the study of the formation of the religious identity of Russians. A set of factors affecting religious identity are disclosed, including religious-value norms and attitudes that form in interethnic families. Special emphasis is placed on the importance of taking into account modern trends in the development of religious identity in contemporary Russians in order to determine its prospects in the context of globalization and the development of the market for religious services. The novelty of the study lies in a reconsideration of the conceptual foundations of religious identity development in Russia in the 2000s.

Maronite Liturgy as a Developmental Space for Its Emerging Adults in Lebanon

Based on empirical research, this article explores how Maronite young people participate in their church liturgy in Lebanon. It uses theories about religious identity development of emerging adults in general and Maronite identity in particular to analyse the data. It establishes that in a rapidly changing context, Maronite emerging adults interact with their church liturgy through a dynamic junction of commitment and exploration processes. The liturgical participation offers a space for engaging with the political, cultural and economic layers of what is called ‘maronitism’. The data harvested indicates that this liturgical participation is fraught with ambiguity and places the emerging adults’ social-spiritual identity in tension with the dominant discourses of their community maintained so far by both the religious and political elite.

Interrelation of religious identity and tolerance in interpersonal relations of young Kazakhstanis

The relevance of the problem of studying the relationship between religious identity and tolerance in interpersonal relations of young Kazakhstanis, due to the growing tension in the interpersonal sphere on the basis of interethnic and religious conflicts. The purpose of the study is to identify and substantiate the relationship between the religious identity of the individual and tolerance in interpersonal relation- ships of young Kazakhstanis. The article analyzes the structure of religious identity of young Kazakh- stanis, describes the features of the types and components of tolerance and their interrelationships. The peculiarities of the development of religious identity and tolerance among Kazakh youth are considered through the prism of harmony/disharmony of relations. The study used a new questionnaire for the study of religious identity “Measurement of individual and social components of religious identity” by D. Van Kamp, adaptation by V.A.Shorokhova. The study shows that the religious identity of young Kazakhstanis develops heterochronously, has a social orientation. Young Kazakhstanis are characterized by a high level of tolerance. As a trait, tolerance has a personal orientation. The index of disharmony of relations shows that young Kazakhstanis are characterized by quite harmonious relationships. The results of the correlation analysis show that for the development of tolerance and religious identity, their identification with the reference group is important for young Kazakhstanis. There is a unity of mutual influence of per- sonal and social factors, with some advantage of the influence of personal factors. The obtained research&nbsp;results can be used by practical psychologists to carry out further work with representatives of various religious confessions, to form a comfortable ethno-cultural environment, contributing to the preservation and development of ethno-cultural and religious diversity of the peoples of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Key words: religious identity, types of tolerance, components of tolerance, relationships.

The Relationship between Religious Identity Development and Transgender Counseling Competence

The Relationship between Religious Identity Development and Transgender Counseling Competence

Introduction to Special Issue: Islam and/in Education in The Netherlands

This article provides information on the current Dutch educational system, paying special attention to the position of Islam in formal, non-formal and informal education. It briefly sketches the history of the so-called “pillarised educational system”, a system in which the 19th century Dutch Christian education system evolved into a compartmentalised system with the pillars of Catholic, Protestant and humanistic education. At the end of the 20th century, a fourth pillar of Islamic education was founded by Dutch Muslim parents. Convinced that religious upbringing in the family and participation in mosque youth clubs constituted only the beginning of the process of becoming a good Muslim, Moroccan and Turkish parents supported the foundation of formal Islamic education in Dutch Islamic schools. This article describes developments in formal, non-formal and informal Islamic education in the light of children’s rights to religious education and parents’ rights to religious upbringing. Religious identity development, including religious literacy training, is presented as an important aspect of educating children to be(come) good Muslims—a process in which parents at home, imams and volunteers at the mosque, as well as teachers at school, play an important role.

Latinx Emerging Adults’ Religious Identity, Ethnic Identity, and Psychological Well-Being

The current study examined associations among religious and ethnic identity exploration and commitment, and psychological well-being (PWB) among 683 Latinx emerging adults. A subset of data collected in the Multi-Site University Study of Identity and Culture was analyzed, focusing on three measures: (a) Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM), (b) Religious Identity Measure (adapted from MEIM), and (c) Scales of Psychological Well-Being–Short Form. Correlations indicated that PWB was positively related to religious and ethnic identity commitment, not exploration. Regression analyses indicated that commitment to religious or ethnic identity were positively associated with PWB, while exploration of religious or ethnic identity were not associated with PWB. In addition, religious identity exploration moderated the relation between ethnic identity exploration and commitment and PWB. These findings have implications for efforts to support the development of ethnic and religious identity among Latinx emerging adults.

Islam and Sex Education in The Netherlands: Reflection on an Example of Teaching Material for Islamic Primary Schools

This contribution is situated in the discussion on sex education in the Netherlands, in relation to “Islamic Pedagogy,” in particular “Islam and Pedagogy,” on the one side, and (religious) identity development on the other side. Islamic Pedagogy seems to be the theoretical framework of an example of developed teaching materials for sex education designed for Islamic primary schools in the Netherlands. Sex education is a compulsory yet sensitive subject in Dutch primary schools, usually included in the subject of Citizenship Education; in Islamic primary schools, it is included in the subject of Islamic Religious Education. After a short introduction to the Dutch education system, including the compulsory nature of sex education as a subject, this contribution offers a description of an example of developed teaching material, followed by a reflection from the point of view of pupils’ (religious) identity development as future citizens of Dutch pluralist society. For future teachers who are responsible for sex education, reflection is recommended—on their cognitive and affective relational positioning regarding Islam and concerning sex education. It is expected that deep reflection will stimulate the development of normative professionalism of sex educators in Dutch Islamic primary education.

44.2 A COCKTAIL OF RACISM AND XENOPHOBIA: THE SOUTH ASIAN YOUTH EXPERIENCE

Racial discrimination toward minority ethnic groups is common in developed countries such as the United States. Discrimination toward South Asians (SAs) is no exception to this trend. The goal of this presentation is to teach participants the history of racial discrimination against SAs and religious discrimination against Muslim Americans in the United States, and how the intersection of racism and xenophobia impacts discrimination of SA youth. Participants will also review Erikson’s model of adolescent development and learn how racial and religious prejudice impact SA adolescent socialization and identity development. Participants will also learn practical approaches for exploring issues of discrimination with SA patients. The presenter will review the history of racial discrimination toward SAs in the United States and the history of religious discrimination toward Muslims in the United States, and explain how these 2 types of discrimination have overlapped for SAs. This will be followed by an overview of common experiences of discrimination for SA youth, and then using Erikson’s model of development, the presenter will discuss how the experience of discrimination can impact the developing SA youth identity, and the risk that this may confer for mental illness. The presenter will share clinical pearls for clinicians to explore topics of racial and religious prejudice with SA patients. The United States has a notable history of racial discrimination toward SA immigrants, and religious discrimination toward people of Islamic faith. Xenophobia toward Muslims has compounded the experience of racism for SA youth. The experience of discrimination against SA youth complicates the development of stable identity and predisposes to identity confusion, insecurity, and social isolation. There is benefit for clinicians to incorporate the exploration of racial and religious discrimination in the evaluation and treatment of SA youth. Discrimination toward SAs is multifaceted and includes rejection of both culture and faith. Due to pervasive racial and religious discrimination toward SAs, SA youth are vulnerable to experiencing several mental health complications. Hence, it is important for clinicians to be cognizant of issues of discrimination when treating SA patients to best understand and therapeutically navigate their mental health concerns.

Religious Identity Exploration in the Life Stories of Strictly Reformed-Raised Emerging Adults in the Netherlands

Abstract This article presents the findings from a qualitative study on the religious identity exploration processes and experiences of emerging adults who grew up in strictly Reformed contexts in the Netherlands. We discuss three forms of exploration that appeared in our data: asking questions, exploring alternatives and rebelling against things that are disallowed or undesirable in the strictly Reformed tradition. We also discuss patterns that emerged from our analysis of exploration related to participants’ current religious identity commitments and a strictly Reformed upbringing. Finally, we discuss our findings and propose directions for further research and implications for those who guide youth in religious identity development.

COVID-19: The Crossroads for Sinhala–Muslim Relations in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s ethnic civil war between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), also known as the Tamil Tigers, and the government of Sri Lanka comprising the majority of the Sinhalese Buddhist community came to a bloody end in May 2009. Muslims, whose political and civil society elite had largely supported the Sri Lankan state and security forces, welcomed the end of the war and the defeat of the Tamil Tigers given the history of the community with the LTTE. The expectations by the Muslims (and other communities) that peace would return to the country, were quickly dashed as it appeared that a new extremist Sinhala-Buddhist nationalist movement targeting religious minorities especially the Muslims would emerge as the country grappled with post-war reconciliation. The rise of anti-Muslim rhetoric, hate speech, and incitement to violence against the community has pushed some Muslims to think that they have become the new focus for Sinhala-Buddhist extremists in the wake of the defeat of the Tamil Tigers. With suspicions of the complicity of the state apparatus in the anti-Muslim campaign, there are serious concerns around the role and place of minorities (non-Sinhala and non-Buddhist) in the future makeup of the country. While there is no concrete evidence on the state’s support for such an action, it is clear that the reluctance of the state to bring to justice those responsible for hate speech and incitement to violence since 2009 raises some serious questions about impartiality. In addition, with the increase of detentions and scrutiny of the Muslim community’s post-Easter Sunday attacks and the recent treatment of the Muslim community in the response to the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, including shutting down of key Muslim towns and the enforcement of forced cremations (which goes against Islamic teachings of dignified burials), there is much to ponder of an anti-Muslim strategy being mainstreamed and institutionalized by the state. This paper will seek to situate the present response to the COVID-19 pandemic by the state and its particular actions affecting the Muslim community amid a wider backdrop of a rise in anti-Muslim hatred and action. In order to understand this, the paper will seek to understand the reasoning behind why Muslims who supported the war against the Tamil Tigers, have now become the enemy for Sinhala-Buddhist extremists. It does this through primary and secondary data gathering including interviews conducted between July 2020 and February 2021. In so doing this paper will explore the development of Muslim political and religious identity by looking at a historical perspective. This paper makes the argument that a holistic approach needs to be developed to avoid a new conflict taking place in Sri Lanka and to avoid violent Islamist extremism taking hold.

Influencing Contextual Factors in the Religious Identity Development of Strict Reformed-Raised Emerging Adults in The Netherlands

Religious identity development is highly influenced by contexts. This influence is even more powerful for young people who grew up in strict religious contexts because of the prominence of orthodox beliefs and practices in everyday life. This article presents which contextual factors were influential on the religious identity development of 18 emerging adults who grew up in strict Reformed contexts in the Netherlands. Moreover, it presents characteristics that led the participants to consider the influence as positive or negative. In the study, the perspective of the emerging adults was central, and through in-depth life story interviews, contextual influence was explored.

Subjective Well-Being and Religious Ego Identity Development in Conservative Christian University Students

Spiritual maturity greatly impacts psychosocial development (Bravo, Pearson, &amp; Stevens, 2016; Dreyer &amp; Dreyer, 2012; Power &amp; McKinney, 2014). Much of the identity formation process occurs during adolescence and early adulthood (Good &amp; Willoughby, 2014; Hardy et al., 2011). The current study sampled students from a private Christian university to examine the relationship between religious ego identity status and subjective well-being. Positive relationships were found between religious ego identity and subjective well-being. Discussion includes the unique developmental needs of emerging adults to help Christian universities better facilitate their students’ growth and education.

‘It is never good. Really, it’s just never good’: a dominant theme in the life story accounts of strictly Reformed-raised emerging adults about their religious identity development

ABSTRACT This article presents a striking finding of our research into the religious identity commitments and process of religious identity development of emerging adults who grew up in strictly Reformed contexts in the Netherlands. We observed a recurrent theme in the life story accounts we studied. Almost all the participants expressed that they feel or felt not good enough for God or believers within strictly Reformed contexts. In this article, we explore this theme and show how feelings of not being good enough are related to various aspects of participants’ strictly Reformed upbringing, such as specific beliefs and specific ideal images. In addition, we show which experiences go along with feelings of not being good enough. Last, we discuss the findings, provide suggestions for future research and point to directions for further reflections by educators.