Religious Inspiration Research Articles

The Cause of the Lebanese Disappeared in Syria: Human Rights, Social Movements and Politics in Lebanon

In 1989 SOLIDE, a grass root movement from within the right wing Christian opposition to the Syrian military security emerged in order to campaign for the recovery of the disappeared. Drawing on oral history, interviews, fieldwork at SOLIDE's protest tent in downtown Beirut, and documentary analysis, I trace the genealogy and politics of SOLIDE's activism from the late 1980s to the present, showing that SOLIDE's activism underwent profound changes in response to Lebanese political developments. Beginning as an avowedly political campaign, in the aftermath of the war it turned into a human rights-focused NGO, a shift that was only possible because of an alliance with a group of the mothers of the disappeared; gender stereotyping enabled SOLIDE to present itself as fundamentally apolitical. With the establishment of a protest tent in downtown Beirut in 2005, in the period after the Syrian withdrawal until the end of its sit-in in 2015, SOLIDE took on the characteristics of a social movement. Analysis of the various phases of activism demonstrates that in Lebanon the boundaries between humanitarianism, often of religious inspiration, and human rights activism, supposedly secular, are porous, as too the boundary between party-political activism and civil society.

Riddle of the Talking Quill: Wandering Motives

The subject of the article is an international riddle type about the quill pen, which could be provisionally entitled The Tortures of the Quill. The Lithuanian riddle of this type has over one hundred of the recorded variants, the oldest of which dates back to the beginning of the 18th century, and reads the following way: “Cut my head, take out the heart, and let me speak”. Variants of the riddle differ in terms of using the imperative vs. more neutral indicative – first or third person; frequently, they also include the fourth motive – drinking. Having accumulated all the Lithuanian variants of the riddle – both published ones and those from the archived manuscripts, as well as the international equivalents, historical sources, mythological data, folktales, legends, incantations, proverbs and proverbial sayings, the author reveals the possible connections of these riddle motives with other texts, their migration, and the religious inspirations behind them. Similar motives are discerned in the Greek myths, in the Poetic Eda, in the Western European chronicles and hagiographies describing two historical events - namely, the martyrdoms of the Saint Adalbert of Prague and the Saint Bruno of Querfurt that took place in the end of the 10th and in the beginning of the 11th century. Having surveyed all the varying motives of the riddle the author assumes that the riddle in question does not necessarily follow the descriptions of the definite historical events; rather, both the descriptions and the riddles, as well as other similar texts have been composed by adhering – whether consciously or subconsciously – to certain mythical patterns or religious events, and resonate with them. The riddle of the tortured quill may be depicting a symbolical dying that means rejecting the old nature and rebirth in a new form, having drawn from the otherworldly sources that enable one to utter the divine or prophetical words. This may also include reminiscences of the shamanic rites. Although it is not a direct transmission of a memory narrative – rather, it is more like a wandering textual memory of a once important knowledge. Various folklore texts tend to be recreated and relived from time to time, while the spread of writing signified an enormously important turning point in the human history, worth to be highlighted and emphasized. Riddles used to be an extremely important genre of folklore, related in the ancient Vedic tradition to the knowledge of the world creation and the rituals of its renewal. Such renewal could have connected the new kind of the knowledge bearer and its transmitter – i. e. the quill pen, with the shamanic rituals from the past that require particular spiritual strength and devotion to serve the common good.

Bondad y límite: la ética de Eugenio Trías

The philosophy of the limit of Eugenio Trias proposes an ontological theory where three areas [cercos] are distinguished (of the appearance, hermetic and bordering) and four neighborhoods of the border city (philosophical, religious, aesthetic and ethical). This text explores the last of them. It analyzes ethics as an event in which three classes of subjectivity intervene: subject 1 (issuer of the order), subject 2 (receiver) and subject 3 (agent). On the other hand, that ethical-metaphysical conception is remitted to a religious inspiration, that of biblical Israel, and related to the contemporary experience of barbarism.

Breastfeeding support through wet nursing during nutritional emergency: A cross sectional study from Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh.

This study examined the best practices with regard to infant and young child feeding in emergency (IYCF-E) program. This was done by observing a breastfeeding support scenario through wet nursing in Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Information on demographics, IYCF-E knowledge, wet nursing support, type of constraints faced, and possible ways to overcome such constraints was collected through face-to-face interviews with 24 conveniently selected wet nurses. Linear regression was used to analyze the associations. Mean age of wet nurses was 21.6 years; 16.67% had adequate knowledge about IYCF-E; and 29.17% had prior knowledge about wet nursing. Mean age of supported infants was 1.29 months, and 58.33% had a familial relationship with the wet nurses. Duration of breastfeeding support was significantly associated with the wet nurse's age, age of the wet nurses' youngest children, familial relationship with infants, knowledge about IYCF-E, and follow-ups from community nutrition workers (Ps <0.05). The status of facing problems (58.33%) was negatively correlated with duration of wet nursing, although this association was not statistically significant. The most extensively reported problems were as follows: misunderstandings with the infant's family (85.71%), family workload and time limitations (21.43%), household distance (42.86%), and family members' poor compliance (21.43%). Counseling from community nutrition workers (64.29%) and mediation by community leaders (57.14%) played key roles in mitigating such problems. Self-satisfaction (37.50%), counseling (62.50%), and religious inspiration (58.33%) were key motivators behind dedicated breastfeeding support. Wet nursing in the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazaar, Bangladesh, was associated with several factors involving both supply and demand. The present findings may help design better IYCF-E programs in similar context.

The city of the sun and Parthenope: classical astronomy and the planning of Neapolis, Magna Graecia

This paper investigates what may have been the cosmological and religious inspirations for the plan of the city of Parthenope-Neapolis (the historic centre of Naples, Italy), which was founded in the early fifth century BC by Greek colonists. Neapolis anticipated the strict orthogonal Hippodamian street grid plan. We argue that its geometry and geographical orientation was chosen so that Neapolis could be recognized as the city of Helios/Apollo (the sun-god of the Greeks) and Parthenope, the deified royal ancestor and/or the siren after whom the city was named. In fact, Neapolis's streets were cosmologically oriented using a sixteen-rayed hexadecagram geometry to emphasize Apollonian/solar cults. The city was also planned using a Pythagorean decagram/pentagram design with golden section proportions and inscribed geometries to symbolize the Harmony of the Spheres. These geometries were apparently inspired by the specific paths of the sun seen from the city on the solstices. Moreover, a sort of celestial light show on the spring and autumn equinoxes connected the sun, the Somma-Vesuvius volcano complex, Sant’ Elmo hill, the constellations of Taurus, Virgo/Parthenos and Aquila with the cult of Sebethos and Parthenope, the parent gods of Neapolis. Finally, Vitruvius's ideal city design appears to indicate that the novel and advanced planning of Neapolis served as a prototype for subsequent Greek and Roman cities.

‘Ordo’ versus ‘Ordnung’: Catholic or Lutheran roots of German ordoliberal economic theory?

Ordoliberalism is a German tradition of economic and political theory whose influence on the post-2008 European landscape has been substantial. Ordoliberalism professes a strong state to safeguarding competition against monopolies, argues for a strict anti-inflationary policy and for the rigid enforcement of debtor obligations. This reflects the early ordoliberalism’s deep concern with the political and economic crises in Germany during the interwar years. The article demonstrates that early ordoliberalism was simultaneously deeply concerned with religious issues related to social order. Rather than seeing religious and economic engagements as two separate spheres, the article shows their deep interrelatedness in early ordoliberal thought. More specifically, the article seeks to challenge the established view that the religious inspirations of early ordoliberalism were predominantly Catholic, as reflected in the Thomist notion of ordo. By contrast, the article argues that ordo was largely an invention of the post-war strategy of the alliance with Catholic social thought and that the deeper concern of the early ordoliberals was predominantly with Lutheran Evangelical Ordnung.

Los monoteísmos abrahámicos y las imágenes: un panorama.

This study is conducted through the form of a triptych. In the first part, we evoke the unprecedented situation in which the three monotheisms stand before the images, due, among other factors, to the Internet. We also aim to specify the meaning of every term used, in order to avoid simplifications in regard to their respective connections with the images. The second part, that is, the central panel of the triptych, intends to recall how each of the three religions, especially in its beginnings, dealt with images in general, and images of religious inspiration in particular. The third part examines the possible link between the hostility of nascent Islam towards the images and the well-known Controversy in Byzantium, also advocating the creation, within each of the three religions, of competent instances to designate those images that represent them properly.

Conscience before Conformity: Hans and Sophie Scholl and the White Rose Resistance in Nazi Germany by Paul Shrimpton

Reviewed by: Conscience before Conformity: Hans and Sophie Scholl and the White Rose Resistance in Nazi Germany by Paul Shrimpton Reed Frey, C.O. Conscience before Conformity: Hans and Sophie Scholl and the White Rose Resistance in Nazi Germany BY PAUL SHRIMPTON Leominster, Herefordshire, UK: Gracewing Publishing, 2018. xxi + 304 pages. Softcover: £15.99. ISBN: 9780852448434. Contributing to the expanding body of literature on internal German resistance to Nazism, Paul Shrimpton's latest volume chronicles the inspiring tale of Hans and Sophie Scholl and the White Rose resistance, a non-violent student movement against the Third Reich. For Shrimpton, previous scholarship on the White Rose has understated the religious inspiration and motivations of the protagonists, and he aims to bring this dimension into stronger focus. He argues for the particular influence of the Christian theology of Augustine, Pascal, Bernanos, and especially Newman on the White Rose students. To accomplish this sizable task, Shrimpton wisely attempts to return to the "original sources": the letters and diaries of both Hans and Sophie Scholl, as well as the White Rose leaflets themselves. Shrimpton's very readable narrative opens with a study of Theodor Haecker, a translator of seven of Newman's works, and a deeply influential mentor to Hans and Sophie during their time in Munich. Chapter two then examines the Scholls's upbringing and time in Nazi youth organizations, where they developed a keen opposition to the National Socialist project. Chapter three traces the further development of the Scholls's interior and intellectual growth between 1939 and 1941, highlighting their ever-increasing acrimony towards the Reich and the war efforts. In chapter four, Shrimpton profiles the founding of the Windlicht magazine, a subversive periodical, composed mostly of articles, poems, and reflections antagonistic to the Nazi cultural program. Chapters five through seven focus on the writing, publishing, and distribution of the White Rose leaflets between the summer of 1942 and February of 1943. The leaflets became increasingly bold and were circulated through a continually more sophisticated and extensive distribution system. Chapter eight describes the arrest, trial and execution of the Scholls, along with their close collaborator Christoph Probst. The final two chapters examine the aftermath and legacy of the White Rose Movement, and Shrimpton successfully responds to various contemporary criticisms of the White Rose Movement. These criticisms are put forward by those thinking the White Rose students acted rashly, taking imprudent risks with their own lives, causing the arrests of their families and friends, and accomplishing very little real change. [End Page 124] Shrimpton's narrative offers a complicated picture of both Hans and Sophie Scholl. Sophie's intimate diary entries and extensive correspondence with her boyfriend Fritz Harnagel, a Luftwaffe line officer, reveal a spiritually and emotionally sensitive young woman who was constantly wrestling with the deepest religious and moral questions. She felt compelled in conscience to speak out unabashedly against the regime. Hans is depicted as a rebellious and daring activist who faced deep personal turmoil, likely in part due to his substance abuse and sexuality. He had serious literary and philosophical interests and was ultimately responsible for drafting much of the language in the leaflets. Shrimpton draws out a profound spiritual sensitivity in both Hans and Sophie and evokes admiration for their heroism. Shrimpton successfully shows the important religious dimension of the White Rose Movement, a dimension often overlooked by previous researchers. While Shrimpton clearly demonstrates that the students were exposed to Newman's work via Haecker and found it engaging and fruitful, it is not clear to what degree this exposure motivated their activities in the White Rose. Shrimpton's research unfortunately stops short of a full return to the original sources. He did not gain access to the entirety of the Scholl archive, rather making use of the 1987 compilation and translation of the Scholl letters and diaries.1 Shrimpton's primary source is thus an edited selection of letters and diary entries in translation, which gives rise to various historiographical concerns. Shrimpton's aim of offering a fresh and unique narrative of the White Rose Movement would have been better served if he made use of the complete Scholl archive, reading it in the original German. This...

Inspiracje filozoficzne i religijne dla zakazu piętnowania twarzy skazańców. Ze studiów nad konstantyńską humanitas

The aim of this paper is to analyze the constitution by Constantine the Great which prohibited the branding of faces of the condemned to the gladiatorial games (Latin damnatio in ludum) or to the mines (Latin damnatio in metallum). Recognized as the leading exemplar of humanitarianism and an outwardly simple legal act, it inspires one to ask questions about the intellectual and religious inspirations of the lawmaker. This allows one to consider the shape of the humanitas notion during the reign of Constantine the Great.

Dream over life: Psychedelic terphenyl derivative induce hallucination via cannabinoid receptor 1

For ages, natural psychedelic resources have been used by ancient tribes for religious inspiration. In modern medicine, these compounds were prescribed to relieve severe distress and depression on cancer patients. Despite medical benefit, abuse of these compounds have become prevalent in our modern society. These compounds usually interacted with cannabinoid receptor 1 (CNR1) on neuron cell causing hallucination, and on other cell-types. In this study, chemically synthesized terphenyl derivative, 1,4-di(phenyl)benzene (13-BPB) interaction with human and its animal model were assessed. This derivative is an analogue found in fungi although their functional molecular mechanism is unknown. Terphenyl derivative known to have pharmacological activities - antifungal, anti-cancer, anticoagulant. Our study designed includes in-vitro assessment and in-silico model of 13-BPB interaction to the molecular mechanism in human and its animal model, mice. Cytotoxicity assessment using MTT has shown that treatment of 13BPB on NIH-3T3 and RAW 264.7 have significant reduction in cell viability at 0.016mM and 0.08mM, respectively. Virtual database screening based on homologous compounds identified possible interaction with 15 different proteins from receptors, enzymes and transcription factors, in human and mice. Further docking analysis shows terphenyl derivatives binding affinities (pKd/pKi) are the highest with CNR1 and oestrogen receptors (ESRs).

Is Boko Haram a “child” of economic circumstances?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the question: “Is Boko Haram (BH) a ‘child’ of economic circumstances”? In other words, do economic problems of poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and population growth lie at the root of BH insurgency in Nigeria? Finding (an) objective answer(s) to this question informs the purpose for this paper.Design/methodology/approachThe author uses both ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions and descriptive statistics to provide answer(s) to the question(s) asked.FindingsThe OLS regressions result show that terrorism incidence and intensity (TII) and unemployment levels are positively related and statistically significant over the range of the sample. Gross domestic product and population growth of the country on the other hand have been found to be statistically insignificant with TII. The results from the descriptive statistics show a high and above average Northern Nigeria’s economic indexes of poverty, unemployment, population growth and illiteracy rates. Thus, the author deduces that economic factors of poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and unchecked population growth could not be ruled out as possible causes of BH terrorism.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings of this research may be peculiar, limited and applicable only to the region of research – Northern Nigeria. The author is, therefore, constrained to generalise the findings across countries or other terrorist organisations. Also, while terrorists often quote religious texts to justify their actions, researchers often find it difficult to establish the veracity of such claims because: religious texts are, more often than not, subjects of different, contextual, sectarian and scholarly interpretations and If we take the terrorists’ claim for religious inspiration at their face value, the contradiction of why terrorists represent a minority fringe in particular religions or, why the vast majority of those who share same religion with terrorists do not partake in terrorism, crops up. For these reasons, this research is constrained from exploring terrorists’ religious motivations.Practical implicationsAn implication of the findings of this research is that it avails the Nigerian Government with fact that, to fight BH successfully, it needs to also address the issues of poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and uncontrolled population growth. Thus, in essence, the anti-BH campaign should not only be limited to the “sticks” but the “carrots” of poverty alleviation, unemployment reduction, raising literacy rates and awareness about controlling birthrate.Social implicationsSocial welfare programs are likely to be devised to tackle the issues raised.Originality/valueTo the best of the author’s knowledge, no research explored the possibility of whether or not economic factors of poverty, unemployment and illiteracy could have been the causes or contributory factors for the emergence of BH terrorist organisation in Nigeria. Research on BH mostly focusses on social and political dimensions leaving the economic aspect either superficially explained or completely unexplored. The originality of this paper derives from this.

Jewish Mystical Influences on a Medieval Ottoman Hagiography

Abstract It has long been known that Muslim scholars used rabbinic literature in what is called Isra’iliyyat in the Islamic tradition. They used these sources as legitimate details of the Qur’anic stories. Less well known is how later Islamic scholars incorporated these sources into their own retellings of the stories that all three texts—the Qur’an, the Hebrew Bible, and the New Testament—share. This article examines the hagiography by Abdülvasi Çelebi (d. 1415), Halilname, which tells the story of Abraham and draws on rabbinic literature. Several factors led to the use of Jewish sources in Halilname. First, the Ottoman state did not have a canonized orthodox Islamic system until Süleyman I (r. 1520–66), and this lack of canonization gave Islamic mystics greater liberty to say what they wanted. Second, a zeitgeist of religious syncretism drew inspiration from the mysticism that dominated Anatolia. Finally, the most important patriarch for Jews, Christians, and Muslims—Abraham—proved the ideal subject in an empire that included members of all three monotheistic religions.

The (Protestant) Bible, the (printed) sermon, and the word(s): The semantic structure of the Conformist and Dissenting Bible, 1660–1780

Using co-occurrence methods for identifying semantic structure in texts, we first describe the structure of the Protestant Bible, focusing on the ways in which contents of the Bible are organized in both the New and Old Testaments. We introduce a strategy for capturing the co-occurrence of nouns and verbs in windows defined by verses that progressively move across the text, from start to finish in a manner similar to reading. We then consider how Dissenters and Conformists used the Bible by locating Biblical verse in sermons printed in England during the period from 1660 to 1780. We describe how chapters are linked by themes over time, by dissenting and conformist religious communities, and map Dissenter and Conformist uses of the Bible onto its semantic structure. We show that it is possible to induce a semantic network image of the Bible, that this structure serves as a skeletal frame for interpretation, thereby highlighting different contents as central to denominations’ religious inspirations and concerns.

The Potential of Religion in the Promotion and Implementation of the Concept of Sustainable Development

AbstractThis article presents religion’s potential where the promotion and implementation of the concept of sustainable development are concerned. First inspired by Lynn White in the 1960s, discussion on religion’s role in the ecological crisis now allows for an honest assessment of the ecological potential of various religious traditions and their contribution to the building of a sustainable world. This article on the one hand points to the religious inspirations behind the concept of sustainable development, and on the other highlights the joint action of representatives of religion and science in the name of sustainable development, as well as the involvement of religions in the concept’s implementation.

Límites y transgresiones de la laicidad en Nicaragua “Sandinista”.

This paper studies the particular form of relations between the laicity State and the Catholic Church during the early years (1979-1981) of the “Sandinista revolution” in Nicaragua. We review the concept of laicity and its relationship with secularization in texts from prominent authors selected. After, we use these concepts to analyze how the Nicaraguan government and the Catholic Church understood, antagonistically, relations between religion and politics. Finally we analyze religious reactions to the State “laique”, rehearsing a conceptual proposal of laicity that allows thinking the political practice of religious inspiration. We support our analysis of the case of Nicaragua in official documents on speeches and practices of political and religious actors and, too in bibliographic information about intervention of Ronald Reagan government in Central America in general and particularly in Nicaragua.

The Legal Foundation of Religious Associations in Poland in the Interwar Period and Currently and Examples of their Activities

After the First World War the newly reborn Polish state needed huge financial expenditures to manage the immense poverty, unemployment, and deprivation. But after the war the state couldn’t manage such problems alone, because of the lack of suffi cient resources to be able to meet the needs of those affected. That is why numerous charitable organizations were being established. They were created out of religious inspiration by groups of the faithful or specifi cally by the churches and other denominations. The most numerous group of associations was that established by the Catholic Church – the largest denomination in Poland. The associations were regulated by the Law on Associations of 1932, prior to which they were subject to the various post-partition laws in the three sectors. But in most cases the Law on Associations didn’t distinguish separate regulations for religious associations. In contemporary Poland it is the Law on Associations of 1989 that regulates the creation of associations. It further divides associations into two main groups – registered and non-registered. It will be the law which governs those secular associations which are established for religious purposes. It applies to denominational associations with some exceptions, but doesn’t apply at all to those established by churches and other denominations (that is, ecclesiastical associations). Currently, similarly to the interwar period, the purposes of specified groups of associations haven’t changed – the main reason for their existence is to engage in undertaking charitable activities.

Quelque chose de cornélien. Alla riscoperta di Antoine Corneille: fratello, poeta, religioso, uomo

When talking about the Corneille family, we are all aware of the greatness, the exceptional ability of Thomas and, especially, Pierre. Their works stand as milestones of French theatre and worldwide literature. Nevertheless, it is less known the fact that there was a third brother, Antoine, who wrote as well: his works include poems, elegies, paraphrases mostly based on religious inspirations. What we do in this article is to try to retrace Antoine’s life path and works, in order to show that there is much more behind this man than the current perceived image of a less talented poet, an anonymous priest or a forgotten brother.

A Secular State: The Turkish Dilemma

Kamal Ata Turk played an important role in westernization of modern day Turkey. The process of replacing caliphate with a republic brought a great deal of success but unfortunately it all came at the cost of the weakening connection from the glorious Islamic past of the country. To attain such transformation reforms were carried out to terminate the religious inspiration in constitutional, cultural and public spheres. By introducing the laicism as the state’ philosophy, the republican elite established a secular way of life for Turkish nation. As a result of such repression of religion and religious practices modern Turkey has complex relations with Islam and with its own past. Today segments of the republic strongly support Ataturk’s ideology while others voice in favor of going back to society with more Islamic standards and stronger ties with Muslim world. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n5p180

A History of Persian Literature, Volume 1: General Introduction to Persian Literature

A History of Persian Literature, Volume 1: General Introduction to Persian Literature

Religion and the Radical Right in American Public Life

AbstractReligious movements and religious ideas have played important roles in the United States almost since the formation of the American republic. From those who sought to abolish slavery in the 19th century to the civil rights and anti‐war movements of the 20th, Christian clergy and laymen claimed religious inspiration for their involvements. There is another side to this story, however. In addition to championing these progressive causes, Christian, largely Protestant, religious ideas have also been central to the various radical right‐wing movements that have surfaced over the course of American history. Or, as the journalist H. L. Mencken once put it in connection with the 1928 presidential election campaign: ‘the Ku Klux Klan is really the secular wing of the Methodist church in the South!’ Xenophobic, Anti‐Catholic, anti‐Semitic, and especially anti‐communist, far‐right organisations in the USA have employed religious sentiments to justify their campaigns against important social changes in public life. We propose to tell their story.