Religious Institutions Research Articles

The Analysis of Ukrainian Policy in the Field of State-Religious Education: Secondary School

The article provides an overview of approaches to the organization of religious education in secondary schools of Ukraine during the period of its independence, which complements the European experience of studying this issue. Attention is paid both to the historical circumstances of the beginning of school religious education in the interaction of religious, state and educational institutions, and to modern issues related to the policy of introducing subjects of religious and moral orientation in Ukrainian schools. The current legislation in the field of religious education in a secular school, the real practice of its implementation, and the challenges that give an idea of ​​the specifics of Ukraine in this matter in the European space, are analyzed. The legislative work of Ukraine on ­resolving the issue of legal regulation of the possibility of establishing educational institutions of different levels of accreditation by religious organizations is generalized. Statistical data on the state of teaching religious and moral subjects in schools of Ukraine are analyzed. Prospects and possibilities of further teaching of religious education in the Ukrainian public school are considered.

Technoference and the Power of Family in Using Cell-Phones by College Students in Medan, Indonesia

Objective: Technoference towards devices can change interactions within the family. Parents play a significant role in balancing technological advances in the family. This study examines how interference with using devices (technoference) at home affects family attachment. Methods: The method used in this study uses a quantitative descriptive method. Respondents are students who act as students who actively use devices. The selection of research samples used purposive sampling with a total of 347 respondents. There are three points of technoference between parents and children: frequency, duration and content. Results: Based on the study's results, it was found that the most dominant technoference in family strength ties was the duration of gadget use by family members, with the most significant indication being that they often ignore calls from their family when playing gadgets. After that, it is followed by the frequency of using gadgets, and the most significant indication is to prioritize gadgets even at ongoing family events. The lowest indicator of technoference to contend with the most significant indicator is judging what family members do on their devices. Conclusion: Using cell phones should be heeded by various stakeholders such as the government, parents, educational institutions, religious institutions, community members, and peers. It means they should not ignore the facts by transferring the problems to other parties more responsible for interrupting cell phone use, especially the parents and the other family members. The impact of technoference is significant enough, especially on the students’ power of family.

Penerapan ISAK 35 terhadap Laporan Keuangan Masjid Studi Kasus di Masjid An Nuur Tulungagung

This research aims to analyze the application of ISAK 35 to the financial reports of the An Nuur Mosque in Tulungagung. ISAK 35, as part of sharia-based Financial Accounting Standards, has the aim of ensuring compliance with sharia accounting practices in the management of funds and assets. The An Nuur Mosque was chosen as a case study because of its central role in providing religious and social services in the Tulungagung community. This research involves an in-depth analysis of the An Nuur Mosque's financial reports, focusing on elements related to ISAK 35, such as recording sharia-based transactions, separating amil and zakat funds, as well as disclosing information in accordance with sharia principles. The case study method is used to understand the implementation of ISAK 35 in a practical context and gain a holistic understanding of mosque financial management. The research results are expected to provide a deeper understanding of the extent to which the An Nuur Mosque has complied with ISAK 35 and its impact on transparency, accountability and public trust. The implications of this research can also provide insight for financial managers of mosques and sharia financial institutions to increase efficiency and compliance in managing religious funds. Through this research, it is hoped that practical recommendations will emerge to improve the application of ISAK 35 in mosque financial reports, with the ultimate aim of strengthening the financial integrity and sustainability of mosques as religious institutions. Thus, this research makes a positive contribution to the development of sharia accounting practices in the context of mosque finances in Indonesia

Voices from the Other Side: Exploring Nonhuman Agents and Their Narrative Function in the Zhuangzi

In the history of Chinese literature, the Zhuangzi authors were the first to grant a voice to diverse forms of life, among them a snake, a tree, a dead man, a divine turtle, and even the wind. What exactly is the interest of incorporating nonhuman protagonists in brief literary fictions? Was there something at stake when trying out this pioneering narrative technique, or was it just for the sake of literary innovation and entertainment? Through a detailed analysis of a set of concise narratives, this study uncovers a consistent critique of the religious institutions (chiefly divination and sacrifice), as well as the economic practices prevalent during the Warring States period. It aims to demonstrate that the Zhuangzi's comprehensive critique of the Zhou cultural order achieves its “hearability” through a recurrent use of striking dualities, including day and night, dream and wakefulness, and humans and nonhumans. A heretofore silent and passive community of living beings raises its voice and is able to challenge the well-established discourse proclaiming human sovereignty over the natural world. These voices and the themes they raise serve, among other things, as a literary strategy intended to illuminate the universality of violence and the criminal essence of human culture (wen 文).

Have We Lost the “Soul” of the Black Church: Returning to Our Roots

This article critically analyzes the distinctive role and evolution of the Black church, with an emphasis on its preaching traditions and its impact on social and political activism within the Black community. The focus is on the shift from collectivism to individualism within the Black church, exploring its implications for community activism and the perpetuation of structural inequities. By delving into traditions of Black preaching and the historical context of the Black church's activism, the article strives to illustrate the benefits of a more collectivistic approach. Finally, it outlines potential strategies to encourage a return to collectivism, as well as means to counter the persistent structural inequities within the Black community. This examination adds to the discourse on the prevailing influence of religious institutions on societal change and equity.

Religious Institutional Environment and Executive Pay Dispersion

AbstractThis study extends the extant literature on executive pay dispersion by exploring the cultural-cognitive social determinants. We investigate how religious institutional environments, including Buddhism- and Confucianism-based institutions, shape vertical executive pay dispersion. We theorize that a Buddhism-based institutional environment is negatively related to vertical executive pay dispersion. In contrast, we propose competing hypotheses regarding how a Confucianism-based institutional environment affects vertical executive pay dispersion. With a sample of Chinese public firms, we find that both Buddhism- and Confucianism-based institutional environments are negatively associated with a firm's vertical executive pay dispersion. Supplementary analyses show that the aforementioned main effects are attenuated when a firm is embedded by a communist party branch and has a younger CEO.

Conservation of Buddhist Heritage in Afghanistan, 2016–2022

This article describes activity at two Buddhist sites, Topdara (Parwan province) and Shewaki (south-east of Kabul) in Afghanistan undertaken by the Afghan Cultural Heritage Consulting Organisation (ACHCO) between 2016 and 2022. It entailed documentation, excavation, conservation and partial reconstruction of stupas and other structures associated with Buddhist monastic orders. The sites are part of a string of religious institutions situated along trade and pilgrimage routes that traversed the region, some of which have been the focus of previous surveys, archaeological excavation and analysis. The primary objective of this work was to document and conserve the surviving physical fabric of the stupas and adjacent buildings, while examining their siting and similarities in form and architectural style with other Buddhist monuments in the region. The interventions also provided an opportunity to observe the attitudes of both the Afghan work-force and members of the Afghan public towards their Buddhist heritage, for which there seems to be a degree of curiosity and respect that tends to be lacking in recent accounts of such sites being “endangered.”

Religion and the Legal Institutional Combat against Corruption in Nigeria

Religion is man’s belief in the super abundant reality that controls the cosmic environs, propels humans’ worship and demand appeasement for pardon and favour. Corruption is the act of corrupting or the state of being corrupt, moral perversion; depravity, and perversion of integrity. The battle between religion and corruption in Nigeria is a moral one and calls for sanity and renewing of the mind. It has eaten deep into the fabrics of the nation with adverse effect on the poor masses. The perpetrating actors of corruption are found in all sectors of our nation but copiously amongst the elite and those in leadership. The objective of this research is to view the place of religious and legal institutions in combating corruptions in Nigerian. This research utilized historical approach as well as books, journals; internet materials etc as sources. It was able to examine corruption in Nigeria, holistic definition of corruption, nature and characteristics of corruption, evil of corruption, and the causes of corruption, legal and institutional fight against corruption in Nigeria, how religion aids corruption and the role of religion in combating corruption as a social responsibility/intervention in Nigeria. It recommends that religious institution should as a matter of urgency be the watchdog and the conscience of the common man in nation with respect to combating corruption in Nigeria. Keywords: Religion, Legal, Institutional, corruption, Combat, Nigeria.

Exploring the Influence of Religious Institutions on the Implementation of Technology for Stunting Understanding

Exploring the Influence of Religious Institutions on the Implementation of Technology for Stunting Understanding

Western indicators in the thought of Dr. Ali Shariati

Dr. Ali Shariati is rightfully considered one of the most prominent pioneers of the Islamic movement and its thinkers. His tremendous efforts had a significant impact on various social groups of the Iranian people, including the youth. His intellectual and political mobilization paved the way for the Islamic Revolution in 1979, earning him the title “Teacher of the Revolution” among the Iranian popular circles of that time. Shariati focused his efforts on awakening consciousness and returning to the self, opposing forms of alienation, imitation, and submission to foreign domination. He fought for human welfare, freedom, democracy, criticism of history and self, revolution against traditional institutions and structures, debunking of old and contemporary superstitions, and combating backwardness and tyranny… All these terms and expressions are what filled Shariati’s writings, which became his concern, the focus of his short life, and the goal of his vast intellectual effort. Shariati presented bold and profound treatments for certain phenomena, such as sectarian fanaticism, which he considered a product of periods of fragmentation and decline in Islamic history. He believed that Muslims must overcome it if they wanted renaissance and unity. He also fought against backwardness and superstition, which he criticized sarcastically, holding the clergy responsible for spreading and entrenching them. He also attempted to revive nationalism as an antithesis to Islamic belonging, the traditional and rigid religious institution, and many other issues he criticized and addressed with Western remedies based on his social studies in Western Europe, which lasted for more than five years. Alongside his intellectual struggle against Western intellectual currents and ideologies, Shariati worked on purifying and sifting cultural sources, reviving Islam as a vibrant and pulsating ideology in contrast to other ideologies, cleansing the religion from impurities, and separating the clear truths from the habits and illusions that were prevalent among the simple people. Thus, he worked on clarifying and polishing the face of Islam, showing its true image.

Representations of Christianity in Chinese Independent Cinema: Gan Xiao’er’s Postsocialist Religious Critique

Representations of Christianity in contemporary Chinese cinema are very limited, making the scholarship of this subject underexplored. Filmmaker Gan Xiao’er has made three feature-length independent films focusing on Christianity in China. These films, The Only Sons (2003), Raised from Dust (2007), and Waiting for God (2012), are used for case studies, with close analyses of their narratives and formal elements. They are also examined in the social and cultural contexts of postsocialist China. This article argues that Gan’s religious features are significant in the context of postsocialist Chinese cinema. They not only depict the religious experience of Chinese Christians, which has been under-represented cinematically, but also provide a religious critique rarely seen in Chinese films. On the one hand, these films critically engage with the experience of underprivileged people during the Reform period, when economic development and materialism became dominant, while the socialist political system remained. Gan’s religious features provide an alternative perspective that cares for people’s spiritual needs. On the other hand, Gan’s later films interrogate the local religious institution in China, questioning the arbitrary separation of the ‘holy’ and the ‘unholy’, proposing a more inclusive approach to the religious concept of love.

The New Civil Religion

Social scientific studies find that religion plays a limited role in shaping Americans’ climate attitudes. I argue that a major type of religiosity has been missed: that which is expressed in conservative media. This religiosity is not associated with religious institutions but rather takes the form of civil religion. Because the US is now religiously polarized, today’s civil religion differs from what Bellah identified in 1967: rather than serving to unify the entire country, it serves to unify the political right, setting it against what is constructed as the secular left. I show how the religious discourse Rush Limbaugh employed on his radio broadcasts exemplifies this new civil religion, and further, that he used civil religious arguments to denigrate climate action. The new civil religiosity on the right, sometimes called Christian nationalism, reduces support for climate legislation by portraying a powerful federal government as a threat to religious liberty.

Pentingnya Penerapan Akuntansi Pesantren Study Pada Pondok Pesantren Madrasah Tarbiyah Islamiyah Tanjung Barulak

Abstract— Pesantren is a religious institution that needs to have supporting infrastructure within the institution itself in order for pesantren to live a normal life. Precise in meaning is not just common in the field of infrastructure; it also requires consideration of administration and the organization of the kelembangan. The MTI Islamic Boarding School Education Foundation is a non-profit organization for religious education that was founded in the year 1930 and is located beneath the Ministry of Religion. Generally speaking, the NGOs as well as a few students and students as well as government assistance made up the sum of the funding for Islamic boarding schools in question. The purpose of this study is to understand how assurance is carried out regarding the amount of money that is deposited and withdrawn from the MTI pesantren. The study was conducted using a qualitative methodology and involved gathering data over the course of two months, from April to May, and analyzing and analyzing one single study participant, treasurer. From the study's findings, it is possible to infer that

Соціокультурне походження грошей і взаємодоповнення реального та віртуального простору метавсесвіту

Understanding the socio-cultural foundations of the institution of money, relying in interaction with donors on the deep, "silent", essential foundations of the functioning of the monetary system is an important prerequisite for success in ensuring the financial stability of a national economy. The purpose of the paper is to trace the evolution of the qualitative and quantitative components of the institution of monetary relations in the process of changing economic systems as an important prerequisite for financial support of Ukraine during the defense of its independence and post-war recovery. Attention is focused on the interdisciplinary nature of the study of the phenomenon of money as an institution that complementarily combines virtual and real economic components of the metauniverse. The conflicting relationship between the phenomenal and the essential, the sacred and the profane, the quantitative and the qualitative, is revealed in the institution of money. The evolution of forms of money from the archaic to the digital economy and the influence of sacred factors on it are traced. The author reveals the complementarity of monetary, religious, ideological, political, and legal institutions as a tool for ensuring the existence of society as a whole in the combination of its virtual and real components. Attention is given to the actualization of reciprocity relationships in the process of forming the digital economy. It is shown that the prerequisites for their formation are kinship, and closeness by social attitudes. Accordingly, relations of exchange (market) and redistribution (state) are complemented by system-forming institutions of gift. M. Godelier attributes to the conditions for the formation of "gift management" the following: the leading role of personal relationships in the creation of social ties, the interest of individuals and social groups in selflessness for social reproduction and their own existence, and the prevalence of traditions of mutual relations-obligations. "What creates the obligation to give is that the giving creates obligations" - this is how the scientist formulates this principle. Solidarity is based on the voluntary transfer of part of what you have. At the same time, accepting a gift puts the recipient in the position of debtor in relation to the donor. It is shown that preferential lending, provision of grant support, involvement in joint projects, in particular in the field of supporting Ukraine's defense capability and the development of the national economy, can be considered an example of a complementary combination of quantitative, real (purely economic exchange relations) and qualitative, virtual (reciprocal relations) components of the monetary system.

Genocide and Anarchy Characterize in 20th and 20st Century

Violence has various motives and spectrums, with religion playing a crucial role in shaping human behavior. Since the earliest civilization, humans have had a close association with violence and religion in various ways. Dominant religious institutions have institutionalized violence against their opponents and adherents, while religion can also limit violence, as seen in Buddhism. Despite the trend of religious tolerance and secularism in the 20th century, religious sentiments have often played a role in genocidal events, such as the Armenian, Bosnian, Jewish, and Rwandan genocides. Ethnocentric sentiments, extreme nationalism, and narcissism have also led to genocide and crimes, such as the Holocaust and the Mumbai attack of 26/11. Political ideologies driven by dominance and showcase also contribute to genocide and crimes, such as the Vietnam war, the Hiroshima and Nagasaki incident, and the 1971 war.

Mosque Management Revitalization Through Economic Empowerment of Ummah

This study aims to enhance the role of the mosque's function as a religious institution so that it is not only used for the spiritual welfare of the community but also must be able to prosper economically. This study adopts a qualitative approach with the phenomenology study method and combines analysis techniques of reduction, display, and verification. The object of this research is the Jenderal Sudirman mosque, Surabaya, where the collection of data comes from observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation. The results of the study show that the application of inputs (institutional, leadership, and goals), processes (spiritual formation, personal mental formation, capacity building, and empowerment), outputs (strengthening of character, strengthening of emotional relationships, strengthening of business and strengthening of the economy and outcomes ( spiritual ability and financial ability)) in economic empowerment is still suboptimal. Therefore, mosques need to revitalize their management to collaborate with the government, state or private universities, private institutions or institutions, and the community. Moreover, the mosque should not only be prospered by the ummah; conversely, it can also prosper the ummah.

AMALAN PENGEBUMIAN MASYARAKAT MELAYU ISLAM DI SARAWAK: PERBANDINGAN BUDAYA DAN HUKUM SYARAK

Communities in Sarawak consist of various ethnicities and races. Intermarriage among the different communities have resulted in the proliferation of customs, encouraging a diversity of cultures and traditions that may result in the combination of customs with Islamic law. Although there are various efforts made by the local religious institutions, there exist a mixture of cultural practices and traditions with Islamic law among the Muslim community in Malaysia. This mixture may introduce new practices that may not be in accordance to what is stated in Islamic law. Hence, it is important to distinguish practices that were derived from custom, culture and tradition against what is based on Islamic law. The objective of this study is to distinguish the Islamic practices involved in the burial process of Muslims in Sarawak. This study was conducted by segregating the practices required by religion and the practices adapted from customs, culture and traditions of the local community. This study uses an ethnographic approach that includes literature review, field research such as observations in cemeteries around Kuching and Samarahan, as well as interviews with religious groups and volunteers that participate in the burial process, and the general public. It was found that the burial process of the Malay Muslim community of Sarawak mixes cultural practices with Islamic law. Some improvement are suggested so that Muslim funeral practices can be aligned in accordance to the laws set by Islam.

Cultural and Theological Influences on Religious Engagement with Digital Media during COVID-19: A Comparative Study of Churches in Poland and Ireland

This article investigates how cultural context and theological ideas shape the integration of digital media in religious practices. Focusing on Poland and Northern Ireland/The Republic of Ireland, we explore the diverse strategies employed by religious institutions in utilizing digital media. The study centers on the Catholic Church, analyzing its responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in different cultural contexts. Examining various denominations specific to each country, we highlight the role of theological assumptions in shaping the use of digital platforms within religious contexts. This comparative analysis provides insight into the complex interplay between culture, theology, and technology, contributing to the understanding of how religious institutions adapt to societal changes and navigate the digital landscape. Our findings reflect the theological controversies of shifting religious practices and services to digital media, and point to the non-voluntary aspect of adjusting to the pressures of deep mediatization in both cultural contexts.

A single-step firm-level identification of classification shifting

PurposeThis study proposes a new model to measure unexpected core earnings, using Bayesian dynamic latent method.Design/methodology/approachThe Bayesian dynamic latent modeling approach identifies the effects that stem from complex, multidimensional variables related to culture and legal framework, on unexpected core earnings. It also allows testing whether there is persistence over time in unexpected core earnings. We use sequential Bayesian Monte Carlo methods, also known as particle filtering, that simplify estimations.FindingsIn an international empirical application, we find evidence of persistence in unexpected core earnings as well as classification shifting. The impact of the legal framework on classification shifting shows variability across samples. Religion reduces classification shifting, whereas the cultural variables of power distance, masculinity and uncertainty avoidance enhances it. Interestingly, the persistence in unexpected core earnings is strong and moderates the ability of legal framework and religion in abating classification shifting.Research limitations/implicationsIn terms of policy implications, we show that strengthening legal framework would improve financial reporting and reduce the scope for manipulation. This could involve stricter enforcement mechanisms, increased penalties for non-compliance and regular audits to detect and deter classification shifting practices. Given that religion plays a role in moderating classification shifting, policymakers may explore partnerships or collaborations with religious institutions to promote ethical financial practices. Engaging religious leaders and organizations can help emphasize the importance of integrity and ethical behavior in financial reporting, potentially influencing the behavior of individuals and organizations.Originality/valueTo the best of our knowledge this is the first study that opts for Bayesian dynamic latent model for an international sample.

Aufgabenbereiche der evangelischen Pfarrfrau einer siebenbürgisch-sächsischen Gemeinde im 20. Jahrhundert

The present article can be considered a contribution to the oral history and contains the description of the fields of duty that a protestant pastor’s wife had in a Transylvanian Saxon parish until the beginning of the 21st century. As an introduction there is a brief overview over the evolution of the parsonage as a religious institution beneath the church beginning with the Lutheran Reformation in the 16th century in Germany. The author is a protestant pastor’s wife herself and recounts some of her experiences living in a village parish where the pastor and his wife were seen as the father and mother of the parish. Among the wife’s duties was the organizing of the women’s association in the village, baking gingerbread for all children at Christmas and Easter, teaching religion at school but also privately (the only possibility in communist Romania), being a good host to all arriving guests, whether invited or not, and many other activities. After the fall of communism through the revolution in December 1989, almost  Dr. Sunhild Galter, Lucian-Blaga-Universität Sibiu/Hermannstadt; E-Mail: sunhild.galter@ulbsibiu.ro. 128 Sunhild Galter 90% of the German speaking population of Romania, the so-called Transylvanian Saxons, left for Germany. This historical event meant the end of the parsonage as an institution within the parishes and the Evangelical church.