Religious Landscape Research Articles

Empowered to Serve: Resilience and Impact in Changing Times

The text provides an overview of the challenges and opportunities associated with ecumenism and interfaith dialogue, particularly within the context of university/college chaplaincy. The detailed exploration provides a thorough understanding of the complex dynamics involved in ecumenism and interfaith dialogue within the university/college chaplaincy setting. It highlights the importance of promoting inclusivity, fostering understanding, and navigating challenges to create a more harmonious and accepting spiritual environment. There are two forms of dialogue: ad intra (Ecumenism) which focuses on unity and collaboration within Christianity. The other one is ad extrea (interfaith dialogue), which addresses interactions between different faith traditions. Religion is depicted as a potent force, capable of influencing individuals to extreme actions. Chaplaincies play a crucial role in navigating faith issues. Ecumenism and interfaith dialogue within chaplaincy present both opportunities and challenges. By addressing doctrinal differences, respecting religious freedom, and acknowledging diverse needs, chaplains can contribute to inclusive spiritual care and foster collaborative communities. The success of chaplaincy in a multi-faith context relies on effective training, ongoing education, and institutional support, ensuring that chaplains are equipped to navigate the complexities of diverse religious landscapes.

Uncovering the Ancient Cultural Interactions and Ties between Nāgarjunakoṇḍa and Sri Lanka

This research focuses into the historical and cultural relations between Nāgarjunakoṇḍa and Sri Lanka during ancient times. The primary objective of this study is to elucidate the depth and significance of these cultural interactions, exploring their influence on art, architecture, religion, trade, and language. To achieve this objective, a comprehensive examination of historical records, archaeological findings, and scholarly literature has been conducted. Methodologically, this research relies on a multidisciplinary approach, integrating data from diverse sources to provide a holistic understanding of the ancient ties between Nāgarjunakoṇḍa and Sri Lanka. The research draws from ancient texts, inscriptions, archaeological excavations, and comparative analyses of art and architecture. The key findings of this study reveal that there was a cultural exchange between Nāgarjunakoṇḍa and Sri Lanka. Buddhism played a central role in facilitating these exchanges, leading to the transmission of religious teachings, texts, and artifacts. Architectural styles, artistic motifs, and trade connections were shared, leaving a lasting imprint on both regions. In conclusion, the cultural relations between Nāgarjunakoṇḍa and Sri Lanka during ancient times were profound and enduring. The findings underscore the importance of such historical interactions in shaping the cultural and religious landscapes of both regions. The lessons learned from these ancient ties can inform contemporary intercultural relations and cooperation. This research offers insights into the interconnectedness of societies in the past and highlights the value of preserving and studying our shared cultural heritage.

UKRAINIAN AUTOCEPHALY IN NATIONAL AND GLOCAL CONTEXTS

The article focuses on the development of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) after receiving a Tomоs of Autocephaly. In particular, it briefly describes the structure of the Orthodox environment in Ukraine and distinguishes its key representatives as well as takes account of change in the configuration of the Orthodox map of the country after the formation of the ОCU. Special attention is paid to the institutional development and social activities of the ОCU, which include the formation of its religious network, the transition of parishes from the jurisdiction of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC MP) to the jurisdiction of the ОCU, and the establishment of the ОCU administrative and organizational structures. Interfaith dialogue between the ОCU and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) indicates that both churches are ready to jointly revive the Kyiv church tradition. The article also addresses the dynamics of confessional preferences of Ukrainians in the changing religious landscape of the country.
 The author argues that Ukrainian autocephaly is important for strengthening the humanitarian security of the state, leveling pro-Russian imperial messages in the national information space, as well as for comprehending the structural subordination of the UOC (MP) to the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC).
 The establishment of the OCU is analyzed in the article not only as a significant achievement in the post-Soviet and post-socialist space in the context of leaving the orbit of the Moscow Patriarchate, but also as an impetus for renegotiating relations in Ecumenical Orthodoxy.
 Autocephaly enabled the ОCU to become a subject of international church policy, to conduct a direct dialogue with other Orthodox churches, and to apply for participation in representative religious organizations. Recognition of the Autocephalous Church of Ukraine by the Church of Greece, the Patriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa and the Church of Cyprus significantly contributed to the ОCU's progress.
 The leitmotif of this article is ​​the destructive role of the ROC in Ecumenical Orthodoxy at large and their interference with the recognition of the ОCU by the other orthodox churches in particular. The author concludes that the future prospects of the ОCU will depend on the elaboration and implementation of its own development strategy.

Between belief and disbelief, between religion and secularity: introducing non-doxasticism and semi-secularity in worldview education

ABSTRACT In order to include all outlooks and perspectives on the world prevalent in contemporary society, countries like Sweden have replaced traditional religious education with worldview education. However, current worldview theory fails to make justice to two important facts concerning the contemporary religious landscape. Firstly, a great many people are semi-secular rather than traditional believers or atheists. Secondly, many have non-doxastic attitudes such as hope or acceptance instead of belief. We therefore suggest that worldview education needs to include semi-secularity, and that it needs to clearly separate the content of a worldview from the variety of epistemic attitudes a person might have towards that content.

Mormons Are No Longer a Majority in Utah: Causes, Consequences, and Implications for the Sociology of Religion

Abstract This paper uses a sample of Utahans to estimate the percentage of the state belonging to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the LDS, or Mormon Church). We find that the Mormon share of Utah’s population is lower than is commonly believed. This finding has relevance for certain theories in the sociology of religion that make inferences about church growth and vitality based on the religious demography of Utah. We show how the process of secularization, changes in Mormon fertility, and shifts in migration into Utah combine to alter the religious landscape of the state. We close with a discussion of the implications of our findings for the sociology of religion.

Sociokarma and Kindred Spirits: An Acknowledgement

Jonathan S. Walters’ sevenfold sociokarma typology considers only two broad categories of karma: that of an individual agent or that of an institution or social group. This brief study reframes Walters’ sociokarma away from agent-centered myopia to relation-centered analysis. With illustrations from the contemporary Thai religious landscape, we can observe how various forms of relational karma intuitively account for spirits and material objects as a given. In other words, “collective karma” must also address entanglements; Entanglements of not only individual agents, be they persons or institutions, but also of ancestors, ghosts, deities, and various material culture—an agency of relations. Hence, ultimately, this note calls for the acknowledgement of spirits and “stuff” as inclusive in conceptions of collective karma.

Introduction: Religion and Victorian Popular Literature

The introduction to this special issue of the Victorian Popular Fictions Journal, “Religion and Victorian Popular Literature,” opens by using Mary Ward’s best-seller Robert Elsmere (1888) as a case study for considering how recent critical strategies for engaging with popular texts enable us to paint a different and more complex picture of the Victorian religious landscape. We then explain the different ways in which our international network of contributors reconceptualises the relationship of religion to popular literary genres including the transatlantic social gospel, science writing for children, and popular yoga texts. We identify how topics as diverse as astronomy, copyright, and disaster fiction, which have often been examined through a primarily secular lens, can be better understood by considering the role religion played in their formation and articulation within and through popular literature. Drawing together threads shared between the seven articles in the special issue, we outline its key thematic contributions in exploring the role of religion to the formation of new literary markets and genres, revising the “conflict thesis” between religion and science, and the importance of popular literary forms in constructing and communicating theological ideas, as well as responding to recent calls to decolonise Victorian Studies.

Cultural Resilience and Syncretism: The Towani Tolotang Community's Journey in Indonesia's Religious Landscape

The Towani Tolotang community, nestled in the Sindenreng Rappang Regency of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of indigenous faith and culture. This research, spanning three months from March to June 2023, delves into the community's unique religious practices, challenges, and resilience, shedding light on Indonesia's complex landscape of religious diversity. The Towani Tolotang community's unwavering commitment to their ancestral beliefs, despite being classified under the umbrella of Hinduism by the Indonesian government, exemplifies the resilience of indigenous traditions. Their syncretic belief system, interweaving animism, Hindu rituals, and historical adaptations set them apart within a predominantly Muslim society. Traditional leaders safeguarding their rituals and traditions are critical to cultural preservation. The community's resilience lies in its adaptability, secrecy maintenance, and strategies for transmitting religious knowledge across generations. Challenges persist, with discriminatory policies and interactions with the majority Muslim society. However, the Towani Tolotang community's unwavering commitment to its unique identity serves as an inspiring example of cultural preservation. This research offers valuable insights for scholars, policymakers, and advocates of religious diversity. It unravels the complexities of indigenous faith and its adaptation in a changing world, providing lessons in understanding, tolerance, and cultural heritage preservation. The Towani Tolotang community's story stands as a profound example of how traditions endure, evolve, and flourish amid the currents of history.

How the Nineteenth-century Evangelical Revival Strengthened Faith and Undermined Christendom

This article deals with the paradoxical relationship between the nineteenth-century Evangelical Revival and secularization. It is argued here that the revival and its worldview played a role in increasing pluralism and choice in the nineteenth century – a process often related to secularization. The Evangelical movement both attempted to oppose modernity and rationalism and emphasized religious freedom, voluntarism, and individualism. It therefore induced and popularized self-reflection, doubt, and deconversion. It also favoured religious democracy in opposition to a state-imposed religious monopoly (at least in northern Europe). Furthermore, by dividing people into believers and nonbelievers, it emphasized religious polarization. This contributed to an undermining of established religious structures, fragmenting and pluralizing the religious landscape and giving people the option to abstain completely from religious commitment. The Swedish confessional (inner mission) revivalist denomination Evangeliska Fosterlands-Stiftelsen (EFS – approx. the Swedish Evangelical Mission Society), founded in 1856, is used as a case. The popular literature they published and distributed manifested an evangelical worldview. In this article four themes, based on the popular literature, are used to study empirically the changing role of religion in relation to nineteenth-century revivalism: ‘the dualistic worldview’; ‘conversion’; ‘activism’; and ‘self-reflection’.

Religion, Mission, and Development: The Catholic Church as a Religious Infrastructure in Kafa, Ethiopia

Abstract The Catholic Church, along with other denominational groups, is an important part of the religious landscape in the Kafa region of southwestern Ethiopia. In addition to pastoral activities, the Catholic Church is particularly involved in the provision of social infrastructure facilities such as schools, kindergartens, or hospitals as part of the Human Integral Development approach to its mission. This article therefore examines the role of the Catholic Church and its mission on the everyday life of the people in the Kafa region. Drawing on ethnographic research, the article conceptualises the Catholic Church as a religious infrastructure – a notion that sheds light on the socio-material processes and entanglements that enable the anticipation of ideas about the future and about development. In addition, the article explores the role of the Catholic Church in sociocultural transformation processes through this infrastructural approach, thereby contributing to a subject that has been hitherto neglected in anthropological studies of religion and Christianity.

Moderasi Beragama Di Media Sosial Dalam Perspektif Teologi Kristen

This article discusses the concept of religious moderation in the context of social media from the perspective of Christian theology. This emphasizes the importance of moderation in managing Indonesia's diverse religious landscape to prevent conflict and promote harmony. The article also explores the role of social media in facilitating interfaith dialogue, increasing empathy, and challenging negative stereotypes about religion. The report highlights the potential of social media in fostering understanding, tolerance, and cooperation among different faith communities. This article provides insight into the importance of utilizing social media as a tool for interfaith dialogue and understanding.

Spirituality in debates: Politics, genealogy, and new movements. Introduction

Spirituality has recently taken on new importance on the religious landscape as well as in popular and secular discourse and in the field of social sciences. As a new religious expression, spirituality often intersects with contemporary concerns. What are the political implications of contemporary spirituality movements that are more than often framed under the guise of individualized and distanced religiosity? To what extend do these religious behaviors involve public and political demands? How can these overall changes – including religious expressions, organizations, and networks – affect our theoretical approaches to the notion of spirituality itself? While these questions have been inquired in some specific studies, no international or comparative perspectives have connected these multiple insights together. This is the aim of this special issue.

Budownictwo cerkiewne w kontekście procesów modernizacyjnych w Królestwie Polskim w drugiej połowie XIX i na początku XX w.

This article aims to examine the historical significance of church building in the Kingdom of Poland during the second half of the nineteenth century, with a particular focus on its role in the processes of colonisation, Russification, and modernisation of the region. The article analyzes the utilization of the Russian Orthodox Church as an instrument in Russian nationalist politics, shedding light on its involvement in shaping the political and religious landscape. The Uniate question and the issue of the separation of Chelm region are also explored in the context of this policy. The authors provide insights into how the Russian Empire viewed the Kingdom of Poland, dividing it into two key regions and highlighting the consequences of this policy from the perspective of the local population. Additionally, the article examines the priorities of the Russian administration in the Kingdom of Poland, taking a closer look at their impact on the modernisation processes that took place in the Congress Kingdom. By analyzing the historical interaction between religion and politics, this article offers a comprehensive understanding of the role of the Orthodox Church in shaping the internal situation of the Kingdom of Poland at the end of the 19th century.

The Precarious Spaces Between Us: The Exchange of Food and Merit in Thailand's Affective Moral Economy during the COVID‐19 Pandemic

ABSTRACTIn the middle of 2020, Buddhism in Thailand looked quite different than it had just prior to the COVID‐19 pandemic. Monasteries had closed their doors to the public, and monastic ordinations ceased. The institution of Thai Buddhism stayed relevant, however, largely by promoting a quite unusual practice. In addition to the typical religious activity of lay followers offering food to monks, and receiving merit from the monks in return, the path that food traveled during the pandemic also turned the other way around. In a curious series of events, monks at monasteries throughout the country began to hand out food to lay Buddhist followers. In a religious landscape with a very codified system of exchange, this was spiritually precarious: if monks give out food, where does the merit lie, and what are the karmic results? To answer this, I examine attitudes about monks’ activities, drawing on interviews conducted in Chiang Mai in 2021, and relationships to textual accounts of nutrients and healing across Buddhist history. Rather than signifying a break from spiritual relationships, I argue that this a‐typical movement during the pandemic helps to highlight the continuing importance of monastic hope within interpersonal affective economies of Thai Buddhist practice.

Ukrainian Orthodoxy after the Start of Russia´s Great War against Ukraine

Abstract The conservative yet diverse religious landscape of Ukraine has been evolving rapidly since February 2022. These developments include the formal renunciation by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC MP) of its connection with the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as the establishing by the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) of its monastery in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. The number of communities changing their affiliation from UOC MP to OCU has also increased dramatically during this period. The onset of the conflict marked a transformative shift, elevating the role of the church from an internal matter for those directly involved to a significant factor in state policy and security.

Vietnam’s Religious Policy: Navigating the Path to Religious Freedom

Vietnam is located in Southeast Asia, and the country has a large population. Vietnam’s population would reach 100 million people ranking it 15th in the world[1]. Vietnam has undergone significant changes throughout its history, reflecting the country's complex socio-political landscape. The Vietnamese society is complex, and the region is no exception. Vietnam has a rich religious heritage, influenced by Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. However, the introduction of foreign religions, such as Catholicism and Protestantism, during the colonial era brought new dynamics to Vietnam’s religious landscape. The French colonization period saw tensions between the Catholic Church and the Vietnamese government, which continued even after Vietnam gained independence. After the Vietnamese War finished, Vietnam also saw tensions between unregistered groups such as Hoa Hao Buddhist community and the Vietnamese authorities and its continuous crackdown on unregistered groups. This paper aims to provide an overview of Vietnam's religion, and highlight key and recent developments, policies, and key challenges for some religions such as Pure Hoa Hao Buddhism, the Vietnamese government’s restrictions has restricted on unregistered groups and the current state of religious freedom in the country.

A Search for Liberalizing Religion: Political Asymmetry in the American Religious Landscape

AbstractThis study explores potential heterogeneity in the relationship between religion and politics in the United States. Rather than assume all religion is conservatizing, it conducts a broad preliminary search for liberalizing religion across three cross‐sectional national datasets. While the study finds the most liberal politics among adherents of particular “liberal” religious groups rather than among the unaffiliated, it largely fails to find forms of religion where exposure is associated with liberal politics. In fact, exposure to even “liberal” religion is generally associated with more conservative politics. American religion's political asymmetry has important societal implications in a highly religious nation where even liberal religion appears to conservatize the public.

Navigating Diversity: Exploring Religious Pluralism and Social Harmony in Indonesian Society

This paper explores the intricate dynamics of religious pluralism and social harmony in Indonesian society. With its diverse religious landscape and multicultural population, Indonesia serves as a fascinating case study to investigate how different religious communities coexist and contribute to societal cohesion. Through a mixed methods approach and an extensive literature review, this study examines the historical, cultural, and socio-political factors that shape religious pluralism in Indonesia. It analyzes the interactions among religious communities, the influence of government policies and regulations, and the role of interfaith dialogue and initiatives. Additionally, the research explores manifestations of social harmony, including successful case studies of interfaith cooperation, social programs fostering unity, and the impact of religious leaders in promoting tolerance. Furthermore, the study critically examines the challenges and conflicts that arise in a religiously diverse society, considering factors such as political and economic influences and legal and policy issues pertaining to religious freedom and minority rights. The findings of this study provide insights and recommendations for policymakers, religious leaders, and society to cultivate understanding, cooperation, and peace amidst diversity.

Introduction. Epigraphy, the Qurʾān, and the Religious Landscape of Arabia

Abstract A wide range of archaeological finds is rapidly expanding our knowledge of the pre-Islamic cultural milieu and the political structures of the Arabian Peninsula during Late Antiquity, and thereby of the Qurʾān’s cultural context. This material can offer a complementary reading to the literary accounts on pre-Islamic Arabia, which were mostly composed outside of Arabia or long after the late antique period. There is a growing need to make the recent exciting discoveries of scholars working on the Qurʾān and Arabia more widely accessible to historians who may not have a solid background in archaeology and epigraphy. As such, the ERC project “The Qur'an as a Source for Late Antiquity” (QaSLA) organized a conference, titled “Epigraphy, the Qur'an, and the Religious Landscape of Arabia”, which took place in Tübingen on 8 – 10 September 2022. The three-day international conference brought together specialists in epigraphy as well as scholars of the Qurʾān to explore how recent epigraphic and archaeological findings and research have been changing our understanding of the Qurʾān and the Arabian religious, cultural, and political landscape. Accordingly, the conference sought to integrate new archaeological finds with ongoing studies on the genesis of the Qurʾān, its Arabian background, and the broader cultural milieu of pre-Islamic Arabia with a special focus on the dawn of Islam. The conference also featured an important contribution by Peter Webb on pre-Islamic poetry, another neglected corpus of inquiry into the history of pre-Islamic Arabia. Aiming to foster discussion between scholars, each panel was paired with a specialist on the Qurʾān or the wider history of Arabia.

Assessing Religious Leadership: A Scoping Review of Leadership Effectiveness Criteria and Current Trends in the Academic Literature

A clear understanding of what constitutes effective religious leadership in the context of faith communities is essential for religious practitioners, religious communities, and educational institutes. Twenty-five years after the latest review study by Nauss, an updated overview is needed to account for new insights, especially regarding the latest developments in leadership research and the changing religious landscape. A scoping review was conducted in four databases from 1997 to 2022 to examine the academic literature. The search identified 64 unique references that researched effective religious leadership using 27 different effectiveness criteria. These criteria were categorized based on their target of evaluation: (1) the religious leader, (2) followers/members, and (3) the congregation. Although most references assessed leadership effectiveness by evaluating the religious leader, the most used effectiveness criterion was ‘attendance or numerical growth.’ Over the last 25 years, the criteria for religious leadership effectiveness have become more diverse, and a growing number of references combine criteria from multiple targets to evaluate effectiveness. However, the focus on Christian leadership remains prevalent in the academic literature. The present overview is intended as a starting point for future research as it identifies the current trends and existing knowledge gaps. The study’s findings also invite religious practitioners and congregations to reflect on their methods of assessing leadership effectiveness.