Religious Life Research Articles

The Contribution of the Ummat Islam Association (PUI) to the Dynamics of Educational Institutions in Indonesia (1962-2000)

This research examines the changes and continuity of the Islamic Community Association in education from 1969 to 2000. This study employs a qualitative descriptive library research method using a historical approach. The research findings indicate that since 1911, the Ulama Association has pioneered modern educational patterns by integrating religious education, general education, and life skills learning (entrepreneurship). This educational institution encompasses 282 Non-Formal Islamic Schools (Madrasah Diniyah), 308 Kindergartens and Islamic Education Centers (TK, RA, TPA), 165 Elementary Schools (Madrasah Ibtidaiyah), 93 Junior High Schools (Madrasah Tsanawiyah), 47 Senior High Schools (Madrasah Aliyah), 7 Universities, 83 Islamic Boarding Schools (Pondok Pesantren), and 1200 Study Groups (Majlis Ta’lim) spread across Java, particularly in West Java, and partly in South Sumatra.

Islam and Cults: A Study of the Implementation of the Fatwa Policy of the Indonesian Ulema Council

Fatwa of the Indonesian Ulema Council serves as a decision to guide the implementation of Muslim religious worship in Indonesia. Problems that occur related to religious harmony are indications of cult practices in Indonesia. This research looks at Islam and Cults in Indonesia and the mechanism of the Indonesian Ulema Council's Fatwa policy towards the dissolution of cults. In addition, this study looks at the implications of the Fatwa Policy of the Indonesian Ulema Council on Muslim harmony. This research used a desk research approach through qualitative methods and aimed to identify objectives, select sources, collect data, and compile and analyse data to conclude. The results showed that MUI Fatwa plays an essential role in maintaining the order of religious life in Indonesia by determining the religious life of Muslims based on Islamic teachings. This includes determining the status of heretical groups, involving proper interpretive science, dissolving and stopping heretical activities, and cooperating with the government and religious leaders to protect the community. MUI's Fatwa has a positive impact on the eradication of cults based on a solid Islamic legal foundation, acting as a party that protects the community from deviant activities.

Puritanism, Spiritual Kinship, and the Lord's Supper in Elizabethan and early Stuart England

AbstractThe rhetoric of spiritual kinship was a pungent part of a “discourse of separation” which materialized among the English puritans in post-Reformation England. Using print literature aimed at properly preparing the godly to come “worthily” to the Lord's Supper, most of which was penned by puritan divines, this article examines family language in use among the godly in the context of the communion meal in the Elizabethan and early Stuart national church. This rhetoric signaled a real identity – an identity tied intimately to the nexus of right doctrine and a certain type of English Protestant practice. The present essay traces out the theological framework that buttressed this identity and suggests the ways in which family language fostered both inclusive and exclusive responses among the godly as they sought to “rightly” celebrate the sacrament. It argues that the use of the language of spiritual kinship helped the godly come to terms with their uncomfortable position in a national church they considered insufficiently reformed, and with the difficulties that ensued from “holy” living, as naturally unholy beings, in a fallen world. This study contributes to our understanding of the informal mechanisms by which early modern English Protestants could navigate the choppy waters of social and religious life in Elizabethan and early Stuart England. More generally, this consideration of a distinctive puritan usage of familiar scriptural language to make sense of England's religious landscape in this period underscores the interpretive importance of remaining acutely aware of discursive context in early modern religious sources.

Tolerance and Cooperation in the Religious Life of a Roman-Catholic Community

This paper aims to reveal specific aspects of religious life in a Roman-Catholic community situated in the Brno-Country district. For this purpose, the fieldwork was conducted in one parish for a period of one year from 30 November 2022. The data collection was mainly based on participant observation and semi-structured interviews with ten individuals (three women and seven men; mean age: 36.7 years). Both native-born inhabitants and newcomers of diverse professions were intentionally included in the research sample. The content analysis of semi-structured interviews was performed in Atlas.ti. It was discovered that tolerance and cooperation are among the most important topics discussed by the informants and play a crucial role in their religious life.

Состав общественно-политической лексики ингушского языка

The aim of the research is to group the socio-political vocabulary of the Ingush language according to the spheres of its usage. The article is dedicated to the classification of socio-political vocabulary, identifying thematic groups within it. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the classification of lexemes of the socio-political vocabulary of the Ingush language based on the fields of activity in which this lexical layer is used. Such systematization will allow tracking quantitative and qualitative changes in the composition of the socio-political vocabulary of the Ingush language. The research results have shown that lexemes in the socio-political sphere of the Ingush language can be categorized into four groups: administrative-political, socio-economic, military-legal, and religious. It has been established that the socio-political vocabulary of the Ingush language is updated along with changes in the social, political, economic, military, and religious life of society, leading to an expansion of the lexical composition in all the aforementioned spheres. The study revealed that adoption is the primary way for the emergence of new words. Religious lexemes are predominantly borrowed from the Arabic language. Additionally, new words that have appeared in the language in the last decade are borrowed from the Russian language.

Capabilities dan Functionings Rohaniwan Hindu (Sulinggih) di Bali

This research aims to explore the concept of capabilities and functionings according to Hindu clergy (Sulinggih) in Bali, and then identify and confirm the dimensions. These two terms make an important contribution to Amartya Sen's theory of well-being, and this research develops these two concepts in the clergy. This research was designed using mixed methods (exploratory sequential mixed methods) through qualitative research with in-depth interviews with 10 informants and carrying out FGDs attended by 12 participants to explore the concept of Sulinggih's capabilities and functioning and identify its constituent dimensions. The data was analyzed using the Miles and Huberman model using the NVivo application for the data reduction process. The results of the concept analysis and forming dimensions were then confirmed quantitatively with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) through data collected from questionnaires to 95 respondents. The findings in this research are that functioning in clergy life also involves various aspects of life (not only spiritual aspects), including material, physical, psychological, and social aspects. Capabilities, according to clergy in Bali, are capabilities for the health of the body, thoughts, feelings, and affiliation. The contribution of this research in developing the concept of well-being of the clergy and the implications of this research in religious life in Bali are also discussed in this paper.

The role of Acharya Madhva’s pilgrimages for the Mādhvas of Udupi

In Hinduism, pilgrimage (Sanskrit: तीर्थयात्रा, tīrtha-yātrā) is a fundamental element in the lives of devotees. Pilgrimage as an integral part of religious life is used by the followers of Hinduism as a process which promotes spiritual progress. There are many places of pilgrimage in India, as it has very rich spiritual traditions. For Mādhvas of Udupi, tīrtha-yātrās is also an undivisible part of their spiritual life. There are a few academic works (e. g. B. N. K. Sharma “The Philosophy of Madhvacharya” and “History of the Dvaita School of Vedanta and its Literature”, Vasudeva Rao “Living traditions in Contemporary Context: The Madhva Matha of Udupi”) about the ethnographic peculiarities of the Mādhva Vaiṣṇava Sampradaya , such as the description of pilgrimage practice in Madhva tradition. Acharya Madhva’s pilgrimages to Badrinath and other holy places were discussed historically by scholars, but there isn’t study on its influence and role in religious culture for the Mādhvas of Udupi. For this article the study of Narayana Panditacharya’s hagiographic work called "Madhva Vijaya" which is about the life of Madhvācārya gives an opportunity to comprehend the peculiarities of the pilgrimage practice of Madhva and it’s cultural aspects for Mādhvas of Udupi.

Sistem Aguron-guron di Griya Agung Bangkasa Kecamatan Abiansemal Kabupaten Badung

The aguron-guron system is an educational system developed by the Hindu religion to teach knowledge and skills in the religious field. The system is still highly relevant for imparting spiritual knowledge in the process of producing a pandita/sulinggih (spiritual teacher). The pandita, as a spiritual leader, holds a significant position and authority in the religious life of the Hindu community. Research related to the aguron-guron system was conducted at Griya Agung Bangkasa because this griya (household) is one of the ancient griyas with a long lineage of sulinggih and is committed to developing the aguron-guron system. There are three issues addressed in this research, namely related to the form, function, and implications of the aguron-guron system in Griya Agung Bangkasa. This qualitative research with a theological approach uses structural functionalism and symbolic interactionism theories to analyze the issues so that data can be presented descriptively qualitatively. The form of the aguron-guron system in Griya Agung Bangkasa is an education system known as "Garis Kapurusan Parampara." This education system is implemented intensively and exclusively by teachers/nabe towards their students/sisya. The aguron-guron education is carried out with the aim of achieving parartha and paramartha. The components involved include nabe, nanak, curriculum, walaka griya, and overseeing foundations. The aguron-guron system in Griya Agung Bangkasa serves educational, religious, and social functions. Lastly, regarding the implications of the aguron-guron system in Griya Agung Bangkasa, it gives rise to educational, theological, and sociological implications both internally and externally. This exclusive aguron-guron system is unique due to the presence of pawintenan wiwa and the existence of nabe siksa in the process, both of which are efforts to improve the quality of the implemented aguron-guron education. The exclusive nature of the aguron-guron system is the best choice for providing spiritual education, enriching the educational system, and creating a holistic education.

Religion, Pluralism, and the Australian State after Same-Sex Marriage

Abstract Since the passing of same-sex marriage legislation in 2017, religious freedom has become a prominent feature of Australian public debate. Overwhelmingly, such debates are conducted within a human rights framework where principles such as individual autonomy and protection from discrimination are prioritized over the communal and associational elements of religious life. This in turn tends to augment the power of the state vis-à-vis religious communities and institutions. In important respects, the dominance of human rights represents a new manifestation of the kind of “liberal-statism”—a public philosophy of liberal individualism that accepts the primacy of the state in the management of cultural and religious diversity—that has been a central feature of Australian religion–state relations over time. After some historical discussion of Australian church–state practice, this article argues for a reconsideration of a largely overlooked approach deriving from the English pluralists of the early twentieth century, which promoted greater degrees of group autonomy in relation to a rapidly growing state. It is argued that this tradition has greater potential in responding to the religious diversity of our time than does the current human rights approach with its tendency to reinforce an individualistic or privatized conception of religion, diminish associational life, and thereby reinforce state power.

Divine play: Religious interpretation of play philosophy

This article explores the religious interpretation of play philosophy across different historical periods and contexts, from ancient Greek thought to contemporary digital media. Drawing on the works of prominent philosophers such as Heraclitus, Plato, Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Huizinga, as well as recent scholarship on digital media and religion, the article examines the role of play in shaping religious thought, practice and experience. It consists of three main sections, focusing on divine play in ancient Greek philosophy, the religious connotations of the ‘playful order’ in the works of Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Huizinga, and the transformative potential of video games as a medium for religious expression and exploration.Contribution: By synthesising diverse perspectives and examining the religious implications of play philosophy in various contexts, this study offers new insights into the relationship between the divine and humanity, and the significance of play in religious life. It also highlights the potential of digital media to provide innovative avenues for religious exploration, fostering a deeper understanding of the role of play in both historical and contemporary religious contexts.

The Establishment and Dissolution of the Subbotnik Communities of Petrovka as a Case Study Reflecting Shifts in Russian Geopolitical Interests toward Raskol’nik Religious Settlements in Southern Caucasus, 1909–1915

Toward the middle of the nineteenth century, a large Subbotnik community established itself in the village of Privol’noe in the Lankaran district of Baku province in Southern Caucasus. By early 1909, however, the names of two small Subbotnik communities—both in the settlement of Petrovka, near Privol’noe—began to appear in the documents of the Baku province administration. While the Privol’noe community has been thoroughly studied, those of Petrovka remain largely unexplored. At their peak, Petrovka’s two Subbotnik communities were divided, belonging to different Jewish streams, and segregated from each other. Based mainly on documents from the National Historical Archives of the Republic of Azerbaijan (NAHARA), this study uncovers these communities and compares their religious life with each other. It does so in the context of the Russo-Ottoman and Irano-Russian geopolitical rivalries in Southern Caucasus. The study explains how and which aspects of this struggle led Russia to originally establish communities like Petrovka at the start of the examined period. It further explores why Russia later lost interest in supporting the Petrovka communities by the end of said period.

Interaksi Sosial Keagamaan Narapidana di Lembaga Pemasyarakatan Kelas IIA Pematang Siantar

This study aims to determine the social interaction of religious inmates in the class IIA Pematang Siantar penitentiary, and to find out about the religious life of the inmates in the institution. Qualitative methods were used to obtain data through observation, interviews, and documentation. Data analysis used data reduction techniques, data presentation, and conclusion drawing through source triangulation and technique triangulation. The results showed that the religious social interaction in the institution involved social activities, religious activities, religious studies, tolerance among religious communities, and mutual respect. The religious life of the inmates was also categorized as good, with positive interactions and good implementation of religious guidance. However, new inmates tend to have difficulty adapting to the regulations set by the prison officials, and even show resistance.

Book Review: Rachel Ellis, This Place Called Prison: Women’s Religious Life in the Shadow of Punishment

Book Review: Rachel Ellis, <i>This Place Called Prison: Women’s Religious Life in the Shadow of Punishment</i>

Church and state in contemporary China: securing Christianity

Abstract What is the nature of church–state relations in countries where politics is restrictive, religious autonomy is limited, and Christians tend to be viewed as existential threats by those in power? This article examines the highly securitized environment for Catholics and Protestants in China and the evolving government strategies used to regulate religious life. We argue that these efforts—ranging from channeling Christians into state-sponsored institutions, promoting patriotism in seminaries, and compelling churches to Sinicize—not only extends the reach of the party-state into Christian communities, but also puts the Party at the center of religious life. There are several implications from this analysis. One is that it documents how authoritarian regimes attempt to “domesticate” religion using multi-dimensional and long-term strategies of control. A second demonstrates how strong states, like China, seek to cultivate patriotic clergy and orient them favorably toward the regime. A third shows how Christians navigate restrictive environments.

Protestantism among the Hmong People in the Mountainous Region of Contemporary Northern Vietnam

Since the 1980s, there has been a considerable change in the religious life of the Hmong ethnic communities from the mountainous provinces of northern Vietnam—specifically, their conversion to Protestantism. Protestantism was introduced into the communities under a modified model known as Vàng Trứ/Vàng Chứ through the endeavors of the Far East Broadcasting Company. From 1993 to 2004, the number of Protestant followers among these communities increased sharply. Today, the mountainous northern area of Vietnam is home to 300,000 Hmong Protestants of various denominations. This study, based on textual analysis, participant observations, in-depth interviews, and field trips, seeks to explore the Hmong conversion to Protestantism. The focus is on issues relating to the growth of Protestantism and Protestant influence on the Hmong people from 1987 (widely understood to be the beginning of Protestantism in the Hmong community) to the present day.

The Russian Orthodox Church in the system of socio-political interaction during the Great Patriotic War (using the example of the Penza region)

The transformation of the practices of state-confessional interaction during the Great Patriotic War is considered on an analysis of the office documentation of the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church under the Council of People’s Commissars of the USSR. The research methodology is based on the concept of social constructionism or the theory of constructing social reality, as well as new local history, which allows to study the factors and mechanisms of adaptation of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) to the new geopolitical situation and the tasks of socio-political integration on the scale of a specific region – the Penza region. The content and regional specifics of the activities of the Commissioner for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church are revealed. The key areas of activity are: consideration of petitions of believers to open churches and participation of the priesthood in mobilization activities of the authorities. Despite many years of atheistic policies, persecution and repression of the clergy, the population of the Penza region demonstrated the strength of the religious foundation of regional identity. This was more significant compared with ideological constructs imposed from the outside. During the Great Patriotic War, relations between believers and authorities were built in the direction from the suppression of religious life to the very effective inclusion of parish communities in solving national problems. Appeals from believers to open churches became increasingly widespread and persistent. Under the influence of growing religiosity and divinely sanctioned changes in the legal status of the Russian Orthodox Church, local authorities adopted new rules of the game. Governance practices are also gradually changing, and a constructive dialogue is being built in the triad: the commissioner as a representative of the state – the diocesan administration – the parish communities.

Perubahan Sosial Masyarakat Sebagai Dampak Didirikannya RA Darussalam di Desa Wonoharjo

Raudhatul Athfal is an early childhood education unit under the guidance of the Kementrian Agama. That way, it can make it easier to educate children and introduce Islamic teachings that are suitable for their children to school. The emergence of RA, which was mostly founded by Islamic-based institutions, whether Islamic mass organizations or other Islamic missionary institutions, is expected to have an influence on society, both social and religious life. Therefore by using qualitative methods. This research aims to describe the social changes in society as a result of the establishment of RA Darussalam in Wonoharjo Village. The research results show that before the establishment of RA Darussalam in Wonohrajo Village, the local community was reluctant to send their children to early childhood education due to the long distance between schools and family economic problems. However, after the founding of RA Darussalam, public interest in sending children to early childhood education institutions increased, which ultimately had an impact on the social conditions of the surrounding community. Apart from that, the establishment of RA Darssalam was also able to increase the level of community welfare through Darussalam Mart, which is a simple shop that provides the opportunity for parents of students or the surrounding community to leave their goods for sale at Darussalam Mart. Therefore, RA Darussalam not only has a social impact, but also an economic impact for the people of Wonoharjo Village.

Pastoral Theology: A Methodological Approach to Analyzing Social Cases

Religious life cannot be separated from society. As a religious institution, the church must impact society through concrete action. One of these approaches is through pastoral theology. This research aims to provide a methodological template for academics and churches, in particular, to use pastoral theology to analyze societal problems. This is necessary because some churches are still bound by dogmas that restrict the church’s role to “spiritual” matters rather than matters of concrete social concern. So, churches often distance themselves from the social theory approach in dissecting society's problems. The analytical tool used in this paper is the pastoral cycle method. A pastoral theological approach focuses on cases that have occurred or are currently occurring in society. This paper uses the case of food scarcity, namely cooking oil, which has occurred in Indonesia. The research results show that the social theological approach, which has been shunned by evangelical theology, can be used in dissecting and mapping social cases in society to contribute to the church in determining anticipatory steps and responding with concern to these social problems. Through this research, it can be concluded that the social function of the church as light and salt of the world can be achieved by using pastoral theology. The implications of this research will encourage churches to position themselves as government partners in realizing the achievement of SDG targets on the one hand and the other hand, provide new insight that pastoral theology does not only deal with “spiritual” (i.e., intangible) matters. It can be seen that a Biblical approach can be intertwined with social analysis for the purpose of social welfare.

Kabir and Pedagogy: Teaching the Politics of Religion through the Hagiography of an Indian Saint

This essay discusses the virtues of hagiology-driven teaching and the pedagogical value of the saint in the religious studies classroom, focusing on how a series of class assignments and activities centered on the Indian devotional saint Kabir function in an undergraduate introductory-level religious studies course to effectively engage student learning, and develop students’ understanding of the politics of religion and the crucial interplay of affect, memory, and storytelling in religious life.

Christ: A Religious Priest? A Thomistic Approach

Abstract The nature and value of the religious priesthood have often been questioned, including after Vatican II. John Paul II, however, claims that the religious priest ‘reproduces in his life the fullness of the mystery of Christ’. Examining Aquinas’s understanding of Christ’s total self-sacrifice provides a model that explains how. In this article, I present a Christological and Thomistic approach to the question by identifying Christ as a religious priest, highlighting one of Aquinas’s patristic sources (St Gregory the Great) and one of his greatest spiritual interpreters of modern times (Bl Columba Marmion). Because of his grace of headship, Christ contains all the perfections found in his members. The perfection of Christ’s priestly and religious life consists in his total sacrifice of himself to the Father out of love. Christ firmly fixed his will to offer himself from the moment of the Incarnation. By vowing to follow the counsels, religious priests imitate the fixity of Christ’s will to offer himself as a total self-holocaust. This conclusion allows me to propose that Christ is the religious priest, which has several theological and pastoral implications.