Religious Reform Research Articles

The book titled "Religious Reform in the Late Ottoman Empire” is on the shelves...

The book titled "Religious Reform in the Late Ottoman Empire” is on the shelves...

Adapting to Change: The Evolutionary Path of Identity-Based Political Activists in Rural Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – Pakistan

This research presents a thematic analysis of the evolving trajectories of change, dissent, transformation, and reflexivity of Islamic activists in the rural areas of Mardan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan. In a reflective manner, the activists shared their experiences spanning a period of thirty-five years. Drawing on interview data, ethnographic notes and extended interaction with these activists, the study finds the complex interplay of activists’ ideology, local culture, national and global politics, and the competing religious interpretations. The study identifies four stages in their journey: breakdown of primordial ties, blind following, dissent and transformation, and critical engagement. The breakdown of primordial ties was triggered by the introduction of Islamist ideology, which challenged tribal and primordial affiliations and set conditions for blind following of political Islam as an ideology of life. However, skepticism later emerged, leading to dissent and transformation. This phase of transformation was marked by reflexivity and a critical reevaluation of their past actions and beliefs, and a growing disenchantment with rigid interpretations, conservative discourses, and political use of religion. The final stage of critical engagement is characterized by a proactive approach towards larger social and religious reforms. These stages are interconnected and nonlinear and reflect the activists’ evolving engagement with their own past and their changing social and political contexts. The study provides insight into the multifarious and meaningful ways in which religious and social contestations shape individual and collective trajectories of change and transformation in northwest Pakistan. Keywords: Political Islam, Ethnography, Post-Islamism, Deradicalization, Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Bishop Æthelwold, His Followers, and Saints’ Cults in Early Medieval England: Power, Belief, and Religious Reform by Alison Hudson (review)

Bishop Æthelwold, His Followers, and Saints’ Cults in Early Medieval England: Power, Belief, and Religious Reform by Alison Hudson (review)

На страже прошлого: жития местночтимых святых в контексте англо-валлийского противостояния конца XI — XII в.

In the second half of the 11th century, having completed the political conquest of England, William I undertook to establish control over the local church. To do this, he initiated a religious reform in his new possessions, which was led by the Archbishop of Canterbury Lanfranc (1070–1089) and his followers. This reform, directed against the “old” clergy, endangered the position of many religious centers associated with local cults. The reaction to it was the emergence of a wave of hagiographic literature, designed to legitimize both the cult itself and the status of the community representing the saint. The article is devoted to the analysis of the main features and assessment of the political role of hagiography of the late 11th — early 12th centuries, based on the case of the Lives of St. David and St. Beuno, which were directed against the reforms of both Lanfranc and his successors. From the beginning of the 12th to the beginning of the 13th century the appeal to the image of St. David and his Life were the main tools of the bishops of St. Davids in their struggle to gain the status of an archbishopric, which would remove the issue of the subordination of the Welsh clergy to Canterbury. Each stage of the confrontation was accompanied by the appearance of a new edition of the text. The Life of St. Beuno, which displayed signs of actualization at the beginning of the 12th century, expressed the fear of local religious communities to lose part of their income due to active hostilities in East of Wales. Despite all the efforts of the Welsh clergy, by the end of the 13th century the influence of the king of England and English church hierarchs on local dioceses was already unquestionable.

God and Gods in the Deuteronomistic History ed. by Corrine Carvalho and John L. Mclaughlin

Reviewed by: God and Gods in the Deuteronomistic History ed. by Corrine Carvalho and John L. Mclaughlin Mark Lackowski corrine carvalho and john l. mclaughlin (eds.), God and Gods in the Deuteronomistic History (CBQI 2; Washington, DC: Catholic Biblical Association of America, 2021). Pp xxiii + 277. Paper $39.99. This collection of essays came out of the Divinity in Ancient Israel Continuing Seminar at the annual meeting of the Catholic Biblical Association. Over a period of four years, the scholars who participated and published the essays in this volume examined the Deuteronomistic History (DH). Across the introduction and twelve different essays, attention is given to each book in the DH, providing a rich variety of texts to explore. Indeed, the literary diversity in the DH is reflected in its different portrayals of divinity, something even seen in the title of the book, which uses the words “God” and “Gods.” After an introduction [End Page 175] that provides a clear and concise overview of past and present scholarship on the DH and the central arguments of the different authors in the volume, the essays are organized canonically, followed by useful indexes of ancient sources, modern authors, and relevant subjects. The opening essay by Thomas B. Dozeman (“‘El, the Living’: Divinity and Holy War in the Book of Joshua,” pp. 1–29) uses diachronic exegesis to offer a synchronic reading of the final form(s) of Joshua, which he argues combined Deuteronomistic and Priestly themes to create a unique revelation of Israel’s God during the postexilic period. Dozeman shows how the controversial holy war stories in Joshua marked by “the ban” (ḥērem) are the combination of cultic features from Priestly texts and warlike features from Deuteronomistic texts into a unique revelation of “El, the Living” (Josh 3:10), who “demands ritualized genocide as the highest form of religious obedience in taking possession of the promised land” (p. 29). The essay by Corrine Carvalho (“Yhwh, Rahab, and Gibeonites: The Hybrid Other in the Book of Joshua,” pp. 30–48) challenges scholars who excuse the violent actions of Yhwh toward the Canaanites by appealing to the seemingly positive portrayals of Rahab and the Gibeonites. Rather than interpret Yhwh’s mercy toward Rahab and the Gibeonites as a divine characteristic that overcomes the merciless action of the ḥērem, Carvalho argues that it most likely reflects the postexilic author’s belief that faithful obedience by the colonized (e.g., Judahites) can result in positive treatment by the colonizer (e.g., Persians). Thus, she demonstrates how “the narrator cannot manage to tamper with the ideology of obedience to the colonizer” (p. 48). Mahri Leonard-Fleckman’s essay (“Binding Samson to Yhwh: From Disorder to Order in the Samson Cycle,” pp. 49–68) focuses on the compositional history of the Samson stories and argues how it is reflected in the complex social landscape of the Shephelah, where the stories are set. According to Leonard-Fleckman, the Samson stories are marked by blurred lines of identity, reminiscent of a preexilic reality where even the deities are not clearly delineated. However, with the addition of Samson’s death in the temple of Dagon, Deuteronomistic scribes made it clear that the “final act of terror against the Philistines and their god, with the questionable help of Yhwh, leaves the reader with the unmistakable impression that Samson belongs to Israel” (p. 65). Mark Smith (“Retrospective Deities in Judges: Memory and Amnesia about ‘Other Gods,’” pp. 69–103) uses the compositional history of Judges to highlight traces of a polytheistic past. According to the Deuteronomists, the Israelites who follow other Gods and disobey Yhwh are given into the hands of their enemies. Nevertheless, this happens repeatedly and with increasing severity from one tribe and judge to the next, reflecting a form of cultural amnesia by scribes describing cultic contexts and foreign Gods centuries after those represented in the text. The religious reforms of the Deuteronomists in Judah from the seventh century b.c.e. onward are superimposed then on an ancient Israelite past marked by cultic pluriformity and what Smith calls “retrospective deities.” Mark Enemali (“Divine Presence in the Ark of the Covenant in 1 Samuel 4:1b–7:1,” pp. 104...

Treatment of Non-Muslims in Moderate Saudi in Muhammad Bin Salman’s Religious Reform

This study tries to highlight the changes and breakthroughs that Muhammad bin Salma echoes in the Saudi Vision 2030, particularly in the aspect of treatment of non-Muslim groups. As mentioned above, this group experienced a lot of discrimination and persecution during the previous administration. As promised by the Prince, the government that was previously conservative will be returned to a more moderate direction. However, it is necessary to further explore whether the application and practice of moderate Islam includes the relationship between the state and non-Muslims in this country or not. For this reason, this study will compare several policies before Muhammad bin Salman era and their changes (if any) after the reforms carried out by the Prince. This research shows that Muhammad bin Salman has initiated some changes in relations with non-Muslims at the global level. Some changes in formal textbooks in schools have also been made towards a more moderate ideology. However, the changes in religious reforms brought by the Prince were limited to a symbolic level and were more external in nature. Meanwhile, domestic commitments related to the management of diversity and the fulfillment of the rights to freedom of religion have yet to be seen in real policies that provide rights for non-Muslims.

The Life of Orpheus – Contributions to European Culture

Orpheus is one of the greatest historical contributions of the Thracians in European culture. He is much more than a talented poet and singer. He is a religious reformer, a priest and a Teacher, who transmits valuable knowledge to humanity. This study presents his life and influence on philosophers such as Pythagoras and Plato, the development of this influence during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and analyzes some Orphic tablets of eschatological nature. The roots of Orphic teachings are so deep, that some missionaries of the new Christian faith had to use the image of Orpheus in their desire to baptize pagans. Orpheus comes to walk the most difficult path – spreading the doctrine of salvation of the human soul, which remains one of the highest achievements of European culture and a hope for its humane future.

Ius Gentium and <i>Ius Naturale</i> in Western European Political and Legal Thought in the 17th Century

The paper is devoted to the problem of the correlation of the legal categories ius gentium and ius naturale in the context of the political and the Western European legal thought in the 17th century. The 17th century, rich in historical events, known in the Russian historiography as the «rebellious age», becomes a turning point not only in the history of the entire European civilization, but also in the history of philosophical thought and political science, at the intersection of which the teachings of the state and law were formed. The 17th century — the time of the systemic crisis of the feudal socio-economic formation and the traditional religious ideology strongly associated with it — gives impetus to the development of capitalist economic relations in Western Europe, which was accompanied by a sharp increase in novelty in the field of philosophical and political thought. In the 17th century, prominent European political thinkers paid quite a lot of attention to the theoretical coverage of the problems of the natural state, the social contract, as well as the analysis of the categories of freedom and justice. There was a gradual departure from the methodology of peripatetism, accompanied by a revision of the intellectual heritage of ancient political and legal thought, although at the same time European political thinkers and jurists continued to widely use the terminology of classical Roman law, but in a modified semantic field. One of the most important areas of application of the ancient legal heritage is the field of international relations, closely related to the further intensification of international commerce, religious reformation, as well as the legal mechanism for declaring war and concluding peace. In the regulation of international relations, they actively used legal systems, well known from Antiquity, but greatly transformed by Modern times, and which, according to a long-established tradition, were called ius gentium and ius naturale. Thus, the paper highlights a rather ambiguous problem of the correlation of ius gentium and ius naturale in Western European political and legal thought in the 17th century.

Association and Enlightenment: Scottish Clubs and Societies, 1700-1830, ed. Marc C. Wallace and Jane Rendell

<i>Association and Enlightenment: Scottish Clubs and Societies, 1700-1830</i>, ed. Marc C. Wallace and Jane Rendell

The making of Islamic reform (iṣlāḥ) in Colonial Algeria (1882–1938): Ibadi scholars, French officials and the conceptual foundations of modern Islamic studies

Abstract Among the conceptual foundations on which scholars of modern Islam have built their narratives for decades, ideas such as “reform” and “reformism” have been singled out for charges of Eurocentricism and Orientalism. At the same time, research on early modern Islam leads us to question the specificities of these nineteenth and twentieth-century concepts. Building on this scholarship, this article examines the case of Algerian Ibadi reform (iṣlāḥ) in order to reassert the specificity of the early twentieth century as a moment when Islamic concepts acquired new meanings, but also as a moment of deep entanglements between Islamic and colonial knowledge production. It shows that a systematic understanding of iṣlāḥ as social and religious reform linked to the idea of progress developed only during the interwar period. It also demonstrates that the emic and etic uses of iṣlāḥ and “reform” developed together, a result of the confluence between modern Islamic scholarship and scholarship about Islam in the early twentieth-century Algerian colonial public sphere. Thus, the conceptual history of iṣlāḥ warns us against approaches that consider emic and etic categories bounded entities and invites us instead to unravel their complexities.

Pagan Religious Practices in Medieval Ethiopia: Development and Resistance of the Christian Kingdom (1434–1468)

In the long religious history of Ethiopia, paganism has been widely practised since ancient times, as evidenced by the inscriptions of ʿEzānā and other archaeological objects. It continued to dominate for centuries even after the introduction of Christianity in the fourth century, which hindered its expansion south of the Aksumite empire until the thirteenth century. However, later in the fourteenth century, Christianity was widely expanded with the military and political support of the Christian emperors, especially King ʾAmda Ṣǝyon (1314–1344), who suppressed pagan practices in the northern highlands of the Christian kingdom. Subsequently, pagan chiefs and priests were forced to be baptised and converted to Christianity, pagan sanctuaries were dismantled, and, in their place, churches and monasteries were built. Resistance against paganism continued in a more organised way in the fifteenth century during the reign of King Zarʾa Yāʿǝqob (1434–1468), who actively engaged in making laws and composing religious books to prevent Christian adherents from practising paganism. In this regard, we have a sizeable collection of Gǝʿǝz texts dating to the time of Zarʾa Yāʿǝqob that provide vivid information to better understand the development and features of paganism, on the one hand, and the measures undertaken by the king as a part of religious reformation to resist and dismantle pagan practices, on the other. Paganism, in general, is a neglected subject in the historiography of medieval Ethiopia, but taking into account the source availability, studying the pagan practices and resistance of this period is indispensable. Thus, this paper attempts to reconstruct the history of pagan practices and its development in the period under discussion to identify the names of the pagan gods as well as to analyse their social role and the measures taken under Zarʾa Yāʿǝqob against paganism.

열왕기하 23:29-30과 역대하 35:20-27에 나타난 요시야의 죽음 보도에 대한 언어적, 고고학적 고찰

Most recent studies of 2 Kings 22-23 and 2 Chronicles 34-35 have focused on Josiah’s religious reform in connection with the discovery of the book of the law and Josiah’s restoration of temple services. Although many of the insights from these studies are indispensable to understanding Josiah’s achievements, little consideration has been relatively paid to the reading of Josiah’s death in 2 Kings 23:29-30 and 2 Chronicles 35:20-27. Therefore, I would like to first argue that the final text of 2 Kings 23:29-30 itself contains both possibilities. The situation described in 2 Kings 23:29-30 can be a battle or a meeting. The author of Chronicles reports Necho’s negotiation and the death of Josiah specifically. Although 2 Kings 23:29b reveals that Josiah went to meet with Necho, Necho meticulously eliminates Josiah to achieve his political purpose.BR The report of Josiah’s death described in 2 Chronicles 35:20-27 introduces a much more detailed view of Necho’s international situation than in Kings 23:29-30. This can be deduced from the phrase ‘my house of war’. It is likely that ‘my house of war’ is Riblah, which is strategically located to station Egyptian troops and to dominate the region beyond the river. The author of Chronicles uses the words of Necho theologically to justify Josiah’s sudden death according to the theory of personal retribution. Because Josiah did not listen to Necho’s words that came out of God’s mouth, he died as the result. Josiah tried to stop Necho, but it was beyond his ability to change the great course of history at a time when the international situation was rapidly changing. Necho rules the area across the river instead of Assyria for a certain period.

History of the Beginning of Buddhism in Sikkim

The beginning of Buddhist faith in Sikkim may be traced back to the middle of the 17th century when Phuntsog Namgyal was consecrated as the ruler of the land as Dharma raja with both temporal and spiritual powers. It is believed that in the middle of the 8th century, Padma Sambhava also known as Guru Rimpoche travelled to Tibet and Sikkim and blessed the land. The land is recognized as sacred ever since and also blessed by the great Buddhist saints and the lamas. Immediately after becoming the ruler of the land, the king set himself to the task of administrative and religious reforms.

Between God and Satan: Thomas Thornton, Witch-Hunting, and Religious Mission in the English Atlantic World, 1647–1693

Between God and Satan: Thomas Thornton, Witch-Hunting, and Religious Mission in the English Atlantic World, 1647–1693

Religious reformism and Jadidism in the Volga-Ural region of Imperial Russia (XIX – the beginning of XX centuries

The Authors of this article assess the phenomenon of how was perceived religious reformism and Jadidism in the public thought of Muslims who lived in the Volga-Ural region (Russian Empire). The approach to this phenomenon and its assessment differ in the pre-revolutionary Russian, Soviet and foreign historiography, which is due to the heterogeneity of the subject of research itself. By stressing the fact that in international scholarship there are different views on the formation of this phenomenon, the Authors of the article offer a more balanced approach to this phenomenon. This approach differs from that popular in historiography, labelled as "jadidocentrist". Equally, they suggest making the distinction and clear the technical terms such as "Islamic discourse", "religious revival" and "Jadidism" itself.

印尼泗水黄龙体育会龙狮队的发展研究

【摘要】舞狮是源自中国的一种民间艺术活动，其形成经历了漫长的历史过程，慢慢成为了一种独特的中国传统文化。这种文化在中国得到广泛的传播，后随着华人移民到世界各地，舞狮活动也被带入，可以说是有华人的地方就有舞狮。而印度尼西亚作为一个拥有大量华人移民的国家，舞狮活动也在本国传播，舞狮活动在传播中结合吸收了当地的文化，有自己的特色，成为了印尼文化的组成部分。本文以泗水黄龙体育会舞狮团队研究对象，采用了访谈和文献研究方法，从舞狮的起源、表演动作、表演流程等对其进行了研究。研究表明：黄龙体育会舞狮团队自1978年成立到现在，经历了“新持序”时期，宗教改革，舞狮队从队员血统、舞狮仪式、训练方法到舞狮的功能都发生了很大的变化。&#x0D; 【关键词】舞狮，民间活动，黄龙体育会舞狮团队，印尼，泗水&#x0D; &#x0D; Abstract&#x0D; The lion dance is a kind of folk art activity originated from China. Its formation has gone through a long historical process and has gradually become a unique Chinese traditional culture. This kind of culture has been widely spread in China. Later, as Chinese emigrated to all over the world, lion dance activities were also brought in. It can be said that there is lion dance where there are Chinese. As a country with a large number of Chinese immigrants in Indonesia, lion dance activities are also spread in the country. The lion dance activities incorporate local culture in the spread, have their own characteristics, and become an integral part of Indonesian culture. This article uses the research object of the lion dance team of the “Surya Naga” Sports Club in Surabaya, using interviews and literature research methods to study the lion dance's origin, performance, and performance process. Studies have shown that since the establishment of the Lion Dance Team of the “Surya Naga” Sports Club in 1978, it has gone through the "new order" period and religious reform. The lion dance team has experienced a lot of changes from the blood of the members, the lion dance ceremony, the training method to the function of the lion dance already had a big change.

Liberalism's distinctive policy for governing Muslim populations: Human rights, religious reform, and counter‐terrorism from the colonial era until the present

AbstractDuring the colonial era, liberal Western states established vast empires which came to encompass almost all of the world's Muslims. Western states worked out specific methods for governing Muslims, which were often referred to as “Muslim policy”. Recent scholarship on Muslim policy exhibits several key trends. One is expansion of geographical scope, leading scholars to produce more comprehensive global accounts of Muslim policy. Another trend is expansion of temporal scope, leading scholars to systematically link colonial Muslim policy with the governance of Muslims in the post‐colonial era. A final trend is the reevaluation of liberal governance. Accordingly, scholars argue that, contrary to conventional assumptions, liberal ideology allows for ‐ or even encourages ‐ imperialism, authoritarianism, ethnocentrism, and racism. The present article makes several new contributions. It provides a synthesis of recent studies on Muslim policy ‐ giving special attention to the key trends mentioned above. Moreover, the article proposes a novel way of conceptualizing Muslim policy. It is argued that Muslim policy centers on three overlapping projects: (1) a “human rights” project (2) a “religious reform” project and (3) a security project akin to what is now known as “counter‐terrorism”. Finally, the article argues that liberals created Muslim policy in the colonial era, and continue to champion it in the post‐colonial era. As such, it may be regarded as a distinctive long‐standing liberal policy for governing Muslim populations.

Encountering Water in Early Modern Europe and Beyond: Redefining the Universe through Natural Philosophy, Religious Reformations, and Sea Voyaging by Lindsay J. Starkey

Encountering Water in Early Modern Europe and Beyond: Redefining the Universe through Natural Philosophy, Religious Reformations, and Sea Voyaging by Lindsay J. Starkey

The ulama of Palembang Sammaniyah order: Survival in the middle of the regime of power in the 20th century

During the Palembang Sultanate, the Sammaniyah order was the official religion of the Palembang palace. Sammaniyah tariqa scholars were also made officials and advisers to the sultan. This article aims to discuss the power relations of the Palembang Sammaniyah ulama in terms of continuity and change in the regime of power. From the 19th to the 20th centuries, the Sammaniyah tariqa lived and developed under five regimes of power, namely the Sultanate of Palembang Darussalam, the Dutch colonists, the Japanese invaders, the Old Order and New Order. Palembang Sammaniyah tarekat scholars who are considered conservative (kaum tuo) have to deal with modern scholars (kaum mudo) because of the khilafiyah problem. As a result, there was a great shift by the Sammaniyah ulama in maintaining and developing the Sammaniyah order in Palembang. Firstly, the shift occurred in the role and function of the ulama of the tarekat, changing from religious leaders who teach Islamic religious knowledge to multifunctional scholars in dealing with modernism by utilising public space. Secondly, the charismatic nature of the Sammaniyah tarekat ulama formed the authority of the ulama so that the ulama could play a role in sociopolitical affairs in each power regime. Thirdly, contemporary tarekat scholars and Sammaniyah tarekat scholars who are considered conservative scholars could compete with mudo people who were considered religious reformers. Besides, the ongoing Islamisation challenged the Sammaniyah tariqa scholars in maintaining and developing the Sammaniyah tariqa.Contribution: This research will contribute to determining the relationship between power and the existence of scholars. The question that the article tries to explore is how the identity and existence of the ulama could survive every change of power in Palembang. This article will discuss the changes in power that have occurred in each period that caused a change in mindset and a shift in the identity of the ulama. This study discusses the power relations of the Palembang Sammaniyah ulama in changing regimes of power and finds the fact that power can affect the order.

Filibeli Ahmed Hilmi's Criticisms Against Materialism's Conception of Religion and God

In this study, the understanding of religion and God through matter in the historical process of materialism has been settled and determined, and the opposite views of Filibeli Ahmed Hilmi (d. 1914), one of the theologians of the New Science of Kalām period, have been tried to be revealed. In this context, first and foremost, a brief history of materialism is mentioned then Filibeli's views have given. Materialism is one of the notable philosophical schools that have found a place in the life of thought since Antiquity. The first steps of this system of thought are observed in Ancient Greece and the understanding of atomism. The common meeting place of the famous materialist philosophers of this period was the atomist understanding. On the other hand, Atomist understanding collects many divinity features such as being eternal and ever in the matter. Having significant effects on the history of thought, materialism experienced stagnation in the middle ages. The reason for this stagnation is that Christianity developed an active understanding of religion in the West, and therefore the views of the church adopted a conservative approach. It can be said that scholastic philosophy is one of the biggest reasons for the loss of the effectiveness of materialism. Afterward, the school of materialism showed a new revival during the period when the oppressive attitude of the church decreased with the scholastic philosophy and the religious reform and Renaissance movements were followed. Materialism, which has started to regain effectiveness since the 18th century, is based on matter and the field called material and does not accept any area other than matter. Materialism rejects the metaphysical field, which agrees with the entities that the sense organs can only perceive as the material field, and the information obtained through experimentation and observation. Since the knowledge and existence of beings such as God, angels, and jinn are of interest to metaphysics, spiritual beings entering this field are denied by materialism. Although it emerged in the Christian western world, materialism emerges as a system of thought that spreads in the following processes and influences the whole world. The ideas of materialism, which started to be seen in our country as a result of the return of students sent abroad with western ideas to examine the progress of the West in the political field, increased its effectiveness, especially through journals and translation. Materialism, which has made such progress in our country, has been criticized by many intellectuals, although some scholars have adopted it. Along with the spread of such ideas, a search for innovation was done in kalām, and the period of the New Science of Kalām began. One of the most important scholars of this period is Filibeli Ahmed Hilmi. Filibeli criticizes this system of thought for the general views of materialism through the concept of denial. Filibeli, who also touches on morality, states that materialism opens the door to immorality, resulting in anarchy.