Religious Self-identity Research Articles

Identity and Otherness in the Rahab Story. Analysis of the Rahab Speech (Josh 2:9–11)

The biblical story of Rahab of Jericho was included in the Book of Joshua to serve a specific purpose in a remote historical context. This article focuses on a possible function of the Rahab story, which might have been employed by the author/redactor as a literary pattern for cross-cultural encounters between different groups, such as the Canaanite clan of Rahab and the Israelites. The Deuteronomistic Law demands the removal of “others” and separation from them, while Rahab, “the outsider,” is saved and protected by the Israelites. This fact may not only prove the benevolence of the Israelites but also be evidence of a recurring literary pattern of constructing national and religious self-identity first through retelling and eventually rewriting stories. Since the Rahab story has been read/heard by ancient audiences and by many readers through the centuries, this pattern may also prove relevant for contemporary readers by providing grounds for intercultural dialogue in the modern world.

Extended Theory of Planned Behavior Model to Predict Factors Affecting the Behavior of Eating Halal Food (Case Study of Santri Tahfidz Pondok Pesantren Al Muayyad Surakarta)

This study examined the characteristics that impact tahfidz students' food choices at Al Muayyad Islamic Boarding School in Surakarta, particularly halal food intake. This is quantitative descriptive research. Halal food purchases are mainly influenced by the Extended Theory of Planned Behavior model. Awareness, behavioral habits, religious self-identity, moral commitments, and trust also affect this technique. The sample included Al Muayyad Islamic Boarding School pupils memorizing the Qur'an. Data collection techniques with random sampling method through distributing questionnaires. Furthermore, the data analysis technique uses the SPPS version 26.0 application with multiple linear regression tests. Moral obligation has a significant positive effect on halal food consumption behavior, subjective norm or subjective norm has a significant negative relationship. Other components or factors, do not have a significant influence on the decision to consume halal food for students even though they have a positive relationship.

Internal migration and religious participation among Vietnamese Catholics

Many studies have shown that the residence changes led to the parish's conversion, affecting the practicing of religious rituals. However, the relationship between internal migration and religious participation has remained a study gap in Vietnam which has witnessed many migration flows. Therefore, the present study will aim to 1) describe the characteristics of Catholic migrants and clarify the religious participation level of Catholic migrants; 2) define the religious participation level of Catholic migrants, and 3) analyze the challenges for migrants to maintain religious life at the destination. By collecting the quantitative and qualitative data, the research results indicated that the feminization of migration is typically in the Catholic community; the average age of Catholic migrants is young, and the marriage rate and technical qualification are relatively higher than migrants in Vietnam in general. Besides, Catholic migrants had difficulty participating in feasts that required regular participation because they faced challenges from changing social environments, attitudes of the religious community of the destination, and their religious self-identity.

RELIGIOUSNESS AND HEALTH SUPPORT ISSUES FROM THE STANDPOINT OF CONTEMPORARY STUDENT YOUTH

The article provides the findings of an empirical research into the correlation between religiousness of student youth in the city of Vladimir and its attitude towards their health through the spectacle of religious studies. The poll was conducted in April 2022 by means of a questionnaire survey among the students of higher education institutions in Vladimir. The overall sample comprised 509 respondents. The subject matter of the research is a specific nature of correlation between students’ understanding of their own religiousness and their views towards the importance of a healthy lifestyle. For the purposes of analysis, the students were divided into three identification groups depending on their self-identity: “believers”, “non-believers”, and “persons in doubt”, amounting to 23.4, 26.2 and 50.4%, respectively. The findings demonstrate that more than a half (52.3%) of students completely agree that one shall take a medicine only by prescription and that it is important to undergo preventive medical examinations (59.3%). The findings also reveal the impact of religious self-identity on the self-assessment of students’ health. There are considerably more those agreeing that they are absolutely healthy among the “believers” when compared to the “persons in doubt”, and especially to the “non-believers”. The overwhelming majority of students agree that “disease is a natural event caused by viruses or microorganisms” rather than a “punishment for one’s sins”. Further activities aimed at the development of rational approaches preconditioning young people’s willingness to protect their own health might become an effective mechanism allowing for congruent behavior with a focus on preservation and strengthening of a person’s well-being.

Exploring Muslim Pre-schoolers’ Religious Self-Identity, Moral Values and Reasoning: A Case Study in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

This is an exploratory qualitative research that aims to explore Muslim pre-schoolers’ development of religious self-identity and moral values and reasoning for behavioral conformity. Based on Bowlby’s theory of attachment (1971), both infants and mothers need to stay in constant contact with each other. Children who did not experience warm and continuing attachment would fail to develop healthy relationships when they get older. If these biological needs were not met, not only emotional but also intellectual problems in adulthood might occur. The Informants involved two Muslim Malaysian children – a boy and a girl, both aged five years old. They were selected by their classroom teacher in a public preschool. The research setting was a classroom setting. The research applied in-depth, semi-structured interview protocols as a method of collecting data based on several pictures related to Muslim religious practices and moral behaviors. From the study, it was found that the two pre-schoolers have developed the rudiments of religious self-identity, sense of moral values and conform to Kohlberg’s first stage of moral judgement, which is to act due to fear of getting punished and not wanting to displease adults, especially their parents. There is not much research done on the development of self-identity in young Muslim children in Malaysia, specifically for children aged five years old. This research would assist teachers, parent, and caregivers in guiding young children to shape their identity and acquire good Muslim characteristics. Understanding the reasons for children’s conformity would also be achieved in this research.

The Role of Religious Commitment, Religious Self-Identity on Consumer’s Willingness to Pay for A Halal Product

This research aims to analyze consumer's willingness to pay toward halal products through the role of religious commitment, religious self-identity, using the theory of planned behavior. This study examines the willingness to pay consumers based on the consumption experiences of well-known foreign franchise restaurants in Indonesia. The data was collected through 250 Muslim students in Yogyakarta. The survey was filled by Google form. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling, employing the partial least square method (PLS). Findings of the research show that the attitude and the religious self-identity have no impact on the willingness to pay for the halal product, while the perceived behavioral control, the subjective norm, and the religious commitment have a positive and significant effect on the willingness to pay. Additionally, religious commitment has a positive and significant influence on the attitude, and on the religious self-identity. The practical implication of this study suggests the marketers should understand those variables that influence consumers' willingness to pay for halal-certified products from foreign franchise restaurants, namely the subjective norms, the perceived behavioral control, and the religious commitment.

Causation of halal food consumption in China

PurposeWithin the religious context, purchase and consumption decisions of halal food is different significantly. The purpose of this study is to emphasize the investigation of causation of halal food consumption (HFC) within China. Being a Muslim, the importance of habit, religious self-identity, moral attitude and individualism to the consumption of halal food in the host-culture is examined.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire survey was placed and cross-sectional data consisted of 199 Muslim participants were collected, primarily from Beijing current capital of China. Data were examined by SPSS and PLS-3 to assess the model and moderating effects of individualism on HFC.FindingsThe results of the research show that moral attitude, habit and religious self-identity in the presence of individualism as a moderator have a significant and positive attitude toward HFC.Practical implicationsThe halal food industry can communicate the Muslim community through tag (Halal), which may help Muslims with different individualism and inspire them to make their choices.Originality/valueThe research can be valued by the strategy makers of the food company, as well as the food industry that might pursue individualism in the communication and supply process while targeting the halal food sector in China and worldwide.

Parish or Synaxaria? To the Basic Elements of Religious Self-Identity of Ethno-Confessional Communities of the Christian Orient

Introduction. The article focuses on the issues of the basic elements of keeping ethno-religious identity in the communities of the Christian Orient, which found themselves either as a minority under the dominance of another religious tradition, or within the almost complete external isolation suggesting a significant reduction of the former religious tradition and / or excluding its reactivation. The actual basis for the analysis is the history of the Coptic Church (from the period of the late Antiquity / early Byzantium to the modern period), as well as the history of the Alans / Ossetians from the 13th – 14th to the mid 18th centuries. Methods. The system analysis is used as the main research approach. Religious communities of the Christian Orient are regarded as closed, self-replicating systems. The paper aims to identify inside these systems the elements that make up the “content” or “superstructure” (preserved and translated to prevent assimilation with the dominant religious tradition and loss of their former identities), and basic elements that provide essential conditions for their successful survival. Analysis and Results. Studies of the cultural and religious rise of the Coptic community in the Middle Ages and New Times manifest that the basic elements of its identity preservation and transmission in the new conditions may be found in the transformation of churches / parishes and monasteries into a communicative space and area of religious socialization. The study of the religious situation of Alans / Ossetians in the conditions of almost complete external isolation and reduction of the Orthodox tradition to “popular Christianity” suggests that the sacred space of Christian churches becomes (already as an archetypical model) a point of the syncretic “content” formation, which has a certain strength and defines the cultural and religious identity of the Ossetians for a long time.

Muslims’ willingness to pay for certified halal food: an extension of the theory of planned behaviour

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to extent the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), when extended by self-identity and religious commitment (RC), and is able to predict Muslim consumers’ willingness to pay (WP) for certified halal food. Design/methodology/approach A survey of 277 Muslim consumers in Malaysia was conducted and the cross-sectional data were analysed using the partial least squares technique. Findings Attitude (ATT) and religious self-identity (RSI) were found to have a positive impact on WP for certified halal food. Additionally, RC has a positive effect on ATT and RSI and has a positive moderating effect on the relationship between perceived behavioural control and WP. Practical implications The findings can benefit halal food companies by offering an insight into the willingness of Muslim consumers to pay for certified halal food. Originality/value The findings contribute to the research on halal foods by illustrating the factors that determine Muslim consumers’ WP for certified halal food. This study also extends the understanding of the TPB to the halal food context.

Determinants of halal-food consumption in Indonesia

PurposeIndonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world and represents a significant global-market opportunity for halal food producers. Surprisingly, halal-food consumption in Indonesia remains under-researched. Thus, this study aims to investigate the factors influencing consumers’ halal-food consumption, using an extended theory of planned behaviour (TPB) model.Design/methodology/approachData were collected through a self-administered questionnaire distributed among 418 consumers in Surabaya, Indonesia. Multiple regression analysis was used to describe the TPB relationship and halal-food consumption.FindingsThis study successfully extended the TPB to include additional predictors: perceived awareness, habit, religious self-identity (RSI), moral obligations and trust to determine consumers’ intention in halal-food consumption. Attitudes, RSI and moral obligations were significant predictors of intention to consume halal food.Practical implicationsThe findings can be used by the government and food producers to target specific factors, especially positive attitudes, RSI and moral obligations. Indonesia Ulama Council (Majelis Ulama Indonesia), the food industry and the media play a critical role in sustaining consumers’ positive attitude towards halal-food consumption. It is critical for food manufacturers to tailor their marketing strategies and consider promoting Islamic dietary rules when promoting their food products.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first attempts to investigate the determinants of halal-food consumption, using an extended TPB in Indonesia.

Determinants of halal meat consumption in Germany

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the determinants of halal meat consumption within a Turkish Muslim migration population in Germany using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) as a conceptual framework. The role of self-identity as a Muslim, dietary acculturation in the host culture, moral obligation to purchase halal food and trust on the authenticity of available halal food are explored. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative cross-sectional survey design for the current study was adopted. Purposive sampling through self-administered questionnaires was used to collect data from 517 Muslim consumers originated from Turkey and currently living in Germany. The analysis includes exploratory factor analysis, means scores, linear correlation and multiple regressions to examine the determinants of halal meat consumption. Findings A positive personal attitude towards the consumption of halal meat, motivation to comply with the opinion of important persons and institutions and the perceived control over consuming halal meat predict the intention to eat halal meat among Muslims. Research limitations/implications This study used self-identity, dietary acculturation, trust and moral obligation as moderator variables. Future research should also examine the moderating effects of values such as individualism/collectivism and materialism and demographic factors such as age, country of origin, education level and income level to increase the predictive power of the current TPB model. Practical implications Practical implications can be extended to those policymakers, marketing managers and advertising agencies dealing with food-related products. They can pursue strategies based on religious self-identity, dietary acculturation, trustworthiness and moral obligation factors in their distribution and communication efforts targeted at the growing local and international market of halal food. Originality/value This is one of the few studies investigating the determinants of halal meat consumption in a Muslim population in Germany using the TPB within a food, religion and migration context.

ПСИХОЛОГІЧНІ ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ІНДИВІДУАЛЬНОЇ РЕЛІГІЙНОСТІ МАЙБУТНІХ ПСИХОЛОГІВ

The article reveals the results of the study of the peculiarities of the individual religiosity of future psychologists. Presented are peculiarities of religious self-identity and types of religious orientation of future psychologists, their attitude to the requirements of traditional religion, the foundations of doctrine and religious literature, the views of those who are being studied on a believer, as well as the structure of their individual religiosity. Analyzed, established by the authors, three religious orientations of future psychologists. The first is the traditional religious orientation with the domination of external religiosity, which is characterized by a superficial understanding of theological doctrine. The basic religious provisions and dogma remain out of the attention of such students and do not form the value system that they really want to be guided in their lives. A significant number of students are committed to non-traditional religiosity with an interest in magic rituals and occultism, to non-traditional transpersonal subjects. Their individual religiosity is a synthesis of faith in magic rituals and occultism and curiosity about mysterious phenomena, as well as certain philosophical concepts. For the third orientation of students, the tendency to combine traditional religiosity with non-traditional, religious beliefs of such students is eclectic, since they combine the views of various religious schools with a strong commitment to adherence to Christian traditions, but such students prefer the extra-church search for contact with the divine. This state of affairs causes concern to the authors, because the success of the future psychologist will necessarily affect his outlook settings, spiritual values and beliefs. The results require additional research into the problem of individual religiosity of future psychologists and close attention to this problem by all those involved in the training of future specialists in the field of psychology.

The Religious Self-Identity & Tattoo in Flannery O'Connor's 'Parker's Back' : A Convergent Study of Tattoo, the Body Art and the Literature

The Religious Self-Identity & Tattoo in Flannery O'Connor's 'Parker's Back' : A Convergent Study of Tattoo, the Body Art and the Literature

The Marian Exile and Religious Self-Identity: Rethinking the Origins of Elizabethan Puritanism

Abstract This paper challenges historians’ portrayal of Elizabethan puritanism as rooted in the Marian exile of 1553-1558, through a fresh examination of three exiles who have been described as early puritans: James Pilkington, John Jewel, and Laurence Humphrey. By studying the value they placed on church unity, this paper brings out the fundamental differences between the early reformers and the later puritans. It also demonstrates that the religious selfidentity of these men pre-dated the accession of Mary. Thus, their exile was a means of strengthening their faith, not finding it, and their return meant that there was more continuity between the Edwardian and Elizabethan churches than is often allowed in current scholarship.

Legitimizing and Necessitating Inter-Faith Dialogue: The Dynamics of Inter-Faith for Individual Faith Communities

AbstractIn an age in which religion is a burning issue in the geopolitical sphere, the need for peoples of different religions to engage in inter-faith dialogue may seem clear; what is less clear is whether there is legitimacy for and an imperative to members of individual faith communities to engage with the religious other on the exclusive grounds of their individual faith. This article thus seeks to advocate that theology done in the service of individual faiths needs, as a priority, to engage in legitimizing and necessitating dialogue with the religious other as the religious other. The article considers the grounds on which exclusivist religious people can undertake inter-faith dialogue. In looking to the need to attend to particularity and the genuine otherness of the religious other, the article advocates that faiths should begin to understand what is internal to their traditions that makes inter-faith dialogue a necessity for intense and particular religious self-identity. Members of faith communities need to be legitimated on terms internal to their community and by leaders of their community to engage in dialogue with the other: they need to know not only how to engage with the other but also why they engage with the other. In considering the particular tradition of Christianity, the article attends to these themes by seeking hints from Scripture and Christ that a Christian should engage with the religious other in order to be more intensely Christian.

A community of grace: the social and theological world of the Puṣṭi Mārga vārtā literature

In the history of Hindi literature, the oldest extant text of medieval Hindi prose is the collection of hagiography known as the as the vārtā literature which, since the seventeenth century, has been central to the religious life of the Hindu devotional community known as the Puṣṭi Mārga. This article argues that a close examination of these texts in their proper social and historical context reveals that the vārtā literature was written and revised during a time when the Puṣṭi Mārga was slowly expanding its sphere of religious influence in Western and Central India. The result was a body of literature whose principal purpose was to shape the religious self-identity of the Puṣṭi Mārga by stressing the community as a close-knit and exclusive fellowship of believers who owed their final allegiance to Kṛṣṇna and the community's religious leaders who were known as mahārājas.

Religiosity and Ethical Behavior in Organizations: A Symbolic Interactionist Perspective

Claims that religion can influence ethical behavior in business are plausible to many people but problematic in light of existing research. Our analysis indicates that religious role expectations, internalized as a religious self-identity, can influence ethical behavior. However, relationships of religious role expectations to behavior are moderated by religious identity salience and religious motivational orientation. We conclude by discussing the influence of organizational context on religious identity salience and the need for innovative and interdisciplinary empirical research on religion and ethical behavior in organizations.

Gender, Postmaterialism, and Feminism in Comparative Perspective

Value change and the feminist movement represent two major shifts in mass political orientations and behavior in the late twentieth century. Yet we know little about how these two fundamental changes relate to one another. This article addresses this question by analyzing the relationship between postmaterialist values and feminism among 13 advanced industrial democracies, using the 1990-91 World Values Survey. The results suggest that both gender and postmaterialist values are associated with feminism: women and those who adopt a postmaterialist stance are notably more likely to endorse feminist beliefs compared to men or materialists. Religion also plays a major role, both in terms of individual religious self-identity, and in terms of the religious culture of the country in question. The relations among gender, postmaterialism, and feminism are complex and deserve more careful analysis.