Religious Studies Research Articles

Oral Examinations

The Buzz examines scholarly topics in light of present-day concerns and challenges. This edition centers on the sometimes-mundane nature of written examinations and how switching to oral examinations may be beneficial to students and professors. Editorial assistant Steve Heaton speaks from his experience as a teaching assistant and finds refreshing a recent piece by Krista Dalton, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. The piece is from the scholarly blog “Ancient Jew Review,” titled, “How I Give Oral Finals.” Our team agrees with Heaton as we hear more and more Bulletin readers’ anxious about grading in the age of artificial intelligence and large learning models.

Hume’s Philosophy of Religion

ABSTRACT David Hume was a great philosopher of religion and of common life. In this essay, I interpret him as making extreme religious skepticism one part of his overall rhetorical form. In all his religious writings, however, Hume always takes a step back from Pyrrhonian style results to a position that is more compatible with common life. The great twentieth-century religious studies scholar, Ninian Smart, offers seven dimensions of religion which show the extent to which it is thoroughly entwined with the practices and beliefs of ordinary human life, and this connection to ordinary life makes Smart’s divisions a nice match for Hume and his philosophy of common life. I elucidate the ways in which Hume’s philosophy contributes to our understanding of religion in terms of Smart’s dimensions, and in each case, I argue that Hume treats religion not from the perspective of a hostile enemy, but as a student of religion who grounds it in common life and seeks to correct it from that vantage point.

Religious Dietary Practices: Health Outcomes and Psychological Insights From Various Countries.

Religious beliefs profoundly influence dietary practices across diverse cultures and communities, guiding what foods are acceptable, how they are prepared, and the timing of consumption. This narrative review examines the intricate relationship between religious dietary practices and their health and psychological well-being implications. Religious dietary practices, deeply rooted in various cultural and historical contexts, significantly influence followers' food consumption patterns. This narrative review aims to discuss how religions such as Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism prescribe specific dietary laws and guidelines, impacting nutritional intake and health outcomes. Furthermore, it delves into the psychological mechanisms, such as cognitive dissonance and social identity theories, that underpin adherence to these dietary practices. The review also highlights the role of community and social support in reinforcing dietary habits within religious contexts, contributing to mental health and social cohesion. By synthesizing insights from nutrition, psychology, and religious studies, this narrative review aims to provide healthcare providers with culturally sensitive dietary advice, ultimately improving patient care and promoting holistic health. Religious dietary practices provide numerous health benefits, including reduced risks of chronic diseases and enhanced mental well-being, achieved through disciplined and conscientious eating habits. Nevertheless, these practices also pose nutritional challenges that necessitate meticulous management and dietary planning.

Folk Spiritism: Between Communication with the Dead and Heavenly Forces

Examples of how Spiritism merged with local beliefs have been the subject of research in religious studies, ethnology, and folkloristics. Serbian Spiritism can also be viewed as such, but its history is an under-researched topic. We examine the syncretic product we will call ‘folk Spiritism’, being different from the ‘high Spiritism’ of elite and middle-class intellectuals. Folk Spiritism was part of a grassroots movement for Church reform in the first half of the 20th century. The difference between folk and high Spiritism is also confirmed in the emic perspective. Based on a closer reading of its texts, we can discern a better image of the dead and communication with them in the practice of folk Spiritism. We conclude that the difference between the traditional and Spiritist image of the dead is that the former causes fear, while the later brings comfort; folk Spiritism gave preference to communication with heavenly forces (God, Christ, Holy Mother, angels, saints) while retaining the traditional view of the dead.

Integrating Religious Values into Indonesian Language Learning: Pedagogical Approaches and Impacts

This study examines the integration of religious values into Indonesian language learning and its pedagogical impacts on students’ linguistic and moral development. Employing a qualitative research methodology, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with language teachers, classroom observations, and document analysis. The findings reveal that various pedagogical approaches, including storytelling, thematic lessons, collaborative activities, and contextual learning, effectively embed religious values within the language curriculum. These strategies not only enhance students' engagement and motivation but also promote critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and social skills. The study highlights that integrating religious values into language lessons fosters a positive learning atmosphere, reduces anxiety, and encourages active participation, thereby improving language proficiency. Furthermore, the integration contributes significantly to students' moral and ethical development, helping them internalize values such as honesty, empathy, and social responsibility. Despite the benefits, challenges such as potential bias and the need for teacher training were identified. The study recommends developing comprehensive guidelines and frameworks in collaboration with educational experts, religious scholars, and community leaders to ensure inclusivity and effectiveness. By addressing these challenges and fostering an inclusive environment, the integration of religious values can enhance Indonesian language learning, contributing to the formation of well-rounded individuals proficient in language and grounded in ethical principles. This research provides valuable insights for educators, policymakers, and scholars, advocating for the incorporation of religious values in language education to promote holistic student development.

Neither ‘underpinning’ nor ‘overarching’: explicating a critically reciprocal philosophy of religious studies

ABSTRACT One conception of philosophy’s role vis-à-vis religious studies is that of uncovering the ‘conditions of the possibility’ of approaches such as the history, psychology, or sociology of religion. Bernard Lonergan, for example, regarded philosophy of religion as ‘underpinning’ and ‘overarching’ other approaches; hence Jim Kanaris designated Lonergan’s conception of philosophy of religion a ‘philosophy of religious studies’. Without simply rejecting the latter conception, this article explicates an alternative, according to which philosophy of religion has much to learn from other approaches. Indeed, attentiveness to empirical studies is one means of overcoming a fixation on an abstract ‘theism’. Engaging critically though sympathetically with work by Kevin Schilbrack and Timothy Knepper, and expounding the notion of critical description in philosophy of religion, the article makes conceptual space for a critically reciprocal philosophy of religious studies; this downplays the evaluation of ‘religious reason-giving’ while emphasizing self-criticality and reflection upon interdisciplinary methods.

Philosophy, religion, and ‘studies': scholarship as a spiritual exercise in Chinese thought

ABSTRACT That Asian traditions do not distinguish between ‘philosophy' and ‘religion' is an oft-repeated truism. This obscures disciplinary categories operative in Asian intellectual history, especially those that do not map onto the academic landscape as we know it today. To disambiguate the terms ‘philosophy,' ‘religion,' ‘philosophy of religion,' and ‘philosophy of religious studies,' this essay explores the status of ‘studies' in Chinese thought. The tradition of rujia 儒家 or ruxue 儒學, commonly translated as ‘Confucianism,' might plausibly be rendered simply ‘scholarship.' The lineage of the ru—i.e., scholars or literati—is held together by an overarching methodology that takes the activity of studying and learning itself as a spiritual exercise aimed as scholarly excellence as well as personal cultivation. My aim is not to belabor differences between Asian and Western traditions but to invite academics to consider this rich sense of ‘studies' in our own practices today.

Imagining the human: applying the philosophy of religious studies to Jonathan Z. Smith

ABSTRACT Distinguishing between philosophy of religious studies as intra-scientific methodological reflection and philosophy of religion as extra-scientific commitment to values, this article demonstrates the benefits of integrating both, applying critical reflection to the latter as well. As a case study, it focuses on Jonathan Z. Smith’s concepts of humanity and history. Smith’s strategic blend of history and morphology aligns with his extra-scientific vision of humanity, which derived not merely from methodological choices but from philosophical reflection. By comparing Smith’s structuralist arguments with Lévi-Straussian structuralism – interpreted as antihumanism – the article reveals that Smith’s humanistic orientation was embedded in North-American social and academic contexts. It thus advocates for a nuanced examination of religious studies’ philosophical underpinnings, suggesting that, without such analysis, the work of even empirical scholars like Smith might be misconstrued.

Culture-Based Dakwah and Education Values: A Study of TGH. M. Najamuddin Makmun’s Work

Indonesian religious scholars employ diverse methods of Islamic preachings (da’wah), such as utilizing publications, oral traditions, or a combination of the two. This research aims to identify cultural-specific preaching teachings and educational principles of TGH. M. Najmuddin Makmun's writings, a charismatic tuan guru from Central Lombok. The primary emphasis is in his contemplations regarding the incorporation of educational principles, such as tolerance, humanity, perseverance, humility, and compassion, into his sermons. This study employs qualitative descriptive analysis and hermeneutics as research methods. The data is obtained from TGH's writings and interviews with his children and disciples. Data was also collected through direct observation at the Darul Muhajirin Praya Islamic Boarding School located in Central Lombok. The research findings indicate that TGH. M. Najmuddin Makmun’s writings convey messages regarding the preservation of the Prophet’s traditions and Islamic landmarks by reinforcing narratives that emphasize educational ideals transformed the outlook of the Sasak people in Lombok, fostering more religious devotion and cultural awareness. This research provides a valuable contributions to the utilization of culture-based preaching to foster the development of an Islamic society characterized by tolerance and reverence for cultural heritage.

EFFORTS TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 ACCORDING TO THE DOCTRINE OF MUHAMMADIYAH IN INDONESIA: HADITH STUDIES

COVID-19 has emerged as the global challenge confronting the community. The Indonesian government and Muhammadiyah have been engaged in efforts to mitigate the ongoing transmission of COVID-19. Diverse strategies have been employed to combat this disease and prevent its spread and fatalities. This study aims to examine and explain Muhammadiyah’s preventive efforts in Indonesia to combat COVID-19, drawing upon an interpretation of hadiths from the Prophet. A qualitative method was employed to address this issue with a historical, sociological approach to investigate the social conditions during the time of the Prophet and their prevention in relation to contemporary times performed by Muhammadiyah. The study revealed that Muhammadiyah has addressed community and humanitarian issues by implementing efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19. One such effort was restricting worship activities in mosques and encouraging people to perform them at home until the situation returned to normal. However, in areas deemed safe from COVID-19, worship could still be conducted in mosques while adhering to health protocols such as maintaining social distance, wearing masks, and practicing proper hand hygiene. Furthermore, learning in large group settings has been limited, leading to a shift toward remote online learning from home. Engaging in outdoor muamalah activities, such as working, meetings, religious studies, shopping, and other activities that attract and result in big gatherings, has also been restricted. These efforts aim to disrupt the transmission of COVID-19 as a manifestation of societal care, guided by the teachings of the Prophet as recorded in the hadiths.

Implementasi Nilai-Nilai Profil Pelajar Pancasila Dalam Penguatan Pendidikan Karakter

Character education in Indonesia is faced with various problems based on education only as a knowledge transfer activity, to overcome this, the Ministry of Education and Culture issued an independent curriculum to solve the problem. The purpose of this study is how the method applied by MI Sunan Kalijogo in habituating character education based on the Pancasila student profile. The method used in this research is descriptive qualitative, the data from this study were obtained from interviews, observation, documentation, and literature research which are then called primary and secondary data. Character education based on Pancasila learner profile applied by MI Sunan Kalijogo is congregational prayer activities, religious studies, and MTQ. The implication of this research is a form of strengthening P5 and reconstructing character education patterns for schools at the elementary school level that use an independent curriculum.

Catholic Schools in the Marketplace: Changing and Enduring Religious Identities

ABSTRACT Despite controversies surrounding faith-based schooling, religious schools continue to play a prominent role in numerous education systems. Nonetheless, empirical research on nonstate religious schools operating in a market context remains limited and fragmented. On the one hand, while religious and cultural studies investigate the evolution of religious education (RE), they tend to focus on state schools while overlooking the impact of market forces. On the other hand, research on education markets often treats religious private schools as a uniform category with a fixed identity. This study aims to bridge this gap by delving into the responses of religious private schools to competitive pressures, focusing on how these schools negotiate their religious identities in a market context. With this objective, the paper presents a case study of Catholic school networks in Catalonia, Spain. We identify three different approaches to RE and religious identity developed by these school networks—confessional, culture-centric and value-centric. The triggering factors and enabling conditions behind these approaches are examined in detail. The study concludes by discussing the relevance of these findings for ongoing debates around the public funding of faith-based schools and the tensions posed by such policies in terms of social cohesion, educational pluralism, and equity.

Islamic Chaplaincy in North America: The State of the Field

ABSTRACTThis article surveys the state of research on Islamic chaplaincy in North America. These studies analyze the development of the profession in light of the unique spiritual, emotional, and socio‐political challenges faced by Muslims in the U.S. and Canada. Despite its novelty, this field of research spans multiple academic disciplines, including religious studies, sociology, psychology, anthropology, history, and theology. An examination of existing scholarship on Islamic chaplaincy highlights several recurrent topics of inquiry, including the roles and responsibilities of Muslim chaplains, professionalization of Islamic chaplaincy, the negotiation of Muslim women's authority, and Islamic spiritual care as a theology of engagement.

The Politics of Religious Non-Interference: Islamic Legal Reform in Colonial India

Abstract The 1929 Child Marriage Restraint Act (cmra), initially propounded as the Sarda Bill, became the first law related to marriage enacted in colonial India to be universally applicable to all subjects regardless of personal religious affiliations. Though formally adopted before Indian independence, the crma was advanced and passed by the newly formed Central Legislative Assembly which consisted primarily of Indians. As a result, the cmra garnered vociferous debates within both Muslim and Hindu communities and signaled a new challenge for religious communities which was distinct from British colonial legal logics. The focus of this article will be on one Muslim scholarly engagement with the cmra, that of Mufti Kifāyatallāh Dihlawī, the President of the Jamʿiyyat-i ʿUlamāʾ-i Hind (juh) and a highly influential Deobandi scholar. By navigating the contours of his legal debate surrounding the cmra, this article explores how the process of Islamic legal reform in the late colonial period in India was met with a new set of challenges as Indians gaining legislative authority sought to enact legal reforms that were seen as impinging on the rights of religious communities. And while, in this case, Muslim juristic opinions were sought, they could ultimately be trumped by larger social and political forces. More broadly, this article demonstrates that as India inched towards self-governance, competing groups and entities sought to claim communal representation of Muslims, and in the process, arguments made by religious scholars, even if they were recognized as being representative of broad Muslim sentiments, could be dismissed by emerging legal logics which supported the nationalizing tendencies of the Imperial Legislative Assembly over and above the rights of religious communities.

The Meaning of Repentance According to Imam Ghazali and Semantic Analysis in the Qur'an: A Comprehensive Study

This study investigates the meaning of repentance as articulated by Imam Ghazali and its semantic representation in the Qur'an. By analyzing Imam Ghazali's interpretation of "taubat," the research delves into the spiritual, ethical, and psych thological dimensions of repentance in Islamic teachings. The study uses analysis descriptive as the method and it’s further conducts a semantic analysis of relevant Qur'anic verses to elucidate the concept's theological implications, including divine mercy, forgiveness, and justice. This comprehensive examination aims to bridge classical Islamic scholarship with contemporary semantic analysis, offering a nuanced understanding of repentance's role and significance in Islam. The findings contribute to Islamic studies, religious studies, and theological scholarship, providing valuable insights into the multifaceted nature of repentance or "taubat" and its contemporary relevance.

Qur'an and Climate Change

Climate change is a serious issue that we must face. It requires action that goes beyond just scientific methods and includes insights from religious teachings. The Holy Qur'an, which often mentions weather and climate, hasn't been fully explored by religious scholars in this area. These texts show weather as a sign of God's power, and as a way to show kindness or punishment. This study suggests a fresh examination of the Qur'an's climate-related stories, looking for links with past weather events and God's messages. It argues that Islamic principles could help us address the climate crisis and encourages religious scholars to apply these ideas to current environmental issues. By examining the Qur'an's descriptions of climate across different regions and times, we aim to connect ancient warnings with today's scientific understanding. The paper calls for a combined approach, where religious perspectives enhance scientific research, leading to a sustainable way of living.

Tafsīr and taʾwīl in Post-Classical Sufi Scholarship: The Study of Correspondences (taṭbīq) in Q. 10:90–92

Recent evidence from imperial archives suggests that in the sixteenth century Ottoman religious scholars were interested in Sufi modes of engagement with scripture along with mainstream, conventional forms of exegesis. This juxtaposition raises questions about the connections between these two very different types of engagement with the divine word. How might scholars at this time have thought about the relationship between Sufi forms of taʾwīl and mainstream forms of tafsīr? Were they complementary approaches to interpretation that were both necessary for a complete understanding of the divine word, or conflicting approaches to the study of scripture, of which only one was able to legitimately discuss its meanings? In this article, I present evidence from one tradition of post-classical Sufi scholarship that shows how Sufi commentators worked to overcome old challenges to the legitimacy of taʾwīl, and to reconceptualise tafsīr and taʾwīl as complementary forms of exegesis, both of which were necessary for a complete understanding of the Qur’an. This trajectory is marked out by the Taʾwīlāt al-Najmiyya of Najm al-Dīn Kubrā (d. 618/1221) and Najm al-Dīn Dāya Rāzī (d. 654/1256), the Taʾwīlāt al-Qurʾān of ʿAbd al-Razzāq al-Kāshānī (d. 730–736/1329–1335), and the Muḥīṭ al-aʿẓam of Sayyid Ḥaydar Āmulī (d. after 787/1385), which constitute a ‘genealogical tradition’ of post-classical Sufi scholarship. I further illustrate how this tradition imagined the complementarity between tafsīr and taʾwīl through a close reading of one Qur’anic episode – the crossing of the sea by Moses and the Israelites and the drowning of Pharaoh and his hosts (Q. 10:90–92) – from tafsīr to taʾwīl. I show specifically that the commentary on this episode instantiates a powerful methodology systematised

FEATURES AND MAIN TYPOLOGIES OF THE ORIGINAL RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND CULTS

The article focuses on the research in the field of religious studies and the history of religion, specifically, the original religious cults and beliefs. The original beliefs are the basis of any modern religion. It is important to understand the history of formation of the ideas from the original communities’ times to the first states and up to current times. They allow us to better understand the religious beliefs and practices of our ancestors, as well as to find out how they influenced the formation of culture and society. Important aspects of the original religious beliefs, such as animism, totemism, fetishism, magic, and shamanism, which caused the formation of complex religious systems, are analyzed in the article. The original sources of well-known anthropologists, historians of religion of the 19th-21st centuries, which were not translated into Ukrainian, were analyzed, translated and introduced into scientific circulation. In the modern world, studying the original religious beliefs is important not only from a scientific point of view, but also from cultural and ethical points of view, as it allows to enhance our understanding and respect for the diversity of religions and cultures. The original religious beliefs have many unique features that distinguish them from more developed religious traditions. The original beliefs went beyond pure metaphysical explanations and included a variety of social and ethical aspects that were important for the formation of cultures and communities. Religious practices such as totemism and taboos played an important role in the lives of original communities and are key components of their religious traditions. In addition, original religious beliefs reflect many of the complex relationships between humans and nature, as well as our feelings and thoughts about life and death. These concepts reflect complex beliefs and practices that arose within original people groups and became key components of their religious traditions.

Fostering STEM Learning: Exploring the Integration of Design Thinking in Islamic STEM Education

This study investigates the integration of Design Thinking in STEM education within an Islamic context, focusing on thermal packaging as a learning module. The research examines differences in STEM Interest, Design Thinking skills, and Subject Knowledge across 7th and 8th-grade students, as well as the relationships between these constructs. A quantitative approach was employed, involving 64 preparatory students from an institute of religious studies in Qatar. Participants engaged in a Design Thinking-based STEM workshop on thermal packaging, followed by a comprehensive survey assessing the three key constructs. The Independent-Samples Mann-Whitney U Test revealed no significant differences between grade levels for STEM Interest (U = 424.500, p = .434), Design Thinking skills (U = 494.000, p = .843), or Subject Knowledge (U = 469.500, p = .873). However, bivariate correlation analysis showed strong positive relationships among the constructs for both grade levels. For 7th-grade students, STEM Interest and Design Thinking Skills were strongly correlated (r = 0.856), while 8th-grade students showed a robust correlation between Design Thinking Skills and Subject Knowledge (r = 0.884). These findings suggest that integrating Design Thinking approaches in STEM education within an Islamic context can effectively enhance students' interest, skills, and knowledge simultaneously. The study highlights the potential of Design Thinking-based STEM workshops to create a synergistic learning environment that aligns with Islamic principles and values while preparing students for contemporary challenges. The research contributes to the growing body of literature on culturally responsive STEM education and provides insights for educators seeking to bridge traditional Islamic teachings with modern technological advancements.

On (Im)Patience: A New Approach to an Old Virtue.

Patience has been of great interest to religious scholars, philosophers, and psychological scientists. Their efforts have produced numerous insights but no cohesive theoretical approach to understanding the broad set of experiences people label as patience. I propose a novel view of patience, one that departs from but ties together existing approaches. Grounded in theories of emotion and emotion regulation, I propose impatience as a discrete emotion triggered by an objectionable delay of some sort, and patience (as a state or process rather than a virtue) as a form of emotion regulation that targets the subjective experience and outward expression of impatience. I propose a number of predictors and consequences of patience and impatience and provide initial evidence for many of the theory's tenets. This theoretical approach, the process model of patience, reveals coherence across varied fields and methodologies and generates novel, testable, and timely questions for future patience scholars. "Patience is a virtue" is a familiar exhortation, and patience has been of great interest to religious scholars, philosophers, and psychological scientists. Their efforts have produced numerous insights but no cohesive theoretical approach to understanding the broad set of experiences people label as patience. This paper proposes an entirely novel view of patience, one that departs from but ties together existing approaches. I propose that impatience is an emotion, triggered by a frustrating delay of some sort, and patience captures the various ways people try to deal with their experience of impatience. I also propose that various aspects of the situation and the person combine to determine the intensity of impatience and the effectiveness of patience. Finally, I discuss the implications of a theoretical model, the process model of patience, for both scientific inquiry and issues of social justice, which are often fueled by appropriate experiences of impatience.