Religious Studies Research Articles

The community health worker experience and perception toward mental illness: A multi-settings cross-sectional study in Indonesia.

The experiences and perceptions of Community Health Workers toward mental illness are vital for tailoring interventions, reducing stigma, improving access to services, and fostering community engagement in mental health initiatives. This study investigates the experiences of community health worker and their perception of mental illness. A multi-settings cross-sectional study was conducted among 487 Community Health Workers. Their experience and perception toward mental illness were studied with questionnaires, which examined their general perception, religious-related perception, cause, treatment, and expectation for mental treatment. Most participants concurred that serving as a community health worker enhances their communication abilities (90.4%), strengthens connections with community health center staff (84.8%), boosts self-confidence (84.6%), and refines their capacity to identify signs of mental disorders (77%). Most notably, they consider their fellow community health workers essential to their extended family. Furthermore, a notable proportion associates' mental illness with religious elements, with 19.5% believing it can result from a lack of religious worship and a minority attributing it to witchcraft or black magic (3.5%). In terms of treatment, 14.2% think Ruqyah can cure mental illness, 6.4% believe in treatment by religious scholars, and a similar percentage (6.4%) think no medication or treatment is necessary for mental problems. Participants overwhelmingly recognize the positive impact of serving as community health workers, citing improvements in communication, relationships with health center staff, self-confidence, and mental disorder identification. The strong bond among community health workers, likened to an extended family, emphasizes their collective importance. Additionally, the majority advocates for compassionate treatment of individuals with mental illness. These findings underscore the complex interplay of professional, communal, and cultural elements in addressing community mental health.

Shaping An Exemplary Individual: Implementing Project-Based Learning In Religious Education Courses At Public Universities

The current generation of young people plays a pivotal role in advancing Indonesia towards its vision of a Golden Indonesia by 2045. Within the realm of higher education, particularly in religious studies, there exists a significant emphasis on cultivating the character of students. Islamic education, in particular, holds a crucial position in the development of competent individuals equipped with both technical skills and interpersonal competencies. This research endeavors to explore the implementation of project-based learning (PjBL) within the curriculum of Religious Education programs offered by public universities. The aim is to harness this approach as a means of fostering exemplary student character. Conducted in Tulungagung, Indonesia, this study adopts a qualitative methodology employing a case study design. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with key stakeholders in education as well as experts in Islamic religious education at the university level. Additionally, participatory observation and document analysis were utilized to scrutinize the integration of project-based learning within the religious education curriculum. Findings from this research indicate that the incorporation of the PjBL approach into Religious Education courses at public universities facilitates an interactive and collaborative learning atmosphere. By engaging in practical projects aligned with religious contexts and local customs, students are afforded the opportunity to cultivate practical skills and a profound comprehension of religious principles and local traditions crucial to the development of exemplary character. Keywords: Religious Education, Public Universities, Project-Based Learning, Character Development

Budget Management of the Aceh Government: An Analysis of the Maqāṣid al-sharī’ah Approach

Aceh is a region that has special autonomy and privileges based on law within the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. In terms of the application of the special autonomy, four pillars shall be enacted by the government, including the implementation of religious life and the role of religious scholars in making regional policies in the context of Islamic law. This present study aims to examine the realization of regional expenditures based on their functions in accordance with the maqāṣid al-sharī’ah (objectives of the Islamic law). This normative legal study analyzed data by using the theory of maqāṣid al-sharī’ah. The data consisted of documents such as Aceh Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBA) reports, legislations, and relevant articles and books. The findings of the study revealed that the determination of regional expenditures has been moderate and reflected the realization of the maqāṣid al-sharī’ah, although less optimal. In addition, the implementation of APBA management has been in line with the maqāṣid al-sharī’ah, including protecting soul, property, religion, mind, and lineage. Yet, in the concept of maqāṣid al-sharī’ah, the proposed order should be protecting religion, soul, mind, lineage, and then property. Despite following the maqāṣid al-sharī’ah, the order of the implementation of APBA management differs from that developed by Muslim scholars. However, such hierarchical order needs not to be understood as is, since in certain conditions (i.e., emergency), protecting soul should be more prioritized than protecting religion. Moreover, the category of budget management cannot be distinguished diametrically, i.e., protection of mind also includes protection of religion since it involves funding for education and dayah (Islamic boarding schools).

The struggle for the construction of places of worship of minority religions in Indonesia

The literature on the construction of places of worship has predominantly shown difficulties, rejection and disharmony among religious communities. This study aims to describe and analyzed the success story of the construction of the Santa Monica church in Tangerang. This is a qualitative study conducted over a month-long period using primary and secondary data. Primary data were obtained through observation and interviews, while secondary data were obtained through formal and informal policy reviews available online. The informants involved in this study amounted to eight people consisting of church leaders and administrators, local leaders, religious leaders, religious organizations and the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Data were analyzed using content analysis methods. The results of the study show that the ability of church leaders and administrators to build good social and cultural relations with the community was a key element in their success in obtaining permission to build the church. This was achieved through effective communication, dialogue and cooperation between the Catholic community, leaders and the predominantly Islamic local community. Active involvement in daily activities had a positive impact, fostering mutual trust and peaceful coexistence, ultimately resulting in the local community’s support and approval for the establishment of the place of worship. Thus, the church construction committee was able to meet all administrative requirements as stipulated by government regulations. This study recommends the importance of good social and cultural relations as the fundamental basis and determinant of success for religious communities seeking to construct places of worship.Contribution: This article contributes to the goal of HTS Theological Studies in promoting the transdisciplinary aspect of religious studies in the international theological arena, particularly in the study of religious harmony among communities in Indonesia.

IMPACTS OF LEARNING INTEREST AND PARENTAL SUPPORT ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS OF ISLAMIC STUDIES IN LAGOS

This study investigates the impacts of learning Interest and parental support on academic performance of secondary school students in Islamic Religious Studies in Lagos State. The study descriptive survey with the population consisting of all 68 public senior secondary schools in Lagos state Education District V and 31,703 Islamic Religious Studies Students. A Sample of 400 SS II Islamic religious studies students were selected using Krejcie and Morgan Sampling Template in 10 randomly selected schools for this study. Descriptive analysis was used to answer the research questions and lineal Regression was used to test hypotheses. The study found that the level of learning interest, parental support and academic performance were all high among senior secondary schools Islamic Studies Students in Lagos State. Also, the learning interest and parental support does not have significant influence on the Academic Performance of senior secondary schools Islamic Studies Students in Lagos State. Based on these findings, it was recommended among others that students should show high level of learning interest and commitment in the study of Islamic studies; Parents and guardians should show high level of parental support to their children, in order to reinforce learning and enhance their academic performance.

TEAM LEADERSHIP ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS STUDIES IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF BULO SUB-COUNTY IN BUTAMBALA DISTRICT, UGANDA. A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY.

Background: The study investigates the effect of team leadership on students’ academic performance in Islamic Religious Studies in public secondary Schools of Bulo sub-county in Butambala District, Uganda. Methodology: The study used both descriptive and analytical approaches. The study targeted school administrators, teaching and non-staff, Board of governors, heads of department, and students in the five public schools in Bulo sub-county the total population was 303 and then the total sample size was 205 respondents, the source of the literature review was journals, articles and reports from the different organizations. Primary data was collected and analyzed using quantitative methods and then presented in tables in percentages data analysis was done using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) and the Microsoft Excel software Results: The study consists of 205 respondents, who included; directors, head teachers, heads of departments, teachers, and students. 125(60.9%) were male and 80(39%) were female and 60(29.2%) were between 20-29 years old, 96(46.8%) were between 30-39 years old, 49(23.9%) were between 40-49 years old. The majority of the respondents representing a total of 125(60.9%) generally disagreed that the school management sponsors staff for further studies. 80(39.0%) disagreed that school administrators are open to staff suggestions,156(76.0%) agreed that the staff are engaged in targets and goal setting, and 85(41.4) disagreed that the administrators consult staff members before making a decision. Conclusion: It is also possible to assume that a lack of team leadership in public secondary schools harms student academic achievement. Recommendation: Leaders need to continually evaluate their leadership styles and perceptions, and understand different cultures, and individual and team motivations.

Thematic Changes in Religious Studies Research

Thematic Changes in Religious Studies Research

Tafsir and Qur’an Translation

This article investigates the relevance of the religious science of Tafsir in the translation of the meanings of the holy Qur`an. The study aims to highlight the significance of exegesis / Tafsir in elucidating the contents of the Qur`an through the analysis of selected translations of Quranic verses which display semantic ambiguity that requires reference to Tafsir for clarification. A qualitative, descriptive, and analytical approach is adopted to highlight the need for exegesis in explaining their meanings. The study provides context and exegesis for each verse according to different sources. Afterward, the English translations of these verses are analyzed and compared to the source text to ensure that the intended meanings, according to the provided exegesis, are considered and preserved in the rendered texts. This study underscores the critical finding that translating the Holy Qur’an requires referring to the most important books of Tafsir to explain and interpret the verses at different levels. This research thus aims to contribute to a deeper understanding that collaboration across various disciplines, mainly Islamic religious and translation studies, is essential to uncover the hidden meanings within the Quranic text.

Thinking Africa through Soga’s black spirituals: A theological reflection

This article offers a critical reflection of Lizal’isidinga laKho (hymn 116) and Wazidala iinto zonke (hymn 16) written by Tiyo Soga and recorded in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa (MCSA) hymnal book. From the perspective of black theology of liberation (BTL), I historicise and contextualise hymn 116 and hymn 16 to debunk the argument that Tiyo Soga was alien to the lives, experiences of suffering and pain of his people. The article posits that hymn 116 and hymn 16 are black spirituals that articulate the contexts Soga found himself as a black person during the times of the frontier wars. Therefore, utilising blackness as a heuristic approach, I argue that the songs do not just historicise the experiences of black people in the times of the frontier wars, but they are prayers and/or laments from Soga that ask God to spare the lives, the culture, and value systems of black people in a world that seeks the destruction of their being, history, and culture. The songs emphasise the black struggle for justice and liberation encouraging black people never to succumb to the definitions given to them by those who seek the destruction of black personhood. The article locates Soga within the frontier wars to illustrate his own experiences as black person, then examines and presents Lizal’isidinga laKho, Wazidala iinto zonke as black spirituals born in a time of war to give hope to those who have been conquered and subjugated in the unjust wars of colonisation. Hymns 116 and 16 contribute to the decolonial turn discourse –unthinking of the west – because they emphasise the black struggle for liberation and justice.Contribution: The contribution of this article is its focus on the way in which the intersection of religious studies, social sciences, and humanities generates an interdisciplinary contested discourse.

AGENT AND STRUCTURE RELATIONS IN THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS BASED ON HUMANIST AND RELIGIOUS VALUES AT THE PAMULANG UNIVERSITY IN SOUTH TANGERANG

Pamulang University (Unpam), one of the private universities in the South Tangerang area, is established to meet the needs of the community by providing its own uniqueness and receiving very good interest. The uniqueness meant by that is the history of its founding to provide higher education for all people, especially for those people mentioned, the increase and large quantity of registered students, the availability of classes for students with disabilities, adequate lecture facilities, affordable tuition fees, and no building costs. One of the successes that has been achieved to date is the contribution of lecturers in implementing the tridharma of higher education. This is where the lecturer acts as an agent, actor, or agency, as known in Anthony Giddens' structuration theory. As a form of routine that produces social practice, the lecturer's tridharma must reflect humanist and religious values, including in the communication process within the university. These two values are in accordance with those stated in the university's vision, namely, "To become a university ranked in the top 40 at the national level based on humanist and religious values by 2025." This article analyzes the relationship between agents and structures in the communication process based on humanist and religious values at a private university in South Tangerang. The research used a qualitative method with a critical theory paradigm and an interpretive phenomenological approach. The results show that Unpam is able to manage and strive to pursue its vision through the tridharma of higher education, with the contribution of lecturers who act as agents, actors, and agencies. The routine activities of agents form a duality of structure and are related by mutual influence and reciprocity (interplay) that reflect most of the implementation of both humanist and religious values. Forms of communication that are full of humanist values, such as when lecturers greet each other, provide non-differentiating classroom learning, and interact with students and the community in PkM activities, including coordinating work on research activities, Meanwhile, religiousness can be seen in the form of greeting words and sentences, praying before and after activities, religious attributes worn as characteristics, tolerance during worship, the formation of the Institute for Religious Studies, and also religious studies. On the other hand, the role of agents still needs to be optimized as gatekeepers and/or opinion leaders because, as educators, they provide role models, especially for students (predominantly from the marginalized and lower middle class) and also the general public. Meanwhile, the university needs to have an organizational culture to strengthen motivation for academics, direction, and foundation in behavior and attitudes, which can be taken from humanist and religious values, as well as the motto Sharing for the Country, alongside the implementation of a code of ethics, to help realize its vision in 2025

Risk of Zoonotic Transmission of COVID-19 during Eid-Ul-Fitr in Pakistan

Eid-ul-Fitr is an auspicious festival that is expected to celebrate by millions of Muslims across the world including Pakistan by the end of April. The Delta variant of COVID-19 is way more harmful than any other variants. The spread of virus still remains very high in large festival gatherings like Eid ul Fitr instead of strictly following SOPs. The mass migration of people across the country during festival is of main concern that leads to increase spread of virus. It is imperative that government officials along with community leaders, religious scholars and health authorities should take part in mitigating risks of virus transmission with serious measures. As general public is not much aware of the COVID-19 complications, it becomes significant to educate illiterate people through various approaches like to give them awareness about virus, its symptoms, preventive measures and significance of vaccination. Communication in their local language that is easily comprehendible and in persuasive way greatly impacts the public and empowers them to adapt healthy behavior that helps to mitigate the risk of virus transmission.

Nation‐states in a Prisoner's Dilemma with climate change: Applying Edith Stein's theory of the state

AbstractTo get a better picture of the relation between nationalism and global environmental problems within the state‐dominated situation, I present the inherent logic of international environmental politics as a version of the famous Prisoner's Dilemma. I argue that the same contingent bonds that relate the members of nations to their respective nation‐states are part of the contemporary difficulty of actually working together for the common good on the international level by creating exclusive feelings of solidarity—the ‘Prisoners’ of the Dilemma. To reveal the experiential background of nation‐states in this situation, I rephrase and apply Edith Stein's theory of the state as a collective entity. Stein was an inter‐war political philosopher who is now mainly read within religious studies and philosophy of mind. As my argument implies, her work also has relevance for further affect nationalism studies.

“Now you know”: Reception of the religious studies scholar

This article interrogates the premises of the question “Does the scholar of religion have a particular role in promoting public and political knowledge and understanding of religion(s)?” by first asking, “In what contexts is the scholar of religion asked to have a role in promoting public and political knowledge and understanding of religion(s)?” Rebekka King argues that there are two hidden assumptions underlying the question. First is the idea that somewhere buried in the request for scholarly input is a public perception of scholars as receptacles of knowledge (i.e. they are the ones who know). Second, this special issue’s larger question betrays assumptions about scholars’ abilities and (perhaps more interestingly) what scholars think about their colleagues’ abilities to promote public and political knowledge and understanding of religion(s). In both cases, it is possible to learn a lot about the role religious studies scholars might play by first considering the roles they are expected to play. In this vein, one might ask how the scholar of religion is classified and categorized in the minds of those who might invite them to play a role in public and political discourses, and how this classification resembles and departs from how scholars of religion classify themselves.

Unraveling the seriousness fallacy: a case for (the study of) humor and religion

Abstract This article establishes and demonstrates the importance of the topic of humor and religion. It traces the evolution of the existing scholarship on humor and religion, from its emergence in the 1960s, to its revival in the 1990s, and its latest resurgence in recent years. To overlook the presence of the comic, humor, and laughter in religious traditions is to overlook something significant. This article will demonstrate how interrogating and overcoming biases and preconceptions about the relationship between humor and religion reveals opportunities in both religious studies and humor studies. As such, this article offers a rejection of the existing privilege that is granted to ‘serious’ matters and argues for the inclusion of the non-serious – with a particular emphasis on humor – within (the study of) religion. In arguing for the necessity of taking the study of the (allegedly) non-serious seriously, the artificial nature of the binary of serious/non-serious becomes apparent. As such, this article begins to challenge and re-evaluate the conceptualization of ‘the serious’ and the limitations this inevitably places on our thinking and engagement regarding matters such as humor and religion.

Here, now and the end of time: architecture, religion and politics in Costa Rica

Neo-Pentecostalism is a religious movement that has enjoyed a high social, political and cultural impact in Latin America since the late twentieth century. As such, it has configured forms of sense making and orientation in a world whose spatial examination is proving to be especially pertinent in the current politics of time and place, infused — concurrent with the climate change crisis — with catastrophism and narratives of the end of the world and of time. In this context, the case-study approach provides the entry point from which to trace, in three intertwined phases, the tactics of spatial transformation envisioned and implemented by three neo-Pentecostal churches in Costa Rica between 1980 and 2021. It does so with the support of spatio-temporal frameworks provided by theology, interviews granted by the lead pastors before and during the coronavirus pandemic, and information gathered from field visits. In dialogue with architectural ethnography, and religious and socio-political studies, this article contributes to the crucial examination of new and often-overlooked interrelations between architecture, contemporary religious movements and politics in the Latin American context.

Book Review: Social Research Methods: For Students and Scholars of Theology and Religious Studies

Book Review: Social Research Methods: For Students and Scholars of Theology and Religious Studies

Living in Illusion is Dangerous

Abstract The interview given by Marina F. Bykova, Professor of Philosophy at the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at North Carolina State University (USA), and the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Studies in East European Thought. She earned her PhD and Dr. Habil in Philosophy from the Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow, Russia), where she worked until relocating to the USA in 2000. Bykova specializes in the history of nineteenth century continental philosophy, with a particular focus on German idealism. She has also written extensively on Russian philosophy and intellectual tradition. She has published 11 books and over 250 scholarly articles. Her forthcoming book, Hegel’s Philosophy of Nature: A Critical Guide, is set to be released by Cambridge University Press in 2024.

Historiography of the Genesis of the Pentecostal Movement: Early and Recent Research Directions in English-language Literature

The purpose of this article is to identify early and recent Pentecostal studies in the West and to highlight the main difference between them. Today there are more than 250 million Pentecostals in the world, and together with the charismatic movement there are more than 500 million. Having begun to spread in the 20th century, the movement claims to be the fastest growing religious phenomenon in human history. In attempts to interpret the phenomenon of the movement's growth, there have been several gradually emerging approaches: explaining the origin of the movement as supernaturally "coming from heaven"; searching for the origins of Pentecostalism in other Christian movements; presenting the emergence of the movement as the result of social and psychological factors such as poverty, marginalization, and the desire to escape from modern society; and the multicultural approach. The paper analyzes the works of Western historians and theologians of Pentecostalism since the second half of the 20th century. The result shows a turning point between early and late studies, namely that late studies aim to revise the history and include participants in the movement around the world, not just in North America, explore the contribution to the development of the movement of local ministers who have long remained in the shadow of Western missionaries, emphasize the diversity of ideologies and social influences that have shaped the movement. It also highlights three major contemporary areas of research: historical, characterized by studies of Pentecostalism in Asia, Africa, and Latin America; theological, focusing on the development and shaping of theoretical theology as a result of the movement's institutionalization; and religious studies, practiced primarily from the perspective of the sociology of religion.

Folk religion as the “life-world”: revival of folk beliefs and renewal of religious categorization in contemporary China

Religious studies in the past paid more attention to the changes of institutional religion than to the status characteristic of folk beliefs. This paper argues that religious categorization based on institutional religion is not conducive to understanding the cultural and religious life of Chinese society, but rather leads to the stigmatization of folk religion and the reduction of the life-world. From this perspective, the historical development of folk religion affects the relationship between national elites, institutionalized religion, and civil society. Folk religion can be foregrounded and exerts great impact on the rise and fall of institutional religion. The folk religion revival in contemporary China and the development of related studies also promote the renewal of religious categorization. The revival of folk religion in the new millennium can consequently facilitate social integration and provide new possibilities for overcoming institutional religion’s exclusiveness and for increasing the cultural diversity of Chinese society.

Mapping Quranic Exegesis in West Java: Influential Figures and Linguistic Insights

This article delves into an exploration of Tafsir Al-Quran works by influential scholars from the West of Java. Unlike traditional geographic delineations, this study does not restrict its focus to the administrative boundaries of West Java as a province but extends to broader regions in the western part of the island. The investigation employs a qualitative research methodology, primarily engaging in library research which involves the comprehensive collection and analysis of data from authoritative books on the subject. Moreover, the study is enriched by a manuscript study approach, where ancient and contemporary Tafsir texts authored by scholars from this region are examined in detail. Through this meticulous research, the study has uncovered numerous Tafsir works, each bearing the unique interpretative style of its author. The findings highlight the intellectual and theological contributions of these scholars, emphasizing the diversity and richness of Islamic scholarship in western Java. One of the distinctive features of these Tafsir works is their linguistic variety. The texts are found in Arabic, which is widely used in Islamic scholarly writings, as well as in Sundanese and Indonesian, which reflects the local linguistic and cultural integration into Islamic scholarship.The study not only sheds light on the specific Tafsir works and the scholars behind them but also paints a broader picture of the religious and cultural landscape in western Java. This approach provides valuable insights into how regional characteristics influence religious interpretation and contribute to the broader discourse in Islamic studies. The research is pivotal for scholars interested in regional Islamic studies, comparative religion, and the interplay between language, culture, and religious scholarship.