Religious Symbols Research Articles

“I Would Have Given them a Piece of my Mind”: Spatialized Feelings and Emotion Work Among Racialized Muslim Women in Québec

The 2013 Charter of Values in Québec proposed to ban “ostentatious” religious symbols in the public sphere; while ostensibly neutral, such bans harm women who identify as Muslim, hurting their sense of belonging. This article examines the emotional experiences of Canadian Muslim women and the emotion work they do to manage non-Muslims’ impressions of them in a context of rampant Islamophobia. To understand their experiences, I develop a concept called spatialized feelings—how emotions, relationally accomplished in intersectional hierarchies, are contingent on the spaces social actors occupy. My interviews and participant observation of Muslim women in Québec revealed that their feelings about self and belonging were spatialized. In spaces dominated by whiteness (work, school, in public), my participants felt different, due to experiences of exclusion. In spaces with other Muslims, participants felt connected, but belonging was complicated by intersectional identities. Although their engagement in emotion work indicated agency, emotion work reproduced raced and gendered bodies and spaces. With exclusionary politics on the rise across the Atlantic, targeted minorities will increasingly experience racialization in gendered ways in public spaces; spatialized feelings are at the core of understanding the consequences of these politics for belonging and emotion work.

Kárpátalja egyházi fenntartású iskoláinak virtuális nyelvi tájképe

We live in an age where everywhere we look, thousands of pieces of information are streaming towards us. This fact in itself highlights the importance of the linguistic landscape in our everyday lives, as everything that surrounds us, everything we perceive influences our thinking and therefore our use of language. In the 21st century, we need to pay particular attention to the virtual world, as a large percentage of the younger and even older generations receive a significant proportion of their stimuli through some types of electronic communication tools or social platforms. Schools have a particularly important role in language development and formation, as young people, the future generation, are most shaped within their walls. In the present study, we analysed a sample of posts published in the last few years on the social platforms (official website and Facebook) of the ecclesiastical schools of Transcarpathia. We relied on statistical and comparative analysis of the textual content of these entries. In addition, we examined the meta-linguistic information of the entries. The overall visual appearance of the website was also taken into consideration, i.e., the types of images published were also investigated. In the research, it was assumed that all the official webpages of the schools under investigation contain entries in both Ukrainian and Hungarian. We also assessed whether a higher percentage of entries in Hungarian appeared on the schools’ online interfaces. Results showed that the number of interactions by people who followed the sites was higher for Hungarian language posts, advertisements and articles. We assumed that religious posts and symbols regularly appeared on the websites and Facebook pages, and that a higher percentage of these posts and symbols appeared in Hungarian. It was also hypothesized that the volume of texts in Ukrainian was smaller than the amount of texts in Hungarian. The research has confirmed that both Ukrainian and Hungarian entries are found on the websites, with a higher share of entries in Hungarian. It also confirmed our hypothesis that followers of the websites tend to respond more frequently to posts in Hungarian, due to the fact that the majority of followers use Hungarian as their mother tongue. Last but not least, the research revealed that religious posts and symbols regularly appear on the official websites and Facebook pages of the lyceums, and the language of these posts is mostly Hungarian.

Feasibility and Exception--The Grand Narrative Theory in the Myths of Buddhist Sculpture Art

This paper explores the grand narrative, especially in the context of Buddhist sculpture art. It portrays grand narratives as broad, non-falsifiable systems stemming from a collective story, often focusing on universality and macro theories. The paper also highlights the link between grand narratives and myth. The author examines how grand narrative theory applies to Buddhist art, evident in visual forms like Buddha statues, which function as both religious symbols and narrative components. This article mainly consists of two lines of analysis. One line examines the representation of grandeur and narrative in Buddhist sculptures, while the other line examines the changes in the grand narrative of Buddhist sculptures. The former involves the relationship between images and texts, while the latter involves the feasibility of the end of grand narrative as proposed by Jean-François Lyotard’s theory of grand narrative.

Spiritual Technologies: The Religious Symbolism of the Digital Universe

This essay attempts to analyse the discourses, gestures and projects of the new digital galaxy’s protagonists who conceive their mission in fundamentally religious terms. It will also aim to trace the intellectual genealogy and conceptual premises of their cultural and communicative vision. This analysis will attempt to define four ideal types based on reference figures taken from mythology and religion as well as the imaginary of contemporary popular culture: Prometheus, Moses, Hermes Trismegistus and Iron Man.

«Սակրալը» Միրչա Էլիադեի կրոնի ֆենոմենոլոգիայում / "The Sacred" in Mircea Eliade's Phenomenology of Religion

This paper is dedicated to the interpretation of the key concept of "the sacred," which is frequently encountered in modern religious studies. The fundamental concept is most thoroughly presented in the works of Mircea Eliade, who is considered one of the most studied phenomenologists of religion today. Eliade describes the sacred as a deep layer of reality, which is expressed as an absolute distinction from the worldly (profane). The sacred manifests itself through religious symbols, rituals, and myths, which connect humans to the cosmos and the divine. Eliade emphasizes that the sacred represents metaphysical and spiritual worlds that transcend human logic and experience and can only be revealed in special states or through unique experiences. The work discusses the differences between the sacred and the profane, their interaction in religious experience, and Eliade's influence on the study of religion. The article proposes the hypothesis that the sacred, over time, has not distanced itself or become alienated from modern humans but, by penetrating various spheres of human activity, has sometimes become even closer to them. The scientific novelty of the work is related to a deep analysis of the relationship between the sacred and the profane, their manifestations in the modern world, and the nature of religious experience.

Typology of Muslim Audience in Responding to Media Contents Consist of Religious Symbols

Audience is one of central terms that related with media according to the historical of the terms and the mass communication discourse. On the other sides, audiences referring to several authors who have given their concerns to it, audience related to economic, business, technology, politic, and etc. interest. Audience came after the media invented. However, the audience dynamic from the previous (ancestor) periods to our current time still relevant to be explored, described, and explained particularly that related to the Muslim community as the increasing community in world and as major community in Indonesia, in this research look through the religious symbols on media contents to be based of category of Muslim audience as the actor related with the media. Therefore, this research tries to find the typology of Muslim audience in responding to media contents consisting of religious symbols. This research using quantitative and qualitative data which was collected through cross-sectional survey. The UG approach and Active audience approach promoted by authors as Biocca being the theoretical based in collecting and analysis data of this research. The descriptive statistic is the quantitative result to be based the typology and the qualitative data to find the enrich and deeper description and explanation about how Muslim use media until researcher be able to make the categorization of Muslim audience regarding how they have responded to media contents consisting religious symbols. Finally, this research got seven big or rough categories of Muslim audiences in responding to media content containing religious symbols. There are clear enough that online platform media, primarily media social as the dominant media looking over the Muslim audience in this research as instagram. Almost 80% the audiences looking for the media content consisting of religious symbols when they are using media. Also the major of the audiences in this research are young people, which have educational background senior high school, and when they are asked through questionnaire they are students the particular sub-topics show us they are hesitated to give their judgment on them. However, even there are a number of interesting findings, two typical result that religious symbols could be used to educational purposes even they think the content usually bring to the controversy in society, at least what we find frequently on media social.

Sacred Water: Neo-Spiritual Consumerism in Catherine Chanter’s The Well

ABSTRACT Catherine Chanter’s The Well depicts a water-scarce Britain where the fertile farm of the Ardingly couple becomes a site of exploitation by a spiritual community called the Sisters of the Rose. By setting her novel on a farm named The Well, Chanter constructs a spatial map that not only exposes the cult’s manipulative power but also serves as a symbolic microcosm of their capitalist exploitation, highlighting the rise of a phenomenon I term “neo-spiritual consumerism.” Drawing on Fredric Jameson’s concept of “late capitalism” (1991) and his theory of “cognitive mapping” (1992), this study examines how Chanter uses The Well as a spatial narrative instrument to re-mythologize religious narratives as a form of cultural consumption. Through a literary analysis of Chanter’s novel, the study examines her ironic use of religious symbols to delve into the social, psychological, and political implications of associating environmental crises with divine retribution, deflecting attention from the socio-economic systems perpetuating environmental degradation. Chanter’s subversive use of religious symbolism highlights how capitalist frameworks exacerbate ecological vulnerabilities. This research prompts critical assessment of modern spiritual movements and emphasizes capitalism’s pervasive influence in sacred domains, compelling readers to consider alternative worldviews and ethical frameworks for navigating a changing world.

Two spies: Espionage and empathy

ABSTRACT This essay is a self-psychological exploration of two Israeli field operatives, or spies, and their radically different experiences after retirement. The spies, whom the author calls Ariel and Jonah, worked in the 1970s and 1980s in various locales in the Middle East. Ariel and Jonah shared similarities in their abilities as spies but diverged in the way they were able to integrate into society afterward. One went adrift, while the other integrated and was able to find his place in Israeli society. Based on in-person interviews when the author was living in Israel and subsequent visits and phone conversations, this paper explores the way empathy proved effective for Ariel and Jonah when they were working as spies in the field but functioned differently in their lives afterwards. It incorporates core self-psychological concepts such as rage, mirroring, twinship and idealization, and explores the contrast between Kohut’s early conception of empathy as vicarious introspection, and his later conceptualization of what the author calls loving empathy. It also treats the notion of cultural selfobjects, including one’s country of origin and religious symbols, and the concept of generational trauma as an ancestral narcissistic wound that lies at the heart of insatiable feelings of rage and revenge.

Reconstituting the ‘good woman’: Gendered visual politics on social media during 2021 state election in West Bengal, India

This paper explores the visual politics of gender in electoral politics in West Bengal (WB). We examine how women political candidates visually construct their non-verbal political performance on social media, and how such visuals relate to social mores and societal expectations surrounding femininity. Drawing on theories of the social construction of gender and visual political communication, we conducted a content analysis of 1,033 visual artefacts from eight individual women candidates and 205 from the Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) pages of the four main political parties taking part in the January-April 2021 electoral campaign for state-level elections in WB. We analysed how these candidates construct gendered relationships with the electorate through different cues on the platforms, such as sartorial choices (traditional or Western attire), use of culture-specific religious symbols (sindoor or vermillion, bindi – forehead marking worn by married Hindu women), and gendered/non-gendered political actions like cooking or serving food, giving speeches or meeting constituents in political processions. Our findings about the visually performed politics show a combination of cultural, political, and gender signifiers, which are mediated and remain connected to societal expectations, and historical narratives. The candidates’ negotiation of these aspects, in turn, underscores a reproduction of colonial legacies and, in the present day, an ongoing production of societal differences. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on visual politics of gender, particularly in Asian contexts. It sheds light on the nuanced ways women politicians use social media to construct their visual identities, and how the deployment of body politics into the relatively ‘new’ online sphere reifies ‘old’ social, political, cultural symbolisms, and norms regarding gender. In this way, this article highlights the importance of considering pre-digital forms of gendered identity construction and visual representation when analysing the contested terrain of digital visibilities.

Characteristics of Qinghai Traditional Painting Art-Literature Analysis

Qinghai’s traditional painting art, influenced by its diverse ethnic cultures and religious practices, is a unique fusion of Tibetan, Han, and Mongolian elements. Originating from ancient rock art, Qinghai painting has evolved into a complex system characterized by realism, symbolic representation, and vibrant colors. Tibetan Buddhism plays a significant role in shaping the themes and styles of Qinghai’s art, particularly in Thangka and mural paintings. These art forms, rich in religious symbolism, are not only visual representations of spiritual teachings but also educational tools that pass down cultural and moral values. Among Qinghai’s artistic traditions, Datong farmers' paintings stand out for their simplicity, vibrant colors, and strong connection to rural life, using expressive brushwork to depict local customs and daily activities. Meanwhile, Qinghai Thangka is notable for its symmetrical compositions, vivid colors, and intricate details, often portraying Buddhist deities in a harmonious and layered structure. Despite modernization challenges, Qinghai’s painting art continues to innovate while preserving its cultural heritage, with modern artists blending traditional techniques with contemporary elements to keep the tradition alive. This study explores the characteristics, cultural significance, and future of Qinghai traditional painting art, emphasizing its role in cultural identity and artistic development.

A dinâmica da experiência crente

Commemorating the 60th anniversary of Unitatis Redintegratio, a text expressing the ecumenical dimension of the entire Second Vatican Council, we propose a rereading of Paul Tillich's work, Dynamics of Faith. Although relatively unknown, this work remains inspiring and pertinent to the theme of restoring Christian unity, as well as to the ecclesial and social challenges of ecumenical dialogue and practice in the contemporary world. Firstly, we present Tillich's formal definition of faith as the "ultimate concern" of existence, aiming to embrace the constitutive aspects of the act of believing and thus allow for a greater scope and macro-ecumenical dialogue. Secondly, we highlight how Tillich defends the symbolic nature of faith before characterizing specific religious symbols. Thirdly, we show that the Lutheran theologian proposes a typology of faith, positioned between presence and becoming. Fourthly, we tackle the question of the truth of faith and its criteria. Finally, we conclude with Tillich reaffirming the experience of faith in its relation to life.

The Religious Component in Contemporary Russian Imperialism

Ever since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, various voices in the Russian public sphere have been trying to make sense of Russia’s new place in the world, its geopolitical horizons, and the identity of its people. One of the dominant trends that have emerged is Orthodox imperialism, which combines religious symbols and narratives with a geopolitical vision of Russian expansion and “reunification”. This article provides an overview of the Russian Orthodox imperialist voices, analysing the political norms and identities they have enabled. Our investigation shows that by advancing a programme that combines geopolitical restoration and eschatological religious mission, Orthodox imperialism offers an ideological solution to the problem of Russia’s lost great-power status. This solution, however, does not envisage a bright future for Russia or the world. On the contrary, it remains firmly fixated on the past, foretelling of an apocalyptic disaster if Moscow does not regain its former imperial glory and exercise its divine role as a “restrainer” to any global domination.

Postage Stamps as Political and Religious Propaganda: The Case of Hamas

The article, “Postage Stamps as Political and Religious Propaganda: The Case of Hamas,” analyzes the use of postage stamps by Hamas between 2009 and 2019 as a medium for disseminating political, religious, and nationalist messages. After assuming control of Gaza in 2007, Hamas issued 148 stamps, utilizing them to assert its legitimacy, promote resistance to Israel, and shape a Palestinian historical narrative. Although these stamps were not recognized by the Universal Postal Union, they served as an important communication tool within Gaza. The study reveals that over half of the stamps focus on themes related to the national struggle, including martyrdom, military operations, and Palestinian unity. Additionally, religious symbols, particularly those related to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and international commemorative events are prominent features. The findings suggest that stamps were strategically employed by Hamas to strengthen its role in the Palestinian struggle and to enhance its domestic legitimacy. The article concludes by proposing further comparative research between the stamps of Hamas and those issued by other non-recognized entities, while also addressing the potential influence of the 2023 Gaza conflict on future stamp issuance.

The Construction of the Image of Italy in the 19th Century on the Example of Travelogues Published in the Slovak Period Press

The paper analyses how Italy is depicted in selected 19th-century Slovak travelogues. We chose this period because the travelogue genre was established in Slovak literature in the 19th century. Second, the travel reports to Italy that appeared in the Slovak context in the 17th century had a different nature since the Counter-Reformation and the condemnation of Protestants to the Spanish galleys in Naples conditioned the journeys. These accounts focused more on personal suffering than the peculiarities of the countries. 19th-century travel writings had a different character. Magazinestried to meet readers’ interests by publishing documentary and factual literature. We chose the travelogues of two important cultural figures who visited Italy during the same period and had the opportunity to perceive the same cultural, social, and other circumstances. The emphasis is on the travellers ́ interests, the construction of their image and how nature, climate, and other characteristic country features are reflected in their landscape image. In addition to a re-examination of the text-creation mechanisms and the different rendering methods of the same aspect, the description of natural, cultural and social realia, the paper reveals their relationship to the depicted country and how their interest was influenced by their theological education and involvement in the Church. The paper outlines the genre form widespread in 19th-century Slovak journalism considering the then atmosphere and cultural events. After studying subject-related period documents and scientific works, we used the interpretive method, which pointed outways of depicting the visited country and its specifics. This is reflected in how the issue is treated: from a generalising view of the period, the significance of the period press, and the place of the authors to an interpretation of their works. In the conclusion, we seek to generalise the existing parallels and differences in the modes of imagery.Keywords:19th century, Slovak period press, travel writing, Italy, Venice, religious symbolism

Inked Expressions: An appreciation of selected contemporary tattoo art among Ghanaians in Kumasi and Accra metropolises

Tattooing has been practiced for several years across the world. It is considered an art form that transmits cultural expressions and reflects the differences between groups of people globally. In Ghana, the popularity of contemporary tattooing has soared for various reasons. However, there is little scholarly research on tattoo culture in Ghana. Therefore, the study attempts to appreciate the aesthetic elements of selected contemporary tattoos in Kumasi and Accra metropolitan areas to reveal their social, philosophical, and other underpinnings. Qualitative ethnographic approach was employed in which a total of twenty-two (22) tattooed respondents were obtained for data collection using homogenous purposive and exponential discriminative snowball sampling techniques. Unstructured-Interviews and naturalistic observations constituted the data collection instruments. The study found that contemporary tattoo designs in Kumasi and Accra metropolises diversely included minimalist designs, religious symbols, portraits, decorative designs, philosophical symbols, among others, which aesthetically convey the religious identity, philosophy of life, and self-expression of tattoo wearers. While the study concludes that contemporary tattoo art in Ghana (Kumasi & Accra) is an embodiment of a dynamic and evolving art form that symbolically resonates with the persona, philosophy of life, sociocultural and religious expressions of tattoo wearers, it is recommended that further research should be conducted on the side effect of tattoo art on the health of tattoo wearers in Ghana. This will help determine whether or not tattoo art should be formalised as an acceptable academic field of study as well as be promoted by art institutions, galleries and museums in Ghana.

The gendered dress of DALL-E 2: Exploring profession-based images in the Indian context

This study delves into the intricate realm of gender and artificial intelligence (AI) through an examination of DALL-E 2 generated images within the Indian context. The study takes a methodological approach that focuses on assessing images generated in response to prompts such as ‘a farmer cultivating crops in rural Punjab’ or ‘a nurse providing care in a hospital in Delhi’ to reveal the dynamics of gender performativity within profession-based visual content. The generated images were analysed using the dress as a phenomenon to visualise Indian man, Indian woman and ambiguous Indian. The study concludes that DALL-E 2’s algorithm reiterates the binary gender norms leaving no space for ambiguous Indian in its responses. Though the generated image is centred on female professions, it is largely employed by male surroundings. Hindu religious symbols are largely used among male professionals denoting its predominance. In its aesthetics, the individuals portrayed exhibit a brown complexion, echoing the demographic landscape irrespective of gender.

Traditional and Modern Marble Stone Sculptures of Rajasthan: A Comparative Study

Introduction: The evolution of marble sculpture in Rajasthan reflects the rich cultural, religious, and artistic heritage of the region. Traditional sculptures, primarily created for temples, focused on religious symbolism, depicting deities, mythological figures, and animals. These sculptures were crafted using ancient tools and techniques, emphasizing uniformity and spiritual significance. In contrast, modern sculptures explore abstract themes, reflecting contemporary issues, emotions, and social life. Research Methods: The study involved site visits to various sculptural locations across Rajasthan, including Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Makrana, to observe and analyze both traditional and modern sculptures. The focus was on materials, tools, design principles, economic significance, and national and international demand. Interviews with sculptors and artisans provided insight into evolving practices and the creative processes behind the works. Results: Traditional sculptures are characterized by their adherence to religious themes and precise sculptural techniques, with high-quality marble being the primary material. Artists used chisels and hammers, focusing on proportion and symbolism. Modern sculptures, however, incorporate a variety of materials, such as terracotta, bronze, and iron, and use advanced tools. These pieces focus more on individual creativity and are often abstract or decorative, serving non-religious purposes. Discussion: While traditional sculptures preserve India's religious and cultural legacy, modern sculptures introduce greater artistic freedom, exploring contemporary themes and personal expression. Both forms have distinct identities, yet they share a common foundation, reflecting the dynamic evolution of sculptures in Rajasthan. Conclusion: Marble sculptures in Rajasthan continue to thrive by balancing tradition with modern innovation, ensuring their enduring relevance in both historical and contemporary contexts.

ANALISIS MOTIVASI KEAGAMAAN PELAKU BOM BUNUH DIRI (SUICIDE TERRORISM) DI INDONESIA

Suicide bombing is one of the deadliest and most frightening forms of terrorism because the impact caused causes huge losses in the number of casualties and also many aspects of people's lives. The problem is that suicide bombers often act in the name of religion and use their religious views as motivation for their actions. The suicide bombers give meaning to the religious symbols they encounter and then interpret the form of the symbol, namely religious commands such as jihad and also represent symbols that are interpreted as infidels in the wrong way, so this article tries to analyze how important symbols are in the formation of meaning and human behavior. This article uses the symbolic interactionism theory approach in its analysis, by looking for sources from various literatures, namely journals, books, and existing research. and uses a qualitative approach because the data produced is in the form of words or descriptions. Suicide bombers are included in demographic studies because they are part of the human population that can be analyzed statistically.

Secularisation as the Fragmentation of the Sacred and of Sacred Space

Contemporary conflicts about secularity in ‘the West’ tend to focus on public space. Although collective Christian heritage means that public space is rarely exclusively neutral, conflicts continue to arise over the relationship between secularity and religious symbolism, and especially over those symbols which derive from religious minorities. This contribution critically considers the designation of space as either sacred or secular in political imaginaries, approaching processes of secularisation as part of a fragmentation of the sacred and of sacred space. We introduce the concept of trans-liminal space: spaces which can contain multiple and potentially conflicting ascriptions of meaning. Conceptualizing public space as trans-liminal allows for contemporaneous and competing ascriptions of the secular, the sacred, the secular-sacred, and the sacred-secular, without being exclusively grounded in either. Trans-liminality does not preclude public space to be predominantly secular, but it does problematise the phenomenon of normative exclusions of religious symbols from public spaces.

Hijab in the Public Sphere of Muslim Countries in Southeast Asia, Media, State Rules, and Society Opinion

This article aims to explain state regulations and media perspectives in Muslim-majority countries in Southeast Asia regarding the use of the hijab as a religious symbol in public spaces. The influence of globalization has increased diversity in the media landscape in the public sphere, going beyond traditional face-to-face interactions and encompassing the vast realm of the Internet. While Muslim women in secular Western countries face bans on wearing the hijab in public spaces, Muslim women in Muslim-majority countries in Southeast Asia face challenges regarding their style of wearing the hijab in public spaces. This research is qualitative research based on the study of public space and religion. The analysis was carried out in three Southeast Asian countries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei Darussalam, which have Muslim populations with different characteristics. Indonesia and Malaysia are multicultural regions but are dominated by Muslims, and Brunei is a country with a Muslim majority. These three countries have different patterns of managing religion in public spaces. Religious symbols in public spaces reflect the relationship between public space phenomena, the state, and the social context in a region. Social media has expanded the public sphere, providing greater opportunities for religious groups to present their arguments or engage in da'wah (religious outreach).