Spiritual Realm Research Articles

가난한 자(עָנִי)와 남은 자(שְׁאֵרִית) : 아모스와 스바냐에 나타나는 가난한 자의 신학에 대한 정경적 고찰

구약에서 "가난한 자의 신학"은 흔히 모세오경의 시혜적인 윤리에만 국한하여 이해되기 쉽다. 그러나 구약에 등장하는 "가난한 자"와 그와 관련한 신학과 윤리는 물질적, 윤리적, 영적인 의미들을 포괄한다. 때로는 가난한 자에 의해 사회구조를 변혁하려는 급진적인 사상까지도 드러낸다. 본 논문은 12 소선지서 중 이러한 신학적 다양성을 쉽게 비교해 볼 수 있는 아모스와 스바냐에 대한 비교 연구이다. 다른 12 소선지서들에서도 공히 발견되는 전통적인 모세오경적인 윤리, 즉 ‘가난한 자를 돌보는 것이 하나님의 공의’라는 사상은 아모스가 비판하고 있는 BCE 8세기의 북이스라엘에서도, 스바냐가 활동한 BCE 7세기의 남유다에서도, 하나님의 심판의 주요 이유 중 하나로 등장한다. 그러나 차이점도 발견되는데, 아모스에서는 ‘남은 자’가 심판의 엄정성을 강조하기 위해 사용된 표현인 반면, 스바냐에서는 ‘가난한 자들’이 곧 여호와로부터 구원을 받게 될 유다의 ‘남은 자들’로 예언된다. A theology of the poor is often understood as one of the philanthropic ethical frameworks in the Pentateuch, although interpreters do not always consider the different ways that the text conceptualizes the poor. In the Hebrew Bible, references to the poor encompass material, ethical, and spiritual realms. Transformative ideas about social structural change can also be found that relate to a theology of the poor. This paper is a comparative study of these ideas in the Twelve Prophets, and specifically in the books of Amos and Zephaniah. The traditional ethical principle found throughout the Twelve Prophets is the idea that God’s justice demands that we care for the poor. Based on this thought, Amos criticized Israel in the north in the eighth century B.C.E., and Zephaniah criticized Judah in the south in the seventh century B.C.E. However, there is a significant difference: in Amos ‘the remnant’ is an expression used to emphasize the severity of judgment on Israel, whereas in Zephaniah the poor are prophesied as the remnants of Judah who will be solely saved by Yahweh.

Exploring the Relationship Between Contemplative Spaces, Human Experience and Spiritual Architecture

To lead a fit and peaceful life, it has become very important to dwell in spaces that are contemplative and comforting. Space for contemplation can also lead the architect towards spiritual realms. The current era can be described as tumultuous, changeable, and unsettled. Rapid urbanisation and extreme intensification are being accompanied by technical advancements and a push for sustainability. Traditional architecture was often purpose-built with little care for adapting to new users, various purposes, or changing conditions down the road. Today, however, it is suggested that building flexibility is urgently required due to climate change, changing demographics, resource depletion, and affordability issues. It is believed that architecture in the twenty-first century must approach similar levels of flexibility and adaptability for a variety of reasons, one of which being the mental health and spiritual connection of the user. Rather than deconstructing structures to fill landfills, our architecture should be designed to be disassembled, reassembled, and reused in order to generate spaces of contemplation. There can be various ways in which architecture can bring out such spaces. It can be a garden oasis in urban land crowded with buildings, a small skylight in a dark space, framing a window to form a vista. Which language of architecture has to be used to create contemplative space depends upon for whom the space is being designed. The current study is the result of extensive literature reviews in the fields of contemplative architecture and spirituality. The focus of this paper is to study the impact of physical surroundings and architectural structures on leading a healthy lifestyle. Different spaces can be designed which connect the user to themselves in a deeper way by proposing a space where they have freedom to think or meditate and feel the present moment. People suffering from depression or stress can benefit from such contemplative spaces.

Black Seed Dreaming: A Material Analysis of Bruce Pascoe’s “Dark Emu”

Indigenous Australians are outstanding for the way their ontologies and practices do not rely on a Western dichotomy that opposes material and spiritual realms. Their multiple totemic visions of the Dreaming space-time always state a material actualisation in landscape and the reproduction of all forms of life based on the pluriversal agency of animals, plants, minerals, rain, wind, fire and stars. Such cosmovisions resonate with current debates in the fields of critical posthumanism and new materialism through an Animist materialism. Indeed, Indigenous Australian’s complex social practices offer ways of thinking and being for the whole planet in this time of climate crisis. This is particularly crucial for the tropical world which is so strongly impacted by climate change. Indigenous Australian cosmovisions offer to tropical studies a way of thinking politically about climate and the materiality of life. Thus, Tropical Materialisms are enhanced by the vast body of Indigenous experiences and creative productions in and beyond the tropics. The material analysis of the Aboriginal author Bruce Pascoe’s Dark Emu, demonstrates how the book dared to challenge the Western written history, and to show a new relationality of being of humans with the more-than-human world.

Argumentasi Pemikiran tentang Roh Perspektif Ibnul Qayyim Al-Jauziyah

Ibn al-Qayyim said that the spirit stands by itself. It can go up, down, relate, separate, leave, go, come, move, and be still. This study aims to discuss the spirit in Ibnul Qayyim Al-Jauziyah's view, starting from the perspective of the argument, rationale, advantages and disadvantages as well as criticism of his thoughts. This research is a library research and the approach method used in this research is a qualitative research approach. The data related to this study were collected through literature studies using qualitative data analysis methods. This research is presented with a technical descriptive analysis, namely by explaining related problems, by referring to the Koran as primary data and related literature books as secondary data. The results of this study indicate that Ibnul Qoyyim's thinking about spirit is a matter of absolute right from Allah alone. As long as this limb can still receive the influence arising from that gentle physicality, it remains with the members of the body, so that one feels the effects of feeling, movement and volition. If these members are corrupted by the oppressive component and cannot receive the influence then the soul separates from the body and passes to the spiritual realm. The spirit stood by itself. It can go up, down, relate, separate, leave, go, come, move, and be still. The body is a frame or a house for the spirit. So that the perfection of the body follows the perfection of the spirit.

Adi Shankara’s Saundarya Lahari: A Quest of Spirituality in Devotion and Physical Body

Saundarya Lahiri (Waves of Beauty) by Adi Shankara glorifies the Devi Shakti (power of goddess) and her physical beauty. He projects that the perfect integration of the corporal and the physical aspects lead to the zenith of spiritual realm. Therefore, Bhakti (devotion) divulges the deep veneration of Devi Shakti through Sringaric (amorous) expressions in Saundarya Lahari. It proclaims that inner evolution and the feeling of sublime in the physical beauty of Devi Shakti radiate the sublimity of the spirituality as well. As a profound poetic creation in Sanskrit, it is distinct from the established belief and religious practices, and establishes the truth that physical beauty of Shakti is also the beauty of the spiritual. To explore these dynamics of Saundarya Lahari, this article applies the qualitative approach to research and the interpretive method. It also sheds light on how the genial gravity of bhakti and physical beauty in their totality leads to the better application of critical spiritual pedagogy in teaching.

In the Synagogue, in the Streets, on the Aeropagus: Kerygma and Dialogue with Reference to Acts 17

This paper seeks to examine the relationship between kerygma and dialogue, arguing that the proclamation of the Christian message can take the form of a dialogical practice, and indeed of an interreligious dialogical practice. There seems to be an underlying assumption that “dialoguing” necessarily requires the weakening of one’s religious convictions, insofar as to express these in their full-blown form would lead necessarily to conflict and/or the shutting down of the conversation. However, I shall argue that this conclusion is not demanded by the nature of dialogue per se but rather from a particular understanding of what dialoguing means. The latter is underpinned by the assumption that in the realm of religion and spirituality we have no objective access to truth. I shall then hark back to a different understanding of dialogue rooted in Socrates’ philosophizing by making reference to the episode of the Apostle Paul’s kerygmatic preaching of the Gospel in Athens. I will read such a scene as one where kerigma and interreligious dialogue intertwine. The Socratic model off dialogical practice makes room for truth and allows interreligious dialogue to take place without the need to set aside one’s own religious beliefs.

Peace and spirituality: ‘The Theological Kindergarten’

ABSTRACT This article explores how our inner peace and spirituality are linked. It begins by very briefly mentioning ‘mindfulness’ and ‘watchfulness’, then expounds a different contemplative approach set out in the letters of Evelyn Underhill (1875–1941), a significant writer on spirituality in the first half of the twentieth century. During the Second World War, Underhill wrote to a group of women who named themselves ‘The Theological Kindergarten’, outlining spiritual practices for maintaining inner peace amidst the chaos of war. Underhill believed the roots of war lie in the spiritual realm and should be fought there, so she encouraged the women to undertake ‘spiritual war-work’, praying for the dictators. She encouraged the women to develop rhythms of daily contemplative prayer and meditation upon spiritual writings and liturgy to help them gain inner peace. Underhill also encouraged the women to try to accept their suffering and look beyond it to Eternity as well as being alert and expectant of God’s intervention. Rest and self-care were also emphasised, plus limiting exposure to war news. The current COVID-19 pandemic has often been referred to as a ‘war’ against an invisible enemy. The spiritual practices and posture that Underhill recommended to the ‘Theological Kindergarten’ during wartime provide insights regarding the cultivation and maintenance of inner peace during our current uncertain times of living with COVID, plus our global insecurity with wars and rumours of wars.

The Magical Santayanan Groundwork for Metaphysical Coherentism

The Magical Santayanan Groundwork for Metaphysical Coherentism

Reflections on the philosophical significance of the ritualistic use of music and mental health among traditional healers and their trainees in the Bapedi Society: a healing link to the spiritual realm

In the Bapedi society, music and rituals are the obverse sides of the same coin. They are reciprocal. They complete and complement each other. Music plays a significant role in religious rituals, cultural and social ceremonies. It has specific roles in healing and drums are the basic instrument for most of the Bapedi music tradition. Different kinds of drums are found in the Bapedi culture. Each music genre or traditional music ensemble/group uses a special type of its own. Traditional healers and their trainees use sets of drums of different sizes. The philosophical significance of the ritualistic use of music and mental health within traditional healing context as constitutive for understanding music in healing as a cultural phenomenon is evident and cannot be denied. In the Bapedi society, the significance of ritualistic music is well established and acknowledged by the personal ancestors of both traditional healers and their trainees. The combination of singing, dancing and various musical instruments form part of religious rituals with the sole purpose of appeasing the ancestors for their well-being and rejuvenation. The impact or effect of ritualistic music is multifaceted, and one can distinguish various emotional, mental and physical impacts, amongst others, strengthening the social, spiritual and cultural experience of both the traditional healers and their trainees, as well as the audience. The primary objective of this was to investigate the philosophical significance of the ritualistic use of music and mental health within Bapedi traditional healers’ healing context. To achieve this objective, the study employed contextual and Afrocentric approaches. Informal interviews, video and audio recordings were used to collect data. Secondary sources included published books and Journal articles. The main question the study addressed is: What is the philosophical significance of the ritualistic use of music and mental health within Bapedi traditional healers’ healing context? The results have demonstrated that traditional healers and their trainees apply music in their everyday life to improve their health and well-being. It was concluded that within Bapedi traditional healers’ healing context music serves as a cultural immunogen; and spirituality and religiosity are regarded as the most protective factors for health.

Construction of Vocal Timbre Evaluation System Based on Classification Algorithm

With the continuous development of communication technology, computer technology, and network technology, a large amount of information such as images, videos, and audios has grown exponentially, and people have started to be exposed to massive multimedia contents, which can easily and quickly access the increasingly rich music resources, so new technologies are urgently needed for their effective management, and automatic classification of audio signals has become the focus of engineering and academic attention. Currently, music retrieval can be achieved by selecting song titles and singer names, but as people’s living standards continue to improve, the spiritual realm is also enriched. People want to be able to select music with different types of emotional expressions with their emotions. It mainly includes the basic principles of audio classification, the analysis and extraction of music emotion features, and the selection of the best classifier. Two classification algorithms, hybrid Gaussian model and AdaBoost, are used to classify music emotions, and the two classifiers are combined. In this paper, we propose the Discrete Harmonic Transform (DHT), a sparse transform based on harmonic frequencies. This paper derives and proves the formula of Discrete Harmonic Transform and further analyzes the harmonic structure of musical tone signal and the accuracy of harmonic structure. Since the timbre of musical instruments depends on the harmonic structure, and similar instruments have similar harmonic structures, the discrete harmonic transform coefficients can be defined as objective indicators corresponding to the timbre of musical instruments, and thus the concept of timbre expression spectrum is proposed, and a specific construction algorithm is given in this paper. In the application of musical instrument recognition, the 53-dimensional combined features of LPCC, MFCC, and timbre expression spectrum are selected, and a nonlinear support vector machine is used as the classifier. The classification recognition rate is improved by reducing the number of feature dimensions.

Poured from the Sky: The Story of Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Cérékang Forest Conservation

The Cérékang people are often used as an example of how Indigenous Peoples successfully carry out traditional conservation of customary forests. This article aims to investigate the conditions that sustain the forest conservation in Cérékang by using Berkes’s (2008) concept of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and Houde’s (2007) six dimensions of TEK as the framework. Data collections were obtained through literature review, direct observation, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions with key informants. The results of the study are as follows: First, the mythical construction around the area of forest is connected to their cosmology and stories of origin associated with the La Galigo epic, and the Cérékang people have developed protective attitudes towards forests consistent with the term “sacred ecology”. Second, such an attitude is endured by the ethics that respect the intimate relationship between humans, nature, and spiritual realms, which is subsequently manifested through prohibitions to enter the sacred forest except for ritual. This implies that the Cérékang people rely on symbolic knowledge, not technical knowledge, to protect the forest. The protected forest does not only provide cultural ecosystem services but also regulates services that indirectly benefit the Cerekang People such as flood prevention. Yet, the uncertain legal status of the sacred forest and the activities of a mining company around the area pose threats for continued conservation efforts. Consequently, to exercise direct control over the sacred forest area, new community organizations are integrated with customary institutions formed with support from NGOs, local government, and universities. This can be seen as their adaptation strategy to survive and conserve the forest amid ongoing challenges.

Between Eccentricity and Morbidity

Abstract This examination asserts that artist and photographer Hannah Maynard’s association with late-nineteenth-century North American organizations that advocated the often-repudiated notion of the possibility of spiritual life after physical death informed her photographs. Spiritualists offered numerous examples of alternative existences after corporeal demise, and this paper will explore the possibility that Maynard used her knowledge to re-create and re-interpret late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century perceptions of a realm of Spirit.

Threads of Tradition: Silalahi Ulos Weaving and Cultural Significance in North Sumatra

Silalahi Ulos weaving, a distinctive cultural tradition in Silahisabungan District, Dairi Regency, North Sumatra, Indonesia, serves as a vibrant thread connecting the past and the present. This research delves into the rich cultural tapestry woven by the Batak Toba community, exploring the intricate patterns, motifs, and designs that adorn Silalahi Ulos textiles and their profound cultural significance. The study investigates the origins and historical development of Silalahi Ulos weaving, tracing its evolution from a traditional craft to an emblem of cultural identity. The research also highlights the rituals, ceremonies, and life events where Silalahi Ulos textiles play a pivotal role, symbolizing blessings, protection, and unity. The patterns and motifs found in these textiles, such as the Gorga, Naga, and Sigale-gale, convey deep spiritual and cultural meanings, serving as a bridge between the earthly and spiritual realms. This research further explores the challenges and threats faced by Silalahi Ulos weaving, including urbanization, changing lifestyles, and economic pressures. However, it underscores the resilience of the Batak Toba community in safeguarding their cultural heritage. Efforts to preserve, promote, and study Silalahi Ulos weaving encompass cultural education, economic sustainability through fair trade, intellectual property protection, interdisciplinary research, and community engagement. The conclusion reflects the commitment to preserving this unique cultural heritage, ensuring that Silalahi Ulos weaving remains a vibrant emblem of cultural pride and an enduring thread that weaves the cultural tapestry of Silahisabungan District, Dairi Regency, and Indonesia as a whole.

Andrew Murray Jr as entrepreneur

This article explores a novel perspective on Andrew Murray Jr, namely his entrepreneurial spirit and characteristics. Instead of building on the view that he was a mystic who gained his energy to contribute to the practical challenges of everyday life in the spiritual realm, the article explores to which extent Murray’s role in the modernisation of Christian mission and education in South Africa can be attributed to an entrepreneurial character. The article investigates how his family history, personality, and exposure to various influences during his early life, shaped him to approach his ministry entrepreneurially. These influences include elements from various strands in the protestant tradition, including Lutheranism, Calvinism, pietism, Methodism, and the inner-worldly asceticism of English puritanism, as famously described by Max Weber. The analysis concludes that Andrew Jr approached his calling of preaching the gospel and growing the church to convert unreached souls to the love of Christ in an entrepreneurial manner.

Application Optimization of University Aesthetic Education Resources Based on Few-Shot Learning from the Perspective of Ecological Aesthetic Education.

The idea of EAE (Ecological Aesthetic Education) is put forward on the basis of the mature development of ecological aesthetics and AE theory. Starting with EAE, establishing people's aesthetic attitude and improving people's spiritual realm will help to reverse people's hostile attitude towards nature and rebuild the harmonious relationship between man and nature. This paper studies the application optimization of AE (aesthetic education) resources in universities based on ML (machine learning) from the perspective of resource development. The recommendation algorithm based on ML is the main idea of the classification of AE resources, and the classification model of AE resources is constructed. Through deep learning, we can learn the effective features of items from the content data in advance and then transform the learned features into CF (Collaborative Filtering) target learning task. Optimize the voting mechanism of the algorithm, and compare the RF_VM (random forest with optimized voting mechanism) algorithm with the traditional RF (random forest) algorithm. Experiments show that the algorithm proposed in this paper can effectively classify texts and has high feasibility.

A Victorious Victim: The Physical and Spiritual Realms of Early Christianity and Martyrdom

Based on the primary source “The Passion of SS. Perpetua and Felicitas,” this paper aims to explore the relationship between the physical and spiritual realms in the early Christian mindset. The account of Perpetua—a third-century Christian martyr—offers insight into religious persecution in the Roman Empire prior to the decriminalization of Christianity by Emperor Constantine in the fourth century. Many physical and spiritual elements are included as the account describes Perpetua’s conversion, her imprisonment, and supernatural visions. Two of Perpetua’s visions are analysed in this context in an effort to more fully understand the early Christian perception of the fluidity between heaven and earth. Not only do spiritual beliefs have observable implications in the temporal world, but physical objects and experiences are present in the spiritual realm as well.

In Defense of Heavenly Mother: Her Critical Importance for Mormon Culture and Theology

In Defense of Heavenly Mother: Her Critical Importance for Mormon Culture and Theology

Review: Black Utopias: Speculative Life and the Music of Other Worlds, by Jayna Brown

Review: <i>Black Utopias: Speculative Life and the Music of Other Worlds</i>, by Jayna Brown

Beyond the Veil of Form: Developing a Transformative Approach toward Islamic Sacred Architecture through Designing a Contemporary Sufi Centre

By examining the relationship between sacred space and spiritual experience through practice-as-research, a methodology for reclaiming the wisdom embodied by transformative examples of classic Islamic sacred architecture in the design of a contemporary Sufi Centre in London, UK, is developed. The metaphysical and ontological roots of universal design principles and practices are explored in order to transcend mimetic processes and notions of typology, location, time, style and scale in the creation of context-sensitive meanings and manifestations. An ontological hermeneutic approach was followed that utilises mixed methods underpinned by direct engagement, collaboration and a willingness to examine personal transcendent experiences and spiritual practices. By conducting practice, the effects of prioritising unseen dimensions (bātin), which enfold visible dimensions (zāhir), on understanding and designing Islamic sacred space are examined. The role of the imaginal realm, the imagination (khayāl), the spiritual heart (qalb) and spiritual inter-pretation (ta’wīl) are explored. Through a contemplative process, forms are perceived as conduits between the physical and spiritual realms and space as a symbol of presence (wujūd). Seen and unseen (zāhir wa bātin) converge into one continuum, potentiating an experience of Oneness (Tawhīd). A transformative approach to practice emerges that integrates a designers’ creative and spiritual practices, cultivates the capacity for transformation and helps to mitigate some of the challenges faced when designing sacred spaces in conventional settings today.

Meanings of traditional Chinese leisure: Perspectives from etymology, Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism

Based on previous studies on traditional Chinese leisure thought, this paper presents an in-depth study of the etymology of leisure, 休閒, to explore the origins, meanings, and interrelationships of related words and the literature on these topics. The paper then discusses the connotations of traditional Chinese leisure from three perspectives: Confucian leisure based on morality and etiquette, Taoist naturalist leisure, and Buddhist leisure based on the wisdom of emptiness and the spiritual realm. Lastly, the paper points out that traditional Chinese leisure embodies the wisdom of the implementation of Tao in daily life, and illustrates Tao’s influence on Chinese leisure from earlier to current generations in four aspects: the attitude of following and imitating nature; the pursuit of the Golden Mean and the harmonious realm; the passive, quiet, introverted leisure style; and the ideal life that integrates work and leisure.