Religious Belief Systems Research Articles

"In ancient times, God spoke in different ways to our ancestors and through the prophets": Existential and Ontological Possible Parallels between Yoruba Traditional Religion and the Christ Event

According to Paul, grace is a giftto all through the vicarious suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ (Rom. 5:15–16), grace that was extended to all even when humanity was dead in sin. This provides a framework for a theological reexamination of black Africa's religious traditions. Borrowing from traditional Yoruba religious cosmology, it is argued that pre-missionary religious practices are preparatio evangelium, sacred spaces mediating grace and the birthing of communitarian virtues. With parallels from within this tradition, examined with the Christ event, it is argued further that Christian missionary efforts often demonized traditional religions due to ignorance. The colonial assumption that cultural and religious rituals of Africa are "pagan and uncivilized" animism will be debunked. Parallels can be drawn between the story of Jesus and the religious narratives within and beyond Yoruba traditional cosmogony. This essay concludes that traditional religions of ethnic peoples were already sacred spaces mediating Christ's grace before the advent of the slave raiders, colonialists, or white missionaries. It challenges Euro-American perception and understanding of the religious traditions of Africa as sacred places of Christ's grace, thereby creating grounds for an ecumenical handshake between Christianity and various African traditional religious belief systems.

Mathijs Pelkmans. Fragile Conviction: Changing Ideological Landscapes in Urban Kyrgyzstan. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2017

With his monograph Fragile Conviction: Changing Ideological Landscapes in Urban Kyrgyzstan, Mathijs Pelkmans offers an ethnographic approach to the issues of ideology and conviction under the conditions of globalization. His goal is to shed light on the “mechanisms, by which individuals become committed to a cause and gain certainty about the meaning and value of the ideas involved” (p. 2). Based on the author’s extensive field research in Kyrgyzstan, the book grants insight into the everchanging political, economic, and social landscape in the post-Soviet world by focusing on abruptly emerging systems of ideas, which often vanish as quickly as they emerged. He also pays close attention to the often-changing meanings of certain ideological signifiers and thus their temporary character. The main question addressed is how such systems of ideas go viral, “how they come to matter in people’s lives” (p. 5). Therefore, the book is situated within debates about the so-called end of history and ideology, as well as the proposed ideological, spiritual, and moral vacuum in the post-Soviet era—which some others have described, on the contrary, as a time of ideological excess. Key to his analysis is a conceptual focus on “conviction,” which Pelkmans differentiates from ideology: while he sees ideology closely associated with dominant power, his concept of conviction aims to capture an “emotive energy that is produced in the connections between individuals” (p. 10). Conviction is, therefore, better suited to include political and religious belief systems and also emphasizes the relationship between subject and ideas. Text in English DOI: 10.25285/2078-1938-2018-10-3-110-113

Religi Ruwat Dalam Kidung Sudamala

Abstract:
 Java community has a form of customs that have systems such as values, norms, views and rules of life in society that embodies in the form of traditional ceremonies, to maintain harmony and harmony of the universe. In various forms of traditional ceremonies are still maintained to date, such as the salvation of birth, death, descend, and others. One of the traditional rituals of Javanese society is still done is ruwatan ceremony. Sudamala is a famous ruwat story in the final days of the majapahit kingdom. The method of this research is analytical description method. This study aims to find what is contained in the song Sudamala through data analysis activities followed by then drawn conclusions. Next is to make the tangible text description. Based on the above discussion can be found forms of religious systems that are written in it, namely; religious emotions, belief systems, and religious people.
 
 Keywords: religion, ruwat.

Correlates of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder diagnosis among rape survivors: Results and implications of a South African study

This study aimed to describe factors associated with the experience of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among rape survivors. Participants were female survivors attending a treatment centre in South Africa (black = 85%, coloured = 15%; age range = 18 to 55 years). Data were collected through interviewing all rape survivors who agreed to participate in this study, using the Post Traumatic Diagnostic Scale-5 (PDS-5). Descriptive statistics, chi-square, phi-crammer, and regression analysis were used to determine the relationship of PTSD and the demographic data. About 74.5% of rape survivors had high PSTD, and PSTD symptoms were most elevated among those with high religiosity. These results show that PTSD is a reality for the majority of rape survivors, and that those with a strong religious belief system are at elevated risk for PTSD.

Perceptions of mental health care consumers regarding their conditions

BackgroundDistress is experienced, understood, expressed and communicated differently across various cultures. Individuals assign meaning to their mental health problems from their own personal, social and cultural context. Mental healthcare consumers (MHCCs) often attribute their symptoms to a cultural or spiritual cause, and as a result, tend to visit spiritual or traditional healers before attending psychiatric units.AimThe aim of the study was to determine patients’ perspectives on mental health – what they perceived to be the cause of mental problems and what they believed the most appropriate treatment options would be. The role of culture, religion and spirituality in patients’ understanding of and coping with mental problems was explored, as well as their attitudes toward their treatment and the perceived effectiveness and appropriateness of the different treatment modalities.MethodsA quantitative survey was done using a questionnaire designed to explore and analyse patients’ cultural and religious beliefs about mental illness and the actions they take in their search for recovery from mental disturbances. The questionnaire was compiled by incorporating demographic information, together with certain items of the World Health Organisation Quality of Life Spiritual, Religious and Personal Beliefs questionnaire, the Cultural Formulation Interview, the Rating of Medication Influences Scale, and the South African Traditional Beliefs Scale.ResultsNinety-four patients (58.5% male) were included in the study, with a mean age of 36 years. The majority of the participants (75.5%) were black people; most were Christian (79.8%), followed by African traditionalists (17.0%), and 41.4% indicated that they were actively involved in their religious communities. Although most (72.0%) believed that faith in God and help from religious leaders (34.4%) could contribute to their mental wellbeing, 29.0% reckoned that keeping their ancestors happy would protect them from sickness and bad luck. Approximately one quarter (22.3%) believed that traditional medicine could be the only cure for mental illness related to bewitchment, and 29.0% believed that Western medicine could worsen such problems. Roughly a third of participants (30.9%) were of the opinion that Western medicine cannot cure mental illness caused by angry ancestors.ConclusionThe impact cultural and religious belief systems have on MHCCs’ perceptions of mental illness has been demonstrated and appeals to the availability of accepta ble mental health care services. Mental healthcare providers’ sensitivity to cultural and religious beliefs will enrich the therapeutic relationship; hence healthcare providers should receive training focusing on the influence these belief systems have on patients’ perceptions of mental illness and their consequent help-seeking behaviour. Likewise, findings of the current study suggest a need for the incorporation of complementary and alternative treatment strategies in the rendering of mental healthcare services. Such inclusion acknowledges MHCCs’ preferences and may reduce the time required to obtain remission and recovery. Although its application has limitations, future research may provide useful insight for the formulation and implementation of interventions that MHCCs believe to be effective.

The Prophetic and the Prosperous: Religious Ideologies and the Maintenance of Group Consciousness

Integral to the development of group consciousness is the establishment of independent entities, which allow individuals to develop a common identity and solidarity. In the case of African Americans, the black church has facilitated racial group consciousness by bringing blacks together and advocating a belief system that emphasizes justice and community, commonly referred to as the social gospel. In contrast to the social gospel, the prosperity gospel emphasizes individualism and material gain. Scholars and critics argue its growth in the black religious discourse may erode the group cohesion developed by the social gospel. Using a unique data set that measures support for these religious belief systems and black group consciousness, I find support for these assertions. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that the nature of these relationships is contingent upon exposure to religious institutions.

Compensatory control and religious beliefs: a registered replication report across two countries

ABSTRACTCompensatory Control Theory (CCT) suggests that religious belief systems provide an external source of control that can substitute a perceived lack of personal control. In a seminal paper, it was experimentally demonstrated that a threat to personal control increases endorsement of the existence of a controlling God. In the current registered report, we conducted a high-powered (N = 829) direct replication of this effect, using samples from the Netherlands and the United States (US). Our results show moderate to strong evidence for the absence of an experimental effect across both countries: belief in a controlling God did not increase after a threat compared to an affirmation of personal control. In a complementary preregistered analysis, an inverse relation between general feelings of personal control and belief in a controlling God was found in the US, but not in the Netherlands. We discuss potential reasons for the replication failure of the experimental effect and cultural mechanisms explaining the cross-country difference in the correlational effect. Together, our findings suggest that experimental manipulations of control may be ineffective in shifting belief in God, but that individual differences in the experience of control may be related to religious beliefs in a way that is consistent with CCT.

EFFECTIVENESS OF COOPERATIVE LEARNING AND CONCEPTUAL CHANGESTRATEGIES IN IMPROVING LEARNING OUTCOMES OFPROSPECTIVE TEACHERS WITH DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS INCLINATION

The study examined the Effectiveness of Cooperative Learning and Conceptual Change Strategies in improving Learning Outcomes of College of Education Biology Students. The study adopted a non-equivalent pre-test, post-test control group design. The study population comprised Part III Biology Education students in colleges of education in Southwestern Nigeria.  Two instruments were used to collect data for the study. The first instrument is ATE and retention test.  The second instrument is AQE. The data collected were analysed using ANOVA and ANCOVA).The results indicated that the CLS was more effective in improving the performance of Biology education students with Christian, Islamic and traditional religious belief systems more than the CCS, there was a significant  difference between the CLS group pre-test and CLS group post-test (Mean difference = 18.14, p = 0.000). Also, there was a significant difference in the CCS group pre-test and post-test (Mean difference = 10.155, p = 0.000). Moreover, there was also a slight significant difference in the TEM pre-test and post-test scores (mean difference = 6.500, p = 0.036).  Therefore, the hypothesis was rejected. However, if the mean difference between the pretest and the posttest in the three groups were compared, the CLS group has the highest (18.14), CCS group was 10.15, while the TEM group has the lowest (6.500).Moreover, when the means of the groups were compared, the CLS group has the highest mean score (58.02) and the CCS group mean score was 52.05. This is an indication that the CLS group has more positive effect on performance of students in evolution. However, the result indicated that there was a significant difference in the attitude of students in the CLS and CCS groups before and after treatments. This implies that the two strategies (Cooperative Learning Strategy and Conceptual Change Strategy) caused the students to have a change of attitude towards the concept of evolution and most importantly their religious inclination no longer distorts scientific facts.&nbsp

By Faith Alone: When Religious Beliefs and Child Welfare Collide

In this chapter excerpted from The Contested Place of Religion in Family Law, law professor and family law expert Robin Fretwell Wilson discusses how to discipline one’s child, like the decision to treat “by faith alone,” sometimes runs deep in religious and cultural belief systems. The state’s regulation of childrearing not only impacts the parent’s liberty but also a community’s ability to hold onto its identity and transmit norms. Too often, the state’s solicitude for parental autonomy dictates the child’s fate. This chapter explores the limits of the broad and constitutionally recognized grant of parental power and documents the veritable kaleidoscope of exemptions for practices that expose children to real and present harm. Section I reviews the constitutional parameters of the parent child relationship. It discusses four cases often invoked as proof of thick parental rights to the care, custody, and control of minor children and dependents — Meyer v. Nebraska, Pierce v. Society of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus & Mary, Prince v. Massachusetts, and Wisconsin v. Yoder — and ultimately shows that the US Supreme Court brackets parental authority derived from the Constitution: parents may not harm their children. Section II evaluates the degree of harm to children that results from corporal punishment and faith healing. It presents a schism in views among social scientists about whether corporal punishment always harms children and shows that ethnic and cultural identity can moderate the experiences and effects of physical discipline, as well as presenting the few studies of faith healing practices and the overwhelming majority of children who have died as a result suffered from wholly treatable ailments. Section III shows the degree of respect for parental autonomy, religion, and cultural practices reflected in state statutes that otherwise require parents to secure needed medical treatment for and to not abuse or neglect their children. Faith healing and corporal punishment laws define the fault lines between parental freedom and child abuse and neglect in each state, and states compensate for the latitude given to parents by charging adults in the community as mandatory reporters of child abuse and by authorizing judges to consent to needed treatment. Using a single state, Idaho, as a case study, Section IV argues how a state’s regulation of child abuse, medical neglect, involuntary manslaughter, and lesser crimes operates to confer on parents in Idaho effective immunity from civil sanction when they act “by faith alone.” This overlapping statutory scheme has proven hard to reform, even as children continue to die. This is so, in part, because lawmakers are unsure whether attempts to constrain parental choices would ensure that children receive necessary medical care — or would backfire, pushing communities and families further from the law. Rather than only prosecuting parents, we conclude that strengthening linkages between the outside world and insular communities holds great promise for protecting children from harm at the hands of their parents.

Cognitive flexibility and religious disbelief

Cognitive flexibility is operationalized in the neuropsychological literature as the ability to shift between modes of thinking and adapt to novel or changing environments. Religious belief systems consist of strict rules and rituals that offer adherents certainty, consistency, and stability. Consequently, we hypothesized that religious adherence and practice of repetitive religious rituals may be related to the persistence versus flexibility of one’s cognition. The present study investigated the extent to which tendencies towards cognitive flexibility versus persistence are related to three facets of religious life: religious affiliation, religious practice, and religious upbringing. In a large sample (N = 744), we found that religious disbelief was related to cognitive flexibility across three independent behavioural measures: the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Remote Associates Test, and Alternative Uses Test. Furthermore, lower frequency of religious service attendance was related to cognitive flexibility. When analysing participants’ religious upbringing in relation to their current religious affiliation, it was manifest that current affiliation was more influential than religious upbringing in all the measured facets of cognitive flexibility. The findings indicate that religious affiliation and engagement may shape and be shaped by cognitive control styles towards flexibility versus persistence, highlighting the tight links between flexibility of thought and religious ideologies.

Spirituality, religiousness and coping in patients with schizophrenia: A cross sectional study in a tertiary care hospital

Religion is a form of coping that helps individuals to deal with a wide variety of difficult life situations. But most of the research in this field has been in acute patients of schizophrenia. Also, most of the research on religion and schizophrenia has focused on religion and spirituality as coping mechanisms, and research evaluating the relationship between spirituality/religiousness and repertoire of other coping skills is sparse. Our objective was to evaluate the association between spirituality, religiousness and coping skills in patients with schizophrenia in remission. Hence, a total of 48 consecutive patients with schizophrenia were assessed on Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Personal and Social Performance Scale (PSP), WHO Quality of Life-Spirituality, Religiousness and Personal Belief scale (WHOQOL-SRPB) and Ways of Coping Checklist - Revised (WCC). Findings were described as patients who used more religiosity and spirituality as measured with WHO-SRPB domain score were better in their managing their stress as they used all the adaptive strategies like planful problem solving, positive reappraisal, distancing, self-controlling, seeking social support rather than maladaptive skills like confrontive coping and escape avoidance. A sound spiritual, religious, or personal belief system positively affects active and adaptive coping skills in patients with schizophrenia during remission, thus helping the individual to cope with illness related stressors.

Between Similarity and Non-similarity. The Nature of Theological Language in the Thought of Peter Abelard

the aim of this paper is to answer to the following question: How should theological propositions, originating from the language used to describe creatures, be understood so as to avoid idolatry, that is reducing God to the category of contingent entities?Using the theory of similarities formulated by Peter Abelard, I pointed out that the risk of committing theological errors decreases when language formulas are treated as models, and their meaning is understood in a figurative way. Such an attitude enables us to acknowledge the fact that language can be only partially adequate to the subject under discussion, and makes us aware that we describe only one aspect of a given theological phenomenon, as the chosen model may not correspond to other aspects.Such understanding of the theological language calls for a constant reinterpretation of theological propositions. If images used in theology are linked to the structure of the world, each change in the scientific understanding of this structure brought by empirical sciences, should lead to changes in the language used by theology. Lack of such changes in the system of religious beliefs will lead to a decrease in the credibility of theology and push its truths towards the category of myths and fables.

Ways of understanding of religious delusions associated with a change of identity on the example of identification with Jesus Christ.

Identification with Christ among psychiatric patients is an example of a complex and multifaceted phenomenon. As a delusion it includes a misidentification (change of identity) in the layer of content and, usually, grandiosity and/or paranoid traits in the formal aspect. What is more, it fits in the category of religious delusions, which are perhaps the most controversial type of delusions and as such require special sensitivity as well as knowledge beyond psychology or psychiatry. The aim of the articleis to show the phenomenon of identification with Christ among psychiatric patients, taking into account different ways of its explaining and understanding. Papers relating to the topic, both theoretical considerations and case studies, found in the EBSCO database were analyzed. Searching for the articles the following key words were used: identity, identification, delusion, Jesus/Christ/Messiah, psychosis, schizophrenia. The analysis included all (actually not numerous) articles except for the one linked to cognitive approach which did not significantly contribute to the issue. Given the multiplicity of ways of explaining and understanding the experience of identification with the figure of the Messiah, it seems to be a mistake to hold both objectivist and one-sided, based on one theory, attitude towards it. Such an experience should be recognized in the context of the history of patient's life and the all possible mechanisms leading to its occurrence, as well as the meanings hidden beneath the symptom, should be take into account. It is also important to be well-oriented in the system of religious beliefs and spiritual needs of the patient.

The Faith of Black Politics: The Relationship Between Black Religious and Political Beliefs

Scholars argue that the Black church produces religious messages that foster racial cohesion; however, recent examinations of Black religion note the heterogeneity of the messages and beliefs advanced by Black churches. Several argue that this heterogeneity in Black religious beliefs is reflected in Black political beliefs. This study examines the linkage between heterogeneity in Black religious beliefs and heterogeneity in Black political attitudes. Offering measures of the social gospel, prosperity gospel, and Black theology, we demonstrate that each religious belief system is related to different aspects of Black public opinion. The social gospel is linked to continuing the legacy of the civil rights movement, while the prosperity gospel is associated with a departure from its legacy. Meanwhile, Black theology is linked to racial empowerment and extending the boundaries of Black politics.

KONSTRUKSI SOSIAL MASYARAKAT TERHADAP ALAM GUNUNG MERAPI: STUDI KUALITATIF TENTANG KEARIFAN LOKAL YANG BERKEMBANG DI DESA TLOGOLELE KECAMATAN SELO KABUPATEN BOYOLALI

this is a study of people who live on the slopes of Merapi, the most active<p>volcano in Indonesia and they face the volcanic threats. This study is mainly<br />based on field data, collected by ethnography method, in Tlogolele Selo<br />Boyolali, Central Java. Ethnography is a qualitative research approach which<br />explores the worldview of people and demonstrates their dailylife, how to see,<br />listen, speak, and think. Based on Social Contruction of Reality Theory from<br />Berger and Luckmann, this study tries to explore the social construction of<br />people who live on the slopes of Merapi. Villagers living on Merapi<br />constructed a system of religious belief. The villagers view Merapi as a friend<br />not a threats. They construct knowledge and tradition as a local wisdom. As a<br />local wisdom, the system of religious belief, kwoledge, and tradition have a<br />special place in daily life of Tlogolele people. Local wisdom is based on<br />Javanese culture concept ”memayu hayuning bawana”, which is applicated in<br />several tradition slametan.<br />Keywords: etnography, social construction, local wisdom</p>

Seeds of the Church? Silence and the Relevance of 2 Maccabees 6:18–7:42

ABSTRACTThis article is an attempt to understand the significance of the Scorsese film Silence in comparison to what could be considered to be a traditional Roman Catholic dogma of martyrdom as found in 2 Macc 6:18 to 7:42. The contribution made by this article is in line with the religio-narrative approach. Different dynamics within the narratives, like resistance, movement and bodies, are explored to come to an understanding of each narrative and how they respond to one another. In this vein, the unique contribution of Martin Scorsese's film Silence was scrutinised. This article supports the interpretation that Silence may be a form of apology—one that exonerates what would normally be viewed as a Catholic failure. Scorsese uses Silence to suggest that the actual historical events are somehow evidence of God's will and, by default, of the superiority of Catholicism as a religious belief system.

Violence, Morality, and Religion

Violence, Morality, and Religion

Paradigmatický prístup a jeho aplikácia v systéme náboženských presvedčení

The article deals with the role of paradigms in the system of religious beliefs. Kuhn’s paradigmatic approach, which indicates that that scientific models are products of the creative analogical imagination, will be used as a starting point of my argument. The data are theory-laden as comprehensive theories are resistant to falsification, and a strict criteria for paradigm choice is difficult to find (if at all). These subjective features are undoubtedly more prominent in the field of religion, where there is a greater diversity of models, a greater influence of the interpretations to data, a greater persistence in fidelity to paradigm, and a greater unclearness in the process of paradigm choice. Although each of these subjective features is more evident in religious beliefs, there is a difference in degree between science and religion rather than an absolute contrast.

The Coping Mechanisms and Strategies of Hypertension Patients in Ghana: The Role of Religious Faith, Beliefs and Practices.

This qualitative study explored the role of religious faith, belief and practice systems in the coping mechanisms and strategies of essential hypertension patients in Accra, Ghana. Six participants were recruited for participation, of which five were Christians and one was a Muslim. Interviews were conducted and interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyze the data. Results showed that participants used their religious faith, beliefs and practices as coping resources. Participants used a deferring-collaborative style of religious coping, which seemed to have provided them with an avoidance strategy that protected the participants from conscious confrontation with their illness. Religious faith and beliefs also afforded the participants a sense of coherence that enabled the participants to manage their stress, reflect on their external and internal resources to promote effective coping and adaptive functioning in a health promoting manner. Implications of a deferring-collaborative style of religious coping and religious re-appraisal are discussed.

Logic in religious and non-religious belief systems

The paper first proposes a new definition of religion which features a novel four-layered element and which does not involve any circularity (as some definitions do); thereby, it allows to clearly distinguish the phenomenon of religion from certain other worldviews, in particular from certain political ideologies (a number of other definitions do not). Relying on the findings, the paper develops two structural conceptual models which serve to describe religious and non-religious belief systems. Further, the definition and the conceptual models allow to establish a clear criterion to distinguish pivotal structural differences between religious and non-religious belief systems. The criterion is based on the concept of two kinds of rationality: first-level and second-level rationalities. These will demonstrate to what degree religion can be a rational enterprise, and what role logic can play in it. The result is a clear-cut line in the structures of religious and certain consistent non-religious belief systems (e.g. a scientific theory).