Traditional Religious Practices Research Articles

Sacrifice in Judaism and its Challenges to Christian Religious Worship in Nigeria: A Comparative Analysis

This comparative analysis explores the concept of sacrifice in Judaism and its challenges to Christian religious worship in Nigeria. Sacrifice holds significance in both faith traditions, influencing worship practices in diverse ways. The study focuses on theological implications, historical contexts, and contemporary relevance of sacrificial practices in Judaism and Christianity. In Judaism, sacrifice historically played a central role in religious worship, with rituals of animal offerings serving as means of atonement, thanksgiving, and communion with God. The Hebrew Bible outlines detailed instructions for sacrificial practices, emphasizing purity, obedience, and spiritual intent. However, with the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, the practice of animal sacrifice ceased, leading to new interpretations of sacrifice within Jewish theology. In Nigeria, Christianity has become dominant, coexisting with traditional religious practices involving sacrificial offerings to deities and spirits. The introduction of Christianity in Nigeria has presented challenges to traditional sacrificial practices, resulting in theological debates, cultural conflicts, and shifts in religious identity among Nigerian Christians. The tension between traditional sacrificial rituals and Christian teachings on sacrifice has influenced religious worship practices in Nigeria, showcasing the complexities of religious syncretism and cultural adaptation. This analysis examines the challenges that the concept of sacrifice poses to Christian religious worship in Nigeria, exploring how the legacy of sacrificial practices in Judaism influences Christian perspectives on sacrifice, redemption, and divine worship. By comparing sacrificial traditions in Judaism and Christianity, this study aims to deepen understanding of how religious beliefs, cultural traditions, and theological perspectives interact and evolve in diverse religious contexts. Keywords: Sacrifice, Judaism, Christianity, Religious Worship, Nigeria, Comparative Analysis, Theology, Rituals, Syncretism, Cultural Adaptation

Sacredness and Religious Fanaticism

Abstract The authors examine how Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novel Purple Hibiscus portrays the conflicts between Igbo indigenous culture, Roman Catholic missionary culture, and inculturated Catholicism, and how these conflicts lead to religious fanaticism. This article focuses on the characters’ interactions with their respective cultures and religions, and juxtaposes the extreme devotion of Eugene Achike’s abusive Catholicism with the flexible understanding of the oneness of God in Papa Nnukwu’s traditional religious practices. The authors underscore the value of cultural diversity and the importance of tolerance and understanding while cautioning against the dangers of strict adherence to religious dogma.

The Role of Artificial Intelligence in the Study of the Psychology of Religion

The study of the psychology of religion encompasses various aspects of human experiences and beliefs, including the influence of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). This article aims to examine the impact of AI on religious practices and rituals, highlighting its potential to reshape how individuals engage with spirituality. By exploring AI-powered religious applications, virtual communities, and online services, we seek to understand the transformation of traditional religious practices and raise important questions about authenticity, inclusiveness, and the role of technology in the psychology of religious contexts. Moreover, ethical considerations and challenges arising from the integration of AI into religion will be addressed. As researchers delve into this intersection, it is crucial to strike a balance between technological advancements and preserving the fundamental aspects of spirituality, personal growth, and genuine human connection. This article contributes to the existing literature by shedding light on the potential implications of AI in the realm of religious experiences, calling for further exploration of its ethical dimensions and unintended consequences. Ultimately, understanding the influence of AI on the psychology of religion prompts us to reflect on the nature of spirituality, belief formation, and the human experience itself.

Arranged cohabitation among Chinese Muslims

While modern family-related ideas and behaviors have become more widely accepted in contemporary China, Chinese Muslim minorities continue to hold on to traditional religious practices. Surprisingly, data from our survey conducted in Gansu province in China's northwestern borderlands reveal that Muslims of the Hui and Dongxiang ethnicities reported much higher rates of cohabitation experience than the secular majority Han. Based on follow-up qualitative interviews, we found the answer to lie in the interplay between the highly interventionist Chinese state and the robust cultural resilience of local Islamic communities. While the state maintains a high minimum legal age of marriage, the early marriage norm remains strong in Chinese Muslim communities, where religion constitutes an alternative and often more powerful source of legitimacy-at least in the private sphere of life. Using the 2000 census data, we further show that women in almost all 10 Muslim ethnic groups have higher percentages of underage births and premarital births than Han women, both nationally and in the northwest where most Chinese Muslims live. As the once-outlawed behavior of cohabitation became more socially acceptable during the reform and opening-up era, young Muslim Chinese often found themselves in "arranged cohabitations" as de facto marriages formed at younger-than-legal ages. In doing so, Chinese Muslim communities have reinvented the meaning of cohabitation. Rather than liberal intimate relationship based on individual autonomy, cohabitation has served as a coping strategy by which Islamic patriarchs circumvent the Chinese state's aggressive regulations aimed at "modernizing" the Muslim family.

Islam and Secularism within the Legal Framework of the European Union

This article aims to rekindle the longstanding debates surrounding the relationship between Islam and secularism in the contemporary context, particularly within the legal framework of the European Union (EU). It delves into how EU law sets the standards for Member States in navigating the interaction between the principle of freedom of Islamic thoughts and practice and the tenets of secularism. Examining the EU legal landscape, the article suggests that secularism dominates various aspects of social life in European societies, as mandated by EU law. Consequently, traditional religious practices, including those of Muslims, are increasingly marginalized from everyday life. While freedom of religion and non-discrimination remain fundamental principles, the prevailing secularist paradigm often shapes the accommodation of religious practices. By shedding light on this complex issue, the article contributes to a nuanced understanding of the delicate balance between the right to religious freedom and the dominant force of secularism within the EU legal context.

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF MOSQUE DA’WAH: ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING AND INNOVATION IN THE DIGITAL AGE

Mosques play a crucial role in religious development, prompting several to enhance their management systems and religious activities through digital transformation. This study critically examines the digital transformation in da'wah at Masjid Al Irsyad, integrating organizational learning theory and contemporary digital innovation. Employing a case study methodology, the research identifies five key dimensions of transformation: the development of innovative online da'wah initiatives, strategic modifications in da'wah methodologies, increased participant engagement, comprehensive training in multimedia, and the establishment of sustainable financial frameworks. Theoretically, the study enriches our understanding of integrating traditional religious practices with modern technology. Practically, it highlights the strategic use of social media for broader da'wah dissemination, the creation of responsive educational programs, and the implementation of sustainable financial models. These insights are crucial for religious organizations aiming to harmonize traditional values with the digital age's demands.

The artification of whirling derviches in France between the religious and the artistic

Utilizing the theoretical framework of artification, this study analyzes the transformation of Sufi dance from a traditional religious practice to a staged artistic performance. Ethnographic observations and case studies conducted between 2018 and 2023 have identified four ideal types of discourse surrounding Sufi dance, ranging from traditional discourses to total artification, where religious meaning is displaced by artistic and aesthetic purposes. The article also examines the methods of teaching spinning movements, Sufi workshop audiences, and marketing strategies used by artists to gain recognition in both religious and artistic fields. Finally, the study explores the tension between traditional authority and dancers’ professional careers outside Sufi institutions. This research illuminates the complex dynamics of competition and cooperation that shape the relationship between art and spirituality within the Sufi tradition in contemporary France.

The Norwegian Memory Tasks: Using Pensioner Auto-Biographies to Study Religion in a Secularizing Country

Declining traditional religious practice and beliefs have been observed in Norwegian survey data since the mid-twentieth century. Individual-level data before that time, when higher religiosity may have been more normative, is lacking. We introduce a unique autobiographic database consisting of 1270 digitized entries written by Norwegian pensioners in 1964 and 1981, called “Memory Tasks,” and assess its potential to study religion in the daily lives of Norwegians. We sample from the Memory Tasks ( n = 45), and code religion mentions falling into six categories: identity, public participation, private practice, personal importance of religion, supernatural worldview, and miscellaneous mentions. We report the frequency of each category and present excerpts to highlight the depth of available information on religion. Nearly all Memory Tasks from our sample included at least one mention of religion. The most common categories are identity, public participation, and miscellaneous religious activities such as Christmas celebrations. Selected excerpts describe confirmation requirements, religious activities and social life, revivals, and folk beliefs. The Memory Task data can extend our understanding of individual-level perspectives on religion in Norway for a time period when survey data is unavailable. We invite other researchers to design studies using this data source.

Pentecostal Spirituality and Traditional Religious Practices in the Philippines

Pentecostal Spirituality and Traditional Religious Practices in the Philippines

Perspectives on Digital Evangelism: Exploring the Intersection of Technology and Faith

Digital evangelism, using technology to spread the message of faith, has become increasingly prevalent today. While some see it as a valuable tool for reaching a wider audience, others view it as a dilution of traditional religious practices. This paper explores the different perspectives on digital evangelism and examines the potential benefits and challenges associated with this practice. Through a review of relevant literature and case studies, this paper highlights how technology has been used for evangelism, the impact of digital evangelism on traditional religious practices, and the ethical considerations surrounding this practice. This paper also discusses digital evangelism’s role in the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences on religious communities worldwide. Overall, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the different perspectives on digital evangelism and promote more discussion on the function of technology in the practice of faith.

The Impact of Globalization on the Traditional Religious Practices and Cultural Values: A Case Study of Kenya

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the traditional religious practices and cultural values in Kenya.
 Methodology: The study adopted a desktop research methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library.
 Findings: The findings revealed that there exists a contextual and methodological gap relating to the impact of religious rituals on cultural identity. Preliminary empirical review revealed that globalization has both positive and negative consequences for traditional practices and values. On one hand, it can lead to the revitalization, adaptation, and hybridization of traditional practices, allowing them to evolve and find new relevance in a globalized world. On the other hand, globalization can also contribute to the erosion, dilution, and commodification of traditional practices and values, as they become influenced by external forces and commercial interests.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The Cultural Hybridity theory, Modernization theory and the Glocalization theory may be used to anchor future studies on the impact of traditional religious practices and cultural values. Recommendations stemming from this research include fostering intercultural dialogue and understanding to promote mutual respect and appreciation for diverse religious practices and cultural values. This can be achieved through educational programs, community initiatives, and cultural exchanges that encourage individuals to learn about and engage with different religious traditions and cultural practices. Additionally, there is a need for policy frameworks that support the safeguarding and promotion of traditional religious practices and cultural values while ensuring ethical and respectful engagement with global influences.

History, Cultural Shifts, and Adaptation in Social Change: An Ethnographic Study in the Aboge Islamic Community

The Aboge Islamic community faces significant challenges in facing global changes in an increasingly dynamic lifestyle. This research aims to identify the history and primary teachings of Aboge Islam that are adhered to, analyze changes or shifts in values that occur in the Aboge Islamic community, and find adaptation strategies in preserving the values of the teachings during social change. The method used was qualitative, with an ethnographic approach as a research method. Ethnographic research was used to study the culture and society of the Aboge Islamic community. The results show that the Aboge Islamic community experienced changes in its belief system and rituals due to development, education, urbanization, and da'wah. This community adopts a specialized adaptation strategy consisting of conservative and resistance approaches to maintain their traditional religious and cultural practices. With great passion and determination, they maintain the values of their ancestral cultural heritage, demonstrating that their existence and religious practices are still relevant in today's modern era. This research is very important because it can contribute to helping the government in taking the right policy for the preservation of local religious values in other areas.

Gender justice, law and religion in Zimbabwe: An evaluation of the role of sacred texts

Gender equality is something that the human race has been struggling with since time immemorial. No country has achieved gender equality despite the legislative, social, and economic gains for women. Therefore, modern society likes to blame certain groups, such as religion for the gender inequalities which are faced, more than others. The main focus of this study is to evaluate the role of religious leaders in promoting gender equality through the legislation and religious texts in Zimbabwe. The study further explores how certain religious norms and practices can be modified through religious texts to accommodate women in achieving gender equality. The paper acknowledges that religious leaders have a greater responsibility to standup, speak and act with and on behalf of those with less power, such as the marginalized and discriminated against, including exploited planet Earth. The paper seeks to foreground how certain traditional religious practices and norms have exacerbated gender inequality in Zimbabwe, despite the laws that have been enacted by the government of Zimbabwe to promote gender equality. The data for the paper was gathered through observations and semi-structured interviews conducted with both religious leaders and women to establish how religious norms and practices directly or indirectly affect women and how they can be modified to achieve gender equality in Zimbabwe. The data gathered was analysed through descriptive data analysis. The paper concludes by recommending that religious leaders should be thoroughly trained on how to promote gender equality through religious texts and legislation.Contribution: The article evaluated the role of religious leaders in promoting gender equality through legislation and religious texts in Zimbabwe. It argued that religious leaders have a higher need to support, advocate and act on behalf of individuals who are marginalised and subjected to discrimination on planet Earth. Hence, its contribution was in promoting gender equality through religious texts and legislation in Zimbabwe for sustainable development.

Art, Objects and Belief Systems Among the Wangoni of Tanzania

This article is from a study that investigated the interplay among art, ritual objects, and belief systems through which the Wangoni people worshipped their God prior to missionary and colonial interventions. The study focused on the significance and implication of art on paraphernalia such as household tools and personal belongings as ritual objects that were commonly evoked during worship or ritual activities of the Wangoni. The ritual theory informed the study’s framework including its methodology, data collection, analysis and presentation, and the discussion of the findings. Using document analysis, interviews and observation to collect data, the study found that artistically-made objects or tools had a special place in the traditional religious practices and lore of the Wangoni. The Wangoni employed personal belongings and objects of deceased family members to establish contacts in the ancestral realm, as their intermediaries before God. It was also established that in the process of making religious-inspired tools or objects, most Wangoni patrons insisted on the artistic excellence of such objects and tools. It was believed that, firstly, art would increase the uniqueness of the object and signify the status and power it symbolized; and secondly, art would help to inculcate a sense of sanctity of the object or tool depending on its aesthetic outlook associated with the Wangoni’s beliefs in the existence of God in their worship or ritual practices.

Healing the planet: traditional spiritual beliefs and sustainable management of ecosystems in the Amazon Forest, Colombia

ABSTRACT Elders of the indigenous communities of the Colombian Amazon have sustainably managed their forest for millennia. They practise an ecotheology founded on their sacred history (Historia) narrating actions of gods that created the universe, world, and humanity. Plants, animals, and ecological niches have spiritual owners consulted before using or hunting. Humans are regarded as an integral part of the natural world. These wisepeople undertake careers following their Historia, using their wisdom to resolve problems of deforestation and effects of climate change. Worldwide, moves to fully include indigenous peoples in climate and environmental change forums and decision-making bodies are on-going. Since 1992, the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) has promoted integration of indigenous knowledge and practices in environment management (article 8j). This can be challenging due to differences in academic and local knowledge systems. Centred on my twenty years of multidisciplinary health and environmental projects with Uitoto, Muinane, Andoke and other Colombian Amazon communities, in this article I set out elements of the ecotheological systems practised by these groups. I argue for the relevance of their understanding of the relationship between sustainable ecosystem management and traditional religious practices to practical theological knowledge.

Relegitimizing Religious Authority: Indonesian Gender-Just ʿUlamāʾ Amid COVID-19

Studies have highlighted the increased vulnerability of women during and after disasters. Thus, there has been a call for gender-aware disaster management—an approach which is certainly needed, especially when a patriarchal culture is embedded in a society. Unfortunately, studies on women as vulnerable agents are often not balanced against careful examinations of instances where women help women. Drawing on (digital) ethnography conducted between 2020 and 2022, this article focuses on analysing the voices and activities of gender-just ʿulamāʾ (Muslim scholars) in Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected traditional religious gathering practices, has led to creative solutions to social proximity restrictions. Many ʿulamāʾ have been “forced” by the situation to adjust to digital religion. This article analyses how female religious authorities who colour the daily daʿwa (proselytization) landscape in Indonesia deal with the uncertainties brought on by the pandemic. The daʿwa scene in Indonesia has long been the site of contention among various competing ideological understandings. The pandemic and the proliferation of digital religion has led gender-just ʿulamāʾ to relegitimize their authority through an online presence so they can compete and counter the narratives of tech-savvy conservative Muslims.

ОПИУМ ДЛЯ НАРОДА: АТЕИСТИЧЕСКОЕ ВОСПИТАНИЕ КАЗАХСТАНЦЕВ ПЕРИОДА «РАЗВИТОГО СОЦИАЛИЗМА»

This study examines the state policy in the field of religion and how it was reflected in the life of Kazakhstani children during the period of “developed socialism”. During the period under study, the country’s leadership proclaimed an improvement in the material and spiritual quality of life of people, the implementation of the idea of raising a “new person” and “ensuring a happy childhood for every child.” The Soviet government promoted Marxist-Leninist scientific atheism, which rejected traditional religious beliefs and practices. The new communist worldview had to be formed from childhood, the ideological and informational campaign at school and in the family is aimed at this.This was facilitated by new Soviet holidays and ceremonies, which should replace religious ones. Religious practices and rituals are harshly criticized, declared enemies of progress, believers were recognized as representatives of a hostile ideology. It was necessary to protect the younger generation from “opium”, to form an atheistic worldview based on scientific knowledge. Proceeding from this, the party and state bodies made the school, the Komsomol, pioneer and public organizations the vanguard of this campaign. But archival sources and oral history data testify to the preservation of religious rituals in the family and everyday life of schoolchildren.

Exploring the Origins and Expansion of the Nyaminyami (Water Spirit) Belief Systems among the BaTonga People of Northwestern Zimbabwe

Abstract Water spirits are an integral part of African traditional religious beliefs and ritual practices. Like many other African traditional religious practices and beliefs, water spirit beliefs are characterized by complex ‘myths’ surrounding their origins. In that regard, this paper explores the origins and expansion of the Nyaminyami (water spirit,) beliefs prevalent among some BaTonga people of northwestern Zimbabwe. It argues that these beliefs were exotic to the BaTonga people. In so doing, it substantiates the assumption by Elizabeth Colson and Thayer Scudder that Nyaminyami was a foreign idea to the BaTonga people. This study brings in new contemporary evidence to substantiate and extend this diffusionist perspective. It provides evidence from ethnographic research conducted among the BaTonga and Shangwe-speaking peoples living in the immediate vicinity of the Kariba Gorge area from April to November 2017. This study also rests on the wider scholarship on water divinities in Africa that explains the emergence of water divinities in different societies through diffusion of ideas. The study further examines the ways by which the cultural borrowing may have occurred, as well as the period and the extent to which the diffusion of ideas occurred, based on the ethnographic evidence.

African Traditional Religious Practices as Social Regulatory Mechanism

Abstract This research interrogates how ulo ubu functioned, both as a trado-religious activity and simultaneously/presently as a social regulatory mechanism for the Amasiri people. It explores the religious underpinning and cultural practices in ulo ubu, as well as how it performs a regulatory function in relation to the marriage, justice, religious, economic, and education sectors of the Amasiri community. The qualitative research methodology was of great importance in this study, aiding in the discursive analysis, interpretation, and presentation of discoveries of the nuances of Amasiri ATR beliefs (ulo ubu), and how ulo ubu has informed and shaped the social practices of the community both in the past and the present. The pressure of modernization may have pushed the practice of ulo ubu away from the public space, but this research demonstrates that its imprints still thrive as a social regulatory mechanism The study concludes that ulo ubu performed a regulatory function through the age grade system that it birthed, an informal education process featuring women’s groups, an economic process through gifting during marriage celebrations, and others. This paper strongly recommends religio-cultural value education consistent with the realities of the present age to assuage the effects of the generational gap prompted by various factors.

Religious fervour in the Cyclades (1823–1842): seers, discoveries of holy objects, and Protestant missionaries

This article examines a wave of divine interventions on four Cycladic Islands (Tinos, Naxos, Syros, and Santorini) in the 1820s and 1830s. The aim is to understand the social dynamics that created a specific atmosphere of religious fervour in the Aegean during that period and to build an idea of lay practice and lay reaction to the arrival of a Catholic sovereign and Protestant missionaries. Missionaries provided islanders with a new lens for looking at and questioning their own traditional religious practices. However, instead of rejection, their intervention brought about renewed commitment and zeal. In an attempt to prove the superiority of their own religion, Orthodox from the Cyclades started to unearth icons, crosses, and bones at the very moment that they were accused by Protestants of superstition.