Variety Of Religious Traditions Research Articles

Religion, Ethics, and Academic Community Engagement: Looking Back, Looking Ahead

This article introduces the issues, histories, and questions at stake in a special issue of Religion & Education on Religion, Ethics, and Academic Community Engagement. We begin by pointing to the absence of community engagement in the recent turn toward the ethics of higher education among religious ethicists. In response, we call for more robust interdisciplinary engagement between religious ethicists and academic community engagement scholars and practitioners. To lay the groundwork, we offer an account of the historical intersections between religion and academic community engagement in U.S. higher education. We then highlight pressing ethical questions emerging from this history related to the mission and purpose of higher education, the influence of neoliberalism, and underexamined biases in academic community engagement connected to white Christian hegemony. We touch on how each of these issues emerge from the history of religion and academic community engagement in the U.S., and detail how articles in this special issue respond to these challenges by drawing on a variety of religious traditions and resources.

Why Is Suicide Terrorism Applied as an Instrument of Violence?

Since the year 2000, the number of suicide terrorist attacks has increased considerably. Like terrorism, defining suicide terrorism is a complex task due to differing perspectives. Historical examples show that suicide attacks are carried out by a variety of religious traditions and ideological groups, as well as by state and non-state actors. This has renewed interest in this field of study and enhanced the significance of comprehending the organizational and individual motivations underlying suicide terrorism. Suicide terrorism is a strategic choice for terrorist groups due to its cost-effectiveness and high success rate. While suicide bombing is a cost-effective strategy, it is not the last resort. The success of suicide bombings signals to the government and the public that groups are ready to continue fighting, even if it means causing the deaths of members. The effectiveness of suicide terrorism is controversial because this strategy is successful in achieving limited and modest goals, but it is not successful enough to compel the government to withdraw itself from its vital national interests. This article begins by giving a brief conceptual overview and historical background on issues related to suicide terrorism. Next are the justifications for causes and motivations that are currently documented in the literature. It explains the reasons for the accomplishment. Finally, the effectiveness of suicide terrorism is based on available empirical evidence.

Leonard Norman Primiano (1957–2021)

Leonard Norman Primiano (1957–2021)

Maulana Tariq Jameel’s supplication for safety against COVID-19: A Pragmatic analysis

Supplication, the symbol of man's humility, is at the core of all religions, with Allah regarded as the Supreme Being who listens to people's prayers and rewards them accordingly, regardless of religion. The purpose of this qualitative research is to look into the unique service provided by Maulana Tariq Jameel to God for protection from COVID-19, which is currently wreaking havoc on people's lives. On April 21, 2020, the program was broadcast live on the ARY News Channel's Shab-e- Meeraj programme, hosted by Waseem Badami, and was available to watch online. Devout Muslims from all over the world gathered for a specially organised 'Dua' to demonstrate their heartfelt humility and unwavering faith in Allah, who they believe will alleviate their deathly affliction as a result of their prayers. The video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSRuAo14NEI provided the data. The data was assessed using Aristotle's three modes of persuasion. The researchers paid close attention to the supplication during the study and coded the most relevant phrases before translating them from Urdu to English and analysed them from a pragmatic standpoint. The discussion section included references to prayers from a variety of religious traditions from various countries to integrate the study's findings. The study's findings show that when individuals, societies, or nations of any faith face a major calamity, they are more likely to be prone to Allah for protection than to other sources of protection Keywords : Du’a, Persuasion, Religion, Staunch Faith, The sovereignty of Allah

Maulana Tariq Jameel’s supplication for safety against COVID-19: A Pragmatic analysis

Supplication, the symbol of man's humility, is at the core of all religions, with Allah regarded as the Supreme Being who listens to people's prayers and rewards them accordingly, regardless of religion. The purpose of this qualitative research is to look into the unique service provided by Maulana Tariq Jameel to God for protection from COVID-19, which is currently wreaking havoc on people's lives. On April 21, 2020, the program was broadcast live on the ARY News Channel's Shab-e- Meeraj programme, hosted by Waseem Badami, and was available to watch online. Devout Muslims from all over the world gathered for a specially organised 'Dua' to demonstrate their heartfelt humility and unwavering faith in Allah, who they believe will alleviate their deathly affliction as a result of their prayers. The video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSRuAo14NEI provided the data. The data was assessed using Aristotle's three modes of persuasion. The researchers paid close attention to the supplication during the study and coded the most relevant phrases before translating them from Urdu to English and analysed them from a pragmatic standpoint. The discussion section included references to prayers from a variety of religious traditions from various countries to integrate the study's findings. The study's findings show that when individuals, societies, or nations of any faith face a major calamity, they are more likely to be prone to Allah for protection than to other sources of protectionKeywords: Du’a, Persuasion, Religion, Staunch Faith, The sovereignty of Allah

Udawanie i zabawa jako formy zaangażowanie religijnego

Pretense and play are present in a variety of religious traditions. They are used in religious thinking about the world as well as in ritual behavior. As a form of simulation, pretense and play are more than cultural forms because they occur in human and animal behavior. Simulation is based on complex cognitive and communicative processes and requires metacognitive and metacommunicative abilities. In religious practice, pretense and play tend to turn into serious and “authentic” behavior accompanied by the sense of reality characteristic for religious experience. It seems that the ability to cross the frames of pretense and play towards seriousness and authenticity is part of the logic of simulation. Categories of pretense and play can be used to explain the dynamic character of religious faith. The latter can be understood as shifting between two modes of experience: the reality mode (the world seen as “it is”) and the simulation mode (the world of “as if”).

Promoting advance care planning in African American faith communities: literature review and assessment of church-based programs.

Advance care planning is under-used among Black Americans, often because of experiences of racism in the health care system, resulting in a lower quality of care at the end of life. African American faith communities are trusted institutions where such sensitive conversations may take place safely. Our search of the literature identified five articles describing faith-based advance care planning education initiatives for Black Americans that have been implemented in local communities. We conducted a content analysis to identify key themes related to the success of a program’s implementation and sustainability. Our analysis showed that successful implementation of advance care planning programs in Black American congregations reflected themes of building capacity, using existing ministries, involving faith leadership, exhibiting cultural competency, preserving a spiritual/Biblical context, addressing health disparities, building trust, selectively using technology, and fostering sustainability. We then evaluated five sets of well-known advance care planning education program materials that are frequently used by pastors, family caregivers, nurse’s aides, nurses, physicians, social workers, and chaplains from a variety of religious traditions. We suggest ways these materials may be tailored specifically for Black American faith communities, based on the key themes identified in the literature on local faith-based advance care planning initiatives for Black churches. Overall, the goal is to achieve better alignment of advance care planning education materials with the African American faith community and to increase implementation and success of advance care planning education initiatives for all groups.

Active and Contemplative Lives in a Changing Climate: The Emersonian Roots of Thoreau’s Political Asceticism

This article addresses an existential quandary for scholars of religion in an age of climate change. Given climate problems, it might seem like we ought to spend our lives doing something more civically productive than reading and writing books. Yet, we continue in our professions. I address this by examining Henry David Thoreau’s experiment at Walden. Thoreau drew on a variety of religious traditions and texts in his thinking about religious asceticism and coincident questions about the value of active and contemplative life. In this article, I focus especially on a portion of the Harivaṃśa Thoreau translated and a very quiet controversy that arose between Emerson and Thoreau about the value of practical effect. Thoreau’s investment in ascetic life, both active and contemplative, shows one way in which the writing life itself sometimes aims to resist the drive for growth that powers contemporary climate change.

The religious world in Chinese social studies textbooks

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study is to explore the representation and interpretation of the religious world in Chinese social studies textbooks. The data cover six major subjects at both primary and secondary levels. The findings indicate that although the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China mandates a separation of religion and education, Chinese textbooks introduce students to a variety of religious traditions. These traditions are either presented as independent learning units or integrated with textbook content across subjects. Three discursive frames are used to categorise the information selected to represent religion and its interpretation in the discourse of Chinese curriculum texts: a de-mystification frame (deconstructing the mystery of religion and presenting a secular understanding of the religious world); a de-modernisation frame (representing religion as associated with pre-modernity); and a science/humanities frame (comprising two lenses for interpreting religion). The findings of the study suggest that although the framing of religion in China’s social studies curriculum reflects the state’s secularisation agenda, it also leaves space for further exploration of the meaning of religion.

'A La Carte' Spirituality and the Future of Freedom of Religion

Although institutional religion continues on, there has been a dramatic increase in the past twenty years in those who describe themselves as 'spiritual but not religious'. The common trait among so-called 'SBNRs' is that they take an individualistic approach to religion: picking and choosing particular beliefs from a wide variety of religious traditions and then adding in, on an a la carte basis, notions from what may be derided by many as folklore, pseudoscience, the New Age smorgasbord, or personal intuition. The rise of this 'new spirituality' presents challenges for the traditional application of religious freedom principles in liberal democracies which were developed in the context of institutional, hierarchical, and formalized religious affiliations. This paper examples doctrinal freedom of religion principles in Australia, Canada, and the United States and discusses how 'freedom of religion' must evolve to protect spiritual beliefs that are personal and idiosyncratic.

Profane Concerns in Sacred Spaces: The Challenges and Consequences of Implementing Security Measures in Religious Congregations

ABSTRACTReligious congregations represent a target for both street and bias-motivated crimes. Addressing these risks presents a challenge, as security measures could undermine the intended social reality of the congregation. Utilizing 52 interviews with places of worship representing a variety of religious traditions, we examine how congregations balance crime concerns with their organizational mission and identity. Our interviews show that congregations are aware that their goal of being an open and welcoming member of the community also brings with it vulnerabilities. Taking security steps, though, comes with consequences for the congregation's relationship to attendees and its identity and mission

Divine restraint: An experimental analysis of religious preference and intertemporal discounting

The propensity to delay gratification, measured by the discount rate, is associated with a variety of positive outcomes including higher rates of education and savings, as well as lower rates of poverty or addiction. There is a significant literature which supports a linkage between religion and self-regulation. We use an online experimental approach to test the influence of religious salience on intertemporal discount rates. The experiment used both real and hypothetical rewards in its design. Using a large sample, we are able to test the impact of religious primes across a variety of religious traditions as well as the non-religious. Contrary to previous studies, we do not find evidence that increased religious salience increases observed discount rates. Furthermore, we find no significant difference in the impact of religious salience across religious groups.

Divine Restraint: An Experimental Analysis of Religious Preference and Intertemporal Discounting

The paper applies an online experimental approach to test the influence of religious salience on intertemporal discount rates. The propensity to delay gratification, measured by the discount rate, is associated with a variety of positive outcomes including: higher rates of education and savings, as well as lower rates of poverty or addiction. There is a significant literature which supports a linkage between religion and self-regulation. Using a large sample, we are able to test the impact of religious primes across a variety of religious traditions as well as the non-religious. Contrary to previous studies, we do not find any significant impact of religious salience on observed discount rates. Furthermore, we find no significant difference in the impact of religious salience across religious groups.

A cross-cultural theory of relics: on understanding religion, bodies, artefacts, images and art

This paper argues that relics and, especially, relic-related behaviour, are a fundamental part of religion as a global human cultural practice. Using examples of artefacts and artworks from a variety of religious traditions and periods, a cross-cultural definition and theory of relics is proposed that encompasses and aims to explain a wide range of behaviour, from structured worship to celebrity adulation. A crucial distinction between religious doctrine/theology and religious practice is drawn, and the analytical utility of the distinction between ‘religious’ and ‘secular’ is challenged. Throughout human history, special personages – gods, ancestors, kings, queens, saints, heroes, celebrities – have been regarded as sources of power. Their body parts, items their bodies have touched, and images made of them, have, by the operation of a mechanism of transfer and equivalence, also been attributed with power. A new tripartite theoretical framework is outlined that extends the definition of relics from body parts and contact artefacts to images, helping to explain the power of images in different cultural contexts. The attribution of power to special personages, artefacts and images is intrinsically connected to theories of causation; these aetiological concerns have given rise to much of what is called art, to the great value assigned to art and, more recently, to the value of memorabilia.

The enrichment of magical thinking through practices among Reiki self-healers

Reiki is an example of a spiritually based healing context, which offers an entry into the magical thinking through the ritual initiation. There are several practices like Reiki in the field of new spirituality. Their backgrounds are situated in a variety of religious traditions, although many religious ideas in the field are based on assimilation of ideas and practices familiar in Eastern religious traditions. Why is Reiki so particularly famous in the field? It would seem that Reiki is very flexible and easily integrated to other practices. One factor which explains the popularity of Reiki has to do with healing. Healing, as well as illness and sickness, involving pain and relief from pain, are universal experiences felt by everyone. Complementary and alternative ways of healing are as popular among ordinary folk now as they have been throughout the history of medicine. Even medical nursing staff participate in Reiki courses in their leisure time. One reason for the popularity might also be that Reiki courses are open to everybody. Everybody can learn to heal. After initiation, participants are promised, and believed, to be rewarded for the ability to heal themselves and those near to them with the help of cosmic energy.The focus of this article is the enrichment of magical thinking among Reiki self-healers.The term ‘enrichment’ refers to an observable thickness (or density) of spontaneous reasoning going along lines of magical trains of thought. This includes, for example, assumptions of agency and magical contagion.

Religious and Spiritual Factors in Depression

Religious and Spiritual Factors in Depression

Faith and Humanitarianism: It's Complicated

This article examines the relationship between faith and humanitarianism in a variety of religious traditions, with particular emphasis on Christian and Muslim organizations. Following a brief historical overview and a short (and incomplete) description of the scale of faith-based contributions to humanitarian work, the article then addresses three issues: the distinctiveness of faith-based organizations, their professionalism, and the potential for partnerships between secular and faith-based organizations. It finds that the variety of faith-based actors makes generalizations difficult and questions the utility of the term, suggesting that differences between faith-based actors are often greater than those between secular and faith-based organizations. The article concludes by noting the need for serious academic research on faith-based humanitarian organizations and suggesting areas where future research is particularly needed.

New Religious Movements in Animated Adult Sitcoms—A Spectrum of Portrayals

AbstractAs globally syndicated television programmes that are celebrated for their biting satirical content, The Simpsons, South Park, and Family Guy are popular culture phenomenons. Furthermore, they are programmes which have consistently featured a wide variety of religious traditions, including a significant selection of new religious movements (NRMs). This article provides an overview of the different movements depicted in the programmes, categorizing them as accepted, annoying, misguided, untrustworthy and dangerous. It concludes with a discussion of this pattern’s significance, and suggests avenues for future analysis of NRMs’ humorous depictions in popular culture.

'Mixing and Matching': The Shape of Everyday Hindu Religiosity in Singapore

AbstractReligious pluralism is the norm rather than the exception in contemporary societies but this is by no means a recent phenomenon. This is also an empirical field that students of religion have long engaged theoretically. Such scholarly attention has generated a plethora of conceptual tools to make sense of religious encounters in multi-religious settings. As such, a number of phrases — 'religious pluralism,' 'religious diversity' and 'multi-religiosity' — abound in the relevant literature and the notions of pluralism, multiplicity and diversity inform these discussions. Such expressions as 'religious syncretism' and 'religious hybridisation' have also been proposed to address the various interactions witnessed across a variety of religious traditions. I argue that this terminology and the conceptual frames it advances need to be queried in order to assess their value and relevance for theorising interactions amongst religious traditions. This paper focuses on everyday forms of Hindu religiosity in urban Singapore and the kinds of engagement and participation that occur across religious traditions in this multi-religious context. Through my ethnography, I problematise the above-mentioned noted categories, as well as the sense-making strategies they have led to, while proposing alternative modes of approaching the realm of everyday religiosity at the level of practice.

Faith in the World after 11 September

The events of 11 September cause us to re-evaluate the priorities of faith in Western society. The tragic events caused not only great human suffering at a personal level but also a recognition that money has an exalted place in capitalist society, the archaeological remains of Western society are its financial institutions. As Scripture from a variety of religious traditions teaches, those who love money more than ‘the other’ find themselves in a world with no friends. Injustice and inequality divide the world, more than religious or cultural identity, because of the ongoing human suffering that they provoke. St Francis offers a model of inter-religious dialogue in an era of crusades by offering peace and service to the stranger. In the end shared humanity needs to overcome unequal resource distribution and the ideological misuse of religion by fundamentalists of all traditions.