The development of project-based learning (PjBL) in the field of akidah akhlak (moral theology) is very urgent and for that process an Islamic ethics and identity process is needed. This study uses a phenomenological approach to explore the involvement of Islamic ethics and the identity of Madrasah Aliyah teachers in developing PjBL method. Involving twenty teachers of moral theology, and conducting in-depth interviews to reveal the narrative of teachers’ practice in application of personal competence. Thematic analysis of two-group interviews with 20 teachers showed that teachers’ personal beliefs provided a religiously motivated narrative framework that facilitated the interpretation of one’s experiences. The involvement of Islamic ethics and identity processes when teaching, plays a role in the development of PjBL methods on moral theology. The application of Islamic ethics is the main bond in the development of PjBL methods, in addition to attribution of identity from God-given personality to PjBL method in moral theology. Identity process and Islamic ethics of madrasa teachers develop PjBL method when following the learning of moral theology. In conclusion, the results of this exploratory study show that Islamic ethics and identity processes of madrasah teacher can improve PjBL methods. In the future, large-scale research could provide further evidence to reconsider the role of religious education in teacher training as an important factor in the development of PjBL methods for teachers of moral theology.
Samet Baizhuma, A. Duisenbayev, S. Kaupenbayeva
et al.
This article is devoted to the theological and philosophical aspect of personal development on the path of virtue in the educational heritage of Abu Nasr Al-Farabi who was a prominent Islamic philosopher who lived from 872 to 950 CE. The research is grounded in the context of Islamic philosophy and theology, where the concept of a virtuous personality is seen as not only an ethical but also a spiritual ideal aimed at harmony with the divine order. The study aims to investigate Al Farabi's theories regarding the development of personality through the integration of moral discipline, intelligence, spiritual consciousness, and divine orientation. Vital concepts like virtue, willpower, the soul-body connection, the moral framework of society, and the religious importance of knowledge, art, and education are the key subjects of this research. It emphasizes how Al Farabi's teachings provide a metaphysically grounded model of moral and spiritual development. The scientific and practical significance stems from its knowledge of the theological aspects of moral education and its relevance for contemporary society, especially in upbringing value oriented youth. The methodology of the study is based on textual and comparative analysis of Al Farabi’s treatises, supported by philosophical, pedagogical, psychological, and theological sources. The main results include the identification of spiritual mechanisms in the development of virtue, the integration of intellect and morality in personality formation, and the role of divine guidance in shaping ethical behaviour. The study finds that Al-Farabi’s concept of the virtuous person corresponds to Islamic theological anthropology and provides a foundational model for modern spiritual education. The value of the study lies in its contribution to Islamic thought, religious pedagogy, and theological ethics. Its practical significance is seen in its potential application to contemporary educational frameworks focused on holistic and spiritually grounded personality development.
In Dust in the Blood , Jessica Coblentz notes the insufficiency of theodical approaches to theology to account for depressive suffering. Instead, she proposes a theology of depression that makes use of narrative-phenomenological portraits and draws new insights on what Christian discipleship means in the context of depressive suffering. In this article, I employ Coblentz’s framework to interrogate another area of contemporary theology. Debates about the moral authority of conscience are largely unresolved. In order to confront some points of intractable disagreement in these debates and consider a way beyond them, I study firsthand experiences of moral injury. Jonathan Shay defined moral injury as “a betrayal of what’s right by someone who holds legitimate authority in a high stakes situation.” From patterns in firsthand experiences of moral injury, I propose a respective understanding of conscience. I argue that this understanding of conscience can direct theologians beyond impasses in Catholic moral theology.
This article revisits the South African project of truth and reconciliation through the lens of inxeba elingaphakathi, the inner wound, and reflects on it through indigenous storytelling pastoral theology. This invisible wound is carried by individuals and communities in the aftermath of historical violence and systemic injustice caused by apartheid. Drawing on African indigenous perspectives, the article explores truth and reconciliation beyond institutional processes, framing them as spiritual, ethical, and communal acts. It interrogates the limitations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in addressing the depth of grief and trauma from this era and reflects on how indigenous storytelling pastoral theology may offer healing, restore dignity, and nurture relational wholeness. Ultimately, it argues for an indigenous storytelling approach to healing – one that focuses on embodied care, collective memory, and the ongoing recognition of wounds shaping South Africa’s moral and spiritual landscape.
Christianity, Practical religion. The Christian life
W 1886 r. po śmierci biskupa chełmińskiego Jana Nepomucena Marwicza, Chełmińska Kapituła Katedralna początkowo wstrzymała się z wyborem administratora diecezji z uwagi na konieczność składania przez niego przysięgi dotyczącej lojalności i posłuszeństwa wobec króla pruskiego oraz prawa państwowego, co było pokłosiem kulturkampfu. Po złagodzeniu ustawodawstwa państwowego obrano administratorem kanonika Leona Rednera. Władze państwowe od początku odrzucały kandydatury na stolicę biskupią w Pelplinie związane ze środowiskiem polskim, przede wszystkim kanoników kapituły, którzy reprezentowali tzw. frakcję polską. Z przygotowanego początkowo przez kapitułę zestawienia kandydatów, jedyną osobą możliwą do zaakceptowania przez władze państwowe okazał się prepozyt Gustav Wanjura. Wybór nie mógł jednak dokonać się w oparciu o jedną kandydaturę. Ponadto faworyta władz państwowych odrzuciła Stolica Apostolska. Żeby nie przeciągać wakatu na stolicy biskupiej, Leon XIII wymógł na kapitule zawieszenie jej prawa wyboru. Pertraktacje prowadzone bezpośrednio między Stolicą Apostolską a rządem pruskim doprowadziły do nominowania kanonika Leona Rednera na biskupa chełmińskiego. Brewe papieskie ogłoszono 16 listopada 1886 r. Święceń biskupich udzielił Rednerowi 9 stycznia 1887 r. w katedrze pelplińskiej arcybiskup gnieźnieński i poznański Juliusz Dinder.
A review of spiritual experience centered on a framework of spirituality developed by the author identifies implications for the disciplines of science, philosophy, and theology, presenting specific questions to be considered. A general introduction clarifies the terms and limits of the discussion and the focus of the requested commentary prepared for the Institute on Religion in an Age of Science Conference in June 2025. Scientific focus includes the dual process of cognition and its implications for medicine, psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience, anthropology and evolution, and the inclusion of “soul studies.” Philosophical discussion highlights the values, Ground of Being, and universal moral values challenging the naturalistic fallacy of “is-ought.” Theological implications focus on the Veil of Illusion, mystical experience, transcendence versus immanence, the causal joint problem, a specific Faith Process and a proposed field of applied spirituality, and the nature of soul. A common discussion for all disciplines is the role of ontology and a worldview that demands disciplinary agreement.
In a letter to Bishops from Buenos Aires, Pope Francis supports a praxis of Communion to the divorced and remarried which diverges from magisterial precedent, and theologians have asked if this praxis is a rupture in the church’s moral tradition on intrinsically evil objects and adultery. Using criteria provided by Pope John Paul II’s Thomistic personalism, supplemented by Aquinas’ teaching on the essential elements of a natural law marriage, this article demonstrates how, in situations of moral impossibility, Pope Francis’ proposal is in continuity with, and not a rupture from, the church’s moral tradition regarding intrinsically evil objects.
The objective of this article is to conduct a systematic review of empirical research focused on the concept of God image within the context of Türkiye. The multidimensional nature of the God image is explored, and its associations with various variables, encompassing sociodemographic and psychological aspects, are thoroughly examined. The review also considers the correlation between God image and psychopathology, as well as spiritual care. The findings from this review, specific to the Turkish sample, suggest that the God image doesn't consistently vary with age, but a positive relationship is evident, indicating a tendency for a more positive God image with age. Women tend to have a more love-oriented God image than men. However, no significant distinctions were found in terms of income and educational levels. Moreover, variations of God image may be influenced by the type of school (religious or secular) and parental attitudes. Studies suggest that individuals raised in environments characterized by oppressive, authoritarian, or neglectful parenting are prone to form fear-oriented God images, while those with democratic parenting tend toward love-oriented God images. Subjective religiosity and positive religious coping are also proposed to have a positive correlation with the perception of God. Alongside sociodemographic variables, it is argued that a more positive and love-oriented God image is positively associated with enhanced psychological health, greater well-being, effective coping, positive self-esteem, lower depression, and fewer psychopathological symptoms. Despite the insights from the review of 55 studies, the diversity of examined variables necessitates more extensive research to draw general conclusions for each variable within the Turkish sample. Finally, fields requiring further investigation were also identified.
W niniejszym artykule autor podjął refleksję nad narzędziami nowej ewangelizacji Kościoła w Polsce. Na wstępie doprecyzował pojęcie nowej ewangelizacji i nakreślił różnice terminologiczne związane z tą problematyką. Wskazał na zewnętrzne i wewnętrzne uwarunkowania, w jakich sytuuje się Kościół w Polsce oraz określił
adresatów, do których trzeba dotrzeć z orędziem ewangelicznym. Uwzględniając zawarte w artykule faktory, przedstawił narzędzia nowej ewangelizacji, które w dynamicznie zmieniającej się rzeczywistości są wykorzystywane w Kościele w Polsce.
This paper argues that the unconscious dimensions of the moral life—for example, moral vision, moral imagination, and distorted consciousness—are some of the most urgent provinces of moral theology today. Historically, moral theology was concerned with moral quandaries and observable actions, and moral agents were understood to be rational, deliberate, self-aware decision makers. Cultures of sin, such as racism and sexual violence, require that moral theologians reconceive of moral agency. Confronting these unconscious dimensions of the moral life requires integrating research in disciplines such as science, sociology, history, and anthropology with Christian ethics, pushing the boundaries of what has traditionally been understood to be the domain of moral theology. As an example, this paper draws upon the mutually reinforcing theories of moral intuition, developed by social and moral psychologists, and recent theories of social sin in Christian ethics, arguing that attention to the unconscious province of the moral life is necessary for developing an accurate conception of moral agency and for future work in moral formation. This paper concludes with a modest proposal for how stories might enable awareness of our distorted consciousness.
Bu makale, Almanya odaklı olarak, Avrupa’da Yükseköğretimde İslam İlahiyatı konusunda yaşanan gelişmeleri konu edinmektedir. Amaç, son yıllarda Avrupa üniversitelerinde İslam İlahiyatı ile ilgili yaşanmakta olan gelişmeleri tespit ederek imkânlar ve sorunlar bağlamında değerlendirmektir. Yahudi-Hıristiyan-Batı değerlerine sahip olan Avrupa devletleri ve milletleri, birlikte yaşamak durumunda oldukları ve sayıları giderek artan Müslümanların kendileriyle uyum içinde yaşayabilmelerinin yollarını aramaktadır. Konu Avrupa’da İslam’ın ve Müslümanların geleceği açısından önem arz etmektedir. Bu arayışların bir boyutu da Avrupa üniversitelerinde İslam ilahiyatı programı oluşturma çalışmalarıdır. Acaba Avrupa değerleriyle uyumlu yaşayacak bir İslam yorumu üretmek mümkün müdür? sorusu, başta Almanya olmak üzere Avrupa genelinde üzerinde durulan önemli bir meseledir. İki binli yıllarda başlayan ve son on yıldır hız kazanan İslam ilahiyatı akademik arayışı ve çalışmaları bu soruya cevap üretmek amacındadır. Batı Avrupa değerleri ile barışık yaşayabilecek bir İslam anlayışını üretmek ve bu İslam anlayışıyla İslam din eğitimi ve din hizmetleri verecek insanları yetiştirmek Avrupa’daki İslam İlahiyatı girişimlerinin temel amacını oluşturmaktadır. Konu, ilgili literatüre dayalı olarak metin analizi ve uzun yıllara dayalı tecrübeler ışığında otobiyografik yöntemlerle ele alınmaktadır.
Artykuł dotyczy kościołów i grup religijnych, które powstawały w Afryce na bazie chrześcijaństwa w XX w. Przykładem jest tu religijność ludności zamieszkującej rejon Basenu Dolnego Konga. Początkowo aktywność religijna była tu wyrazem protestu przeciw segregacji rasowej i wyzyskowi kolonialnemu. Powstające kościoły niezależne były często kuźnią rodzących się nacjonalizmów. Ożywiane duchem mesjańskim przyrzekały lepszą przyszłość wraz z uzyskaniem niepodległości. Z czasem kościoły te się zinstytucjonalizowały, a państwa uzyskały niepodległość, ale nie oznaczało to obiecanej świetlanej rzeczywistości. Wręcz przeciwnie. Kryzys lat osiemdziesiątych i dziewięćdziesiątych XX w. spowodował wzrost ubóstwa i zakwestionowanie dotychczasowego rozwoju. Na tym podatnym gruncie powstawały nowe ruchy religijne o charakterze neopentekostalnym, które głoszą teologię dobrobytu i praktyczne zbawienie, w ramach którego możliwe jest wyjście z biedy przez osobiste nawrócenie i zaangażowanie religijne. W związku z wielką popularnością tych ruchów, niezależne kościoły afrykańskie zmuszone są do znacznych adaptacji.
In 1985 Kurt Vonnegut produced a satirical novel entitled Galapagos, in which the author explored a possible earth set one million years in the future. Human beings “have quietly evolved into sleek, furry creatures with flippers, and small brains.”[1]
Vonnegut posits a world in which human logic, derived from the functioning of three-kilogramme brains, has resulted in the downfall of the species, prior to the evolution of the seal-like creatures. This article explores the novel from an ecocritical perspective, including references to the work of Greg Garrard, Rachel Carson and Arne Naess. Charles Darwin’s work is also considered, because the novel’s title and setting allude to his work on evolution.
This article will argue that Vonnegut believes human beings should change their thought and behaviour patterns if we are to have an optimistic future.
[1] This quote is from the blurb on the back cover of the Flamingo edition, 1994.
https://doi.org/10.19108/KOERS.85.1.2491
Three previous articles in this journal reviewed the history of philosophy at Potchefstroom from the beginning of the previous century up to about 2009. In this and the next contribution the writer, acting again as a fly on the wall, provides a peephole on the current situation at the end of 2017. As the subtitle suggests, it seems that Christian philosophy at Potchefstroom has arrived at the cross-roads. Different reasons, like the on-going secularisation of the North West University have contributed to the situation. A cause for differences within the School of Philosophy may also be that lecturers from outside the tradition of a Reformational approach are critical about the traditional Christian philosophical approach of more than a century. Since his viewpoint is one clear example of such an alternative approach the academic training, publications and viewpoint of Prof. Anné H. Verhoef will investigated in detail in a last (fifth) contribution. The present article about the main contours of a Reformational approach in philosophy serves as a necessary background from which the philosophical theology of Verhoef will be analysed and evaluated in the conclusion of this series.
SAMEVATTING
In drie vorige artikels in hierdie tydskrif is die geskiedenis van filosofie op Potchefstroom vanaf die begin van die vorige eeu tot ongeveer 2009 behandel. In hierdie en die volgende bydrae bied die skrywer, weer ʼn vlieg teen die muur, ʼn volgende kyk op die huidige situasie teen die einde van 2017. Soos die subtitel van die huidige artikel aandui, wil dit voorkom asof die Potchefstroomse Christelike filosofie tans voor ʼn tweesprong te staan gekom het. Verskillende redes kan daarvoor aangevoer word, soos die voortgaande sekularisering van die Noord-Wes Universiteit (NWU). ʼn Oorsaak vir die verskille binne die Skool vir Filosofie, kan moontlik ook daarin gesoek word dat dosente van buite die tradisionele Christelik-Reformatoriese tradisie bygekom het en die denkgemeenskap van meer as ʼn eeu nie deel nie. As een voorbeeld van so ʼn alternatiewe visie sal die akademiese agtergrond, publikasies en standpunt van prof. A.H. Verhoef in ʼn laaste (vyfde) bydrae in besonderhede nagegaan word. Die huidige artikel oor die hoofkontoere van ʼn Reformatoriese wysbegeerte dien as agtergrond waarteen die filosofiese teologie van Verhoef in die slotartikel analiseer en evalueer sal word.
https://doi.org/10.19108/KOERS.84.1.2454
The current article has investigated the impact of M. L. Andreasen’s thought with regard to the atonement, the delay of the parousia, the human nature of Christ on a number of influential theological successors of the aforementioned. These have taken Andreasen’s Christological understanding to a new level, which is a clearly perfectionist view of religion. This, in turn, has exerted a very powerful influence on the Seventh-day Adventist understanding of moral character formation in the first half of the 20th century and beyond. In this view, victory over personal character defects, as well as the sinful propensities residing in the fallen human nature of Adam’s descendants can be and has to be achieved in terms of a sinless perfection akin to Christ’s sinless moral performance. Such a moral performance has to be imitated on the part of the last generation of believers, the 144, 000, which is an indispensable condition of Christ’s second coming, according to the theology of Andreasen’s followers.
The anthropology of Christianity has struggled to theorize the place of theology in Christian social life. Drawing on Alasdair MacIntyre's account of virtue ethics, in particular his concepts of practice, narrative, and moral tradition, I explore the reception of Pentecostal theology in the Nepali city of Bhaktapur. I show how local Christians have drawn on Pentecostal eschatology to develop a pacifistic ethics, allowing them to negotiate local social and religious conflicts. The belief that Christ has decisively defeated evil spirits allows local Christians to detach themselves from cycles of aggression connected with witchcraft accusations, providing a space of security in which to cultivate distinctive practices of care. Connecting this local theology with a wider tradition in Pentecostal moral thought, I argue that MacIntyre's virtue ethics provides a powerful tool for interpreting the relationship between local circumstance and extra-local theology, and for studying cross-cultural patterns of theological reception.
There has been a definite turn in practical theology and theology at large in the last four decades. The inadequacies of the Enlightenment project to keep in tension the rational and non-rational traditions of interpretations, significance of the relative for universal moral appropriation, the importance of lived experiences for identity, the critical engagement of tradition and choice, and the widening gap between the finite and infinite are addressed within a narrative approach. Another voice is added to narrative approaches for the interpretation of person, the world and God. Narrative approach for meaning making of person, world and God through reasoning is embedded in experience. A common thread of narrative theology is that persons can make sense of themselves, the world and God through stories. A narrative approach to theology is much more than a bridge between interpretation and first order language. It is the process, structure, and form of interpretation and reflection of the experience, activities, and communication of the Christian community through stories. An open ended narrative approach engages critically with constants such as reason, particularity, history, community and experience. A brief overview of narrative within theology and within practical theology in particular is followed by a historical overview of the development of the use of narrative. An open ended narrative with specific characteristics makes up the main components of the article.