The phenomenon of dehumanization and destruction of the universe is a major crisis that challenges all aspects of life, especially the moral and ethical aspect of today's global society. This crisis motivates the citizens of the world to rethink the way people view the image of God and the universe. The divinity paradigm described by the Abrahamic religions is supernatural transcendent, as if it is far removed from the universe. The paradigm of anthropocentrism, which places man as the center in the order of the universe, considers man as the ruler of the universe, perceives man as the conqueror of the universe, and therefore treats the universe as a commodity. The divinity and humanity depicted are correlated with the phenomenon of dehumanization and destruction of the natural environment. The purpose of this research is to strengthen the new perspective of the global community today on the universe and the resources that exist in it. The eco-philosophical or eco-spiritual perspective strengthens the global community to rediscover the underlying spiritual religious values and colour the way of thinking, behaving, and behaving significantly in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The essence is to achieve the harmony of the sustainability of human development, and in the same phase, maintain the integrity of the sustainability of the entities of the universe and the resources in it. This study uses a phenomenological method to analyze the phenomenon or concept of religious mentality in a global society. It contributes positively to the new paradigm of the phenomenon of the presence of the divinity in earthly phenomena, which is the spiritual religious basis in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. This study uses the theoretical framework of participation mystique and collective representation as the basis for writing.
Ivan Bilosevych, Hanna Voshkolup, Andriy Hirnyak
et al.
The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of the psychological dimensions of religious faith on the sense of coherence among military personnel, serving as an indicator of heightened stress tolerance. The study employed empirical methods, including questionnaires as well as both qualitative and quantitative analyses. The Duke Religiosity Index was utilized to assess the level of religiosity among military personnel, encompassing three dimensions: organizational religious activity, nonorganizational religious activity, and intrinsic religiosity. To evaluate the level of coherence in military personnel under stress and combat conditions, the Antonovsky SOC-13 scale was employed, utilizing a 7-point rating system. The sense of coherence was examined through three components: comprehensibility, manageability, and awareness. The findings of the survey revealed that the sense of coherence among religious servicemen was 23.3 points higher than that of their non-religious counterparts, indicating a superior level of stress resilience. The perception of comprehensibility regarding the surrounding situation was 1.05 points higher among believing military personnel compared to non-believers. The study revealed the impact of the stressful situations experience encountered by combatants on their attitudes toward faith. Religious servicemen confirmed that their faith was strengthened by the adverse military environment (87%). However, 96% of non-believers reported that the military context had no impact on changes in their religious status. The insights obtained from this study may prove invaluable to military psychologists, chaplains, and researchers.
In this paper, the author presents a basic overview of a range of philosophical approaches to the notion of war from the early ancient Greek traditions relating to war, to the conservative tradition. The desktop research methodology employed combines a review of existing literature with a focus on analysis, synthesis, and ethical considerations. By utilizing a diverse range of sources and analytical techniques, it aims to contribute to a better understanding of a ‘just and ethical war’ and provides insights for further research. A range of philosophical ideas through the ages are briefly discussed followed by discussion on the Just War Theory. The role of abolitionists per se is not discussed since this work is then traversing St. Augustine’s philosophy and ethical stance apropos the waging of war which exemplifies the justice and peace aspect in restoring order out of chaos. He calls for an ethos of humanness to prevail when conducting war based on the intention to preserve harmonious co-existence between peoples. Augustine argues that waging any war should be avoided where this is
possible, however, a just war allows for the acquisition of virtue which then hopefully leads to justice. The morality of waging war is severely compromised once narcissistic vested immoral interests are the primary motivators for belligerence and no genuine peaceful resolution to conflict has been seriously sought as is seemingly the case in the current Gaza war and its prevailing atrocities. Predictably various philosophers have investigated the subject of ‘just
war’ and over time have determined the criteria of jus ad bellum (justice toward war), jus in bello (justice in war), and also jus post bellum (justice after war). It is clear that it is imperative to operate off a strong ethical basis when opting for a state of war to exist and to strongly consider preserving the safety and security of non-belligerents at all costs.
This article is based on ethnographic research for a doctoral study that was conducted in 2016 among the Ndau people of Chimanimani, Zimbabwe. The article described and assessed the practice of some African Christian churches, especially missionary founded churches, to conduct ‘white church weddings’ after getting married customarily. The study employs a postcolonial approach as a theoretical lens. It argues for a hybridized form of Christian marriage that takes into cognizance the validity of African customary marriages in and for
themselves, while at the same time appreciating the importance ascribed to ‘church weddings’ in especially missionary-founded churches. The study uses the case study of the Ndau people, but the phenomenon is widely practised among African Christians across the continent. In the article, doctoral thesis findings were related with Erlank’s (2014) work on marriages in South Africa. The article offered description, critique (postcolonial, gender, class), and suggested
interventions. Critical phenomenology was utilized to assess the findings and to expose the power relations that exist in the hierarchical treatment of African customary marriages as of an inferior status compared to church weddings. The economic aspect of the duplication of marriages was also foregrounded. The article underscores the importance of ethnographic research on religion as a human phenomenon in Southern Africa and beyond, as well as a critical assessment of the phenomenon. It provided several possible interventions for African missionary-founded churches.
The focus is women suffering due to commercialisation of religion in Neo-Pentecostal Churches. Most of the religion commercialists are men with women as victims of Gender Based Violence (GBV). The CRL Commission discovered that women participation in religious commercial practices is quite alarming in terms of the ratio between men and women. There is a very serious gender bias in these churches in terms of abuse and outrageous practices. This paper focuses
on vulnerability of women caused by marriage expectations, barrenness, divorce, and lack of leadership. The methods and techniques of religious commercialists will be used as demonstrations that women are indeed the victims of these malpractices. The area of finances will be highlighted to capture the truth that indeed women are victims of commercialisation of religion. Literature and social media will be engaged to validate facts. Theology of dialogue (God-talk) contributes towards the solution to these practices that have tainted the Pentecostal faith with negative outlook. Appeal is made to male perpetrators to reevaluate their patriarchal egos at the expense of women and that their theology should take a new turn of embracing feminist theology, which helps to understand the women’s value as God’s image carriers.
The status of a pastor’s wife is an honourable position with huge responsibility. She holds a unique role in advising, encouraging, and cautioning the man who bears the responsibility of leading the church. Yet, the pastor’s wife is an often neglected discourse both in the academic and ministerial spaces. Churches like the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) adumbrate the role of the pastor’s wife both in liturgy and operations. There is a paucity of literature on the personality and role of a pastor’s wife. Nevertheless, the COVID-19 pandemic has made the role of the pastor’s wife more cumbersome. Church life has not remained the same since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the eventual lockdown laws on social, public, and religious convergence. This study sought to determine the role that a pastor’s wife plays alongside her husband in the ministry. A descriptive approach was adopted as the basic methodology for this study with the research tool of structured interviews. The role of women in the early church is also briefly reconnoitred in order to demonstrate that women have a very important in a church, including the wives of ministers and preachers. The study recommended that churches like ECWA should give due attention to the status and role of pastors’ wives in their traditions and liturgy.
Also, ECWA, like Salvation Army, should prepare and organize ongoing educational programmes to equip and empower pastors’ wives for optimum performance and fruitful results in church ministries. Likewise, pastors’ wives are enjoined to rise to their calling by giving necessary support to their spouses at home, church, and community spaces.
The practice of meditation has become popular in Western countries during the last decades as an Eastern, and predominantly Buddhist, exercise. However, when properly compared, Christian contemplation and Buddhist meditation show numerous similarities. This paper sets out to determine the extent of comparability between these practices of the two traditions and how they are embedded in their respective theoretical frameworks. Additionally, as a further step, it aims to demonstrate how contemplative practice can act as a basis for Buddhist–Christian dialogue. The research centres around the works of two eminent monks of the 20thcentury, the American Trappist Thomas Merton and the Vietnamese Thiền master Thích Nhất Hạnh. Their work provides an ideal target of analysis, since both were not only widely appreciated members of their respective traditions but also deeply engaged in interreligious dialogue, and thus they had a proper understanding of each other’s tradition. In this paper, the author will first analyse and compare the works of Nhất Hạnh and Merton written on contemplation during approximately the same time to determine what exactly they understand by the terms ‘meditation’ and ‘contemplative prayer’, respectively. Then, their works regarding the other monk’s respective religious tradition will be discussed and compared to see what the two authors select as main avenues of comparison. The main conclusions of the article are that the concepts of meditation and contemplation in Buddhism and Christianity denote strikingly similar exercises, which aim to achieve similar goals despite differences in theoretical formulation. For Merton, Christian contemplation aims to reconnect the believer to God with whom the initial unity was lost through the Fall of Man and the establishment of the ego-self as an entity separate from God. Such contemplation needs to happen in interior solitude and involve a complete self-emptying of the believer to become one with God. Since separation from God through the ego is the fundamental problem of humans, reconnecting to God through contemplation is seen as the highest form of prayer and, indeed, life. In a similar vein, for Nhất Hạnh, the fundamental problem of humanity is the misconception of a permanent self, which results in dividing the world into different, separate entities. Thus, for him, similarly to Merton, the goal is to reach a supreme unity beyond distinctions and duality. Moreover, the way to such unity is precisely meditation, which can best unify body and mind and thus bring forth Buddhahood. Then, as the second step, the article presents how Merton and Nhất Hạnh draw parallels between Christianity and Buddhism on the basis of similar contemplation. Merton points to, among others, the connection between God and the absolute Void of Zen, kenosis and śūnyatā, whereas Nhất Hạnh points to similarities between nirvāṇa and the Kingdom of God as well as mindfulness and the Holy Spirit. Thus, the paper provides a thorough analysis of the similarities of meditation practice in Christianity and Buddhism, as practiced by Thomas Merton and Thích Nhất Hạnh, and how these similarities can provide a basis for dialogue between the two religions in modern times.
This paper explores the scholarship and intellectual contribution of the second series of World Order magazine, which published from 1966 until 2008 over 38 volumes. In so doing, I provide a narrative overview of the main themes and papers in World Order, and by extension some of the topics being discussed in the worldwide Bahā’ī community. This is complemented by interviews with past World Order editors, who provided information on papers, topics and issues that generated the most interest and print runs, a listing of the number of pieces and articles by topic, and a questionnaire survey of those attending an academic Bahā’ī conference. I compare themes identified in the overview with contemporary discourses over a similar period drawing on surveys of textbook and journal contents in similar areas. In addition, I summarise available information on the most cited (from Google Scholar) and downloaded (from Bahā’ī Library online) World Order papers, and hence those contributions with the most impact using these quantitative approaches. I show that Abizadeh’s paper on ‘Ethnicity, Race, and a Possible Humanity’, which discusses how the concept of the oneness of humanity can potentially address racial problems, is the most cited paper, and Stokes’s paper on ‘The Story of Joseph in Five Religious Traditions’, a piece on comparative religion, is the most downloaded. Overall, the most cited and downloaded papers are indicative of the breadth of topics covered in World Order, with pieces on political philosophy, law, education, history, theology, and psychology. The number of articles and editorials on social issues, such as racial justice, women’s rights, and environmentalism, is one indication that the Bahā’ī community was at the forefront of thinking about social action.
The purpose of this study is to examine the life that is driven by the Kingdom of God based on Matthew 5-7, which must be implemented and realized in the daily life of every citizen of the Kingdom of God so that Jesus' prayer "Thy kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven” can be realized. The method used in this study was a qualitative method with a
biblical and bibliographical literature study approach. This was through the science of exegesis because the research is based on the Bible and more especially on Matthew 5-7. This method of literature study is carried out to support the truth obtained through intensive Bible study.
The research was conducted to better ascertain a life driven by the Kingdom of God which is characterized by various indicators, the character of the citizens of the Kingdom of God, the influence of the citizens of the Kingdom of God, the morality of the citizens of the Kingdom of God, the piety of the citizens of the Kingdom of God, the ambitions of the citizens of the
Kingdom of God, the relations of the citizens of the Kingdom of God and the submission of the citizens of the Kingdom God.
Philosophical thought in Brahmanism has had a great impact on the life, religion and culture of the Indian region in general and the Cham people in Vietnam in particular. This thought introduces concepts such as Brahman, reincarnation, connection and self-awareness, providing a holistic view of the world and one's place in it. Brahmanism has shaped religions such as Hinduism and influenced the development of Buddhism and Islam in the region. Although it has undergone change and challenge, this ideology is still present in the religions and cultures of the region, with deep cultural and philosophical values. In Vietnam, the Cham people are one of 54 ethnic groups living in the same territory. The Cham people have received Brahmanism and modified it to suit the living conditions of people. The process of introducing Brahmanism, along with concepts such as Brahman, reincarnation and the interconnection of all things, Brahmanism has created a profound way of looking at the world and life. This ideology has influenced the culture, religion and spiritual life of the Cham people. However, with the exposure and impact of other religions such as Buddhism and Islam, Brahmanism thought has become less popular in the Cham community. In this article, from the perspective of philosophy, the author will clarify the ideas of philosophy in Brahmanism and its impact on the Cham people in Vietnam.
The set of eighth-century objects known as the “Tōdaiji Golden Hall Platform Pacifying Objects” (Tōdaiji Kondō chindangu 東大寺金堂鎮壇具; “Tōdaiji objects”) is among the earliest concrete evidence of ritual practice in the Nara period. This study reveals how the Tōdaiji objects transformed the space inside the temple’s colossal central statue of the Vairocana Buddha into a symbolic heavenly realm where the deceased would traverse to arrive at Vairocana’s Pure Land. Close analysis of the Tōdaiji objects within Sovereigns Shōmu’s and Kōken’s religiopolitical applications of the Kegon teaching strengthens Okumura Hideo’s argument that Kōken orchestrated the emplacement of these objects in the year 757 as part of commemorating the one-year anniversary of Shōmu’s death. I argue that the Tōdaiji objects encapsulated Kōken’s filial piety towards her father, Shōmu, by praying for his swift ascension to Vairocana’s Pure Land. The objects furthermore served as a reenactment of Buddhist repentance that not only ensured Shōmu’s salvation, but also the prosperity of Kōken’s new reign.
This paper sought to explore the perceptions of and the experiences of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa (MCSA) on teenage care in territories of the Port Elizabeth North Circuit. It is during adolescence that religious beliefs and values are anticipated to begin to assume the same meanings that they have in later life. The study, from which this paper is derived, was informed
by a qualitative approach using a case study design. The study also used interviews complemented by focus group discussions as data collection methods. The study comprised 22 participants who remained anonymous, that were selected through the use of a purposive sampling technique. This paper revealed the following thematic findings: Convictions on the lives
of teenagers, teenager’s habits that affect behavior, observation of teenagers’ aggressions. Furthermore, this paper employed a pastoral care approach as a theoretical or conceptual framework and made the following recommendations: There is need for the MCSA to have committees that will formulate structures for sustaining projects and give an account of finance
utilization as many teenagers drop out from school for financial reasons. The MCSA, Department of Social Development, NGOs and the Department of Health should work together to strategize on structuring the welfare of children in communities general. The MCSA should take into account
all the special conditions that are associated with child abuse. The Methodist should develop a teenage care policy and integrate it into its existing polices.
The Gathas, as Zoroaster's own compositions, contain the oldest eschatological material, describing a picture of the future with a clear vision of the victory of right over wrong. The revelatory character of the text is about an involuntary and inevitable future, but in the text of the Gathas Zarathustra speaks of free will and discretion in this victory. In fact, Zarathustra conception of this victory is based on a moral progress that leads to a voluntary decision for what is right. After the Gathas and also brief portions of the young Avesta, the most detailed accounts of the eschatology of this religion are found in the Pahlavi texts. The remarkable point is that the revelations narrated in these texts describe a dark future and the destruction of humanity in a picture completely opposed to the thoughts of Zarathustra. Undoubtedly, this contradiction in the description of the afterlife in the Zoroastrian religion shows the evolution in the intellectual n ature and the structure of the philosophy of the history of the Zoroastrian religion, which has occurred under the influence of the political and social transformations of the Zoroastrian world and its confrontation with other ideas and religions. Based on this, the main problem of this research is to investigate the evolution of Zoroastrian religion's revelatory ideas, and especially the origin of the world's ages and metals in the later texts of Zoroastrian religion. By examining the texts and sources of Zoroastrian religion and Greek and Roman texts, this research concludes that with the political transformations and the collapse of the Achaemenid government and the domination of the Macedonian government over Zoroastrian land, the revelatory works of Zoroastrian religion were changed and transformed to explain and justify the situation. Based on Stoic-Hellenic revelatory texts, which presented a deteriorating image of the end of mankind, these narratives made the chaotic state of the Zoroastrian society after the fall of the Achaemenids acceptable and rational.
Schopenhauer’s theory of religion is mainly discussed in his ethics. Therefore, conventional studies often argue that Schopenhauer made an attempt to make a rational justification of religion through the process of recognising the reason for religion’s existence in its ethical values. However, his theory of religion contains other aspects which cannot be discussed soley in terms of the above view, for he not only observed subtle differences between religion and ethics but even considered that religion could go against ethics at times. For this reason, we cannot simply say that Schopenhauer used ethics as a means to make a rational justification of religion. Rather, he viewed ethics as a standard for criticising religions, though he did not deny religion. He neither affirmed nor denied religion. Based on his ethics, he simply engaged in a philosophical analysis of a human activity called religion as he considered such an approach to be the appropriate one for a philosopher. On that account, what is important here is where in religion Schopenhauer saw the conditions for ethical values. From that point of view, this paper reinterprets his thought through descriptions in his major work, The World as Will and Representation, with an intention to offer a new reading of Schopenhauer’s theory of religion.
<p><b>Globally, over 65 million people have become involuntary displaced from their homes, their families and their livelihoods, victims of socio-political and cultural conflicts, manmade and environmental disasters. A global crisis is unfolding on an unprecedented scale.</b></p> <p>Refugee camps are today’s architecture of displacement, monuments of human suffering. The architectural language of the refugee crisis is one of grids of tents, tarpaulins and containers; a language of lightness and vulnerability. This failed architecture of displacement may be seen as an opportunity to re-evaluate how architecture may respond global crises. </p> <p>This thesis therefore aims to construct an innovative, adaptable infrastructure that responds to the global migration crisis. Slavoj Žižek’s idiosyncratic text ‘Against the Double Blackmail’ is taken as an intellectual provocateur for the research process. Žižek offers a highly speculative and radical response to global mass migration, affirming a utopian reconstruction of society as our only option to resolve this global crisis. Therefore, the architectural construction of ‘utopia’ as a highly poetic and symbolic response to the global migration crisis is examined and developed.</p> <p>The research is set in Istanbul, a geographical and cultural meeting point between Eastern and Western civilisations, and an international hub for refugees. The site itself is located in the ruins of St. Polyeuktos, an ancient, abandoned and dilapidated church in the centre of the cityBoth analogue and digital drawing are embraced as design methodologies to examine the architectural representation of Žižek’s utopia. The thesis culminates with a dynamic, sculptural formal expression of Žižek’s utopia, through the construct of an Institute of World Religions.</p>
Ifá is the natural wisdom and knowledge concerning all life activities divinely revealed to Ọ́ rúnmìlà by Olódùmarè, God in Yorùbá belief. It is the living foundation and custodian of the deity, moral, economic, language, religion, healing arts, tradition, culture and metaphysical orders. However,
the concern of this paper is on the moral contents of the natural laws in Ifá corpus. Basically, there are two fundamental codes of natural laws in Ifá divination under which all other laws in Ifá exist. The first law enjoined every human being to acknowledge Olódùmarè as the Supreme Being and
father of the universe who created all things. While the second law says “do unto others what you want them do unto you.” However, it is quite unfortunate that, today, these laws that linked human relationships with the Supreme Being and the dos and don’ts of the divinities and those that hold
the society together in harmonious relationships are no longer in proper use. This is evident in the lack of fear for the Creator, mismanagement of public funds, embezzlement and political killings, to mention a few. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to examine the natural laws in Ifá and suggest how it can help sustain our fragile democracy as it did in the traditional society in
the past for the sake of our future. The paper is premised on Matthew Flanagan’s theory of divine commands which asserts that what is moral is determined by what God commands, and to be moral is to follow his commands.
The synoptic Gospels in the New Testament canon provide the information concerning the birth, life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. A careful reading reveals the similarities and differences among the Synoptics; one is somehow eager to provide an explanation. Over the years, the similarities and differences in the Synoptic gospels pose significant challenges to the doctrines and expositions of the texts. Why are there varieties in language agreement among
them? Is any of the writer abreast with the work of one (or more) of the other? Are they dependent
on older, now lost written sources? In other words, the literary relationship is what constitutes the
Synoptic Problem. It is thus, the attempt to answer these questions by Synoptic scholars for about
the last two hundred years. The research observes that the scope of ‘Synoptic problem’ is wide,
because of varying schools of thoughts that have developed over time; however, the scope of this
discourse is centered on J.J. Griesbach and Streeter’s arguments.
Bacantes de Eurípides resume en cierto modo la historia de la tragedia. Los rituales más primitivos se incorporan en la figura de Penteo y el travestismo. En Tiresias y Cadmo se impone la visión civilizada con que el ritual se incorpora en la ciudad de Atenas.
Ello se puede explicar al insertar la obra en las prácticas religiosas propias de los festivales dionisíacos y el proceso experimentado por ellos en la historia cultural y política de Atenas, que los obliga a interesarse por las vicisitudes propias de las preocupaciones cívicas de la democracia.