Hasil untuk "Practical religion. The Christian life"

Erwan Plantec, Gautier Hamon, Mayalen Etcheverry et al.

Central to the artificial life endeavour is the creation of artificial systems spontaneously generating properties found in the living world such as autopoiesis, self-replication, evolution and open-endedness. While numerous models and paradigms have been proposed, cellular automata (CA) have taken a very important place in the field notably as they enable the study of phenomenons like self-reproduction and autopoiesis. Continuous CA like Lenia have been showed to produce life-like patterns reminiscent, on an aesthetic and ontological point of view, of biological organisms we call creatures. We propose in this paper Flow-Lenia, a mass conservative extension of Lenia. We present experiments demonstrating its effectiveness in generating spatially-localized patters (SLPs) with complex behaviors and show that the update rule parameters can be optimized to generate complex creatures showing behaviors of interest. Furthermore, we show that Flow-Lenia allows us to embed the parameters of the model, defining the properties of the emerging patterns, within its own dynamics thus allowing for multispecies simulations. By using the evolutionary activity framework as well as other metrics, we shed light on the emergent evolutionary dynamics taking place in this system.

Yingqiang Gao, Fabian Winiger, Patrick Montjourides et al.

Religion and spirituality (R/S) are complex and highly domain-dependent concepts which have long confounded researchers and policymakers. Due to their context-specificity, R/S are difficult to operationalize in conventional archival search strategies, particularly when datasets are very large, poorly accessible, and marked by information noise. As a result, considerable time investments and specialist knowledge is often needed to extract actionable insights related to R/S from general archival sources, increasing reliance on published literature and manual desk reviews. To address this challenge, we present SpiritRAG, an interactive Question Answering (Q&A) system based on Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). Built using 7,500 United Nations (UN) resolution documents related to R/S in the domains of health and education, SpiritRAG allows researchers and policymakers to conduct complex, context-sensitive database searches of very large datasets using an easily accessible, chat-based web interface. SpiritRAG is lightweight to deploy and leverages both UN documents and user provided documents as source material. A pilot test and evaluation with domain experts on 100 manually composed questions demonstrates the practical value and usefulness of SpiritRAG.

Agrima Seth, Monojit Choudhary, Sunayana Sitaram et al.

Representational bias in large language models (LLMs) has predominantly been measured through single-response interactions and has focused on Global North-centric identities like race and gender. We expand on that research by conducting a systematic audit of GPT-4 Turbo to reveal how deeply encoded representational biases are and how they extend to less-explored dimensions of identity. We prompt GPT-4 Turbo to generate over 7,200 stories about significant life events (such as weddings) in India, using prompts designed to encourage diversity to varying extents. Comparing the diversity of religious and caste representation in the outputs against the actual population distribution in India as recorded in census data, we quantify the presence and "stickiness" of representational bias in the LLM for religion and caste. We find that GPT-4 responses consistently overrepresent culturally dominant groups far beyond their statistical representation, despite prompts intended to encourage representational diversity. Our findings also suggest that representational bias in LLMs has a winner-take-all quality that is more biased than the likely distribution bias in their training data, and repeated prompt-based nudges have limited and inconsistent efficacy in dislodging these biases. These results suggest that diversifying training data alone may not be sufficient to correct LLM bias, highlighting the need for more fundamental changes in model development. Dataset and Codebook: https://github.com/agrimaseth/How-Deep-Is-Representational-Bias-in-LLMs

Živa Kos, Veronika Tašner

This article examines the complex interplay between plurality and neutrality in Slovenian education in the context of increasing religious and cultural diversity associated with global migration. Drawing on a pilot study conducted with five primary school counsellors working in high-diversity school environments, it explores the tensions between the normative principles of plurality and neutrality and their practical implementation in everyday school life. The aim is to highlight the concrete challenges that schools and school staff encounter when addressing religious and cultural diversity. The pilot study shows that schools react differently to religious and cultural diversity, depending on the challenges faced by pupils, staff, school management and family-school co-operation. While the study included pupils from various religious backgrounds, only certain minority groups, particularly Muslim pupils, emerged as the minority group most clearly observed in the interviews. This visibility reflects the combination of cultural and religious differences from the majority and the more explicit demands these pupils and their families raised within the school context. In contrast, Orthodox Christian pupils were generally perceived as culturally and institutionally aligned with the majority population, and their practices (such as observing their New Year or other holidays) were accommodated by the existing school system without specific challenges. It also suggests that there are different understandings of how schools should teach neutrality and plurality beyond the official curriculum. The study identifies common challenges that schools face in relation to religious and cultural diversity, some of which are closely linked to the multicultural approach to education. The challenges identified are illustrated using Muslim pupils as an example of the minority group most prominently observed in the data, while acknowledging that other minority groups may experience different or less visible challenges. The findings are therefore limited to the context observed in this pilot study and cannot be generalised to all minority pupils in Slovenia.

Bilge Nur Öztürk

Purpose The psychological foundations of consumers’ reasons for product choices are analyzed in the field of marketing. The purpose of this research is to identify the implicit reasons for white meat consumption in the UK and Turkey. Design/methodology/approach In the scope of the means-end chain theory, in-depth interviews were conducted with individuals, and the reasons for consumers’ product preferences were revealed by moving from concrete to abstract. Findings It has been determined that the white meat consumption of Muslims in the UK is primarily shaped by their religious approach. In Turkey, on the contrary, both consumption patterns and reasons for preference are changing. It has been found that white meat consumption is associated with values such as security needs, satisfaction with life, self-fulfillment and happiness. Research limitations/implications This research has contributed to the marketing literature by examining consumers’ implicit consumption reasons for white meat in the context of religion and culture. Practical implications Marketing strategies should focus on building trust in halal certification, particularly in the UK. Brands should associate their promotion strategies with feelings of security and happiness, which are associated in the minds of consumers. Originality/value This study is a new study in terms of revealing the connotations of consumers about consuming chicken and fish and showing the implicit needs that the brands can emotionally associate with.

F. Freeks

This paper presents an intervention aimed at enhancing family well-being through eco-theology. Through a comprehensive approach, including a literature review, survey, interviews, and pastoral or biblical counseling, this study examines intricate connections between religion, nature, society, church, and the family, particularly in light of urgent ecological concerns. The social ills of our society are real-life situations that impact the eco-system. While eco-theology emphasizes sustainability, ethical concerns, and environmental stewardship, it also recognizes the threats posed by father absence, gender-based violence (GBV), and moral and ethical quandaries, especially within the family context. Eco-theology, as a form of constructive theology, delves into these relationships within the framework of God's design, grounded in the Being of the triune God. However, contemporary societal perspectives often depict families as marred by abuse, brokenness, divorce, and violence, deviating from the divine intent. The disruption of family life reverberates through society, violating fundamental social morals and community values. In the context of South Africa, significant changes in family composition contribute to numerous broken relationships. Practical theology contends that the Bible serves as the foundation for Christian living within the realms of family, church, and community (2 Tim 3:16), emphasizing God's care and concern for families. Pastoral care, a division of practical theology, addresses prevalent social issues such as father absence, GBV, and moral and values quandaries. Therefore, an intervention is crucial for addressing these social issues and providing training, equipping, empowering, resources, and support to families. Through a series of discussions and inquiries focused on parenting, family well-being, values, and relationships, this intervention aims to foster a deeper understanding and implementation of strategies to address these pressing issues prevalent within South African families.

Osman Şahin

This study critiques study of African religions as a singular phenomenon under the umbrella term "African Traditional Religion" and rejects this reductionist approach, suggesting that a more detailed approach that recognises the diversity and plurality of religions on the African continent would allow for more insightful results in the study of religion in Africa. Along with Islam and Christianity, many religions indigenous to African peoples are still practised in Africa. Information about African religions was first provided in the works written mostly by Westerners. The works written by Christian missionaries, anthropologists, soldiers and researchers on religious life in Africa, both before and after the colonial period, have been the trendsetters of the "religion in Africa" literature. In such studies, Africa was analysed as a totality and the term " African Traditional Religion" was created. Besides, these studies were mostly biased, they often looked at religious phenomena from the perspective of Christianity and tried to Christianise them, and even more importantly, they made generalisations and presented all religions as a single religion. Later works by Africans were mostly written by Africans who converted to Christianity. This has led to the continuation of the reductionist and generalising approach in the relevant literature. Studies conducted from this perspective have typically situated African religions within frameworks that emphasize concepts such as the Supreme Being, spirits, ancestor veneration, magic, and sorcery. By highlighting these shared phenomena and oral traditions, this reductionist and orientalist perspective has contributed to the perception of African religions as a singular, cohesive entity. Even today, this effect can be seen in many works. Just as it is an erroneous approach to consider the peoples of Africa as a single race or nation, it is equally problematic to consider the religions of Africa as a single religion. This approach, which places the understanding that there is a single religion in the whole continent based on some similarities observed among the religions in Africa, has prevented the understanding of religious diversity in Africa and African religions. Although it may seem like a practical and problem-free approach, it is obvious that this perspective hinders the understanding of African religions and hence the understanding of Africa. The articles and books analysed in the context of this study have been instrumental in identifying a number of problems associated with this perspective. Many researchers have used the singular term 'Traditional African Religion' and failed to acknowledge the differences between religions. Others have used the term “African Traditional Religion” in the singular, but have stated that religions in Africa should be considered in the plural. Some other researchers have sometimes used a singular and sometimes a plural expression and stated that these can change according to the context, and that both expressions are correct. A small number of researchers also acknowledged that the appropriate term is “religions in Africa” or “African Traditional Religions” in the plural form, in accordance with the points raised in this study. Therefore, this study argues that the individual characteristics of African religions should not be generalised and represented as a single phenomenon, but that a more accurate understanding of these still living religions, with particular emphasis on their differences, will contribute to the understanding of Africa.

Ömer Faruk Yiğiterol

Aynı dönemin farklı coğrafyalarında yaşamış şairlerin şiirlerindeki benzerlikleri tespit etme merakı, bu çalışmanın ortaya çıkış sebeplerinin başlıcasıdır. Türk İslam Edebiyatı sahasında kaleme alınan bu makale, kıyas ve karşılaştırmayla birlikte, esasında metinlerarasılık perspektifinden hareketle benzerlikleri ve yakınlıkları tespit etme gayesi taşımaktadır. “Klasik, kadim yahut eski” tabirleri çerçevesinde -Osmanlı edebiyatı özelinde- Doğu ve -İngiliz edebiyatı özelinde- Batı edebiyatına bakıldığında, aynı devirde yaşamış Urfalı Nâbî ve Stratford-upon-Avonlu Shakespeare, edebiyat sahasındaki yetkinlikleriyle dikkat çekerler. Shakespeare, daha çok tiyatro yazarlığı ile tanınsa da tiyatro metinlerinde bile şairliğini hissettirmektedir. Öyle ki T.S. Eliot, Hamlet’i ilk kez izleyen bir kişinin, konuşmaların nazım mı yoksa nesir mi olduğunu ayırt edemeyeceğini söylemiştir. Bu çalışmada, aynı dönemde yaşamalarına rağmen -çok büyük bir ihtimalle- birbirinden habersiz olan Nâbî’nin ve Shakespeare’in şiirlerindeki benzer konular ve söyleyişler üzerinde durulmuştur. Böylelikle aynı devrin sanatçılarının, dünyanın farklı noktalarında, farklı kalemler ve farklı mürekkeplerle aynı tabloyu çizebilecekleri gösterilmeye çalışılmıştır. Makale, giriş ve sonuç bölümleri haricinde toplamda 7 başlıktan meydana gelmektedir. Bu başlıklar sırasıyla Şiirin Kifayetsizliği, Sevgiliden Dolayı, Şiire Övgü, Şaire/Şiire Yergi, Poetika, Mana ve Yeni/Farklı Söyleyiş şeklindedir. Giriş bölümünde, Shakespeare ve Nâbî isimlerinin nasıl belirlendiğinden ve esas itibarıyla birbirinden tamamen farklı formlara sahip ve farklı bakış açılarıyla yazılmış şiirlerin benzerlik gösterebileceğinden bahsedilmiştir. Şiirin Kifayetsizliği başlığında, bazı zamanlarda şiirin şairin duygularını aktarmada yetersiz kaldığı düşüncesi işlenmiş ve her iki şairden getirilen örneklerle, şiirlerin yetersizliğinden ziyade kendi duygularının anlatılamaz nitelikte olduğundan söz edilmiştir. Sevgiliden Dolayı başlığı altında, her güzel sebebin varlığının sevgiliye bağlanışı ele alınmıştır. Şiire Övgü’de, şairin ve şiirin övgüye meyilli olduğundan bahsedilmiş ve getirilen örneklerle, iki şairin kendi şiirlerini ve şairliklerini ne derecede övdüğü gösterilmiştir. Şaire/Şiire Yergi bölümünde, şairlerin kendi şiirleri hariç diğer şiirleri beğenmedikleri vurgulanmış; böylelikle kendi şiirlerinin kusursuz olduğunu belirttikleri ifade edilmiştir. Poetika başlığında, her iki şairin de şiire bakışları verilmeye çalışılmıştır. Mana kısmında, anlamın şiirde ne derecede mühim olduğundan söz edilmiş ve iki şairin manaya verdikleri önemden bahsedilmiştir. Son başlık Yeni/Farklı Söyleyiş’te ise şairlerin orijinallik çabasından söz edilmiştir. Bu başlıklar ve başlıklar altındaki tahliller, Sonuç için içerik teşkil etmiş; Sonuç bölümünde farklı dillere sahip, değişik mekânlarda kaim ve en önemlisi dünyaya farklı pencerelerden bakan iki insanın, edebiyatın evrenselliğinde buluşabileceği gösterilmeye çalışılmıştır.

Catherine Yanko

Review of Lincoln Rice, _The Ethics of Protection: Reimagining Child Welfare in an Anti-Black Society_

M. Phalatsi-Shilubana

The debate over practices of physician-assisted suicide, euthanasia and other end-of-life questions is still ongoing in many countries around the world. At least, as of 2024, only 15 countries had varyingly legalised it under very specific, regulated conditions, while many more still view it as an extremely complex issue that, amongst other things, conflicts with their deeply held religious beliefs. Premised on their belief in the image of God as the source of human life, most monotheistic religions, but Christians in particular believe in the preservation of human life to its natural end. However, the unquestionable reality of this traditionally-held Christian belief does not preclude the rare reality where terminally ill Christians themselves, upon suffering excruciating pain, begin either to desire some form of a hastened death overtly or covertly. Under such conditions, however, pastoral therapists in particular lack the aptitude to openly initiate practical dialogues with patients, be it in the spirit of Ubuntu or to concretise the Christian position. That being said, the purpose of this article is to prepare Christian pastoral therapists in particular and the counselling profession in general to openly handle cases where agonising human suffering leads to suicidal thoughts or actions. In order to achieve this, the paper, through the use of literature reviews and desktop studies, draws on literature encompassing specific biblical instances in which not only physical suffering, but also mental suffering somehow led to suicidal events. The African concept of Ubuntu is then integrated into Christian humanism to promote pastoral therapeutic dialogue which may enrich Christian self-knowledge about the sacredness of human life, despite the urge of suicide or euthanasia. As per Christian humanism framework, Christian self-knowledge is inspired by the excruciating suffering of Jesus Christ on the cross. All things considered, pastoral therapy is endowed with the ability to present the image of God in human suffering while rejecting the urge for euthanasia or suicide.

Laura Upenieks, Rebecca Bonhag, Amanda C. McGowan

ABSTRACT Objectives: Research suggests that religious/spiritual (R/S) matters take on increasing importance in later life and tend to be favorably associated with mental health, but religious doubt or uncertainty can undermine this salubrious relationship. Few studies assess whether social relationships, and the support contained within them, can mitigate these negative mental health consequences. The current study focuses on an important yet understudied social relationship in the context of spiritual struggles in later life: informal support from a religious pastor. Members of the clergy occupy a highly prestigious position in the church and are often a trusted resource for older adults as they confront problems. Design/Participants: We use two waves of longitudinal data of Christian older adults in the Religion, Health, and Aging Study (2001–2004) from the United States (N = 639) to test whether support from a pastor attenuates any detrimental mental health effects of carrying religious doubt in later life. Results: Results from lagged dependent variable models suggest that increases in religious doubt are associated with increases in depression over time, and that greater pastoral support attenuates the relationship between increases in religious doubt and depression, but only for men. Conclusions: We highlight the need for future research to explore this important social relationship with religious clergy for older adults in confronting both spiritual and secular challenges and the importance of considering gender differences in the process. We also suggest several practical implications for religious clergy, family members, and older adults in dealing with or helping others confront spiritual struggles.

Sarah Kleine-Wechelmann, Kim Bastiaanse, Matthias Freundel et al.

Laboratories are being increasingly automated. In small laboratories individual processes can be fully automated, but this is usually not economically viable. Nevertheless, individual process steps can be performed by flexible, mobile robots to relieve the laboratory staff. As a contribution to the requirements in a life science laboratory the mobile, dextrous robot Kevin was designed by the Fraunhofer IPA research institute in Stuttgart, Germany. Kevin is a mobile service robot which is able to fulfill non-value adding activities such as transportation of labware. This paper gives an overview of Kevin's functionalities, its development process, and presents a preliminary study on how its lights and sounds improve user interaction.

Nick J. Watson

Hannah Klinkenborg, Anica Rossmoeller

This article analyzes Christian, Muslim, and Hindu-based discourses and practices in relation to sufficiency, materialism, and the good life in the context of the European Union. The current political and scholarly debate emphasizes the need for a sustainability transformation and, more specifically, for reductions in resource use by the global consumer class. Within this discussion, the different approaches to and interpretations of the various facets of ecology and materialism, and the links between them, have become the primary focus. Questions about what a “good life”, as opposed to a consumerist lifestyle, means and the need to focus on sufficiency rather than efficiency are being (re-)considered. Given that religions and faith-based actors (FBAs) play an essential role as interpreters of norms and values in societies, especially when societies are facing particular challenges, it is important to understand how they communicate information about relevant ideas and actions. What do FBAs say about sustainable lifestyles, sufficiency, and the role of materialism vis-à-vis those two ideas? How do they relate it all to questions of faith? Do they use faith-based or secular idioms to address the ideas? How do FBAs relate the ideas to practices? To begin answering these questions, we here present a content analysis of relevant texts and supplement the finding thereof with an analysis of expert interviews. The results come mainly from faith-based actors active on the EU level. Nevertheless, some of the actors also operate globally, which is why a clear, sharp regional separation is not entirely possible. This article identifies and explores the role of faith-based ideas and practices in maneuvering toward one of the most substantial societal challenges in this period of late capitalism and its materialist dimension. The regional focus imposes limitations on the scope of the religions in our sample, which is most evident in the case of Hinduism: here, it was only possible to include one organization in particular (Brahma Kumaris) in the empirical analysis. These practical limitations must therefore be taken into account when considering the scope of the results of this analysis.

Mustafa Bozkurt

Batılıların eskiden beri, Müslümanları ve İslam’ı kendi varoluşlarının önünde bir engel olarak gördükleri söylenebilir. Sürekli kendilerini üstün görüp kendileri gibi olmayanları küçümseme yoluna gitmişlerdir. Bu bakış açısının oluşturduğu önyargı, İslam medeniyetini görmelerinin önünde bir engel oluşturmuştur. Her ne kadar birçok bilim insanı ve düşünür, İslam düşüncesinden etkilenerek bu birikimi değerlendirme çabasına girseler de yönetimler ve halklar meseleye karşıtlık olarak bakmışlardır. Müslümanların fetihler yoluyla Batılı (Hristiyan) toplumların ülkelerini fethetmeye başlamalarıyla bu kin daha da artmıştır. Viyana Kilise Konseyi’nin destekleriyle kurulan Oryantalizm Araştırma Merkezleri'nin amacı, Doğuluları/Müslümanları anlama yerine onları tüm yönleriyle tanıyarak bulabildikleri zayıf tarafları üzerinden bu mücadeleyi daha sistematik hale getirmek olmuştur. Böylece Batılılar kendilerinin her alanda üstün olduğunu Müslümanların ise eskiden beri gerici olduğunu ve düzeltilmeleri gerekenler olduğunu Müslüman zihnine yerleştirmek istemişlerdir. Modern dönemde Batı’da dinin bilime ve ilerlemeye aykırı olduğu ve tüm anlaşmazlıkların kaynağı olduğu düşüncesi hâkim olmuştur. Bu nedenle din ve dinî olandan arındırılmış bir insan ve toplum oluşturulması hedeflenmiştir. Seküler bir toplum denemesinin yapıldığı modern dönemde insanlar mutlu edilememişlerdir. Postmodern döneme gelindiğinde manevi ve inanç yönü ihmal edilen insan bunun özlemiyle dine tekrar yönelme eğilimi göstermiştir. Batılı yönetimler, siyasetçiler ve küresel sermayeler bu yönelişin İslam’a olmaması için her türlü çareye başvurmuşlardır. İslamofobi’nin inşası da bu arayışın somut bir kanıtı olmuştur. Özellikle ABD’de gerçekleştirilen 11 Eylül olayları ve takip eden diğer birçok Batılı devletlerde görülen terörist saldırılarının failinin Müslümanlardan olması Batı’da İslamofobi’nin, inşasının payandası olmuştur. Küresel sermayelerin kapital iştahları ve kadim düşmanlıklar İslamofobi ile Müslüman ülkelerine doğrudan müdahalenin kapısını aralamıştır. İslamofobi sayesinde hem Batı toplumlarında hem de birçok Doğu toplumunda bu müdahale meşru olarak kabul görmüştür. Bu çalışmada inşa edilen İslamofobi’nin nasıl bir pragmatik araca dönüştürüldüğü üzerinde durulmuştur. Batı’nın özellikle de ABD’nin iştahını kabartan Ortadoğu’nun enerji ve petrol kaynaklarını kontrol altına almasında İslamofobi’nin bir meşruiyet aracı haline getirildiği irdelenmiştir. Gelinen noktada ise Batı ve ABD’nin hedeflerine büyük oranda ulaştığı görülmüştür. Fakat müdahale edilen toplumlarda yoksulluk, terör olayları, etnik ve mezhepsel bölünmeler, göçe zorlanan kitleler gibi çözümü yakın tarihte mümkün olmayan problemler bıraktığına vurgular yapılmıştır. Bu çalışmada, Batılıların neden böyle davrandığı ve bununla neyi hedefledikleri nitel bir yöntemle ele alınarak bir tahlil denemesi yapılmıştır.

Hans Zollner

The safeguarding of minors and of vulnerable adult persons is an intrinsic aspect of the mission that the Lord has entrusted the Church and it is the responsibility of all the faithful to fulfil it, whatever capacity they hold in the Church. Unfortunately, it is not possible to eradicate child abuse entirely as it is a human reality, but much can be done by creating a culture of safe space and safe relationships within the Church and beyond. The Catholic Church, as the oldest and biggest institution in the world and with its religious and moral values, has a special responsibility in preventing any kind of abuse, in protecting the most vulnerable, and furthermore, in Safeguarding; in creating safe spaces and safe relationships. Listening to victims and survivors of abuse who have been harmed in the Church or outside, is key for being and acting in a responsible, accountable, and transparent way. This is the cornerstone for credibility and for promoting the faith.

Brad D. Strawn, W. Brown

ENHANCING CHRISTIAN LIFE: How Extended Cognition Augments Religious Community by Brad D. Strawn and Warren S. Brown. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2020. 176 pages, including title pages, acknowledgments, and indexes. Paperback; $21.00. ISBN: 9780830852819. *"I'd like to supersize it" is not a statement I usually utter without guilt and some consternation. However, in Enhancing Christian Life: How Extended Cognition Augments Religious Community, Strawn and Brown present an argument that makes me question whether I say it enough--in the right contexts--and whether I live in a way that makes it so. *Strawn, a clinical psychologist, and Brown, an experimental neuropsychologist, wrote this book for individuals invested in deepening Christian lives. Across ten chapters, they develop an evidence-based argument in support of their assertion that "No one is Christian (or "spiritual") entirely on their own" (p. 12). Writing in response to the focus on single persons (e.g., individual spiritual experience) at the forefront of many Western evangelical churches, Strawn and Brown argue that such a prioritization of these internal, private experiences produces no more than a "puny" Christian faith and life. *The text is divided into three parts, guiding the reader through evidence about what persons are like (section 1), how persons function in the world (section 2), and what this knowledge of persons--what we are like and how we function--means for the church and Christian life (section 3). *Section 1 explores how different views about human persons influence behavior and religious practice. Strawn and Brown contextualize the modern priority of internal, private, and emotional spirituality within the philosophical and historical framework of soul-body dualism. Following Owen Thomas,1 Strawn and Brown propose that Christian spirituality and spiritual formation should be decentered away from personal piety and the "inner world of a person" (p. 33) and recentered on "the reign of God" and "how one lives one's actual life in the body (the outer)" (p. 33). This perspective, expounded in section 2, lays the groundwork for the implications of understanding persons as embodied, embedded, and extended. *Section 2 begins with the premise that relinquishing Cartesian dualism does not automatically solve the problem of prioritizing internal experiences or its consequences (i.e., salvation of souls as primary; activities related to physical, economic, and social needs are pursued secondarily, if at all). Indeed, some materialist views of persons have replaced Cartesian dualism with a Cartesian materialism wherein the brain, like an encapsulated and isolated computer, functions like a (relabeled) soul. Strawn and Brown reject this notion as well, as it reinforces the idea that there is some "inner reality (whether a soul or a brain) that is the real person" (p. 42). *Pointing to embodied cognition as a robust alternative to Cartesian dualism and materialism, Strawn and Brown note, "Embodied cognition argues that the processes of thinking actually involve the entire body--that is, what we refer to as our 'mind' is grounded in interactions between the brain and the body, and is not solely dependent on brain processes" (p. 45). *This profoundly integrated sense of a whole person should also be understood as "fundamentally relational ... A self is a body whose actions are embedded in, and contextualized by, a community" (p. 56). Taken on its own, this view of human persons has important implications for religious practice and community. Yet, Strawn and Brown further the discussion by exploring how embodied and embedded individuals engage in the world in ways that surpass physiological boundaries; that is, humans are capable of extension--supersizing--beyond their embodied and embedded capabilities. *Strawn and Brown explore extended cognition in two chapters (chapters 4 and 5), arguing that human beings have brains flexible enough to incorporate objects external to their bodies into their mental processes in ways that extend and enhance their capacities. Take, for example, an expert carpenter who wields a hammer like an extension of her own arm. Extended cognition suggests that this is not just a simile describing the carpenter's expertise with a hammer. Instead, the hammer functions as an extension of her own arm; extensive practice and engagement with the hammer has reshaped her representation of herself, a reshaping that allows her to wield the hammer effortlessly and effectively. This reshaping--this extension of her cognition--is evident behaviorally and neurologically. The important conclusion is that tools can extend human thinking. "Compared to what is possible through extension, the nonextended mind is less potent, diminished, and relatively puny" (p. 71); extending minds to include tools "supersizes" and significantly enhances cognition beyond the capacity of the material and embedded body alone. *In moving toward an argument about religious community, Strawn and Brown apply the logic and evidence for cognitive extension to social relationships. It is not just tools that can supersize human thinking; other people can (and do). Discussion about collaborative projects (e.g., in science), marriage, family, cultural practices, and psychotherapy all illustrate the fundamental principle that "... our minds include and incorporate what emerges from our interactions with others. Incorporation of other minds constitutes supersizing of our mental life beyond our capacities as solo thinkers" (p. 88). *Section three links these ideas to address the question, why is Christian community important? Strawn and Brown contend that church was never meant to be a place where individual spiritual people come together. Instead, they persuasively argue that the church is a place where "reciprocal extension ... and spiritual enhancements ... make Christian life richer, both individually and collectively" (p. 94), surpassing what could have been possible by a single Christian alone. *Importantly, just as the expert carpenter had to practice extending her cognition to incorporate the hammer and just as collaborative projects do not always go well, enhancement of Christian life through extension is not automatic. It is a process that involves reorienting the purpose and practice of engagement in religious community and personal devotional practices. *I found Strawn and Brown's description of a church community that was soft coupled--extended and connected in a way that something new beyond the capacity of the individual emerges--to be profound and challenging. When applied to corporate practices of prayer, scripture reading, worship, communion, and preaching, the ideas underlying extended cognition require a reevaluation of practice and, in many ways, a head-on confrontation of culturally Western notions of independence. Moreover, taking seriously the idea of extended cognition in religious communities requires that we ask ourselves difficult questions about our personal religious practices: "Is this practice ultimately about God and others or primarily about me?" (p. 126). Personal religious disciplines acquire new meaning and significance when understood through an extended cognition framework. *The book concludes with a brief discussion on the mental institutions ("wikis") that inform praxis along with practical ideas for churches to create spaces for supersizing Christian life through the repeated practice and extension of individuals' cognition. In aiming to develop "a new understanding of Christian life that includes what is beyond our individual selves" (p. 139), Strawn and Brown have written a text that will, at minimum, challenge readers to ask important questions about Christian life--personal and corporate. For example, as I read this text, I reflected on the putative notion of young people leaving the church and asked: without this deeply embodied, embedded, and extended community, does leaving really change anything? Were these young people ever in what was meant to be the church in the first place? Readers, with their own experiences and backgrounds, should similarly find this text thought-provoking. And, importantly, I believe this text offers a critical response to the fierce Western independence of self and spirituality that permeates many Christian lives. *Note *1Owen C. Thomas, "Interiority and Christian Spirituality," The Journal of Religion 80, no. 1 (2000): 41-60. *Reviewed by Erin I. Smith, Associate Professor of Psychology, California Baptist University, Riverside, CA 92504-3206.

W.H. Oliver

This article aims to provide the reader with a short introduction on, and overview of the movement called Eternal Functional Subordination (EFS) that was introduced in 1977 by a Presbyterian preacher, George Knight. This is mostly an evangelical movement and is generally concerned with the relationship between God the Father and God the Son, which is regarded as an eternal authoritative position of the Father, and an eternal subordination of the Son – against the mainline Protestant churches. EFS claims that the roots of this view go back to the Bible and the tradition of the early church, referring to the Creeds and the Councils, including the Church Fathers. Are they correct with this statement? A critical discussion of EFS follows the introduction and concise literature overview.

Isabella Bonati

No abstract available.

María Teresa (MT) Dávila

The Activity of the Church in Light of the Pandemic: Facing a Denialism of Science and the Death of the Vulnerable La pandemia ha agudizado problemáticas que parecían anteriormente resueltas. En especial, la relación iglesia-ciencias se vuelve a jugar bajo las peleas públicas sobre la clausura de iglesias y sus cultos, el desarrollo de una vacuna, y las órdenes de llevar mascarilla de cara. Las políticas de salud pública enfrentan nuevamente a la iglesia a establecer su compromiso con la verdad en el plano público, a reanudar su amistad con las ciencias, y aportar lo que es único de la iglesia aportar: la opción preferencial por los pobres. Ésta sirve de compás dándole dirección a la acción colaboradora de las ciencias y los responsables por la salud pública y el bien común para afrontar la pandemia y los retos que esta realidad establece para el futuro. The pandemic has highlighted problems that seemed that have been resolved in the past. Specifically, the relationship between the Church and Science is once again at play in light of the public battles of church closures, vaccine development, and mask mandates as public health measures. The politics of public health once again demand that the church renew its commitment to the truth in the public sphere, to renew its friendship with the sciences, and to contribute that which is uniquely of the church to contribute: the preferential option for the poor. This specific element serves as a compass to direct the collaborative action of the sciences and those responsible for public health and the common good in order to confront the pandemic and the challenges that this reality establishes for our future.