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In times of unpredictability and large-scale socioeconomic changes, we need to bring novel concepts and phenomena like solidarity and the act of giving under the focus of leadership, management, and spirituality studies. In this enclosed paper, we address how the interpretations and expectations of the act of giving evolve across the levels of consciousness, also referred as stages of adult development. We apply neo-Piagetian constructive view on the human development. To unpack these regularities, we use a mixed-method research design. The research findings reveal that the interpretations and expectations of the act of giving evolve across the stages of adult development. They exhibit the tendency to move to less conditional, self-serving, and transactional interpretations and expectations behind the act of giving. Because the movement of the adult across stages (levels of consciousness) is a slow pace process - the paper also explores possible interventions that could make people more prone to the less conditional, self-serving, and transactional act of giving regardless of the stage of development. Thus, we study the impact of contemplative prayer on the change in the interpretations and expectations of the act of giving. The impact of contemplative prayer is such that it seems that a person moves to one stage higher when it comes to the interpretations and expectations behind the act of giving.

Sembahyang menjadi salah satu diskurus yang dimunculkan di dalam novel Pengakuan Eks Parasit Lajang (PEPL) karya Ayu Utami. Berbagai diksi sembahyang dan padanannya muncul beberapa kali di dalam PEPL. Perlu kajian yang mendalam untuk melihat narasi atau diskursus yang dimunculkan dari kehadiran diksi-diksi tersebut. Pernyataan masalah dalam pernelitian ini berada pada kemungkinan-kemungkinan diskursus yang muncul dari kehadiran diksi sembahyang dan padanannya. Metode yang digunakan adalah kualitatif-deskriptif dengan teori interpretasi Paul Ricouer. Temuan yang dihasilkan terdapat tiga bentuk diskursus yang dimunculkan dalam PEPL. Pertama, menghadirkan nilai-nilai lokalitas dalam beragama; kedua, menunjukkan adanya kekonsistenan pada sakralitas sembahyang; dan ketiga sembahyang diletakkan sebagai objek artifisal.

This article analyses the goals and motives of personal prayer of contemporary Orthodox priests. The analysis is based on interviews with 27 Orthodox priests of different age and working experience living in diff erent regions of Russia. Interviews were carried out in 2015–2018, their questions were related to the way of becoming a priest, daily practices and main tasks of the ministry. Personal prayer is a religious activity that is necessary for all Orthodox priests, but, unlike all their other actions (church service, conversations with parishioners, administrative activities), it is almost impossible for the researcher to observe and study from the outside. At the same time, for each person performing a prayer the purpose of reciting a prayer can be diff erent every time. The article describes four types of personal prayer of Orthodox priests that were mentioned in the interviews. We divided prayers according to its object: for God, for ourselves, for people, and for the world. In their stories about personal prayers, priests often defi ne them as a mandatory action. For the informants, prayer becomes, on the one hand, an action that determines their identity as priests (prayer is always successful, unlike other actions) and, on the other hand, the most basic action in their ministry, a minimum of communication with God, and a minimum of helping people, an element of communication and care which is available to the priest regardless of the kind and success of the actions that he performs at all other times.

[Figure: see text] This article is a response to three others written in this journal on the topic of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s interpretation of the Psalms. The basic questions pursued here are, What is the origin of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Christological interpretation of the Psalms and does it have a defensible place for Psalms study and use today? The article interacts with the comments and proposals from each author, presenting context from Bonhoeffer’s life for the authors’ analysis and conclusions. The aim is not to defend Bonhoeffer’s interpretation of the Psalms as much as to shed light on the development and shape of his interpretation, which is demonstrated in the writing of Prayerbook of the Bible in 1940. Through this analysis, this article aims to promote greater understanding of Bonhoeffer’s exegetical and theological development in order to grasp his own aims more clearly in an attempt to appropriate his interpretive insights and conclusions for today.

Fear of crime is not only a reflection of the prevalence of crime and victimization but also varies by individual and social characteristics such as gender and social integration. Religion is another attribute that influences worldviews and structures social interactions, and thus may affect fear of crime. Given the importance of religion in American life and the micro and macro costs associated with fear of crime, we examine the associations between various aspects of religion (i.e. religious tradition, service attendance, prayer, biblical literalism, born-again identity, and changes in religious affiliation) and Americans’ fear of crime. We use nationally representative survey data collected between 2004 and 2018 and binary logistic regression models with relevant controls. Partial models each with a single measure of religion and control variables show that service attendance, prayer, biblical literalism, born-again identity, and transitioning from no religious affiliation to having a religious affiliation are all positively associated with fear of crime while mainline Protestant affiliation is negatively associated with fear of crime. In full models that include all the religion variables, however, born-again identification is the only religion measure with a robust association with fear of crime, though this association appears to decline in magnitude over time. Changes in religious affiliation and prayer have more moderate, positive associations with fear of crime in the full models. Religion appears to influence fear of crime through worldviews and both static and dynamic identities, particularly the born-again Christian identity. With the born-again label becoming more prevalent, and the nation becoming more polarized, fear of crime may remain high, regardless of the level of crime and victimization; and heightened fear of crime can have negative consequences for individuals and communities, such as the potential negative repercussions for born-again Christians’ mental health.

At the end of the prayer with which he begins Works of Love (1847), Søren Kierkegaard notes that while ‘works of love’ might normally be viewed as a subset of worthwhile human endeavours or ‘works’, from heaven's perspective no work can be pleasing unless it is a work of love. From this arises the question—which Kierkegaard himself moves swiftly to address—of what distinguishes a work of ‘love’ from other, non-loving works? In this article, and with particular reference to Jacob Boehme (1575–1624), I highlight how Kierkegaard's answer to this question draws upon the theological tradition that Bernard McGinn has called ‘the mysticism of the ground’.

This article takes up the blurred distinction between performative and constative utterances in an effort to develop a quotidian and idiomatic conception of prayer as perjurious testimony. Focusing on a passage in the recently published Le parjure et le pardon seminars, I argue that a quotidian and idiomatic conception of prayer is one whose function interminably oscillates between constative and performative, rendering the distinction between these two uses of language indiscernible. This oscillation plays not to prayer's detriment, but instead serves as the animating force behind prayer and the impossible ethical desire prayer expresses. The impossibility of a prayer whose desire is rendered perjurious by the state of affairs from which it emerges opens onto a number of political, ethical, and theological concerns that the second half of the paper addresses. By reading Simone Weil's reflections on the ‘Our Father’ in light of Derrida's considerations above, I argue that prayer's impossibility is a condition of possibility for its ability to produce real effects in the world it betrays.

Classical Christology provides reason to reject the principle of alternative possibilities [PAP]. The Gethsemane prayer highlights an instance in which Jesus Christ performs a voluntary and morally significant action which he could not have done otherwise, namely, Christ’s submission to God’s will. Two classical Christological doctrines undermine PAP: (1) impeccability, and (2) volitional non-contrariety. Classical Christology teaches that Christ could not sin, and that Christ’s human will could not be contrary to his divine will. Yet, classical Christology also teaches that Christ’s death is voluntary and morally praiseworthy. First, I present the relevant elements of classical Christology: dyothelitism, impeccability, and volitional non-contrariety. Second, I define and disambiguate varieties of PAP. Third, I show that Christ’s prayer in Gethsemane disproves PAP. I respond to several objections along the way. Finally, I reflect on the implications of denying PAP.

Święty Piotr Damiani (1007–1072) w swoim bogatym dorobku teologicznym zostawił także dziełko zatytułowane Dominus vobiscum. Zajmuje się w nim kwestią jedności Kościoła, którą ujmuje w perspektywie eucharystycznej. Pokazuje, a jaki sposób Eucharystia pozwala na odpowiednie rozumienie jedności Kościoła, a także na jej odpowiednie przeżywanie duchowe. Jest to zagadnienie tym ważniejsze, że chodzi w nim o uwypuklenie zbawczego znaczenia jedności Kościoła, która w sposób niejako pierwotny opisuje tajemnicę eklezjalnej wspólnoty. Ważnym elementem wykładu św. Piotra Damianiego jest pokazanie niektórych bardziej szczegółowych, poniekąd fenomenologicznych, aspektów tej jedności, wyrastających z jej koncentracji eucharystycznej, takich jak jedność czci oddawanej Bogu, jedność w modlitwie, jedność w wielości celebracji itd. Wszystkie te aspekty sprawiają, że jedność Kościoła jawi się w swojej głębokiej rzeczywistości oraz wyłania się jasno jej znaczenie duchowe i historyczne.

In this article first appeared in 1997, Jean-Louis Chrétien examines the meaning of prayer in Kierkegaard’s writings and existence. By focusing on the difficulties of this task and with meticulous attention to the vast work of the Danish philosopher, Chrétien describes prayer as a tense and agonistic experience, akin to the evangelical struggle between Jacob and the angel. Just like in his well-known phenomenological analysis, “The Wounded Word: Phenomenology of Prayer”, the author identifies in prayer a paradoxical articulation of struggle and peace, gift and endeavour, speaking and listening, through which the human being is profoundly transformed and finally learns to truly say “thank you”.

Machiavelli’s antipathy toward institutionalized Christianity has been very well documented, but less attention has been afforded to whether there might be some version of Christianity of which he ...

The article is devoted to the study of the concept of FAITH in the idiostyle of V.S. Boyko, as a famous master of the poetic word. The structure of the concept is analyzed. The nuclear, near-nuclear and peripheral zones are highlighted. The artistic and semantic content of micro- concepts is described. The author's position on the existence of a person in the world, as well as individual author's interpretations of the concept of FAITH in the idiostyle of the artist of the poetic word are determined. Whatever paths humanity has taken, this path has always been accompanied by faith. No matter what historical epoch we are talking about, no matter what country we talk about, it is difficult to disagree with the fact that faith has greatly influenced and is influencing the lives of millions of people. And it is not only about faith in higher powers, but also faith in a happy future, faith in yourself, in your people, in the triumph of moral values and the victory of good over evil. Faith is an important spiritual existential value that encourages a person to move on. Accordingly, the study of the linguistic expression of the concept of FAITH will allow to penetrate deeper into the peculiarities of individual language thinking, to determine the author's priority guidelines. Linguistic expression of the concept of FAITH in the poetic linguistics of V.S. Boyko finds in the words faith, to believe, prayer, icon, angel, orthodox, catholic, pagan, saint, temple, church, resurrection, apostle, paradise, cross, mantis, as well as in names of Оrthodox holidays and biblical names, because for the poet is close to the Christian, Orthodox worldview. The poetic picture of the artist's world is broader than dictionary interpretations, so the concept of FAITH acquires a broader artistic and semantic content.

Dinde, özü teşkil eden inanç esaslarından sonra ikinci sırayı ibadetler almaktadır. Zira ibadetler dinin pratik hayata yansıyan yönüdür. İslâm tarihinin ilk yıllarına bakıldığında farz oluşundan uygulanma biçimlerine varıncaya kadar her ibadetin kendine özgü bir tarihi olduğu görülmektedir. Bu anlamda hac ibadeti İslâmî kaynaklarda yer alan bazı rivayetlere göre Hz. Âdem’e kadar uzanan bir geçmişe sahiptir. Ancak başta Kâbe olmak üzere söz konusu ibadetin ifa edildiği tüm kutsal mekânların ve bu ibadeti oluşturan uygulamaların neredeyse tamamının kökenleri Hz. İbrahim ve oğlu Hz. İsmail’e dayanmaktadır. Bununla birlikte söz konusu ibadetin Hz. İsmail’den Hz. Muhammed’e geçen süreçte birçok değişikliğe yahut tahrife maruz kaldığı ve Hz. Peygamber’in Vedâ haccındaki uygulamaları sayesinde tevhid inancına uygun olarak yeniden özüne tahvil edildiği bilinen bir gerçektir. Yine haccın siyasi ve kurumsal boyutu bağlamında Hulefâ-yi Râşidîndönemindeki uygulamalar da oldukça dikkat çekicidir. Bu çalışmada daha çok erken dönem İslâm tarihi kaynaklarında yer alan rivayetlerden hareket ederek Hz. Peygamber ve Hulefâ-yi Râşidîn dönemlerindeki hac ile ilgili uygulamalar sayesinde söz konusu ibadetin nasıl özüne döndürülerek İslâm’a uygun bir hale getirildiği hususu dinî, siyasi ve kurumsal yönleriyle ele alınmaya çalışılacaktır. Bu bağlamda öncelikli olarak Hz. Peygamber döneminde gerçekleşen ve ilkine Attâb b. Esîd’in, ikincisine Hz. Ebû Bekir’in ve sonuncusuna da bizzat Allah Resûlü’nün önderlik ettiği hac ibadetleri ele alınacak ve bu hac ibadetleri ile ilgili rivayetler doğrultusunda söz konusu ibadet ile ilgili ne zaman farz kılındığı, Hz. Peygamber’in ya da diğer Müslümanların hac farz kılınmadan önce müşrik adetlerine göre hac yapıp yapmadıkları, hac emîrliği müessesesinin ne zaman ortaya çıktığı ve ilk hac emirinin kim olduğu gibi sorulara cevap aranacaktır. Daha sonra vatandaşın hak talebinde bulunması, valilerin hesaba çekilmesi ve hac emîrliği görevini kimin yapacağı gibi Hulefâ-yi Râşidîn döneminde gerçekleşen hac ibadetleri sırasındaki farklı uygulamalar da ayrıntılı bir şekilde incelenecek vesonuç itibariyle hac ibadetinin Hz. Peygamber ile Hulefâ-yi Râşidîn dönemlerinde geçirdiği değişim ve dönüşüm yanında dini, siyasi ve kurumsal yönlerine ışık tutulmaya çalışılacaktır. Ayrıca böyle bir çalışmanın sınırını aşacağından Hz. İbrahim ve Hz. İsmail sonrası hac ibadeti yahut câhiliye dönemi haccı konusuna girilmeyecek sadece söz konusu ibadetin İslâm dinine ya da tevhid inancına uygun hale getirilmesi sırasındaki bazı değişiklere ayrıntılarına girilmeksizin değinilecektir. Benzer şekilde Hz. Peygamber veya Hulefâ-yi Râşidîn döneminde gerçekleşen umre seyahatlerine de yer verilmeyecek yalnızca önemine binaen yeri geldiğinde işaret edilip geçilecektir.

Inserted in Book I of the Psalter (Ps 3–41), Ps 13 is an individual lamentation in which the psalmist presents all his suffering before the Lord, pleads, and, finally, expresses his trust in the Lord. The observation of syntactic, semantic and stylistic elements facilitates the determination of its structure in three sections: in the first (Ps 13.1-3), after the title (v. 1), the lament is presented (Ps 13.2-3), which is heard before the Lord through the repeated and emphatic question “how long, o Lord?”; in the second (Ps 13.4-5), the psalmist raises his plea (Ps 13.4abc) and expresses the motivation for this request for help (Ps 13.4d-5c); in the third (Ps 13.6), there is a declaration of trust and praise, given to the Lord, who works in his life. The elements of section II seem to mirror section I. And, in general, this Psalm, which is a model of the Psalms of lamentation, reveals the movement established in the life of the person praying: the cry for help and a situation of torment (Ps 13.2-3) towards the definitive exit from this state of deep crisis. In the end, feeling heard by the Lord, the psalmist raises his “hymn of praise” sung in brief words (Ps 13,6cd), but grounded in the safe and firm action of the Lord. For all these reasons, Ps 13 presents itself as an important path of prayer for the human being who lives in the midst of crises in this time of the pandemic.

Praying with a string of beads is not exclusive to Catholicism. Various Asian religions have had a similar tradition since before the advent of Christ. This paper addresses the parallels between different religious traditions, as well as the origin, formation and spread of the Holy Rosary and its variants called “crowns.” It also analyzes the intersections between Buddhist and Catholic prayer traditions during the period of the evangelization of Japan (1549-1639). To this end, it draws on a theoretical framework aimed at interpreting the acceptance of Christianity from the point of view of ordinary people, by comparing the similarities and differences between the beliefs, practices, and organizational structure of popular Buddhism (in particular, Jōdo-shū and Jōdo-Shinshū, branches of Pure Land Buddhism) and those of Catholicism.

El obispo de Hipona establece diversos tipos de relación tanto de una de las personas divinas como de la Trinidad en cuanto tal con la oración cristiana. El presente artículo se fija solo en el segundo caso: la Trinidad es contemplada como destinataria de la oración, como objeto de alabanza, de deseo y de petición, y como receptora de la oración.

Artykuł podejmuje tematykę nieanalizowaną dotychczas w polskiej literaturze filozoficzno-religioznawczej, która dotyczy niepoznawalności lub niewidzialności Boga we współczesnej francuskiej fenomenologii religii, traktowanej jako nurt badań (filozoficznych i religioznawczych), w którym ta tematyka znajduje odzwierciedlenie. Autor skupia się na pojęciach transcendencji, immanencji i tajemnicy wypracowanych odpowiednio przez Emmanuela Lévinasa, Michela Henry’ego oraz przez Gabriela Marcela. Dyskusja nad tymi trzema koncepcjami ukazuje, iż transcendencja (Lévinas) i immanencja (Henry) są pojęciami, które jednostronnie realizują zadanie, jakie postawili przed nimi ich autorzy, to znaczy dążenie do „uchronienia” Boga przed uprzedmiotowieniem, do którego prowadzi nieuchronnie metoda fenomenologiczna, zwłaszcza w wersji przedstawionej przez Edmunda Husserla. W opozycji do tej metody pozostają nie tylko Lévinas i Henry, ale także Marcel, który zastosował w celu „uchronienia” Boga od uprzedmiotowienia przez obiektywizujące poznanie intelektualne, pojęcie tajemnicy. Według autora artykułu, to właśnie tajemnica (Marcel), a nie transcendencja (Lévinas) czy immanencja (Henry), jest pojęciem, które, użyte do fenomenologicznego opisu Boga, skutecznie „broni” Go przed uprzedmiotowieniem. Z punktu widzenia fenomenologii religii istotne jest to, że w myśli Marcela Bóg nie ukazuje się jako fenomen (jak uważali także Gerardus van der Leeuw oraz Lévinas i Henry), ale mimo to możliwa jest relacja religijna między człowiekiem a Bogiem, której wyrazem jest modlitwa. Ta rozumiana biblijnie relacja nie może zaistnieć w myśli Lévinasa czy Henry’ego, mimo że ich koncepcje również mają dość silne zakorzenienie w Biblii. Dlatego autor tekstu uważa, że Marcelowska koncepcja tajemnicy lepiej odpowiada oczekiwaniom człowieka wierzącego (homo religiosus) niż koncepcje transcendencji i immanencji odniesione do Boga. Wypracowana przez Gabriela Marcela koncepcja Boga jako Tajemnicy pozwala bowiem na wejście z Nim w relację religijną dzięki kierowanej ku Niemu modlitwie.

For St. Maximos the Confessor, the seventh century Byzantine theologian, deification was the ultimate goal of the monk and an event that required action both on the parts of God and the individual. While God originally bestowed upon humanity his image and likeness (Genesis 1:26), as a result of the disobedience of Adam and Eve that takes place in the garden (Genesis 3), humankind loses its ‘likeness’ to God. According to the Confessor, by following the commandments found in the Christian Gospel, one is able to regain the likeness to God and, by doing so, one moves closer and closer to God, ultimately experiencing deification. This study will focus on the Commentary on the Lord’s Prayer but will also reference the Ascetical Life and the Centuries on Charity. For Maximos, deification will not take place without becoming ‘like’ God.

As the Episcopal Church undertakes Prayer Book and liturgical revision, it is important to focus not only on liturgical language but also on nonverbal elements of liturgy, especially symbolism, the public nature of services, and racial justice.

Many books about religious sermon for Jumat prayer contain many hadiths and are popular among khatib (preachers). Ideally, the hadiths derive from standard books of hadith written by recognised imams. However, some authors incorporating hadiths into the religious sermon books neglect therules of hadith quotation. They include hadith without attaching hadith resources (transmitters). As a result, the hadiths doubtful in terms of authenticity and validity. As the religious sermon books become vouge among khatib (preachers), many khatibs uncritically quote the hadiths and deliver them to jamaah during Jumat prayer. This paper aims to examine the method of the hadiths incorporation and their authenticity in the religious sermon book of Materi Khotbah Jumat Setahun written by Ahmad Yani. This book is selected as it becomes vogue among khatib (preachers). This study constitutes library research employing hadith science approach as data analysis. The findings of this study are presented descriptively and qualitatively. This paper finds that firtsly, the writer of the book partly comply with the methods of hadith quotation as required by ilmu hadith (the prophet tradition science). Secondly, the authenticity of the hadith the author quotes varies from shah i h, hasan, dha i f, and laysa bihadith . However, the hadith that shah i h (authentic) outnumbers the others, i.e. 34 out 49 hadiths examined are authentic (69%). This paper recommends that the book of Materi Khotbah Jumat Setahun is appropriate for khatib guidance in delivering religious sermon for Jumat prayer. Keywords: Authenticity, Hadith, Khotbah

This article analyses two ecclesiastical analogies in the Old English Soliloquies: the analogy of the lady and the analogy of the letter. It argues for a more nuanced and practical interpretation of Alfred’s analogies in the Old English Soliloquies than has previously been put forward. The analogies original to Alfred as well as those derived from Augustine’s Soliloquia, which he manipulates and omits, are designed to be useful, with practical implications for Anglo-Saxon society. Since his prose preface to Pastoral Care suggests that the demise of the Angelcynn is contingent on the demise of the English Church, Alfred’s analogies in Soliloquies prompt the reintegration of these two infrastructures, Church and state, to reconsolidate the Angelcynn and recover its sacred and secular ar (‘favour with God’ and ‘cultural capital’). By encouraging responses in the individual reader —recourse to the sacramental Church and renewed commitment to reading and prayer— Alfred’s analogies, particularly of the lady and the letter, seek to cultivate the Gregorian “mixed life”. Alfred thus aims to revive the terrestrial and celestial favour of the Angelcynn by fusing the concerns of Ecclesia and state, heaven and earth, contemplative, and active.

In the field of science and religion, divine action, or how God acts on the world, raises complex questions. The goal of this research is to investigate whether a belief in the efficacy of petition...

Using Augustine as a dialogue partner, I consider what prayer teaches us about God and ourselves in relation to God. I argue, primarily, that prayer illuminates the great distinction between creatures and God, enabling us to live into it. Second, I reflect on the elucidating power of prayer with respect to our participation in God. In so doing, I show the ‘shaping effect’ of metaphysical reflection on the prayers of the faithful.

Whereas previous research in the medical humanities has tended to neglect theology and religious studies, these disciplines sometimes have a very important contribution to make. The hearing of spiritually significant voices provides a case in point. The context, content and identity of these voices, all of which have typically not been seen as important in the assessment of auditory–verbal hallucinations (AVHs) within psychiatry, are key to understanding their spiritual significance. A taxonomy of spiritually significant voices is proposed, which takes into account frequency, context, affect and identity of the voice. In a predominantly Christian sample of 58 people who reported having heard spiritually significant voices, most began in adult life and were infrequent experiences. Almost 90% reported that the voice was divine in identity and approximately one-third were heard in the context of prayer. The phenomenological characteristics of these voices were different from those in previous studies of voice hearing (AVHs). Most comprised a single voice; half were auditory; and a quarter were more thought-like (the rest being a mixture). Only half were characterful, and one-third included commands or prompts. The voices were experienced positively and as meaningful. The survey has implications for both clinical and pastoral work. The phenomenology of spiritually significant voices may be confused with that of psychopathology, thus potentially leading to misdiagnosis of normal religious experiences. The finding of meaning in content and context may be important in voice hearing more widely, and especially in coping with negative or distressing voices.

"The commentary on the Jesus Prayer published by Sinkiewicz in 1987 is a genuine work by Psellos. It is ascribed to him in a number of manuscripts and is not eccentric in relation to his interests. Indeed, he wrote a commentary on the ‘Kyrie Eleison’. Moreover, the theological points in the commentary echo those he described in Poem 4 Westerink. The commentary contains a previously unidentified verse which contains eleventh century expressions. Psellos’ commentary was used by Markos Eugenikos when he wrote his own commentary on the same prayer which was published in the Philocalia. Psellos’ commentary was transmitted in a number of manuscripts preserved today on Mt. Athos also under his name. Keywords: hesychasm, Jesus Prayer, Michael Psellos, Markos Eugenikos, Athos. "

Psychological and subjective well-being depends on how an individual feels about his/her life and how he/she responds to life events. Individually, the person may unconsciously feel all external events occurring beyond his/her control in his cognitive schemas. Especially considering mental health, the influence of religious beliefs and practices on various components of mental well-being has emerged as one of the most studied topics in the psychology of religion in recent years. Most studies have focused on the role of religion in seeking answers about individuals' search for meaning and their reactions to life events. There is a prevalent finding that prayer plays a constructive role in the lives of individuals faced with life’s difficulties and exposed to stressors. Thus, for scientists over the past few decades, the possible application of the cognitive behavioral framework within the psychology of religion has become a key element of both subjective and psychological well-being. Using theoretical applications as to the relationship between religiosity and mental health, it was appeared that various prayer measures are predominantly derived from Christian religious norms and beliefs. However, non-Christian religions have been mostly disregarded in such inquiries. More specifically, the links between religiosity and mental health among Muslim individuals have been neglected even though there are several forms of religious behavior in Islam that are of great importance to the daily lives of believers. Therefore, the current research aims to investigate the link between different types of Islamic prayer and indicators of well-being using the cognitive-behavioral mechanism among Muslim individuals. An online link was used to recruit participants from many Islamic student communities and several worship places in different cities/regions of England in this study. The online questionnaire composed of six prayer types (obligatory, necessary, voluntarily, supererogatory, supplication, and invocation prayers), six psychological well-being domains (autonomy, environmental mastery, positive relations with others, personal growth, self-acceptance, and purpose in life), and two subjective well-being domains (life satisfaction, and positive and negative affects). The representative sample consisted of 214 participants (female= 145, male= 69), aged between 18 and 66 (M = 27.01, SD = 8.80). The results of the correlational analysis indicated that obligatory (fard) prayer, voluntarily (sunna) prayer, supplication (duʿāʾ) prayer and invocation (dhikr/remembrance of God) prayer have positive relationship with the well-being variables, while no correlation of necessary (wājib) prayer and supererogatory (nawāfil) prayer with any of the well-being variables is appeared. The results of the multiple regression analysis showed that obligatory, voluntarily, and necessary prayers were not predictors of psychological or subjective well-being variables. Although only the type of supererogatory prayer was found to be predictive, the relationship was in the opposite direction. In addition, the supplication prayer accounted for the unique variance in predicting the psychological well-being scores, while the invocation prayer accounted for the unique variance in predicting subjective well-being. In light of James and Wells’ cognitive and behavioral models, the present study has identified only the types of supplication and invocation prayer as important factors that have a positive effect for individuals in providing psychological support for them. Therefore, the presented data suggest that people are more like to have better psychological and subjective well-being when their prayers take the form of a supplication prayer and invocation prayer in which they rely on God for guidance and support and refresh their thinking through feeling God’s presence. As can be seen from the present findings, it is important to consider the applicability of belief structures in specific community settings. Here, both the theoretical framework and practical direction can contribute to an understanding being held as to the relationship between Muslim prayer types and mental well-being and provides guidance for health practitioners regarding how different prayer models can lead individuals to have better well-being.

Surah Al-Fatikhah is very important to understand, because this surah is the main surah in the Qur’an which contains several hidden meanings that need to be understood by every Muslim. Surah Al-Fatikhah must be read in every prayer, but several people do not understand its meaning. This paper aimed to reveal the secrets of sentence phrases in the Surah Al-Fatikhah. The research data were obtained from several classical books ( tafsir ) and several journal articles discussing Surah Al-Fatikhah. The results showed that Surah Al-Fatikhah contains an implicit message which is reflected in 3 main points, namely: (1) the sentence, such as: deleting alif in the bismillah sentence, the use of " al " in the word ‘ Hamdu ’ and ‘ Alamin ’ (2) the word choice, such as: the use of the word al-Rahman, al-Rahim , Rabb al-'Alamin, Malik, Yaum al-din , al-Sirat, al-Mustaqim, al-Magdub, and al-Dallin and (3) sentence structure such as: a statement in the form of a sentence with the intention of the command used in the sentence ‘ al-Hamdu lillahi Rabbil ‘Alamin , especially an objective in the expression of “ Iyyaka Na'budu wa Iyyaka Nasta’in” as in the study of Balagah chapter al-Qasr in Ma'ani , and equating the word “ al-Sirat al-Mustaqim” with al-Din al-Ḥaq as in the study of Balagah chapter al-Majaz in Bayan . Therefore, through this research, by understanding the meaning of the message contained in the Surah Al-Fatikhah, it would hopefully help a Muslim become more motivated in performing prayers.

Üniversite öğrencileri üzerinde yapılan bu araştırma, bireylerin dua etmeye yönelik algılarını tespit etmek amacıyla gerçekleştirilmiştir. Katılımcılara “Dua... gibidir/benzer, çünkü...” ifadesini ve sosyo-demografik değişkenlere dair soruları içeren bir form uygulanmıştır. Bu form aracılığıyla ulaşılan veriler, içerik analizi ile incelenmiştir. 141 katılımcı tarafından dua etmeye yönelik üretilen metaforlar, ortak özelliklerine göre sınıflandırılmıştır. Araştırmanın sonuçlarına göre örneklem tarafından dua etmeye yönelik olarak 106 farklı metafor sunulmuştur. Bu metaforlar ortak özelliklerine göre incelenerek ‘rahatlama’, ‘güven bulma’, ‘tövbe etme’, ‘manevi gereksinimleri karşılama’, ‘baş etme’, ‘yakınlaşma’, ‘isteme’ ve ‘diğer’ olmak üzere 8 farklı kategori olarak gruplandırılmıştır. Katılımcıların 26’sı ‘rahatlama’, 22’si ‘güven bulma’, 20’si ‘tövbe etme’, 18’i ‘manevi gereksinimleri karşılama’, 17’si ‘baş etme’, 15’i ‘yakınlaşma’, 12’si ‘isteme’ ve 11’i ‘diğer’ kategorilerinde metafor sundukları tespit edilmiştir. Duanın; rahatlama kategorisinde ‘konuşma’, güven bulma kategorisinde ‘maske’, tövbe etme kategorisinde ‘terapi’, manevi gereksinimleri karşılama kategorisinde ‘nefes almak’, baş etme kategorisinde ‘ilaç’, yakınlaşma kategorisinde ‘emir’ ve isteme kategorisinde ‘istek mektubu’ olarak en fazla algılandığına ulaşılmıştır This study, performed on university students, aimed to determine individuals' perceptions with regard to praying. We applied a survey form including the statement “Prayer is like/similar (with)… because…” and questions on socio-demographic variables. The gathered data were analyzed through content analysis. The metaphors produced by 141 participants were divided into 8 categories in respect to common features. One hundred and six different metaphors for praying were presented by the sample. By examining these metaphors, the following categories were created: “relaxing,” “trusting,” “repenting,” “meeting spiritual needs,” “coping,” “getting closer,” “wishing,” and “other.” In the sample, there were 26 metaphors for “relaxing,” 22 for “trusting,” 20 for “repenting,” 18 for “meeting spiritual needs,” 17 for “coping,” 15 for “getting closer,” 12 for “wishing,” and 11 for “other.” Praying is perceived as “speech” for relaxing, “mask” for trusting, “therapy” for repenting, “breathing” for meeting spiritual needs, “medicine” for coping, “order” for getting closer, and “request letter” for wishing categories.

This article offers a theological reflection on prayer of anger and lament as a formative source for the oppressed in constructing and embodying their own theology. For this purpose, particular attention is paid to Kim Heunggyum’s scandalous prayer-song “The Father of Minjung,” which was widely sung by Korean minjung amid their political resistance against the authoritarian regimes in the 1980s. This article historically traces this prayer-song’s original context and developmental stages and analyzes its use of cross-genre that blends the styles and structures of the minjung-gayo and the lament psalms. Theological reflection on this prayer-song focuses on particular religious affections, righteous anger and communal lament, shaped by the Korean minjung’s collective performance to sing this prayer-song as a means of political resistance. By drawing on Audre Lorde, Johann Baptist Metz, and Emmanuel Levinas, this article points out limitations of Barth’s theology of prayer and presents how Kim’s prayer-song that evokes righteous anger and communal lament served as a formative source for the Korean minjung in doing their own critical and incarnational theology.

Classical traditions of reading lie at the origins of Lectio Divina, a characteristic practice of the Christian monastic tradition. The article is based on an analysis of the Prologue of the Benedictine Rule as a performative text, exemplifying the dynamic of the relationships between the human text and reader, as well as the sense of its authority in terms of divine authoriship as word of God, and how this dynamic creates a community of listeners and speakers. Lectio divina is thus presented as constitutive of the monastic community and the structures of authority that sustain it; the article shows how the Bible forms a monk's sense of time and existence. Finally it considers the Rule's understanding of contemplation in a lived theology of reading.

What is distinctive about lectio divina as a practice? What does it require of us, and for what purpose? This ethnographic response considers the relational character of lectio divina and examines the social context of reading as listening. As a way of bringing its characteristics into relief, I describe two ways in which we might find ourselves resisting this slow, prayerful reading. Firstly, the resistance of the body, as it struggles with the physiological challenge of slowing down the pace and recasting reading as an auditory process. Secondly, the resistance of the self, uncomfortable with having to cede control. Lectio divina sits in awkward tension with a world dependent on speed and grounded in individualism.

Christian faith is based on the mystery of the Holy Trinity which, therefore, plays an indispensable role in the understanding of the particular truths of faith. This statement refers also to the Eucharist. The New Testament, especially the Gospel of John, conveys an explicit depiction of the links between the Holy Trinity and the Eucharist. The New Testament tradition has found its continuation in theology, and it has been predominantly seen in the Eucharistic Prayers. This paper highlights certain Trinitarian aspects of the mystery of the Eucharist, in order to point out further possibilities, both for deepening the understanding of this mystery and for more integral incorporation of it into faith and Christian experience.